Why Read Romance? by @karilemor #RomanceGems

My day to blog on Romance Gems is the 18^th of each month. The reason I chose that is because it’s the date of my birthday. Precisely, June 18. Which is TODAY!  I knew I wouldn’t forget it.

As we get another year older, we often reflect on our life and what we’ve done. Today, I’m taking a peek at my relationship with romance.  Or maybe I should say romance novels. 

As a young child, I loved reading Trixie Belden books. Looking back, I realized that was the beginning of my fascination with relationships and romance. I wanted Trixie and Jim to be together in all the scenes. And when I read Nancy Drew, I loved when Ned showed up. Same with the Hardy Boys. I always wanted Callie and Iola to be around, so I could see the interaction between these couples.

Now my mom was a Harlequin fanatic. Every month, on release day, she would go down the street to the department store and take one of every new release Harlequin had. My mom was a voracious reader (thus passing that gene on to me) and would have two piles next to her chair. To Be Read. And Done. I got to pick through the done pile.

At this time, these romance books were all sweet or closed-door sex. Which was good, since I was only twelve.  They also only had the heroine’s point of view. We’d only see what the hero was thinking on the last few pages, when he started his soliloquy as to why he’d been so surly to the heroine all along. I was thrilled when the heroes started getting their point of view added to romance as well.

As the years went by, romances changed, and some grew sexier, some had danger added, and some told stories of paranormal creatures and beings. But through it all, the heart of a romance is about the couple in love.

It's sad that people often put romance down as being smutty, dirty, silly, or just plain not as worthy of people to read. And while there may be some romance books that could fit in those categories, most romances are all about love.

As author Damon Suede says, “Romance is the genre of hope.” And isn’t that a great reason to read it? This world has so many horrible things that go on every day. So many people who do nothing but hate, or people who are brutalized and hurt. With all that surrounding us, why wouldn’t we want to pick up a book that lets us escape from the real world for a bit? A book that shows two characters, conflicted for some reason so they can’t be together, who push past all the hurt and anger, and find a way to love each other. To show us that if we want it bad enough, and work for it, we can have something good in our lives. Hope.

All romances have one thing in common. A Happily Ever After.  That’s my favorite part. Even though all may seem lost, and you think your couple couldn’t possibly find a way to be together, they do! And the best writers have you absolutely certain this couple will be together, forever.

Maybe the world would be a much better, more accepting place, if more people read romance!

~~~

In celebration of my birthday, I’m giving YOU a present! That’s right. My birthday, but you get the gift. I am giving away five (5) digital copies of my book, RUNNING TARGET, and five (5) digital copies of Fatal Evidence. The contest is open to everyone.

What do you need to do? Simple.

Send an e-mail to: karilemorauthor@gmail.com  stating you’d like one of my books. If you already have one of these and would prefer the other, make sure you let me know. 

Please use the email address you’d like me to respond to if you win.

That’s it! Just send me an e-mail.

I will pick (10) random winners one week from today, Tuesday, June 25. Winners will be notified by e-mail and receive a code for downloading the book.

**If you’d like to sign up for my mailing list or follow me on social media, here’s where you can:

(FYI - signing up for my mailing list gives you links to some freebies from me)

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Don't forget our  MONTHLY GIVEAWAY

June Giveaway

Starts at 12:01am CDT, June 3, Monday.  Ends at 12:01am CDT, June 27, Thursday.

Check out details and prizes here:  June Giveaway

Changing fast by Liz Flaherty #RomanceGems

I'm posting this because I wrote it in 2012 and when I looked at it to see what it was, I couldn't believe I'd felt the same way for so long. I was bewildered by how fast everything was changing--I still am. More importantly, though, I think, is that I'm still here.

"Everything is changing fast. We call it progress, but I just don't know." - from "Grandpa" by the Judds

          Sometimes I miss the “good old days.” (Quotes are necessary because, you know, they weren’t really all that good.) When I first started writing—well, for a long time after I started, as a matter of fact—I wrote in longhand on yellow lined paper then typed what I’d written, editing as I went. My final draft, the one I mailed to the publisher with my fingers crossed in the hope and prayer that this would be the time, was nowhere near as clean as my nearly-there drafts are now.

I spent much more money on return postage than I could afford. I subscribed to Romantic Times and very nearly haunted the mailbox waiting for the monthly issue to arrive. I went to one writers’ conference a year when I could afford it, none when I couldn’t. I bought books. Oh, Lord, did I buy books. There was a Waldenbooks in the mall near where I worked. I had a long lunch break—need I say more?

I communicated with other writers only at the monthly meeting of the RWA chapter writer Jenni Licata spearheaded. In time, as the chapter meetings moved to the city that was convenient for more of the membership but prohibitive for me, I counted on the RWR and Romantic Times to keep me up on what went on in the world of romantic fiction.

I was a wife who worked a fulltime job and had a houseful of teenagers, but—y’know what?—I wrote all the time. Thirty-page weekends were the norm, with a couple of 50-pagers thrown in for excitement.

But when I had an agent, she did the legwork, the business part of the business that I disliked and didn’t know how to do well. And when I got published, the publisher did most of the promotion. I worked hard at what I did well, and loved every pad of yellow-lined paper and every keystroke of it.

All these many years later, I can barely sign my name in longhand. My kids are grown, I’m retired from my day job, and I submit all my work electronically. I like that part of the way things are. I like it a lot.

Contact with other writers is easy and nearly constant. I can almost always find someone to talk to. Of course, it’s almost all on-line, but it’s contact and I treasure it. I like that, too. A lot.

But 50- and even 30-page weekends are a thing of the past. Partly because, honesty compels me to admit, age has taken its toll on my creativity. But partly because I do my own legwork and promotion. And, just as other authors help me by having me to visit their websites and saying “hey, look at this cover—give her a read” when I have a book out, I host others and leave glowing (and well-deserved) reviews on Goodreads and Amazon. It takes a lot of time. I don’t very often just write—there’s usually a screen open where I’m typing a blog post for here or my own blog or someone else’s.

I feel guilty because I can’t keep up with the sheer number of new authors who enter the field thanks to self-publishing and the small publishers who open (and close) doors nearly every day. This does not mean these authors aren’t everything that is good and professional; it means I can’t keep up and I can’t find things that hold my interest. Seldom does a book keep me up till 2:00 AM reading or have me weeping heartbroken or laughing so hard I snort and look around to see if anyone hears me. Even though I load my Kindle with as many free and 99¢-$2.99 books as anyone else does, the truth is I don’t finish all that many of those books. Those authors deserve better from their readers, but I don’t have it to give.

I don’t have any answers, I guess, only questions. I’m glad and grateful for the changes I’ve seen. For computers and social media. For electronic readers and iPads. For all the authors I know online so that the solitude of writing isn’t so solitary as it used to be.

But sometimes, when I’m doing promotion or looking for something to read that engages my whole heart or trying to justify the expense of a writers’ conference when I don’t really need to go for contact with other writers…sometimes, I miss the good old days. Without the quotes this time, because some parts of them—yeah, they really were that good.

***

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Am I a genius? @ConstanceBretes #RomanceGems

They say a messy office is a sign of a genius. I don’t know if that is the case or not, but it seems like I like living (and writing) in the midst of chaos. The desk is this picture looks a lot like my desk when I was working full time, and writing full time. It seems like I love to spend time searching through piles and piles of paperwork looking for one little sticky note. Gosh darn it, I know it’s in here somewhere!  😨

Right now, my office is in decent shape. But that will soon disappear. I have various projects I’m working on. The basket to the right of my monitor is where my cat, Sunny, sleeps when I’m writing. My drawer is open because, my cat, Tigger, opens it and climbs in it to sleep.

Sunny

My office

Tigger

Currently I’m working on my new release, coming out this month, called Midnight Escape.  Release date is June 24, 2019.

On the run from the mob, Suzanne discovers that hunky Jax is just the man she needs.

Suzanne Pacheco is on the run from the mob after witnessing a murder and helping to put the killer in prison. Her trip across the country brings her to a small town in Alaska. But once again the mob’s hitman has tracked her down. She’s disheartened at the thought of leaving the town she’s developed a real fondness for, but there’s nothing else she can do. Until she finds help in the unlikeliest of places and embarks on an adventure like never before.

Commercial fisherman Jax Devereaux has his hands full fishing for crabs in the formidable Bering Sea, but when Suzanne needs his help, he adds yet another thing to his list of responsibilities. He takes her with him to the one place he thinks she might be safe—the middle of the sea. But there’s danger everywhere. Can he keep Suzanne safe, and will he lose his heart in the process?

I’m also working on a Common Elements Romance Project due out in October, 2019. A group of us authors are writing romance books that contains 5 common elements. Those common elements are:

-->a lightning storm

-->lost keys

-->a haunted house (really haunted or rumored to be)

-->a stack of thick books

-->a person named Max (which can be short for something)

My story, is The Haunted Love Affair, a contemporary romance with a bit of paranormal activity in it. A young woman becomes a housekeeper for the owner of a haunted house and falls in love with him.

I’m working on a military romance, Operation Code Name: Desert Love. The story of a Delta Force hero rescuing his love from insurgents in war torn Afghanistan. 

How about this hunk for the hero? Swoon worthy and makes the heart pitter-patter, huh?

I recently submitted to my publisher, a story, Love, a Second Time Around and am waiting back to see if they accept the book. A contemporary romance about a hero who was sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit and the woman he loves.

I have a series I’ve started, Roadside Love, Roadside Passion, and Roadside Desire centered around the love life of three members of the Mansfield family.

I have a story called Moonlight Path, a young woman recently returning home and reconnecting with friends and her former love along with an unwanted secret love leaving her a white rose everyday on her front steps.

I’ve taken a respite for the past few months from writing, promoting, and only concentrating on editing projects to be released in the next few months due to my husband’s knee surgery and taking care of him. I’m very sure that once my schedule gets back on track, my desk will look like the first picture above, and I’ll be looking for slips of paper, folders, notebooks, and everything else I need to accomplish my goals.

Be sure to check out this month’s giveaway. Weddings is the theme. I have one of my books in the rafflecopter, Book of Love.

A librarian, a mechanic, and a psychotic ex. What could go wrong?

When her marriage came to a devastating end, Janice Meyers moved to Montana to try to escape her past and get a fresh start. She's sworn off men, but she didn't anticipate meeting Chris.

After the death of his wife, Chris Jamisen focused all his time and energy on running his auto repair shop and raising his children. He's not looking for love, and when he first meets Janice, the town's new librarian, he never imagines they might embark on a relationship. Sure, he'll admit he finds the smart, sexy blonde attractive, but the frustrating woman expects miracles from him. Her vehicle is practically beyond repair, but she insists he has to keep it running.

As Chris gets to know Janice, he begins to develop feelings for her, but he's reluctant to pursue a relationship. He's Native American, and he worries about the complications of a biracial relationship. He's experienced prejudice first hand, so he knows how difficult it can be.

When Janice's ex-husband shows up seeking revenge, things could reach a horrible end. Will Chris save Janice in time? And will he and Janice be able to set aside their painful pasts and give their relationship a chance?

You are cordially invited

Enter now for your chance to win 1 of 10 books guaranteed to have a wedding in it.

Bluegrass Homecoming Series on #KindleUnlimited by Jan Scarbrough

Sometimes books take many paths to publication.

I wrote the novel Secrets a few years ago, choosing to explore a romance about a woman caught between the past and her desire to create a new life for herself. I wanted to submit the manuscript to a traditional publisher, but was advised at the time by another author that this publisher did not like forty-year-old heroines. Huh? So, I wrote the book anyway, and I titled it A Father at Last. A small press published it. Well, I do read my reviews, and when one reader said the title gave too much away, I changed it to Secrets.

Flash forward. The small press went out of business. I got my rights back. However, I wasn’t ready to release Secrets. I’ve learned books do better in a series. So, I decided to make Secrets part of a series called BluegrassHomecoming to explore my favorite theme of second chances.

But Secrets, the original, takes place in Indiana. I changed its setting to Kentucky. Then I figured I needed a lead-in story. I wrote the love story of baby boomers Howie and Grace. Ta-da! The Prequel was born. Their granddaughter Colleen takes center stage in the third book, Nom de Plume.

And you know what is so ironic? Since the time several ago when I wanted to write about a forty-something heroine, seasoned romance has come into wider acceptance.

What about you? Will you read a romance about an older heroine?

The three-book BluegrassHomecoming is now on Kindle Unlimited. Check them out!

Don't forget to enter our June Giveaway.

To enter our June Giveaway, visit our Monthly Giveaway Page. 

Or click the direct link here: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/21df08a224/

The Library is a Hot Spot

Hello Again, 

As a ten-year old I fell in love with our small town library. Mom worked full-time. During the summer months I’d hop on my bike and make the four-mile round trip to check out books. When I went to middle school I had a new library at my disposal. The elementary and high school where I attended had a large and spacious library with huge windows, and in the back, a small reference room. I was in heaven. Books galore. I was able to go during any study hall or free time. I had my favorites, and I often frequented the sci-fi section, but I loved all books. I spent hours within those walls, soaking up every story I could. 

After graduation I moved to a new town, and of course, like many small towns, there was a library. I got a card, and would occasionally go, but after having my first daughter there never seemed to be enough hours in the day. The building stood near the post office, day after day, beckoning me. It was during these years I tried my hand at writing children’s books. Benjamin Bunny was my hero, and after the first harsh rejection I retreated from writing. I guess my skin was thinner back then. 

My girls always had plenty of books to read, and at some point, during their younger years we traded the library for the bookstore. We spent hours relaxing in cushy chairs reading, or perusing the next book in the series that we were obsessed with at the time. 

Now that I am an author I’ve found my way back to the library. My chapter of Romance Writers of America meets in a beautiful, active, facility. Once a month I make the hour drive to meet with other like minds who have an affinity for the written word. But I haven’t forgotten about my local library. With each new release I happily donate a copy. I think it is some small way that I can give back for all that the library has given me.

  If you haven’t stopped into your local library recently, what are you waiting for? The shelves are tall, filled with stories waiting to be read. Most libraries are part of a consortium and you can borrow a paper bound book or e-book from extensive catalogs. Are you looking for the next season of your favorite television show? The library just might have it. They also hold family movie nights, instructional presentations, take an art classor maybe you’d love to join a knitting group. Your local hot spot has books and so much more. 

Stop in today and check out what your local library has to offer. You’ll be happy you did.

Until next time, 

I wish you happiness. 

Lucinda

See the Giveaway Tab above for details

"All Great Writers Begin with a Good Leather Binder and a Respectable Title" by Connie Vines

 I’m opening my blog post with a quote from the Hollywood cinema.

"All great writers begin with a good leather binder and a respectable title," Johnny Depp (speaking as J.M. Berrie) said to Peter in the film "Finding Neverland".

When I teach workshops, or am a guest speaker at local literary events, I am asked, "Have you ever met a real-life character?

I often 'freelance' when I am working on a novel for better insight into a character, to learn a particular skill or obtain inside knowledge (slang, general impressions, etc.) that only someone living that life-style would know.  Sometimes all it takes is a conversation with the owner of a small-town Nebraska cafe.  I praised her Cheese, Corn, and Beer Chowder, and I’m ushered into her kitchen where a family recipe is divulged, or local gossip is shared.

 Facilitating a workshop for Native American students, the skills and secrets of working as a stunt person movies and action shows are divulged.  (I also was able to land my first ‘knock-out punch!) While on fund-raising committee, I was seated beside a woman who completed a humanitarian visit to Romania.  It was wonderful to learn of the great strides in recovery the country has made (Dr. Kathleen Kinley was my inspiration for Sister Kathleen in “Tanayia—Whisper upon the Water”.

Living in SoCal, and due to the nature of my work, I encounter actors, writers, public speakers, and others involved in the entertainment industry.  However, the person who was 'bigger than life' was not someone involved in the entertainment industry.  This person is someone who provided inspiration for the Lynx Maddox, the hero in the first book of my Rodeo Romance Series, titled “Lynx”.

I wasn’t attending a rodeo, when I met my inspiration for my rodeo bull-riding cowboy.

Trained by the “House of Versailles” at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, CA, I was employed as an 'appointment only' fragrance consultant at perfumery.  I was setting up for my next consultation: Ph wand, atomizers, testers arranged by fragrance families, fresh cotton balls, soothing instrumental music.

Enter: one cowboy.

From outward appearances he was of average height, a bit on the lean side and well-toned, dark-haired, green-eyed, early-to-mid thirties; just an average man.  However, there was an unmistakable 'aura' of energy when he entered the room.  His drawl resonated; his expressions were intense (but not threatening): a lifted eyebrow, a smile pulling teasing the corner of his mouth.  After a couple of minutes, I discovered he wasn't average at all--I'm not talking about wealth, personal fashion sense, or anything tangible--he just claimed all your attention my simply occupying space.  I found this completely amazing. I have since dubbed this the ‘charisma gene’—actors, politicians, musicians, and those in the healing professions, often have this charisma. 

The walls of the shop displayed hand-blown art-glass, atomizers, vases, and antique art deco pieces.  Crystal reflecting in the mirrored walls, catching the rainbow of colors of the art-glass.
This was a world a cowboy didn’t frequent.  A world a cowboy would avoid. 

Yet, this cowboy smiled, selected a delicate purse atomizer, a bottle of Eau de parfum Chanel No. 5 and a custom gift wrap.

Confident. Certain. A personality like force of nature.

This is my real-life character who inspired Lynx Maddox.

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June Raffelcopter Contest and Giveaways


Connie Vines

Writing Life With Pets by Laura Hunsaker

If you follow me on Twitter @laurahunsaker then you know I have a couple of pets. And I love seeing everyone else's pets. I hope you know that if I've ever seen your pet, I love him and he's my favorite. I have two dogs, a cat and some tortoises. While the tortoises are pretty low key pets, the furry one are not. Sticking with just the furry ones, I have dogs named Lily and Conan. My daughter has a cat named Buzz Lightyear.

When I'm at my desk, usually one, if not all three animals are with me. I really wish I could tell you it was usually something like this.

But as anyone who has a cat and has tried to use a computer will tell you, quite often, the cats take over the keyboard and if you get lucky, it's just like this.

Or this. No, no, Buzz, it's okay really. I don't actually need to type or anything.

I can't forget the dogs!
Lily makes sure I pencil in some scritches

And Conan, well, I don't have any pictures of him sitting on me because he's so darn big I can't take a selfie of it! So please enjoy him sitting in my chair enjoying the cozy fire. But notice! No paws on the furniture! ;)

Do you have pets? What do you have?

Don't forget to enter the June giveaway!

To enter our June Giveaway, visit our Monthly Giveaway Page 

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Dark Past is out now!

The small town was supposed to be safe... 

Kate Landry is tired of running. Thinking she's safe, she settles in the small logging town of Chester, California to manage a cafe. She may be keeping a low profile, but she's hoping to return to a normal life. 
When FBI agent Kyle Donovan visits to Chester to stay with a friend, and to recover from his latest case, he never expects to meet sexy barista Kate. 

But someone is following Kate... 

Kyle worries he brought trouble to her door, while Kate worries her dark past is coming after her. 
With danger lurking around every corner, her safe haven isn't as safe as she'd thought. Kate will finally have to trust someone enough to tell him her secrets. Secrets that may just get them killed...


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