June Brides by @JoanReeves #RomanceGems

June has historically been the month for weddings.

Here at Romance Gems we specialize in love, romance, weddings, etc. so we decided to make June Brides our theme for this month.

Giveaway Alert: details at the end of this  post.

I think the June trend for weddings began because that's the month when the  weather is really nice in most parts of North America.

June is when college is out so all the engaged couples were free to marry and honeymoon without the agony of college classes hanging over their heads. Then there's the weather issue too. In recent years, beach weddings have grown in popularity.

June Updates for Romance Gems

The Author Spotlight happens to be shining on me this month. Drop by and learn more about me, my books, and my life. I'll try not to bore you.

The Bookstore is always open. Click on an Author's name below her colorful "business card" to be whisked away to where all of her books are displayed.

As time permits, we'll bring back our Movie Theater page, Audio Books page, and others, all of which are being remodeled. Like transforming a kitchen, transforming a website page takes time.

Enjoy the posts this month which are keyed around June Brides.

Visit the Last Chance Beach Webpage.

Last summer, many of our authors contributed to a bestselling box set entitled, Last Chance Beach: Summer's End. All of the short stories were set on a fictional island I created and named Last Chance Beach. I called it the "Island Paradise where Dreams go to Live again."

We tried a couple of times to put together another box set, but there weren't enough authors who had the time/interest in doing it again. We all lead such busy lives that it's hard to block out time to work so intensively on one project.

However, the limited release box set had 55 reviews, all 4 and 5 stars. I was struck by how many reviews mentioned the setting as something they really loved. I had really loved it and the Legend of Last Chance Beach which I wrote.

(Get a free copy of Legend of Last Chance Beach that relates the legend and gives a short blurb of each of the books coming out in the next few months.)

With that thought in mind, I came up with the idea of using the setting for single title releases of full-length novels. It was total serendipity when my pal Nancy Fraser emailed me and asked about using Last Chance Beach as a setting. (Great minds think alike, right?)

She and I talked about that, and we worked together to create a structure for a series of full-length romance novels to be published under the banner of Last Chance Beach Romance. These books will have Contemporary Romance as the foundation with sub-genres of Romantic Comedy or Romantic Suspense.

All of the books will be united by the setting of Last Chance Beach. Readers will get to know the islanders and the businesses who pop up in many of the books.

Some Last Chance Beach Romance novels may be Sweet. Some Spicy. Some Sizzling—but NOT erotica. This way there's a heat level to appeal to most readers. Each author will publish her own book and distribute it as she wishes.

Deceptively Yours

The first full-length Last Chance Beach Romance, a Sizzling Hot Romantic Suspense, is a story of lost love, second chances, and the quest for redemption.

Tatiana was 12 when her mother died, leaving her alone in the world. Her cousin took her in. What seemed like an act of kindness was a scheme to use her artistic talent to cheat wealthy men who were least likely to display art they thought had been obtained illegally.

For six years, her life offered nothing but fear and danger—then she met a young man who gave her love, passion, and hope for a future together.

In an act of breathtaking courage, she defied her cousin. He responded with a vicious assault. A chance meeting with an elderly man saved her and gave her a second chance at life, but she had to leave everything behind—including the man she loved.

Ten years later, Tatiana has done everything in her power to repay her benefactor, to prove she’s worthy of the care and fatherly love he’s given her, and to become a better person. She’s never forgotten Declan Moran who taught her the meaning of love and desire. 

Destiny hands her a second chance at love, but she resists because she's not the girl Declan fell in love with. She never was. She can’t undo the lies she told, the secrets she’s kept—and continues to keep.

Declan knows a devastating secret lies at the heart of Tatiana’s refusal to accept him. He patiently waits for her to tell him the truth about what happened ten years ago, but his patience ends when he suspects she’s in danger. Will what he learns kill his love for Tatiana? Will she find the courage to reveal her secrets before it’s too late? Will she ever accept the love finds in his arms?

Deceptively Yours, a passionate Romantic Suspense about a woman and a man who are destined to be together, is New Release priced at 99¢.

Giveaway: Deceptively Yours

Prize: 1 Kindle copy of  Deceptively Yours.

1. Answer this question in Comments: At which beach would you like to vacation for a week or more?

2. Leave your email addy written out, not as a hot link.

3. Winner chosen by Random Draw on June 6.

4. Winner notified by email. 

Looking forward to reading where you'd like to vacation. The summer promises to be wonderful.

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Surprise! #FREE Book by @BonnieEdwards

Throughout the month, we have what we call Surprise Days, which mean there's no post scheduled.

This system gives the Gems some leeway when we have a special promotion going on and that's what brings me here today.

All week, my sexy, fun novella Body Work (which kicks off the trilogy, The Brantons) has been free.

Today, Friday the 30th is the last day you can get it. This Amazon exclusive is here: https://books2read.com/Body-Work

Can first love turn into a second chance romance?

Lisa Brady Delaney left Tyce Branton and the trailer park in her rear view mirror. Years later, he’s the only one who can help her fulfill an important promise. After that, it's rear view mirror time again.

Tyce hates that he wants Lisa again at first sight, but can he keep his hands off when he’s a hands-on kind of man? And when she leaves again, will she take his heart with her? Because she did that once and he can't deal with it again...

Please stay tuned to Romance Gems as we gear up for another exciting month of giveaways for September!

And Happy Reading!

Who writes dogs into their books and why. @BonnieEdwards #RomanceGems

August's theme is dogs and pets. It is an old knowledge now that dogs on covers sell books. This knowledge is from before the internet and before self-publishing became a viable choice for authors. This conclusion came from focus groups. They gravitated toward cover art with dogs. (And horses and children, too)

Dogs were not really characters then, but sometimes they'd show up as a means to get the protagonists together on the page.

Today, in my books at least, the dogs I feature have real purpose in the stories. The books wouldn't be the same if they weren't there.

They are matchmakers. They are heroes. They are sources of conflict and resolution. They are sounding boards. They are tools used in a romantic suspense. They have opinions they seemingly express with gas emissions, smiles, nudges, and effective glares.

Also, the dogs in my books mean something to me, personally. I bring some back to life to live again between the pages. (I sniffle when I write them.) Some are still alive and part of my life today. One passed away while I wrote a trilogy of books with her having a starring role.

Amazon Exclusive

Which brings me to Love at Christmas, A Collection. These three stories span the Canadian/US border and Bella features in each one. She was a sweet poodle-cross who chose the hero for her owner. Bella brings more people together in the following two books.

Love at Christmas is always a bargain at half the cost of separate purchases of the trilogy.

And it's August already...Christmas is around the corner. (say 4 little boys I know)

In Love in a Pawnshop, I introduce an opinionated pit bull, named Razor. But one book wasn't enough for my Beau (more about him on the 15th) and he's been a big part of my Return to Welcome series starting with Finding Mercy.

He appears briefly again Loving Logan but in Craving Jake he rises to hero status when he saves lives and warns of danger. Craving Jake will be released in early September. When I return from a much-needed holiday, I'll be sharing links for a pre-order to my newsletter subscribers. You can sign on here:  Bonnie's Newsy Bits

I'm excited this month to kick off our Monthly Giveaway here:  a Rafflecopter giveaway For contest rules and a list of prizes check out our Monthly Giveaway Page.

Only 99 cents? Oh my! by Karen Kelley

I currently have Temperature's Rising on sale for 99 cents. How fantastic is that? This is a full-length, standalone, romantic comedy. Here's a little bit of Temperature's Rising:

 

Arresting the police chief's daughter was Conor's first mistake...

     

      Conor Richmond thought the woman in front of him looked a little desperate, and sexy as hell. He wondered why she worked the streets. He figured her more for a high-priced call girl than a street hooker.

    
     New in town, maybe? Like him?


     Except she wanted to start a business. And the way she looked, it wouldn’t take her long to have a whole string of Johns begging for her favors and willing to shell out more than a couple of hundred dollars. If she cleaned up a little, that is, and bought some decent clothes. Her hose were ripped so bad she’d do better without them, and her skirt looked like she’d dug it out of the Salvation Army trash bin.


     A niggle of pity washed over him. What had driven her to this way of life? Drugs? Her eyes were a little red-rimmed. She could be a user, although he didn’t see any track marks running up her arms.


     But underneath the smudge of dirt on her face and the worn clothes, he saw a sensuous woman, and he had a hell of a time keeping his gaze from straying. The amount of cleavage showing beckoned him to bury his face in her lush curves.


     The view only got better. Her long, silky legs drew his attention even if her hose were shredded. They were the kind of legs made to wrap around a man. Pulling him deeper and deeper inside her hot body. Yeah, she was made for sex. The kind that got down and dirty.


     A carload of boys driving by whistled and honked their horn. She looked momentarily distracted, then tossed a saucy grin in their direction as they laughed and sped down the street.


     The smile transformed her face. Meant to pull an unsuspecting male into her web. Conor wasn’t immune to her charms any more than the next poor sucker would be. But he wasn’t her next customer, either. Sometimes he hated his job.


     “Don’t you think two hundred’s a little steep?” he asked.


     She wet her lips, her gaze returning to his. A temptress. Conor inwardly groaned.


     “Not for what you’ll get.”

     The way she said the words, kind of husky, made him wish just for a few hours he could pretend he wasn’t a cop. Made him wish he hadn’t seen her standing on the sidewalk. And made him wish that for a moment he hadn’t thought she looked out of place and vulnerable. Man, had he misjudged. She was a pro, all right. Her sultry eyes promised sinful delights.


     His gaze was drawn to her low-cut blouse again when her hand moved toward the buttons...just as the gesture was meant to do. His vision clouded as he remembered the way she’d walked down the sidewalk. Hell, how could he forget! Hips swaying seductively, and the way she’d slowly turned back around so he could see what he’d be giving up if she chose to keep going. He’d burned all the way down to his boots. No, she knew exactly what she did to him.


     “And what will I get for my money?” he asked, wanting her to spell it out.


     Her eyes widened innocently. “Why, everything, of course.”


     Sliding his hand into his pocket, he emerged with a roll of crisp, green bills. Thumbing them, he drew two out and handed them to her. She took the money, looking a little confused, he thought, but decided it was part of her act. He pocketed the rest.


     “A down payment?” she asked, staring at the bills.

     Figured. She knew she had him by the balls. Why not twist a little harder? Get as much of his cash as she could.


     “Is that okay?” He stepped forward. So near, her scent washed over him, bathing him with erotic fantasies. She might look like she’d been sleeping in the streets, but she smelled oh-so-sweet. She raised her head. Her lips so close. So kissable. He ached to pull her into his arms and see if her mouth was as hot as it looked.


     “I...suppose.”


     Too bad.


     In one swift motion, he reached behind him, drew the handcuffs from the leather case hooked to his belt, and snapped them shut over her wrists.


     A shame he couldn’t have met her in another place. He had a gut feeling they would’ve been good together.


     “Lady, you’re under arrest for solicitation."

 

     I hope you enjoy Temperature's Rising! And don't forget about our monthly give away. We have some terrific prizes this month.

 

Best Wishes,

Karen Kelley
www.authorkarenkelley.com

Don't forget the June giveaway! To enter , visit our Monthly Giveaway Page. Or click the direct link here: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/21df08a224/

Click to Purchase Now for 99 cents