Gerbils are small rodents that usually grow to between 6 and 12 inches long (including their tail).
They were first introduced to the pet industry in 1964 but you can’t buy, import or keep a gerbil as a pet in California.
All posts by Melanie
THE INCREDIBLE CALLAWAYS TOUR – BARBARA FREETHY GUEST POST
BEAUTIFUL NEW PRINT COVERS!
#1 NY Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy talks strong women, hot guys and family series… Check out what she has to say then Read on for more information about this blog tour and all its great prizes!
One of my favorite quotes of all time is by Eleanor Roosevelt: “A woman is like a tea bag. You don’t know how strong she is until you put her in hot water.”
This quote perfectly describes the heroines in my new connected family series: The Callaways. I love to write about ordinary women who get caught up in extraordinary adventures. My heroines don’t always know what they’re made of until they’re tested.
While we sometimes associate strong female characters with over-the-top roles like vampire slayer or some other kick-ass profession, I believe most women, even the quiet ones, have a superhuman core of strength that enables them to change the world they live in and also to change the men who love them. In my books, the heroine’s strength is enhanced, not only by a new and powerful romantic relationship but also her personal journey to find herself.
In the first book in the Callaway series, ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS, the heroine, Sara, has grown up in a troubled family and is estranged from her father. She grew up next door to the chaotic, fun-loving Callaway family and often envied the relationships she saw on the other side of the fence. She also had a huge crush on the second oldest male in the family, Aiden Callaway.
While Sara was a studious, serious girl in high school, Aiden was the charming rebel. As teenagers they were not ready for each other, but now they meet again as adults and both are facing pivotal moments in their lives.
Aiden is recovering from an injury he acquired as a smokejumper and grieving for the loss of his best friend, who died during their last jump together. Sara has come home to repair the relationship with her father, only to discover that there are family secrets that will change everything she thought she knew about her past and her parents.
Sara has to find the strength within herself to risk her heart on a man who could quite possibly break it, to face a terrible lie and to find a way to forgive her father. Aiden also has to find a way to deal with the secret that took his friend’s life. Together these two characters find strength within themselves and also draw strength from each other, which is, really, what love is all about.
As a reader, I love books that have layers: romance, mystery, adventure and surprises. As a writer, I strive to bring those same elements to all of my stories. My heroines have to be as strong as the heroes. And I always hope that they inspire my readers in some way, too.
I grew up reading books about strong female characters, and I know those reading experiences helped shaped some of my own attitudes about the kind of woman I wanted to be.
Who are some of your favorite female characters? And what do you love most about them?
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About the Callaway Blog Tour & All Its Great Prizes!
This is the week you finally meet the Callaways! Not only are they all over the web as part of their extraordinary blog tour, but they are also out and about in your neighborhood. That’s right; we’re celebrating the print launch with Ingram by throwing a party all over the world! Make sure to follow this tour closely for your chance to win gift cards, swag, autographed books, and other incredible prizes.
All the info you need to join the fun and enter to win amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment—easy to enter; easy to win!
To Win the Prizes:
- Purchase any of the Callaway novels by Barbara Freethy (optional)
- Enter the Rafflecopter contest on Novel Publicity (go here)
- Visit today’s featured social media event (that’s where the HUGE prizes are)
About The Callaways: The Callaways were born to serve and protect! In Barbara’s new connected family series, each of the eight siblings in this blended Irish-American family find love, mystery and adventure, often where they least expect it! Each book stands alone, but for the full enjoyment of the series, you might want to start at the beginning with On A Night Like This! Get the eBooks via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, or Kobo.
About the Author: Barbara Freethy has been making up stories most of her life. Growing up in a neighborhood with only boys and a big brother who was usually trying to ditch her, she spent a lot of time reading. When she wasn’t reading, she was imagining her own books. After college and several years in the P.R. field, she decided to try her hand at a novel. Now Barbara is a #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author loved by readers all over the world. Her novels range from contemporary romance to romantic suspense and women’s fiction. Learn more on her website, Facebook page, or in her Street Team.
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#AtoZChallenge – Fox
The fox is a member of the canine family and is found on every continent but Antarctica. They are omnivores and are slightly smaller than an average dog.
Recently, there have been reports in the news of foxes entering houses during the night in parts of London, England and attacking babies and toddlers.
#AtoZChallenge – Elephant
Elephants are large mammals that are found in Africa and Asia. As their habitats suggest, they are known by the areas they live in.
Their large ear flaps help dissipate heat through the capillaries that carry the heated blood away from the animal’s body and out into the air.
African Elephant
Asian Elephant
#AtoZChallenge – Donkey
Donkeys (asses) are domesticated members of the horse family.
Male donkeys are called “jacks” and are sometimes bred with horses to create mules. Females are “jennys” and the young are “foals”.
Donkeys are often kept in fields with sheep to protect the sheep from predators such as wolves or coyotes.
Despite having a reputation of being stubborn, they can be willing and companionable partners.
#AtoZChallenge – Chipmunk
Chipmunks are members of the Sciuridae family. These small, striped rodents are primarily found in North America .
They primarily eat nuts, seeds and fruit and other plant matter. Like their larger squirrel cousins, they have pouches on the insides of their cheeks so they can carry multiple items back to their larder in one trip.
Chipmunks can be coaxed to take food from humans and can be kept in captivity. In the wild, their life span is about three years but in captivity, they can live up to nine years.
#AtoZChallenge – Badger
Badgers are short-legged, nocturnal omnivores that belong to the same family as otters, polecats, weasels and wolverines.
Some of the Eurasian badgers (like the one pictured below) can tip the scales at 40 pounds!
Badgers live in burrows called setts and many have been culled in Europe and the United Kingdom to prevent the spread of rabies and bovine TB.
They are fierce and will go to great extents to protect themselves and their young but can be tamed as kept as pets.
#AtoZChallenge – Aardvark
Aardvarks are native to Africa. They’re a medium-sized, nocturnal mammal with a long pig-like snout, which they use to sniff out food. Their diet consists of ants and termites, dug out of their hills using their sharp claws and powerful legs. Their digging ability is also used to create burrows to live in and raise their offspring.
#AtoZChallenge – Blogging from A to Z
Once again, I’m taking part in the #AtoZChallenge. Last year my subject matter was random, whatever struck my fancy for each letter of the alphabet.
This year, I’ve decided to do a theme for the month – Animals!
Here is the schedule for 2015…
Follow me throughout April and see what I’ve chosen for my Animal of the Day.
A Shadow in the Past – the real locations and inspiration behind the novel
There were a number of things that influenced and inspired me to write my debut novel, A Shadow in the Past. Here are some of them.
Start with one spooky, derelict mansion…
Add one ancient stone circle…
Sprinkle in a narrow country lane…
Lined with ghostly trees…
Add a generous dollop of old graveyard…
One full-sized headstone…
Spice it up with a village hall…
One lunatic asylum…
One small country church…
And lastly a smidgeon of Aberdeen…
Mix well.
Add characters…
Let all the ingredients simmer then write, write some more, re-write, re-write some more.
When finished it looks like this…
Blurb:
Nineteen-year-old Sarah Shand finds herself thrust back into the past. There she struggles to keep her real identity from a society that finds her comments and ideas strange and her speech and actions forward, unlike Victorian women. When Sarah verbally confronts confining social practices, including arranged marriages, powerful enemies commit her to a lunatic asylum. After falling in love with the handsome Laird of Weetshill, Robert Robertson, she must decide whether to find her way back to her own time or to remain in the past with him.
Where to buy:
4RV Publishing: http://www.4rvpublishingcatalog.com/robertson-king.php
ChaptersIndigo: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/A-Shadow-In-The-Past-Melanie-Robertson-king/9780983801887-item.html?ikwid=a+shadow+in+the+past&ikwsec=Home
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-shadow-in-the-past-melanie-robertson-king/1112348992?ean=9780983801887
A Shadow in the Past is also available at amazon for the Kindle (using the same links), Barnes & Noble for the nook, Kobobooks, and the iBookstore.