Book Birthday Today! It App-ened One Night!

Out into the world, it goes! I hope people like it. I write stories I'd like to read, so hopefully there is a nice bunch of people out there who enjoy reading the same things I do. I also hope that we caught the typos between my editor, my proofreader, and my reviews!

When I was writing this book in October and November, there were days when I didn't think I'd ever finish it! Then I had it finished a week before it was due. 

Sometimes authors talk about their book babies and I didn't understand why until I was revising my first book. Writing a book is like being in labor. Once it's done and the baby has arrived you quickly forget the finer points of how arduous the whole process was to endure! 

So now the drafting process is almost a warm fuzzy memory and the finished version is ready for everyone! 

Here is the link to my website if you'd like to get any of my books or become a subscriber for bonus scenes, ARC opportunities, and other special perks. 

https://victoriahamelauthor.com

 

Say There, Would You Like A Bunch of Free Books? The Sunday Post

 

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. you can write 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.

On Tuesday, over 1,000 romance ebooks will be free. Some are free on Kindle and some are free on a bunch of different places, so if you don't do Kindle but you do Nook or Apple Books or Kobo, you are in luck! You can go to https://romancebooklovers.com and pick what books you want to grab on Tuesday.

My first book No Gouda Without You is free under the small-town romance section of the website. If you plan to pick up some books let me know!

I have a cold or a sinus infection--to be determined, so I've been laying around hoping to feel better and trying to read. Here is what I've been reading:

The Sunday Post! Sundays Are For Not Leaving The House

 

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. you can write 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.

How was your week?  It's been too warm during the day around here and there's no end in sight for ragweed pollen. I am not going to be sad when the ground freezes and kills off the pollen! This upcoming Friday I'm going to a concert with my eldest. I am hoping for cooler temps and no rain. 

Since last week my middle kiddo moved to the middle of Illinois because he got a job at at TV station near the University of Illinois. It's his first ongoing job in his field. He found housing at the last moment, thankfully since he is in a college town, the place was furnished. He loaded his ancient car, drove down, and started his job the same day.  We will be going down to meet him for lunch soon. A long-ago picture of middle kiddo.

Readingwise, I need to stop adding more books to my TBR and read some of the books already on there. But that's not going to happen!

Quick plug: If you like to read cozy romance books with a hint of spice, my first book "No Gouda Without You" will be 99 cents on Kindle tomorrow (September 16th)! Here is the link: https://a.co/d/3fS0O4t

 I am finishing up these books and will be writing about them soon: 

Can We Start Fall Now Please? The Sunday Post!

   

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. you can write 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.

What I'm reading this weekend: 

I don't know about you, but I am excited to have Monday off! A three-day weekend after a couple of weeks of school!  I'd be more chill about everything, but it's been so hot we haven't even had outside recess. I am ready for sweater weather! I am also ready to break out my fall-themed shirts. Going through my closet I realized I've added four new fall t-shirts over the summer!  I'm going to kick off fall by wearing my Halloween Town shirt.  Do you enjoy the autumn season?

Yesterday I brainstormed with an editor for my upcoming book It App-ened One Night. The brainstorming session was very helpful; now I know I can make this book a satisfying story. I would love for you to join my newsletter. I'll share a prequel to the Marley Creek Series, doing cover and blurb reveals, and ARC sign-ups. Plus I'm commissioning some fun stickers to give to my subscribers! 

Thanks so much! 

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The Sunday Post-- I survived!

  

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. you can write 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.

I survived the first week of pre-K, and I now have one week of working with the most delightful three- and four-year-olds!  Were there tears?  Yes. Where they mine? No!  Then when I got home from work I had a snack and took a nap. Seriously--and I bet the kiddos did the same. It's going to be such a treat to see how much the students change as the year goes on. I also look forward to getting better at my job! 

How was your week?  Can you believe this upcoming weekend will be Labor Day weekend?  I can. The summer I had was packed with travel, medical stuff, and thinking back it seems like I was working summer school ages ago. 

I just finished listening to Dead and Gondola in time to take part in the Cozy Mystery Book Club livestream on Tuesday. Speaking of the Cozy Mystery Book Club, I'm going to be doing a guest blog post for the 12 Days of Cozies in December! I'm so excited I have to turn it in by October 15! I plan to talk about a few Christmas Cozy Mysteries and share a cookie recipe I love.

In my own person book news, my latest book Is This Love Fur Real? was a sponsor on this weeks Fated Mates podcast.  You can hear it around the 45-minute Mark! Here is a link to the episode: https://fatedmates.net/episodes

What's A Reader Magnet?

 This month I'm working on writing and editing my reader magnet. What's a reader magnet? I'm glad you asked. It's a short story I can give away virtually to people as a thank you for signing up for my newsletter! So Victoria, how's this reader magnet thing going?  Well, I wrote about three-quarters of the story back in January and then I put it away for six months. Now I'm reviewing what I've written and making sure I don't have any continuity errors.

My reader magnet is a little prequel to my first book and the main characters in it are Zaina's mom and stepdad. This story allowed me to write an age gap where she's the older of the pair! When it is done, I'll make a post linking to the story so you can visit Marley Creek for a fun weekend. 

I got a secondhand copy of this book as a gift. If you are looking to get me a gift, you can't go wrong with a secondhand book, especially if it's a cozy!  Murder of the Cat's Meow is the fifteenth book in Denise Swason's Scumble River Series. I haven't read any other books in this series and I didn't have any trouble following the storyline.  I love when a cozy mystery series is written well enough that I don't have to read in order!  This was an enjoyable cozy, there were several possible suspects and I wasn't sure who did it. 

In this book, you get to know the murder victim before the murder which I know many people prefer. I enjoyed that our amateur sleuth doesn't put herself in unnecessarily dangerous situations and that she is a consultant to the police department. There is also a fun ghost situation as a small side plot. Lastly, this book is practically spicy for a cozy! I wonder, since this was written twelve years ago, if cozy mysteries have gotten more puritanical in the last five or so years.  Something for someone to blog about.

Have you read anything good lately?  How is your week going? 

I'm embracing the upcoming change of season. Looking forward to those lovely September days!

Need Some Witchy Goodness in Your Life? Tik Tok Should Be Talking About This Book!

 

This new release is the first book in the Bewitched Billionaires series. I don't care too much for the billionaire subgenre, but in this series, the women and the ones with the billions and this series takes place in a magic small town, so it's more aligned with the small-town genre than billionaires, which is great!

The romance at the center of the story is nice and pretty cozy. It one where you the reader are enjoying watching the couple be a little hard-headed and foolish on their way to their HEA. If you are looking for cozy witch vibes the town of Owl Cove delivers!  The magical world is very practical and magic is a help it's not a cure-all.  

Owl Cove has cute shops and delicious restaurants. Brigid Hunt provides some mouthwatering descriptions of dinners.  She also makes sure to have a town festival during the story.  The town side characters are developed well for our first introduction to them and I can't wait for the next book in this series--which I think will be set near Halloween (Samhain) 

This book is on Kindle and paperback and it was a five-star read for me! 

To kick off my birthday month I went to Lollapalooza with my youngest kiddo. It was very hot and I should have worn shorts and a different pair of shoes, but at least it didn't rain except a little at the very end. The music was excellent.  We saw Chappell Roan and she put on a great show.It was packed to see her! My favorite was the headliner Hoizer. I saw him at his first Lollapalooza back in 2014 and now I've seen him on the big stage! 

This is the crowd for Chappell Roan. I'm in there somewhere towards the back!

I love Chicago! Storm clouds rolled in as Hoizer took the stage but the rain held off except for a few minutes at the end. 

All the 2011 Feels!

  This spring I was listening to an episode of the podcast Fated Mates and they mentioned that JR Ward had a new book coming out in the Black Dagger Brotherhood Series.  I read a bunch of books in the series back in 2011 and 2012, until I was caught up and then I assume I got distracted. 

However, when I heard about The Beloved by JR Ward I got a craving to check it out. I put the book on hold and last week my hold came up. I started reading it Sunday and right now I'm at the fifty percent mark. I'm enjoying my return to the book's universe.  It's like I found an old favorite jacket that I haven't worn in years and it fits perfectly and feels nice and soft, just like I remembered.

Are there any series you started, didn't finish, and then years later revisited?

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In this weeks writing, I'm getting to know one of my side characters from Too Kölsch For Comfort better and now she has a best friend. I enjoy writing female friendships so much!   We got a ton of rain today and I am hoping that my plants will flourish this week and that I'll have a nice garden update to post on The Sunday Post!

Hit It and Quit It by Kelly Reynolds! Do I like Sports Romance Now?

 

I pre-ordered this book not because I'm a fan of sports romance, but because I enjoyed Kelly's steamy Christmas Novellas. This is the first book in her new steamy small-town baseball series and I'm looking forward to the next installment. This book features the curvy Clarke and the nearly over-the-hill third baseman, Soren. He's got a bad reputation and Clarke has left her ex-fiance and a stagnant life in South Carolina. Of course, Soren falls first, how could he not! Clarke is really the heart and soul of the story and it is fun to see her growth during the book She comes into her own and she finds not only her people but also her person. 

There are lots of side characters in this book and I look forward to reading more about many of them as the books in this series continue!

Five Stars to this home run of a first in series! 

How about you, do you enjoy sports romance? 

And here is a picture of my raspberry bush, I'm hoping it is going to flower? I'm not sure if those will be flowers or leaves? 

Taken by Eveline Rose

 

Happy Monday! I have a jampacked week to kick off daylight savings time. This is the last week before our primary election in Illinois, and I'll be canvassing today, Thursday, and Friday. Tonight is the monthly Chicago North Romance Writer's group meeting. Wednesday, I'm the host for our local business group meeting. That means on Tuesday I need to cook for the meeting on Wednesday since I sell Tastefully Simple, I'm in charge of the eats. 

Saturday and Sunday I'm doing local craft fairs. We will see how Sunday goes, the craft fair might be empty because many people in my area go to the South Side Irish Parade. It's a big deal and this year it's on St. Patrick's Day. 

I just finished reading Eveline Rose's debut book Taken.  This is the first book in her new series, categorized by Amazon as police romance. If you want to get technical about things, it's a private security romance and is whole-heartedly romantic suspense. It deals with some heavy trauma, so check out the content warning. Taken is a romantic suspense that takes place in a small town.  If you like small-town romance, this might be a nice crossover if you are looking for a crossover book. 

I enjoyed the story and getting introduced to Sheppard & Sons Investigations. Here is the blurb for the book: 

Can their love be real if her name and background are fake?

Meg ~
… Released on parole… Those three words sent me looking for a new town, but I never expected Weatherford, Texas to feel like home. I was getting mom-vibes from my boss and sexy looks from my boss’s son. I was making friends and learning what it felt like to be in a real family, but with every step closer to love and happiness, I risked cracking my mask and revealing my secrets. I wouldn’t repay the Sheppard family’s kindness by endangering their lives.

Jack ~
The second my eyes connected with Meg’s, I knew she was meant to be mine. I also knew she was hiding something. Lucky for her, I spent my entire life being raised, trained, and conditioned to protect. Meg would share when she was ready, and I was patient enough to wait, but I didn't have to. Being a PI made it easy to find out the truth for myself. I was determined to uncover the threat against her and keep her safe.

When Meg learns about his snooping, the betrayal sends her running… right into the duct-tape wielding hands of her worst nightmare. Can Jack reach her in time, or will she have to save herself? More importantly, is their love strong enough to overcome the lies?

This standalone, first in series, slow burn, small town, romantic suspense features an overprotective man and a woman with a hidden identity. They'll get their HEA, but only after redefining what it means to love. The intense action, and Meg's horrifying past, may not be for everyone. Use Read Sample to check the copyright page for details.

Here is the Amazon Link for Taken

The Sunday Post: Do You Spring Forward?

 

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 

Happy time change to those who celebrate! I've been canvassing for the last few weeks and it's hard when the sun goes down to see people's addresses so I'm happy to have the daylight for that last hour of knocking on doors this week. 

I sent my second book off to my editor and am now working on trying to make social media posts in Canva!  This week I listened to Bride by Ali Hazelwood. I also finished Taken by Eveline Rose, the first in a new police romance series. I'll post about these books this week. 

In the meantime here is the back blurb for my second book (cover reveal TBD!) When Jasper makes Zaina a deal she can’t refuse, will she find herself with something more than money?

Zaina Evans told herself this was going to be her year. She’s done looking for a soulmate to share her life. She lives in a great small-town, has a successful business, she’s surrounded by wonderful friends and her mom is just a train ride away. Zaina has everything she needs and wants in life except for a baby. Now all she needs is funding to help pay for IVF.
Jasper Kane is the handsome owner and head brewer of Hop’s Heaven Brewery. He’s only had time to promote his business and date a of string of beautiful women for the last five years. His goal to take his craft brewery nationwide consumes him. Maybe if his brewery had locations across America, his mother would finally take him seriously.
Then a video of Jasper and Zaina goes viral for its feel-good content, and a local TV show wants to do a live remote, but only if Zaina’s there too. This gives Jasper a fantastically devious idea. He can get loads of free publicity and tons of followers if Zaina agrees to fake date him to make social media content. But when they get stuck at the brewery during an ice storm, things stop being fake fast. Will they be able to get past their preconceived notions of the perfect life to find the love right in front of them?

Too Klösch For Comfort is a small-town, fake dating, iced-in, steamy romance, featuring a craft brewer who will do anything for his business and a tarot card-reading woman who’s given up on finding her true love. Part of the Marley Creek Romance Series, this standalone story includes viral videos, Hallmark movie vibes, and a guaranteed HEA.

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I used my latest audible credit to purchase Three Kinds of Lucky by Kim Harrison. On the TV front, I'm enjoying Shogun on Hulu. 

What are you enjoying right now? 

I've been sick the whole month so far! Rude! #TheSundayPost

 

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  

I have spent this month with a miserable sinus infection. The worst is at night when I am coughing, coughing, coughing. It's still pretty bad but not as bad as last week, so I guess I'm getting better. I have done all the things you are supposed to do to alleviate symptoms. One problem I have is that I can't take any decongestant stuff because it causes me to have restless legs. 

The other day my No Gouda Without You author copies arrived and I've been exhausted and sick to do an unboxing video! A total bummer!

I didn't have the energy or attention span to read or blog. I did manage to work on writing my second book, that's about all I could manage. My manuscript is due to my editor on March 2nd, so that was my motivator. 

How are you doing? I hope you have not been sick!  My fingers and toes are crossed that I start feeling better each day this week. I've got books to share here and I'd like to have the energy to read! 

Wishing you a wonderful Valentine's Day!