Another NEW cover! By@BonnieEdwards #RomanceGems

 I am very excited to announce that more books are coming from me set in the lovely beach town created last year in Last Chance Beach. You may recall that I wrote Hangover Husband in a lovely box set of short romances. 

Today I'm revealing my next full length novel titled FAKE ME. You guessed it, this is a fake relationship story. 

What happens when a matchmaker matches a matchmaker with her grieving brother? He gets well and truly tired of being set up.

Never mind that Grady O'Hara's turned himself into the biggest grouch in Last Chance Beach and hidden away in the Landseer Motel...his sister is determined to pull him out of his bolt hole and bring him back into the light. 

Except Grady has a secret he won't share with anyone, especially not his sister. And this pretty, sweet-faced, pitbull wannabe that shows up at his door won't make him.

Grady O’Hara has gone to ground at the Landseer Motel in Last Chance Beach.

For months he’s licked his wounds after his fiancée’s drowning. What the world doesn’t know is she’d been on her way to her lover when her canoe tipped the night before the wedding. Grady is in no hurry to return to his life in New York. He’s unkempt, unhappy, and likes it that way.

Farren Parks needs the Landseer Motel and the man ensconced there. Her plans for Singles Fest, a dating app aimed at single parents and their children hinge on providing the amenities, location, and price range of the closed motel.

Farren needs Grady to open his motel, and his grouchy, bruised heart. What she finds when she forces her way into the international real estate broker’s life is enough to make weaker women run for the hills. But Farren’s future depends on getting Grady onboard with her plans.

Grady knows the real reason Farren has been sicced on him. His sister is back to her matchmaking schemes and he’s had enough, considering how the last set-up ended.  The only way to get his sister to leave him to his solitude is to pretend the match with the delectable Farren Parks has paid off. 

Grady promises to help Farren with her fledgling business and open the motel if she’ll play along with his fake dating plan. Only to get his sister to back off, of course. 

Author Bonnie Edwards lives with her husband and pets on the coast of British Columbia. She has written novels, novellas, and short stories for Kensington Books, Harlequin Books, Carina Press, and Robinson (UK) although now she publishes her work herself. With four ongoing romance series and contemporary family novels in her newest series, Return to Welcome, she rarely spends a day without writing. For new release info and to get a free romance sign up for her newsletter: Bonnie’s Newsy Bits.

See more about her here: https://www.bonnieedwards.com/ Find her online here: BookBub Amazon Twitter Facebook Instagram

In the Heat of the Moment!

By: Marcia King-Gamble

www.lovemarcia.com

OK, we’ve hit the dog days of summer, and yes, down south, days are sizzling and nights sultry. We are hot, hot, hot!  My question to you is what have you done in the heat of the moment? By heat, I don’t mean temperature. I mean on the fly. Something that was fun, something you took a chance on, something that felt like it might be good karma, and would make you feel good. What was the end result of this impulsive/feel good behavior?

 

 Back in the day when I worked for an international airline, my then hero and I would look at each other on a Thursday, and say, “So, what do we want to do this weekend?  Sometimes the answer would be, “I feel like having good pasta,” and off we would head for Rome. If it was winter, the answer would be “anywhere warm.” Then  off to Mexico or Rio de Janeiro we  would go.

We weren’t rich. Remember, I said, I worked for an airline, meaning, back then, free travel, and the opportunity to sit First or Business Class (should space allow) were perks.  Airlines had agreements with hotels. While lodging wasn’t free, a 40 or 50 percent discount at a 4 or 5 star hotel was not something to turn your nose up at. Often our weekend jaunts cost us less than a nice dinner at an upmarket restaurant.

When I lived in the “islands,” popular back then, were “Come as you are Parties.“ This literally meant come as you are. A caravan of cars would unexpectedly arrive at your home, honk their horns and the party was on. Which meant, you went to the party in whatever state of dress or undress you were in. And that was the reason for the convoy. No getting out of it, you had to get in.

A couple of years ago, instead of making New Year’s resolutions that never worked out, I vowed to do one small act of kindness each day. It could be as simple as allowing someone to get in front of me on the grocery line, or making a phone call to a lonely, elderly friend. It made me feel good. It made the recipient feel good. As a person who believes in karma, I believe in some way those good deeds come back to you tenfold.

This summer, in the heat of the moment, my girlfriends and I started having monthly dinner parties. Each month it’s at a different house and we do it safely. There are so many positives to these gatherings. First, it gives us an opportunity to bond and catch up.  Second, we get to step out of our PJ’s and sweats and wear something fun in our closets. There are times we even bring the fine jewelry out.

In the heat of the moment, I’ve taken up crafting.  I’ve mended broken jewelry and repaired furniture. I even hand painted this heart, Trust me, I’ve never been talented in this area but I'm learning. I’ve also reconnected with friends and made a few with a completely different perspective on life than I have.

This summer I’ve allowed myself to breathe. The end result is my creativity is on the rise, and   I’m writing up a storm. Stories like One Last Shot, one of the fourteen stories in the Last Chance Beach: Summer’s End box set were created in the Heat of the moment. It was the result of a what if.  What if an up and coming sitcom star in hiding has a sex tape that goes viral? And what if the guy next door just happens to be a disgraced celebrity photographer?

Here's an excerpt:

“So, do you live here year-round?” Kael asked, taking a piece of freshly baked bread from the basket and slathering butter on it. He was curious about the woman who sat across from him.

She had the most amazing bone structure but was doing her best to downplay her looks. She was doing everything to make herself unattractive, even adding that hideous nose ring.

Delia sipped on her coffee, and took her time answering. “Actually, I’m not from around here.”

“Renting?”

“No. You?”

Getting a full sentence out of her was like reeling in fish. “Airbnb. Did I tell you that

already?” He knew he hadn’t, but someone needed to jumpstart the conversation.

Delia shook her head. “I didn’t think we did BNB’s in this town.”

“Times change. Things change. People change.”

“Not here.”

“Sure, you’re not a local?” Kael asked, softening his words with a smile. Delia certainly

sounded knowledgeable.

Their kippers and scrambled eggs, a Rods staple, arrived and they dove in.

“How did you find this community?” Delia asked, the sun bouncing off those mirrored

sunglasses. “It doesn’t seem to be your style.” She fed Bob a generous portion of scrambled eggs when she thought he wasn’t looking.

His khaki shorts must shout tourist.

“I needed somewhere off the beaten path to take photos,” he said, while discreetly clicking pics of the arriving patrons. “And I can work from anywhere in the world.”

Delia looked like she might jump out of her skin. “So, what are you a photographer or something?”

I used to be one before I was fired.

Instead, Kael said, “I’m just an IT guy and an amateur photographer.” Now he was.

The blasting TV competed with their conversation. Two construction types exited discussing the news.

“Wat she do dat for? She was America’s sweetheart. World was her oyster,” the shorter of them said.

“Probably trying to keep some man.”

The taller one shook his head. “Yeah, would have to be a bad break up to send that sex tape out to the media.”

 

 Be sure to pick up Last Chance Beach: Summer’s End 

https://www.amazon.com/Last-Chance-Beach-Summers-End-ebook/dp/B08CV3GN3R

and read these 14 stories. To win the Last Shot beach/gym bag sign up for my newsletter here https://bit.ly/3eBlYnf  or email me privately at mkinggambl@aol.com with proof of purchase of Last Chance Beach: Summer’s End. Added bonus, download the free cocktail book.

 

  

For an additional opportunity to win a $20 Amazon gift card in the monthly drawing, please comment on this blog to win.

 

 

Tell me, what have you done in the Heat of the Moment? Be kind and be safe. 

Find Marcia King-Gamble Online

Instagram * Amazon * Website * Facebook * Twitter

 

Romance writer, Marcia King-Gamble originally hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the same mesmerizing shade of blue. This travel industry executive and current world traveler has spent most of life in the United States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has penned over 34 books and 8 novellas. Her free time is spent at the gym, traveling to exotic locales, caring for her animal family, and trying to keep sane.

 

 

How I Spent My Summer Vacation by Hannah Rowan #RomanceGems

Remember this essay topic greeting you when you returned to class after a summer hiatus?

No?

I don’t!

But I’ve seen it often enough in comic strips and on TV shows.  And if I were still a student, I’d have a very peculiar essay to hand in.

Generally around this time of year my husband and I are getting ready to set out on a great adventure.  We wouldn’t take a beach vacation when we have nice, hot sun right at home.  We save that for the cold winter months. We’ll do day trips to the Jersey shore, but our standard getaways usually involve visiting another state to continue my quest to go to all fifty.  (At this point I’m up to 42.)  Sometimes we’re fortunate enough to travel to another country.

In the year 2020, it sometimes seems we’ve traveled to another universe entirely.

This year’s shelter-in-place directives have introduced my husband to the wonders of grocery stores.  Where before he might have made a quick trip to pick up milk and bananas, he found himself accompanying me on more extensive excursions as a way to get out of the house.  After the initial excitement wore off, he found he was just as bored as I usually am with the task. In fact, he could get downright impatient while I stood pondering which tomatoes were ripest or which loaf of bread had the most fiber and the least sugar. I finally realized that buying him a Kit Kat or a bag of pretzels made the trip more palatable to him.

Our horizons expanded beyond groceries when I discovered websites listing all the local, county, and state parks in our area.  We found parks right near our house that we never knew existed.  Some featured nice, gentle strolls on paved paths.  Others required the dexterity of a mountain goat but we were forced to keep going only because it would have been more difficult to go back the way we came.

We discovered that New Jersey has many ponds, lakes, and rivers hidden in the woods in state and county parks. Several times we were rewarded with a view of the Manhattan skyline after scrambling up a rocky path.  We found the remains on many a colonial stone foundation deep in the woods.  And I can’t even remember how many spots where we learned colonial soldiers rested or hid to prepare for the next battle.  The forest also hides the rusted out parts of old cars and appliances, leading us to wonder why someone would take the trouble to lug something so far into the woods that it takes an hour to get to it.

On the first mild day we decided to go down the shore just to walk on the beach and the boardwalk.  The fog obscured the ocean and it was chilly and cloudy, but it was also delightful to be out of the house and near the water.

When outdoor dining first opened up we rushed to a favorite restaurant with tables spread out on the sidewalk.  Just as our food arrived, the skies opened up and we might as well have been eating in the shower.  We grabbed our dishes and ran to a nearby empty table that had an umbrella.  Yes, our backs were soaked, but our fronts were deliriously happy eating at a restaurant for the first time in many months.

We’ve been swimming in a nearby pond because the pool in our complex won’t open this year.

We’ve been sitting in the dark watching a hurricane blow trees past our window.

We’ve seen enough wildlife to assemble our own private zoo.  The chipmunks are running rampant, but we’ve also seen a man rescuing a frog from the jaws of a snake on a forest path, a red-shouldered hawk, a very fat groundhog, a blue heron, a white heron, lots of bunnies and deer, and the occasional coyote.

All in all I guess you could say that though it hasn’t been the most pleasant summer on record, at least it’s been interesting.

You may have noticed that I’m somewhat fond of water.  Lakes, rivers, ponds, swimming pools, and the ocean.  The beach is my happy place!  So when I was given the opportunity to join 13 other authors in the Last Chance Beach box set, it seemed like the natural place to be.

Click Last Chance Beach on the menu bar above to follow me to Last Chance Beach, and pick up a copy of our free companion e-book featuring recipes for delicious beach-side drinks in Cocktails on Last Chance Beach.  And be sure to enter this month's giveaway!

 

Summer Reading by Karen Whiddon

As we move into what's usually the hottest part of summer here in Texas, I've been coping with the heat and isolation by reading. A lot.  I'm mostly reading romance, but some young adult fiction as well as fantasy.  I'm all over the gamut of genres, from best selling authors to ones who are new to me.

I love summer reading.  It's relaxing and enjoyable and I often find it spurs my creativity.  Since I'm usually under a constant deadline, that's also a good thing.

The pool or the lake, a glass of wine or iced tea (I've recently discovered Hibiscus tea and am loving it!) and a good book can't be beat.  While my hubby watches Netflix, I read.  The perfect end to a hot summer day.

What about you?  Are you reading more or less?  I'd love to hear some recommendations!

Speaking of recommendations, have you pre-ordered this boxed set? I have - it comes out tomorrow - and I can't wait to read it.  I'm not in it this time - too many other commitments, but I hope to be in the future.  It's on 99 cents so get yours today!

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 finally, we've changed up our contest a bit.  See below!

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.