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

 

 

 

DID YOU SAY WHAT YOU MEANT?

By Caroline Clemmons

Recently I was under the weather and was forced to lounge about reading for a day (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it). The books I read were written by intelligent authors who used beta readers and editors. There were still consistent errors.

Sure, this is exactly how I look,
right-o, you can trust me.

Writers are always in hurry to meet our deadline or personal goal. We often confuse words when we know the difference. Sometimes, however, we may have forgotten proper usage. The following are errors I have seen repeated in books, blog posts, and on Facebook.

Conscious and conscience -- These are not interchangeable.
His conscience bothered him because he was guilty.
She was still in a coma and not conscious.

Virile but, as far as
we know, not viral

Viral and Virile -- not the same
 He was a handsome, virile man.
 The illness was viral. The video went viral.

Then and than
We went to the movies then to have ice cream. (a sequence)
I would rather have Dr Pepper than Coca-Cola. (a comparison)

Further and farther How much farther is it to the hotel? (physical distance. Remember far is in farther)
Go any further and I’ll punch you into next week. (figurative distance)
According to some experts, confusing these is not a big deal.

Here is my Achilles heel:
Lie and lay
Lay means to place something down flat. Lay requires an object to act upon.
Lie means to be in a flat position on a surface. Lie describes something moving on its own or already in position—it’s a quiet word.

Our chickens lay brown eggs. I lay down my book to answer the door.
I need to lie down. If you need me, I’ll be lying on the couch.

Don’t be confused by the children’s prayer, “Now I lay me down to sleep.” That line says “I am laying me down” rather than “I am lying down.”

I’m sure you have similar words that are your pet peeves when used incorrectly. I hope I don’t misuse them!

I’m giving away a copy of one of my e-books to two people who comment today, reader's choice. 

This month every Romance Gems author is giving away something plus we’re giving away 4 Amazon Gift Cards via the October Rafflecopter. Enter often to improve your chances of winning.

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

Happy Hallowe'en!

Fall in Love in New England

Hello again, 

As you are reading this I’m attending Fall in Love in New England with many of my fellow Romance Gems authors. It’s a reader / author event where we spend the weekend mixing, mingling and talking about all genres of romance books. It’s hard to believe it’s been two years since our last get together. I was fortunate to meet a few other amazing authors, Nancy Fraser, Annette Blair, Lynn Jenssen and Christine Mazurk to name of few. I can't wait to meet some of our #Romancegems in person this year... 

So, you may be wondering what exactly goes on at this event? For starters authors do a special giveaway, charms. I found this to be especially fun to see each charm the authors came up with to depict a book. This year I used the covers of my new trilogy as the charms. 

What else do we do? There are sessions open to readers and authors alike. We play games, have open question and answer sessions and basically revel in romance books. What’s not to love when you get to see old friends and make new ones who are passionate about your favorite thing too, reading. 

I like to hand out recipe cards based on The Loudon Series. Sharing my favorite pumpkin bread and a cookie recipe, triple chocolate Romeo's, is something Cari would do at What’s Perkin.  

Which brings me to something fun: 

Every Day is Treat Day in October. To be entered in the random drawing for Lost and Found, leave a comment with your email address written out (not as a hot link). I’ll be giving away a signed print copy if the winner lives in North America or an e-book anywhere else in the world. The deadline for doing this is 2 days from now. I’ll draw the name on October 21 and notify the winner by email. All you need to do to enter is leave 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. Just a few sentences saying why you liked the book is all that is needed! Do this, and we’ll adore you!

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.)

Until next time, 

I wish you happiness.

Lucinda

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.)

The Haunted Love Affair @ConstanceBretes #romancegems

Last year, I decided to join this group called Common Elements Romance Project to write a story that has five common elements in them. It could be any genre as long as it was a romance. I decided to try this because I have always been traditional published, and never self-publish before. After some debate among over 100 of us authors, we've determined the five elements.

-->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)

l

The result is my first attempt to write, and self-publish, a contemporary romance with some paranormal things. Here is the blurb:


A possessive spirit and sex, behind closed doors.

Pamela Parkins accepted a live-in housekeeping job with Dr. Casada and his son, Max in a house built in the 1900s. What she didn’t expect was that the house—more specifically, her bedroom—was haunted by spirits.

Dr. Casada doesn't believe in spirits. He has a purely mathematical mind, and there’s no room for the paranormal. Right?

Strange things are happening in the house. Things Pamela can't explain. On top of that, she's fallen for the doctor. Can they solve the mystery of what is happening? Will she find her happy ever after with the doctor?

The book is scheduled to be released October 21, but is currently available for pre-order here. https://books2read.com/u/mqDqL9

Since this month is 

No tricks, Just treats 

with Romance Gems. I will leave it up to the readers to decide what you would like to win from me. I got 11 ebooks you can choose from. You, the reader, decides. Be sure to leave a comment, with your email address, and what you would like to have. Let me know which book you’d like. You can go to my website and read the blurb for each book before making a decision at https://constancebretes.com

No Tricks, Just Treats. 

Every day an author is giving away something, and the October Rafflecopter we're giving away 4 Amazon Gift Cards so enter the Rafflecopter, which opens at midnight October 1,  often to improve your chances of winning. Do us a favor and tell your friends about it and our great blog posts also.

https://romancegems.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_28.html

Diamonds Are Your Best Friend by @BonnieEdwards #RomanceGems

This past Monday was Thanksgiving in Canada. I am grateful for so many things, not least of which is my ability to publish my own works in a way that suits my schedule and rhythm of my life.

Speaking of schedules…the next “big” thing is Hallowe’en and with four grandsons between three and seven, it’s a really BIG thing. The youngest is very into Paw Patrol and wanted, desperately, to be Rocky, the recycling pup, but alas, Rocky costumes are not in vogue so he has to settle on being Marshall the fire dog pup. As to our schedule for this big event? All I know is that we’ll be available to help shell out, or go trick or treating or whatever is needed.

For the Romance Gems every day this month is Treat Day…no tricks. The last time I posted I gave away two e-copies of a book. THIS time, I decided to set up two days (today and tomorrow) of a FREE promotion for Diamond at Heart.

FREE on AMAZON

This sexy novella has some romantic suspense that is connected to a long-dead cold case… Read Diamond at Heart and see why diamonds are not always a girl’s best friend.

Someone’s watching her…and Tawny James is sick of it. There’s only one person she can turn to for help: her ex-boss, the last man on earth she wants to see again.

Private security consultant Stack Hamilton gets the call he’s wanted for months from ex-employee Tawny James. But it isn’t the “sorry I ran out on you” call he deserves. The beauty who hides her assets under the ugliest clothes he’s ever seen has a stalker and needs his help.

There’s nothing Stack won’t do for the woman he misses. Every. Single. Day.

Together, and on fire for each other, they learn Tawny’s current problem is connected to a mob murder from the past. Possessive violence has damaged the James women for generations and Tawny is determined not to make the same mistakes with men her mother and showgirl grandmother made.

But she can’t keep her hands off Stack Hamilton and knows she won’t survive this stalking episode with her heart intact. And Stack will do anything to keep Tawny safe. Everything but let her go again.

So, while the Gems may not be “tricking” people today I am certainly “treating” everyone who reads the blog to a free read. Enjoy! And please, if you check out the reviews on this book, take note of the 1 star…it is keeping my average rating for this book low. If you’d like to help raise the rating please leave a review—after you’ve actually read the book! LOL and thanks for reading this far.

Don't forget to enter our October Rafflecopter!

October Rafflecopter: NO TRICKS—JUST TREATS

My favorite things... @LizFlaherty #RomanceGems

I have lots of favorite parts about writing romance. The whole Happily Ever After thing, making new friends of both characters and the people who write them, challenging myself every single day.

And not meeting those challenges more often than I care to admit. That's a favorite because romance--and women's fiction--come to that, are the most forgiving genres of all.

Someone asked the other day what our favorite heroes are. I said mine were funny and flawed. The same thing would go for my favorite heroines. I never want perfection, whether it be in looks, behavior, or anything else that is integral to the character. If her looks are perfect, I hope she's clumsy. If he's built like a brick...ahem...built really well, I want him to be afraid of heights.

I'm charmed when the protagonists aren't especially rich, when they make mistakes, and when they're not entirely sure what they want from life.

The reason I think I like all these things is that my very favorite part of romance is writing the emotion my people and I are feeling. Kathleen Turner sobbing in Catherine Lanigan's Romancing the Stone  has nothing on me! Whether it's fair or not--and it's not--perfect people who have everything can't wring a tear out of me. They seldom make me laugh. They usually don't make me care.

Because if they had challenges, they met all of them already. Better writers than I have been able to crawl under their porcelain skins and silken tresses to find depths that I don't take the time to dig for. I envy and admire those writers, but I can't be one.

We're celebrating October here, and we're having a beautiful one here in the

Midwest. See my front porch? We're also offering up treats every day. I'll choose a lucky commenter--at least I think you're lucky 😍--to receive either a download or a paperback from my backlist (of my choice) and a bag of treats.

Don't forget to sign up for this month's raffle. And, when you're commenting, share what your favorite parts of romance are.

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.)