Not Blooming @karilemor #RomanceGems

Our theme this month is Romance in Bloom.  I know plenty about romance but the bloom part I’m a bit weak in.  My mom is one of those people who has a bona fide green thumb. Growing up, we had so many plants all over the house. We had five picture windows, and every one of them was filled to the brim with plants.

The kitchen window over the sink housed many of the cacti and smaller plants. We even had a Venus Fly Trap at one point. My sister and I used to love feeding it hamburg.  Watching the greedy little mouth close up was fascinating.

The most impressive window was the one in the living room. It was a huge bay window that went from floor to ceiling. The curtain over it closed in front and at times we used it as a stage. But first we’d need to move all the plants. They hung from the ceiling and graced small tables in front of it. I used to joke that we didn’t need a Christmas tree, we could just hang lights on all the plants.

So it was quite disappointing when my thumb turned out to be black. It caused plants to die. Even the ones where people said, “Oh, you can’t kill that plant. They’re so hearty.” It never failed that every year while I was teaching, I’d get a plant or two from a student or a group gift from the class. After telling everyone how much I loved it and thanking them, I’d give it the sign of the cross and last rites. Then I’d take it home to die.

The only hope these poor greens had was if my mother happened by before they were completely dead and took pity on it. My mom took in more foster plants from my house than anything else. And miraculously, she always managed to bring them back to life and make them healthier than they were before. And no matter how much she told me how to take care of them, mine always died. Good thing my kids yelled and cried if I didn’t feed them, otherwise I could have been in deep trouble.

For a few years I actually bought fake flowers and stuck them outside in the wall by the road. They looked amazing and people wondered how I kept them so fresh for so long. Yeah, most people caught on to my trick after a while. My kids teased me something awful, but none of them offered to plant and take care of something real so it didn’t bother me.  I’ve accepted the fact I am not a plant person.

But romance, now that’s something I know a little about. I started pilfering my mom’s Harlequins when I was about twelve. That started my deep love for anything romance.  Most of the books I read for pleasure are most definitely in the romance category. And not that many years ago, I tried my hand at writing romance. 

My newest series, the Storms of New England, now has three books out and book 4 should be making its arrival this summer.  The newest, Stolen Dreams, is a favorite since Alex Storm is very organized and OCD in many ways. So many of his quirks come from me (or a few of my children) and so he is familiar. Luckily Gina, whose grandmother lived next door, absolutely loves Alex’s quirks. It takes him a while to finally figure out that she’s the one he’s been looking for his whole life.

You can take a peek and read the first chapter at these retailers:

                   Amazon               Barnes & Noble          Books2Read

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 http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/21df08a237/

Perfect Placement @karilemor #RomanceGems

As I’ve grown older, I’ve found that I’ve gotten more particular about certain things. I definitely have some quirks. Often, they drive me crazy, but I can’t seem to let them go.

Everything needs to be done in a pattern or to a count of eight. 

The bedspread needs to be exactly centered on the bed.                                          

Both the throw pillows must be lined up perfectly. 

I will fix the chairs at the table so they are all pushed in.                                      

The items on the kitchen counter need to be in the same spot always.                         

When I put the kettle on to boil, it must be right inside the rings of the burner.

I could go on and on. And, of course, when my husband disturbs the things I’ve placed accordingly, it drives me crazy. If something is out of alignment in my line of vision, I get so distracted that I can’t continue with what I’m doing until I fix it. You can imagine this keeps me from getting as much work done as I should.

In my newest book, STOLEN DREAMS, the 3^rd book in the Storm of New England series, middle brother, Alex, is an uptight perfectionist. If you’ve read the first two books, you’ve probably figured this out.

In Alex’s story, we see him with Gina, who’s been a constant visitor at her grandmother’s house next door. Now that her Nonna has passed away, she needs to clean out the house and get it ready to sell. Who better than Alex Storm, the king of organization, to help her?

The problem for Alex is that Gina makes him lose his tightly held control. Which is more than uncomfortable for him. If you want to see how this free-spirited bohemian wraps control freak Alex around her little finger, the book is out TODAY!!

Here’s a little sneak peek. Gina is at a local hang out and meets up with a group of women who have all dated Alex at some point. They have a lot to say about Alex and his strange mannerisms:

“I could have done with the lackluster sex positions, if it weren’t for some of his…odd behavior.” Cara wrinkled her nose.

Kelsey nodded. “The straw wrappers. Oh, my God. He honestly couldn’t sit at a table if I’d crinkled one.”

“Yep, he had to press it neatly, then fold exactly in half and then half again.”

“Then, half again. And he’d do it with my wrapper, too.”

Gina kind of thought it was cute he did this. Did these women seriously ditch Alex because he liked to fold straw wrappers?

“How about the no walking on a crack thing?” Kristan accepted the new drink the waitress had delivered.

“Oh, God, yes. Taking a walk with him on any kind of sidewalk was painful. He tried to do it without you noticing, but if you actually watched his feet, he’d take a smaller step or larger one, so he didn’t step in the wrong place.”

Gina sampled her wine, then set the glass down. “Step on a crack, and you break your mother’s back. Alex loves his mother.”

The others chuckled.

“Did you notice he always starts a set of stairs with his right foot?”

“Or that he washes his hands to a count of eight?”

“He does lots of things to a count of eight. Like rubbing your back or wiping the table.”

“And if he does something with one hand, like scratch his leg or tap his fingers, he has to do it with the other, too.”

“Lining up the salt and pepper shakers, so they are exactly in the middle of the table.”

“Straightening pictures that I didn’t even realize were crooked.”

Gina’s head went back and forth like she was watching a ping pong match as she listened to them bullet point Alex’s quirks.

“I love to make sure my necklaces have the clasp showing. It actually makes him twitch, and he has to fix them so they’re in the back.” She fiddled with the long chain she wore. “And when he does, he always cops a feel.”

“You sly lady.” Kelsey raised her glass.

“All of those quirks are what makes him Alex. I think they’re adorable.”

Hanna’s eyebrows drew together. “After a while, they can drive you crazy. You must not have known him that long.”

“I’ve known him since we were babies. We lived next door to each other until I was six, then hung around together every summer and any other time I visited my grandmother. I’m well aware of his idiosyncrasies.”

Ashley held up both hands. “Like his planner. It’s unbelievable how much he depends on that thing.”

“He can’t live without it.” Kristan nodded.

“If he deviates from it, he almost has a nervous breakdown.”

“Or he has to erase what was there, and rewrite the new activity so it’s accurate.”

“That’s true,” Gina admitted. “And he adds something in if it wasn’t there. But he follows it to the letter.”

She leaned in closer, gazing at all the women. “What you have to understand is how to use that to your advantage. You need to get creative. If you write in it what you want to happen…it will happen.”

Again, their eyes and mouths opened wide.

And in celebration of my newest release, my publisher has put both Elusive Dreams and True Dreams on SALE for ONLY 99c for the next two weeks. Grab them now since they'll be going back to full price soon. 

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April Prizes

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3rd Prize: $10.00 Amazon Gift Card

Monthly Giveaway

Luck of the Draw by @karilemor #RomanceGems

You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your relatives. That old saying is so true. I hear so many stories about family nightmares.  People who have horrible family members who do terrible things to them. Or don’t support them. Or they don’t get along and haven’t spoken in years. I thank God every night that isn’t me.

I grew up with parents who loved me and taught me right from wrong. Even though they divorced, it wasn’t until I was in college, so we never had to bounce between homes. If my parents were in the same room, they were very cordial to each other. When my dad passed away a few years ago, my stepmom didn’t have enough money to pay for the funeral, so my mom pitched in. Even though he’d been the one to leave and they hadn’t been married in over 30 years. That was my role model growing up.

I get along well with my siblings, and we make it a point to keep in touch even though we don’t all live near each other anymore. Social media has made this far easier. I also have tons of cousins who I don’t see often enough, but when I do, it’s so much fun.

Now I’ve been married for almost 33 years and have three children and two grandchildren. Every day I thank God for these people in my life. My children have all grown up to be responsible, respectful, and loving individuals. My middle child just got a new job and moved about an hour away. Both her brother and sister (who has two small children, one still an infant) took the entire day to go help her finish packing, clean up her old apartment, and drive down to her new place. Then they helped her move it all in and clean up there, too.

I worried at first, because my husband and I are currently residing in Florida, and we weren’t there to help our child. I needn’t have worried. All three of my children love each other, help each other, and make sure they are there any time one of the others needs them. I like to think I had something to do with their caring nature.

Families like this are so beautiful that I felt I needed to create one. Thus, the Storms of New England were born. The Storms start with grandparents, Hans and Ingrid, who have three sons. Kris, Nick, and Pete all work together at Storm Electric and live in the fictional town of Squamscott Falls, New Hampshire. They are all married to lovely women and have children of their own.

All these cousins were lucky to be raised in the same town as each other and able to grow up and spend time together. I have been having so much fun playing with all ten cousins as I write a story for each one of them.  I hope you’ll take the chance to get to know the Storms as well.

Book 1 is ELUSIVE DREAMS - Erik Storm’s story -

An injured Marine fighting to walk again.

An introverted loner afraid of the world.

When two orphaned children need a home,

this couple has to find a way to heal together,

or risk losing their perfectly imperfect family.

This book released last August and is currently on sale for only 99c at the following retailers.  (Limited time)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W523P6T/

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/elusive-dreams-kari-lemor/1132758753

https://books.apple.com/us/book/elusive-dreams/id1475438745

Book 2 is TRUE DREAMS - Sara Storm’s story.

A recovering addict in search of a quiet life.        
An innocent optimist seeking fame and fortune.  
When he meets the woman who’s willing   

to look beyond his tortured past,  
he’ll need to choose between his newfound serenity and a life that nearly destroyed him.

This book just released a few days ago. You can find it here:

https://www.amazon.com/True-Dreams-Storms-England-Book-ebook/dp/B083QRXWV9/

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/true-dreams-kari-lemor/1136076110

https://books.apple.com/us/book/true-dreams/id1494642787

Book 3 is STOLEN DREAMS - Alex Storm’s story.  I’m hoping to have this book out by the end of April.

Book 4 is BROKEN DREAMS - Nathaniel Storm’s story.  I’m shooting for a summer release for him.

  

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Make sure to peek at our March giveaway!!  Maybe you'll be Lucky in Love!  

Check out our Monthly Giveaway for all the details, as well as a link to long entry form.

Or you can click HERE.

Why not practice your daily entry skills by commenting below! 

I'd love to hear about your family and how lucky you are. 

A New Journey by @karilemor #RomanceGems

Last year at this time, my husband and I were about halfway through a six-month adventure traveling the east coast in an RV. We visited places I’d never been to before and saw some amazing sights.

Some of my favorites were the airboat ride in the Everglades. The swamp boat tour in the Louisiana bayou. The plantation on the Mississippi River. The Mardi Gras parade in Baton Rouge (along with some of the best po’boys and beignets ever at a little place called Taste of Louisiana). The trolley tours of Asheville, NC, and Savannah, GA with incredibly knowledgeable and interesting tour guides. The tour of the Biltmore Estate and Village. And so many more.

Along the way we stopped in for ten days in the northern part of Florida in the oldest city in the nation, St. Augustine. What a beautiful place! It’s so filled with history and diversity in the old buildings and structures. But you’ve also got Anastasia Island right across the Bridge of Lions where there are gorgeous beaches and all the beach amenities you could want. We fell in love!

So now, after thirty plus years of teaching and an exciting journey, we’ve settled into a new home here in Florida. And my new life has begun. With my days free and the weather typically gorgeous, I’m gearing up to make my writing career my top priority. This month the Romance Gems are asking What’s Next? This is what’s next.

I’ve got a new book coming out March 2, 2020. The second book in my Storms of New England series, TRUE DREAMS, is the story of Sara Storm and TJ Bannister. If you’ve read Elusive Dreams, Erik Storm’s story, you’ve already met his sister, Sara and her boss, TJ. With True Dreams you get to see how they met and fell in love.

And I’m hoping to have Stolen Dreams, book 3 in the series, brother Alex’s story out soon after. Currently I’m writing Broken Dreams -#4, which is cousin Nathaniel’s story along with Darcy, who you’ll meet in True Dreams. She was such a strong character that she wouldn’t leave me alone until I promised her a book of her own. Always listen to your characters.

Here’s the info on True Dreams.

True “TJ” Bannister, haunted by his past, abandons the world of sex, drugs, and rock and roll to live a peaceful life as a bookstore owner on Cape Cod. The reformed bad boy thinks no “nice” girl will ever see beyond his tormented soul.

Innocent Sara Storm barges into his shop, and his life, with her sunshine personality. She looks beyond TJ’s past and helps heal his damaged heart. But her goal to be a singer is one TJ can’t support. Her dreams take place in the shattered world he left behind.

Can he choose between his newfound serenity and a life that nearly destroyed him, or is their romance doomed before the last note is sung?

I don’t have preorder links yet, but as soon as I do, I’ll make sure to post them. To get updated info, follow me on my social media.

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http://www.karilemor.com/

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