Wearin' the Green @kathleenlawless #romancegems

       

My family originally hailed from Ireland in the 1880’s.  They landed on the east coast of Canada and eventually migrated as far west as they could go.  I guess the ocean was in their blood, as it is in mine.  Dad is turning ninety this year, and years ago started a tradition of buying me a card each year to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.  As you can see, I have amassed quite a collection, which I proudly display each year.  I get a little emotional when I think, one year, there will no longer be a card in the mail from him.

Dad was always a big fan of my writing and Callie’s Honor is his favorite of my stories.  He doesn’t really know what Bookbub is, but he was excited to hear they will be featuring his favorite book on sale for .99 the day before St. Patrick’s Day.  Sounds like a good omen, wouldn’t you say?  Here’s an excerpt.

Rafe angled Callie's chair around till they faced each other
and he had one knee on either side of her. "You don't
trust me, Callie. Now just why exactly is that?"

Callie averted her gaze.

   His free hand snaked between them. Thumb and

fore- finger pinched her chin, turning her face back around to
his. "I expect an honest answer now."

Eyes steely, chin thrust forward, Callie met his gaze.

Her skin burned every place Rafe held her; "I don't trust
any man."

She expected him to release her like a hot rock.

Instead, he took his time about it. Slowly his fingers
uncurled from around her wrist. Slower yet the fingers
imprisoning her face gentled, till their touch bordered on
a caress. "Why's that?"

     Feeling her hands tremble slightly, she knotted them
in her lap, away from his gaze. "Never met a man yet who
gave me any reason to trust him. Including my pa and my
older brother."

     "I see." Rafe sat back in his chair and crossed his arms
over his chest. "In that case, apology accepted." He
extended his right hand toward her, leaving Callie little
choice but to slide her hand inside his. She was conscious
of the warmth of his skin, the callused, leathery feel of his
palm and fingertips. The sensations chased clear up her
arm in the most unsettling of ways.

He didn't let her go right away. Instead, he raised her
hand to his lips and pressed a kiss on the spot where he'd
removed the sliver. Then he did something that caught
Callie totally off guard. He guided her wounded thumb
slowly to outline the contour of his lips, bottom and top.   

 Callie felt as if melted wax spilled through her limbs in
a heated rush. Opening his lips, he pulled

her thumb just inside the hot moist cavity of his mouth and

gave a slow gentle suck that she felt clear down to her toes.

"Since you don't trust me, anyway," Rafe said, his
breath touching her forehead like steam rising from hot
water. "I guess it won't make much difference if I kiss
you."

"Don't." The word barely escaped from the tightened
muscles of her throat.

With one finger beneath her chin he tilted her face up
toward his. "Any woman smells this good, she needs kissing
if only as a thank you from the lucky man close
enough to notice. "

Callie trembled clear down inside her boots as he lowered
his head to hers.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JIJ3EPM

In the meantime, I am working hard on a new American Historical Romance series, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.  Hot off the press is the prequel, Before The Brides, free when you sign up for my reader list to receive alerts about fan pricing, new releases, and free promos.  http://eepurl.com/bV0sb1

If you’re already on my list, don’t worry, you will receive an alert telling you how to download your very own copy.

In the meantime, don’t forget to enter our Luck O the Irish draw for your chance at some really great prizes.  Have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day, and may your beer be as green as the money in your pocket.    

https://romancegems.blogspot.com/2019/03/luck-o-irish-march-giveaway-by.htm

Introducing Cheryl Bolen by @JoanReeves #RomanceGems

Normally, Karyn Gerrard blogs on the 14th. However, Karyn had pressing commitments and could not be with us today.

I told Karyn I'd take the opportunity to introduce Cheryl Bolen, a bestselling author and one of my friends in real life.

Cheryl and I go back a long way to the time before either of us was published.

I remember when she made her first sale. I took a bouquet of stargazer lilies to her at our RWA Chapter meeting the night she announced it.

I won't tell you how long ago that was. Suffice it to say all of our kids are grown, and we've traveled many a mile on the road to success.

About Cheryl Bolen

Since being named Notable New Author for 1998, Cheryl has published 39 books with Kensington/Zebra, Harlequin, Love Inspired Historical, Montlake, and independently. She has broken into the top 5 on the New York Times and hit the USA Today bestseller lists.

Her 2005 romance One Golden Ring won Best Historical, Holt Medallion, and her 2011 novel My Lord Wicked was awarded Best Historical, International Digital Awards, the same year her Christmas novella was chosen as Best Novella.

Her books have been finalists for other awards, including the Daphne du Maurier, and have been translated into nine languages. Cheryl also has consistently been the number 1 bestselling historical romance author in Germany.

She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and English from the University of Texas and a master's degree from the University of Houston.

Her favorite pursuits are traveling to England, watching the University of Texas Longhorns play football and basketball, and reading letters and diaries of dead English women.

Visit Cheryl Online

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Last Duke Standing by Cheryl Bolen

As the third son of the Duke of Fordham, Alex never thought he'd become a duke. But he's suddenly catapulted to the lofty title after his slightly older brother dies in his sleep.

Now Alex has the onerous task of announcing the death to the woman his brother was to wed.

Ever pragmatic, Lady Georgiana Fenton insists on seeing the late duke's body, and when she does, she's convinced he was smothered as he slept.

She and the new duke decide to secretly work together to uncover the murderer. But the longer they're together, the harder it becomes to resist the duke's scorching kisses—and even harder to dismiss him from the list of suspects. No one had more to gain by her fiancé's death.

Reviews for Last Duke Standing

"A wonderful mystery tale in the vein of Agatha Christie. Ms. Bolen does a masterful job creating suspects, then cleverly entwining their motives to keep her readers guessing whodunit. . .A lovingly crafted historical novel with a deeply satisfying mystery!" -- InD' Tale

"An exquisitely written historical romantic suspense with very appealing characters" -- Fresh Fiction

"This book really ticked all the boxes for me and it gripped me from start to finish. " -- Dragonrose Books Galore

"Cheryl Bolen spins a delightful tale of mystery, politics, and (of course) romance " -- IN PRINT

LUCK O' THE IRISH Giveaway: 3 Ways to Win

Our March Giveaway is in full swing. See all the prizes on the Monthly Giveaway page.


Comment & Win

Leave a comment on any post in March + Your Email Addy—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.

1 of the Friends Tell Friends Prizes

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 addy 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

Be a Star—Name a Character

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.

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

.

Why Every Writer Should Own a Dog By Connie Vines

Gertrude Stein claimed the water-drinking patterns of her dog, named Basket, taught her the difference between sentences and paragraphs in writing.

add a comment on the contest blog 

Steven King’s dog was banned from Pet Co.

I laughed when I read Steven King’s tweet and looked at the photo of his unrepentant dog.  Every dog owner has ‘been there’.

Dogs are wonderful companions, the perfect literary critic, and teach us about love, loss, relationships, and how to live each moment of life in joyful abandonment.

I look at my own relationship with the dogs who have touched by life.  Several AKC pedigree pets:  Jacques, my miniature black poodle, from my childhood and my constant companion.  Inca, my basenji whose yodel (they do not bark) unnerved the neighbors. Justine, my rescued greyhound, who was the ‘mommy’ assistant for my two young sons.

More recently my dogs have been lost or re-homed.  Buddy a little chiweenie (chihuahua and dachshund) who passed away at the age of 10 years. And my current ‘sweet-heart’, Chanel, a toy poodle-mix.

If you aren’t a pet owner, you may not understand the bond.  However, if you have a dog, oh the stories you can, and will, tell!

What better way to share the joy of a living with such a treasured soul than to her/he leave paw-prints on the hearts of your readers?

Jacques would steal a biscuit from the table and hide it between the couch cushions. If you left your bathwater unattended, he would jump into the tub for a swim.

Justine, sounded like a horse when she ran (hooves on packed earth), spent most of her time resting on the living room love-seat.  She wore a hat and sunglasses when we went for walks. She tattled on my child and stacked boxes of Rice-a-Roni in the living room.

Buddy was my husband’s side-kick and had a snarky-personality (but we loved him anyway).
Chanel, is a sweetie and loves to wear a sweater in the winter and play in the rain.  She’s likes to talk to her humans.  She wants a hug before bed time and kiss on the head when she wakes up.

How do you feel about pets in the stories you read?

What is your fondest memory of your pet?

What does your pet do that makes you nuts?

What is/was your favorite pet?

Happy Reading,

Connie

my website

Chanel enjoying the SoCal sun!

Me in my dog persona on Saturday morning

Book 2, Rodeo Romance Series

Book Signing! What Happens in Vegas...

I have such exciting news! I will be at the Local Author Showcase on Saturday March 23, 2019! This takes place in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada!

I'll be selling copies of Icing the Puck (where I'm writing as Kenzie MacLir) and Highland Destiny, which the library has in circulation. Nothing is cooler than seeing the library carry your books!

Here is a picture of my table from last year's amazing event.

If you're in town, or happen to live here, swing by and say hi! And keep your eyes on the blog next month for pictures from this year's Local Author Showcase!

Happy-Go-Lucky by @SatinRussell #RomanceGems

Wishing you the best of luck!

Wow, can you believe it’s March already? Does anyone else feel like they sprinted straight through the first two months of 2019?

Have you noticed that whenever this month comes around, everything starts turning green? Even things that shouldn’t typically be green, like bagels and beer!

I know that Mother Nature will eventually get in on the action and we’ll start seeing those first tender shoots of grass and fuzzy buds on trees. (Unfortunately, that’ll come later where I live because – despite what the calendar says – we got six inches of snow over the weekend.)

Of course, I realize that all this fine greenery is because March is the month to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and everything Irish. Inevitably, this time of year always gets me thinking about luck and the role it’s played in my life.

I like to separate luck into two main categories, “life luck” and “chance luck”.

I’ve never been very lucky when it comes to chance. Casinos have never been very tempting. Cards and dice don’t hold much allure. I don’t think I’ve won a scratch lottery ticket for more than a dollar or two in my entire life – and that very rarely.

However, I've lead a fairly charmed life. I’m lucky that I’m strong, with a healthy constitution and all my faculties. I’m lucky that I was born into a well-developed society to good, loving parents. I’m lucky that I’ve had access to education and opportunity. And, I’m lucky that I’ve found love and can surround myself with people that accept me and love me for who I am.

Secret Hunger (The Harper Sisters #1)

All in all, I’ll take my "life luck" over "chance luck" any day. In fact, after taking stock of all the wonderful things in my life, I guess you could say I’m happy-go-lucky!

Heck, even finding a good story can feel like a lucky break. If you're looking for your next great read, then check out my first book, Secret Hunger. Olivia has a mixed bag of luck, but I think you'll agree that she lands on the sunny side of life in the end.

How about you? Do you consider yourself fortunate? What are some of the ways luck has played a role in your life?

Speaking of luck, our March Giveaways are in full swing! 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

The Things Authors Say by Nancy Fraser #RomanceGems

As authors, we often look to other writers for inspiration. I thought I’d share some of my favorite writing-related quotes.

Writers on Writing:

I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by. - Douglas Adams

There are three rules for writing. Unfortunately, no one can agree what they are. - Somerset Maugham

The first chapter sells the book; the last chapter sells the next book. - Mickey Spillane

If the sex scene doesn't make you want to do it - whatever it is they're doing - it hasn't been written right. - Sloan Wilson

Writers on Editing:

Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it's the only way you can do anything really good. - William Faulkner

It is perfectly okay to write garbage--as long as you edit brilliantly. - C. J. Cherryh

Never throw up on an editor. - Ellen Datlow

Writing Self-Deprecation:

It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn't give it up because by that time I was too famous. - Robert Benchley

I am irritated by my own writing. I am like a violinist whose ear is true, but whose fingers refuse to reproduce precisely the sound he hears within. - Gustave Flaubert

Having been unpopular in high school is not just cause for book publication. - Fran Lebowitz

A Writer’s Obsession:

We do not write because we want to; we write because we have to. - Somerset Maugham

When writing a novel, that’s pretty much entirely what life turns into: 'House burned down. Car stolen. Cat exploded. Did 1500 easy words, so all in all it was a pretty good day.' - Neil Gaiman

A writer never has a vacation. For a writer life consists of either writing or thinking about writing. - Eugene Ionesco

Just for Fun:

He was such a bad writer, they revoked his poetic license. - Milton Berle

~ ~ ~

Contest Updates:

Congratulations to Shelley Bailey, the Week 1 winner of our month-long Comment and Win contest!

Don't forget our March Rafflecopter drawing that’s up and running for two unique opportunities to help one of our authors name a character in an upcoming book!

Until my next turn on the blog, stay happy, healthy and well read!

Nancy

Staying Focused And...Oh, Look by @ElsaKurt #RomanceGems

Yep, I'm that guy...

That woman, really. But for some reason, I developed an attachment to referring to everyone from my dogs, to myself, to inanimate objects as that guy. Kind of like everything that ever has happened in the universe occurred the other day. This may be due to laziness - I can't be bothered to recall the actual date or time said thing or event - or it's a result of my, ahem, struggle with focus.

Literally, that's me. (Okay, fine, figuratively) 

My whole life can be summed up by my childhood report cards.

 "Would do so well, if only she'd stop daydreaming..." 

"...if she'd only apply herself."

 "Inattentive, flighty, has trouble staying on task..."

I drank that Kool-Aid for years, my friends. Years. Accepted that I'm a non-finisher, flakey. Shrugged my shoulders and thought, I can't. And then I stopped. I poured a glass of Get the Hell Over It with a garnish of  They're Not The Boss Of Me, and I started making my brand of crazy work for me.



Obviously, that's the Cliff Notes version.

But you get the idea. I am frequently unfocused and I'm okay with it. Being unfocused has allowed me to raise two kids, get through two divorces (third times a charm, y'all) volunteer for every school PTA thing there was, work as a floral designer for fifteen years, get my real estate license, work in commission-based retail (for a hot minute) become a child care provider, refinish furniture, learn how to crochet, oh, and write and publish eight novels, three novellas, a writer's guide to writing, publishing, and promoting for beginners, and a handful of children's books. There's some stuff I did the other day, too, but I can't remember.



I apologize for the humblebrag.

But for the girl voted Most Likely To Be A Malibu Beach Bum (okay, maybe not a real category, but if it was...) I am damn proud of what my little monkey brain has accomplished. Thanks to that little, 'Look, a squirrel' voice, I have three book projects in the works, which I'd like to give you a quick peek into.

One...

Comes with an explanation. When I wrote books one and two of Welcome to Chance (Mae's Cafe and A Season To Remember) I self-published. At the time, it felt right. Then, on a whim, I decided to submit them to my publisher for consideration. Lo and behold, they said they wanted to put me under contract. Yippie...and damn. This meant I had to pull the books from sales distribution, right when they started to gain a tiny bit of momentum. All good, though. It's great news & I'm very happy. Re-release for Mae's Cafe will likely be in the spring, and A Season To Remember (with a new title) will be out soon after. As the edit process commences, I'm also writing Book Three (untitled as of yet).

Two...

Okay, this guy is really different. I'm not even sure what sub-genre it falls under yet! It's working title is Willa Unraveled and it's about a young woman who believes the Archangel Michael has been coming to her in her dreams. Her family thinks she's become unhinged and send her to a discrete facility in Connecticut called Havenway to 'cure' her. Things become complicated when Maxwell shows up at Havenway, and Dr. Morante - charged with unraveling the mystery of Willa - begins to question everything he thought he knew.

And Three...

Okay, now THIS is the guy you may be most interested in because YOU get to name a character in the story! The Two Tenley's is a projected fall release about two women who get caught in a life-changing case of mistaken identity when they both show up in the same doctor's office and get each other's test results. This sets off a series of events on their very separate, very different lives and sparks both adventure and soul searching for both.
Tenley Harper is the thirty-six-year-old daughter of retired pro wrestling champ, Charlie The Hurrican Harper. She's a free-spirited, modern-day hippy who refuses to commit to anyone or anything. Or can she?
Tenley (Lee) Harper is a small-town school teacher married to her college sweetheart. Her life is orderly, organized, and predictable. Until she decides to go off the rails, that is. The doctor's news has changed everything on an instant and she's ready for the adventure of a lifetime. Or is she?

Your Job...

So, here's what I need... help me name one of the wrestlers in Tenley's inner circle. He's like an uncle to her. Picture every wrestler you've ever seen - big, gruff, loud, and larger than life. Creative, funny, cliche... anything you can think of! I'll also need a name for Tenley's absent mother, who she believes died when she was born. Thanks and good luck!

On a serious note...

I make light of the challenges with ADD (as I now know it to be) because I've made it to the other side. I still get frustrated by my struggle to stay on task and the constant chatter in my brain and have to give the reminder to take a step back and just be kind to myself. I explained it this way to my husband once while in a sports bar. I said, "See how all of this TV's are playing different channels all at once around us? That's what the inside of my brain looks like." Of course, it's not sports in there, but stories and songs and movies and more (oh, my). Another upside? I'm never, ever bored.

So, if you, kind reader, find that this resonates with you, I hope you see it as the overall blessing it is. We're not flighty, we're multi-taskers. As a side note, I'm honored to say thanks to my beautiful author tribe, I understand now that I am far from an anomaly. Many (most?!) writers are scattered. It's what keeps the stories coming. I can't explain what a relief it is to know I'm not alone.



Lastly...

If you're curious about what my monkey brain has created, all of my books are HERE. And here's a peek at some more covers.

Now for the super fun stuff...

3 Ways to Win Our March Giveaways

Our March Giveaway is in full swing. See all the prizes on the Monthly Giveaway page.

Here are the 3 ways to win.

Comment & Win

Leave a comment on any post in March + Your Email Addy—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 addy 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.

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

.