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New release Friday for May 2022

May 28, 2022

Time for a new release Friday post.

I’ve missed a month or two but now it’s time for New Release Friday again. Check out the books by some of my author friends. The heat levels vary, so make sure you read the blurbs before you buy. These are a mix of established and new authors and pen names but they all have one thing in common – they all love new readers fiding them.

Hitched to the Bad Boy: A second chance secret marriage romance (Hitched at first sight Book 1)

Urgently needed! A fast marriage and a reputation overhaul for six gorgeous bachelors out to impress. Happy ever afters unintentionally included.

Elle

I’m the girl who did everything right but somehow it’s all gone wrong. I’m a newly divorced, single mom and make-up saleswoman in Vegas for a convention. While I’m away, I’m trying not to think about the fact I need to be married by my birthday in order to keep ownership of a bank that’s been in my family for generations. A bank I might not even want if my ex wasn’t trying to take it from under me.

I’m not sure what I expected to find in Vegas, but it was definitely not Rapahel, my first love who left town on his Harley and never looked back. He’s hotter than I remember and after a night of drinking and reminiscing, I find myself hitched to the bad boy from my past.

When I get back home, I expect Raphael to serve me papers, not come into town like a knight on a metal steed looking for a way to help me stick it to my ex and a second chance for us.

Raphael

Elle Chase was always too good for me and too soft-hearted for her own good. No way she’d have taken a chance on me back then otherwise. But I’m not some broke ass kid anymore and I want a chance to prove to Elle, our hometown and the production company who is looking to make a television show with me, that I’m not that guy anymore.

Our chance encounter in Vegas might have been crazy and I know she thinks I’ll walk away again but the woman needs me. Plus, spending time with her and her kid is no hardship and the TV people want family values.

I’m definitely taking a gamble but if we can pull this off both of us win.

And if I can win Elle’s heart again along the way, so much the better.

Getting hitched at first sight has never been so enticing.

Get it here

Hitched to her Best Friend: Hitched at First Sight 2

Urgently needed! A fast marriage and a reputation overhaul for six gorgeous bachelors out to impress. Happy ever afters unintentionally included.

Maddie

One weekend in Las Vegas. A bit of fun on the tables, cocktails, and a mini high school reunion between best friends. What could possibly go wrong?

My plane was delayed. My luggage got lost. Our hotel booking was cancelled by mistake… on top of that our friends drop out until it’s just me and Kyle alone in Vegas. What a start to my best friend’s birthday celebrations, right?

You’d think it would be easy to find two rooms in a place with more than 150,000 hotel rooms. But not this weekend! A massive world record attempt has snatched up every available room. There’s only one way to get a room in Las Vegas: Get hitched!

I don’t want to give up our weekend. It’s the first time we’ve seen each other in eight years. And after too many hours of searching, and too many shots in the hotel bar, getting hitched to my best friend feels like a no brainer. So is the wedding night that follows. No one will ever know, right?

Wrong?! The youngest granddaughter of one of the world’s most influential retail moguls can’t get drunk and hitched in Sin City without ending up on every front page. So, what happened in Vegas is now a big fat fake marriage with my career and reputation on the line.

Except, Kyle excels at being the perfect husband. He excels at inducing butterflies, heart flutters, secret smiles… my brain won’t let me fall for my best friend, I’m too smart for that. But it might be a little too late to save my heart!

Kyle

The boy next door. Co-conspirator. Fellow adventure. Partner in crime. Beater-upper of bullies—and dumbass boyfriends—the giver of compliments and self-confidence. That’s me. I’m the reliable best friend. But I want so much more!

Yet, after eight years in the navy, fighting on the front line and staring down the enemy, I’m still too afraid to tell Maddie I love her. I’ve always loved her. So, when we end up drunk, hitched, and on the front page of every major newspaper and magazine, faking it with Maddie is almost like a dream come true.

Fooling our family and friends doesn’t sit well with me, but I’ll do it to protect Maddie’s career and her family’s reputation. I will uproot my life in Nebraska and move into her apartment in LA. I’ll be the perfect husband for the cameras because I love her.

I’m not faking how I feel. I’m just not hiding it anymore. For the first time in my life, I have the girl of my dreams in my arms, and my bed, and the happily ever after I’ve always wanted. I’d be a fool to let that slip through my fingers. And I, Kyle Carter, am no fool. Look out Maddie, the battle for your heart is not one I’m prepared to lose!

Getting hitched at first sight has never been so enticing.

Get it here

Preserving the Evidence (Hart of Texas Murder Mysteries Book 2) Kindle Edition

When amateur baker, and now amateur sleuth, Rosie Hart finds herself embroiled in another mystery in rural Airlie Falls, Texas, she can’t believe her bad luck. Soon the town is reeling from a murder, an unidentified body, a late mayoral challenge, missing town money, and a strange group of socialites gathered at a mansion out of town.

With so many of her new friends suspected of wrongdoing, Rosie can’t sit on the sidelines any longer. She’s convinced these strange occurrences are connected, but she’s running out of time to prove how. She’ll need to unmask a murderer before there’s another body to add to the tally.

Snooping around undercover is harder than it looks, and Rosie will be lucky to get out of this one without more casualties than a batch of burned Buried Treasure Cookies.

Get it here

Wasted: A Rylie Cooper Mystery (Rylie Cooper Mysteries Book 8)

A week ago, Rylie thought she’d be on her honeymoon with the love of her life, sipping fruity drinks, and soaking up the sun.

Never did she think she’d be on a beautiful island solving a murder.

Now, women are turning up dead at the resort and the authorities seem to be covering up the truth—that the deaths aren’t accidental, but murders.

Can Rylie solve the mystery before anyone else is murdered?

Get it here

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Q&A with Jayne Kingsley to launch Falling for the Hockey Player

April 5, 2022

I’m doing Q&A’s with all the Hopeless Romantics of Willow Ridge Authors and this week it’s Jayne Kingsley’s turn.

Jayne is a fellow Australian author who I have been lucky enough to meet in person! We’re looking forward to getting together to celebrate the launch of this series.

1. What made you decide to write about this particular hero?

I love ice hockey and have always wanted to write a sweet ice hockey romance

2. If you could spend an hour in Willow Ridge where would you go?

The book store of course! Followed by a trip to Latte Da to grab a coffee and then I’d meander to the Village Green and find a spot near the gazebo to read. Bliss!

3. What did you enjoy most about writing this story?

I loved writing the meet cute between Georgia and Blake- they have a past where she left him so it was nice to turn the tables a little (hehe).

4. What’s your favorite thing about writing small town romance?

The community and secondary characters. I love to include a few quirky characters and cute pets

5. Are you or have you ever been in a bookclub yourself?

No I haven’t! I’d love to join one though.

Falling for the Deputy: A Small-Town Southern Romance (Hopeless Romantics of Willow Ridge Book 4)

Can a group of hopeless romantics finally find love? Or are they destined always to be a bridesmaid and never the bride?

After losing at love twice, Barbara Wilton needs a change, some place far from her home in Boston, so she takes a position as manager of a small branch bank in Willow Ridge, Georgia. She’s done with relationships and ready to concentrate on her career. The experience in Willow Ridge will help her move forward in the banking industry, but she doesn’t plan to stay there permanently. Nevertheless, an invitation to join the Hopeless Romantics book club, a position on a planning committee, helping a little league team that needs coaching, and being adopted by a stray dog begin to wind her into the community.

Chris Harper was a police officer in Charlotte until his marriage fell apart. With his mother and elderly aunt in deteriorating health, Chris returns home to Willow Ridge to help them and takes a job as chief deputy to the local sheriff. The wound left by his failed marriage is still raw and, despite his mother’s nagging, he’s not interested in pursuing any relationship, even with the attractive new bank manager.

Fate, helped by a few local residents, conspires to push Barbara and Chris together. They meet during a false alarm at the bank and then he assists her with a car problem. But when his aunt receives a foreclosure notice on her house, Chris is angry with Barbara for not warning him that his aunt was behind on her payments.

She agrees to help him work out the problem with the bank, but the deeper issues between them keep flaring. Can two wary, wounded people learn to trust again and find happiness together? Find out in this sweet, second chance, enemies to lovers romance.

The Hopeless Romantics of Willow Ridge series are sweet, small-town contemporary romances. Each book is a standalone and can be read individually or as part of the series.

Hopeless Romantics of Willow Ridge series
Book 1: Falling for the Boss
Book 2: Falling for the Fireman
Book 3: Falling for the Doctor
Book 4: Falling for the Deputy
Book 5: Falling for the Hockey Player
Book 6: Falling for the Single Dad
Book 7: Falling for the Farmer
Book 8: Falling for the Scotsman

Get it here

And if you’d like to see the previous week’s Q&A click here.

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Q&A with Karen McCulloch to launch Falling for the Deputy

March 30, 2022

I’m doing Q&A’s with all the Hopeless Romantics of Willow Ridge Authors and this week it’s Karen McCullough’s turn.

Happy release week for Falling for the Deputy by Karen McCullough

3. What made you decide to write about this particular hero?

As a long-time mystery writer as well doing romance and fantasy, I’ve spent a fair amount of time around police and other law enforcement officers. U like and admire them. Most of them are good people, trying their best to help others and keep peace. I was intrigued by the idea of a man moving from the fast-paced life of a police officer in a large city (Charlotte) to a small town to become the Chief Deputy. Why would he do that and how would it affect him?

2. If you could spend an hour in Willow Ridge where would you go?

Latte Da! Love coffee and it seems like a warm and friendly place. Plus Georgia’s pastries…

3. What did you enjoy most about writing this story?

Pretty much everything. The heroine of the book is partly modeled after my sister, who is a banker, but not in a small Southern town. I knew that both my hero and heroine were coming off heart-breaking losses and that recovering from those and being open to a new relationship wouldn’t be easy. And of course I threw a few other obstacles in their way as well. But I also brought in the stray dog Mookie, and he tried to steal the show, along with my heroine’s heart. Once I had the basic idea of what would happen, the book almost wrote itself.

4. What’s your favorite thing about writing small town romance?

As best I can remember, this is actually my first small-town romance and it’s required a considerable change of mindset. I grew up in a suburb of New York City and have lived in cities (or their suburbs) all my life. My books generally have urban settings. However, my husband is from a very small town in South Carolina, and we’ve spent enough time there and in other small towns in the southeast that I’ve been able at times to immerse myself in that culture and get the feel for it. There are a lot of things to like about writing in a small town setting – a warmth and friendliness to the people that you often don’t find in larger cities; the fact that everyone knows everyone else and their history; and a simpler, more down-to-earth culture.

5. Are you or have you ever been in a bookclub yourself?

No, but I know people who are. I’ve been tempted to join because, of course, I love to read and do it a lot, but I think an author has very different perspectives on books and I’m not sure it would be helpful to other readers.

Falling for the Deputy: A Small-Town Southern Romance (Hopeless Romantics of Willow Ridge Book 4)

Can a group of hopeless romantics finally find love? Or are they destined always to be a bridesmaid and never the bride?

After losing at love twice, Barbara Wilton needs a change, some place far from her home in Boston, so she takes a position as manager of a small branch bank in Willow Ridge, Georgia. She’s done with relationships and ready to concentrate on her career. The experience in Willow Ridge will help her move forward in the banking industry, but she doesn’t plan to stay there permanently. Nevertheless, an invitation to join the Hopeless Romantics book club, a position on a planning committee, helping a little league team that needs coaching, and being adopted by a stray dog begin to wind her into the community.

Chris Harper was a police officer in Charlotte until his marriage fell apart. With his mother and elderly aunt in deteriorating health, Chris returns home to Willow Ridge to help them and takes a job as chief deputy to the local sheriff. The wound left by his failed marriage is still raw and, despite his mother’s nagging, he’s not interested in pursuing any relationship, even with the attractive new bank manager.

Fate, helped by a few local residents, conspires to push Barbara and Chris together. They meet during a false alarm at the bank and then he assists her with a car problem. But when his aunt receives a foreclosure notice on her house, Chris is angry with Barbara for not warning him that his aunt was behind on her payments.

She agrees to help him work out the problem with the bank, but the deeper issues between them keep flaring. Can two wary, wounded people learn to trust again and find happiness together? Find out in this sweet, second chance, enemies to lovers romance.

The Hopeless Romantics of Willow Ridge series are sweet, small-town contemporary romances. Each book is a standalone and can be read individually or as part of the series.

Hopeless Romantics of Willow Ridge series
Book 1: Falling for the Boss
Book 2: Falling for the Fireman
Book 3: Falling for the Doctor
Book 4: Falling for the Deputy
Book 5: Falling for the Hockey Player
Book 6: Falling for the Single Dad
Book 7: Falling for the Farmer
Book 8: Falling for the Scotsman

Grab it here now.

See my previous Q&A with Cindy Ray Hale here.

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Release Week for the first three books in the Hopeless Romantics of Willow Ridge Series

March 22, 2022

Finally, it’s release week for the first books in the Hopeless Romantics of Willow Ridge series!

As of today, the first three books in the Hopeless Romantics of Willow Ridge Series are live. Falling for the Boss, Falling for the Fireman and Falling fot the Doctor are all available to start reading today and they’re all in Kindle Unlimited. I’m so excited they’re live and can’t wait for the release of the rest of the series in the coming weeks.

I asked Cindy Ray Hale, author of Falling for the Doctor a few questions about the inspiration for her book. (I’ll be asking the authors this through the release process in the coming weeks so come back to read their answers.)

1. What made you decide to write about this particular hero?

I know what it’s like to be a single mom, and my son just had tubes in his ears. Also, I was a home health aide to my grandpa who had dementia.

2. If you could spend an hour in Willow Ridge where would you go?

Anywhere near the water. Or Latte Da. It sounds like a fun coffee shop. I’d love to hear the gossip.

3. What did you enjoy most about writing this story?

I loved the part about going to Blackbeard Island and boating. It made me miss sunshine and summer.

4. What’s your favorite thing about writing small town romance?

I love the town gossips and how the entire town pulls together to help each other.

5. Are you or have you ever been in a bookclub yourself?

Yes. I’ve been in many book clubs. I’m not in one currently, and it’s really too bad. It was great to connect with the other readers, eat good food.

You can get Falling for the Doctor here.

And you can check out the whole series here!

See Karen McCulloch’s interview here.

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New release Friday February 2022

February 25, 2022

Another month has flown by – here are some February New Releases from my author friends. Some are sweet, some are steamy and some are just a little bit scary so be sure to check those blurbs before you download!

1998 (90s Flashback Series Book 3)

A magical romantic comedy from bestselling author Kirsty McManus!

Anna finally has it all: a gorgeous partner, a successful business, and the best friends a gal could ask for.

But just when she thought she’d finally achieved her happily ever after, she finds herself alone again.

Kurt, her soulmate, is leaving the country for three whole months—and while he’s gone, he’s given her some serious decisions to consider. Anna must rely on her support network—plus her trusty time-travelling compound—to get her through.

However, soon after Kurt’s departure, Anna’s ex-husband makes a reappearance—and until she finds a way to banish his demons, neither of them can move forward.

But once she tackles that problem, a worse one arises.

Could the secret she uncovers derail the life she’s worked so hard towards?

Time travel has a lot to answer for.

Get it here

Dead Heat

Sofia Aves’ Dead Heat is an enemies-to-lovers, athlete workplace romance in K. Bromberg’s Driven World.

KC Hawk has his mind on the game. Specifically the one that makes the wheels cross the finish line first at the end of every race.

While his team is hand-picked from the best talent there is, he’s missing that pizazz factor. And Hawk knows just where to get it. The cheerleader for his greatest rival would be a great asset on his team, and in his bed.

Sunny Cooper loves her job as PR agent for one of the hottest new talents on the track. Sure, he can be a little enthusiastic and turns up with the party boy attitude, but he brings the trophies in, and Sunny gets to have her dream job.

Until KC Hawking offers her a better one—and ruins her dreams in a single night.

Get your copy here…

Already Gone: A Miranda Jack Novella Kindle Edition

Prequel to crime thriller Already Dead.
Two months has passed since Miranda Jack’s husband Nick was killed in a hit-and-run and she is no closer to understanding why. The police have stopped taking her calls so Jax has gone back to the street where Nick was found in search of her own answers.
Eighty-five year old Irene Newton has been haunted by the death of a man on the road beyond her fence two months ago. The appearance of his wife at her door reawakens painful memories of the daughter she lost and the questions she was told to forget.
Jax is horrified Irene has waited forty years for answers and frightened she could face the same fate. But when the questions surrounding Nick’s murder won’t let her rest, Jax reaches for Irene’s mystery – because finding any answers is better than finding none.
Until the questions become dangerous.

Get it here

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New Release Friday

February 3, 2022

Time for New Release Friday. Here are some new releases my author friends have put out so far this year. I’ve read some but not others. If you read them let me know your thoughts in the comments.

I hope you find something to enjoy – if so; I know they’d love a review.

The Paid Bridesmaid: A Novel

From Sariah Wilson, the bestselling author of Roommaid, comes a captivating romantic comedy about what happens when a wedding party mixes business with romance.

Rachel Vinson is a bridesmaid for hire: part confidante, part wedding planner, and one hundred percent pretend BFF. Discretion guaranteed. Her next gig is a destination wedding—livestreamed and sponsored—for an Instagram influencer. That means a paradise of new contacts, which could be a boon to her already booming business. If Rachel can keep the very handsome and slightly too interested best man at bay, that is.

High-tech entrepreneur Camden Lewis must know: Who is this gorgeous, intelligent, and mysterious woman? Too good to be real. Convinced she’s a corporate spy out to tank his company, Camden’s not letting her out of his sight. But the constant surveillance is also opening his eyes to things about Rachel that he likes. If she’s a spy, she’s certainly the cutest one he’s ever seen.

As the week’s worth of wedding events march along, Rachel and Camden are learning almost everything there is to know about each other. Rachel’s made a career out of always a bridesmaid…but perhaps there’s a chance for her own trip down the aisle?

Get it here

Fight the Burn: A Steamy Forbidden Love Firefighter Romance (A Cinnamon Bay Romance, Collection Four, Book 1)

A blind date gone horribly wrong…or horribly right?

Adam Schiffman isn’t opposed to being set up on a blind date, until the woman in question turns out to be the one he isn’t allowed to want. After all, he and her husband were firefighters together, and Gabe’s death is on Adam’s shoulders.

Madeline Monroe doesn’t blame him. In fact, they’ve always had a flirtatious relationship, and have been friends for as long as she can remember. But she is Adam’s opposite. She has a past outside of her control and a dead husband under her belt. It’s a line they should not cross. Until she needs someone to come to her sister’s baby shower to pretend to be her rebound guy. Not a problem. Adam a stand-up man who doesn’t hesitate to do anything for the people he cares about. Including Maddie.

Now he needs a wedding date, and no one else is biting on the line. What would one little date hurt? It’s not like Mad Maddie a bad person. In fact, she’s a very good person. Kind and compassionate and yeah, sexy as hell. He has to admit it.

They don’t want to resist each other but they know they have to. It isn’t right. Especially since some people in town blame Adam for what happened in the past. Can these two get over the sins of the past? Or has this forbidden love been doomed from the start?

FIGHT THE BURN is book 1 in A Cinnamon Bay Romance, Collection 4.

Get it here

The Buy-In: A Sweet Small-Town Romantic Comedy (Graham Brothers Sweet Rom Com Series Book 1)

“You can’t Schitt’s Creek a town, Tank.”
“And you can’t verb a noun, son.”

When a family of former pro football players buy a small Texas town, they didn’t intend to start a war with its residents … or to fall in love.

Ever since his career-ending injury, Pat has bounced from job to job, idea to idea, short-lived relationship to short-lived relationship. But when his father purchases the town of Sheet Cake, Pat suddenly sees his life with clear purpose: get his brothers on board with his dad’s wild idea and win back the one woman who got away.

Lindy was supposed to be traveling the world, not stuck in a small town, caring for her niece. But she would do anything to keep custody of Jo–even if that looks like a marriage of convenience with the man who already broke her heart once.

Now if she can only keep herself from falling back in love with her husband…

This is a small town, marriage of convenience romantic comedy with plenty of sizzle while keeping the bedroom door closed. It’s the first in a spinoff series following Harper’s brothers (from Falling for Your Best Friend). You don’t need to have read the Love Clichés series first to enjoy this book.

Get it here

Falling for The Suitor: A sweet, reality show rom-com (Suitor Science Book 1)

Finding love on a reality show isn’t possible. It can’t be real. Or can it?

“I DEVOURED it in a single day…deliciously fun read!”

Bexley:

It wasn’t my idea to try out for The Suitor, because who really falls in love after twelve weeks with every move televised? I’m not good at love… or being camera-ready 24/7. But now that I’m here, I’m in it to win it. To be the last woman standing. To find…love? At least like, because falling in love is too much to ask for.

Until I meet The Suitor—Grayson Grant, former player on and off the field, and with the smile that can light up a city—and the spark between us makes me forget all the reasons I didn’t want to come on the show.

I’m going to win this. I’m going to win him.

Unfortunately, twenty-five other women think the same thing.

Grayson:

Getting your heart broken on a reality show will do great things for your popularity. But what viewers don’t know is that my heart wasn’t really broken. I’m back for a second chance to get back into the game and this time I get to choose. There’s twenty-five gorgeous women up for grabs, and twelve weeks to decide.

And then I meet Bexley. It’s over for me.

Except there’s all these other women standing in my way of being with Bexley at the end, and my contract clearly states they need a chance too.

The course of true love never runs straight, especially not on reality TV.

Falling for The Suitor is the first in the new Suitor Science Series, a charmingly sweet, dual POV, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy full of sparks and power surges. You’ll be rooting for a happily ever after for your new favourite couple. You’ll fall for The Suitor!

Get it here

Hazard’s Mistress: Hearts in Hiding

Drab companion by day, dashing gambling queen by night!

Having disgraced herself by ‘chasing the scarlet’ in her youth, Louisa Stapleton has endured nine years of drudgery as penance.

Now a marriage proposal from the unctuous Mr. Rivers, who promises to redeem her stained’ character, looks likely to compound her woes; for Louisa’s aunt, to whom she is beholden, has threatened to cast her out if she refuses.

Will a night-time subterfuge, which enables Louisa to reveal her true self in the company of handsome and dashing Felix Evesham, be the catalyst for long-lasting happiness?

Or will discovery put an end to her hopes for a love-filled future?

Find out in another exciting romance from the Hearts in Hiding series where enterprising heroines must hide their hearts to escape danger in order to find their happily-ever-after.

Get it here.

A Sinful Start

Dangerous, wild, sinful.

Innocent.

Once unguided, our paths were obscured until she gave us purpose.

Mother.

Our introduction to a group of women who fight for the right side of wrong.

Men. Sex. Sin.

We ruin the rules, and we revel in it.

We became the Sisters of Sin.

Vanity.

Aggravate.

Pride.

Read three origin stories to the femme fatale SISTERS OF SIN series by USA Today and bestselling romantic suspense authors Sofia Aves, Terry Wells-Brown and Heather Osbourne in one stunning volume.

Get It Here

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Announcing the Hopeless Romantics of Willow Ridge

January 26, 2022

I’m so excited to be announcing the Hopeless Romantics of Willow Ridge. It’s a while since I’ve had a new series to share with you.

This fun new sweet, small town romance series is launching in March 2022 and I’m a part of it. I think you’re going to love all the women of Willow Ridge and their fun bookclub.

Here’s the blurb for my book Falling for the Fireman

Can a group of hopeless romantics finally find love? Or are they destined always to be a bridesmaid and never the bride?

Bronte Fishburn loves her hometown of Willow Ridge and her job as an elementary school teacher, but she wishes she could find someone to spend her life with. Someone who loves this town and wants to settle here as much as she does. She used to dream that someone would be her neighbor Ben, but he left her behind years ago and it’s time she created a new dream. Except now Ben is back, sleeping in her spare room and a constant reminder of what she can’t have.

Firefighter Benjamin Wakefield vowed never to return to Willow Ridge. But his grandfather needs his help to clean out his house and move to a retirement community, so after ten years away he’s back in a town that seems unchanged. Another thing that hasn’t changed are his feelings for Bronte, who is brighter and more beautiful than the day he left. But she’s still too good for him and he’s still not planning to stay. He needs to resist the urge to ignite that growing spark between them to be the good guy she thinks he is.

Is the pull between Ben and Bronte enough to build a future on? Find out in this friends to lovers, boy next door small town romance.

The Hopeless Romantics of Willow Ridge series are sweet, small-town contemporary romances. Each book is a standalone and can be read individually or as part of the series.

Hopeless Romantics of Willow Ridge series

Book 1: Falling for the Boss

Book 2: Falling for the Fireman

Book 3: Falling for the Doctor

Book 4: Falling for the Deputy

Book 5: Falling for the Hockey Player

Book 6: Falling for the Single Dad

Book 7: Falling for the Farmer

Book 8: Falling for the Scotsman

You can preorder the whole series here.

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Looking back on 2021 and towards 2022

January 1, 2022
Wow, that’s a wrap on 2021 and I can’t say I’m sorry. I thought I’d kick off looking back on 2021 and towards 2022 for my writing life.

The year started with my father going to hospital on the first and honestly it’s been a mixed bag since. I lost the first two weeks of January and I was playing catch up for months. (An excellent lesson in not being so last-minute).

I do try to find the good, so here we go:
1. I released Saltwater Tears and Saltwater Wishes in the first quarter of 2021. I love these stories and the town of Marlin Shores – I have ideas for some more stories set there.
2. I finished my Upper Crust Series with Any Way You Wish It – there may be a spin off trilogy, we shall see.
3. I released 7 shorts for one pen name in the first half of 2021. That was a lot of fun and that pen name taught me a lot!
4. I walked away from a couple of writing commitments that were no longer brining me enough joy for the time invested. (This was huge for me!)
5. I went to Melbourne in May for a week long intensive with a fellow writer and I got all my admin done and that hard work tripled my income in 2 months.
6. My co-author and I released 6 novels and a list building novella between June and December for our shared pen name. This pen name has been a source of both joy and success for me and the highlight of my year in so many ways.
7. My March release for a new multi-author series is already written.
8. My newsletter building/free novella for another new pen name is already written.
9. I joined two writing groups here in the Newcastle/Hunter region and made lots of new writing friends.
10. I started doing plotting consults for Love Kissed Promotions and that’s been lots of fun and super interesting.
Next year:
1. I have a new release in March.
2. I will put together a box set for the Marlin Shores trilogy in the first half of 2022
3. I’m launching a new pen name in March and plan to release 4 books for that name in 2022
4. I’m expanding my online paperback store to include more of my newer titles in January/February
5. My co-writer and I have at least 10 books planned for our shared pen name
6. I’m on the schedule to speak at RWA (Australia) in August about surprise surprise, Launching a Niche Genre Pen Name. (I don’t know that I’ll get to go with border issues, but I’ll cross my fingers)
7. I’m hoping to go to 20booksvegas – an awesome writing conference I made it to in 2018 and for obvious reasons didn’t get back to.
8. I’m rebranding a couple of my series
9. I’m hoping to get my business Indie Author Rescue running properly so I can assist more authors (I do know how to finish a book, manage my time and launch a book that much i certain)
10. I know it will be my best year yet!
I hope you have big plans for 2022, do share them with me.
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Let’s talk about making friends as an adult…

December 29, 2021

Reflection and life advice at the end of 2021

So a little context here if you’re new to my blog – in late August 2020 (yes, already a tough year, and if I’m honest, my 2019 was already a doozy for me personally) my husband got transferred for work. We packed up our life, rented out our house (which needed more than a little TLC before we could do that), we found somewhere to live and moved to Newcastle, located about 2.5 hours north of Sydney (depending on traffic).

We lucked out on a great apartment, and my husband went to work. As a writer who also does some professional consulting, I gave myself the rest of the year to adjust and went to work writing…or recovering. It was a brutal move.

It was the suddenness, I think, combined with the fact that we’d built our house and our college aged daughter had never lived anywhere else. Although I never believed she’d permanently live with us again, our new home was not/is not her home. She has no friends here and no emotional connection to the place.

Layer on the fact that we’re not people who whine and I’m a big believer in making the best of things. Our photos of the local beaches or the view from our balcony made our new life look awesome. And there’s nothing at all wrong with it, but it wasn’t home and the friends I’d spent a lifetime making were not around the corner.

Let me be frank, I consider making friends very important. I always have.

My New Year’s resolution every year includes – make a new friend.

At every job I start, or every new hobby or activity I commence, I make it a goal to make a new friend. Sometimes I just make one. Sometimes I make many.

I don’t lack for friends. In fact, I was so overwhelmed by the number of people I needed to put on my list and include for my last significant birthday, I took a vacation instead. I didn’t want to leave anyone out.

I have high school friends, college friends, mother’s group friends, tennis friends, P&C (PTA friends), bookclub friend, writing friends not to mention the aforementioned work friends – it’s probably lucky I worked alone so much or it would be overwhelming .

I collect people happily.

Sometimes, but very rarely, I shed friends. This always makes me sad and I always have regrets about it, especially if I messed up. None of us is perfect. We’re going to say things or make mistakes and that’s painful to deal with. It happens. That doesn’t mean you should stop putting yourself out there and get bitter.

All this might lead you to believe I’m an extrovert and you would be dead wrong.

I’m the biggest home body you’ve ever met – I just also like people. I spend hours and hours alone, in silence and I’m 100% okay with it.

So what’s the point of this blog post? Making friends as an adult is a skill and most of us don’t develop it.

As kids opportunities for friendship abound – school, sports, activities. As we grow and go to college, and have kids at school those opportunities seem endless, but for adults without children and empty nesters the opportunities come to you less and less.

It’s hard work putting yourself out there. It’s hard to make the first move. When I arrived in Newcastle, I knew a couple of writers from RWA conferences and several from online writing groups. At the conferences in the past, I always tried to be friendly, and to talk to people who were standing alone or looked lost. Some of these people I saw for a couple of days once a year but not always.

Anyway, I didn’t know that some of those efforts of putting myself out there when I could have stood with my friends in the corner would pay off years later.

I was so grateful when these women invited me to join their writing groups. I started 2021 as part of two writing groups. One meets mainly online and the other in person monthly. Here’s the truth – I really did not want to join a writing group – I just wasn’t in the headspace for it but I knew if I didn’t that I wouldn’t get invited again so I said yes to both.

They have both been sources of great joy and companionship for me. As a result, I’ve had walks, coffees, Zooms, dinners, and glasses of wine with lots of lovely people and I’ve made new friends…and so have they.

I started writing this after a morning tea with one of these writers. She asked to meet up and I could read even in her email that she was nervous to reach out. She’s a smart and accomplished woman but I suspect it’s a while since she made a new friend. We had a lovely outing and have plans to do it again. I could see how happy and relieved she was that it went well.

Why am I writing this?

Never underestimate the difference your offer of friendship might make to someone and try to make new friends. Yes, it can be risky putting yourself out there. Sure someone people turn out to not be your people but you won’t know unless you try and you never know when that skill might be needed more than you ever expected.

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A November wrap up – a little late

December 13, 2021

We’re drawing to the end of 2022 if you can believe that. No, I can’t either.

It’s been a crazy year with lockdowns and life changes and adjustments for me.

Compared to recent years, it looks like I’ve had a light publishing schedule, but the truth is I’ve been working away on a couple of pen names that have kept me very busy. These pen names write books in different genres and they’ve been lots of fun to develop.

So while books under my Monique McDonell name, there have been fewer books, I will have published 9 full-length novels, 2 novellas and 7 short books (10k) this year. That’s around 500,000 words…and I also have my March 2022 Monique McDonell novel drafted so that’s another 50,000 words. No wonder I’m a little tired.

Anyway, what I’m here to talk about is my November (yes I am aware it’s now December). As well as finally getting to see family after 4 months and some travel to see my daughter who lives 6 hours away (Sniff. Sniff) I did some cool writing things.

First of all one of the great gifts of 2022 for me has been the writing community here in Newcastle, NSW where I now live. I was invited to join both the Hunter Romance Writers and the Newcastle Romance Writers groups. There is some overlap of membership but the groups are quite different and I love both for different reasons. The Hunter group is smaller, tends to meet online but has more indie authors like me, whereas the Newcastle group meets in person and is a wider cross-section of people (more chances to make friends).

Newcastle Writers Retreat 2022 Attendees

Anyway, to that end I helped organise and was lucky to attend the first Newcastle Romance Writers Rereat in November. We probably shouldn’t call it a retreat – it was more of a one day conference. regardless of the name it was a truly awesome day.

It was a full day of writing, presentations and roundtables. Eighteen of us attended to discuss everything from great openings to conflict to book marketing.

As none of us can get to the Romance Writers of Australia conference due to COVID travel restrictions and border closures, this was a nice dose of professional development and camaraderie in a year where both have been lacking.

Lighthouse Arts

Another exciting thing that happened this November was I’ve been part of the inaugural group of Artists in Residence in the Lighthouse Arts Program.

Here’s a little about the program. Lighthouse Arts aims to increase the sustainability and visibility of the arts and culture sector of
Newcastle City and the Hunter region.
Lighthouse Arts is an initiative of Hunter Writers Centre inc., a not-for-profit, incorporated
association established in 1995 and the peak literary hub of the Hunter region NSW.
Initial funding for Lighthouse Arts has been received via the Industry Response Taskforce grant from the City of Newcastle to provide support for cultural practitioners. Access to Nobbys-
Whibayganba headland has been obtained under a licence agreement between Hunter Writers Centre and Port Authority NSW.
The project site is Nobbys-Whibayganba headland. Read its history here.
Lighthouse Arts’ purpose is to provide supportive, professional and accessible spaces and
presentation opportunities that foster the development of creative practitioners affected by
Covid-19, to build a legacy for future creatives and for audiences to experience diverse art forms
and culture.
The project includes: Studio Spaces for Artists-in-Residence on weekdays and, on
weekends, a live events space, an Arts Trading Store and an exhibition space known as The House
of Stories.
The program invites creative practitioners to help build a community to produce or advance works
and offer your original, contemporary creations for exhibition and for sale.

The project was meant to kick-off mid year, but it didn’t due to more lockdowns, so we headed up the hill to the Lighthouse in early November. My residency has included a gorgeous office every Tuesday to focus on my writing in. I’ve met loads of other writers and creatives as well. I applied to participate with the key objective of connecting with local creatives and I’ve done that.

Sadly, I have only one more week, but it’s truly been a privilege to have the experience and the opportunity.

National Novel Writing Month

Once again I participated in National Novel Writing Month. If you follow this blog at all you’ll already know it’s a global challenge where authors, established and aspiring, commit to writing a 50,000 word novel – the first draft at least – in a month. If you’re new to my blog, you can get the scoop here.

I’ve been doing it on and off since about 2006 and most years – unless I’m travelling – I manage to hot that target. This time I was working on a book for a new multi-author series I’m part of in 2022.

Anyway, as that little image shows – I completed my book. Yay for me!

So no wonder it took me a little while to get to this blog post – that was a lot to cover and catch up from.

Onward through December and into an amazing 2022, I hope.

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