Friday, May 30, 2014

A little bit of magic ~ by Magdalena Scott


I am home now, after spending some time inside a fairy tale. Here is a photo of my fairy tale costume. I call it my MOG togs, since I was the Mother of the Groom. I took a lousy picture, so you can't see that the heels of my shoes are clear plastic. Kind of like Cinderella shoes, except, you know, I wasn't the princess.

The princess, much prettier than Cinderella, wore a gown as lovely as any fairy tale princess, and the prince was swoon-worthy in his tux. The attendants were also suitably attired for a royal wedding, and the event room had been extravagantly transformed into a place where dukes and duchesses would have felt at home.

The wedding was perfect, the preparations fun (especially since I had little responsibility but enough time to do neat stuff like tie lavendar bows on chairs with some of the wedding party).

The bride and groom, my son and new daughter-in-law, deserved this. Life has not always been kind to them, and no doubt there will be struggles in the future. But for one perfect moment in time, they had their fairy tale.

This is why I write romance. Because it's okay to spend time inside a fairy tale--to sigh at the beauty of the princess, swoon at the handsome prince. It's okay to take that break from reality, because when we are back in the real world, we still have a little bit of the magic that we carefully slid into our pocket.


~~~

Magdalena Scott writes sweet romance with small town settings, and is the author of six books in the bestselling Ladies of Legend series. (And a new one releasing this summer!)

All her books can be found on Amazon and at other ebook retailers.  

Catch up with her here:
     Twitter
     Facebook
     Goodreads



~~~
Coming in Summer 2014 - Second Chances



Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Wine is Easy (honest) by Melinda Curtis

There are many things in life that intimidate me – modern car engines, tax forms, computer viruses.  But not wine.  Yes, I’m from California.  Yes, I've worked at a winery.  Yes, I’ve earned a certificate from the prestigious UC Davis wine appreciation program.  But learning all the complexities is like learning a foreign language – if you don’t use it, you lose it.  I admit: I’ve forgotten more about wine than I’ve retained.  And so, when people turn to me for advice about what wine to order, I developed a bit of shorthand.

Do you ever drink wine or spirits?  If spirits, are you a mixed drink or straight person?  Do you drink black coffee or lattes?  Do you drink full-sugar soda or diet?  Orange juice, cranberry juice, or grapefruit juice?  Prefer chocolate for dessert or fresh fruit?  Season your steak with salt/pepper, a combination of dry seasonings, or a creamy sauce?
You don’t need answers to all the questions, just a starting point, a hint, a clue.  And you don’t need to follow the “wine rules” (red with red meat, white with fish/poultry).  That’s old school.  My cheat sheet is below.  My caveat: this is a system that works for me.  You might have different preferences and that’s okay, too.

If I’m with people who don’t normally drink wine, I veer toward white wine, usually something lighter, like a Sauvignon Blanc.  These wines – especially the ones from New Zealand – are very soft and subtle and generally please everyone.  Sauvignon Blancs from California tend to have a hint of grapefruit.  If you’ve got full-sugar soda or orange/cranberry juice drinkers, try a Riesling or a Moscato – although these aren’t what I’d recommend drinking with your main course, as they’re rather sweet.  If someone likes lattes or chocolate, a “rich, full-bodied” Chardonnay would be good (stay away from “oaky” Chards for this type of drinker).  One warning about Chardonnays: they come in more flavor variation than jelly beans – never assume if you like one Chard, you’ll like another.  Finally, if you have a mixed bag of flavors being mentioned in your group, try a white wine blend.  These are usually lighter in body and flavor, blended to please a broader spectrum of wine drinkers.  Some have a hint of sweetness, some a hint of brown spice or floral notes, so they aren’t boring.

If I’m with wine drinkers, I’ll veer toward red wineMerlot is something I choose for people who like creamy sauces and is safe for a mix of wine appreciation levels (hard to screw up and not a wine with tons of different flavors at affordable levels).  If people like black pepper and strong spices, I might choose a Syrah or Chianti.  If chocolate or lattes came up, I might choose a Pinot Noir, but one from a drier climate (Oregon Pinots taste softer to me).  If there were preferences for fruit for dessert, I might choose a Zinfandel or a Shiraz.  I’ll choose a Cabernet Sauvignon if people like strong flavors (black coffee, pepper, straight spirits) and there is red meat coming to the table (probably the only wine type that I consider doesn’t go well with white meat or fish – but that’s just me).  Remember how I compared Chards to jelly beans?  Same applies to Cabs – lots of styles and flavors, therefore harder to pick one that pleases a variety of palates.


Wine is a lot like the different coffee drinks available at Starbucks.  You can get a plain, but good, cup of coffee, add different tastes to that cup (shake some cinnamon on top, add creamy whip, etc.), or have the coffee be a complement to heavier flavors (chocolate, caramel, etc.).  It fits your mood and your taste buds.  Wine does the same thing. Selecting a wine is a little adventure and when you ask people for their preferences, they become vested in that adventure with you (and therefore the adventure’s success isn’t all on your shoulders).  If you’re nervous about making a decision, you can always ask for a taste of something to see if you like it before you commit.  Have fun!

Melinda Curtis writes the Harmony Valley series of sweet romances set in a small town winery for the Harlequin Heartwarming line. Brenda Novak says: “Season of Change has found a place on my keeper shelf”.  Melinda also writes independently published, hotter romances as Mel Curtis. Jayne Ann Krentz says of Blue Rules: “Sharp, sassy, modern version of a screwball comedy from Hollywood's Golden Age except a lot hotter.”  Melinda is married to her college sweetheart, and has three kids in college.  She follows the NFL because one young quarterback is from her hometown, and follows Duke basketball because Mr. Curtis has a man crush on Coach K.  Her latest release is Season of Change.  You can learn more about her books at www.MelindaCurtis.net.

Friday, May 23, 2014

How To Change a Flat Tire in 10 Easy Steps by Donna Fasano

I received a call from a friend one day. She was stranded with a flat tire and she wanted me to pick her up. When I arrived, she told me she'd called her husband and he had agreed to change the flat later that day once his work day was finished. This plan meant that her husband would have to drive home, pick her up, and drive her back to the car so she could drive it home. When I suggested that we change the flat ourselves, she looked at me as if I had two heads.

Why is it that many women think this kind of thing is "man's work"?

Having grown up in a household of males (I was the only girl of five kids), I could toss a football, swing a baseball bat, and climb trees with the best of them. I guess that's why I'm not afraid of tackling jobs that other women might shy away from. (On the other hand, it could be that I'm just strange.)

Every woman should know how to change a flat tire. So here are some simple instructions. You will need: a spare tire, a jack, a lug wrench—all of these items should be in your trunk.

1.     Park on a flat surface and engage the emergency brake. Think about it. You don't want the car to roll while you're changing the flat. If it's at all possible, brace the opposite tire with something heavy (a block of wood, a large rock, a brick, etc). For example, if your front passenger-side tire is flat, brace the front driver-side tire.

2.     Remove the hubcap. Most newer-model cars don't have hubcaps, but if your car is older, you'll need to remove the hubcap so you can access the lug nuts. If your car doesn't have hubcaps, skip to #3. If you do have hubcaps, use the flat side of the lug wrench to pry off the hubcap, prying in several locations rather than all in one spot. Think of the hubcap as a clock face; pry at 9 o'clock and then 3 o'clock, then 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock, then noon. Prying the hubcap off all in one spot might bend the cap.

3.     Loosen the lug nuts. (Remember! Turn in a counter-clockwise direction. Leftie loosie, rightie tightie.) This is going to be the most difficult part of the job. Lug nuts are always TIGHT and it will take all of your strength to loosen them. Use the lug wrench and physics. Apply pressure to the furthest end of the wrench (as you would a lever). Loosen but DO NOT REMOVE the lug nuts (yet).

4.     Time to jack it up! Check your owner's manual for proper placement of the jack. Make sure the jack is firmly connecting with a solid part of your car's frame, the metal undercarriage, close to the flat tire. Once you've got the jack in place, crank the handle until the flat tire is lifted off the ground several inches.

5.     Remove the lug nuts and slide off the flat tire. Lay the tire flat on the ground; you don't want it rolling into traffic (just imagine the screeching brakes, swerving cars, mayhem!).  

6.     Line up the holes of the spare with the bolts on the axle. Don't be surprised if you have to jack up the car a bit more—the air in the spare will make it taller than the flat tire. Slide on the spare as far as it will go and then hand-tighten the lug nuts onto the bolts.

7.     Use the lug wrench to tighten the bolts, and when I say tight, I mean TIGHT! You don't want the vibration of the car to loosen the bolts.

8.     Lower the car and remove the jack from underneath the car frame. Put everything into the truck: the jack, the lug wrench, the flat tire, the hubcap.

9.     Drive to the nearest car repair shop or your favorite mechanic. Have the flat tire fixed OR buy a new tire. You don't want to drive around on the spare as it might cause road-wear on the other 3 tires. When installing the new/repaired tire, the mechanic will probably use a compression gun to tighten the lug nuts.

10. Feel proud that you've changed a flat all by yourself!

I used my flat-tire-fixing experience in a book. In the opening scenes of Mountain Laurel, two sisters are driving in the mountains when they run into trouble--yeah, they have a flat, but the "trouble" is a sexy forest ranger named Michael Walker who shows up and starts being a bit bossy. *laughing*

Is this a job you think you can now try to tackle? I sure hope so! If you've already changed a flat (good for you!!!), do you have any wild and crazy war stories to share?

~ ~ ~




Donna Fasano is a USA Today Bestselling Author whose books have sold nearly 4 million copies worldwide. Find her on the internet at her blog, on Facebook, and on Twitter. She loves to hear from her readers.     


Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Butterflies...


Yesterday, with the delight of social media communication, I had a conversation with a wonderful childhood friend who now lives over 3,000 miles away.  Like so many of us, with the long awaited arrival of spring weather, she was thinking of gardening.  She was contemplating planting a “Butterfly Bush” near her house.  At first, she was excited about the idea of attracting colorful butterflies to her yard. But she changed her mind.
     “Of course, first you have to deal with all the caterpillars,” her mate had commented.
     “Ugh!” said my friend. “No way.  No caterpillars. No Butterfly Bush.”
And that was that.
This got me to thinking.  So many things in life that are enjoyable and rewarding begin with “caterpillars.”
                                      
In my writing, it’s MANY drafts of a story, creeping and crawling through the editing process.  This can be both difficult and sometimes disheartening.  But it’s a necessary part of the process, if the story is to “emerge” (hopefully) in its full glory when it’s done.
In my kitchen, sometimes it’s the messy clutter on the counter as the ingredients are tossed and measured and chopped and blended, hurricane style.  The final creation can be quite wonderful, but you could have a lot of doubt about that if you saw the kitchen in progress.
In my garden, it’s dealing with the mulching, the fertilizing, the planting, the weeding. It’s a lot of hard work and a lot of dirt on the way to the blossoming of the flowers and ripening of the vegetables.
In the gym… well, I don’t really think I have to explain what the “caterpillars” are.  I am no athlete. I grunt and groan a lot. But I’m loving the effects and strengthening that develops from the efforts.
I think it’s easy in life to make decisions NOT to deal with the caterpillars.  But then we don’t have the butterflies.  I have to remember this when I plan my day.  It’s worth it.  And I’m still hoping my friend will plant her Butterfly Bush.
What are the “caterpillars” you have to deal with on the way to your “butterfly” goals? 
 

Christine Bush is the award winning author of many books and novellas of sweet romance and light mystery. She also writes Middle Grade Fiction. When she isn’t writing, she can be found working with clients as a Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice, or teaching Psychology at a local college.  She lives with her family and two crazy cats in northeastern Pennsylvania, and loves to hear from readers and aspiring writers.

 




 

 

 

Monday, May 19, 2014

Romance under the Moon by Merrillee Whren


These are some photos I took of the full moon rising over the mountains near my home. I wish my camera could have captured the magnificent spectacle in a better way.

The full moon is sometimes associated with romance. Here is a stanza from Irving Berlin's "Let's Face the Music and Dance."

"There may be trouble ahead 
But while there's moonlight 
And music and love and romance 
Let's face the music and dance."

Think of these romantic scenes. A dance in the moonlight. A walk on the beach in the moonlight. A proposal in the light of a full moon. Walking hand-in-hand through a park in the moonlight. A canoe ride on a lake in the moonlight. A horseback ride in the light of a full moon.

Which one is your favorite? Or can you think of one I didn't name?  


Friday, May 16, 2014

Should You DIY by Aileen Fish and Melinda Curtis

Are you a DIY-er? Do you watch all those DIY/home improvement shows and think, "I could do that?" Well, Aileen and Melinda are here to tell you it's not that easy. Feel free to learn from our experience.

The Projects:



Aileen's: Since the bathtub in the main bath had cracked, I needed to replace the tub. The surround had me worried because of holes in the "tile" panels, so I was afraid of water damage. I also wanted a toilet that flushed well, and the vanity was ugly, so why not replace it, and redo the floor too, while I was at it, right?

Melinda's: Remodel my daughter's bathroom, taking out wallpaper, the fit-for-2 tub and replacing it with a tub shower, as well as removing the 27" square shower (perfect size for pixies) and using that space for a 2nd bedroom closet. Also to be done were re-purposing the old vanity and "Mirror, mirror on the wall" medicine cabinet.


The War Stories...



Aileen:My budget was tight, and I knew I couldn't afford to pay for help. I recruited my older daughter and my younger daughter's husband to help with the heavier demolition and to get the new tub in place, as I knew what I could carry on my own. What I didn't anticipate is the state of mobile home plumbing. If I were to do it again I'd hire a plumber.




Melinda: Call us wimpy, but we called a plumber to take out the tub, shower, and lay new flooring. Mr. Curtis knows his limits and they edge right up to water pipes. Unfortunately, we didn't supervise this process and arrived to find several pipes from the shower - including hot/cold water shut-off valves - sticking out of the floor and wall. After multiple discussions late Friday night (which included brainstorming work-arounds like built-in shelving and awkward closet placement), we got brave and called the plumber who agreed to return to make things right gratis (yes, for free!).  Lesson learned: be clear with the help about the dimensions and placement of closets.

Aileen: I was a good Mom and bought leather gloves, safety glasses and face masks beforehand. That doesn't mean I remember to use them. In an ironic twist, while doing the demo, my daughter and I did a "demo" of why gloves are important. We both managed to catch part of our hands between the hammer and pry bar. Mine was with no gloves, hers was with gloves on. This, children, is why we wear safety apparatus when working with tools.


Melinda: We hadn't realized that wallpaper in mobile homes is part of the wallboard. When we started to paint, every fixture hole and staple holding the wall in place showed. I was devastated. Mr. Curtis was in his element, having grown up doing wall finishes. At 9 p.m. he produced a spray rig, hopper and drywall mud. The bathroom was textured by morning and ready to paint the next night. Meanwhile, I was busy painting the vanity and mirror a chocolaty brown. Between coats, my daughter's 18-pound cat rubbed against all surfaces, which required repainting. Lesson learned: know the materials you're working with and shut out the cat!


The Finished Product...


Aileen's:



Melinda's:

So what do you think? Are you up for a DIY project? If so, what would you tackle?

~*~
When she isn¹t imitating a home renovation expert, Aileen Fish is busy at work on the next book in her Small Town Sweethearts series.

When not wielding a paintbrush, Melinda Curtis is busy at work on her sweet Harmony Valley romance series.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

The Things That Make It Home by Milou Koenings



In the days before the Sony Walkman revolution, when everyone in a car had to listen to the same thing, our family was usually reduced to singing ourselves. That’s because, even though our car had a radio, we lived in the wilds of Africa and in those days there was next to nothing on the airwaves out there except white noise.
 
Vincent Van Gogh - The Caravans, Gypsy Camp Near Arles
One of our favorite songs was an old French song that, loosely translated, went like this:
In our caravan
That creaks and grinds
And that we need to push up every hill
We have little room
But we’re even better off than in a great big palace
When we love each other the way we do
It’s so sweet to be so close together
Cupid took the reins,
So let’s just go
In our caravan
That creaks and grinds
Love will take us straight to paradise

The song resonated with us because, thanks to my father’s job, our family moved on average every 18 months.  My parents have moved over 45 times, in 31 countries - and we offspring, only slightly less.  So yes, we really did feel like wanderers!  And if we ever dared complain that we were tired of being homeless, my mother would start humming this song.

It’s true that we had to be ready to move with all our stuff at a moment’s notice, but we were never homeless.  Mom used to say we were like turtles - as long as we were all together, we just took our home with us wherever we went.   

Even though - big surprise - my sister and I have both grown up and settled in small towns from which we have no intentions of ever moving, there was a lot of wisdom in what my mother said.  Both my parents had lived through World War II in Europe, and lost pretty much everything but their immediate families, in which they were luckier than most people. So she knew what she was talking about.

After all, what is it that truly makes a home?  Surely, it is only the people we live with. The love that binds us. The meals we cook and eat together, the prayers and dreams we share, the songs we sing in harmony.  

Everything else - the perfect bathroom tiles we found after a year-long search, granny’s silver, the kids’ crayons that take over the house, my collection of Martha Stewart magazines that do the same … even the plants I tend with such devotion - it is all disposable or replaceable. If it were all gone tomorrow, we might be without a house but, as my mom used to say, as long as we were together, we wouldn’t be homeless.

There was a wildfire in the hills across from our house two days ago, with only one row of houses between the swiftly advancing flames and our home. Our porch was covered in ash. So the question of what objects we would save if there was a fire isn’t exactly theoretical. For me, it came down to the external hard drive with all our family pictures and the USB drive where I keep the latest version of my novel-in-progress that hasn’t been uploaded to the cloud yet.

(As I’m writing this today on my desktop PC, obviously we are still here, in our own house, thanks to our courageous, devoted fire department, for which I am extremely grateful!)

Yes, I do love my heirloom quilts and decorating tips and lacy curtains and cushy chairs and my kids’ wooden easel in the living room, and I often write about people building their “dream home.” And yet, I know I’m blessed that my dream home is not one built of stone, but one woven of lives shared and loved together.


While hoping the circumstances remain purely hypothetical for all of us - what items would your family grab if you had to take your home with you at a moment’s notice?


Milou Koenings writes romance because, like chocolate, stories with a happy ending bring more joy into the world and so make it a better place.  

Her new release, Reclaiming Home, A Green Pines Romance, is available at Amazon and Kobo. You can find her on her website, www.miloukoenings.com, on Facebook, Goodreads or Twitter.

Monday, May 12, 2014

Lessons From Mother by Patricia Forsythe


Like most everyone else in this country, I spent last week thinking about my mother who passed away more than a decade ago.  She was a devout Christian who was always involved in church activities, a good friend to those who knew her, a loving mother to my sisters and me and a wonderful seamstress who created clothing so beautiful I have remained unimpressed by the creations of fashion designers throughout my life.  She made the best blackberry cobbler ever. 

All the lessons she taught me have served me well, but the best thing she did was set an example of how to be a lifelong learner and a voracious reader.  When I learned to read, I followed her pattern of reading steadily until I could complete a book in a day.  That was my practice for many years – at least until I had children.
 
My mother always had dozens, and then hundreds of books around.  They were stacked, two deep, on bookshelves and stored in boxes in every closet of her house.  She couldn’t bear to part with any book.  I even found my old high school algebra book at the bottom of one of those boxes.  Water-logged and with the pages stuck together, I had no problem tossing it, though my mom asked if I really thought that was a good idea.

 

She liked fiction, especially stories of people who overcame the challenges that life threw at them.  The sweet romances I’ve written were a source of pride to her.  She liked to buy books in a series and when she passed away, my sisters and I collected her books, put the series together, and took them to her church where we found other eager readers.  I like to think her legacy of reading and learning continues.

We all have lessons we learn from our parents, some are good and some not so good but any lesson that teaches us to value the writing, knowledge, and wisdom of others is one to be cherished.  Thanks, Mama!

Friday, May 9, 2014

Another Fun Event!


Thank you to all the authors and readers who joined together for our Mom's Day Off Bash FaceBook Party on the Sweet Romance Reads Group FB Page. It was a huge success with many wonderful answers and comments left on the games and book posts.

We played Mother's Day themed games. One was the worst Mother's Day gift. It was agreed by all that household items are a big no no, but the worst gift any mom received was…nothing. I guess anything is better than that! When asked what they liked doing best with their Mom's everyone agreed that shopping is fun. (A no brainer!)

Many ebooks and gift cards were given in prizes and here is a list of the winners.

Games from 1:00 to 2:00 pm
Flower Game: $5 Amazon Gift Card offered by Helen Scott-Taylor to KIMBERLY FIELD
Mom’s Word of Advice: Milou Koenings’ e-book Reclaiming Home to DEANNA MARIA VRBA
TV Mom: $5 Amazon Gift Card offered by Kristin Wallace to MARY ANN EDWARDS
Special Moms: 5 Amazon Gift Card offered by Margaret Daley to JENNIFER SNOW.
Favorite food: $5 Amazon Gift Card offered by Denise Devine to TIFFANY BALDWIN UPPERMAN

Questions about books from 1:00 to 2:00 pm
A copy of Marry Me, offered by Kristin Wallace to KIMBERLY JOHNSON
A copy of Love Gone to the Dogs offered by Margaret Daley. The book was FREE on Thursday. Anyone can grab a copy. 
A copy of The Army Doctor's Honeymoon Baby offered by Helen Scott-Taylor to NICOLE STINE
A copy of Reclaiming Home offered by Milou Koenings to LINDA QUICK.

Games from to 2:00 to 3:00 pm
M-O-T-H-E-R game: $5 Amazon Gift Card offered by Aileen Fish to ASHLEY ANN APPLEBY
Mother's Day Traditions: $5 Amazon Gift Card offered by Donna Fasano to CHRISTINE DUNKIN .
Mother/Daughter Activity: Mona Risk will award a copy of Holiday Babies Series to KATRINA EPPERSON.
Best Gift: a $5 Amazon Gift Card awarded by Melinda Curtis to NICOLE STINE
Worst Gift: a $5 Amazon Gift Card awarded by Mona Risk to MELINDA GARZA

Books from to 2:00 to 3:00 pm
A copy of an ebook offered by Aileen Fish to ROBIN DRISCOLL
A copy of HER FAKE ROMANCE offered by Donna Fasano to CAROL SMITH
A copy of MOTHER’S DAY BABIES offered by Mona Risk to TAMI SCHAFER 
A copy of THIS TIME FOREVER offered by Denise Devine to NICOLE STINE
A Copy of SEASON FOR CHANGE offered by Melinda Curtis to ANGELA ULRICH GARFIELD

We have more FaceBook parties coming up during the year and look forward to seeing you all there for a few hours of escapism, with the usual prizes, games and party favors on offer.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Falling in Love Without Falling in Bed by Margaret Daley

The Five Love Languages
from Gary Chapman

When two people are in a relationship, it is important for each one of them to demonstrate in some way the importance of the other in his/her life.  The problem often arises in a relationship when these two people don’t speak the same love language. They don’t speak to the other’s deepest emotional need (a need that has been shaped by their childhood). We want to be loved by the other and valued as worth loving by that person.  So how you express your love is important in a relationship.  You may be saying,  “I love you,”  to your significant other, but he isn’t hearing it because he doesn’t speak your language.

These are the five love language:
1)  Words of Affirmation-Some people need to hear the words from their loved one to believe they are loved.  They need verbal compliments and praises.

2)  Receiving Gifts-To others the receiving of a gift from their loved one tells them they are loved by that person.  The gifts don’t necessary have to be expensive.  The thought behind the gift is what is most important.  It tells the person he was thinking about her. In a time of turmoil the gift of your presence can be what is valued the most.

3)  Acts of Service-There are some who need love expressed through doing something for them.  It could be something like doing the dishes or taking out the trash.  It is important that the act of service is given freely, not demanded.

4)  Quality Time-Another love language is spending quality time with your loved one.  I don’t just mean being with him.  I mean really talking and listening to him.  You must be totally focused on him to the exclusion of everything else.  Within this are also quality activities.  When doing things together, one should want to do the activity and the other has agreed.  You are showing your love by doing the activity together.

5)  Physical Touch-A touch on his arm as you walk by, holding hands on a couch, or a back rub when he is tense can be to some an expression of love.  There are many levels of physical touch and not all have to be intimate to show you love someone.

Which love language do you speak? What do you respond to most?

Bonus: Dangerous Pursuit is on sale for 99 cents to May 11th.
Buy links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple and Kobo.

Bio: 
Margaret Daley, an award-winning author of over ninety books (five million in print worldwide), has been married for over forty years and is a firm believer in romance and love. When she isn’t traveling, she’s writing love stories, often with a suspense thread and corralling her three cats that think they rule her household. To find out more about Margaret visit her website at http://www.margaretdaley.com.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Mom's Day Off Bash!


After the huge success of our Facebook parties at Christmas and Valentine's Day, we're running another.
To celebrate Mother's Day we're holding our Mom's Day Off Bash. So all you hard-working mom's, take a few hours off and visit us on the Sweet Romance Reads FB page. Take part in Mother's Day themed games and hear about the latest from our Sweet Romance authors.
There will be lots of prizes and giveaways, so join in and play the games and leave comments to be entered to win.
The party will run from 1-3 pm ET on May 8th. Sign up HERE and invite your friends to join the fun!

We look forward to seeing you on Mother's Day!

Monday, May 5, 2014

The All-time Favorite Sweet Romances on Your Keeper Shelf List

Have you joined Goodreads yet? 

Lyn Cote here! I joined in 2007 when the social site designed for readers and authors who like readers had just started.

There is so much to do on this site--for people like us--people who love books!

One of the fun ones is titled: LISTOPIA

You can find this under EXPLORE on the top row of tabs at Goodreads.

Readers and authors design their own lists, 
such as the CAT LOVER'S LIST

OR the list I put up a few years ago

THE BEST OF THE BEST ROMANCE 
NOVELS OF THE 20TH CENTURY

I just created a brand new list 


Here's the link https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/73498.The_All_Time_Favorite_Sweet_Romances_on_Your_Keeper_Shelf

Why don't you drop by and nominate your own Keeper list of Sweet Romance? No charge! And it's fun to see if anybody VOTES for the books you love.

Here's an incentive: 

If you nominate some books and vote on GoodReads,  and/or leave a comment here, I will have a drawing for a copy of my Love Inspired Suspense, DANGEROUS SEASON, in larger print for a commenter. Join the fun!
I'm also inviting you to celebrate May, the Mother's Day Month at my "Strong Women, Brave Stories" blog. Today I've shared my earliest memory of my mother. Drop by and share yours!--Lyn


BTW!

Our group Sweet Romance Reads has its own group there. Here's our WIDGET! (Whoo-hoo!)

SWEET ROMANCE READS's books-by-sweet-romance-re...
SWEET ROMANCE READS 120 members Welcome! This is the Goodreads site of the "Sweet Romance Reads" authors. 
We're also on Faceb...

Our books-by-sweet-romance-reads-aut shelf








View this group on Goodreads »