Saying Goodbye to Characters by Merrillee Whren

On July 25, the fifth book in my Front Porch Promises series, A BABY TO CALL OURS, will release. It is available for pre-order now at a discounted price. The price goes up on release day, so reserve your copy now. Here are the buy links. Amazon. Barnes & Noble.

For months I have lived with Jimmy and Kelsey. I've been in their heads and inside their skin in order to write their story. Sometimes they make me laugh and other times they make me cry. I hope my readers will have the same reaction. When a book is finished, it's time to move on to a new set of characters, but I often find it hard to let go of these imaginary people I've had in my mind for so long.

All of my Front Porch Promises books have front porches on the covers. No people. I know readers love to see what the characters look like, but many times I can't find photos that represent the people in my head. These two photos come close to capturing Jimmy and Kelsey.

Jimmy and Kelsey's story came alive to me just as I was finishing the previous book in the series, A SONG TO CALL OURS. In that book, Jimmy and Kelsey are secondary characters. I knew they were going to be the hero and heroine of the next book, but I had no idea how they would fall in love. The marriage of convenience storyline trickled into my mind and wouldn't let go, even though I wasn't sure that's what I wanted to write. But the idea camped out in my thoughts and wouldn't go away. We were traveling in Australia and New Zealand at the time, and while I looked at spectacular scenery, their story slowly came to life.

So in saying goodbye to Jimmy and Kelsey, I'm saying hello to my next hero and heroine, Jeremy and Whitney, again secondary characters, who get their own story. Right now I'm trying to figure out how to redeem Whitney, who isn't a very likable character in A BABY TO CALL OURS. I'm sure she'll find her redemption just as Jimmy and Kelsey did.

Do you like characters who are deeply flawed? Why or why not?

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  thirty-five plus years, and has two grown daughters. Connect with her on her Facebook page and sign up for her newsletter.

Waxing Nostalgic

This past weekend, I gave a workshop at the Saratoga Romance Writers of America's annual retreat, which got me waxing nostalgic. I belonged to the Saratoga chapter when I made my first book sale. That prompted me to bring a couple copies of my first-sale book to the retreat book signing – I sold one – and to write this first-sale blog.

Sorry for the tilt and glare.
It's affixed to the wall.

In a land long ago and not so far away, there was a young mother who had fairly recently discovered and fallen in love with romance novels. So, what did she do? Being a writer – tax and financial news – by profession, she wrote one, finding that fiction writing is much different than news writing. I’m sure you’ve figured out that young mother was me. My romance author dream was to sell to Silhouette Romance, Harlequin’s old sweet romance line. I sent my story, Bachelor Father off to Silhouette and quickly received a form rejection letter. But a friend in my local writers group told me about another sweet romance publisher, Avalon Books, that provided hardcover books to libraries.

I submitted Bachelor Father to them and waited and waited and waited, meanwhile starting another sweet romance, Mandy and the Mayor. I submitted the first three chapters of that book to the New Jersey Romance Writers Put Your Heart in Book Contest and finaled in the contemporary romance category.

Off I went to the NJ Romance Writers conference, my first romance writers conference, with an appointment to meet with Erin Cartwright, the very new Editorial Director at Avalon Books. I wanted to find out what was going on with Bachelor Father. I won first place in the contest. At my editor appointment, Erin was very interested in Mandy and the Mayor and disappointed that I had only the first three chapters written. Then, I told her I had another submission at Avalon Books. She said she’d look at it as soon as she got back to the office on Monday.

True to her word, Erin called me at my day job Tuesday with an offer. I’d like to say I went home with my news and my family was jumping up and down excited for me. But we’re kind of low key. Their universal reaction was, “you said you were going to sell a romance novel, so we knew you would.”

I've since gotten the rights back for Bachelor Father and two of my other Avalon hardcovers and reissued them as eBooks. For anyone who hasn't read Bachelor Father yet, the eBook is 99 cents through March 20.

 

BUY: ALL VENDORS

A Marriage of Convenience

Brett Cahill is a typical bachelor. Someday he'll settle down with a wife and have kids--but just not yet. Then, his sister and her husband are killed in an accident, leaving him with Jake, the Korean toddler they were in the process of adopting. But in order for Brett's application to be approved he needs to be a married man and kiss his bachelor days good-bye.

Adoption caseworker Molly Hennessey is determined to place every child in her caseload in a happy home with two loving parents--the type of caring home she's always dreamed of having herself. Determined, that is, until Brett Cahill comes along and disproves her lifelong perceptions of single parents.Molly holds the power to give herself the home she's always longed for and to give Brett what he wants most--little Jake. But will she realize it in time?

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Book Ideas ~ They're Everywhere by Jean C. Gordon

To ring in the new year, I'm pulling out my first three books to answer a question authors are often asked: Where do you get your ideas? For me, the answer is easy, from things in my everyday life.

The idea for Bachelor Father came from our experience adopting our son from Korea. There was another family further along in the adoption process in which the adoptive mother had died just short of six months after their baby had arrived~the time requirement required to finalize the adoption. The Korean adoption agency was very strict about it's rule of only allowing married couples to adopt its children. The father was fighting to keep his son.

Love Undercover comes from an article I read in The  Wall Street Journal at my then day job as a financial writer. It was about a financial planner who had scammed numerous older people out of their life savings.

Mandy and the Mayor is a product of my interest in local current events, my daughter's stint in Americorp, and my preference for small-town life over city life. I've done both.

It you check your local library, you might find the original hardcover versions of the books. They've since been republished as my eBook series UPSTATE NY . . . where love is a little sweeter.

Bachelor Father (Book One)

Brett Cahill is a typical bachelor. Someday he'll settle down with a wife and have kids—but just not yet. Then, his sister and her husband are killed in an accident, leaving him with Jake, the Korean toddler they were in the process of adopting. But for Brett's application to be approved he needs to be a married man and kiss his bachelor days good-bye.Adoption caseworker Molly Hennessey is determined to place every child in her caseload in a happy home with two loving parents—the type of caring home she's always dreamed of having herself. Determined, that is, until Brett comes along and disproves her lifelong perceptions of single parents.Molly holds the power to give herself the home she's always longed for and to give Brett what he wants most—little Jake. But will she realize it in time?  

Start the series with a FREE copy (Amazon only): Universal Link (to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, and Kobo)

Love Undercover (Book Two) 
A few too many messy divorce cases and custody battles have convinced Tina Cannon to change her specialty from family law to financial planning and move her young daughter out of the city to a place that has the small town values Tina grew up with. So the offer from her Uncle Jack to join his planning practice in Genesee, her hometown, couldn't have come at a better time. Tina is in for a few surprises, though, not the least of which is her perplexingly uncooperative and devastatingly attractive first client Devon O'Neil. Devon has ties to Genesee too. But they aren't as pleasant as Tina's. This is where his grandmother died nearly penniless, bilked out of her hard-earned nest egg by an unscrupulous financial planner—Uncle Jack. Devon, a private investigator, devises a plan to expose Jack by posing as a lottery winner looking for financial guidance. Tina, however, is upsetting his plan. She's Jack's niece and in business with him, so she must be a crook, too, right? So, why does he seem so intent on proving her innocent instead of guilty? With Tina's widowed father playing matchmaker in the background, she faces off with Devon in the securities fraud investigation that raises more than a few sparks and teaches them both that while appearances can be deceiving, love shines true.  

Buy: Universal Link

Mandy and the Mayor (Book Three)
The last place Mandy Harris would choose to spend her summer is Whitmore Mills, a sleepy village in the Adirondack Mountains. She far prefers city life. But the village needs a director for its summer recreation program, and the deal is too good to pass up. The compensation includes a grant to pay off her student loans, and the experience will look great on her teaching resume. The only difficult part is her boss, Mayor Whitmore. Thaddeus Whitmore is intent on vindicating his family name and returning prosperity to his dying hometown. His father plunged the community into economic decline when he closed the family lumber mill to meet the divorce demands of his "trophy" wife.  Thad’s remedy is to turn the old mill buildings into a high-class resort.  He has studiously planned for every imaginable obstacle except the arrival of Mandy Harris. While Thad’s great Aunt Aggie plays matchmaker, Mandy and Thad clash on everything, from her hiring, to her recreation programs, to his resort plans. More than a few sparks fly in the process. But are they enough to burn through Mandy and Thad’s differences and ignite the flame of everlasting love?  

Buy: Universal Link

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For Amazon bestselling sweet and inspirational author Jean C. Gordon, writing is a natural extension of her love of reading. From that day in first grade when she realized t-h-e was the word the, she’s been reading everything she can put h hands on. Jean and her college-sweetheart husband share a 175-year-old farmhouse in Upstate New York—where she sets her books—with their daughter and her family. Their son lives nearby. Connect with Jean on Facebook, as @JeanCGordon on Twitter, or on JeanCGordon.com.

Lyn Cote Reviews Winnie Griggs' The Proper Wife

I'm happy to share another special Sweet Romance.

The Proper Wife by Winnie Griggs

 My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 This wasn't my first Winnie Griggs' Love Inspired Historical. Winnie appears to excel with stories where a free-spirited heroine meets an uptight hero or vice versa. This book is a story of the former romance.

Sadie Lassiter is the free-spirited heroine and Eli Reynolds is the uptight hero. Eli wants and thinks he needs to find a proper wife who will be a good step-aunt to the little sister in his care. And Sadie is not even on his long list much less his short list. She's too carefree and too casual and not the least interested in housekeeping.

Then a storm strands them together for a night and the gossips put their heads together. Eli's plans and Sadie's plans go out the window when Eli proposes marriage to avert scandal. However, it seems that this marriage might be in God's plans for both of them.

 A fun read with a delightful heroine who is a match for the very proper Mr. Reynolds!


  View all my reviews  

  QUESTION: Do you like free-spirited heroines? Why or why not?--Lyn

Lyn Cote Reviews an Amish Romance, A Wedding for Julia

A Wedding for Julia by Vannetta Chapman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm not a regular Amish reader but I've enjoyed two of Vannetta Chapman's Amish romances, The Christmas Quilt and now this book.

This is a tried and true romance trope, THE MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE. I always enjoy these stories where people fall in love after they are married.

In Indiana, Julia is an only child of parents who were blessed with her in their later years. She's a dutiful child but one with a dream, to run an Amish cafe in her home.

All seems smooth till she discovers that upon her mother's death UNLESS SHE IS MARRIED she will be homeless and must go to her parent's relatives in PA, a place she's never known.

At the age of 37, she does not want to leave her hometown but the only way she can stay is if she marries.

Enter Caleb, the man who delivers her groceries every week (I think many of us would like that service!). Caleb is a newcomer from the Amish PA and has admired Julia from afar. He has long given up the idea of marriage till he find Julia in tears.

And mix in an Amish teen suffering from betrayal by someone she loved. This adds another dimension to this charming story.

This is an especially tender romance with a stirring climax. I highly recommend this story to those who enjoy Amish as well as those who enjoy a sweet romance! Do you enjoy Amish stories?--Lyn

View all my reviews

BTW, HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR OUR SWEET ROMANCE READS NEWSLETTER YET? The second of our three yearly issues will come out in June--OUR SUMMER READS issue. This will feature a few very short NEW romance stories and info about our authors and their latest books. Look to your right for NEWSLETTER SIGN UP and enter your email. It's that EZ!

Christmas Cruising - A Yearly Tradition

Nearly every year my husband, Steve, and I take a cruise in December. It’s our Christmas present to each other. We usually settle on a five-seven day cruise in the Caribbean, but this year we decided to do something different. We went to the Panama Canal and South America on the Island Princess.

The trip included five days at sea and five ports of call—Aruba, Cartagena, Panama Canal and Colon, Limon and Ocho Rios.

Our favorite stop was the Panama Canal and a trip through the Panamanian rainforest. Early in the morning, special canal pilots boarded the ship to steer it through the locks. As our ship entered the Gatun locks (there are three), Steve and I stood on the balcony of our room and watched the process while the sun came up. It was an interesting scene. The canal is 50 miles long, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Isthmus of Panama, but once we went through the locks, our ship only traveled as far as Gatun Lake. The port lecturer on the ship provided a running commentary over the loudspeaker as we passed through, giving us plenty of detail.

Once we entered Gatun Lake, we left the ship and were tendered to shore to meet our tour bus for our trip to the rainforest. This is a view of the Gamboa rainforest (inside the Soberania national forest) from the main balcony of the Rainforest Resort, looking out at the Chagres River. We stopped there for a few minutes on the way to the aerial tram that took us across the jungle canopy (where we saw sloths sleeping in the trees and listened to toucans calling each other). The view of the rainforest is amazing! Panama has set aside one quarter of their country as protected lands so there is plenty to see.

At the end of the tram ride through the jungle canopy we encountered a visitor, just hanging around, waiting for nice tourists to provide free treats.

This little guy is a “Coati,” a mix of raccoon and anteater. He was quite the little extrovert, standing on his haunches to reach up as I fed him a chunk of banana.

By the time we finished the tour, it began to rain steadily. I grabbed my umbrella and spent a couple minutes just strolling around. I figured I might never experience a shower in that rainforest again and I wanted to enjoy it while I could. Perhaps one day I’ll be fortunate enough to see the Amazon rainforest. I certainly hope so.

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 Denise Devine is a USA TODAY bestselling author who has had a passion for books since she discovered Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder in second grade. She wrote her first book, a mystery, at age thirteen and has been writing ever since. Merry Christmas, Darling is a light romantic comedy and the first book in the "Counting Your Blessings" series. She's currently hard at work on book two. To find out more about Denise, please visit her at www.deniseannettedevine.com