Romance Writer’s Weekly #lovechatwrite

I hope everyone had a wonderful, long holiday weekend. My was nice, with a couple of barbeques fit it and a little time at our swimming pool when it opened. However, in writer world, we really never get holidays, so much of my weekend was spent working on my next book.

This week we have been asked to write about this topic: The secondary characters (friends, family, colleagues, etc) in a romance novel can greatly influence the story. Describe a secondary character you’ve written that you can’t forget. So, as an author most of my secondary characters are thought out before I begin to write a story. They are strategically placed in a story to either introduce characters who will star in an upcoming book (since I write series) or characters who will either help or hinder the romance such as a character’s child, best friend, former lover, etc. Then there are incidental characters, think a waitress or a store clerk, who a character interacts with. They are not planned and usually play a bit part in one scene. That’s how my favorite secondary character, Marissa came to be. In my novel, Colorado Cabin in the Pines, the third book in my Peakview Series, my heroine needed a reason to stay in the small mountain town of Peakview other than falling in love with the hero. She was a school teacher on summer break, so I created a mountain adventure camp for disadvantaged youth were she could work. Her first day on the job, she was supposed to help get the new campers up on their horses. To put some life into the scene, I had her reassure a small girl sitting off by herself who was afraid of the horses. During the conversation, she asked her name, and she said Marissa. She was only intended to be in that one scene. But I instantly fell in love with her, and she ended up taking on a larger role and even helping to get the hero and heroine together. At the end of the summer when my characters fell in love and started their happily ever after, Marissa, like the other campers, went back home to her not-so-great foster home. Boy, did I get unhappy emails from readers, although my main characters fell in love at the end, as always, everyone wanted to know what happened to Marissa. So, in my next book, Colorado Wrangler, my heroine becomes her foster mom and the hero and heroine end up adopting her after they get married. She developed such a great personality that she appears somewhere in all remaining 7 books in the series 🙂 She’s my favorite because she was so unexpected, even to me, the author. You never know where characters will take you.

Now hop on over to Jenna Da Sie’s blog and learn about one of her secondary characters at https://jennadasie.com

In case you missed it, my latest novel, Montana Pines Spring Forward, was released late last week. Get your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4K33CWS

Romance Writer’s Weekly #lovechatwrite

This week we have been asked the following question-If you could time travel, what period of time would you choose and why? I had to think about this one. I’m not a huge fan of the whole time travel genre. At first I thought about the old west, which has been romanticized in movies and on TV, but in actually, it was a very hard life without any modern conveniences, so I decided, no. So, my answer, if I were to go somewhere for a few days or weeks, would be the 1950’s when I was a child. My favorite thing about the 1950’s? No air-conditioning. Don’t get me wrong, my home is air-conditioned and I enjoy a nice, cool office to write in and a cool bedroom on hot summer nights, but here’s what I liked. Growing up in a mid-west city we also didn’t have microwaves or take out food. Women cooked dinner in the oven every night, further heating the already hot homes. So when dinner was done, everyone, I mean everyone from age one to one hundred headed outside. It was just too hot to stay inside until the sun went down. Kids played and rode bikes, parents gardened and mowed their lawns, old people sat on their porches and sipped iced tea, while groups of neighbors congregated and shared their lives. No one had tiny screens to look at instead of carrying on conversations. We all knew each other-everyone on our city block. Even as pre-schoolers, our parents didn’t worry about us riding our bikes around the block alone. No one bothered us, instead everyone said hello. And when we were lucky, older neighbors would invite us up onto their porches for warm, fresh out of the oven baked cookies or to share the stash of popsicles they kept just for the neighborhood kids. I knew everyone. It’s been 56 years since I lived in that home, and I can still picture who lived in every house and tell you all their names. The sense of community was awesome. Recently, as I walked my dog around the block on a nice, summer evening, I didn’t encounter one other soul. Instead of the sounds of laughter and conversation, the only sound was that of the air-conditioning units clicking on and off beside closed up houses. I miss those times of socializing. I won’t be turning off my air-conditioning this summer or giving up my cell phone, but sometimes I long for those simpler times.

Now, hop on over to Leslie Hachtel’s blog and see when she’d travel to at https://lesliehachtelwriter.wordpress.com

In writing news, you can now pre-order my new novel, Montana Pines Spring Forward, at the following link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4K33CWS

Romance Writers’ Weekly #lovechatwrite

This week on our blog hop we’ve been asked to answer these two questions-How do you take care of yourself? and What do you do to practice self-care? My biggest self-care routine that I do on a regular basis, is take walks with my dog. As long as the temperature is above freezing and below 100, I’m out there walking every day. We usually do around 4-5 miles each day. The exercise, the fresh outdoor air, and the time alone with my best friend combine to relieve whatever stresses I may have. Less frequently, I’m able to escape to our beautiful Colorado mountains to ride horses and hike. It’s great and I try to do it a few times each year. This year, I also bought a season ticket to Colorado State Men’s Basketball. Throughout the season there have been 1-3 games per week, and win or lose it has been a great enjoyment and stress reliever and a way to make wonderful friends. Reading a good book is also a great way to take care of yourself. Check out the second book in my Peakview Series, Breakfast for Two at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014VA616G. It’s a heartwarming story about finding family and taking a second chance at love. Then hop on over to Leslie Hachtel’s blog and see what she does to take care of herself at https://lesliehachtelwriter.wordpress.com and check out her first historical romance in a set of three at https://amzn.to/41nxqMR

Romance Writer’s Weekly #lovechatwrite

This week on our blog hop we have been asked to share one of our hobbies, and what we do when we are not writing. If you follow my posts, you know that recently all my time has been spent moving, but I’m happy to announce that I’m all moved in and almost settled, so back to focusing on my writing full time. Anyway, I guess my favorite hobby is gardening. I love planting flowers everywhere (especially purple ones which is my favorite color). And this year…. well, refer back to my second sentence. I just moved. Into a brand new house. So I have a blank slate. I’m so excited to make the yard my own and fill it with pretty blooms. Unfortunately, here in Colorado the ground has been blanketed in snow since before I moved in, so I can’t really even see where the planting will take place, but trust me it will. I am so ready for spring. Where I live we are not out of danger of frost until mid-May, but starting the middle of March we can plant hardy flowers such as pansies and snap dragons. You can bet I’ll be out there as soon as the nurseries get them in stock. Stay tuned for many pictures this spring and summer 🙂 Now hop on over to https://jennadasie.com and she what Jenna does when not writing. Happy almost spring everyone!

Romance Writer’s Weekly #lovechatwrite

Hi Everyone. I have been absent from writing for a few weeks. First due to the holidays, and then I’ve been busy packing and getting ready to move in two more weeks! But, I’m back. This week on our blog hop, we have been asked-What is your favorite kind of weather? and Does it inspire your work? The first part is easy for me. I am way more a summer person than a winter person. I’d rather be hot any day than cold. That being said, my favorite season is autumn. I love the warm, sunny days and cool, crisp nights. I live in Colorado because the sun shines here almost every day. There’s nothing like a cloudy day to bring my mood down. The question, does it inspire your work made me laugh! NOPE. Beautiful weather inspires me to be outside-walking my dog, riding horses in the mountains, hiking, gardening, or just sitting on my porch in the sunshine. The last thing I want to do is sit inside and write. We are supposed to get up to ten inches of snow this week. Now, that will inspire me to sit at my desk and write with a cup of warm tea. Who knows, a snowstorm may even appear in my WIP 🙂 Want to get away from winter? Check out my latest release, Montana Pines Summer Love. It’s available on Amazon in all formats. Next hop on over to PG Forte’s blog and find out what weather she likes at https://rhymeswithforeplay.blogspot.com/2023/01/romance-writers-weekly-lets-talk-about.html

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

The week on our Romance Writer’s Weekly blog hop we’ve been asked to share one of our favorite reviews of one of our books. I’ve been blessed with many wonderful reviews on my books over the years. I’m always humbled when a total stranger is touched by what I write and takes the time to share it in a review. There were so many I could have picked from, but I decided on this one from last summer when I decided to write a story, Peaktop Dude Ranch Aflame, about the wildfires that have been devastating our west in recent years. The cover is an actual photo of a Colorado Wildfire descending on a Dude Ranch. Fortunately, as in my story, by some miracle the ranch was spared.

“Another outstanding book by Jill Haymaker! Everytime I think that she couldn’t write another one as good as the last, she proves me wrong. As the terrible fires continue to burn in the West, this book was extremely timely. It touched on the fear and anxiety that all the characters felt in the face of a fast moving wildfire. Their town, businesses and loved ones were all effected. Jill has a way of making you feel like you’re right there experiencing the same feelings as the characters. Then there was a touching love story that intermingled throughout. I truly feel this is one of her best, but I always feel that way when I read one of her books!! Thanks Jill, it sure felt good to be back in Peaktop again!”

Hop on over to Leslie Hatchel’s blog to see one of her reviews at https://lesliehachtelwriter.wordpress.com

If you like historical romance you’ll love this one: Bound to Morroco https://amzon.to/3Rngykf

What if your stepmother and stepsister sold you to a Sultan’s Harem?It is 1708 and Lady Shera Everton wakes up as a captive on a ship headed to Morocco. Shera meets a man named Kincaid, who is disguised as one of the Sultan’s soldiers. He intends to find his sister, Catherine, who was also captured, and make her kidnappers pay.He is immediately captivated with Shera and to protect her, Kincaid, known as Kemal, disguises her as one who has been scarred. The Sultan rejects her and she is safe from his bed, but still a captive to be ransomed. Shera must find a way to escape and confront the people who betrayed her.  When her partnership with Kincaid turns to love, the two must face constant danger to endure. But will they ever be free?

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

Romance Writer’s Weekly #lovechatwrite

This week on our Romance Writer’s Weekly blog hop we have been tasked with sharing 5 facts from our work in progress or newest release. Since Montana Pines Winter Romance just released last week I will share 5 facts from that book :

Number one: This book is the first book in my new Montana Pines Series. This is my fourth series. The first three all take place in the mountains of Colorado. Although I have now “moved” to a new state, you will find the same type of heroes-cowboys and rugged mountain men with big hearts.

Number two: At least one character from each of my first three series have ties to my new town of Pine Meadows, Montana. I hope readers will enjoy catching up with favorite characters.

Number three: My heroine, Haley, has been let down by everyone she has ever loved. Trust is hard for her.

Number four: My hero is quite the ladies man. It will take a special woman to get him to settle down.

Number five: I love to include kids and animals in my stories. This one includes an adorable four-year-old boy and a cute kitten.

Please hop on over to Andie Fenichels blog at http://asfenichel.com to read her fun facts. Also it it release day for a new box set of historical romances, Secrets, Scandals, and Seduction, of which she is a part. You can purchase it here: https://books2read.com/u/4joPNj

Romance Writer’s Weekly #lovechatwrite

Thus week on our Romance Writers’ Weekly blog hop our topic is: How did you get started in your career, how did you get to where you are today and what’s next for you?

I started writing novels almost by accident. I had been practicing law for many years when I became friends with another author in my office building. She had just started writing her first novel and was so excited. I spent a couple of years following her writing journey and sharing in her joy of writing. One day, when I was especially discouraged with the practice of law, she suggested I try to write a novel. I laughed. I knew nothing about writing fiction! But I sat down a couple of days later and started my very first romance. I loved it. It was so different from the formal legal writing I was used to. I guess you could say I never looked back. I split my time between writing and practicing law for about four years before I took the plunge and transitioned to writing full-time. I’ve never regretted the decision. Today, is the release day for my twenty-sixth novel. Writing romance and happily ever after is something I truly enjoy and hope to be able to continue to do for the rest of my life. I have found my calling 🙂

How did you get started in your career? leave a comment and then head over to Jenna’s blog at https://www.jennadasie.com to see how she got started, too 🙂