FREE hand-crafted jewelry for TWO lucky winners!

Have I got a treat for you! I’ve a small window of ‘free’ time between my last blog event and my sizzlin’ heroes of Scotland, Ireland, England & Wales Blog Event. Guess what’s up for grabs right now? Jewelry! Yep, you heard me correctly. I’d like to say I thought long and hard, “what would my readers and followers enjoy in the intermission?” but it wasn’t hard at all. Why? I happen to have a good friend who designs and sells jewelry that makes all women look beyond beautiful!

Without further adieu I’d like to introduce the CEO of Designs by Dawn Marie….none other than Dawn Marie herself.

From her lips to my blog…

“I was born and raised in a small town in Wisconsin. Grew up surrounded by a big family. Everything I create comes from my heart. I love LOVE. Family is still the most important thing to me today. My favorite color is purple. I have a MONSTER sweet tooth. I create very different styles of jewelry - beaded like the necklaces you can purchase, wire wrapped, and wire crocheted. I've been making jewelry for almost 2 years and was actually inspired by my mother-in-law (to be)... she insisted I had talent when I had no idea what I wanted to do with the next chapter of my life. I am engaged to a wonderful man and we have two furry kids. (Two beautiful dogs!) I also love to golf, garden and spend as much time as possible with family.”

Doesn’t Dawn Marie sound fabulous? She LOVES love! Tell me you don’t feel the same? Her jewelry is super. I bought a piece a while back and well…loved it so much I just knew I had to share her with you!

If you’re anything like me, you like to attract the man in your life─or just men in general! Well, the necklace I bought from Dawn did that. Made my husband’s head turn twice! I’m such a fan of her work I’d like to offer a giveaway. Now this is for the gal like me who skipped on the belly ring, the back tattoo, and is more comfy in conservative clothing…but SO not afraid to think sexy and show a little ankle or more *winks*……

I’m ready to give away Dawn Marie’s Teal Blue Anklet Ankle bracelet. Wait a second! Just got the latest from Dawn, she wants to add to the pot. A dichroic heart necklace has been added to the mix! How fantastic is that?

So now I sit here, a teal blue anklet in one hand, a heart necklace in the other. What is a girl to do? I say….I want two winners!

Is there a catch? Of course. Wait…stop! Heard from Dawn again. No matter if you win or lose this give-away she'd like to offer my followers and readers one more thing. (I’m humbled by this, she’s too cool) if you order something from her before July 5th enter the coupon code SKYSPROMO and get %10 off all of her jewelry! I know Dawn puts her heart and soul into everything she makes and will hand craft whatever you like so I’m flattered she’s willing to do this for my crowd and any of her followers as well.

Okay, back to business. Normally I’m fine with a random comment because I support all funds. In this case I’m supporting only half. And though Dawn is fine with whatever I do I want you to answer one thing in a comment for a chance to win. Visit Dawn’s website, click on testimonials (can’t miss it-at top) and list any one of the raved about pieces of jewelry in a comment! Pretty easy, eh?

Thanks so much for swinging in. Both Dawn and I appreciate it. I’ll give Dawn the floor for the week for comments but I’m bound to stick my head in here and there! Remember, all comments are moderated so don’t be alarmed if you don’t see yours right away. Contest ends Friday, July 2nd 12 PM EST.

Have a second? Join Dawn and learn more at her ~Website ~ Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~Myspace

Best Always,
~Sky

Added bonus: A quick taste of the talent you can expect...

Research a lil' and comment to win!

One day left to win a PRINT copy of my book!!!

ONE DAY LEFT to win a PRINT copy of Sylvan Mist!!!

Yes, I'm afraid my Spring has Sprung Blog Event has come to an end...almost. You still have an opportunity to win this week. Though I'm not giving away a prize at this blog I'll send you to a place you can win.

MONDAY through FRIDAY I'll be in the SPOTLIGHT at the Write Life-Chicks of Charazterization blogspot. Pop over anytime through the week and leave a comment for a chance to win a PRINT copy of Sylvan Mist, book III in my Highlander Trilogy!

Hope to see a few of you there! Below I've listed the blurb and an excerpt for Sylvan Mist. Enjoy!

Coira O'Donnell refuses to acknowledge the Scotsman haunting her. Why should she? She carries no magic and she's newly engaged. Well aware of the mysterious tie between the medieval Mac'Lomains and her mother's clan, the Brouns, Coira will have no part of it. She much prefers a proper English gentleman to a barbarian living six hundred years in the past. However, as one whirlwind day will prove, she has little choice in the matter.

Chieftain William Mac'Lomain did not call her back, yet she arrives. Coira is not the woman meant for him. Or is she? Her arrival marks the start of a highland war unlike any Scotland has witnessed before, one born of magic. Soon, he finds himself in a tangled web of duty, loyalty and unexpected love. A love so unattainable and powerful it may cost him the war; and his heart.

A little sample...

The fast-fading moonlight poured over her small form. Coira dropped the fur cloak to her feet, leaving only the pale gray of her wool gown and plaid wrap. She removed the wrap. It fell, a dull shadow against the pool of fur at her ankles.

He spoke within her mind. “Coira, what are you doing?”

Coira didn’t respond but turned to face him, the fabric shuffling and twisting in the snow. She stood a distance away, but he could see the steel and determination in her gaze. He could also see the flagon of whisky clutched loosely in her hand.

He went to step forward but she shook her head. “I needed time alone. Is that too much to ask?”

William watched her newfound magic ignite, glow around her─a silver haze the color of mist and moonlight. He didn’t move but waited. “’Tis not so much to ask for, if we were not at war.”

“We are not at war, William! Are we?” Her gaze shifted, covered the sky, the land, and his face in one sweep.

Damn Ferchar for giving her that whisky. What had he hoped to accomplish? William held his ground. His words were as wrought with double meaning as hers. “We are not at war, lass. Not quite yet.”

She sipped again from the whisky. “Go to hell. Leave me be.”

But she didn’t turn away.

William decided upon logic. “You’re nearly bluttered, Coira.”

“And what of it?” She took another sip and wiped her mouth with her sleeve, making a wide swipe with her arm. “Do I not deserve to be after all of this? After you!”

He moved with a lightning speed born of magic until he stood in front her. “You deserve a hundred flagons of whisky, if ’tis your desire after all of this, but not now.”

Head tilted back, she narrowed her eyes at him. “But now is now, is it not, William? Now is a mere day before we might die. Before war. Why do you push me away? No. Don’t answer that; you’ve your reasons, I’m sure. Perhaps you don’t want to become more attached to me before I die. Or you die!”

No more. William stopped the endless stream of words with his mouth. He pushed hard against her lips, hoping she would fight him so that he could let her know she had no choice. That he had no choice. But she didn’t. Her hands came up, encased his face, and sweetly deepened the exchange.

He’d been strong until this point. Well in control of his emotions. The urgency of her soft lips snapped his determination in half, made a mockery of his good intentions. He’d endured the horrible need and want night after night as she had, but knew Adlin was right. His final decision─if it came to it─must be for his clan, not her.

Her small hands found their way beneath his cloak, up under his tunic and stroked each muscle. She whispered, urged, pleaded. Her body quivered against his. Sharply reminded him of how she shook upon release, completion. What if she died? What if he did? William needed to feel her sleek heat once more. Groaning, he pulled Coira closer, lifted her, and walked forward until her back pressed against the flat surface of the boulder.

*Be sure to pop in often as I have a few treats up my sleeve between now and the start of my Sizzlin' Hot Heroes of Scotland, Ireland, England & Wales blog event starting July 5th!*

P.L. Parker's Songbird. We have a winner!

Another fantastic week! Doesn’t P.L. Parker’s free read, Songbird sound great? Haven’t had a chance to read it yet? Click here for the free download. Okay, won’t keep you waiting another minute. This week’s winner of a $4.50 gift certificate to The Wild Rose Press is Margaret Tanner. Congratulations! Please contact me at Skypurington@live.com to collect your prize.

Enjoy your Father's Day weekend!

~Sky

P.L. Parker's FREE READ with a prize to boot!

Welcome to my Spring has Sprung blog event. This week I’m thrilled to have talented romance author, P.L. Parker join me. Things are a little different this time around. Not only are you entered to win a $4.50 gift certificate to The Wild Rose Press if you comment but you can download this story today. Why? It’s a FREE READ!

Songbird

She'd run, fleeing from a past too painful to bear, in search of a new beginning. What he offered wasn't what she wanted – or was it?

SKY: Welcome, thanks for joining me this week!

P.L. PARKER: Most welcome. Looked forward to it and visiting with your group.

SKY: Too curious...what inspired this story?

P.L. PARKER: The Free Reads Program is generated to bring readers to the publisher’s site (in this case The Wild Rose Press) and since I have a book out recently in the Cactus Rose line, Aimee’s Locket, I wanted to do something to draw attention to that book as well. The idea of a runaway bride has always appealed to me. Women have been running for thousands of years for one reason or another. Times I feel like running myself. LOL. Since this story needed to be about the Old West to concide with my Cactus Rose novel, I just had to pick the setting and a saloon seemed a colorful and interesting choice – so many delicious characters to choose from. I sometimes get lost in my side-characters and lose sight of my main figure, but Delilah, the heroine, kept my attention very well.

SKY: You're right, women have been running for thousands of years, one way or another. Sounds fantastic! But let's crawl inside...what makes your heroine fly off the pages? I’d love a glimpse of who she is.

P.L. PARKER: She’s a nice girl who wants more out of life than her mother had, but becoming a saloon songbird isn’t exactly what she had in mind. She remembers before, but wishes it were different.

Scandalous by any standard, the white expanse of her breasts threatened to spill from the purple silk dress. She grimaced. Mama’d roll over in her grave if she could see me now!

SKY: What makes your hero worth knowing─lusting over?

P.L. PARKER: Oh, Brett is every woman’s dream. A man who can be scorned and still come back for more. Handsome, strong and understanding. I want one! Hee hee, I have one I love dearly, but we can dream – we have to – we’re romance writers.

He was handsome this cowboy, the kind of handsome that caused good women to swoon. She felt like swooning herself. But even the masculine beauty of his face couldn’t disguise the underlying fury.

A low rumble echoed from his chest as he spied her cowering figure. Sparks flew from his narrowed blue eyes. Her heart thudded with wild abandon, her knees grew weak. She swayed, clutching the bar to steady her trembling.

SKY: Thanks so much for visiting and sharing!

P.L. PARKER: Thank you Sky for inviting me – and thanks to everyone who stops by.

What people are saying about Songbird already…

“Brett is every woman's dream man, tall, dark, handsome, sensitive, take-charge but gentle. As he pronounced his love for Miss Delilah, I found myself silently urging her on to fall into his arms and take him back as her husband. Once again, P. L. Parker did not disappoint me! She definitely knows what romance is or should be and her stories curl my toes. Her talents are truly amazing and I hope to read much much more of her stories and books!”

~Lani Locuson

Incredibly curious? Thought so! Click here to download this FREE READ now.

Considering purchasing more by P.L. Parker? Check out the reviews for AIMEE'S LOCKET.

CK2’s Kwips and Kritiques

"AIMEE’S LOCKET is an enjoyable adventure back in time. P.L. Parker doesn’t minimize the harshness of the 1800s nor does she inflate the role of women. Instead, she depicts what happens when a thoroughly modern day woman encounters the past- and learns to love it. Easily recommended!" Read full review.

Got Erotic Romance Reviews- 4 Diamonds

“With equal amounts of adventure and romance this book keeps you entertained from start to finish." Read full review.

Long and Short Reviews- 4.5 Books

“P. L. Parker’s characters sizzle with life.” Read full review.

Interested in learning more about P.L. Parker? Click here.

Enjoy blogging? Visit P.L. Parker’s Blog.

Visit P.L. Parker’s publisher, The Wild Rose Press.

Thanks again for popping in. Don’t forget, for a chance to win a gift certificate to The Wild Rose Press, be sure to leave a comment by Friday, June 18th, 12 PM EST!

~Sky

Caleb has Epilepsy. Please consider helping my friend.

“He is our hero.”

This weekend I’d like to share a story of great importance with you. My friend and former editor, Ami needs your help. Why? Her son, Caleb, has epilepsy. The picture above was taken six weeks after his first surgery.

The Facts...

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy. As a consequence of brain surgery epileptic seizures may occur in recovering patients. Epilepsy should not be understood as a single disorder, but rather as syndromic with vastly divergent symptoms but all involving episodic abnormal electrical activity in the brain.

Only 1% of children develop epilepsy.

From Ami’s lips to my blog. Caleb’s Story…

“Caleb has epilepsy. His seizures began when he was nearly two years old. Last summer, he underwent brain surgery in an attempt to attain seizure freedom. That failed him and left him with some deficiency in the motor function of his right hand. His doctors would like to try one more medication before performing a second surgery which would likely cause him to lose function in his right arm and leg. Caleb is involved in Church, and Homeschool activities and is a Boy Scout in troop 111. He enjoys playing with his brothers, friends and dog, Kota. He is an awesome 11 year old boy who likes to laugh and has a great love for God, his family and his country. Caleb has always shown courage in everything he’s gone through in dealing with epilepsy. He is our hero.”

Sky here…

As a mom talking to other moms, fathers, uncles, aunts, grandparents…I want you to imagine what it would be like if your child or a child close to your heart had a seizure. Can you even imagine? I tear up thinking about it. Now imagine it’s not just one seizure but many seizures related to a disorder such as Epilepsy.

The Facts…

What happens inside your child's brain during a seizure? Here is a simplified explanation: Your brain is made up of millions of nerve cells called neurons, and these cells communicate with one another through tiny electrical impulses. A seizure occurs when a large number of the cells send out an electrical charge at the same time. This abnormal and intense wave of electricity overwhelms the brain and results in a seizure, which can cause muscle spasms, a loss of consciousness, strange behavior, or other symptoms.

Isn't he beautiful? The world should be his oyster. Please consider helping out a mom and her son with a tax-deductible donation. You can make a difference!

If you’d like to make a donation send it to:

Caleb Warren Benefit Donation Fund
Wells Fargo Bank
4101 13th Ave. SW
Fargo, ND 58103

Online donations may be made to:

www.dakmed.org/lendahand click on Learn More/Make a Donation, Individual/Family Funds, and select Caleb Warren Benefit Fund. *DMF Lend A Hand in partnership with Cullen Children’s Foundation is providing up to $5,000 of matching funds.

I donated via internet. It was fast and easy!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

~Sky

Mariposa Cruz's, Howl. We have a winner!!!

Spectacular week! I'd like to once more thank Mariposa Cruz for joining me. Howl sounds fabulous. Seems you all think so too! I'm not going to keep you waiting. This week's winner is.....Beverly. Congratulations! Please contact me at skypurington@live.com to collect your prize.

There's a lot going on here over the next few days. Later today I'll be talking about a subject close to my heart.

On Monday, I'll be welcoming author P.L. Parker to my Spring has Sprung blog event. Another author you won't want to miss. Free stuff up for grabs!

Have a super weekend all!

~Sky

Mariposa Cruz chats about Howl. Comment to win!!!

Welcome to my Spring has Sprung blog event. We’re getting down to the nitty-gritty, only a few weeks left. This week it’s my pleasure to introduce romance author, Mariposa Cruz. She’ll be dishing out about her latest release, Howl. For a chance to win a $4.50 gift certificate to The Wild Rose Press and a free Ecopy of Howl be sure to leave a comment!

Howl

As if Kate Owens doesn't have enough problems as a struggling single mom and paralegal, a brutal animal attack outside her office plunges her into turmoil. At work, she is attracted to her rescuer, Jack Walker, an attorney wary of commitment. Every morning after the attack she awakes drenched in blood beside the body of a mangled stray. Kate's days become a battle to maintain control while her nights are a disturbing blur of dreams. Will Kate's nightly madness harm her young daughter? Lone wolf attorney, Jack Walker understands the reason for his paralegal's exhaustion and haunted demeanor. Jack has pursued the beast since law school graduation and he knows the creature's relentless thirst for revenge. Can Jack save Kate from her attacker and her own savage nature?

SKY: Welcome Mariposa, thanks for joining me this week!

MARIPOSA: Thanks for inviting me. I’m thrilled to be here!

SKY: Tell me, what inspired this story?

MARIPOSA: As a kid, I loved monster movies on Saturday afternoons and I wanted to tell those stories from a woman’s point of view. I stared writing Howl shortly after I moved to Reno from Northern California. While the people here are friendly, I missed my California pack of family and friends and that sense of longing is reflected in both my heroine and hero.

SKY: What makes your heroine fly off the pages? I’d love a glimpse of who she is!

MARIPOSA: Kate is a statuesque blonde with wide-set blue eyes who has developed a sudden appetite for stay cats. As if she didn’t have enough problems balancing work and the needs of her daughter as a single parent, each morning she awakes naked beside the body of a mangled stray and fears she’s losing her mind. Once Kate learns to let her inner alpha take over, she solves both her work problems and her hunger issues.

SKY: What makes your hero worth knowing─lusting over?

MARIPOSA: With his collar-length brown hair, broad shoulders and blunt hands, Jack Walker seems more at home with the outdoors than in a corporate legal department. Though Kate has a professional working relationship with Jack, she senses there is something untamed under his crisp, button-down shirts.

SKY: Thanks so much for visiting and sharing!

MARIPOSA: Sky, it’s been a pleasure.

Enjoy blogging? Join Mariposa Cruz at her blogspot.

Purchase Howl Now! Click here.

Don’t forget, for a chance to win a gift certificate to The Wild Rose Press and a free Ecopy of Howl, be sure to leave a comment by Friday June 11th, 12 PM EST!

~Sky

Rebecca Grace's, Deadly Messages. We have a winner!

I'd like to once more thank Rebecca Grace for visiting. Deadly Messages sounds like a super read! It's time to announce a contest winner...congratulations, s7Anna, you won! Please contact me at Skypurington@live.com to collect your prize.

Be sure to pop in next Monday as I welcome romance author, Mariposa Cruz to my Spring has Sprung blog event.

Have a super weekend!

~Sky