MORE FUN STUFF

MISCELLANEOUS

Would you believe that I got an email from Magnus Eriksson in Denmark?  I'm not kidding.  Who would have thought when I named my hero in THE VERY VIRILE VIKING that he would have a namesake in modern times?

Then there's the woman who admittedly hits the dating sites and her headline is "Where is my thunderbolt?"  You have to have read my Cajun books to get the humor.

I also smile a bit when some readers tell me that their husbands or significant others now call them "sweetling" or "heartling."  I melt just thinking about having established such a trend with my Norse endearments. I fully expect after fans have read KISS OF PRIDE that they will use the word ‘Wowzer!’ in a new, hilarious way.

Okay, you're not going to believe this, but when I wrote the book, THE LAST VIKING, I pictured Kevin Sorbo (in his TV role of Hercules) as the hero.  In fact, when Meredith first sees Rolf, she says, "Oh, my God!  It's Kevin Sorbo."

So, I was at the recent DragonCon conference in Atlanta where, yep, Kevin Sorbo was signing memorabilia, and ta da!  Here I am with Kevin Sorbo.  I must say, the boy does age well.  This is what he said when he signed the book, "No, that's not me on the cover, but it should be." <g>

Also while at DragonCon, which incidentally can only be described as the world's largest Halloween party, 50,000 people strong, I finally met up with Chris Roberts, a well-known supporter of the romance genre.  And what a sweetie she!  Her daughter, too.

Four of us authors, calling ourselves Bump in the Night Central had our own booth at DragonCon.  Here I am with Lori Handeland, Susan Sizemore and Sue Kearney.

Another case of "It's a small world."  There I am at our DragonCon booth telling passersby that I write (among other things) about time-traveling Viking Navy SEALS, and this guy stops, looks at me, and says, "Whaaat?"  Yep, a former Navy SEAL,  Unfortunately, not a Viking one, but, hey, not so bad.

Here's a typical fan from Dragoncon.

And did I mention running into John D'Salvo at the Romantic Times Convention this year?  John has been the cover model on a dozen of my books.  I must say, he is even better looking in person.

That's me with Rosemary of Rosemary's Book Store in Australia.  Rosemary is an incredible supporter of the romance industry.

Me signing books at RT.

Me (in the tan jacket) with the Mystery Chix at RT.

TRULY, MADLY FUNNY

So, there's this young man who writes me a letter.  He tells me that, as an entering freshman at the exclusive Pomona College in California, they were required to write an essay on the book MENDEL'S DWARF.  A literary novel, this book detailed the sexual frustration, in very graphic detail, of a midget scientist who idolized the scientist Gregor Mendel and was in love with a librarian.

It was an odd choice, this young man from the conservative northeast thought, but then he had this image of Californians as being free-spirited, progressive, sun-bathed hippies (his words).  The faculty must be part of those wild Californians.

Lo and behold, several weeks later, he and the other incoming freshmen got another letter.  This one stated that due to overcrowded classes, students could be exempt from the writing requirements if they provided a second essay, this one comparing MENDEL'S DWARF with, you guessed it, TRULY, MADLY VIKING.

Again, this young man (embarrassed to find himself in the romance section of a bookstore) thought it another example of those odd Californians.  In some ways, he found lots to compare.

But, oops, another letter followed.  Turns out some pranksters got hold of the freshman mailing list and the comparison to TRULY, MADLY VIKING was a joke.  But meanwhile lots of students had already written the comparative essays.

The young man wanted me to know that somewhere, on dozens and dozens of book shelves, are dog-eared copies of TRULY, MADLY VIKING and that literary essays have been written about it.  Even more amusing, when that class graduated, their class shirts read:  "Truly, Madly Graduated."

Most pleasing to me was the fact that this young man, who never would have read a romance novel otherwise, said he really enjoyed the book.

Don't you just love this story?

SPECIAL PEOPLE

On another note:  These authors have been especially kind in giving me quotes for my books.  Please check out their websites and tell them I sent you:

Christina Skye - www.christinaskye.com

Susan Wiggs - www.susanwiggs.com

Christine Feehan - www.christinefeehan.com

Karen Moning - www.karenmoning.com

Lysay Sands - www.lynsaysands.net

Also, I got the neatest email from a guy after hearing about A TALE OF TWO VIKINGS.  He is in a band called, yep, TWO VIKINGS.  Check it out and tell them I sent you:  http://www.twovikings.com.

Also, look at the wonderful tribute one of my fans put on her website.

ON THE HOMEFRONT

We continue to be avid Nittany Lions fans, living in Penn State country as we do. Yay JoPa!

And how about that Penn State football team?  National champions, for sure!  Funny thing...in DOWN AND DIRTY, I have several scenes take place at the Nittany Lions Beaver Stadium during the Penn State/Notre Dame game.

As always, we get great pleasure from our three grandchildren.  Here's the three of them this summer...Jaden, Jeffie and little Max, doing what everyone does best in this part of the country, fly fishing.

And  it's not just the kids fishing either.  Here's my son Rob showing off one of his Spruce Creek catches.

And my husband Robert is a big bonefish enthusiast.  Of course, he tells me he HAS to go to the Bahamas to catch them.

We continue to work on our fishing cottage.  My son Matt has developed a real knack for renovating.  This is the new kitchen facing the stream.

And our new deck.

My husband treats the trout so good on our property that they literally jump out of the water when they sense him coming.  I am not kidding when I say we have huge native trout, two feet and longer, who can be seen swimming around, just waiting for him to throw them some feed.  In fact, they are so trusting of my husband that the females are laying their eggs in the clear shallow water along the edge.  Need I mention that my husband does not eat trout!

My husband also has become a bird lover to the extreme.  My grandson Jeffie said one day, "Pop, Pop, you have the fattest birds."  I don't know how many bird feeders he has now around the cottage and on the island.  All I know is, not only are the birds happy, but every squirrel, raccoon and rabbit within a mile.  In fact, while we were gone recently, a neighbor reported seeing 17 turkeys, three bears and a bunch of deer on our property.  We would love to see them.

Snakes are a big problem out here in the country.  Lots of snakes.  They are usually just water or black snakes, which are non-poisonous, but Lordy, Lordy!  I even ordered a snake catcher from the Internet for my husband.  He believes in a "catch and release policy," even for snakes.  One day he caught a huge one, put it in a trash can with a lid, then drove it a mile away before he released it.  I wanted to get a picture of my daughter-in-law Bethany and myself one day trying to catch a great big one, her with the snake catcher and me holding the trash can and lid, but we were screaming and laughing too hard.  The snakes were probably laughing, too.  In fact, I figure the snake grapevine is probably saying, "C'mon down to the Hills.  Paaaarty!"

Two of my sons and their families are gardening enthusiasts, mostly organic.  This is Jaden holding up one of her prize lettuces.

Jeffie is still a great pirate enthusiast.  He even sleeps with his sword.  And when we ask him if he is a good pirate, he says, "No!  I'm a baaad pirate."

The only thing Max cares about is Thomas the Train.  And I mean, he is obsessed with that character.  Here he is with his favorite birthday gift from Uncle Dan.

And the dogs, well, they love being just dogs.  The big-as-a-horse one is our Eli, a German Shepherd.  The other two are my son Dan's Tyler (as in Steve Tyler) and Bethany's Kyra.

Sadly, we lost two members of our family this year. Eli, on the left, our beloved German Shepherd, and Kyra, my son Matt's family dog. Tyler, in the middle, my son Daniel's longtime pet, still survives, with two additions, Sky, a husky, and Sidney, a Grand Pyrennes that resembles a walking polar bear.

And now we have two more additions to our "family."  Two husky puppies, Sky and Zoey, which belong to my sons Daniel and Beau.  Zoey is the daughter of one of the dogs which starred in the movie "Eight Below."  Very pretty, both of them.

YOU READERS

I must tell you, I have the best fans in the world.  You cannot know how much your letters make me smile, or tug at my heart strings, or just plain make me feel good that you took the time to write. 

One more thing.  For those of you who love Vikings with a sense of humor, as I do, check out this funny spoof on Vikings.  It's what would happen if Thor and Loki were college roommates.

http://www.nationallampoon.com/nl/01_cc/thor/thor_board.asp

SEAL HUMOR

Two things Navy SEALS are always taught:

• Keep your priorities in order
• Know when to act without hesitation

A college professor, an avowed atheist and active in the ACLU, was teaching his class.  He shocked several of his students when he flatly stated that for once and for all he was gong to prove there was no God.  Addressing the ceiling,  he shouted:

"God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform.  I'll give you exactly 15 minutes!!!"

The lecture room fell silent.  You could hear a pin drop.  Ten minutes went by.

"I'm waiting, God.  If you're real, knock me off this platform!!!"

Again, after five minutes, the professor taunted God saying, "Here I am, God!!!  I'm still waiting!!!"

His count down got to the last couple of minutes when a SEAL, just released from the Navy after serving in Afghanistan and Iraq and newly registered in the class, walked up to the professor.  The SEAL hit him full force in the face and sent the professor tumbling from his lofty platform.  The professor was out cold!!  The students were stunned and shocked.  They began to babble in confusion.  The SEAL nonchalantly took his seat in the front row and sat silent.  The class looked at him and fell silent...waiting.

Eventually, the professor came to and was noticeably shaken.  He looked at the SEAL in the front row.  When the professor regained his senses and could speak, he asked, "What the hell is the matter with you?!  Why did you do that!"

"God was really busy protecting America's soldiers, who are protecting your right to say stupid shit and act like an asshole!!!  So he sent me!!"

ONE NATION UNDER GOD!!!

FREEBIES

Free color promo materials (small posters, postcards, bookmarks) are available for most books.

If interested, send self-addressed stamped envelopes (correct envelope size and appropriate postage) to:

Sandra Hill
P.O. Box 604
State College, PA 16804

IN CONCLUSION

I will bid you adieu for now, sweet friends.  Come by and visit on occasion.  I will have the welcome mat out.

Fondly,