Grandmothers are GRAND!

By: Cynthia D'Alba

Congratulations to "Jonetta", the winner of Cynthia's giveaway. Thank you to all who participated!

Hi All! Cynthia D’Alba here. Mega thanks to Just Contemporary Romance for having me here today to talk about my newest release, TEXAS TANGO. In the book, the heroine’s grandmother, Mamie Bridges, plays a major role in setting the stage for the story. Mamie is dying. She’s raised Caroline Graham, the heroine, since Caroline was five years old. Caroline will do just about anything for Mamie. So today, let’s talk about grandmothers.

I am lucky enough (or maybe rather have great family genes!) to have known my grandparents on both sides (maternal and paternal.) In addition, I knew my GREAT-grandparents on both sides of the family, the exception being my maternal grandfather’s parents as they died long before I was born. Let’s focus on my grandmothers today.

Lydia Orene was my maternal grandmother (mother’s mother.) Mamie was my paternal grandmother (father’s mother.) Both of them lived into their nineties so I was fortune enough to have them far into my adult years. Both were country women. Both grew up way out in the rural area of my county. Both of the quilted. Both of them cooked fabulous (and fatty!) meals. And in personality type, they couldn’t have been further apart. (A quick funny side note:  My Paternal grandmother dated my Maternal grandfather! HA)

My paternal grandparents had a gas station and store and I spent many happy hours with them at the store. My goal in life was to grow up and pump gas. (What can I say? I’m an over-achiever.) I can’t think of my Grandma Mamie without tasting fried baloney sandwiches. I called her Grandma. All the older grandkids did. The younger grandkids called her Mamie. There were thirteen grandkids.

My maternal grandparents lived on a farm. Grandma Lydia Orene worked in town at a dry cleaner to help make ends meet. We ate at her house after church on Sundays. A typical spread would include fried chicken, green beans, lima beans, black-eyed peas, mashed potatoes and gravy, baked sweet potatoes, corn, fried okra and cornbread. Yes, that was a small, typical lunch at her house! My sister and I called her Grandma. The three other grandkids called her Granny.

When you read TEXAS TANGO, you’ll see my salute to both of these fabulous women. Mamie Bridges for my paternal grandmother and Lydia Henson for my maternal grandmother. I couldn’t have picked better role models.

So tell me about your grandmothers. Did you know them? Do you still have them in your life? Did they have old-fashioned names like mine? What did you call your grandmother?

Curious about TEXAS TANGO? It’s the second book in the Texas Montgomery Mavericks Series. Here’s little more… Texas Montgomery Mavericks, Book 2

Dr. Caroline Graham is happy with her nomadic lifestyle fulfilling short-term medical contracts. No emotional commitments, no disappointments. She’s always the one to walk away, never the one left behind. But now her great-uncle is gone and her grandmother is on her deathbed, more concerned about Caroline’s lack of a husband than her own demise. What’s the harm in a little white lie? If a wedding will give her grandmother peace, then a wedding she shall have.


Travis Montgomery has one dream left—to build the ranch he and his wife planned before he lost her to cancer. There’s just one thing standing between him and the last bit of acreage he needs—a last living heir who has one traveling foot out the door…and an unusual request that challenges his determination to never again place his heart at risk. The land he wants in exchange for a faux marriage. Everyone wins. Until things start to snowball…and the hearts they stand to lose are their own.

Is this first time you’ve run across me? Want to know a little more? I was born and raised in a small Arkansas town. After being gone for a number of years, I’m thrilled to be making my home back in Arkansas living in a vine-covered cottage on the banks of an eight-thousand acre lake. I started writing on a challenge from my husband in 2006 and discovered having imaginary sex with lots of hunky men was fun.

My first book, Texas Two Step, released in 2012 to outstanding reviews, was a Samhain Publishing best seller. The second book in the Texas Montgomery Mavericks series, Texas Tango, released November 5, 2013, again from Samhain Publishing. In February, 2014, Texas Fandango, a Novella in the Texas Montgomery Series will be released by Samhain Publishing. I am currently at work on book 3 of the Texas Montgomery Mavericks series (Texas Twist).

I love love love to hear from readers and there are lots of ways to find me. Online, you can find me most days at my website or my group blog.

Follow me at Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Goodreads or Pinterest.

or email me at cynthia@cynthiadalba.com

To send me snail mail, write to: Cynthia D’Alba   PO Box 2116   Hot Springs, AR 71914

Now for the fun stuff! :)

In the spirit of Christmas sneaking up on us, I’ll pick among the comments for someone to take home a western-themed ornament. Here’s just a sample…

Plus, I doing a jewelry-themed For my TEXAS TANGO Jewelry-Themed Rafflecopter Giveaway. Be sure and look for the Rafflecopter widget at the end of the post. Also check out my personal blog for other places you can enter! Here’s the loot you can win…

AND I have swag for the asking! But when it’s gone, it’s gone. Pens, jar openers, postcards, bookmarks, trading cards…just go by my contact page and send me a note.

Giveaway for today's blog:

Thanks for coming by! Be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win one of the Christmas ornaments! 

For today's blog. Giveaway ends 11:59pm EST Nov. 5th. Please supply your email in the post. You may use spaces or full text for security. (ex. jsmith at gmail dot com) If you do not wish to supply your email, or have trouble posting, please email maureen@JustContemporaryRomance.com with a subject title of JCR GIVEAWAY to be entered in the current giveaway. a Rafflecopter giveaway