Small Towns, Big Connections by Merri Maywether

There is a truism in Montana. Don’t talk poorly about someone because you could be talking to their cousin, aunt, sibling… It all comes out at weddings, community celebrations, and funerals.

It took me a while, but I realized I could recreate that feeling in my books—not by making everyone cousins, but by letting characters in one story share another character’s experience. Often, one person’s celebration becomes someone else’s fresh start. One family’s moment ripples into another person’s happily-ever-after.

After writing five series, I have lots of friends and family connections. I’d hinted at them in earlier stories. Now, I’m writing a series of shorts to intentionally show those connections while adding a few new faces to the community.

In Home for Good, Brock and Katie reconnect at their all-school reunion.

Well… in our small town, we have an all-school reunion every five years.

So that means… It’s reunion time again. 🎉

This time, the reunion isn’t just a backdrop—it’s where everything begins.

Because in these stories, every romance starts with a single spark:

One dance.
One chance.
One kiss.
One holiday that changes everything.

A reunion sets things in motion.

A misunderstanding tests what’s worth fighting for.

A friend’s heartbreak sparks something unexpected.

And a quiet woman—who has a gift for asking just the right questions—finally meets the man who needs her most… even if neither of them knows it yet.

These are complete love stories, each centered around one life-changing moment—the kind that quietly shifts everything. The kind that turns “that would never happen to me” into “maybe… just maybe.”

They’re short reads meant to be enjoyed in one cozy sitting.

Recently, life handed me a reminder that reading seasons change. Because of some health challenges, I found myself reaching for shorter stories. I still wanted the emotional experience—the hope, the laughter, and the happily ever after—but some days I needed it in smaller bites.

That realization changed the way I thought about these stories.

They may be shorter, but they’re not easier. In a novel, I might write two chapters in a day. In these stories, sometimes I write half a chapter because every moment has to carry more weight.

Writing shorter stories also changed the way I approach relationships. In a longer novel, love has room to wander. Characters can take scenic routes. In these stories, every conversation, every misunderstanding, every shared moment has to matter because the relationship is built in those little exchanges.

Maybe that’s why they feel so much like real life. Sometimes all it takes is one dance, one reunion, or one conversation to change everything.

And I’m okay with that effort because I know there are readers like me—people who want a complete, heartwarming experience but only have one cozy sitting to enjoy it.

The first story, One More Dance, launched on May 5th. The next story, One More Chance, arrives four weeks later.

Because these stories are all about connection, I’d love to hear what moment from Rachel and Mark’s story stayed with you after you finished reading. 💛

Still Celebrating Mother's Day by Merrillee Whren

 

In the USA, Mother's Day was this past Sunday. Since we don't live close to our daughters, who live on the east coast while we live in the Arizona desert, nearly a continent away, our celebration was very low key. We went to church, then out to Mod Pizza for lunch. Nothing fancy for us. My only wish for Mother's Day is not to cook. Cooking is one of my least favorite activities. 

So how are we going to keep celebrating Mother's Day. I'm going to give away books that feature mothers. Here are some of my books that have single mothers. 

This next book is about Beth's teenage son all grown up. So you get to meet Beth again in her son's story.

 Next we have the story of a single mom who is taking care of her young daughter.

Next up we have the story of a widow with two rambunctious sons.

When the prospect of motherhood isn't what she wanted, Kelsey Reynolds has big decisions to make.

And finally a novella about an adoptive mother.

If you would like one of these books, you can email me using the contact information on my website. Just click the link and request a book. I will send you a link where you can pick up your ebook.

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.

Lyn Cote Offers a Free Ebook Ends May 14th!!

Heartwarming Wholesome Romance-HANNAH’S HOMETOWN HERO~

Can a shy girl find her moxie and win her hometown hero?  Or “let” him win her?

After a broken engagement, food blogger Hannah is determined to be a new, improved version of herself — and she’s starting with helping her parents get settled in their new town. As she becomes captivated with builder Guthrie, can they both open their hearts to love again?

Here’s a glimpse:

“Guthrie couldn’t speak.

Reaching over, he pulled Hannah to him. He just wanted to comfort her. But the feeling of her softness in his arms went to his head. He kissed her hair, fragrant of spices, then her eyebrows. Her eyes closed. He kissed her eyelids, first one, then the other. Petal soft. Such softness brought feelings, emotions bubbling up from deep inside him.

Tilting up her chin, Hannah smoothed back his golden hair, then rested her hand on his chest.

A warmth, healing and vital, flowed through him like a cleansing prayer. ‘Hannah, you’re a wonderful woman. You make me believe…’ Maybe he might get a second chance, after all.”

Don’t miss this heartwarming story of love, faith and the power of forgiveness.

BTW, you don’t want to miss Guthrie’s eccentric great aunts—Patsy and Penny—a hoot and a half!

Click here more info. 

In Defense of a Slower Summer by Josie Riviera

Every May, I have grand intentions. Long evenings on my screened porch. Spontaneous road trips on a Sunday afternoon. Farmers market Saturdays. Reading books in actual sunshine instead of scrolling through pictures of people doing exactly that.

And then June arrives and somehow I get busier.

This year I'm making a decision before the entire season gets away from me: One weekend morning a month with nowhere to be. One evening walk that isn't a workout. One book read purely for the pleasure of it.

This month, I'm giving away audiobooks of my sweet summer romance, 1-800-SUMMER. 

It's the perfect read for a porch, a beach chair, or a Wednesday afternoon when you decide the emails can wait an hour.

Get your free audiobook code for 1-800-SUMMER on my Google form. 

(Codes are available from Spotify Voices.)

Here's to a summer we'll truly remember.

What do you love about May? Please leave your comments below.

Josie Riviera is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary, historical, and inspirational 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 renovation.

Sign up for her newsletter and get a FREE ebook on her website: josieriviera.com

Spring sunshine and reading books...

Hello, friends!

I hope you are enjoying a lovely, sunny day wherever you are!  I love spring weather, with these bright blue skies and temperatures running in the 50's and 60's.  Just my cup of tea. ☺ 

But...I am wondering if the seasons impact book readership. There are so many variables that come into play.  What do you think?  Do you read at a fairly steady pace throughout the year?

I have a new book coming out June 9th.  DANGEROUS SPRING is a clean, small town romance, and is part of my Northern Pines Suspense series, though the books may be read in any order.  

CLICK HERE   to read more about DANGEROUS SPRING.

CLICK HERE   to see all of the other titles in this series.

I hope you will enjoy it!

Roxanne Rustand
USA Today Bestselling author

Lyn Cote Asks Have you discovered a new author lately?

His Holiday Prayer by Tina Radcliffe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm really becoming a fan of Tina Radcliffe. She writes such lively characters, so believable and with such real lives. I enjoyed the vet clinic aspect of this, since I love animals, especially my two cats. And the love story was very really believable and the country conflict between the two was very believable, and the end was very satisfying. Thank you Tina.

View all my reviews

I try to read everyday. And I love trying new authors. And I just discovered this lady. I enjoy Love Inspired books. I wrote about 20 books for them and so have other of our authors here, such as Roxanne Rustand, Merrillee Whren and Jean C Gordon. This review appears on Goodreads. Are you a member? It's a great place for readers to find new authors!

You're worth more than gold

Have you ever had a song come on that feels like it was written just for you—right when you needed it most?

That’s what happened to me when “Gold” by Britt Nicole played while I was writing Gone Missing, a story about a woman who had lost everything and was trying to believe she still had worth.

Let me introduce you to my heroine, Joslyn.

She's a young woman who has had to fight for everything she has. Growing up without much, she's been putting herself through school in computer programming while working at an electronics store in Los Angeles—the kind of quietly determined heroine you can't help but root for.

Then her world is shattered when her ex-boyfriend murders her father, and she's forced to flee everything she knows, landing in Oregon with nothing but grief and fear.

By the time the story begins, Joslyn has lost almost everything—her father, her baby, her education, her job, and the future she had carefully planned.

But in the middle of all that loss, something unexpected is taking root—faith. A kind woman who helped Joslyn through her darkest moments spoke openly about Christ, and those seeds have stayed with her, slowly changing her.

Now she's found a new beginning working for Liam and Elisabeth at their skip-tracing agency in Sonoma, California. They rescued her when she had nothing, and she is fiercely loyal to them for it. She gives everything she has to help their business succeed.

The skills she learns there become the key to finding her missing friend, Fiona, before it’s too late.

At its heart, Gone Missing is a story about a woman learning that she is not defined by what has been done to her or what she has lost. No matter where she's been or what has happened, she is deeply loved—she’s worth more than gold.

That was my prayer when I wrote every page of this book, that each reader would set it down feeling truly seen and treasured.

If you've ever felt like you were starting over, or like your story was too broken to be worth telling, I hope Joslyn's journey speaks to your heart the way that song spoke to mine.

Because sometimes the story that feels broken is only just beginning.

If you enjoy stories where faith grows in the middle of danger—and where finding someone missing might uncover something far more dangerous—you might love Joslyn’s story.

Start reading Gone Missing here.