Coffee and Conversation with the #RomanceGems

It's time for Coffee and Conversation with the Romance Gems! So, grab a cup of your favorite beverage and join us for some fun. This month's topic is: First Love

February is often considered the month of amore—a celebration of love and affection—with Valentine’s Day falling right in the middle. So, tell me… Who, or perhaps what, was your first love?

“One look and I knew I was going to marry Karl. A year later, we did marry. The thing that has kept our marriage strong for over 50 years is that we’ve always treated each other like best friends. He’s definitely the love of my life and the first boy I dated, fell in love with, the first boy who bought me Valentine candy, took me to my first prom, encouraged me to reach for the stars. He’s my always and forever.” ~ Karen Kelley

“My first love in junior high school was a boy named David. Then, of course, it was the Beatles. I’m telling my age, for sure. I loved Paul Revere and the Raiders and Herman from Herman’s Hermits. I saw all three groups back in the day. It was easier to love a singing group from afar than it was to be ignored by boys because your father was the vice-principal. LOL!”
~ Jan Scarbrough

“The first time I thought, “I am in love” I was 12. I thought about this boy named Rudy Schneider all the time. When my Girl Scout Troop had a party where we were to ask a boy, I got up the nerve to call him as I trembled all over and asked him to be my “date.” He said, “I think I can manage that.” My parents picked him up. At the party, boys on one side, girls on the other. And I heard him telling the guys about “my girlfriend.” It was clearly not me. I was mortified.” ~ Cheryl Bolen

“My first love was reading. I would spend hours in the library in my hometown and check out as many books as possible. Reading under the covers with a flashlight was a nightly event. I would read everything I could get my hands on. Old magazines, my brothers Hardy Boys books and the entire collection of Nancy Drew were just some of what I read. I'm still in love with books. But I guess that goes without saying being a romance author. Today I write books about love and it makes my heart soar.” ~ Lucinda Race

“I was an early romantic. My first love was Lance and I was five. He was going to grow up to be Roy Rogers and I was going to grow up to be Dale Evans. Together, we would save the West from rustlers and bank robbers. We spent hours each day playing, plotting, and reading comic books. Our dreams were curtailed when my parents moved from Bakersfield, California back to Texas and I never saw Lance again. This romance did not have a happy ending then, but better things were coming my way.”
~ Caroline Clemmons

“My first love’s name was Michael. I had a crush on him from the fourth to seventh grade. He was blond, blue-eyed, and not only did he let me play games with the boys, he didn’t get upset if I won. (Sometimes I think he let me win.) He moved when we were in seventh grade and it about broke my heart. He was a sweetie!”
~ Kara O'Neal

Peggy Jaeger & Husband

“It took me a long time to fall in love for the very first time, but when I did, it knew it was a lifetime thing. My hubby is my hero, my first love, and my last. He’s the Nick to my Nora, the ying to my yang, the sun to my moon. He covers my 6 and always makes me feel secure, protected, and cared for. After 37 years together it just keeps getting better every day.” ~ Peggy Jaeger

“First love… sigh. My first love was a boy named Joey Frascarelli. I was eleven, he was twelve. I’d loved him from the moment I saw him play the drums in the talent show. He had shaggy hair, big brown eyes, and was just the coolest thing ever. It took about four months to finally catch Joey’s eye, and for one summer, we were “official.” Meaning, we rode our bikes around the neighborhood and talked on the phone for hours at night. By talk, I mean I mostly listened to him play Van Halen songs on his drums. It ended with the season, but my crush lived on for years after!” ~ Elsa Kurt

“I don't remember the first boy I had a crush on. My first kiss was done on a dare. I was proposed to three times by three different men before I found “The One.” None of these compare to my first true love — books. Growing up, I was bullied, and books were my escape. I was smart like Meg in a Wrinkle in Time, tenacious like Francis in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, imaginative like Anne of Green Gables, resourceful like Karana in Island of the Blue Dolphins, plucky like Nancy Drew. I fit in with the girls I found on the pages in ways I didn’t in the hallways of middle school. They gave me hope that life got better and for that I loved them.” ~ Satin Russell

Kari Lemor & Husband

“I was a little slow in the romance department. I never even dated in high school and didn't go out with anyone until after that. I did manage a few very short term boyfriends in college, but never actually fell in love until I met my husband my junior year. He was my first, my current, and my only love.” ~ Kari Lemor

Liz Flaherty's first reader

“I will admit right here in the first line that I don’t remember my first love, although there are a few crushes who can still make me smile. But I’m old. My last love, the one I’ve had for 50 years—he’s the one that matters. But I remember the first day of first grade—no kindergarten then—opening the Dick-and-Jane reader and seeing that first word. “Look.” With that, reading became my first true love, to be followed soon by writing. They and I have lived happily ever after together.” ~ Liz Flaherty

Kathleen Lawless loves the beach

“I’m going to deviate from the obvious and state that my first love was the beach. We lived a few steps away and even before I could walk, that shoreline magic was deeply ingrained into my psyche. The beach has always been my happy place. Most of my vacation plans include a beach and the few times they haven’t I get a physical yearning to hear the waves, to smell the brine and feel the sand. As a west coast girl, there is nothing about a lake beach that soothes my soul the way the ocean does. It’s the place where I can laugh, cry, read, write, meditate or simply be and, fair weather or foul, it’s never let me down.”
~ Kathleen Lawless

“Is it any surprise my first love was a puppy? (We won’t talk about that blond boy in sixth grade, the bookish brainiac with round glasses…Ahem) I was five when my parents took me to a place with a pen, filled with Dachshund puppies. I was tasked with picking ‘our family dog’, and I did. The runt of the litter. (I thought he would live longest because he was SO tiny) Turns out he was sickly, but my parents nursed him to a full recovery. He was my very best friend! That’s why I’ve had Dachshunds for decades. Puppy love!” 
~ Kathryn Hills

Okay, it's your turn to join the conversation! Add your comments below or send via email through the "contact us” link on the bottom of the left sidebar. You can also make suggestions on what you'd like to discuss here in the future.

Thanks for joining us!

 ~ The Romance Gems ~

We're having a party—a ginormous party—to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Romance Gems! We're also celebrating Valentine's Day all month long. After all, we are romance authors.

Visit our Valentine's Day Book Fair 

filled with the kinds of books you love best. 

Open every day in February!

Don’t forget our Rafflecopter with Amazon Gift Cards!

The Best and Worst by @karilemor #RomanceGems

Back to School, Back to You is the theme for September for the Gems! Back to school can mean different things for everyone. Being a 30+ year teacher, it usually meant spending weeks and weeks cleaning, organizing, and decorating your classroom with colorful pictures and words. Labeling everything in the classroom with your students’ names on them.  Planning lessons that would engage every student. But now I’m retired from teaching, it takes on a new meaning.

Teaching was something I’d always wanted to do, so I thought I’d share some of the best and worst things about this career.

BEST

The kids - There’s nothing like a little child who looks up to you and wants to do everything they can to please you. Who wants to be just like you. I had a little girl in my class who wanted to get her ears pierced so she could wear small hoop earrings just like I did every day. Much later in my career, I had the daughter of one of my first year students. The mom (who I’d had many years ago) sent in such a beautiful letter to me, telling me how important her first year was at school (I taught Kindergarten at the time) and because of that experience, she also went into teaching so she could inspire young minds like I had. I cried. Yup, those are the moments we live for as teachers.

Sharing knowledge - Some days, as I leaned against a table chatting with the kids about our daily lesson, I would feel this sense of pride and rightness. Like this was what I was supposed to be doing. I loved when I had a student suddenly gasp, “Oh!” and their eyes lit up with understanding. Or when a child who struggled, got an A on a test. These were the precious moments when I knew I had made a difference in a child’s life. Or when parents would marvel at what their child had learned in school, specifically the non-curriculum stuff. That crust was the best part of the bread. That sleep is the best medicine. That making mistakes is okay. I stressed this one a lot. One day I was giving a spelling test on long O homophones. I’d say the word, give it in a sentence, then say the word again. I guess I hadn’t been paying attention because I said, “Whole. I ate the whole pizza. W-H-O-L-E. whole.” As soon as I realized what I’d done, I burst out laughing. The kids joined in and we all lost focus for a few moments. But it taught them that even teachers make mistakes. And we can laugh at these mistakes.

Changing lives - Every year I’d get lots of students who struggled in some area: academics, social skills, emotional skills, behavior.  But every so often I knew I’d had a huge effect on a child’s life. Like the boy who no one wanted to play with because of his behavior. So smart but didn’t know how to interact nicely with others. I put him and another bright child in charge of helping other students with their work. It was a new role he took very seriously. By the end of the year, he was loved by everyone.  Or the time I had a parent-teacher conference and told this child’s mom how great this student was and how well-behaved. The mom’s eyes opened wide and her mouth dropped. “You mean, my Nicky?” She thought I’d gotten her son confused with someone else, then went on to explain that he had gotten kicked out of pre-school for his behavior. But I’d seen the good in him and quickly squelched the negative behavior, and had him become my helper. He had an amazing year.  

As much as I loved my years teaching, there are also many downfalls which made me retire a good ten years earlier than typical.

WORST

Uncomfortable conditions - Not being able to use the bathroom when you need to. Old and run down buildings. Outdated books and supplies.  

Helicopter and Lawnmower parents who expected everything done FOR their child. Ones who never communicated yet expected you to know exactly what they wanted from you.

Administration who hadn’t worked in a classroom in many years (if ever - as some had been teachers of Gym, Music, Art, … and hadn’t taught in a regular classroom) who didn’t support you. Superintendents who didn’t care about the teachers (a school’s biggest asset) or the students, as long as the budget balanced and the test scores were high.

Meetings, meetings, meetings, that took time from our classroom, or from the time we’d be planning wonderful lessons for our students. Most of these meetings could have been handled through email.

Tests, tests, and more tests, so many that added to the stress level of both teacher and students. And it got to the point we had to teach to these tests and not to what the children really needed to learn.

Disrespect from so many in the community. People who think teachers only babysit. Earn too much money (I have a Master’s Degree with over 30 years experience and was making the same as my newly graduated son-in-law). Only work half a day and half a year. There were many days I was in my classroom until 8pm. Then I’d bring work home to do. While my own children had to deal on their own.

People who have no training in education telling us what to teach and how to teach it. Plus how to run our classroom. So called “experts” giving us curriculum that is pushed down so much the students are not developmentally ready to handle it. So they cry and have major anxiety.

I wouldn’t have changed my years with my students, but am happy I now get to spend my days writing stories of people falling in love. 

My newest book, ELUSIVE DREAMS, the first in my Storms of New England series, shows us that school wasn’t a great place for Tessa. Here’s a little snippet when Tessa and Erik bring their son, Matty, to his preschool Open House.

~~

Tessa eyed the crowd and saw a familiar redhead. Paula Redmond. They’d gone to high school together. She hadn’t been one of the super mean girls, but she’d certainly never stuck up for Tessa as she was bullied and called names behind her back. No one had.

“Tess? You okay?”

Hiding behind Erik seemed a good idea, or better yet, running from the room and going to their nice, safe house. The music from Matty’s room reminded her the small boy was in there being brave without his parents. Shouldn’t she be brave too? For Pete’s sake, she was an adult. She couldn’t go around the rest of her life hiding. Dr. Sullivan had urged her to get out more only yesterday at their second counseling appointment. If Matty could do this, then so could she.

“I’m fine, Erik. I’m going to let Kiki play on the little slide.”

He walked off and she set the toddler at the top of the small plastic slide then let go. It was a short ride, but the child loved it and toddled back to the two steps to get to the top. She climbed them herself, then slid down again.

“Tessa?”

Paula stood behind her. Maybe she was still a coward, but she’d hoped the girl wouldn’t recognize her. Or if she did, she would simply ignore her like she had in high school. No such luck.

“Paula. Hi.” What else could she say? It’s nice to see you again? No, because it wasn’t. She had lots of faults, but she wasn’t a liar.

~~

Check out the first few chapters of ELUSIVE DREAMS for free on many retailers.

If you want info on my new books and some freebies I'm sending soon, sign up for my mailing list. I only send a post when I have a new release or am giving something away. No spam. 

karilemor.com 

Don't forget to enter our September Rafflecopter Giveaway – Back to School ... Back to You! The prizes are listed on our GIVEAWAY TAB above, along with the entry form. 

We have some fabulous prizes with YOU in mind so don't miss out.

Happy reading and may this month let you get back to you: your routine, your time for you and more...

Falling in Love in One Night? Why Not? by @KarynGerrard #Giveaway #amwriting #amreading

I have to chuckle when I hear: "This isn't realistic, no one falls in love in one night/first sight." Actually, yes, some people do. In actual real life. It is rare, but it happens.

So why not in a romance story? Why can't the characters fall in love during a short period? One night? One week? One month?

Speaking as a romance reader, I suspend belief when I read for I believe a lot of romance is steeped in fantasy. The white knight riding up to rescue the damsel in distress. It is not based in any reality, as real life is far more messy and complicated. I read romance to escape, immerse myself in another world, and to get that satisfying happily-ever-after.

Doesn't matter if its a short story, a novella, or a full-length novel, I'm there for the journey. I want to be entertained, moved, and rooting for the characters to overcome obstacles in order reach that HEA(happily-ever-after). I would never complain about the length of a story, in fact, a short story is a perfect length for that "insta-love" so many roll their eyes at.

I've seen complaints about sex before falling in love. Well, that happens in real life too. Insta-lust can turn to something deeper, why not have it unfold in a romance novel?

As far as historical romance? The old "A duke would never marry a commoner, this is not realistic" argument also fits here. Again, this is fiction. Fantasy. I can suspend belief, and dukes have married commoners through the ages.

So because all these things factor into my reading experience, it has manifested itself in my romance writing. I have written more than one story where the couple fall in love right away, especially in my shorter works. I now write longer pieces with more complicated plots, but I still enjoy creating that journey to the HEA, whether it takes a night, a month, or a year.

Falling in love in one night? Why not?

Go for it. :) And give short stories/novellas a try!

APRIL GIVEAWAY AT ROMANCE GEMS!

Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt

Check out the Monthly Giveaway tab to learn how to play this month’s game.

Today’s egg can be found on my website. You will have to search by clicking on the page links under the banner. Go here: Karyn Gerrard WEBSITE

Use the “Contact the Romance Gems” link on the left sidebar (toward the bottom) to send us your answer. Include the place you found it, the color of the egg, and either the author's name or date of the post.

Best of luck!

Karyn Gerrard, born and raised in the Maritime Provinces of Eastern Canada, now makes her home in a small town in Northwestern Ontario. When she’s not cheering on the Red Sox or travelling in the summer with her teacher husband, she writes, reads romance, and drinks copious amounts of Earl Grey tea. 

 A multi-published author, she loves to write sensual historical and contemporaries. Tortured heroes are an absolute must. As long as she can avoid being hit by a runaway moose in her wilderness paradise she assumes everything is golden. Karyn’s been happily married for a long time to her own hero. His encouragement and loving support keeps her moving forward.

“Looking for a swoon-worthy read? You can’t go wrong with the lovely and emotional romances from Karyn Gerrard.” ~Vanessa Kelly, USA Today Bestselling author 

"Karyn Gerrard writes very enjoyable, richly textured historical romances." ~Kate Pearce, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author

Karyn's Site/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Amazon Page/Instagram/Newsletter/Bookbub

End of an Adventure OR...?? by @KariLemor #RomanceGems

Many of you know I’ve been traveling in an RV the last five months with my husband. (If you didn’t know, check out my Instagram to see all the places we’ve been).  We’ve seen some really cool stuff and done exciting things! Part of the reason we went on this trip was to find a winter home. While living in New England has been a wonderful experience for us, we’ve gotten old and grouchy and really don’t like the cold or shoveling anymore.

Bridge of Lions

I had never thought of myself as a Florida person – my hair is too prone to frizz in the humid weather, but another southern place would be fine. Until we happened upon St. Augustine in mid-December. We absolutely fell in love with the town. Rich in history. Gorgeous architecture. Beaches. Shops. And the temperature in the winter was warm without being too hot. At the northeastern part of the state, it seemed ideal.

After touring the rest of Florida, Mississippi, New Orleans and then exploring the Bayous of Louisiana, we decided to go back to St. Augustine and check out real estate. Wow! Better than the prices in New England. But we didn’t want to make a rash decision. So we found this adorable apartment to rent. It’s over a hundred years old, was one of the original hospitals in town, and it’s on the beautiful Matanzas River (near where it empties into the ocean) a few steps from the Bridge of Lions. Sold! Or rented!

And as much as traveling was quite an adventure, I have to admit I’m ready to be in one place for a while. Ready to get back to a regular writing schedule that didn't get interrupted by driving to the next exciting place. Here’s a few things I’m looking forward to:

A REAL shower where I can stand up and don’t have to hold the nozzle or the water doesn't run out!  And an actual flush toilet!!  Woo hoo! That’s cause for celebration!

And I now have a full kitchen. It’s not huge but when compared to a stove and small sink next to the living room couch, yup, I’m stoked!!

Some might say it’s too bad my adventure has ended. But for me, this new amazing town, and the rich history and life here, plus being a full time author now, could be the beginning of a brand-new adventure!  

Let it begin!

CHECK below as Running Target and Fatal Evidence (Love on the Line) are currently ONLY 99c!!

Here’s where you can stalk me:

Website: https://www.karilemor.com/   *sign up for my mailing list to get up to date info or freebies*

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Karilemorauthor/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/karilemor

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/karilemor/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/karilemorauthor/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9756283.Kari_Lemor

BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kari-lemor

Amazon Author page:  https://www.amazon.com/Kari-Lemor/e/B00ON2YDI6/

Kensington Author Page:  http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/author.aspx/31828

Love on the Line – 3 books

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Line-3-Book/dp/B071NSM484/

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.

1 of the Friends Tell Friends Prizes

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.

Prizes: Romance Readers Tee & Audiobook by Nancy Fraser 

Luck O' The Irish Rafflecopter

Be a Star—Name a Character

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.

Other Rafflecopter Prizes are shown on the Monthly Giveaway.

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

Writing Sexual Tension by Judith Hudson #Romance Gems

Hi everyone!

I'm a new member of the Romance Gems. I write the Fortune Bay Series, which is small town contemporary romance.

Before we get down to the art of writing sexual tension...

The Romance Gems Launch month is drawing to a close next week - has it ever gone fast! I want to remind you to -

enter our RAFFLECOPTER DRAW for a chance at a Kindle Fire or one of six ebook bundles from our wonderful authors!

Also, remember our weekly COMMENT TO WIN promotion! Be entered to win a $5 Amazon gift card just for commenting on this or any other Romance Gems post! Remember, when posting a comment, leave your email address written out like this: LuckyReader at gmail dot com in order to avoid those dratted email harvesters.

Now, back to writing sexual tension...

For me, part of the fun of writing romance is writing scenes that shimmer with sexual tension. Think of TV shows where the couple is hot together, sometimes for years, and as a watcher you're thinking, “Just kiss her already!”

And when he doesn’t – you’re definitely there for the next episode!

Like Ross and Rachel. Sure, they got together, but never for long. And we didn’t need hot and heavy onscreen sex to feel their longing.

The buildup is usually more fun for the viewer than what happens after the kiss. Often, that basically spells the end of the series.

I went looking for the scene of their first kiss and at first, the only gif I could find of that first-kiss moment was just - the kiss.


via GIPHY

Without the scene that leads up to it, it’s just a kiss. Compare it to the whole scene – actually, there's a 30 episode lead-up, but in this scene they fight, he storms out, she slams the door and locks it. Then,



Now that’s a kiss!

Same kiss, but so much more powerful with the lead up - and we didn't even watch the whole scene! (If you want to see it all, the link is at the end of this post.)

More than down and dirty sex, I like to read - and write - sexual tension.

Click here to read a Sample of Sexual Tension in the first novel of the Fortune Bay Series, Summer of Fortune. (Scroll down on my web page to read the excerpt.)

And you'll find Summer of Fortune FREE on all online book stores!

What TV couple do you remember who really kept the tension running? I'd love to hear your ideas. Adding your comments below will automatically enter you in the February Blog Launch contest!

Thanks for joining me today. Visit me at my Website and my Facebook Page, and let's chat.

P.S. You can find the whole R&R-first-kiss-scene here on YouTube. I think you'll agree, the more build-up the better.

WRITER ON THE ROAD by @karilemor #RomanceGems

Last June, after 30 plus years of teaching, I retired and we sold the house we’d lived in for over 22 years. My husband had a great idea to get in an RV and travel for six months. Not having anywhere else to live at the moment, I said, “Sure!”

Even though I’ve retired, I’m still working every day on my writing. I gave myself a goal of a thousand words a day average and have been great about doing that. Well, until I finished the book I was working on. I’ve taken a few weeks off to do edits for an upcoming release (no publish date yet, unfortunately) and do more promotion.

In between all this writing and promoting and whatnot, we’ve been playing tourist. Tomorrow will be 100 days that we’ve been on the road. So many people have mentioned how envious they are that we can do this. It has been an experience, that’s for sure. Some good, some bad, but all details I can use in a book someday! (Oh, yeah, I am definitely doing a forced proximity story that takes place in an RV!!)

 I thought I’d give you some pros and cons of our trip so far. Especially if any of you are thinking of doing this. There’s lots to consider before you jump in and head out for months at a time.

The Pros are fairly easy to list:

See new things

Visit new places

Try new food (I don’t get to do much of this as hubby is very frugal!)

Experience life

Be spontaneous

Live life now

Better weather (especially since we headed south)

These are all fabulous things!  But as an FYI, you do need to be prepared for the reality of it.  

The Cons are stuff you need to be aware of too:

$$$$   Yes, this trip will cost you money. And lots of it. 

First, you need to buy or rent an RV. Not cheap.

RVs use gas. Lots and lots of gas. Ours gets like 6 miles a gallon. But it has a 75 gallon tank. Yup,  that’s an ouch when you hit the gas station.

RV Parks. These can be anywhere from $20 – over $100 a night. The more touristy area, the higher the price will be. Sure, you can boondock (use your generator and water tanks) but they only last so long and need to be refilled – and boy is it inconvenient.

Food. You still need to eat. If you dine out every night, you will be broke in weeks, unless you start the trip as a gazillionaire. But even grocery shopping and cooking in still costs the price of groceries.

Attractions. You want to go to Disney or do that swim with dolphins thing (and that crap is expensive) or even the smaller ones like touring a plantation or doing a Trolley tour around a historic city? It all adds up.

Itty Bitty Living Space – Even the largest (and most expensive) RVs don’t have much more than a few hundred square feet of living space. Be prepared to leave those thirty pair of shoes behind. Privacy when you need to use the bathroom or shower, nope, not much here. Sure, there’s a sliding door, but it’s still very close. Need to work or want to read, but your partner chews too loud or listens to talk radio and you hate it. Better get yourself a good pair of ear buds. I listen to classical piano far too often now.

Who? Along with living space, is who you’re sharing the space with. It better be someone you can really, really get along with. Sure, you’ve been living together in a big old house for many years. But you’ve been working or your partner has been at work for much of the day. But now you are together All. The. Time. There is such a thing as too much togetherness.

Mechanical problems. You are driving a huge piece of equipment (or pulling an RV using a huge vehicle) and that needs to be kept up. At any time, something could break, leak, or just stop working. And you are in the middle of nowhere with no one you trust to make it work again. That’s not just the moving vehicle. You have a microwave, toaster, fridge, A/C unit, heater, plumbing, etc. And that all needs to stay in working order.

Social. When you’re on the move all the time, you don’t get to socialize as much as you typically might. For the introvert, this is probably a definite plus. But I haven’t seen my children and grandchild in 100 days!! Many people say, oh, you meet new friends. But when you’re only staying at a place for a week or less, how friendly can you get? Personally, I’m what might be considered an introverted extrovert. Once I get to know people and trust them, I am quite social and don’t shut up. But I’m not the type to insert myself into an already established group and start chatting up a storm. So, for me, this trip has been difficult because my extroverted side isn’t getting fulfilled. Luckily, we have had the chance to stop and see friends and family who live along the way.

Hopefully I haven’t scared you. It certainly has been the adventure of a lifetime. Are there things I would do differently? Sure, but we still have about 70 days left before we head back to New England.  We’ll see what those days bring.

My book RUNNING TARGET is about a man who's also gotten around a bit. Unfortunately it's because he's on the run from a mob hit. Can he figure out a way to end his nightmare and get back to his family?

ONLY 99c right now!!

Amazon

If you want to keep tabs on my adventure, you can check out my Instagram account for daily pictures.  Check out where you can stalk me below:

Website: https://www.karilemor.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Karilemorauthor/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/karilemor

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/karilemor/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/karilemorauthor/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9756283.Kari_Lemor

BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kari-lemor

Amazon Author page:  https://www.amazon.com/Kari-Lemor/e/B00ON2YDI6/

Kensington Author Page:  http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/author.aspx/31828

 Remember the Comment & Win and Rafflecopter Contests!

To be entered in Comment & Win, all you have to do is read the post of the day—or any post you may have missed.

Then leave a comment with your email address written out. That means like Mary at yahoo dot com. (Don't leave your email as a "hot link" or web crawlers will harvest it and flood your Inbox.)

The more comments you make; the greater your chance of winning.

Grand Opening Rafflecopter

Be sure and enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win a Kindle Fire and Ebook Gift Bundles.

             

Grand Opening of Romance Gems by @JoanReeves #RomanceGems

Welcome, one and all, to ROMANCE GEMS, a blog that will be written by 23 popular romance authors.

Who Are We?

Some of us are New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors. Some are Amazon bestselling authors, and some are award-winning authors.

All of us are Romance Readers as well as Romance Writers. We're like you. We're moms, wives/significant others, and friends.

We pay bills, juggle the family budget, take care of a home, cook—at least every now and then—worry about aging family members, get frustrated with technology, vent over situations that drive us crazy and that we probably can't change, love music, movies, TV shows, reading, and having a good time. Plus, we like to talk about all of that.

RomanceGems Banner Design by Adina Mayo.

What Is Romance Gems?

I think ROMANCE GEMS—written out it's http://RomanceGems.blogspot.com—is going to be a pretty fabulous blog.

We want to put the focus on you, the Readers. We want you to talk with us.

Join the conversation and give us your 2 cents when you read each daily post. We'll talk about Life, Love, Books, Romance, Sex, Kids, and all the other really important things in your world.

Some chuckles and some good times await you so I hope you'll make a point to visit us each day.

Grand Opening Giveaway

Be sure and enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win a Kindle Fire and Ebook Gift Bundles.

Every week, there will be a Comment & Win Random Drawing for an Amazon Gift Card.

To be entered in Comment & Win, all you have to do is read the post of the day—or any post you may have missed.

Then leave a comment with your email address written out. That means like Mary at yahoo dot com. (Don't leave your email as a "hot link" or web crawlers will harvest it and flood your Inbox.) The more comments you make; the greater your chance of winning.

All Month Long

The Rafflecopter and the Comment & Win runs for the whole month of February plus there may be Pop-Up Prizes too. Enter often and have fun chatting with us.

But Wait There's More

Here's a quick tour of the blog. In the left sidebar, you'll see where we also blog. Just click to visit any of those blogs. Below that you'll see tiny pictures of those who follow the blog. Click to follow so we can see your picture too.

Below that is the monthly schedule so you'll known when each of us blogs. There are surprise days too so be sure and drop by to see what's going on then.

The right sidebar shows some of our books. Click on any you find interesting, and you'll be taken to the "buy" page for the book.

On the menu bar, you'll see the link for MEET THE AUTHORS. Find out more about all of us including our mug shots. *g* More pages will be added in the weeks ahead.

We've also started a Facebook Page: Where Authors and Readers Meet, and you have an open invitation to join us. So come on by and hang with us for a while. There will probably be someone there to chat with.

Sum It Up, Joan

You'll find a Gem of an Author and a Gem of a Romance Novel here plus some witty writers and good conversation. Come join us.

Oh, and remember, enter the month-long Giveaway for Rafflecopter Giveaway.

For Telling Your Reading Friends About ROMANCE GEMS