A Thrilling Experience

by M. L. Buchman

I just finished the post-first-reader draft of my first-ever techno-thriller (and if I could squeeze more hyphens into that sentences...). I found the experience to be...educational to say the least.

I've written thrillers before. My Dead Chef foodie-thriller series follows television's top chefs as they are hunted and killed on air. These light-hearted romps all have several things in common, but one of those is having a romance down the core.

More info at: https://www.mlbuchman.com/thrillers/

These aren't romances, but rather have "strong romantic elements" as we say in the industry. Like my 50 romance novels (and even my several SF/F novels), a romance lends a structure to a novel. There are first meetings, intimacy, conflict, growing affection, and happy-ever-after resolution (or at least happy-for-now in the non-romances).

In my latest novel, I set out to write a pure techno-thriller. I didn't even want to mimic a Clive Cussler style where Dirk Pitt is falling happily in lust with the book's heroine. Even Lee Child's ever-so-remote Jack Reacher has something of a romance arc in most of his tales.

In this one? Not even a smidgen.

Why did I do this?

Partly to challenge myself--it's a piece of how I'm constantly striving to improve my craft. Take the romance core that I've learned over the course of 60 novels and almost every one of my 100+ short stories, and toss it aside. Learn something new.

Also, far more than romantic suspense, a thriller is about pacing. By removing the romance, I was able to focus all of my attention on the critical thriller element of pacing.

...and it was like I'd forgotten how to write.

Thoughts jumbled. Events seemed to just happen for reasons I, as the writer, couldn't figure out for the longest time. (I have learned as a writer to generally trust my instincts. If I insert something odd, there's probably a reason my subconscious put it there. So, even if I don't know why it's there, I almost always leave it in.)

Character arcs! Oy vey! Character arcs, with no underlying romance superstructure, were total chaos. A character's growth in a romance is most of why we read them. We want to go on the journey with them. It's how we know who the hero and heroine are, they're the ones going through the most change. That's who the reader consistently identifies with.

Sure. Great. Fine.

But what about all of the other possible character arcs outside of romance?

That was the harrowing challenge of my thriller. My main character had to find a whole other path. Also, they had to go through it without even once breaking the drive-ahead pace that's so essential to a thriller. It was an amazing and educational experience and, yes, there will be more of them.

And then, after I finished that draft and sent it to the copyeditor yesterday, I pulled up a military romantic suspense I'm working on, the second novel in the new series that started with a Novel #1 serialization this month:

https://www.mlbuchman.com/shadow-force-psi/

Let me just say, "WHOA!" Suddenly character superseded pacing, sentences and paragraphs were longer, and there was a radiantly clear character arc (two of them actually, as it's a romance).

It's like coming home to an old friend...and not quite recognizing them. I'm sure that by the time I've done another day or two of writing, the familiar and comfortable world of romance will wrap it's gentle hug back around me. But for now, my brain is still in thriller world.

Coming October 2019

M.L. "Matt" Buchman has over 60 novels, 100 short stories, and a fast-growing pile of audiobooks out in the world. M.L. writes romance, thrillers, and SF&F…so far. Recently named as "The 20 Best Romantic Suspense Novels: Modern Masterpieces" by ALA’s Booklist, he has also been selected three times as "Top-10 Romance Novel of the Year." NPR and B&N listed other works as "Best 5 Romance of the Year." As a 30-year project manager with a geophysics degree who has: designed and built houses, flown and jumped out of planes, and bicycled solo around the world, he is awed by what's possible. More at: www.mlbuchman.com.

Wedding Day Disasters by Sarah Raplee

  

The potential for disasters to occur at important events like weddings is almost limitless. I like to collect ideas to add drama, tragedy, humor, miracles or magic to wedding scenes. 

Using weather-related disasters is a time-honored tradition based on real-life events. For example, I missed my real college graduation in Texas because of a tornado. Depending on where your fictional wedding is taking place, a tornado might be used to add drama or humor to your story. 

Pets at weddings are a growing trend. I learned of a wedding where the bride and groom wanted their two dogs to act as ring bearers. Unfortunately, the dogs freaked out. A chase ensued and...I'll leave the rest to your imagination. 

My husband once caught his sweater on fire while lighting candles at a birthday party in a Chinese restaurant. Small children burst into tears as I doused him with water from my glass. Luckily the fire spread across the loose surface fibers and was quickly extinguished, so he didn't get burned, but fifteen years later those kids still talk about Grandpa catching on fire at the restaurant!

Bridal gown disasters, tuxes that are the wrong size, mixed-up reception deliveries, pregnant brides going into labor...Let your imagination run free!

Have you experienced a 'disaster' at an important event?

Mountain Man and the Corporate Girl Got Hitched

by Courtney Pierce

The two-year anniversary of my re-marriage is approaching like a shooting star. Where has the time gone? The journey started out with two damaged souls who found each other on a forever-trek toward healing. There’s something wonderful about bonding with a new mate who has an equally beat-up set of emotional luggage as mine. Neither one of us expected flawless, but we both needed a cocktail of respect, affection, partnership, and commitment—shaken, not stirred. Age has advantages for adapting to a new relationship. Experience from botching things up  and enjoying successes in life gives us boomers the ability to bypass all that nonsense of dancing around each other’s insecurities. No modesty.

Jeff and I fell in love before we even met in person. Just as I was about to abandon my first online dating attempt, a connection popped up to ignite an exciting exchange that lasted for two weeks. The communication began with Jeff's simple question, “Are you enjoying your Sunday?”

After that, we texted each other for days about everything: childhood, interests, goals, families, favorites, and our previous marriage woes. We both loved books. I was a writer; Jeff wanted to be one. We were both singers. I was a soprano and he was a first tenor. Jeff was a widower, who had three grown children and a middle-schooler he was raising alone. I was a barren divorced woman, all alone, who had always regretted not having children. He was a man of the outdoors with a physically taxing job, I was a corporate executive with a mentally stressful career. We fit together like that image of Yin and Yang.. 

Our relationship enriched with a voice when our texts graduated to phone conversations. And what a voice he had, too!. Little did I know that he could put Freddie Mercury to shame. Tone, nuances and inflection added a whole new layer to our exchanges. I still find it fascinating that a laugh is like a fingerprint; everyone's is unique. I learned so much about Jeff from his..

Jeff and I finally set a dinner date to meet in person. We each wanted to know if the other was real, a heart-pounder moment. For flight insurance, we drove separately to the restaurant in the event one of us want to flee our disillusionment. But when I came around the corner to see him standing by the entrance, all my fears evaporated. Jeff's online photo didn’t do him justice, not by a long shot. I saw his wide smile first, and then his chest heaved with a deep breath. Through some scary force of nature, I walked up to him and planted a long kiss on his perfect mouth. It left him wide-eyed and me spellbound. I think he, too, was relieved that I hadn’t a Photoshopped a fake version of me.

“There,” I said. “We got that out of the way.”

“Okay then,” he said. “Are you hungry?”

“Not really.”

“You’re beautiful.”

“So are you.”

Our dinner stretched on for nearly two hours, to the point where the waiter got fidgety to re-seat the table. Jeff followed me home, with most of our uneaten meals in to-go boxes. We held each other till dawn, with a lot of yadda, yadda, yadda in between, most of which had been absent in our former married lives for years. The newness was cathartic. We became inseparable after that night, and proceeded to log hundreds of miles on the forty-five-minute drive between our houses.

Two months later, Jeff sprung a marriage proposal on me at Christmas for a suggested wedding in June. As a bona fide mountain man and an experienced hiker, he wanted to take me to his favorite spot for our honeymoon: Mt. Rainier in Washington. I wholeheartedly accepted. We were going backpack camping in the Goat Rocks, an oasis that had been his personal favorite. Until he'd met me, Jeff only enjoyed that area alone. He had waved me into his world, a new world where I desperately wanted to be.

We ditched the pomp and circumstance of a church wedding, preferring the surroundings of the forest near Mt. Rainier. With only twelve people in attendance—including the photographer and pastor—our vows were personal and intimate.  We pledged our souls to each other among the old-growth trees. A warm breeze carried the rich fragrance of moss. And upon uttering “I do,” I instantly became a mom and a grandmother. I don’t know anything about birthin' babies, so starting out with an eleven-year-old stepdaughter rollercoasted me from Mainline Menopause to Planet Puberty. That was fine with me, because when I gazed into my new daughter's eyes, I saw Jeff. His deep brown eyes and ebony hair were mirrored in her. And when she gave me a hug, I filled with light.

With rings on our fingers, Jeff and I strapped on our backpacks and laced up our boots to set off for a week of hiking. We soon left the trail. Thank goodness Jeff has an uncanny sense of direction, and that I'm an efficient packer. I carried only what I could shove in my pack. Here I was, a new bride at fifty-eight who was required to leave behind the required make-up, jewelry, perfume, and honeymoon negligee. Instead, "freshening up" was a behind-a-log event. At least there were no mirrors (except for the smirk on Jeff's face) to remind me of my untamed, hay-like hair,  Sweaty clothes washed in a mountain creek yielded a few critters after being hung from branches.

“It’s not a fashion show, my dear,” Jeff said. “And I hope you don’t mind taking a bath in a freezing cold creek.”

“No one’s going to see me, except you,” I said, although the image made every orifice pucker..

Shedding conveniences became worth it to emerge from the forest to a panoramic vista of snow-capped mountains, wildflowers, deer, elk, and a symphony of birds. Talking seemed downright disrespectful at those special moments, so Jeff would communicate with me by taking my hand and giving it a squeeze.

On day three, the huge paw prints in a burm of snow gave me pause. They were the size of dinner plates and fresh.

“Jeff?” I said, halting to point. “Look at this.”

“Uh-oh,” he said. “He’s a biggun’, and he’s close. I’ve got bear spray, but we’ll need to hang our food in the trees tonight.” His voice instantly became protective. I felt safe with Jeff by my side, but nature’s dangers needed to be headed.

After setting up camp, we’d build a fire at night and talk, just like we always had. The added element was to gnaw on jerky. From there, we built a foundation of wishes and dreams that would carry us for the rest of our lives.

Now, two years later, we’re making those honeymoon wishes a reality. One of those special wishes is about to come true. For our second anniversary, we'll be hiking in our new home of Kalispell, Montana, just as we dreamed about by the campfire.

Photo: Micah Brooks

Courtney Pierce is a fiction writer splitting her time between Milwaukie, Oregon, and Kalispell, Montana with her husband. stepdaughter, and their brainiac cat, Princeton. Courtney writes for the baby boomer audience. She spent 28 years as an executive in the entertainment industry and used her time in a theater seat to create stories that are filled with heart, humor, and mystery. She studied craft and storytelling at the Attic Institute and has completed the Hawthorne Fellows Program for writing and publishing. Active in the writing community, Courtney is a board member of the Northwest Independent Writers Association and on the Advisory Council of the Independent Publishing Resource Center. She is a member of Willamette Writers, Pacific Northwest Writers Association, and She Writes. The Executrix received the Library Journal Self-E recommendation seal.

Audiobook now Available!

Check out all of Courtney's books: 

courtney-pierce.com and

windtreepress.com 

Print and E-books are available through most major online retailers, including Amazon.com.

Available Now!
Book 3 of the
Dushane Sisters
Trilogy

The Dushane Sisters Trilogy concludes with Indigo Legacy, available now. There's love in the air for Olivia and Woody, but will family intrigue get in the way? Ride along for the wild trip that starts in a New York auction house and peaks in a mansion on Boston's Beacon Hill. 

The Dushane sisters finally get to the truth about their mother.

New York Times best-selling author Karen Karbo says, "Courtney Pierce spins a madcap tale of family grudges, sisterly love, unexpected romance, mysterious mobsters and dog love. Reading Indigo Lake is like drinking champagne with a chaser of Mountain Dew. Pure Delight."

The Fascinating 1920's with Lauri Robinson

The Roaring Twenties was a fascinating time for America. A time of great change around the world. Economies were thriving, cities were booming, and industries were blossoming.

Cars: People from coast to coast had access to the same merchandise thanks to chain stores, and new transportation opportunities allowed long distance traveling. Ford vowed to build a car that all Americans could afford—a Model T cost $260 in 1924—and dozens of other car manufactures grew from the demand for more options. By 1929 there was one car on the road for every five Americans and new business, gas stations and motels, lined the roadways.

BOOK 1

Women: The 19^th Amendment guaranteed the right to vote, opportunities to attend colleges, and to pursue careers, paved the way for younger women to embrace who they were, and fashion and beauty products allowed them to showcase their individuality like never before. The increased availability of birth control made it possible to plan for children, and new technology brought freedom from the drudgeries of house work with electric refrigerators, washing machines, and vacuum cleaners.

Whiskey: Prohibition—the 18^th Amendment had been ratified in 1919 and on January 16, 1920 at 12:00 AM the federal Volstead Act closed every saloon, bar, and tavern in the United States. The act made it illegal to manufacture and sell any alcoholic beverage. However, consumption of alcohol was not illegal. The liquor trade went underground and bootleggers, gangsters, and racketeers soon battled amongst themselves to control the wealth gained by this enterprising opportunity. Speakeasies were born and embraced.

BOOK 2

Entertainment: Radios became a must have and radio stations popped up across the nation bringing the news as it happened and entertainment into homes. Movie theatres and amusement parks became popular businesses in large cities and small towns alike.  Americans had more leisure time than ever before and quickly fell in love with going to the movies. Stars of black and white films, and singers, became household names as theatres popped up across the nation. Hollywood hosted over 20 film studios that produced an average of 800 movies a year.

The roaring twenties is one of my favorite time periods. The glitz and glamour of entertainment, the dangers and underworlds of gangsters, the liberty and revolution of women, the freedom and travel of fast cars and airplanes, all gives way for never-ending opportunities for exciting settings and compelling men and women to fall in love and find their happily-ever-after.

This year, Brides of the Roaring Twenties, my two-book series, will be released. These books are about two women, Helen and Shirley, who are looking for fresh starts and head to where the bright lights beckon—Hollywood—where they find adventures amongst the speakeasies, starlets and the silver screen! Though they weren’t looking, they each find a handsome Hollywood bachelor to guide them through the dazzling new world they’ve entered and eventually down the aisle! 

Baby on his Hollywood Doorstep was released in May.

Stolen Kiss with the Hollywood Starlet will be released in September.

Lauri with fan at B&N book signing

Currently, I’m working on another series set in the twenties and again in Hollywood, this time about sisters who are wealthy heiresses by day, and flappers by night! They too find adventures, scandal, and handsome Hollywood bachelors.

Lauri Robinson has written a variety of historical romance novels. She lives in lives in Minnesota where she and her husband spend every spare moment with their three grown sons and their families—spoiling the grandchildren.

You can learn more about Lauri and her books at www.laurirobinson.blogspot.com, http://www.amazon.com/author/laurirobinson 

and connect with her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lauri.robinson1 https://www.facebook.com/authorlaurirobinson/

or Twitter https://twitter.com/LauriR

An Out Of This World Wedding #scifi #romance

Hi, I'm Pippa Jay, author of sci-fi and supernatural stories to engage your emotions. Despite writing several romances, only one features an actual wedding. My debut novel (which by strange coincidence released one day before my own wedding anniversary) sees the out of this world joining of my two main characters on a tropical island far removed in space and time from either of their points of origin.

The ceremony combined the tradition of their reptilian hosts with their own chosen vows, created after researching some pagan hand-fasting ceremonies from my home country. So I'm sharing an excerpt from Keir where my star-crossed lovers finally get to make the ultimate committment...

Keir stood in M’linka’s hut and tried to still the quiver in his hands. The saurian artist sat hunched over his sketchpad, once more tracing the patterns on Keir’s back. Metraxian tradition required a groom to come bare-chested to his bride, to show the tattoo that marked his initiation into adulthood. When S’rano had given him the vows to learn and told him of the ritual, Keir had barely hesitated. He would honor his hosts and the woman he loved by going against his own inhibition and obeying islander tradition. And it gave M’linka, itching for another look at the plethora of designs carved into Keir’s skin, a second chance to sketch. The saurian had been flattered by Keir’s request to be his guide through the ceremony, though he did little to allay Keir’s nerves as they waited.
Keir watched the villagers pass by in brightly-colored clothing and woven headdresses, bearing food for the banquet or burning torches to light the feast as they went to gather on the beach. The sun was sinking in crimson splendor, turning the sea to fiery gold and the trees beyond into dark shadows. The sounds of excitement and anticipation, of talk and laughter rose above the voice of the sea. Listening to them only heightened his own nerves. He dried sweating palms on the fabric of his trousers, ran the words through his mind again and again. He prayed his tongue would not stumble over them.
A sudden hush fell. M’linka laid his drawing aside and rose to join Keir, whose mouth went dry as L’enko’s voice carried to him.
“My friends!” he cried. “Tonight we celebrate three great events. We welcome our wraith hunters back as men, ready to take on the responsibilities of adulthood. We welcome two honored guests, rescued by our brave hunters. And we celebrate their marriage, here in our village on this night!”
A rousing cheer and applause greeted his announcement.
“Let the ceremony begin!”
The Metraxians started clapping rhythmically, beating out a marching time. M’linka led the way out, down to the gathering, and brought Keir before the chief, who sat on a throne of bamboo. Keir waited as S’rano came down with Quin walking behind him. She had her eyes downcast, and a beautiful rose blush to her cheeks, still dressed in the flowing sarongs and with her hair braided. His body pulsed with heat as she raised her eyes to meet his, and then lowered her gaze to his bare chest. He heard her sharp intake of breath, saw her smile brighten as she understood his tribute to her.
“For you, my love.” He offered it as a gift.
Tears glimmered in her eyes, and he adored her all the more for it. She knew what it signified, and the fact that it mattered to her meant the world to him. She meant the world to him.
“You are my everything.” Her thoughts twined within his, and her love washed over him.
L’enko joined Quin’s left hand to Keir’s right, holding them together in both hands. The fact that her hand trembled as much as his settled his own nerves, and he squeezed a reassurance.
L’enko called for silence and turned to Keir. “What do you seek here?”
The words he had feared to forget came easily now, because they came from his true desire. “I seek to bind my life to Tarquin Secker, the woman I love with all my heart and soul,” he replied, his voice as steady as his love for her.
L’enko turned to Quin with the same question, and she answered calm and clear, as if she had waited all her life with those words on her lips. “I seek to bind my life to Keirlan de Corizi, the man I love with all my heart and soul.”
“The joining of your hands represents your wish to join your lives together as one.” Once more, L’enko addressed Keir. “Speak your vows.”
“I promise to share all my life with you, in love and laughter, through tears and trials. To work by your side and to dream in your arms. To fill your heart and feed your soul. To always see the best in you, and to love you always until the end of our forever.” As he spoke the words, he touched her mind, offered himself body and soul along with his vows, completely.
L’enko prompted Quin to speak, and for a moment, her voice failed and she could only stare at him in silence. Panic flared briefly in Keir’s mind. That single mote of tension, of quiet, seemed to last forever. Then Quin spoke, and a sigh passed through the gathering as she mirrored Keir’s vows. Relief washed through him as each word brought them closer to unity.
With their promises given, L’enko wrapped a cord around their joined hands. “With your pledges spoken, and your hearts and minds as one, as your bodies will be one in union, I bind you now until the end of your forever.”
A loud cheer arose as the Keir and Quin kissed each other, both hesitant with so many eyes upon them. The chief unbound their hands and bade them sit together as he proceeded with the rest of the ceremonies.

To find out if that was their happy ever after, you'll have to read the rest of their story. ;) Find them all at pippajay.co.uk

Tale Of The Travelling Wedding Dresses

This month's topic of Wedding Tales is so timely !  No, not because I'm getting married (again). I'm not. But because the current theme for a writing challenge I'm involved with is Wedding Dress so my mind has already been on all things white and lacy.

My own wedding dress was made by my mum, so held an extra special place in my heart. She was a dressmaker and I didn't even own a 'bought' dress until I was 18 and working. I was conscious of the fact that our budget wasn't great so I couldn't go overboard with fabric choice. I did pour over wedding magazines (so much a part of the excitement and anticipation of a wedding) and found gorgeous lace dress (think Grace Kelly and Kate Middleton) with long sleeves and a high neck. Detailed Guipiure lace (very trendy back in the 70s) was out of the question, but the simper lace we found was pretty and inexpensive. The dress in the mag had a really wide skirt and train and we just couldn't afford such magnificence, but the bodice had the look I wanted and I was thrilled with the result.

My home-made wedding dress fitted in perfectly with out home wedding reception in a small marquis in mum's back yard and catered for by a friend. Nothing grand or fancy, but personal and we were able to party late into the night rather than being ejected from a formal venue before midnight. she also made the bridesmaid's dresses and their posies were purple Bougainvillia from her garden.

As is the fate of most wedding dresses, mine was then packed away carefully with the thought that perhaps if I had a daughter, she might like to wear it or at least use it somehow. But before my daughter came along, I had the opportunity to decide whether to hold onto it, or give it to someone in need.

My heritage is Latvian and at the time (1980s) my parents' homeland was still under Russian rule. Life in Latvia was pretty grim with low wages and very little in the way of luxuries, let alone pretty fabric or modern wedding dresses. A friend of my mum's niece was getting married and didn't have the means or access to have something lovely to wear on her special day, so would I consider sending her mine?

I weighed up the options. I might have a daughter. She might or might not be interested in my wedding dress 20+ years into the future. The dress might or might not fit her. Even back then I wasn't someone who held huge sentimental value to 'things' (I have photos and memories) so it wasn't a difficult decision to make and my dress winged its way to Latvia where I knew at least one bride (but probably more) would enjoy wearing it.

There were some remnants of fabric left from my dress and my darling mum made me a very

lovely long-sleeved, v-neck blouse with a front and sleeve ruffle (it was the 80s remember!) from which I got a lot of wear. Also, when my daughter did eventually come along, there was another small remnant of my wedding dress which went into the yoke of her christening dress which mum also made.

Just as well I didn't hang onto my dress because 30+ years down the track, my daughter still hasn't walked down the aisle so the dress would still be languishing in the wardrobe - but I still have the christening dress so maybe she'll be able to make use of that. Maybe not as fancy as the royal family's heirloom christening robe, but a little piece of my special day that can stay in the family.

I haven't written an actual wedding into any of my romances, but I'm enjoying crafting some flash fiction for the writing challenge about another special wedding dress.

Catch up with all Andra's current writing news on her website - andraashe.com

Get Me to the Wedding by Delsora Lowe

As a romance writer and reader, who doesn’t love weddings?

And June is synonymous with the premier wedding month. Although, I have to say, I vowed never to get married in June. Fall is my favorite month, and I planned that someday I would marry in September or October. My wedding date was June 5. 😊

As anyone who had been involved in a wedding, whether the bride or the bridesmaid, the mother-of-the bride or an excited guest, we know getting to the wedding is a journey.

In my Starlight Grille series, Moonlighting, book three (SPOILER ALERT) ends in a proposal, and books one, The Legacy of Parkers Point, and two, Come Dance With Me, (SPOILER ALERT) end in weddings. It took a lot of community and character building, plus support and encouragement from friends, for each couple to get to their happily-ever-after.

In my new release, The Prince’s Son, book one of the Cowboys of Mineral Springs, (you guessed it) the ending has to do with this subject, BUT I’m not telling you what happens. Book two, The Rancher Needs a Wife, due out this fall, same subject (but again NO SPOILER).

Can you see a theme here? I do love the epitome of a happy ending. My very first book, which remains packed away “under lock and key and under the bed” was inspired by my daughter’s wedding, in the true-life Maine town in which Serenity Harbor (of the Starlight Grille series) was based on.

The twist in this book was the mother-of-the-bride found her own happily-ever-after during the week leading up to the wedding. This book was a book of my heart—my first book and a book about a woman my age (at the time I wrote this book, I was a LOT younger). And someday, when I can find the typed version of the manuscript (somewhere in a packed box), I will rewrite it. Sadly, the whole book got wiped out when a repair person came to update the internet and computer in 2001. But I still remember various parts of the story.

The newest romance trope is writing about “seasoned” characters, as they find love the second time around, a twist on the second chance trope. Although I’ve personally vowed never to marry again 😊, I’m pretty sure if I found the perfect mate, I would.

So, of course, I have thought about weddings for the over-fifty generation. I imagine they will look much different from the weddings of the younger crowd. Probably smaller and more intimate. Not as formal. Perhaps a destination wedding with family and close friends. Or elopement, then a big party. Or maybe no wedding at all. Living in two homes, with partially separate lives as they mold their relationship to fit into long-held, single-status of both, but still wanting to share most of their time together in their own version of a happily-ever-after. The options are endless.

This is the fun of writing about weddings. There are so many variations, that the topic is always fresh. And for those writers who pen series, the love story of a primary set of characters in book one can result in a proposal and wedding in the books that follow. You may have noticed that trend in several Hallmark movies that have turned into a series of movies that end with the wedding.

One of my college friends was married in a tiny, old, and very cold chapel in February, back in the day when New England winters were frigid and the snow was high. The setting and ambiance were breathtaking. Another was married by the ocean. And another in a sweet, old church renovated into a small event venue overlooking a cove filled with working lobster boats.

So much potential. Weddings. Celebrate them, whether in June or October or any other month of the year.

Oooooh, I think I have several wedding story ideas percolating. With that, I’ll say goodbye and start making notes.

Until then, enjoy the myriad of wedding-based romance books and movies that are sure to be released this month.

Tell me if you have a favorite wedding story, fictional or not. Or a favorite dream wedding venue or location.

~ cottages to cabins ~ keep the home fires burning ~Delsora Lowe writes small town sweet romances and contemporary westerns from the mountains of Colorado to the shores of Maine.

Author of the Starlight Grille series, Serenity Harbor Maine novellas, and the Cowboys of Mineral Springs series, Lowe has also authored short romances for Woman’s World magazine.

Social Media Links:

Author website: www.delsoralowe.com
Author FaceBook page: fb.me/delsoraloweauthor
Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Delsora-Lowe/e/B01M61OM39/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Books2Read Author page: https://www.books2read.com/ap/8GWm98/Delsora-Lowe
BookBub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/delsora-lowe-93c6987f-129d-483d-9f5a-abe603876518
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16045986.Delsora_Lowe

Amazon Print Book

Amazon E-Book

Books2Read E-Book

Amazon Print Book

Amazon E-Book  

Books2Read E-Book

PHOTO CREDITS:

Engagement https://pixabay.com/illustrations/love-romantic-relationship-together-3581038/
Bride and Groom Silhouette http://www.oogazone.com/2018/unique-bride-and-groom-silhouette-clip-art-photos/
Dancing in Sneakers https://pixabay.com/photos/marriage-bridal-wedding-shoes-636018/
“Marry Me” - In the Sand https://www.thefashionisto.com/how-plan-caribbean-beach-wedding-7-best-tips/
Hanging hearts https://pixabay.com/photos/heart-love-romance-valentine-700141/
Older Couple https://pixabay.com/photos/beach-wedding-happy-couple-sunset-1934732/
Small Chapel http://clipart-library.com/clipart/2096463.htm
Dancing Wedding Couple https://pixabay.com/photos/people-couple-love-hug-dance-2597818/

Chicken Soup For Your Taste Buds by Kristin Wallace

I must have food on the brain. Earlier this month we celebrated #NationalDoughnutDay. Coincidentally, a "artisan" doughnut shop opened within walking distance of my place. They make all these amazing flavors like chocolate mousse (pictured here), plus white chocolate, dulce de leche, cookies & cream, and key lime pie, among others. Is it a conspiracy to get me to eat more doughnuts? Maybe! 


However, I also want to show that I’m trying to eat healthier. For instance, I cooked homemade chicken noodle soup the other day. It’s not my recipe. In fact, I stole it from my parents…who got it off the back of the chicken bouillon jar. It is DELICIOUS and so EASY to make!

Here’s the recipe for Chicken Noodle Soup. 

Start with chicken bullion. I like the “Better Than Bullion” brand for this recipe. It’s not a powder or cube like some brands. It has more of a thick paste consistency so it’s creamier. 

Ingredients:

- 6 Tablespoons of chicken bouillon 

- Half of a rotisserie chicken diced into small pieces (Note: You can use whatever chicken you want, but it does need to be cooked. Rotisserie chicken is easy as you can buy it cooked at the store. You can use more than half of the chicken, it just depends on how much you like

- 8-10 cups (2 ½ quarts) of water

- A package of frozen vegetables (I use 2 small bags, 1-corn and 1-mixed as I like a lot of corn and most frozen varieties either don’t have corn or only a very little. Use whatever veggies you like though.

- Egg noodles (This recipe says to use 6 ounces but I say screw that! The noodles are the best part! Use as much as you want!)

Directions:

·       Dissolve the bouillon in the water in a large pot

·       Add the chicken (diced), frozen vegetables, and egg noodles

·       Bring to a full boil

·       Lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the egg noodles are soft.

·      ENJOY!

Kristin Wallaceis the USA Today Best Selling Author of inspirational and sweet contemporary romance filled with “Love, Laughter and a Leap of Faith”. Her latest book, SECOND CHANCE HERO, is available now.

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