Friday, June 28, 2024

Change is Scary, but Good

 


I have always had a rule I teach and that we practice in my critique group: Don’t ever budge on that one element that excited you about a story in the first place. That spark that inspired you to write the story is what will carry you through the middle and to the end. Not all books are easy, even when you love your subject matter and characters, but books are double down hard to write if you lose the joy.


As writers, we do our best, but the lack of joy eventually shows in our work, our health, our personal lives. I had been under contract for over twenty-five years, writing two or three books a year, and everyone knows a career isn’t a writer’s only responsibility. Most of us have spouses, children, grandchildren and parents. I realized I needed a change.


By fate or a stroke of luck or God’s timing, whichever your belief, a line closed and I didn’t have an option book. I’d been in that place before and it had felt scary. This time it felt good. Like someone had taken an 800-pound boulder off my shoulders. And in this timing of events, I also had a new grandchild due.


To my daughter’s immense relief, I told her I’d care for the baby for the first year. I had a few weeks to decompress and prepare, and then the baby came. I had forgotten how exhausting it is to take care of an infant, but it was a good exhaustion, and I enjoyed every minute of it. After the baby was a year old, my daughter had a neck surgery, and I cared for both of them at their house every day, so this hiatus stretched into about sixteen months. During that time, I eventually missed writing. I got ideas. The desire was there to tell stories, but I knew I didn’t want to go back to where I’d been before. I wanted to write, but I didn’t want to experience the pressure of deadlines.


I made a decision to only write books that I love from that moment on. And to do it in a manner at and a pace that I set for myself. Choosing to make a change was a huge step. Indie authors don’t have the distribution advantages of traditional publishers. They don’t get advances. They do all the work. But they can choose to do the writing and marketing at a pace that’s comfortable for them, and there’s a lot to be said for comfortable.


Saturday, April 27, 2024

Western Romance eBook on Sale for $1.99 - Prairie Wife

No mother should have to bury her child


Amy Shelby had learned this sorrow well. Her heart had gone into the ground a year ago along with her boy's tiny casket. And not even her husband, Jesse, wrestling the same pain, could resurrect any hope in her.

Jesse Shelby mourned two losses—his baby son and his openhearted bride, for when their child died, Amy retreated behind a wall of grief as wide as the Nebraska prairie. But could a chance for a new family heal their wounded marriage—and guide them back to the comfort of each other's arms?


Tuesday, March 12, 2024

March Madness: Maybe I'm the One

 Maybe I’m the One



Nashville
 fans will enjoy this story of a beloved country singer who returns to her roots and encounters the cowboy whose song she unknowingly stole.


Audrey Knox sacrificed to make a successful career in Nashville, but the bigger her star shines, the smaller her world has become. After an eye--opening incident on tour, she wants her daughter to experience small-town life as she knew it, so she takes a break from touring to reconnect with her roots and introduce the eight-year-old to life on Big Pines Ranch. Facing the past might be her biggest challenge yet.

Jericho Tanner has loved Audrey since they were children on adjoining ranches, their families entwined. He fills the void of intimacy, love and belonging with ranch work and his deputy position in Rockwell County, with aspirations of taking over as sheriff. Emotional vulnerability is frightening, and his walls are sturdy and tall. When Audrey and her young daughter show up in Spencer, he’s forced to see his wounds in a new light.

GRAB YOURS HERE


USA Today bestseller Cheryl St.John writes historical and contemporary novels. Her stories have earned numerous awards and are published in over a dozen languages. One thing all reviewers and readers agree on regarding Cheryl’s work is the degree of emotion and believability. In describing her stories of second chances and redemption, readers and reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters and real-life situations.”


Wednesday, March 06, 2024

March Madness Sale - Dancing in the Dark (Aspen Gold Series)

 Dancing in the Dark, Cheryl St.John

 

He’d had his own baby. Without her.


Dusty Cavanaugh has loved Kendra Price since she walked into the school cafeteria and captured a dozen boyish hearts with the sweep of her stormy gray-green gaze and the lift of her chin. College, marriage, and children had been the plan. But then Dusty made a mistake.


Kendra Price had never wanted to be rich, but she’d wanted to be comfortable, which she was. She’d never wanted to be famous, but to live her passion to the fullest and dance, which she had. She’d wanted to marry Dusty, have babies and live happily ever after. All she had left was dance.

 

Sweet romance by a USA Today bestselling author

BUY LINK: CLICK HERE

 



MARCH MADNESS

All 21 books in this series are on sale for 99c throughout March.

Fans of Robyn Carr's Virgin River Series will enjoy this multi-author series set in the fictional tourist town of Spencer, Colorado.

Friday, August 04, 2023

Grandma St.John's Banana Bread


I've made this banana bread for as many years as I've been baking. (That's a whole kaboodle of years.) It's a family favorite. Some even enjoy it for breakfast.

Note: For shortening, I usually use olive oil. I've also used butter, and occasionally I use half butter or oil and half applesauce.


ONE LOAF:

1 3/4 c. sifted flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c. olive oil
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
at least 2 bananas, mashed leaving chunks
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp orange peel


THREE LOAVES:

5 1/4 c. sifted flour
6 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp salt
1 c. olive oil
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
6 eggs, beaten
at least 6 bananas, mashed, leaving chunks
2  heaping tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
1 heaping tsp orange peel

Walnuts or pecans are optional.
I often add craisins and chocolate chips, but most of my family prefers it without.

Mix dry ingredients and liquid ingredients separately and then mix together quickly.
Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes to one hour.
If you use a mini-loaf pan, reduce heat to 325 and baking time to 25 min.

Wrap or bag while warm to keep moist.
Freezes great so you can bake ahead.

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

FREE BOOK THIS WEEK: I Sorta Do, Cheryl St.John

 


Read an excerpt:

    Once again, her impulsiveness had landed her in a jam. Francie Karr rifled through a stack of papers on her gigantic wooden desk and picked up the letter for the tenth time that morning. The official confirmation of her obligation to attend the class reunion. She’d placed the irksome reminder on the edge just so, in case her cat took a notion to jump up on the desk and bat the paper into the wastebasket. He hadn’t. The traitor.

    She’d used the envelope postmarked Spencer, Colorado as a coaster for the better part of a week before piling invoices on top of it, but the return address still remained legible.

    No, the letter was still here and she hadn’t forgotten about the impulsive promise she’d made, so she guessed she was going to have to send the reunion committee an email about her arrival plans. She’d first ignored the group Facebook message from the planning committee requesting she be the photographer for Spencer High’s fifteenth class reunion. She’d asked if they didn’t have a local photographer, but the relentless social media members had been adamant it be someone from their class, so she’d grudgingly agreed.

    What had she been drinking? She’d known then, just as she knew now, that she wasn’t going to be able to attend the class reunion. She was going to have surgery that week. Or something else was going to come up. A debilitating sickness maybe. Perhaps even a death—her own would be convenient.

    The intercom buzzed her that someone was downstairs, and she walked distractedly to the panel, the wrinkled letter in her hand. “Yeah?”

    “Miss Karr, it’s Ryan MacNair. I’d like to speak with you for a few minutes, please.”

    “Who?”

    He repeated his name and added, “We spoke last month. About the brooch you had appraised? You told me to call back at a more convenient time.”

    “Oh.” She glanced around the cluttered loft where she lived and worked. Photographs hung on every wall—some were even framed. Stacks of books teetered on end tables, and every pair of shoes she’d worn recently were beside the sofa. The place wasn’t going to suddenly become neat and organized, and the time never got more convenient, so she might as well let him in.

    “Come on up.” She jabbed the button that unlocked the security door and sauntered back to her desk.

    How hard could it be to fake her own death? She’d seen it done on TV plenty of times. She could assume a new identity and move her studio to Peoria under a different name.

    Francie flopped onto her office chair and grimaced at her own thoughts. No. YaYa needed someone to check up on her often and make sure the care center was doing a good job. Deserting her dear fragile grandmother was out of the question. It distressed the old woman enough to think Francie wasn’t married yet. Disappearing was a purely selfish thought. Self-preserving and really clever—but selfish.

    How on earth then was she going to get out of this dreadful class reunion? What was she going to tell her grandmother? YaYa was the only person in the world she was close to. The only person whose opinion mattered. But YaYa didn’t agree with Francie’s decision to choose a career over a marriage and children.

    A few months ago, to alleviate the old woman’s worry over her being alone, Francie had told her she’d gotten married.

    To a rich man.

    To a rich man with kids.

    To a rich handsome man with kids.

    How in blazes was she going to get out of this one?

    A knock sounded on the door.

    Francie crossed to open it.

    “Hi, Miss Karr—”

    “Francie.”

    “Francie. Thank you for seeing me.”

    She swung the door open wide and ushered a tall dark-haired man in a tailored navy-blue suit into her studio. “Would you like a soft drink? The coffee’s been sitting since morning.”

    “No, thank you.”

    “Well…” She wandered back to her desk chair and sank onto the comfortable cushion, her gaze immediately landing on the letter that still lay on her desk. Darn cat anyhow. Darn YaYa for thinking a woman couldn’t be fulfilled with her career.

    “I have an offer for you,” MacNair said. He glanced around, then moved a stack of manila envelopes from the seat of the chair opposite her desk to the only available spot on the floor and plucked the crease at the knee of his trousers as he sat. “Are you moving out?”

    “No, why?”

    “Um, no reason. Do you recall why I’m here?”

    Absorbed in her predicament, Francie tapped a fingernail against the edge of the desk. The reunion was less than two weeks away now, and she still hadn’t figured out what she was going to do.

    “Francie?”

    “What? Oh. No, I guess I’ve forgotten what it was you wanted to see me about.”

    “The brooch you had appraised at Grambs & Sons last month.”

    “Right. That pin was in a box of old junk that I bought at an auction. I buy things like that for my still life photography. The piece will make amazing shot in black and white, with maybe a pair of gloves. Kind of draping out of an old jewelry chest with a piece of lace beneath it.”

    “Several months ago, I put the word out to all the jewelers that I was looking for that particular item,” he said. “Grambs called me after you’d been in. That brooch rightfully belongs to my daughter. It’s her inheritance.”

    She’d found the perfect pair of old lace gloves. What had she done with them? “Uh-huh.”

    “It belonged to my paternal grandmother. Unfortunately, my grandfather’s will was contested, and the jewelry went to one of my aunts who only wanted what she could get out of everything. Just to be spiteful, she wouldn’t even let my father buy the pieces he wanted. I can’t even remember why she started the feud with my father in the first place. I’m not even sure she remembers.”

    “She sounds lovely.” Francie picked up a pen and doodled a sketch of her idea on the letter.

    He blinked at her. “She sold it all, and we’ve been trying to find the pieces to buy them back. My father had intended for that brooch to remain in the family.”

    Francie’s attention drifted to Peyton Armbruster’s scrawled signature on the page, and Francie knew she couldn’t stall any longer. She either had to come clean...or come up with a husband.

    “The brooch was appraised at five thousand dollars,” MacNair said. “Miss Karr, I’ll double that offer.”

    At his concerned tone, Francie glanced up into his grave features, and finally his words sank into her dilemma-drugged brain. He was as intense about the silly old brooch as she was about taking a husband to the reunion.

    For the first time she took a long assessing look at Ryan MacNair. His dark hair, bearing a distinguishing widow’s peak, was neatly styled and brushed back from a square-jawed face. Dark brows were divided by a V of anxiety that didn’t diminish his well-bred features. The dude was impressively handsome.

    He had a nice straight nose and an interesting mouth that could probably slide into a knockout smile if he’d loosen that tie and give himself a little air. His navy suit and cranberry silk tie were of the best quality and taste, and he wore them with ease and panache. He was rich. Not her type—if she had a type—but wouldn’t he impress the Spanx right off her classmates back in Spencer? And YaYa wouldn’t be able to stop smiling. She imagined her grandmother looking him up and down with approval.


    "You planned to use the brooch in some photographs," he said. Have you done that?"

    “Are you married?”

    He blinked, his warm brown eyes showing confusion over the abrupt change of subject. “I’m divorced,” he said finally. “Is that relevant to the discussion?”

    Actually, a discussion took two people, but she spared him that reminder, and let the ever-turning gears in her mind whirl with possibilities. “I’m just beginning to sympathize with your situation, Mr...”

    “MacNair.”

    “Mr. MacNair. I’d certainly feel bad if something of my grandmother’s was sold off against my wishes.”

    He nodded, his brow still furrowed. “Then you’ll sell it to me?”

    “You really want this brooch, don’t you? It means a lot to you. And to your father.”

    Still his carefully guarded expression didn’t change. “Yes.”

    “So, I guess my decision carries a lot of weight.”

    “It does,” he admitted, though his aggravated expression showed his reluctance to do so.

    Francie smoothed the letter, refolded it and placed it inside the stained and warped envelope. “Perhaps we can negotiate after all.”

    He gave a shake of his head. “Money isn’t the issue here. The brooch has sentimental value. Ten thousand. Fifteen.”

    “No. Not more money,” she said with a flick of her hand. “In fact, if you agree to this idea, you can keep your money.”

    His frown deepened. “What idea?”

    “I’m in a predicament myself. I’m afraid I’ve done something—said something—impulsive, and now I don’t have any way out of it. Except maybe through you.”

    He raised one dark brow. “I don’t understand. What does your predicament have to do with me?”

    “I told my grandmother that I’d gotten married.”

    “And that’s a problem?”

    “Yes, it’s a problem. It wasn’t true. It isn’t true.”

    “You told her you were married?”

    She nodded.

    “But you’re not married. And you weren’t married.”

    “Right.”

    “Then why did you tell her that?”

    The question was so simple. The answer was so complicated. “Because I’m not.”

    He stared at her.

    “It’s a long, boring story,” she supplied. “Maybe sometime we’ll go over the details, but for now I’ll just say I had my reasons.”

    “So, you lied. And now this lie is causing you a problem.”

    “Oh, yeah. A super-sized problem.” She stood and walked restlessly to the row of tall windows and gazed, unseeing, down on the street

    “What does your lie have to do with me?”

    She turned back. “I’ve been cornered into participating in my class’s fifteen-year reunion in my hometown. YaYa is expecting me. And she’s expecting me to bring a husband.”

    With a wary expression, he waited for her to speak.

    “You can have the brooch...”

    He leaned forward in the chair like his Spidey-senses were on alert.

    “...if you come to Spencer, Colorado with me as my husband for a week.”



Thursday, June 15, 2023

Abby’s Second Chance by Lyn Cote

Abby’s Second Chance

Book 2 of “The Preacher’s Daughters” series by Lyn Cote

Contemporary Christian Romance


Their chance at first love slipped through their fingers—now a second chance, will they let their attraction grow to true love?

Abby Kirkland, a successful fundraiser for a big city botanical garden, faces a life-changing decision. In order to make the right choice, she visits her beloved great aunt in Florida. Will she have to upend her life? Then unexpectedly she crosses paths with Dr. Marco De Palma. She knew him at university in Florida, almost a decade ago.

Marco never thought to meet Abby again. Even though now he is a MD, the chances of a lady like her falling in love with the son of immigrants from Santa Domingo still looks impossible to him. And besides, he has a goal he must achieve for the good of many and that needs all his attention. No time for love.

Yet as they work together on a charity project, they can't deny the re-igniting of their connection. Will old insecurities and mistaken perceptions keep them apart again? Or will they finally believe that they too have a right to a second chance at love?

An emotional sweet romance with the promise of a happily ever after you’ll savor by USA Today Bestselling Author of over fifty romances. Available to read free on Kindle Unlimited.

GET YOUR COPY NOW!


USA Today best-selling author of over 40 books, Lyn Cote writes award-winning contemporary and historical romance. Her brand is "Strong Women, Brave Stories."

Visit her website/blog at http://www.LynCote.com and sign up for her newsletter. Also look for her on Facebook, Goodreads and Twitter.



Monday, May 29, 2023

Are We As Kind to Ourselves As We Are to Others?

DEFINITION: Nurture as a verb: care for and encourage the growth or development of. "Janet was nurtured by her parents in a close-knit family." (used with object), nurtured, nurturing, to feed and protect: to nurture one's offspring; to support and encourage, as during the period of training or development; foster: to nurture promising musicians. To bring up; train; educate. Nurture as a noun: the process of caring for and encouraging the growth or development of someone or something.

When we think of nurturing, we most often think of adults caring for offspring or a horticulturist looking after a new hybrid plant. It’s difficult for many adults, especially busy or career-minded ones, to consider how well they’re nurturing themselves. Most of us have become the nurturers. We’ve devoted ourselves to children, adult children, grandchildren and our aging parents. We take care of our homes, our lawns our pets. Sometimes nurturing ourselves only amounts to eating as healthy as possible considering our time and budget, or picking up the latest craft book and a new pen.


When we nurture others, we give the very best of ourselves. Our kids get thoughtful gifts, our time and energy, and we take our senior parents to visit the sites that bring them fond memories. But how are we nurturing ourselves with the very best support?


There are plenty of meaningful ways we can nurture ourselves, not only as artists, but as human beings. A well-rounded life is one in which you are as important as others. Buy yourself something impractical, simply because it brings you joy: A new purse, a pair of leather gloves, a teapot and a collection of teas. Splurge on new bedsheets and enjoy them every night. Order a music device and subscribe to music that makes you happy. Buy a sticker book and give yourself a fun sticker every time you take care of yourself. Buy something off your wish list simply because it’s fun or beautiful. Read a book you’ve been wanting to read  -- or read your favorite book again.


The older I get, the more I have learned to make use of the best things I own. Use the good towels. Wear the expensive perfume every day. Burn the pretty candles. Put out the good dishes. Buy the yummy coffee. Use the Colors of Kindness Crayons because they’re cool and you can.


Make a note in your planner to have lunch with a friend once a month. You’d be amazed how uplifting this is, and how you will come away refreshed. Call a parent, a cousin or an aunt or uncle every Sunday evening for a month.


And don’t forget this vital encouragement: Talk to yourself the way you’d speak to a loved one. “You missed the mark this time, but you can do it; Tomorrow is a new day; Sleep on it and start fresh; Forgive yourself; You’re doing the best you can; I love you and I care.”


If we don’t foster, encourage and support ourselves, how can we expect to flourish and grow? Each one of us deserves the very best self-care we can give ourselves.


~*~


In describing Cheryl’s stories of second chances and redemption, readers and reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters and real-life situations.” Amazon and Goodreads reviews show her popularity with readers. 


Sign up for her email news: https://tinyurl.com/CherylStJohn

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Blog: https://cherylstjohn.blogspot.com/




Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Stand in the Sun - Elle Stephens

Coming home was never the plan.

Lexy Cartwright has managed her social anxiety just fine since leaving her small hometown. But when she loses her job and moves back in with her mother, she finds it the same as the day she left: same places, same gossip, same panic-inducing people. Realizing it might be the only way to get her meddling mother off her case, she agrees to one tiny blind date. After all, how hard could an hour in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon be?

Smart, handsome, Simon Barnes, was the town’s most eligible bachelor, and Lexy’s high school crush. How was she to know he’d secretly had a crush on her too? Now, Lexy must choose between her secluded and safe lifestyle and navigating the relationship minefields to find the love, friendship, and family that she has locked out for so long.


"Emotional, smart, and at times laugh-out-loud funny"

"Elle Stephens takes troubled yet lovable characters through realistic issues with charm and wit. A thoroughly enjoyable read. Treat yourself to this story.             - Cheryl St.John


STAND IN THE SUN print is on sale for $5.69. 

That's a 53% savings.

GET YOUR COPY NOW - CLICK HERE

ebook also available

MARK IT "TO READ" ON GOODREADS

Elle Stephens resides on a farm by a small town in North Central Kansas with her family and a myriad of animals.

Reading has always been an essential part of her life. She loves to write poems and journals and short stories. Now, in between taxiing her children to their various activities, and managing the family businesses with her husband, she writes contemporary women's fiction, romance novels, and fantasy.

Besides reading and writing, she enjoys several creative hobbies, including nature photography, drawing and painting, baking, gardening, and soap-making. She loves giving gifts and believes the best ones come from the heart. Whether a picture or a pan of cinnamon rolls, gifts made with love touch people in ways greater than anything purchased in a store.

Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Chasing Dreams - Cheryl St.John

I planned this new release after Christmas while a lot of people are still home and enjoying their holiday and possibly their new eReaders. This is such a busy time of year, and in my family we have birthdays from November to January, multiplying the gift giving, the gatherings and the cakes.

 Working to be outside the norm, we celebrated my granddaughter's 13th birthday last evening with Buffalo Wild Wings and a cake created from donuts. (She's a Stranger Things fan, so that's why you might not recognize the decoration.) Tomorrow is my daughter's birthday, so I'll be whipping up her favorite angel food. We will do anything for family, won't we?

The same goes for my character, Shaine, who has lost her sister, but now believes her nephew is still alive. The things Shaine dreams come true--and she has been dreaming that little Jack is still alive. She searches out the only person who can help her--but he has made a life for himself that doesn't involve searching for missing people. She is determined to find her nephew, so what's a girl to do?


A tormented man driven to seclusion…

A relentless beauty who won’t take no for an answer…

Shaine Richards’ sister and nephew were in a car that went off a bridge into the river. Maggie’s body was the only one recovered. Searchers said Jack could have been snagged below or washed up anywhere. But when Shaine dreams of the toddler, he’s alive.

Therapists advise her to let go.

She’s tried to let go. But the dreams won’t let her.

Shaine knows Jack is alive and something terrible is about to happen to him.

The only man who can help her doesn’t want to be found—or involved. Austin Allen is a man who knows and sees more than most people will in their entire lifetimes. His mountain sanctuary is key to self-preservation. His gift holds the answers she needs. She must convince the enigmatic man to help before it’s too late.

But there’s another dark and mystifying complication...

Shaine has dreamed of Austin as well.


Two more birthdays next week, and on to New Years. Hubby and I plan to stay home and chill. I'll read a book! How about you?


You can get a copy of Chasing Dreams at your favorite retailer.

CLICK HERE