Who's Your Beachbunny? by Nancy Fraser

 

Silly me. I thought doing a column on the history of swimsuits would be fun ... and easy. Boy was I wrong! I discovered far more weird facts than this brain can hold. Here are just a few:

Through the "classical" and "middle" ages ... swimming was done in the nude. No shame or embarrassment allowed. However, if sports were involved, women were expected to wear suits that held their bouncing assest in place and looked very similar to today's styles.

It was close to the end of the 17th century when the "bathing gown" was created, a floor-length chemise style dress that covered the wearer from neck to ankle with full sleeves. However, these gowns were only required of women. Men still got to swim in buff, if they so chose.

It wasn't until the beginning of the 19th century that men were required to wear clothing when appearing in public. Fortunately for women, by the middle of the century, designers in Paris had shortened the length of the gown, removed the sleeves, and even added pantaloons for comfort.

Sunbathing, whether you swam or not, became popular in the 1920s, with far more revealing swimwear and the first commercial production of what is now known as sunscreen. By the 1930s, men started taking it off again and swimming bare chested with tighter swim trunks.

Also by the 1930s, two-piece swimsuits--the precursor to the bikini--were the norm for women, especially among the models and actresses in Hollywood.

The first bikinis appears shortly after the end of World War II. The name "bikini" came from "Bikini Atol" (the site of several nuclear tests) because of their explosive effect on the viewer.

The first Speedo (heaven help us) came about in the 1950s, but were made of wool. They changed to nylon in the 1960s. Then, in 1970, elastane was added to standard suits to create a more efficient garment for the Olympics.

**Weird Alert** In 1985, a designer by the name of Gernreich invented the 'pubikini' to--you guessed it--show off pubic hair. Gross!

**More Weird** In 2005, there was backlash against designer Ondade Mar and Victoria's Secret for decorating their tankinis with Buddhist iconography.

Thankfully, by the end of the first decade of the 21st century most designs had returned to some semblance of normal (as long as you don't count that gosh awful sling-looking thing men are wearing). I mean ... really ... where is the loose end attached anyway???

Personally, I'm quite attached to my one piece swimsuit and terry cover up, thank you. And, of course a good book to entertain me!

Speak of which...

Available Everywhere!

Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy the rest of your summer! Bathing suit or not.

Nancy

Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Bookbub

Amazon Author Page ~ Goodreads ~ YouTube ~ Newsletter

It's time to go Barefoot! by @amiedenman

While parts of the world are enjoying a slow spring awakening 🌺 and April showers--our theme for this month--the Gulf Coast of Florida is hot and sunny!🌞 Just last week, I released the newest of my trademark beach romances. Truth? I ADORE FLORIDA!! I love everything about it. Humidity, crowds, orange groves, beaches, theme parks.🍊

In my mind and in my books, Florida is a magical place and the Gulf Coast is perfect for romance. 💘Welcome to Barefoot Key, a formerly sleepy beach town experiencing a revival. I first explored Barefoot Key in The Gull Motel (my bestselling book) and recently returned with The Barefoot Beach Rental.

Here's the story on The Barefoot Beach Rental: (in which I included my love of cake 🎂 and cats 🐈)

When a down-on-her-luck baker moves into the Barefoot Beach Rental for a month, she brings the heat to her sexy landlord while also finding a sweet spot of her own.

Ava Bottoms dreams of owning her own bakery where elaborate wedding cakes and custom creations abound. She has baking talent and experience, but she’s mixed romance with business a few too many times, so she’s starting over at the wise age of almost thirty. Burned out of a home and kitchen due to a recent incident with a flaming dessert, Ava checks in to the Barefoot Beach Rental for a month. The brochure promises a gourmet kitchen where she hopes to finish writing The Year of Cake—the book that will bring her the fame and fortune she needs to achieve her bakery dream. She’s sworn off distractions of the male kind, but it’s tough keeping her oven mitts off the sexy owner of her beach rental.

Dalton Neverly checks guests in and out at his Barefoot Beach Rental. Most guests stay only a week, and he savors temporary relationships. Six years after his divorce, he can still hardly look at the gourmet kitchen in rental unit two without remembering what his ex-wife cooked up with a visiting chef. Dalton loves his beach lifestyle, but when Ava moves in next door for a month and tempts him every day with sweets, he wonders if it’s time to feel the heat again.

 

I hope readers will love a trip to the beach--perfect for curling up inside during those April showers! I'd love to connect with you on social media or through my newsletter. Just click on the links below! 😍

Twitter

Facebook

Website

Newsletter

Goodreads

I'm also participating in a Romance giveaway on BookFunnel all month. "April Happy Ever After Romance" includes almost 200 free downloads of romance novels! Find it here!

 

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!

 

Feeling Hot! Hot! Hot! by Marcia King-Gamble

www.lovemarcia.com

My name is Dania, that’s Dan-i-a, (not Dana,) Browne, and I’m the star of the hit sitcom, The Golden Rule. Yes, I have pink hair. I’m  hiding on Last Chance Beach because a sex tape went viral, and now I’m in danger of losing my job and my endorsements.

It’s a steamy, hot summer day here, and I’ve been asked by my publicist to interview George Johnston, Urban Designer, extraordinaire. Because I’m in hiding I’m sticking with the pseudonym, Marcia. 

George has been hired by some entity to plan and design what Last Chance Beach should look like in the future, and those of us who have homes here aren’t happy.

No one on Last Chance Beach wants anything to change. Those who own and rent, like things just the way they are. This is a safe haven for us, and it’s our last chance to find love. We don’t want anyone mucking that up. Now, on with the interview.

 Marcia: So, George Johnston of the million degrees, please tell us who hired you and why? Was it the municipality?

George:  I have a BS in Environmental Design and Planning, an MA in Architecture and in Town Design, plus over 20 years in private and public sector planning and land use planning. I was hired by an interested party to help craft a “vision” and land use plan for the next 20 years. We’re doing this in an effort to maintain and enhance the unique qualities and characteristics of  the island.

Marcia:  Wonderful. But how does the Legend of Last Chance Beach fit into your developmental plans?

George:  I don’t have development plans per say.  I was hired by an interested investor to help guide future development via their “vision” planning.  The investor recognizes the need to help preserve the unique characteristics of the island while allowing for manageable growth.  Generally, new development should occur near existing centers such as the downtown and the scattered businesses that dot the island.  In addition, scenic roadways leading from the bridge and ferry terminal to the town should be maintained and enhanced with vistas and some historical markers.  

Much of the island should remain as a preserve with very limited development as it acts as the island watershed providing year around, clean water for residents and businesses.  The main part of the island will ultimately grow but at a reasonable pace with a strong architectural code to maintain its rich architectural heritage.  Beaches should remain public overall with plenty of easy access except in areas designated as ecological preserves.  Last Chance Beach should be enhanced with walking paths and picnic areas for families and young lovers.

Marcia: What about the families who have lived here forever? What about the summer residences? Do you plan on preserving them?

George:  Many of the residential structures are considered historical at the behest of the owners and will maintain their historical significance over time.  The island (by virtue of being an island) does have a certain “carrying capacity” given the ecology, limited rainfall and other biological and geological aspects.  Future growth will sustain itself within that context such that island shouldn’t over develop and force long-time family’s away due to over-valued properties and the resultant property taxes.

Marcia: There are many older establishments like my family’s bungalow. Rods, the old fisherman’s hangout at the end of the pier, The Sands Hotel, The J. Rogers for seafood, and Waves the convenience mart. They’re landmarks, aren’t they?

George:  Yes, many of these establishments are already historical landmarks or are slated to be.  The island has a strong preservation ethic and local historical society.  However, not every building or structure can be designated as “historical”.  Rather than force private property owners to accept a historical designation, incentives such as tax breaks should be pursued instead.

Marcia: And if the town doesn’t agree with this interested investor’s plans, what can we do?

George:  The vision and plan for the island is up to the “stakeholders” – i.e. property owners, business entities, and other interest groups – not me.  My job is to help clarify their vision by providing expertise in urban design and ecological planning.  Ultimately, through such combined efforts, a “plan” will result that all can be proud of and worth caring about.

Marcia: Thank you George. You talk a good talk. Now let’s see what happens.

Come to Last Chance Beach, the island paradise where Dreams go to live again, and Wishes come true. Don't forget to enter this month's drawing to win an Amazon Card.

Be sure to enter our MONTHLY GIVEAWAY for a chance to win some great prizes!

Pull up a beach chair and pour yourself a frothy beverage. Let the 14 authors in this boxset transport you to Last Chance Beach. Come for the Fun and stay for the Romance.

Pre-order Last Chance Beach here:  

https://www.amazon.com/Joan-Reeves-ebook/dp/B08CV3GN3R

ABOUT MARCIA KING-GAMBLE

Marcia King-Gamble is a National Bestselling author of over 45 books and novellas. She 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.

Marcia claims exercise, traveling to exotic locales, and caring for her animal family, keep her sane.

My latest release can be found on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Heart-H-Caldwells-Book-ebook

Find Marcia King-Gamble Online

Instagram * Amazon * Website

Facebook * Twitter

Steamy Summer Days with @MaddieJames #LastChanceBeach

I've been a water girl since I was a kid. I remember learning how to navigate a boat dock in my very early years--you know, how to balance getting into the boat without slipping between dock and boat and into the water. My sister and I would fish for bluegill, laying on our bellies on the dock to pull them up, look at their pretty scales, and then release them. We also learned to fish off the banks and "creek fish" if that is such a term. This was all stuff we did with my dad.

Family fishing - Depositphotos_223819174

When I turned fifteen, dad asked if I intended to keep fishing with him now that I was older. I hadn't thought that I wouldn't--but I think he saw the signs of boys taking up more of my time, and wondered if fishing would go by the wayside. He said, "Well, I'm going to have to buy a license for you when you turn 16." Turns out he didn't have to buy that license and our fishing days pretty much ended.

Sometimes I regret that--but when you're fifteen, life is different.

My mom was the beach bunny. She'd pack us up, haul us to a nearby beach where she'd meet her friends, and we kids would all play in the lake and sand all day, under the watchful eyes of the moms. Sand in our swimsuit bottoms. Water up our noses. Sunburns on our shoulders.

We loved it.

When I was in the eighth grade, the Army Corp of Engineers built a dam about five miles from where we lived, which created a huge lake and recreational area. The beach went in the next year and back then, we all boasted that it was the largest inland beach in the state of Ohio. It still could be, I don't know. That was over 40 years ago.

But throughout high school in the summer, we were there. Every day. So was my mom, most days, but no longer were we under her watchful eye--my sister and I were somewhere else trying to catch the eyes of the lifeguards. Those were steamy, fun-filled, lazy, and unforgettable summer days. I treasure the memories. Mostly I wish that I could still fit in my bikini--sort of. 

College came and went. So did marriages and divorces. And babies, and later on grandbabies. Beaches, however, were a constant. As I shared in this post on Gems, I passed the love of water--and the beach--on to my progeny. While my kids and I spent our share of time at the lake--my parents had bought a lake house by then--I also introduced them to the ocean. After 20+ years of ocean beach vacations, when any of us say we are "heading to the beach" we know exactly the one we are talking about.

So, all that said, how could I say no to the opportunity to contribute to a box set called Last Chance Beach: Summer's End? Well, I couldn't. I'm super excited to share that my story, That One Summer, will be included in the #romancegems Last Chance Beach box set releasing in early August. Here's the blurb for the story and officially, my cover reveal! 

THAT ONE SUMMER

Twenty years ago, Lia Langston left Last Chance Beach, leaving behind friends, a really good job offer, and the young man she’d fallen in love with that summer. The breakup hurt them both—but she was expected back home in Chicago where a job was waiting. From there, she meandered through life—marriage, a child, divorce, career—yet, there was one constant. She never missed the annual week at Last Chance Beach with her college girlfriends.

Same week, same beach house, same beach town. The routine was safe and predictable. By the time beach week rolled around every year, she was more than ready.

Except for this year.

When Zach Allen—the young man she left behind—steps back into her life, she must face the twenty-year-old consequences of her leaving. Will Last Chance Beach allow her a second chance at love?

WON'T YOU JOIN US AT LAST CHANCE BEACH?

NOW AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER AT AMAZON!!!

Read about the legend of Last Chance Beach written by Joan Reeves here, and get a full description of the box set by visiting Jan Scarbrough's post last week. 

*****

And...while I have you, I'll also share that I have a Sweet to Heat Summer Romance Reads box set on sale right now at all ebook retailers. Grab your set for 99cents by the end of August. Don't let the steamy summer days go by without binge reading this set! 

CLICK HERE FOR UNIVERSAL BUY LINKS!

*****

And don't forget our July Rafflecopter! You don't want to pass up a chance to win an Amazon gift card, right?

CLICK TO ENTER THE ROMANCE GEMS RAFFLECOPTER!

*****

Visit me at www.maddiejames.net.

Spend The Holidays in Chance by @ElsaKurt #RomanceGems

Happy second day of December! In my corner of the universe (New England) the month came in with a snow & ice storm. Luckily for me, I got to stay in my jammies and all day yesterday and only step outside to let the dogs out. (#sorrynotsorry)

Today, so far, looks to be a repeat which is great news for my Welcome To Chance series. Book five is well underway & I can't wait to see where it goes! Even though it seems strange that I don't know what will happen in my stories, I love the element of surprise. Tomorrow's new release, book four, is no different from the first three in that department...

Each book tells the stories of a community (think: Gilmore Girls, Parenthood, Friday Night Lights, and This Is Us) but with one pair taking "center stage." They each caught me off guard in the direction they took. In book one, Mae's Cafe, I'd envisioned William Grant as a Mr. Rogers type guy and definitely not the love interest for Mae. He had other ideas though, and I'm thrilled he did. Mae and William may be my favorite couple (don't tell the others).

In Rosabelle's Way, I intended for them to get married, but fate had a different plan for these two. I also had no idea that the normally irritating, chauvinistic, and self-absorbed Miles Hannaford would become an endearing (in his own way) guy.

My original plan for Charles and Georgie Brightsider had nothing to do with Chance! They, along with Feather Anne, were going to be their own stand-alone book... or so I thought. Once again, the characters had their own plans, so I followed their lead. I'm so glad they ended up in Chance, because their epic romance is a favorite of mine.

Ah, at last. My guy, Bruce, finally gets his turn. I adore this big lug. He's the back home boy every girl had a crush on, and every guy wanted to be like him. Football star, all-around good guy, brooding, handsome... and not over his one unrequited love. He's a man with a lot of layers and I can't wait for you to read his story.

Right now, books one through three are only .99 on Amazon & I'm offering signed books at a holiday discount on my website. In celebration of tomorrow's official release of Grady's Promise, I'd love to give one reader the first three books in the series FREE! Simply comment below & include your email address (written out as dotcom) if you'd like to be entered to win.

Last but not least! I'd love if you'd subscribe to my newsletter for all the latest news, giveaways, & more! Sign up HERE

What's New on Romance Gems?

I'm glad you asked. Come on in and check out our decorations!

Home Page Cover Art Gallery — That's the beautiful 3D Cover images you see on the right sidebar of the home page. If you see something you like, just click the image and you'll be taken to the Amazon page to learn more and/or to buy.

Holiday Book Fair, a special page created just for you, our faithful readers. Our Holiday Book Fair is filled with dozens of Holiday Romance Novels. They're sure to thrill you, and they're priced low—some are even free! Visit our Holiday Book Fair which will be here until the end of December and check out all the bargains. Great stocking stuffers for your friends who read!

Movie Theater — Watch our new December video and the other new ones from our Authors. They'll put you in the holiday mood.

Check out our Monthly Giveaway page featuring our December promotion, CANDY CANE KISSES. This month we have bigger prizes and more prizes.

Thanks for visiting with me today.  Our December Rafflecopter entry is HERE. Happy Holidays!

Life Is A Journey @ElsaKurt #RomanceGems

Forgive The Cliche...

As writers, we're supposed to avoid them at all costs and come up with a more original or creative way to say the same thing. But the thing about cliches is... they're true. Life is a journey (not a destination) and I don't want to say it another way.

I remember when I was a young girl thinking, "When am I ever going to be older?" I didn't have a specific age in mind, I just wanted so much to Be Older, to do stuff and things older people got to do. Time and the elusive older stretched out like the horizon - unreachable and endless. Oh, silly girl.

What Seemed So Great About Older?

Well, for one, it looked to me like none of those 'Olders' were getting told what to do. (Cue the buzzer: WRONG). Let me preface this next one with: it was the seventies. All the Olders got to smoke cigarettes and drink out of fancy glasses, they got to stay up late, wear makeup, and say bad words. They were so darn cool. I, at the graceless, scrawny, awkward age of seven (eight, nine, and ten through twelve) wanted to be that. Cool. Older.

When The Hell Did That Change?

I can't pinpoint it exactly, but I think I was about forty when I realized I was that mythical creature, that perceived unicorn: Older. Maybe you read that and thought, "Jesus, honey. Forty?" What in hell's bells was I doing in those previous twenty some odd years?! Believe it or not, I was adulting, aka, being older. I just didn't feel like I was.

Delusions, Confusions, Illusions...

Among the aspirations of being Wonder Woman, a beach bum, a writer, an actress, and a veterinarian, I developed a strong desire to be and do something less popular in the Age of the Independent Woman: I wanted to have lots of babies and be a stay-at-home mom. I wanted a house with a white picket fence and a dog and a garden. I wanted to be a PTA mom who volunteered at her kid's school and have a bunch of mom friends. And guess what? I got my wish. Mostly. I married at age twenty, had my first daughter just after I turned twenty-one (my second five years later) and I did and had all the stuff and things. Only, it wasn't quite what I'd hoped. Or envisioned. Or... hang on, I'll get there.

Life Is A Journey

See, I'd spent a long, long time thinking it was a destination. I thought once I got there (Older), I'd be all set. Mission accomplished, goal achieved, an arrival well met. Can I again say: Oh, silly girl. Motherhood was everything I thought it would be. My friendships, my sweet little house, my charming little life in my cozy little town... close enough to perfect. It was that whole pesky marriage thing throwing a wet blanket on my party.

I Make Light... 

It's been many years since those dark days, so I can. Revisiting those days is something I chose not to do, at least not often. Suffice to say, the road was bumpy as hell. Divorce is ugly. So ugly. It's an experience I wish on no one. If you've been there, and if you've traveled that road with kids in tow, I'm preaching to the choir here. In fact, my fellow travelers (along with my need to purge the toxins of that experience) served as motivation for writing my first novel, Livvy Takes the Long Way. Livvy's journey is based strongly on my own...

About Livvy Takes the Long Way...

Livvy Handler is at the crossroads of her life. Married to a man she now can't recall ever loving, although she must have. She must have believed she did. How could she have gotten here - at this precipice - otherwise? Livvy knows she has to get out, but that word - how, how, how - repeats like an endless echo in her mind. She's trapped in a gilded cage of her own design, her own choices. Or is she?
When a face from the past returns, Livvy comes to believe it might be the sign she's waited and longed for; her path to freedom from a man who tears her down as if for sport. Should she takes the fork in the road that leads to who-knows-where, or stay on the one paved with unhappiness but safety and familiarity? Tread water for the sake of her child, or swim fast and hard to a new life? These are the private dilemmas of a woman quietly breaking down.
It's also the metamorphosis of a woman discovering her worth, realizing her strength, and finding her way. It's a story for any woman traveling the hard road, fear and doubt lodged firmly in heart, but undeterred and head held high. And it's the story for any woman who thinks she can't...

Forgive Me...

This perhaps isn't your traditional romance book, but don't worry, it has a happy ending! When I learned that this month's theme is about Life Lessons, I knew this was the book I wanted to share with you. I poured so much of what I've learned in life into that story. Honestly? It was terrifying to put something so close to home out into the universe, something so vulnerable and exposing. There was a time when I hated Livvy and felt so angry with her for doing everything the hard way (yes, there's psychological subtext in there) but I've come to love and understand her so much better now that... well, now that I'm older.

As For My Journey... 

I love every bump, twist, and turn in the road thus far. Yes, even the bad ones, the stupid ones, the impulsive, and destructive ones. They brought me to the here and now, a place where I live in infinite gratitude for the life I get to live. It's not perfect, nor do I want it to be (how boring that would be!) but it's hard-won and worth every skid mark and road rash I snagged along the way. Life itself is the destination. Here. Now. Tomorrow. Every day after. I arrived at it forty-eight years ago and so far, it's a pretty nice place...

Care To Share? 

I'd love to hear about YOUR life lessons and how they impacted the way you live! Here are ours:

 Oh, and here's our November Giveaway!

November is the month for Gratitude, Appreciation, and counting your Blessings if you are religious and/or philosophical. Grateful, Thankful, Blessed—that's what we Romance Gems Authors feel. Join us this month in celebrating the Life Lessons we all learn. Enter our November Rafflecopter now for a chance to win 1 of 5 Amazon Gift Cards. 

You can also enter by going to the Monthly Giveaway Page HERE

November Life Lessons Rafflecopter