A Taste of Summer

 

The last few days we've enjoyed summer weather. It's been bittersweet knowing the sun and the warm temperatures aren't here to stay. Tonight we'll be getting storms and then we'll be back to traditional April weather, mid-50s (low 10s if you do Celsius) and more rainy days. The trees are blooming and in a few weeks it will be May and I can start planting outside. 

Tomorrow I head up North for the Chicago North Romance Writer's Spring Fling. I'm excited and look forward to learning lots from the presentations, doing my best as a volunteer, and hopefully I'll exceed my goal to sell three books at the book signing. Yes three does sound like a very low goal but it's my first signing, and I've only written one book. 

Life has been busy, I swear I spend several hours a day cooking and doing laundry! I've been reading Kelly Reynold's new baseball romance Hit It and Quit It. I'd have it finished by now if I had more time to read!  So far, it is a delightful book and about as sporty as I get. My jam isn't sports romances, but I enjoy Kelly's writing and I like baseball better than most sports. 

Here is the tag line for the book: Bull Durham meets Ted Lasso (with a hint of the Savannah Bananas) in this opposites attract, baseball romcom set in smalltown Oregon.

How about you? Do you read sport romance?  Do you follow any sports? 

Venice, Actually a Holiday Novella

According to many people, November 1st is the official start of the holiday season. So let's talk about Venice, Actually by Kelly Reynolds.  It's a fun, spicy low-angst novella. You can read it in one afternoon with a nice Peppermint Mocha or Gingerbread Latte and you'll be feeling all the holiday vibes. 

I received an ARC of the book, but since it is available on Kindle Unlimited and I have KU, well I could have gotten the book that way too, all that to say the opinions are all mine. 

I enjoyed this book, I wasn't sure I would because I didn't care about Leighton or Killan in the first book. Kelly Reynolds did a great job of bringing these side characters into the forefront and making me like them. 

I think it's difficult to have a fake fiance trope in 2023, but Kelly Reynolds manages to use that trope and to have the fake finance relationship resolved without family or friends being hurt by the actions of the main characters.  

This book promises Christmas, sexy times, and love. It delivers all of those and does so in a tight couple hundred pages. Give it a read!  

5 Stars!

Here is a section I highlighted where Killian is talking to Leighton's sister Janelle:

"I'm trusting you with her, "she told me, the warning in her voice clear. 

"I'm not going to try anything."

"Oh, Killian. Don't disappoint me like that,"

Ha-ha! I loved that exchange!

*** trigger warning one of the main characters lost a parent due to cancer at a pivotal age. ***

 

The Sunday Post, Lots of Writing, Not Too Much Reading

  

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme  

Is it just me or did this month FLY by??? I can't believe Halloween is just a couple of days away! We don't get any trick-or-treaters, which is a bummer!  I do get to see all the kids at school that dress up so that is fun. The kids dressed up on Friday because that was the day they had their Fall Festival Party.  Here are the top costumes small kids are wearing this year:

1. Sonic --lots of different versions

2. Spiderman- lots of different versions

3. Elsa from Frozen, again there are several different costumes for Elsa too!

4. Mario

5. Chuckie --popular with boys and girls.

I dressed up as a marathon runner because I'll take any excuse to get to wear my medals! All that running was really hard! LOL

Speaking of hard work, I've been working on writing a Small Town Romance and it's (knock on wood) going really well!  The plan is to publish it in Jan 2024. I am going the indy publishing route.  I'll post updates here and if you want to know more or to get an ARC when the time comes, please sign up for my newsletter! (see below!) 

I did finish reading Venice, Acutally by Kelly Reynolds and I'll be sharing my review of this fun holiday novella tomorrow.  

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The Sunday Post, Finally Fully Staffed

 

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme  

Hi All! Did you live where you could see the eclipse yesterday?  We should have seen some of it, but it was a gloomy rainy day so we couldn't see anything! A real bummer. There is a lunar eclipse at the end of this month, so hopefully, it won't be cloudy and we will be able to see that event.

This week we got a new employee in the lunchroom.  We've been short-staffed since last Thanksgiving, so this is a major development in my work life. I hope she enjoys working with the kids and us at the school and decides to stay a long time! 

This week I'm planning to make a nice beef stew, I don't have a recipe in mind, I think I might wing it, we will see!

In the books department, I finished listening to Holly and will discuss that tomorrow and I am reading an ARC for a holiday romance novella that will be released on October 24th. Lastly I'm finishing a paranormal romance, this one is a MM (Male/Male) pairing and not my typical read.

How was your week?