Thursday, January 31, 2019

A Fun New Release from Jean C. Gordon

What do you get when six friends make a pact not to let love get in the way of their careers? The No Brides Cluband the question: Could meeting the right man at the wrong time cause them to break their vows to each other?

My No Brides Club book, No Time for Apologies, releases tomorrow, February 1. These fun romances centered around six career women in New York City can be read individually or as a series--in any order.

https://amzn.to/2TnTkw8
Kate Lewis left her family's dairy farm and fell in love with everything about New York City's especially the high-powered, fast-paced world of finance. Once content to lie in the grass and watch clouds float across the sky, her biggest dream now is to work her way to the top of Wall Street.

Jon Smith is so much more than his plain name implies. He's also a rising star in the world of finance, on a mission to save his grandfather's cattle farm, and Kate's former high school admirer.

When a shocking twist of fate puts these two in direct competition for a job they both covet, the last thing they need is any new sparks of attraction. Too bad fate isn't done with them yet.

Will they give in to their attraction, or is their newfound rivalry too intense to put aside? Find out in this sweet big city twist on the classic second chance romance theme.

Order NowReceive Tomorrow 
Read Free on Kindle Unlimited

Monday, January 28, 2019

A Year in Italy - by Magdalena Scott

Without a lot of planning ahead, a girlfriend and I are spending 2019 in Italy! 

An. Entire. Year.



Except, well, not really. 

It all started last autumn, when we exchanged birthday gifts. For years, she and I have occasionally talked about going to Italy together for a vacation. It's been on Ye Olde Buckete Liste since approximately 2003, when the movie, Under the Tuscan Sun, was released. 

But you know, life being busy, and then throwing giant curves into our paths, we hadn't gotten there. Until this year!



But back to the birthday gifts...

I gave my friend a big page-a-day calendar of Italy. She seemed to be thrilled with it, and I was delighted to have given her something she would enjoy. 

When January rolled around, once or twice, she took a phone photo of the calendar page to share it with me. I decided this was our chance to be sure we experienced Italy together. (Life being short and uncertain, you know.)

So I ordered myself a copy of the calendar, and also a copy of Rick Steves Italy 2019. (The paperback version; it sits on the desk next to the calendar.) Each day, we see the same bit of Italy "together" - she in her office, and me an hour away at my writing desk. Some days I share a bit of Mr. Steves's tour info with her.

So far, this year-long trip is pretty awesome, as well as deliciously affordable. And look! One of us is going to ride that bike into the sunset...


USA Today Bestselling Author Magdalena Scott writes sweet romance and romantic women’s fiction. A lifelong resident of Small Town America, she invites readers into her world to find out what’s hidden just below the surface of those tiny dots barely visible on the map. Romance, mystery, and the journey to be one’s best self are all part of a day in her neighborhood. Readers have commented that they’d like to move to the imaginary towns Magdalena writes about, which she takes as high praise indeed.

Magdalena is a practicing minimalist, having downsized from a 3,000 square foot house to a studio apartment, where her Giant Closet continues to resist taming. When not writing at home or spending time with family and friends, she loves to travel–carry-on baggage only–and is always pleasantly surprised at the kindness of strangers.

Website: https://magdalenascott.com/

Sunday, January 27, 2019

What Is Your Love Language? By Margaret Daley

What Is Your Love Language?
By Margaret Daley

A Summary of the Love Languages from Gary Chapmans book, The Five Love Languages:

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 dont speak the same love language. They dont speak to the others 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 isnt hearing it because he doesnt speak your language.

These are the five love languages: 
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 dont 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 dont 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.

This was a very interesting book to read about relationships. I would highly recommend it to people to read. It helps to look at a relationship differently. As a writer it helped me to deepen the interaction between a hero and heroine. With my characters, I could determine which love language he/she spoke and use that in my story to show love as well as ways to keep a distance between two people. Do two people have such different love languages that they are constantly clashing?

What love language are you? Words of affirmation are my main love language with acts of service.


My New Release:
Trapped (third book in Everyday Heroes Series)
By Margaret Daley
Second Chances. Cornered. Murder.
Sadie Williams receives a cryptic and terrifying call from her scared sister. But when Sadie arrives at her identical twin’s home, there's no sign of Katie, only evidence of a quick flight. The puzzling situation turns potentially deadly when intruders storm the house. With help from Brock Carrington, her ex-fiancé and an ex-Marine, Sadie narrowly escapes.

Brock is an injured veteran dealing with PTSD. He's finally piecing his life back together when his ex-fiancée needs his help. Can Brock reignite their relationship and find her missing twin before they're both killed?
Buy links: 
Barnes and Noble: http://littl.ink/TrappedBN

Thursday, January 24, 2019

Color Me Silver by Pat Simmons




Not long ago, there was a new trend in hair color--silver--gray to me, but what do I know.

If a woman waits long enough, she won’t have to worry about paying for the color to be stripped from her hair or purchasing a wig. Keep living and it will come and take over your head.

I remember when I first discovered a single gray strand. I was 46 years-old, amused, and proud. It showed wisdom, plus the stress from mothering two teenagers.

Fast forward more years, and the gray keeps coming, especially in the front that my daughter says I look like Cruella Deville in 101 Dalmatians.

I had it highlighted for years and enjoyed my youthful appearance until the gray bounced back. No, it boldly returned. My hairdresser and I decided to let my hair grow out and decide what to do next.


   

 
Well, I’ve come to the crossroads. Should I embrace my gray--I like the term “silver” better--or hide it for another ten years? I’ve seen some really sassy women rock their “gray, white, silver” hair and I have whimsical thoughts like “Oooh, I can’t wait until my hair is all gray and white like that.” Really? I can’t believe I said that.
 

If 50 is the new 40, then maybe highlights are in order! How do you handle your aging hair?

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Pat Simmons has penned more than thirty-five titles. She is a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth who is passionate about researching her ancestors, then casting them in starring roles in her novels. She is a three-time recipient of the Romance Slam Jam Emma Rodgers Award for Best Inspirational Romance. Pat describes the evidence of the gift of the Holy Ghost as a life-altering experience. She has been a featured speaker and workshop presenter at various venues across the country. Pat has converted her sofa-strapped sports fanatical husband into an amateur travel agent, untrained bodyguard, GPS-guided chauffeur, and administrative assistant who is constantly on probation. They have a son and a daughter. Pat holds a B.S. in mass communications from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. Visit her at www.patsimmons.net.

Check out her latest release The Guilty Generation

Seventeen-year-old Kami Jamieson is so over being daddy’s little girl. Now that she has captured the attention of Tango, the bad boy from her school, Kami’s love for her family and God have taken a backseat to her teen crush. Although the Jamiesons have instilled godly principles in Kami since she was young, they will stop at nothing, including prayer and fasting, to protect her from falling prey to society's peer pressure. Can Kami survive her teen rebellion, or will she be guilty of dividing the next generation?



Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Warm up this winter with the Beach Brides Series!


Ready to escape the cold? Pick up a Beach Brides Series book - or all twelve - and find out if a message in the bottle can lead to a happily ever after. Each book in the series is on sale for 99 cents, for a limited time. The books are available on Amazon, and most are also in Kindle Unlimited.

http://amzn.to/2q3qrqf

Beach Brides! Fun in the summer sun!
Twelve heartwarming, sweet novellas linked by a unifying theme.
You’ll want to read each one!

Twelve friends from the online group, Romantic Hearts Book Club, decide to finally meet in person during a destination Caribbean vacation to beautiful Enchanted Island. While of different ages and stages in life, these ladies have two things in common: 1) they are diehard romantics, and 2) they’ve been let down by love. As a wildly silly dare during her last night on the island, each heroine decides to stuff a note in a bottle addressed to her “dream hero” and cast it out to sea! Sending a message in a bottle can’t be any crazier than online or cell phone dating, or posting personal ads! And, who knows? One of these mysterious missives might actually lead to love…



Join Meg, Tara, Nina, Clair, Jenny, Lisa, Hope, Kim, Rose, Lily, Faith and Amy, as they embark on the challenge of a lifetime: risking their hearts to accomplish their dreams.

Find all of the Beach Brides at Amazon!

Friday, January 18, 2019

New Release from Raine English


NO TIME FOR LOVE

When six friends make a pact not to let love get in the way of their careers, the No Brides Club is born. But could meeting the right man at the wrong time cause them to break their vows to each other?

Kinsley King loves her lavish lifestyle as one of Manhattan’s most in-demand real estate brokers. She’s worked hard to get to the top, and she’s not backing down now… But when her favorite aunt bequests her a wildlife sanctuary in the middle of nowhere, she has a tough decision to make: honor her aunt’s last wish or put the property on the market and maintain the life she adores.

Dylan Reese, on the other hand, thinks life off the grid is just about perfect.  That is, until the owner of the wildlife sanctuary he manages dies suddenly and leaves the place to her spoiled city-slicker niece. Now he, too, has a choice: leave it all behind or swallow his pride and take orders from a woman who wants no part of this particular commitment.


Sparks fly in this opposites attract sweet romance as Kinsley finds herself falling for the swoon-worthy sanctuary manager, causing her to rethink the no marriage vow she made with her girlfriends, while Dylan wonders how he’s going to keep from losing his heart to the one woman who’s sure to break it.


~*~

USA Today bestselling author Raine English writes sweet small-town contemporary romance, along with paranormal and romantic suspense. She’s a Daphne du Maurier Award winner and a Golden Heart finalist. To receive information on all her new releases, you can sign up for her newsletter, visit her website, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

Thursday, January 17, 2019

Sweet Romance Read Bargain Books by Margaret Daley and Donna Fasano



Deadly Dose99¢ to January 23rd
Drugs. Murder. Redemption. 
When Jessie Michaels discovers a letter written to her by her deceased best friend, she is determined to find who murdered Mary Lou, at first thought to be a victim of a serial killer by the police. Jessie’s questions lead to an attempt on her life. The last man she wanted to come to her aid was Josh Morgan, who had been instrumental in her brother going to prison. Together they uncover a drug ring that puts them both in danger. Will Jessie and Josh find the killer? Love? Or will one of them fall victim to a DEADLY DOSE?

~  ~  ~  ~  ~



Desperate Daddy: Widowed police officer Jason Devlin. Taking care of his baby girl is usually a piece of cake--until his housekeeper quits, leaving Jason desperate enough to hire the first qualified person who rings his doorbell.

Damsel in Distress: Runaway heiress Katie Smythe. The pampered debutante is about to take on her greatest challenge, her very first job--as a nanny.

Doorstep Deal: Jason is thanking his lucky stars that Katie has shown up at his house. She's the perfect nanny for his little girl--and beautiful beyond belief, leading Jason to rethink his single status. But just wait until he discovers who this nick-of-time nanny really is!


~  ~  ~  ~  ~





Wednesday, January 16, 2019

A Sweet Giveaway

Ten awesome authors, including Sweet Romance Reads authors Jean C. Gordon (me) and Raine English, have come together for the Sweet Romance Bookbub Follower Giveaway. It’s your opportunity to find some new books you might enjoy AND get a chance to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card!

All you have to do is click the giveaway picture, visit my, Raine's, and the other participating authors' Bookbub profiles, and follow us. The more authors you follow, the more chances you have to WIN. It’s that easy!

The giveaway runs through January 21st.  Good luck!


http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/5c62dbf759

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Winter Blues? by Alicia Street


For people like me who live in temperate zones, winter can be either a time for the blues or a time to rethink and rebuild.

Because of the cold and the shorter, darker days, many people are not at their best and some even fall into Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). But some cultures see winter as a time for self-examination, self-care, and garnering the determination for a re-start. Isn't that what New Year's Resolutions are all about?

One thing I like to do is to keep some of those sparkly Christmas lights around throughout the winter.

When the days are sunny, going outside and inhaling the cold air in a brisk walk does wonders.

Making soup is a good way to warm up the kitchen—and the family. 

And I confess…the romantic in me loves leaning on a window sill and looking at those bluish sunsets after a snow.

Best of all, winter is a great time to curl up and read a sweet romance. 😊


What kinds of things do you do to make winter a good time for you?


Alicia Street is a USA Today bestselling author and a Daphne du Maurier
award-winner. A compulsive reader of every genre, she writes
both sweet and spicy romance. She spent many years as a dancer,
choreographer and teacher.
Alicia loves to connect with readers~








Monday, January 14, 2019

Being Bold by Merrillee Whren


Someone in our family received this card game for Christmas. We received a lot of card games in our Christmas stockings, so I'm not sure who was the actual recipient of the game. My granddaughters, their aunt, and I played this game multiple times during our time together. It's a matching game in which you keep turning cards as long as one thing matches all the cards. Size, color, background, and shape are some of the things that can match. For two cards that match you get 4 points, for three cards 9 points, for four cards 16 points, for five cards, 25 points, and for six cards 36 points. Being bold makes for more points, but if you have three cards that match something, and you decide to turn another card and nothing matches, you get zero points. So you have to choose when to be bold. If you have a chance of matching only one thing, it is probably better to take the points and wait for another turn, but if you have several things that match, you should be bold and keep turning the cards. 

So why am I telling you about a card game? I'll explain. I haven't made New Year's resolutions in a long time. Some people pick out a word for the year. I haven't done that either. But this year the word BOLD kept popping into my thoughts, especially after playing this game. I plan to be bold this year and learn more about marketing my books. I've done a little research about advertising on Facebook and Amazon, but this year I'm going to pull the trigger and actually do some ads. I'm also going to be bold about some other aspects of my life. Instead of sitting around thinking about doing things, I'm going to do them. 

What do you need to be bold about?

I'm giving away an ebook copy of A PLACE TO CALL HOME, the first book in my Front Porch Promises series, to one person who leaves a comment. I will draw the winning name on January 15, 2019 at 9PM MST.

Merrillee Whren is the winner of the 2003 Golden Heart Award presented by Romance Writers of American. She is married to her own personal hero, her husband of forty-plus years, and has two grown daughters. Connect with her on her Facebook page and sign up for her newsletter.