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.

  

~~~

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. 

What do you make with APPLES?

Fall is a time for pumpkins and apples. Personally, I prefer apples.
Apple pie, apple crisp, candied apples, apple jelly, and best of all, apple Whoopie Pie Cookies.

  Apple Whoopie Cookies

Years ago, we had a parent of one of my students who was the most amazing baker. She used to bake the teachers all sorts of goodies and send them in for us. But the absolute BEST thing she ever made was Whoopie Pies but with Apple Cookies instead of the typical chocolate. And the frosting inside was a buttercream, not a whipped cream frosting. 

Thankfully she gave us the recipe and I have made them several times. So good, though they do take a while to put together.

Fair warning: there is nothing low fat or low calorie about these. But they are so amazingly delicious!!

Whoopie Apple Cookies

By Lauren

Cookies

1 ½ cups peeled and grated apples                        ¼ cup apple jelly

1 tsp ground cinnamon                                          ½ tsp ground nutmeg

2 cups all-purpose flour                                         ½ tsp baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) lightly softened butter                   1/8 tsp salt                                                              

¾ cup packed light brown sugar                            1 large egg yolk

*Cream butter and sugar until well blended and fluffy.

*Add egg yolk, apple jelly, and apples until blended. (Tip: place grated apples on a paper towel to absorb some of the extra moisture before you use them)

*Then add dry ingredients; cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda.

*Mix until all ingredients are well blended. Do not over mix!

*Scoop and place onto lightly greased baking pan to make cookies.

*Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes. Let cool a bit before placing on rack.

Buttercream Frosting

½ cup Crisco                                                            ½ cup butter

1 tsp pure vanilla extract                                          4 cups confectioner’s sugar

2 - 4 tbsp milk - add more or less for desired consistency

*Assemble cookies: Put frosting in the center of two apple cookies. If desired, drizzle tops with

2/3 cup powdered sugar                                       ½ tsp light corn syrup

2 - 3 drops pure vanilla extract

I am offering one fabulous reader a digital copy of my newest release, ELUSIVE DREAMS. Simply tell me in the comments what your favorite way of eating apples is. Don't forget your email address written out ( so and so at this dot com).  I will choose a winner by October 24 and let you know by email and in this post. Good luck! 

DON'T FORGET THE GEMS HAVE A MONTHLY GIVEAWAY ALSO:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/21df08a230/

Click here to enter our No Tricks—Just Treats 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.)

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

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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.)

New Beginnings by Karen Kelley #RomanceGems

I’m ready for fall. August in Texas can be brutal. Not to mention what a crazy month it has been. We were staying with our daughter and her family until our house was ready. We didn’t think that day would ever come. But it did and we’re all moved in. After 3 ½ years of traveling in a 350 square feet fifth wheel to see 39 states, we’ve settled down again in a home without wheels. I have to admit, we were a little sad, but this is a brand new adventure. We’ll still travel, but in a different way.

We also celebrated (a few weeks early) our 50^th wedding anniversary. Wow, has that much time already gone by. They say time flies when you’re having fun. I guess whoever said that was right. Our kids surprised us with a party and a cruise. Karl and I are super excited. We’ve only been on one, and it was very brief, but we had a blast. This time we’re headed for the Mayan ruins! This has been on our bucket list for a while.

Then we headed to Port Aransas with our son and grandson for 5 days. Our grandson is 9 and we had a great time teaching him how to fish. We walked on the beach and collected shells and a whole lot of new memories. Speaking of which, our son did a collage of pictures and had them put on one sheet in a beautiful frame.

But then they flew back to Michigan. The house is quiet once again. Now it’s me and Karl. I have an office again and plan on having a lot of new releases. If you haven’t had a chance to grab my newest, Bless Your Heart, is the start of a brand new series and just released this month. It has a sexy, small town flavor. I hope you enjoy my, It’s A Southern Thang series (intentionally misspelled, pronounced with a Texas drawl).

Our new Monthly Giveaway starts August 4, and it's Winner's Choice with great options for prizes. Take a look at it.

Best Wishes,

             Karen Kelley
             www.authorkarenkelley.com

                                                                   Purchase now or read
                                                                      for free in KU

Fresh Prints of Romance by @BonnieEdwards #RomanceGems

 I wrote this post in early January before we left for our Winter Break in sunny Portugal, so it might seem a little...um...dated. But so be it, there’s only so much brain power to go around when you’re juggling packing, planning, arranging housesitting, and more for two months away. But here we are and I STILL want to share this post because of the pretties...

One day early in December,  my daughter suggested that I could sell some copies of print books at the reception desk of the clinic she owns. "Christmas movies from Hallmark are all the rage with my clients. I thought they might also enjoy your Christmas books."

YAY! Yippee! I thought. "I'll get right on that," I said.

I'm a little late receiving these, but here they are, my three Christmas stories: Not-So-Blue Christmas, Invitation to Christmas, and One Crazy Christmas. All in print and so pretty! As much as I love reading on my Kindle, there is still something wonderful about seeing my work on the printed page.

See the series on Amazon exclusively.

It may be too late to sell any of these in the real world, but I'll have them ready for next Christmas's shopping season. In the meantime, I'll bask in the glow of knowing my daughter wants to help and support me in this crazy endeavour called writing.

This year, I'm hoping to get a lot more followers on BookBub, a site for readers and writers to share their love of books. I'm one quarter and a bit of the way to my target of 1000 readers following me there. So if you’ve never poked around Bookbub here’s a chance to follow me and see what it’s about.

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/bonnie-edwards

And here’s where I remind you that time is running out on our fabulous  Comment & Win and Rafflecopter for the month of February.

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.

The Romance Gems also have a Grand Opening Rafflecopter! Be sure and enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win a Kindle Fire and Ebook Gift Bundles.

An Unexpected Heroine by @BonnieEdwards #RomanceGems

Last year, I asked aloud on Facebook what people would think of a heroine who had lots of children from different fathers.  It was an interesting mix of reactions. Let's face it, romance heroines are expected to be smart, courageous, larger-than-life, sympathetic and, in a way, represent a person the reader would like to be.

But women can find themselves in love more than once. Mistakes happen, especially in our youth. Babies are born, and not all men are keepers.

One comment came something like this: I'm not sure if she'd make a great heroine, but I'd love to see how you handle it, Bonnie.

I often have a theme in my books: Don't judge until you've walked in her shoes.

And this is that book. Elle Foster is the sister of the hero from Finding Mercy and comes with baggage...a whole carload.

FREE TODAY ONLY!

Loving Logan is the second book in my current series Return to Welcome.

Elle Foster is a woman struggling to support four children while juggling an ex-husband's demands, newly-interested grandparents, the memory of a dead ex and the nasty gossip and rumors that abound in the seemingly idyllic town of Welcome, WA.

Amazon Exclusive

Into this mix strides Logan Hughes, a man who wants nothing more than children of his own. Adopted, Logan needs to see his eyes looking back at him, wants to recognize himself in a child.

Is that so much to ask?

It is if the woman you love has vowed to NEVER get pregnant again.

Loving Logan, Return to Welcome Book 2 is FREE Feb 5 - ONLY


Loving Logan is a standalone romance with depth, that "captivates and entertains" with a heroine not usually seen in romance.

To follow Bonnie Edwards on BookBub.

Or to sign up for her newsletter:  Bonnie's Newsy Bits

Craving Jake, Return to Welcome Book 3: The story of Brianna Bowler and Jake Morrow is currently being revised while I'm in sunny, relaxing Portugal catching some sunshine and warm weather. My newsletter is the place to be for updates and samples from this work-in-progress.

I'd love it if you shared this post on Facebook or Twitter or G+ by clicking the little buttons. You'll be helping your friends find my lovely free book and isn't that a random act of kindness?


Remember Comment & Win and Rafflecopter 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.