The Gift of Time - by Magdalena Scott

I have been fortunate in the last few days to share some intimate conversation with women friends I don't often see. 

On Friday, a friend and her husband who were visiting from Georgia met us for lunch. I so appreciated that they fit us into their very full schedule of seeing lots of friends and family while in the old hometown.

Saturday, a friend and I met for coffee in a city midway between us, and then saw Book Club at the theater. She is the busiest businesswoman I know, and yet she carved out a chunk of her weekend to spend with me.

On Sunday, a friend who was visiting family in my area came to my apartment for a couple of hours. She lives in Tucson - a world away from southern Indiana. I'm so blessed that she let me know she would be in town, and scheduled a visit.

And on Monday, I had lunch a with a high school classmate I hadn't seen in decades. I was so happily surprised to hear from her! (Actually, she and I had nearly four hours of visiting which included lunch. Thank goodness the restaurant wasn't busy!)

Sharing focused time together is such a gift!

I'm also very fortunate to meet a small group of my cousins once a week for dinner. (We're the ones in the corner who are always laughing.) And this summer, a teacher friend and I are walking together most mornings.

As a minimalist, there's little in this world I would rather receive than the gift of time. Some might say it's free, but we know better, don't we? What is your favorite way to share the gift of time?

Magdalena

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.

Visit her website: www.magdalenascott.com


And don't miss her Free Books page. You can download a series starter from your favorite vendor by clicking here.

Something New Is Coming Soon…

As an author, it’s always exciting when a new release date draws near. It doesn’t matter how many books you have out, that feeling of excitement still remains.

Coming this July, I have a new Love Inspired Suspense coming out entitled, Standoff At Midnight Mountain.

In the book, the heroine, Rachel Simmons, believes her back is against the wall. Her CIA agent brother has gone missing and she is the next target. Rachel believes her brother’s disappearance might be at the hands of his own people.

With nowhere else to turn, Rachel reaches out to the one person within the CIA that she trusts. Alex Booth. But can Rachel put aside the hurt she feels at Alex’s past betrayal long enough to bring her brother home safely?

 

In honor of Standoff At Midnight Mountain’s July release, I am hosting a Facebook party on July 2^nd from 4:30-8:00 PM Central Time.

Here is the link: ttps://www.facebook.com/events/1720120084767958/permalink/1720120098101290/?notif_t=page_post_reaction&notif_id=1528229504553928  

There will be many great authors who are helping me celebrate my new release, so I hope you will stop by and join in the fun.

 

Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author Mary Alford grew up in a small Texas town famous for, well not much of anything really. Being the baby of the family and quite a bit younger than her brothers and sister, Mary had plenty of time to entertain herself. Making up stories seem to come natural to her. As a pre-teen, Mary discovered Christian romance novels and knew instinctively that was what she wanted to do with her over-active imagination. She wrote her first novel as a teen, (it’s tucked away somewhere never to see the light of day), but never really pursued her writing career seriously until a few years later, when she wrote her first Christian romance and was hooked. Today, Mary still lives in Texas, and still writes about romance. In fact, she can’t think of anything else she’d rather do. Learn more about Mary Alford at: www.maryalford.net where you can sign up for her newsletter. Also feel free to send her an email to maryjalfordauthor@gmail.com.

Don't forget to join the Sweet Romance Reads Cafe too.

All the best…

 Mary Alford

www.maryalford.net

 

 

Readers Never had it so Good by Pat Simmons

 Readers never had it so good.

Ahhh. The carefree life of a reader is exciting. Rain or shine, you can travel to Jamaica and not worry about flight delays. You can snatch the heroine out of a book and have the handsome, buffed, and flawed hero all to yourself. Sipping on a cup of coffee, you can sniff out a new release before the first page turns. Your radar is set to zero in on free or bargain eBooks. As if that wasn’t fun enough, you take road trips near and far to meet your favorite authors for selfies, swag, and more books. 

As an author, I miss those days where I could easily consume the pages of two or more books a week. Now, deadlines have me on a strict book diet. If I can start and finish two books a month, I’m a winner. In lieu of reading, I enjoy mingling with readers at events. 

This year alone, I’m participating in three events sponsored by local and state libraries for readers. Last weekend, I attended the annual Romance Slam Jam conference in Kansas City, Missouri.

In May, readers spotted me in Reno, Nevada, at the final RT BookLovers Convention. Next year, readers and authors will mingle at the newly formed Book Lovers Con in New Orleans, Louisiana.

 











I’ve even started a local reader appreciation gathering in St. Louis: Winter Warm Up’s Author Meet & Greet. In January, it will be the third year. Guests have to top off their attire with an ugly gray wig. LOL

In May, readers spotted me in Reno, Nevada, at the final RT BookLovers Convention. Next year, readers and authors will mingle at the newly formed Book Lovers Con in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Here are some conferences I’ll miss. This weekend, a book club kicked off its inaugural reader’s appreciation shindig Maniac Book Extravaganza.

AC Arthur's On The Road Reader Appreciation Event will connect with readers in August (Houston) and Vegas (November). Wow.

Coming up in October, Lissa Woodson’s annual Cavalcade of Authors will mingle with readers in the Bahamas. I’ll wiggle my toes Stateside in the sand at Myrtle Beach in South Carolina for the annual Christian Book Lovers Retreat. This is just a tip of the many other events to celebrate readers. 

 

Yep! Readers reign and we love you! Without your support and encouragement, we would have shut down the laptop years ago. So, what events are going on in your city?

****************************************************

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 fanatic 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.

Her newest release is MY ROCK, Book 1 of the Caregivers series. Download today.

Every Caregiver needs a Caregiver...Three sisters living in three different cities (Baltimore, St. Louis, and Nashville) make a pact to share responsibilities for their aging relative after authorities find Aunt Tweet across state lines. Her destination had been a neighborhood grocery store. The siblings soon learn the definition of caregiver includes a cup full of patience, a slight sense of humor, and when to cry out for help.

****REVIEWS****

--Pat Simmons has done an outstanding job in penning this page turner. This story really hit home because I have family members who are caring for someone with dementia.--the Book Diva via Amazon

--My Rock is like a breath of fresh air. Speaking from personal experience, it was truly refreshing to read a book that accurately represents the intense struggles that caregivers endure and the sacrifices they make. As usual, Pat Simmons manages to incorporate God into the situations in the book without it feeling forced. This book is AWESOME!! I--Joyce N. via Amazon

Write your own review by downloading your copy today. 

Clean Romance for Kindle Unlimited by Julie Jarnagin

Are you a member of Kindle Unlimited? Are you always looking for great books and new authors to try out? Here's a great list of clean romances and series that you'll love.

Perfect Match Series



The Beach Brides Series



The Vegas Proposal



1-800-Cupid



Quinn



Romantically Ever After



A Little Romance



Seeking Fortune



If you're not familiar with it, Kindle Unlimited is a subscription that allows you to read a huge selection of books from Amazon for a monthly fee. For avid readers, it's a great deal. You can even sign up for a free 30-day trial.

Happy Reading!

Julie Jarnagin is a USA Today bestselling author of sweet and inspirational romance. She grew up in a small Oklahoma town where her family farmed and ranched. These days she lives in Louisiana with her amazing husband and two young sons who tolerate all her nerdy quirks. Julie earned a B.A. in Journalism / Professional Writing from the University of Oklahoma. 
www.JulieJarnagin.com

Speaking of Books by Milou Koenings

Do you like talking about books? Are you a fan of book clubs?

My BFF (let’s call her B for short) is a librarian with whom I swap books every time we meet. And we have a mutual friend who last year suddenly bought a bookshop.

Oscar Chevillard

That’s a story in itself. About three years ago, I walked into my favorite used bookshop like I did every Tuesday. 

I’ve been going to the same bookstore since I was sixteen years old, so it’s like my home away from home. 

I had the words, “Hi, Michael!” on the tip of my tongue, already tripping past my lips, when I realized it was not Michael behind the counter.

Huh? There was a woman there I didn’t recognize. “Where’s Michael?” I asked. Not once in over twenty years had he not been there when I’d come in. He was as much a fixture there as the bookshelves.

“Michael decided to go traveling,” she said. Except he didn’t go on vacation. No, he’d just up and sold the store, and this woman and her husband had bought it. Just like that. On the spur of the moment.

A woman who would do something that big, that spontaneously had to be someone I want to know, I decided.

So, we’ve become good friends, bonding over the books we like or don’t. It also helped that somewhere along the line I discovered she’s B’s neighbor.

Z does a lot of business with book clubs all over towns and in neighboring suburbs. Strangely enough, I’ve never gone to a book club – not once. Why would I want to hear other people’s thoughts about books when I could be home reading, is what I always think. But Z and B and I have our own impromptu virtual book club, reading different books at different times and discussing them in stages, since we’ve never all three of us been in the same room at the same time.

I was thinking how much I enjoy our friendship and our pseudo-book club when I realized that at least two books of mine have the hero and heroine bond over a book they both like — or dislike.

In Sweet Blizzard, my first Green Pines holiday novella, the main characters have a strong disagreement over the Rainbow Fish. Several other children’s books feature in their courtship — and he buys her one of my favorites for a Christmas present. (Read to the end to find out which one!)

In my upcoming Christmas novella (yes, it’s summer — Christmas novella time!) it’s a shared love for A Wrinkle in Time that smooths over an awkward encounter. That’s definitely one of my top 100 books, although not as highly ranked as The Arm of the Starfish, by the same author, that sits up in my top 10 list.

Have you ever made a book friend? Which books do you especially enjoy sharing with others? And – do you do book clubs?



Milou Koenings is a USA Today bestselling author. She writes romance because, like chocolate, stories with happy endings bring more joy to the world and so make it a better place.

Her Green Pines sweet romances, I Love You Three, Reclaiming Home, The Kampala Peppermint Twist and Sweet Blizzard are available on Amazon,  Amazon.uk, iBooks, Nook, Kobo and all your favorite e-book retailers.








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Tell us your favorite name for a chance to win a free e-book!

We - the authors of the anthology Sweet Christmas Kisses 5 - are already deep in our Christmas story preparations. The pre-order date is set for July 15, so we'll all finalize our stories in the next weeks!

Today, as every 20th of the month, we want to give you a chance to win free e-books from three of the nine authors who will make up this year's anthology. How? We'll share with you the names of our heroes and heroines, and you'll tell us at the Sweet Romance Reads Café on Facebook which name is your favorite. That easy. Just click onto the link below.

...

Beate Boeker - my heroine is called Sabrina, and the hero is called Mick. I really like short names for my heroes. This also means I make less typos when I write the story. :-) They are both Italian, and they live in Florence. In fact, Mick's real name is Michele, the Italian version of Michael. You'd pronounce that Me-ka-le, but he's always been called Mick, even before he started to work in the US for some years ... I do hope you'll like them when you get to know them!

Josie Riviera - My heroine is Chiara Johnson, a nurse. The hero is Vance Thatcher. The setting is a horse farm in Turning Point, Virginia. Chiara has been hired as a live-in nurse for the month of December to care for the hero's younger sister, who fell off a horse during a horse competition and is recovering from a concussion.

Christine Bush - Gabrielle likes to be called "Gabby". The nickname fits!  She's my heroine in "Christmas with the Carmichaels".  My silver haired hero is named Leonard. He would chuckle at being called a "hero".  He's an unassuming, kindly, loving grandfather who lives in a little town in Maine. I hope your love this unlikely pair as much as I do!

Liwen Y. Ho - My characters are Philip Wong and Vanessa Lim. If you read my book, Puppy Dog Tales, you'll have met Philip briefly during his blind date with the heroine from that story. Since he didn't get the girl that time, I decided to help him out by introducing him to Vanessa (named after my aunt) in this upcoming story.

Jean C. Gordon - My heroine is Samantha "Sam" Linder. She's an out-of-work investigative reporter/temporary pizza delivery person who's just gotten a freelance assignment to interview my hero Royce Evans. Royce is a motocross champion, who's just been jilted at the altar. If you read "A Team Macachek Christmas" in last year's Sweet Christmas Kisses 4, you briefly met Royce.

Mary Alford  - My heroine Charlotte Swenson, has been a coma for eight years when she suddenly awakes a few days before Christmas. My hero, Dylan Parker, is the sheriff of Bitter Creek, Colorado. Dylan and Charlotte were high school sweethearts. Throughout all those eight years, Dylan visited Charlotte all the time. After being urged by friends and family, Dylan has only recently begin to put his life together and move. And now Charlotte's awake…

Kristin Wallace - My heroine is Mia Reynolds, a struggling single mother with a bit of a secret. The hero has a pretty interesting name. His name is Winthrop Barrington, II. (I'm sure you can guess that he's not exactly poor, LOL). How he wound up with that unusual name is actually a running joke in the story. Winthrop is his maternal grandmother's last name. Her family had only girls, so she named her son "Winthrop" to make sure it didn't die out. So, my hero got stuck with being the second Winthrop. He prefers to go by "Win", though, because even he admits Winthrop is pretentious and the kind of name that can get a little kid beat up on the playground.

Milou Koenings - Volunteer firefighter Ryan Gordon devotes his life to saving and taking care of everyone else. If you've read my book I Love You Three, you might remember him as a sixteen year old bad boy. He even made a cameo appearance in The Gift of Yesterday, my novella in last year's Sweet Christmas Kisses 4. He's all grown up now and a volunteer firefighter who's done fighting his past bad reputation. Rose Silver, on the other hand, is a supermodel still trying to deal with hers - and won't reveal her last name. Sorry, Rose - I just did it for you...  Why these names? Ryan needed a little Irish rogue about him. And when I started writing this, my daughter was babysitting a gorgeous, delicate, exceptionally kind little girl named Rose who somehow wrangled her way into my story and stole the show.

Please click onto this link to get to Facebook and leave your comment below the post. Good luck!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SRRCafe1/

Bargain Books #SweetRomance Novels

Deadly Countdown, Book 4 in Strong Women, Extraordinary Situations—99¢ through June 19th

By Margaret Daley

Allie Martin, a widow, has a secret protector who manipulates her life without anyone knowing until…

When Remy Broussard, an injured police officer, returns to Port David, Louisiana to visit before his medical leave is over, he discovers his childhood friend, Allie Martin, is being stalked. As Remy protects Allie and tries to find her stalker, they realize their feelings go beyond friendship. 

When the stalker is found, they begin to explore the deeper feelings they have for each other, only to have a more sinister threat come between them. Will Allie be able to save Remy before he dies at the hand of a maniac?

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple, Kobo and Google Play

Love Triumphs—99¢ through June 21st

By Margaret Daley

Roxie Davenport came to New Mexico to learn about her birth mother. She has no intention of getting involved in her biological mother's family or letting them know who she is…until she meets Alex Stone, a rancher and brother-in-law to her birth mother. Everything changes and tries Roxie in ways she hadn't been before.

Alex Stone has no desire to fall in love again after his wife died, leaving him and his mischievous little daughter alone to go on in spite of their pain. But when he meets his sexy new tenant in the cabin on his ranch, his resolve to remain single is tested.

Buy Link: Amazon

Announcing an Exciting New Summer Romance Series! – The Perfect Match Series

Grab your beach umbrella and prepare for lots of fun and romance this summer with a brand new series brought to you by USA Today bestselling authors.

Six women receive invitations from Dawson Yates, owner of Perfect Match, a brand-new online matchmaking travel agency for a free week-long vacation to the island of her choice. As part of an extensive promotional campaign, Dawson expects to make six perfect matches that he can use to champion his business. The women expect to meet the men of their dreams. What none of them anticipates is the chaos that ensues when six couples who were strangers before agreeing to spend the week together discover that love is a lot more complicated than a match made by computer algorithms.

Join Bree, Marni, Molly, Jade, Ava, and Maeve as they embark on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation in the pursuit of love.

Be sure to grab a copy of BREE, book 1, today!

She’s traveled the world. He’s never left Nebraska. They say opposites attract. But that was before these two were matched up.

When Bree Wilson receives an invitation for a free one-week vacation to the island of her choice, her gut tells her it’s too good to be true. But how can she refuse an offer from a good friend? Especially when it’s to promote his new online matchmaking travel agency. However, she wasn’t prepared to spend seven days with Jayce Owens, the most annoying man she’s ever encountered. Forget finding love. Will she even last the week?

Bali is a long way from Nebraska. And Jayce Owens is entirely out of his element. He’d expected to meet a sweet country girl, not a sophisticated, well-traveled woman with a tenaciousness that drives him crazy. To make matters worse, when they get lost while hiking, he discovers that neither one of them has brought enough supplies to last more than a few hours. Could this once-in-a-lifetime vacation to find his perfect match wind up costing him more than his heart?

BREE is available exclusively on Amazon and Free with Kindle Unlimited!

~*~

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, join her street team, visit her website, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

Celebrating Father's Day by Liwen Y. Ho

It's Father's Day, and I'll bet somewhere near you is the smell of crispy bacon wafting in the air. There's just something magnetic about men and meat, don't you agree? My family has been celebrating all weekend long, first with my dad yesterday, then with my father-in-law today. As expected, there will be lots of eating involved because that's how we celebrate any big occasion in our family.

Speaking of fathers, I was thinking about the fictional ones I've written about in my books. In most of my stories, a dad makes a brief appearance, often times in a character's thoughts or memories. There are two books, however, that feature a father as one of the main characters.

The first book is Drawn to You, which stars Lucas Choi. He's a straight-laced police officer who gets a second chance with his high school nemesis, Sam.

Feisty and adventurous, art teacher Sam Koo is used to getting what she wants, including talking her way out of traffic tickets. When it comes to money matters though, she’s a lost cause. Her studio is in trouble, and there’s no way of charming herself out of this mess.

Police officer Lucas Choi is the last person she expects to rescue her. Handsome and rule-abiding, he was the best—and worst—part of her high school experience. When they meet a decade later, he’s still on her case and quick to point out her flaws.

Their differences drive each other crazy, but also draw them closer. The attraction is tangible, yet so are Sam’s fears. Will she choose to protect her heart or trust the only man who ever rejected her?

The second book, Tropical Kiss or Miss, features Matthew Chan. He's a hardworking newspaper reporter looking for a second chance with his wife, Olivia, and son, Micah.

Two friends-turned-lovers learn to give each other and their marriage a second chance.

Therapist Olivia Chan can’t wait to escape it all—a failed marriage, a struggling practice, and her son Micah’s recent health scare. The Hawaiian getaway she planned, however, gets rained on—quite literally—by a tropical storm and the unexpected arrival of her estranged husband Matthew, who’s determined to win her back. 

Forced to confront the past, will Olivia and Matt learn to love again? The fear of rejection is great, but God’s grace is greater. With the help of their son's prayers, this marriage might just weather life’s storms and come out for the better.

The fathers in these stories are great guys, but they are both struggling to make things right with the women and kids in their lives. I had a lot of fun bringing Lucas and Micah to life and giving them the happy endings they so needed. 

How are you celebrating Father's Day? Do you like reading romance books starring dads? Let me know in the comments below! I look forward to reading your replies.

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Be sure to join us over at the Sweet Romance Reads Cafe on Facebook for a great community of like-minded readers who enjoy reading sweet/clean romance!

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What Makes a Hero? By Margaret Daley

Obsessed is my second book in my Everyday Heroes Series. I finished a 10 book about strong women, so I decided to showcase what makes a hero. What do you think makes a hero? I would love your input into the qualities a hero has.

In my first book in the series, Hunted, was about a man who was camping by a river and saved a woman thrown off a high bridge. In his free time, he and his German shepherd often participated in search and rescues. This SAR came unexpectedly while he was taking some down time for himself. From that moment on, his life was very different as he tried to protect and save the woman he rescued.

In Obsessed the hero is a firefighter who specializes in arson cases. When his next-door neighbor is stalked by an arsonist, he is drawn into her life and forms a connection with her that fire can’t destroy. The blurb for Obsessed that will be released July 20^th: 

Stalker. Arson. Murder.
When a stalker ruthlessly targets people she loves, a woman flees her old life, creating a new identity as Serena Remington. Her plan to escape the madman and lead him away from family and friends worked for three years. Now he's back. With nowhere else to run, her only choice is war. Quinn Taylor, her neighbor and a firefighter with expertise in arson, comes to her aid, but will it be in time to save her?

Pre-order: Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Kobo and Google Play.

Catching the Bouquet by Alicia Street

June always bursts with weddings and one of the best parts of the celebration is when the bride tosses her bouquet.

The tradition began in England when wedding parties got a bit out of hand and single women tore at the bride’s clothing believing the pieces would bring them luck in finding a husband. Eventually brides began tossing their bouquets instead, and they remain to this day a symbol of hopefulness for women who have yet to find their true love.

In my newest sweet romance, The Leftover Bride, the heroine has caught several bouquets at weddings, but she cannot seem to find Mr. Right. In fact, she has terrible luck with men and has begun to believe she just isn’t meant to ever be a bride and that the whole idea of catching a bouquet is meaningless.

What about you? Have you ever caught a bouquet at a wedding? Did your bouquet land in the hands of someone who found love?

Personally, I adore flowers and, regardless of the superstitious nature of it, I like to believe a bridal bouquet brings special luck in love to the woman who catches it.

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.

Alicia loves to connect with readers~

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