Meeting Deadlines by Raine English

As an author, I’m used to working with deadlines. However, meeting them can still be a challenge. No matter how well I plan, something always comes up that threatens to throw me off course. It could be a family issue or a health matter.

One time it was a tree falling on the house. Not only did it knock out our power, but it came down across the driveway, crushing one of the cars and blocking the rest of them in. That issue presented a huge challenge. Somehow, I managed to get my work done on time, though. It was after that I realized it’s how we deal with our problems that’s most important. Over the years, I’ve learned to stay calm and focused. That’s what works best for me.

I had the opportunity to reiterate that philosophy to my daughter when she called me from college a few days ago in a panic because she hadn’t yet started the paper she had due the next day. After I convinced her that she could do it, she turned her paper in on time. Granted, she had to stay up all night, but she’s done that many times in the past. What college student hasn’t? However, she later found out her professor had granted her class an extension that had been posted on line. She’d missed it because she was so focused on her paper. But the important thing was that she got the job done when she didn’t think she would.

We all have deadlines of one form or another that can stress us out. How do you meet your deadlines?

~*~

USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Raine English writes sweet small-town romance, paranormal, and Gothic romantic suspense. She’s a Daphne de Maurier Award winner and a Golden Heart finalist. Her books have made the Top 100 Bestseller lists at both Amazon and Barnes & Noble. To learn more about Raine, visit her website. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

The Simple Things in Life

By Margaret Daley

Not long ago I was under an intense deadline and working everyday, feeling worn out and ready for a break. And yet i didn't have time to take a break. Thankfully the sun came out. I went to the window and looked outside. This bush below is what I saw and instantly my spirits lifted.

That made me stop and think about what controls my mood. In the end I decided I can't control a lot of things, but I can control how I respond to something—what I feel. It made me start looking at things differently. The simple things in life can bring a lot of joy.

A smile and kindness from a friend or even a stranger.

Seeing a beautiful flower or...

bird.

Playing, loving and having pets.

Family and...

friends.

It can be the simple and everyday things that can make us happy. When life gets tough and you would like to hide from it, think and enjoy those simple things in life that make you smile. Even if we can't stop for a long time, these brief times can rejuvenate us so we can continue to do the work that has to be done.

What rejuvenates you?

Margaret Daley is a USA Today bestselling author with over ninety books published and 5 million books sold. Her latest book is To Save Her Child, a Love Inspired Suspense. 

Blurb for to Save Her Child:

In Search of Her Son 

When a young boy goes missing from wilderness day camp, Alaskan search and rescue worker Josiah Witherspoon is on the case. The brooding ex-marine promises to find the child and return him to his worried mother. But he doesn't know that Ella Jackson has a secret past. One that could put them all in danger. When tensions mount, Ella needs to tell Josiah the truth—but she can't set aside her fears enough to trust him. Ella and Josiah are ready to risk their lives to save her son, but will they risk their hearts, as well?  

Alaskan Search and Rescue: Risking their lives to save the day 

Do you like to talk books? by Alicia Street

Do you join in conversations on Goodreads? Or Google +? Yahoo groups? As a reader, I often find new-to-me books on Twitter or comment on a Facebook post that’s about something I’ve just read. I know authors who love visual images on Pinterest and meet readers through boards that focus on a shared interest.

One of the things I love about online communities is that you can share

coffee with someone who lives hundreds of miles away, or maybe thousands, or even on the other side of the planet.

Okay, maybe we can’t actually share real coffee, but we can exchange thoughts and ideas and experiences. Swap recipes. Laugh about goofy things that happen in our day-to-day lives. Gush over a moving novel we’ve just finished. Most of us take it for granted because we do it every day, but when a reader in Malaysia or Australia or clear across America sends me an email or a tweet or a Facebook message telling me about a part of my book that touched on something in her life, I can’t help but be thrilled.

So I’m excited about the Sweet Romance Reads Café—a new place to hang out and chat with authors and readers who like romance novels on the sweet side. Aside from good company, SRR authors will be posting contests and giveaways. The group is brand new, so come on over and help us get things rolling. 

You can join here – Sweet Romance Reads Café

What kinds of cyber conversations are your favorite?

                                                          ~*~

Alicia Street is a USA Today bestselling author and a Daphne du Maurier award-winner. She spent many years as a dancer, choreographer and teacher and is a compulsive reader of every genre. You can connect with Alicia at her website or visit her on Facebook or Twitter.

Jury Duty by Merrillee Whren

I am writing this post a few days ahead of my post day which is the 14th of every month, so as of this writing, I don't know whether I will actually have to report for jury duty on April 14, 2015, which is today on the blog.

As a writer I think jury duty could be inspiration for a story, but on the other hand, it will keep me from the book I am currently working on. So I have mixed feelings about the prospect. I've had to report for jury duty three other times, once in Georgia, once in Texas and once in Florida.

In Georgia, I actually got selected for a jury in a civil case in which a woman was suing the man who hit her in a car accident. Sitting in the court room as part of a jury is a fascinating experience. In this particular case, the judge seemed bored and the plaintiff's attorney came across as combative. I don't believe he helped his client. The jury did find for the plaintiff, but the reward was not close to what they were asking. So in a sense, the defendant, in my opinion, was the real winner.

In Texas, I spent the entire day at the courthouse, but I was not chosen to serve on the jury for the case that had a patient suing a hospital. I knew right from the beginning that I would never be picked for the jury because my husband worked for a healthcare company. That was a strike against me, but I still had to sit through the whole process. On the good side, while we were waiting I talked to some men who repaired elevators and discovered all kinds of information about what could happen if someone got stuck in an elevator. I used that information to write a scene in one of my books, but in the end, the scene got cut. But the experience taught me that you never know what you can learn from the people around you in any situation.

In Florida, I reported in the morning to a room filled with over a hundred people, but I was dismissed after less than an hour because they only had one case and enough of a jury pool before they got to me. Where I live now, I will only have to call in or check the website the night before to find out if I have to report.

Have you ever had to serve on a jury? What kind of case was it?

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.




 Have you signed up for our newsletter yet? It comes out three times a year, Valentine's Day, Summer and the December holiday issue.

Each issue features sweet romance flash fiction, delightful stories that will warm your heart. It also includes giveaways from our authors and news about their latest releases.

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History Close to Home by Aileen Fish

If you've seen my book list, you probably know how much I love history. I love to research it, find out what life was like for people in those times. My first favorite location to research in London in the early 1800s, the Regency era. I have yet to go there, but I can't own enough books about London.

Recently, I delved a little closer to home. Well, home a few years ago. I set a Civil War story in the Missouri Ozarks. I chose the location of Wilson's Creek because it had a battle there, and because I drove past the area going to and from work for about a year. Did I ever go visit Battlefield National Park? No. That would be too easy, right? I also didn't visit the Laura Ingles Wilder museum. Rather than experience the setting, I'm reading about it, just like London.

You'd think I'd write about the history close by, wouldn't you? Central California is rich with ghost towns, like Bodie. I went there once as a child with my family. I'm hoping to take my granddaughter when she's old enough to enjoy it.

We can go north to the gold rush towns, go south to the Spanish roots of Los Angeles. Take a weekend trip and visit the missions along the coast. I have a picture of me ringing a bell at some mission when a neighbor took her daughter and me to visit. I don't remember much about the trip, or any desire at the time to know more about the history.

I think we tend to overlook our backyards when we want to experience somewhere loaded in history. Or is it the glamor that calls to us? Kings and queens and dukes are much more exciting to read about than a ragtag bunch of men, whether they're fighting a battle or panning for gold.

Do you know the history of the town or city where you live? Have you toured any of the historical landmarks, or do you prefer to explore far from home? I'll give away an ebook copy of The Lieutenant's Promise, my Civil War novella set at Wilson's Creek, Missouri.

~*~

USA Today Bestselling Author Aileen Fish is an avid quilter and auto racing fan who finds there aren't enough hours in a day/week/lifetime to stay up with her "to do" list. There is always another quilt or story begging to steal away attention from the others. When she has a spare moment she enjoys spending time with her two daughters and their families, and her fairy princess granddaughter. Her books include The Bridgethorpe Brides series and the Small Town Sweethearts series.

Stay up to date with book releases at her website http://aileenfish.com or on Facebook.

~*~

Have you signed up for our newsletter yet? It comes out three times a year, Valentine's Day, Summer and the December holiday issue.

Each issue features sweet romance flash fiction, delightful stories that will warm your heart. It also includes giveaways from our authors and news about their latest releases.

Don't miss another issue. Scroll down the right side of our blog and enter your email address under Newsletter Signup.

Fairy Gardens and the Art of Distraction by Anna J Stewart

Greetings, Sweet Romance Readers!  Great to be back with you again.  :)

As I claw my way to my latest deadline (and trust me, that's how this book is feeling at this point, LOL), I find myself gazing out the window a lot. I'm in Northern CA, where I'm sure you've heard we're in the middle of a serious drought (as is all of CA). It's pretty bad. Like putting a bucket in the shower to save water to water the plants kind of bad.  But as I've been letting myself get distracted, I'm reminded that my back yard has gone from seriously neglected to completely desolate.

I am NOT a gardener. I can turn fake plants black, I swear. But I've recently discovered a new kind of gardening that I am dying to try (and yes, this could easily be a new form of procrastination).  I have a serious magical leaning...I love nature (despite that pesky black thumb) and the peace it gives me. Show  me tumbling waterfalls and lush green trees, let me take a walk in the woods with no one around and I'm a serious happy girl. Add in a wisp of fairies, and the idea of creating a fairy garden has got my creative juices flowing. Trying my hand at this might just get me over that gardening challenged hump while incorporating my (long lost) hobby of dollhouse miniatures.  How did I not know this was a thing?!

I can't decide if I want to live there or if I need to put up a sign for tenants. How cute is this?! Okay, surely I can find some hard to kill herbs, succulents,  and maybe throw some fake greenery in there...I can do this! I can see it now...lots of pots of different sizes, with different themes for different fairies...can you see me veering even further off the deadline course? Here I go....whee!

Tinkerbell will come calling (and maybe bring some magical inspiration with her) if something like this is in my yard, surely.  Or how about this? Every fairy needs a swimming hole, right?

Come on, book, don't fail me now, cause I've got something new to work on! I'll let you know if and how this progresses. It has to happen, because seriously, that back yard of mine is depressing. And nothing brings cheer like a little magic and some fairies.

How about you? What's your favorite distraction? I'd love to know.  :) Let me know in the comments and I'll choose one of you at random to receive a free e-copy of my first Lantano Valley novella, READING BETWEEN THE LINES.

Happy reading!
~Anna J

National bestselling author Anna J. Stewart can't remember a time she didn't have a book in her hands or a story in her head. Early obsessions with Star Wars, Star Trek and Wonder Woman set her on the path to creating fun, funny, and family centric romances with happily ever afters for the independent heroines she writes for both Harlequin Heartwarming (Butterfly Harbor series) and Berkley (The Tremayne Family Romances). Anna lives in Northern California where she deals with a serious Supernatural & Sherlock addiction, surrounds herself with friends and family and tolerates an overly affectionate cat named Snickers (or perhaps it's Snickers who tolerates her). Visit Anna online at www.authorannastewart.com.

Too Many Irons in the Fire by Shanna Hatfield

Have you ever ambled along at a comfortable pace only to suddenly discover the need to kick it up into a sprint and breathlessly race onward?

I've never been much of a sprinter (or a runner, or even a jogger), so this frantic, frenzied pace of late is not really my idea of a good time.

The last month has been so chaotic, I'm not sure some days if I'm coming or going. My efforts to cast the blame somewhere seem to end with the finger pointing at me. According to Captain Cavedweller, I have a hard time saying "no" while simultaneously operating under the delusional assumption that I can complete tasks at super-human speed.

Hmm. I guess that could be part of the problem.

It all started a few decades ago when my youngest niece was still in high school. Giddy with the success of helping plan her sister's wedding, I rashly offered to serve as Amanda's wedding planner whenever she decided to wed. I could hardly wait for the phone call announcing her upcoming nuptials. That phone call arrived quite joyously the day after Thanksgiving and we decided to launch into wedding plans in the new year. Since she lives four hours away, most of our planning would be on the phone.

Last summer, someone approached me about co-chairing a writer's conference. For the first time in the group's twenty-year organization, the event would be held in my home state in the fall of 2015. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity. It sounded like fun and would be a great experience. We would start working on plans at the beginning of the year.

January arrived and I set my writing goals for the year, organized my office, and prepared to immerse myself in wedding and conference plans.

Then I came down with flu.

The chaser to that was a round with shingles.

Someone mistakenly thought it would be fun to give me a second bout of the flu.

Fast forward to mid-February. By that point, I was six weeks behind in everything and losing ground by the day. All those things I'd promised to do in passing over the last six months suddenly caught up to me. Sure, I'd review that book when it released. I'd be happy to help with an event for a writer's group. Absolutely, count on me to contribute to that anthology.

With release dates already set and deadlines looming, I had no choice but to forge ahead. My niece's reception venue cancelled. My conference co-chair took a  trip to Africa and left the reins to the conference in my clueless hands. And somewhere in the stress-induced insanity, I decided to go on a blog book tour with my just-released sweet romance and host a facebook party for 400.

I'm so far behind, I'm not sure I'll ever catch up. But I did discover something yesterday...

When life threatens to overwhelm you - when the busyness of commitments pulls you off balance and leaves you scrambling - take a moment to do nothing.

 Do nothing.

In need of a breath of fresh air, I went outside yesterday afternoon and sat on a bench in the sunshine. The cat wandered over and jumped up beside me, resting his slobbery chin on my leg. As I stroked his head and listened to him purr contentedly, peace warmed my heart every bit as much as the sun warmed my face.

 Sometimes... sometimes we just need to do nothing to regain our perspective.

And if all else fails, eat some chocolate.

How do you cope when your plate suddenly becomes too full?

~*~

A hopeless romantic with a bit of sarcasm thrown in for good measure, Shanna Hatfield is a bestselling author of sweet romantic fiction written with a healthy dose of humor. In addition to blogging and eating too much chocolate, she is completely smitten with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.

Shanna creates character-driven romances with realistic heroes and heroines. Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”

  Find Shanna’s books at:

Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Apple

Follow her online at:

ShannaHatfield | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | You Tube | Twitter