Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

My “go to” Author(s) When I Want to Relax and Take Time Out of My Real Life ................................ by Delsora Lowe

Unfortunately, for my pocketbook, but fortunately for me because I have access to so much variety in choosing romance books, I have a WAY too long list of favorite authors. So, I’ll name a few of my automatic buys: RaeAnne Thayne, Jill Shalvis, Maisey Yates, Cindy Kirk, Nancy Herkness, Peggy Jaeger, Vicki Lewis Thompson, Jen Gilroy… if I sit here long enough, I’ll keep adding to the list, which in reality is endless.


Plus, I belong to four writers’ groups, so those authors, too many to name, always have new books releasing or on sale for a short period of time. Because I love to support authors I know, those writers also become auto-buys for me.

Believe me when I say I have met many authors at writer’s conferences, and as a result bought and found new works to love. So, my list of go-to authors grows and grows.

I take a lot of chances on reading books on sale by unknown-to-me authors. Often, I end up adding that new author to my “want to read more” list. I rarely set aside a book in the midst of the story. However, there have been a few times when I did. I try hard to give each book I purchase a chance, because I always learn from reading, whether it is an idea on how to move the story forward, or a warning to myself on what doesn’t work for me personally, and therefore what not to do when I write a story.

Needless to say, I spend many nights in bed reading into the wee hours of the night, er…morning. Thank goodness for e-readers that balance on my lap.

Grandsons Slumber Party and Checking Out the E-Reader

What I do like about the stories of each of these authors named, is their style of writing—each unique in their own way. Reading these authors usually provides me with AHA moments throughout their stories. The kind of AHA, that gives me ideas for my own writing. I don’t mean having my characters do the same thing. What I mean is what their characters are up against gives me AHA ideas on how to progress my own story with moments appropriate to my character’s lives and personalities, and the story I tell about them.

INSPIRATION! I also learn what to cut in my own writing. I tend to over-explain, in my first drafts, So, by reading authors who are good at showing a story as it moves along quickly, teaches me or reminds me to make every word count. In other words, short and sweet, and move on to the next action in the manuscript.

INSPIRATION

If nothing else, I know when I read my favorite authors, I can sit back against my pillow in bed or cuddled up on the couch on a stormy day, and just get lost, away from the troubles of the world, enjoying the moments in someone else’s life—the characters, the locations, and the elements that bring each of these stories to life in so many different ways.

I know what to expect. And… I am never disappointed!

 

Who are your favorite authors? And why?

 


Overprotective big brother and ranch owner, Carter Peters, draws the short straw at a family meeting to buy his stepmom her sixtieth birthday present, never imagining he’ll get zapped with cupid’s arrow by a feisty southern belle, single mom, and lingerie shop owner who is so wrong for him and has off-limits written all over her. 

Amazon (also in print)   
https://www.amazon.com/Rancher-Needs-Cowboys-Mineral-Springs-ebook/dp/B07YXB5C4W/

Books2Read   
books2read.com/u/bxv56d

~ cottages to cabins ~ keep the home fires burning ~

Delsora Lowe writes small town sweet and spicy 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 (most recently, an Easter romance in the April 1, 2024 edition.) The Love Left Behind is a Hartford Estates, R.I. wedding novella with Book 2 on the way. A Christmas novel (The Inn at Gooseneck Lane) and novella (Holiday Hitchhiker – the youngest brother of the Mineral Spring’s ranching family) were the most recent releases. Look for book 3 of the cowboy’s series, as well as book 2 of the Hartford Estates series, to be released in 2025. 



Monday, March 17, 2025

The Things That Always Cheer Me Up . . . . . . by Delsora Lowe

I am lucky, I have many things that give me a lift every day.

Reading…

Whether it is reading a good book or watching a romcom movie or a sitcom that will take me away from the reality and horrors of our world, each gives me a sense of peace and happiness. I can bask in the message being portrayed in that media and lock away my worries for the time it takes me to read or watch an uplifting book or program.

Writing…

I also write romance. So, writing positive content definitely gives me a feel-good vibe. Even when getting the couple together at the end may take a turn for the worst, know that in order to proclaim a book’s place in the romance genre, a happily-ever-after or a happily-for-now is a requirement. So, they always have a feel-good component at the end.

Friends…

Another thing that makes me happy is seeing a friend in person. Yes, these days ZOOM makes it easy to keep up with friends. I also keep up with many over the phone or through email or other forms of social media but getting together with friends in person is the best! There’s nothing like cradling a cup of tea, while looking directly into a friend’s face who is sitting across the table from you. Or slurping down an ice cream cone while walking the boardwalk with friends. That in-person contact makes a huge difference.

More Writing…

Going to my local weekly writing group grounds me every week. We each write a piece that takes 5-minutes or less to read out loud. The writing can be in any genre, which is fun for me, since my “job” is writing romance, whether a 5-minute romance I want to submit to Woman’s World magazine or a romance novella or full-length novel that I will eventually publish. Writing outside of my preferred genre gives me a different prospective on life, my town, my relationships with family, or any other topics, such as the environment, recipes I love to cook, etc. It frees up my brain to be creative in a different way.

What Things Give You a Lift and Make You Feel Happy? 

Amazon (also in print)

Books2Read

~ cottages to cabins ~ keep the home fires burning ~

Delsora Lowe writes small town sweet and spicy 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 (most recently, an Easter romance in the April 1, 2024 edition.) The Love Left Behind is a Hartford Estates, R.I. wedding novella with Book 2 on the way. A Christmas novel (The Inn at Gooseneck Lane) and novella (Holiday Hitchhiker – the youngest brother of the Mineral Spring’s ranching family) were the most recent releases. Look for book 3 of the cowboy’s series, as well as book 2 of the Hartford Estates series, to be released in 2025.

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

January: My “go to” Activity When I Want to Relax and Take Time Out of My Real Life ............................. by Delsora Lowe

Hallmark movies and romance stories take me away from the bad world news. They give me a positive, albeit maybe an unrealistic spin on life, versus the craziness, that seems to get crazier every day in our “off-kilter” world. 

The movies are educational…as in from the perspective of an author, they help me with writing romance. They "show" versus "tell" me by providing visual examples of style, topics, relationship types (good and bad,) lifestyle, various scenery, and locations, etc. 

Watching romantic shows and movies, and reading romance in any form, whether a full novel or a 5-minute short story, are positive reinforcement that show our world has the potential to be able to learn to work together, live in harmony, and help us individually and collectively to see the positive side of life. 

They show us how to be polite and thoughtful toward our neighbors, friends, and those who are strangers to us. For example, holding the door for the person entering behind us. Or, letting the mom with the fussy kid go in front of you in the grocery store line. 


Simple acts of kindness. 

These types of stories and movies let me escape from personal, national, and international woes. It is like burying my head in the sand.


Or like the infamous three monkeys—see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Of course, this scenario is for the pure romance stories. 

Suspenseful romance does have a dose of evil, but in the end, all is rosy. Love and positivity reign. All turns out well for the heroes of the story. And the reader is left satisfied that all is well in the world—or at least the world of romantic fiction. 

 
Unrealistic, sometimes? Oh Yeah! Escapism? Absolutely! A chance to feel safe and “normal?” Yes, for those hours you are immersed in a fantasy of the way life should be—ALL THE TIME! 

 Letting your imagination run with the good things in life, is like a palette cleanser. On a bad day is watching or reading romance like a reset? On a good day, does fictional romance, confirm positivity and your perspective of what life should be—hopeful and kind and full of love? 

 What more can one ask from a few hours of reading or watching a feel-good movie? 


What’s Your Palette Cleanser on a Bad Day? 



HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY
all about love!


Moonlighting
(e-reader only) 

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Come-Dance-Me-Serenity-Starlight-ebook/dp/B074N95RGK/

Books2Read

books2read.com/u/bMrQva

 

Moonlighting
(also e-reader or in paperback as a collection: Starlight Grille) 

Amazon

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Moonlighting-Serenity-Harbor-Novella-Starlight-ebook/dp/B075TK7KYS/ 

Books2Read

Books2Read books2read.com/u/mZ5eop 




 ~ cottages to cabins ~ keep the home fires burning ~ 

Delsora Lowe writes small town sweet and spicy 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 (most recently, an Easter romance in the April 1, 2024 edition.) The Love Left Behind is a Hartford Estates, R.I. wedding novella with Book 2 on the way. A Christmas novel (The Inn at Gooseneck Lane) and novella (Holiday Hitchhiker – the youngest brother of the Mineral Spring’s ranching family) were the most recent releases. Look for book 3 of the cowboy’s series, as well as book 2 of the Hartford Estates series, to be released in 2025. 

Social Media Links:
Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/delsoraloweauthor/community/
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 

Photo Credits: 
Cash Register: fee clip art - cash register - Search Images / https://www.vecteezy,com 
Ostrich: free clip art - burying head in sand - Search / clipartmax.com

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

What I Look Forward to As I Age ... by Delsora Lowe

It’s finally September! My favorite time of the year is fall, despite the fact that soon cold weather will descend and with it snow and ice and… Well, you get the picture. I’d much rather enjoy warm sunny days that cool off at night.

I’d rather enjoy colorful leaves and fall flowers and harvesting vegetables and picking apples.

And, my birthday is in the fall, reminding me what one year older can bring. I remember teen years when I couldn’t wait to go away to college, not realizing how fast time flies, the older you get.

I remember summers, when I juggled several jobs while raising kids. I couldn’t wait for autumn to arrive so the kids, now old enough, would be back in school all day, so I wasn’t running from job to nursery school to pick up kids, dropping them at the sitter and back to job number two.

Now, I look back and realize how much I missed as my children grew up way too fast. But now I have grandchildren who are doing the same. One is looking at colleges. The other two sophomores in high school. All busy falling into young love, working hard at studies, and excelling at various sports teams. Of course, they are excelling. They are MY grandsons.

Oldest Grandson - now 17 - My Dad's 90th Birthday - 2009

It seems like yesterday, they were lying on the floor, playing with tiny cars and making zoom, zoom, zoom sounds, learning to count to one-hundred, and excited when they got to nibble on favorite snacks—my youngest grandson loving chunks of cucumber and olives with the holes where the pits were. He would put an olive on each fingertip and methodically eat each olive, one by one. Or the special events like coloring Easter eggs at Grammy’s table. Now they are self-sufficient.

To me, those memories of my own days in high school and college seem so far away, yet just like yesterday.

So, what do I look forward to as I age?

Top of the list? Not feeling as though I am aging. Also…keeping busy, communicating with others, not isolating, learning new things.

This is where writing comes in, as I can accomplish all of the above through writing.

Learning and Hanging with Writer Friends Through Zoom

I belong to four virtual writing groups in Maine, Rhode Island, New England, and New Jersey. Each group of romance writers meets monthly. It used to be in person. Now it is through ZOOM. The cons, I miss seeing my writer friends in person, but there are times in a year, when we meet up at writing conferences. The pros are without ZOOM, I would only see my writer friends once a year at the aforementioned conferences. Now, I see them and hear their voices and have actual conversations monthly. Sure, we don’t get to hug each other or gather around a table and enjoy a cocktail and chatter. There is nothing that compares to face-to-face.

A few years ago, after retiring, I joined a local organization that has programming for both teens and those of us over 55. The organization has a group named Write on Writers. We have anywhere from fifteen to twenty-five who attend weekly. Each of us writes a 5-minute or less piece, whether fiction, non-fiction, or verse of some sort. We then read aloud our work at each session. And we can submit our work to appear in the monthly organization newsletter that gets distributed around town.

The fun of this group is that I get to try different types of writing, than my normal romance novel writing. And every now and then, I will write a 5-minute romance story and submit for publication
. But I can also read those at my local group. And now, I have over sixty 5-minute romances I have written since 2010. Those I am editing and expanding to collect into a short romance anthology...SOMEDAY!

So, what do I look forward to as I age. Meeting weekly with my writing group. Continuing to write both short stories and longer works to release as books, hanging with my grandchildren and trying to figure out a way to stop their growth and aging so I can keep them close forever.

Okay – if anyone has ideas on how to do just that, let me know. Because, if they don’t age, neither will I!

Oh, as you can see, in spite of the slowing down and the need to nap I’m also trying to figure out how I can live forever, because right now, I’m having a ton of fun with this aging business.

No matter our age, we all continue to age on a daily basis. What words of wisdom can you impart when you think about what you have learned over a lifetime?


Amazon (also in print)

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Left-Behind-Hartford-Estate-ebook/dp/B08L5N5DS9/

Books2Read   books2read.com/u/mglVqK

 

~ cottages to cabins ~ keep the home fires burning ~

Delsora Lowe writes small town sweet and spicy 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 (most recently, an Easter romance in the April 1, 2024 edition.) The Love Left Behind is a Hartford Estates, R.I. wedding novella with Book 2 on the way. A Christmas novel (The Inn at Gooseneck Lane) and novella (Holiday Hitchhiker – the youngest brother of the Mineral Spring’s ranching family) were the most recent releases. Look for book 3 of the cowboy’s series, as well as book 2 of the Hartford Estates series, to be released in late 2024 or early 2025.

 

Social Media Links:
Author website
: www.delsoralowe.com
Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/delsoraloweauthor/community/
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 
Instagram: #delsoralowe / https://www.instagram.com/delsoralowe/ 

Photo Credits:
Delsora Lowe

Tuesday, August 20, 2024

The Weird Things That Make Us Laugh ..... ..... by Delsora Lowe

Commercials— There are some that attract our attention, others that speak to us, and still others that just mystify us.

One that always makes me laugh AND mystifies me, is the Kayak commercial – with a woman farmer who says if you need something done, you have to do it yourself. It’s funny and unexpected. I love her feistiness as she stuffs her clothes with straw, marches out to the wheat field, stands up and put her arms out over the wooden stake that usually would have a hanging scarecrow, and hollers. All the blackbirds rise and leave her crop alone. 

As an author, I would love to create such a visual that would spark my reader's imagination.

I wasn't sure what the company who sponsored the ad does, but… I do laugh every time.

Of course, I immediately conducted a search on what Kayak is. It is a search engine for travel. Now I get the gist of the commercial. You don’t have to do everything yourself. We’re here to help you plan your trip. Unlike the woman who insists on doing, by herself, the shooing off of unwanted birds who feed on her crop, Kayak will save you from having to search every area in the country, every transportation and lodging source, etc. *

Want a laugh? KAYAK: Don’t do it yourself (Scarecrow) - YouTube

·        Disclaimer: this is not an endorsement, since I have never used Kayak and only figured out what they do as a company when I researched them for this piece.

Those commercials that call to you, might be because they remind you of times when you were young. Or remind you of the products you used as a kid and are no longer the “in” thing that this next new and shiny product could be used to replace the older version.

Then there are commercials that, for me, defy explanation. It most likely is that I am in the older generation that grew up in the sixties. And products that might be used by younger generations baffle me. Or, in the case of the above, I don’t know what they do. Or, I don’t see the need for them, when I already have an older product that is useful in the same way as the newer, more sparkly version.

Of course, learning about and eventually embracing new “things” can be a good thing. A time saver or a product that does what you never knew you needed. Such as speaking to someone without a telephone wire attached. Full disclosure: I haven’t had a land-line in years.

Remember those days—before cell phones? 

I do. Driving round and round on one-way streets that went the opposite direction I needed to go, when I was on a work trip to Boston. My goal? Looking for a pay phone that actually had a parking spot nearby, to call a friend and get the right directions, since the policeman directing traffic didn’t have time to help a stranger to the city. His only goal—keep traffic moving—as he waved me along. I ended up in tears. I was confused and needed one kind word or the point of the finger to direct me in the right direction. I soon had no recourse to turn around, as I was now on the on-ramp headed toward 95 through the city and over a bridge headed north…in rush hour.


But I digress.

These days, we need the newer and shinier version of products. If we don’t adapt and upgrade, we are left in the dust. Especially when it comes to machines that use technology. If we don’t keep up, we may find ourselves in a void where we, and our machines, can no longer communicate with others.

In this world where more and more folks are working from home, or need to use the latest versions to keep up in an on-site workplace, we can be shoved out of jobs.

And for those of us who work independently and from home, keeping apprised of the newest technologies that can make our jobs easier, and help us produce work faster and with more efficiency, it is important to keep up.

So, whether you see advertisements on your computers or on the TV, or hear about them on the radio, or word of mouth from those who share the same profession, it is imperative to be aware of what’s new out there. If only to stay competitive.

So, peruse those ads. Find the humor or joy in them. And ignore (as in the prolific use of the mute OR delete buttons,) those commercials that don’t call to you.

 

Do you have a favorite commercial? And what is it
that draws you to that particular ad?


Welcome to Serenity Harbor, Maine, a small coastal town where the Starlight Grille is a favorite meeting place. A three novella and bonus short story, sweet with a bit of heat, collection. 


e-book and print

&

Books2Read

e-book 

Delsora Lowe writes small town sweet and spicy 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 (most recently, an Easter romance in the April 1, 2024 edition.) The Love Left Behind is a Hartford Estates, R.I. wedding novella with Book 2 on the way. A Christmas novel (The Inn at Gooseneck Lane) and novella (Holiday Hitchhiker – the youngest brother of the Mineral Spring’s ranching family) were the most recent releases. Look for book 3 of the cowboy’s series, as well as book 2 of the Hartford Estates series, to be released in late 2024 or early 2025.

 

Social Media Links:
Author website
: www.delsoralowe.com
Facebook Author page:
https://www.facebook.com/delsoraloweauthor/community/
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
Instagram: #delsoralowe / https://www.instagram.com/delsoralowe/

Photo and Clip Art Credits:
Typewriter: typewriter-vector-5.jpg (650×650) (getdrawings.com)
Phone: free clip art images of rotary telephone - Search Images (bing.com)
Smile: Smile Clipart Images | Free Download | PNG Transparent Background - Pngtree


Tuesday, May 21, 2024

Marking May Milestones ..... by Delsora Lowe

May can be a busy month.

We are finally crawling out of April, which in Maine can be early spring or late winter. This year it was both, between two storms, one an ice storm that shut down power all over Maine. My house was out for 2 days. Luckily, we have a small generator that we can use periodically during the power outage to rev up the furnace, juice up the fridge, and power up our electronics.

The second storm less than two weeks later, dumped twelve inches of heavy, wet snow in my yard. Power outages again. But luckily my house was spared. Some were out for three days.

But that was early April.

May means celebrations—school gradations, beginning of wedding season, planning summer vacations and activities. And for me there are milestones to celebrate in May.

The first week in May, I celebrate 55 years out of high school. It seems like yesterday that many of us celebrated our 50th reunion. This year, I’m not so sure I’ll be able to attend. It’s a long trip from Maine to Washington D.C. But I can’t stand the thought of not going. Afterall, fifty-five years ago, I was my class social committee rep. Each class was in charge of organizing a major school social event. Amazingly—or probably not—years later, many of my job positions required me to organize reunions, talks, fundraising events like auctions, regional alumni events, and one-on-one meetings with donors. So, attending a reunion that I don’t have to plan is like going on vacation. In a way it feels different and sad, since this is the first of my HS reunions I have not had a hand in organizing.

May (and June) is a month that many plan weddings. In another job I was a wedding planner and coordinator.

May is also the month that celebrates mothers. I am a mother and a grandmother, so I take Mother’s Day seriously. I have been a mother for fifty-two years, and a grandmother for seventeen years.

May is also the month of the Maine Romance Writers’ retreat. I helped organize the first one in 2008, and a few after that. I also discovered the brand-new hotel when I attended a grand opening reception. We have now been meeting at that hotel for our retreat ever since 2009—many years.

And, last but not least, May is the 13th Blog-O-Versary for Romancing the Genres. Happy Birthday to US! To all the bloggers past and present, on this continent and around the world, who have added their bits if wisdom or fun adventures or insight into such topics as writing, skill sets, family, friends, and life in general, thanks for making this a fun part of my monthly routine!

 Is there anything special 
that you like to celebrate in May?

 

The Love Left Behind
A HARTFORD ESTATE (wedding venue) Book

Amazon (also available in print)  

Books2Read 

 

Delsora Lowe writes small town sweet and spicy 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 (most recently, an Easter romance in the April 1, 2024 edition.) The Love Left Behind is a Hartford Estates, R.I. wedding novella with Book 2 on the way. A Christmas novel (The Inn at Gooseneck Lane) and novella (Holiday Hitchhiker – the youngest brother of the Mineral Spring’s ranching family) were the most recent releases. Look for book 3 of the cowboy’s series, as well as book 2 of the Hartford Estates series, coming soon.


Social Media Links:
Author website
: www.delsoralowe.com
Facebook Author page:
https://www.facebook.com/delsoraloweauthor/community/
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
Instagram: #delsoralowe / https://www.instagram.com/delsoralowe/


Images:
Celebrating =
celebration clipart images - Google Search
#13 = red number 13 clipart - Clip Art Library (clipart-library.com)