Frozen Cookies. Your Turn . . .

Sunday, Jan. 29th, noon Pacific time~ BOOK GIVEAWAY WINNERS: Edie, Pegg, Bethany, Jen, Wendy, and Kelly!!  Yes, I doubled the winners because y'all left so many wonderful comments (confessions!). Thank you and do continue to stop by--we'll be having more of this fun!

Hi. My name is Candace . . . and I have a gingerbread habit. 
Seriously. I always suspected it. From way back, when I first empathized with that fox in that Gingerbread Man story. A warm-from-the-oven spice cookie (riding on your back as you cross a river), who wouldn't be tempted? Totally understandable. Especially with that cookie's smug teasing: "Run, run, run as fast as you can. You can't catch me . . ."

Yeah well. Fox couldn't resist. And me either.  I make 'em, frost them, personalize them for guests. Which all falls quite legitimately under the heading of Holiday Festivities. Innocent, generous, possibly even admirable. But . . . (cue the musical dark interlude)

Digging around in the depths of the garage freezer to find the zip lock with the last spice man hints at a serious gingerbread habit. If a person actually "hid" it there herself, furthers the suspicion. That she found it and ate it still frozen: proof.

There, I've greeted the new year with a clean slate. (And ziplock). Phew, what a relief. I feel better already.
So . . . I thought I'd extend that same good feeling to YOU as well.
C'mon, let's have some silly fun:

What was your holiday 2011 goody temptation?

You know you had one . . . right? Chocolate? Peppermint mochas? Pumpkin cheesecake?


Share it here, now. And . . .

I'll put your name in a drawing for a book giveaway: A signed and personalized copy of any one of my Mercy Hospital books (Critical Care, Disaster Status, Code Triage) OR a copy of Chicken Soup Best Stories of Faith OR a "surprise" inspirational fiction novel of my choice (from my grab bag of great authors). You don't need to specify your choice now, we'll do that after the drawing.

I'll randomly draw the three winning names on Sunday, January 29th. Be sure to leave your e-mail address so that I can contact you if your name is drawn.

(As a recovering gingerbread addict), I look forward to hearing your comments.

Meanwhile, back to a new year regime of exercise, lower carbs . . . the occasional cinnamon laced coffee. No gingerbread man on my back. No sir.
Til at least a week after Thanksgiving.

New Year, New Book: Chapter One Trauma Plan

Happy New Year friends!  It's that time of year when we make plans, promises, set goals and feel encouraged by the opportunity to start fresh. As an author, 2012 is especially exciting: this year the first book in my new medical drama series releases. Trauma Plan is already available for pre-order via various online sources and should begin shipping May 1st. (Local bookstores should also start receiving orders in May).

As you can imagine, I'm pretty excited to share this story with you at long last. And completely honored by these early reviews:



“ . . . heart stopping . . . and heart melting . . . A great read and one for your keeper shelf.”
--Lynette Eason, award winning, best selling author of the Women of Justice series

“ . . . grab your parachute and take a dive into an amazing story packed with solid characters, including Calvert’s Rx for great fiction—a heart-throb hero!!”
--Ronie Kendig, author of the Discarded Hero series

“Trauma Plan is a novel that will grip your heart and keep you turning pages.”
--Richard L. Mabry, MD
--Author of Lethal Remedy and the Prescription for Trouble series

To get you up to speed, here's the back cover blurb: 


Sidelined by injuries from a vicious assault, nurse chaplain Riley Hale is determined to return to ER duties. But how can she show she’s competent when the hospital won’t let her attempt even simple tasks? Determined to prove herself, Riley volunteers at a controversial urban free clinic despite her fears about the maverick doctor in charge. 


Dr. Jack Travis defends his clinic like he’s commander of the Alamo. He’ll fight the community’s efforts to shut its doors, even if he must use Riley Hale’s influential family name to make it happen. 


As Riley strives to regain her skills, Jack finds that she shares his compassion—and stirs his lonely heart. 


Riley senses that beneath Jack’s rough exterior is a man she can believe in. But when clinic protests escalate and questions surface about his past, Jack goes into battle mode, and Riley wonders if it’s dangerous to trust him with her heart.


And now (drum roll implied) I'm delighted to offer right here, right now:

Chapter One:  Trauma Plan 

I hope you enjoy the read. Let me know what you think.  Once again, Happy New Year, friends!