GOOD-BYE SUMMER!

                                                      by Judy Ann Davis 

Summer has slipped away. Fall marched into Central Pennsylvania without the rains we had hoped for. The last three months have been dry. We've even had water alerts because of the drought which affected our town's water source of deep wells. Our usual brilliant orange, gold and scarlet leaves are now brown and dried, not the vibrant colors we had hoped for and usually see in October. On a more joyful note:

FINDING LOVE IN PINE VALLEY - is finally finished!

I’ve been trying to get this second chance mystery and romance finished and released for almost two years now. There are over twenty-five reasons why a person procrastinates. I can truly believe five of mine are:  Task aversion, distractions, feeling overwhelmed, indecisiveness, and decision fatigue.

However, there is one reason, which is wrapped up like a ball of tangled string and which affects me as a writer the most. It’s the fear of having existing mistakes in the manuscript—whether they are spelling, grammar, or development errors. Luckily, I have a good friend who is a wonderful editor. Yet, my insecurities still exist.  Finding Love in Pine Valley was released on September 14^th. I'm thrilled the book has placed me in Amazon's top one-hundred for friends to lovers romances.

The cover blurb follows.

FINDING LOVE IN PINE VALLEY    

Lena Starron knew that leaving her two-timing ex-husband and her job in New York as a writer would be a challenge. Starting over always is. But she never thought she’d return to her old hometown in Pennsylvania where two new jobs awaited her, only to discover she had no place to live. 

Wyatt Taylor of Taylor Tree Farm hired Lena to organize and open a new café while she also worked writing publicity for Pine Valley’s 200th Anniversary Celebration. Even though it has been five years since his painful break-up with his fiancé, Wyatt hasn’t been able to get his life or his home in order. When he learns Lena needs a place to live and work, he offers office space and room in his house.

To help raise money for town’s Recreational Park and its much-needed new playground equipment, Lena agrees to organize a two-day, fall Jamboree at the tree farm. When her expensive, antique jewelry box is stolen, she must determine whether it’s for true monetary value—or does someone want to see her fail and leave town. 

Together, as Wyatt and Lena untangle the mysterious web surrounding the robbery, will sparks fly? And will they be brave enough to find their second chance at love?

LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Love-Pine-Valley-relationships/dp/B0FPR3GFH4/ 

                                       LINK to my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE   

BRINGING HOME THE CHRISTMAS TREE

 by Judy Ann Davis

“Who we are is where we’ve been, who are parents are, where we lived, who are friends were and are. All these influence what we see and how we see it, how we talk and what we say, how we think and what we think about, what we believe and what we value. We are our histories.”  
                                  ~ Jerry Apps, Renowned storyteller, author, educator and historian
                                                                                               ~ from Living a Country Year

As December rolls around, often into a snowy wonderland for northern states’ residents like myself, we look forward to holidays and the simple joys of country living. When I was growing up, it was an exciting time for farm kids to get the family Christmas tree. Never was there any discussion about visiting a Christmas tree farm or buying one. Bundled up and with boots on, we trudged through the white stuff, searching our own woodlands for an evergreen tree to fit in its rightful place in the corner of our dining room. Even a less-than-stellar, often lopsided, Charlie-Brown-like pine or spruce tree would do. After all, we were going to position it with its best side looking outward, weren’t we?

Our ornaments were glass, shiny, and old—and in all the colors of the rainbow along with silver, white, pink and other variations. We also had small plastic Rudolph reindeer ornaments to add to the seasonal vibe. Mother usually let us decorate without any interference, except with the warning not to throw the icicles on the tree, as we were apt to do as we tired of the final step. The plug for the light was one set into the floor. We were also sternly reminded not to drop anything into it—like tiny metal hangers used to fasten the bulbs on the branches. 

The tinsel on the tree was silver and thinner those fluffy ones of today and served to help hide the holes between the branches. Our colored light bulbs each had a reflector with mirrors on each point of the star to send up a dazzling display. Beneath the tree was a white skirt with a manger scene and a score of cardboard houses where a bulb from a string of lights could be inserted in the back of each to illuminate the vivid paper windows. On top, a lighted angel sat looking out and guarding our cozy farmhouse. When we finished, our tree was sometimes gaudy, but always a lovable one. The lights were a merry sight to behold when lit in the evening. The fresh pine scented the air with a pleasing, clean smell. 

Now, with the multitude of new and various holiday decorations for trees and our homes, I wonder whether we’ve lost the true delight and excitement of digging out all the boxes with old treasured ornaments and re-engaging in the fun of discovering familiar things that were so much part of our past and traditions. The humble tree reflected a multitude of joys in many Christmas celebrations of long ago.  

It truly was a part of who were, where we’ve been, how and where we lived, what we believed, and what we valued. It was our histories.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Award-winning novella, ADELENE ~THE VIOLINIST, 

is Book 2, in the “Musical Christmas Series,” and took first place in the
2023 Oklahoma Romance Writers’ of America Contemporary Short Awards. 

Just $1.99

Will Adelene Almanza discover the long-forgotten secrets of the old schoolhouse 

hidden away in its boarded-up attic? And will the sparks of love 

ignite a second time for her and a long ago love?

 

 

AN OLDIE FROM THE PAST - KEY TO LOVE

                             by Judy Ann Davis

"Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness," so says Oliver Wendell Holmes. . . and the father of Elise Springer, the main character.  http://www.amazon.com/Key-to-Love-ebook/dp/B00DNO9S8K

KEY TO LOVE is an oldie from the past and a romantic mystery full of snappy, humorous dialogue. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll race against the clock with Elise as she tries to find the person who murdered a state trooper.

The cast of characters include the heroine, Elise Springer, an architect; hero Lucas Fisher who owns a car restoration garage and drives a restored Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am; and Lucas’s little orphaned nephew, Todd, who’s addicted to animal crackers and The Fox and the Hound storybook. 

 

You'll laugh with Elise’s grumpy, but astute father, her wise-cracking brother, Fritz, and a no-nonsense director of Child and Youth Services, Twila Pedmo.

BOOK BLURB:

When architect Elise Springer's father is injured, she immediately leaves San Francisco to care for him. The last person she expects to encounter in her Pennsylvania hometown is her childhood friend, Lucas Fisher. 

Lucas is investigating his brother's mysterious death, and Elise can't resist lending a hand. Lucas longs for the close family ties he never had. He's back in Scranton to set up a classic car restoration business and build a future. The torch he carries for Elise burns brighter than ever, but before he can declare his love, he must obtain the legal rights to adopt his nephew--and prove his brother's death was no accident.

As they unearth clues to find the murderer and a missing stash of money, Elise faces a dilemma. Is her career on the West Coast the key to her happiness, or is it an animal-cracker-eating four-year-old and his handsome uncle instead? 

                                      ~ * ~ 

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

               

Love Mystery by @JoanReeves #SmartGirlsReadRomance

Ah, the magic of a good book. I discovered that magic when I was a girl.

I had read all of the "kid" books in my small town library and loved Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, but I wanted bigger stories. 

I went to the grownup section and browsed through the shelves. That's when I discovered Ed McBain's 87th Precinct mysteries.

Wow. Suddenly I was transported to New York City. I devoured the books about Steve Carella, his deaf wife Teddy, and the cops of the 87th Precinct.

I've always been glad that the librarian never called my parents to tell them about the books I was reading. Instead, she just looked over her glasses at me and quirked a gray eyebrow but said nothing.

My mom was a reader, and she never questioned the books I checked out. She understood the desire to escape—to dive into an adventure one can't usuallly experience in real life.

Today, October 15, is Ed McBain's birthday. If he were alive, I'd write him a fan letter and tell him how much his books meant to me.

Discover Ed McBain

Ed McBain was born Salvatore Albert Lombino. In 1952, he legally changed his name to Evan Hunter. 

As an author and screenwriter, he wrote under a number of pen names, most notably Ed McBain which he used for most of his crime fiction. 

The other pseudonyms he used include John Abbott, Curt Cannon, Hunt Collins, Ezra Hannon, and Richard Marsten.

His 87th Precinct novels were made into movies and a television series. Those books became the foundation of the police procedural genre.

You can learn more about Evan Hunter aka Ed McBain at his Wikipedia page. 

If you want to discover his 87th Precinct novels, grab a copy of Ed McBain Books in Order by Book List Guru. This Kindle book is on Kindle Unlimited, or buy it for only 99¢. It's a comprehensive list of just about all of the works by Ed McBain.

Mystery and My Writing

Until I discovered romance, I'd planned to be a mystery author. I still love mystery, but most mysteries in the old days had very little to offer in the way of romance. Romance in a mystery meant sex without commitment, and all of it was sex from a man's viewpoint which meant without emotion.

The 87th Precinct novels were a bit different in that Steve Carella was in love with Teddy, his wife who happened to be deaf. McBain was ahead of his time with a love relationship, a woman character who was deaf, and several other aspects uncommon to genre fiction then.

In the last few years, I've begun weaving mystery into some of my romance novels.

Recently I sold video game rights to 2 of my novels, The Key To Kristina, a mystery romance featuring a Quest, and Old Enough To Know Better, a romance, not a mystery,  between an older woman and a younger man. 

The huge tech company that bought the rights will be turning each into a video game somewhat like a "choose your own adventure." I'm excited because they already have a worldwide audience for their games. 

If you're interested in seeing what intrigued the tech company, you're in luck. Old Enough To Know Better is featured in my Reader Friends Newsletter today. It's on sale for only 99¢ until midnight CDT on October 18.

Subscribe to Joan's Reader Friends Newsletter

I send my free newsletter each month (except for this summer which had too many family emergencies). 

In my newsletter I offer a free ebook and sale books from me and some of my friends. This newsletter has Just One Look as a free ebook for subscribers.

Until next month, may you read wonderful books!

Good Books Begin With Change by Joan Reeves (subbing for Keta Diablo)

My friend Keta Diablo is still on sabattical so I'm subbing for her today. 

You can visit Keta's Amazon page to find a list of her books.

Keta and I write different kinds of books, but we share one thing in common. We know a good book begins with change.

Change. Oh, how some people struggle against it as if one could stretch out and seize the world, making it stand still.

Readers may wonder why a good book begins with change so I thought I'd talk about that today.

The Only Thing Constant Is Change

When you begin a book with change, you create a book with forward motion that pulls the reader along.

The best opening sentences show or imply change because change affects a character immediately and the change has downstream effects on the character's life. Change in one's life can have unexpected and surprising effects on a person or a character if we're talking about writing, which we are.

Here are some more samples of opening sentences that foreshadow or show change is coming.

From Dark Rivers of the Heart by Dean Koontz

With the woman on his mind and a deep uneasiness in his heart, Spencer Grant drove through the glistening night, searching for the red door.

Analysis 

He's driving. So he's on a journey of some kind, and journeys involve change.

A woman is on his mind. He's obviously not connected to her already, or she'd have been named.

Uneasiness in his heart. Strange woman and uneasiness = change is coming.

Searching for the red door. Why? What happens when he finds it? Change of some kind is coming.

When you put all of that together, you get a page-turning beginning that's evocative because of his word choice, i.e. uneasiness in his heart, glistening night, red door, and the active voice. Koontz didn't say Grant was driving. He said, Grant drove, searching. Koontz didn't say Grant was thinking about the woman, and he felt uneasy. Look at every part of the sentence and see how the individual elements combine to create a powerful opening sentence.

From Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

I have just returned from a visit to my landlord—the solitary neighbour that I shall be troubled with.

Analysis 

You know that neighbor is going to be a problem, and that means change to her peace of mind, her life, her entire environment.

Wrap Up

Sure, there are opening sentences that catch the attention without being about change, but when you read a sentence that makes you stop, backup and read it again, chances are pretty good it's because the sentence is about change—either stated directly or implied and picked up by that part of our brain that is receptive to the human shared subconscious.

 

From the opening of THE KEY TO KRISTINA, my latest Romantic Mystery:

What on earth was she doing here?

She was so far out of her comfort zone she might as well be on Mars. Kristina Rivera looked around the elegant law office which offered a stunning panoramic view of downtown Houston and the pewter-colored sky that portended rain. She’d expected the Gulf coast to be sunny and warm even though it was late September, but, like much of Texas, the weather was often unpredictable.

She shouldn’t have come.

The Key To Kristina is a Kindle Unlimited free read or $3.99 to buy and keep forever.

WISHING FOR A MERRY LITTLE CHIRISTMAS

                                                    by Judy Ann Davis

This year, there was nothing my husband or I wanted for Christmas. My only request, since we decided to stay in Central Pennsylvania this year and not winter in Florida, was to get a real wreath for the back door so I could smell the pine every time I entered the house from the back door. I’m a farm kid, and real pine scent brings back warm memories.

I think, when we all look back at Christmas next year, we’ll remember how important our lives, our family members’ and friends’ lives, our warm homes and nourishing food, and all those things we took for granted were far more important than any physical gifts in 2020.

So on Christmas Eve, instead of a long post, I leave you with a few lines from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” by Dr. Seuss. How spot on it is for this Year 2020!

…So he paused. And the Grinch put his hand to his ear.
And he did hear a sound rising over the snow.
It started in low. Then it started to grow.
But the sound wasn't sad! Why, this sound sounded merry!
It couldn't be so! But it WAS merry! VERY!
He stared down at Whoville! The Grinch popped his eyes!
Then he shook! What he saw was a shocking surprise!
Every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small,
Was singing! Without any presents at all!
He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!
And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so?"
"It came without ribbons! It came without tags!"
"It came without packages, boxes or bags!"
And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store."
"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!”…

~ * ~

"Have yourself a merry little Christmas…let your heart be light. 

From now on, (let’s hope) our troubles will (soon) be out of sight!"

 My Musical Christmas Series is a fun, light read that will keep you in the holiday spirit!

JUNE ~ The Pianist        ADELENE ~ The Violinist       LUCY ~ The Clarinetist - $0.99

Blending Mystery and Romance by Joan Reeves

Before I read Sherlock Holmes, I discovered the magical world of mystery in the pages of an old Nancy Drew book. 

I was young enough that I didn't know what a series book was. I lived in a very small town, and the books in the library were old editions published decades before I knew how to read.

I wasn't even a teen, but I loved the intrepid girl detective and didn't care that the books were about characters from the 1940's or earlier.

Nancy in her roadster with her girl pals, feminine Bess and tomboy George, and her boyfriend Ned Nickerson was my fantasy of the perfect teenage girl's life.

Bigger Mystery Challenges

I was a precocious reader. From Nancy Drew, I moved up to Earle Stanley Gardner, Ed McBain, the aforesaid Sherlock Holmes, and others of that male-dominated genre. 

Then I discovered Mary Stewart! This author wrote mysteries with a woman as the heroic sleuth and that woman had a romance!

Nine Coaches Waiting was my first Mary Stewart. I quickly read everything she'd ever written and eagerly waited for the library to acquire other books by the amazing Ms. Stewart.

This Rough Magic, Touch Not the Cat, Madam, Will You Talk?, My Brother Michael—book after book of wonderful romantic suspense.

Judging by the Amazon rank for Mary Stewart's books, they're as popular now as they were when I read them. Try one of her books yourself if you've never had the pleasure.

Another discovery awaited me. Her Arthurian saga books—mythical mystery, romance, and suspense at its finest—I was hooked even though they were so different from her previous romantic suspense.

Once the romance genre was "created" and romance novels were the hottest thing going, I moved into that genre, but my favorite romance novels always fell into 2 groups: funny romance and romance with a mystery.

Inspired by the Best

I've always thought what I write was inspired by the wonderful authors I read as a child. I've written several romantic comedy novels, many contemporary romance, and a few romantic suspense. 

With The Key To Kristina, the most recent book I wrote, I wanted to combine the elements I love. So there's a little humor, suspense, and romance, of course. What I added this time was a mystery that can't be solved until the end of the book.

In fact, I was so proud of the end result, I put a note immediately after THE END and asked readers to please not divulge what the mysterious treasure was in a review—to let the reader discover what was going on and why.

The Key To Kristina, Mystery Romance

Bookzilla, TOP 500 REVIEWER, said: "Surprise ending. Intriguing storyline...twists to keep the reader’s interest. Realistic procedures, actions and reactions. Believable characters with distinct personalities. Thought-provoking and occasionally snarky dialogue.

"I may re-read this story and always look forward to works by this author."

I have never seen this reviewer say they might re-read a story. At least not in a review of mine. *LOL*

About The Key To Kristina

Her father never gave her anything but a hard time—until he died and left Kristina a key. But a key to what?

Kristina Rivera's father never gave her anything but a hard time—until he died and left her a key. But a key to what?

A suspicious death and an inheritance. A mystery and a key with a clue leading to a treasure. A romance—and a Quest that may be the adventure of a lifetime.

None of that is what Kristina expects when she arrives for an appointment with a Houston lawyer. Instead of gathering her father's possessions because he's been sent to jail again, she meets Wyatt Morgan, the Executor of her father's estate, and the lawyer who reads the will.

Shocked, Kristina is grief-stricken, confused, and angry. Her father didn't have two nickels to rub together. Why would he write a will? Life has taught Kristina to initially distrust everyone and every situation, but she finds a possible ally in Wyatt Morgan, the will's Executor and a man whose business seems to be fighting lost causes.

With Wyatt, Kristina undertakes The Quest, designed by her father, to find his hidden treasure. 

More than her legacy will be revealed, and danger stalks her every mile of her journey as she tries to discover what The Key To Kristina means.

The Key To Kristina special introductory price of 99¢ goes away in a couple of weeks. Get your copy today!

Remember, don't give away the ending!

Joan is a NY Times and a USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary Romance. Her novels have been published in a half dozen languages, and her ebooks are available at most ebook sellers with audio book and print editions also available. All of Joan’s romance novels have the same underlying theme: “It's never too late to live happily ever after.”

Joan lives her happily ever after with her hero, her husband. They divide their time between the hustle and bustle of Houston and a small house at the foot of the Texas Hill Country where they sit on the porch at night, look at the star-studded sky, and listen to the coyotes howl.

Sign up for Joan’s FREE Newsletter and receive a free ebook copy of a full-length novel when you confirm your subscription. You'll always be the first to know about new books, special deals, and giveaways.

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GENRE - Where did the word come from?

 Hi and Welcome to Smart Girls Read Romance!

We hear the word genre a lot these days, whether it’s in relation to films, music or literature. Have you ever wondered what “genre” means or from where it originated? I have, so I decided to do some research. There are two main categories within literary genre; fiction and non-fiction, and within these are numerous sub-categories, which we know as genres.

The Oxford English Dictionary describes genre as:

“Genre” - French genre, “kind” or “sort. Latin genus. Greek: any category of literature, music or other forms of art or entertainment, whether written or spoken, audio or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time as new genres are invented and the use of old ones are discontinued. Often, works fit into multiple genres by way of borrowing and recombining these conventions.”

So, we know that genres tell us about the nature of something, but where does the word originate?

The word’s roots lie all the way back in ancient Greek, when the now famous Greek philosophers, Aristotle and Plato devised a system for classifying literature. They felt that as more and more literature was being produced it was essential to divide it into ‘genres’ in order to simplify and keep track of them. Literature originally only had three genres: poetry, drama and prose, which is obviously a whole lot less than the number of genres we have today! As even more literature was produced, with wider themes, more in-depth styles and specific speech and language patterns, there became the need for more genres to be introduced. Today, we have the following list of genres. (If I’ve missed any leave it in the comment section).

Drama, Poetry, Fantasy, Comedy, Fable, Romance, Horror, Fairy, Science Fiction, Short Story, Real Life, Folklore, History, Tall Tale, Legend, Mystery, Mythology, Adventure, Classic, Crime, Magical Realism, Metafiction, Western, Tragedy

These genres can also combine to form sub-genres, for example a comedy may have tragic elements to it and would therefore be categorized with the sub-genre of ‘tragicomedy’.

Now for MY genre of the day, which falls into the Romance and Mystery categories:

Season, Unforgettable

Romance/Mystery (sub-genre Thriller)

(Finalist Independent Author Network Book Award)

Would you forsake your mother to save the woman you loved?

Season Scrimshaw isn't selling the land her parents left her when they died, not even to the gorgeous Rann Brogan who saved her life in the forest. Especially not after she finds out he was in the woods surveying her property.

Rann's mother, Charlotte, owns a large land development company. She wants Season’s property to put up a strip of luxurious, lakefront condos and Charlotte always gets what she wants. She sends Rann on a mission to seal the deal. To say Rann and his mother have had a normal mother/son relationship would be a stretch…a big stretch, but he’s always done her bidding.

This time it’s different. Rann hasn’t been able to get the beautiful Season out of his mind. While on his mission to secure the property, he realizes how much Season loves the land, and…he realizes somewhere along the line, Season has stolen his heart.

He discovers his mother will go to any length to get what she wants…including murder. Lives spiral out of control, secrets and lies take center stage. Rann is forced to choose between his mother and the woman he loves.

And he’s forced to become as dangerous and as lethal as Charlotte.

 Raves for Season, Unforgettable

"I love how the story goes from romance 2 thriller. This book I could not put down & highly recommend 2 anyone!" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes romance, thrillers, and books where the bad guy gets what he deserves.” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Oh My!! I Loved this story!!  A Must Read that’s going on my keeper list!” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

DOWNLOAD HERE FOR .99 CENTS 

Thanks so much for stopping by Smart Girls Read Romance. See you next month!