Lyn Cote Asks the September Question

Image by Лариса Мозговая from Pixabay

Now for the September question: School days, school days, dear old Golden Rule days—Now that’s a blast from long past. Anyway any memories of a favorite teacher and what she or he did to make you like to go to school?

I remember many good teachers--Miss LeFevre, Mrs. Greene, Mrs Williams, Mrs. Crawford. Mrs. Crawford made the biggest impact on my life.

If you’ve read any of my historicals and many of my contemporary stories, you know that I write books with many different kinds of people.That is due to Mrs. Crawford. My first writing mentor was my Junior-year English teacher, Mrs. Doris M Crawford, one of my first African-American teachers, who spent an hour after school every day that year teaching me how to write. I had asked her at the end of the first class—“I want to be a writer. Will you teach me how?” 

Her gift of time and taking an interest in me made all the difference. I just wish she’d lived to read my first published book but she died of cancer when I was in college. But I often feel as if she is standing at my shoulder as I write.

So what teacher made a difference in your life--or do you have a particular favorite fun memory of school days? Either is good. I waiting to hear from you!

BTW, my latest romantic suspense is on pre-order till Sept 8th at 25% off.

 In a small town where murder never happens, two people with a tragic history must work together to protect their families before another murder happens~

Bookstore owner, Sylvie Patterson and Detective Ridge Matthews share hidden pain over the long ago tragedy that marked them both. Because of the past, she knows she has no future with him. Sylvie’s cousin Ginger returns home to write her PhD dissertation and says these cryptic words before hanging up: Sylvie, I am going to wow you with a big surprise tomorrow! Finding Ginger lying dead at the foot of the stairs is not any surprise anyone would ever want. 

Ridge had come to town on a family matter. When he and Sylvie discover the body, as a state homicide detective, he’s ordered to stay and solve the murder. Murders don’t happen in small town Winfield—and he can’t get a break on the case. When Detective Matthews fails to discover any motive or solid clues for her cousin’s murder, Sylvie refuses to believe that she might be next. What if she’s wrong…Don’t miss the exciting ending to this northwoods murder mystery! For more info, click here.

  

Fall into Love by Laura Scott

 Fall into Love by Laura Scott

Good morning and welcome to almost fall, my favorite season of the year! 

Oh, don't get me wrong, I like summer, but temperatures in the 90's are way too hot for this northern girl. I'm not sure how those of you in the Deep South stand those triple digits! 

The leaves changing, cooler sweatshirt weather, and well once upon a time, football are some of my most favorite  things about fall.

Here in Wisconsin we get amazing color changes on our trees. Those who live north (like the fabulous Lyn Cote) have this view right out her back yard. We get some of that here, too, but sometimes my hubby and I take a drive just to get a better view. 

Comment below and tell me what your favorite season is and why. 

I also have a new release coming in a few days...Target For Ransom. This is the second book in my Security Specialists, Inc. series. For those of you who enjoy a fast paced international romantic suspense, this series is for you!

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And if you're still on the fence, the first book in the series, Target For Terror is only $0.99 until September 1st. 

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Have your reading habits changed? -Magdalena Scott

Photo by César Viteri on Unsplash

While working at our library's used bookstore a couple of years ago, I had a conversation with a customer who has kept a list of every book he's read for his entire life. He told me the total at the time, but not being a numbers person, I immediately forgot it. I can just tell you that it was a lot. More than I'm likely to read in my lifetime. But that's okay because reading, at least as adults, is not a competition.

For my own enjoyment, I have kept a haphazard list of books read this year. I didn't realize I'd be reading more than usual when I began the list, which begins with The Flareshare by Beth O'Leary. My current read is Marry Me at Willoughby Close, by Kate Hewitt. 

I've devoured historical sweet romances this summer, including mail order bride stories. These books were a departure from my usual fare, as was the 500-page historical fiction, A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.

As usual, I've read some books by my fellow Sweet Romance Reads authors. You can find their new releases here.

Like most of you, I read plenty of non-fiction during the day, including news. This is why, when I curl up with a good book at bedtime, it is required to have a happy ending and no tragedy on the way there. Although I can stand a little angst in the books I read, it's less acceptable than before. 

What about you? Have your reading habits changed this year? 

Website: https://magdalenascott.com/

The Small Town Vibe

In 30 years of publishing, I've experimented with different styles and varieties of novels. I enjoyed one teen adventure novel and a Young Adult mystery with a paranormal element, as well as other stories for different audiences. Writing them was a fun diversion, but I've found my home in sweet romances set in America's small towns.

What's the charm of the small town? Ask the faithful followers of the Andy Griffith Show or Northern Exposure. We all came to know and love the quirky folk who peopled Mayberry, North Carolina or Cicely, Alaska. The homey, interesting, or romantic plots that carried the series were always supplemented by the eccentric behaviors of poor drunken Otis or paranoid Adam, the antics of Barney Fife, or the flat delivery of Marilyn Whirlwind. We happily returned week after week to these alternate hometowns where we knew everyone and willingly rode along on whatever strange story arc dominated the set that episode. 

Do real-life small towns have the same charm? I suppose it depends on the small town. Over the years, I've lived in a few. During five formative years in my teens, I lived in a town of about 600 poised on the edge of the Navajo Nation. Then, for fourteen months in 2017-18, I lived in a town of about 5,000 in the heart of Dinetah (Navajoland). Those two experiences gave me the background for the Rainbow Rock Romances, a series set in the fictional town of Rainbow Rock, Arizona, poised in the striped hills of the Painted Desert. 

For the past four decades, I've lived in the Sacramento River Valley in California, right at the edge of the foothills that lead into the Sierra Nevada mountains. Friends were among those burned out of Paradise during the calamitous fires there two years ago, and I used the burned-outcommunities as the basis for creating Destiny, California, the home of the Seasons of Destiny series. 

Farther up the state highway from fictional Destiny lies the equally fictional town of Bedford Falls, California, the setting for my Christmas novel which is set to appear in late October. I have other plans for both Destiny and Bedford Falls and look forward to setting more books in both places.

For me, the small town vibe is the ideal backdrop for a sweet romance and the characters that people the towns are, for the most part, people I enjoy knowing when they hang out with me in my office. I love the fact that readers seem to be enjoying them too. 

Susan Aylworth is the author of 20 novels. Her newest series, "Seasons of Destiny," explores romance in every season of the year in the small, former Gold Rush town of Destiny, California, nestled in the Sierra Nevada foothills.  Paris in the Springtime, Sunny's Summer,  Amber in Autumn, and Winter Skye are all available now in e-book and paperback. She is releasing new editions of her beloved Rainbow Rock Romances and beginning a  "Daughters of Destiny" series featuring five sisters-cousins who sing together, complete with plenty of interesting song lyrics. Look for them in the coming months along with a Christmas novella coming in October, set in Bedford Falls, California. 

Airport Sightings by Pat Simmons

I haven't flown since New Year's Day. I can't say I miss the hassle of it, but I do miss visiting my daughter a couple of times during the year. While on Twitter, I stumbled across a tweet that captured some of the most unusual, funny and bizarre things seen at an airport.

My most exciting signing was cheerleaders for the Cleveland Browns. Of course, after I posed with them for photos, other male passengers decided they wanted in on the fun. Copy cats. Anyway, since pictures tell the stories, here are some funny ones.

Let's take vote. Which one is your favorite?

1. With these adorable faces, how could you put them in timeout?

 

2. So how late is my flight?

3. Just when you think you've seen everything. Nah.

4. The things a dad will do for some shut eye. The funny part will be when he arrives at his destinations and will have no idea why everyone is staring. LOL

5. A must have when your flight is on time, but your luggage is delayed.

6. As an author, this would be great advertising, but then again, I can see someone taking my luggage to go sell my books.

7. So that's how you travel with children.

8. It's not always a good thing to have folks waiting at the airport to give you a lift. Can we say Uber?

----------------------

I hope this post made you smile. Laughter is the best medicine.

Now some the Big news...after nine months, I'm about to deliver my new release. HERE FOR YOU in 7 Days at 12:01 am. 

------------------------

Pat Simmons is a multi-published Christian romance author with 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’s first inspirational women’s fiction, Lean On Me, with Sourcebooks, was the February/March Together We Read Digital Book Club pick for the national library system.

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 fanatical 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 and worked in various positions in radio, television, and print media for more than twenty years. She oversaw the media publicity for the annual RT Booklovers Conventions for fourteen years. Visit her at www.patsimmons.net.

Changing Seasons by Laura Ashwood

 As we approach the end of August, I can feel myself getting really excited for fall. My husband and I are lucky enough to live in a state that experiences four distinct season changes. I will admit, contrary to most people, I am NOT a fan of summer and prefer the cooler weather that fall and winter bring.

Fall brings crisp air, the changing vibrant colors of the leaves, and my very favorite thing...the beginning of sweatshirt weather. I could LIVE in sweatshirts year 'round if we didn't have summer. 

The seasonal shift also tends to be a time I reflect on the goings on of the season on its way out.

This summer was eventful for us, despite the pandemic. Our first grandchild celebrated his 2nd birthday with a very small party. We were fortunate that day to be able to bring grandchild #2 with us to celebrate because grandchild #3 was born that same day.

From a writing perspective, this summer was also really good to me. While I am still struggling with anxiety over what's going on in the world, writing gives me an escape, kind of like reading but on a different level. I published my second book, A Little Something Sweet, and finished my first historical, An Agent for Clarissa - which went live yesterday. I've got my 2021 writing calendar full and it's quite ambitious. Go big or go home, right?

Did you have any memorable events this summer? 

What is your favorite season? I'd love to know!

Until next month!

xo, Laura

~~~~~

The World's Most Famous Painting by Janice Lynn

Did you ever wonder how the Mona Lisa, also known as the La Gioconda by the Italians, became the most famous painting in the world? Painted by Leonardo Da Vinci in the 16th century, the Mona Lisa is a painting that is believed to be of Lisa Gherardini, an Italian noblewoman. Da Vinci painted the famous portrait on a poplar panel. The painting was given to King Francis I of France in 1516 by Da Vinci, and has hung in the Louvre since 1797. Well, except for when someone stole it from where it was displayed and it disappeared for two years.

It's hard for me to imagine that someone could take the Mona Lisa from where it was displayed in the Louvre, put it under his coat, and walk out of the Paris museum, but it happened despite the 200 guards working to protect the precious artwork on display. On August 21, 1911, Vincenzo Peruggia did just that and put the painting was on the front page of papers around the world. With his theft, he skyrocketed the Mona Lisa to the most famous painting in the world.

Yes, there is a story about how Peruggia pulled off such a feat. He worked for a glass company who was making glass cases to protect some of the Louvre's most famous paintings. Apparently Peruggia believed that the French had stolen the Mona Lisa from his beloved Italy and he wanted to return it to his home country. He slipped the painting off the wall and hid it in a closet. Before leaving work, he hid the painting under his coat and walked out of the museum. For two years, what happened to the painting was a mystery. 

Guards thought the painting was being cleaned so it wasn't initially reported as missing. Unbelievably, it was over 24 hours before it was reported to the police. The police did question Peruggia. The Mona Lisa was hidden in his home when the police questioned him, but they believed his alibi. For two years, the spot where the Mona Lisa had hung was left empty in hopes she'd someday be found. During that time, Peruggia kept the painting hidden in a trunk in his home. In 1913 he contacted an Italian curator about the painting and was later arrested. Due to his 'patriotism' to Italy, their courts only sentenced him to a little over a year in prison, of which he, unbelievably, only served 7 months. Peruggia did sort of get his wish, though, as the Mona Lisa did briefly tour in Italy prior to being returned to the Louvre. 

And, to put it in the words of Paul Harvey, "Now, you know the rest of the story."

I've never been to the Louvre (or Paris), but traveling (if we ever get to travel again!) to Europe is definitely on my bucket list. I'd love to visit the Louvre and seeing the magnificent works of art there. Honestly, though, I'm a lover of all types of art--painting, sculpting, weaving, welding, quilting (you knew I was going to put that one in there, right?), and lots more. I love the process of creating something and am amazed by how talented so many are. 

In my upcoming sweet romance Wrapped Up in Christmas Joy, Sophie Davis is a talented quilter and has lots of creative sewing projects. She and her sister own a quilt shop. One of Sophie's talents is that she makes Quilts of Valor to be donated to those who have or are serving in the military.

 Are you an admirer of the arts or a creative genius? I'd love to see photos of some of your creations. Or if your an admirer, what are some of your favorite pieces of artwork (of any kind, not just paintings)? If you can find a handy pic to share, I'd love to see!  One lucky person leaving a comment will win a pair of butterfly earrings. 

Harvest Season by Merri Maywether

It’s harvest season.

To the people working in the field, it means long hours. They talk about things like bushels per acre, moisture levels, and protein.  Semi-trucks full of wheat, barley, peas, and lentils drive by our house. It starts at sunrise, and the rumble of the trucks can be heard long past sunset.

Before I started working at the school full time, I cooked for the harvest crew. Two times a day, for six or more weeks, my role entailed preparing meals for ten to twelve people. Over time I learned, this person doesn’t like green vegetables, that person loves bread. All of them loved dessert. 

I especially loved the day-to-day conversations that took place when I ran to our local mercantile for butter or milk. The aisle didn't matter. The same conversation carried over the shelves. “What are you cooking tonight?”  

I cannot tell you how many times in front of the canned vegetables, menus were changed. We all had something planned, but that new recipe that Lisa, or Gail, or Nancy found on Pinterest sounded so much better. 

Now, I spend the day with the children of everyone involved in the long days. I quickly learned school is different during harvest. The younger kids want farm stories. The kids who read chapter books will check out their quota, so they have something to read when they ride along in the field. For six weeks, those time, distance, and rate questions in math make sense.

The best discovery: I was still a part of the recipe exchange. So while things can change, there are some wonderful constants in our community.

I don’t know if you can tell, but I love harvest season. It is a time when people are patient with each other. Everyone recognizes the value of others, and I get some great food ideas. 

So, to invite you to the experience, I'll close asking...“What are you cooking for dinner tonight?” 

🏠

I wrote a scene in Welcome Home that is a true to life scene in our grocery store. Abigail goes in thinking she can buy what is on her list, she leaves with the beginning plans in place for a friend trip. Here is the synopsis of the book

Time changes people...and every once in awhile it can heal a broken heart.  

Against her better judgment, Abigail Cahill is coming home. Abigail's family is set on proving that she belongs in Three Creeks with them. Their childhood best friend, Kent Parker is willing to help them give Abigail a proper welcome. 

From the beginning, Kent makes it clear that he has zero interest in a serious relationship. Who cares that every time he is around Abigail he has the urge to punch anyone in the face that looks at her? 

Abigail is okay with having the small town hunk as a pal for her mini-adventures. She's not so thrilled that he chases away any guy that takes an interest in her. 

In this feel-good, love story, Abigail discovers the beauty of second chances and the meaning behind Welcome Home.

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For a limited time, Welcome Home is available for 99¢

New Releases from Sweet Romance Authors

The Hand-Me-Down Husband

Vickie McDonough

Ellen aims to take her sister’s baby back to St. Louis to raise as her own. Tessa’s father isn’t about to let that happen.

Ellen Stewart despises Lance Garrett. If not for him dashing into Isabelle’s life and stealing her heart and filling her head with his dreams, her little sister would still be alive and safe at home. When Ellen receives Lance’s letter requesting help with one-year-old Tessa, she rushes to Silver Springs, intent on taking charge of her young niece. A rugged ranch in the wilds of Texas is no place for a motherless baby. 

But when she realizes how distraught Lance is over the loss of his wife and the depth of his love for his daughter, she can’t take Tessa from him—but neither can she leave. Though everything within her wants to flee back to the comfortable big city, something makes her stay. Tessa needs her father, for one—and he needs her. Ellen knows what it’s like to lose all she’d dreamed of. 

When local townsfolk make a stink about Ellen living at Lance’s ranch unchaperoned, will they be forced to marry? Ellen doesn’t want a hand-me-down husband who could never love her, but could this marriage be God’s will for them both?

Purchase Here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08F4FBX5D/

A Chocolate-Box Summer Breeze
Josie Riviera

A disillusioned widow longing for a change. A hard-working truck driver looking for love. Will Emily and Joe find their happily-ever-after in a forgotten summer breeze?

Purchase here: mybook.to/chocolateboxbreeze

No Time for Adventure

Jean C. Gordon

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.

A charter member of the No Brides Club, mental health nurse practitioner Victoria Hambersby is on the verge of completing her career dream to create a VA program that will help vets with physical and mental challenges stretch their abilities. Needless to say, Vic is completely blindsided when she is informed that she must combine her program with that of Joshua Lewis, the owner of “No Limits” extreme adventure company.

Since two of his sisters are also members of the No Brides Club, Josh is aware of the no romance before career goals motto. So while he finds Vic attractive, the focus needs to stay on finding a way to blend their proposal ideas. Which won’t be easy, as they both have baggage from the past coloring their viewpoints.

To get a better idea of what Josh’s company has to offer, Vic agrees to a weekend adventure, which despite herself, stirs her inner thrill-seeker. Surprisingly they may have more in common than they believe, but can they overcome their defensive barriers to let go of the past and reach for the future?

Purchase Here: Amazon

Bargain Books for You!

Was $2.99 ~ Now Only 99¢

Haven't dipped your toe in Indigo Bay yet? Here's your chance to for only 99¢

There’s nothing like a wedding to bring people together, but family dynamics can be complicated, especially newly blended ones.

Sonja Cooper is thrilled that her daughter Lauren is marrying Jesse Brewster and giving her a ready-made granddaughter in the irrepressible 3-year old Shelley. The fact that Jesse is also Sonja’s business partner in the launching of the Morrison Mansion B&B is just a bonus.

Custom bike shop owner Jeff Brewster is also delighted that his son Jesse is marrying Lauren and building a new family. The one awkward aspect is the unexpected attraction he feels towards Sonja. For although Sonja feels the same spark, having been burned in her divorce from Lauren’s father, she’s determined never to be dependent on a man again.

Then the Indigo Bay Business Association pits Sonja and Jeff against each other by having their businesses compete for the coveted “New Business of the Year Award.” All’s fair in love and war, but hearts don’t always listen!

This is the 3rd novel in the Indigo Bay Second Chance Romances series, but all books can be read as standalones.

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Indigo Bay

A Chocolate-Box Christmas by Josie Riviera is only 99¢!

Available in ebook, Paperback, Large Print Paperback, and audiobook.

      Love is sweeter with a touch of mischief.

Words Have Teeth by Kimberly Rose Johnson

 

As a fiction writer, I’m keenly aware of the power of words. They can make us feel happy, sad, angry, excited, loved. Pretty much any emotion out there can be created through words.

 

Words also have teeth. Some words nibble and others cut deep. Have you ever said something and immediately wished you could take back?

 

Something similar happened to Jenna in my latest romantic suspense, Imminent Threat, when she lost her temper at work. She vented about a client. Someone secretly recorded it, and then uploaded it to the internet where it went viral. Yikes!

 

Can you imagine thinking you’re in a safe place to express yourself, when suddenly your world is turned upside down, and now no place is safe? That’s what happened to Jenna.

 

Once upon a time I worked at a high school. While I was there, I observed that students often had their phones out recording one another without the other person being aware they were being recorded. In a way I think my idea for this aspect of the story percolated out of my experience at the high school. 

 

I’m reminded of a childhood song with the line be careful little mouth with you say. Do you remember that one? It’s funny how those childhood truths still ring true into adulthood.

 

Here’s the back cover blurb for Imminent Threat.

When one bad decision changes the course of her life, Jenna must seek protection from a surprising source.

The Protection Inc. team is growing, and so is their client list. Former cop and new team member, Peter King, seeks to solve the mystery surrounding threatening notes being sent to Jenna Walsh.

Facing an uncertain future, Jenna is afraid for her life. Will the team at Protection Inc., specifically Peter, be able to stop the threats before things escalate, or will tragedy strike before Peter is willing to face his growing attraction to Jenna?

The team must divide and conquer when two big cases present themselves at the same time. Carissa Jones and Marc Olsen work to protect a young college student who is staying in the home of a federal judge. All work and no play has put a strain on their relationship. Can they find balance or will their fragile bond be extinguished?

Join the Protection Inc. team as they face one challenge after another, including challenges of the heart.

Available at Amazon.

 

Bargain Books For You!

Limited Time Sale

WILL NOT BE DISCOUNTED

AGAIN THIS YEAR.

99 cents till Aug 16th

BITTER AUTUMN

By Lyn Cote

BOOK 2

Northern Shore Intrigue series

Vengeance can be dangerous~Grey Lawson returns home after serving a seven-year sentence for vehicular homicide while under the influence. Trish Franklin, the first female deputy in the county, is the niece of the man Grey’s reckless action killed. Then a rash of copycat accidents in the eerie fog-shrouded evenings mimic Grey’s original crime. People wonder is Grey acting out some sick compulsion of his own. How can Trish solve this series of near fatal accidents before someone is seriously injured or killed? And sort out her feelings for the man her father hates?

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING:

"An edge of your seat, do not expect to put it down adventure-how can Trish and Grey pursue a relationship when she's a deputy-he's a felon on parole?"

"Lyn Cote's Bitter Autumn is an edge of your seat, do not expect to put it down adventure. I am always emotionally spent when I finish her books! Bitter Autumn should serve as a wake up call for anyone who thinks they have a right to dish out vengeance or those who refuse to forgive. The book is not preachy but reminds us that vengeance belongs to then Lord."

DON'T MISS THIS SALE OR THIS COMPELLING READ

FOR A BARGAIN PRICE! CLICK NOW.


New Release at a Bargain Price!
Only 99¢ for a limited time.

A Chocolate-Box Summer Breeze
by Josie Riviera

A disillusioned widow longing for a change. A hard-working truck driver looking for love. Will Emily and Joe find their happily-ever-after in a forgotten summer breeze?

Also available in Paperback and Large Print Paperback.

Limited Time Sale

WILL NOT BE DISCOUNTED

AGAIN THIS YEAR!
Target For Terror
Laura Scott
$0.99 until August 31, 2020

If you leave without me, you’ll be dead by morning…

Critical Care Nurse Natalia Sokolova can’t ignore former FBI Agent Sloan Dryer’s dire warning. After the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia dies under her care and her house explodes in front of her eyes, she finds her best friend brutally murdered. Ironically, the only bright spot in this nightmare is Sloan’s bad Ukrainian accent and his willingness to protect her.

Sloan is convinced that someone wants to kill Natalia and when he finds a link to her family, he’s not sure who they can trust. As they run for their lives, and from the attraction simmering between them, they uncover a terrorist plot that could bring the nation to its knees. Time is running out. Can Sloan and Natalia save their country and their future, before it’s too late?

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Childhood Favorites by Merrillee Whren

 

Recently I gave away a large box of books to some neighborhood children. They came over and went through rows of books and picked out what they thought they might like to read. The books are those I had saved from my years teaching elementary school. Even though they took quite a few books, I still have a lot left, as you can see from the photo below. Not all the books on these shelves are kids books, but probably eighty percent are. 

 I haven't read all of these books, and I probably never will. But either my girls or I have read a good majority of them. I read most of the children's books as an adult. I always felt a little sad that my teachers never introduced me to the children's books that were available when I was a kid. I believe my love affair with reading and books would have started at a much younger age. So I was happy as a teacher and a parent to share books with my children and my students. My mother did introduce me to reading by subscribing me to the Weekly Readers Book Club. I read those books, but after my subscription to the book club ended, so did my reading for some years. During my school years, my reading consisted mostly of assigned reading for classes. 

Here is a photo of one of my childhood favorites. Old Bones the Wonder Horse by Mildred Mastin Pace. As you can see, it is old and a little battered, but the story is still wonderful.

When I wrote the first book in my Front Porch Promises series, A Match to Call Ours, I needed a book for my heroine to read to the twin girls in the story. I decided to use this book. Here's a little excerpt. 

When Parker escorted Brittany into Rose and Jasmine’s bedroom, the little girls raced to hug Brittany as if they hadn’t seen her all day.

Jasmine scurried to the bookshelf in between the beds and grabbed a book. She turned to Brittany. “Are you going to read another chapter?”

Brittany looked at him. “Is that all right?”

Parker nodded. “Must be a good book.”

“It is, Daddy.” Jasmine sat on the bed beside Brittany.

Rose sat on the other side. “It’s about a racehorse, and he’s going to run in the Kentucky Derby. We want to see if he wins. You should listen, too.”

“Okay.” Parker leaned against the doorjamb.

Jasmine nodded. “Old Bones is the horse’s name.”

Brittany began to read, and Parker let the sound of her voice wash over him. He remembered the first time she’d read to the girls and how she’d made the story and the characters come alive. Tonight was no different. She had him rooting for the horse to win even though he knew the outcome. When Old Bones won the race, the girls cheered.

After Brittany read the rest of the chapter, Parker listened to the girls’ prayers. When they prayed again for the safety of the cows and their babies, Parker found himself praying right along with them. He didn’t know what was happening to him. He guessed that Brittany and his daughters were making him a better man despite himself.

You can check out the books in the Front Porch Promises series on my website where you can read excerpts and find buy links. Click here for the information.

What was your favorite book when you were a child?

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.