Looking Toward the Future with Kimberly Rose Johnson

I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to what 2020 has in store. I like to keep my schedule loose to allow room for a project that might fall in my lap, but I do have a couple of books I feel I must write this year.

I had planned to write the next book in my Law Enforcement heroes series first, but due to lack of inspiration, I'm instead working on another series I started a while ago. Revisiting this another romantic suspense series has been fun.

How many books do you like in a series?

Do you enjoy a series more when all the books are released close together rather than waiting six months to a year or longer?

My Librarian Sleuth Series has three books out right now, and they are all available to read for free with Kindle Unlimited.

Inspired by Nancy Drew mysteries, this series has a mystery in each book with plenty of suspense mixed in.

Award winning author Kimberly Rose Johnson married her college sweetheart and lives in the Pacific Northwest. From a young child Kimberly has been an avid reader. That love of reading fostered a creative mind and led to her passion for writing. She especially loves romance and writes contemporary romance that warms the heart and feeds the soul.Kimberly holds a degree in Behavioral Science from Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington, and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.

You can sign up for Kimberly's newsletter or follow her on social media via her website.

Celebrate "Organize Your Home Day" by Merrillee Whren

     You have probably all heard of spring cleaning, but have you heard of Organize Your Home Day? I like to blog about silly or unusual holidays. This one really struck me because of a recent incident with our grown children who came to visit for Christmas.
     When we moved from Florida to Arizona, my mother-in-law, who lived with us at the time because of her poor health, moved here with us. She passed away about six weeks after we moved. We gave away her clothes, shoes, and many other things she had brought with her. One thing we didn't do was clear out the extra blankets, sheets, and pillows she had left behind. Those wound up in drawers in the bedrooms we don't use except for company.
     At Christmas our daughter with the two girls wanted to put their clothes in the drawers, but they were full of the above mentioned items. She wanted to know why we still had all those blankets and pillows. I explained that we never looked in those drawers. So we emptied the drawers, and this has prompted me in the days since they left to not only clean out the stuff we don't use in the drawers but to also organize and clean all the drawers, cupboards, and closets.
     When I stumbled upon this holiday that is celebrated on the 14th of January every year, I decided it was the perfect blog topic. It fit in with what I have been doing in my spare time. It will take me until spring to go through every drawer, cupboard, and closet that needs organizing, but it will feel so good when I get done.
     I didn't think to take before pictures of the things I was cleaning, but I've taken some after photos and some before photos of places I have yet to organize. My desk area is one of the things I need to organize. I admit to working in a pretty messy setting. Below you will see a very messy window ledge next to my desk. There's enough space for it to become a collect all. I've already gotten rid of a pile of magazines, but it still needs a lot of work.

 And here is a cupboard in my office that needs a lot of work. The biggest thing is trying to figure out what I need to throw away and what I need to keep and how the stuff I keep needs to be organized.

Now for the stuff I have accomplished. I've cleaned and organized several drawers and closets, and hubby took two large trash bags of clothes and bedding to the Gospel Rescue Mission. I'm sure I'll have more to donate after I finished this project.

You should have seen this one before. I wish I had taken a photo of the mess. It looks so nice now.

This is a closet in my office, and it looks so much better now that I have organized it.

Here is the guest linen closet. I discarded the mismatched sheets and pillow cases and straightened the towels. I can't reach the top shelf, and I had been kind of throwing stuff up there. It was a mess before the makeover. Now I know to use the footstool to put things away.

What needs organizing in your house?

Be sure to check out my latest bargain book, on sale for 99 cents. 

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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.

Sweet Romance Reads Bargain Books from Jean C. Gordon and Merrillee Whren

No Time for Apologies

The No Brides Club Series

by Jean C. Gordon

ONLY 99¢  

Marked down from $4.99 through January 17

Kate Lewis and a group of friends make a pact not to let love interfere with their careers. Then fate puts Kate and former classmate Jon Smith in direct competition for a Wall Street job. The sparks of attraction that fly are the last thing they need. Too bad fate isn’t done with them yet. A big city twist on the classic second chance romance theme.

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Or Read Free with Kindle Unlimited

Get your copy now for 99 cents 
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A Few Winter Reads by Cindy Flores Martinez

After seeing today's weather report, there's no doubt winter is alive and well in the U.S. (and other parts of the world). Some of us are being pounded by snow, rain, and cold temperatures. It’s the perfect time to cuddle up with a book.

Have you read the Small-Town Christmas Wishes series by six Sweet Romance Reads authors--including me?

These heartwarming stories are set in Snowflake, Colorado, a lovely, fictional small town with a picturesque Main Street and lovable characters. It's the perfect reading experience all year long.

Most of the books are FREE on Kindle Unlimited.

MIA’S GIFT by Cindy Flores Martinez

CARO’S GIFT by Jean C. Gordon

NATE’S GIFT by Jackie Castle

SARA’S GIFT by Kimberly Rose Johnson

HOLLY’S GIFT by Josie Riviera

TAYE’S GIFT by Pat Simmons 

WHERE TO BUY:

AMAZON

What’s the weather like where you live? Here in a suburb of Los Angeles, it's been in the 60's during the day and the 40's at night. This is cold for us!

Cindy Flores Martinez is a USA Today bestselling author who writes Christian Romance. She has an MFA in Creative Writing with an emphasis in Screenwriting. Her debut novel, Mail-Order Groom, started as a screenplay and movie project, which she shopped around Hollywood, New York, and other parts of the world. You can learn more about her at www.cindyfloresmartinez.com

5 Simple and Effective New Year’s Resolutions by Josie Riviera

We are all aware that small things can add up to big things, so this year, I’m keeping my resolutions simple. Here are 5 of my favorite resolutions: (And they’re all FREE!)

 

1.  Smile more often

2.  Try to be a more active listener.

3.  Be aware of what I eat.

4.  Add a physical activity to my daily routine.

5.  Be mindful of other people’s viewpoints.

And, I’m sharing one of my favorite quotes by Oprah Winfrey, a woman I admire and respect:

“Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.”

Did you make any New Year’s resolutions? Please share in the comments below.

 Love a sweet story with a guaranteed Happily Ever After?

Grab my holiday romance, Sweet Peppermint Kisses. Only 99¢ for a limited time!


And my newest Inspirational Regency romance, Seeking Rachel, is now on pre-order and will be released on January 15th. Grab your ebook today. Only 99¢ for a limited time! Also available in Paperback, Large Print paperback.

  A free-spirited heroine. A lonely hero. Scandal and Romany Gypsies. You'll be hooked by this poignant Inspirational Regency romance because everyone loves a heart-wrenching page turner.

 

Josie Riviera is a USA TODAY bestselling author of contemporary, inspirational, and historical sweet romances that read like Hallmark movies. She lives in the Charlotte, NC, area with her wonderfully supportive husband. They share their home with an adorable shih tzu, who constantly needs grooming, and live in an old house forever needing renovations.

 

To see her latest family adventures, follow her on Instagram.

And remember to join our Sweet Romance Reads Facebook cafe.

 

 

Pets..... by Christine Bush

Family.  To me, family a vital part of life.

Families come in many different varieties, and get formed in many different ways.  What’s your family like?

 My family is big.  And when you add “extended family”, it’s actually enormous. It’s often noisy. And it joyously includes all types of people.  

And pets.

Pets are an important part of my family.  Taking an informal roll call the other day, we have included cats, dogs, hamster, fish, chickens, birds, turtles and an iguana. Most have come the rescue route.

Currently I have cats, rescued years ago from a young family whose toddler had developed severe allergies.  And I seem to have part time custody of my daughter’s retired service dog, who likes hanging out at our house (despite the cats).

What is it about our pets?  They are comforting, entertaining, and a heartwarming presence.  They don’t care about politics, ugly gossip, or keep count of the number of Christmas cookies I’ve eaten. They just love. We should all take a lesson from this.

The grand  kids buy them Christmas presents, talk to them like they are going to talk back, and instinctively cuddle them on the couch. It feels great to see this.

Somehow, pets seem to bring out the best in us.  Warmth, care, companionship.  So it breaks my heart when I hear of animals abused or neglected. And there are so many who need help.

My newest novella, “Hannah’s Heart”, deals with the loving folks who word tirelessly with animal rescue. And of course, find love along the way! It’s a story close to my own heart.

 

I hope you love it.  And I hope you continue to be inspired to do what you can, when you can, to help those animals at risk find their ways to a loving family. It’s important.

I’d love to hear about the pets in your life!

Christine Bush is a USA Today Bestselling author of romance, romantic mystery, and suspense.  She can be found living in the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania with her husband and 2 lazy cats, and spending time with her 14 grandchildren.   When she’s not writing, she’s teaching Psychology at a local college, and working with clients in her private practice as a Marriage and Family Therapist. She loves to hear from readers and writers!

Christine's  “Hannah’s Heart” is available in ebook and print!

https://www.amazon.com/Hannahs-Heart-Christine-Bush-ebook/dp/B07RFDY79R/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-Bush-Author/213919128638762
http://www.amazon.com/Christine-Bush/e/B001KHSLRG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1392688497&sr=1-2-ent

Writing Resolutions in 2020...by Kristin Wallace

While most people make New Year’s Resolutions, authors tend to make Writer’s Resolutions. At least I do. Every year I have grand plans to write X number of books. Unfortunately, I have to confess that 2019 was not a good year for me as an author. I had plans, but most of them didn’t happen. A lot was due to having to meet deadlines for my “day job” freelance writing gig, often working 7 days a week to get things turned in on time. 

The other reason had to do with some weird health issues that messed with my ability to focus, which as you can imagine, makes creative writing extremely difficult. In many ways, the voices that I've always had in my head basically went “silent”. In the end, I only managed to publish one book, SECOND CHANCE HERO, which is part of the Palm Cove Tales series. 

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BUT…I am truly hoping to get back on track for 2020. I do have plans and plenty of ongoing projects to keep me busy.

One is the reissue my inspirational series, COVINGTON FALLS CHRONICLE. I got the right back from the original publisher some time ago and created new covers. I’m just doing light editing. I also hope to continue with that series. There are so many characters begging for stories in my quirky Southern town. 

I am also working on a fun new series called THE LOST ROYALS about separated siblings who find out they are royalty. 

Finally, there is a joint project/series that I plan to publish with one of my author friends. It’s a modern-day take on Cinderella featuring a pair of magic shoes and a cursed Stepmother who might not be as bad as everyone thought. 

So those are my plans…now to get writing! 

I did put together a Christmas box set with three of my Shellwater Key holiday tales (Finding You At Christmas, Falling For You At Christmas, and Loving You At Christmas). Christmas in Shellwater Key is available on Kindle Unlimited so even though it's January, go ahead and scoop it up now. 

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Kristin Wallace is the USA Today Best Selling Author of inspirational and sweet contemporary romance filled with “Love, Laughter and a Leap of Faith”. The Christmas in Shellwater Key boxes et will release this winter.