Life Is Change by @JoanReeves #RomanceGems

Life is all about change. From the time we're born, our lives change every single day.

We grow. We learn. We become teens then adults. We marry and most of us have children.

We move into different houses as our lives change. From no children to kids to empty nests, life is constantly changing.

If we're smart, we develop hobbies or passions that enrich our lives. Authors are passionate about writing the stories in their heads. Readers are passionate about books, and romance readers are especially invested in the books they love.

My Journey to Change

Darling Hubby and I made the decision to replace our two-story house with a one-story because of my increasing vision problems that may lead to blindness. We decided it wouldn't be smart to be living in a two-story if that occurred.

From January through April, we "polished" our home until it sparkled like a diamond. It went up for sale on May 2. Within a week, we had sold it. 

We spent the rest of May and June shopping for a one-story house, but had no luck. Found only 2 and both needed extensive renovation from top to bottom. Found hundreds of two-story houses. *LOL*

We were frantic since we had to move out by mid-July. The night of July 1, I saw a new one-story house listing pop up on the real estate website. 

I texted our realtor immediately. The next morning, we saw the house and immediately put a contract on it.

Our Chance Arrived

At last. Our chance to make the change came about. We began to pack. Ten days later on July 12, we closed on that house. The morning of July 13, remodeling began. The new hardwood floors were finished July 15, and movers bbrought our furniture the next day.

The rest of July has been overseeing the remodeling, waiting for contractors to show up, and staring at the mountains of boxes stacked in every room. We won't unpack until the electricians are finished and the painters have done their thing. It was difficult to leave our perfect home and take on another remodeling project, but sometimes, you have to take a leap—even though you know it means a lot of work.

Only Constant in Life

In 2019, my friends and I wanted to change how we connected with readers. The result was this wonderful Romance Gems  blog.

Romance Gems debuted February 1, 2019. Now, we have 789 blog posts in the Archives.

Two and a half years have passed, and we are once again on a quest for a better way to connect and interact with readers. That means it's time to change again. It's really true that the only constant in life is change.

Taking a Chance on Change

I posed the question to the Romance Gems Authors about how we should go forward, and the majority opionion was to change from a blog to social media, i.e., our Readers Facebook Page—Romance Gems...Where Authors and Readers Meet.

That means, it's time to say goodbye to our beloved blog. We've had a good time with the blog. We ran giveaways every month for the first year and a half.

We've got to know many of you, and you have followed us to our Readers Facebook Page,  to our personal blogs, to BookBub, and other online destinations.

Stay With Us

We may not be writing the blog any longer, but it will remain in place with all of the posts and the current pages. You can still use the Bookstore page to visit your favorite Romance Gems Authors by clicking their respective links to all of their books.

Even Better

Come join us on Romance Gems...Where Authors and Readers Meet. We want to chat with readers—with you—every day of the week. Each author will have a short post on her usual "blog day" each month, and there will also be daily topics for discussion and entertainment.

Also, subscribe to each author's newsletter so you'll know when she publishes new books or has sales or giveaways. My Newsletter wants you!

Personally...

With everything I write, and everything I say and do, I always want to encourage others to have the courage to dream and go after their dreams.

Romance Gems Blog has been a lot of work, but it's been rewarding in so many ways.

I want to take this moment to thank the other Romance Gems Authors for their posts, their support, and their time in making this blog a success.

I thank all of you Readers for taking the time to visit us and to leave a comment which always encouraged us. Thanks for reading our books and a special thanks to those who left reviews.

We're all still Romance Gems Authors. Only our venue is changing. We're moving on and hoping you'll move on with us. So join Romance Gems...Where Authors and Readers Meet and bring your friends to meet us too.

Thank you for the last two and a half years. I wish you good health, happiness, prosperity, and peace. See you on our Readers Facebook Page.

It's time to move on. Let's enjoy the Journey.

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Beach Read Mania With Free Book by @JoanReeves #RomanceGems

Looking for great romance novels to read at the beach?

You've come to the right place. Our theme for July is Beach Read Mania!

Whee! I need a whole bag of books to help me escape the mania of moving!

Luckily, I've been stocking up because the wonderful authors of Romance Gems have been publishing non-stop this year. I think the majority of us all have at least one new book.

I've published 3 books since January, and several of my friends have published even more. Whether you like it hot and steamy or sweet and mild, we have books to make you smile.

Who Invented Beach Books?

Believe it or not, there is actually a history of the Beach Read. I found a good resource at Literature Lust. 

Katy Waldman in a New Yorker article, The Invention of the Beach Read, wrote that railroads and steamships made travel easy and those who worked in the city had enough income to abandon the city and escape to coastal towns during the summer.

Book publishers jumped on the band wagon and created special lists of summer reads for affluent vacationers.

Publishers promoted their backlist books as summer reads. One might say they were milking the cash cow since those books probably had already earned out. They also created a series of beach reads for an entire summer season at the shore.

What is interesting is that publishers targeted the monied society-folk. They succeeded and changed the perception of reading fiction which was previously considered vulgar and tasteless.

Donna Harrington-Lueker wrote an in-depth study of this phenomenon in Books for Idle Hours: Nineteenth-Century Publishing and the Rise of Summer Reading. She also discusses the backlash against beach reads.

What Backlash?

Isn't it odd that fiction was considered tasteless until the wealthy class started enjoying it.

Now, it seems to have come full circle with many using the phrase beach book or beach read as a pejorative.

For my money, I'll take a wonderful romance with a happily ever after any day of the year and be glad to read it. What do you think?

Romance Gem Blog Updates

For July, I have a couple of notices for you.

(1) The Feedburner gadget, Follow By Email, has been discontinued by Google. If you previously received notice of new posts by email, that will cease in July.

In the left sidebar, scroll down until you see Subscribe to Romance Gems. Below that, you will see Posts and Comments. Click Posts and/or Comments to subscribe to our feed.

(2) No Author Spotlight because I've been sick since last weekend after receiving my 2nd CoVid immunization. I'm still feeling wiped out so am slow to getting things done.

(3) At the top of my list of things to get done is packing to move. We have to be out of here in 2 weeks, and I'm woefully behind.

(4) Quotes and Graphics have changed so check out the new ones scattered on the Home Page.

For Your Consideration

Deceptively Yours, my beach book, set on Last Chance Beach, is still only 99cents until July 4. Price rises then to $4.99. 

Deceptively Yours, a passionate Romantic Suspense about a woman and a man destined to be together—if their love can survive lies and deception.

Free Book for You

Remember above when I asked, "What do you think?" The subject was your opinion of beach books. Fun, wonderful, or embarrassing to be caught reading one. You don't have to post a comment to receive a free book, but I really would like to know what you think about beach books.

Normally when I give away a book, I select a winner by random draw. This month though, I'm giving away free copies of The Trouble With Love. The story begins in a small Texas town and travels to a Gulf Coast beach resort.

Hang on to your Stetson as the fun and games begin in a sexy romantic comedy hotter than a bowl of Texas chili!

Review

HOT, HOT, HOT with a side of funny.

I enjoyed this book for quite a few reasons. First, I loved the characters and how there were multiple relationships showcased.

Susannah and her mother Rory both have issues when it comes to love and they may both be wrong. Then there is that little almost one night stand Susannah had with the man standing in the little town's police station, where she just happens to work. Hogan is a hot as can be 'consultant' or is he? There is heat, passion, forgiveness, trust issues, and lots of fun. —Southern Yankee

Yep, Totally Free

No hoops to jump through. You don't have to do anything to get your free Kindle copy except go to The Trouble With Love on Amazon.

This free book offer starts Thursday, July 1, 2021, at 12:00 AM PDT and ends Friday, July 2, 2021, at 11:59 PM PDT.

Get your free copy today! Oh, and please, if you like my book, please leave a review. Even a couple of sentences help others find my books, and that helps me as an author.

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June Brides by @JoanReeves #RomanceGems

June has historically been the month for weddings.

Here at Romance Gems we specialize in love, romance, weddings, etc. so we decided to make June Brides our theme for this month.

Giveaway Alert: details at the end of this  post.

I think the June trend for weddings began because that's the month when the  weather is really nice in most parts of North America.

June is when college is out so all the engaged couples were free to marry and honeymoon without the agony of college classes hanging over their heads. Then there's the weather issue too. In recent years, beach weddings have grown in popularity.

June Updates for Romance Gems

The Author Spotlight happens to be shining on me this month. Drop by and learn more about me, my books, and my life. I'll try not to bore you.

The Bookstore is always open. Click on an Author's name below her colorful "business card" to be whisked away to where all of her books are displayed.

As time permits, we'll bring back our Movie Theater page, Audio Books page, and others, all of which are being remodeled. Like transforming a kitchen, transforming a website page takes time.

Enjoy the posts this month which are keyed around June Brides.

Visit the Last Chance Beach Webpage.

Last summer, many of our authors contributed to a bestselling box set entitled, Last Chance Beach: Summer's End. All of the short stories were set on a fictional island I created and named Last Chance Beach. I called it the "Island Paradise where Dreams go to Live again."

We tried a couple of times to put together another box set, but there weren't enough authors who had the time/interest in doing it again. We all lead such busy lives that it's hard to block out time to work so intensively on one project.

However, the limited release box set had 55 reviews, all 4 and 5 stars. I was struck by how many reviews mentioned the setting as something they really loved. I had really loved it and the Legend of Last Chance Beach which I wrote.

(Get a free copy of Legend of Last Chance Beach that relates the legend and gives a short blurb of each of the books coming out in the next few months.)

With that thought in mind, I came up with the idea of using the setting for single title releases of full-length novels. It was total serendipity when my pal Nancy Fraser emailed me and asked about using Last Chance Beach as a setting. (Great minds think alike, right?)

She and I talked about that, and we worked together to create a structure for a series of full-length romance novels to be published under the banner of Last Chance Beach Romance. These books will have Contemporary Romance as the foundation with sub-genres of Romantic Comedy or Romantic Suspense.

All of the books will be united by the setting of Last Chance Beach. Readers will get to know the islanders and the businesses who pop up in many of the books.

Some Last Chance Beach Romance novels may be Sweet. Some Spicy. Some Sizzling—but NOT erotica. This way there's a heat level to appeal to most readers. Each author will publish her own book and distribute it as she wishes.

Deceptively Yours

The first full-length Last Chance Beach Romance, a Sizzling Hot Romantic Suspense, is a story of lost love, second chances, and the quest for redemption.

Tatiana was 12 when her mother died, leaving her alone in the world. Her cousin took her in. What seemed like an act of kindness was a scheme to use her artistic talent to cheat wealthy men who were least likely to display art they thought had been obtained illegally.

For six years, her life offered nothing but fear and danger—then she met a young man who gave her love, passion, and hope for a future together.

In an act of breathtaking courage, she defied her cousin. He responded with a vicious assault. A chance meeting with an elderly man saved her and gave her a second chance at life, but she had to leave everything behind—including the man she loved.

Ten years later, Tatiana has done everything in her power to repay her benefactor, to prove she’s worthy of the care and fatherly love he’s given her, and to become a better person. She’s never forgotten Declan Moran who taught her the meaning of love and desire. 

Destiny hands her a second chance at love, but she resists because she's not the girl Declan fell in love with. She never was. She can’t undo the lies she told, the secrets she’s kept—and continues to keep.

Declan knows a devastating secret lies at the heart of Tatiana’s refusal to accept him. He patiently waits for her to tell him the truth about what happened ten years ago, but his patience ends when he suspects she’s in danger. Will what he learns kill his love for Tatiana? Will she find the courage to reveal her secrets before it’s too late? Will she ever accept the love finds in his arms?

Deceptively Yours, a passionate Romantic Suspense about a woman and a man who are destined to be together, is New Release priced at 99¢.

Giveaway: Deceptively Yours

Prize: 1 Kindle copy of  Deceptively Yours.

1. Answer this question in Comments: At which beach would you like to vacation for a week or more?

2. Leave your email addy written out, not as a hot link.

3. Winner chosen by Random Draw on June 6.

4. Winner notified by email. 

Looking forward to reading where you'd like to vacation. The summer promises to be wonderful.

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Cover Art Confidential by Joan Reeves and Friends #RomanceGems

Image by John Iglar, Pixabay

Once upon a time, cover art was created this way.

An artist posed live models and created a painting, based on the art description form submtted  by the author.

The painting was photographed, and the photo was then used by a typesetter to add title, author's name, and any other text that would appear on the cover.

Paint and a brush, as is humrously shown in this image, are passé.

Graphic artists now create amazing images using a computer, mouse, and digital illustration software like Adobe Photoshop.

Authors work hard to pick a cover that not only visually represents the characters accurately but also the story in terms of plot, premise, theme, or tone.

Getting a cover that does all that is nearly impossible so an author has to choose which of those elements are most important and can be represented by cover art.

In addition to all of that, authors want the cover to be appealing to readers. They want it to shout, "Pick me, pick me!"

This Month's Question for Authors

What were your reasons in choosing the cover art for your book, including the fonts used for title, author name, series title if that applies, and your author credit line?

Lucinda Race, author of Breathe.

Facebook | Find More Books by Lucinda

Why this cover art?

The cover art for Breathe was inspired by the winery, but I didn't want it to be the main focus as this is a romance set in the Finger Lakes region of NY.

I like the layered look as the book has layers in the story with the family dynamic at play.

Relationships, like slowly ripening vineyards, take time. But Max has been keeping a secret from Tessa, one that could destroy her hopes for their future.

Will a terrible accident force Tessa and Max to face how much they have to lose, or tear apart their budding relationship forever? Sometimes a romance is like a fine wine. To be its best, it just needs time to breathe.

M.J. Schiller, author of Rocked by Grace

Facebook | Find More Books by M.J.

Why this cover art?

I feel the reason I chose this is pretty self-evident. The man's gorgeous! But the challenge I had with this series is that I found premade covers from two different artists that I wanted to use. 

Luckily they worked together to keep the branding consistent, and they used the logo for the band my son designed! I chose the title fonts that I liked best from the four covers and they coordinated that. I love the mixture of print and script and that one word of the title is in a bright color to catch the eye.

When videos hit the Internet of rock star Zane Sanders and a random fan performing what he says is a spontaneous dance, no one believes it’s unrehearsed. Zane doesn't want their onstage magic to end, but when Grace runs off without leaving a last name, Zane has no way to contact her. Will he ever be able to be ROCKED BY GRACE again?

Jan Scarbrough, author of Liz, The Dawsons of Montana

Facebook | Find More Books by Jan

Why this cover art?

I trust my cover artist to brand my series. For The Dawsons of Montana, the colors are vibrant. 

My name is at the bottom in the same font. The title of the book is above my name and series title. 

All of the titles are in the same font. For the cover of Liz, it was important to have a picture of a woman who might be 55. She needed to look older. I think my cover artist Kim Killion succeeded.

It’s good to be in love, whatever age. Sometimes second chances come when least expected. Can Liz and Chaz take a leap of faith…together?

Kathleen Lawless, author of A Bride for Riley

Website  |  Find More Books by Kathleen

Why this cover art?

I have 2 releases this month, and they are both part of different Multi Author Series. This means the series’ creator chooses a look that suits the theme and time period.

Individually, we authors work with the designer to find the model best suited to our story. In this instance, my model is much plainer than the other heroines as she is on her way to become a nun.

The theme is Mistaken Identity Brides. The advantages are that readers who are following the series can easily identify the latest releases. This also makes it easy for me to focus on my story as someone else has done the heavy lifting as far as researching and determining the best look for the market we’re going after. Key words such as Mail Order or Bride are also used in the title to feed Amazon’s search engines. 

She was on her way to the convent. How did she wind up married instead?

Raised in an orphanage, Lucinda never felt she truly had the calling to be a nun. Like a miracle, her prayers are answered when confusion at the train station leads her to the marriage altar instead of the convent.

Peggy Jaeger, author of It's a Trust Thing

Website |  Find More Books by Peggy

Why this cover art?

Since It's a Trust Thing is the second book in the dotcomgirls series, I wanted to keep the covers consistent for brand recognition. 

The first cover for DIRTY DAMSELS showed a stark red background with the Hero and Heroine locked in a steamy hug, full-body pose.

The fonts were all in yellow to help the title stand out against the red. So, for It's a Trust Thing, I went with the same look. A stark black background this time, the hero and heroine locked in an embrace in full-body position, and the fonts all yellow and the same as the first book. I found the couple for this book in stock photos on Deposit Photos.

For Nell, trust is everything...in life, and in love.

Marcia King-Gamble, author of This Way Home

BookBub | Find More Books by Marcia

Why this cover art?

I wanted a more modern look for This Way Home. I wrote the book in 2003 and got the rights back.

My heroine is a cover model that falls on hard times. It was important to me that she at least look like one of today’s models. Covers sell books, and the author’s name should be prominent, hence the font chosen. I chose colors that would pop and get the readers’ attention.

Liza Hamilton left her hometown to chase her dreams. Success as a supermodel ended when she was mugged in Central Park. Then long-lost stepbrother Eric puts down roots there as well, and strange things begin happening in their respective homes.

Joan Reeves, author of The Key To Kristina

Newsletter | Find More Books by Joan 

Why this cover art?

While this is a romance, it's a mystery where keys play a prominent part. I loved that my cover artist, Adina Mayo, made the down stroke of the capital K in Key look like an actual key.

The flames that nearly obscure the key represent the dangers and the hidden truths that are the key to her past. 

I always have an idea of what I want a cover to look like, and Adina helps me bring it to life.

A suspicious death, and an inheritance. A key and a clue lead to a Quest that becomes the adventure of a lifetime!

As they say in Hollywood, that's a wrap!

We hope you enjoyed this look into how authors choose cover art. The next time you see a cover that makes you buy a book, mention that in the review.

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Romance & Roses by @JoanReeves #RomanceGems

"A mother's love is like an everlasting bed of roses that continues to blossom." —Ellen J. Barrier

Giveaway Alert: Details in Post.
 

Moms, love, and roses. Those 3 seem to go together, don't they? When children grow up, they tend to send Mom flowers—usually roses—for Mother's Day.

Imagine how surprised I was to learn that roses aren't the officieal Mother's Day flower.

That honor goes to the Carnation. I've always liked carnations for their fresh, clean scent, but I don't think many moms get bouquets of carnations rather than roses.

Why Carnations?

There's a simple reason carnations are the official flower of Mother's Day. That lovely cut flower was Anna Jarvis's mother's favorite flower.

You're probably saying, "Who's Anna Jarvis?" She's the woman who lobbied for a national day to recognize the hard work and sacrifice of mothers everywhere. 

When she first started her campaign to designate a Sunday as Mother's Day (1907), she sent white carnations to her family’s church in Grafton, West Virginia, to be distributed to the congregation.

Over the years, white carnations came to symbolize mothers who had passed away.

Red or pink carnations were adopted as the flower given to a living mother as a symbol of love and gratitude.

Where I lived as a child, it was popular to wear a carnation to church on Mother’s Day.

In 1914, Woodrow Wilson finally signed a proclamation declaring the second Sunday in May to be Mother's Day. This special day is now celebrated in more than 40 countries.

(Read more about the History of Mother's Day.) 

Romance for Mom

Something else Mom would like for her special day is the leisure time to read. Since the Romance genre comprises the vast majority of books that are sold, Mom probably likes to read Romance.

Give her books in her favorite genre. Even better, give her books AND a few hours or an entire day to do nothing but read! Now that's a gift any woman would like.

Random Draw Giveaway

Leave a comment with your email addy written out.

No question to answer this month. Instead, share a special memory of your Mom with us or just tell us her first name or nickname.

Prize is 1 free copy of April Fool Proposition for Kindle.

Drawing open until May 7 when winner will be selected and notified by email.

What will Brenna do when she learns her friend's mom, a noted romance author, has set her up with Travis, the man she thinks is pretending to be her lover? Will Travis settle for being a pretend lover? Will Brenna realize she needs to live her own life and stop mothering her siblings?

April Fool Proposition only 99¢ at Kindle.

Romance Gems Blog Update

As you have surmised, our theme this month is Romance & Roses for Mom. 

You'll be treated to posts about romance novels with moms as heroines or sidekicks or maybe posts about being a mother/motherhood.

Sharing Memory of Mom

My mother was a young adult in WW2. She grew up in the era of red lipstick, seamed nylon stockings, and hair always styled.

My mom never went anywhere without her hair fixed and her lipstick on.

This is bittersweet. I'm crying as I write this. The night my older brother and sister-in-law had to drive my mother to the hospital, she made them stop a block away so she could put her lipstick on.

She passed two weeks later.

When the funeral home "prepared" her, Mom's hair stylist did her hair, the makeup artist at the funeral home did her makeup, but she did not put lipstick on Mom.

That night at the wake, I was upset when I saw she wasn't wearing lipstick. My sister-in-law and my girl cousins formed a circle around me and my mom. I pulled my lipstick out of my purse and applied lipstick for Mom because I knew she wouldn't even want to go to Heaven without her lipstick on!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms, step-moms, foster moms, and women who fulfill that caring, giving, loving role in someone's life.

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Mood Music for Love by Joan Reeves & Friends #Romance Gems

Welcome to our first Round Robin!

A Round Robin interview means each person answers the same question.

This Month's Question for Authors

What song helped you set the mood for a great love scene in one of your  books?

Music has always been an important part of my life. I grew up listening to every kind of music and still have eclectic taste in music. I'm happy listening to Afro-Euro rock, Japanese koto music, Bob Seger, Mozart, Caught A Ghost, Santana, Los Lobos, The Eagles, Asleep at the Wheel,  some hip hop—well, you get the picture.

Don't get me started on soundtracks like Streets of Fire! I listen to classical when I'm writing except when I'm gearing up to write a special scene, like a love scene.

Then I listen to a song that make me think of my characters or the situation they find themselves in or fits the intensity of the mood. Sometimes I listen over and over. Drives my Darling Hubby crazy.

As I write this, I'm listening to Tom Waits sing "Heartattack and Vine," a song Hubby and I have been dancing a little West Coast Swing to. In many of my books, characters listen to music, probably because I do. 

In April Fool Proposition, my latest book (on pre-order, publishing April 4), I have a scene where the hero, Travis, is dancing with the heroine, Brenna, to the song Wicked Game by Chris Isaak.

Travis asks, "Is that what you're doing. Playing a wicked game with me?"

(There's a lot of music in this novella. If you want to know how his question is answered, April Fool Proposition is at the New Release price of 99¢.)

I love Wicked Games. It's one of my favorites ever. Isaak's voice is as haunting as the lyrics.

Judge for yourself. Here's a YouTube link to Isaak singing Wicked Game. Turn the volume up because the way he's singing it is as if he's whispering to his heartless lover.

Kathleen Lawless: What song helped you set the mood for a great love scene in a book?

Wicked Games by Chris Isaak 

It started off as the ultimate reunion… Cassidy’s chance to get revenge for the way Sloan broke her teenage heart.

Her Unwilling Cowboy was originally titled Wicked Night Games, so this song always fit perfectly. [And still does.]

[Note from Joan: Great minds think alike.]

M.J. Schiller: What song helped you set the mood for a great love scene in a book?

In my latest release, Rocked By Love, Book Two of the Love and Chaos Series, my heroine, Mia Love, actually does a sort of private strip tease to this song for the hero, rock star Rafe Santiago.

The lyrics don't apply in any way, but the beat is great to dance to.

Check out Gold Digger by Kanye on YouTube, but be warned it's a bit risque.

When rock star Raphael Santiago jumps in the crowd at one of Just Short of Chaos' concerts to defend a woman whose boyfriend has gotten physical with her, he meets the woman's cousin, newspaper reporter, Mia Love. 

When Rafe extends an invitation to Mia to meet him backstage after the show, he is rebuffed, which is a first, and it starts a hot, sometimes friction-filled relationship between the two.

Nancy Fraser: What song helped you set the mood for a great love scene in a book?

Seduced by the Handyman

Can he fix more than just her rusty pipes?

The song is "The End" by JPolnd which is used in Bridgerton during the Daphne takes hers scene.

I've used this song for the steamiest scenes in the last three books. The music is haunting, but the lyrics even more so.

Check out The End on YouTube.

As I've compiled this, I've listened to all of the songs my friends mentioned. 

I think authors listen to music to "set a scene" because music is emotion. It digs deep into our psyches where we store our pain and our love, our triumphs and our tragedies. Music helps us excavate those emotions and put them into our stories.

Hans Christian Andersen said, "Where words fail, music speaks."

Join us again on May 2 for another Round Robin interview with Romance Gems Authors. It may be about music or something entirely different. 

Like They Say in Hollywood, "That's a wrap."

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April Showers by @JoanReeves #RomanceGems

Better grab those umbrellas and get ready for April Showers, that's our theme this month.

Remember the old joke from childhood?

If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?

Furniture.

Hey, when I was a tiny tot, I thought that was hysterically funny.

Okay, okay. I suppose we've all grown a more sophisticated sense of humor in the ensuing years. 

Giveaway Alert

To welcome M. J. Schiller, our newly-minted Romance Gems author, I'll give away 1 ebook copy of her book, To Hell in a Coach Bag. 

I picked that title because it tickles my fancy. 

To enter the Giveaway, leave a comment in answer to the question I'll pose at the end of this post, along with your email addy written out, not as a hot link.

Comments can be entered between now and Friday, April 2, so tell your friends. I'll select the winner using Random Name Picker over the weekend.

Winner will be notified no later than Monday, April 5.

April Spotlight Shines on Cheryl Bolen

Cheryl and I have known each other over 30 years. I'm pleased to shine the April Spotlight on her.

Be sure and visit Author Spotlight and read about Cheryl's career, some personal info, and see the gorgeous covers for her two new releases.

Updates on the Blog

The Bookstore is open with all authors who participated represented. Just click on the author who interests you and you'll be taken to where all of her books can be found.

You'll find a lot of new videos in the Movie Theater, and there are new quotes and graphics scattered around the blog for your amusement. 

Scroll arouond and see if something makes you smile.

I just finished April Fool Proposition, another story in my A Moment in Time series. It is 99¢ New Release price, and it publishes April 4. This started out as a short story and ended up as a 30,000 word short novel. I just couldn't let go of the characters! I lost some days I should have been writing on the next book. I'll complain more about that at a later date. *LOL*

Coming Soon: Last Chance Beach Romance

That next book I should already be writing is to be the first book in Last Chance Beach Romance, a series of full-length novels united by the setting of Last Chance Beach.

If you're a longtime reader of this blog, you will remember Last Chance Beach was the island paradise I created last year for a box set of short stories.

Actually, I came up with the premise and an overview of Last Chance Beach and wrote The Legend of Last Chance Beach, about how the island paradise received its name. I then turned my baby over to the wonderfully creative authors in the box set who helped it grow to toddler-age.

What we all created ended up being a place we loved—and readers loved it too as was mentioned in nearly 50 5-star reviews. A second box set didn't seem in the cards so Nancy and I took the island and came up with a different idea for using it. You'll learn more about that in the coming weeks. My book cover is partially revealed above.

Amazon Kindle 99¢ 

Giveaway Question to Answer

The post opened with umbrellas so, of course, this question is about rain. Actually, I'm going to give you 2 questions.

When my daughter was little, she loved to walk in the rain so I outfitted her with a little raincoat, rain boots, and her own little pink umbrella. 

If the rain was gentle with no thunder and lightning, we'd walk in the rain.

Now that's she's grown, she buys her own raincoat, fashionable rain boots, and matching umbrella. She still likes the rain.

Q1: Do you own a raincoat and rain boots?

Q2: Do you like walking in the rain?

 Leave your answer and your email in comments. I can't wait to see what everyone has to say. This Giveaway is open to RG authors too if you wish to reply to win.

 

Like They Say in Hollywood, "That's a wrap." 

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Lucky in Love by @JoanReeves #RomanceGems

I was one of millions in Texas without power, water, and cell for a week during the recent winter storm.

That storm that hit Texas was more like a Winter Apocalypse.

So I'm thrilled to say goodbye, February, and hello, March!

February is the month when we celebrate Love and Romance.

So is March, but there is a lot of fun attached to Romance and Love this month.

Whether you have Irish ethnicity or not, St. Patrick's Day is a holiday celebrated by all. Our theme this month is Lucky in Love. Read the posts each day to see how our Authors treat that theme. 

Giveaway Alert

Leave a comment with an answer to the question posed at the end of this post to be entered in a random drawing for a free copy of my Irish Romance Short Story, Liam's Wild Irish Rose.

Maura O'Reilly doesn't want a relationship. She just wants Liam Harper.

The thought of being tied to one man makes her anxious to the max.

Liam wants more than sex. 

Of all the women in the world, he fell for the one who has no interest in him—outside of the bedroom.

Will the luck of the Irish on St. Patrick's Day be with Liam? Can he get Maura to make a commiement to him?

March Author Spotlight

The spotlight Author for March is Caroline Clemmons. According to Caroline, she writes Western Romance to compensate for not being born on a Texas ranch!

You'll find her books filled with handsome cowboys, feisty ranch women, and scheming villains.

Be sure and check out Author Spotlight to learn all about Caroline and her wonderful Western Romance novels.

Bookstore Open for Business

The remodeled Bookstore is now open. You'll see a graphic for each Author with an embedded link to where you can find all of her books. Click the link to check out your favorite author's books, or explore other Authors to discover new books to love.

Other March Updates

 Look through the home page for new motivational quotes. One may be exactly what you need to inspire you or simply to give you a smile to start your day.

FYI

Next month, you'll find these pages remodeled: Listen to Romance and Movie Theater. 

The Policies page will be updated, and the Free Books page will be closed since you can now find those books at the Bookstore by clicking an author's link to find all of her books.

Lucky in Love: Interesting Irish Fact

English is not the first language of Ireland.

The first language is Irish which people outside of Ireland oncorrectly call Gaelic, or Gaelige.

Gaelige is one of the oldest, most historic written languages in the world.

In actuality, Gaelic is an adjective that describes the people and culture of Ireland. The term “Gaelic” as a  language applies only to the language of Scotland. 

Both Gaelic and Gaelige are Indo-European langauges. About 30% of the 3.5 million population in Ireland can speak Irish. Of that, 5% use it regularly.

Giveaway Details

1. In comments, answer with your email addy written out, not as a hot link, this question: Have you ever had green beer? If so, what did you think of it?

2. Giveaway open until March 5, noon, CST.

3. Giveaway is also open to Authors of Romance Gems.

4. Winner chosen by random drawing on March 5 and notified by email no later than March 7.

5. Prize is 1 copy of the Kindle edition of Liam's Wild Irish Rose, a Romance Short Story. If you want to buy a copy, it's 99¢.

May you have the hindsight to know where you've been,

the foresight to know where you are going,

and the insight to know when you have gone too far.

—Irish Blessing

Have a wonderful March!

SIGN UP FOR JOAN'S FREE NEWSLETTER

Subscribers are the first to know about New Books and Giveaways. When you confirm your subscription, you'll receive a link to a free romance ebook.

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