Reading Preferences by Karen Whiddon

I can't believe it's February already.  2020 has already zipped onward, despite the fact that I've been sick the entire year (and ended 2019 sick, boo.)  I started a new book for Harlequin Romantic Suspense and have been enjoying writing it, especially since it's set in an imaginary west Texas town like the two books preceding it.

In addition to writing, I've been listening to music and I've been reading.

These days, there's so much filling my time that I actually have to allot time for reading.  I got a  brand new Kindle Paperwhite for Christmas (my old one, a first generation, finally bit the dust.)  I've got a bunch of books on there that I'm dying to read, and I'm slowly making my way through them.  Mostly fiction, though a few are non-fiction.  One of my favorite ways to spend a winter day is curled up by the fire with a good book and a cup of hot tea, cocoa, or coffee.

What about you?  Do you read on an e-reader or prefer paper books?  My daughter, who is a teacher, only reads paper books.  I still buy a few in paperback or hardcover, but mostly I tend to read on my Kindle.  My Harlequin Romantic Suspense books sell way more in paperback than they do in e-books, but all my rights-reverted-backlist books are only in E-book.

Don't forget about our drawing!  Link here DRAWING LINK

A Glass Of Wine Anyone? @ConstanceBretes #RomanceGems

I’m not a wine drinker, but I do enjoy festivities that have to do with wine. In Michigan, there are a lot of wineries, especially in the western part of the state. Every year, at the Ella Sharpe Museum in Jackson, Michigan, there is a wine and arts festival that features some of Michigan’s best wines, and artist exhibits. Visitors can sample wine and look at the creative artwork. It was at one of these festivals I discovered my ‘taste’ for wine tends to be of the fruity, sweet type instead of the dry type. My favorite is raspberry wine, with some dark chocolate. Oh YUM!

I also loved to visit St. Julian’s winery when it was on I-94 in Marshall, Michigan. They had great wine tasting opportunities there, as well as a great selection of wine at reasonable prices.

I haven’t been shopping in Alabama yet at the local wineries. However, I see there are plenty of places to go to and will definitely be visiting in the near future.

The idea came to me to write about wine today because my husband got a storage unit that had a nice wine rack to it. I had to claim it to put my wine in, and my chickens on it to guard the wine. I just love this wine rack. Looks pretty nifty, doesn’t it?

I have never used wine in my stories, but now as I think of it, all sorts of possibilities are popping into my head. Those ideas have prompted me to check out the local wineries here and start asking research questions for the next book I write! What a great ‘excuse’ to start wine testing again, huh?

Don’t forget to enter for a chance to win my book, Elkhorn In The Moonlight and other books that contains pets in their stories for the Dog Days of Summer monthly giveaway.

The search for stolen Sacred Arrows leads to much more.

Marcus Blackhawk is on a mission to locate the Sacred Arrows that were stolen from the Cheyenne Nation. When he learns that someone has seen the arrows he leaves immediately to track the person down and get more information.

Nicole Lancaster ekes out a living in a small town by helping her brother run a motel and working part-time in a restaurant. Her mundane life suddenly becomes more exciting when Marcus arrives in town asking about some arrows that she came upon years ago while hiking in the Elkhorn Mountains. The gorgeous man makes her heart beat fast, but she knows he’d never be interested in a Plain Jane like herself.

When Marcus offers Nicole a large sum of cash to lead him to the cave where she saw the arrows, she takes him up on the offer. After a three-day hiking trip through the mountains they locate the cave, but then the unthinkable happens, and they find themselves trapped inside. As they wait, hopeful they’ll be rescued, they give into the passion that’s been simmering between them.

Will help arrive in time to save them? And if so, can their night of passion ever be anything more? Marcus has no interest in an actual relationship, and Nicole wants the whole nine yards.

Dog Days Of Summer Giveaway

Coffee and Conversation with the #Romance Gems

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: Best gift given or received

It’s the season of giving – no, not Christmas! Rather the weeks that hold Mother’s and Father’s Day here in the USA. A time when many exchange gifts. So, tell us, what is the best gift you’ve ever given or received? A macaroni necklace or diamond ring? A vacation, poem, card, pet, or warm hug?

“Playing Santa one year, I gave my daughter a saddle. Santa had skipped her Christmas morning, but when she returned to my house, Santa had left the saddle. Unfortunately, at that time, he didn’t leave the horse.” ~ Jan Scarbrough

"The best gift I've ever received for Mother's Day was my first child. She came eleven days earlier than expected and was born the day before Mother's Day that year. An amazing gift that keeps on giving joy!" ~ Bonnie Edwards

“When my three children were younger, my husband would take them on Mother's Day and go visit his mother. This would leave me alone to have some time for myself. I saw them every day all year long so the gift of alone time was fabulous.” ~ Kari Lemor

“I don't have children, and my parents are long gone. However, the best Mother’s Day gift I've ever received was when my stepson wished me a Happy Mother's Day and went with my husband and me to take me out for dinner. It was the one and only time he'd ever acknowledged me as his step-mother.” ~ Constance Bretes

"The best gift I ever gave was to my mother. She'd been struggling financially since my father's passing a few years before. I happened to be blessed with a very decent advance on a book deal and used it to pay off all her debts just in time for her 75th birthday. They say money can't buy happiness but I think, in this case, they were wrong." ~ Nancy Fraser

"A gift that stands out for me is one I gave my elderly aunt back in the 1990s. For years she'd been writing poetry and had been offering it for publication in her church bulletin and in various periodicals in exchange for free copies. She would make Xerox copies of these poems and send them to me, the niece who got her writing gene. So one Christmas I compiled her poems into a booklet we were able to mass produce via our computer. We slapped a cardstock cover on it, picking up the title from one of her poems (The Golden Hour and Other Poems by Marie Gray) and comb bound it. We put 30 copies of the book in a box and sent it to her for Christmas. You would have thought I'd given her a million dollars. I don't think I've ever given or received a gift that brought me so much pleasure." ~ Cheryl Bolen

"When I was a teenager, I showed horses. One Christmas my parents went in and got me a beautiful show saddle with sterling silver decorations that I'd been told we couldn't afford. Best. Gift. Ever." ~ Karen Whiddon

"I have two favorite gifts, but there’s a common theme. The first was when Mr. H. gifted me my first RWA (Romance Writers of America) Conference trip back in 2010, held at Disney's Swan & Dolphin Resorts. I was a newbie writer—totally overwhelmed—yet the experience gave me the inspiration and push I needed to finish my book. Next was when my daughter surprised me with a 'girl’s getaway' to Disney. My grown-up daughter, buying us matching t-shirts and mouse ears? Magical memories, indeed!"
~ Kathryn Hills

"The best gift I have received is my birthday gift in 2001. My Hero and I went on a 25-day tour of Ireland, England, Scotland, and one town in Wales. It was a lovely tour and I hated for it to end. This was not our first British tour, but was the longest. Hero and I saw lovely places and hope to return someday."
~ Caroline Clemmons

"The best gift I’ve given was a few years ago. I made two recipe books for my daughters. The pages were filled with hand written recipes from their great grandmothers and other family members. When they opened them on Christmas morning we laughed and cried over the memories. Putting together these books was a labor of love and I’m glad I did for my daughters. Now they have a tiny reminder of the women who came before them." ~ Lucinda Race

"Growing up a girl, I was never given Santa presents that weren't specifically made for XY gene types. I begged for Roc'Em Soc'Em robots for 3 three years, from aged 5-8. Never got it because it wasn't a girl themed toy - so I was told! Flash forward 30 years and I mention this around the in-law table one night before Christmas. On Christmas morning there was big, red-bow-tied present under the tree for me, with a card that read: Sorry this took so long, Love Santa. Yup, you guessed it - Roc'Em Soc'Em Robots courtesy of my very own Santa spouse. Best. Gift. Evah!!!" ~ Peggy Jaeger

"My favorite Mother's Day gift was a preschool plaster hand-print impression from both of my sons. They are adults now, with large manly hands, but I still get teary-eyed at the memory of those tiny hands clutching mine."
~ Connie Vines

"In the movie, Shall We Dance starring Antonio Banderas and Susan Sarandon, there's a line Sarandon says that really explains the greatest gift I've ever received. The line goes like this, 'I wish I could give you a gift that comes in a box.'
Well, I wish I could tell you about a gift that came in a box, but the greatest gift I ever received was my husband. Through thick and thin—a lot of thin in the beginning—we've had each other. I've always thought it was Destiny... Fate lending a hand. When he was in high school he bought his first car. He'd been cleaning the car and had removed the back seat. The gleam of gold caught his eye. He found a small plain gold wedding band. He picked it up and put it on his key ring where he carried it for many years. When we "found" each other, we wanted to be married to each other. We didn't think about nitpicky details like planning a wedding. We just wanted to belong to each other. We got a marriage license and met with a the minister who asked if we had rings. After a moment of hilarious blank looks at each other, Larry pulled out his key ring and removed the gold band. The minister smiled and began the ceremony. When Larry slipped the gold band on my ring finger, it fit perfectly, and I wear a small size. That was over 40 years ago. Even though I have a more expensive, rather unique ring now, I still wear the plain gold ring too. It's my Cinderella ring. P. S. One of these days, I'll write a book entitled The Cinderella Ring!" ~ Joan Reeves

"When my husband was in the Army he had a short layover in Iceland. He bought me a blue carnation and gave it to me when he landed in Dallas. He still gives me blue carnations."
~ Karen Kelly

"I always think the best, most meaningful gifts don’t carry a hefty price tag, but have a lot of thought involved. I take credit for this one. My father-in-law was a carpenter who built many homes in the area over his career. After he retired, I got his kids together to compile a list. It took a while, but they all helped snap photos of every home their father ever built, which I mounted into an album (pre-digital days) as a Father’s Day gift. It was so cool to see his reaction as he flipped the pages, viewing photos of his legacy. He could not believe they remembered them all, even some he had forgotten about." ~ Kathleen Lawless

Okay, it's your turn to join the conversation! We'd love to hear from you. 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 ~

Don’t forget our Heroes & She-Roes Contest! BUT HURRY! This contest ends on Wednesday, May 29. For a chance to win a $20.00 Amazon Gift Card and Bundles of Ebooks, click here to enter our RAFFLECOPTER

Becoming a Mom! by @karilemor #RomanceGems

Being a mother can be one of the most rewarding jobs ever…and it can be one of the hardest. I’m one of those people who, from the time I was little, always wanted to be a mom. I was the neighborhood babysitter that everyone used. I took Child Care classes in high school. I majored in Early Childhood Education in undergrad. I couldn’t get enough of being around small children. My first real job was teaching Kindergarten in a public school system.

But those children were only mine for a short while each day. I didn’t have control over how many hugs or stories they got at bedtime. But two years after I graduated college and got my first job, my college sweetheart and I got married. Less than two years later, we had a baby girl.

It wasn’t in the moment of her birth that I felt like a mom, no, I was too exhausted to even speak. But the moment it truly hit me that I was a mother is ingrained deep in my memory. My daughter was born at night and I was so tired the nurses offered to take her to the nursery so I could get some rest. Early the next morning, they brought her to me because she’d been fussing a bit and figured I needed to breastfeed her. I held her close, whispered to her, and she settled right down. And I fell asleep. An hour later the nurse came back to get her so the doctor could do a quick exam. Oh, no, I hadn’t fed her. She’d fallen asleep so I had too.

The nurse looked at me and grinned. “I guess she just needed her mom.”

That was it. The moment I realized this precious child needed me. What an emotional feeling.  I still tear up thinking about that moment, and the abundant, unconditional love I had for another human. One I had helped to create.  There’s nothing in the world like it.

These are my children, years ago, Emily, Kasey, and Christopher! 

What's a special 'mom' moment in your life? As a mom or with your own mom? 

~~~

In my book, Running Target, Jack Holland was raised by a man who was always working. He swears he’ll be a better father than that. Until a mob hit sends him running, away from the covert family he needs to protect. Here’s a little snippet of Jack sneaking into the hospital to steal a quick peek at his new son.

****

 Stepping closer, he looked down on the clear container, the blue tag proclaiming this child to be a boy. Squinting in the dim light, he read the words. Mother’s name: Callina Lansing. Baby: Jonathan.

Jonathan. She’d named the baby after him. A lump clogged his throat. A son. Damn. He had a son and wouldn’t be able to get to know him, see him grow, share in his life. This world was too cruel at times.

He shouldn’t take the chance but he needed to hold him. It was vital that he touch the life he and Callie had created. He wanted—no needed—to let his child know how much he loved him. The powerful emotion emanated from his heart even as he gazed down at the tiny figure. How could love grow this fast? His first glimpse was only a second ago. Now the feeling consumed him.

Reaching down, he stroked the side of his son’s face. The baby turned his head, his bow-shaped lips opening slightly. Jack’s heart beat faster. The protective instincts that had always come into play when he was around Callie, throbbed to life and expanded as he gazed at the sweet face of his son. Heat like an electric storm surged through his blood. How could he protect this child in his current situation? He’d bring more danger upon him if he hung around. Eight months of running, trying to escape the long arm of Victor Cabrini, had shown him what hell was. Now he glimpsed a small piece of heaven.

He slid his hands under the infant, lifting him from the bed to hold him close. Jonathan barely weighed anything. His heart constricted yet again. The innocent baby scent wafted into his nostrils and he blinked back the moisture filling his eyes. The reaction was primitive and territorial. This was his son.

~~~

~~~

"Thrilling...Lemor once again features a dynamite protagonist who's easily relatable,
and her talent for incorporating romance and forgiveness against the odds
make Running Target even more enticing." 

—RT Book Reviews

Currently RUNNING TARGET is on sale for only 99cents on all retailers. 

You can find the links here:

RUNNING TARGET

**And I just sent out a newly written prequel for this novel
to my mailing list subscribers. 

If you haven't gotten it, sign up for my newsletter then send me a quick note saying you want the prequel, and I'll get it to you!**

Kari Lemor

~~~

Don't forget this month's CONTEST!
In May, Romance Gems honors HEROES AND SHE-ROES: Moms, Soldiers, and First Responders.

The Grand Prize: One (1) $20.00 Amazon Gift Card.

2nd thru 5th Prizes: Ebook Bundles by our bestselling authors. The books being given away are shown on the Monthly Giveaway page.

How To Enter:

You have multiple opportunities to enter.

Click this Rafflecopter link.

Start clicking buttons on the Rafflecopter. Each task counts as one entry.

Complete all the tasks for the most chances to win!

Our policies concerning Promotions and Giveaways, Eligibility, and Prize Award Procedures are shown in detail on our Policies Page. Please read. We strictly adhere to those policies.

Good luck!

Seasoned Romance is gaining in popularity by Jan Scarbrough #RomanceGems

We’ve already talked about tropes on Romance Gems. But I’m going to do it again! Most romance novels have one or more tropes.

Definition: Tropes are plot devices, characters, images, or themes that are incorporated so frequently in a genre that they’re seen as conventional.

Bestselling author Mindy Klasky has a huge list of romance tropes on her website.

Here are a few favorites:

• Billionaire
• Cowboy
• Friends to lovers
• Marriage of convenience
• Mistaken identity
• Opposites attract
• Return to hometown
• Reunion
• Runaway bride/groom
• Secret baby

 A new trope that is growing in popularity is the mature character or Seasoned Romance. These are love stories with heroes and heroines in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond. The thinking is sex and love can get better with age.

Maybe because I’m of a certain age (cough, gasp) I like writing about mature heroes and heroines. I have several books staring the Baby Boomer generation and Gen-Xers. Facebook even has groups for readers and writers who like seasoned characters. One group is planning a multi-author sale this week (40 books).

It's never too late to fall in love! Grab some amazing romances for just 99¢ from 4/10-4/12 during the #SeasonedRomancesSale!

My book Liz: The Montana McKennas is part of the sale. This cowgirl is fifty-something. She’s not only getting a second chance, but a third chance at love!

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 one of these sites: Facebook | BookBub | Twitter

Use the “Contact the Romance Gems” link on the left sidebar 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!

A Splash of Danger with your Romance? by @KariLemor #RomanceGems

Romance is such a broad category. You’ve got contemporary, historical, or futuristic. Paranormal, fantasy, erotic, suspense, rom-com, inspirational, and many others. You can put several of these together.

When I finished my first book (and the series it belonged to), I needed to figure out how to categorize the story. Contemporary, for sure. But it had a criminal element and an ex-military FBI agent.  So the story was sent out as a romantic suspense.

But after reading quite a few other suspense novels, I realized mine was nothing like the run-for-your-life-every-second-of-the-book kind. It also did not have the intense detail of third world power struggles or the inner workings of organized crime. I will readily admit I’m too lazy to do the kind of research and world building those kinds of novels require. And I hate having beloved characters die, which is unrealistic in intense suspense. My focus is always on the characters and their relationship.

Chatting with another author who writes similar to me, she called it ‘light suspense’ and I like that description.  Thus my tagline “Romance with a splash of danger” was born. I love focusing on the relationship between the hero and heroine and how they react to the conflict in their lives and between each other. But throwing in lots of danger and putting them in peril also gives me a rush. I love to add tons of angst and really hit people with emotions. One way to do that is what we (in the fan fiction community – yes, that’s where I got my start writing) call hurt/comfort.  You hurt one character (either emotionally or physically) so the other one can comfort them. I do love torturing my characters. Muahahaha! *rubs hands together maniacally*

So even though I don’t have the run-for-your-lives-every-second kind of book, I still like adding a few good battles for my characters to go through. Physical and emotional. If you like a lighter suspense novel, then please check out my first series:  Love on the Line –  where the heroes are all from the same military unit in Afghanistan. Danger is in their blood, but with the right woman by their side, they are strong enough for any new challenge.

Currently you can get all three books for under $5!! They are available at most online retailers (see website below for the links)

And FYI, I had a number of people ask for a prequel to Running Target, to show how the main characters actually met. This is in the works and will be offered to my mailing list subscribers. If you’d like to be on my list, you can sign up on my website. I rarely send more than once a month, if that, and usually only when I have new information or a sale… No spam, promise!

https://www.karilemor.com/

Also, while you’re on my site, check for the free short story (Canobie Kisses) and novella (Unstable Ground) that I’m giving away.  And I LOVE hearing from readers and will respond to all.  Send me a note letting me know if you liked one of my books!! I love talking about my books and the characters in them!

See you soon,

Kari

Do you #Read your books or #listen to them? by Peggy Jaeger #RomanceGems

I was the first person I knew who bought a Kindle back when the retail price was $349.00.

Now they're what? $39? 50 dollars? Since I flew so much and always had 3 or four books packed into my luggage, adding to the cost per pound of air travel, I figured the investment was worth the convenience. And it was. I lovelovelove my Kindle, still, to this day. Ereaders are still, apparently, popular even though real honest-to-God-books are making a comeback.

But...

I was recently exposed to the world of audiobooks and I have to tell you, I think the future in books is in this rapidly growing industry.

Have you heard of AUDIBLE?

I never had until one of my publishers, The Wild Rose Press notified its authors they were offering us the option to have our books uploaded to audio. At first I resisted. After all, I wrote books. Book were made to be, well, read. Not listened to. And besides, I arrogantly asserted that no narrator but myself could do my words justice. I wrote them. I was the one who knew how they should sound, not some anonymous narrator who wouldn't do the work any justice.

Arrogant, thy name is Peggy.

Then, one day, I met a woman who changed my opinion forever. A patient of my husband's, the woman was sixty-eight, housebound for the most part, and blind since birth. She knew I was a writer and asked if any of my books were available on audio tape. She was a great "reader" of books in Braille, but she'd been afflicted in the past few years with debilitating arthritis and could no longer use her fingers to read. Her daughter had gotten her a subscription to Audible and now she could enjoy her favorite author's again by listening to their newest books.

It's not often I am struck speechless. I think I can count of the fingers of one hand and still have 4 left over the times I have been. So, I did what I usually do when I'm exposed to something I'm unfamiliar with: I researched.

According to a report issued by the Audio Book Publishers Association, audio sales jumped 22.7 % in 2017 to just under $2.5 billion in sales. Another published in AP, states that book publishers are embracing the format more and more. Then I spoke to several of my author friends. Unanimously they agreed that offering your books in audio was a great way to get your books in front of people who couldn't read in a conventional way.

So...
I have now begun offering my titles on audio. Next month I'll explain the process, but for now, I'm thrilled to announce the following titles are currently available on Audible.

During the next few months, two more titles will be added:

I hope to have the rest of my books uploaded within the coming year as well.








Next month for me: what goes into getting your book available in Audio. Until then, don't forget the March Romance Gems giveaways:
 There are three different ways you can win. See all the prizes on the Monthly Giveaway page. GOOD LUCK!

Comment & Win:

Leave a comment on any post in March + Your Email Address—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 address 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:

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 page.

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

Click to enter LUCK O' THE IRISH Romance Gems Giveaway