Hi everyone! I just wanted to let you know that I posted a brand new excerpt of A TOUCH OF SCANDAL over on the bookshelf page. Please head on over to meet Garrett and Kate!

http://www.jenniferhaymore.com/bookshelf/a-touch-of-scandal/

A Touch of Scandal releases in six weeks!

I’m so excited! Yesterday, while I was working at Borders, my new office was built. It’s a built-in wrap-around desk of cherry that looks out onto our backyard. I’m writing this from my office desk for the first time. I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about a new feature in my house! LOL. Here is a picture–kind of hard to see because of the sun shining in–clearly I need to buy some blinds. I’ll post another picture when I have it all set up!

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY, everyone! I hope yours has been as good as mine (no better gift than to be able to write about people falling in love from a shiny new desk, lol!).

A word to the wise: Never get your website put in redemption. I don’t know if it’s me, or the domain company (who shall remain nameless), or just all-around bad luck, but my dawnhalliday.com website has been offline for almost a month now. This is not for lack of me trying to get it back up. But every time I call my domain company in an attempt to get it back online, this is their response, “Oh, you need to do xxx, and then wait for another three days and then we’ll get it back up for you.” I follow directions. I do xxx, and then I call back in the prescribed time. And what am I told? “Oh, you need to do yyy, and then wait another 24 hours…”

(((SCREAM!!!)))

I’m tired of calling them, and I’m tired of this roundabout response, and I’m tired of being misled! It’s making me crazy. Today I was transferred back and forth between four different departments with this company, and I was shaking with frustration from head to foot by the time it was over. I’ve been on the phone with them for two hours total today. Verdict: I have to wait another five days.

What can I do? Nothing, unless I want to come up with a new domain name.

Sigh. Sooo frustrating.

Since Dawn is “gone” for the time being, I’m going to be giving away some of her books here on my blog. Just respond to this blog with a “bad customer service” tale of your own for a chance to win one of the following books (your choice while supplies last):

Highland Obsession by Dawn Halliday (verrry spicy historical)
10 Days in Paradise by Dawn Halliday (spicy contemporary)
Sins of Summer by Dawn Halliday, Marie Harte, Mackenzie McKade, and Annmarie McKenna (verrry spicy contemporary)

I’ll give away 5 books in total in the next few days! So please let me know your horrible, foot-stomping customer service stories–I really want to hear I’m not alone here. LOL.

First of all, congrats to Ginger C, who won the Margaret Mallory books. I have a new contest going on, this time for an amazing romantic suspense by Susan Crandall, so please go check out my bonus features page for more information.

Secondly, as many of you know, I have three children. I was in my daughter’s kindergarten class last week, doing my civic duty as a volunteer, and here’s how one of my conversations went:

Me: Okay, you’re going to write “This.” Uppercase t…
5-year-old: No.
Me: Would you like to write something else?
Him: I want to write, “This is my dog.”
Me: Okay, so you’ll start with “This,” then. Uppercase t…
Him: NO!
Me: Well, if you want to write “This is my dog,” you’ll start with “This” which starts with t.
Him: (Stares at me like I’m an idiot.)
Me: (encouragingly) Do you need help writing t?
Him: I’M NOT WRITING T!!!
Me: But…”This” starts with t, so you’re going to need a t. Right here.
Him: Nuh uh. “This” doesn’t start with t. You’re wrong.
Me: No, I’m sorry. “This” starts with T.
Him: No it doesn’t. It starts with V.
Me: No, it starts with T.
Him: (getting really worked up) NO, IT DOESN’T!!! IT STARTS WITH V, I SAID! (looks like he’s either going to punch me or cry)
Me: Okay, then you can write it however you think it’s spelled. Good job.

I have the greatest respect for kindergarten teachers! I think I’ll just stick with writing.