New and Upcoming Sweet Releases

NEW RELEASE! I'm excited to share the news here that CLAIR: BEACH BRIDES SERIES (the 4th book in the series of standalone novellas) released June 13th. Are you familiar with the #BEACHBRIDES? Twelve New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors got together and wrote twelve novellas. All twelve novellas begin with a common event: Twelve friends from an online book club ~ romantics at heart but disappointed by love ~ vacation together at Enchanted Island in the Caribbean. On the last evening, they decide to write messages about their hopes for love and secure them in bottles and toss them into the sea. Each of the stories begin there, but then follow the brides and their further adventures.

This is Clair's story and you can purchase it here in Kindle or Print.Each novella can be read as a standalone and in any order and are being released weekly. The first was released in May. Clair is the fourth. Catch up with the ones already released and enjoy eight more weeks of brides and beaches and sweet romance. You'll find all of the novellas here: http://ow.ly/3Lfh30cytQ8 There's also a reader group if you'd like to join us: https://www.facebook.com/groups/652393644949788/

My next release is THE MEMORY OF BUTTERFLIES, a standalone novel, set to be released on September 5. It's available for preorder now HERE. This book is very special to me and I'm eager for readers to have the opportunity to read it ~ and hopefully, also find it special to them. THE MEMORY OF BUTTERFLIES, contemporary women's fiction, is Hannah Cooper's story.

Excerpt from THE MEMORY OF BUTTERFLIES (The Prologue)

My daughter, Ellen, will graduate from high school this year. 
     The closer we get to graduation, the harder the past is coming at me, kicking like a living creature and forcing its way back into my life. With it, it brings happy memories but also those that were gladly forgotten—including the memory of how I lost my Ellen seventeen years ago, then found her again.
      I grew up in Virginia, in the woods of Cooper’s Hollow amid the leafy green shadows of Elk Ridge. The rough banks of Cub Creek cut through our land from north to south such that one was never far from the music of its dark water.
     Our small house had sheltered many generations of Coopers, including those resting in the family cemetery on the hill opposite the house. I never wanted to be anywhere else except for a brief time, eighteen years ago, when I, myself, was about to graduate from high school. Six years after that, our home in Cooper’s Hollow burned down, and we were forced to move into town—we being Ellen and me.
     The nearby town of Mineral wasn’t big by most people’s standards, but from my perspective, it certainly was. Moving into town was scary, in part because Ellen was kindergarten age. I’d never wanted to draw attention, and it would be noticeable if she didn’t start school. It was time for it anyway, and it turned out that when it came to school and being around teachers and other children, Ellen was like a lively duck landing in a sparkling lake—it was made for her. I’d taught her some at home, and the school administrators, recognizing her quick mind, moved her into first grade early. Our new life was a perfect fit for Ellen. So, while I talked for the next dozen years about rebuilding our house and going back to live in the Hollow, I never actually got around to doing anything about it. Instead, I settled into the daily life of being a mom, working at my pottery business, and even volunteering at church and with the ladies’ auxiliary. How my grandmother would’ve laughed at the idea of my toting a homemade pound cake or a pasta casserole to a function! But you fit in as you can where you find yourself, and residing in town was social. Very different from living in the Hollow.  
     For these last several years, I’ve been biding my time, waiting until the timing was right for both of us—for Ellen to graduate and begin her college career and for me to return home to Cooper’s Hollow permanently—to finally face the past.

Preorder THE MEMORY OF BUTTERFLIES here and get Amazon's low-price guarantee.

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 Grace Greene is an award-winning and USA Today bestselling author of women’s fiction and contemporary romance set in the bucolic reaches of her native Virginia (Kincaid’s Hope, Cub Creek, The Happiness In Between, The Memory of Butterflies) and the breezy beaches of Emerald Isle, North Carolina (Beach Rental,  Beach Winds). Her debut novel, Beach Rental, and the sequel, Beach Winds, were both Top Picks by RT Book Reviews magazine. For more about the author and her books, visit www.gracegreene.com or connect with her on Twitter @Grace_Greene and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GraceGreeneBooks.

Is It Too Soon For A Beach Read? And A Giveaway!

Spring is coming ~ maybe not for a month yet, but it’s in the air in Virginia this weekend. In celebration (because summer must follow thereafter) I’m giving away one copy each of either BEACH RENTAL or BEACH WINDS (winner’s choice) to two winners. To be entered in the giveaway, please comment on my Event page here: https://www.gracegreene.com/news-and-events

US mainland winners will receive an autographed print copy of the book they choose. International or overseas winners will have the book mailed directly to them from Amazon. I’ll announce the winners on Feb. 28.

BEACH RENTAL and BEACH WINDS (the sequel) are set in Emerald Isle, NC ~ one of my most favorite beaches. Unlike most east coast beaches, it lies east-west and you can walk toward the sunrise in the morning and the sunset in the evening. Both books were awarded TOP PICK ratings by RT Book Reviews. They are suitable for all audiences.

The two winners will be drawn from among those who comment on the Events page at www.gracegreene.com (direct link above) and you are welcome to sign up for my newsletter while you’re visiting. 

Also, while you’re here at the SRR blog page, I hope you’ll sign up for the SweetRomanceReads newsletter. You’ll see the signup box on the right-hand side of this page. And check out our Pinterest page.

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Grace Greene is an award-winning and USA Today bestselling author of women’s fiction and contemporary sweet romance set in the rolling hills and forests of her native Virginia (Kincaid’s Hope, Cub Creek) and the breezy beaches of Emerald Isle, North Carolina (Beach Rental, Beach Winds). Her debut novel, Beach Rental, and the sequel, Beach Winds, were both Top Picks by RT Book Reviews magazine. She is the author of The Happiness in Between (release date: January 31, 2017), a standalone also set in Cub Creek. Her next release, The Memory of Butterflies, is due out September 5^th. For more about the author and her books, visit www.gracegreene.com or connect with her on Twitter at @Grace_Greene and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GraceGreeneBooks.

Sometimes You Need to Get Away

Sometimes you need to get away. 

They (the people who form the generic “they”) say “Don’t dream, just do it.” Others say “Never stop dreaming.” I think there must be a balance. There are tasks we must do, appointments to be kept, yet we have that open ticket ready in our heads – the ticket that takes us to places we’d rather be, at least for a short visit. 

 

I was thinking today about the places I like to go when I want to get away, but can’t actually, physically, go. One of those places is a wide, clean sandy beach – a peaceful and beautiful beach in Emerald Isle, NC that nature allows me to share while the waves set the rhythm and high-level winds direct the clouds to other venues. Another place I like to visit is a path in the woods amid rolling hills. Nearby a creek is gurgling over rocks and around tree roots, making liquid music, and the scent of tall pines fills the air and their needles create a fresh carpet underfoot. Or I might visit a dock at a mountain lake where a boat and a breeze awaits me, where life’s cares are left behind on shore.  

 

These are ordinary places. Places like this are easy to find in any number of locales, but my favorite spots exist only in my head. And in my books. And I go there when I can, and when I write.

 

I presume that’s true for most story tellers, and story lovers, too. It's not just for those who write the stories down. We tell ourselves stories or imagine exotic locations or peaceful scenes. Maybe it’s a form of meditation, but I’ve never studied or tried meditation, so I don’t know. I do know that when I’m in the dentist’s chair for more than a simple cleaning, I can visit those and other locations. Sometimes I hear music with the visuals – strains of Vivaldi and Corelli long ago engrained in my auditory memory. It’s impossible to pay attention to what the dentist is doing in your mouth when a Baroque orchestral arrangement is tuning your brain.  

 

Where do you go on your “dream” trips? Do you have special destinations? Are they special to you because of memories you made there? Or maybe a destination inspired by a picture you saw in a magazine that caught your attention and got caught in your brain? Or is there a location in a book you read that took root in your imagination and won’t let go? Please let me know in the comments. Maybe there's a great destination I'm missing!

 

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~:~

 

Grace Greene writes Women's Fiction with romance, mystery and suspense. The Emerald Isle, NC novels feature romance and sweet inspiration. The Virginia Country Roads Novels offer romance with more mystery and suspense. Please visit her website and she'd love it if you signed up for her newsletter.

 

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The To-Do or Not-To-Do List

The holidays are fast approaching. Are you ready? All done? Barely started? Is your list overloaded? Or are you the master of your calendar and your life? If so, I applaud you.

I’ve been almost overwhelmed juggling tasks like preparing for a new release, Leaving Cub Creek (the sequel to Cub Creek) along with family issues, a full time job, etc. LIFE. We all deal with this stuff, right? A list of what we’re committed to doing, aspire to doing, that which we must do despite our wishes…and that list is always longer this time of year. Except for a few presents, I’ve done no Christmas shopping and I’m feeling the pressure to catch up. On the flip side, we won’t be home for Christmas this year so I’ve scratched Christmas trees and other decorations from the to-do list. We are going to be in Hawaii for Christmas, so planning and packing must replace them on the list.

 

Have you ever felt the need to pare down and simplify your life? That thought brings Cub Creek to mind. 

In Cub Creek, Libbie Havens left the city because she couldn’t think amid the chaos. Some people love city hustle-bustle, but not Libbie because she has sensory issues that cause her to overload emotionally. A move to the country and acres of woods seemed the perfect solution. Removing the extraneous would reduce the chaos and allow her to focus on her life and live on her own terms. Unfortunately, most of her troubles were her own, inside her, not borne of the outside world. Many of her troubles went with her to Cub Creek. After many ups and downs, Libbie found love. In Leaving Cub Creek, Libbie discovers that love can be easier to find than to keep. 

Libbie thought that removing the external chaos would allow her to better manage her life. I’d like to strip away the unneeded excess in hope of finding the peace and joy hidden within it. I really do want to stop and savor the moments of life—not to be consumed by checking must-dos off the list.

 

To return to the original question: How are your preparations for the holidays progressing? For those of you who, like me, are feeling over-burdened—I have learned a lesson over my many years of preparing for the holidays. Make up your mind that, at a certain point, that whatever hasn’t been done, won’t get done. Be okay with it. The truth is that, more than likely, no one will notice but you. By the time your family and friends start gathering, get your mind out of the list and into that happy space and cast off the must-dos and what-ifs.

The most important point of all: When you’re looking to lighten your ‘life’ list, make sure you toss the truly extraneous and hold on to what’s important—the joy.

 

Here’s a brief description of Leaving Cub Creek (the sequel to Cub Creek) released on a few days ago:

In the heart of Virginia, where the forests hide secrets and the creeks run strong and deep ~ 

Libbie Havens never fit in. She bought the old Carson place on Cub Creek and moved to the Virginia countryside to prove she could live on her own terms. In the process, she learned some truths about herself and found love ~ but love, acceptance and belonging can be easier to find than to keep.

While on a trip to Sicily with Libbie, Jim Mitchell must leave suddenly because his son is injured in an accident in California. Now alone, Libbie is surprised by an old friend, Dr. Barry Raymond, but Dr. Raymond is a reminder of her troubled past and she’s glad to see the last of him when she leaves Sicily ~ until he shows up at her house on Cub Creek.

Years before, Dr. Raymond had told Libbie that if troubles weren’t dealt with, they’d keep coming back. With Jim still away helping his son, Libbie’s troubles are returning in force and wreaking havoc on her confidence and their relationship.

Libbie would rather hide than risk rejection, but she must face down the past and fight for what she wants, or the troubles that haunt her past and present will forever doom her future.

~*~

Grace Greene writes novels and novellas of Romance & Inspiration in her Emerald Isle, NC stories, and Love, Mystery & Suspense in her Virginia Country Roads novels that include Cub Creek and Leaving Cub Creek. Please visit Grace at www.GraceGreene.com and subscribe to her newsletter.

 

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