Thursday, February 28, 2019

Meet Selina! - by Magdalena Scott



If you get my monthly-ish email newsletter, you have already met Selina, the new member of my family. I had just about decided it was time to adopt a pet again, when this girl popped into my life. She is a year old, and a total sweetheart. Although she came home less than a month ago, it's hard to remember what my days were like without her. 

I named her after the heroine in a book I was re-reading, by my favorite author, Rosamunde Pilcher.

Do you have a pet? If so, how did you choose a name?


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/



Wednesday, February 27, 2019

New Beginnings by Margaret Daley

New Beginnings by Margaret Daley

I'm putting out a romance series about new beginnings in a person's life. We have many new beginnings in our lives like learning to walk (changing our life when we do) to first day at school to falling in love to having a child, a new job and retiring. New beginnings are exciting, frightening, challenging and life changing. One person's new beginnings aren't necessarily the same as another.


When I retired from teaching, there were people and students I left behind that I missed. I need something to do so I wasn't sure how retirement would work out for me. That's when my writing became a full-time job. The new beginning gave me a new direction to go. Before, I wrote books when I could during the school year (often after a long day teaching) and during the summer months. Now I have more time to focus on my writing but also my family and friends.


So what is your last "new beginning?"

First book in my New Beginnings series:
Love’s Healing Power
By Margaret Daley
Tess Morgan loves being a pediatric nurse and helping the children under her care. She’d always wanted a large family, but that dream was shattered when her fiancé was murdered while volunteering in South America.

Peter “Mac” MacPherson, a former football superstar, had dealt with his own tragedies—the deaths of his father followed by his wife while she was giving birth to their daughter. His faith sustained him through his grief, but can he help Tess believe again in God and finally find a family—with him? 
Pre-order (March 12th release day): Amazon (this book will be in Kindle Unlimited)

Monday, February 25, 2019

Sweet Romance Bargains #99cents


Check out these deals on sweet romances that will warm you up during these frigid February temperatures! There’s nothing better in the winter than a cup of hot tea, a fuzzy blanket, and a heartwarming romance novel.


A Beautiful Stranger, A Family Forever Series, Book 1

When Sean Hudson arrives to claim his new daughter, he discovers the adoption hinges on the impossible. Unless he finds a wife immediately, the tiny orphan will be snatched away from him forever. But before Sean can abandon hope, a beautiful stranger proposes a surprising solution—marriage.

Sean swears the love in his heart is only for his soon-to-be daughter. And that is perfect for Nicki Willis, whose restless spirit yearns to have a family for just a while. But the tenderness of Sean’s touch soothes Nicki’s fears as well as little Sona’s. Now Nicki aches to become a family forever… and she refuses to believe she can’t make this dream come true.


Many people say family is everything. There is nothing more beautiful than two people coming together for the sake of a child, finding love, and forming A Family Forever. Look for other titles in the series:





An Accidental Family, Book 4
Nanny and the Professor, Book 5 

Seven full length contemporary Christian romance novels for only .99¢. 
Available at Amazon. Free to read with Kindle Unlimited.


Sunday, February 24, 2019

The Biggest Birthday Bash Ever! By Pat Simmons

Well, almost. For my Big 60th birthday, I didn’t want to celebrate with an elaborate party or program. All I wanted was 60 family and friends to join me for a birthday dinner at a restaurant. Simple, right?

With a big family--on my husband’s side--and a large congregation, I thought it would be an easy task. My guests would be 60 people who had touched my life in some type of way: siblings, my children, in-laws, church members, old co-workers, new friends, childhood friends, etc.

I came up with 59 folks and received confirmations from 45 guests. Now, I had to find a place to host the dinner that wouldn’t charge a deposit for a banquet room. After all, I emphasized no gifts, so everyone would only be out the price of their meals.

On the big day, 32 folks showed up: a kindergarten friend, two teenage BFF, church members, kinfolks and others. In addition to the food and fellowship, the best highlight was the many beautiful cards I received.



Like the old 1957 movie, An Affair to Remember, my birthday dinner was truly an affair to remember for years to come.

Praise God I only turn 60 years-old one time. A footnote to my story, sixty years ago, a couple of days before I was born, a deadly tornado hit St. Louis, Missouri. Dozens were killed and hundreds were injured. My mother was at the clinic with another expectant mother. Unfortunately, that woman and baby didn't make it. Again, praise God that He spared my mother's life.


Until next time, happy birthday February babies!
-----------------


Pat Simmons has penned more thirty plus titles. She is a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth who is passionate about casting her ancestors in starring roles. She is a three-time recipient of the RSJ 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.Pat has converted her sofa-strapped sports fanatical husband into an amateur travel agent, untrained bodyguard, and GPS-guided chauffeur. Pat holds a B.S. in mass communications from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. Visit her at www.patsimmons.net.
__________

Check Out her Newest Releases
 



Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Newby In The House


Hello New Friends,


My name is Jackie Castle. I'm the author of over 20 Christian Romances and Inspirational Fantasy (with also a bit of romance woven in).

This is my first post and I just wanted to hop in and let you know a little about me. Here's the blah, blah stuff: I'm a mom of two, married for 31 years now and a grammy of two gran-dolls.

I've loved writing stories since I was a sixth grader in elementary school and my teacher read my first story to the whole class.

That's when I knew what I really wanted to grow up to be. And 40 years later, I'm finally working as a full-time author. (I had a few side-trips and missed turns in Albuquerque on the way.)

Ha. Anyway, I just wanted to do a quick intro and invite you to check out my Story World webpage.

There you can click on either the Romance tab or Fantasy tab and learn more about my various series.

Today, I'm going to leave you with a welcoming gift and an offer to try out my newest release.

First, please enjoy my romance novella Secretly In Love for free. Follow the link to find your favorite distributor. 


Sage Dolan glances at Nikolai Prater and inwardly regretted the high school pact she’d made with him and her BFF, Moi Tamsyn, that the three of them would be friends forever. Nothing but friends. Yet, when Nikolai returned from his mission trip last year, Sage’s feelings for him exploded and the pact gets harder and harder to keep.

Then on April fool’s day, she receives a letter from a secret admirer. A joke from her twin siblings.

Nikolai’s life changed after the mission trip. One thing he has to face is his feelings for Sage. Pact or no pact, he needs to let her know how he feels. Overhearing Sage and Moi talk about how they wished they received real love letters, Nikolai comes up with the perfect solution. He sends her an anonymous love letter, but instead of love, he reaps the wild, whirlwind of Sage who is already angry about being made a fool of once and won’t stand for being the fool twice.

I'll pick one winner from those who leave a comment to win a copy of my newest release My Beastly Billionaire.  If you love fairytale retellings and billionaire romances, you'll love this series. 


His withdrawal from society and her need to prove her worth come to a head in this modern-day Beauty and the Beast retelling.

When Elisa Lucken's interior design company is hired to decorate the huge but neglected
Grimwood Manor for an impromptu holiday gala, Elisa is put in charge of managing the indoor crew. The only catch is--do not disturb the reclusive Duncan Grimwood.

Thrilled and excited about her chance to finally prove herself, Elisa is so absorbed in her work she doesn't hear the blizzard warning that sends the rest of her crew home.

Jewelry Artisan, Duncan Grimwood, had a reputation of being a playboy until the motorcycle accident that left him damaged inside and out. After a year of recuperating, Duncan has withdrawn from his lavish lifestyle and now lives like a hermit ignoring his family and the conditional terms of his inheritance trust.

Worried that Duncan will lose his portion of the Grimwood estate, his personal assistant urges him to re-enter the real world by hosting a holiday gala at the manor to display his latest works. He agrees on the condition that nobody disturbs him while he works to finish his last few pieces.

Snowed in for the weekend with his unexpected guest, Duncan is forced out of his cave.

Will the beautiful decorator he's stuck with help him find a new respect for life before he loses everything? 
Thanks for stopping in today! I'll be here every month on the 20th. I'm so looking forward to making new friends, and perhaps meeting some already established friends who frequent this site.
Blessings to you all!
Jackie C.

Monday, February 18, 2019

Sweet Romance Reads: February New Releases


Into the Darkness 

by Margaret Daley

Adventure. Betrayal. Murder.

Dead? Kate Collier refuses to believe her brother and last remaining family member died in the Brazilian rainforest. Determined to find the missing biochemist, she launches an expedition to find him.

A.C. Slader’s past is as dark and turbulent as the Amazon. Consumed with his own problems, when Kate tries hiring him to find her no-doubt deceased brother, he turns her down cold. The last thing he needs is to fight his way through an impassable jungle for a woman who wouldn’t know a stick from a snake. Only when he narrowly rescues her from an attack before she’s even left the relative safety of the town does he realize that without his help, she’ll get herself killed. 

Together, they begin a perilous journey that will test the limits of their faith and each other…  
Available on AmazonB&NApple BooksKobo, and Google Play







No Time for Apologies

By Jean C. Gordon

Book 5 in the Sweet Romance Series The No Brides Club

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?



Kate Lewis left her family’s dairy farm and fell in love with everything about New York City--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.

Available on: 
  eBook and Paperback available on Amazon
  Paperback Also Available on B&N and other online booksellers 






A Valentine to Cherish

By Josie Riviera

Love is the one thing she knows for sure. 

Joseph Slater, an up and coming Christian singer and songwriter, doesn’t plan to be in Cherish, South Carolina, longer than a few days. That is, until he meets Scarlett Evans, who finds herself at a loss for words when she is formally introduced to the famous musician.

Normally, Joseph would be looking for the fastest way out of town if he thought a woman he was attracted to qualified as a homebody. Yet Scarlett’s appeal—her laugh, her optimism, her obvious passion for the things she cares about—weighs stronger than his reluctance to settle down.


Available on Amazon




Valentine Hearts

By Josie Riviera

Cozy up under a quilt with your favorite ebook reader, your favorite hot beverage, and lose yourself in this wonderful romantic holiday.

I Love You More

A billionaire and a single mother have more in common than they know.

1-800-CUPID

A house flipper looking for quick profit. A survivor with a dream. Can two broken hearts find a place to call home?

A Valentine To Cherish (Inspirational)

Love is the one thing she knows for sure.

Available on Amazon

Sunday, February 17, 2019

Sweet Romance Reads Bargain Books


Deadly Fires—99¢ through Feb. 28th
By Margaret Daley
Blurb:
Second Chances. Revenge. Arson.
A saboteur targets Alexia Richards and her family company. As the incidents become more lethal, Alexia must depend on a former Delta Force soldier, Cole Knight, a man from her past that she loved. When their son died in a fire, their grief and anger drove them apart. Can Alexia and Cole work through their pain and join forces to find the person who wants her dead?






The Heart Collector--99¢ until the end of February 
By Jackie Castle
Blurb:
Collecting hearts helped Sara to keep from losing hope.

These hearts were safe and not easily broken. Not like Sara's had been shattered after losing her husband.
Fear rules her heart now. Fear of loss. Of more brokenness. Yes, the little stone hearts are safe.

Long ago, Daniel's childhood sweetheart had made a list of what she expected in a husband. Years ago, he’d set out to meet those requirements only to lose Sara to another man. One who met none of her expectations!

Now she’s back in Madison Creek, broken and in need of help, along with her pre-teen son. Daniel turned his thoughts away from her. She’d broken his heart once before. He wouldn’t let it happen again.

Is love strong enough to mend broken hearts?
A story of second chances rising from the ashes of fear and loss.








Saturday, February 16, 2019

A Fresh Start by Kimberly Rose Johnson

Have you ever wanted to start fresh? Maybe you grew bored or your life situation changed. Whatever the reason, I suspect most of us have wanted a fresh start at least once.

Today is a new beginning for me. It's my first blog post at Sweet Romance Reads. I'm so happy to be here with you.

I'm Kimberly Rose Johnson and I write contemporary Christian romance and romantic mystery. I live in Oregon with my husband of 28 years our yellow lab, and our oldest son who graduated from college this past spring.

All of my books take place in either Oregon or Washington. The collection pictured below has my book A Love to Treasure in it. It takes place in Sunriver Oregon--pictured directly below. Sunriver is one of my favorite places ever. We used to take our boys there when they were young. We rode bikes on the trails, went swimming, hiking, canooeing, shopping, ate out and more. It's quite literally an outdoor enthusiast's playground.



The main character in A Love to Treasure has fond memories of going to Sunriver as a child too. Here's a short blurb about the book.
Available on amazon


School teacher Nicole Davis is on summer break, but this vacation is unlike any other. Her beloved Grandmother’s final wish has landed Nicole smack in the middle of her favorite destination—Sunriver, Oregon, following Grams’s clues on a mysterious scavenger hunt. Unexpectedly, Nicole finds more than just a fellow sleuth in a handsome police officer, Mark Stone. But Mark must return to his job in Portland at summer’s end, and Nicole must guard her heart.
Mark is hoping for a quiet summer in Sunriver as he contemplates his future in law enforcement, but a string of burglaries draws him from his self-imposed break from detective work and thrusts him into the middle of the investigation. To complicate matters, Nicole is in jeopardy, and he knows his growing feelings for her could cloud his judgment. Will their differing career goals be the end of their summer romance—or just the beginning of forever after?

What is your favorite book genre?

Friday, February 15, 2019

Favorite Sweethearts by Alicia Street




This is that special time of year when we celebrate sweethearts. Yesterday was Valentine’s Day and it’s Friday today so you can bet there will be plenty men taking their sweethearts out to dinner this evening. I know I’m going to have a big piece of chocolate cake for dessert. J

As a romance writer I often think about couples in books and movies who make us sigh and root for them to overcome the crazy obstacles in their path and find each other and to open their hearts to lasting love.

I cannot get enough of Claire and Jamie, and I have several versions of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s winding path to love both in film and print.

Allie and Noah squeeze our hearts in The Notebook, Scarlett and Rhett make us growl and shake our heads, and Catherine and Heathcliff make us cry for them.

Tristan and Iseult, Romeo and Juliet, Jane Eyre and Rochester, Hermione and Ron, Katniss and Peeta. So many shades of love, so many kinds of sweethearts.

My romance, The Sweetheart Test explores what happens when two people who are devoted to their careers discover what they want more than anything is love.



Who are your favorite sweethearts from books or movies? 


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~