Football & Lavender by Melanie D. Snitker

What does football and lavender have in common? They are both elements in my newest book, Marrying Raven. I enjoy second chance stories, and Heath and Raven's is no exception. This book was so much fun to write! 

The icing on the cake was that a photographer friend of mine, Jennifer from Jennifer Pitts Photography, took the book's cover image. It's perfect down to the beautiful bride holding a bouquet of lavender. 

Marrying Raven will release March 29th and is available for pre-order now! 

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Raven Weber hates football. As if her fiancé breaking off their engagement to follow his NFL dream wasn't bad enough, her football-obsessed family only made things worse. Twelve years later, she pours everything into her job as a physical therapist assistant. Helping others never prepared Raven for the day her ex would hobble back into her life. How can she remain professional when spending time with him only reminds her of what they've lost?

The day Heath Shaw walked away from his relationship with Raven, he’d been convinced he was doing it for her. Fulfilling his father’s dream gave him the distraction he needed to get over her. Now he’s back in his hometown with weeks of physical therapy ahead of him before he can escape the past. Running into Raven was going to happen eventually, but he didn't expect her to play a vital role in his recovery. If she's got him second guessing why he left in the first place, what effect will she have on his heart? 

Her meddling family thinks this is a second chance, while Heath's father only wants to squelch what he sees as a distraction. Raven and Heath know they should walk away, but what if they're better together than they ever were apart? 

Marrying Raven is Available for Pre-Order

Releasing March 29th

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Getting Away From It All by Melanie D. Snitker

If your family is like mine, making time to get away from the hustle and bustle of life is both very important and something we don't do nearly often enough. Schedules get busy, and we tend to be more spontaneous when it comes to getting out as opposed to really planning things out in advance. 

This summer, we decided to change that. We, along with some family, decided to go on a camping trip to Kerrville, Texas. It was just for two nights, but it's over three hours away. Just the right combination to get out of town and away from it all. 

If you've never been to Kerrville, it's a gorgeous area right on the Guadalupe River. With a lot of green trees, grass, and flowing water, it's both serene and breathtaking. The last time my husband and I went camping there, it was for our second anniversary in 2002. It was fun to go back again. 

It was hot. But we had a nice, shady campsite, and we all had fans running in our tents so that helped some. There was also a swimming pool at this particular campground, and we went swimming every day to try and cool off. 

While camping, we enjoyed cooking and eating outside, watching the occasional firefly, making s'mores, and laughing as the kids played and had fun. 

I even got to go fishing. *gasp* I can't remember the last time, and I'd forgotten how much I enjoy it! I didn't catch anything, but it was still a lot of fun. 

The other thing I enjoyed was having the opportunity to sit back and just watch the wildlife. Like seeing the ripples in the water as the fish come to the surface, cheering my daughter on as she caught minnows, or chuckling when a squirrel ran down a tree trunk on the bank to get a drink of water. 

I hope it won't be nearly as long until the next camping trip. The one thing I'd change is to wait until it's a little cooler out. Sometime this fall would be perfect! 

Do you camp? If so, where is your favorite place to go? 

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Speaking of fall, I've been looking forward to cooler weather lately. Part of that is because it's been really hot in my area of Texas the last month or so. But it's also because I, Shanna Hatfield, and Liwen Ho have been working with seven other authors on a new project called Fall Into Romance. 

The novellas in this boxed set have been so much fun! Fall Into Romance releases October 5th, but is available for pre-order now for only $0.99. 

Savor the taste of spicy pumpkin, breathe in the cinnamon-laced air, listen to the sound of leaves crunching beneath your feet as you FALL INTO ROMANCE. This sweet collection of 10 new heartwarming novellas draws readers into the fictional town of Romance, Oregon — where adventures abound and love is in the autumn air!

Available for Pre-order Now!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo | Google

Here's a little more about my novella, Finding Forever in Romance: 

From the time he was a child, Brent Todd has helped lost pets find healing and homes. Now, he runs Romance's Finding Forever Animal Rescue. Amid the dogs, cats, donkeys, goats, and exotic animals in his care, he convinces himself he has everything he needs. Then a beautiful woman and her son volunteer to help at the shelter. Brent soon realizes he needs more than the rescue animals to fill the empty spaces in his heart and home.

Dedicated to raising her son, Nicole Crawford views romance as a lovely idea. But between being a single mom and the pain of her past, she refuses to dwell on something so out of reach. To teach her son about helping others, they volunteer at Finding Forever on a temporary basis. But the more time she spends with Brent, the more she realizes it'll be impossible to walk away from him and the shelter with her heart intact.

Together, maybe Brent and Nicole will discover a forever family of their own.

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A Longhorn By Any Other Name by Melanie D. Snitker

Writing books is an adventure. And while research is necessary, it’s not always my favorite part of the process. When it came to Finding Joy, however, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

Parker, the hero of the story, works his family’s ranch in Kitner, Texas. In addition to the Angus they raise for beef, they have a small herd of Texas Longhorns. While I’d seen longhorns before, I knew very little about them and had a lot to learn.

Thankfully, I didn’t have to do all my research online or in books. We have a local place, the Whining Bull Ranch, and the wonderful owners were kind enough to invite me over to see their Longhorns and ask questions. Having the opportunity to learn first-hand was an experience I’ll never forget and I hope I was able to transfer some of that to Finding Joy. You can check out my blog if you’d like to learn more about my visit.

I took photographs while I was there, and the beautiful Longhorn shown above really stood out to me. Her registered name is DV Mancha, and she’s affectionately called Cookies. She’s a red roan with red specks and just gorgeous.

As soon as I saw this photograph, I knew I had to somehow incorporate it into the cover for Finding Joy. Victorine from Blue Valley Author Services was up to the challenge. You can see how she took the image of DV Mancha and put her into the background of the cover (see below).

Learning about Longhorns was a blast, and I hope those extra details in Finding Joy help you all to see what amazing creatures they are. 

Finding Joy, the fifth book in my Love's Compass series, is available for pre-order and will be released tomorrow.

Sometimes, what looks like a dead end, is really a new beginning.

A horrific accident changed everything for Parker Wilson. Unable to find solid footing in his disrupted life, he returns to his family's ranch, a place he thought he'd left behind for good. The scars on his face are a daily reminder of all he's lost, yet his mom still insists he needs to stop hiding and live his life again. The beautiful new employee she hires is the last thing he needs, despite his mom's best intentions, and he'll do whatever it takes to make the girl quit and regain the peace and quiet he prefers.

Nothing short of desperation would force Chelsea Blake to work on a local cattle ranch. But if she's going to avoid her parents' judgment when they arrive in three weeks, she must turn the temporary job into a permanent one. Between dodging mud, feeding Longhorn cattle, and dealing with a handsome boss who keeps giving her the cold shoulder, staying gainfully employed is proving to be a challenge. Chelsea may not be cut out for ranch life, but her determination to succeed is stronger than Parker's efforts at forcing her to leave. 

Unprepared to discover all they have in common, if they set aside their initial dislike, they just might find joy beyond measure.

Pick up your copy today!

Melanie D. Snitker has enjoyed writing for as long as she can remember. She started out writing episodes of cartoon shows that she wanted to see as a child and her love of writing grew from there. She and her husband live in Texas with their two children who keep their lives full of adventure, and two dogs who add a dash of mischief to the family dynamics. In her spare time, Melanie enjoys photography, reading, crochet, baking, archery, target shooting, and hanging out with family and friends.

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