Before we get to this week’s winners, I want to say thank you for all your comments and particularly for sharing your own experiences with loss. You are all so open and so brave, so generous with your prayers and your kind words, not just for me, but for all our blog sisters and, no doubt, a brother or two.
Over the weekend, I played Word Solitaire on my phone and considered unplugging about a million times. Alas, I didn’t actually do it. 
I listened to Denise Grover Swank’s TWENTY-EIGHT AND A HALF WISHES, which was cute, funny and action-packed, Libbie Hawker’s MERCER GIRLS, a terrific historical novel set in 19th century Seattle, featuring Asa Mercer and the brides he brought from Lowell, Massachusetts to the Emerald City. Having lived in Bremerton (WA) and Port Orchard for so many years, Seattle is one of my favorite places to visit, and early in my career, I wrote several books set in the area: FLETCHER’S WOMAN, my very first, was one of these, along with the Corbin series and other novels as well.
In good weather, Seattle is one of the most beautiful places in the world, in my opinion. Unfortunately, I can’t handle the gray days and sometimes weeks when the sky is overcast. I have SAD as well as ADD–just too many acronyms, I know. The other problem is, I must be in very close proximity to my horses. I must suffer from HDD. I comfort myself with the occasional visit and with fantasies about living in a high-rise condo or apartment with a view of the water and the snow-capped Olympic Mountains, ‘the greenest green you’ve ever seen’, as the theme of HERE COME THE BRIDES proclaimed, and certainly the Pike Place Market, with its bounty of fresh fish and organic veggies, and the most amazing and colorful bouquets imaginable, grown on the many flower farms that surround Seattle. Wendy and I loved visiting the Fifth Avenue Theatre and our favorite restaurant, The New Orleans Cafe, down in Pioneer Square. Sadly, the cafe has closed, but we enjoyed many a delicious seafood etouffe (misspelled, I’m sure) in that rustic establishment, and the cornbread was simply not to be believed. Sometimes, there was live music, always jazz of the Louisiana variety.
Now for our contest news. This week’s winners are: Angie Hinton and Barbara. (Remember, if your name happens to be Barbara, you will receive an email from Jenni, asking for your snail mail info) . As always, the prizes are autographed copies of my latest book, which happens to be ONCE A RANCHER. The new contest is underway and, as always, you simply need to comment and you are automatically entered. The winners will be chosen at random, given the same prizes, and announced right here on this blog next Monday morning–or Tuesday.
Now, back to FOREVER A HERO, the final book in the Carson trilogy.
Have a good day and remember to be kind to yourself as well as to others.
Comment
I so enjoyed your comments of Seattle in today’s blog. It is a lovely city. Congrats to this weeks winners.
Blessings to all.
Comment
Glad things are looking up. Tomorrow I face hip replacement (of a hip replacement ) surgery. Faith in God will get me thru this. Wish I had your new book to read.
Comment
Congrats ladies!! Happy reading!! Loved listening to you talk of Seattle, I lived there for a year and have beautiful memories of my time there. I love your blog so much it brings me such inspiration. Have a beautiful, happy week.
Comment
Put on your Sunday clothes when you are down & go out and get your picture took…..
Comment
Just learned that my cousin’s daughter died on Saturday. She had not just one battle with cancer but three. She leaves a husband and young daughter. Sometimes there is just no answers why this happens.
Comment
I also like the sunshine and don’t do well in cloudy, rainy climates. Have a great week!
Comment
I would love to visit Seattle some day. It’s definitely on my bucket list.
Comment
I love Linda Lael Miller’s story lines. I am always anxious to read her books as they come out!!! I always have someone to take me shopping to purchase the newest book! I am handicapped/disabled in a wheelchair and reading is my escape from my current life to my dream world!!! I love reading and have a BS in English because of my love of words and how they transport me to a different at of living!!!
Comment
Oh what I wouldn’t give to be able to have a nice corral of horses to go out and brush to get rid of the days frustrations!!
Comment
I too love Seattle. I was born and raised in Washington state, from Blaine, Bellingham, Sedro Woolley, Hamilton, Mount Vernon, Everett, Bremerton, Seattle and Kent. The first book I read of your’s was Fletcher’s Woman and really enjoyed it. I love it when authors place their stories in the Pacific Northwest. I guess it makes them seem more realistic and can readily picture the scenes in my mind. Thank you.
Comment
I would love a copy
Comment
Hope you have a nice week Linda !
Comment
I love the Seattle area but my heart is in the northwest corner up by Bellingham. It stinks to have grandkids so far away! Enjoying your book right now!
Comment
I am always excited when I see another one of your new books.. I grew up on a farm and was always around horses and other farm animals. Really enjoy romances set on a ranch.
Comment
Linda, you would love it on this side of the mts. right now. Temps in the 90s with sun galore! I’m not a fan of the heat and can’t wait to get back to the 60s and 70s.
Comment
It was so beautiful here in Spokane this weekend, but too hot, so we hopped on the bike for a lovely ride yesterday… an early start with breakfast in Airway Hts at the Buckhorn, then off through Davenport, to 2 Rivers and on to Kettle Falls before cutting across the river and going down Flat Creek to Northport where we had lunch~ my daughter lives on Flat Creek now, down the road from your kin, so when she heard our group pass by she followed us to town and brought my precious grandson to have lunch with us before we came back up Aladdin, stopped to say hi to the family there before heading back to Spokane… we did of course have to stop on Aladdin and step off the road, through the thin bank of brush into the haven consisting of moss, shade and the magical natural spring flowing from the hillside with the coldest, sweetest spring water to ever pass a person’s parched lips. Perfect recharge for the trip home!
Comment
I loved Seattle on my one visit there, though I could have done with less climbing up those hilly streets! “Here come the brides!” was a favorite of mine growing up. Love that Bobby Sherman!
Comment
Beautiful day here in New England! I am moving my geraniums, which winter in my garden windows, outside today. But rain expected again tomorrow. :>(( I too have SAD and really dislike the dark days of winter, so although I have heard Seattle can be beautiful and warmer than New England in the winter, I don’t think I would do so well living there.
Comment
I know what you mean about the rain, Lord I don’t think it is ever going to stop raining here in SC. I so enjoyed your blog today, also a big congrats to Angie and Barbara!! Hope everyone has a good evening.
Comment
Seattle sounds wonderful but I agree, the gray skies would get to me. Have you been to the Dale Chihuly Gardens? I’ve seen a chandelier of his. Love your books!
Comment
I’m so excited for forever a hero! I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy. Love you work. Thank you for all the time and work you put into your books!
Comment
Hi, your discription of that area makes want to come and visit. Sounds so inviting. Love hearing about different places.
Comment
Don’t know if I did that right, but wanted to say I love allof your books, old and new. I’ve only been to Seattle once but truly enjoyed the couple of days I spent there, although it was gray and rainy the whole time.
Comment
Linda I would love to send you some of our Florida sunshine but today is all rainy due to the tropical depression in the gulf! I have never been to Seattle but enjoyed reading about it. Lover all of your books. Have a great day.
Comment
I’m anxiously waiting for your next book! A storm blew in and a tree is on the house since Sunday, yikes! Rain off and on here with wind. The power was out for 5 hours Sunday. I’m hoping for sunny warm weather soon.
Comment
Linda, it was so good to have you write about Seattle. I’m a native, born and raised in the city, growing up across of Greenlake. I now live just north of Tucson, and love the desert, but I spend 2-3 months in Seattle every summer. It always feels wonderful to be back home and see all my family and friends. However, I don’t miss the traffic or the gray days!
Comment
Dear Linda,
So happy to hear you are forging through the grieving process and getting up and being glad to be alive in a beautiful place on this earth.
I have lived through grief so great that I couldn’t breath but taking one breath and one day at a time surely does help.
So glad you are back to writing as I cannot wait for your next book. As someone who does not have animals as I cannot where I live, Please do me favour and hug your babies including your beautiful horses .
Thank you from your northern neighbor
Sharon
xo
Comment
Truly enjoyed my sister trips to Seattle…also our trips to New Orleans. Have a better day and brighter tomorrow…time heals.
Comment
I love reading your blog…..When my husband was in the military we had an option of Seattle or Spokane….we purposely didn’t pick Seattle because of the “gray days”…so we traded for TONS of snow in Spokane…not sure it was the best choice….but I do need a dose of sunshine as often as possible and even with the snow we had sunshine. Hope your weather turns beautiful soon for you. Have a great day !!!
Comment
Praying this week is better for you. I used to love the Here Come the Brides show and theme song. I would love to visit that part of the Country, but will probably never get to. That’s okay, that’s what books are for, to bring words to life and you do it well. Thank you. Have a wonderful week. Love your books!!!
Comment
Silly me, I simply supposed that all of the cities on the west coast of Washington were gray/foggy/SAD.
I’m glad I didn’t put that in a book!!
Blessings to you and yours and especially Blessings upon your fingers. I can’t wait for Carsons 2 and 3! My guess is that Mason and Raine get together. Good for them if they do. Of course, wouldn’t that make Slater his daughter’s uncle as well as her dad?
Comment
Your post makes me want to visit Seattle very much. Thank you! I hope you have many sunny days!!!
Comment
Love your books, Thanks for all you do for us your readers & here’s to a great week ahead for you.
Comment
So happy to here things are starting to get back to normal for you. Myself I try not to get into doing any games because I get hooked and want do anything else. I will do a puzzle every now and again on my kindle fire. I don’t like grey days either and we have had our share lately with all the rain but it has been sunny these past few days and I love it.
Comment
Thank you for your blog. It’s nice toread your blog’s. Congratulations to the winners. I love your books. Thank you for the chance to win. Have a nice day.
Comment
I love visiting Seattle too, though it has been years. Since we moved to the country just can’t get away for any length of time. I like visiting many cities, but can’t imagine living there again.
Comment
Hi Linda! I do understand how you feel about living west of the mountains and I’ve kind of been stuck here because I was care giver and driver for my mom. She passed in January and I’ve been busy getting her house ready for sale. It’s sold now and I’m at odds about where I want to put my final roots down. While I’m not partial to the rain here, I’m REALLY no partial to the snow in Eastern WA! But, if I move south none of my family will come visit. As much as I would like to live on water somewhere, not sure I can afford that either. Oh well, decisions for another day! Have a terrific week!
Comment
I loved the Corbin series and Fletcher’s Woman as well. After reading the Corbin series, I often wondered about Dr. Fletcher that came to help with the sickness in the Indian camp. Glad you wrote his story. Not sure which one came first but I didn’t read Fletcher’s book until after I had read the first book of the Corbin series. Of course I haven’t read any book written by you that I haven’t loved.
Have a blessed week.
Niki
Comment
I’d lov to visit Seattle someday – so many good books & movies have been set there. I loved Here Come the Brides – wouldn’t it be fun if the remade that!
Comment
I love Seattle, my sister went to college in Olympia, WA. She didn’t like the lack of sunshine.
Comment
I was born and raised in Spokane. 20 years of my life I lived in
the Seattle area. Many great things there, but I’m just not a
big city person and I need my horses, too. So, I’m back in
Spokane and loving it! Looking forward to the new book.
Comment
I would love to visit Seattle again & this time really look around. I was just @ the airport to fly out the first time. Anyone who has ever lived there loved it, saying how clean & beautiful it is
I love being near my horse as well & all my animals – wudn’t be happy in a high rise, I know. Have a great week
Comment
I love how you share your life with us each week!
So excited for the next installment!
Comment
We have had some rainy weather in Ohio but tonight there was a beautiful rainbow….Made the rain beautiful…besides we needed some moisture ….
Comment
Glad you had a good weekend. Has been very warm here in the Valley (center of CA) & in most cases it appears to effect they way people are. Today i was glad to see there was some sense of humor from some of the customers i dealt with, which is always a good thing. Work retail so you know it varies every day. Maybe some caught you’re being good comment. When do we have #2 & #3 of the Carson series coming out? After the first i diffently have to have the other 2. thanks again & the best, Jo Ann P.S. I did get to go to Seattle & Port Orchard for a visit on ’09 & loved it besides it being gorgeous. Would love to see again.
Comment
We are from Michigan and love your area! Pike’ s Place was great and I also loved the pretty flowers.
Comment
I’m so excited for Forever a Hero.
I’ve never been to your part of the country, but I’d love to. I’m from Kentucky and invite to see our state.
Comment
Enjoyed reading your description of Seattle, Linda. I have long wanted to visit; maybe I will someday.
I have had a tough week-recovering from surgery.
Hope all is well with you.
Billiesue
Comment
Love your books. Used to do a lot more reading than I do now. Would love to read one of your latest. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Comment
Looking forward to more of the Carson trilogy.
Completely understand the SAD and ADD…. and the gray-day aversion.
Comment
I have family in Seattle and I have an open invite to see them. Need to make it out there!
Comment
My husband did commercial construction job in the Tacoma area several years ago. I enjoyed visiting him and going to Pike Place, Mt. Rainier, Space Needle, etc. The food was exceptional.
Have you read any Deeanne Gist books? Most are period books. A couple are set in Washington and have heroines who came to the area in search of a husband/better life. You might like The Measure of a Lady and A Bride in the Bargain.
There is also your book – Yankee Wife.
Comment
Thank you for this week’s post! I always look forward to your blog! I love the Seattle area, and have been fortunate to visit during the sunny summer times.
Comment
As a teenager I watched the TV series, Here Come the Brides. Of course I fell in love with Bobby Sherman.
Comment
Loved Once a Rancher.
Comment
Visiting Seattle is good but way to much traffic for me. Eastern Washington is much easier to get around. Love your books and most all that are set in the Pacific Northwest.
Comment
Love your books.
Comment
God Bless you Linda and have great week