January 30, 2026
Hi there, Dear Readers!
As Valentine's Day approaches (and also a big birthday for me which has prompted a little introspection), I have to ask: how do you show love to yourself?
We could all use a little extra love these days. And if we don't take care of ourselves, how can we show up for others? Between the crazy weather, political unrest, lousy economy, it's no wonder that stress underlies even the simplest tasks.
The other day I wasn't able to focus on reaching my writing goal. My to-do list kept interfering with scene details for Hearts and Homecomings. Scheduling two tax appointments. Getting a quote for new tires. Sending paperwork to our insurance company. The stupid news headlines! I pushed away from the desk finally and went to the other room where my dog was stretched out on the bed. Whenever I need a break, I can always count on him to show me how it's done, LOL! I lay down beside him and picked up the book on my nightstand to read a couple chapters.
That was it. I didn't have to leave the house. I didn't spend a cent. Taking a fifteen-minute break to read was all it took to lower my blood pressure, reset my brain, and regain my focus. It was a fraction of my day, but that small, intentional act offered a much-needed time out. Reading does it for me. Walking the dog. Or just sitting near a sunny window for a while with my thoughts. Sometimes it's hard to figure out what we need, but we ALL deserve some me-time!
What will you do today to give yourself a little love?
The Blueberry Point Romance Collection is still on sale! Inside the covers, you'll get four season-inspired novellas featuring a different couple who find themselves in the cozy world of Blueberry Point Lodge on Minnesota's North Shore. Each of these bite-sized stories are a perfect entry point into the seven-book series of full-length novels.
In LILAC CRUSH, recently divorced Grace Callahan returns to her hometown where she’s always felt invisible—to everyone but Kendon Wright, her ex’s best friend and the man hired to renovate her rented carriage house at the inn.
Farra Hall thought her kiss with Trey Merrick marked a beginning, but then he never called. Now they’re together again during Blueberry Point Lodge’s opening weekend in LOVE, LIES and FIREFLIES.
PROMISE ME OCTOBER finds wedding photographer Kiley Byrne fighting her attraction to Bret Hanning, the man she’s worked with during North Shore events for the last three years. Will their last weekend together at Blueberry Point Lodge turn their professional relationship into one a little more personal?
Christmas in Hendricks finds flower shop employee Lucy Riggins decorating a sponsored Christmas tree for the Holly Days Tree Festival, competing with handsome investment banker Trec Kingston for top prize. Will Trec win Lucy’s heart too in HER NORTH SHORE CHRISTMAS?
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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT
This year I'm featuring a new author in each newsletter with a free novella to sample, too.
Today I'm thrilled to shine the spotlight on Janessa Fayeth! Per her Amazon bio, Jenessa doesn't remember the last time she got a full night's sleep. But she does know how late she can stay up reading to survive the next day. In college she majored in Family Life and Human Development, and she now uses that knowledge to convince herself she isn't crazy while raising her wild children. Her hobbies include reading, writing, sleeping, eating, and running. She writes all night and is a mom and wife all day. She is constantly exhausted, but she wouldn't change it for the world. In her opinion, peanut butter is the most important food group. Get her FREE novella, If It's You, below.
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Since intentionally making an effort to read more this year, I've finished three books so far this month. I'm currently reading Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, and listening to Let Them by Mel Robbins on audio, recommended to me by my daughter. Enjoying both, though audio is not my preferred format. Still, I couldn't pass up the .99/mo. for three months deal from Audible and I certainly didn't need another paperback sitting around my house.
How many books are on your To-Be-Read pile?
(Click on the Cover to go to the Download Page)
Christian wanted nothing more than a relaxing summer to forget about the loss he’d experienced at home. But the farm is anything but relaxing, and the farmer’s beautiful daughter is determined to send him packing before he even makes it a week. He needs a distraction, and teasing her seems to be the perfect way to keep his mind off of his life. It’s a harmless game because he’d never fall for a girl like her.
Maizie is no stranger to pain. Which is exactly what this handsome city boy is: a pain in her rear. She could’ve gotten over the embarrassment of their first meeting if he didn’t seem so hell-bent on ruining her life. Two can play that game, though, and she’s determined to win, even if it means losing something even more important.
Click on the cover above to get this free novella by Janessa Fayeth.
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Port Chance Series (4 books)
New, small-town romance series! It's in Kindle Unlimited too.
That Woman on Thistledown Lane
Apple Blossom Dreams
Locked on Love's Landing
Christmas in Port Chance (NEW RELEASE!)
Hearts in Hendricks series (4 books):
Available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited! See the series page here.
Blueberry Point Romance series (7 books)
More small-town romance in Hendricks, MN with Darcy and Sean Stetman's romantic inn as the backdrop. Seven books plus a season-inspired, four-novella collection. Find the series here.
A Cafe Au Lait Kind of Love. Read this as a stand-alone romance or as part of the multi-author small-town Coffee Loft series featuring swoony romances set in charming coffee shop settings. They're in Kindle Unlimited, too!
Silver Leaf Falls series
Multi-author small-town romance series, all in Kindle Unlimited! Read my book as a stand alone or as part of the series. You can find A Forever Kiss in Silver Leaf Falls here as well as the rest of the Silver Leaf Falls books.
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