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Where in the World - Romance Writers Weekly - #lovechatwrite

4/22/2025

1 Comment

 
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Doesn't this look irresistable?(Stock Image from Canva)
For the Romance Writers Weekly Blog Hop, we have a sign-up every week so we know who is joining. Posting that sign-up is my job, so sometimes I take a few liberties and make sure the topic is a skewed to what is going on in my life. Take this week, for example:

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

Considering we leave today for Portugal, doesn’t this subject seem apropos? 😊

I am very privileged to be able to travel – and to have a husband who enjoys it as much as I do. We’ve been to Disneyland and San Francisco, Mexico and Kauai. We travelled with my parents to Belgium/France and his parents to the Azores. We spent six unforgettable weeks driving across Canada and the northern United States. Spain was a highlight last year.

We are very excited about Portugal. We will be spending time in Lisbon and Porto, doing a one week walking tour, have a week on the beach in the Algarve, and rent a car for a few days to make sure we don’t miss anything.

Maybe as you can tell from my list of past destinations, we like to mix things up. So when it comes to a direct answer on this topic, it was so hard to choose!

I ended up picking Petra, in Jordan. This ancient city, lost to the world for centuries, is utterly fascinating. It doesn’t hurt it was a location for one of the Indiana Jones movies, either. (Harrison Ford 🔥🔥🔥 ) It’s history and construction would be so amazing to explore.

What about you? Is there somewhere special you’d like to go? Let me know below and then hop over to Jill Haymaker to find out her destination.

I'll be back on the blog hop in one month. Talk then!

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Have you picked up my new release yet? Get it here!

SUSPECT ATTRACTION

A steamy, later-in-life contemporary romance mystery
 
A silver-haired charmer with a shameful secret. A broken-hearted matchmaker with a guilty burden. And a bewildering disappearance that could wrench them apart.
 
Regina Blynde knows Seth Updike is trouble the minute he strides into Blynde Dating Agency. That’s trouble with a capital T—tantalizing, tasty, and tempting.
 
Resolved never to risk loving someone only to lose them again, Ginnie keeps things strictly professional and matches him with a wealthy widow.
 
Who promptly goes missing.
 
Ginnie’s search for the truth makes it impossible to avoid Seth. And when he sets out to woo her, she finds him too hard to resist.
 
But as the evidence mounts up and mysterious circumstances multiply, Ginnie must face a shocking fact—she’s falling in love with the prime suspect.
 
(Ginnie 54, Seth 51)
 
E-book only $2.99. Amazon-Kobo-Nook-Apple. Paperback also available

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NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER
MONTANA PINES AUTUMN LEAVES

Sometimes the love you need is right in front of you.

​Cathy McIntosh has lived her entire life in the small mountain town of Pine Meadows, Montana. A widow for the last eight years, she gave up on romance when her husband passed. Now that her sons are grown and living on their own, she’s content to live alone in her small bungalow with her chihuahua, Sparky. After all, she has many good friends to keep her company, especially Jerimiah Thorne.

Jerimiah became a widower twelve years ago when his kids were still young. He doesn’t know how he would have made it through the tough times without his neighbor, Cathy. Over the years, they’ve developed a strong friendship. He mows her lawn and shovels her snow, and in return, she frequently cooks him wonderful meals. He can’t imagine his life without her in it.

​When a famous, handsome stranger moves into their neighborhood and takes an interest in Cathy, she wonders if it is possible to find romance again. Jerimiah can’t stand the newcomer and his attention to Cathy. Is he just being a protective friend, or is it something more? Does he have feelings for her that are more than friendship? Would an attempt at romance threaten the relationship they’ve built or give them a second chance at true happiness?
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Location-Location-Location - Romance Writers Weekly - #lovechatwrite

4/13/2025

1 Comment

 
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This photo was taken March 3 of this year. As soon as the weather is warm enough, I am outside with my laptop!
Laptops make writing so much…well, I don’t want to say easier, because the process of writing often isn’t. But their portability does make it more convenient. This week on the Blog Hop, we’re sharing about our favorite writing environment.

I love to write outdoors. Maybe it’s the fresh air. Maybe it’s the feel of the sunshine on my skin. Maybe it’s the sounds of neighbours or the wind or birds. Whatever it is, writing outside always invigorates me.

I’ve written on the rocky shore of a river while salmon fishing. I’ve written on our boat while trout fishing. I’ve written next to a campfire, beside our backyard pond, and under our patio roof while rain patters down. I love them all.

When I can’t write outdoors (which in northern BC is more than half the year, LOL) I still have a view. My desk is next to a window and in a room with large French doors, so I can always take a small “nature” break when I need it.

What about you? What location inspires you to creativity? Let me know below, then hop over to Leslie Hachtel to find out where she loves to write.

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Have you read my newest release yet?

SUSPECT ATTRACTION

A steamy, later-in-life contemporary romance mystery

🩵Kidnap/Murder mystery
🩵Later-in-life contemporary romance
🩵Amateur female sleuth
🩵Dating Agency
🩵Widowed main characters
🩵Steamy, open door, slow burn
🩵Silver-haired, good with his hands, MMC (51 y/o)
🩵Resourceful and resilient FMC (54 y/o)

E-book only $2.99. Paperback also available. Get it here!

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What would you do if you could go back in time to find your soulmate?

For Skye Blaine, the answer is clear: she would do whatever it takes to be with the one she loves. Follow her as she travels through time in search of her heart's desire, finding that the path to true love is never easy, but always worth it. Will she find her happy ending?

This page-turning story of love, sacrifice, and courage is sure to captivate and inspire. Don't miss out on this unforgettable journey through time!

Come Back to Me is the first in a three book series.
Book 2: 
Follow Me 
Book 3 - Finding Me is coming soon!
​
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Character Love - Romance Writers Weekly - #lovechatwrite

4/8/2025

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Have you ever heard the term “suspension of disbelief?” It’s one of the few writing analysis terms I remember from high school.

Suspension of disbelief is what a reader has to do in order to fall deeply into a story that they know is imaginary. When we read fiction, we know it is made up. But we ignore that in order to enjoy it. Most of the books I DNF are because I can’t get to that point. I can’t forget that I’m reading something someone else wrote. I can’t even pretend to believe the characters are real.

The reason I bring this up is because of this week’s blob hop topic:

Do you ever (or always) fall in love with your characters?

In order to spends months, often more than a year, writing and revising a book, I have to care about the characters. I have to believe that their story will resonate with readers – but more importantly, the story has to resonate with me. I have to forget they are people I conjured up out of thin air. I have to believe they are real in every way.

So I guess, yes, I do fall in love with my characters. I want them to get their happy ending, to feel love and fulfilment and joy. Even if they only live in one dimension on a page or in an e-reader, I care for them. It is both a privilege and a pleasure.

What about you? What characters have you fallen in love with? Let me know below, then hop over to PG Forte to read her response!

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Speaking of falling in love with my characters...I hope you love Ginnie and Seth as much as I do!

RELEASE DAY FOR SUSPECT ATTRACTION!
A steamy, later-in-life contemporary romance mystery
 
A silver-haired charmer with a shameful secret. A broken-hearted matchmaker with a guilty burden. And a bewildering disappearance that could wrench them apart.
 
Regina Blynde knows Seth Updike is trouble the minute he strides into Blynde Dating Agency. That’s trouble with a capital T—tantalizing, tasty, and tempting.
 
Resolved never to risk loving someone only to lose them again, Ginnie keeps things strictly professional and matches him with a wealthy widow.
 
Who promptly goes missing.
 
Ginnie’s search for the truth makes it impossible to avoid Seth. And when he sets out to woo her, she finds him too hard to resist.
 
But as the evidence mounts up and mysterious circumstances multiply, Ginnie must face a shocking fact—she’s falling in love with the prime suspect.
 
(Ginnie 54, Seth 51)
 
Amazon-Kobo-Nook-Apple. E-book only $2.99! Paperback now available! Find all retailer links here.

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POUR DECISIONS is coming soon. Sign up to Read and Review today!

Meet the Martinelli sisters: Rosa, Bianca and Allegra. These partners in wine have just inherited a once-storied winery in the heart of Napa Valley. They’re living the dream, right?
 
Not so fast! Because, as it turns out, not everybody is happy for them. And that includes their Uncle Geno who’d assumed the property would come to him.
 
There are hoops to jump through, barrels to get over, and a mountain of regulations they'll have to scale. But these sisters are crushing it—and we don’t just mean the grapes. They’re making wine, falling in love, and working together to restore their inheritance to its former glory, one pour decision at a time.
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April Fool's Day! - Romance Writers Weekly - #lovechatwrite

4/1/2025

2 Comments

 
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It’s April Fool’s Day! Today on the blog hop, we’re sharing the best prank we’ve ever heard about (or done).

My mom is quite the prankster. It’s never anything cruel, but she delights in tricking people.

When I was a kid, a local dress shop went out of business and sold all their store fixtures. Unbeknownst to the rest of the family, my mom bought a mannequin and smuggled it home.

At the time we were living in a rural area on a small hobby farm. I came down from my bedroom one day and my mom asked me to call her friend inside for coffee. “She’s standing by the duck pond,” my mom said.

I opened the front door and called out. The woman didn’t move. “Maybe she didn’t hear you,” my mom said. “Go closer.”

I was embarrassing close to the mannequin before I realized mom’s “friend” was made of plastic!
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Radio stations are well known for pulling pranks. And even though I worked for one for more than thirty years, I am just gullible enough to fall for it. Every. Single. Year.

The best I remember was a prank that didn’t happen. Mr. PG is our city mascot. He is 8 metres (26 feet) tall and stands at the intersection of two main highways. According to the radio announcer, someone had “kidnapped” Mr. PG. It seemed an incredibly audacious prank—until I drove past the site and saw he was still there! The prank had been the announcement itself!

What about you? Any good pranks in your history? I’d love to hear about them.

Then hop over to Jenna Da Sie to read about her favourite prank!

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Early reviews are coming in for Suspect Attraction!

**FIVE STARS**
"So many twists and turns plus some very interesting characters make this a thoroughly enjoyable story!"
Goodreads and Bookbub Review

Reserve your copy today! E-book only $2.99 on Amazon, Kobo, B&N, and Apple!
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Idea Sparks - Romance Writers Weekly - #lovechatwrite

3/25/2025

2 Comments

 
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​This week’s Blog Hop topic is:

Name something that inspires your writing—real life, other books, a setting, dialogue you overhear, etc.

I am most inspired by meet-cutes. In romance, a meet-cute is the (usually awkward) moment that sparks the romance between the main characters. If they’ve known each other for a while, it’s the instant things change between them. If they are strangers, it’s usually their first time encounter .

I love hearing how real people met their significant others. Every story has something unique and special about it, and I want to bring that reality into my fiction.

For me, a book is launched when I have that opening scene settled in my mind. Here are a few examples that really stick out for me in my own work.

Strictly by the Book: the heroine falls into a swimming pool. She is unnecessarily rescued by the hero’s brother.

Too Good for Words: the hero brings the heroine’s son home in the middle of the night after the boy vandalizes the hero’s motorcycle shop.

Reserved for You: the heroine’s date proposes a threesome and she storms out of the hero’s restaurant.

The Promise of Frost: The hero’s young son climbs a tree in the heroine’s back yard trying to rescue his kitten.

What inspires you? What feeds your creativity? I’d love to hear about it. Then hop over to PG Forte to discover what inspires her!

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Available for Preorder! Coming April 8.
Amazon-Kobo-Nook-Apple
Only $2.99!

SUSPECT ATTRACTION
A steamy, later-in-life contemporary romance mystery
 
A silver-haired charmer with a shameful secret. A broken-hearted matchmaker with a guilty burden. And a bewildering disappearance that could wrench them apart.
 
Regina Blynde knows Seth Updike is trouble the minute he strides into Blynde Dating Agency. That’s trouble with a capital T—tantalizing, tasty, and tempting.
 
Resolved never to risk loving someone only to lose them again, Ginnie keeps things strictly professional and matches him with a wealthy widow.
 
Who promptly goes missing.
 
Ginnie’s search for the truth makes it impossible to avoid Seth. And when he sets out to woo her, she finds him too hard to resist.
 
But as the evidence mounts up and mysterious circumstances multiply, Ginnie must face a shocking fact—she’s falling in love with the prime suspect.
 
(Ginnie 54, Seth 51)

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Coming Soon!
Que Será, Syrah

​They may be keeping secrets and telling lies, but a little white wine never hurt anyone.​
 
Allegra
 
It’s not every day that you inherit one-third of a winery. I should be on top of the world, floating on Cloud Wine, as they say. Instead, don’t you just know it? I’m about to make one of the biggest mistakes of my life. And that’s saying something. My family has always viewed me as something of a screw-up, not always fairly. But in this case? They’re not only dead right about me messing things up; they don’t even know the half of it. Yet.
​
Complicating my quest to redeem myself, earn my sisters’ respect, and help them turn our winery into a straight fire success, is my low-key relationship with Sheriff’s Deputy Clay Romero. Sure, there are risks involved in sleeping with the enemy, but ‘what’s meant to be will find a way,’ right? And whether Clay believes it or not, I know we’re fated. With a capital F.
 
Clay
 
We’re Capital F somethin’ all right; but I don’t think it’s fate. Ever since Legs (AKA Allegra Martinelli) blew back into town, I’ve been flirting with disaster. Literally. I doubt that woman’s ever met a rule that she didn’t want to at least bend. And, as luck would have it, it’s my job to try and stop her. I love my job, and I think I love her. But there’s not enough wine in Napa to convince me that I’ll be able to hang on to them both.
​
Legs keeps likening us to Romeo and Juliet.  And as I keep trying to remind her; that kind of story tends not to end well. I’m sure there are exceptions, but are we gonna be one of them? I guess we’ll find out.
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Work in Progress Reveal! - Romance Writers Weekly - #lovechatwrite

3/18/2025

2 Comments

 
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This week’s topic couldn’t come at a better time!

What are you working on now? Share a glimpse of your current WIP.

I have been working on a steamy, later-in-life, contemporary romance mystery since October 2023. Yes, you read right. 2023.

Even now I haven’t got all my ducks in a row, but I am close to announcing preorder links and a release date. For now, though, I can share the cover, description, and an excerpt! Here you go!

***

A silver-haired charmer with a shameful secret. A broken-hearted matchmaker with a guilty burden. And a bewildering disappearance that could wrench them apart.
 
Regina Blynde knows Seth Updike is trouble the minute he strides into Blynde Dating Agency. That’s trouble with a capital T—tantalizing, tasty, and tempting.
 
Resolved never to risk loving someone only to lose them again, Ginnie keeps things strictly professional and matches him with a wealthy widow.
 
Who promptly goes missing.
 
Ginnie’s search for the truth makes it impossible to avoid Seth. And when he sets out to woo her, she finds him too hard to resist.
 
But as the evidence mounts up and mysterious circumstances multiply, Ginnie must face a shocking fact—she’s falling in love with the prime suspect.
And here's the first scene:
​
Trouble walked into my office at 8:57 that Monday morning.

I didn’t know he was trouble then, of course. Didn’t know the skin rippling on my arms was a warning. Didn’t know how different my life would be in a few short weeks.

Dismissing my goosebumps as a chill from the cool air following him in from the outer room, I gestured to the visitor’s chair.

He reached across my desk. “Seth Updike. Nice to meet you.”

“Regina Blynde. Welcome to Blynde Dating Agency.” His hand was warm and dry and lightly calloused. Warning number two—the butterflies battling in my belly. He wasn’t the first sexy silver fox I’d interviewed. He wasn’t even the first I’d been attracted to. I pushed aside my reaction as the normal hormones of a healthy hetero female confronted by a good-looking male.

Besides, he was a client. And clients were strictly off limits.

He settled into the leather and chrome chair. No arrogant sprawl, no nervous perching. Just an easy confidence I rarely saw in an applicant.
My normal tactic when meeting a new client was to let them take the lead. A few moments of silence had most people jumping in to fill the void, and I learned a lot in those first minutes of babble. Seth Updike, however, appeared ready to wait me out. His broad chest rose and fell with even breaths, his hands lay loosely on his thighs, and his blue eyes watched me with lazy amusement.

Two decades plus in human resources had taught me strategies for dealing with all personality types. This man was going to be a challenge, but I was confident I could handle him. I adjusted my approach.

“Tell me what you are hoping we can do for you, Mr. Updike.” I always kept things formal until invited otherwise.

“It’s Seth.”

Bingo. He’d taken the first step. Now we were on the path to becoming a team working to achieve the same goal. “And I’m Ginnie.” I leaned into my tall-backed executive chair and swivelled gently. I knew it dwarfed me, made me look tinier than my five foot and a half inches. Even the twenty pounds of grief weight I carried was disguised by its size. It was a purposeful choice. The less threatening I looked, the more people opened up to me.

You’d think people hoping I will find them love and companionship would be eager to tell me about themselves. Not so much. We all have masks we hide behind. We all want others to see us as stronger, prettier, smarter than we see ourselves.

I am not exempt from this. My mask is stitched together with pain and sorrow and fury. It helps me see the masks others wear.

“I’m not here to find a soulmate.” This was warning number three, though I didn’t know it at the time. “I’m fifty years old and understand when to temper my expectations. I’ll be happy with a companion, someone who enjoys the same things I do, who doesn’t create unnecessary drama, who will enhance my life.”

I knew he was fifty-one years old from the online profile he’d filled out. He might have misspoken without a hidden agenda—I often had to think hard before I remembered I was fifty-four—but then again, he might be vain enough to lie just that teensy bit. It was a small failing and I liked him better for it.

“What made you choose my agency?”

“You hooked me with the name.” The lazy amusement flared into a bright spark, the crow’s feet around his eyes deepening. I despaired the day would ever come when wrinkles on a woman would be as sexy as those on a man. “The fact that you’re a local business reeled me in. It was your process that landed me, though.”

He’d listed fishing as one of his hobbies. Along with hiking, camping, skiing, and other outdoor activities. I found it easy to believe he’d been honest about those pursuits. He had the lean honed look of a guy who spent little time in front of a TV or computer screen.

“What about the process?” I probed.

He crossed a khaki-clad leg over his knee and smoothed his palm down his thigh. It was his first sign of nervousness. “I researched other online dating services, but they felt too impersonal, too”—he circled a hand in the air above his head—“global. When I read that the online profile is only the first step in your matching system, and that you interview all applicants face-to-face, I figured I’d give it a try. I was also impressed that the references on your website are all from people in their forties and older. I have a twenty-five-year-old daughter. I’m not interested in dating anyone even remotely close to her age.”

Well, that was refreshing. I rejected many of the men—and more of the women than you might think—who applied because they were unwilling to consider potential partners in their own age group. Not that I insist clients stick within a certain range. But those who are adamant their dates must be ten or fifteen or twenty years younger often have issues that are more complicated than I am willing to deal with.

“Your application indicates your most recent long-term relationship ended about ten years ago.” We didn’t use the term ‘married’ on our forms. It was the commitment that counted, not the paperwork.

“Yes.” This brevity was at odds with his earlier openness.

I poked a little more. “So why now? What encouraged you to seek our help?”

The skin at the base of my throat tingled from his stare as he contemplated his response. He continued to avoid my eyes when he finally did reply. “It seemed like the right time.”

I sensed there was more to his answer, but he was allowed to keep his counsel. Unless his secret harmed another of my clients. Then I’d be all over his ass.

I pulled over the folder I’d prepared. “Here’s a selection of women I think might suit. Let’s get to work.”
You can read the first three chapters here, but don't forget to come back and hop over to Leslie Hachtel so you don't miss out on what she shared!

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What would you do if you could go back in time to find your soulmate?

For Skye Blaine, the answer is clear: she would do whatever it takes to be with the one she loves. Follow her as she travels through time in search of her heart's desire, finding that the path to true love is never easy, but always worth it. Will she find her happy ending?

​This page-turning story of love, sacrifice, and courage is sure to captivate and inspire. Don't miss out on this unforgettable journey through time!


AVAILABLE HERE!
2 Comments

Oh Where Shall I Go? - Romance Writers Weekly - #lovechatwrite

3/11/2025

1 Comment

 
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Sete Cidades, Sao Miguel, Azores. Only one of the amazing locations I used in my book.
I love to travel. Even with the hassle of airports, waiting in long lines, border crossing anxiety (what, it’s a thing, right?) and all the other irritations, it is so worth it for the chance to explore the people and places in a different part of the world.

Which leads me to this week’s Blog Hop topic:

How do you feel about settings? Do they become a character in your work? Do you stick to one type of setting or explore multiple locations?

Settings are the unsung heroes of fiction. It’s just there, hanging out in the background, controlling things. After all, your plot and characters are affected by where the story takes place. You can’t have a holiday vacation fling romance in an inner-city elementary school, can you?

As for me, all but one of my books is set at least partially in Prince George, the city where I live. I made that choice way back at the start of my career. I figured I had enough to learn about the writing gig without complicating things by creating a fictional town, too!

Reserved For You is the odd man out, as it is set in Vancouver. I am pretty familiar with Lower Mainland of BC, though, so it wasn’t a huge stretch for me. But the most exotic location I’ve used is the Azores, a Portuguese archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic.

My husband’s parents were born there, and in 2013 we travelled there as a family. Even before we left I knew I wanted to set a story on these tiny, fertile islands. But after we came back I had a much better appreciation and understand of them, and I hope that is evident in No Life But This.
Personally, I love to read books set in far-flung places. What about you? Let me know below, then hop over to Jill Haymaker for her take on this topic!

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Do you want to read my romance set in the Azores? Just click here!

Abigail Garsson feels trapped in her safe, boring, conventional life. Desperate to escape, she signs up for an adventure vacation on the Portuguese island of São Miguel.

Santos Carregado enjoys introducing tourists to his tiny island in the middle of the Atlantic. At first he barely notices the unassuming Abigail. He soon finds her meek exterior hides a vibrant woman who teases his senses and ignites his passion.

Abigail is stunned to discover the handsome, confident Santos is attracted to her, but his fiery kisses and searing caresses convince her to accept a sensuous invitation.

Will the realities of life shatter Abigail's holiday daydream? Or can the shifting sands of a short-term fling become the rock on which a life-long relationship is built?

(Abigail and Santos both 29)

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Montana Pines Spring Forward

A heartwarming romance that will leave you cheering for love to conquer all obstacles.

What COLBY HARTE didn’t ask for at Christmas was his wife to empty their bank accounts and leave him and his eight-year-old daughter, Emma, a few days before the holiday. At a loss as to how to move on, he takes a new teaching job in the tiny Montana mountain town of Pine Meadows. A new start may be just what they need.

CHEYENNE MITCHELL loves her job at the Pine Meadows Resort in her hometown. The trouble is she’s just turned thirty and can feel her biological clock ticking away. She’s never met a man who made her want to settle down. That all changes when Colby Harte walks into her bar.
​

When their friendship, built on her desire to help Colby and his daughter adjust to a new environment, begins to turn into something more, the fact that he’s still not technically divorced looms over both of them. Can either of them feel safe acting on the passion that flares between them? Just when they decide to take a chance, the return of Colby’s missing wife threatens to bring it all crashing down. But sometimes love wins. ​
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Creative Busy Work - Romance Writers Weekly - #lovechatwrite

3/4/2025

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My current crochet project
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Camping is a great way to recharge and a wonderful opportunity to take beautiful photos!
​The old saying goes “A change is as good as a rest.” For me, that definitely holds true when it comes to creativity. While words will always be my go-to outlet for my imagination, I do have a couple others. This week on the blog hop, we’ve been asked…

Other than writing, what creative things do you do? How do they spark your imagination?

One hobby that has always brought me joy is photography. This really bloomed with the advent of digital cameras. It was such a release to be able to snap as many shots as I wanted without the worry of expense…and to know right away what I was getting! And then to have one on my phone—well, it’s something I can’t resist. I take literally thousands of photos when we go on holiday, which drives my husband crazy. But I also love going through those photos, teasing out the best ones, and designing photo books. I figure if I’m going to be the one doing the work, there’s no reason I can’t take as many as I want.

A more recent hobby is crochet. I learned the basics as a child, but never really enjoyed it. But a few years ago I took it up again—at first, as something to do while visiting my mother-in-law in her care home, and then for my own relaxation on winter evenings. The main change in my attitude to this craft came about because I started using metal hooks. The yarn slips so easily on and off that I can’t believe anyone would ever use plastic. I mostly make blankets out of yarn I find at the thrift store, so I keep my supply costs low. It’s fun and soothing.

Both of these activities excercise different parts of my brain, and that helps when I sit down at my laptop. The photography also helps me with writing descriptions, as I helps me see things more clearly.

What about you? What hobbies or pasttimes do you have that allow you to express your creativtity?
 
Let me know below, then hop over to Jenna Da Sie to see what sparks her creativity!

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My next release now has a cover and a title!

If you are a member of my newsletter, you'll get the first look on Thursday, March 13. 

If you aren't, be sure to subscribe today! Just click here to receive THREE bonus reads and be the first to learn all my writing news.
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To Tell A Tale - Romance Writers Weekly - #lovechatwrite

2/18/2025

1 Comment

 
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​There is as fancy-schmancy definition of “trope,” but when a romance author asks you what your favourite trope is, what she is asking is “What story line do you like best?”

And just as readers have favourites, so do authors. And that’s what we’re talking about this week on the blog hop:

Do you have any favorite (or least favorite) tropes?

The beauty of romance is we all know the ending. No matter what trials and tribulations are thrown in our characters’ way, we know they will end up together. And those trials and tribulations also often have a familiar feel. That’s what a trope is…a well-used situation or setting. Here are some examples and which books of mine use them (along with links to excerpts from each book, so you can get a taste of them):

Workplace Romance (Reserved for You, Richly Deserved, When Time Falls Still)
Second Chance (Allegro Court, Turn the Next Page)
Opposites Attract (No Life But This, Strictly by the Book, Too Good for Words)

Almost all my books could also fall under the trope of “Friends to Lovers.” I’ve never been a fan of insta-love (insta-attraction, sure, but not love) so the characters in most of my books become friends before their relationship advances.

Workplace Romance has a special niche in my heart, probably because my husband and I met at work. Second Chances make me happy because I like to see a couple torn apart by circumstances reunited. And Opposites Attract as so much fun – pairing two people that seem completely wrong for each other and watching how they become completely right.

Do you have a favourite trope…or three? I love to hear from you! Then visit Leslie Hachtel to find out her favourites!

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Read an excerpt from RICHLY DESERVED here.

As well as a workplace romance, it features a grumpy artist, a managing business owner, and a lot of steamy heat!

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Two women. Years apart. Linked by common experience and a cottage that has survived since the Civil War. When Rebecca reaches out from the past, Evelyn finds it life changing.

And in their own times, each must discover strength and fight to find and keep true love.

A NEST Award winner in Paranormal!

Read today
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Flash Fiction - Romance Writers Weekly - #lovechatwrite

2/11/2025

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You may be shocked to learn this about a romance writer,  but I’ll take the chance.
Mr. C and I do not celebrate Valentine’s Day.

We made the decision very early in our marriage, preferring to focus on our anniversary in May and other more personal dates throughout the year.

Not that we can ignore Valentine’s Day, of course. It’s all around us, LOL! Including this week on the blog hop:

It’s time for flash fiction using hearts, chocolate, and roses.

Enjoy!

​***
Candace’s feet ached. She’d been on them for hours, dealing with last minute Valentine’s Day orders. She hitched a hip onto the tall stool behind the counter and sighed as the pressure lifted from her ankles and arches.

At the moment, the shop was empty. Not only empty of customers. It was empty of roses, freesia, baby’s breath, alstroemeria, lilies… Her brain was too tired to list the rest.

Men were the worst. You’d think they didn’t know how to read a calendar. February 14th was the same day every year, for Pete’s sake. And the worst of the worst sauntered in on their way home from work, with only minutes to spare before closing, and were shocked, angry, dismayed, and petulant when she couldn’t magic up a glorious bouquet at their behest.

She hoped the hearts of the women they had belatedly remembered wouldn’t be too battered at this evidence of their partner’s inattention.

The bell above the door chimed. She closed her eyes, drew in a breath, and prepared to do what she could for the final poor sap of the day.
When she looked over the counter, she had to adjust her gaze down. The boy was maybe eight, with a thin face and a wing of dark hair falling over his forehead. Bold framed spectacles gave him a scholarly air, despite his youth. The navy-blue puffy parka he wore only emphasized his gawky frame.

“Hello,” she said. “What can I do for you?”

“I’d like to get some flowers.” He pulled a crumpled bundle of cash out of his pocket.

“I don’t have very much left,” Candace said with none of the impatience she’d offered the other latecomers. “I wish you’d got here sooner.”

“I had to wait for my dad to get off work. I made him bring me.” The boy nodded over his shoulder. Outside the wide display window, a large truck sat at the curb, snow frozen on the hood, dirt and grime dulling its bright blue paint.

“I see. Are the flowers for your mother?” She moved toward the cooler, wondering what she could scramble together.

“No. She’d dead.”

He said it so matter-of-factly that Candace had moved on three more steps before it registered. She stopped and looked down at the boy, standing at her elbow. “I’m so sorry.”

“Thank you.” The words were polite but empty. “They’re for my dad. Mom always bought him flowers for Valentine’s Day. He’d say he’d rather have chocolates, that real men didn’t want flowers, but I know he was only teasing her because he always kissed her for a long time after.”

Her heart splintered. “It’s lovely that you want to do this. Let’s see what we can find.”

Real men might not want flowers, but real men who were raising a son with the perception and sweetness of this boy deserved something special. And after all the saccharine sweetness of the other bouquets, it would be a welcome challenge.

She found a small clay pot in glossy black and stuffed it with florist’s foam. From a bucket in the far back of the cooler she pulled cedar fronds, pine fans, and thin birch branches. A couple of white carnations that had escaped her earlier pillaging added a pop of colour. She stepped back and studied it with a finger on her chin.

“It needs one more thing. Wait here.” She hurried to the storage room where off-season items were kept. She rifled through a box of Christmas décor and gave an exclamation of satisfaction.

Returning to the front, she plucked a thin but strong piece of wire from her supply table. After winding it swiftly around the front and rear axles of the old-fashioned truck she’d liberated from Christmas Past, she poked it into the middle of the bouquet. The truck was almost as bright a blue as the one parked at her curb, and it even had snow artistically painted on its fenders, roof, and hood.

“What do you think?” She turned the creation toward the boy, who been unnaturally quiet as she’d worked.

His face broke into a wide smile. “It’s not what Mom used to get him, but I think it’s perfect. How much is it?”

It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him it was no-charge. But she didn’t want to belittle his gesture by refusing payment. “How much do you have?”

“Twenty-one dollars and fifty cents.”

“Isn’t that lucky! I sell this design for fifteen dollars. Of course, there are taxes on top of that.”

He nodded solemnly. She rang up the sale, took the money warmed by his small hand, and gave him the change, just as the door opened again.

“Everything okay in here?”

“You weren’t supposed to come in, Dad!” Dismay rang clear in the boy’s voice. “I don’t want you to see until we get home.”

Candace swiftly lowered the arrangement below the counter. “I’ll wrap it up to hide it,” she said. “Just give me a minute.”

She ripped off a long strip of paper from the roll she usually used to envelope small, hand-held bouquets. Working on the floor was awkward, but she managed at last. When she lifted it back onto the counter, she got her first look at “Dad.”

He was tall and thin, with the same shock of dark hair on his forehead as his son. Grey tinted his short sideburns and the lines on his face cut deep. She wondered if his wife had died recently, if the lines were grief or simple single-parent exhaustion.

“You have a wonderful son,” she said as she handed the arrangement over to the boy.

Love lifted some of the weariness out of his expression. “Yes. Thanks for helping him. I know you should be closed by now.”

“Not a problem.”

Father and son moved toward the door. As his dad opened it, the boy turned back to her. “Happy Valentine’s Day,” he said.

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” she echoed. “Come again.”

She said that to all her customers. But she really wanted to see this pair again. Wanted to see what the man looked like with a smile on his face.

***

I'd love to hear what you think of this little story. Leave a comment below, then hop over to Jill Haymaker
 to read what she has for you!

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Richly Deserved

More than twenty years ago, Claudia Aronson escaped an abusive marriage. She built a secure, stable life, and is now only weeks away from realizing a long-held dream—opening her own art gallery. But her well-ordered world is threatened by the compelling, abrasive man essential to bringing her new venture into the spotlight.


Artist Titus Wilcox is reclusive, nomadic, and passionate. His solitary, drifting habits have fed his creative soul, but played hell with his love life. Soon after he meets the statuesque, seemingly-serene Claudia, however, he feels a compulsion to paint a new reality—with her.

When an antique painting reveals mysterious documents concealed behind its frame, Titus and Claudia unite in a hunt for lost riches—a pursuit that takes them into the remote hills surrounding the fabled gold rush town of Barkerville.

To these two skeptics, true love is as phony as fool’s gold. But this improbable search for buried treasure could lead to their hearts’ hidden desires.

(Claudia and Titus both 49)

Available in print and e-book here


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Ride into Love

Can friends turn into lovers? After Robin Outlaw loses her beloved husband, can she find love again with someone who has been there all along? On a scenic cattle ranch and with the help of a small, rescue dog. She just might find that what she needs is right there in front of her.

Read today!
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