The Calm Before Life's Storm by Vonnie Davis

I feel like I've been biding my time, as my mother used to say. I'm working on two books and a novella right now, but I'm also sitting back...waiting for a series of events to begin. Tomorrow, I turn 68 and I have no clue how that can be happening. I was just 39 a couple of months ago.

June 1st, we travel to Maryland for my grandson's high school graduation. He's graduating top of his class and going to MIT in the fall. He has two nicknames: Shooby-Doobie-Do and Nerd. He wears both proudly. I'll also get to see both of my sons and my 2 other grandchildren.

June 8th, we're flying to Columbus, Ohio to attend my granddaughter's wedding. She just graduated from college with a double major. I'll get to see the remaining 3 of my 6 grandchildren. What a huge "Grandma-fix" that will be. They're all grown, busy, and so often out of touch.

June 21st, my publisher is putting my first paranormal book on sale for .99 for a limited time, hoping to generate interest in my name for release of book one of my new contemporary series. So, I'll need to push both the sale and my upcoming release--HER SURVIVOR, Black Eagle Ops, Book One. Promo is such a chore for me. I'd sooner have a root canal.

July 11th, I have cataract surgery. Good-bye foggy vision!!!

July 19th, HER SURVIVOR releases and I'll be hosting a book release party on Facebook. Let's hope I can see what I'm posting.

In the days between all these happenings--joyful though most of them may be--I'll be kissing the computer keys with my fingertips, trying to meet deadlines. Oh, and edits. Let's not forget the rounds of edits that will roll in from time to time. I love the writing process, my soul yearns for it. Meeting those deadlines? I can't say I have a whole lot of affection for those. In fact, I'm usually 4 or 5 days late. Thank goodness my editor at Random House is so good to me.

If you enjoy a bit of whimsy, a touch of paranormal, and an aging pink-haired hippie who does a wee bit of comical meddling, you might enjoy my Highlander Beloved Series. Book one will be on sale from June 21st until July 2nd.

To my great surprise, book two of the series, A HIGHLANDER'S PASSION, was a finalist in the HOLT Medallion contest this spring.

Buy link for Book One--A HIGHLANDER'S OBSESSION  https://amzn.com/B00ILX9WC0

Buy link for Book Two--A HIGHLANDER'S PASSION https://amzn.com/B00N6PD78S

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MY BOOKS, VISIT WWW.VONNIEDAVIS.COM

A Montana Christmas

I've had the holiday season in a few of my books; but so far, only one (a contemporary western) is centered around the Christmas season. A Montana Christmas is set on a working ranch with the emphasis on hoping to heal a family. 

I liked the idea of writing a Christmas story that was a slice of life story as much or more than a romance. It does carry on the love story in From Here to There, serving as a kind of epilogue as it's set several years later. At its center is love, which is what the season is about. I also thought that while Christmas is considered a time of magic and goodness, for some, it's a time of stress and unmet expectations. So take two families and see if the Christmas season can bring together those who have chosen to be apart for reasons that once made sense. Do they still?
 
It was rewarding to set this story on a ranch since I live the ranch life and understand the work doesn't stop because of a holiday-- not even such an important one as Christmas. Setting it in a state I love being, Montana, but where I have never spent a Christmas added to the enjoyment of immersing myself in the beauty of the season.

The characters in this novella are good people, with true Christian values, but not actually part of any church at this point-- not that it is ruled out for the future. Part of what they do is something I know many choose when not traditionally religious-- they also celebrate the Solstice with some ancient, Celtic traditions. Bringing into the family both the Solstice and Christmas is done by many as well as adding in Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and whatever other traditions were part of their growing up.
 


Joining together those who have had problems in the past doesn't always work well in any season-- let alone at a time of the year when there are already a lot of stresses and expectations. So all of that is part of A Montana Christmas, which follows the ranch family in From Here to There. I liked seeing how these characters, who I'd come to love, were doing a few years down the road. Writing it also suggested a future story for the family which I have yet to write because this was the year of historic romances but next year, it's in my plan.

 A Montana Romance -- eBook Trailer
Amazon-- A Montana Christmas

Links to all buy sites at: Romances with an Edge