Dance Like a Chicken Day by Merrillee Whren

These quirky holidays are fun to talk about. Who knew there was a special day to celebrate this crazy dance, which is often part of the dancing at a wedding reception?

I love to include weddings in my books. In my latest book, HOMECOMING BLESSINGS, there are two weddings. The heroine's father, who has been a widower for years, gets married. This book was originally published over 10 years ago by Steeple Hill Books, which is now known as Harlequin Love Inspired. As I updated the book for reissue, I decided to add an epilogue to the story that included the wedding of the hero and heroine, since this is the last book in the Dalton Brothers series.

I also added a connection to my previous series about the little fictional town of Kellersburg, located in southwest Ohio. The new connection is Caroline Keller, the sister of Nathan Keller, the hero of Hometown Dad, the third book in the Kellersburg series. I'll be adding to the Kellersburg series with Caroline's story. How is Caroline connected to Homecoming Blessings? She is a friend of Ashley Hiatt, the heroine of Homecoming Blessings.

Here's where you can preorder HOMECOMING BLESSINGS. 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R81Z5N1

B&N: http://bit.ly/2Llx7PD
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1462683094
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2DXFkDK

Have you ever done the chicken dance at a wedding? Do you like to have two different book series connected in some way?

I will give away an ebook copy of the first book in the Kellersburg series, Hometown Promise, to one person who leaves a comment. I will draw the winning name on May 16 at 9 PM MST.

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.

Love Songs by Merrillee Whren

When it's my day to blog, I always have to figure out what I'm going to talk about. Will the things that interest me interest people who stop by the blog? That is the ultimate question. I hope today's post will be something that piques your interest.

I've been working on a story about Max Reynolds, a guy who has a lot of bad things going on his life. I've written a scene in which he's at an open mic event where he's listening to different acts including his step-cousin who is singing. A lot of the performers are singing love songs, many of them reminding him of the demise of his love life. Here's one that his step-cousin sings.

 You see how that song would make him think of a lost love. He also has to listen to this song.

My hero find no comfort in the fact that these songs show others suffering because of love, as well. He also takes no solace in a lively song about love gone right.

I'm not always familiar with the latest pop tunes, but I can thank my daughter for introducing the following song to me. The video is a fun compilation of some movie dance scenes.

The line from the song that says, "I don't know how it happened," represents the hero's thoughts about his new romantic feelings for the heroine, whom he blames for the break-up with his long-time girlfriend.

This book, A LOVE TO CALL MINE, is a sequel to A PLACE TO CALL HOME, which is available now. You can click on the link to learn more about it.

Do you have a favorite love song? Do you and your significant other have a special song?

Merrillee Whren is the winner of the 2003Golden Heart Award presented by Romance Writers of American. She is married to her own personal hero, her husband of  thirty-five plus years, and has two grown daughters. Her latest book, Second Chance Reunion, is available at all major book retailers. You can find the buy links at her website. Connect with her on her Facebook page.

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Romance under the Moon by Merrillee Whren

These are some photos I took of the full moon rising over the mountains near my home. I wish my camera could have captured the magnificent spectacle in a better way.

The full moon is sometimes associated with romance. Here is a stanza from Irving Berlin's "Let's Face the Music and Dance."

"There may be trouble ahead 

But while there's moonlight 

And music and love and romance 

Let's face the music and dance."

Think of these romantic scenes. A dance in the moonlight. A walk on the beach in the moonlight. A proposal in the light of a full moon. Walking hand-in-hand through a park in the moonlight. A canoe ride on a lake in the moonlight. A horseback ride in the light of a full moon.

Which one is your favorite? Or can you think of one I didn't name?