Live life as a date
Writing a book about ice cream for the One Scoop or Two series by The Wild Rose Press is oh, so tough, but author Darlene Fredette enjoyed the research for Cherry Red. So thrilled she's talking about her new release! What do you write and how did you choose a title? I write contemporary romances. The title was inspired by a Rolling Stones song, "You Can't Always Get What You Want." There is a part…
Author Jean Grant talks about her trilogy of historical novels laced with fantasy, that is, characters who are "gifted but afflicted." Read on to find out more. Tying a Trilogy Together What seemed ages ago, but in the grand scheme of life, only about 6 or 7 years ago, I sat down to write another manuscript. With three “practice” novels written but shelved, I dug into a new story. I changed my time period…
It's Happy Book Birthday for Rainbow Sprinkles from author D.V. Stone. D.V. will be drawing two names for her FREE limited edition shirt! Sign up for her blog here for a chance to win. Peek Through the Window Blurb for Rainbow Sprinkles Retired and widowed Gloriana Jones is forging on with the plans she and her late husband dreamed of—bringing joy and happiness, one ice cream cone at a time, to Lake Unami. But bad…
Meet Susie Black, ladies apparel executive and author. I'm asking her some questions about writing and killing off her characters today. Join us. What’s the fun part of writing and why? I write humorous cozy mysteries. Because my characters are based on real people, I get to knock off some that in real life I would have loved to eliminate. I can live out a fantasy and not go to jail. This book introduces the…
Peggy Jaeger's newest coming soon! Blurb for A Pride of Brothers: Aiden, Book 2 in the series Lexi Buckley wants answers about her younger sister's death. The police have labeled it a suicide, but Lexi doesn't believe it. Stymied in her investigation, she doesn't know where to turn next. After a chance encounter with a private investigator, she thinks her prayers have been answered. Aiden Keane has never been an answer to a prayer…
Happy Birthday to Rock House Grill. Welcome, D.V. Stone! Rock House Grill is the 1st place Sweet Romance Winner in NN Light's Book Heaven. D.V. Stone is here to tell us about a blooper and how she finally found a publisher. I can’t believe it’s been a year already since publication. The road to get there was filled with potholes and detours. Rock House Grill started out as a NaNoWriMo challenge in November of 2015. The…
Eat Your Heart Out Starting Over Book 2 by Shirley Goldberg Genre: Romantic Women's Fiction, Chick-Lit, RomCom When a tyrant in stilettos replaces her beloved boss, and her ex snags her coveted job, teacher Dana Narvana discovers there are worse things than getting dumped on Facebook. Time for the BFF advice squad, starting with Dana's staunchest ally, Alex—hunky colleague, quipster, and cooking pal extraordinaire. But when the after hours smooching goes nowhere, she wonders why…
Talking with Sadira Stone about Opposites Attract Tell us about Eddie, your main character Eddie is a planner who carries around his to-do lists in a moleskin notebook—it’s almost a security blanket for him. To win Rosie’s heart, he quizzes her best friend about Rosie’s favorite places and activities. I loved writing the scene where he devotes a rare Saturday afternoon off to taking her to her favorite places—Tacoma’s Wright Park, an new Asian fusion…
Julie Howard's time travel mystery takes you back to 1872. What do you write? What's the fun part of writing and why did you write this particular book? I primarily write mystery stories, but love all genres. I find there is some type of mystery in every genre; this is what drives a reader forward to discover what will happen next with the main character. There just happens to be a murder or two in…
At a loss dating-wise? Distance dating during a pandemic isn't for you? Check out author Marilyn Barr's Aurora Turner, the heroine of Round of Applause. She's full of suggestions for a new kind of dating. No luck finding Mr. Right? Try Paranormal Dating. By Aurora Turner, Heroine of Strawberry Shifters Book 2: Round of Applause I like to say I have been picky, but in reality, I don’t make it past the first date.…
Do this and get to know him before meeting. It's sort of a Predate. Requires prep before phone talk. I have a few friends who are distance dating—I call it predating—and it has nothing to do with Covid. Why? One friend who's recently met a "possible" says that if a guy who lives more than an hour away contacts her, she lets him do most of the work—doesn't do any heavy driving, not at first. …
What do you notice in the first few seconds on a first meet? His comb over? Her weight? This unscientific survey is brought to you courtesy of my friends (names changed) and acquaintances, all middle ageish and dating online. They were all asked the same question and yes, the sex card was played. Or at least mentioned. What Women Notice in the First 5 Minutes We pick up on certain things. Such as you asking…
With everything going on in our world these days, friends are essential to our health. I don’t have family nearby, so maintaining my friendships is especially important, especially those friendships with history. It takes effort, but staying in contact with as many of our friends as possible is a priority for most of us. In fact, I’ve put a name to this and say I’m dating my friends. Not so weird since I write a…
Author's note to readers: I wrote this article originally when my mom was 95 years old, and I'd still like to share it with you even though Annie, my mom, flew away this past May of 2025. I will always miss her. The best fight ever! The best fight my parents ever had was the day my father tried to outrun my mom in their own house. Before I get into the story, there’s something…
Author Randy Overbeck Talks About a Couple of Serious Topics For those who are, like me, Type A personalities, we have had to endure the painful lesson that there is much in life out of our control. Of course, this was always true, but the pandemic has simply made the point undeniable. In fact, more than nine months into this debacle, there is much about the virus that remain mysterious. Where exactly did …
Interview with Teresa Michael, author of the Mariposa Cafe Mystery Series How long have you been writing? I spent a good deal of my career in professional and technical writing in the healthcare industry in various positions including a hospital department director of health information management, a senior clinical and financial business systems analyst, and sales and marketing for a healthcare software vendor. But I’ve been making up stories and writing them down since…
Author Jean Grant visits a dozen castles and hikes the Highlands Over a decade ago for our anniversary, my husband and I traveled to my bucket list destination: Scotland. Lone sheep wandered down the middle of a meandering country road. Windswept moors, heather fields, and green rolling hills flanked our drives. Wild rocky trails and impressive mountains greeted us on our hikes. Blue lochs were aplenty (yes, Loch Ness is a deep beautiful loch and…
Oh, and check out the trailer for Rainbow Sprinkles D.V. Stone talks today about her newest release, Rainbow Sprinkles, a second chance love story. Two people in their middle years who have lost their spouses are starting over. Let D.V. Stone tell you her story and introduce you to her characters in a short scene from the book. I was in my mid-thirties when I’d divorced and then met my husband Pete. Some things were a little awkward…
Jean Grant discusses "how I went from a write-what-you-know to a fictional story that took on its own unique tale. I hope my readers enjoy AJ and Will’s journey in Will Rise from Ashes as much as I do." The novel is now out in audio.
Witches and shifters and Sluagh, oh my! The main character, Alison, is a green witch, but her workaholic husband doesn't know. In fact, he's so career-focused she can hide her witchy ways in plain view. Author Marilyn Barr took her own experiences and her background as a particle physicist and teacher to bring her novel, Bear with Me to life. Here's a little about Grant and Alison, her characters. Blue eyes, dimples, and silky brown…
Try On a Naturally Positive Attitude I had another of those relationship discussions recently with a few single friends. What they have in common is all have plunged into online dating. And everyone agrees that online dating is more painful than a dental scaling and root planing of all four quadrants of your mouth. With one exception. Miranda (not her real name), has no complaints about internet dating. She dumped her boyfriend of two years,…
Online dating isn't easy. What makes you decide to see him again? Or not. Chemistry isn't always enough.
New to online dating? Don’t make these boo boos. And pull on your rhino suit because internet dating is not for the thin of skin. THE BASICS 1. You Don’t Realize Online Dating Is Tough If you haven’t dated in twenty years, it’s good to know this. Don’t let it stop you. How is it tough? Anonymity often leads to bad behavior. I’d say that rudeness sometimes rules, but it isn’t that simple. I’ll give…
Let's have a glass of wine and talk: Blow Torched? I went out with a guy twice. He ended the last date by asking me if I thought we should take our profiles down. I’m thinking it’s a bit early, but I’m really attracted to him. Is this too good to be true? He’s touchy-feely in a nice, not creepy way, and I think there could be something here. He’s not rushing me sexually, by the…
Don't Get Overwhelmed by the Strangeness of it All If you’re new to dating, you can get overwhelmed with anxiety about details, like what to wear, or fear that you won’t recognize your date in a crowded bar. "She'll see I'm fifteen pounds overweight," said a friend going on his first meet in two years. Other friends worry their date won't resemble his profile photo. "I lied about my height, but only by an inch,"…
Internet meets are never this easy, the banter never this clever, the guy never this good looking. Something is wrong, but what?
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