Bed and Breakfasts by Laura Scott

 

Good morning! For those who don't know me, I'm Laura Scott and I write sweet and inspirational romantic suspense. Some of my suspense stories are more mystery focused than true suspense. 

My question for our readers is about Bed and Breakfasts. Have you stayed in any recently? Or have these gone to the wayside with the uptick in access tp rentals like VRBO and AirBNB? Inquiring minds want to know, lol.

I've stayed in several Bed and Breakfasts, and I really enjoyed the experience. My friend Beth Watson and I stayed in several during our trip to Ireland a few years ago. Those wonderful full Irish breakfasts were amazing. 

Here's a picture of me in front of an Irish castle! 

During that trip to Ireland, I had this idea for a series where a group of siblings renovated their beloved grandparents' house into a Bed and Breakfast. Now that was several years ago, so it makes me wonder if the whole B&B idea isn't as interesting as it used to be. 

Which brings me to my series. I wrote the McNally Family series based on this B&B idea. Even if you don't like the B&B concept, the first book is FREE so you might want to give it a try! 

To Love by Laura Scott

Can this drifter find a home?

Desperate for a fresh start, Jazz McNally pours her energy into renovating her grandparents' mansion overlooking Lake Michigan. Her goal is to turn the cherished childhood home into a bed and breakfast she'd manage with her twin sister. Jazz doesn't mind the hard work, until vandals strike. She needs help fast or risk missing the date of their grand opening and being in debt to her four older brothers.

Drifter Dalton O'Brien doesn't mind giving Jazz a hand, knowing once the job was complete he'd be on his way. But he enjoys spending time with her, more than he should. When vandalism escalates to danger, Dalton is determined to keep Jazz safe. Can he let go of the ghosts in his past long enough to embrace the future?

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Book Cover Eye Candy: Cheryl St.John

I adore the covers of Whisper My Name and Maybe I’m the One, and I’m counting on readers loving it too. Sometimes I buy a book just for the cover. On the other hand, I’ve passed by some terrific stories because the covers turned me off. I can think of one in particular. I got the book in my stack of entries to judge for a contest. I even put it off until the last, only to discover it was an incredible story that hooked me from the get-go and never let go. I liked the author’s voice and style so much that I hunted her backlist and read as many as I could get my hands on. So, what was it I didn’t like about that cover, you ask? It was a cartoon cover. I had never before purchased a book with a cartoon cover—now I have!

Most of us have auto-buy authors – an author you buy simply because you know they’re going to deliver a story you will enjoy, no matter the subject or the cover. I have several of those. The cover is only the sprinkles on the icing on the cake, because the cake and the chocolate filling are the book, and I never pass up chocolate cake.

I’ve purchased books based on reviews – like movie reviews, trailers and posters that draw me to see a movie. Not because the review was glowing, but because the synopsis told me the book was about a subject or character I knew I would like. I’ve bought books because someone recommended them to me.

I have purchased a book because of an ad. I’ve never bought one because of a quote on the front or because I saw the book trailer. I recently bought a book on the recommendation of a reviewer I trust and the comparison she made to an author I like. I loved the book.

Covers are enticing. I’m impressed by colors and textures, like hair and fabrics. And I prefer cover people with heads. I don’t like to stare and stare, trying to figure out where the story peoples’ faces are. I read more on my Kindle than I ever did before, but I confess I do miss holding that book and gazing at the cover

FIND ALL MY BOOKS ON AMAZON

What are the top three elements about a cover that entice you to buy a book?

How about romantic movie posters?

Cheryl is the author of almost sixty historical and contemporary romances. Her stories have earned numerous awards and are published in over a dozen languages. In describing her stories of second chances and redemption, readers and reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters and real-life situations.”

June is Almost Gone by Susan Aylworth

Hard to believe, but we've almost put June behind us and we're looking down the week at July. July! What images that word conjures! First I think of flags and fireworks and picnics in the park. Then my thought goes deeper as I consider what my country means to me.

Last month, Roger and I checked a couple of items off our bucket lists. We had planned a visit to Hawaii for our 50th anniversary in June of 2020, but a global pandemic put an end to that. Two years later, we made it! For both of us, a necessary part of that trip was a pilgrimage to Pearl Harbor. 

Both our fathers fought in the Pacific during the second world war and my dad stationed briefly in the islands. Born in Arizona, I also connect to the ship that sits where it landed on that "date that will live in infamy" 80 years ago. 

We first paid homage there, at the USS Arizona, remembering the beginning of our country's involvement in WW II and honoring the young men who still rest in that hallowed place. 

We continued to the decks of the USS Missouri where representatives of imperial Japan formally surrendered and all parties signed peace accords. A large gold medallion marks the exact spot.

During this year when war in Europe again threatens the world's fragile stability, we feel sacred connection to all monuments honoring peace. 

Our nation isn't perfect. We're all too aware of the deep disagreements that threaten our own stability. But as America celebrates its 246th year, we gratefully honor the peaceful connections we all share. 

When fireworks light this year's skies, we'll be celebrating with a son and his family, and we will be thinking of the peace and freedom we all enjoy, still shining as brightly as the those sparkling lights. Happy Birthday, America! 

Susan Aylworth is the author of more than 20 novels. Over the Rainbow, a prequel to the Rainbow Rock Romances, is available free to everyone who subscribes to her newsletter on her website: susanaylworthauthor.com. Contact her on her Facebook author page or via susan.aylworth.author@gmail.com or join her on Twitter @Susan Aylworth.

June Release by Sweet Romance Reads Authors

 

June Books

Ominous Midsummer

by Lyn Cote

What will it take for best friends to fall in love?

Everyone calls her "the girl who had amnesia.” Though Jessie has found a safe place in the small town of Winfield on the rugged shore of Lake Superior, the past still haunts her. Her best friend Chad carries his own “family” baggage. Then a violent attack on his great uncle shatters their peace. And his ex-con father is nowhere to be found – – kidnapped? Why? As the mystery unfolds, Jessie and Chad draw closer. Will these best friends admit they’ve become more than friends?

Another clean mystery romance that you’ll find “impossible to put down” with family drama and the hope of redemption by a Carol Award-winning author.

Beautiful shore, Dangerous seasons.

Purchase here

Summer Hearts

Josie Riviera

This set includes three sweet and inspirational romances:

1-800-SUMMER
The last thing she can fix is her own life. Until one man’s offer changes everything.

A Chocolate-Box Summer Breeze
Will Emily and Joe find their happily-ever-after in a forgotten summer breeze?

A Summer To Cherish
Faith is fragile. Faith takes time. And the best solutions are always painted with love.

Buy link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TWVDQ1S

Best Neighbors by Pat Simmons

Among friends, among neighbors, among family. This is how I would describe an evening out with three couples for Kerry and my wedding anniversary. A fourth couple had last-minute plans.

These are three couples from my cul-de-sac. The couple beside Kerry and I have been our neighbors for thirty-plus years. Our girls grew up together, and we know each other families.  Jay(in the white shirt) and his wife are the newcomers to the right next of us. They are great neighbors who make others competitive. Well....me, at least. They had a new patio poured and put flower pots on it; I bought them for mine. I was going to do it any way but never got to it until I saw theirs. LOL. When one sets out their trash bins, so does the other, or if one gets their tree cut down, others follow. We're a commercial.

The last couple on the end turned out to be our cousins. They had only lived on our court for five years before we discovered it. Actually, he knocked on our door and said they were related after receiving a copy of the family reunion letter we sent to his aunt.

What better way to celebrate our thirty-ninth anniversary than with couples to hear about how each other met. Funny stories. The best story of the night was from our cousins and their dog.

If the Lord wills, some of us are planning a European trip next year. 

Until next time, happy summer.

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Pat Simmons is a multi-published Christian romance author of more than thirty titles. She is a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth passionate about researching her ancestors, then casting them in starring roles in her novels. She is a four-time recipient of the RSJ Emma Rodgers Award for Best Inspirational Romance. Christmas Dinner was also an Emma Award winner for Book of the Year. Christmas Dinner and Here for You were featured in Woman’s World Magazine.

As a Christian, Pat describes the evidence of the gift of the Holy Ghost as a life-altering experience. She has converted her sofa-strapped sports fanatical husband into an amateur travel agent, untrained bodyguard, and GPS-guided chauffeur. They have a son and a daughter. Pat holds a B.S. in mass communications from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, and worked in various positions in radio, television, and print media for more than twenty years. Visit her at www.patsimmons.net.

Book Series versus Stand Alone Stories by Janice Lynn

 I'm currently writing the fourth book in my Wrapped Up in Christmas series for Hallmark and it's got me to thinking about whether or not I prefer books that are connected with other stories or if I prefer books that I read, enjoy, and then move on. 

When I think about some of the first connected stories that I recall reading, Lori Foster's Buckhorn Brothers comes to mind even though I'd been reading romance many years prior to these books being released. I remember anxiously awaiting the next brother's story and just loved them all. I posted a photo of Book 1's original cover (Temptation was my favorite Harlequin line and was where I once dreamed of writing stories for because they were fun, feel good stories that often made me LOL). 

And, I'm posting a photo of Casey's book, because as with many readers, Casey's was the story I waited the longest on as he grew up in the other brothers' stories. 

Of course, I love Lori's stand alone stories just as much as she's a phenomenal writer and person. I feel so fortunate that Lori gave me my first author quote for my first book, Jane Millionaire, which seems as if it came out forever ago. She's definitely someone I admire so much. (Leanne Banks gave me my other author quote for that book & she is the sweetest person ever! Love, love, love her!)

Now, back to my writing book 4 of my Wrapped Up in Christmas series, as I'm working on this story, I'm conscientious of wanting to hit the right notes with readers who have read all the books & give that them glimpse into the lives of the characters they love, but also want to make sure that if I have a new reader that they don't feel lost/like they've missed vital info. Where I catch myself is that I love those past characters and it would be sooooo easy to let them take over the story. LOL. Isabelle, who is my heroine, was in book 2 & 3, so she's not a new character, but Zac, her hunky hero, is a new character and loves to push her buttons--and does. :) Hopefully, I'll give fans another fun glimpse of Bodie & Sarah, Cole & Sophie, Andrew & Morgan as Zac convinces Isabelle she really should take a chance on a military guy. 

What are your favorite series & why? What about your favorite standalone stories? 

Janice's Wrapped Up in Christmas books from Hallmark Publishing are available, also!

Buy Your Copy HERE

USA Today, Wall Street Journal, & Publishers Weekly Bestselling author JANICE LYNN lives in Tennessee with her Prince Charming and their princes and princesses, her vivid imagination, an adorable Maltese named Halo who's the true royalty of the house, and bunches of unnamed dust bunnies that moved in after Janice started her writing career. In addition to writing romance, Janice is a nurse practitioner, a quilter, an exercise queen, a military mama, and an avid supporter of the Quilts of Valor Foundation. Just kidding on the exercise queen. www.janicelynn.com  The WRAPPED UP IN CHRISTMAS books are available at AMAZON Barnes & Noble WALMART & many other place where you buy books. WRAPPED UP IN CHRISTMAS LOVE is coming Christmas 2023.