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~ Romance for the Ages

Catherine Castle

Tag Archives: Ryan Jo Summers

Wednesday Writers–September’s Song by Ryan Jo Summers

12 Wednesday Feb 2020

Posted by Catherine Castle in Book excerpts, Romance, Wednesday Writers

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

contemporary romance, excerpt from September's Song, Ryan Jo Summers, September's song, Wednesday Writers

 

Today’s Wednesday Writers’ guest is Ryan Jo Summers. Ryan will be talking about the book that wouldn’t let go of her–September’s Song.  Welcome, Ryan Jo!

Years ago a friend emailed me a bunch of randomly connected photographs. One hit a chord with me, and I cannot explain why. It featured a young boy, dressed in winter clothing, handing a Styrofoam container out to a man huddled under a blanket. The photo gave the impression he was a homeless man, probably a veteran, and seemed apprehensive to take the boys offering. It was truly a case of that one photo being worth thousands of words. Who was the boy? Why was he offering food to a homeless man? Who was the man? Why was he uncertain about taking the gift? We will never know but it is great food for fodder.

I also love to do word find puzzles and had one themed all things Frank Sinatra. There was a song called “September Song” and I liked that title. It wasn’t long before I married a modified title to the photo of man and child and the offspring became “September’s Song”, and a problem child of mine for over three years.

I researched so many ways to write that book! So much was never used. I was well into writing it before I even knew what genre to call it. And I certainly never knew where it was going until I arrived there. I had the initial three characters when I began: the boy, his mom, and the homeless man. All the other important characters just came along when I needed them. This includes the very important Father Patrick, Doctor Greg, and Ivey’s Alzheimer’s-stricken mother and her terrible brother.

“September’s Song” was one of those stories that really wrote itself, over three years. The more I fought it trying it make it what I wanted it to be or tried to make it fit within what I thought were safe parameters, the more it fought me. The characters were insistent of who they wanted to be and do. They say writers have all the control.  In most cases, we do, but in the case of “September’s Song”.

 

September’s Song

by Ryan Jo Summers

 

Ivey London was told her military husband died on a mission overseas. She buried him as a war hero and tried to move on with her life by raising their young son, dealing with her vengeful brother, and coping with her mother’s Alzheimer’s. Five years go by and one day she learns of a secret underground chamber were special soldiers are imprisoned to recover. Further, one amnesiac soldier managed to escape. When her son begins to display unusual behaviors, she goes to investigate. All evidence points to finding her late husband. If it is him, back from the dead, Ivey refuses to give him up again.

Keegan London awoke in a hospital cell with no memories. Fleeing, he finds himself in a strange, unknown world, with no one to turn to. Until he finds a friendly Priest who runs a homeless shelter and he stumbles across the woman who claims to be his wife. While she can fill some gaps in his lost memories, she cannot explain his curious abilities. Pursued by someone determined to get him back, Keegan has few options but to trust the woman who makes his heart fire like a cannon. Ivey has dibs on him, but first they have to uncover who—and what–Keegan really is before they can recover what they had.

 

 

Excerpt:

 

“No, that’s okay. I can do this by myself.” She spun around, blinking. Picking up the paring knife again, she began peeling. She gasped as his arms gently encircled her waist and his breath fanned her bare neck. His lips nuzzled her ear and she closed her eyes. His hand took the knife from her fingers and she leaned into his touch.

“Keegan,” his name came out in a throaty rumble as her eyes slid closed.

“I don’t know what we used to do, Ivey, but I can tell you miss it bad. I’m willing to try and be your husband again, if you’ll help me.”

Hot tears stung her eyes. She swallowed hard. “So many times you said I was unforgettable. I…I guess–.”

The comment died unfinished, and his fingers reached down and caressed her back. Electric jolts shivered along her spine.

“Don’t push me away, Ivey. Let me be in each part of your life.”

Her breath hitched. This should be easy. Just tell him how they used to cook, what his favorite foods were, what they shared, how they made wonderful love. And miraculously all his memories will reappear. Except it hadn’t worked yet.

From the distant reaches of her mind, Ivey heard the phone ringing. Before she could pull herself away from the counter, it stopped. Assuming Jory answered it, the whole episode passed from her mind. Right now, Keegan took all her focus.

His fingertips trailed lazily up and down her back, igniting tiny fires in their wake.

“Keegan….I….” Words failed her. Heart beating frantically like a wild bird locked in a cage, her mind surrendered.

He gently turned her around, cupping her chin and tilting her up. Drawing a husky breath, he lowered his lips to hers, winding his fingers in the tangle of her hair. Her arms moved to encircle his waist, slipping under his shirt to feel the raised scars and corded muscles. A guttural moan escaped her.

Finally, having lost all concept of time, she pulled apart. Noble, he would not go further with a woman he did not remember making love to. She might respect his intention and restraint, but the unmet need was also killing her. Pulling in a shaky breath, she ended the kiss, stepping away and picking up the paring knife again.

She ran her tongue over her lips, more to steady herself, and rested one hand on the counter for balance. “I can work on this if you want to go see what Jory and Mom are doing.”

Keegan stiffened, hesitated and studied her. For a chilling moment, she hoped he ignored her request and lifted her bodily to carry her away to the bedroom. Then a darkness entered his eyes, a sadness that cut into her chest.

“Yes. Of course.” Spinning, he exited, leaving her alone with the ghosts of what had been.

Damn, damn, damn.

 

About the Author:

Ryan Jo Summers writes romances that blur the lines of subgenres. She mixes contemporary with time travel, Christian, suspense, sweet, and paranormal like blending a fruit and yogurt smoothie. Her non-fiction works have appeared in numerous trade journals and magazines including ‘WNC Woman Magazine’, ‘Critter Magazine’, ‘Journey Devotions’, and ‘Vet Tech Journal’. She is a regular contributing author for the ‘Asheville Pet Gazette’.

Her hobbies include baking, crafts, gardening, enjoying nature, and chess/mah-jongg/word-find puzzles. She pet sits/dog walks when she’s not busy writing and she fosters homeless pets for area animal rescues.

She lives in a century-old cottage in North Carolina with her own menagerie of rescued pets and way too many houseplants. “September’s Song” is her second self-published work, the first one being the chronicles of the first two years with her adopted PTSD rescue collie.

 

Buy Links for “September’s Song”:  (paperback and ebook)

 

Lulu:      http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/RyanJoSummers

ITunes:  http://www.lulu.com/shop/ryan-jo-summers/septembers-song/ebook

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J1YCZYT   or  https://amzn.to/2O8sCJi

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/septembers-song-ryan-jo-summers

Kobo:  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=September%27s+Song

 

Media Links:   

Website: http://www.ryanjosummers.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RyanJoSummersAuthor

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ryan-Jo-Summers

 

 

Wednesday Writers–Ty’s Journey by Ryan Jo Summers

25 Wednesday Jul 2018

Posted by Catherine Castle in books, Wednesday Writers

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Catherine Castle Wednesday Writers series, Coliie Rescue of the Carolinas, dogs, nonfiction, rescue collie, Ryan Jo Summers, Ty's Journey

 

Welcome to Wednesday Writers. Today I’m taking a departure from romance to feature a non-fiction book about the journey of fellow writer Ryan Jo Summers and her rescued collie, Ty. Ryan Jo has been a frequent guest on Wednesday Writers, and I’m happy to showcase her non-fiction book Ty’s Journey. A portion of each sale of Ty’s Journey will go to the benefit of the Collie Rescue of the Carolinas. Welcome, Ryan Jo.

Thanks, Catherine.

Blame it on the Albert Payson Terhune books I read as a child, or Knight’s “Lassie”, or the tri-color farm collie called Champ I had as a childhood chum. Whatever the original source, while I liked all dogs, collies held a special place in my heart. When I married, I briefly exhibited them professionally and tinkered with some handling to pay my entry fees and even did some 4-H judging. Soon, I preferred rescuing the collies in need over trying to create the perfect one and became director of a collie rescue group for many years. After relocating in 2004 and having my last “old pups” slowly die off, I resolved to once more have a collie.

In 2015, I applied to the Collie Rescue of the Carolinas and was approved to adopt. It took time to find the right dog for me. In March, 2015, the rescue received nine feral collies from a hoarding situation in Tennessee. I made the three-hour drive to meet them. There was one blue merle in the group (one of four normal colors of collie) and I was drawn to him. Since it was unknown if the dogs even had names, they were all given baseball-themed names and his was ‘Ty Cobb’, and he was an emotional mess!

He sat in the corner of the enclosure, with a distant look in his dull eyes. He ignored every attempt I made to be friends, which is such a un-collie behavior. Like most members of his group, he was emotionally shut down. What trauma had these sensitive creatures been put through? We could only speculate.

Being at the rescue center reminded me of all the things I’d lost in my divorce years prior. It stung like a slap to the face. I knew I’d once been able to help dogs like Ty, but now I doubted whether I could. I wasn’t the same person I was before. I almost left in tears a number of times. Finally, hours later, I still wasn’t able to leash or touch him, but I agreed to adopt him. I recognized a survivor in his detached demeanor and so was I. It was the beginning of our common ground.

TY

It was also the start of a long journey. He knew nothing about being a normal dog. I frequently lamented about our one-step-forward-and-two-steps-back progress or celebrated our huge milestones on the rescue group’s Facebook page. Readers quickly followed our saga and suggested I write it all down. Thus the journal of Ty’s Journey began, shared on his own blog. Two years later I took the bones of the blog and the dozens of photographs and compiled them all into a full length book and published it on Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing. It has been a challenging ride with Ty, with high peaks and low valleys, but I would not have changed my choice in adopting him. None of the Baseball team is what would be called ‘normal collies’ but they are loved. And they are learning. And teaching their families.

Ty and Collin the cat

 

Ty’s Journey

by Ryan Jo Summers

March, 2015, nine collies were removed from a neglectful hoarding situation in Tennessee and transported to a North Carolina breed-specific collie rescue. Collectively, they were referred to as “The Baseball Team”, and individually they were given baseball-themed names. They were untrained and many had reverted to near-feral behaviors. A blue merle male called Ty Cobb was the first one of the Baseball Team to be adopted.

His new owner recorded the first two years of their journey, chronicling the challenges, doubts, setbacks, successes, surprises, and triumphs.

Written in diary style, this is the story of one collie who went from being a hoarding victim to belonging to a family who treasured him. Along the way, as he slowly healed, he brought healing to others as well.

*A portion of each sale of this book will go to the benefit of the Collie Rescue of the Carolinas.

 

EXCERPT

March 31st started like any day. And it ended with a huge step backward for poor Ty, erasing all the forward progress we’d laid in the last week. It was suddenly gone up in smoke in just a matter of moments. We headed out for our morning walk. We entered the courtyard and he froze.

There were men working on the roof of the house next door. There were trucks parked across the lawn, men shouting and shovels scraping old shingles down the roof to drop into truck beds. It was loud, scary and stimulation overload on a mammoth scale.

Ty. Freaked. Out. Oh my word, did he freak out. He could not pile himself into a small enough huddle fast enough. It was as if a thousand bombs were going off around him. If he could have dug a hole in the stone patio, he would have. Standing in stunned silence, I could see his heart beating like a runaway horse. And my heart just crumbled.

It took loads of patience and coaxing and a strong hand on his collar to lure him inside where he scrambled madly for his ‘cave of comfort’ and quivered in absolute terror. He refused all treats and even a lunchtime snack.

Heartsick at his pain and fright, I was at a total loss on how to deal with him, how to help him. His fear was palatable. What do you do when you’d rather die than face that again? Because I was sure he would have preferred death or anything over having to go back outside.

How long would it take for the roofers to complete their job and how much worse would it get for Ty before then?

Would you like to read more about Ty’s journey? You can find Ryan Jo’s book at Amazon

About the Author

 

Ryan Jo Summers writes romance stories, blending sub-genre elements of sweet, Christian, contemporary, fantasy, mystery, paranormal, shifters or suspense. She is a regular contributing writer for “The Asheville Pet Gazette” and her work has appeared in “WNC Woman Magazine”, “Critter”, “Vet Tech Journal”, “Journey Devotional”, and others.

She lives in a hundred-year-old mountain cottage with a menagerie of adopted animals. A lifelong animal admirer, she is passionate about animal welfare, care, education, and reform. She has worked in the field of animal care and advocacy since the late 1980’s in such capacities as veterinary technician and director of breed-specific rescue. She has served as board officer, foster home, and volunteer for many non-profit groups. She also operated a professional boarding kennel and worked in a horse stable. More recently, she pet sits and dog walks.

You can connect with Ryan Jo at her Website: http://www.ryanjosummers.com/

Blog: http://www.summersrye.wordpress.com/ and http://www.adogcalledty.wordpress.com/

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2tILSkf

Wednesday Writer Welcomes Ryan Jo Summer and Rainbows in the Moonlight

06 Wednesday Dec 2017

Posted by Catherine Castle in books, Guest Authors, Romance, romance author, Wednesday Writers

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Christian romance, contemporary romance, Rainbows in the Moonlight, Ryan Jo Summers, Sweet romance

 

Rainbows in the Moonlight by [Summers, Ryan Jo]Today, Ryan Jo Summers is back on Wednesday Writers. This animal lover has an interesting tidbit to share about her book, Rainbows in the Moonlight, that had me smiling. I have to tell you, Ryan Jo, I love this title! Welcome to the blog!

Thanks, Catherine.

Unlike most of my books, “Rainbows in the Moonlight” did not start as inspiration from a photo or from a chance observation or conversation. In fact, I really don’t recall how the story line came to me. It just happened of its own accord. Almost immediately I felt a connection to Koda and Dalton.

 

Another unusual fact about this story is I seldom write stories involving children. Just a personal comfort level of mine, I suppose. It’s easier to focus on the relationship developing between the hero & heroine without kids needing their page-time too. However, Koda’s young children, Ruthie and Terry, quickly became an integral part of the story. In fact, the charm of the story could not have happened without Ruthie and Terry.

What did surprise me was how instantly four-year-old Ruthie took over the pages. She was not supposed to be so gregarious and outgoing, but she most certainly is! There was no stopping Ruthie once she got going across the keyboard. Older brother Terry had no choice but to accept a quieter role in his baby sister’s shadow.

One more thing about “Rainbows in the Moonlight”: every single character is named for a dog I used to know. Many years ago I was active in the doggie world and was fortunate enough to know many wonderful pooches. Some of them are now have their name immortalized in the pages of this book.

The original Koda was an English Setter hunting dog. Dalton was a collie mix. Ruthie was a sheltie mix and Terry was an Australian Shepherd puppy. Dalton’s parents in the story; Cal and Judy, were really older tri-color collies. The only three characters not named for dogs are Candi (the bad girl of the story) and Koda’s co-workers Amy and Norm.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

 

Rainbows in the Moonlight

By Ryan Jo Summers

Blurb

Koda Jacobs urgently needs a nanny. Right now.

Fresh from prison, Dalton Clayton needs a job—and just about anything will do.

Divine Intervention steps in and tosses Koda and Dalton together. Koda struggles with the conflicts of her impulsive decision to leave her babies with an unknown, convicted felon. That just can’t be wise, can it? But she can’t help but see how quickly the children bonded to him and trust him. Or the reassuring sense that this is just right.

Meanwhile, Dalton stumbles through the spills and thrills of two young children, and his growing interest in their mother. A chance meeting brings him back to his estranged family as well.

Over time mutual attraction forms between Koda and Dalton as the bond between Dalton and the children deepens. A sweet, southern romance full of forgiveness, second chances, and fun kids.

 

About the Author

Ryan Jo Summers is a North Carolina writer who likes to pen romances with a twist. Love stories blended as inspirational, with paranormal, suspense or time travel–or several at once. She also writes non-fiction for regional periodicals. Her dad is a songwriter and his aunt wrote poetry, so Ryan came by the writing gene honestly.

Her hobbies include poetry, bird watching, houseplants and gardening, gathering with friends, hiking in the forest, painting canvas and ceramics, and working wiggly word find puzzles, mah johngg or chess.  She lives in a 1920 cottage with a menagerie of pets. She often daydreams of the shore and frequently uses water as settings in her stories.

Contact Ryan and learn more about her other books at:
WEBSITE: www.ryanjosummers.com
BLOG: http://summersrye.wordpress.com

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/RyanJoSummers

FB:  www.facebook.com/pages/Ryan-Jo-Summers-author-page/312875648810797

 

Coffeecake Chaos and Ryan Jo Summers on Wednesday Writers

22 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by Catherine Castle in books, Recipes, Wednesday Writers

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Catherine Castle's Wednesday Writers blog series, Coffecake Chaos, coffeecake recipe, Food and Romance Go Together Anthology Vol. 1, Ryan Jo Summers, strreusel coffeecake recipe, Sweet romance

Today Ryan Jo Summers is back on Wednesday Writers. Today she’s giving us the background behind her latest novella Coffeecake Chaos. The novella is part of the Food and Romance Go Together Anthology Vol 1, which comes out mid to late May, 2017 from Melange Books. Ryan’s story is sweet romance, but she doesn’t know the heat level of the other stories in the anthology. In addition to today’s Story Behind the Story post, Ryan Jo is sharing a yummy recipe that goes along with her book title—Coffeecake Chaos.  I can’t wait to make this delicious treat! Welcome, Ryan Jo.

 

Coffeecake Chaos

By Ryan Jo Summers

(Food and Romance Go Together Anthology Vol. 1)

 

Avianna Goodman and Sawyer Steele had been young lovers. Now she is a caterer, building her own business. Right now she needs cash to help her family. He’s being ordered to stop his wild ways and settle down to take over the family empire. His controlling mother has picked out the perfect heiress for him. Now they need the right caterer to launch the perfect engagement celebration.

 

 

Coffeecake Chaos – the story behind the story

 

A publishing house had two calls for submissions going at the same time. They wanted short stories for anthologies. The first one was To Love a Scotsman and the other was simply food related somehow. I was more interested in the love a Scotsman idea, but dually noted the information for both calls.

Then I left them to simmer, like a pot on the stove, to see which one would eventually surface as a good storyline.

Unfortunately, I really could not come up with anything solid for the Scotsman story, hard as I tried. I had a hero’s name and that was about it. Eventually, I had to admit I just didn’t have a story there. Bummer.

However, I was building my pet sitting business, and one of my new clients was a team of caterers. There was a clear food connection! I started thinking that would be a fun career—at least in a literary world. I started paying close attention to little things they said, just bits of conversation. And the wheels started turning.

Going back further, years ago (90’s), when I was newly married, I would make a streusel coffeecake while cooking breakfast—it was that crazy easy to whip up—and give it to hubby to share at his work. It earned me brownie points with his co-workers and made him seem like “the man”.

Over a period of a few weeks, the plot grew, centered on a caterer and her coffeecake. The characters fleshed out like plump browned fowl, the plot thickened like gravy, and a story was created like a menu paired with good wine.

I submitted “Coffeecake Chaos” and soon the good news came that it had been accepted.

 

Streusel Coffeecake

Ingredients:

Filling: Mix below items together with fork in small bowl before mixing cake batter: ½ C brown sugar, 2 Tbls. flour, 2 tsp. cinnamon, 2 Tbls. melted butter  and ½ C nuts (optional) Batter:  1 ½ C sifted flour, 1 ½ tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt and ¾ C sugar. ¼ C shortening,   ½ C milk and one egg (Well beaten)

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Sift dry ingredients. Cut in shortening with pastry knife or fork. Blend in egg and milk.
  3. Spread half of batter in greased, flat 8 X 8 or 6 X 10 inch pan. Sprinkle with half of filling. Add rest of batter and sprinkle remaining filling on top.
  4. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.  Good served warm or room temp.

Optional topping: warm maple syrup and mix with brown sugar and drizzle over top. Or blend a few teaspoons milk with powdered sugar until runny and drizzle over top. Crumbled, cooked bacon or chopped nuts are good sprinkled over this too.

** I really don’t recall where this recipe originated from to give proper credit to. I inherited it from my mother and tweaked it some over the years.

Coffecake Chaos is available for presale May 4 for $2.99 special presale price until May 16 when it goes to $4.99. To get your copy of the anthology with Ryan Jo’s story check out Amazon, Smashwords , or lulu.com for the print version.

 

About the Author:

Ryan Jo Summers is a North Carolina author who specializes in writing romances with a twist. Love stories blended with inspirational, paranormal, suspense or time travel–or several at once. She also writes non-fiction for regional periodicals. Ryan’s dad is a songwriter and his aunt wrote poetry so she claims she came by her writing skill honestly. Apparently it’s in the genes.

Her hobbies include bird-watching, houseplants (50ish and growing), poetry and yard work. She loves to gather with friends, hike in the forest with her dog, paint ceramics and canvas and work on wiggly word find puzzles. She lives in a 1920 cottage with a menagerie of pets. Living in the mountains, she dreams of the shore and frequently uses the water as scenes for her stories.

Ryan Jo Summers—Proud author with Soul Mate Publishing & Melange Books

WEBSITE: www.ryanjosummers.com

BLOG: http://www.summersrye.wordpress.com

FB:  www.facebook.com/pages/Ryan- Jo-Summers-author-page/ 312875648810797

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/ RyanJoSummers

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday Writers features Beside Still Waters by Ryan Jo Summers

09 Wednesday Nov 2016

Posted by Catherine Castle in books, Christian fiction, Romance, Wednesday Writers

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Beside Still Waters, book excerpt from Beside Still Waters, Catherine Castle's Wednesday Writers blog series, Christian Romance fiction, inspiration behind the story of Beside Still Waters, Ryan Jo Summers

besidestillwaters850

 

Hello, everyone! Today I’m welcoming back Ryan Jo Summers to Wednesday Writers. Today, Ryan Jo will be sharing about her Christian Romance Fiction book entitled Beside Still Waters.

 To whet your appetite, here’s the blurb.

 Beside Still Waters

Top Journalist and corporate climber, McKayla Buchanan, is sent to a remote California mountain camp for inner-city, at-risk teens. Accustomed to political corruption and high-society drama assignments, she is suddenly a fish out of water. At Camp In As Much, she meets eight hostile and distrustful teens, assorted volunteers and rescued horses—and Clay.

 Clay Michaels is the man who founded Camp In As Much and made it the success it is now. His hope for the highly recommended journalist is to come and write a feature to send seeds out to form other camps like his nationwide. He never considered the reporter would turn out to be a lovely woman, or for him to have such an attraction to her.

Between McKayla’s worldly experience and Clay’s strong faith, they form a partnership to help with the endless challenges of the kids. While McKayla’s assignment is supposed to be temporary, it isn’t long before she and Clay are each wishing it could last longer. A serious situation will force McKayla to decide if she can give up her worldly ways and place her faith in the same higher source that earthy and godly Clay does.

Ryan Jo, tell us about the inspiration behind this story.

I’d love to, Catherine,

The inspiration for this novel is rooted in a single catalogue photo. I work for a high fashion clothing retailer. A few years ago I was browsing through the latest style guide and one image caught my attention—and imagination. A handsome guy reclined comfortably in a high-back chair, modeling corduroy pants. He was holding a tome of literature, pretending to be reading, while soft light spilled out over him from the vintage lamp on the table. Literary classics are piled around him. The scene was peaceful and provocative, stirring something within me.

And the scene is replicated in “Beside Still Waters”. The hero, Clay Michaels, retreats to his den after a precarious situation with the kids at the camp. The heroine, McKayla Buchanan, finds him, and the camp dog, there. Clay is reading  a copy of “Pilgrim’s Progress”, looking for insight to the circumstances. Her heart melts at the tenderness of the picture he makes. They chat a bit and then they go out to the labyrinth. With the full moon watching, they begin a walk that will bring them closer together.

Ooh, he sounds interesting. And now for a sneak peek at an excerpt from

Beside Still Waters

By Ryan Jo Summers

      “I’d say you’re there now. At least Heather and Amanda and Herb think so.”

He smiled, a warm, real smile that touched her heart. “Thank you. But I also want to be remembered as a man who gave love and forgiveness to everyone I met. That is what I am trying to show these kids, by being a good example. And suggesting they forgive their transgressors.”

She looked out the window for a moment. “Would you like to take a walk with me? To the labyrinth?”

“I’d love to.” Climbing out of the chair, he brought her up with him.

“All right,” she laughed, “Let’s go then, Captain Ahab.”

“Bligh,” he corrected, keeping her hand in his. “Bligh was commander on The Bounty. Ahab chased the whale in Moby Dick.

“Oh.” That sounded right. She needed to brush up on her literature.

Walking hand in hand through the darkness, following the path illuminated by the moon overheard, McKayla was keenly aware of so many things she never used to notice. The dewy grass beneath her feet, the scent of wildflowers and horses on the air, distant lapping of the lake, crickets chirping, and horses snorting. As they moved away from the house, the grass turned to thick moss. The cool, pine-scented wind whispered softly through the treetops, and night birds called. Overhead countless stars twinkled and sparkled, and the moon glow filtered through the tree branches.

In a word: Idyllic. In a feeling: Perfect. In a heartbeat: She was in love with the man beside her.

Standing on the mossy ground, hands still linked, bathed in moonlight, they stared at each other, hearts in their throats and on their sleeves.

Want to read more? Check out the book on the Amazon buy link

 

 

About the Author:

photo1Ryan Jo Summers writes romance across the genres. Her books contain love stories blended with any combination of mystery, paranormal, time travel, shape shifting, Christian and humor elements. She comes from a family of wordsmiths. Her dad is a songwriter and his aunt wrote poetry. Ryan Jo dabbles in poetry, short stories and non-fiction articles.

In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and baking, reading, spending time with friends, growing plants, playing chess, mah jongg, and wiggly word find puzzles and exploring the great outdoors. She lives in the heart of Appalachia in Western North Carolina in a charming old cottage with a menagerie of rescue pets

Connect with Ryan Jo on her social media at: Website: Blog: FB:  Twitter:

To learn more about Ryan Jo and her book featured on this blog, go to the search box and type in Ryan Jo Summers to find all the other posts by her.

Catherine’s Comments — Glimpse Eternity Book Review

19 Friday Feb 2016

Posted by Catherine Castle in Book Reviews, books, Catherine's Comments

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Catherine's Comments book review of Glimpse Eternity, contemporary novella, fiction about MS, Ryan Jo Summers, Sweet romance

GlimpseEternityFINAL(1)

Glimpse Eternity

by Ryan Jo Summers

 

Kasey Griffin is determined to prove a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis isn’t going to ruin her life or define her expectations. She is dedicated to her pregnant sister, her pets and operating her bookstore, ‘The Next Chapter’. She has everything she needs to have a full and satisfying life–the daily challenges of her condition notwithstanding. 

         Then hunky musician Ben Salem rolls into town. Ben’s subtle charm quickly reminds Kasey she is more than a woman with a disease, she is also a woman with a heart. And Ben wants it.

         Will Ben still desire her once he learns the terrible details of her condition?

 

Music and books! Two of my favorite things embodied in the careers of the hero and heroine Of Glimpse Eternity. Author Ryan Jo Summers started off on the right foot for a music-bibliophile like me. You can’t go wrong with that combination.

Glimpse Eternity is a sweet, well-written, and well-edited novella/novelette that tackles the subject of MS. I have to admit I don’t know much about MS, but I came away from this story appreciating how difficult this disease must be. In spite of her physical shortcomings, the heroine is plucky, determined and yet loveable. The hero the kind of man who stands by his woman side, even if she doesn’t want him to.  The story-behind-the-story that Ryan Jo tells on Wednesday Writers made this story come even more alive to me.

I loved this novella/novelette and devoured it in one sitting. I think you will too.

Four Stars for Ryan Jo Summer’s Glimpse Eternity

Want to read the rest of the story? Glimpse Eternity is now available for pre-order on Amazon  for only $.99.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

 

Catherine’s Comments–When Clouds Gather Book Review

27 Friday Mar 2015

Posted by Catherine Castle in Book Reviews, books, Catherine's Comments

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Catherine Castle's book reviews, Catherine's Comments Book Reviews, romantic suspense and mystery, Ryan Jo Summers, When Clouds Gather

 

WCG Large (1)When Clouds Gather by Ryan Jo Summers

 

When a man is murdered in her B&B, Darby Adams loses her clientele, is ostracized by the community, and becomes the subject of a private investigation begun by the family of the murdered man who believe she is the murderer. When PI Sam Golden starts investigating Darby, and declares her innocent, he puts both Darby and her son and himself and his daughter in danger.

Having loved Ryan’s Christian time travel romance Shimmers of Stardust I was hoping for another hero that gave me goosebumps. She didn’t quite deliver with Sam Golden, for me, but he was definitely a strong hero who could take care of his woman. He chased quite a few bad guys in some tricky places to prove his prowess.

Chock full of suspense and danger, When Clouds Gather is a solid, exciting read. With the empty B&B and the stormy weather swirling around the inn, this book had a hint of Gothic to it. A great story that combines action, mystery and a love story.

A warning to readers to readers of sweet romance, this book did have a short, open door, non-graphic love scene.

Four stars for When Clouds Gather

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

To read more on this blog about Ryan Jo’s book When Clouds Gather, click here. To read her interview, click here.

Ryan Jo Summers back on Wednesday Writers

25 Wednesday Feb 2015

Posted by Catherine Castle in Author Catherine Castle's blog, books, Romance, Wednesday Writers

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Author Catherine Castle blog, Book exerpt from When Clouds Gather, mystery suspense romance, Ryan Jo Summers, setting in books, When Clouds Gather

WCG Large (1)Ryan Jo Summers is back on Wednesday Writers again with a new book. I’ve asked Ryan to talk about a particular piece of the setting of her newest mystery/suspense romance release When Clouds Gather and tell us how it evolved in her story. She’s chosen to write about Bed and Breakfast that her heroine runs When Clouds Gather.

Welcome back to Wednesday Writers, Ryan Jo.

I had already completed most of the first draft to When Clouds Gather when I took some time off to meet and have lunch with a friend. She had recently returned from a trip to see the kids and grandkids and attend her high school reunion and I was eager to hear the latest and see the photos.

She had a montage of photos in a frame of various shots taken around the town of Grafton–I’m pretty sure that’s in MA. Just places that meant something to her. I was immediately struck with a picture of a tall building, in a Colonial or Greek style, with a white cupola on top. It was awesome! It screamed to be in Clouds.

I already had a clear picture in my head how Darby’s Bed & Breakfast Inn, The Brass Lamplighter, looked. I already had a huge Victorian with a widow’s walk, black chimneys and wisteria vines growing up the sides. This photo added the crowning grace.

P1160889

How could I incorporate a cupola onto it? As I stared at the photo, of what my friend explained was the Grafton Inn, with a much storied and long past, I had to use that cupola.

My friend by now was sure I was insane but she was accustomed to me finding story bits in odd, random and obscure places. One Valentine’s evening while driving  home late , I discovered a bouquet of roses and baby’s breath still wrapped in cellophane lying in the middle of a two lane residential road. The possibilities intrigued me and that simple scene later became the driving force behind a short story I wrote, entitled Glimpse Eternity, that would also have some autobiographical pieces interwoven through it. It was almost therapeutic for me to write, all because of an abandoned bouquet of Valentine’s roses.

Now, back to Clouds and the cupola that captured my imagination. I went home, pondering the Grafton Inn. I rewrote part of my introduction to the Brass Lamplighter to include the crowning cupola. Then I wrote an entirely new scene in which the hero, Sam, has a fight up on the rooftop and around the cupola. It is a nice scene, of which I am proud of, and one that would not have happened had my friend not taken the photo, framed it and I chanced to see it.

In part of the book’s dedication, I dedicated that scene, now known as ‘ the widow’s walk scene’ to my friend.

Thanks for this interesting insight into an important part of your book’s setting, Ryan Jo. Here’s a peek at the scene Ryan’s talking about.

 

When Clouds Gather

 

Sucking in a breath, Sam expected the mutts to whirl about and mount an attack on either him or Darby. He watched as they tore past, moving straight for the storage shed. Instinct had him reaching for his weapon with one hand and pushing Darby behind him with the other as a dark shadow burst from the corner of the shed. Racing for cover, the dogs hot on his heels, the figure was little more than a dark-clad blur. A full-sized adult human blur.

Streaking away, trying to outrun the dogs, the dark figure fired a shot at them, the bullet sailing way off course.

“Oh my! Sam!” Darby threw her arm around his waist.

He’d already drawn a bead on the target and squeezed off two shots, feeling Darby shudder with each report. “I think I winged him. Stay here.”

The clouds and enveloping darkness were not his friends as he tried to find the target. The dogs raced to the house, barking and clawing near the north side, trying to climb up. A figure on the second floor balcony yanked at the French doors to one of the bedrooms. Finding them locked, he grabbed the trellis and started for the third level balcony.

Of course. What a great way to gain access to the house. If anyone knew of Darby’s habit of leaving doors and windows unlocked, it was an easy in.

Hoping and praying each door and window was still locked, Sam stalked across the lawn, aware that Darby was still pressed to his side. “Go inside and lock every door and window you can. Don’t open them for anyone. Call the police. Then stay near the kids.”

Reaching the ground floor wisteria vine, he grabbed hold of the trellis with one hand, giving it a sturdy shake, still holding his weapon in the other hand. That guy could shoot down easier than he could shoot up. Expecting that Darby was following his orders, he started up, aware the dogs were still barking, whining and clawing at the side of the house.

Reaching the second story, he swung onto the balcony, leaning out for a good look up. The guy was on the widow’s walk. Rats! Grimly, he grabbed the next trellis and headed for the third level.

Now that his opponent was on more solid ground, he turned and fired. Sam climbed, bullets raining down around him. Luckily, this character, whoever he was, had a lousy aim. Except he wasn’t really in any position to return fire and there was Darby and the kids inside to consider too.

Reaching the third level, he wondered where the perp was now. Leaning out, he saw him still on the widow’s walk, moving toward the white shuttered cupola that crowned the rooftop. Grimly, he grabbed another handful of wisteria vine and headed up again. It was like trying to scale the face of Mount Rushmore, he thought with disgust.

And what was waiting for him once he reached the top of it?

Grabbing the railing of the widow’s walk, he hauled himself over the edge, landing on the mist-slick shingles. At the cupola, the perp crouched, his gun held out. Swinging his weapon up, Sam fired blindly, ducking the shots coming at him. The walkway was narrow and slippery. Gripping the railing, he squeezed off another shot then dropped to his belly. With nowhere to roll, no place for cover, he was back up again, charging forward to the nearest chimney.

It wasn’t much, but it was all the cover he would get.

Cursing the poor location for a shoot-out, he fired again, then cursed when he missed. The moon sailed out from behind the clouds, casting alabaster light on the rooftop.

Buy Link:

 

bio pic burgendy - CopyAbout the Author:

 

Ryan Jo Summers has always been a reader, having a great interest in books. She wanted to be an author since age ten when she wrote her first story complete with illustrations. It has taken a long time to find and perfect her niche- contemporary romance with a twist. She still likes to write short stories, novellas and poems when inspired for the challenge and therapy they offer.

 

When not busy writing, Ryan Jo likes to spend time with her menagerie of pets, hang out with friends or lounge in nature’s majesty. She also likes to cook and bake, travel, tinker around with houseplants and yard plants. Her favorite hobby is another creative outlet; painting. She creates full sized carousel horses from children’s spring rockers, paints ceramics and canvas and dabbles in cartoons.

 

Ryan Jo lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina where the scenic vistas provide constant inspiration and tranquility, keeping her creative batteries charged. Her biggest problem is finding enough time to give life to all the creative endeavors she wants to pursue.

 

Where to connect with Ryan Jo:

Social Media Links:

Website:   www.ryanjosummers.com

www.facebook.com/pages/Ryan-Jo-Summers-author-page/312875648810797

WHISPERS IN HER HEART–November 2012 Black Lyon Publishing SHIMMERS OF STARDUST–September 2014 Soul Mate Publishing WHEN CLOUDS GATHER–November 2014 Soul Mate Publishing

 

Catherine’s Comments–Shimmers of Stardust book review

26 Friday Sep 2014

Posted by Catherine Castle in Book Reviews, Catherine's Comments, Romance

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

book review, Catherine's Comments Book Reviews, Christian romance, Ryan Jo Summers, Shimmers of Stardust, Sweet romance, time travel romance

SOS Cover MEDIUMI was very curious as to what this Christian time travel story, Shimmers of Stardust, might yield, because I love time travel stories. And, with a few exceptions, I was not disappointed in this book.

The story begins as Logan Riley, a Civil War hero who has turned renegade outlaw—an outlaw with a conscious, is about to be hanged for his crimes. One hundred-forty odd years later, anthropologist Dr. McKenzie Lynne is hired by a group of physicists to find some great treasure that will prove time travel is possible. What she finds is Logan, a dusty cowboy buried beneath a pile of shimmery powder. She learns he is the great treasure and then discovers the true intent of their work. Horrified, she runs off, taking their great treasure with her. And the adventure begins as Logan and McKenzie try to outrun the physicists and the military they’ve hired to find them.

Ms. Summers has created a hero that gave me goosebumps every time he says, “Darlin’.” A 1800’s era outlaw with a conscious, he is out-of-place in the modern world and delighted me with his speech and his thoughts about modern-day things we take for granted. He really shines when he and McKenzie are on the run in the wilds of the west. He’s the kind of man a girl would want to protect her from bad guys.

The author defined the book as a Christian romance with a bit of time travel. I think it’s the other way around—a time travel romance with a bit of Christian faith woven in. I loved how the author wove the Christian element in without being heavy-handed. The heroine didn’t spout scripture and the method in which the hero was re-introduced to faith was organic. Because of her handling of the faith issue, I think this is a sweet romance even non-Christians would enjoy.

I also loved the story’s plot, although there were a few places where I wanted to smack the heroine because of her selective intelligence. She does some really smart things while running from the bad guys that made me say, “Wow. That was clever!” She also does some really dumb things that disappointed me. But then, I’m always yelling at the heroine who goes into the dark basement when she hears strange noises. If she didn’t there might not be any story.☺

My biggest problem with this story was head hopping. Yes, Nora Roberts can get by with it, and lots of authors practice it, but for me, this is a big no-no. However, once I got used to the bouncing POV, and overlooked a few small problems, I enjoyed this book.

Shimmers of Stardust shines with four stars. Brava Ms. Summers!

To learn more about Ryan Jo and her book Shimmers of Stardust, click here.

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday Writers Welcomes Ryan Jo Summers

17 Wednesday Sep 2014

Posted by Catherine Castle in books, Catherine Castle author, Uncategorized, Wednesday Writers

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Author interviews, Christian romance, new book releases, Ryan Jo Summers, Shimmers of Stardust, time travel romance, Wednesday Writers

SOS Cover MEDIUMToday I’m welcoming Ryan Jo Summers and her book Shimmers of Stardust which has just released. I have to say that I love this book cover and can’t wait to read your book, Ryan Jo. I love time travel,  and I’m anxious to see your Christian twist on the genre. So, welcome!  

Please tell the readers about the book that is being showcased today. My book today is called Shimmers of Stardust. This is essentially a Christian romance, with a bit of time travelling mixed in. Sort of like cereal flakes with berries tossed in. Just the right amount.

This is the story of Logan Riley, Civil War hero turned renegade outlaw. Captured, he is hanged in 1869 by the law. Fast forward 140 odd years and anthropologist Dr. McKenzie Lynne is hired by a group of physicists to find some great treasure that will prove time travel is possible. She finds Logan, learns he is the great treasure they want and then discovers the true intent of their work. Horrified, she runs off, taking their great treasure with her.

This begins three things: 1–the great chase as they are pursued by the military through the desert of Arizona and New Mexico, trying to stay one step ahead of the hunters determined to catch them. 2—Kenzie’s Christian faith or morals slowly work through Logan’s hardened heart of crime, slowly convicting the bad boy far better then the hangman’s noose had. 3—Even though their lives hang in the balance between getting caught or staying free, mutual affection and love blooms between the two like the desert flowers. If only they had the luxury of time and the freedom to invest in it to watch it grow. But the military and physicists are determined to get their time travelling prize back and teach Kenzie a lesson not to take what’s not hers.

How did you come up with the concept for this book? Honestly, I don’t know. I have always been a fan of western novels and old western movies. So probably Logan Riley was born out of those rough and rugged but soft on the inside characters. Once upon a time in my youth I thought being an archeologist or something akin would be a fun career. (Changed my mind on that) But the initial interest never faded. And I am hooked on anything time travel related. Just love the concept of it. What if it were possible? So along in 2011 the thoughts all married into this story. I hate to say it, but it was a fairly easy book to write. Unlike other prior and after it. And when the story was almost finished, I was cleaning out some old papers and came across a scrap I had written a future story idea on. Almost word for word, it was the story concept for Shimmers of Stardust. Untitled, I had stuck it away and forgotten about it. The date I wrote the original story concept was 1997.

I guess a good idea never dies out, huh?

What are you working on now? Do you have a release date for this book? I am nearly finished with my first ever YA/NA novel. I shall turn it over to beta readers next and let it simmer before trying to find an agent once it gets polished. I hope by mid to late 2015 it will be agent ready. I am also about 2/3 done with a trilogy I have wanted to write for many years. It is a romance of three short stories in one volume, of three sisters who find love in a North Carolina coastal town. No immediate plans on what to do with it. I want to take my time with it, do the right thing by it and have it lead into a sequel. Lastly, I am just starting a new book that will probably be called women’s lit or something akin. It will have lots of layers, which I am having fun now plotting out, have lots of various surprises hiding within those layers and ultimately be a tear jerking love story.

I can see that you write in more than one genre? Can you tell us more? Yes, I seem to have found myself settled on romances, probably because I am a big softie at heart. But I toss it all in a blender. Romance is the base but on top of that I’ll throw in paranormal like time travel or shape shifting or mystic druidism. I’ll add Christian inspirational or suspense and murder in any combination. “Whispers in her Heart” (my first published book) was romance, supernatural and mystery all rolled into one. “When Clouds Gather” (the second novel coming out November with Soul Mate) is romance with mystery. For me, it’s sort of a tame cocktail. Why? I guess I get bored with a plain old love story, I need something extra—those layers—to add dimensions and interest. Same with stories I read. I also like the western flavor. I wrote a non-fiction inspirational novella I am currently pitching and like to dabble in short stories for fun and to wake up the brain. Plus the YA/NA which was a bit of unexpected writing but I enjoyed the challenges it presented.

I so understand the adding of layers. It makes a book so much richer.

Tell us about your writing space.  My spare bedroom is my office. I live at my desk, which is situated in the corner by the window. I live in a rural setting so it’s pretty quiet. My office assistant, Taz, a blue and gold Macaw (very large parrot like pirates keep) either plays and sings directly behind me or walks along my desk, checking things out to make sure everything is in order. I also have five cats (yep, the crazy cat lady lives and breathes). They range in age from ten years down to just a few months old. They like to stretch out across the desk, across my papers and notes, fly over my shoulder in a single bound as they play Supercat! If all else fails, they just take turns harassing me for food and attention. Other then cats and bird, my desk is full of 3 ring binders which contain everything on each story I am working on, files, office supplies, coffee mug, a desk fan that is constantly blowing on me and dozens of quotes and mantras to keep me grounded. I have a few photos of my cats—lest I not see them for ten minutes and forget what they look like—a photo of a dog I had years ago and miss very much and a couple ceramic figurines that hold good memories. Behind my chair are several plants and a filing cabinet.

EXIF_JPEG_T422

This is Pepper (far Left, who I lost earlier this year at age 18), Muldoone (Center) and Kryshnah Shea (far Right) Typical work day.

Sounds like you have an office full of help. LOL

Character names are important in writing. How do you choose your character names? I am always on the lookout for good names. I like unusual names, or ones that can be spelled different, or both. Meaning is important too. Sometimes I go by number of letters, or what they represent or just how they look on paper and sound out loud in character dialog. For Shimmers of Stardust, the main characters were all names of dogs I once had, collie siblings. I knew the hero was blue-eyed with dark hair. I had two brothers, one a blue merle collie named Logan and a tri color (black) named Riley James. So the only choice was to name the character Riley Logan or Logan Riley. As puppies, Logan seemed to be the first to try something and Riley James to follow soon thereafter. That choice was easy. Their sister was a lovely sable merle collie named McKenzie Lynne. Another littermate was Miles, who was Logan’s brother in the story. The other characters I tried to name as I went along, based on how they looked or acted. In another book I wrote, a Christian story called ‘Beside Still Waters’ there are dozens of characters and it was important to keep them straight by linking their names in an easy fashion. I had three college kids that were volunteers. I called them Jake, Mike and Zeke. All with 4 letters, all ending in ‘ke’ and all shortened forms of Biblical people.

I have to say that’s a method I’ve not used before. Clever.

How have your reading and writing tastes evolved over the years? Do you still read the same genre of books you did as a teenager? Actually, I do still read some of the same genre. I like Lynn Hall’s animal stories. I just read her book “Shadows” this year for the first time. I have books by S. E. Hinton that I read as a teenager and one that was written a few years ago not involving teens. I will read any story with a horse or dog on the cover. That has not changed. I have developed the interest in time travel, shape shifting and weird stuff like that since my teen years. I never read a love story until I was in my 20’s. Now I find myself also looking for books with renowned authors and reading them regardless of genre, just to see what makes them tick. I have very divers interest and will pick up almost anything just to see if it will hold my attention. It proves what power a blurb has. A nice cover, good title, and I’ll pick it up. Boring blurb and I’ll put it down. Interesting blurb and I’ll try it.

My daughter loved S.E Hinton as a teenagers, especially one of her books called The Outcasts, I think.

What’s the book you are reading now? I just started ‘Healing Sands’, a Sullivan Crisp novel by Nancy Rue and Stephen Artburn. It’s listed as a Christian fiction. I just finished a Thomas Kincaid novel. Next in my pile is a non-fiction book called ‘Too Scared to Cry’ which deals with trauma and how our bodies deal with it.

If you don’t write to music, what is in your CD player right now? I don’t normally listen to music when I write except on Sundays which is when the local radio station plays country classics for four hours each morning. I look forward to that. I like country music, the traditional sound. I like Irish/ Gaelic music. I like horns from jazz. I like nature sounds; water, storms, waves, bird calls, etc… I’ll listen to a lot of stuff but those are what I prefer. I don’t care for loud shouting, in my face kind of noise. I listen to music to do two things—hear and feel the instruments and be told a story. Songwriting is telling a story and it might be birds calling over the waves or it might be a love story to make you cry. Or anywhere in between. But I want to hear and feel it.

Ditto for me on the shouting-in-your-face music, but I do like Gaelic music.

Tell us a little bit about your hobbies outside of writing? Well, the aforementioned 5 cats and bird require a lot of my time outside of writing, as does my day job (which happens to be a second shift afternoon-to-evening job) So my little bit of free time beyond them is spent on plants. I have roughly 40 houseplants and someone is always in need of watering, trimming, transplanting or something. I like to paint on canvas, ceramics, and plain paper sometimes. I doodle with cartoons and write poetry as coping mechanisms to help me deal with life’s injustices and heartaches. I used to be crafty with needle crafts and floral arrangements but not so much nowadays. But I still have lots of reminders left in the house of things I have made through the years. I like to work word find puzzles before going to bed at night. I like to potter in the yard, tending seedlings or shrubs I have planted. I love the chance to get together with friends and usually go out to eat, but I also enjoy cooking and trying new recipes.

 LOL. I have some of those UFO craft projects, too. Sounds like you have plenty to keep you busy.

EXIF_JPEG_T422

Carousel horse I painted from an old WonderHorse child’s spring pony.

Now that’s pretty!

 

Let’s do some quickies.

Favorite food? Mashed potatoes and gravy. Soups and stews and chowders. Seafood.

Favorite singer or band? Don’t really have one. I listen to lots of music, but don’t go ga-ga over any one or two. I might think a particular male singer/s is cute or they are handsome, think he/they sing/s well, but that won’t elevate him/them to my favorite. It will mean I listen to hear his or their stuff on the radio.

Favorite season? Fall because the weather is cooler and the tree colors are lovely, followed by Winter because it might turn cold and snow but at least it’s cooler, followed by Spring because the flowers are popping out and the fireflies dance across the lawns. We could eliminate Summer and I’d be okay.

Favorite flower? Lilac. When I was growing up, we lived in a house that had towering old fashioned lilac bushes everywhere. I loved the blooms. The years spent at that location held some nice memories for me, and they are linked to the lilacs. Someday I dream of having lilacs and wisteria growing all about.

Favorite color? Blue. All shades of blue. Sky blue, dolphin blue-gray, pastel baby blue, I find comfort in blues. Followed by mint green. I am mad about that color. I prefer pastels over primary colors. As a painter (and I use that term loosely) I enjoy playing with colors. Again, with the mixing and blending shades and families into an acceptable finished product. Blue is always the first color of choice.

Mug or teacup? Mug, because it is heftier, holds more, requires fewer fill ups and not as likely to break upon washing. All my mugs feature different designs. Some have horses, wolves, lighthouses, seashore images, collies, or a couple have my name on them. You would never guess what things I am interested in?

It’s been a pleasure having you here today, Ryan Jo. As you say goodbye, can you leave the readers with an encapsulation of your life’s philosophy? Oh so many things come to mind, it’s hard to narrow them down to just one. How about: Some change is good, some change is bad, but all change is inevitable. Another would be: When the sunshine of God’s love meets the shadows of our sorrows, the rainbow of promise appears. Both are my own profound discoveries.

 

bio pic burgendy - CopyRyan Jo Summers has always been a reader, having a great interest in books. She wanted to be an author since age ten when she wrote her first story complete with illustrations. It has taken a long time to find and perfect her niche- contemporary romance with a twist. She still likes to write short stories, novellas and poems when inspired for the challenge and therapy they offer.

When not busy writing, Ryan Jo likes to spend time with her menagerie of pets, hang out with friends or lounge in nature’s majesty. She also likes to cook and bake, travel, tinker around with houseplants and yard plants. Her favorite hobby is another creative outlet; painting. She creates full-sized carousel horses from children’s spring rockers, paints ceramics and canvas and dabbles in cartoons.

Ryan Jo lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina where the scenic vistas provide constant inspiration and tranquility, keeping her creative batteries charged. Her biggest problem is finding enough time to give life to all the creative endeavors she wants to pursue.

‘Shimmers of Stardust’ is coming out from Soul Mate Publishing in September and plans are underway for Soul Mate Publishing to release another of Ryan Jo’s Novels in November 2014; a romantic suspense entitled ‘When Clouds Gather’. Readers and fans can connect with Ryan Jo at her website http://www.ryanjosummers.com/ or her blog at https://summersrye.wordpress.com/

Her social media links are:

facebook: https://facebook.com/pages/Ryan-Jo-Summers-author-page/312875648810797

Goodreads: https:www.goodreads.com.author/show/6604705.Ryan_Jo_Summers

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00ACOBJ90

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