Romance Writer’s Weekly #lovechatwrite

This week we have been asked to answer these questions-what’s special about your books? What makes you stand out? and share a snippet or two from one of your books. When I thought about these questions, the obvious answer is I write about characters who are older in age than mainstream romances have historically been. I’ve written characters in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and even one couple in their 90’s. You are never too old to fall in love is a constant theme in my writing. Besides that, all my stories, event the ones with younger characters have the themes of hope and second chances. We all need that in our lives. I can’t tell you how many readers have written to tell me that my fictional characters have enabled them to not give up on love and have hope in their lives. If I can do that for even one person, then this writing career of mine is all worth it. I think I stand out for those reasons, too. Readers are not disappointed in the endings of my books. Here’s a snippet from Remember Christmas-“Grace wrapped her arms around her new husband’s neck. Her memory failed her sometimes these days, but this was going to be a Christmas she’d remember for the rest of her life and beyond.” And one from my new Christmas Stocking of Love-“When Charlotte had wished for a cowboy for Christmas, who knew her wish would come true like this? It truly was a Christmas miracle of the very best kind.”

Be sure to check out my newly-released Christmas in Aspen Ridge Box Set where you can get all three Aspen Ridge Christmas romances at 50% off the price of buying them separately https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLHJZLBW

Please hop on over to Leslie Hachtel’s blog and find out her answers at https://lesliehachtelwriter.wordpress.com and check out one of her books here https://amzn.to/3TwW9cs

Romance Writer’s Weekly #lovechatwrite

This week on on Romance Writer’s blog we’ve been asked these questions. How do you stay creative? How do you feel your muse? and What tips and tricks do you recommend to stay in the creative zone? I love to write. I think I stay creative because my mind loves to create. In my mind I am always creating. Sometimes I’m two or three chapters ahead of what I have written down or sometimes I’m two or three books ahead. The trick for me is not staying creative, but getting it all actually written down. New ideas come to me every day. What I recommend is to let your mind wander, to always be open to new ideas, and to observe the world around you. You will find inspiration everywhere. If I’m stuck, I take a long walk to clear my head. When I sit down to write, I need to have my mind cleared of everything around me so that I can fully immerse myself in the location of my book. I do that by taking care of everything else in my life in the mornings, and then writing in the afternoon, when my mind is cleared of other things. It may not work for everyone, but it does for me.

If you haven’t already, get yourself in the mood for Christmas with any of my seven Christmas stories filled with hope and second chances. And hop on over to Leslie Hatchel’s blog at to read her answers to the questions at https://lesliehachtelwriter.wordpress.com and check out her novel below at https://amzn.to/3FnDb4H

Romance Writer’s Weekly #lovechatwrite

This week for our Romance Writer’s Weekly blog hop we have been asked to share the best advice we’ve ever received and who gave us that advice. I’ve probably received a lot of great advice over the years, but the one I want to write about today was from my friend, Pamela. She was an author, and we had lunch one day. My law practice at the time had been slow, and I moaned about not having enough work to fill my days. She said, “you should write a novel.” My reply, “Are you kidding me? I have no idea how to write a novel and don’t think I could do it.” To which she replied, “You’ll never know unless you try.” I went back to my office and sat down and wrote “chapter one” I had no clue as to what I was doing or how to write fiction, but I had a story, and I wrote it. Four months later, I had a first draft of a book. Of course, it was awful, but two years later after taking classes, joining author groups, reading writing books, and attending a writing conference, I published my first romance 🙂 That was ten years and 27 books ago. I never looked back and now I write full time. I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life. Without that one piece of advice, my life wouldn’t be the same today. Thank God for my friend who advised me to do something I never would have thought of on my own.

And speaking of books, my new Christmas Novella, Christmas Stocking of Love releases one week from today. You can pre-order in now at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BDXYVTZP

Next, hop on over to PG Forte’s blog and check out what advice she received. http://rhymeswithforeplay.blogspot.com

You can also check out the Christmas Romance Anthology that she is a part of Let’s Get Naughty at https://books2read.com/letsgetnaughty

Romance Writers’ Weekly #lovechatwrite

Hi everyone. If you haven’t noticed I’ve been silent for a few weeks. Lots of fun family time and travel have been going on in my life, but now I’m back 🙂 This week for our blog hop, we have been asked write about our favorite scent and what it evokes for us. This was a hard one as I have lots of favorite scents, but if I have to choose one, I think it would have to be the smell of pine trees, especially after a rainstorm. As many of you know, I write western romances centered in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. The smell of pine always brings me back to those mountains. It brings back wonderful memories of times I’ve spent in the mountains on horseback or hiking trails. It evokes a sense of peace and calm and that all is well in this sometimes crazy world of ours. If you want to experience the mountains for yourself even if you’re somewhere else, check out my Peakview Series which takes place high in Colorado.

Once you’ve done that, hop on over to my good friend, Brenda Margriet’s blog to see what scent she likes at https://www.brendamargriet.com/blog Also check out her new romance, Secrets Under the Covers, at https://books2read.com/SecretsUndertheCovers

Romance Writer’s Weekly #lovechatwrite

This week on our blog hop we were asked to compare the relationship with the characters in your book with real life relationships. How do they differ and how are they the same?

Tough question. I suppose in fiction or real life every relationship is unique in some ways.

The most glaring way they differ would be that I write romance so there has to be a happily-ever-after. No matter how bad things get, you know there is light at the end of the tunnel. In real life, I think we are often flying blind with no idea if any given relationship will last forever or end tomorrow. Oh, we build trust for someone over time and have a pretty good idea about the future, but things change. No one goes into a relationship expecting a bad ending. I used to be a divorce attorney and let me tell you I got to be an expert in shattered dreams. Also, being a female, I’m aware that my relationships are written from a female perspective. My heroes may not be the same as if they were written by a man. I try to be realistic, but let’s face it, I’ve never been a man.

But how are they the same? Both in my real life and books, characters experience ups and downs, good days and bad, times they are happy and times they just want to run and hide. Both types of relationships are filled with emotion and self-doubt and require work to make them succeed. Both also can be very rewarding. They say you write what you know so I suppose there is a little of me in every one of my heroines and probably my heroes, too. My own relationships pop into my stories, I’m sure. After all, we all just want to see those happy endings for characters and the people we care about. I believe love always wins 🙂

check out my Peakview Series for heartwarming stories filled with the power of love.

If you want to get another author’s take on this topic, hop on over to PG Forte’s blog at http://rhymeswithforeplay.blogspot.com to see what she has to say. And check out her book below at htttps://books2read.com/u/boaKy1

Pre-order alert

Book ten in my Aspen Ridge Series is now available for pre-order at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09R9GC5H8

You don’t want to miss this story of love, redemption and starting over.

What if the past catches up with you just when you’re starting a new life?

Lorelei Grant, recently widowed, can’t believe that her best friend Charlotte wants to leave their hometown in Kansas and move to Aspen Ridge, a tiny, mountain town in Colorado and buy a gift shop. Is she crazy? Despite her hesitation, Charlotte wears her down, and they make the move.

Remington Hunt has always been a loner, content to live out his life in the mountains with his dog, Grizwold. That is until two ladies buy the gift shop next to his own gun shop. There’s just something about the redhead that has him reconsidering his hermit lifestyle.

Just when these two unlikely people start to put aside their differences and develop romantic feelings for each other, a past that Lorelei isn’t proud of catches up with her. People she’d put behind her from over thirty years ago, suddenly become real and threaten everything she’s started to build.

Can Lori overcome past mistakes and find a way to not only love, but also forgiveness? Sometimes the person who is the hardest to forgive is yourself.

New Release-Peaktop Dude Ranch Reunion

The second book in my Peaktop Dude Ranch Series, Peaktop Dude Ranch Reunion, is now available at Amazon.com for your kindle, or in paperback or hardcover formats. You don’t want to miss this seasoned romance about a second chance at a long lost love.

Does first love ever die?

Pamela Emery, aged fifty-six, walked out of the courthouse with her divorce papers in hand. Life as she’d known it was over. Why had she let her son and his wife talk her into going with them on a vacation to a Colorado Dude Ranch? She just wasn’t in the mood, but she wouldn’t let them down. She’d spend a couple weeks with her adorable grandchildren, and with any luck, she’d come back home in a better frame of mind.

Kenneth Tucker glanced around the Peaktop Dude Ranch dining room at all the young families. He felt more than a little out of place. It was his first vacation since his wife died five years ago. Was there anyone here his age? Spotting the only other person in the room who looked like she was over forty, he decided to try to strike up a friendship with a stranger. Little did he know she wasn’t a stranger at all.

When Pam and Ken realize they not only knew each other in high school but were high school sweethearts, the sparks that sizzled between them almost forty years ago come crashing back. But can they trust their fragile hearts to the one person who broke them all those years ago, both believing that the other dumped them? Will they discover the real truth, or is it just too late for their ill-fated romance?

Peaktop Dude Ranch, where love soars to new heights.

SPRING?

Is it Spring yet? No matter where you reside, when we reach the end of February, you’re bond to hear this sentiment. If you live in the southern United States like I currently do, the answer is almost. In a couple more weeks it will be safe to plant without fear of frost. On my morning walk today, I saw yards filled with blooming daffodils, pansies, forsythia, and flowering trees. The azaleas are starting get their first blooms.

If, however, you live farther north, like my former home in Colorado, consistent warmer temperatures are still several months away. Although you may experience beautiful, warm March days, the next day you may get several feet of snow. The danger of frost stays until after Mother’s Day, regardless of the fact that the first day of spring is on the calendar in March.

Why do we look so forward to spring? Probably for many reasons. The days get longer, and the gloom of winter fades. Spring signals a new beginning, a time that reflects hope. A sign that no matter how dark our lives get, there will be a brighter tomorrow. There’s something so reassuring about watching tiny plants emerge from the recently frozen ground. Seeds that never gave up, but merely waited for their season. I love that!

It’s similar to the reason I write romances. I love the happy endings. Readers can pick up a romance novel and be assured that no matter how bad a situation may appear, that it will get better, the characters will fall in love, and they will have a happy ending. After all, isn’t that we all want for our lives?

So find hope in the anticipation of spring, whether it’s next week or next month or a ways down the road.

My latest novel, Climb up to Love,  was released last week. If you love stories of hope and new beginnings, get your copy now, and see how Sierra and Storm find a new beginning and overcome the darkness of their pasts. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084BP9GW6

CUTL front final

New release-Box set

Hi everyone. I hope you are enjoying 2020 so far. Today is cold and rainy so a great day to sit inside and write 🙂  I wanted to let you know that I’ve just released a new box in my Peakview Series. This box set contains books 6-8, which goes through an entire year in Peakview, Colorado. You’ll enjoy your favorite Peakview residents as well as meet some newcomers to the tight-knit community. Download your copy now at 35% off the cost of buying these three books individually. Happy Reading. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08432CKK1

Box Set 6-8 full cover