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8-Sentence Sunday
Happy 8-Sentence Sunday, Mes Amies! I’m continuing the meet-cute scene between Sophie and Ben from my no-longer-untitled third Women of Willow Bay novel (title reveal coming up). Freelance editor Sophie Russo and author Ben Dugan have just seen each other for the first time after working together for over ten years. All their communication has been via email and telephone, so when Ben arrives in Willow Bay, Michigan to rent one of Sophie’s summer cottages in order to finish his novel, it’s their first face-to-face meeting. It’s the night before he’s due, and clad in jammies, wearing no makeup, and with her hair tossed up in a ponytail, Sophie’s slipped…
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8-Sentence Sunday
It’s good to be back! I decided to just pull a random 8-sentence scene from Book 3 of the Women of Willow Bay this week, so here goes. Set-up is that 45-year-old freelance editor Sophie Russo is moving permanently to her summer home in Willow Bay, Michigan. Her dear grandfather has died and left her two cottages, so she’s settling into one and renting the other to her friend and colleague, Ben Dugan. At 51, Ben is newly divorced and pretty gun-shy about women. Sophie and Ben have worked together for 10 years, but they’ve never met in person, so this scene is from the first face-to-face “meet-cute” as he…
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Happy Valentine’s Week Sale!
Fabulous news, Mes Amies! In honor of Valentine’s Day and love and yes, even in honor of great sex after forty, the Women of Willow Bay novels are on sale! For one week only, exclusively on Amazon, you can get both Once More From the Top and Sex and the Widow Miles for the low, low price of just $2.99! Don’t miss this chance to buy both books in this romantic series at an amazing discount. Grab the Women of Willow books now, and thank you for sharing my faith in romance and falling in love after forty! After Valentines Day, this wonderful sale will be over…
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Please Go Vote in the JABBIC
I’m so excited! Both the covers from the first two Women of Willow Bay series books are entered in the Houston RWA’s Judge-a-Book-by-Its-Cover contest. The contest is judged by booksellers around the world and there is even a special part of the contest where readers get a chance to judge. My covers are so wondrous! I love them because they’re different and kinda retro and very me. The fabulous Lani Diane Rich of Storywonk did these covers for me and she captured perfectly the look and feel of my Baby Boomer romances. I wanted some thing different from the usual fare—no naked chests, no heaving bosoms, no sweaty clinches, no…
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January Memos
Dear Snow, Um, I’m fairly sure we’ve had this talk before. Need I remind you that the holidays are over? You kinda blew white Christmas for us, and although I thank you for the big storm that gave me extra time with Son, DIL, and Grandboy, I’m ready for you to go away now. Oh, and take your pal, sub-zero temperatures with you. Scram! Slippin’ & Slidin’, Nan **** Dear Writers of Downton Abbey, **Spoiler Alert!!** Really? You had to go there? You couldn’t leave Anna and Mr. Bates alone for one freakin’ season? Please, fix this immediately and let’s get back to the charming banter and great story lines…
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New Year, Big News!
Happy New Year, Mes Amies! We had a wondrous start to 2014 with our dear lake pals, who spent New Year’s Eve with us here at home. They all stayed overnight to have a special New Year’s Day breakfast. Champagne and wine flowed, and a delicious supper and yummy breakfast filled our bellies with bliss. The house was full of laughter and love, and Husband and I were thrilled to host these lovely folks. My big news is that the first two books of my Women of Willow Bay series are now available on Nook, Kobo, and Smashwords platforms! I’m so excited to offer these romantic books to my readers…
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December Memos
Dear Snow, So you couldn’t hang around for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? What’s up with that? It’s 8 degrees outside, so a little of the white stuff wouldn’t be out of line here. Shiveringly, Nan **** Dear James Taylor, Thank you for your Christmas CD! It’s awesome and I’ve nearly worn it out this Christmas. I especially love your rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “River.” You are, as always, amazing. Caroling, Nan **** Dear Christmas Cookies and Fudge in the Freezer, Shut up! Resistingly, Nan **** Dear Grandboy, What a wonderful time Pops and I had watching you and Daddy baking this past weekend. Skype surely rocks! You’re such a…
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Welcome, Author Ainsley Brooks
I’m so pleased to welcome pal and fellow author Ainsley Brooks to the blog today. We’re celebrating the publication of her debut novel, The Star Prophecy, Book 1 in the Daughters of Prophecy series. Ainsley and I met online, but I knew right away she was a kindred spirit. She beta-read for me and is introducing me to a whole new world of fiction, fantasy! I hope you’ll join me in making her feel welcome. Take it away, Ainsley… How I Became a Fantasy Romance Writer by Ainsley Brooks Science Fiction and Fantasy—the two genres are inexorably linked. Oh I like science, sure, when it comes to electricity and my…
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8-Sentence Sunday
A new 8-Sentence Sunday and I stayed in Sarah’s story because it’s the one that’s on my mind this week. This snippet picks up from where we left off last week. Mack and Sarah are talking about her abusive ex-husband, whom she’s convinced is sitting outside the shelter in a limo waiting for his chance to confront her… “No, he won’t give it up,” Sarah’s voice sounded flat to her own ears as Mack followed her out into the courtyard. Even as she said the words, the truth of them sent a chill down her spine. She couldn’t shake the image of a mountain lion patiently stalking a gazelle. Watching,…
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Welcome Author Mellanie Szereto
Today, I’m happy to have pal and fellow romance author Mellanie Szereto as my guest. When her fingers aren’t attached to her keyboard, Mellanie enjoys hiking, Pilates, cooking, gardening, and researching for her stories. Many times, the research partners with her other hobbies, taking her from the Hocking Hills region in Ohio to the Colorado Rockies or the Adirondacks of New York. Sometimes, the trip is no farther than her garden for ingredients and her kitchen to test recipes for her latest steamy tale. Mellanie makes her home in rural Indiana with her husband of twenty-seven years, their two children, and two cats. She is a member of Romance Writers…