Out on these rugged plains, love never comes easy. And four daring ladies will do whatever it takes to capture the hearts of four irresistibly sweet-talking Texans...

When a quiet foreman comes to the aid of a mystery lady, they'll find that this perfect starlit night is made for courtin'...

A determined heiress gambles high to reclaim the rancher she's never stopped wanting...

When a spirited lady and a go-getter mayor compete for their town's future, it's two dreams for a lifetime...And to attract a lonely doctor's attention, a shy young woman needs courage - and two unlikely matchmakers...

Phyliss: Being born and raised in the Texas Panhandle, I've always thought that we get a bum wrap because we're on the Caprock of the Great Plains and people think we're nothing but a flat plain, dry and desolate. Therefore, I strive to write stories that tell the true picture of our region. Our first town, Mobeetie, wasn't founded until 1875, first being called Hide Town. The next was Tascosa, which was called Hog Town followed by the temperance colony known as Saint's Roost before finally Amarillo was founded in 1887. Of interest, Amarillo's first name was Oneida. Technically, in the scheme of the rich history of Texas, we're still very young. We weren't even affected by the Civil War because the buffalo were still being hunted, and there were Comanchero trading grounds in every direction, Mobeetie being one of them.

With the unpredictability of the weather, mainly because of our proximity to the Rocky Mountains, the lack of large trees (except those transplanted) and the wind, we get that bad wrap, I mentioned.

But the Panhandle has so much more to offer than most people know when they travel through town on Interstate 40. The Canadian River was once beautiful fringed with huge chokeberries, plums, gooseberries and grapes. The water was crystal clear but the coming of the longhorns changed the topography in so many ways, bringing with them the Russian thistle, mesquite, and wildflowers. Palo Duro Canyon, also known as the little Grand Canyon, is one of the most beautiful places in the world and for somebody traveling through town on I-40 they'd never know just 30 miles south could be such beauty.

I love the independence our forefathers had and the people of the Panhandle still have. My respect and love for the Code of the West, which still is healthy in Texas, is one of the things I respect most about Texas and Texans.

That's why I choose to write about our region and Texas, so my readers can see our beauty and spirit.

Go check out her webpage - PhylissMiranda.com

Linda: The thing most dear to me is the special bond I have with my three writing partners. We laugh, we get lost together, we kill off people and tell each other where we bury the bodies, and we always stick up for each other no matter what. We're like sisters in a lot of ways.

Go check out her webpage- LindaBroday.com

DeWanna: I discovered a long time ago that what people want most of all is to love and to be loved. If they can find a way to laugh as they go about it then nothing ever seems too big to handle.

Go check out her webpage - DeWannaPaceonline.com

A Day in the Week for Author

Linda: Diary of a normal day: In the mornings I never do anything without first a hot cup of coffee and a newspaper spread out in front of me. Once I read it through, even the obituaries to make sure I'm not supposed to be breathing, I work the word jumble and my Sudoku puzzle. Then it's breakfast and off to the computer. After I check emails and take care of a little business I dive into writing. A break for lunch and I'm back to my story. At 5:00 P.M. I turn on the T.V. and see what happened in the world during that day. I eat dinner and watch my favorite shows until bedtime at 11:00

A Day in the Week for Author

DeWanna: Diary entry: My average morning starts at 6:30 when I get up and get ready for my day job that starts at 7:45. I roll into my library (I'm disabled and in a wheel chair) and fire up the bank of computers to get them ready for the students to research. Then I take classes all day from PreK through fifth grade. With each class, I help point out books that I think might interest them then read a book to them that relates to something they're currently studying. A lot of my discussion time, however, is spent spotlighting why the author chose that particular title, asking how the five senses came into play, defining the main idea, the beginning, middle, end of the story, and how the characters are brought to life. This helps them with their own writing for teachers and makes them more aware of why they like a certain type of book better than others.
After school, I go home and rest about two hours then I respond to my email. I start my writing for the evening and work until I'm too tired to do any more. Sometimes I eat, sometimes I don't if the writing is going well. What? No chores, no housecleaning? No taking care of kids? My daughter is grown. My husband works an opposite shift than mine. My waxy build-up can wait till the weekend when there's more time and we're both off to help each other do the normal responsibilities that keep a household running. My husband is my best hero. :
My time alone is spent writing, or should I say rewriting. I never get it right the first time. I'm a better rewriter than I am a writer, and I'm also a binge writer. I don't write every day, but I sure try to. Sometimes I just don't feel like writing, so I don't. You've got to fill back up with life once in awhile if you're going to spill all those emotions out onto paper. So I stop and fill up and don't feel guilty about it. A lot of writers beat themselves over the head about what they didn't get done. I used to do that, but then I learned that you've got to give yourself a pat on the back for what you do accomplish.

A Day in the Week for Author

Phyliss: I'm an early riser, and the first thing I do when I get up is make my bed with the help of Miss Kitty, my rescue cat, who hides under the covers. Then I turn on my Mr. Coffee, go out and get the paper, generally trying to keep Miss Kitty from scurrying outside (I normally lose that battle), then sit down and enjoy my coffee (with lots of half and half and much too much sugar) and watch the morning news. Then I let Miss Kitty back in, dress and begin whatever work I've scheduled for the day. I generally do set aside one day to goof off, but the rest of them from about nine until three I write or work on promotion. I love reality shows like Dancing with the Stars, and since I'm an early riser (sometimes five in the morning), I retire by eleven o'clock. I got that from my grandfather who always reminded me, "If God had meant for us to work longer, He'd left the sun up." So when the sun goes down, that's God's sign for me to begin the process of retiring for the day.

A Day in the Week for Author

Jodi: Whether school is in session or not, as Writer in Residence at West Texas A&M University ..."My door is usually open to students all morning," explains Thomas, who talks to the classes at the University and on other campuses during her many speaking engagements when not writing in her spacious office in WTAMU's Cornette Library. "They come by to visit and ask questions about being a writer. When I was a child, being a writer wasn't an option. All the people I knew had regular jobs. I'm hoping that students will see that being a writer is a possibility. This is particularly important in these days when programs in the arts are being cut in the public schools."
Commenting on her contribution to the arts, Thomas said, "When I was teaching classes full time, I thought I was making the world a better place. Now I think of a teacher, or nurse, or mother settling back and relaxing with one of my books. I want to take her away on an adventure that will entertain her. Maybe, in a small way, I'm still making the world a better place."

Picture of Jodi and DeWanna at their first critique session.

"Triumph comes through persistence and a great critique partner."

Picture of Jodi, Linda and Phyliss at our announcement for PPW

"The day we announced our first sale to our local writing organization, Panhandle Professional Writers, which is the oldest continual writing organization in the United States established on April 20, 1920, in Amarillo. We announced it by using our baby pictures and giving hints as to the authors were and advanced it on to the fact that all four of us sold our first anthology together. Little did we know that it'd end up, so far, being six and they'd hit NY Times and USA Today.