April 3, 2024
Hello, Dear Book Lovers:
Happy April! I hope this new month brings you hope-filled possibilities and good news!
On the bright side, our Easter weekend was delightful. Our oldest son came home to visit, the meal on Saturday night was delicious (sirloin tip roast, salmon cakes, truffle mashed potatoes), and the weather was ideal. We went to church on Sunday, and the rest of the day was quiet and restful. But we missed our youngest son, who lives in Austin, and couldn't make it home. Our grand girls and our daughter were all fighting sicknesses, and my sister and her family stayed home too, since they are leaders in their own church and understandably had a full schedule. So our guest list was cut in half but we made the most of the time spent with those who came.
This week, I'm back at my desk after taking an extended weekend to rest and visit with family. We're expecting snow tomorrow (I'm DONE with it now that the grape hyacinths and daffodils are blooming, the poor things). I hope the weather people have it wrong!
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I'd hoped to have some news to share today, but the group I'm working with asked us to hold off on the announcement until next month. *If* you follow me on Amazon though, you may have noticed not one, but two preorders scheduled for this year. That's all I'll say for now...
Apple Blossom Dreams (Port Chance #2) is still on schedule to release June 25, if not sooner. If you read That Woman on Thistledown Lane, you'll remember Linn Miranelli, the woman hired to run the Apple Hill Orchard farm shop's bakery. She arrived in Port Chance, hoping for a brighter future after a tumultuous marriage and divorce. Here's a little (re) introduction to Linn from Apple Blossom Dreams:
Linn rolled her shoulders while she waited for the ping of the microwave, then she dunked a tea bag into the steaming mug. Continuing her customary path to the couch, she dropped onto the plush cushions, relishing the feeling like a hug.
Her apartment, a little second-story rental in a solid four-unit brick building behind the medical clinic, was simple yet satisfactory. She wasn’t fussy when it came to material things, whether it be furnishings for her house or her wardrobe. Her living room showed off her mismatched collection of furniture, hand-me-downs to some, but to her, they were treasured heirlooms. A side chair upholstered in a worn fuchsia brocade. A standing sewing cabinet, now used to hold her ribbon plant. Two framed needlework projects of a rural sunrise scene as well as a sunset, painstakingly stitched by her grandmother despite her crooked, arthritic fingers. These were the treasures that comforted her now. She’d had to keep them in storage for far too long.
From her front window, she had a sublime view of trees which hid Highway 67. Beyond that, the landscape rose in a green and gold patchwork of cropland. Before the trees had bloomed last April, she’d been able to see the red barns of Apple Hill Orchard too.
What she didn’t spend on knickknacks and clothes, she spent on bakeware and kitchen gadgets. Splurging on speciality flours and extracts was a given. She could do that now, living by herself. The times when someone scolded her for “wasting money” were long past. Thank the heavens for that.
Steam from the mug wafted over her face as Linn breathed in the scent of jasmine. A sense of calm settled in her chest. She kicked up her feet and closed her eyes, reveling in the quiet of her apartment. As much as she loved the bustle of the farm, it was this she looked forward to the most.
For fans of clean romance and women’s fiction, discover the magic of a delightful river town and its inhabitants as this charming sweet romance novel unfolds in a new series by D.E. Malone.
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Who's ready for a Clean My Shelves Giveaway?! If you're a new subscriber, let me clue you in on the fun. Clean My Shelves giveaways started out as a way to pass along some of the paperbacks that I've bought, read and enjoyed. But I can hardly pass up a good paperback sale or a Little Free Library so I keep bringing more books into the house than I give away!
Anyway, I’ll pick TWO lucky winners from those who send me their choice by replying to this e-mail. Please take note: all of these are lovingly USED books. And so sorry, non-US friends, I can only ship within the country. If by chance I choose someone outside the U.S., I’ll offer a $5 Amazon gift card instead.
The choices are:
Wisteria Island by Rachel Hanna
Good Luck with That by Kristan Higgins
Fancy Dancer by Fern Michaels
Secrets of the Tulip Sisters by Susan Mallery
Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
Beachside Beginnings by Sheila Roberts
The contest closes this Sunday night 4/7/24, at 7 p.m. CST. Winners will be notified via e-mail on Monday and have 48 hours to respond. PLEASE check your e-mail on Monday! Winners will also be announced in the next
newsletter.
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I'm excited to be a part of this special collection of sweet/clean and wholesome romances. You'll find contemporary, historical, nonmagical fantasy, and romantic suspense books in this mix. These titles are available at ALL retailers: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple, KOBO and more. I have Love Like Water and Love, Lies and Lavender listed in this promotion, both of which are FREE (click on the graphic to see the titles).
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I'm ready to start reading Lost Lake by one of my favorite writers, Sarah Addison Allen. I first fell in love with her writing when my editor recommended Garden Spells to me. I've devoured every one of her books since then, except for this one. Look for it to be one of the choices in a future Clean My Shelves Giveaway after I finish reading it!
(Click on the cover to go to the sale page)
A dream trip to find her English roots. A widow who’s settled for the single life. Will she take a chance or close the book on love forever?
"Charming Chapter is an entertaining, well-paced story with thoughtful insights many women may be experiencing. Lori Haas does a splendid job of sharing Laura’s thoughts and feelings while also seamlessly including the history and sites of London and England, as well as its architecture and beautiful homes." - Amazon review
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Facebook Page * Instagram
Goodreads * Readers Group
Port Chance Series * NEW BOOK *
New small-town romance series! It's in Kindle Unlimited too.
That Woman on Thistledown Lane
Hearts in Hendricks series:
Now on Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Google Play, & more!
Love Like Water: books2read.com/u/mZLjz5
Love Like Fire: books2read.com/u/bwqd5G
Love Like Air: books2read.com/u/ml8rQ7
Love Like Forever: books2read.com/u/mdjLQy
Blueberry Point Romance series
More small-town romance in Hendricks, MN at Darcy and Sean Stetman's romantic inn. Seven books plus a season-inspired novella collection. Find the series here:
Blueberry Point Romance Collection
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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