What's New from Author @GailGMartin March 2012

What's New?  From Author  Gail  Gaymer Martin  March 2012 Winter has been gentle this year in much of the country, but it has been more than wonderful for my husband and I spending January and February in Sedona, Arizona. Though the nights and mornings are cooler, many of the days are warm enough for short sleeves. We golf and go for walks, and last week, I went on a 4-1/2 mile hike around Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte which took me close to three hours. I've never walked on such difficult terrain in my life, but it was something I wanted to do. The hike was around the two distant rocks you see in the middle of this photo. Our friends Jan and Frank Corace spent a week with us here, and we had a great time on a Pink Jeep tour, laughing on our bumpy ride through the rocks and desert. We stopped to learn about the foliage of the area and to view many of the lovely sites. Another day we did the exciting trip down Oak Creek Canyon, and we stopped at the famous Sliding Rock which is filled with swimmers in the summer, using the smooth rocks as slides. We also took a trip to the ghost town Jerome which is a mile high above the town of Cottonwood, and once had 19,000 residence, mainly men who mined the copper. Today the town has about 444 residence, but it is bustling with tourist who visit the interesting shops and boutiques or those who come for a tasty meal.   Although I enjoy having time to read, with all the company visiting us and working on my book when I had free moments, my reading time seemed to diminish. I love Nicholas Sparks novel,  The Best Of Me, but as always it didn't have a happy ending, and I enjoyed Jodi Picoult's  House Rules very much. She's not known for happy endings either, but this one at least ended with a feeling of hope. Today I started Kristin Hannah's Angel Falls. I've heard good things about it so I'm anxious to read it.   I am happy to report that the novel due on April 1 is complete, and I've listened to it read to me on Natural Reader, and I've made some edits. Today I printed a hard copy and will read it once again to edit as we drive back to Michigan. We leave on January 29 and hope to be home in three days. This book which I originally called Waiting For You, is now titled Her Valentine Hero and will be released in February 2013. I will now work on a proposal for the next two novels in the series. The second story will revolve around Neely's sister Ashley, and the final book will be a surprise. I'm also excited to tell you that I now have the cover for my June 2012 release, the last in the Dreams Come True series, titled A Dream Of His Own.   Dreams Come True      Book 1 A Dad Of His Own  Love Inspired March 2011   Order Here       Book 2 A Family Of Their Own Love Inspired September 2011 Order Here    Book 3 A Dream Of His Own   Love Inspired June 2012     STILL AVAILABLE    Dad In Training           Click here to purchase  Groom In Training      Click here to purchase Bride In Training         Click here to purchase Monterey Memories    Click here to purchase  Christmas Gifts          Click here to purchase 2012 APPEARANCES, TRAVEL AND EVENTS Nothing scheduled at this time. RECIPE When my niece was visiting us in Sedona, she asked to cook a meal for all of us. She chose one that her family liked, and one that we all enjoyed too. The meal is called Pollo Saltillo (Pollo is chicken and saltillo means little skip.) It's an easy but tasty dish served with rice or wrapped in flour tortillas, if you prefer. Pollo Saltillo Ingredients 1 lb. Chicken breast, cubed 1 small onion, chopped 2 Tbsp. oil 1 Tsp oregano 1 Tbsp chili powder ½ Tbsp cumin 1 cup V-8 juice ½ cup of chicken broth 2 cans pinto beans, drained 4 to 6 ounces of cheddar cheese, cubed sour cream (optional) Directions Sauté cubed chicken, onions and spices in oil, add V-8 juice, chicken broth, and pinto beans. Cook 20 minutes. Add cheddar cheese and cook until melted. Serve on brown or white rice and/or flour tortillas. Add a dollop of sour cream when serving. GAIL'S FREE BOOK CONTEST DRAWING The winner of the March free autographed book and small gifts is Dina Cox from California. The free book drawings are held six times a year: January, March, May, July, September, and November, offering you six opportunities to win, but you must sign the guestbook for each drawing. The next drawing will be in May, so please drop by www.gailmartin.com and look in the boxed area for the Read and Sign My Guestbook. I love to hear from you. SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER If you have friends or family who love to read, please share this newsletter, and invite your friends to subscribe for all the monthly news. DO YOU HAVE A NEW EMAIL ADDRESS? When you change email addresses, please don't forget to re-subscribe to this newsletter with your new email address. You can delete the old or you can let it stay and it will be deleted automatically by Ezine Director who manages my newsletter account. FAITH THOUGHT Leaving this amazing setting and our lovely townhouse and returning home is difficult. Although home is "where the heart is," I realize that Sedona has become my home. I love it here, and I am saddened to return to what I've called home much of my life. Here I have not only the amazing red rocks that daily remind me of the power of God's glory and majesty, but I have weather that stimulates daily walking, days that I golf and hike in terrains that I cannot find at home. There I sit in my office on cold winter days and write and write, or go to music rehearsals or do the "couch potato" act and watch TV in the evening. Two homes that beckon to me. As I think about leaving here, I feel a tremendous sadness, but I also recall the comforts of home in the familiar surroundings, the family and friends I've missed, and the items I left behind that make life easier. Then I recall God has promised us a home in heaven, even more glorious than anything we can imagine on earth. The thought of leaving my earthly home and going to heaven saddens me, too, but I know, just as I know when I leave this place, I will be with family and friends and have every comfort imaginable and even greater, I will be in the presence of my Lord and Savior. In John 14:23, Jesus says, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." Though we often fear the unknown, heaven is a glorious promise, a new home where we will live forever with the Lord. What could be better?                            Gail