What History's Boldest Women Never Waited For by Josie Riviera

April always makes me want to fling open the windows, clear out the clutter, and, for reasons I can't entirely explain, read about Tudor England.

Maybe it's because the women in that era are fascinating. They lived in a world that handed them almost no power, and yet many of them were brilliant and strategic, despite the constraints. Anne of Cleves negotiated her way to freedom and outlived them all. Katherine Parr published books. Bess of Hardwick built an empire from scratch, four times over.

Which is a good reminder for spring, when we're all tempted to wait. We wait until the kids are older, the timing is better, the budget is bigger, and the confidence arrives. It rarely does. It tends to show up after we've already started.

This month I'm offering my sweet/spicy Tudor short story, Seeking Catherine, as a free read. 

In fact, this book is always free, so pick up your copy today. (Fun fact: This is the first book I ever wrote and published.)

What do you love about April? Please leave your comments below.

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

Sign up for her newsletter and get a FREE ebook on her website: josieriviera.com

The Retrospect Ends ~ Jean C. Gordon

My last and final new release was a holiday novella, His Thing about Cats, Honestly, all I can remember for tidbits on writing it is that the novella had such a fun premise that it was a joy to write. After that, writing or trying to write new love stories became more of a chore than a delight. So with this blog, I'm "demoting" myself from Sweet Romannce Reads Author to Sweet Romance Reads Reader. I'm hoping to continue my Find the Difference Sweet Romance Reads Covers on Facebook. So look for them.

PARADOX LAKE SWEET ROMANCE: Hurtling down a mountain on a sheet of ice at 90 mph is nothing to Ty Johnson. That's why he's a former Olympic bobsled champion. Holding a cute little fluffball cat for an endorsement—well, that's a deal-breaker. He's had a fear of felines since childhood, but this opportunity could not only give his custom furniture business a boost, but it would also allow him to give back to the sport that defined his life. He's got no other choice but to get over his ailurophobia to book this massive deal.

Dr. Julianna Hill wants to help Ty work through his issues, but she has to say no. At least professionally. She can't deny the immediate attraction, and there's no way she's going to let a man jeopardize the career she's finally starting to build, especially since returning to her childhood hometown. But Jule can't stop thinking about the man who has unexpectedly become her landlord. Perhaps she can help him as a friend—or more.Ty may be more nervous than a cat on a hot tin roof, but he's not the only scaredy-cat in this relationship.

Broken promises at critical moments mean this relationship is going to need nine lives to last. Hold on. This is shaping up to be the ride of a lifetime.

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