Howdy y'all, how goes it?

I hope this newsletter finds you in continued good health. I've slightly shifted my newsletter day to every other Thursday instead of every other Friday/Saturday, which means you are getting your copy of my epilogue FREEBIE No Matter What two days early. If any of you were around in February for Lisa's epilogue, All of my Days, you'll know that it's a no strings attached kinda deal. Click the button, snag the story: job done. I have to say, even though it's a fun, little novella showing Lisa and AJ's HEA, I really kinda love this book. It's fun and yes, poop emoji parties are totally a thing!

Click Here For Your Freebie!

You have two weeks to grab it - so best to download it now so you don't forget!

I was going to recap what's gone on in my small part of the world in this newsletter, but instead, I figured I'd take a moment to talk about the pain that is raging in my chest instead. I'm a white woman and one of my best friends on the planet is a black guy. I am aware of my white girl privilege and it's something that makes me uncomfortable to the depths of my very soul. This morning I sent my friend a message that I can't get out of my mind and it's no message anyone should have to send to someone they love.

"Please be careful, I can't lose you."

I followed it up with a comment about how selfish that sounded, and I told him that right now when my phone chimes, there's a small part of me that's afraid it's someone telling me that he's dead. How messed up is that, y'all? And if that's how fearful I am for his life, can you imagine the fear he is feeling, not just for himself, but for his family, his son, his friends? He's a husband, a dad, he's pretty senior in a successful company in Texas and he is without doubt, one of the kindest and most honorable people I've ever met. He's that reliable friend you call if your car breaks down, or you need someone to be counted on to do something at a moments notice - and he always shows up.

I've known him for three years now and over those three years we've talked about race a fair bit. He's a gun owner and a supporter of the second amendment and with me coming from a country where guns are reserved only for the police or terrorists, we've had our share of discussions over weapons as well. He even taught me how to shoot (he used to teach fire arms training, so he's qualified to do so). He wears his license to carry on a lanyard around his neck, with his drivers license behind it, in case he's pulled over - so he doesn't need to reach into his pocket for anything, everything he needs is right there and easily handed over to the police.

The fact that he's even had to think about this fact, makes my heart ache.

I fear for him. I fear for his son and I fear for all of my 'not white' friends right now because they have been, and are being so persistently, so systematically targeted for no other reason than the color of their skin.

This is not OK. Racism is not OK. Police brutality is not OK.

But you know what else is not ok?

Silence.

If you're reading this and you're a person of color, hear this: I may be white and I may not understand your struggles but I am open. My ears are open to listen, my mind is open to learn, my heart is open with love and my mouth is open, because silence is not OK.

A friend shared a list of resources for those of us who want to support the Black Lives Matter movement, if you're interested in checking it out, go here.

No life can matter until black lives matter. George Floyd (and so many others) deserve justice.

P.S. Don't forget to check out this week's book fairs and recommendations. I know there's a lot - once the summer is over I'll only be making one or two suggestions per newsletter, so stock up now, while you can!

Deejah Johnson has been in love with her childhood neighbor, and big brother's best friend for most of her life, but Kareem has never even kissed her. After almost two decades of waiting in vain, Deejah's set on forgetting the big hunk of a man, and moving on with her life. And, of course, that's the moment Kareem chooses to start showing her interest.

Follow Kareem and Deejah in this sweet story set during Black History Month, as their families come together to celebrate unity.

Will the eternally quiet girl stand up for herself? Is Kareem finally gonna get his head straight and claim her heart? Will their families stop mingling in their business? Read and see - Seven Days To Love.

Some loves are undeniable. Some burn with the heat of summer.

When Homer Lovelly pulled over to help a stranded damsel in distress, he never expected he’d meet his soul mate. But from the moment Claire clocked him in the head with her boot—and then kissed him—he knew she was it.

She’d be his undoing.

Wild, sexy, and fearless, Claire is intoxicating. She’s also leaving at the end of summer, a few short weeks away. Homer knows he shouldn’t fall for her. He also knows he doesn’t have a choice. And with September rising fast on the horizon, he’s almost out of time.

The question is, can he convince Claire that what he feels is more than a summer fling, or will he watch as the woman he’s meant to marry walk out of his life forever? Find out here, in First Comes Love.

Kate has worked as a nurse in the emergency room for over twenty years, is married to a successful orthopedic surgeon, and is raising three teenagers. When she starts experiencing personality changes, such as telling her patients what she's thinking, she must find the cause before she loses her family and her career. Is it the stress from family drama or something more serious? Once she discovers the cause, she must make a decision that will alter her life forever.

Follow Kate through her shifts in the busy emergency room and her chaotic personal life on her journey to discovering the root of the issues now in Heroes Wear Stethoscopes.

He is the most charming drill instructor on the base, and can get any woman he wants. So why is he falling for the one off limits to him—the Captain’s daughter?

Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class Mike Flynn is an expert at two things: training recruits, and getting women into bed. But after the Captain had him arrested on a trumped up charge, he has only one thing in mind. Revenge. What better way than to make the Captain’s daughter fall in love with him?

Hope Daunt isn’t looking for a man. Romance is for her wild, college-bound sister. Not her. Hope just wants to work, and fight her illness. After all, the only thing Cystic Fibrosis has given her is several deadlines for her life. So why would she want to put a husband through the pain of losing her? No. She will never let herself fall in love.

What Flynn doesn’t expect is to be the one to lose his heart. In order to convince Hope to return his affections, he must sacrifice everything he’s become to be the man she needs. It isn’t until he falls madly in love with her that he discovers her secret. But is it too late? Find out here in Hard To Forget.