Dog Days of Summer @ConstanceBretes #romancegems

 What does the dog days of summer mean to you? For me, it means endless summer days spent along the shorelines of Lake Michigan.

I was born and raised in Michigan. My favorite hunting grounds? The shorelines of Lake Michigan. As a child, I loved going to the beach and playing in the sand. I spent hours building sand castles. When I got a little older, I spent my time in the water with my brothers and sisters. As a teenager, I didn't want to be seen with my family. I was trying to be too cool and hang with the "in" crowd, wear bikinis and play volleyball. I never stayed at just one place. My whole family loved the shorelines of Lake Michigan, and would go anywhere from Grand  Haven, all the way up to Traverse City, and St. Ignace. 

As I got older, my love for Lake Michigan never waivered, but the fun activities changed over time. I'd much rather spend my time on a cruiser, drinking pina coladas, under the umbrella, or lay on the beach, under an umbrella, reading. My reading genres change over time. I have spent time dabbling in thrillers, murder mysteries, historical romance, and now, my taste in reading is mafia or dark romance. If I'm not busy reading, I'm busy writing!

If you're one of those who, like me, love to dabble in different genres. Why not make this summer's reading contemporary romance? I can start you out with a whole list of titles all listed below. You can go to my website at https://constancebretes.com to read the blurb and catch the buy link. 

Hope you have a fabulous summer 2021!

Beach Reads are the Best by @BonnieEdwards #RomanceGems

The whole idea of summer reading or beach reads is...comfort. We want to relax, to take it easy, to follow a story without struggling to remember who's doing what when if we have to close the book and go for a walk. Or play with our family, or swim with dolphins. We want to pick up the book and fall right back into the story.

Beach reads are, at heart, comfort reads. But then, I write romance so may be biased. I know some people like thrillers or horror, but a good vacation needs something, I don't know, kinder? Gentler?

What do you take on vacation to read? Do you settle in at a campsite and read while the rest of your group is out for a walk and you have 10 minutes to yourself? Or do you laze by a pool and while away an afternoon? Or are you too busy to read while you're touring a foreign country? There are too many ways to take a break from the day-to-day of our home lives to count.

And after the time the world has had...maybe a vacation is the last thing we want. Maybe the "break" is to get back to work in a place with other people!

To celebrate all things beachy, I've joined a group of authors at Last Chance Beach, a fictional island filled with now-familiar businesses, characters, and landmarks with my next release FAKE ME.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097ND7V15

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B097ND7V15

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B097ND7V15

This book will also be available for ibooks, Kobo, Nook and more. Links will be available first through my newsletter. Subscribe here: Bonnie’s Newsy Bits

Pre-orders are now being taken for only 99c. FAKE ME will land in e-readers on August 15! 

International real estate broker Grady O’Hara, unkempt, miserable, and nursing his battered heart, is holed up in the Landseer Motel in Last Chance Beach. 

A first-class grump, Grady’s appalled that enthusiastic sprite, Farren Parks wants him to open his motel to single parents looking for love. He suspects his sister has sent Farren to lure him into a romance. Again. The last one ended in disaster.

Farren expects him to tolerate children laughing. No! Crowds of happy families? No! 

He does not want a second chance at life. Or love. Unless Farren agrees to fake date him to fake out his matchmaking sister… 

Grady soon plays handyman, painter, and business advisor to Farren’s fledgling business, Singles Fest.

The happy squeals of children in the pool doesn’t grate on his nerves as he expected. He sees parents making romantic connections that stir his heart. 

But an old flame of Farren’s has arrived and Grady wakes up to another looming loss if Farren gives her first love a second chance. The rival has brought his adorable kids to the motel. A rival who’s clearly looking for a new wife…

Join me at Last Chance Beach for this brand new romance! 

Weddings Are So Last Month by Laura Hunsaker

 I know June is typically known for weddings, but with my own wedding anniversary coming up in a couple of weeks, I wanted to share anyway!

My husband and I were married on the hottest day of the year...in Las Vegas. You realize that means it was like 122 that day, right? We had the craziest day! Not just the wedding, but weird little things that went wrong...

So we were young. He was underage. Someone replaced his champagne flute with a sippy cup. The flowers were delivered to the wrong place. The groomsmen...AND THE GROOM all left before the wedding. Someone had broken down and they went to the rescue. But they all had two-seater cars and were picking up a van-ful of guests. One groomsman got stuck out of town, so we had an emergency replacement. I mean...it was wild how many random things went wrong. But by the end, we had a lovely wedding, everyone was on time, the bride certainly didn't have a panic attack watching the groom leave the church before the wedding (oh wait, I really did). And they lived happily ever after.

With my characters getting married in one of my books, I decided to write a short bonus scene for my readers and while I was starting it, the first thing that popped onto my page was that the flowers had been delivered to the wrong place. Well, it looks like I will be writing my first non-fiction book ever ;) 

But seriously, all the things that happened to me, will probably make it into this short story, because wow, it really does read as if it were a Rom Com.

This will be a bonus for Kate and Kyle's wedding, and will fit after Dark Past, and Dreams of the Past, but before Dangerous Past which I'm finishing up right now.

Enjoy a small excerpt from the beginning of the story:

The weather was gorgeous. A light fog wrapped around the gazebo, sneaking its fingers in between the leaves and flowers that were woven into the slats that decorated it. One last cool foggy touch before the morning sun burned it off.

The warm, buttery yellow sunlight hitting the tall trees of the Sierra Nevadas was the most beautiful backdrop she could think of for the day she married her love. She could marry him inside an old shed, and she wouldn’t care. She just wanted to start her new life.

And after the year she had had? She deserved something nice. They all did. She wanted the day to go smoothly, not so much for herself, but for her fiance Kyle. He had risked his life for her, he knew all her secrets and skeletons in her closet, and miracle of miracles, he loved her. She wanted today to be perfect.

She glanced up at the picturesque view once more. By the looks of it, today would be perfect.

Kate took one more look before turning back inside. She trusted that her family and friends had a handle on things. She could breathe. With a deep breath, she released the stress of the day and went to join her bridesmaids. Today was going to be fine.

***

Nothing was fine.

The flowers had been delivered to the wrong location. How on earth had the flowers been delivered to the wrong place? The town had 2,000 people on a good day, so how had they been delivered to the wrong location?

And don't forget to check out Dark Past and Dreams of the Past which are both on sale now!

Dark Past: Amazon  |   Barnes & Noble  |  Kobo  |  Google Play Books  |  Smashwords

Dreams of the Past: Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | Smashwords 

SOUNDS OF SUMMERS PAST By Kathleen Lawless @kathleenlawless

 

One thing I always remember about summers past is the music and the mood those songs evoke of the times whenever I revisit them.  At the serious risk of dating myself, I’ve put together a list of some of my favorite summer songs. 

I think my earliest summer music memories is thanks to my parents, who moved some clunky wooden speaker outside so they could listen to “Theme From A Summer Place”.  I still see my sunny, childhood front yard whenever I hear that song, of which there are many different versions. 

In no particular order, some of my favorites include:

“Summer in the City” by the Lovin’ Spoonful. 

“School’s Out” by Alice Cooper.

“Hot Fun in the Summertime” by Sly and the Family Stone.

“In the Summertime” by Mungo Jerry.

“Summer Breeze” by Seals and Croft.

“Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles.

“All Summer Long” by Kid Rock.

“Crimson and Clover” by Tommy James and the Shondells.

“Steal My Sunshine” by Len.

“Summer of ‘69” by Bryan Adams.

“Boys of Summer,” by Don Henley.    

July is a special month for romance as 2021 marks 10 years since the day Steel and I first met.  We’re celebrating with a trip to a decadent wine country spa that has been on my bucket list for years, and will include luxury spa treatments, wine tastings, plus the early addition of some sparkly bling to fancy up my pinkie finger.

 Because summer beach reads are an important part of the season, I’m putting UNMASKED, my steamy historical with its eye-catching new cover, on sale today and tomorrow only for .99 cents.   https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZBL5271

Aurora awoke at dusk, totally disoriented. In the west she could see the last fading pink fingers of the sunset, backlit by a faint golden glow.

How odd. She didn’t recall there being a blanket here when she first lay down, but she was cozily warm beneath one now. She touched it and discovered it was not a blanket at all, but a black velvet cloak. And lying on the pillow, next to the faint indentation from her head, was a matching velvet mask.

Aurora looked around wondering if she was alone, for the summerhouse’s corners were deeply shadowed, dark enough to keep secret the presence of another. Her heart crashed loudly beneath her ribs as she swung her legs over the side of the settee and stroked the black velvet mask.

Would all the guests be wearing them? Somehow she suspected that they would. And no one would know who anyone else was. Such an intriguing thought—total freedom to be whoever, whatever she wanted. A queen. A pharaoh. A courtesan. A powerful woman capable of driving a man to distraction.

She fondled the plush texture, rasped her nail across the eye cutouts, twined the satin ties around her forefinger. Finally, she gave in to temptation. She stood and positioned the mask across her features.

“Allow me.”

Aurora gasped as strong, capable hands took over for hers, securing the ties behind her head. Where had he come from? Had a stranger lingered in the shadows, watching her sleep, influencing her dreams? For she’d woken with a heavy throbbing need between her legs. Her skin prickled all over with supersensitivity, nerve endings tingling with exposure to something new and exciting in the air.

Like the man who stood behind her. His warm breath stirred her hair and pinpricks of awareness licked across her scalp, heightened by the brush of his fingers. He pushed her hair aside and touched his lips to her sensitive nape. Aurora trembled in reaction.

“Grayson?”

Silently he moved to stand before her, a dark phantom in a matching mask and cloak. “No names,” he said, his voice as muffled and indistinguishable as the dusk as he settled the garment across her shoulders. When he secured the toggle fastenings, the backs of his knuckles brushed her breasts in delicious slow motion. Throbbing heat simmered through her and she bit her lower lip, awash in the flood of sensation. If the accidental brush of his hands could stir her so, what would happen if he touched her with deliberate, knowing intent?

                                            *****

 So which of the above songs are now stuck in your head?  Comment below to share some songs with us that trigger your summertime memories.          

Here We Go Again! by Hannah Rowan #RomanceGems

It’s July and it’s time to frolic in the ocean, cavort in the pool, or loll in the lake. Or simply sit by the water where negative ions theoretically give off relaxing vibes while simultaneously boosting energy and alleviating depression.

Yes, that makes perfect sense. And while I crave the feel of sand between my toes and the sounds of waves lapping at the shore, what I’m getting this summer is the sound of shopping cart wheels rolling over pavement.

Moving is supposed to be one of the most stressful activities a person can experience. After living in ten different places during the first 20 years of my life, I was lulled into complacency by settling in a house where we stayed for almost 40 years.

But who needs to take care of a big old house when the kids have flown the nest and there’s always something to fix, clean or replace?

Oh, how delightful to move to a condo community where someone else shovels the snow and mows the grass! How lovely to wander off to a pool someone else cleans. Like the pain of childbirth, the horrendous experience of disposing of 40 years’ worth of accumulated possessions and moving the remainders into a new place fades after settling in.

Or it did, until with very little warning, our landlord decided to sell the place out from under us. Lucky for us, we were able to find a new place right across the street.

Easy, right?

You’d think that after the first round of downsizing moving would be smoother. But no. Right now I’m marveling at the amount of junk we managed to squeeze into a little two bedroom condo. It doesn’t seem to matter if we’re moving across the street or across the country.

The timing is the saving grace. Instead of the usually frantic move-it-all-in-one-day process we’ve done in the past, this time there’s a week between the time we own the new place and the time we have to vacate the current one.  It all sounded so simple in theory.

So here we are, loading the shopping carts so kindly provided so people can transport their goods from the garage to their door, and making endless trips across the street to deposit boxes as we pack them.

What we’ve got here is a prolonged period of not knowing where anything went when we need it and not agreeing where anything goes when it gets there.

Looking back, childbirth was a breeze compared to this. I can only hope that amnesia will set in once we’re finally settled, and we’ll have time to find a body of water where we can soak up some of those negative ions.

For summer reading take advantage of Kindle Unlimited by Jan Scarbrough

The theme for July is Beach Read Mania. To me this not only means reading books with beach settings but reading for summer fun.

 At Sunday school yesterday, a friend came up to me to talk about books. It’s widely known in the class that I write novels. This friend said she’d joined Kindle Unlimited. She thought it was a good deal, and she said, “There are some really good books in it.” She wanted to know how to find my books. I told her to simply look for my name.

Most readers who enjoy ebooks and buy them from Amazon know about Kindle Unlimited.

Kindle Unlimited is sort of like Netflix for Amazon's digital e-books, called Kindle books. You pay a monthly subscription fee for access to the full Kindle Unlimited library where you can read and enjoy as many Kindle books as you want. That's exactly why it's called “Unlimited.”

Publishers don’t have to put their books into this program. In fact, many prefer to go “wide” and take advantage of other ebook platforms such as those on Apple or GooglePlay.

Recently, I’ve added a few of my books to Kindle Unlimited. Take a look at them during the hot, humid days of summer whether you’re at the beach or in the cool of your living room.

Ghost Mountain Ranch: The secrets of the past still haunt the living…  “Kudos to Jan Scarbrough for keeping the characters interesting and the plot twists intriguing from the first book to the last.”

Betting on Love: A romantic virgin and matchmaking aunt threaten the bachelor days of a Bluegrass chef.  

 Dawsons of Montana: Growing up on the ranch was a great life for Ben until his mother passed away, leaving his father Jim a widower. It wasn’t long, however, before Jim remarried, bringing Liz into their lives, along with her son, Brody. Soon, Jim and Liz added a new Dawson to the family when daughter Mercer was born. Jim’s untimely death changes the family's life and future.

 

Who's Your Beachbunny? by Nancy Fraser

 

Silly me. I thought doing a column on the history of swimsuits would be fun ... and easy. Boy was I wrong! I discovered far more weird facts than this brain can hold. Here are just a few:

Through the "classical" and "middle" ages ... swimming was done in the nude. No shame or embarrassment allowed. However, if sports were involved, women were expected to wear suits that held their bouncing assest in place and looked very similar to today's styles.

It was close to the end of the 17th century when the "bathing gown" was created, a floor-length chemise style dress that covered the wearer from neck to ankle with full sleeves. However, these gowns were only required of women. Men still got to swim in buff, if they so chose.

It wasn't until the beginning of the 19th century that men were required to wear clothing when appearing in public. Fortunately for women, by the middle of the century, designers in Paris had shortened the length of the gown, removed the sleeves, and even added pantaloons for comfort.

Sunbathing, whether you swam or not, became popular in the 1920s, with far more revealing swimwear and the first commercial production of what is now known as sunscreen. By the 1930s, men started taking it off again and swimming bare chested with tighter swim trunks.

Also by the 1930s, two-piece swimsuits--the precursor to the bikini--were the norm for women, especially among the models and actresses in Hollywood.

The first bikinis appears shortly after the end of World War II. The name "bikini" came from "Bikini Atol" (the site of several nuclear tests) because of their explosive effect on the viewer.

The first Speedo (heaven help us) came about in the 1950s, but were made of wool. They changed to nylon in the 1960s. Then, in 1970, elastane was added to standard suits to create a more efficient garment for the Olympics.

**Weird Alert** In 1985, a designer by the name of Gernreich invented the 'pubikini' to--you guessed it--show off pubic hair. Gross!

**More Weird** In 2005, there was backlash against designer Ondade Mar and Victoria's Secret for decorating their tankinis with Buddhist iconography.

Thankfully, by the end of the first decade of the 21st century most designs had returned to some semblance of normal (as long as you don't count that gosh awful sling-looking thing men are wearing). I mean ... really ... where is the loose end attached anyway???

Personally, I'm quite attached to my one piece swimsuit and terry cover up, thank you. And, of course a good book to entertain me!

Speak of which...

Available Everywhere!

Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy the rest of your summer! Bathing suit or not.

Nancy

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