Robyn Carr's new stand-alone Sunrise on Half Moon Bay #giveaway

Hello, Beloveds, The holidays are over and we all had a new way of celebrating them. I hope you found something in the experience to be grateful for.

I finished reading the ARC copy of Robyn Carr's new stand-alone women's fiction, Sunrise on Half Moon Bay last night at 2 AM. Then I got an hour's sleep before getting ready to go to LAX to fly to Kalamazoo MI to help out my older son. So I'm feeling somewhat loopy.

As usual Robyn drew me in. I normally hate any book that has to do with divorce because - been there. done that. Dont want to revisit the emotions - but Robyn kept me reading and enjoying the interplay between the two sisters and their wildly different lives. It's a quick read and an absorbing one. And I love the town of Half Moon Bay. I visted once on a trip down the coast and was enchanted.

Robyn's Virgin River series is now on Netflix. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9077530/

While you are waiting for season two, you might try Sunrise on Half Moon Bay.

I am giving away the ARC, Rafflecopter at the bottom of post. Since this is a paperback ARC it's a US only giveaway.

Blurb:

Sunrise on Half Moon Bay
Adele and Justine have never been close. Born twenty years apart, Justine was already an adult when Addie was born. The sisters love each other but they don’t really know each other.

When Addie dropped out of university to care for their ailing parents, Justine, a successful lawyer, covered the expenses. It was the best arrangement at the time but now that their parents are gone, the future has changed dramatically for both women.

Addie had great plans for her life but has been worn down by the pressures of being a caregiver and doesn’t know how to live for herself. And Justine’s success has come at a price. Her marriage is falling apart despite her best efforts.

Neither woman knows how to start life over but both realize they can and must support each other the way only sisters can. Together they find the strength to accept their failures and overcome their challenges. Happiness is within reach, if only they have the courage to fight for it.

Set in the stunning coastal town of Half Moon Bay, #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr’s new novel examines the joys of sisterhood and the importance of embracing change.

Stay Panic-free, AVOID NEWS Laugh at least one a day.Spread Kindness.You are loved.

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RaeAnne Thayne's New Christmas Story. #Giveaway.

I received a paperback ARC of NYT and USA Today Bestseller RaeAnneThayne's new Christmas story. Coming Home for Christmas will be on sale September 24. If you like Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movies I suggest you pre-order this one. I really don't want to give mine away.

I interviewed  RayeAnne several years ago and she told me one of her family traditions was to add a new Christmas book to their family collection every year. I want to Keep Coming Home for Christmas and add it to mine.
This heart-twisting story about why a woman disappeared from the small town of Haven Point seven years ago picked me up and wouldn't let me go.
When Elizabeth Hamilton walked out of her home one stormy night and disappeared many townspeople believe her husband had murdered her. Left alone to raise two small children there was nothing  Luke could do to dispel the whispers. When his FBI brother-in-law traced Elizabeth to a small town in Oregon, Luke had every intention of letting her stay lost. Until a hot-shot DA decides she's going to charge Luke with Elizabeth's murder.
Now, a week before Christmas, Luke has no choice but to bring Elizabeth back to Haven Point. He doesn't want to hear why she left or why she stayed away. He only wants to clear his name and end their marriage with a divorce.
Nothing is as simple as it seems. The woman  Luke finds who calls herself Sonia doesn't even look like his wife anymore. And that's as far as I am going with telling you the story. But it kept me reading for six hours straight. RaeAnne writes lovely Christmas stories and this is her best so far.

The thing is I always do a giveaway of the ARC. So here it is.  US Only, Sorry. Happy reading.

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JoAnn Ross and Snowfall on Lighthouse Lane #giveaway/

Snowfall On Lighthouse Land comes out today! And I have a paperback to give away. Small Town Christmas read, anyone? Second Chance Romance? The Gorgeous Olympic Penninsula? And one great ghost? If you love any of these things, this is a book for you.

Blurb: Growing up on the wrong side of the tracks, Jolene Harper is forever indebted to the mother who encouraged her to fly—all the way to sunny LA and a world away from Honeymoon Harbor. Although Jolene vowed never to look back, returning home isn’t even a question when her mom faces a cancer scare. Which means running into Aiden Mannion all over town, the first boy she ever loved—and lost—and whom she can barely look in the eye.

Aiden’s black-sheep reputation may have diminished when he joined the marines, but everything he’s endured since has left him haunted. Back in Honeymoon Harbor to heal, he’s talked into the interim role of police chief, and the irony isn’t lost on the locals, least of all Aiden. But seeing Jolene after all these years is the unexpected breath of fresh air he’s been missing. He’s never forgotten her through all his tours, but he’s not sure anymore that he’s the man she deserves.
Despite the secret they left between them all those years ago, snow is starting to fall on their picturesque little town, making anything seem possible…maybe even a second chance at first love

When Little Bird Publicity asked me if I would like to feature JoAnn Ross on my blog, I had never heard of her. So I looked her up. Her website immediately endeared her to me.

Meet JoAnn Ross.

When New York Times bestselling author JoAnn Ross was seven-years-old, she had no doubt whatsoever that she’d grow up to play center field for the New York Yankees. Writing would be her backup occupation, something she planned to do after retiring from baseball. Those were, in her mind, her only options. While waiting for the Yankees management to call, she wrote her first novella — a tragic romance about two star-crossed mallard ducks — for a second grade writing assignment.

The paper earned a gold star. And JoAnn kept writing.

She’s now written over one hundred novels and has been published in twenty-six countries. Two of her titles have been excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine and her books have also been published by the Doubleday, Rhapsody, Literary Guild, and Mystery Guild book clubs. A member of the Romance Writers of America’s Honor Roll of best-selling authors, she’s won several awards, including RT Reviews’ Career Achievement Awards in both category romance and contemporary single title. In addition, she received RWA’s national service award and was named RWA Pro-Mentor of the Year.

Although the Yankees have yet to call her to New York to platoon center field, JoAnn figures making one out of two life goals isn’t bad.

Currently writing her Honeymoon Harbor series for HQN, JoAnn lives with her high school sweetheart, whom she married twice, in her beloved Pacific Northwest.

Honeymoon Harbor, set in a small harbor town on Washington State's Olympic Peninsula,  is about love, life, and family. 

I'm going to link you to the series through JoAnn's Website because it's available in so many formats.

• Prequel Novella: Home to Honeymoon Harbor
• Book 1: Herons Landing
• A Novella, 3rd story : Once Upon A Wedding
• Book 2: Snowfall on Lighthouse
  Lane

If you already love Joann or would like to discover Joann in a Christmassy way. Enter Below. Happy heading.

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RaeAnne Thayne's Latest Bestseller. Review and #Giveaway

The Cottages On Silver Beach, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0777MR9TZ is already #1 in Clean and Wholesome Romance on Amazon and it doesn't even release until Tuesday, June 19.

I have a paperback ARC to give away. The Rafflecopter is at the end of this post. I use Rafflecopter because I have to email the winner and get a snail mail address. 

The Cottages On Silver Beach is the latest entry in RaeAnne’s series about a small town in Idaho nestled on the shores of beautiful Lake Haven.  

Innkeeper Megan Hamilton’s always thought the Bailey’s were the ideal family. But the eldest son, Elliot had always been a prickle point for her. And the prickle point became a burr when FBI agent Elliot refused to believe her brother Luke was innocent of murder when Luke wife disappeared seven years ago.

For seven years Megan put aside her dreams to help Luke care for his two children and tend to the Inn her grandmother entrusted to her. Now her dreams are getting a new lease on life with a planned exhibit of her photographs at a prestigious gallery in Colorado. Only guess who’s back in Haven Point and renting the cottage next to hers?

Back home was the last place “temporarily” retired FBI agent/ bestselling writer Elliot Bailey ever thought he’d be. But his sister Kat is celebrating her wedding and he needs a place to recuperate from the raid that might have cost him his job. Elliot had no idea that the woman he’d never been able to get out of his mind would be living next door. But he needs this space, far away enough from his loving inquisitive family to finish his overdue book. If only he could stop thinking about Megan.

Megan needs to concentrate all her efforts on getting ready for the fine-art photograph exhibit. But her taciturn enigmatic neighbor keeps pulling her thoughts away.

When Elliot decides to follow up on a clue to her sister-in-law, Elizabeth’s disappearance she and Elliot become involved in a tug-of-war between distrust and their magnetic attraction to one another.

RaeAnne Thayne is always good reading. And the Cottages On Silver Beach doesn't disappoint. The mystery is cleverly inserted into the romance and while there is a lovely happy-ever-after to the book, the ending also points to a follow-up book with a question I’m dying to know the answer to. This is a stand-alone book. But it's fun to read the others and know all the peripheral players. The Cottages On Silver Beach releases June 19 in all formats. The Rafflecopter for the ARC is at the end of the post.

USA TODAY bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne's love affair with words

started as soon as she learned to read, when she used to devour anything she could get her hands on: cereal boxes, encyclopedias, the phone book, you name it! She loves the way words sound, the way they look on the page, and the amazing way they can be jumbled together in so many combinations to tell a story. Her love of reading and writing those words led her to a fifteen-year career in journalism as a newspaper reporter and editor. Through it all, she dreamed of writing the kind of stories she loved best. She sold her first book in 1995 and since then she’s published more than 40 titles. Her books have won many honors, including three RITA® Award nominations from the Romance Writers of America and a Career Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews. RaeAnne finds inspiration in the rugged northern Utah mountains, where she lives with her hero of a husband and their children. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.raeannethayne.com. 

Happy Reading, my friends. Here's to looking around your life and finding something wonderful.

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Lynne Marshall 25 and Counting. #Giveaway

 Meet Lynne Marshall who's celebrating a very special book birthday. Her 25th book for Harlequin, Forever a Father, published March 1. And YOU may get a present. Lynne's giving away  two Mills &Boon UK  PRINT anthologies:(US only.)

1.     PERFECT PROPOSALS - Marry Me

By: Charlotte Phillips, Lynne Marshall, Catherine Mann

2.      A Duet:  The Doctor and the Princess by Scarlet Wilson and Miracle for the Neurosurgeon by Lynne Marshall I read and loved Miracle for the Neurosurgeon last year. The first romance I ever read with a parapalegic hero.

Lynne please tell us a little about yourself.

I’m a retired Registered Nurse with twenty-six years under my belt. I’ve been traditionally published with Harlequin as a category romance author for more than twelve years with twenty-eight books, counting the three coming out this year. More recently I’ve published with TULE a small independent publisher. I have also gone hybrid with self-publishing four backlist books that I’ve gotten the rights back on. 

I’m a Southern California native, have been married to a New Englander for a long time, and have two adult children of whom I am super proud. My daughter Emily is a Nurse Practitioner and my son John-Philip is an intensive care paramedic on the flight team for Duke University Hospital in North Carolina.  I’m also an adoring grandmother of two beautiful little girls from my daughter and son-in-law: Thea (just turned 4) and Cora (21 months). There’s nothing like being a grandma. Nothing.  I’m also a woman of faith, a dog lover, a cat admirer, a meandering walker, a curious traveler, and an optimistic participant in this wild journey called life. Yes, you are! Lynne is one of my favorite people in LARA-RWA - our local chapter of Romance Writers of America. The first heroine of Lynne's I met in A Doctor For Keeps had a mixed race background and was so well written. You never know who you are going to meet in a Lynne Marshall book.

Who are your favorite writers in your genre?

It’s no secret I’m a huge fan of Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ books.  She is my favorite of all contemporary romance authors because of her quirky characters and settings and the humor she injects into her stories.  My favorite books by her are: NOBODY’S BABY BUT MINE, AIN’T SHE SWEET, and her most recent release FIRST STAR I SEE TONIGHT. If anyone out there has never read her before, check her out! A woman after my own heart! SEP is my favorite author!

How do you motivate yourself when inspiration takes a vacation?

I don’t recommend sitting around and waiting for inspiration to strike before going to the computer and putting in your daily words. Here are a couple of quotes to explain why.
“Don’t wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work” ~Pearl S. Buck
“Inspiration is a selfish fleeting lover that only shows up in the mood. Who needs selfish lovers?” Lynne Marshall
Forgive my audacity to include myself with a quote from the incredible author, Pearl S. Buck, but we were talking about the same thing. Writing is work, and if you’re a published author it is also a business. The world would stop if everyone waited for inspiration to do things. Inspiration is a form of fantastical thinking. It is something that young minds thrive on, but as we mature we discover that part about putting bread on the table and a roof over our head. So we must write, and we can’t wait for inspiration to do it.
What about the times we feel blocked?

When I feel resistance to moving ahead with one of my stories, I’ve learned over the course of writing thirty or so books that something has been left undone in the prior scene. My brain instinctively knows it and flags it by holding me back. Until I’ve examined the chapter or scene, then stimulate my creativity by moving around (I like to walk, do aerobics, or take a shower) I can’t go forward. Sometimes this takes more than a day to accomplish. I don’t freak out. I know it is my process.
“You can’t think yourself out of a writing block; you have to write yourself out of a thinking block.” ~ John Rogers 

I whole heartedly agree with this quote.

Any advice for new writers just starting out?
You’ve probably already joined a writer’s group. If not, do so, immediately. Joining a group comprised of like-minded people is life-changing. There is much to learn and mentorship is the key. Listen to the wise ones in your new tribe. Their experiences can save you time and heartache. There are organizations for every writing genre; do you know where your manuscript belongs? If not, figure it out, immediately.

Roll up your sleeves. Invest more time in the process. Write every day, even if only a few lines. Read every day. Plop down some money for writing classes. Follow through on what you glean from workshops and author lectures. Apply this new knowledge to your work in progress. Don’t be offended by honest critiques. Learn from them, apply whatever makes sense. Ignore the snarky comments. Be open to suggestions. Rewrite. Edit. Delete. Begin again. This is the process. It cannot be ignored. 

Once you’ve finished your book, though you’ve officially written The End, it’s only the beginning of your journey. First, pat yourself on the back for pursuing your dream and completing your novel. Enjoy the sweet oblivion, the exhilarating notion that “if I write it, they will come.” Each stage of your journey is its own reward. Remember this when things get rocky. Now hold onto your hat, because the rest is going to be a crazy ride!
How do you get from here - new author with manuscript under arm - to there – published?

Life is filled with synchronicity. When you’re on the right path opportunities arise. A chance meeting with an editor at a writers’ conference may open a door in the future. Be aware. Be prepared. Maybe you’ve entered a contest or signed on for an agent or editor appointment and they’ve requested a partial or a full. Don’t panic. Follow through.

Polish and send in the requested material. A high percentage of writers don’t do this. Don’t be one of them. Revisions are inevitable. Do them. Rejection is part of the process. Get used to it. Don’t entertain defeat. Move on to the next opportunity and project. Don’t give up! Excellent advice.

Tell us about FOREVER A FATHER.

Here’s the blurb:

“Will you be my dad?”

Ask me anything but that.

Once upon a time, Dr. Daniel Delaney had it all. But he lost it in the blink of an eye, and he won’t let himself fall again—not even for his dedicated new assistant, Keela O’Mara, and her adorable, lonely little girl, Anna. Resisting a starry-eyed four-year-old is tough enough. Denying her perfect, loving single mom may be more than Daniel can handle…

Forever a Father is the launch book for The Delaneys of Sandpiper Beach trilogy for Harlequin Special Edition. It tells the oldest brother’s story, Daniel and is out in March, 2018.  Book #2 SOLDIER, HANDYMAN, FAMILY MAN, will be out in April and is Mark Delaney’s story, and book #3 REUNITED WITH THE SHERIFF, is the youngest brother, Conor Delaney’s story and will be out in May.

Meet the Delaneys of Sandpiper Beach: A family business with room to grow…

What’s your current WIP?

I have just started another contemporary romance for TULE called HEALING HEART ACRES. It is the third book in my Charity, Montana series. It’s about a man whose life is changed drastically when his dying father asks him to take on the care and responsibility for his half-brother, a fifteen-year-old. The teenager is extremely mixed up, and trying to help and get through to him, Wade Conrad discovers a wonderful place specializing in animal therapy. Wade also discovers a young woman there, an employee at Healing Heart Acres, named Erin, who has something in common with him – she was left to raise her niece when her sister died.

The complication: Half-brother Brent has a huge crush on Erin, and the kid has gone through enough recently losing his father and discovering his mother doesn’t want him, or never has. 

Is there heartache in store for everyone? Or will Wade and Erin find a way to make their own patched together family?

And finally, where can we find you?

Website: http://lynnemarshall.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LynneMarshallauthorpage/

Google+:  https://play.google.com/store/search?q=Lynne%20Marshall&c=books

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lynne-Marshall/e/B0034P4WT8/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1517182701&sr=8-2-ent

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lynne-marshall

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lmarshall0829/

Thank you for being here, Lynne.  I am entering your giveaway! Happy reading all.

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Kristan Higgins Now That You Mention It. #Giveaway

Dearest Readers

A joyous 2018 to you. I'm giving you a chance to win the ARC of Kristan Higgins' Now That You Mention It. USA only, please. 
PLUS!!! Kristan is running her own giveaway which is much better than mine.
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Try this book if you like hilarious and heartbreaking women’s’ fiction. It’s chock full of snarky humor, smart writing, and interesting characters. I read way past my bedtime. There is definitely a happy ever after, but I truly hate heartbreaking, so while it’s excellent writing, I gave it Four Stars. If you like heartbreaking, you will probably give it Five.
Here's Kristan's description of it from her hilarious interview with Joyce Lamb at USA Today. (do follow the link. This is such a funny interview.)

What does a person do after being run down by a pest control van? One goes back home, of course, and reassesses life.

Nora Stuart has worked wicked hard to make a perfect life for herself in Boston after leaving her tiny island hometown off the coast of Maine. She’s a doctor, has a great apartment, a dog, friends, a pretty good boyfriend … and then she’s hit by Beantown Bug Killers Pest Control. In the moments after the accident, Nora decides to go back to Maine and make things right with her family. Her mom and she have never been close, her younger, once-beloved sister is now in jail, and that sister’s teenage daughter is living on the island for the summer. Nora decides she’ll set things right in one fell swoop … and find out what happened to her dad, who left the family when she was 11.

The hard part is, she’s not exactly the island’s favorite child. People have long memories, and way back when, Nora won a scholarship that was supposed to go to Luke Fletcher, her academic rival and high school crush. There’s still a lot of bad blood, especially since the Fletcher twins got into a car accident after Nora stunned the town by winning. She finds an unlikely ally in Luke’s twin, badly hurt in the accident, now a single dad of a girl who reminds Nora a lot of herself in high school.

As the summer unfolds, Nora finds herself face-to-face with memories of her childhood — as well as a traumatic event she’s tried to bury — learns that you can’t rewrite the past as much as you might want to, and maybe falls in love.

And of course, there’s a great big beautiful dog in the book as well.

Interested? Yes? Enter Kristan's giveaway above and my giveaway below. Happy Reading.

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RaeAnne Thayne's Sugar Pine Trail. Review and # Giveaway

Like Christmas stories? You'll love RaeAnne Thayne's Lastest Haven Point romance, Sugar Pine Trail which comes out September 26th. And I have an ARC to give away.

Spinster Librarian Julia Winston steps way out of her comfort zone when she finds two abandoned children spending the days before Thanksgiving in her library. She can't bear the thought of them being sent to a shelter and possibly separated and offers to take them in until their family is found. She is out of her depth until her temporary tenant, the deliciously sexy Jamie Caine who she's had a secret crush on forever, steps in and offers to help.
RaeAnne just gets better and better. I loved her other Christmas novels and this one doesn't disappoint. Her trademark sweet-wry humor threads through this beautiful story laced with Christmas and family and two people finding their way into love. It's a perfect pre-Christmas read. And if you've read RaeAnne's other books, you'll find a lot of old friends here.
Here's the blurb:

Julia Winston is ready to ditch the quiet existence she's been living. She's made a list of new things to experience, but falling for Jamie Caine, her sexy military pilot neighbor, isn't one of them. Julia's looking to conquer life, not become the heartbreaker's latest conquest. But when two young brothers wind up in Julia's care for the holidays, she'll take any help she can get—even Jamie's. 

Happy to step in, Jamie reveals a side of himself that's much harder to resist. Not only is he fantastic with kids, he provides the strength Julia needs to tackle her list. She knows their temporary family can't last beyond the holidays, but the closer she gets to Jamie, the more she wonders if things could be this merry and bright forever.

Like it? Enter the Rafflecopter below.

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne loves words. Her love affair started as soon as she learned to read, when she used to devour anything she could get her hands on: cereal boxes, encyclopedias, the phone book, you name it! She loves the way words sound, the way they look on the page, and the amazing way they can be jumbled together in so many combinations to tell a story. Her love of reading and writing those words led her to a fifteen-year career in journalism as a newspaper reporter and editor. Through it all, she dreamed of writing the kind of stories she loved best. She sold her first book in 1995 and since then she’s published more than 40 titles. Her books have won many honors, including three RITA® Award nominations from the Romance Writers of America and a Career Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews. RaeAnne finds inspiration in the rugged northern Utah mountains, where she lives with her hero of a husband and their children. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.raeannethayne.com. 

I had the privilege of meeting RaeAnne, along with Kristin Higgins and Robyn Carr at the Ripped Bodice Bookstore and I am delighted to report she is a sweet and clever as her books. Happy Reading.

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RaeAnne Thayne's Serenity Harbor is a winner. #Giveaway

Serenity Harbor, the latest entry in RaeAnne Thayne's Haven Point series came out today and I have a copy to giveaway. 

RaeAnne Thayne is always good reading, but this one's a real winner. Highly recommend.

I got a paperback ARC and it's up for grabs. Rafflecopter is at the end of this post. I use Rafflecopter because I have to email the winner and get a snail mail address. 

The link between former freewheeling spirit, Katrina Bailey and Computer-tech millionaire, Bowie Callahan, is the six-year-old brother Bowie never knew existed. Milo is nonverbal and in the autism spectrum.

Bowie desperately needs help caring for Milo until the autism specialist he's hired arrives.

Kat's only home for her sister's wedding, but Milo twines himself around her heartstrings at their first meeting in the produce section of the grocery store.

When Bowie offers her an outrageous amount of money to help out for three weeks she accepts because she needs the money to complete the adoption of the little girl she fell in love with in while working in an orphanage in Columbia.

Kat has no intention of allowing Bowie into her life no matter what sparks between them because she knows her judgment of men is flawed. Her life revolves around her goal of becoming three-year old Gabi’s new mother.

Bowie has no intention of getting involved with any woman. Since he escaped from a terrible home situation at thirteen his whole reason for being is his work. But he's finding it almost impossible to resist the sunshine that Kat is bringing into his and Milo’s world.

Against the background of Lake Haven Days and a wedding, two people who don’t know they are perfect for each other fight a losing battle to deny love.

I was completely absorbed in the back story of each of the protagonists. I don’t want to give it away because I hope you will read it for yourselves.

I have a nonverbal five year old granddaughter in the autism spectrum and I love the research that went into this book. It rings very true to life. Do any of you have children in the autism spectrum in your life.

Happy reading,  my friends.

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A Paraplegic Neurosurgeon as Hero? Read On!

Lynne Marshall is a fellow member of LARARWA, the Los Angeles Chapter of RWA and one of my favorite Harlequin authors. I am so happy she agreed to blog about her latest medical romance. Because Miracle for the Neurosurgeon is a romance with a difference.

From doctor…to daddy? 

 

Neurosurgeon Wes Van Allen is used to being at the top of his game, so when an accident puts him in a wheelchair, he'll push himself to the limit to regain his strength—he just needs a physical therapist who can keep up! 

 

Enter Mary Harris, whose sweet kisses he's never forgotten! She'll help Wes achieve his dream, if he helps her achieve hers—a baby! Captivated by Mary's sunny optimism, dare Wes hope for the ultimate miracle—a family, with Mary by his side?

Thanks so much for inviting me to blog.  On May 1^st, my nineteenth Medical Romance was released and I’m super happy about this particular story.  Miraclefor the Neurosurgeon is also my twenty-fourth book for Harlequin.

This is the first time I’ve written a disabled hero in a wheel chair. With the guidance of my editor, Flo Nicoll, I was able to keep what could have been a downbeat story upbeat and filled with hope. 

Wes Van Allan, a new paraplegic wants to continue with his medical practice as a neurosurgeon, but he goes about it all wrong. Mary Harris, a doctor of Physical Therapy, shows up on his doorstep to help the previously privileged, pampered and sometimes arrogant “Prince of Westwood” turn his life around. Of course, he isn’t a real prince, he’s just been treated like one by his family his entire life, and Mary is the person from his past who holds the key to his future.

I won’t lie, reading Me Before You by JoJo Moyes, that beautiful tragedy, put the idea for this book in my head.  I’m a romance writer and reader first and foremost, I need a happy ending, so I set out to give a guy whose life has been turned upside down from a spinal cord injury, a completely different plot. This is a story about a reunion between two strong willed people, and Mary is the perfect person who can both help Wes heal emotionally and physically to the best of his ability. She is also the one person who can bring love into his life again.

Doing research for the book was fascinating discovering all the strides that have been made for

paralyzed patients. I learned about an amazing Orthopedic doctor who devised a wheelchair that, using hydraulics, could lift him from sitting to standing so he could continue doing surgeries while safely supported and strapped into his chair. Wes, being the man he is, immediately upon learning of this device, orders one for himself. It opens the door for his return to work as a neurosurgeon, a calling he has felt since his teenage years.

I also loved learning how para and quadriplegics can drive, and wrote a scene where Wes takes Mary out to a special restaurant in Malibu, California.

I was touched by a recent review from a reader who is also in a wheelchair. She was very complimentary about the story, but had some reservations: “I would have been happier enjoying a HEA with a character who was successful in a wheelchair without the miracles of modern technology. Overall, the book is excellent and I highly recommend it!”

What I did in the epilogue wasn’t meant to be a cure for his disability, it was a chance for a guy who gets tired of looking up peoples noses all day, to stand and walk from time to time using an exoskeleton. The occasional walk around the room, thanks to advances in technology, was simply another skill to add to his repertoire. That device wasn’t what completed Wes, nor was it responsible for his success. His will to live and return to work and, of course, be wise enough to fall in love with Mary, were responsible for that. I prefer to think of it as the icing on his happy ending cake!

Do you know a “special” hero? Please share!

Thank you, Lynne. This is one book I have to read.  I just bought my copy for my Kindle app.

Dear, ones, this book is available across all formats. Here is the Goodreads link which will take you to your favorite link. Happy reading.

Lynne used to worry she had a serious problem with daydreaming, then she discovered she was supposed to write the stories in her head. A late bloomer, Lynne came to fiction writing after her children were nearly grown. Now she battles the empty nest by writing stories which always include a romance, sometimes medicine, a dose of mirth, or both, but always stories from her heart. She is a Southern California native, married for almost thirty years, has two adult children she is super proud of, is a dog lover, cat admirer, a power walker, and fellow traveler on this wild road called life! 

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Linda Lael Miller's new Western Romance, Forever a Hero Review and #Giveaway

Linda Lael Miller’s third book in her series, The Carsons of Mustang Creek.  Forever a Hero debuts March 21^st. And I have a copy to giveaway.

The Carson's of Mustang Creek: Slater, Mace and Drake Carson may be brothers, but that doesn’t mean they are alike. While all three of them can handle a horse, Slater’s interests lie in documentary film making, Drake runs the ranch and Mace runs the family winery. While the books stand alone, I think it's more fun if you read them in order.

Forever a Hero follows Mace, who runs the family winery. And it is my favorite of the three books. Possibly because I loved hearing about running a winery and Kelly, big city girl who'd been sent to try and buy the winery, seemed an unlikely and yet perfect match for Mace.

Linda Lael Miller fills her books with romance set against Wyoming’s big sky country.  She surrounds her protagonists with a close-knit family, loveable, eccentric side characters and delightfully witty dialogue. The give and take among the Carson brothers, their wives and Mace’s maybe-forever love Kelly is great fun to read. It escalates into suspense when the man who attacked Kelly twelve years ago is released from prison.

Blurb:

For the youngest Carson brother, finding—and fixing—trouble seems to be all in a day’s work

Mace Carson never considered himself a hero. Back in college, he came upon a woman in trouble and intervened—but he was just one irate Wyoming cowboy with his boots planted firmly on the side of right. Now a successful vintner, Mace ends up saving her once again. This time rescuing her from a car teetering on the edge of a cliff. The college co-ed he's never forgotten is now a corporate executive representing the company that wants to buy his winery. Only, he’s not selling.

Kelly Wright still has the occasional nightmare about that horrible night ten years ago and she's never forgotten the man saved her. The surprising success of a winery in the middle of ranch country has brought her to Mustang Creek, and she’s secretly thrilled to discover Mace at the helm. Reluctant to mix business with pleasure, Kelly vows to keep things professional, until her attacker is released from prison and comes for vengeance…against both of them.

If you're interested in winning a copy,(Continental US only) please enter the Rafflecopter giveaway. Wishing us all a wonderful week with lots of reading.

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Christmas in Haven Point with RaeAnn Thayne. #Giveaway.

Snowfall in Haven Point is the newest addition to NYT Best Seller RaeAnne Thayne's Haven point series. and I have a copy to give away. Why? I got an ARC, my friends and having enjoyed it, I am ready to share it.
I've got to tell you, this woman gives good Christmas Story.

Andie Montgomery's goal is to give her two young children a wonderful to Christmas to make up for all the sadness they've experienced in the past two years. And Haven Point is just the place to do it. This small town full of friendly folk has made her feel at home. Especially her new best friend Wyn Montgomery befriended her and Andie considers her  her savior. So when Wyn who is away at school asks Andie to look in on her brother Marshall after  he's been the victim of a hit and run accident, how can she refuse. 
After a rocky start, Marshall and Andie are reluctantly attracted to each other. But Marshall's got a secret and an enemy whose out to injure him. And Andie's determined not to give her heart to another lawman. But fate and small children and Christmas have other plans in store. 
This heartwarming holiday romance is as good as a cup of rich hot chocolate on a snowy day. Bravo, Raeanne Thayne.

Blurb:
It's been two rough years since Andrea Montgomery lost her husband, and all she wants is for her children to enjoy their first Christmas in Haven Point. But then Andie's friend asks a favor--to keep an eye on her brother, Sheriff Marshall Bailey, who's recovering from a hit and run. Andie will do anything for Wyn, even park her own misgivings to check on her grouchy, wounded bear of a brother.

Marshall hates feeling defenseless and resents the protective impulses that Andie brings out in him. But when a blizzard forces them together for the holidays, something in Marshall begins to thaw. Andie's gentle nature is a salve, and her kids' excitement for the holidays makes him forget why he never wanted a family. If only he and Andie can admit what they really want--each other--their Christmas wishes might come true after all

Interview with RaeAnne

What makes you laugh?

RaeAnne: My husband. Always. I was first attracted to his sense of humor and twenty-nine years later, he can still make me laugh, even in the most stressful of moments.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Where don’t I get inspiration? Magazine articles, talking to friends, television, museums, walking in the mountains, listening to my children play, seeing an elderly couple struggle hand in hand together through the grocery store. Life is my inspiration.

What do you do when you get writer’s block?

 Writer’s block to me usually means a scene isn’t working right. I give myself permission to do something else for an hour — read a book that moves me, listen to favorite music, take a walk or write something else — but then I force myself to sit back down and figure out where the story has gone off the rails.

 Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?

I have three amazing children but I would have to say my middle son has influenced me most. He is seventeen now and was born with severe disabilities (cerebral palsy, global developmental delays). I am his primary caregiver and every decision in our lives the last seventeen years — from where we live to the car we drive to our vacation destinations — has centered around the challenges (and privileges!) of caring for him. I am a much different (better!) person than I would have been without him in our lives.

 You’ve written over 40 books. How do you continue to keep your ideas fresh?

 My problem is not coming up with fresh ideas, it is finding time to write them all! I do have consistent themes I tend to return to — family, community, learning to reach out and help others — but since the characters and the situations differ dramatically, the stories are different too. I love discovering where my characters want to take me!

You keep a busy writing schedule in addition to having three children! What do you like to do when you have some spare time? This is a rhetorical question since yousprobably can number your spare minutes using your fingers.

I love to hike and bike in the beautiful mountains near my Utah home. I love to read (mostly romance, of course) and I am a passionate beader, thanks mostly to the research I did for my Hope’s Crossing series, which started in a bead store. I also love to travel — any time, anywhere — and find it enriches my writing and my life. I would love to visit every country in Europe, though to date, I have only hit Italy, Spain and England (and Morocco in northern Africa!) so I have some work to do.

Your brand identity is that you write “Stories of Hope, Healing, Heart”. Why is this important to you?

RaeAnne: During my years working as a journalist, I felt surrounded by the inherent negativity all around as I sifted through the world’s events of the day to decide what would run in my newspaper. There is so much hatred, darkness, ugliness everywhere around us. Sometimes it seems those clamoring voices drown out everything courageous and bright and good in the world. I want to write stories that lift people, that show it is not only possible to fight through the ugliness with dignity and strength but is absolutely necessary in order to have a fulfilling, meaningful life.

You have said you find it inspiring to write about people who have faced difficult times and overcome them. What do you hope your readers take away from these kinds of storylines?

Nobody makes it through this life without experiencing heartbreak or loss. It is as inescapable as the changing of the seasons. I hope to show my readers through my characters’ struggles that even after times of what might feel like unendurable sorrow, eventually the sun always comes up again. My characters inevitably discover the world can still be a bright and beautiful place filled with hope, joy, love. Perhaps as a reader going through a tough time watches my characters soldier on through their fictional problems, it might give her a little bit of strength to struggle through another day. I have a sign in my office that says “I may not change the world, but I can change someone’s afternoon.” That’s all I really want — to make someone’s day a little brighter, their burdens feel a little easier, if only for a moment.

Well I certainly fell brighter after reading Snowfall on Haven point. Actually after reading any of your books. Thank you for the interview. Beloved readers enter below for a chance to win the paperback. US only for this one. Happy Reading

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