Smell is an extremely evocative sense. I need to remember to use it more often in my writing. This week on the Romance Writers Weekly Blog Hop, here’s our topic: Tell us about your favorite scent and what it evokes for you. I have so many that I don’t think I can pick a favourite. But here are several. Which of them resonates with you? I’d love to read your comments. Coconut and pineapple remind me of hot summer days and tropical vacations. It was the scent of the suntan lotion my mother used to buy. Mothballs and damp earth take me back to my grandparent’s cellar, which was dark and spooky but had a small bedroom tucked away in one corner that held shelves and shelves of books. Crayons are the scent of when my kids were young. Burnt sugar and turkey are Christmas. It seems inevitable that a pie will bubble over as it is being baked in the oven, and the sugar scent lingers while the turkey is being roasted. I’m also a big fan of lavender, especially in body lotion and soap. It doesn’t have as many memories associated with it, though. I just like it. 😊 Now, hop over to Leslie Hachtel and see what she has to say!
0 Comments
Welcome to 2022 and a brand-new year on the RWW Blog Hop. As is traditional, we start the new year with this topic, assigned by Andie Fenichel: Happy New Year! Do you have big plans for 2022? Did you make any resolutions, set goals, or map out a schedule? Tell us all about it. Oh, I have plans all right. 😊 But if the last two years have taught me anything, it’s that plans are merely guidelines, and you have to be flexible. Also, I’m a realist - some may say cynic. I understand with my heart how setting a goal is the first step to achieving it, but my brain has a nasty habit of whispering all my plans will end in failure. Which is why I tend to set small, achievable goals like daily word counts, number of promos joined, social media posts made. Asserting “I’m going to make the New York Times Bestsellers List” just seems like setting myself up for crushing disappointment. That being said, big goals are always in the back of my mind, and all the little goals I set are hopefully leading to that achievement. I just don’t spend all my time staring at the huge, shiny star all the time, preferring to concentrate on the sun peaking out from the clouds as I journey along the road. What about you? What are your dreams for 2022? Comment below, then continue your hop with Caro Kinkead! Caro is celebrating the book birthday of ACCIDENTAL VISCOUNTESS - it is on sale for a limited time! Miss Dorothea Hindley counts herself lucky, as helping with her cousin’s launch into society allows her to enjoy the Season, if only from the sidelines. The re-emergence of an old feud, though, has her managing the damage. She realizes only one person can help lower the temperature. Viscount Abernathy finds himself as eager as Dorothea to end the gossip surrounding the quarrel. Together, they navigate the treacherous waters of London’s Ton, but they become interested in more than solving their mutual dilemma. Being caught in a compromising position was not part of the plan. The families present a united front, but the fires still rage below the surface. Will the truce brokered by Dorothea and Abernathy’s wedding hold? Or flare to life once more, destroying their chance of happiness? Discover contemporary romance books that bring the heat while keeping the sweet!
Includes my own ALLEGRO COURT (Free on all platforms)! Click here to see the entire collection. The Romance Writers Weekly Blog Hop is back! We took some time off to enjoy summer, but we are all set to head into fall full of energy and vigour. This week, A.S. Fenichel http://asfenichel.com/blog/ asks: We’re getting into the dog days now. What do you do to relax? Is it a hobby, laying about in the sun or something else? How do you unwind and how does it feed your soul? Summer in Northern British Columbia has been…odd, to say the least. We started July with record heat. I’m not sure what the official high temperature was, but it was near enough to 40C (104F) not to matter. That is INSANELY hot for where I live. Since then, we’ve bounced from cool, rainy weather back to unusually hot days and back again. It’s like we’ve been having mini-summers LOL! That being said, my all-time favourite thing to do when the heat is here is to head out in our small boat. My area is blessed with dozens of beautiful, clear lakes. Sometimes we fish, but all the time I have a book with me. I love to swim right from the boat (thereby avoiding weeds and yucky bottoms) and then laze in the prow soaking up the sun. What do you like to do on the hot days of summer? Be sure to drop me a comment and let me know. Then continue your hop with Clair Brett.
We’re back! The Romance Writers Weekly Blog Hop starts up a gain for 2019, and I’m leading things of. This is the time of year to set goals. But I think it is important make sure those goals are realistic and achievable, or all we do is set ourselves up for failure. What achievable goals are you setting for yourself this year? If you joined me from Dani Jace, welcome! Many of us have heard the term SMART goals: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. I think this is where a lot of people fail in their New Year's resolutions—they make them too broad (I’m going to exercise more this year) or so difficult they immediately fail (I’m never going to forget the kids at school) (Okay, maybe that last one isn’t THAT hard) that they give up almost before they’ve started. When I am writing a new manuscript, my goal is 500 words a day, seven days a week. If things are going really well, I let myself have one day off. I came up with the number by analyzing how long I wrote each evening (I only have so much energy after the day job and family chores) and also by my long-term goals for my writing. Since I don’t do it full time, I only expect myself to complete one manuscript a year. At 500 words a day, I can complete an 80,000 word novel in about five and a half months, which allows plenty for revisions, beta reading and more revisions within my one year timeline. I haven't released a new book since April 2016, as I’ve been working on a trilogy of romances about the Bendixon Sisters. While Book Three is still in revisions, Books One and Two are done from a writing standing point. This year, I’m setting myself the following goal: Release Bendixon Sisters Series in 2019: Allegro Court in March, Gateway Crescent in June, Crossroads Corner in September. Bonus Goal: Release an e-book Box Set in December. I’ve now independently published three books, so I know how much work goes into each. I have to line up reviewers to read advanced copies, hoping to have reviews pop up on my release day. I’ll have to buy some advertising to let people know what’s going on. I need to reactivate my newsletter. And there’s so much more. But all those things are subsidiaries to the main goal of releasing all three books this year. If I can do that, I’ll have achieved my goal, and have something solid to celebrate. What about you? What achievable goal are you hoping to reach this year? Leave a comment below, and I'll send you a sneak peak of the cover of Allegro Court before I reveal it on social media. And don't forget to keep the hop going with Leslie Hachtel - she's up next! This week, I set the topic for my Romance Writers Weekly colleagues: Our oldest daughter is getting married this summer, and our second daughter next year, which has me thinking about how people meet and fall in love. Share your favourite story. It could be you and your spouse, your parents, friends or family. I’ve mentioned in previous posts that one of the reasons I started writing romance was because I love to hear how people met. If you can dream it, it probably happened! My husband and I met at work. This isn’t exactly the most unlikely of places, of course. What some of you will be surprised to learn, though, is that we are still working together more than 30 years later. Our jobs have changed over the years, but we are both with the same company, and we have worked very closely that whole time. We were joking recently that, when we retire, we’ll probably end up spending LESS time together! My second daughter met her fiancé through mutual friends, and our first daughter met hers in—get this—kindergarten. That was in the days when school’s had morning and afternoon classes for kindergarten, and they weren’t in the same session, but the groups did get together once in a while. But from Grade One on they were together throughout school, and started dating on Prom Night of their Grade Twelve year. My parents-in-law are from the same tiny village on the Portuguese island of São Miguel. They knew of each other, of course, but my favourite story of their courtship is that my father-in-law would show off by throwing rocks at chickens as my mother-in-law walked past. I guess he was displaying his hunter/gatherer skills! In the writing world, when two characters first interact, especially in a romantic comedy, it is called a “meet-cute.” One of my favourite meet-cutes is Sheldon and Amy from The Big Bang Theory. It was a blind date, and things were not going well until they both ordered “tepid water” at the coffee shop. Obviously a match made in heaven! Do you have a favourite story about two people meeting—in real life or fiction? I’d love to hear it! Then be sure to hop over to Leslie Hachtel for her take on this topic! This Thursday is Thanksgiving in the United States. We Canadians have already had our holiday, but you can never have enough good recipes, so we're doing a recipe swap. It's time to share the yummy, delicious love! A.S. Fenichel recipe looked super scrumptious, didn't it? Mine is an old family favourite, and a really simple yet tasty dessert. Because you have never have enough desserts, can you? Bread Pudding Cut or crumble bread into chunks, enough to fill a loaf pan to heaping. This is a great way to use stale bread, but can be made with fresh. Put the bread in a large mixing bowl. In a small mixing bowl, combine:
Add milk in small amounts (about ¼ cup at a time) until the mixture is sloppy. It looks like a mess but trust me on this. :) Pour into bread pan. Bake 50 minutes at 1 hour in 400F oven, or until toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean. Serve warm with ice cream. Enjoy! I wonder what yumminess Dani Jace is sharing today. Be sure to continue on the hop by clicking here. ★★★★Happy Holiday Giveaway $2200 in Amazon Gift Cards!★★★★ $2200 in Amazon Gift Cards are up for grabs in the Happy Holiday Giveaway offered by 110 romance authors. Enter here: http://lovekissedbookbargains.com/happy-holiday-giveaway/
Enter to win $2200 in Amazon Gift Cards!
One simple entry will subscribe you to 109 Romance Author Newsletters.
Unsubscribe any time, but please don't label us as spam. Better still, stick around and get to know us.
Participating Authors:Abbie Roads | Abbie Zanders | AJ Norris | Aleya Michelle | Alyson Reynolds | Amy L Gale | Amy Olle| Andie M. Long | Ani Gonzalez | Anna Bloom | Anne Stone | Annie Anderson | Ara Grigorian | Ash Krafton | Ashley Bostock | Author Scarlett Avery | Author Shaniel Watson | Belinda Boring | Bethany Lopez | Bethany Shaw | Blair Babylon | Brandy Dorsch | Brenda Margriet | C.C. Cartwright | C.E. Black | C.E. Wilson | C.J. Pinard | Candace Clark | Chantel Rhondeau| Christa Simpson | Danielle Annett | Debbie White | Demelza Carlton | Eileen Cruz Coleman | Elianne Adams | Elisabeth Grace | Ella Jade | Emma Nichols | Erin Bedford | Eva Winters | Evie Harper | Genevieve Jordayne | Heather C. Myers | Holly Cortelyou | Jeanne St. James | Jennifer Hilt | Jerusha Moors | Jessica Linden | Joanna Mazurkiewicz | Joanna Shupe | Jordan Ford | Josie Bordeaux | Kaiden Klein | Katie French | Kelly Collins | Kelly Moore | Khardine Gray | Kimi Flores/K.A. Hunter | Kristine Cayne | L A Cotton | Lacey Silks | Laura Trentham | Lisa Swallow | Liz Gavin | Lexi James | LV Lewis | Mari Brown | Marissa Dobson | Marnee Blake | Mary Abshire | Mary E Thompson | Megan Ryder | Michelle Lynn | Miranda Liaison |Monica Corwin | N.W. Moors | Natalie Rios | Olivia Arran | Olivia Rigal | Piper Rayne | Quinn | Ramona Flightner | Ramona Flightner | Rebecca Norinne | Rissa Blakeley | RK Close | S.M. Schmitz | Sabrina York | Scarlett Metal | Selena Laurence | Sharon Coady | Sheila Kell | Shelique | Skye Jordan | Sophie Mann | Stella Blue | Susanne Bellamy | Sydney Aaliyah Michelle | Taige Crenshaw | Taylor Anne | Tee Smith | Terra Kelly | Tracey Pedersen | Tracie Podger | Tracy Ellen | Valerie Twombly | Victoria Pinder | Violet Sparks | Wendy Knight
Enter here, at Love Kissed Book Book Bargains!
This week on Romance Writers Weekly, Lyra Parish asks: When you release a new book, do you have a release day tradition? If you joined me from Leslie Hachtel,welcome! Well, this is going to be short and sweet. The answer is – No. I think one of the reasons I don't have any traditions is that two of my three release days have been scattered over months. My first release, Mountain Fire, came out on Kindle Unlimited on October 1, 2012 – but in e-format and print on January 8, 2013. My most recent release, When Time Falls Still, was released in print a few weeks before its April 4, 2016 e-book release. Only Chef d'Amour was released all at once. I suppose I could have had two celebrations for each release – after all, there's no law against that! I think I need some ideas on how to celebrate a new book - maybe S. C. Mitchell does something exciting. See his blog here! For the month of October, I am part of a wonderful initiative. Visit the website of Romance Has a Heart and send a little love - and a great read - to support a survivor, patient, caregiver or family member who has been touched by cancer. More than 100 authors have donated more than 2000 books - including Kristan Higgins, Nalini Singh, Grace Burrows, Romance Writers Weekly members and alumni - and little old me! Five copies of When Time Falls Still are available for to send to someone who needs an extra bit of love in their life. It's that time of year - when even us non-bakers enjoy creating lovely treats for holiday parties! This week on Romance Writers Weekly, we're swapping cookie recipes. Get ready to copy/past an entire cookbook of favourites! If you've joined me from Xio Axelrod, welcome! This recipe is from one of my all-time favourite cookbook series, Company's Coming. They are a lovely, light, less sweet alternative to the rich, decadent desserts usual during the holiday season. Wonderful with coffee or tea! Pineapple Cookies ½ cup margarine, softened ½ cup sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla ½ cup crushed pineapple, drained 2 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 1 tbsp sugar ¼ tsp nutmeg (My daughter's note in our recipe book says that half of the above 2 ingredients is plenty) Cream butter and first amount of sugar together well. Beat in egg. Stir in vanilla and pineapple. Add flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Stir. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet. Mix second amount of sugar and nutmeg together. Sprinkle on top of unbaked cookies. Bake in 375F oven for about 8 to 10 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen. Now it's on to Sarah Hegger to get yet another great cookie recipe!
|