The Deputy's Damsel by @KaraONealAuthor #RomanceGems

I’m thrilled to introduce y’all to Joe Lonnigan and Katia Stefanski, the hero and heroine of my newest release, THE DEPUTY’S DAMSEL. This story takes us to Austin where Katia is wrongly of accused of murder, and Joe, a deputy, believes she’s innocent. Joe hides Katia, protecting her from being arrested, which is at great cost to himself. He’s risking his livelihood and perhaps his life.

But his actions caused an even stickier problem that was quite interesting and heart wrenching to write.

Joe’s cousin, Conner, happens to be the sheriff. So, not only is Joe deceiving his boss, he’s also lying to a member of his family. The scenes between Conner and Joe were just as fraught with tension as the moments of fear and despair Katia experiences being wrongly accused of murder.

The family elements in my books are strong and add so much depth to the characters. And as I wrote THE DEPUTY’S DAMSEL, I found the characters having some very real, very gut-wrenching conversations. My heart pounded hard through the last ten chapters!

Reading this romance will give you ALL the feels, I promise!

The Deputy's Damsel

Pike’s Run, Texas, 1887

Katia Stefanski is stunned when she learns her recently deceased step-father has arranged a marriage for her. Even worse, her step-brother intends to honor it. Despite numerous attempts to convince her brother to let her make the choice, she fails. She flees during the party intended to cement her engagement.

Deputy Joe Lonnigan crosses paths with Katia Stefanski and is struck by her beauty and fighting spirit. When he learns she's been accused of the murder of her not-wanted fiancé, he can't believe it. With her step-brother's help, Joe risks everything to keep her hidden and prove her innocence.



But Katia can't let Joe destroy his future. She’s determined to take matters into her own hands, even if it means the noose.

The Deputy's Damsel: An Excerpt

Deputy Lonnigan sat tall in the saddle, his front dark as the moon shone from behind him. He put her in mind of a mysterious night rider, capable of taking what he wanted.

She remembered how strong his chest was, how long his arms. She refrained from gulping and strengthened her resolve. “I’m not going home. I refuse. My friend is just up this road, and I intend to stay with her for a few days.”

A moment of silence passed then the deputy said, “Well, I’m not taking you home. But you are coming with me.”

Confused, she couldn’t think of a reply.

“It’ll be the safest option.” He dismounted.

“Oh!” she gasped and back pedaled. “Don’t you dare,” she warned. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“I’ve got no time to argue.” He advanced on her quickly.

She spun on a heel, preparing to run, but he grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off her feet. She bucked and kicked, dropping her bag in the process.

“Get your hands off me!” she screamed, terror fueling her jabs.

He gave slight grunts then flipped her over his shoulder.

Her breath whooshed out of her, and blood rushed to her head. “Put me down! How dare you!” She pounded her fists on his back.

He bent easily and picked up her bag with his free hand.

Frantic, she hit him harder, squirming against his hold, but his arm was a vise on the back of her legs. Tears gathered. She had no control. No power. She bit her lip to keep from sobbing in frustration and tasted blood.

After putting her bag on the back of the animal, he righted her and dumped her in the saddle. She knew the moon shone enough to reveal the silver tracks of wetness on her face, but she didn’t care. Panting from the exertion of pummeling him, she surged forward to grab the reins. But he was faster and gathered them before she could reach them. He climbed up behind her, just like yesterday, enveloping her in the cage of his arms.

A handkerchief appeared in her line of sight. Her chin wobbled, and she refused to take it.

“Please don’t cry,” he said softly, as he withdrew his offering. “I don’t have time to explain things to you. We’ve got to get off the road.”

She didn’t understand what he meant, but it wouldn’t matter if she asked. The men surrounding her weren’t listening to her anyway. She kept her mouth shut.

He clucked to the horse then kicked him into a gallop.

She tried to pay attention to her surroundings, noting that he passed the lane that led to the Cummings’ farm. They went through a shallow creek then over a rolling meadow until the shadow of a log cabin loomed.

“This belongs to a friend of mine who’s a Ranger. He’s in west Texas fighting cattle rustlers.”

She didn’t care. This man was abducting her. Her heart pounded hard, and her stomach churned with fear. If she couldn’t get away from him on the road, how would she manage to escape him once he had her tied up somewhere?

When they reached the yard, he dismounted first then lifted her at the waist. He kept his arm around her as he led her into the dwelling.

“I’m not gonna tie you up, Miss Stefanski. You’re not my prisoner. I’m trying to help you, so…” He gently disengaged from her. “Don’t run, all right? I’m gonna light a lantern, and then we’ll talk.”

He’d left the door open. The horse was still saddled. She curled her hands into fists as an insane plan developed like a lightning strike. She nodded slowly, not trusting herself to form a verbal reply since she was no good at lying.

As soon as he stepped away, she dashed out into the yard.

“Don’t,” he called.

She clutched the pommel and put her foot in the stirrup, but before she could pull herself up, he circled her waist with an arm and wrenched her back. Using all her strength, she spun and pounded on his shoulders. “Let me go!”

He switched his grip to her wrists, stopping her hits. “Stop. Please, ma’am.”

His hold wasn’t too strong, and she tried to yank away from him, but he tightened his grasp.

“Miss Stefanski, please, I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Then let me go,” she wailed, choking on her fear.

“I can’t, damn it!” he thundered. “You’re wanted for murder.”

BUY THE DEPUTY'S DAMSEL

Weddings Are So Last Month by Laura Hunsaker

 I know June is typically known for weddings, but with my own wedding anniversary coming up in a couple of weeks, I wanted to share anyway!

My husband and I were married on the hottest day of the year...in Las Vegas. You realize that means it was like 122 that day, right? We had the craziest day! Not just the wedding, but weird little things that went wrong...

So we were young. He was underage. Someone replaced his champagne flute with a sippy cup. The flowers were delivered to the wrong place. The groomsmen...AND THE GROOM all left before the wedding. Someone had broken down and they went to the rescue. But they all had two-seater cars and were picking up a van-ful of guests. One groomsman got stuck out of town, so we had an emergency replacement. I mean...it was wild how many random things went wrong. But by the end, we had a lovely wedding, everyone was on time, the bride certainly didn't have a panic attack watching the groom leave the church before the wedding (oh wait, I really did). And they lived happily ever after.

With my characters getting married in one of my books, I decided to write a short bonus scene for my readers and while I was starting it, the first thing that popped onto my page was that the flowers had been delivered to the wrong place. Well, it looks like I will be writing my first non-fiction book ever ;) 

But seriously, all the things that happened to me, will probably make it into this short story, because wow, it really does read as if it were a Rom Com.

This will be a bonus for Kate and Kyle's wedding, and will fit after Dark Past, and Dreams of the Past, but before Dangerous Past which I'm finishing up right now.

Enjoy a small excerpt from the beginning of the story:

The weather was gorgeous. A light fog wrapped around the gazebo, sneaking its fingers in between the leaves and flowers that were woven into the slats that decorated it. One last cool foggy touch before the morning sun burned it off.

The warm, buttery yellow sunlight hitting the tall trees of the Sierra Nevadas was the most beautiful backdrop she could think of for the day she married her love. She could marry him inside an old shed, and she wouldn’t care. She just wanted to start her new life.

And after the year she had had? She deserved something nice. They all did. She wanted the day to go smoothly, not so much for herself, but for her fiance Kyle. He had risked his life for her, he knew all her secrets and skeletons in her closet, and miracle of miracles, he loved her. She wanted today to be perfect.

She glanced up at the picturesque view once more. By the looks of it, today would be perfect.

Kate took one more look before turning back inside. She trusted that her family and friends had a handle on things. She could breathe. With a deep breath, she released the stress of the day and went to join her bridesmaids. Today was going to be fine.

***

Nothing was fine.

The flowers had been delivered to the wrong location. How on earth had the flowers been delivered to the wrong place? The town had 2,000 people on a good day, so how had they been delivered to the wrong location?

And don't forget to check out Dark Past and Dreams of the Past which are both on sale now!

Dark Past: Amazon  |   Barnes & Noble  |  Kobo  |  Google Play Books  |  Smashwords

Dreams of the Past: Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | Smashwords 

A Book For Julia by @KaraONealAuthor #RomanceGems

THE INVENTOR'S HEART is up for pre-order, and while I'm very excited about this, I'm more excited about the conflict in this story.

My heroine, Julia Forrester, is dyslexic. Now, the book takes place in 1885, so they didn't call it that back then. A doctor in Germany termed it "word blindness". 

I'm a special education teacher, and Julia's story is very dear to my heart. Her feelings of uselessness, of embarrassment, etc., are what my students battle every day. I shed tears while writing this book, let me tell you.

As luck would have it, sweet Julia is in love with the town genius, Alex Davis. But when she realizes he loves her in return, she gets scared. She feels her academic weaknesses would be a burden to him and rejects his proposal. Which causes Alex to take on the fight of his life, proving to Julia that she is, in fact, quite brilliant.

This was the book I was writing when my publisher went out of business a year ago.

You can imagine the sadness I felt, as Alex and Julia's story is VERY important to me. I wanted this one in the hands of readers so badly. But now, I didn't know what to do...

I wondered if I should keep writing.

I agonized over it, because I wasn't sure if I could publish a book on my own. And, quite frankly, I wasn't sure if I was even doing the right thing. Writing takes time. As does publishing. Then marketing...well...that job never stops. I also had my day job to contend with, which can be pretty demanding. And writing takes time away from my family.

So, I wondered if it was all worth it.

And then, about one month after my publisher went out of business, something happened...

My fabulous editor sent me the following message:

"I wanted to thank you. I've struggled with reading all my life and your book got me to thinking about color again. I discovered I can actually change the color of the page in Word. I finally figured out a way to make editing easier for me. But it helps with my writing, as well. I actually look forward to writing now!"

My joy was immense, let me tell you. I mean, I have tears now reading this. Goodness! So...her message sealed it for me. I was going to figure out how to self-publish come Hell or high water.

And now, THE INVENTOR'S HEART is ready and available for pre-order. It releases on the July 7th.

THE INVENTOR'S HEART

Pike's Run, Texas, 1885

Alex Davis has just returned to Pike's Run, Texas, from Yale with a fabulous invention that could revolutionize the use of electricity. He can't wait to show his work to his family and his dearest friend in the world, Julia Forrester. But from the first day he arrives home, Julia avoids him. He doesn't understand and tries everything he can think of to spend time with her, but he fails.

Julia Forrester has loved Alex Davis since their school days. He was her confidante and her champion whenever she struggled with her studies. She helped him with his inventions, spending as many of her free hours as possible with him. She'd thought he'd loved her, but when he went off to college without her, her heart broke. And the infrequency of his letters proved his feelings didn't match hers. Now that he has returned, she is determined to move on with her life. She has written a symphony, and she won't let past hopes and dreams overtake her again.

But Alex won't give up, and when Julia confesses the reason for her distant attitude, the "Genius of Pike's Run" realizes his stupidity. He is in love with Julia and will now move Heaven and Earth to have her. But he is battling more than her distrust. Julia has another reason to keep away from Alex, and he sets out to fix it. Will the "genius" be able to prove his theory?

BUY THE INVENTOR'S HEART

What's Love Gotta Do With It?

 

By: Marcia King-Gamble

www.lovemarcia.com

June, and the perfect month for weddings and love. But in this modern day and age, are some of these marriages arranged? Is it love, or as Tina said, what does love have to do with it?

Let’s say the marriage is arranged, has this age-old tradition undergone a change?

One article, recently written, estimates that over 50% of marriages are arranged ones. I tend to agree.  Call it what you will. People marry old family friends, the guy or girl next door, the old school chum, and even the deceased spouse’s bestie. People marry those they feel comfortable with. So, does love or respect have something to do with it?

The old school way of looking at a traditional marriage is that it’s one planned by the respective families, mostly that of the bride’s and groom’s. To date, over 20 million of these marriages exist in the world today. Given that the divorce rate is somewhere between 40% to 50%, these marriages have a surprisingly low rate of divorce, and are allegedly as low as 4%. This may be for a variety of reasons.

With lust and passion out of the equation, rash decisions aren’t often made. The blush of infatuation only lasts so long. There better be mutual admiration and respect. This can develop over time if the right foundation has been laid.

So, does this mean arranged marriages work, or does it mean the people who agree to them are likely not to file for divorce?  Let’s face it, it does require a certain personality type to agree to this kind of union. A physical attraction plays a big part in what we like and don’t like, and some may never have seen their partner until they walked down that aisle.

Arranged marriages have been around for years, and while not considered popular in western culture, (although that is debatable,) they are now widely promoted on the Internet, and on TV shows. An amazing number of websites have sprung up, giving families even a wider variety of places to cast that net and find that match.  There are TLC shows like Married by Mom and Dad. The difference today, however, is that this age-old practice allows one or the other party to have some say and decline the match.

Reality shows like Married at First Sight and 90 Day Fiancé are popular, and contestants, line up out the door to get on them. In the first, the bride and groom put their fate in the hands of relationship experts and hope for the best. In the second, one party meets the other abroad, brings them back to the USA on a K1 visa. They then have 90 days to seal the deal, or the non-American goes home.

While we’re on the subject of arranged marriages, how many royals do you know that actually married for love? In most cases they married family members (3^rd or 4^th cousins removed), or the match was made with another foreign royal considered in their league. Like begets like and money often marries money.

But it’s June, folks, and weddings are the flavor of the month. It can be a campy backyard ceremony, or a fancy country club soiree. It might be a quick courthouse nuptial, or the destination of the bride’s choice. Is it held on land, air or sea?

 Whatever the venue, there’s something about a June bride that makes us hopeful that love will blossom. Except for this Russian couple (pic taken by me.)

 

Do you think this marriage was arranged, or is he just more comfortable with his cell phone?  Will the groom put it down long enough to help his bride into the car?

Still shaking my head as to the wonder of it all.

 

 About Marcia King-Gamble

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 former travel industry executive has spent most of life in the United States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has penned over 34 books and 8 novellas. She has contributed to Michael Fiore’s DigitalRomanceInc and served as a moderator on the now defunct eHarmony advice boards.  Having witnessed the bad, the ugly, and the not so good in relationships, she still prefers to write about happily ever after. Caring for her animal family keeps her grounded and sane.

Visit Marcia at www.lovemarcia.com or “friend” her on Facebook: http://bit.ly/1MlnrIS

Be sure to join her newsletter mailing list.

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The Meaning Behind June Brides by @karilemor #RomanceGems

 

June is a very popular month to get married. These days, it’s often because the weather is starting to get nicer, but not too hot. But why is being a “June Bride” such a big deal?

Going back in history, we see the name June is derived from the Roman goddess of marriage, Juno. Many people believed when a couple got married in June their marriage would be blessed forever with happiness.

But June weddings were also done for quite logical reasons. Many people married in June so conception wouldn’t interfere with the harvest. Yep, count nine months later and you don’t want the wife trying to pick the crops as she’s about to give birth.

Another theory is that in many years past, baths weren’t as common as they are today. Some families only got one a year (and they had to share the water – yuck!) Often the yearly bath was in May or early June. So marriages took place to ensure the bride still smelled fairly decent for her groom (and vice versa). Yet, the bride wanted to be sure to have a pleasing scent, so she carried a bouquet of flowers to help.

But flowers and bouquets had other meanings too. Summer was great for taking advantage of fresh flowers for the ceremony. There are numerous symbolic meanings with flowers that show loyalty, purity, and love. In early Rome, the bride did not carry a bouquet but rather wore a garland that symbolized a new life and fertility. Often aphrodisiacs such as Dill were added so the newlyweds got in the right mood for the wedding night. Some cultures added stronger herbs and plants to the bouquet (like garlic!!!) because they were superstitious and wanted to ward off evil spirits from showing up at the wedding.

The tradition of tossing the bouquet goes way back. At weddings, the bride was considered to be lucky, so many women guests wanted a piece of that luck. Thus, they would try and tear off a piece of the wedding dress. So the tradition of throwing the bouquet to grant luck onto another guest began, avoiding decimation of the lovely bride’s gown. Can you imagine paying a bazillion dollars for your dress just to have people tear it apart?

The tradition of wedding rings has also been around for a very long time.  The band represents eternity because it doesn’t have a beginning or an end, and is what the happy couple wishes for their marriage. The couple places the rings on their fingers as a sign they agree to a never-ending commitment.

Another tradition is ‘Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.’ Is still around today. The old represents continuity and stability. Something new symbolizes optimism and good fortune in your new life together. Something borrowed represents borrowed happiness from someone who loves you. And the blue symbolizes love and fidelity.

Whether you’re a traditionalist or prefer something more modern, weddings are beautiful because they show us that two people love each other so much they are willing to work together to and sacrifice to be with each other.

I have a few books that have weddings in them but I think my favorite is my Marriage of Convenience story, Elusive Dreams. Erik has promised to look after and adopt two children he rescued from the same bombing that left him seriously injured. But that injury is keeping him from being the ideal candidate to take the kids. Enter introverted neighbor, Tessa. She’s crushed on Erik since she was a teenager and now he wants to marry her? It’s her dream come true.

Here’s a peek at their wedding:

When she looked to the end of the aisle, there stood Erik, and her heart actually stopped. But when it started again, it beat triple time. God, how could any man be so devastatingly handsome? His Marine uniform was blue from broad shoulders to above his spit shined shoes. The red stripe down the lighter blue pants focused attention on his long legs. His white cover sat on top of the fresh haircut he’d gotten two days ago and the amount of decorations he had on his chest filled her lungs with air and pride. This was no mere mortal. This man was a hero and for some strange reason he’d agreed to her stupid suggestion of getting married. There were a dozen women in town who he could have asked who would have agreed to marry him to keep the kids. One who was much prettier and not such a fr…introvert.

He looked up. His eyes glowed and a huge grin crossed his face. It was similar to the one he’d worn the times they’d practiced kissing this week. Forget about her heart. Every damn organ stopped functioning. How would she get the last few steps to reach him?

“Don’t keep him waiting, dear,” Hans whispered in her ear. “It’s obvious he’s a mite impatient.”

She took a step and then another. Soon she was close enough and he shifted his cane and reached out with his left hand. Putting her hand in his, she held on tight. For Erik, she’d hold on as tight and as long as she needed to.

ELUSIVE DREAMS

Here's where you can find me!

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CELEBRATING JUNE By Kathleen Lawless @kathleenlawless

 

June was likely named for the Roman Goddess, Juno, patroness of marriage and well-being of women, so no wonder this month holds a special place in my heart.

Some of the things I love best about June, in no particular order are:

-Life feels less frantic.  This dates back to my own school days, and then my kids’ school years where, as June wound down, there was no jumping up and racing out the door five days a week. 

-Evenings bring that magical, long-lasting twilight that makes it conducive to just hang outside and enjoy the evening stillness or watch the birds come for a final bath or feeding before bed.

-Local strawberries.  No explanation required.

-Flowers and fragrances are amazing.

-Farmers’ Markets.  Now my mouth is watering at the thought of garden-fresh treats.

-People seem friendlier.

-Street musicians pop up all over downtown street corners and at the markets.

-Summer clothes.  Can you say flip-flops?

-Barbeques and picnics.  Dining al fresco is my absolute favorite.

-Lazy days in the hammock with a good book.

 I found this quote from Nathaniel Parker Willis that sums things up for me.

“It is the month of June,

The month of leaves and roses,

Where pleasant sights salute the eyes,

And pleasant scents the noses.”

What do you love best about June?

Just because it’s June, doesn’t mean I get to slack off.  In fact, I am releasing a brand-new book today.  

ONE FANTASY FALL is a clean and wholesome contemporary romance that revisits Blue Sky Island, home to several other books in this series.  The hero, Blaze, is a Hollywood stuntman and Kaitlin’s ‘fake date’, who is reinventing himself after a failed stunt where he almost died.  Kaitlin is also reinventing herself, and despite teaming up for a worthy cause, she and Blaze both feel their lives are spinning them in opposite directions.

A couple of advance reviews: 5 * NEVER DARE A DAREDEVIL

“I enjoyed this straightforward, page-turning story with two people, neither looking for a relationship, brought together for an event as dates. The story has a great cast of people, plenty of angst and emotions, including a few surprises.”

5 * Sweet small town romance

“This is a sweet small town romance. I really liked it. It has wit and charm, and has great characters.”

Kaitlin started down the stairs, following the soothing sounds of a waterfall on the street level of the hotel where lush green plants ringed the mini-oasis. Water fell from a height of about twenty feet into a square, man-made pond that flowed beneath the tiled floor into a second pond directly behind her. The rocks edging the water looked real and she bent down to touch one.

“They’re real.”  Blaze spoke behind her. “Barnacles and all. I already checked.”

Kaitlin felt a warm flush tinge her cheeks as she slowly straightened.

He closed the distance between them and placed his finger beneath her chin. “Amazing,” he murmured. “I’ve never seen anyone blush quite so attractively as you do.”

Kaitlin met his gaze. “Blushing is a wretched nuisance.”

He gave a crooked smile as he released her. She wished he’d take a step back because her own feet refused to move and he was standing far too close for comfort. “I like it.  Lets me know you’re not quite as unruffled as you seem.”

Kaitlin felt a cold chill travel the length of her spine. “You don’t know me well enough to say that.”

His voice dropped an octave. “In some ways I feel as if I’ve known you forever, Kaitlin Ross. I understand your dreams, your goals, and your drive to succeed.”

She wasn’t sure if the rushing sound in her ears was due to the waterfall behind her or a defense mechanism for the way he was looking at her. She shivered as they exchanged looks, not one stranger to another, but something far more intimate. So powerful she could almost believe he meant what he said.

“Will you be at the tournament tomorrow?”

She nodded.  “I got a press pass so I can pretend to be busy and important.”

Blaze took her arm.  “Speaking of busy and important, we should get back to the party.”  He brushed her lips with his thumb smearing her lipstick and giving her hair a tousle.

“What are you doing?”

“Giving people a reason to speculate where we snuck off to together.  And why.”

She swallowed thickly, finding response impossible given the way her heart was fluttering in her throat.  Blaze was a little too good at this fake date stuff.  For a second there, it felt like he cared.

Grab your copy here!  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096CRGV1L

 

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A Rose By Any Other Name Would Smell Three Times As Sweet ~ by M.J. Schiller

 Moms, roses, and romance. Hmm. I know my mom has read some of my romances, but I don't like to think about that, so we'll skip the mom part and focus on the roses. And I know the roses are supposed to be tied in with mom, but when I think of roses the first thing that comes to mind is the year I received three dozen roses for Valentine's Day. 

No, my husband isn't some kind of massive Romeo. Actually, I can count the times he's purchased flowers for me on both hands, and we've been married for coming up on thirty-three years, been together for thirty-five. But the story I'm thinking about happened some years ago...

The year was 1990. We were fresh out of college, having moved out of state and to a city where we didn't know a soul. My husband had begun his career at the Fortune 500 company he hopes to soon retire from. I was teaching junior high school English and Composition to freshman at the junior college. A huge ice storm had most of the city, well, frozen. With no heat, we went to the mall to watch Driving Miss Daisy and keep warm. (This was back in the day when malls had movie theaters. Remember that?) When we got back, my husband expected there to be a dozen roses there for me, but, alas, they were missing. After a call to the florist-- who was extremely apologetic--we received two dozen roses to make up for the mistake. A half-hour later, the neighbor knocked on the door with another dozen roses, which she'd accepted delivery on for us. Whoops! Three dozen roses in the little townhouse we lived in when we first moved here was pretty overwhelming. Needless to say, I haven't seen the likes of that since, nor would I have expected to see that ever again. It was kind of nice, though.

So, that's my rose story. Of course, as a writer, it got me thinking of roses in my work. With twenty-six books out, I'm sure I'm forgetting some significant rose scenes, but the two that come to mind are creepy, not romantic. In THE HEART TEACHES BEST Laney's sister's murderer sneaks into her bedroom when she's asleep and leaves a rose on her pillow. Later, he leaves one on a carousel that Laney was on to taunt Cooper, her policeman love interest, and show him how close he was able to get to her despite Cooper's best efforts to protect her.

In BETWEEN ROCK AND A HARD PLACE, rock star Jasmine Barrett finds her best friend murdered in the singer's bed. The killer dipped a rose in her friend's blood and left it, theatrically, beside the body. Later, a key clue comes from a vase of roses in Jazz's dressing room. The killer leaves a coded message with the bouquet that doesn't seem like a clue until someone casually mentions one of the words on the card much later. That offhand remark leads Heath to the realization of who the murderer is. But will he get to Jasmine before the killer does?

Maybe it says something about me that the only significant scenes with roses from my books that I can come up with are not some grand romantic gesture by the hero, but instead they are foreboding messages from the villain.

What about you? Do you have a favorite story about a time you received flowers? Do you receive or purchase flowers often?

Thanks for reading! Come back for more tomorrow from another fabulous Romance Gems author!

My "Big Idea" Lady by @KaraONealAuthor #RomanceGems

My mother can sing. Really, really well. She has a voice like Kathryn Grayson. They have similar looks, too. My mother is timeless and classic. She reminds me a lot of Jackie Kennedy. And, well, she was raised in that era, so....

She's good at a lot of things. Cooking, sewing, gardening, leading, directing, caring for others....

The list is endless. She worked for the American Heart Association for 20 years in Houston. Which means she worked with some VERY smart doctors, and they ended up nicknaming her the "velvet hammer". (I think I know why, but I've never actually asked.)

I call her the "Big Idea" lady because she was always making me do things. Sometimes these things were actually worthy, but other times.....UGH. Piano lessons? Really? No. (But I had to take them for FIVE years.)

Before my mother graduated from college, she was invited to attend the conservatory in Paris. I'm not really sure what that is, but she chose not to because she wanted a family.

She's been an amazing mother. There's no way I could tell y'all everything, but I have one example of her commitment.

My brother had seizures as a baby, and there were many appointments as doctors tried to figure out what was wrong. And, of course, there were many scary moments. One of those occurred either right before or right after church -- I can't remember because I was six. They had to take my brother to the hospital, and the only way my brother would sleep was on my mother's chest. So she stretched out on a gurney in her dress, slip, and hose and laid there for several hours so my brother could get a decent sleep. She couldn't move or she'd wake him.

"Mother" means so much that I doubt Webster accurately defines the word. "Father" means just as much, but this month is for the mothers. And they deserve ALL the roses.

It's quite fitting for me as my current release, MAGGIE'S SONG, which is available for pre-order, is about a mother who's risking so much to save her child. And not only that, the heroine can sing. Maybe not as well as my mother, but certainly well enough! Ha!

MAGGIE'S SONG

Pike’s Run, Texas, 1883

In the dead of night, Maggie Nelson flees New Orleans with her five-year old daughter, Iris. Maggie can’t live with her abusive husband any longer and seeks safety in the home and arms of her aunt, Aletta Williamson in Bordersville, near Pike’s Run, Texas. When she arrives, surprise her dear aunt, Maggie tells her Haywood died. She is too ashamed to tell the truth about her marriage.

Pete Jerkin, the town blacksmith and livery operator, is a leader in Bordersville. He is taken by Maggie and Iris, especially since the child doesn’t fear him. With his large stature, he usually puts off females and children. As Iris tugs on his heartstrings, his gaze strays to the lovely Maggie. But he’s promised himself he wouldn’t ever court a woman. Not again.

However, love is sneaky, and Pete can’t help himself. Neither can Maggie. As the weeks pass, she grows more scared each day that Pete will learn the truth about her husband, that Haywood will come knocking. And ruin everything.

BUY MAGGIE'S SONG

I was able to write this story because I had the best inspiration and role model for it. I've learned so much from my mom, and there isn't a way to properly thank her. Perhaps this blog post will do it. (I bet she's crying. Should I see that as success?)

I love you, Mama. Thank you.

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MAY'S FLOWERS AND MORE

By Caroline Clemmons

May flowers bring pleasure for the soul. Is it any wonder that gardening is a popular hobby? Don’t you enjoy seeing a well-landscaped yard with colorful border plantings?

Gardening used to be one of my hobbies. Can you picture me riding a lawnmower over almost an acre of grass? Or, watching me with a shovel while I plant various shrubs and roses? Since we downsized, a crew of yard men take care of the mowing, raking, and tidying. Hero and I plant border flowers or renew the patio planters.

What are your hobbies? I have too many, but that means I am never bored.

One of my hobbies is collecting religious symbols. Nativity sets, angels, and crosses are included in this collection. Have you noticed collections grow—almost on their own? Once family and friends know you like a particular thing, they help add to that accumulation.

A friend tried to teach me to crochet an afghan. She said it was a relaxing activity to be enjoyed while watching television or chatting with others. For her, but not for me. My fingers did one thing while my brain ordered them to do something else. I practically wore out the yarn unraveling my mistakes. Disgusted, my friend took the yarn and finished the afghan for me.

Add to these my love of browsing antique malls, oil paints, reading, and other pastimes and you’ll understand my diverse interests. But my favorite pastime is writing. I’ll bet you knew that.

This brings me to my upcoming release, ADELINE, book 10 of the Cupids and Cowboys series. Adeline “Addie” McGee is the adopted daughter discovered by Stuart McGee in Bachelors and Babies series, STUART. She was a toddler when Stuart rescued her, but now Addie’s a teenager. You can preorder ADELINE (hint, hint) now for June 1 release and delivery to your Kindle. The buy link is https://www.amzn.com/B091YYGPLV

Addie and her best friend, Nancy, play Cupid for their teacher and Nancy’s cousin. Do you remember being thirteen, going on fourteen? These two are lovely, intelligent, spirited young women with the best intentions. Their plans create awkward, humorous, and disastrous situations. My romance stories always have a happy ending.

Here’s the back cover description for this sweet western historical romance:

Mix:

A woman in sorrow…
A man’s longing…
Two matchmaking girls’ mischief…
Result = Mayhem!

After the death of her fiancé, Violet Evanston escapes to Broken Wheel, Colorado, the furthest teaching job she can find. She loves the children and the community, but something is missing. At least she’s away from the pitying glances and whispers of those in her hometown.

As the second son, Clark Abernathy knows he won’t inherit the family business. He’s happy to move to Broken Wheel and assist his uncle Abe with his carpentry business. Building for the future is fulfilling, but his personal happiness is incomplete. So far, he’s been too busy to reflect on the long-term.

Adeline McGee and her best friend, Nancy, adore their teacher. They believe she’s far too kind and pretty to be alone. They’re also fond of Nancy’s cousin, Clark. When the girls decide to play Cupid, the town isn’t safe from fun, adventure, and happily-ever-after.

 

I hope you get to enjoy the beauty of May’s flowers, whether in your garden, a neighbor’s garden, or a park. I’ll leave you with a couple of flower quotes I like:

“Where flowers bloom, so does hope.” Ladybird Johnson

“Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.” Luther Burbank