Friday, September 30, 2022

JESSE IS HERE FOR YOU!

By Caroline Clemmons

Woo Hoo! JESSE IS HERE! 

That’s right, join me in celebrating the release of JESSE AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE. This is a sweet, clean historical western romance set primarily in a small town, available in ebook and in print, and enrolled in Kindle Unlimited. 

The url is https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BD64JC1D?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420


Swoonworthy Jesse Cameron emigrated from Scotland. He’s now the Harrigan County Sheriff in Harrigan Springs, Texas. He’s respected and well-liked for his firm but fair approach to the law. He’s a strong believer in the law and in justice. After several years in Texas, he’s ready to settle down with wife to go in the house he just bought.

Rosalin Arnold


Rosalin Arnold was naïve when she left the orphanage at sixteen. She was deceived into becoming trapped as a pickpocket for the past three years for a man she believes personifies evil. Those who’ve tried to escape him are harshly punished or killed when caught—and they’re always caught. She hatches a plan to escape escalating danger, bringing her best friend and a small boy with her. But can they escape a man who has tentacles nationwide?

What will Jesse think of her when she confides in him? He’s too honorable to desert her, but will she lose his trust and any chance of his love? What will happen when her nemesis finds her and her friends?

JESSE AND THE MAIL ORDR BRIDE is Book 2 in the Texas Hill Country Mail Order Bride Series.  

Here’s an Excerpt when Jesse and the posse return home from a manhunt that caused him to miss Rosalin ‘s arrival:

He hurried up to his front door and stopped short. Did he knock? This was his house, but he didn’t want to scare her.

While he deliberated, the door opened and a wee lad stared up at him. The boy scrutinized his badge, then his face. “You must be Sheriff Jesse Cameron.”

He stepped inside and took off his hat. “That’s right. You must be Rosalin’s nephew.”

“Yes, sir. I’m Henry Bernard. Did you get the bad guys?”

“We did.” He hit at his leg with his hat as he looked around the parlor. Furniture had been moved and decorations added. Odd feeling, being treated like a guest in his own home. “Um, is your aunt here?”

“I am.” She swished into the room and smiled at him. “I hope you don’t mind that we’ve stayed here in your absence.”

His tongue tangled and he couldn’t form a sentence. While he gaped at the prettiest woman he’d ever met, the boy took his hat from him and hung it on the hat tree.

She gestured to the kitchen. “Mrs. Pickard brought over a pie this morning. She thought you’d be back today.”

He managed to say, “I… I better wash up. Dinnae usually look like this. Had a rough few days.” He washed up at the kitchen sink, wondering if that was all right. Wait—this was his house.

 

I hope you’ll read JESSE AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE and will enjoy it. 

Hint: If you haven’t yet read Book 1 in the series, it’s not too late to get it also.

Stay safe and keep reading.

 


 

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Changing Seasons Trilogy by Nessa Nichols

Changing Seasons Trilogy 
by Nessa Nichols

Book Blurbs:

 

In the Autumn Air: Book1 


As the dead leaves were shedding from the trees, they were not the only part of nature in transition. Leaving behind that which once brought them life, Amelia Cavanaugh was leaving a life that once brought her joy, peace, and comfort. Heading out to Deer Creek State Park deep in the Colorado mountains, she was returning to a cabin where she knew love once lived. The love of her grandparents and, most recently, her grandmother. Upon her passing, Amelia inherited this cabin full of memories and for Amelia hope for a new future. The past required Amelia to leave everything behind. To her parents, it was drastic and unsettling. To her sister, it was concerning but to Amelia. It was freedom. She can bring her musical talent to life in the cabin and find love again in the middle of nowhere. The park ranger soon comes to take care of a bit more than just the state park. Having befriended Amelia’s grandmother and tending to many needs she had, Elias Flores became a friend and blessing to her grandmother. He never imagined Amelia would awaken his heart as well, but she does. In an attempt to give Amelia true freedom, Elias mistakenly causes quite a stir with a little folded piece of paper. 


Winter’s Chill: Book 2 
 
Winter sets in, and the cabin becomes quite a different setting. Amelia was used to visiting her grandmother in the summer but never imagined what cold was like in the Colorado mountains. Learning new things, such as wood chopping and gathering supplies, became necessary. Due to the unexpected prior twist with Elias, the winter weather was fitting for their chilly divide. Only through a near catastrophe can they come to terms, rekindle their friendship, and hopefully much more. Even in the tundra, things warm up before a well-tended fire within the cabin. 


The New Leaves of Spring: Book 3 
 
As the snow melted into blankets of green laced with flowers across the landscape, the winter freeze also moved away from Amelia and Elias forever. Understanding became vital in their ability to move through this particular Spring’s challenges. Her parents come to visit, bringing a surprise that requires her to come face to face with her past and end the pain, doubt, and regret once and for all. Mom finally figures out that maybe she does not know best, and Amelia learns that standing on her own two well-equipped feet is her best and only way to have a future worth living. Elias continues to be her cheerleader and protector. Sometimes the seasons of life seem impossible to get through, but in the end, the Spring always comes full of hope and a future. 

 

Excerpt: 


Amelia sighed, “You know what? You’re welcome to it. With how my day is going, it might be best to avoid learning fire starting on the internet for now. I’d hate to burn down the entire forest.”  

Elias chuckled and paused. “Hold on, just so were clear. It is a campfire we’re talking about? You weren’t thinking of burning down the cabin for the insurance money or anything? 

She laughed in return. “Yes, it’s a campfire. I could never do that to my grandmother’s house.” 




 

Author Bio:  

Nessa Nichols grew up in a small town in Texas. After receiving her master’s degree in English from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. She spent many years living in San Antonio, Texas, with her wonderful husband raising their two children. They spent many weekends enjoying the Texas Hill Country. From floating the Frio to shopping the creative artisan markets and especially the seasonal celebrations such as the Czhilispiel in Flatonia and the Watermelon Thump in Luling. Her husband’s work took them on another adventure as they now reside in “Sunny” Florida and have adopted two rambunctious Golden Retrievers. They now find themselves between the coastline and The Everglades enjoying life-growing experiences around every turn. When she’s not writing, Nessa is an avid reader with a vast collection of books she began collecting as a child. Writing, reading, and photography have been in her blood since birth. Her favorite place to find inspiration has always been walking on the beach. You will usually find her barefoot with her toes in the sand hearing to everything while listening to nothing as the wind off the waves sweeps the sand. Nessa loves to write especially love stories, clean and wholesome ones leaving the details to the imagination of the readers while filling them full of adventure. https://nessanichols.com/ 


 

Monday, September 26, 2022

Holly Bough Cottage by Cindy Gunderson

 


Holly Bough Cottage 
by Cindy Gunderson

Blurb: 

The last thing Liv was planning to do on December 9th was move back to her home town after finalizing a divorce. Facing the possibility of spending Christmas alone—or even worse, at her over-eager parent’s—she booked a two-week stay at the first affordable, well-rated winter retreat she could find: Holly Bough Cottage in the Colorado Rockies. With her interior design business slowing down over the holidays, Liv can practically smell the pine trees and warm apple cider, but most importantly? She won’t have to face anyone for at least fourteen days. 
 
Jonah wasn’t planning on being anywhere but home for Christmas, but when the owners of the Cottages posted on a community board that their handyman injured himself, he decided to pull them a solid. It didn’t hurt that they were offering a free stay and double the daily rate he usually made as a middle-school science teacher. 
 
When Liv discovers that the man who came to replace her thermostat is staying in the next cottage over, she finds herself looking for opportunities to sit on the porch while answering emails. Even if it is thirty below. 
 
Jonah, battling ghosts of his own, can’t help but walk the long way to the office in the hopes of catching a moment with her. With Liv's heart still raw from past wounds and Jonah hiding a past life that could ruin any budding relationship, their initial attraction doesn't seem to stand a chance. 
 
Will their unexpected meeting during the most magical of times be enough to open their hearts to loving and trusting again? If you adore cozy Christmas memories, down-to-earth characters, and sweet romance, you'll love Gunderson's heartwarming holiday tale. Buy now to embrace the holiday magic today! 

 

Excerpt: 

When he said ‘a minute,’ he wasn’t kidding. Before she could even pull her food from the paper bag, fill a glass with water, and settle in at the kitchen table to take her first bite, a knock sounded at the door, and she rushed to open it. Twisting the handle, she pulled it toward her and sucked in a breath. It was him—the rugged guy from the grocery store. 

“Can I come in?” he asked, and Liv noticed his hair was damp. It glistened in the porch light, and was most likely beginning to freeze in the cold air. 

“Yes, of course. Sorry,” Liv said, tripping over herself as she moved out of his way. 





Author Bio 

 

Cindy Gunderson is best known for her award-winning and best-selling series, the Tier Trilogy. She has written nine full-length novels, as well as an art appreciation series for children under the pen name Cindy Prince.  

When she is not writing in a quiet corner of her local Anythink Library, you can find her planning homeschooling lessons, recording audiobooks, or happily digging in her garden.  

Cindy grew up in Airdrie, AB, Canada, but has lived most of her adult life between California and Colorado. She currently resides in the Denver metro area with her four children and handsome husband, Scott. Cindy holds a B.S. in Psychology from Brigham Young University.  

Cindy's first novel Tier 1 was awarded First Place in Science Fiction at the 2021 CIPPA EVVY Awards and awarded the Wishing Shelf Red Ribbon Award in 2019. Her novel Yes, And was awarded Third Place in Audiobooks at the 2021 CIPPA EVVY Awards.  


Friday, September 23, 2022

YOUR ASSIGNMENT SHOULD YOU ACCEPT IT

 By Caroline Clemmons


I hope you’re enjoying the arrival of Fall. I love the colorful leaves and cooler weather. Someday, I’d love to visit New England at this time of year. Not likely to happen. I’ll have to content myself with a couple of watercolors done by a New England artist, Mrs. E. Van Liew.

Today, I want to encourage each of you to do something for posterity. Doesn’t that sounds important? In my opinion, it is. 

Here goes: Even if you couldn’t care less about genealogy or history, someone in your family’s future will. Start now and write down everything you remember your mom, dad, aunts, uncles, and grandparents telling you about their lives. I mean all the little stories that they told—good and bad—which seemed incidental at the time you heard them. Unless you record them permanently, those stories will disappear.

You don’t have to do any research! 

Facts remain for others to find. Thank goodness for our National Archives, for Ancestry.com, and for the massive archives stored by the Latter Day Saints (Mormons) in Utah. But, you see, those are just the skeleton of your past. You need the anecdotes to flesh out the body of information and give it life.

Personally, I have enjoyed research because (1) I'm a history nerd and (2) facts made history come alive for me. When you learn where those in your family served in wars back to the American Revolution, those people are not just names and dates—they’re individuals.

For instance, the reason ancestors of my dad's moved to Georgia was because they blew up an English munitions warehouse near the end of the American Revolution. You can understand how this made them extremely unpopular with the English, who put up handbills and issued warrants for the extended family. They had to abandon their former home quite rapidly.

I admit learning this relieved my mind. Previously I had wondered if they lived in Georgia because initially someone in the family had come when Georgia was a penal colony. <g> See, research can be liberating!

As I said, you don’t have to do research. 




Simply write the stories you remember. They don’t have to be in chronological order. Some of the stories will be funny, some exaggerated, and some sad. You’ll discover repeating cycles of strength and weakness. They are part of you. No, finding bad people doesn’t make you bad; that’s not what I mean.

I’ve done my part for my family. My mother-in-law asked me to write a book about her life for her grandchildren. I did, but then we had to have a second set of copies done for other people in the family. Since I did a book for my mother-in-law, I had to do one for my mother, even though I don't think she really cared until it was finished, other than the keeping things equal. (Hero’s parents and my mom were in the same Sunday School class.) My dad had asked me to write a book about his family, and I’d been collecting information for years. Unfortunately, he died before his book was printed. Now I’ve done three family books, and I’m done. My sister-in-law did one about Hero’s dad.

Now it's your turn for your family.  See how I passed the buck... er, I mean baton.

Stay safe and keep reading. Don't forget Sheriff Jesse Cameron and Rosalin Arnold's story comes out the 29th!



Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Matched with Her Runaway Groom by Britney M. Mills

 


Matched with Her Runaway Groom

by Britney M. Mills 

 

Blurb: 

 

A cruise should’ve been their honeymoon. 

Rachelle Stewart has spent the last year working through her Breakup Bucket list, something her roommates helped her create to get over her ex-fiancé, Landon Higgins. The cruise she won is going to be the crowning achievement of her list, but she can’t seem to get rid of Landon when he shows up as a passenger. 
 
Luck is on Landon’s side when he finds out he’ll get uninterrupted time with his ex-fiance. He ruined things a year ago and getting her back is a long shot. But seeing the changes in her gives him the sliver of hope that they might forgive and forget. 
 
As the truth is revealed, will she trust him after all they’ve gone through apart? Or will they leave the ship and go their separate ways? 

 

Excerpt: 

 

He pulls off his helmet and I’m pretty sure everything around me has either frozen or stopped. Those brown eyes and light brown hair cause my stomach to twist in knots. My instincts were right about the mysterious figure. I pull off my helmet and aim for him, using my fingers to toggle the trigger. 

Three orange paintballs hit him in the chest. His team starts yelling but I wait for him to glance up and see me before I turn around and walk out of there. 

My brain is completely void of any words and I’m pretty sure my hands are shaking now. All I can think of is getting out of this suit and into my car. Kenzie runs up alongside me the most surprised look I’ve ever seen on her face and right at me. 

“Who? What? What was that?” 

We make it into the small dressing area and I don’t say anything, focusing on staying calm and taking off the binding suit.   

“I can’t believe you hit someone that close while his mask was off. Do you know him?” 

“Oh yeah,” I say, not even turning to look at her. “He’s my ex-fiancé.” 



Author Bio:

By day, Britney M. Mills is the wife to a builder and mom to five, but by night, she turns into an author, writing YA & contemporary romance stories. 

A book lover, former college athlete, and Jane Austen fan, she crafts stories with the idea that anyone can find love. When she's not writing, she spends time playing games with her kids, or shuttling them to and from their activities, watching Sanditon and Murdock Mysteries, or dreaming of future characters while she folds a mountain of laundry. 

You can find excerpts of her next project at http://www.britneymmills.com