Southernism of the Week: It’s hotter than a jalapeño's butt!

The saying actually comes with a different word than “butt,” but we try to keep this a fairly family-friendly newsletter.

If you are in the western United States, you’re probably experiencing this heat wave. Actually, the whole country is pretty darn hot. We hope you have appropriate cooling mechanisms, whether that’s air conditioning, devouring buckets of ice cream, or diving into a bathtub full of ice cubes.

Here’s a photo from New Mexico, where Chris is, with cholla cacti in the foreground and a stormy background. Note the little rainbow.

Kris’s voice recognition mistake of the day: "I may need to shovel some projects to make sure I don't get overwhelmed later this summer."

I meant shuffle, but sometimes it does feel like I need to take a shovel to the to do list.

If you have romance and/or cat loving friends, please let them know Kris’s book Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café is now free! It may not have been price matched in every country, but you can request Amazon match it by sharing the link to the free book on Barnes & Noble, Kobo, or another e-book retailer. Find Coffee and Crushes at Amazon, Kobo, B&N/Nook, or Apple/iTunes. 

In addition, the Furrever Friends Cat Café Sweet Romance Collection books 2-6 is available for the Kindle for only $9.99 for five books! (Books 1-3 are available as a paperback collection as well.) Visit the Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series page on Amazon US or Amazon UK and scroll down below the single books to find the collection. (For other countries click here.)

Felony Melanie Book 1 had a cameo by a skunk, and a skunk will appear in book 3 as well. What do you do if you see a skunk in the wild? Fleeing is a good idea, but if you want to know what the skunk is thinking, check out this article on Decoding Skunk Actions.

Southern Treat of the Week: Is it time for some barbecue? In the early 1900s, a smoked meat pushcart in downtown Kansas City served exotic offerings including raccoon. Beef, pork, chicken, and sausage are more common Kansas City style barbecues today. Thank goodness. We are not sharing a recipe for barbecued raccoon (you’re welcome), but you can find them online if you are interested.

Find New Authors and Books

Sweet Beach Reads in KU: If you love beach towns, old inns, islands and quaint coffee shops, check out this collection of "Sweet Beach Reads" for cozy mysteries and sweet romance in Kindle Unlimited (or also for sale). Find your next sweet read here.

Romance Readers Unite! If you love contemporary romance, check out this Romance group. It has shifters and dragons, billionaires and cowboys, romantic suspense, paranormal, and sweet to erotic romance stories. You’re sure to find some great summer reads here.

The Last Seed, by Moud Adel: Can one spy infiltrate a faction where people can see the future? Join the author's newsletter for this free story, then get weekly deals of free & discounted books directly in your inbox

Aloha Summer: A Sweet Beach Romance, by Annie Diamond: "Will the magic of Aloha heal her broken heart and prove the boost Layla needs to welcome love and happiness again? Find out in this heartwarming and uplifting sweet romance!" Join Annie's newsletter and get this free book now!

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If you’ve read the Felony Melanie books, please leave a review on Amazon or another site, or recommend them to your friends. Reviews help readers find great books, and they help authors keep writing. Review book 1, Pageant Pandemonium, on Amazon here. Review book 2, the Big Smashup, here. Or Visit the Amazon series page for Felony Melanie: Sweet Home Alabama romantic comedy novels to buy them.

New readers can go here to get a free preview of the new series. Felony Melanie and the Moonshiner’s Cabin stands alone as a short story.