And The Winner Is…

Tags

Catherine Castle author, ebook winner of A Groom for Mama, giveaway winner, Pick a Date and Win an EBook, romantic comedy, Sweet romance

 

It’s time to announce the winner of the Pick A Date and Win an Ebook contest!

But first I’m going to reveal the real date my heroine went on–It was the Wrestling Match. Even though you now  know one of the dates, I promise there will still be some surprises when you get to that point in the book.

Since no one picked the real date, I entered all the readers into the winners’ pool and had my hubby pick a name from the hat.

Ruby Mae ODell is the winner. I’ll be contacting her to let her know to expect the ebook.

If you didn’t win this time, don’t despair. I’ll be giving away a few more books on the blog tour. Just check the post listings by clicking on the blog tour page below to see where the next giveaway will be.

 

Thanks so much for playing the game, and I hope you’ll enjoy the book, Ruby!

 

 

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Wednesday Writers–Pick a Date and Win an eBook from Catherine Castle

Tags

A Groom for Mama, author Catherine Castle, Book excerpt from A Groom for Mama, Catherine Castle Wednesday Writers series, clean romance, disasterous dates, ebook giveaway, romantic comedy, Sweet romance

Welcome to Wednesday Writers!

I’m departing a bit from the usual Wednesday Writers posts because today is release day for A Groom for Mama, Catherine Castle’s sweet romantic comedy with a touch of drama, from Soul Mate Publishing.

Normally, you’d see a post about some aspect of the book—but today, since this is my website and it’s such a special occasion, I’m celebrating the book’s release by offering a free eBook to the commenter who picks the correct bad date my heroine, Allison Walters, got stuck with from the list of disastrous dates below. If more than one commenter chooses the correct date, the winner will be chosen randomly from those answering correctly. I hope you’ll join in the fun and let your friends know about the giveaway as well. Please leave your email, written as janedoe(at)myserver(dot)com (to deter internet robots), and insure I can reach you if you are the winner. All readers commenting will be eligible to be in the drawing, but if your name is drawn and I cannot find your email, I will have to draw again.

Winners will be announced on Tuesday, September 12, 2017.

If you haven’t heard about the story yet, here’s a brief blurb.

 

A Groom for Mama

by Catherine Castle

 Beverly Walters is dying, and before she goes she has one wish—to find a groom for her daughter. To get the deed done, Mama enlists the dating service of Jack Somerset, Allison’s former boyfriend.

 he last thing corporate-climbing Allison wants is a husband. Furious with Mama’s meddling, and a bit more interested in Jack than she wants to admit, Allison agrees to the scheme as long as Mama promises to search for a cure for her terminal illness.

 A cross-country trip from Nevada to Ohio ensues, with a string of disastrous dates along the way, as the trio hunts for treatment and A Groom For Mama.

And now for the date challenge. Which of the disastrous dates listed below did Allison get stuck with?

• Birdwatching for the black-throated blue warbler
• Illegal bungee jumping from a skyscraper and subsequent arrest
• Karaoke in a downtown dive bar with a date who can’t sing
• Spelunking for bats in crawl-on-your-belly shallow cave
• A wresting match with Balderdash and Balls
• A SAVE THE WHALES protest rally
• A lecture on the physics of the collapse of the WTC towers

Do you know which date is the real one for Allison? Be sure to leave your choice in a comment for a chance at the free eBook, A Groom for Mama.

And now for a peek at the book:

Excerpt from A Groom for Mama

By Catherine Castle

With a sweep of his hand, Jack spread the photos out on the table in front of Allison and Beverly. “Here’s a few I just grabbed from the database. Any of them interesting?” He studied Allison’s reaction. She didn’t bat an eyelash as she scanned the men’s pictures. Then, without warning, she scooped them up and shoved them at him.

“I told Mama I wasn’t going to do this. It’s a stupid idea.”

“I’ll admit it’s not the ‘some enchanted evening, see a stranger across the room’ romantic way to find a husband, but it’s not totally unacceptable. Several of the couples my company has brought together have married.”

“And lived happily ever after?” she retorted.

“It’s a new company, Allison. I don’t have the stats yet.” He pushed the photos across the table. “Just take a peek. What harm can it do?”

Beverly grabbed the photo of a particularly handsome man. “How about this one? His coloring complements yours. You’d have beautiful children.”

Mama!” Allison snatched the photo away. “We’re not going to discuss my possible, yet unlikely, progeny in front of Jack.”

A flash of Allison kissing this guy flew through his head. He grabbed the photo from her. “He’s not your type anyway.”

“And just how do you know?” she asked.

“I dated you, remember? You ditched me for some suave, corporate hotshot. At least it’s what you said.”

“Allison!” Beverly exclaimed. “You never told me that.”

Allison shot him a fierce scowl. “I’m not comfortable discussing my love life with you, Mama. Besides, what’s done and over with should be buried . . . in the past.” She picked up another photo. “What about him? Or him and him?” She pointed to two nerdy-looking fellows. “They seem corporate.”

Mama leaned over and checked out the pictures Allison had indicated. “Too ugly,” she said. “He’s got to be handsome. Like Jack. I want to know my grandbabies will be as beautiful as you two.”

He grinned. “Thanks for the compliment, but I know I’m not your daughter’s type.” He laid a sheet of paper on the counter. “Fill this out. Then I can get a better idea of what you want in a husband.”

“I don’t want—”

“I know,” he interjected. “But, for your mom’s sake, just pretend you do.”

 

Want to read more? Check out A Groom for Mama on Amazon.

 

For more fun posts about the book, check out the month-long A Groom for Mama blog tour Catherine will be having by going to the blog tour page on this website.  Follow daily for new insights into the book and more chances to win your own eBook of A Groom for Mama.

About the Author:

Multi-award-winning author Catherine Castle has been writing all her life. Before beginning her career as a romance writer she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. Besides writing, Catherine loves traveling with her husband, singing, and attending theatre. In the winter she loves to quilt and has a lot of UFOs (unfinished objects) in her sewing case. In the summer her favorite place to be is in her garden. She’s passionate about gardening and even won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club.

Her debut inspiration romantic suspense, The Nun and the Narc, from Soul Mate Publishing was an ACFW Genesis Finalist, a 2014 EPIC finalist, and the winner of the 2014 Beverly Hills Book Award and the 2014 RONE Award. Her most recent release, A Groom for Mama, is a sweet romantic comedy from Soul Mate Publishing. Both books are available on Amazon.

Social Media links for Catherine:

Catherine’s website: https://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com/

Catherine’s blog: https://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com/blog/

Catherine’s Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/catherinecastle

Catherine’s Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7085414.Catherine_Castle

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorCCastle   @AuthorCCastle

Facebook: https://facebook.com/catherinecastleauthor

Stitches Thru Time: http://stitchesthrutime.bogspot.com/

SMP authors blog site:   http://smpauthors.wordpress.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wenesday Writers–Darlene Franklin and The Mermaid’s Song

Tags

Acadians, Catherine Castle's Wednesday Writers blog series, Darlene Franklin, historical romance, Le Grand Derangement, Mermaid's Song, Sweet romance

Today I’m welcoming Darlene Franklin back to Wednesday Writers. Darlene has been a frequent guest author on the series, and today she’s going to give us some historical background on the Acadians and the part they play in her book Mermaid’s Song. Welcome back, Darlene.

 

Thanks, Catherine.

Acadians were French settlers in the area now known as Nova Scotia, New Brunswick , Prince Edward Island in the 17^th century

Acadians settled on the coast four years before French settlers went to Quebec on the St. Lawrence River. Acadians and French had different cultures.

Acadians became French subjects according to the treaty of Utrecht in 1713.

When the French and Indian War began in 1754, British doubted the neutrality of the Acadians and kicked them out, A few remained in Maine (Eddie Bourgoin in Acadian Hearts is one of these Acadians) but the most ended up in Louisiana, the Cajuns.

The deportation was called Le Grand Derangement or The Expulsion of 1755.

During the French and Indian War, in 1754, the British built a palisaded star fort to prevent the Canadians and the Indians from using the Kennebec River to attack English settlements.

That’s the historical background of Mermaid’s Song.

Justine is an Acadian being deported to an unknown destination in the colonies when her boat is shipwrecked near Ft. Hallifax. She alone survives. She is taken in by a merchant’s family, but others suspect her of being a foreign spy.

 

Mermaid’s Song

by Darlene  Franklin

Noble Prescott is drawn to the scene of a shipwreck by a sweet song sung in a language he didn’t understand. The songstress is barely alive, holding onto a piece of the ship’s railing. Her dress wraps around her legs like a mermaid’s tail.

Thus begins this imaginative retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale.

Justine Battineaux, an Acadian forced from her homeland on Cape Breton Island by British decree, finds herself adrift in the Maine colony. She doesn’t know the language and is distrusted as a foreigner.

Noble lives up to his name, providing shelter for Justine—and protection, as distrust turns into danger. For himself, his family—and the woman he comes to love.

How will Justine and Noble overcome the evil woman’s schemes to find their own love everlasting?

Want to read more? Check out the book on Amazon.

About the Author:

Best-selling hybrid author Darlene Franklin’s greatest claim to fame is that she writes full-time from a nursing home. Mermaid Song is her fiftieth unique title! She’s also contributed to more than twenty nonfiction titles. Her column, “The View Through my Door,” appears in five monthly venues. Other recent titles are Wilderness Weddings and Opposites Attract. You can find her online at: Website and blog, Facebook, Amazon author page

 

Links: Website and blog

Facebook

Amazon author page

Twitter: @darlenefranklin

 

A Writer’s Garden with Zoe M. McCarthy–Straw Bale Gardening

Tags

A Writer's Garden, Author Catherine Castle's garden blog, contemporary inspirational romance, Garden blog, Gift of the Magpie, Straw Bale gardening, Sweet romance, Zoe M. McCarthy

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Zoe M. McCarthy is guesting on today’s A Writer’s Garden. I just love the post she’s got, too. I saw this gardening method at Disney World last summer at their Flower and Garden Expo and was intrigued by it. It’s great to get the low down from someone’s who’s actually used it.

Straw Bale Gardens are Just Right for Us City Folks

 John and I are retired city folks transplanted to the Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains. In this rural area, people have tractors to get their gardens ready for planting. We don’t have farm equipment, so we were attracted to the idea of straw bale gardening—no dirt, no plowing, and no squatting to harvest vegetables. This is the third year we’ve planted a straw bale garden following advice from Joel Karsten’s book, Straw Bale Gardens.

In straw bale gardens, the bales become ovens to germinate and grow fruits and vegetables. It’s important to use straw bales, not hay bales.

We knew our daily visitors would be problems, so we built an eight-foot fence that deer can’t jump and reinforced the lower fencing with smaller-holed chicken wire that bunnies can’t wiggle through. We laid landscaping fabric to discourage voles and moles.

Before we could complete the fencing, seven deer stopped by to sniff our bales and discuss among themselves what in the world we were doing. They seemed indignant at the chicken wire going up.

We performed a 10-day process to turn the bales into growing ovens. Fertilizing and watering. Again and again. Warm water only. On day five, we poked our fingers into the straw and felt the heat inside.

We ran soaker hoses on top of the bales. Timers attached to the hoses water the plants daily from our well. We can’t over water bales. It was nice to be able to travel and know that our plants would have plenty of water.

Then we planted seeds for cucumbers, radishes, lettuce, carrots, beans, edible sugar pumpkins, strawberries, and watermelons in a thin cover of potting mix (not soil—no dirt touches the roots) into thirty straw bales. We wrenched apart the straw a bit and inserted seedlings for some vegetables, such as peppers and tomatoes. We planted impatiens in the sides of the bales. All done.

Cabbages attracted worms, so we didn’t plant them again. Not a favorite anyway. This year slugs feasted on tender shoots, but they now drown in baby food jars filled with beer. Potatoes go in the sides of bales, but as yummy as they were, we only reaped a few. We harvested a few strawberries the first year so we didn’t plant them again, but they returned in washed down bale humps, and this year they came up again in those old humps and flourished!

We novices have been proud of our bountiful harvests. We make pumpkin soup, bread, and pies. The carrot cakes are to die for. I have fresh lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, and carrots for my salads every day. We’ve learned how to freeze and can. The most popular for us is the jars of hot salsa.

Straw bale gardens are great for city dwellers. A few bales installed on a patio and they have a garden.

Is planting in straw bales something you’d consider? Why or why not?

 About the Gardener/Writer:

A full-time writer and speaker, Zoe M. McCarthy, author of Gift of the Magpie and Calculated Risk, writes contemporary Christian romances involving tenderness and humor. Believing that opposites distract, Zoe creates heroes and heroines who learn to embrace their differences. When she’s not writing, Zoe enjoys her five grandchildren, teaching Bible studies, leading workshops on writing, knitting and crocheting shawls for a prayer shawl ministry, gardening, and canoeing. She lives with her husband in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Zoe blogs regularly at http://www.zoemmccarthy.com/ .

 Gift of the Magpie

Amanda Larrowe’s lack of trust sabotages her relationships. The English teacher and award-winning author of middle-grade adventure books for boys has shut off communication with friends and family to meet her January 2 book deadline. Now, in the deepest snow accumulation Richmond, Virginia has experienced in years, Camden Lancaster moves in across the street. After ten years, her heart still smarts from the humiliating aftermath of their perfect high school Valentine’s Day date. He may have transformed into a handsome, amiable man, but his likeability doesn’t instill trust in Amanda’s heart. When Cam doesn’t recognize her on their first two encounters, she thinks it’s safe to be his fair-weather neighbor. Boy is she wrong.

Gift of the Magpie is a contemporary inspirational romance; it’s romantic with kisses.

Gift of the Magpie Buy Link

 

 

 

Wednesday Writers–Married by Mistake by Laura V. Hilton

Tags

book excerpt from Married by Mistake, Catherine Castle's Wednesday Writers blog series, historical romance, Laura V. Hilton, Mackinac Island, MArried by Mistake, Second Chance Brides Romance Collection, Sweet romance, Upper penninsula Michigan

 

Laura V. Hilton is back on Wednesday Writers today, talking about the Story Behind the Story of Married by Mistake. Welcome, Laura. I can’t wait to hear about Married by Mistake. BTW, I love that title and Mackinac Island. I’ve always wanted to write a story set there.   

Thanks, Catherine.

When my agent asked me if I’d be willing to write a historical novella for a collection she was putting together for another author, I jumped at the chance. I usually write Amish romance (which I love) but I wanted to try my hand at historical. And a novel set in my home state of Michigan would be a dream come true. I had several ideas and I pitched them all to my street team to see which they liked best and the majority chose this idea.

upper peninsula Michigan

Then I went to my brainstorming group to help me figure out the hero’s story. And one lady in there, mentioned the Krump family in German and a war they provided weapons to the Boers in South Africa. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krupp – also http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/boer-war-begins-in-south-africa. The Upper peninsula in Michigan produced iron ore ( http://www.miningartifacts.org/Michigan-Iron-Mines.html) and what if….

The story was born from there.

Mackinac Island was a popular vacation destination in the Victorian era where the wealthy city residents went to escape the heat of the city. A perfect setting for a wounded hero to escape from gossip – at least until the socialites arrived – and then have to face his demons and come to terms with his past.

While writing this story, I also was homeschooling my two youngest children and my youngest daughter (a reluctant reader) was reading Alice in Wonderland out loud. Since that was a new book on the market at the time my story was set, it seemed fun to include bits and pieces of that story in mind, wrapped with the history of the island and the mess our hero and heroine would soon find themselves a part of.

I hope you enjoy reading Second Chance Brides Romance Collection – as well as my novella, Married by Mistake.

Here’s an excerpt:

Married by Mistake

by Laura V. Hilton

Chapter 1

Mackinac Island, 1902

A kiss.

The sea spray touched Bessie O’Hara’s face as gently as she imagined he—whoever he might be—would some day brush his lips across her cheeks.

She couldn’t wait.

If only she could skip all the tiresome courtship rituals like monotonous parlor visits and chaperoned strolls. She’d also eliminate the formal calling cards and fluttering fans society demanded and go straight to the happily-ever-after.

It wasn’t that easy. She glanced at her two cousins, giggling behind their fans, as they stepped off the ferry onto the dock leading to the island. They looked toward some gentlemen who’d come to meet the boat. Judging by their clothing, they were there for the summer season as well. They certainly weren’t employees hired to drive the buggies and wagons.

Bessie smoothed her hand over her dress. Splotches of water dampened the material under her touch. With a sigh, she looked around for her family’s carriage. Papa had wired ahead and told the driver when to meet the ferry. She didn’t see the carriage, but a large crowd blocked her view.

She didn’t want to do this. Not that she minded visiting her family’s vacation home on the island, or escaping the stifling August heat of Grand Rapids, or even spending time with her cousins. But this was so much more than a summer reprieve. Henrietta and Rosella were husband-hunting and dragging her along, completely against her will.

And worse? Her parents completely agreed with her cousins. It was time she got married. That was a woman’s highest calling—to manage a husband and a household.

Or so she’d been told.

She’d been looked over so many times before she was afraid of facing another rejection. Was she somehow defective because her hair wasn’t pale blond like Rosella’s or a deep, dark red like Henrietta’s? She dreaded being put on endless display in the “meat market” and found lacking over and over during the tiresome rituals.

If only she could have said husband handed to her, dropped in her lap, maybe even delivered, gift-wrapped with a ribbon and a card reading, “Here he is. Treat him well.” Instead she’d been forced to endure countless teas in stifling parlors from her usual place on the fringes.

Bessie stepped up her pace to catch up with her cousins who already neared the end of the dock. She didn’t want to be left behind. A gentleman wearing a plaid cap stood in her way, talking to someone, and she stepped to the side to keep from hitting him, but he turned sharply and bumped her in the side with his elbow. Her foot landed on the edge of the dock. She groped for something to grab onto but came up with nothing but air. She gulped a breath that emerged as a high-pitched squeal, and tumbled toward the water.

A strong hand grabbed her by the back of her dress, jerking the fabric up tight, and she flailed. Was this how a fish on a hook felt? She eyed the cold, fishy water she’d almost fell into. Seconds later, another hand closed around her elbow, the grip tightening as the hand on her dress released the material, slid around her waist and hauled her back against a firm chest.

Shocks raced through her body like the rise and fall of waves crashing against the shore during a storm. His arm firm against her, the man loosened his grip on her elbow. Then the arm wrapped around her waist slid away.

Slid—the fingers took a leisurely tour of the silky fabric covering her abdomen. There had to be something improper about this, but the touch set her senses on fire, charring her thoughts almost before they formed. She tried to take a deep breath and lightheadedness made her dizzy, overwhelmed with how quickly her situation had changed from impending bath to rescue.

“Watch where you’re going.” The voice was brusque, hardly matching the rest of the sensations. And with those harsh words, he released her. Her feet set firmly on the wood planks, free from his disturbing touch.

Bessie jerked her shoulders in an angry twitch as she turned carefully around and moved away from the edge of the dock. She didn’t want a repeat performance. “Watch where I’m going? Let’s try being more careful, Mr….”

Her voice trailed off as she stared into grayish-blue eyes, the color of the water on a winter day. Stubble shadowed the man’s chin, and his equally dark hair, a bit on the long side, peeked out from under a plaid cap.

He adjusted the brim as a muscle jerked in his jaw.

Wait. He was the man who’d stood on the opposite side of the ferry and stared at her during their ride over to the island, his gaze boring into her until she turned.

He’d quickly looked away.

Her fingers had itched to sketch his portrait. Strong. Dark. Handsome. And dangerous. She tried to memorize his features, but he’d glanced back at her and caught her staring.

Then it’d been her turn to look away and try to distract herself by listening to another half hour of her cousins giggling about potential prospects.

“You.” The single word sputtered out without warning. She resisted the urge to clamp her hand over her mouth. Maybe she should apologize for being so rude. But then she’d need an explanation for why she’d said it and she had none. Other than… well, he drew her and made her long to be his helpmeet. Not that she’d ever admit it to anyone.

He bowed at the waist, his lips twisting into something resembling a grimace, and he waved his hand. “Ladies first.”

Want to read more? Check her book out at http://www.amazon.com/Laura-V.-Hilton/e/B004IRSM5Q

 

About the Author:

Laura V. Hilton is an award-winning, sought-after author with almost twenty Amish, contemporary, and historical romances. When she’s not writing, she reviews books for her blogs, and writes devotionals for blog posts for Seriously Write and Putting on the New.

 

Laura and her pastor-husband have five children and a hyper dog named Skye. They currently live in Arkansas. One son is in the U.S. Coast Guard. She is a pastor’s wife, and homeschools her two youngest children.

When she’s not writing, Laura enjoys reading, and visiting lighthouses and waterfalls. Her favorite season is winter, her favorite holiday is Christmas.

Connect with Laura at:

visit my blogs: http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com/  & http://lauravhilton.blogspot.com/ 

twitter: @Laura_V_Hilton

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Laura-V-Hilton/161478847242512

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/vernetlh/

 Purchase my books:

 Amazon   http://www.amazon.com/Laura-V.-Hilton/e/B004IRSM5Q 

CBD: http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/easy_find?Ntt=laura+hilton&N=0&Ntk=keywords&action=Search&Ne=0&event=ESRCG&nav_search=1&cms=1

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/laura-hilton?store=allproducts&keyword=laura+hilton

Deeper Shopping http://www.deepershopping.com/index.php?query=laura+hilton&x=0&y=0&module=productsearch&_logmode=Y&querymodule=SPX

 

 

Cover Reveal for A Groom for Mama by Catherine Castle

Tags

Book excerpt from A Groom for Mama, Catherine Castle, Cover reveal for A Groom for Mama, romantic comedy, Soul Mate Publishing, Sweet romance

 

Whoo Hoo! It’s the beginning of busy week for me. I’m revealing the cover for my sweet romantic comedy A Groom for Mama here and over at Sloane Taylor’s blog today and getting ready for my month-long promo tour for the book. Oh, and I just got my pre-order link for A Groom for Mama on Amazon.

Rather than give you the blurb, which you can read on Sloane’s blog or on Amazon (please click on the links to read the blurb), I’m going to tease you with a hook and an excerpt from one of the heroine Allison’s disastrous dates. Mama and Jack, the ex-boyfriend who’s been roped into finding his old girlfriend a husband through his dating service, are eavesdropping on the couple.

I hope you’ll be interested enough to hop on over Amazon and click on the pre-order link. Only 3 weeks and 3 days until the book can be delivered right to your Kindle!

 

A Groom for Mama

By Catherine Castle

Excerpt:

From their table at The Old Country Barn restaurant, Jack and Beverly spied on Allison and her date. It wasn’t his choice, but this whole dating fiasco hadn’t gone the way he wanted. Watching Allison flirt with Thurston Howell the Third had become uncomfortable. That’s what he’d nicknamed him. The idiot had shown up in a skipper’s hat, white slacks, deck shoes, and a royal blue blazer—an outfit straight from the set of the 60s television show Gilligan’s Island.

“Allison must feel underdressed,” Beverly whispered as she peered around her menu at her daughter seated three booths away. “I tried to get her to wear something snazzy. I just knew he’d come looking sharp.”

“How’d you know?”

“It’s a no-brainer. Anybody who says he likes long cruises on the family yacht is pretentious. Pretentious people show off. Honestly, who owns a yacht in Colorado? It’s a ski haven.”

In spite of himself, Jack cracked a smile.

Want to learn more about A Groom for Mama? Watch for my month-long blog tour information posted on this site beginning September 6.

 

About the Author:

Multi-award-winning author Catherine Castle has been writing all her life. Before beginning her career as a romance writer she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. Besides writing, Catherine loves traveling with her husband, singing, and attending theatre. In the winter she loves to quilt and has a lot of UFOs (unfinished objects) in her sewing case. In the summer her favorite place to be is in her garden. She’s passionate about gardening and even won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club.

Her debut inspiration romantic suspense, The Nun and the Narc, from Soul Mate Publishing was an ACFW Genesis Finalist, a 2014 EPIC finalist, and the winner of the 2014 Beverly Hills Book Award and the 2014 RONE Award. Her most recent release, A Groom for Mama, is a sweet romantic comedy from Soul Mate Publishing. Both books are available on Amazon.

 

A Writer’s Garden Memories with Author Donna Alice Patton

Tags

Catherine Castle’s A Writer’s Garden blog, Diamonds are Blue, Donna Alice Patton, Garden blog, garden memories, mystery-thriller romance, Roses are Red, Sweet romance

Today’s gardener/writer guest is Donna Alice Patton, who will be telling us about her garden memories. I don’t know about the rest of the gardeners on this blog, but like Donna, when I look at my garden I see memories of past gardeners, family, and friends who have contributed to my garden with remembrances and plants. Welcome, Donna!

A Garden of Memories

The yellow iris bloomed this month in my flower beds – an abundance of yellow iris among the white and purple and one special pink. Each bloom reminds me of my friend, Jean, who gave me the bulbs. While I was admiring their sunny splotches throughout the yard – I noticed the pink and white peonies had also burst into bloom. Those reminded me of Lizzie, the lady who owned this house before me. Every spring the peonies gladden my heart and spirit even though Lizzie is long gone. The few remaining purple iris were hers, as well as the daffodils and crocus that come up faithfully every spring.

As I thought about Jean and Lizzie, I remembered more of the people and events my gardens bring to mind. There are the ‘Hen and Chick” plants that belonged to a very old priest in Chicago. Jean brought those to me. A bright yellow coreopsis was a Mother’s Day gift from my niece, Cindy. The glorious rainbow of tulips were planted by my dad. There are twin maple trees – giants now. My nephews, Jarrod and Jeremiah planted them as twigs when my Aunt Margie downsized her yard. At the side of the house – pastel pink, white and purple Rose of Sharon bloom – seeds dropped by the parent plant Aunt Bobbie gave me. All faithfully reminding me of an aunt who left us too soon, twenty years ago. The salmon colored lilies? A birthday gift from Theresa.

The gardens also remind me of events. Planting the grapevines with Jarrod. The sweaty hours we spent trying to dig a strawberry bed and keep the weeds out. Picking strawberries and blueberries with the new crop of “greats” nieces and nephews. Remembering many years ago when my niece, Heather, ignored the pink cosmos, butter yellow marigolds and stunning roses to pick her ‘favorite’ flower – the daisy-like weeds I pulled up without thinking. She called them “fairy-winkle” flowers. To this day when they come up in my garden, I dig them up and replant them along the creek bed. And how can I forget my continual struggle to maintain flower boxes on the porch. The cats love to sit on the railing and the flower boxes were always an ‘extension’ of their sleeping space. Many times I’d chase them out of the petunias or find a cat covered in dirt and the remnants of petunias.

As I looked at my gardens this spring, I had to laugh at all the memories – good, poignant and sometimes bittersweet. While I see the beauty of the blooms, I also see the faces of family and friends and remember those tiny snippets of moments. Like three little girls on a rainy day – rejoicing in the blooming lilies.

 

About the Author:

Donna Alice Patton loves gardens and the memories they evoke! Her newest book is a mystery/thriller – Roses are Red, Diamonds are Blue. It’s a mild romance, suitable for teens and up, available in June, 2017 http://www.donnaalicepatton.com/

 

Johnnie Alexander Joins Wednesday Writers

Tags

book excerpt from What Hope Remembers, Catherine Castle's Wednesday Writers blog series, contemporary romance, horse riding story, Johnnie Alexander, Sweet romance, What Hope Remembers

 

 

 

 

 

Today I’m welcoming Johnnie Alexander to the Wednesday Writers blog. Johnnie going to talk a bit about writing what you know, a bit of life history which she used in her contemporary romance What Hope Remembers. Welcome, Johnnie.

 

 

 

Getting Back On—Long Years Later

By

Johnnie Alexander

 

When I was a young teen, I got thrown from a pony. And I mean tossed-in-the-air, fall-flat-on-my-back thrown.

A gracious onlooker said that it was the most graceful fall she’d ever seen. (That soothed my pride but not my aching muscles.)

A couple years later, I sat astride the family pony (which I seldom rode) in the pasture across from our house. I was content with a quiet walk, but he decided it’d be more fun to stay with the others in our group.

He jogged.

His saddle slid sideways.

I ended up on the hard ground.

You all know what they say about getting back on after falling off, right? I’ve heard that, too.

But instead of heeding that advice I never rode again.

Fast-forward a few, ahem, decades.

I’ve decided my newest contemporary romance needs a horse-riding hero. Come to find out, the heroine rode horses, too, when she was a young girl. Then her parents died in a fiery plane crash, and she quit the activity she loved most because her dad was no longer there to cheer her on.

A friend from church who is an avid rider and trains her own horse had given me tips on “horse lingo” for a historical novella I’d previously written so I turned to her again.

“I think I want to take riding lessons,” I said. “Just a few.”

“I know just the person to teach you,” she replied.

As it turned out, my first riding lesson was with my friend. I rode Chance, a glistening black beauty, while she held onto the lunge line. We rode in giant circles while I did my best to stay in the saddle. I enjoyed it though I was intimidated by Chance’s size. (Hey, I’m barely five feet tall.)

Chance and Johnnie

The following week, we went to the stables where I’d end up taking several lessons. On that first visit, the instructor asked my goals.

“I just want to be comfortable,” I said. “To do something I’m afraid of and not be afraid anymore.”

She told me about Gabby. “But she’s a pony. Most adults don’t want to ride ponies.”

“I’m not too proud,” I quickly said. “I’d love to ride Gabby.”

Gabby and Johnnie

It turned out Gabby was the perfect choice. She was a tall pony—larger than the ponies you often see at carnivals or fairs for children to ride.

Over the next few weeks, I learned to keep my heels down, my back straight, to properly hold my reins, and even a tiny bit of dressage.

Then the holidays came and several weeks later, I moved away.

But I’ll never forget my riding lessons with Gabby, and how even that little bit of horsemanship added more realism to the scene where my heroine rides again for the first time in years. After all, I knew how much her behind would ache!

I hope to ride again sometime.

If I can find another tall pony as sweet and gentle as Gabby.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

What Hope Remembers

By Johnnie Alexander

When Amy Somers loses her job as a lobbyist, she moves to Misty Willow, well aware that she’s crossing bridges she’d burned years before. With all the mistakes she’s made and the uncaring things she’s done–even to her own family–she can hardly believe that happiness will find her, especially when Gabe Kendall, her first crush and her first kiss, rides back into her life atop a buckskin mare.

A former Marine, Gabe is at loose ends after serving a prison sentence for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He sees beyond Amy’s hard exterior to the girl he once knew and loved, and he longs to see her open her heart. Yet with his vision clouded by shame for his past and fears about the future, he finds it difficult to see the path ahead.

But the memory of that long-ago kiss just may have the power to reignite a romance that brings out the best in both of them.

 

Excerpt

The June sun beat on Gabe Kendall’s bare head and tapped into his childhood memories of the horse farm. He leaned his arms on the weathered fence and let his mind bask in the remembrance of long summer days under tranquil blue skies.

The pastures, lush and green. The paddock with its packed dirt circuit. The stables, once alive with the soft snuffles of contented horses and the familiar smells of oiled leather, fresh hay, and honest sweat.

Except for the glow of memory, nothing was the same.

The horse barn, the machine shed, even the nearby house were smaller than he remembered. Perhaps a consequence of seeing his uncle’s place for the first time with grown-up eyes. Or maybe his imagination had tricked him into thinking everything about the place was bigger. God knew he’d experienced too many nights when the only way he could lull himself to sleep was to conjure up happier times.

That long-ago summer, the summer after Mom’s last illness, he’d cut hay, filled the silo with the yellow kernels of newly harvested corn, and ridden horseback every chance he got. When the chores were done, he dozed beneath the old sycamore back by the pond. And he prayed for a return to before. The same prayer he wanted to pray now.

Not that it would do any good.

Praying wouldn’t erase the cracked paint on the fence and the buildings, the clumps of weeds overtaking the grass. Wouldn’t transform the land into the paradise he remembered. Ugly facts taunted him with their staunch reality.

A forlorn air hung over the place, heavy with regret and heartache. But the silent emptiness wasn’t because of his adult perspective or the glow of childhood memory.

Whisper Lane Stables might be a thriving business if Rusty were still alive. Except then he’d know how low Gabe had fallen…

Want to read more? Purchase: Link to Online Retailers

 

About the Author:

Johnnie Alexander is a wannabe vagabond with a heart for making memories. While relaxing on her Sunshine State patio with her dogs Rugby and Griff, she writes stories that tug at your heartstrings. She has won the prestigious American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) Genesis Contest (Historical) and received several conference awards. Johnnie is marketing director for the Mid-South Christian Writers Conference and past president of both the ACFW Memphis and ACFW Central Florida chapters.

 

Social Media Links

 

Website/Blog

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Amazon Author Page

 

 

Coffeecake Chaos and Ryan Jo Summers on Wednesday Writers

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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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Catherine Castle’s Christmas Reads: Matchmaker Mixup by Darlene Franklin

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Catherine Castle's Christmas Reads, Christmas story, Darlene Franklin, Matchmaker Mixup, Merry Matchmaker Collection, Sweet romance

Today on Christmas Reads we have an excerpt for Matchmaker Mixup by Darlene Franklin. With a title like that, I envision all sorts of plot trouble in this book. Matchmaker Mixup is part of the Merry Matchmaker collection.

Matchmaker Mixup

By Darlene Franklin

 

Pippin Cortland has decided to accept Clint Keller’s invitation to the Homecoming Dance their senior year. She’s said no for the last three years but wants to go at least once—with Clint.

Only Clint invites Pippin’s twin Margil instead. She agrees to go with Clint—and then accepts a second invitation as well. She insists Pippin pretend to be her sister and take her place with Clint.

When Clint falls for “Margil” at the dance, what is Pippin supposed to do?

 

Excerpt from Matchmaker Mixup

part of the Merry Matchmaker collection:

 

Maple Notch, Vermont, October 1901

Pippin Cortland lingered by the wall of the University’s gymnasium, trembling in anticipation. Why she had ever agreed to her twin’s hair-brained scheme? How could they possibly get through the evening without their escorts discovering their duplicity?

For a moment she thought she saw her twin, Margil, with Ned Hawkins, and her heart stuttered. But her date for the night, Clint Keller, didn’t notice them, and she relaxed. Her sister had accepted two dates to the homecoming dance and insisted that Pippin go with Clint, who’d asked first, so Margil could attend with Ned when he finally got round to asking. “Besides,” Margil had said, “it’s our senior year. You have to go to homecoming at least once.”

The band played “Good Evening, Carrie.” Clint turned to Pippin. “Would you care to dance, Marg?”

Before she could answer, Clint swept her onto the floor. According to the twins’ plan, Pippin and Clint would dance during one set while the other enjoyed refreshments or took a walk. They were wearing identical outfits, something they hadn’t done since childhood.

The dance was nothing like the nightmarish images Pippin had conjured last night. Long ago dance classes proved valuable as Pippin slipped into a lively two-step for one the year’s most popular songs. Was you dreaming ‘bout me, Carrie? Clint was an excellent dancer. Her fears of having her feet stepped on in Marg’s uncomfortable heels proved unfounded. Also, dancing minimized talking.

They stayed for a second song. Clint had the physique of a football player, a talent for baseball, but the glasses of a scholar. When he smiled, Pippin wished he were smiling at her, Pippin Margaret Cortland. But of course he believed her to be Margil Rose Cortland.

“Marg.”

That single word threw cold water on her spirits.

“I’m glad you agreed to come with me. I was afraid you would politely decline, as your sister has many a time.” He pushed his glasses back up his nose, something Pippin’s mother often did. Even with the glasses his brown eyes sparkled at her.

Pippin blushed. She had indeed turned him down on numerous occasions, not believing a man with his handsome features and fondness for sports could be seriously interested in a wallflower such as herself. Her mouth stayed closed as she searched for an explanation. How ironic, that Clint finally had the woman he had pursued for years but didn’t know it.

They danced for a moment before she said, “I’m curious as to how my sister is perceived. I want her to find happiness in this world, and not only in her fantasies.” She smiled and twirled the curls around her face, the way Margil did.

“How rude of me to mention her.”

Want to read more? Check out the book here

About the Author:

Best-selling author Darlene Franklin’s greatest claim to fame is that she writes full-time from a nursing home. She lives in Oklahoma, near her son and his family. She is an active member of Oklahoma City Christian Fiction Writers, American Christian Fiction Writers, and the Christian Authors Network. She has written over forty books and more than 250 devotionals.

Website and blog: Facebook: Amazon author page

Twitter: @darlenefranklin