The Daffodils Are Coming!The Daffodils Are Coming! by Nora LeDuc #RomanceGems

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils;
(William Wordsworth)

With my stay at home life, I'm more eager than ever to get out and spot New England's signs of spring. I especially love the trumpet-shaped flowers, the daffodils. Their welcoming bright yellow, orange, or white colors welcome all who pass and raise my hopes for summer. So let's not waste time. Since car rides are allowed in our state, I'm off on our search for these harbingers of renewal. I'll add a few interesting landmarks along our way.

Molly Stark House at Pages Corner. Molly 
married General John Stark.

Before we leave, I check my yard. I discover the newest grouping I'd planted last fall near the road. They've survived the overflow of sand and salt from the plow truck and being buried beneath a mound of snow. Sadly, their buds haven't opened yet. But we've more to find. I hop in my vehicle and drive to the Pages Corner Cemetery that was named for the original land owners. Their daughter, Elizabeth Page (aka Molly Stark) lived on the corner and married Revolutionary War Hero John Stark.

Pages Corner Cemetery flowers--white building houses a horse-drawn hearse-
thanks to the town hearse restoration committee

But refocus! The plants are up at the cemetery! A long row of them, courtesy of our garden club. Their petals flutter in the wind and beckon me to snap their picture. I oblige. You might be curious about the white building in the grave yard. It houses a restored 1870 horse-drawn hearse.




I travel a few yards to the town line. Here, multitudes of daffodils are growing. Woo Hoo!! The residents of our community planted these for our town's 250 birthday celebration a few years ago.

                                          Roadside mass of flowers thanks to our town garden club                                         

Finally, my car chugs up the nine-hundred-foot-hill to the Center. There I make a glorious discovery. In front of the Caleb Stark Statue, the old horse trough contains a cheery display on this gray day. In case you're wondering, Caleb was Molly and Gen. John Stark's oldest son. Caleb is often depicted in paintings, chasing after his father who tried to leave him behind when John rode off to fight at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Yes, Caleb caught him and became the aide-de-camp to the general. We end our brief tour here. I declare our flower hunt a success on a cool April afternoon.

In the background, statue of Revolutionary soldier Caleb Stark

Now as the days grow warmer and longer, I grab my laptop and sit on the deck or by the windows. I dream of gardens rioting with color and stories filled with challenges and sometimes danger where love conquers all.

Before I sign off, I wanted to let you know my newest book, Christmas at the Easy Breezy will be in pre-order in June. The characters will celebrate with an outdoor spring wedding! Maybe you'll spot a daffodil.
Love to all,
~ Nora

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Wait, there's more!!

Our monthly Rafflecopter is waiting for you and with an added chance —the Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt.  Complete information can be found on our Monthly Giveaway page. Yes, Easter is over but you can still enter. Just check out my Facebook page and my BookBub page to find my egg. Please like and follow me while there!!

Next... by Nora LeDuc #Romance

Look at this antique!

Every year I get excited about a new project connected to my writing. Of course, whatever it is might not be cutting-edge. Seems the tortoise and I have something in common. I'm not quick to jump on the latest technological event. To be fair, I was curious and fast to become an internet user. I had a friend with an unusual disk. When he inserted it into the drive, you were whisked away to a magical land named Prodigy.

My passport to the internet

I ordered one and was soon transported through my phone to a choice of bulletin boards (bb). Wow! Until this time, I used my old IBM for games and to save my writing for my first to-be-published book Miss McNeal's Pirate. Now, I found wonderful romance writers and tons of their books. I was in heaven. Unfortunately, the  group dissolved when Prodigy raised their price and charged for long distance telephone calls. Other programs popped up, and I moved onward. I tried chat rooms and Myspace.

More big breakthroughs occurred during these times. You could email
friends and family using other services, and suddenly, you could find an
online website for whatever or whoever you wanted. Over the hill people,
animal lovers, dating, crafts, body builders, boaters,  books and more books etc. etc.

Tons of stories in your hand.

And now I'm on Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, Instagram, and own a Kindle. (Who ever thought we'd carry all our books on one small device?) Lately, I've been trying to improve my BookBub use. Please come follow me and discover all the wonderful authors and their novels. Who knows what will be next? We'll let our imaginations fly. I do predict we'll have new adventures and fun.

And before I go, let me add that I'm currently beginning the editing stage of my next book, Christmas at the Easy Breezy. This is a romance with two weddings and no funerals. Coming in July!!

~Happy Reading, my Friends! Nora LeDuc

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Don't forget to enter our monthly rafflecopter which ends January 31. Just click on the link and enter.

Hurry the deadline is the end of the month.
First prize: $20 Gift Card
Second prize: $15 Gift Card
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Speaking of Ghosts...by Karen Kelley #RomanceGems

We bought an artificial Christmas tree yesterday. Maybe I'm wishful thinking that cooler weather is on the horizon. It was 92 for a high. Good news, I think fall is around the corner, or maybe winter. I'm not sure. Texas has crazy weather this time of year.

I love Christmas, though. We put the tree up so we could check the lights since it was pre-lit. I wanted to leave it up. Hubby said it was too soon. I finally caved and we put it back in the box. I'm thinking November 1st. Why not enjoy it a little longer. One month is too short.

I'm thinking about turning the ac down really low, then snuggling under a warm blanket and pretending it's cold outside. Do you think that would work?

I guess I'll at least wait until after Halloween. Speaking of ghosts, well sort of, Double Dating With The Dead is on sale for 99 cents, but only for today, then the price goes back up to $2.99.

Back Cover:

Skeptic and author Trent Sanders will make so-called psychic Selena James pay for challenging him to stay two weeks in the supposedly haunted, vacant hotel of Garvey County. By the end of their two weeks he’ll expose her for the fraud she is. But when he sees her in person, it might just be possible she can raise the dead.

Selena James is really pissed at Trent Sanders for publicly proclaiming her delusional. She doesn’t care how hot the guy is, he’ll be eating his words before the two weeks are up! She’ll prove ghosts exist. At least, she hopes she can. Ghosts can be very stubborn, obstinate, manipulative…. This may be a very long two weeks.

 

                                                        

                                                          Purchase now for .99 cents

                                                            or read for free in KU

 

 

Do us a favor and tell your friends about the monthly contest and our great blog!
https://romancegems.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_28.html 

 

 

Best Wishes,
Karen Kelley
www.authorkarenkelley.com

 

 

 

Announcing the Secret Gifts Release! by @SatinRussell #RomanceGems

Happy October, everybody. I hope your month is going well. This happens to be my favorite month of the year. I love Halloween and things that go bump in the night.

Today I want to introduce my new holiday novella which will officially be published on November 1st. As I've mentioned before, Secret Hunger and Secret Need are the first two books in my Harper Sisters Series. This novella takes place after the second book. I consider it number 2.5 in the series.

So, what is Secret Gifts about? If you’re familiar with the books, then you’ll recognize Jackie and Tom from Secret Hunger. They were the couple who got together behind the scenes.

Well, this holiday novella picks up with them one year later. Tom is ready to take their relationship to the next level, but will Jackie’s past keep them from having a future?

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BLURB:

Jackie Davis is no stranger to hardship. After a strict upbringing, her parents abandoned her when she got pregnant out of wedlock. Years later, she’s the co-owner of a successful café, mother to a beautiful six-year-old daughter named Abby, and dating a man who makes her heart race. For the first time in a while, she’s excited for the holidays.

When Tom Molsem applied as a cook at the local café, he wasn’t looking for a relationship. Haunted by demons from his military service, he was just happy to have a job he could handle. Now he’s the co-owner of that same restaurant and dating a woman who helped lay those ghosts to rest. With the past buried, he wants to build a future with his newfound family.

Tom and Jackie are eager to celebrate Christmas, but when Abby goes missing, the two must band together and discover the true gifts of the season: love, forgiveness, and new beginnings.

EXCERPT:

The beeping of the coffeemaker promised caffeine and lucidity. Jackie brought down the oversized red mugs she liked to use during this time of year because they had a snowflake pattern. As she began to pour, two strong arms snaked around her waist.

“You’re lucky I’ve got a steady hand,” she said, leaning against the hard chest behind her.

Tom moved her closer and nipped her earlobe. “Mmm, you’re right, I am.”

It took a little more concentration not to spill the strong brew when he kissed down the length of her neck, but she didn’t mind. Sometimes, it was difficult to believe she got to wake up with this man every morning.

If anyone would have suggested she’d be here a year and a half ago, she would have told them they were crazy. She and Tom had worked together for years, but she had no idea he’d harbored romantic feelings for her the whole time.

She’d always assumed that such a quiet and intense person wouldn’t possibly be attracted to someone like her. Her life was loud and hectic and crazy and completely disorganized. Half the time, she didn’t know what she was doing or what she was feeling. How could a man who kept his emotions so contained want a life like that?

Jackie turned and ran her hands up Tom’s arms, stopping to revel in the strength of his biceps before looping them behind his neck. His eyes were the color of her favorite dark roast and currently warm with desire. They shot a jolt through her system that was stronger and hotter than any cup of coffee. His hands traced the sides of her waist, sending shivers down her spine, and she raised her mouth for another kiss.

Maybe they should have stayed in bed.

Pounding at the front door made them jump. Tom’s muscles tightened beneath her hands as he raised his head. He rushed toward the door as another spate of knocking blasted the morning’s peace.

After checking the peephole, Tom opened the door, his large frame blocking the person from Jackie’s view.

“Can I help you?” She suppressed amusement at the way Tom’s voice had deepened with irritation. If this was a missionary or political canvasser, they certainly had their work cut out for them.

“I want to speak to Jackie.”

What? Who would want to see her so badly that they’d pound on the door this early, especially on a Monday morning? Any of her friends would know better. She peeked past Tom’s shoulder, but he didn’t move. If anything, his stance grew broader.

“Who are you?” Tom asked.

“Let me talk to her. I know she’s here.” Something about the other man’s voice scratched at her memory, but she couldn’t quite place it. Then it hit her.

“Randy?”

Tom glanced back over his shoulder at her. “You know him?”

She bit her bottom lip, trepidation sitting in the pit of her stomach. At one time, she thought she knew him.

She’d been mistaken.

I hope you enjoyed the excerpt. Be sure and pre-order a copy of Secret Gifts today! Secret Gifts Ebook Preorder link: https://amzn.to/2m2Dlrw

**************************************************
Every Day is Treat Day in October!

I'm going to do something a little different this time. I'm offering one (U.S) winner a signed physical copy of Secret Gifts. (Due to postal costs, international entries will get an ebook copy, instead.)

To be entered in the random drawing for Secret Gifts, leave a comment with your email address written out - not as a hot link. (ex: janedoe at gmail dot com)

Since the release date is November 1st, I'm going to leave the contest open for longer than usual. The deadline to be entered is October 27th. I’ll draw the winner's name on October 28th, 2019 and notify the winner by email and by leaving a comment on this post.

By the way, in case you wonder why Authors give away books, it’s simple. We give away books to introduce new Readers to our writing. The best way to thank an Author who gives you a book is to post a review of the book. Just a few sentences saying why you liked the book is all that is needed!

This is especially important for new releases!

Click Here to enter our No Tricks—JustTreats Rafflecopter today for a chance to win Amazon Gift Cards. Enter often and tell your friends! (You can also click Monthly Giveaways on the Menu Bar of the blog to see details of the current month’s Rafflecopter and to enter it.)

Real Towns/Cities or Fictional? @ConstanceBretes @RomanceGems

I’ve moved around a lot in my life and have experienced small towns, midsize towns, and large cities.

When I start a new book, one of the first things I do is decide what kind of town or city I will use in the book.

If I haven’t visited the town or city, if it is possible, I will plan a trip there to get a feel for the area.

I rarely use the actual name, substituting the names such as Basin, Montana to Mason, Montana, Philipsburg, Montana to Frankenburg, Montana. 

The reason I change town/city names is due to changes I have to make in the story. For example, I love the town of Phillipsburg, Montana, but in visiting and investigating the town, they have one sheriff and his son is a deputy. I needed a larger sheriff department, so not to misrepresent Philipsburg, I changed the name to Frankenburg.

Basin Street, Basin, Montana

Recently I made a trip to Dunlap and Pikesville, Tennessee to see if the towns have changed since I was there in the 1990s. Boy was I glad I did, the towns were totally changed and a highway bypass was built. Pikesville was still a nice town, very quaint, downtown area, but it would have changed the dynamics of the story that I’m currently working on, so, based on my memory of the town before all the changes, I’m creating a town in Tennessee where my heroine lives.

Towns and cities are important to the story. Description of a small town can help readers get a feel for the kind of town and people that live in the town. But, for me, the towns need to be as realistic as possible. A small town in Montana is very different than a small town in Alabama. A mid-size town in New Mexico is different from a mid-size town in New York.

In my latest release, Love, A Second Time Around, a small town in South Dakota is different than a small town in North Dakota. As you will discover when reading the book.

As of this date, my publisher still has my book priced at 99 cents for the new release special. So you’ll want to go over and get your copy as soon as possible.

Here’s the Amazon buy link:  https://www.amazon.com/Love-Second-Around-Constance-Bretes-ebook/dp/B07WZ2X5R5/

Love, A Second Time Around by Constance Bretes

They stole five years of his life. Now it’s time to settle the score.

Released from prison after serving five years for a crime he didn’t commit, Dr. Jon Stephenson is left with the task of rebuilding his veterinarian business, finding his son, and bringing those who wronged him to justice.

Not only had the love of Cat Morgan’s life been sent to prison, but prior to his arrest he had broken her heart. Needing a new start, she left town with Jon’s young son. Unknown to Jon, she was pregnant at the time. Now she’s a single mom to two young boys.

She never expected to see Jon again, and now that he’s shown up, demanding the opportunity to provide the father figure his sons need, she finds herself falling for him all over again. Actually, to be honest, she never stopped loving him. But will she ever be able to forgive his past indiscretions, and can they learn to trust each other again?

Don't forget to enter into our rafflecopter, Back to School, Back to you! 

Back to School, Back to You!

CHCH CHANGES by Nora LeDuc # RomanceGems

As the August days grow shorter and cooler, I grow excited for the upcoming season. September is a strange month in New England. Summer will make a teasing comeback, while autumn lurks in the chilly evenings and mornings. Despite our hopes, fall will win the battle and bring us fresh opportunities.

Sweater weather means digging out the warmer wardrobe and hoping it still fits! I look forward to apple picking and the delicious odor of baking pies filling my kitchen. Each day, I'll check for the first glimmer of the turning leaves. Mother Nature's oranges, reds and yellows always astonish me. It's also time when we say goodbye to our vacation plans. My husband and I will savor one last bittersweet trip to the beach. We like to head to the Seafood Festival. For one price, you can eat to your heart's delight or just enjoy walking in the main street closed to traffic. You can take in the sights of the pop-up tents lining the walkways and sporting crafts, food, or clothes. Maybe while you're browsing, you'll run into a friend or two.

Another fun trip is going to the fair. In my imagination, I can already catch the pungent odor of fried onions. hear golden crisp french fries sizzling, and the taste of the chicken grilled or barbecued. You can grab a ride on the Midway, but beware the spinning types if you just ate. I love to wander through the 4-H exhibits to discover who won ribbons this year. Then there's the flute man selling his CDs, the man hawking knives that cut through soda cans, and of course the beef jerky. When you'd done with the booths visit the barns. Seems every year a cow or pig has her little ones with her. Who can resist them? And don't forget the shows. The Axe Women of Maine is a favorite and truly unusual.

The Axe Women of Maine

So as as the daylight decreases, we can spend more hours reading. I'm happy to report my book TRAIL OF Secrets is free today and tomorrow. This is the first story in my new series: Love & Lies in Paradise, a Romantic Suspense novel set in a small town in Florida.

Who killed the vivacious Emily McGuire and laid out her body at the town water tower? Orderly, rule-follower Mia McGuire is the least likely person to answer this question. Mia's life has taken a downward spiral with her sister's murder, the breakup with her boyfriend and losing her editor position. But when the homicide investigation crawls, Mia can't stand by doing nothing. She hires ex-cop and daredevil Lucas Davis to her her find the truth. Together they being a journey that puts themselves and their hearts at risk.

Don't forget to get your copy!! Happy Reading, my friends.