Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Family Reunions in real life and books by Laura Scott

 

Good morning! How many of you have participated in family reunions? Me, for sure! Getting caught up with siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, while sharing great memories helps us to appreciate what we have. Before Covid, our family was getting together every two years. I truly miss those fun days and hope the virus cooperates so that we can get together again soon.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying writing reunions in my stories. It's so much fun to bring all the characters together after they've been apart for a long time. I did this in my Smoky Mountain Secrets series, bringing all the foster kids back together in Jayme's Journey. I had such a great response to this, that I decided to do something similar in my Called to Protect series. And while my Navy SEALs are technically not related, they are brothers in every other way.

Sealed with Valor is Nico and Ava's story, and when Ava gets in trouble, Nico needs his entire SEAL team to help get her back. Having all the guys back together was truly heartwarming. And after writing this story, I decided to add a Christmas Novella, but more on that next month. For now, the sixth book in my Called to protect series will be available on Tuesday Sept. 6, 2022

Sealed with Valor by Laura Scott $3.99



Pregnant and on the run!

Nico Ramirez has been searching for his teammate’s younger sister, Ava Rampart, for months. When he finally finds her, he’s stunned to discover she’s eight months pregnant. Her baby raises the stakes, and Nico knows he must protect them both from Simon, the man ruthlessly hunting Ava. When he realizes Simon has kidnapped Ava from the hospital, he needs the entire SEAL team to get her back. 

Ava is hiding a terrible secret, one that has kept her running from Simon and from the police. She’s grateful for Nico’s determination to keep her safe, but when she suffers pregnancy complications, there is more than Simon to worry about. If she’s not careful, her baby could be born prematurely and may not survive. Resting while on the run proves impossible. Ava places her faith in God and in Nico. She doesn’t doubt Nico’s ability to protect her, but she may have underestimated the threat he poses to her heart.


Monday, August 29, 2022

A Bargain Book for You!

Ellie's Forever Family 



Clean and wholesome small town romance—ELLIE’S FOREVER FAMILY— A little girl matchmaker who needs a mother’s love won’t be deterred by a love-shy father and a sworn-off-men lady. Rylee has her work cut out for her with these two stubborn adults! A heartwarming story of faith and love by USA Today Bestselling Author Lyn Cote-ELLIE’S FOREVER FAMILY.

5 StarsSweet heartwarming romance—I love this book with such personable, relatable characters. I read straight through so I could find out how Ms. Cote would resolve all the story lines. Then I was sad to be at the end. If you like clean, uplifting romances, this is for you.”

“5 Stars—I can always count on Lyn Cote:

Finishing a Lyn Cote romance always leaves me with a smile on my face. No matter what her characters face, the security of their newly found love and their confidence that the Lord is in their lives makes me feel happy.”

Click here to purchase.


Wednesday, August 24, 2022

August New Releases

 


August New Releases

SEALED WITH TRUST
Laura Scott

Framed for her ex-husband’s murder…

Detective Maggie Chandler is shocked to stumble across her ex-husband’s dead body, but being a prime suspect is even worse. When her boss takes her badge and gun, she feels helpless. Until a blast from the past, Dallas Hoffman blows into her life. The former Navy SEAL and biological father to her daughter is the last thing she needs. Until a gunman takes a shot at her, nearly hitting their daughter, leaving Maggie little choice but to accept Dallas’s help in protecting them.

Dallas is shocked to discover he had an eight-year-old daughter, but his anger toward Maggie quickly fades in the face of danger. Whoever had killed her ex-husband is now coming after her. His primary goal is to keep Maggie and their daughter safe. His chocolate lab K9, Romeo is more than willing to help in that regard. And when Laney is kidnapped, Dallas and Romeo will risk everything to save her. Reunited as they fight for the truth, will Dallas convince Maggie to give their love another chance?

$3.99



HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT
Laura Scott 

Seeking refuge in Amish country…
in order to stay alive

Fleeing to her uncle’s home is Shauna McKay’s only option after her mother’s brutally murdered and the killer’s sights set on her. Local sheriff Liam Harland’s convinced hiding Shauna in his cousin’s Amish community will shield her. But when an Amish woman who looks like Shauna is attacked, it’s clear nobody in this peaceful community is safe…unless Liam and Shauna can stop the culprit’s murderous plan.

$4.99




ROMANCE STORIES TO CHERISH
Volume Two
Josie Riviera

From USA Today bestselling author Josie Riviera comes a contemporary Christian Romance series set in the charming small town of Cherish, South Carolina. These sweet, wholesome, and inspirational stories, where God is at the center, are brimming with love and laughter.

This collection includes 3 books:

A CHRISTMAS PUPPY TO CHERISH
You don’t need ears to hear God’s plan. All you need is an open heart…

A HOMECOMING TO CHERISH
All relationships require a commitment but is she ready to sacrifice her heart again?

A SUMMER TO CHERISH
Faith is fragile. Faith takes time. And the best solutions are always painted with love.

Book Covers Are a Family Affair by Pat Simmons

Most authors don't have much input regarding their book covers from traditional publishers. I've learned to pick my battles with some of my previous publishers. For the most part, I liked their vision.

When I began to indie publish some titles, a magazine publisher--and close friend--always said my daughter should be on the cover of one of my books. When I got the right back from one publisher, I did just that. Introducing my daughter. Although the story isn't about her, she was dating a guy with the same name as the hero at the time. Trust me, she'll never read this book. LOL.


It doesn’t matter how many years go by; love will always find a way….

On the surface, Brecee Carmen has nothing in common with Adrian Cole. She is a pediatrician certified in trauma care; he is a transportation problem-solver for a luxury car dealership (a.k.a., a car salesman). Despite their slow but steady attraction to each other, neither of them is sure they're compatible. To complicate matters, Brecee is the sole unattached Carmen daughter when it seems as though everyone else around her—family and friends—is finding love.

Through a series of discoveries, Adrian and Brecee learn that things don't always happen by coincidence. Generational forces are at work, keeping promises, protecting family members, and perhaps even drawing Adrian back to the church he had strayed from. Is it possible that God has been playing matchmaker all along? Purchase DRIVEN TO BE LOVED.

A few years after this release, I owed it to my son as an equal-opportunity-momma to put him on the cover. He had been a runner-up in a Mr. Romance contest at the now defunct RT Booklovers Convention.

A chance meeting. An undeniable attraction.

And a first date that starts with a stakeout that leads to a winner takes all shopping spree. It’s the making

of a holiday romance. While philanthropist Sterling Price believes in charitable causes, he and licensed social worker Ciara Summers have a difference of opinion on how to bless others. Ciara is a rebel with a cause, and a hundred reasons why helping those less fortunate is important. 

Sterling is a man of means who believes financial responsibility comes with giving. The Lord will ensure everyone’s needs are met, and He has something extra for Sterling and Ciara that can’t wait until Christmas. Purchase WAITING FOR CHRISTMAS.



Since I ran out of children, I had to turn to grandchildren, which I don't have, so....drumroll, it's Dr. Avery's turn. HOUSE CALLS FOR THE HOLIDAYS is part of the Sweet Romance Reads Puppies for Christmas anthology.  Who knows? This could be the beginning of his modeling career, LOL. But seriously, these Goldendoodles have been known to pay their owners' bills from modeling gigs.

A doctor. A nurse. A matchmaker.

Chase McCall couldn’t have survived the holidays without her petite Goldendoodle. She named him Dr. Avery because he healed her broken heart after a bad breakup. She plans to spend the holidays on the road away from St. Louis with her pooch in tow.

Sawyer Kahill needs a fresh start, so he relocates to Raleigh, working in the IT field. He’s enjoying life until his aunt has a health scare back in St. Louis. He plans to bring her back after he suspects someone is trying to take advantage of her. Every time he’s on the phone with Aunt Edith, she raves about Dr. Avery and his nurse making house calls. The joke is on him. Sawyer has no idea the regular visits are from a dog named Dr. Avery and Chase, an RN. His aunt refuses to budge from St. Louis.

After a chance meeting with Chase in the hospital, he learns she now moving to Raleigh. Will their paths ever cross again? Not unless they both come home for the holidays. Leave that up to the Lord and Aunt Edith. Purchase HOUSE CALLS FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

Who will grace the cover of my next indie book? It won't be me. LOL

******


Pat Simmons is a multi-published Christian romance author of more than thirty titles. She is a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth and a five-time recipient of the RSJ Emma Rodgers Award for Best Inspirational Romance.

Pat holds a B.S. in mass communications from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, and has worked in radio, television, and print media for more than twenty years. Visit her at www.patsimmons.net.




Sunday, August 21, 2022

Happy Senior Citizens Day by Janice Lynn

When I looked to see what was celebrated on August 21, National Senior Citizens Day pulled up. I'm not quite there, yet, but with as quickly as time feels it's passing by, I'll be celebrating this holiday in a totally different way in the blink of an eye. So, to all you who are already there--happy, happy day!

I'm in the polishing stages of editing Wrapped Up in Christmas Love, my next Hallmark Publishing release, and as with my other Hallmark stories, the book features several senior citizens. Most of my older characters center around the Butterflies, a vivacious group of matchmaking grannies who are constantly stirring up things, and their friends. Each of the four Butterflies have a backstory and a plot that runs through the books, including one's continued married bliss, another's fear of remarrying after losing her husband, another who longs to travel to see the world while she still can, and another who reconnects with a man who crushed on her in high school.
With having worked on the fourth installment most of the day, the ladies were really resonating with the holiday and it got me to thinking about books with older characters and how they are portrayed. The older I get the more I understand that men and women of all ages experience romance, sometimes for the first time in their lives and sometimes as a second or third shot at a happy ever after. My goal is to portray my older characters as three dimensional and as having hopes and dreams because we/they do just as much so, if not more, than younger characters.

Do you enjoy stories that feature older secondary characters or even older main characters or do you feel that disconnects you to them? Any books that you've read with older characters that stand out in your mind?


Janice's Wrapped Up in Christmas books from Hallmark Publishing are available, also!

Buy Your Copy HERE

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  The WRAPPED UP IN CHRISTMAS books are available at AMAZON Barnes & Noble WALMART & many other place where you buy books. WRAPPED UP IN CHRISTMAS LOVE is coming Christmas 2023.


Friday, August 19, 2022

Five Favorite Things About Summer by Merri Maywether

 

The beginning of something sets an impression. It gives a hint of what we’ll encounter in the future and is the benchmark for our expectations. The end is just as memorable. It lingers and turns into warm thoughts. Think about it:  The last and first tastes of ice cream are the best. Sunset and Sunrise are the times when the sky shows off her colors. The first tastes of dinner elicit murmurs of appreciation, and people are more agreeable after eating dessert. 


We are one month away from the end of summer. Rather than be caught by surprise, I make lists of the things I like. Then I make note of them, cherish them, and use them for the feelings in my stories. So this month, I’m sharing my five favorite things about summer. 


Five Favorite Things About Summer

  1. Long days-We live near the 49th parallel. As of this writing, the sun sets a little after 8:30 p.m.
    In ten weeks, it will set around five p.m. Maybe it was the “be home by the time the streetlights go on” rule we had when we were younger. And, I know I’m older and in charge of my comings and goings. But, I still find it easier to be social when there is more sun. 

  2. Playing with the garden-Things go dormant around November. It’s beautiful in a different way. So while I can, I’ll take care of the flowers, marvel at the last sprouts, and hope the last of the blooms will hear my pleas and make an appearance. 

  3. Toasted marshmallows by the fire-in theory can be done all year round. There’s something
    about eating a burned marshmallow in a loose t-shirt that makes it taste better. 

  4. Drinks taste better with ice-Water is refreshing in the summer. With ice, it is that much better and easier to consume the required six to eight glasses a day. 

  5. There is more time to read-Twenty-four hours is the same regardless of the temperature or the amount of light. I don’t know why, but it is easier to ignore the television and sit on the porch, in a lawn chair, or swing in a hammock and focus on a sweet love story. 


So now it’s your turn. We have a little more than four weeks, and it will be officially autumn, a.k.a. pumpkin-spice season. What are your favorite things about summer that you’ll cherish in the days to come?


☀️ ☀️ ☀️ 



Faith 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 of a marriage that never happened.

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.

Clark and Faith are brought back together as bridesmaid and groomsman for a wedding, but neither knows it until they are set up for a blind date.

Sparks fly, and love will be tested. Friends and Family in Paradise Hills will watch with bated breath for the outcome. What will it take for Clark to regain Faith's trust?

Paradise Hills Summer is part of a series but can be read as a stand-alone novel. 


Paradise Hills Summer is available for 99¢ |Visit the Amazon Store|


☀️ ☀️ ☀️



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.








Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Art and Friends by Kimberly Rose Johnson

 Last week, a friend I met while in college, blessed my husband and I with a mural situated outside our kitchen window. She painted it on the side of a metal barn. The drips at the bottom are deliberate--they are in a lot of her work, and she calls it a signature of her art. She calls her art abstract expressionist, clearly what she did for us wasn't in that genre though. In fact, this is quite different from her normal work. If you love art, check out her site. Her stuff is very cool!

For those who have read my book Dark Threat, she is the artist I consulted with for my research about art and art galleries. She was such a help and told me things I didn't even know to ask. 
I love how Facebook and social media in general has allowed us to reconnect with those we've lost track of. 

Do you have people you've been able to reconnect with thanks to social media?

The series pictured below includes the book I mentioned above. These books are all free to read with Kindle Unlimited.



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 and International Christian Visual Media.

Learn more about Kimberly and her books at https://kimberlyrjohnson.com/



Sunday, August 14, 2022

Old, But New by Merrillee Whren

The three books in my Village of Hope series were originally published by Harlequin Love Inspired. I have received the rights back to these books and will be reissuing them over the next few months. I already have the new covers as you can see above. The books are old, but new. They have new covers and a few changes inside although fewer changes than some of my other reissues because they were more recently published. I still can't believe it has been seven years since their first publication. The times goes so quickly. 

Annie's Hope, the first book in the series, is available now for preorder. The book will be released on September 27, 2022. Here is the back cover blurb.

As Annie and Ian's lives intersect, can she show him that she's clean and sober and wants a second chance not only with her children but with him?
 
The Village of Hope: A community built on service and love

 I love the new cover for this book because of the fountain in the background. It is muted, but I can see that it is a tiered fountain just like the one I imagined when I put a fountain in the book. The original cover had a fountain, but not a tiered fountain, even though I sent several pictures of tiered fountains when I filled out my art fact sheet for the cover. That's why I love having complete control over my covers now. 

Here's a small excerpt from the story featuring the fountain.

Ian puzzled over Annie’s declaration about church and her faith. Was she trying to reassure him ahead of this meeting that she was ready and deserving of having her children back? He wished he could let go of his doubts, but they hung there in his mind like rotted curtains at a window. They reminded him of the dismal state she’d come from and her numerous relapses. “I have to be honest, Annie. I’m still skeptical. I don’t doubt you have good intentions. I just need to see you carry them out.”
Her eyes blinked rapidly as her lips quivered. She didn’t say anything until they reached the fountain. She stopped in front of it. Water spilled from level to level, sparkling in the sunlight. “I know I have a lot to prove. Do I have time to stop at my apartment before the meeting?”
Ian checked the time on his phone. “Yeah, but don’t be late.”
“I won’t be.” Annie sprinted across the quad as if something was chasing her.
Glued to the spot, Ian watched her until she disappeared inside her building. He’d done it again—almost made her cry. Why had he been so blunt with her? Being honest with her made both of them unhappy, but he couldn’t sugarcoat what he thought. She would either prove herself or not. He should be more supportive, but he knew the pitfalls of recovery. None of it was easy. He’d been through it himself.
Should he be more sympathetic? No. Annie didn’t need sympathy. She needed support that was straightforward. He would give her that and nothing more.
You can preorder Annie's Hope at these links.

Amazon

Apple 

B&N 

Kobo

Do you like covers that present a scene from the book, or do you like covers that give an overall concept from the book?

 

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.