Friday, April 30, 2021

Don't Miss Our Party! An Invitation by Lyn Cote

 


Our party celebrating MOTHER'S DAY will take place on this coming Thursday, May 6th. It will start at 6 p.m. ET and go on till 9 p.m. Even after the live party ends, you can drop by and read and comment on the posts that interest you.  Offers of prizes will stay open till Friday night. The Amazon grand prizes will be open until Friday night so don't despair if you can't come when the party is live!

Our fun and highly intelligent members will share tidbits and ask and answer questions and give away books.

ALSO THERE WILL BE 2 $50 AMAZON GIFT CARDS AWARDED ONE EACH TO TWO COMMENTERS. Exciting, no?

Now glance at the right column on this page, and you'll see the Cafe photo. Click that and it will take you to our Sweet Romance Reads Cafe where the party will take place! 

Our Sweet Romance Reads Cafe Group has over 2.3K members. Are you one of them? If not, why not join today?

See you there or be square!

BTW, I have a book on sale this month, AMY'S FOREVER LOVE for 99 cents.

One frigid evening, Amy and her twin  girls find and take in two orphaned kittens. When she meets the local veterinarian, his basset hound instantly “adopts” the kittens too. Like it or not, Amy and the vets’ lives intersect with some “help." 

Can a basset hound, two kittens and twin girls succeed as matchmakers? Click here for more info.


SEE YOU AT THE PARTY!--Lyn Cote





Thursday, April 29, 2021

Gearing up for Summer by Laura Scott #laurascottbooks

 



Good morning! Now that my husband and I are fully vaccinated, we are gearing up for summer. Having not been on a trip for over a year, I've decided we should try going to a state we've never been to. 

My choice? Albuquerque  New Mexico.



Hubby's choice? Staying home.

Guess who's going to win that battle, lol.

I've heard such great things about this area and I'm anxious to visit. Even a short trip is better than nothing. 

After that, we have graduation parties, a bridal shower and a baby shower scattered throughout the summer. I'm afraid the warm months we get to enjoy in Wisconsin are going to fly by really fast.

Do you have plans for the summer? Please share! 

Speaking of trips, my new series takes place in the Smoky Mountains. The first book in my Smoky Mountain Secrets series is Hailey's Haven. This book is priced at $0.99 only through May 11th so preorder your copy today!

Hailey's Haven by Laura Scott $0.99

A safe place to call home...

After escaping her abusive foster parents thirteen years ago, Hailey Donovan thought her nightmare was over. Gatlinburg Tennessee had been a safe place to live, until she’s nearly hit by gunfire while hiking the Smoky Mountains. Her instincts are to avoid law enforcement, especially handsome Park Ranger Rock Wilson, but when more gunfire echoes around them, they’re forced to stay together to escape. 

 

More attempts against Hailey convinces her to leave the city and start over someplace new. Rock talks her into staying to fight the unknown assailant. Rock senses Hailey has been traumatized in the past, and is determined to uncover the mystery surrounding her. As Hailey and Rock seek the truth behind the escalating attacks, Rock realizes he’s also in danger of losing his heart. Can Rock provide Hailey the safe haven she desperately needs? Amazon B&N Apple GooglePlay Kobo

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Arbor Day! @MagdalenaScott

 

Our family has adopted the tradition that for birthdays, instead of purchasing a gift, we make a donation. I love that we do this. We're all adults, and have plenty of things in our lives. Donating to a meaningful charity is fun for the giver, and for the recipient.

Last year for my birthday, a donation was made to the animal shelter from which I adopted my sweet cat, Selina. I couldn't have been happier with that!

For the birthday this month I'm donating to the Arbor Day Foundation. I'm a tree hugger from way back, so this is one of my favorite checks to write. It's vital to the health of our planet that we replace trees lost to weather, wildfire, disease, etc. 

Plus, trees are just awesome. 

Arbor Day is April 30th. I invite you to celebrate by planting a tree in your yard or making a donation so that trees can be planted on your behalf.


Photo by veeterzy on Unsplash

Happy Arbor Day just a little bit early!

Website: https://magdalenascott.com/



Monday, April 26, 2021

Last Chance for April Bargain eBooks #99cents #SweetRomance

 Grab These 99¢ Deals Before They’re Gone!


Save $7 on this 3-book bundle:

What readers are saying:
"...these books are a five star read all the way."
"From laughs to tears, each one brings a happily-ever-after."

Buy this ebook in the Kindle Store.

~  ~  ~



A Sweet Inspirational Romance that will warm your heart. Grab your copy of Nora and Julian's story today before price goes up. Available in ebook, Paperback, Large Print Paperback, and Hardcover.





Emily's Dreams is 99 cents through April 30th.

One reviewer said: "Courage, finding oneself, and a beautiful romance this book has it all"

Hailey's Haven by Laura Scott $0.99 through 5/9/21




A safe place to call home...

After escaping her abusive foster parents thirteen years ago, Hailey Donovan thought her nightmare was over. Gatlinburg Tennessee had been a safe place to live, until she's nearly hit by gunfire while hiking the Smoky Mountains. Her instincts are to avoid law enforcement, especially handsome park ranger Rock Wilson, but when more gunfire echoes around them, they're forced to work together to escape.

More attempts against Hailey convinces her to leave the city to start over someplace new. Rock talks her into staying and fighting against the unknown assailant. Rock senses Hailey has been traumatized in the past, and is determined to uncover the mystery surrounding her. As Hailey and Rock seek the truth behind the escalating attacks, Rock realizes he's also in danger of losing his heart. Can Rock provide Hailey the save haven she desperately needs?
Amazon B&N Apple GooglePlay Kobo

Saturday, April 24, 2021

My Family Legacy of Civil Rights And I Never Knew by Pat Simmons


As a child, growing up in St. Louis, I watched on television as dozens of Blacks silently marched in front of the Jefferson Bank, a building still there today. It was organized by an African American man who put together a program called Action with the purpose of getting Blacks into meaningful employment. As a result of that program and other protests across the country, State Bank of Wellston hired my mother two years later in 1965.                     

Out of eight children,  three of my mother's siblings were teachers. Uncle Thomas in Kosciusko, Mississippi, and the oldest and youngest respectively in Waukegan, Illinois: Aunt Edith Smith and Aunt Eva Ledet.

I asked mom why there were so many teachers in the family and she replied, "That's what Black folks did back then, either become a teacher or a nurse." My mother did neither, opting for general business administration positions instead. She couldn't stand the sight of blood. As a matter of fact, my 86-year-old mother still works for H&R Block every tax season. Her mind is sharp.

But back to the trailblazer in the family. A Chicago Tribune headline reads Waukegan schools renamed for civil rights icons John Lewis and Edith M. Smith, replacing historical figures with slavery ties.  My eighty-something aunt passed away five years ago, but in the 1960s, she led a legal battle to desegregate a Waukegan school where she taught. The renaming will take place this summer. The city is about an hour's drive from Chicago. This summer, the city is renaming a street in her honor near the church she attended for decades.

In every state across the country, the United States of America, Blacks pushed the system despite retaliation to make this country better for the next generation.

With the renaming of the school in Waukegan, I'm choked with emotions that my aunt's fearlessness and determination will never be forgotten. There are so many unsung heroes back then and now. I'm honored and grateful that our family hero has a name—Edith M. Smith.

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


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. Here for You and Stand by Me is also part of the Family is Forever series. Her holiday indie release, Christmas Dinner, and traditionally published, Here for You, were featured in Woman’s World, a national magazine. Here for You was also listed in the “7 Great Reads That Help to Keep the Faith” by Sisters From AARP. She contributed an article, “I’m Listening” in the Chicken Soup for the Soul: I’m Speaking Now (2021).

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 to learn more about her newest releases.





Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Bargain Books for You!

 


99 cents for a Limited Time ONLY

BITTER AUTUMN by Lyn Cote


Will anyone in his hometown ever forgive him 

for what he did?


A changed man, Grey Lawson returns home on parole after serving seven years of his sentence. The only reason he’s coming home to small town Winfield on the shore of Lake Superior is to care for his great-aunt Elsie who raised him. He can’t believe he didn’t realize seven years ago that everything he did affected this good woman. But will his return cause her more grief? Create trouble for new deputy sheriff Trish Franklin whose father has reason to hate Grey? But one truth many don’t realize until it’s too late—vengeance can be dangerous. 

Why not download today? CLICK HERE.

ANOTHER BY LYN COTE


Also 99 cents Limited Time!

 Thea’s new next door neighbor turns her small town upside down. Trace’s handsome, successful, committed to helping high risk boys. Bad things begin happening on Trace’s property and troublemakers compete with each other to stop him. What's at stake really? And will the violence go too far?. All the while Thea is caught in the middle. Welcome to Steadfast, a small town whose people and mysteries you may never forget~

Why not download today? CLICK HERE.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Grandma Names by Janice Lynn

 Hey y'all! Some of you have probably already seen me talk about this, but I'm going to be a grandma in June! Yay! I'm super excited about this, but it has raised a HUGE question--What's going to be my grandma name???? So, let's talk grandma & grandpa names. 

I know some of y'all are way too young to be thinking about your grandma or grandpa name, but what did you call your grandparents? Any special names? And some of you have had your cherished grandparent name for a long time. What's your favorite name your grandkid(s) call you?

I have a "Grandma" who is my dad's mom, a "Big Momma" who was my mom's mom, a "Granny" who was my dad's dad's mom. A "Grandma Lula" who was my dad's mom's mom. A "Grandma Brandon" who was my mom's dad's mom. 

On names for my grandbaby to call me, I tossed around a few, but went with GrandJan. My son-in-law's mom is named Shannon and she's going with GrandShan. Of course, ultimately, our grandbaby is going to call us whatever he wants and we'll smile and be thrilled. 

My husband has yet to choose his grandpa name. He's running out of time and may need help coming up with something. LOL. Any thoughts?

What's the favorite grandparent name you've heard used? Any grandparenting advice?



Wrapped Up in Christmas Hope coming Christmas 2021 from Hallmark Publishing


USA Today & Wall Street Journal Bestselling author JANICE LYNN lives in Tennessee with her Prince Charming, their kids who think they're all royalty, her vivid imagination, an adorable Maltese named Halo who's the true princess of the house, and bunches of unnamed dust bunnies that moved in after Janice started her writing career. In addition to writing romance, Janice is a nurse practitioner, a quilter, an exercise queen, a military mama, and an avid supporter of the Quilts of Valor Foundation. Just kidding on the exercise queen. www.janicelynn.com   WRAPPED UP IN CHRISTMAS & Wrapped Up in Christmas Joy are available at AMAZON Barnes & Noble WALMART

Monday, April 19, 2021

Another One of My Crazy Adventures by Merri Maywether

I talked my husband into a crazy adventure. Geocaching. In my defense, it was eighty percent research for the story I'm writing,  Lilac Lane, and twenty percent I needed to get out of the house.

Geocaching is a scavenger hunt-style game that is managed with an app. The game is simple, free, and a fun way to explore old and new places. I watched YouTube videos and read blogs. With each bit of information, I knew this was my kind of game. The rules are simple. 

  • People hide containers of all shapes and sizes. I thought it would be a shoebox-sized container. It turns out some of the containers are smaller than a pillbox.
  • Others then set out to find them. 
  • The larger containers have a piece of paper or a book to sign. 
  • When a person finds the container, they take something out of the container and leave something behind. I brought stickers to share.
  • Regardless of success or failure, people log their attempts. 



imageThe app used Google Maps to help us get within ten feet of the "geocache." Easy right? 


Nope. 


This was one of those my small child hid the car keys when you're ten minutes late for work level of difficulty.


We searched under rocks, trees, picnic benches. I hurdled a creek. A couple of times, in hopes that a garden gnome had tried to abscond our treasure, I looked under the bottom leaves of flowers. Our shoes got muddy. People created wide berths to walk around us, and it was the most fun I'd had in a long time.


image The picture is of my husband showing our one geocache find.


To say we failed horribly at this game is an understatement.


However, we found something else. For each challenge, we spent thirty to sixty minutes as a team working to achieve something. Starsky and Hutch, Sherlock Holmes and Watson, and the Scooby-Doo gang had nothing on us. We found what had been buried for almost a year – a fascination with our small slice of the world.


Will we do it again. Definitely. What would I do differently? Bring more snacks. Trying to find something the size of my wedding band demands a lot of energy. I'm kidding, I like snacks and will use any excuse to enjoy them. 



🌼   🌼  🌼


Merri Maywether lives with her husband in rural Montana. You can find her in the town's only coffee house listening to three generations of Montanans share their stories. Otherwise, she's in the classroom or the school library, inspiring the next generation's writers.


🌼 🌼 🌼


Take a Visit to Paradise Hills, Montana


Faith Alexander ran away to Paradise Hills to hide from her past. Back home she has a mother that wants to run her life and the ruins from a marriage that never happened. An unexpected job offer gives Faith the chance to start a life where she can live life by her own rules. It is that much easier when she is befriended by the unassuming Holly Stewart.

A week before they were supposed to get married, Clark Grayson called off his wedding to Faith. By the time he figured out he made a mistake, it was too late to right the wrong. She was gone. When his friend Liam Lane helps him get a job at the Paradise Hills resort, Clark jumps at the chance to start life anew.

When Clark and Faith reconnect as bridesmaid and groomsman in Liam and Holly’s wedding party, an interesting game of cat and mouse begins. Everyone in Paradise Hills knows that love has a special kind of magic. Are Faith and Clark ready to trust it? Or, is their love buried too deep to be found?

Paradise Hills Summer is part of a series but can be read as a stand-alone novel. Download a copy and escape into a feel-good summer love story.


Get your copy for 99¢ 


Sunday, April 18, 2021







Wyoming Mountain Escape
Laura Scott

A bride on the run in the mountain wilderness…
and a killer on the prowl.

Just as Chelsey Robards decides to call off her wedding, her soon-to-be husband is shot and killed at the altar. When the bullets start to fly her way, the best man, former Special Ops soldier Duncan O’Hare, drags her to safety. But with an unknown enemy on their trail, can they survive long enough to find out why she’s a target?




A Homecoming To Cherish
Josie Riviera

All relationships require a commitment, but is she ready to sacrifice her heart again?




Hometown Cowboy
Merrillee Whren

Caroline Keller has recently returned to Kellersburg, her hometown, after spending nearly six years teaching the children of missionaries in Kenya. While there she lived through a horrific experience, and she feels broken and in need of healing. She hasn’t been able to share her hurt, even with family and friends, until she meets Wyatt Bayer, her old nemesis.

Wyatt has spent the last ten years on the rodeo circuit with a lot of success, but one mistimed ride on a bronc ends his career. He’s in need of healing and is doing rehab at a nursing home in Kellersburg where he grew up. He’s an angry man until Caroline walks into his room and tells him to be kind.

Can two broken souls help each other heal and find love?

Available here: AmazonB&N, KoboApple

Friday, April 16, 2021

Time to Relax with a Discounted Book from Kimberly Rose Johnson


 

Happy Spring!

Last spring my husband and I spent some time making our backyard into a little oasis. It was so pretty! It looks much different now after the winter we had destroyed the lower tree (the one leaning) during an ice storm. It's amazing how quickly the landscape changed all because of one tree falling. It's so bare out there right now. I'm still not sure what I want to put in its place. We will probably wait and see how much sunlight hits that area and go from there. I sure miss the way it was last year.

Life is constantly changing though, and we have to roll with it. 

Right now, I'm finding that I need a break and have given myself grace to not expect as much productivity as I normally do writing wise.

Have you ever had a season where you need to give yourself grace to step back and chill? 

To help anyone who needs help relaxing I'm offering a deal on The Reluctant Groom. For a limited time you can get this contemporary Christian romance for only 99¢. Though it is part of a series, each book easily stands alone. For those of you who prefer Kindle Unlimited, the entire series is available.

Buy now on Amazon


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 and romantic mystery and suspense with a heart.


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 via her website at: https://kimberlyrjohnson.com/


 

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

What Should We Celebrate on April 14th? by Merrillee Whren


 Let's explore some fun days to celebrate on April 14th. We should find something to celebrate every day of the year.

First up. National Reach as High as You Can Day. I like to think of this as a day for reaching for our dreams or goals. I like this quote from Walt Disney.

Next let's celebrate Look Up At the Sky Day. Doesn't this go along with Reach as High as You Can Day? Make sure to take a moment and gaze at the sky today and tonight. See if you can find shapes in the clouds. I belong to a group called the Cloud Admiration Club. We share photos of clouds with each other. Below are some of the many cloud photos I have.

 
This is a photo I took from an airplane on its way from Portland to Spokane. That is Mt. Hood peaking up through the clouds.
 
 
I took this photo when I was at the beach in Florida. If you look very carefully in the upper left hand part of the picture, you will see a falcon flying in the clouds.
 
 
Here's another beach photo. That's my daughter, and the dark clouds are a hurricane roiling out in the Atlantic.

 
 How about looking up and seeing a double rainbow?


A moonrise with the clouds reflecting a sunset.


Clouds over the city of Hobart in Tasmania, Australia

I could go on with the sky photos, but there are more fun things to celebrate. Today is National Dolphin Day. When we lived in Florida, many days I would walk at the beach. I was always on the lookout for dolphins. I always considered it a good day if I saw them. You might enjoy the video below that I took ten years ago at the Baltimore Aquarium. I learned that they no longer have these dolphin shows.

And last but certainly not least, today is National Bookmobile Day. I remember as a kid looking forward to the bookmobile. It would stop right in front of our house. Did you ever use a bookmobile? This holiday is held in conjunction with National Library Week. What better way to end a blog post from a writer!

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.



Sunday, April 11, 2021

For the Love of Music by Josie Riviera

 As an author who loves music and travel, I'm thrilled to be able to incorporate both in my sweet romance novels. It is a joy sharing my books with you, my readers, and I consider myself fortunate.


To develop my stories, I research the culture, people, weather, and yes, one of my favorites, even the food.  It's always a thrill to see the characters emerge with their own personalities, and small towns are one of my favorite settings.  The location can set the tone of a novel, and often the characters' belief systems and goals are influenced by their life experiences. In my inspirational "Cherish" series, Christian faith is paramount.

As a professional musician and music lover, I often include characters who enjoy music. Readers will often see music references, as well as pianists, an opera singer, harpist, harmonica player, and in my newest release, A Homecoming to Cherish, an up and coming guitarist!

Do you enjoy music references in the books you read? Please leave your comments below.


A Homecoming To Cherish, my newest inspirational contemporary romance, is on pre-order for only 99¢!  I hope you enjoy Nora and Julian's story, as well as Nora's teenage daughter, Samantha.

All relationships require a commitment, but is she ready to sacrifice her heart again?

Grab your copy today. Available in ebook, Paperback, Large Print Paperback, and Hardcover.


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


"Like" her author Facebook page.

Follow her on Bookbub.

Remember to join our Sweet Romance Reads cafe!



Thursday, April 8, 2021

Nailin' it.... by Christine Bush

It’s been a wild and crazy year, no matter how you have spent the pandemic.  Personally, I was shut in, with a hubby with conditions, a grandchild with a heart issue, and a bevy of other grandkids zooming away on line all day with their schoolwork.  I was able to teach my college courses on line.


There were lots of ups and downs, and some days a struggle to keep the balls in the air.  I’m sure you know what I mean.  The one thing that fell by the wayside was self care.  We won’t talk about the refrigerator, that’s a whole other topic. 


But by the end of the year, I ended up with hair that qualified me for a role in a horror movie (not the heroine), and nails that looked like I had clawed my way through the stone wall of a state pen.

But then… I was blessed to get my “Fauci Ouchie”.. 2 wonderful doses of Moderna. Yay.


And then I  had a major milestone birthday.  One of my daughters insisted I go to the hair salon for my birthday.  Masked and excited, I went.  When I arrived, I found out she had arranged for me to have a manicure as well as a haircut.  I am a spoiled brat, I know.

I came out looking more or less like my old self, hair styled, roots gone.

And gorgeous pink nails.

                                                       

I am not usually a vain person.  But after a year of “getting by”, I left floating on air.


What an uplifting thing! We’re not out of this yet.  We need more vaccines for more folks, continued masks and social distancing, and more lowered numbers.  I can’t wait for that time when it's over.

But meanwhile, I highly recommend taking an inventory of what you might need.  You deserve it.

Of course, this week I’m not writing much, as every time I look down at those gorgeous nails, I stop and stare.  And grin.  It feels good.  Sooner or later, I'll get back to the book.  Next month, I might even get a pedicure. What do you think?

I'd love to hear about you!

 ***********

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!

 Stay tuned! My new sweet novella, "Kelly's Kiss" will be arriving soon!

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