Second Chances, 99 cents - by Magdalena Scott

Spring is a great time for second chances, and renewal of all sorts. I wanted to share with you a 99 cent sale (through April 30th) on one of the books in The McClains of Legend, Tennessee Series.

Anne and Pete's story is what we call a "seasoned romance." In fact, both the hero and heroine are 50+.

~Trying to escape their painful past, 

Anne and Pete move to the middle of nowhere...and find each other.~

Anne McClain Bradley has returned to Legend, Tennessee after a personal tragedy sent her successful, well-ordered life reeling. Midnight Shelby McClain has offered Anne the apartment over The Emporium, and Anne is cautiously hopeful that her heart, and her family connections in Legend, can heal.

Pete Garrity is new in Legend, having been hired as the general manager of The Legend Post-Dispatch by the newspaper's elderly owner. Pete has a past he won't discuss, and hasn't gotten close to anybody in town. As a hideaway, Legend seemed perfect. Now Pete finds himself stuck in Legend with no way out, and worries that his career is finished. What a surprise when Anne Bradley turns up in Legend--she might be just the answer to his dilemma. But every time Anne looks at Pete, she's reminded of the pain she came here to escape.

Legend has a way of healing broken hearts, no matter how longstanding the brokenness. But first one must believe in possibilities...for second chances, and for moving forward with hope.

iBooks ~ Kindle ~ Kobo ~ Nook 

Here's to second chances for all of us!

Happy reading,

Magdalena

USA Today Bestselling Author Magdalena Scott writes sweet romance and romantic women's fiction. A lifelong resident of Small Town America, she invites readers into her world to find out what’s hidden just below the surface of those tiny dots barely visible on the map. Romance, mystery, and the journey to be one's best self are all part of a day in her neighborhood. Readers have commented that they'd like to move to the imaginary towns Magdalena writes about, which she takes as high praise indeed.


Magdalena is a practicing minimalist, having downsized from a 3,000 square foot house to a studio apartment, where her Giant Closet continues to resist taming. When not writing at home, she loves to travel--carryon baggage only--and is always pleasantly surprised at the kindness of strangers.

Be sure to join the authors of Sweet Romance reads for our annual Mothers Day Party on Facebook.

Holiday Babies Series new releases, 99c, @MonaRiskS #SweetRomance

To my friends and readers,

Happy New Year.
Wishing you health and happiness in the coming year.

Here are two new releases that are sure to bring you smiles, tears and laughter. I hope you will enjoy these two sweet stories as much as many readers did.

5.0 out of 5 stars

By sandybar57

This is a fabulous book in the Holiday Babies Series! The author held my attention from the very beginning, with me shedding mostly happy tears throughout the story.

5.0 out of 5 stars

By Jen Craig This book was sweet and charming and reaffirms that it is worth giving people second chance and that true love will prevail. I loved this story and highly recommend it.

~~~~~~~~~

Book 6 of Holiday Babies Series: Available on Amazon
Prequel to Holiday Babies Series: Available on Amazon

 5.0 out of 5 stars

By Loves Reading

 Another wonderful heartwarming romance in the holiday babies series from Mona Risk. Lovely to catch up with the characters and a lovely happy ending for Christmas.

 

5.0 out of 5 stars

By Joanne

Beautiful story about endings and new beginnings. Mona Risk has written another winner. The sweet promise of young love between Heather and Jeff will have you rooting for them all... Read more

Fun and Lots of Food at the State Fair - Denise Devine

Summer is almost over. It went by fast, didn’t it? Though I hate to see it go, I'm glad it always ends with “The Great Minnesota Get-Together” at the state fair. Our state fair is one of the top five blue ribbon fairs in the country with attendance totaling about two million visitors over the ten-day event, ending on Labor Day. I love the fair and go almost every year with my family.

Misty in front of the butter sculptures

The main attraction is, of course, the food! Everything comes on a stick and is usually deep-fried, but it’s hard to resist. The moment you walk through the entrance you’re in junk food heaven—pronto pups, cheese curds, French fries by the bucket, pizza, bacon-wrapped turkey drumsticks, foot-long hot dogs, pork chop on a stick, to name a few. We even have tater tot hot dish on a stick! (Don’t ask me how they manage that one. I’ve never had it.) I can’t even begin to name all of the desserts, but some of the most popular ones are the mini-donuts, Sweet Martha’s chocolate chip cookies, the Minneapple (deep-fried) Pie and of course, who can resist the caramel apples, deep-fried Twinkies and Snickers Bars? Yikes! I’m getting sugar overload just listing them!



 Me and Smokey the Bear in the DNR Building

There are a lot of fun things to do besides eat. We always walk through the horse barns. I love looking at the beautiful horses. Then we visit the miracle birth center and see all of the newborn farm animals. It’s hot in there and packed with people, but I can’t resist looking at all of the sweet baby lambs, piglets and calves. We check out the DNR Building, the Heritage Center, the International Bazaar and spend some time at the band shells, listening to live music. One of my favorites is the Creative Arts Building. My daughter, Misty, and I look at all of the handmade quilts, sweaters, clothing and needlework. Every year I gaze at those jars of homemade jams and tell myself I’m going to learn how to do that.

This year I went to the horticulture building and collected all the information I could find on creating a sustainable flower garden for native bees and butterflies. I got some free wildflower seeds and bought a home grown apple. I went to the health fair and stepped on the scale... (Oops. I’ll diet tomorrow!)

That’s my “end of summer” ritual. What’s yours? A vacation or family reunion at the cabin?

 

Denise Devine is an award-winning author of inspirational romance and sweet romantic comedy. You can visit her at www.deniseannettedevine.com



 

This Time Forever is available at Amazon.com

Second Chances

I believe in second chances. In fact, I love second chances. A few months ago, Sweet Romance Reads writer Aileen Fish (whose historical romances I just adore!) wrote a post about how she prefers stories of new romance between strangers. I've been thinking about that for quite a while. 

There's definitely much to be said for not revisiting the past. Anyone who's ever had the urge to Google an old flame (don't tell me you've never done it!) must suspect some things are best left behind.

I'm all for appreciating what I've got right now, this moment, in front of me. Wondering what might have been, who I might be if ... and where the people from my past are now isn't really a pick me up. If anything, I've learned it is usually a sign that there's something in my present that I'm avoiding dealing with.

In fact, although the first book I ever published was a reunion romance, I don't even write them anymore. (At present, anyway.) Like I said, I do best when I focus on the now.

But if I think of the romances I've loved, the ones I read over and over again, the ones that stick with me and warm my heart, year after year, there's an obvious overrepresentation of second-chance, long-lost love stories. Remember Far Pavillions? Catch me as I swoon.

There are few things I love more than a real-life reunion story. Like that of my friend's mother who is getting married next month. She and her fiancé met in 1951. They went to the same school, the same summer camp, the same college. They studied related fields. They were active in similar volunteer programs. They dated. They married -- other people -- and even visited with their families and exchanged holiday cards. Then they lost touch in 1976.

Unbeknownst to each other, she moved from the East Coast to California. So did he. She got divorced. So did he. She changed careers and became a spiritual counselor. He changed careers and became a pastor. She moved to New Mexico. So did he.

Then in 2013, he looked her up on Facebook. (Yeah, I know ... trolling the past. I guess it doesn't always backfire ...)

It turned out they lived only miles apart. And now ten months later, they're finally engaged to be married. It only took them 63 years to get together. Some might mourn the decades they might have had with each other. But they prefer to look at the present and their future. They might not have forever past, but they've still got forever after.

Which is what matters.

I think the reason the story makes me so happy is that it shows that sometimes, things really can be corrected and made right. We're not perfect. Even in long lasting marriages, there's room for second chances at getting things right and occasionally rediscovering the person we first fell in love with.

So here's to second chances. Or however many of them we may need to craft our happily ever after!

What's your favorite second-chance novel? 

And you authors out there - have you written any recently? I'm always on the lookout for more to read! 

Milou Koenings writes romance because, like chocolate, stories with a happy ending bring more joy into the world and so make it a better place.

Her new release, Reclaiming Home, A Green Pines Romance, is available at Amazon. You can find her on her website, www.miloukoenings.com, on Facebook, Goodreads or Twitter.

The Romance of Our Lives by Aileen Fish

 In the comments on Raine English’s post on new beginnings, Helen Scott Taylor recently mentioned second chance romances as a favorite of hers, and I commented that I don’t read them as often as I do strangers meeting. To me, second chances make me look back in my own past and think about meeting one of my past loves again. My feeling on that is there’s a reason they are in my past!

I know I’m not in the majority on that, and that’s what I love about reading romance. We have choices. First love, second chances, friends to lovers, matchmaking gone awry…there is something for everyone, isn’t there?

It’s apparent I think in terms of my own life when reading. What about you? Do you find yourself choosing books by how they relate to your life? If you married your childhood sweetheart, are first-love stories your favorite? If you’re still single or single again, do you gravitate toward older heroines or second chances?

Aileen Fish is the author of the contemporary western series Small Town Sweethearts and Regency historical series The Bridgethorpe Brides. She tends to write about first love, while sneaking in mature romances in the background. Her upcoming The Cowgirl and the Geek is due out April 1st.

You can find her at http://aileenfish.com and on Facebook