For summer reading take advantage of Kindle Unlimited by Jan Scarbrough

The theme for July is Beach Read Mania. To me this not only means reading books with beach settings but reading for summer fun.

 At Sunday school yesterday, a friend came up to me to talk about books. It’s widely known in the class that I write novels. This friend said she’d joined Kindle Unlimited. She thought it was a good deal, and she said, “There are some really good books in it.” She wanted to know how to find my books. I told her to simply look for my name.

Most readers who enjoy ebooks and buy them from Amazon know about Kindle Unlimited.

Kindle Unlimited is sort of like Netflix for Amazon's digital e-books, called Kindle books. You pay a monthly subscription fee for access to the full Kindle Unlimited library where you can read and enjoy as many Kindle books as you want. That's exactly why it's called “Unlimited.”

Publishers don’t have to put their books into this program. In fact, many prefer to go “wide” and take advantage of other ebook platforms such as those on Apple or GooglePlay.

Recently, I’ve added a few of my books to Kindle Unlimited. Take a look at them during the hot, humid days of summer whether you’re at the beach or in the cool of your living room.

Ghost Mountain Ranch: The secrets of the past still haunt the living…  “Kudos to Jan Scarbrough for keeping the characters interesting and the plot twists intriguing from the first book to the last.”

Betting on Love: A romantic virgin and matchmaking aunt threaten the bachelor days of a Bluegrass chef.  

 Dawsons of Montana: Growing up on the ranch was a great life for Ben until his mother passed away, leaving his father Jim a widower. It wasn’t long, however, before Jim remarried, bringing Liz into their lives, along with her son, Brody. Soon, Jim and Liz added a new Dawson to the family when daughter Mercer was born. Jim’s untimely death changes the family's life and future.

 

Marcia King-Gamble, Our New Author by @JoanReeves #RomanceGems

Happy June, everyone. Whee! I love June. It's warm, but not blistering hot, and full of sunshine and flowers.

Giveaway Alert

I'm giving away a beautiful Journal graced with a picture of the Eifel Tower on the front cover and a map of Paris on the back. Look for Giveaway Details below.

New Month Brings News

I'm certainly looking forward to a new month. I hope it lifts the gray curtain of gloom too many are feeling.

It's been a tough year so far, but there's hope on the horizon. The best doctors in the world are working on this virus. The technology geniuses of the world are coming up with solutions to help us get back to normal, albeit a new normal.

Let's continue being smart, valiant, hopeful, and never yielding to fear and paranoia.

Actually, I've been too busy to think about much except writing and welcoming new authors to Romance Gems.

Latest Romance Gems News

Please welcome Marcia King-Gamble, our newest author who has joined  Romance Gems. Marcia will be blogging on the 22nd of each month.

Although Marcia is a travel industry executive and visited many countries, she's spent most of life in the United States.

Marcia is a National Bestselling Author who has written more than 34 books and 8 novellas.

I invite you to find out more about her on her profile on The Authors. You'll find her online links there so drop by and visit her at her website and social media pages.

Marcia's latest book is Ring in the Moment, the second book in The Ring series.

Here's a short blurb to pique your reader's curiosity.

Keisha Wilson gets the surprise of her life when her boyfriend, Brian O'Connor dumps her, and right before one of the biggest holidays of the year. Brian gives no explanation, and although Keisha is hurt she has no choice but to move on. What else can she do?

Brian has never stopped loving Keisha, but he's reluctant to drag her into a mess. A past indiscretion has come back to haunt him, and until he can get that situation handled, he's in no position to make a commitment.

When Brian realizes Keisha isn't going to sit home and mope—and he may lose her— he decides it's time to take action. Portia, the woman back in his life, has other plans, She's not going to walk away without a fight. Given Brian's secret, will Keisha take him back? Can love survive deception?

Author Spotlight Shines on Kathryn Hills in June

Drop by Author Spotlight and learn more about Kathryn Hills, one of the nicest authors you'll ever meet.

Kathy is into all things that go bump in the night and is the author of A Time Traveler's Journey series.

The Spotlight page contains an excerpt for the first book in her series, Haunting Highland House, and it's romantic and sensual!

Sneak Peak at My Work in Progress

I'm having a ball writing a Mystery Romance entitled The Key to Kristina. It will publish in July in a box set I created called Fortune's Favor: The Treasure.

Kristina's father never gave her anything but a hard time—until he died and left her a key. But a key to what?

My book will be 1 of 7 novels, all written by some of my best writing buddies, and each novel will feature a treasure of some kind.

I'll give you a clue. The Treasure in my book is a bit unusual. I hope everyone who reads it keeps the secret and doesn't mention what the treasure is in a review. All I'll say is that I had a fabulous time doing the research for it.

Later this month, I'll do a cover reveal in my free subscription newsletter. So sign up if you want to see the cover for my book and for the box set itself.

In late June I'll issue a call for readers who want to receive an Advanced Reading Copy for the purposes of posting a review of my book when the box set publishes. Get on my list now if you wish. Email me (joan @ JoanReeves dot com) and put ARC in the Subject Box if you want to be put on the list to receive an Advanced Reading Copy. (You must agree to review the book and post your review on the day the book publishes.)

Front Cover

Giveaway Details

Prize: I'm giving away a beautiful writing journal as seen on the right. That's the front cover. It's spiral bound and 1 inch thick with brown kraft paper pages.

That means you can use it as a journal or as a scrapbook or photo album—or all three!

The back cover is a graphic of a Paris map.

U.S. Winner: If the selected winner is in the U.S. lower 48, I'll award the journal and send it by USPS Media Mail.

Back Cover

Winner Outside U.S.: If the selected winner is outside that area, the winner receives her choice of any of my ebooks or box sets.

Random Draw Giveaway: Winner chosen by Random Draw from entries that include an email with a comment.

To Enter: Leave a comment on this post in answer to this question: What are you most looking forward to in June?

You must leave your email address written out NOT as a hot link with your comment.

Giveaway Closes: June 6, 2020, Saturday.

Winner Notified: No later than June 8, 2020, Monday, by email.

I look forward to reading your comments. Good luck, and have a wonderful month!

FOLLOW JOAN ONLINE

Be first to know about Giveaways, Bargains, and New Books.

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When you confirm your subscription, you'll receive a free ebook code.

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The Little Things by Nora LeDuc

“Enjoy the little things in life because one day you`ll look back and realize they were the big things.” -Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Ah, Valentine's Day. We celebrate love with cards, candy, and flowers. I'll take any of those. One celebration in particular stands out in my memory. It was February 13. My nine-year-old daughter wanted me to drive her to the local discount store.  She'd been saving up her small allowance for weeks to buy her teacher a special card. I knew this was important to her and agreed to squeeze the trip in.

We jumped in our ancient blue Chevy and headed out. Once we arrived in the parking lot, she volunteered to run inside and grab her purchase. I waited in the car but kept an eye on the glass entrance. In about five minutes, she came out with her white plastic bag and climbed into the passenger seat.

"Did you find what you wanted?" I asked. She smiled and nodded. I was anxious to get home and start supper, so we took off.  After we ate, she addressed her cards and crammed them in her backpack where she seemed to keep every book from school. I made sure she also put in the candy to pass out to her classmates for their party.

The next morning I walked into the kitchen and sitting on the table was a small stuffed bear with a heart that read I Love You. Beside it was a note saying, For Mom, Love J. It wasn't until then, I realized she'd been holding on to all her money to get me this gift. Wow! Of course, she strolled in immediately to see how I liked her surprise. I kissed and hugged her, and she set off to school laughing that she had fooled me.

Many years have passed since that day. I've kept that little teddy on the night stand by my bed where I look at it each day. And I remember my daughter's smile that lit her face when I thanked her.

So my friends, I wish you a stress-free February 29 and leap year. I hope you discover something that makes you happy today no matter how small the gesture.
~Nora LeDuc

                                                           

Don't forget it's our Romance Gems Anniversary. We are one year old this month. Enter our Rafflecopter with Amazon Gift Card prizes. You still have time today.

And don't miss our Valentine's Day Book Fair filled with the kind of books you love best. Open in February. Hurry! You can also watch the February video in our Movie Theater or on Youtube.

Thanks to all of you for joining us. Here's to another super year together!!

Love in a Pawn Shop #Free @BonnieEdwards #RomanceGems

I'm talking reviews here for a moment before I get to the good stuff. Love in a Pawn Shop is the perfect book to discuss reviews and what readers see in a story. I'm always surprised by reviews but this book in particular garners some interesting  ones.

Love in a Pawn Shop is a romance. Pretty straightforward for me. She owns a pawn shop, he's a cop who thinks she's shady. I've never said it was a mystery. I've never said it was "clean" or "sweet" or had no sex in it.

But, one reader's review mentioned some mystery elements, which sent Amazon's algorithms into a stupor and I think the book suddenly got shown to mystery readers. And out of the blue, comments got a bit strange for me.

A KINDLE EXCLUSIVE

Here's a taste of the wide range of comments this book has received:

"This storyline was immediately gripping and funny at the same time. Well fleshed out characters and stories were greatly appreciated! I've been reading a lot of fluff lately so the depth of this book was a welcome surprise. It was a little too erotic for me, but I was hooked on the whole story by then so I just skipped over the sexy stuff! The ending was worth it!"

"Loved this story! Full of friendships, family and love and it shows people overcoming hardships. Leaves you feeling hopeful and couldn’t we all use a little more of that?" (I seriously loved this last bit-- hopeful--yes, please.) Here's where the mystery elements came into play:

"A Terrific Romance and self-revealing mystery..."(followed by a full synopsis of the plot)

The next two reviews were from readers of mystery books I think:

"and had a good mystery element Cute little read. Moved really fast, and had a good mystery element."

"Typical cozy mystery/romance This was an interesting book with lots of weird action. I could have done without the graphic oral sex pages. The book didn't need it. There were a lot of unpleasant suspicions that I had a difficult time understanding why they were written in. A mindless read if that is what you are looking for." (AKA escapism - works for me!)

Not to confuse even more, but I applied to advertise this book on BookBub which is a fabulous site for readers that sends out ads curated to tastes. I wanted it to go into Romance...but they decided it would fit into Chick Lit. I assume that's because of the cover. It's not a kissing couple, but a woman on the way out the door. (Did I mention that's my dog on the cover?)

~ ~ ~

So...you know...I've given up trying to define this book. Most of the 36 reviews on Love in a Pawn Shop are complimentary (really, they are) and even the ones where the reader didn't like the sexy stuff! Because...they finished the book and felt strongly enough that they made their comments.

And now for the good stuff: it's FREE today and tomorrow (Apr 4/5)! I'd love for you to give this one a read and share your thoughts. Because I don't have a clue what you'll think of it.

If you haven't seen the details on this month's Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt you can check out all the information, including how to enter, on the "Giveaway" Tab at the top of the blog page.

Because I'm a rebel (according to our own Nancy Fraser) I have an egg on display...but, naturally, it's a bit different. For mine, just tell us what KIND of egg it is...no worries about the colour. (Yes, I'm also kind of bratty.)

You can check for the egg here:

Follow me on Bookbub

Like my FB Page

Follow me on Twitter

Happy reading and thanks so much for stopping by. The Romance Gems appreciate each and every one of you!

The Cool Month of March by Nora LeDuc #RomanceGems

Celebrate!

Many say March comes in like a lion, but I say it comes in like a New Year. At last, a season that excites everyone after the storms and frigid temperatures. (My apologies to the warm weather people.) Every day I gaze out at the shrinking snowbanks searching for signs of the hibernating grass. I can never declare that spring is officially here until the bank by my driveway built by the snowplow shrinks away. Then, it’s celebration time.

Town Meeting—note blue jeans are required (g)

As I travel around my small town, I spy the town meeting and school district signs. They have sprouted up almost overnight and decorate the street corners and yards of my neighbors. It's still not warm enough to shed my winter coat, but I'm encouraged when I spot the plastic tubing for the future syrup. These pipelines run from maple tree to maple tree on the edge of the woods.There's something about the lines and the familiar sap buckets catching the drip-drip-drip that reassures and promises better weather ahead. In case you didn't know, the liquid flows when the daytime temperatures rise above freezing. Of course, the night temperature must fall below 32 degrees, but we're inside snug and toasty by then.

My spring flower bulbs from Breck’s arrive.

Another exciting moment is when my Breck's Flower order arrives. Each winter, the nursery convinces me with their beautiful catalog I too can grow flowers that look like the ones in their pictures. Sure, I can! I choose the prettiest bloomers and dream of them outside my house. Unfortunately, March weather is often unpredictable and many purchases have arrived after a nor'easter. Yes, that's one of my deliveries in the picture.

Yup, not quite time to go in the ground.

Finally, I take a hard look at my writing production. After a winter of tapping away on my laptop, it’s time to assess my newest creation. I hope my book will entertain many readers with hours of happiness that warm your heart.

Until we meet again, happy reading, my friends.

My latest release Midnight Girl. 

~ ~ ~

LUCK O' THE IRISH Giveaway: 3 Ways to Win

Our March Giveaway is in full swing. See all the prizes on the Monthly Giveaway page.

Comment & Win
Leave a comment on any post in March + Your Email Addy—written out, i.e. Mary at yahoo dot com. (We need your email to verify you are who you say you are and to contact you.)

The more comments you make; the greater your chance of winning. Winner selected by random draw from eligible entries.

Prizes: $5.00 Amazon Gift Card at the end of each week beginning March 8 for a total of 4 Amazon Gift Cards.

Friends Tell Friends

To enter, send your friends to visit us. When your friend visits and reads a post, she should (1) leave a comment with her email addy written out (2) leave the name and email of the friend who referred her. (Readers, coordinate this with your friend.)

Both names/emails will be entered in Friends Tell Friends Giveaway. The more friends you bring; the greater your chances of winning. Winner selected by random draw from eligible entries at end of March.

Luck O' The Irish Rafflecopter

1st Grand Prize Winner: The Honor of Naming a Female Character in an Author's upcoming Book plus $10.00 Amazon Gift Card.

2nd Grand Prize Winner: The Honor of Naming a Male Character in an Author's upcoming Book plus $10.00 Amazon Gift Card.

Enter the Rafflecopter and the other Giveaways often. The more you enter; the better your chances to win.