Book Birthday! Rayder's Appeal by @BonnieEdwards #RomanceGems

This isn't my normal blogging day on Romance Gems and I have Liz Flaherty to thank for switching with me, but I've got special news to share:

Today I'm pleased to announce that the fourth book in my series The Brantons is finally available! Rayder Cole is from a darker, unsavory branch of the Branton family. Undeniably sexy, Rayder once used his appeal to finesse his way into Ellie Macklin's heart...and her bed. Tsk tsk!

And in keeping with this month's theme of Steamy Days and Steamy Nights...Rayder's Appeal has the steam!

I'm old enough to have enjoyed the TV series Remington Steele in the 1980s. The show starred Pierce Brosnan (be still my heart - the man gets better with time!) and Stephanie Zimbalist. You were never really sure if Remington was up to his old con man tricks or not.

I bring that same dynamic to Rayder's Appeal. At least, I hope I did. If you read it, feel free to review and let me know!

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Available everywhere fine romances are sold!

What can a reformed con man do when the woman who changed his life needs his help? Eleanor Macklin has overcome her past and repaired the damage done by her first, and only, love. She has all she’s ever wanted, her family’s art gallery. If she’s not as spontaneous, or giving, or loving as she once was, well… that’s a life lesson she learned the hard way from a master of deceit. And trust is a thing of the past…

Rayder Cole has stumbled on a plot to forge stolen art that could ruin Ellie Macklin’s art gallery. He must get the forgery back before Ellie’s life is in ruins. He’s done enough damage to the only woman he’s ever loved, and now, he’s back to save what Ellie’s worked hard to build.

If Eleanor doesn’t take a chance on Rayder, she’ll lose everything. But trust lost is almost impossible to regain.

While the race is on to find the forger, Rayder’s appeal begins to work its magic again and Eleanor hates that she still finds him sexy. Rayder’s determined to reclaim the woman who stole his heart before he even knew he had one…

This is the end of the month and so it is the last day to enter our Monthly Giveaway



And all of us here on Romance Gems are so excited to talk about Last Chance Beach: Summer's End. You can learn all about it here on our dedicated page. Don't forget to pre-order because you'll want it first thing in the morning on August 4!

And I'm not done yet! The authors of Last Chance Beach have concocted a recipe book of special beverages that's yours free: You can get your copy here: Cocktails on Last Chance Beach

For now, happy reading! And please drink responsibly. Cheers!

Bonnie Edwards

It Was Just the Best Day by Liz Flaherty #RomanceGems

I switched days this month. Usually I post on the 31st. (What that means is that I, being the lazy Gem, only have to blog five times a year.) But I was so happy to write today because July 30, 1990, was one of the Best Days. It was exciting and so much fun and one of the most emotional experiences of my entire life--which is quite a while by now.

Aren't we lucky to have Best Days? I've accumulated a lot of them, but this day 30 years ago was the day Tahne, my beautiful and brave daughter-in-law, called me upon leaving her doctor's appointment and said they told her to come home, but she wasn't sure about driving. Because, you know, pains. I told her I'd be right there.

Mari Flaherty Gridley

Looking back, I'm sorry our son couldn't be there--he was in the army most of the way across the country--but mostly I'm glad I could. Mari Elizabeth Flaherty, our first grandchild, was born that evening. My daughter and I stood in for Mari's dad (admirably, we thought) and I still remember the excitement, the overwhelming rush of love, and how proud I was of Mari's mom.

It was, oh, yes, the best day ever. My husband was on a business trip, but when he got home in the middle of that night, we still went to the hospital.

Tahne and Mari stayed with us until after training, when they could be together as a family again, and it was a precious time. My eyes are leaking a little even now as I remember it.

Some of the other Gems and I have had some Best Days lately, too, writing and promoting Last Chance Beach: Summer's End. We've learned things, made mistakes, sent Joan Reeves and the rest of the production team over the edge more than once, and produced 14 stories we are proud of, excited about, and--at the risk of sounding truly sappy--in love with. If you haven't ordered yours yet, go ahead and do it now--I'll wait. It's truly a wonderful way to spend 99 cents!

Speaking of Best Days, share one of yours with us in comments below. We'll celebrate with you and I'll send out a goody bag to a commenter on the post, chosen at random. No picture of it because I don't have it assembled yet, but I'll try to make it fun and I'm sure some of it will taste like chocolate!

Don't forget to enter for the monthly giveaway, too, and take a look at the Last Chance Beach page here on the blog site.

I hope this is a Best Day for you. Happy birthday, Mari. Papaw and I love you thiiiiiiissss much!

Last Chance Dream by Nora LeDuc

I am lucky to have been born under the sign of water. So it makes sense I remember my first swim lesson. I was about five when my mother signed me up for Red Cross swimming. The big event was held at Nutt’s Pond. This unusual name came from a popular local circus performer for the PT Barnum Circus, Commodore Nutt, who had lived nearby. A rather strange but true fact.

NH Lake

On my first day of swim class, I looked around at the adults, wondering who would be my teacher. Kids were quickly divided up into groups as they called our names. Finally, mine came up. Since I was a beginner, I was in a small group, and my instructor was a teenage boy! We formed a circle. Our instructor announced he’d count to three, and then, we were to put our faces in the water. If we didn’t, he’d put them in for us. Memorable. And no way was I letting a boy duck me into the lake.

Hampton Beach

I recall little else of those classes. But I learned to swim. However, whenever we go to the ocean in New Hampshire, I rarely use those skills. I love the sand and the salt air, but a complete dip in the Atlantic has never been my thing. Mainly because it’s cold!! The average July temperature is 64 degrees. Most people stand on the edge until their feet numb and then walk farther in.

LAST CHANCE BEACH: SUMMER"S END

I’ve always dreamed of warm summer nights with soft breezes and rolling waves you can dip yourself into and feel refreshed. I was lucky to be able to  join the brilliant Romance Gems who were writing a collection of romance short stories called Last Chance Beach: Summer's End. At last I had my temperature-perfect blue sea. And, I’m pleased to announce that along with 13 other super-talented authors we have produced our set of novellas. You’ll love each one. Summer love at the beach, how can you not?

You can get your copy of the Last Chance Beach: Summer's End directly from Amazon. Pre-order today for delivery on August 4th! And below is my cover and blurb about:

Beach Wishes & Sunset Kisses

Frankie McKinley’s last three relationships went up in flames. Now she vows to

resist the lure of romantic Last Chance Beach and take a break from men. She’ll

concentrate on her dream of opening a brick-and-mortar gift shop. Her best

friend insists Frankie needs to relax and enjoy life. Have a Fling. But Frankie’s

not into casual hookups until the morning her gaze lands on the handsome

tourist, Sean Thomas-Michaels. A man she deems fling worthy. Will he agree?

     Stay strong, healthy, and happy, My Friends,

~Nora

***

Don’t Go yet!! We have our monthly Rafflcopter with Amazon gift card prizes. 
Click the link to enter now!!

Sunscreen and Ice Cream by @KaraONealAuthor #RomanceGems

My mother grew up in a small town in south Texas. It's about thirty minutes from the border. My god-sister affectionately called this town "the armpit of the south". (She grew up there, too.)

It has a working drawbridge, one stoplight, and it used to have the best ice cream parlor anywhere. (They served Blue Bell.)

My great-grandfather was the owner and operator of this quaint little parlor, and his sons kept it open until the 90s.

We would visit my grandparents every summer, and fortunately, not only were they close to Mexico, they were close to South Padre Island. We went to the beach faithfully and enjoyed the white sand and the clear water. I loved every minute, despite the slather of sunscreen I had to put on.

And while I mastered riding the waves, I never could get the hang of building the perfect sandcastle. And believe me, I tried.


After we wore ourselves out, my uncle and grandparents ALWAYS took us to get ice cream. It was tradition. And a good one, too, if you ask me.

When I look back on my life, I realize everything I have and everything I am, is because of my family. They are my rocks, the heart and soul of me.

And this makes them the foundation of my books. The one thing my fans always mention after reading one of my books is their delight with the family aspect of the stories. If I don't have enough scenes that feature family moments, my editor makes sure I put them in. When a book club discusses one of my books, we talk about the family events sometimes as much as the love story.


My romances are absolutely a tribute to one of God's greatest gifts, but they are also a love story to the family. My family. It's a joy I can't describe, and I'm grateful I get to say thank you in books.

The Texas Brides of Pike's Run series is here for you to treasure! There are 19 books in the series, and I am self-publishing. The prelude, book 1 and 2 are ready! Book 3 is available for pre-order.

Prelude: Saving Sarah
When Sarah breaks their budding courtship for reasons unknown, Michael will stop at nothing to find out why.

Book 1: Welcome Home
Emma is everything Kyle has ever wanted, but she betrayed him.

Book 2: The Sheriff's Gift
Forbidden kisses with the sheriff weren't part of the schoolteacher's plans.

Book 3: The Cowboy's Charms
She's his enemy's daughter, but this cowboy can't help falling for her.

Website ~ Amazon ~ B & N ~ BookBub ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest 

Our giveaway for July is still going on! Y'all be sure to enter here!

Where did Summer go? by Peggy Jaeger

Next week it will be August already. I think every summer about this time I ask myself ( and anyone who is listening to me, which, truthfully, isn't many!!) "Where did the summer go?"
Even during this horrible pandemic, with the country in such a weird state of shut down/don't shut down, I still feel as if the world is zipping by and I don't have enough time to do everything I want, or need, to do, despite being more of a hermit than usual.

Case in point: this summer I had 4 things on my work calendar that were a priority( In addition to the 99 everyday things that weren't):
1. finish my Christmas romance and get it ready for an October release
2. Start the next book in my Pride of Brothers series and finish the first draft
3. Plot the next three indie releases I have planned in my head
4. Blog at least 3-4 times per week on my website

I figured June, July and August would be more than enough for 1-3. #4 I do anyway.

Then reality hit.

June was a crazy month in which a routine dermatology appointment knocked me out of the stratosphere with another cancer diagnosis( my fifth!) and a topical chemotherapy treatment that made me even more of hermit because it made my face look like an uncooked pizza. You'd think because I was isolating myself ( and not for Covid!) I'd get the work done.

Nope.

I was too devastated by the diagnosis and spent the better part of my hermitage (is that a word?) watching old DARK SHADOWS and CSI episodes on HULU instead of writing two books.

July rolled around and I realized I'd wasted a month wallowing, so I started on #1-3. I didn't get far with any of them because...life in general interfered. Taking care of my isolating and aging parents, getting lost in social media rabbit holes, promoting my two latest releases and doing Zoom and FB Chat events for them, even helping promote other authors on my blog, all took  up so much time, that before you know it, here we are just a few days from August.

I'm determined to do better in August.
I need to get my Christmas book edited ( it is done, thankfully!); I need to make a serious dent in Book 2 in the Pride of Brothers trilogy ( 15,000 words in so far.) ; and those next 3 indies need to be written down before I forget them.
I can do this. I know I can.

The phrase famous last words seems to be rolling around in my head, though. Hee hee

Have you heard about the  LAST CHANCE BEACH- Summer's End? It's an anthology of 14 romances from the Romance Gems. Short, sweet or sassy, you're guaranteed to find a story you love.

And don't forget my very own Summer Romance, VANILLA WITH A TWIST a One Scoop or Two novella.

"There's never a wrong time for ice cream." ~ Tandy Blakemore, owner of Vanilla with a Twist

Have you checked out the monthly Romance gems giveaway? 

Until next time, peeps. Stay cool and stay healthy ~ Peg

Coffee and Conversation with the #RomanceGems

It's time for Coffee and Conversation with the Romance Gems! So, grab a cup of your favorite beverage and join us for some fun. This month's topic is: Is that character based on you? 

At some point in every author’s career someone will ask, “Is that character you?” Parts of “us” likely slips into our stories, things we enjoy, (or don’t!) people we meet, issues we’ve faced. Good things, bad things, challenges, triumphs. So, tell me… Do you have characters based on you? OR are there characters inspired by those you know or have met? Was a character sparked by a movie, or a song, maybe a place? Tell me how you come up with those imaginary people in your books. Let’s talk!

“Based on me? LOL ... no. If that were the case, my poor heroine would never get any! I love to people watch and interacting with unusual characters has often given me inspiration. However, I think the best example of basing a character on real-life would have to come from my secret-baby book, Home is Where the Hunk is. The idea for this contemporary novel was based on two sisters I met by chance. The younger sister served as a surrogate and carried her terminally-ill sister’s baby. I found their story compelling and, of course, romantic!” ~ Nancy Fraser

“The only character I ever based on another person was Suzanne, one of The Girls of Tonsil Lake. It wasn't intentional, but it certainly worked out that way. I was so worried my friend Deb would be insulted that I had "used" her in such a way, but she loved it, and Suzanne's presence deepened an already long and profound friendship.”
~ Liz Flaherty

“All my heroines have a bit of me in her. And they usually learn something that I’ve learned over the years—dreams do come true if you make them; it takes two to love. I’ve written about my passions—horses, dogs and cats. My heroines have been writers and teachers and mostly single mothers. However, it did take me twenty years to finally write a story about a divorced single mother. By that time I was ready.” ~ Jan Scarbrough

“I’m moody. Annoyingly so. And I’ve learned to stay away from people during one of my moody-bouts. For the character of Gemma Laine in A Shot at Love, I made her a moody-pus, too. She’s a lot crankier than I am, though, so it was fun to put her in situations that sparked a bad mood and then watch how she reacted.

"Gemma knows martial arts and is a deadly shot with a gun, so I did my best to give her circumstances where she had to choose between reacting moodily or rationally. And it was fun to watch her deal!” ~ Peggy Jaeger

“I have based many characters off people I know, but don’t worry…they ALL know it and LOVE it. My sister was the inspiration for Alice, the heroine in The Sheriff’s Gift. My sister is one of the strongest people I know. She is a leader, a problem-solver and a creator. She is a no-nonsense person, who can see through a lie as if it’s a ragged screen door. Thus, Alice Parker, my determined schoolteacher heroine, was born.” ~ Kara O’Neal

“I probably take a trait from this person and a trait from that person without realizing it. I don’t intentionally pattern an entire person after anyone. There are two exceptions to this. First, the Stone brothers’ aunts in the Stone Mountain Texas series are patterned after my mom and her older sister. I adore those two characters! The other time is in my cozy mystery, DEATH IN THE GARDEN. The great grandmother is a combination of my mom and a friend of hers. Otherwise, there’s a bit of me in all the characters I create, good or bad.”
~ Caroline Clemmons

“My warning to people, “anything you say or do may show up one day in a book, with the name changed to protect the guilty,” always gets a laugh. Sometimes a nervous one, like they’re not quite sure I’m kidding. Which I’m not. My brain is a filing cabinet full of snippets of people and situations that I drag out at will to flesh out a character or bring an extra layer of emotion to a scene. And like most writers, little bits of my heart and soul pepper the pages of my work; the only way I know to make it real. Luckily, there’s always more where that came from.” ~ Kathleen Lawless

“I have a character based on a stranger. I was at the beach a few years back and very pregnant and couldn't teach my son to surf (I am a terrible surfer when I'm not pregnant so maybe that wasn't a bad thing lol), and a girl helped teach him. I wound up writing a character based off her in Highland Games. My surfer girl heroine who worked part time at the library.” ~ Laura Hunsaker

“Lost and Found is loosely based on my internet dating experience when I was single in my early 40's. Cari decides, after 15 years of being a widow, she's going to get back out there. Her daughters explain to her that internet dating is like window shopping and trying on a coat. Let's just say the toads she met, but didn't kiss, were similar to some of my dates. All names were changed to protect the guilty. LOL” ~ Lucinda Race

“Back in the day while working for BET Books, I wrote women’s fiction. Often, I had to deliver four books a year. Truth being stranger than fiction, I turned to newspaper captions for ideas. Those of you may remember the Marla Hanson story. Marla was a model whose face was mutilated by her landlord over a rental deposit. This story sparked the idea for This Way Home. My heroine, Liza Hamilton makes a living as a model until she’s mugged in Central Park. When your livelihood depends on looks, sometimes it seems impossible to move on?” ~ Marcia King-Gamble

“Alex Storm, from Stolen Dreams, Book 3- Storms of New England has lots of my characteristics. He's very scheduled and organized and borderline OCD. He has a place for everything and if it's not there, he can’t function. He has little quirks that come straight from me. Folding straw wrappers, fixing the clasp on a necklace so it’s in the back, sorting pens and pencils on his desk, tapping his fingers in a rhythm simultaneously. And when he freaked about losing his planner, that whole anxiety scene came straight from my head and my experience. I totally identify with Alex.” ~ Kari Lemor

“It’s safe to say I soak up sights, sounds, scents, and people’s behaviors and physical traits EVERYWHERE I go. While some characters have snippets of those I know best, most are a combination of MANY stored thoughts, memories, and experiences. They come from strangers. Some from me. One exception is Dr. Rick Hauser from Hellfire and Handbaskets. He’s an Army Medic Veteran, and he’s based on a few fine, brave men I have the honor to call friends. Their shared experiences and memories helped create the man I envisioned in my story. A powerful hint of truth in fiction.”
~ Kathryn Hills

“None of my characters are based on me, but some characters' may share a personality trait with me once in a while. For instance, in Hot August Night, which I wrote for Last Chance Beach: Summer's End, heroine Chelsea Elliot says something but suppresses part of what she wanted to say because it wasn't exactly nice. I find myself speaking, for instance to the bank officer who told me he was going to write a book as soon as he had time, and saying, "I hope you find the time soon." In my mind, I'm adding, ‘You dumb jerk! As if time were the only requirement for writing a book?’" ~ Joan Reeves

“I think all of my characters have a little bit of me in them, but the most obvious was Eden Sinclair in Man Wanted. I never thought about it until one of my children pointed out that when she was stressed, Eden got great satisfaction not just from cleaning and organizing her closets, but also from sitting and staring at what a good job she did. Like someone else they knew.” ~ Hannah Rowan 

Okay, it's your turn to join the conversation! Add your comments below or send via email through the "contact us” link on the bottom of the left sidebar. You can also make suggestions on what you'd like to discuss here in the future.

 Thanks for joining us!

 ~ The Romance Gems ~

Have you heard about Last Chance Beach?

Escape to Last Chance Beach: Summer's End - a collection of all-new short stories from 14 bestselling and award-winning Romance Gems authors. 

There's something for everyone. 

Some are sweet, some are sizzling hot!

Don't miss out! Enter our JULY CONTEST HERE 

Or go directly to the RAFFLECOPTER 

July Prizes

1st Prize: $20.00 Amazon Gift Card

2nd Prize: $15.00 Amazon Gift Card

3rd Prize: $10.00 Amazon Gift Card

Best of luck to everyone!

Keys to a Successful Author Newsletter by Cheryl Bolen

I’m no expert on author newsletters, and I many not follow all the “do’s and don’ts” of successful author newsletters, but I’ve been to many, many workshops on them over the years and picked up a thing or two. I like to share.

I will add here that I was a published author for 14 years before I even got a newsletter. When my first book was published in 1998, if an author had a newsletter (which was extremely rare), it would have to have been printed and mailed because the internet and email had not yet hit their stride. Remember, at this time all of our books were printed, and no major publishers offered eBooks.

So I didn’t have a newsletter until around 2012. It’s taken me eight years to build my subscription list to around 14,000. (You will recall the Great Digital Disruption to the publishing industry occurred in 2011.)

How to Build Subscribers

The first thing new authors ask me about newsletters is, “How do I build my subscribers’ list?” When I started out, I first asked those who sent me fan letters if I could have their permission to add them to my newsletter lists. I never had any fan turn me down. Of course I promised—and still do—not to inundate their inboxes.

The next thing I did was to offer nifty drawings to lure subscribers. (I don’t do this anymore, and I’ll explain why.) I gave away Amazon gift cards, and I once gave away a Nook ereader. I also did this to bring readers to my Facebook author page.

As my list grew and as I attended more workshops on author newsletters, I learned that you want to nurture those who love your books, not those who want to win a gift card and then drop their subscription.

Another way to grow your list is to participate, for a fee, in Ryan Zee’s Booksweeps promotions https://www.booksweeps.com/. He has culled these to readers’ interests.

Let me explain how this works. Say an author wants to feature a giveaway in a particular category, let’s say humorous mysteries. She signs up and agrees to offer a free book in that category as part of Booksweeps’ promotion, and the promotion also generally gives away an ereader. Authors pay around $50 to be among the 30 or so authors included in that humorous mysteries promotion. Booksweeps gives the author memes to use to promote the Booksweeps’ giveaway in that category, and at the end of the promotion gives you a list of emails of participants in that particular giveaway. Booksweeps also does this for other things, such as growing your BookBub subscribers. Such a promotion can usually yield a few hundred new subscribers. The hope here is that those entrants were eager readers in your category.

What about the Open Rate?

Businesses consider an open rate of 15 percent successful. Mine typically runs about 25 percent. I’m extremely skeptical of authors who tell me their open rates are 75 percent. That might be true if their subscriber list numbers a couple of dozen die-hard fans!

There are two considerations in increasing the open rate. First, you must come up with a header that will peak the subscribers’ interest. “Today is Release Day” is not a good way to start your newsletter. You’re virtually saying, “Buy My Book.”

It’s best to offer the reader something. I typically offer giveaways, but most of the time my giveaways nowadays are for autographed print books, and preferably not for my newest release, which I’m trying to sell in the newsletter! I have found that my most ardent fans love the idea of having an autographed book by one of their favorite authors. Sometimes I also get signed books from author friends in my genre and give one of those away along with one of mine. I make it a rule to keep these specific to my genre.

Another thing I’ve found readers like is getting to know you as a person. I’ve had really good open rates when I started off with “headlines” like these: “The Saga of My Broken Foot,” “See Our Family’s New Beach Cottage,” or “I’m Celebrating a Milestone Anniversary.”

Companies to Handle Your Newsletter

There are many companies offering newsletter distribution services. The most popular ones among authors are Mail Chimp, Mad Mimi, MailerLite, Constant Contact. I believe you can use Mail Chimp or Mad Mimi for free until you number about 2,000 subscribers. After that you must pay. The more subscribers, the more you pay.

An advantage to Mad Mimi is that for your monthly fee, you can send out unlimited mailings each month. I think MailerLite also allows unlimited monthly. I’ve used all except Constant Contact.

I presently use MailerLite and pay $50 month, and have been very happy with them.

Frequency

If you’re going to have a newsletter, you need to send it out at least monthly. Consistency is key.

My friend Lauren Royal has built an extremely successful newsletter that comes out every Friday and has done so for at least nine years. She started it off as “Friday Freebies” and featured other authors’ free books. That later morphed into what it now is. She offers one freebie, one new release, and several 99-cent books. It’s very popular, with about 43,000 subscribers. 

Keys to her success are, number one, she’s offering her subscribers value, and, number two, most of those authors who plug their books in her newsletter also subscribe.

Of course, each of her popular newsletters also features quite a bit on her own books, usually those that are on sale. The newsletter also serves to keep her name out there between books—which is helpful because she’s an extremely slow writer.

I can’t say I’m great about making sure I put out a newsletter each month, and I can’t deny that I always do send one out when I have a new release, but I can attest to the validity of most of these tips I’ve share.—Cheryl Bolen 

Enter our July contest here.

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website          Facebook         Blog         Pinterest

Raise a glass to summer reading - by Judith Hudson

Today we’re harvesting mint. 🙂 Let’s just call it that because, of course, we’re not having Mojitos after work on a week night. Oh no. We’re just getting our supplies in order for the weekend.

Mint spreads like a weed so be careful where you plant it, but I love having a patch in my garden. (You can tell it’s mint by the square stems.)

I make iced mint tea all summer from the mix of spearmint and the darker chocolate mint that grows beneath the blueberry bushes in the back yard by pouring boiling water over a stalk of mint, with leaves attached, in a heat proof jug. Very refreshing, it's my go-to drink all summer.

But also refreshing are Mojitos, that wonderful combination of mint and lime and rum. This year, since we are not going out, I decided to do it myself.  I bought some white rum, picked some mint, got out a lime and got started.

Instructions:

Put a spoonful of sugar in a glass, squeeze the juice of a lime wedge into the sugar then drop in the rind. Add half a dozen mint leaves and muddle, or mush around, in the bottom of the glass to release the flavours.

Fill the glass half full of ice, add white rum to your liking and fill the glass with soda water and stir.

Garnish with a lime slice. It looks as refreshing as it tastes. I tried it last night and did tend to get mint leaves in my mouth, which explains the instructions I’ve seen to serve with a straw, or one picture of a Mojito strained and served in a martini glass. Not traditional perhaps but kind of classy nonetheless.

If rum is not on your diet, this drink is equally refreshing if you just leave it out. 😎

So, find yourself a lovely spot outside this weekend, put up your feet and sip a sparkling summer drink while reading a good book. Here are a few good places to start if you're looking for a summer read -

• Starting Over, my Fortune Bay sexy musician-in-trouble story, is 99¢ this week. But don’t wait! You can find it and many other good musician and rock star stories
  

on sale  HERE

• Get a head start on the first Gems box set coming out August 4th.
  
  I can't wait! 14 short beach reads by 14 award-winning and bestselling Gems authors!

  

      Pre-order now.

• And there are still a few days left to enter the monthly Gems Rafflecopter giveaway.
  

Where this month we're celebrating Steamy Days & Steamy Nights.

And don't forget to try my Mojito recipe.What's your favourite summer beverage?

Whatever it is, join me in raising a glass to summer reading. Cheers.