Five Things That Sweet Romances Can Have and Still Be Sweet

Sometimes, we think sweet romances are light-hearted and fun, which they can be. The word sweet connotates sugar, dessert, celebrations, and happy times. We have sweets at birthdays, anniversaries, and parties.

But dark and serious topics do have their place in "sweet" romances, because they explore life as it sometimes can be. Here are five characteristics of my darkly sweet romances.

1.      Emotional characters who have strong convictions.

Characters who are strange or different are not always likeable. They may have a one-track mind, are overly sensitive, paranoid, or critical. These characters are on a mission.

2.      A boatload of drama in the plot line filled with difficult or impossible situations.

3.      Mysteries with plenty of plot twists and unexpected endings.

    4.      Tortuous love story with lots of angst.

    5.      Honesty in internal thought, even if it makes the character look bad. To me, it makes the character more authentic.

Readers may squirm because it reminds them of their own dark thoughts they don’t want anyone to know. Some readers are looking for an escape and do not appreciate gritty characters who make bad choices.

 What about you? What are the characteristics in fiction you most like to read about? What can authors do to make that more believable and enjoyable?

Broken Build and Hidden Under Her Heart are two of my gritty, but sweet romances.

In Broken Build, Jen Jones' shady past ruined of the man who would become the man she falls in love with.

In Hidden Under Her Heart, Maryanne Torres made some mistakes and is haunted by them when she decides to have an abortion and her new boyfriend heavily discourages her.

Broken Build is FREE at your favorite ebook vendor. Both books carry an inspirational message. I hope you'll be uplifted by these sweet suspenseful romances.

Down Memory Lane with My Father by Rachelle Ayala

Photo by Lindy Baker on Unsplash

Recently, my sister asked me to write up a few memories of my father for a scrapbook she's putting together for her kids. It's been thirty-four years since he passed, but I still catch glimpses of him here and there, not just in old family photos, but in the things he used to say, and images of an activity or event, or the feeling of companionship in the ordinary and mundane.

I can't think of any big event per se--birthdays, graduations, music recitals, and celebrations. Those memories are cemented by photographs, which seem to take the place of the actual happenings. Perhaps the best memories come from the moments that are not recorded in a journal, photo, or video.

In no particular order:

Back when we used to buy our milk in glass bottles from a diary that had real cows, my father and I would make the milk run while my mother stayed home with the younger kids. We had to cross a railroad track to get there, and the road for some reason always flooded whenever we'd get a little rain. One rainy day, my father and I were coming back from the diary, and it was raining really hard. As usual, I was chatty Kathy a mile a minute, as the wiper blades rushed to swipe water off the windshield. Suddenly, we bounced into the dirt onto a vacant lot. My father said we lost our brakes and he didn't want to keep going because a train was on its way. Before I could say another word, another car came bouncing by us and rolled all the way down the embankment into a low, sunken place. I believe the vacant lot was sunken because they used to drill for oil there. Someone came by and towed us out, but all I cared about was the car way down in the pit. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and they got towed out, too. But to my preschool mind, that was the big adventure, getting stuck in the mud in the rain while going out to buy milk.

On my sixth birthday, my father thought I was all grown up and ready for a slide rule and a mechanical pencil. He was an engineer--you know, those men who wore short sleeve white shirts with pocket protectors. Inside the pocket would be pencils (mechanical, for precise writing and calculating), and a slide rule. I felt proud to get that slide rule and I used it too. Don't ask me if I remember now how it worked, but I was pretty proficient, doing all the slide rule exercises. Later, he gave me a circular slide rule and I thought I was pretty cool, showing off both my linear slide rule and my circular slide rule.

One summer, my father bought a Heathkit so he could build his very own color TV. That was exciting for all of us because we only had one TV and it was black and white. While other fathers had workshops in the garage, my father spread out all his stuff on a large table he made from a large piece of wood (it might have been a door) and two sawhorses in the family room. We were, of course, told not to touch anything as he laid out all the transistors, diodes, capacitors, and circuit boards. My dad did let us drop solder on scrap metal while he laboriously assembled the color TV with four children milling around with strict orders not to touch anything! I still remember the day he plugged in the TV and I was afraid it would blow up! But yay! The TV turned on and the picture was in color!

My father was a good cook for men of his generation. He always had his "specialties." One favorite was his version of spaghetti, which was Chinese noodles [the type that is white], a can of Chef Boyardee spaghetti sauce, a splash of soy sauce, and chopped Spam. Another dish was his chili macaroni. It had to be made with Homade sauce which comes in a round jar, and he brought it to potlucks--guaranteed kid pleasers. Thinking back, a lot of Chinese American kids back in my day refused to eat Chinese food. Whenever we had a get together, there would be an adult table with the Chinese food and a kid table with hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizza. My brother and sisters and I wanted to eat at the adult table since the Chinese food was tastier. Unfortunately, the adults wanted to eat the Chinese food and they didn't want to share! So, sadly, we were relegated to the kid table to eat hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizza. My father's chili macaroni was a kid table favorite, so it wasn't that bad. My parents were mavericks in those days, teaching us how to speak Chinese and eat Chinese food. But back then, the Chinese parents wanted their children to be Americanized, and not eating Chinese food was seen as a positive sign. Incidentally, Chinese parents also wanted their kids to be bulky, and giving them hamburgers was a good way to bulk them up! They called it in Chinese [horizontally wide] and it was a good thing to be.

All through my teenage years, my father used to take me to orchestra at Cal State Dominguez Hills. It was a drive down Avalon Blvd in his 1964 Ford Fairlane Coupe. I still remember that car. It had round tail-lights that came to a conical point, and it was pale yellow. What I remember most is my father bouncing the car over the railroad tracks. I always looked forward to that! What's interesting is I don't much remember the orchestra, or the concerts, or even the parties at the conductor's house. I remember walking with my dad from the parking lot to the rehearsal hall and back and talking all sorts of high school gossip. Even though it was dark and the campus wasn't exactly safe, I figured as long as we were walking and talking loudly, we were safe. That's how fathers make you feel--safe.

Well, thanks to my sister who wanted the memories. I hope I didn't bore you, but it's the little things I remember and treasure most. Now that my own children are emptying the nest, I'm glad I drove them to music lessons and waited in the car for them, or sat on the sidelines with one while the other did a sport. Because it's the in-between times that you get to talk, to be together, or play games like "I spy with my little eyes," or float leaves down a creek to see how far they get. I wonder thirty years later what my children will remember about me. It might not be what I expect.

What do you remember about your parents? And what do you think your children will remember about you?

My Hart Family Series is full of family and heart.

Gun Violence in Romantic Suspense by Rachelle Ayala

While writing my latest inspirational romantic suspense, Hide My Heart: Love and Trouble, I developed a truly sadistic and abusive villain. He was a hunter, and he hunted my heroine and her baby. Of course, he would use every tool at his disposal and that meant guns. He pulls a handgun on my heroine and she knows he'd use it too--not an empty threat.

However how much violence is acceptable or enough? I confronted these questions while writing Hide My Heart: Love and Trouble.

Early on, I knew Hunter would be violent. It's his nature. To be true to his character and to portray the real danger my heroine and hero were under, guns and violence were necessary to the story.

While my book is an inspirational romance, it still had to feel real and show the hunt, the chase, and the ultimate standoff. I do not "glory" in blood and guts. There are no gruesome descriptions or long, protracted fight scenes, but at the end, the story had to ring true. While it might make a few readers squeamish, the ultimate payoff is justice and a final resolution that prepares the way for love to triumph and a happy ending to play out.

A single mother on the run. 

Amber McKay ran away from home to find adventure. She found Hunter instead. Now Amber’s on the run again and this time she isn’t alone. 

A bartender and innkeeper who’s never left home.

Nate Riley has always had big dreams - leave home, marry, raise a family. Family responsibility stole those dreams. Will fate return them? 

A backwoods killer on the loose.

Nothing escapes Hunter Dixon. Especially his prize possession, Amber McKay. She is coming home no matter who has to die. 

When Amber finds out this may be her grandmother’s last Christmas, she is determined to say goodbye to the woman who always loved her. But she’s hiding from Hunter, and she has a big secret. She turns to the one person who has never let her down, her childhood crush, Nate.

Nate agrees to help, but Hunter closes in. While Amber and Nate explore their budding romance, they must fight a crippling ice storm and a determined enemy to stay alive and protect her secret.

~~ *** ~~

To read an excerpt, please visit my blog.
http://www.rachelleayala.com/2018/03/read-excerpt-from-hide-my-heart.html

or read a preview on Amazon.

~~ *** ~~

Rachelle Ayala is a USA Today bestselling author of dramatic romantic suspense and humorous contemporary romances. She is the winner of multiple awards, including the 2015 Angie Ovation Award for best Multicultural Romance with Knowing Vera, the 2015 Readers’ Favorite Gold Award for A Father for Christmas, the 2016 Readers’ Favorite Gold Award for Christmas Stray, the 2016 Readers’ Favorite Finalist for A Pet for Christmas, and the 2017 Readers’ Favorite Gold Award for Playing for the Save.

For updates and a surprise free book, sign up for Rachelle’s newsletter at:

http://smarturl.it/RachAyala

Check out her website for a list of books and readers’ guide: http://rachelleayala.net

Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter.

And remember to join the Sweet Romance Reads Cafe too.

All the best, Rachelle

Virtually Visiting the Caribbean in the Dead of Winter by Rachelle Ayala

Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash

Writing is a great way to be an armchair traveler. This winter, while writing my next "beach read," I virtually visited the islands of St. Johns and the Grenadines. I snorkeled on the reef, trekked up the volcano, and listened to music: calypso, soca, steel drums. Using Google's streetview, I "drove" through the narrow alleys of the towns, wound my way up and down the switchbacks, and even "met" local people walking around on the sidewalks. I then went to YouTube and found myself on a party boat where people were dancing and having a great time.

Of course, there's no substitute for actually getting on a plane and going, but I've heard that your subconscious mind actually doesn't know the difference between a "real to life" experience and one where you felt the emotions by reading, going to the movies, or running it through your imagination.

That is why reading is such a wonderful gateway to the world, and many times, out of this world. When you're able to visualize what the character sees, feel what the character feels, and experience the emotional roller coaster the character is in, your subconscious mind believes you've been through the entire story.

I know that after writing Jade: Perfect Match set in the Caribbean, my mood was so much better, and I felt as relaxed as if I had just returned from a Caribbean vacation with a Navy SEAL like my character Jade did.

What about you? Have you felt transported to another world by reading or watching a movie? I'm sure many of us have visited the world of the Navi by watching Avatar, and have felt the exhiliration of space travel despite never having left planet Earth.

My newest beach read, Jade: Perfect Match will be available May 22, as part of a connected series with other USA Today bestselling authors of sweet romance. [Please go to Goodreads and put it on your to-read list and watch for our kick off party and the first book in the series, Bree: Perfect Match by Raine English]

Here are the six authors of the Perfect Match Series.

February is the Month of Love by Rachelle Ayala

Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash

We all search for love in one form or another. To be loved is to be recognized. To matter to someone out there. To not be so alone.

When we're in love, we are no longer frail. We see beauty and leave the ordinary behind. We no longer feel mortal, at least in the eye of the lover, and the vast universe of possibilities opens up to us.

The Irish poet and philosopher, John O'Donohue describes the awakening of love as

“When love awakens in your life, in the night of your heart, it is like the dawn breaking within you. Where before there was anonymity, now there is intimacy; where before there was fear, now there is courage; where before in your life there was awkwardness, now there is a rhythm of grace and gracefulness; where before you used to be jagged, now you are elegant and in rhythm with your self. When love awakens in your life, it is like a rebirth, a new beginning.”  - John O'Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom

 But what happens if you can't find love?

Fortunately, you have the wellsprings of love within yourself, in the nature of your own soul.

“You can search far and in hungry places for love. It is a great consolation to know that there is a wellspring of love within yourself. ... Imagine that nourishing stream of belonging, ease, peace, and delight. Feel, with your visual imagination, the refreshing waters of that well gradually flowing up through the arid earth of the neglected side of your heart. It is helpful to imagine this particularly before you sleep. Then during the night you will be in a constant flow of enrichment and belonging. You will find that when you awake at dawn, there will be a lovely, quiet happiness in your spirit.”  - John O'Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom

He then goes on to say that the only way to preserve love is to maintain that separateness of your own self. That lovers are drawn to the differences between them, and that to preserve your own difference in love, you need plenty of room for your soul to grow and expand.

“Love should encourage and free you fully into your full potential.”  - John O'Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom

So, in this month of love, it profits us to remember that love is not found in the Other, but from within, and that while it's exciting and giddy and romantic to be loved by another, the vast possibilities of the universe are yours for the taking, because love comes from within and grows to fill all potentials.

Wishing you lots of love and may your wellsprings never run dry!

Rachelle
---
Since February is the month of love, my three sweet Valentine romances, along with the rest of the Have Family gang, are on sale for 99c. The Harts are a large, caring, and busybody family of San Francisco firefighters. Book One, Christmas Lovebirds, is FREE, and all the rest are 99c.

What do Writers Intend for the New Year? by Rachelle Ayala

Photo by Victoria Bilsborough on Unsplash

Hello friends! I hope all of you have had a very wonderful holiday and rang in the new years with cheer. I had my family over, including my adult son and daughter and son-in-law. We went hiking in the desert, watched movies, took walks, ate out and cooked in, drank champagne and poured Guinness. I wish everyone a happy 2018!

So, what do writers do about New Year's Resolutions? Well, like most other people, there will be something about weight, maybe, or exercise, yeah, right, and writing goals, what else?

I'm not into resolutions, but I do believe in setting goals that are challenging enough not to be a "slam-dunk" but easy and doable so I don't discourage myself. Obviously, I want to write every day. Doesn't every writer? How many words is enough to count as having written? Why am I worried about this?

You are what you do. A writer writes. A dancer dances. An actor acts. A breather breathes.

But I'm here to tell you that you DON'T have to write every day to be a writer. You do have to breathe, yes, but you don't have to write or dance or practice your violin daily to claim your identity.

However, to write more is desirable. After all, we have stories brimming out of our heads, characters who need their stories recorded, and readers waiting anxiously. So here are some ways we writers psych ourselves out to get down to the business of writing (daily or hourly or minutely?)

1. Be grateful and set your mindset for an active and successful day. Stretch wide and reach up to the universe when you get out of bed. Tell yourself it's a beautiful day and you're going to have a wonderful day. Give thanks and take deep, full breaths. Smile and stretch. Stand up straight and get started with your best day ever.

2. Free-form journal first thing in the morning. Don't worry about grammar, sentence structure, thoughts, anything. Get out a notebook and a pen and rip away. Funny words, sad words, nonsense words or a to do list for the day. Once you do this, you've broken the dam and you can claim victory. "I've written today!"

3. Record the time each day that you open your manuscript file for your work in progress and make a change, add or delete a word. By setting a goal that is simple and doable, you don't fail. Now, scribble anything you can think about with your characters, what they're up to, how they feel, what they want to do next. Just write, even if it's for five minutes, ten or fifteen minutes. Some writers set a timer and that's great if it works for them. I get interrupted by husband and kids so I write in stolen moments, in my car, or waiting around at the mall, or between cooking tasks. Guess it means I'm sprinting all the time, and stolen moments are sweeter and more intense.

4. Be happy. Think happy thoughts. Avoid negative people, news, and drama. I've told my walking partner I don't want to hear the daily news or politics. I want to watch the birds, look at the lake, hear about her family, and marvel at the goodness of being alive and free.

So, that is my new year's intention. To be happier, more content, and grateful. The words and stories will flow, the friendships and relationships will thrive, and I will find the good in every day.

Happy New Year to all! Please do join the Sweet Romance Reader Facebook Group so you can connect with us and join our wonderful parties.

Check out my SWEET romances at:

 https://www.rachelleayala.net/sweet-romance

Here's what I'm working on next. It's Larry and Jenna's third story, following Valentine Hound Dog (2016) and Valentine Wedding Hound (2017). I hope intend to have it out by Valentine's Day 2018.

Larry and Jenna have it all—a fairy tale romance, a sweet and gassy basset hound dog, and a dream home on the way.

As Valentine’s Day draws near, and with it, their first anniversary, Jenna plans a big surprise for Larry, a scarred and injured firefighter who is on disability.

When Harley, their hound dog, spoils the surprise, Jenna is shocked at Larry’s reaction.

Will a house full of puppies and kisses be the lucky charm Jenna needs to convince Larry that he can truly have a big and noisy happily-ever-after family?

Five Reasons why Opposites Attract by Rachelle Ayala

Have you ever looked at a couple you knew and wondered what they saw in each other? Or maybe it was you, hooking up with the last guy any of your friends or family would ever believe you'd be attracted to?

Why are there so many relationships where the couple are polar opposites? The party animal with the bookworm. The workaholic with the fun-lover. The laid back with the go-getter. It would seem that when looking for a relationship, we'd want people who we were compatible with, who share the same interests, who like the same things, and who make us comfortable.

Here are five reasons why opposites attract.

1. Chemistry. Oil and water. Fire and ice. When opposites meet and collide, explosions happen. When people with opposite personalities meet, there is curiosity, surprise, and the unexpected. This person is not responding to me the way I expect. An unexpected interaction sparks interest and gets the heart pumping. It's memorable and whether cute or annoying, it definitely makes a mark.

2. Excitement. Everyone likes surprises. They take us out of our daily routine and make life interesting. Someone whose personality is opposite to yours will surprise you and keep you on your toes. This excitement is raises your heartrate and increases attraction, especially at the beginning of a romance.

3. Complementary. We unconsciously seek that which we're missing. A shy bookworm may dream about athletic pursuits. A talkative person can appreciate a silent listener. Someone disorganized may need an organizer. By drawing ourselves to someone who makes up what we lack, we feel more complete as a person.

4. Humor. A sense of humor always helps balance a relationship. When your partner views the world the opposite with you do, things happen that are not the way you would have anticipated. That could be funny and memorable.

5. Tension. In any romance, tension and conflict drives the story forward. It's the same way in your life. Great relationships thrive on passion, and passion is created by tension and yes, sometimes, conflict, as each person asserts his or her individuality.

My latest story, Dog Days of Love, is an opposites attract romance between a woman with a doctorate degree and a happy-go-luck college dropout. Vanessa is a go-getter and a planner. She has a checklist for life and she is determined to follow it to the letter. Dale Hart lives, laughs, and loves by the seat of his pants. When Dale throws a Frisbee at Vanessa's dogs, he starts an improbable chain of events that change both of them.

Excerpt:

“You keep staring at her, and your eyes are going to combust,” Nadine said, coming up to his side. “Excellent aim.”

The wind lifted the Frisbee high, and then, because Vanessa was downhill from them, its descent was prolonged, drawing the attention of both of Vanessa’s dogs.

The hyperactive black and white rat terrier mix yelped sharply and jumped for the Frisbee, while the more laid-back brown shepherd mix circled Vanessa’s legs, barking encouragement.

Not to be outdone, Cinder leaped, flying magnificently through the air, her jaw wide open, her entire attention glued to the yellow disc, her athletic and streamlined body a blur of spots and white.

Bam!

A tangle of brown, black, white and spotted fur spun like a funnel cloud touching down. Vanessa’s arms windmilled, her phone went flying along with the plastic poop bags. The dogs’ leashes wrapped around her legs and down she went, while Cinder and the rat terrier played tug-of-war with the Frisbee.

Dale sprinted down the hill. He edged out a man on a bicycle who laid his bike down to help. Swooping down on his prey, he lifted her up high.

“Are you okay?”

Rip! Her skirt tore, exposing her black laced panties and stockings. Dale’s eyes caught fire as he struggled to avert them from her shapely thighs.

Vanessa screamed, “Let me down. You’re stepping on my clothes.”

“Oops.” Dale dropped her, a little too fast, and she turned her ankle, lurching backward.

By reflex, he yanked her sleeve, but she slipped from the suit jacket, popping the buttons, and landed on her brown dog, who gave a yelp of pain.

Cinder let go of the Frisbee and snagged Vanessa’s fallen shoe. That dog had a women’s shoe fetish. Quick as a whip, she raced away from the other two dogs to keep her prize.

By now, a crowd of people gathered, and several punks pulled out their cameras to take videos.

Vanessa’s hands flapped, trying to pull up her torn skirt. Her brown dog leaped over her and licked her, tugging at her neat bun and smearing her makeup.

The other dog, a terrier mix, pounced on the suit jacket and shook it like a drowned rat, growling and pawing at it.

“I need my shoe back, and give me my jacket.” Vanessa grabbed at her jacket, but the dog thought she was playing tug of war and dug in its heels.

“Miss, your phone’s broken,” Nadine said, picking up Vanessa’s discarded phone.

“I need to get to my interview.” She stared at her phone while trying to cover her abdomen and thighs with what remained of her skirt. “I need to get back to my apartment to change and call a taxi.”

“I can help.” Dale stripped off his tank top. “Here, put this on.”

Instead of waiting for her to respond, he pulled the tank top over her arms and shoulders and picked her up. Thank goodness for oversized and overlong basketball jerseys.

“I still need my shoe,” Vanessa cried. “And I’m going to be late.”

“I’ve got this.” Dale hefted her over his shoulder like a caveman with his bride and headed down the hill toward her apartment.

“But, my dogs are loose.”

Dale whistled “Yankee Doodle,” and like the pied piper of old, he led a trail of dogs and bystanders down Martin Luther King Drive and out the South Gate of the park.

“How do you know the way to my apartment?” Vanessa demanded, her legs flipping against his stomach as he walked.

“I see you at the ramen shop across from the station all the time.”

“Stalker.”

“No, rescuer. All my brothers are firefighters, but I prefer saving pretty women,” Dale said. “Dale Hart, Chief Connor Hart’s brother.”

---

That was definitely a memorable meet cute. To read more, find Dog Days of Love at your favorite ebook store. Universal Link: http://books2read.com/DogDaysOfLove or in Paperback from Amazon.

*~*~*

 Don't miss the best Christmas party of the year!

Wednesday, December 6th

2pm to 8pm EST

 https://www.facebook.com/events/1108334982602544/

Dog Walking Can Start a Romance by Rachelle Ayala

Photo by Matt Nelson on Unsplash

Scientific research has shown that positive and feelings are transferred to the people you are around when you experience these feelings. Therefore, one way of making a new acquaintance like you is to make him or her feel positive and happy. Dogs have a calming and relaxing effect on people, and they are a powerful association with happiness, at least for dog lovers. They are often friendly with strangers and won't hesitate to greet and wag their tails at a friendly and approachable face.

Photo by Alvan Nee on Unsplash

It's hard to be unhappy when confronted with such cute and happy faces. Therefore, if you love dogs and are looking for love, get a sweet, cute puppy or friendly dog and take him or her for a walk where other dog lovers congregate. All the happy and cute feelings your dog elicits will be transferred by association to you! Just make sure not to get into a dog fight, because that would have the opposite effect.

In my newest book Dog Days of Love (available for a special pre-order price of 99c), Dale Hart tries to engage a pretty young woman's dogs by tossing a Frisbee at them.

Read an excerpt and tell me if Dale Hart made a good first impression.

Vanessa Ransom couldn’t afford to sweat.

Not while stumbling after her two dogs through Golden Gate Park wearing a stiff business suit and a pair of power pumps.

The hot summer sun blazed overhead, and waves of heat simmered over the sweltering city streets—an unusually hot day for the city by the bay, better known as San Francisco.

Her two darling mutts, Randi and Ronni, circled around her legs, looking for that perfect place to potty. They sniffed every bush and fence post, tails wagging and tongues lolling, but they wouldn’t settle down and do their business.

Vanessa, or Nessa as she was known to her friends, checked the time on her phone. She had a job interview clear across the city and she was running late.

Randi, the bristly black and white rat terrier sheltie mix, pulled on her leash, lunging at a little boy bouncing a ball. She was the alpha dog, full of energy and stuck her nose into everything. Meanwhile, Ronni, the shepherd terrier mix with soft brown hair, laid down on the grass and put her head down. While Ronni took life easy, she was also affectionate and loved to cuddle.

“Come on, you two. Any bush will do.”

If only her dogs would hurry up. Being late to a job interview was not an option since her summer internship was ending soon and she didn’t have a job lined up.

“Woof, woof,” Randi barked and lunged at a floating Frisbee as if it were an affront to her that she wasn’t invited to play.

Snap. While Randi complained, Ronni leaped and snagged the Frisbee.

A man jogged up with his hand outstretched.

“Good dog.” He patted Ronni, and she dropped the Frisbee at his feet.

Randi barked and forced her way between them, hopping up on her hind legs for the Frisbee or the pat. She always demanded to be fed first, patted first, and given her choice of playtime activities. She was high-energy, after all.

“Mind if I play with them?” the man asked. His light-brown eyes twinkled as he took Nessa in, from her perfectly pressed hair to her starched blouse, understated silver jewelry, gray suit and skirt, and black leather pumps.

Nessa’s heart took an extra pump.

He was a young, twenty-something, tall, handsome, and white.

“I’m actually crunched for time,” Nessa said, waving her cell phone. “Taking them out for a bathroom break before I head across town for an important interview.”

“Best of luck, then,” the man said. He threw his Frisbee, and it soared high in the air currents across the lawn.

Nessa couldn’t help her gaze from following its arc. It floated free and easy, like the man with his tousled curls and lazy grin.

He waved at her before stretching out his long legs and chased after the Frisbee. What kind of weirdo played Frisbee by himself while hoping to pick up other people’s dogs?

Randi barked and pulled against her leash, while Ronni gave Nessa an imploring look.

“Come on, you two,” Nessa tugged at their leashes. “I’m sorry we can’t play today. How about a trip to the dog park this weekend?”

Both dogs stared longingly at the man and his Frisbee, and Nessa couldn’t help checking out the guy’s physique. Tall, but not lanky, the man was well built but not bulky. He wore board shorts, a Warriors jersey, and sneakers without socks, and he was most likely unemployed.

[End of Excerpt, to read on, please buy Dog Days of Love by Rachelle Ayala]

Dog Days of Summer by Rachelle Ayala

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

I hope everyone is fine this Labor Day Weekend. We're breaking heat records in the San Francisco Bay Area with the mercury IN THE CITY topping 106 and over 115 inland. Weather sure is strange this year, and of course, we're still praying for the people of Texas as they recover from Hurricane Harvey, and watching for Hurricane Irma. God Bless the USA and we hold up our hands in prayer.

This summer was hard for me after losing my aunt who was diagnosed with breast cancer in June and passed in August. Writing didn't seem to bring the usual joy, and after publishing Going Gets Hot earlier, it was a long slog to write Summer Love Puppy -- one of my darkest stories about two smokejumpers in a love to hate, second chance, secret child, lost dog romance. Does that get any stranger? Anyway, Summer Love Puppy is available for Pre-Order for 99c [regular price $2.99]

And, since I'm so behind on my schedule, I'm sort of glad the summer heat has extended into September. So, during these last dog days of summer, and before all of the Christmas craze hits, I'm working on my next Hart Family Sweet Romance, Dog Days of Love. This one is lighter-hearted, I promise, and features a high-achieving psychologist (heroine) with a happy-go-lucky charmer (Dale Hart) who walks her dogs and wants to win her heart.

Oh! Before I forget. I just found out Playing for the Save, a love story between an aging baseball player, a single mother, and her sons, one with autism, won the 2017 Readers Favorite Gold Award in Realistic Fiction.

So, how are you spending the last days of summer? Did you know that they call it the Dog Days of Summer not because it is so hot that dogs lie around panting on the asphalt, but because of the Dog Star, Sirius, rising right before the sun, during the hottest time of the year. So enjoy these last sweltering days, take your sweetheart on a walk on the beach, or the kids off to the swimming pool, or even hoofing it through an air-conditioned mall. [They sent out cell phone alerts on Friday telling people to go to the nearest cooling stations - libraries, hospitals, malls.] So stay cool out there! Or if it's already cool in your neck of the woods, enjoy the coming fall weather. Aloha, Rachelle

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

High School Reunions and Old Friends

There's something really special about going to class reunions and partying with the people you grew up with. For one thing, you're still around! And these days, that's a real plus. Add to that, these are people who knew you when you were a little tyke, AND they were witnesses to all your tantrums and embarrassing moments and they're still smiling. I've thought a lot about what a reunion means and realized that for people who grew up in a big city, a big, anonymous city, our high school is the equivalent of the small town we never knew. In that high school, going back to junior high and elementary school are people you knew since kindergarten. Teachers, friends, parents, and classmates.

Once we leave high school, we leave the only "small town" we ever knew and end up in "the world." How sad, but at the same time, how wonderful to know that we still had the community within the high school--the football team, the spirit, the togetherness, and the friendships.

Here are some pictures from my reunion. [I'm the one with the glasses, long hair and red blouse].

"I see you as the kindergartner I met in the sandbox. I see you as the third grader hanging on the rings and the fifth grader socking the sockball out of the field. I see you in junior high school playing in the orchestra or running the mile, and I see you in high school yelling your heart out with the Pep Club. I see you at eighteen going out into the world with that unquenchable Banning Pilot Spirit. And now, I still see you, my friend, with all your wisdom, love, tears, and experience. And I love you because being with you brings us back to those unforgettable days when we all cheered for ol' Banning High, in unity and victory." - Clare Chu, writing as USA Today Bestselling Author, Rachelle Ayala

Speaking of small towns, come with me to my favorite fictional town in Nebraska, Sapphire Falls, where Amber and Chad, two nerdy scientists, get makeovers and a new start during the Summer Festival. [This book is a sweet romance, although other books in the series are not].

GOING GETS HOT

One more thing! Remember the Summer Book Blast in July?
http://www.sweetromancereads.com/2017/07/rachelle-ayala-july-book-blast-6-free.html

The Winners of a Free Sweet audiobook are Stephanie Coutts and librarypat, please contact me using the contact form at my website: http://rachelleayala.net

ALSO, you may choose one of the following three sweet audiobooks.

Rachelle Ayala - July Book Blast #6 - FREE and 99 cents #SweetRomance

Welcome to Sweet Romance Reads July Book Blast! If you like Christmas in July, check out my award winning book, A Father for Christmas, 99c everywhere.

A Father for Christmas (Veteran's Christmas #1) - 99 cents [News Flash! it is FREE at Google Play]

A homeless veteran meets a single mother whose daughter asks Santa for an unusual gift.

Christmas Lovebirds (Have a Hart #1) - FREE everywhere)

Can two little lovebirds and Christmas cheer open Melisa’s heart to giving Rob another chance?

Subscribe to my Sweet Newsletter and get two more FREE books.  http://smarturl.it/SweetRachelle 

I'm currently working on Summer Love Puppy, Book #6 in my Have a Hart Series, and I recently released my sweet paranormal romance (paperback only), Black Tied: Love Charmed Romance.

Coming up end of July is a sweet Sapphire Falls Kindle World story, Going Gets Hot, where two geeky scientists arrive in Sapphire Falls in time for the Summer Festival. Hot with new clothes and makeovers, they get more attention than they bargained for. [Add it to your Goodreads. This one is sweet, but the preceding stories are steamy].

Giveaway!

And now, for my Giveaway. For a chance to win Audiobooks of Christmas Lovebirds or A Father for Christmas, please tell me in the comments which state or town/city/region would be an ideal location for a series of sweet romances. [Winners will be chosen August 1, to give everyone a chance to enter].

My Husband's Birthday and Audiobooks

Today is my husband Jose's birthday! It's pretty awesome to think that I've been with him for 60% of his life. While real life romance is definitely not as well-packaged as a storybook one, it is sweet, vivid, rocky, exhilarating, familiar, strange, comforting, and as many adjectives as you can add. We know so much about each other, but there are still mysterious nooks and corners that can surprise and thrill: new ventures and hobbies, places to go, and of course finding unexpected facets of love and romance.

So, let's wish my husband a happy birthday today! [And a picture of us over 40 years ago]

What does it have to do with audiobooks? You say... Well, it's something new I'm doing this year. I have over 40 published titles and now is the time to catch up. Last fall, after I became a USA Today bestselling author, readers have been asking for audio. It all felt daunting at the time, not to mention expensive! But after careful consideration, I prayed about it and with halting steps of trepidation mingled with hope, I picked two books to turn into audio.

I also had to explain to my husband that I would be losing money this year [unless something surprising happens], and he had to buy into this. I'm hoping that by investing in audiobooks this year, I can help supplement our income once he retires. But of course, that is a promise for the future that may not bear fruit.  Being together over forty years is no guarantee he'd agree with me putting out so much money that may not pay off, at least for the short term.

With my husband's blessing and some eye-rolling as he watches and listens to me laugh and play my audiobook drafts over and over like a toddler replaying Barney, I stepped up and my first Veteran's Christmas book, A Father For Christmas, winner of the 2015 Readers' Favorite Gold Award for Christian romance is now available on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes Audio.

So far, the reviews have been great, and I really, really love the way my narrator, Elizabeth Klett, did little Bree's voice. It makes you want to go through the speakers and hug her. More sweet stories will be coming soon, including Christmas Lovebird and Christmas Stray.

Happy Birthday, Jose, and thanks for the love and encouragement that makes all of this possible! Love you, honey!