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

Everyday Heroines Who Make Life Special... by Delsora Lowe

The world is filled with heroes and heroines, many famous, but most ordinary people like you and me. Those people who plod through daily life, working jobs, taking care of families, and volunteering in their community. The unsung heroes and heroines of the world. Every now and then, one does something extraordinary enough to be called out to the world as a heroic figure
.I have many personal heroines. Some I’ve mentioned, like my aunt who was an actress, WWII pilot, as well as a journalist and a ghost hunter, to name a few of her occupations that made her interesting. But her most heroic deed, was taking her nieces under her wing, as a second mother, since she had no children of her own. Every year I sent her a Mother’s Day card. I’ve talked about her in other blogs, so know that she will always be my heroine.

My heroine, Aunt Virginia. 

     But today I’m going to talk about fictional heroines.

As writers of romance, we write about heroines and heroes every day. We share their insecurities. Show their faults. Build their redeeming qualities so that those characters around them want to share a life with them. And we show all they go through to find and believe in love.
They might not be the people who make the front page or the evening news, but they are heroines to the people they love and those who love them.

The heroines I write about are superwomen in their own worlds. No, I don’t write paranormal or fantasy. I write contemporary. My heroines are ordinary mortals, who don’t do anything more than most of us do in daily life. But my goal as a writer is to make each heroine in my stories, someone readers can relate to. That someone who will mirror the heroine (or hero) within each reader.

Not only do I want readers to relate to my characters, but I want readers to see in themselves that the ordinary things they do in life are heroic.

Lynette Mercer, the heroine in The Rancher Needs a Wife, is an ordinary woman. She’s a widow of a war hero, a single mom, a business owner, a daughter, and a friend. I won’t give away her little acts of heroism, but I'll give you a few clues. Know they have to do with caring for her daughter and a family who has befriended her in her new town. She’s also a heroine to a woman who has drifted for the last few years and needs a friend and a job. She cares for each person she touches in different ways.

Cue in a frantic bride (hint: heroine from book one) in need of a dress and wedding planning.

Our heroine helping her new friend make a wedding dress.

            Cue in a serious and sometimes controlling (in that annoying, protective way) cowboy rancher, who, yes, is a hero.

Lynette gives poor Carter a run for his money, especially when he goes into protective mode.

           Cue in a new lingerie shop in a ranching town where ranching women are excited to have a bit of frill in their lives, and strong cowboys fear to tread.

A lingerie ladies night at Lynette’s shop, the Pink Petunia.

All of the above are the little, everyday ways my heroine helps others in her new home town.

To me, the qualities of a heroine are women who are true to themselves. As we all know, in true life and our stories, this is part of growth for every individual, and part of the story arc for each of our main characters. A heroine must face problems (and in our books, we tend to throw a lot of problems at our heroines.) The more problems, the more the story holds the attention of readers. And…the more fun we have developing a character.

As I’m writing this, I have a favorite Hallmark movie on in the background. Cooking with Love is full of character development. Watching movies and reading books, for both writers and readers, is a great way to not only be drawn into another world, but an opportunity to study what challenges can be thrown at characters to make them stronger.

In the scene of the movie where the hero goes over the heroine’s head at work, then gives a lofty and somewhat cavalier apology, the heroine responds with an absolutely-no-problem type of response. As a viewer, one has to wonder why she is buckling under, until the scene progresses, and she, without apology, proves she also has gone over his head to get him back on track. The look on the hero’s face and his actions are one of I’ve just been one-upped. And that look gives the heroine courage to find her own voice, gain respect, and become a success at work. And, of course, they fall sweetly in love.

In a scene in my new book (releasing on October 20), Lynette proves to Carter that she’s not just an overly feminine, “too pink,” kind of woman, but a woman who just might have the qualities of a rancher’s wife. Loyal. Hardworking. Cares about family and work. Knows how to show love.

Cue in plumbing is not woman’s work. Note: the hero comes to the rescue to fix a sink, but, ta-da, the heroine has everything under control.

Finding a photo or clip art of a female plumber turned into an impossible endeavor. The only females associated with plumbing were on ads for a school recruiting underrepresented women plumbers and one for a plumbing company which showed a woman sitting by a sink with her palm plastered against the side of her forehead in an “Oh, what will I do?” pose. Hence the need for heroines who can plumb.

Lynette might not be a heroine in the eyes of the world that is conditioned to look for overly heroic deeds, but she is a hero in the life of her daughter. And she will prove she can be a heroine to Carter with her words, actions, and good deeds.

Of course, as an author, all my heroine’s traits mimic those of the real-life, every day heroines who are part of my family, and my work and community life.

Who, like my aunt, is the real-life heroine in your world? And what words, actions, and good deeds does your heroine do to show her heroic side?

~ 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.

The Rancher Needs A Wife
preorder now or purchase on October 20

Amazon

Books2Read

Social Media Links: Author website:
Author FaceBook page: 
Amazon Author page:
Books2Read Author page: 

BookBub Author Page:
Goodreads Author Page:

Photo Links:

Heroine in Pink:

Sink:
Lingerie:
Carter:
Cover: 
Seamstress:

Serendipity Series Surprises by Magdalena Scott

“Ha-ha. That’s so far-fetched! It could never happen.”

Each book in my Serendipity, Indiana sweet romance series ends with a surprise that concrete thinkers will write off as outlandish coincidence.

But serendipity happens in real life. You’ll see it if you look for it. Here’s how happy surprises popped up as I wrote this series. (I had a plan when I wrote Book 1. Really, I did.)

Readers of Book 1, SMALL TOWN CHRISTMAS, wanted to know more about the baby-sitter who had a car wreck.

Thus, Book 2, EMILY’S DREAMS.

Book 3, CHRISTMAS WEDDING, just sort of happened, because, well, wedding! (Also, snowstorm!)

Book 4, THE BLANK BOOK, went as planned--a re-write of one of my early works. But this time instead of just writing about a heroine who was a widow, I was an author who was a widow. Revisiting those raw feelings was hard, but I hope it enriched Alice’s second chance paranormal mystery romance. (Yep, it’s all those things!)

THE RING, Book 5, started out as a road trip tale but morphed into a story about Carla, a highly successful businesswoman who needs to forgive herself.

In Book 6, THE ROAD NOT TAKEN, Francie stars in a tale of a marriage that is struggling, but--spoiler!--survives. (The original idea: after a divorce, she moves cross-country, and discovers secrets about her past, plus a new love.)

A PIECE OF HER SOUL, Book 7, went as planned. (How very odd.)

Book 8, ONCE UPON A TIME, evolved deliciously even though I didn’t foresee it as part of the series. The heroine of that book, Taylor Kincaid, has a twin sister, Hannah.

Hannah stars in A COWBOY FOR CHRISTMAS, Book 9. (This time, everything went as I planned, and Hannah gets the surprises.)

For Hannah Kincaid, it was love at first sight when she met Jacob Hollingsworth, the handsome co-owner of Serendipity’s new (and only) dude ranch. When she lost her job at the Standish family’s Christmas Tree Farm, Jacob’s sisters hired her at the Rocking H. Sure, she’s afraid of horses, but she’ll overcome all obstacles to achieve a goal. The unexpected arrival of Jacob’s bossy brother Michael turns everything at the Rocking H on its head--including Hannah’s plans.

Michael Hollingsworth was summoned to help his siblings in their fledgling business. He immediately sees a problem: their only employee is incompetent in her work, crazy about Jacob, and...completely enchanting. How can Michael prepare the ranch for the change that’s brewing, when Hannah Kincaid’s big blue eyes and uncompromising determination keep messing with his focus?

~*~

I’m super thankful for the circuitous route through nine Serendipity, Indiana stories, and thankful to those readers who finish one book and grab the rest of the series.

My plan is to end here, with Book 9. But guess what--I’m open to happy surprises!

Until we meet again, happy reading!

Magdalena Scott

Links:

Website: http://www.magdalenascott.com/

Blog “Welcome to Magdalenaville”: https://magdalenascott.blogspot.com/

Serendipity series: http://www.magdalenascott.com/p/serendipity-books.html

McClains series: http://www.magdalenascott.com/p/my-books.html

Twitter: https://twitter.com/magdalenascott

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MagdalenaScottAuthor/?ref=hl

Newsletter signup: http://www.magdalenascott.com/p/contact.html

iBooks: http://apple.co/2zltJcI

Kindle: http://amzn.to/2iaCQ9k

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2yzf1kP

Nook: http://bit.ly/2yCbv9z

Paperback: http://a.co/74ozA3O 

Romancing Christmas

by Kristin Holt

Christmas, to me, is a family-centered holiday season (so much more than a single day) brimming with expressions of love, faith, family, giving, nostalgic traditions, new commitments, and so much more. I think that's partly why I'm drawn to read Christmas romances all year long; I want to hold onto those special, heart-warming sensations always.

I've read so many truly outstanding Christmas-themed romances during my decades-long romance-reading addiction, that when I made the leap from reader to writer, I knew I wanted to write at least book set at Christmastime. Instead, I've written at least one holiday-setting book each year.

Somewhere along the way, #4 hopped in line before #3, causing plenty of confusion and impatience for U.S. Marshal turned small town Sheriff August "Gus" Rose to finally see his own happily ever after. Gus faces more angst, physical danger, and heartache on his journey than do most of my characters. His story was originally titled A Christmas Courtship, but that ended up not being powerful enough to reflect Gus's story. Thus A Christmas Courtship became The Marshal's Surrender. Gus's story debuts next month, December 2016.

THE MARSHAL'S SURRENDER

He’ll surrender his tattered heart. And his life…

Colorado, 1900

Sheriff August (Gus) Rose is a one-woman man. Too bad the only gal he’s ever loved is married… again. Even if he were ready to court someone new—which he’s not—Noelle Finlay would be his last choice. After all, her brother stole Gus’s bride-to-be last Christmas.

The holiday season evokes unwelcome memories and he’s almost glad an unruly gang provides a distraction. But petty vandalism rapidly escalates to hanging crimes—and the marauding bandits have targeted Noelle.

With his reputation as a lawman under fire and his tattered heart tangled up in Noelle, he discovers he’s not only capable of loving her… he’ll willingly die to save her.

Copyright © 2016 Kristin Holt LC

THIS NOELLE

Christmas Eve, Colorado 1881

A Surprise Delivery…

Caroline Finlay never knew losing a child so soon after his birth would wreak damage on her heart and her marriage. She’s coping, barely, until she learns her husband, Phil, has a secret that could shatter their future… a secret suddenly made very public.

A Christmas Baby…

Phil Finlay thought he’d never have to confess his greatest mistake… until a young man shows up on the church steps, the Sunday before Christmas with a newborn baby girl, and announces Phil’s her father. It’s snowing. The baby is in desperate need of care. Whether it’s his or not—and she might well be—he’s out of time and has no choice but to confess he sought solace in the arms of another woman.

How dare he burden his heartbroken wife with the care of a baby… his baby… born of an illicit affair?

…A Season of Miracles.

Is it possible for marriage, strained by the loss of a newborn son, to survive the appearance of an illegitimate daughter?

What would you do?

Copyright © 2016 Kristin Holt LC

Together with the novella-length title This Noelle, my GIFT to my newsletter subscribers (December 2016), this series will contain five books, with many more to come. My recent release, Courting Miss Cartwright is an-unnumbered tie-in to the Holidays in Mountain Home Series, as it takes place in the same fictitious town in 19th century Colorado. Some of the series's characters show up as secondary characters in Courting Miss Cartwright.

Happy Holidays! I hope your choice of reading material enriches your enjoyment of the season.

Hi! I'm Kristin Holt, USA Today Bestselling Author.

I write frequent articles (or view recent posts easily on my Home Page, scroll down) about the nineteenth century American west–every subject of possible interest to readers, amateur historians, authors…as all of these tidbits surfaced while researching for my books. I also blog monthly at Sweet Americana Sweethearts (first Friday of each month) and Romancing the Genres (third Tuesday of each Month).

I love to hear from readers! Please drop me a note. Or find me on Facebook.

Sweet Romance Appropriate for All Audiences

Website | Email | Newsletter | Twitter | Pinterest | g+| Facebook Profile | Facebook Fan Page | Goodreads | Amazon

Copyright © 2016 Kristin Holt LC

Small Towns in Myth and Truth

by M.L. Buchman

Wait a sec! What do I care for "truth?" I'm a fiction writer.

Curiously I think that fiction may be one of the great repositories of truth. It's a writer's truth—caught in story like in a droplet of amber—and passed on to the reader in the hope that we've somehow captured the least nugget of an inner reality and passed it on.

Passover (which started last night if you're reading this on Saturday) was a truth I have yet to try and capture in fiction. We were Jewish, and about as non-traditional and unobservant  as you can get (and yes I mean un- not non- [especially as a kid I was about as naivest you can imagine]).

Yet every Passover we made the great pilgrimage from our small town of Marathon, New York with its 1,200 people and its 10,000 head of dairy cattle, to the grandparents in New York City (a hamlet of 7,000,000+ people and very few cattle, dairy or otherwise). I discovered many "truths" on those journeys that were passed on to me:

• the simple traditions of family -for this was the great annual gathering of our small family and my grandfather always ran a very formal Seder wearing his one good suit
• the traditions of a religion to which I had no other exposure, but has been a surprising on-again / off-again community over the years since
• and the madness of the city. I saw a hundred events and 1,000s of people who convinced me that I was blessed to be in a small town. In among the bustle I saw: fear, theft, carjackings (from the next car over), loss of hope (up close and personal). I never saw murder, thank goodness, but I heard the ambulance and fire engines running multiples per night on each visit.

Despite living in Seattle for a 20-year aberration that I'm little able to explain, I'm happiest in small towns. I like being able to walk out my door and be in nature in a half-mile (in some places only ten steps were required to enter hundred of acres of woods populated by deer and bear).

What I only recently realized is that in my first 37 novels, however, I had yet to journey to a small town. And so I found one. It is a place that doesn't exist, yet I know it well and love its people deeply. There will be more adventures there, for I've discovered a place very near my heart and can't wait to return.

Why it took me 37 novels to reach it, I can only guess. That is part of the writer's journey. Perhaps I wasn't ready to write it yet. Perhaps I had to once more live in the country. This time it isn't a "country" of the rural fields and streams I grew up in, nor the forests of other years. But it is the nature of a small town and a long beach. Here it is on April 3rd as a storm moves in (promising to block all view of the coming lunar eclipse).

And here is the small town that I discovered hidden behind the storm of big cities and a busy life. It started in my Firehawks romantic suspense series, but it also became a crossover to my upcoming Larch Creek contemporary romances. Welcome to Alaska!

-----

M. L. Buchman has over 35 novels in print. His military romantic suspense books have been named Barnes & Noble and NPR “Top 5 of the year” and Booklist “Top 10 of the Year.” He has been nominated for the Reviewer’s Choice Award for “Top 10 Romantic Suspense of 2014” by RT Book Reviews. In addition to romance, he also writes thrillers, fantasy, and science fiction.

In among his career as a corporate project manager he has: rebuilt and single-handed a fifty-foot sailboat, both flown and jumped out of airplanes, designed and built two houses, and bicycled solo around the world. He is now making his living as a full-time writer on the Oregon Coast with his beloved wife. He is constantly amazed at what you can do with a degree in Geophysics. You may keep up with his writing by subscribing to his newsletter at www.mlbuchman.com.