Having A Good Time by Liz Flaherty

I'm late. My date to post was yesterday, and I'm sorry. But I'm not.

I need to write. I keep getting behind on blog posts I've agreed to and LIKE writing, and it worries me when I wake up at three in the morning with thoughts of Damn! I forgot! I'm sorry, because I like being timely and even early sometimes. But I'm ... yeah, I'm not sorry.

Although I write something every day, I'm behind on my work-in-progress, book three of the Harper Loch colors series, and I need to establish a manuscript routine, including sprints, research in non-writing hours, and maintaining word count. I will regret writing myself into a panicky corner. But not yet. Maybe tomorrow ... no, not then, either. 

Yesterday, when I had an appointment for a medical procedure and another for having my nails done, I hung out with our son who's been visiting this week. We went to breakfast, ran some errands, then came home for a while before going out to dinner with our daughter, son-in-law, and grandson. Then I read aloud at an open mic, one of those things I never thought I'd do, but kind of enjoy. I never got to ... well, several things. 

Sometimes, to adulterate what I've always thought was a particularly stupid line by Erich Segal, Having a good time means never having to say you're sorry. Like the original quote, the altered one is only good sometimes with some people, but it's almost always good with retired people who don't have anyone depending on them. 

When I am making my lists of what I hate about growing old and what I love about growing old, having a good time is right at the top of the second one. Sometimes, if you let it and if your knee's not aching too much and there hasn't been sadness in your week, you can forget the first list altogether. And just have a good time.

I don't have anything new right now, but something old and loved is on sale. I loved writing Harlequin Heartwarmings, and I especially loved The Happiness Pact. Both the book and the box set are on sale right now. If you like sweet romance, it's a good time to check these out. 

Or the box set https://a.co/d/7jkSafT

Irish Eyes Are Smiling by Joan Reeves

Top of the morning to you. Even though St. Patrick's Day isn't until tomorrow, I'm wallowing in all things Irish today.

On the menu this fine morning ia a hearty Full Irish Breakfast.

Okay, well, not exactly a Full Irish which consists of bacon, sausages, eggs, black and white pudding, fried potatoes, tomatoes, mushrooms, toast, and sometimes baked beans accompanied by a strong cup of fresh-brewed tea.

My Americanized version consists of bacon, an egg, a slice of multigrain toast, and fresh-brewed coffee. *sigh* I fear my Irish ancestors would be offended if they knew.

Perhaps I can make up for the breakfast insult with a typical Irish dinner? Let's see, I have a roast in the freezer but no potatoes. No lamb so no Irish stew. No colcannon because, as previously stated, no potatoes, and also no cabbage.

All is not lost in my attempt to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. I know the words to When Irish Eyes Are Smiling. My grandfather used to sing it when I was a little girl. I can even post the lyrics here because they entered the public domain in 2007.

The song, written by Ernest R. Ball, George Graff, and Chauncey Olcott, was published in 1912. A recording of the song was made popular by Bing Crosby in 1939.

EVERYBODY SING

When Irish eyes are smiling, Sure, 'tis like a morn' in Spring

In the lilt of Irish laughter, You can hear the angels sing. 

When Irish hearts are happy, All the world seems bright and gay

And when Irish eyes are smiling, Sure, they steal your heart away

When Irish hearts are happy, All the world seems bright and gay, And when Irish eyes are smiling, Sure, they steal your heart away.

I have an Irish gift for you to celebrate St. Patrick's Day tomorrow. From now until March 18th at 11:59PM PDT, you can claim a free copy of LIAM'S WILD IRISH ROSE from Amazon.

Warning: this story is super spicy—mucho caliente!—so leave it on the cyber shelf if super sexy romance is not your thing.

The story opens at Juan O'Hara's Mexican-Irish Pub, a place I loved so much that I wish it were real!

Is a “no-strings-attached” arrangement enough to satisfy Maura O'Reilly? The idea of being tied down to one man terrifies her, yet she can't seem to stay away from Liam Harper. Despite her attempts to resist, she finds herself constantly drawn to him.

Of all the women in the world, why, Liam wonders, did he have to fall for the one who wants nothing more than a physical relationship with him? Most men would consider that a dream come true, but Liam doesn’t. He wants more than just sex with Maura. He wants her heart.

If you enjoy this spicy Irish romance, please leave a short review. I will deeply appreciate your time and effort in doing so.

Remember to wear green tomorrow. Happy St. Patrick's Day

JOAN ONLINE

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When Your Favorite Author Writes Too Slow

by Stephanie Suesan Smith In for Bea Tifton

Don't you hate it when an author you love puts out a new book and you read it all in one day?  I love the J.D. Robb books, and this happens to me every February and November.  Bonded in Death, the 60th book in this series, came out in February.  Even though I tried to read it slowly, the book was gone overnight (literally; I  stayed up reading it way past my bedtime).  Even though I consider the In Death books romances, they are a little gory for a lot of romance fans.  Of course, J.D. Robb is really a pseudonym for Nora Roberts.

Ms. Roberts writes fast but is now wealthy enough that she puts out four books a year.  Two In Death books, one standalone book, and one book in her current series.  She published Inheritance in November, 2023.  

The next book didn't come out for a whole year.  It came out in November, 2024.

The final book comes out in November, 2025.  I have learned from experience to reread the first two books in the trilogy before reading the last one.  Okay, so maybe a week's worth of reading this time.  I guess I should be grateful that Ms. Roberts delivers a new book every quarter between the two names she publishes under, but I wish she put out more books a year.  She used to when she was younger and hungrier, but now she has the luxury of working less.

In between Ms. Roberts' books, I mostly read nonfiction books.  I will read anything but horror (I have enough nightmares, thank you very much).  Occasionally, I will stumble on a nice series that has multiple books out, and I binge-read them.

How do you handle the space between the publication of books by your favorite author?  How do you find new authors to read?

 

 

HELLO, MARCH - SPARE THE STORMS

 By Caroline Clemmons

 

 March came in like a lamb, so I suppose it will go out like a lion. Here in North Central Texas that means the possibility of major storms. Not just rain, hail, or tornados but also sand or dust.

I remember walking home from school in a sand storm with sand stinging my legs. Worse were the dust storms. Dust snuck in every window. Our home had wooden frames that admitted more sand and dust than modern metal frames. I remember my mother hanging wet sheets at the windows of my room during a sand or dust storm when I was home from school very sick. My mom was amazing (for many reasons)!

Once Hero and I were visiting my mother-in-law, who lived in a new and quite lovely assisted living facility in Lubbock, Texas. (This was  after my mother had already moved from Lubbock to an apartment near us.) A black dust storm blew in from somewhere far away from West Texas. The dust in that area is reddish brown, and we had no idea where the black dust originated. This was by far the worst dust storm we had ever encountered. The street lights came on even though it was mid-day. Visibility resembled a heavy London fog. The local newspaper dubbed it "Black Sunday."

Lung problems are my Kryptonite. Even in my mother-in-law’s apartment, the dust created the sensation of too little air. I became so ill that we either had to leave or take me to the ER. We left, my Hero driving faster than usual until we descended the Caprock and left the storm behind.

For writers, every event is food for a book. In The Most Unsuitable Courtship, a similar storm occurred. The hero and heroine had rescued three orphaned children, one of whom had an asthma attack in the middle of nowhere with killers chasing them. Of course, the hero and heroine were able to cope and help the child. I like the story, by the way. If you haven’t read that third book in the Kincaid series, a western historical romance, here’s the e-book link:

https://www.amazon.com/Most-Unsuitable-Courtship-Kincaids-Book-ebook/dp/B00G5YXI6I/

It’s also available in audiobook and paperback and is enrolled in KU.

 

Have you been in a bad sand or dust storm?

Picture of dust storm written of above,

called Black Sunday in a story

by the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Thanks for stopping by. Happy March.

Scent of a Memory by Laura Hunsaker

 It's no secret I work in a school, and right now, it's science fair time! One of the students made a project had to do with scent and how it can help hold memories. They were trying to see if you smelled the same scent every time you studied, would it help you remember the facts when you took the test? 

This felt like the perfect topic to talk about! Scent plays a role in so many books. How often do we read about what our hero or heroine smells like? Literally every romance novel talks about how the heroine smells of lavender, or peaches and cream, or strawberries. The hero smells of sunshine and leather, or of pine and man...and I love all of the descriptions!

Scent is tied to so many things, that of course we'd mirror that in literature. And I'm guilty of it too! Most recently I've used vanilla, coffee, caramel, or maybe I'm just hungry when I write ;) 

But the idea that scent is tied to memory is so true! My dad lived in Germany for years and he said that one time when he came home, his whole house smelled different. He couldn't put his finger on it, but the scent really made him homesick. A bit later when he opened the mail, he'd found a letter from his mom and she'd included orange blossoms from their trees. He didn't expect to smell California in his German home, so it hadn't occurred to him that it might be orange blossoms!

I've had instances where I smelled a certain perfume that reminded me of my grandmother, or a food that reminded me of the county fair, but nothing as cool as the one my dad had. But how about you? Do you have any instances where a scent unexpectedly triggered a memory?

And here, for your reading pleasure, my heroine who smells of vanilla, and my hero who smells of sandalwood:

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Lessons Learned by Liz Flaherty

I spent most of the past several days reading back over my one and only historical romance, Home to Singing Trees, which first came out in 2010 and again in 2015. I don't know why there are two publication dates listed, since it was the same publisher, but that's not why I'm talking about it. It's a fictional story that is set in a real place, with real names, and with some real events. Singing Trees farm is still in my family, although it's never had that name except in my mind.

My writing has changed some since those days. Better in some ways and worse in others. I wasn't a POV purist then and, frankly, I'm still not. I still typed with two spaces after a period. But I think the story still stands, and I hope for its re-release.

Now, for the reason I started this. I started reading romance in the 1960s, when I was in junior high and started reading teen romances. Then I used to sneak around and read my mom's True Story magazines, which I thought really were true. Then I read the Avalon romances Mom got at the library, and my love for the genre took root. 

I thought I would try to make a list of lessons learned books and authors that turned corners (sometimes to go down alleys) as a writer. I'd love to know what and who your influences were, too.

The only author name I remember from the Avalon books is Peggy O'More, who wrote a lot of books under several pseudonyms. I don't actually remember her books, but I do remember that she was funny. That was when I found out I liked funny, smart romance.

Lesson # 1: Humor.

In 7th grade, I read Gone With the Wind. I've read it several times since, but the thing that sticks out even now is that Scarlett O'Hara wasn't actually beautiful despite her 17-inch waist. She wasn't always admirable, either, but her lack of classic beauty is what stuck 

Lesson #2: Relatability in looks. 

I read a book when I was in my early 20s that to this day I don't remember either the title of or who wrote it, but I am everlastingly grateful for how she ended one chapter. Paraphrased, the cliffhanger was: She cried. And cried. And cried. 

Lesson #3: Use syntax to illustrate emotion. I suppose it's another way of saying show, don't tell. But 50 years later, I still remember that I cried with her.

I read a gazillion Harlequin Romances--didn't we all? I learned from a lot of them, and I loved the British voices, but then I read Janet Dailey and Nora Roberts. And read every release they had before the ink was dry on the pages. Later on, I quickly tired of Regency romance, but then I read Carla Kelly and Mary Balogh. I still do, all these many books later.

Lesson #4: It's all about voice.

I read the Harry Potter books, but it could have been any series that grabbed hold and didn't let go. I didn't get it, you know, what the big deal was. Why my daughter-in-law and granddaughter lined up at midnight to get the latest release.

Lesson #5: It's all about story.

Nan Reinhardt is a very close friend. We have work days together. We travel together. We read each other's stuff. She has several series with Tule Publishing that that are set in a fictional town in Southern Indiana called River's Edge. I love River's Edge.

Lesson #6: The setting is a character.

I read every word by certain authors, Kristan Higgins being one of them. I could write a book on the things I love about her books, but then there'd be a chapter somewhere in the middle about things she wrote that I didn't like and plot points that didn't work for me. There are a couple of her releases I've only read once, not going back to find the warm places I like to read over again. But even if I'd hated them, which I most definitely did not, I would still start reading her next one the day it comes out, because that's how much I love her writing.

Lesson #7: The writer needs to love her story, but once it's out in the world, it's up to the readers what they make of it. What they love and what they don't. 

There are people who write scathing, damaging reviews on books they sometimes haven't even read. I have no answer as to why they do this. Nor do I have any intent of making excuses for them. I'm going to share two of my worst reviews here just for the sake of the lesson. 

"This was such a boring read. I seriously had a hard time getting into it. Was it me or was Syd always talking to herself? And I also wished the author made it easier to keep the characters straight. Too many names at once were just too confusing. And why did the chapters have to be so long? Oh, that made the read that much more daunting. Don’t authors know that it’s easier to read shorter chapters rather than longer ones? No, they have to go with 12 REALLY LONG and ENDLESS chapters!"

"I didn't really enjoy this book. It seemed rather childish. I don't get the five star rating others gave it but if you like really dumb stories - go for it!"

Lesson #8: Nothing. Nothing at all. Just keep writing. 

What about you? What lessons have you learned?

Post Valentine Giveaway by Joan Reeves

I'm being held hostage by that ogre named Allergies. It started when I visited my brother in Louisiana at the farm.

All of the trees, weeds, shrubs, and vines that I'm not used to were dripping pollen out of season. Ah choo!

Even though I haven't felt that well, I've been working intensively on new book covers, new file format for my existing ebooks, and working on a new release.

When I say working, I literally mean 12 hours a day for the last week. I crashed last night, decided to battle the ogre, took 2 Zyrtec (as recommended by my doctor), and went to bed.

Even though I woke at 4:30 this morning, I felt better. (Allergy meds have that weird effect on me—knock me out then make me awake at a weird hour.) Now after 2 cups of coffee and a cup of tea, I have enough energy to visit with you.

CRAZY WEATHER

I don't know about where you are, but we're having some weird weather here on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Yesterday, it was 76. Today it's 40 and dropping, but the sun is shining brightly. I understand we're supposed to have a low of 22 around mid-week.

I think everyone in the state is fearing another winter like we had in 2021. I'm so thankful we now have a generator. I just hope our water utility has a bunch of them.

BELATED VALENTINE GIFT

For Valentine's Day, I offered BLAME IT ON CHOCOLATE, a Valentine romance, free to my newsletter subscribers. 

Now, I'm inviting you to grab a free copy too—free on Amazon Kindle until 11:59pm PST tonight, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025.

"A fresh, witty, delicious story. Just like an irresistible bar of chocolate, you'll finish it all at once." —Reader Review

HAPPY READING

I hope you'll enjoy this story. Times are tough, and many readers simply can't afford the luxury of books. That's why, this year, I'm offering one of my books for 99¢ each month. 

This month the book is Scents and Sensuality, a Love, Laughter, and Shenanigans Fake Boyfriend Romance that culminates on Valentine's Day.

If you'd like to know when a book is on sale or is free, sign up for I LOVE READING, my free newsletter.

Until next week, stay warm, stay away from pollen, read books, and enjoy life.

JOAN ONLINE

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