Monday, August 30, 2021

Have You Subscribed to Our Quarterly Newsletter?

  Why not? 

Our newsletter comes our four times a year and features not only our new releases BUT ALSO tidbits about our authors. 

And fun riddles and fun facts. So what are you waiting for? Click the link in the pnk box in the upper right corner! You won't regret it!


Sunday, August 29, 2021

Autumn - My Favorite Season by Laura Scott


 Good morning! Summer is almost over here in Wisconsin, and I'm not disappointed. My favorite season is fall. Cooler temperatures, changing leaves, and bonfires are the best. And I do enjoy football, too. Go Pack, Go!

Labor Day always signals the end of summer, and that is right around the corner. This is also a sign that kids are going back to school! I'm sure there are some parents out there that are happy about that. I pray all the little kiddos stay healthy this year.

I know every season has its purpose and its beauty. I don't exactly love winter, and I know that's coming after fall, but I still prefer the cooler temperatures.

My goal this year was to have a sunroom added along the back of my house, off the kitchen. The city I live in has made that an arduous task, but we have the building permit and the supplies are on order. I was hoping to have my sunroom built before the fall came, so I could sit outside and enjoy the beautiful trees. At this point, I'm hoping to have it in place before the snow flies.

I'm doing a small poll, what is your favorite season? I know there are people who love winter, even though I'm not one of them. I  love Christmas, but after that, the snow can just go away until next year. Ha! 


The fifth book in my Smoky Mountain Secrets Series is available as of September 7th. 

Will he learn to trust his heart?

Lead guitarist, Trent Atkins left his foster brother and the small town of Gatlinburg for the music scene in Nashville. He’d made more money than he could have imagined, until the day he woke up from a terrible hangover to find the lead singer of their band, dead. He’d thought living with the Preacher was a nightmare, but this was far worse. Now someone is trying to kill him, and he has no idea who or why.

Private Investigator Serena Jerash is determined to uncover the truth behind Jimmy’s death. She believes he was murdered, and soon discovers Trent has become a target, too. The only way to survive is for the two of them to work together in an effort to uncover the band leader’s secrets. Trent doesn’t trust anyone, least of all, himself. Will Serena convince Trent to follow his heart and God?

Saturday, August 28, 2021

Armchair Travel Report - by Magdalena Scott

Photo by Marlon Corona on Unsplash

You may know that even though I live in a small town, I love to get out and see the world. 


Due to covid it's been a long time since I physically traveled more than sixty miles in any direction. I was fortunate to take a big, fabulous trip in February 2020. You can read about my nifty trip from Southern Indiana to Key West, Florida here.


I'm so thankful for books! Through reading, I can have all sorts of adventures. 


I've done quite a bit of armchair traveling this summer. Here is some of where I've been:


Title: Mending Fences

Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher

Genre: Amish sweet romance

Armchair Travel to: Stoney Ridge and Windmill Farm


Title: The Library at the Edge of the World

Author: Felicity Hayes-McCoy

Genre: Women's fiction

Armchair Travel to: Ireland's beautiful West Coast


Title: The Narrowboat Summer

Author: Anne Youngson

Genre: Women's fiction

Armchair Travel to and through, the canals of England


Title: Views from a Cruise

Author: Fabienne Wolf

Genre: Nonfiction - travel

Armchair Travel to: all over the world, via a massive cruise ship


Title: Murder, She Wrote: A Time for Murder

Author: Jessica Fletcher and Jon Land

Genre: Cozy mystery

Armchair Travel to: Cabot Cove, Maine area (past and present)


Title: Ellie Dwyer’s Big Mistake and Ellie Dwyer’s Change of Plans

Author: Diane Winger

Genre: Women’s fiction

Armchair Travel to: Living in an RV! (These are the last two books in the trilogy. I read the first one a while ago.)


Title: How to Find Love in a Bookshop

Author: Veronica Henry

Genre: Women’s fiction/romance

Armchair Travel to: a rundown but well-loved bookshop in the Cotswolds, England

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash


Have you done any armchair traveling this summer? If so, please tell us about it in the comments!



Magdalena Scott

Website: https://magdalenascott.com/

Friday, August 27, 2021

Sweet Romance in #Audiobooks

 Click the links below for Sweet Stories in Audiobooks!



Derrick, Book 1, is available at:

Amazon          Audible          iTunes



Jason, Book 2, is available at:

Amazon          Audible          iTunes


Reece, Book 3 of The Single Daddy Club is available at:

Amazon          Audible          iTunes

~  ~  ~  ~  ~


Book 1of 4 in Lyn Cote's Northern Intrigue series


~~~~~~~~~~


Listen to the entire series. Book one is above.
Available at Audible and Amazon


Available on Audible and Amazon

~~~~~~~~~~
Love sweet Christian romance?
A Love Song To Cherish is available on Audible and Amazon.  
Book one in the "Cherish series."









Thursday, August 26, 2021

Autumn in the Air

August is still with us for a few days yet, but even with the red hot temperatures that come with summer, I'm beginning to see hints of the approaching season. Schools have reopened locally and the high school parking lot near our home is once again full of cars. Middle school children ride their bikes past me when I'm out for my morning walks, and the cute little girl who lives down the block walks to school, escorted by her mother.

Back-to-school sales have been in full swing for a few weeks already and bags of Halloween candy line the shelves in our supermarket. As far as I can tell, the only excuse for buying Halloween candy in August is to allow yourself to eat it all so you can buy more. Or is there another reason I don't know? 

While I adore spring, I'm also a fan of autumn. After a number of 100+ degree days (about 79 Celsius), I'm weary of heat and ready for cooler temperatures. Autumn is the season when our part of the world starts to receive its winter rains. Like all Californians, I'm hoping for a good rain year and praying it starts early.

Autumn colors don't ring my bells with the enthusiasm as I get from the spring, but the variegated shades of yellow, orange, and brown remind me of evenings by the fire, Thanksgiving dinner, and pumpkin bread. Autumn is worth celebrating if only for the pumpkin bread, and here's my favorite.

Pumpkin-Date Bread

1 2/3 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 eggs
1 c. pumpkin
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. walnuts
1/2 c. chopped dates or raisins


Sift first 8 dry ingredients into a large bowl. Put in next 4 liquid ingredients & beat well. Stir in nuts & dates. Pour into 2 greased & floured loaf pans. Bake at 325º for 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours. Test with a toothpick for doneness.

That sounds so good, I may not wait for spring. Enjoy your last days of summer.

Susan Aylworth is the author of more than 20 novels. Her newest book is Kisses and Kittens in Christmas Town, Book 3 in the Christmas Town series, releasing today. Over the Rainbow, a prequel to the Rainbow Rock Romances, is available free for only a short time longer to everyone who subscribes to her newsletter. You can sign up on her website: susanaylworthauthor.com. Contact her on her Facebook author page or via susan.aylworth.author@gmail.com or join her on Twitter @Susan Aylworth. 




Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Have You Updated Your Wardrobe? by Pat Simmons

 In June, my husband and I took a cross country trip to Los Angeles.  Actually, my sister-in-law moved to California from St. Louis, so we drove there in her SUV.

While in L.A., I had to hit the Fashion District, formally called the Garment District. Can you imagine bolts of fabric for blocks....and cheap!

When COVID-19 began to spread, I stopped sewing for myself and made made masks. I was concerned about weight gain and sewing clothes in vain. Well, since my return home in June, I've made adjustments and started to sew again.  Since I purchased dozens of yards of fabric, check out a couple of my creations and there more to come! 





I love polka dots, so I'm working on something cool next. Is there a "bon appetit" phrase when it comes to sewing? If so, share.

For my readers, happy reading. For my fellow seamstresses out there, happy sewing!

Saturday, August 21, 2021

National Senior Citizen's Day by Janice Lynn

After getting at text earlier from someone at the Tennessee Alzheimer's Association, I changed gears on topics. Prior to today I'm not sure I had heard of National Senior Citizen's day, but since Ronald Reagan introduced it in 1991 then surely I have. Senior Citizen's Day is a day set aside to celebrate and honor the more mature members of our country. When I think back just on the things my grandmother has experienced during her lifetime, it boggles my mind. She grew up poor in a 4 room house without electricity, plumbing or water. Eventually the house got electricity and water, but the outhouse was used right up until my great-grandmother died. The first time my grandmother rode in a car was when she was 14 years old. (She was actually on her way to Georgia to marry my grandfather who was 18 because she was too young to get married in Tennessee, but that's a different story for when you want to hear about their 69 years of marriage.) As a girl I can remember playing outside while she washed clothes in a tub with a wringer, then hung them on a line. Now, she lives in a technology-filled world and has a Kindle, a cellphone, and is a huge Hallmark Channel fan on her big screen television. The accomplishments of the older generation is what Ronald Reagan wanted to recognize, on how their past innovations shaped our present.


Now, about that text. According to the Alzheimer's Association's website over 50 million people worldwide are living with Alzheimer's or dementia, with over 6 million with Alzheimer's in the US alone. I've heard Alzheimer's as being called the slow death of a loved one. As a nurse practitioner, I've taken care of many Alzheimer's and dementia patients over the years. As a human being, I've felt so much empathy for what their families are going through and the frustrations they've felt. The Alzheimer's Association says the first survivor of Alzheimer's is out there and that we just have to find them. How? By curing this horrible disease. While writing my story for Forget Me Not (written with Lisa Childs and Kat Brookes in honor of Carol "Honey" Kreuger), I cyber-met a sweet lady who works for the Alzheimer's Association in Tennessee. She messaged so I could help raise awareness of their fundraising in honor of National Senior Citizen's Day. They are sending out a TLD keychain light to everyone who donates $13 or more. I hope you'll join me in contributing what you can, but also, and in many ways even more, I challenge you to reach out to a senior today, talk with them, listen to their stories, show them love, honor, and attention. We've a lot to learn from those who've experienced more than we have.  

Spread some love on National Senior Citizen's Day--and every day. :)

 If you'd like to make a donation to the Alzheimer's Association, you can do so HERE  I know every family affected by Alzheimer's appreciates everything that is done to help further a cure being found.

If you'd like a copy of Forget Me Not, you can buy at AMAZON , B&N, or APPLE

Wrapped Up in Christmas Hope coming October 26, 2021 from Hallmark Publishing

USA Today, Wall Street Journal, & Publishers Weekly Bestselling author JANICE LYNN lives in Tennessee with her Prince Charming and their princes and princesses, her vivid imagination, an adorable Maltese named Halo who's the true royalty 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
www.janicelynn.com

Thursday, August 19, 2021

This or That by Merri Maywether

The day the temperatures drop below seventy degrees, my mind shifts from sweet tea and smores on the porch into "this or that" mode. It is a season of asking: Which would be better this-or-that?


But it goes beyond asking. I test recipes that have the same end goal with different ingredients. The questions go along the lines of:


Should I make a cake with butterscotch pudding or chocolate pudding? 

Which would taste better, pancakes made with milk or sour cream? 

Which soda would be a great marinade for a roast: Dr.Pepper or Coca-Cola? 


Every weekend until the middle of October, my husband endures the taste tests. He doesn't seem to mind.



One year I started a great debate in our women’s circle—Lefse with instant mashed potatoes or boiled potatoes. There was a great divide. I preferred the traditional Scandinavian flatbread made with instant potatoes because it had a softer texture. They voted for the boiled potatoes batch because it was easier to roll. In the end, people were happy because we had a lot of lefse.


Why this or that? It is a fun conversation starter. The curiosity adds an element of fun to cooking. And, the best part is we get to taste the result. What fun things do you do in the upcoming season?


🍪 🍪 🍪


I like to write short stories inspired by the month. One August day,  I shared a video with my Facebook group and they challenged me to write a story. Lost and Found is the story. 


Lost and Found

Merri Maywether

If she didn't know what he was really like, his half-crooked grin would have charmed her.

 

New to Paradise Hills, Dr. Erin Thorne needs all the help she can get. On her first day of work, her dogs run away, and despite her credentials, a strict security guard gives her a hard time about parking in the doctor's lot.  

In this meet-cute romance, she'll get the help she needs settling in from the most unexpected places. 

Click here to download a free copy of Lost and Found


🍪 🍪 🍪

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.


Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Sweet Romance Reads August New Releases!

 We have three new books being released by our authors this month. Please take a moment to check them out! 







Cooper's Choice - by Laura Scott $3.99

Will he choose family or love?           

 

Street artist Cooper Holland instantly notices the beautiful woman going into a church, for the second time in as many days. When a man dressed in black begins to follow her, he instinctively knows something is wrong. Soon, he discovers there are two men after the pretty woman, and can hardly believe it when Mia claims they want to kill her.

 

The rules of witness protection prevent Mia Royce from confiding in Cooper, the attractive artist who’d raced to her rescue. Unfortunately, her US Marshal contact isn’t answering her calls. Cooper has the street smarts to help her remain hidden. As the attacks against Mia grow more threatening, she isn’t sure how to keep Cooper safe from the men who now want to harm him, too. Cooper claims he can protect himself, but Mia secretly knows there’s a lot at stake. She refuses to ask Cooper to give up his life, despite the fact he’d already captured her heart. Will Cooper choose his foster family or her love?

 

Amazon Apple B&N GooglePlay Kobo


Kisses & Kittens Christmas Town 
by Susan Aylworth $2.99

Amanda Velasquez is weary of attending her girlfriends’ weddings when she can’t even get a date. Is it her fault she’s tall and built more like her linebacker dad than her runway model mom? Marco Fuentes admires the striking woman whose quest for good health brings her to the gym where he lifts weights. A mutual attraction draws them together, but their pride and prejudices keep tripping them up. Can a basketful of abandoned kittens help them choose snuggling over sparring?



A Groom for Violet 
by Laura Ashwood $2.99 


When Violet Montgomery travels halfway across the country as a mail order bride, she thinks her problems are solved. But then her groom is killed in a horrible blizzard, and she finds herself clashing with his uptight brother, Emmett. When her past catches up with her, will Emmett step up and defend her? Will Violet find love with the man who reminds her of everything she lost?

Monday, August 16, 2021

Still Time for Bargain Sweet Summer Romances!

 

If you're still in the mood for summer stories, 
here are a few more Summer Romances for you!

           PRECARIOUS SUMMER by Lyn Cote

       Beautiful shore, dangerous seasons and secrets~ 

     ONLY $2.99



A HEART OF STONE by Lyn Cote

The mystery? Why Cash’s only sister willed 

guardianship of her baby girl

 to her best friend instead of her only brother.

(Free on Kindle Unlimited)



SUMMER'S END by Lyn Cote

Will Dr Kirsi still be alive by summer’s end? 

FOR NOOK READERS ONLY

50% Off with this code 

BNPNISE50 This goes into effect Aug 14-Aug 21st. Feel Free to Share.






It's National Roller Coaster Day!

 


Did you know this unofficial holiday commemorates the first vertical loop roller coaster?

Are you a roller coaster person or do you prefer to keep your feet firmly planted on the ground with a good book in your hand?

I enjoy tame roller coasters like Thunder Mountain or The Miner's Ride at Disney's Magic Kingdom, but anything with a loop... no thank you!

For those of you who love roller coasters, which one is your favorite?

For those of you who prefer to snuggle up with a book and ride the roller coaster of a romantic suspense, you're in the right place!

There is still time to get the pre-order price for the next book in my Protection Inc. series. 

Here's the back cover blurb for Personal Threat.

Bodyguard Sally Wilson has become the target. Can she save her own life as well as her daughter’s?

Christmas is supposed to be the happiest time of the year, but when Sally’s young daughter, Emma, becomes the target of child traffickers, and the little girl’s biological father wants Sally dead, the Christmas season takes a dark turn.

Police officer, Dillon Brady, responds to a call for help at the home of his friend and Protection Inc. bodyguard, Sally Wilson. When their relationship tips beyond friendship, Dillon is determined no one will hurt Sally or her daughter again. Will his resolve be enough?

Sally is drawn to Dillon. He’s a natural with Emma and appears to care about both of them. Sally’s been fooled before by a man she believed loved her, but what if it’s an act? Can Sally learn to trust again and follow her heart, or will Dillon get relegated to the friend zone?

Award winning author Kimberly Rose Johnson married her college sweetheart and lives in the Pacific Northwest USA. 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/




Saturday, August 14, 2021

National Wiffle Ball Day by Merrillee Whren

Have you ever played Wiffle ball? Today is National Wiffle Ball Day. Wiffle Ball is a variation of the game of baseball that can be played in a small area. There are Wiffle Ball tournaments held in numerous places across the United States. You can read more about Wiffle Ball here.

I had no idea there was a special day to celebrate Wiffle ball when I wrote my Kellersburg series. The game plays a part in the second book in the series, Hometown Proposal. The heroine's cousin Nathan loves baseball, but in a small confined area, Wiffle ball is the next best thing. Nathan is the hero of book three, Hometown Dad, and the reader can enjoy his wedding in Hometown Cowboy, where he takes a role as the hero's mentor. Nathan doesn't hesitate to encourage the hero's interest in Caroline, Nathan's sister.

I am working on the fifth book in the series, Hometown Hero. The reader meets Nathan again as he takes charge of Kellersburg's Christmas tree lighting and is the best man in his sister's wedding. Nathan has his own book, but he finds a place as one of the stronger secondary characters in the series. Here is the cover of Hometown Hero, which should make its appearance this fall.

Do you like to see secondary characters that make an appearance throughout a book series?

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.

Thursday, August 12, 2021

The Perseid Meteor Shower by Cindy Flores Martinez

 

Skygazing is one of my favorite pastimes. I love to watch as many celestial events as I can. This week, the Perseid meteor shower will dazzle the sky.

 

The Perseid meteor shower, which got its name from the constellation Perseus, happens every July and August in the Northern Hemisphere. The heavenly show will reach its peak this week with at least 60 meteors per hour. They’ll appear as bright streaks all over the sky. Without the light from a full moon, the darkness will make it easy to see these shooting stars until Friday.

 

The experts say that the best way to see the meteor shower is to not look at your phone. Allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness for at least twenty minutes.

 

Will you be watching for shooting stars? Do you enjoy skygazing?



Cindy Flores Martinez is a USA Today bestselling author who writes sweet and Christian Romance. She has an MFA in Creative Writing with an emphasis in Screenwriting. Her debut novel, Mail-Order Groom, started as a screenplay and movie project, which she shopped around Hollywood, New York, and other parts of the world. You can learn more about her at www.cindyfloresmartinez.com