Books/Excerpts ////////////////

A LITTLE BIT OF LUST. IT WASN’T EASY KISSING HIS BEST FRIEND. GET HAPPY HOUR FOR FREE! SCROLL DOWN.

Meet Lucy, whose best friend Deon is about to pop in while she's baking. Is it a goodie he's after? Or something more? Or less? An excerpt from A Little Bit of Lust.  Twelve days until summer vacation.  Between spoonfuls of oatmeal, Lucy dictated her list of summer resolutions into the Reminders app on her phone. Birds chirped outside the open kitchen window where the scent of freshly mown grass hung in the air.  A…

READ MORE
Life = Date

CHARACTER OF MIDDLE AGEISH SPILLS THE GOODS ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Holy. Freaking. WOW.   If you want a book that will have you laughing out loud and leave you giggling and smiling like a Cheshire Cat then this is the book for you. Booksprout ARC reader The chemistry is electric and the banter is witty and flows naturally and once you add in the secondary characters you get the perfect rom com. 💤💋Sleep_Reader💋💤 Amazon Review Hi, I'm Sunny Chanel, the main character in Middle Ageish, Shirley's novel. …

READ MORE
Home ///////////////////

THIS IS NOT A CUTE LITTLE BOOK GIVEAWAY––IT’S AN AVALANCHE. FREE BOOKS AND KU READS=MERRY HOLIDAYS!

CONSIDER THIS YOUR OFFICIAL INVITATION TO DECEMBER BOOK MAYHEM Eight themed giveaways, each with a prize, PLUS the big one: a $75 Amazon gift card and a Blind Date With a Book bundle. But you only get a shot at the Grand Prize if you enter all eight. So, if your TBR wasn’t unhinged before, it will be now. The Sleigh the TBR Mega Giveaway is LIVE for the whole month. Grab books, enter prizes,…

READ MORE
Home /////////////

A BAR, TWO DATES, AND REINDEER COOKIES, A FREE CHRISTMAS ROM COM SHORT AND 28 AUTHORS WITH 38 BOOKS!

 Grab A Bar, Two Dates, and Reindeer Cookies and read about our super    Christmas and Holiday Book Festival, below! Christmas Eve isn't the best time to be alone and the holidays are tough when you're newly single and smarting from a break up. Not a time to stay home. But is it a good time for an internet date? Jenn decides to reach out to a couple of strangers. Which is how she gets herself…

READ MORE
Members ////////////////

REVAMPED, A VAMPIRE COMEDY: BONUS STEAMY CHAPTERS

This is an 18+ scene with mature content. Please be aware that sex-related language and accompanying photos are used in this piece. These two chapters are the steamy bonus scenes for readers of Revamped, A Vampire Comedy. They won’t make sense if you haven’t read the book. NOTE: Content is explicit.  CHAPTER ONE       Dante and Sophie are dog/cat sitting for the weekend. They are leaving Sophie’s parents’ house after dinner with the…

READ MORE
Books/Mortar & Pestle ////////////

AN ENERGY VAMPIRE HUNGRY FOR LOVE MEETS THE WISECRACKING WOMAN OF HIS PARENTS’ NIGHTMARES

     Before meeting my cinnamon roll hero with the vampire edge, you've got to know starting over is a theme in all my books. If you think it's easy to begin again, ask Dante, the hero of my first paranormal romance. He's all twisted up like a pretzel trying to please his parents, especially his mother when he wants to please Sophie. Only problem? She's not a vampire. But hey, the way he sees it,…

READ MORE
MenWomen ///

ONLINE DATING OR JUST WANT TO LAUGH ABOUT IT? MY CHARACTERS MAKE ALL THE MISTAKES SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO.

  Enjoy online dating without the hassle of going on endless dates. I've got a trilogy of reads for your LOL pleasure.  Plus, I love hearing from readers. For exclusive short story giveaways, good deals, and more than occasional freebies on books, subscribe to my monthly newsletter. You’ll also unlock the Exclusive to Members section of this website and get Happy Hour, my romantic short story, and special content reserved for members. To check out…

READ MORE
MenWomen ///////

WHAT THE MEN IN MY LIFE HAVE TAUGHT ME (EVEN AFTER 50)

The reality of stepping out there after a long hiatus—whether you’re divorced or widowed—is anxiety-producing. But what I’ve learned about myself and about men couldn’t have been experienced otherwise. Who knows what you’ll glean from an hour or two (or forty-five minutes, in a few cases) over coffee, or a glass of wine, or dinner. And this is a good thing. Healthy and perhaps even a tad heart warming. And fun, too. Stuff I’ve Picked…

READ MORE
Books/Mortar & Pestle ////////////

AN ARTIST’S RETREAT, A FORMER LOVER, A FLAME TO REKINDLE OR LET GO? SOME CHOICES ARE NEVER EASY.

I'm thrilled to introduce the author of Artist, Ginny Frost. Artist is the last in the Mortar & Pestle series of seven romances. An artist's retreat, a thirst to learn more about what she loves doing... an old love. Who knew she'd run into him again? This is not a good time to revisit old wounds. Even if he's making his interest apparent.  Before learning more about Artist, I asked Ginny to share her answers to three…

READ MORE
Books/Mortar & Pestle ////////////

CAN SHE HEAL THE TRICKSTER BEFORE HE BREAKS HER HEART?

Revamped with energy, the mortar and pestle materialize in Redford Falls. As smoke circles within the stone, orange flecks of glitter turn to green, strengthening its chosen path and setting its magic in the hands of a woman with eyes the colour of jadestone. She is the only one who has the gift to heal the man known as the trickster. Blurb for Trickster   Can she heal a trickster before he breaks her heart?…

READ MORE
Life = Date/My Two Cents'

AVOID THIS DATING DEAD END: TEXTING OR PHONE TALKING FOREVER, LIKE YOU’RE GIRLFRIENDS AND LOVE GOSSIPING.

There are two scenarios here. One, you're emailing and not phone talking. Second, you're  texting and chatting on the phone, but you haven't yet met. What's up with that? So, he's not asking to meet you. And yet he's texting and calling you for long, winding talks. You know he has a cat, loves to cook, especially lasagna and lemon chicken, and visits his mom on the weekend. You've told him about your dark chocolate…

READ MORE
Books/Mortar & Pestle ////////////

ROMANCE ON THE HIGH SEAS, A PARANORMAL ACTION ADVENTURE

Read Sea Hunter for the adventure and the love story, but enjoy the research that went into this slow burn romance with a touch of paranormal.  Book Blurb for Sea Hunter On the turbulent high seas, an archeologist must protect a historic shipwreck from treasure hunters—not fall for one. Zahra Corbyn   I’m a Sea Hunter. As an underwater archeologist and professor of antiquities, it is my duty to stop treasure hunters and looters from raiding…

READ MORE
Books/Mortar & Pestle ////////////

MEET AUTHOR MARILYN BARR’S MATIES IN HER NEW ROMANTIC PIRATE ADVENTURE

Meet author Marilyn Barr's short alpha hero and set sail on the spirited cruise where he finds his happily ever after. Learn some history too!   Since Quartermaster has elements of fantasy, I asked Marilyn  to share her answers to three fantasy questions. Her answers are from the heart.  What would you do if...? You had three hours alone. Sometimes, authors are super busy with kids and family. In this scenario, money and kid-sitting are not a worry. …

READ MORE
Books/Mortar & Pestle /////////////////

NOCK, DRAW, RELEASE. HER BOW IS ALWAYS READY. AUTHOR JEAN M. GRANT’S INTRIGUING TALE OF AN ARCHER WHO’S A SEEKER. WILL MAGIC HELP HER SAVE THOSE SHE LOVES?

A few words from author Jean M. Grant on Seeker A Thread of Elements   Water, fire, air, and earth…these elements have symbolic roots and importance in many cultures and communities from the ancient Greeks to current-day scientists. According to the Ancients in my trilogy (and in Seeker, a spin-off), these elements are the essence of life. Each of my main characters in the trilogy has a supernatural ability linked to an element: Water and…

READ MORE
Members ////////////

RECIPE FOR CHOCOLATE MACAROONS FROM A LITTLE BIT OF LUST. SPECIAL FOR MEMBERS.

These are super healthy cookies from a young friend who designs and experiments with her own recipes. Check out The Cretan Nutritionist on Instagram.  https://www.instagram.com/thecretannutritionist/     *How can anyone not love a crunchy, chocolatey macaroon? These macaroons are a similar version of the favorite little gem but since it’s a healthier version, it’s perfect eaten as part of breakfast or better yet, for an afternoon energy pick-me-up!   Chocolate Macaroon Cookies Ingredients: 1 cup…

READ MORE
Members ////////

DATING QUESTIONNAIRE FROM MIDDLE AGEISH: UNPUBLISHED

This is Sunny's first time getting on an online dating site. Notice what I named the dating site. Go ahead, peek right now, I'll wait. Well, that never made it into the book. I must have been drinking my furniture polish. This is a no-spoiler read, btw.     That night I sat at the computer in my home clothes, threadbare shorts with tiny blue bears, and an old gray T-shirt I’d cut the sleeves off.…

READ MORE
Members ////////

WHY DID I WRITE A LITTLE BIT OF LUST?

Before covid, I used to go dancing with a few friends on Sunday afternoons at a restaurant on the Connecticut shoreline called Donahue’s. Over the years, I met other dancers and we became rabid regulars. The idea of three friends who hang out, go dancing, and work together grew and became part of the storyline for A Little Bit of Lust. But something was missing. Not only was I online dating at the time, I…

READ MORE
Members ///////////

HOW I MAKE READERS BLUSH WITH SWOONEY SMOOCHY SCENES. AND YES, THERE’S SEX

Some readers like it hot, while others like their books sweet or steamy. What's your preference? Please be aware that sex-related language is used in this piece.   Despite the title of my new book, A Little Bit of Lust, writing love scenes is more about the feels and less about lust. Here are the first two sentences from an early chapter in A Little Bit of Lust. The main characters, Lucy and Deon, take…

READ MORE
Excerpts/Mortar & Pestle /////////

EXCERPT FROM REVAMPED

The two main characters, Dante and Sophie, are dining at his house. “I hope you’ll like our dinner.” “Why wouldn’t I? Are you a bad cook?” “Oh, I’m not much on cooking, but I’d like to learn. Signing up for a cooking class, in fact.” Dante had trouble looking me in the eye. The poor guy was nervous. Jack led the way into the kitchen. Wine glasses and the bottle opener sat waiting on the…

READ MORE
Excerpts ////////////

EXCERPT FROM A LITTLE BIT OF LUST. IT WASN’T EASY KISSING HIS BEST FRIEND.

Meet Lucy, Deon, and Phoebe, three middle-aged friends who share a bond that is tested by careers, loss, and love. A heartwarming story of forgiveness and starting over.      Blurb for A Little Bit of Lust Love-cynical Lucy Bernard delights in her independence. Baking, all things Instagram, the occasional fling, and most of all hanging out with best friends Deon Goldbloom and Phoebe Karis. But when Deon kisses Lucy at the beach on a…

READ MORE
MenWomen

MIDDLE-AGED AND DATING? DON’T MAKE THESE 6 MISTAKES

Dating in middle age…well, it’s different from dating when we were younger and met someone in person. IRL—in real life—is the acronym used nowadays. I’m offering up a few pointers to new daters and the date-weary. Online dating is not for the tender, but then neither is getting older. 1. Don't take online dating personally  If you take online dating personally, you’ll give up before you meet your honey. Online dating can be fun, but…

READ MORE
Books ////////

THE STARS COLLIDE WHEN A HALF-FAE LASS CAPTURES A HIGHLAND CHIEFTAIN. A CREME DE LA COVER WINNER!

I'd like to introduce Author Mary Morgan to our readers. Her new book, Wishes Under a Highland Star, won the Crème de la Cover Contest! Please tell us a bit about your  historical medieval Scottish fantasy romance.  Hello, Shirley! I’m delighted to be a guest on your lovely blog today! I’d like to share a wee bit about my upcoming new Highland holiday story… Wishes Under a Highland Star wraps up the last son of Clan MacFhearguis. In writing…

READ MORE