Love is in the Air by Marie Bast

As a romance writer, I’m always on the look-out for a good story, subject matter, theme, or setting to inspire me. Everywhere we go, my eyes and ears are always peeled for something to arouse my interest for my next novel. And summer is a great time to go on a vacation or a hike, take a walk through the park, go to the many festivals that are all around like our Rhubarb Festival or Hog Fest, maybe attend an outside art and craft show or visit a historical site to glean ideas.

Last weekend, we enjoyed a concert in the park. Besides a terrific 

band, we saw young couples sharing a blanket on the ground or 

sitting side-by-side in lawn chairs holding hands. Many had 

playful interactions with the band.

                                                              

     

Sometimes just the lying on the warm sand in the Bahamas, Mexico, or Myrtle Beach can inspire the creative juices. One year, we visited the dunes in Michigan. Went on a canoe ride on lake Michigan and enjoyed the sunsets.

My husband and I love to go on cruises. The picture at the right is 

a replica of a nineteenth century paddle-boat dinner cruise on

the Mississippi River.        

The picture at the right is the Brilliance of the Sea Gulf Cruise we took to Cozumel, Mexico, in 2016. A cruise lends itself to romance in exotic, romantic, and historical places the ships visit. We’ve gone on several Bahama cruises to enjoy the beautiful beaches and warm water.

The below pictures are of my grandson and his girlfriend who was crowned South Carolina's 2016 Rodeo Queen. Now who doesn’t love a good rodeo or fair in the summer. They also like to enjoy a relaxing horseback ride.

So what is your favorite place or thing to do in the summer? And if you’re a writer, do you have a special place or event that gets you inspired for that next story?

Marie Bast is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author of romance     

that whispers words of hope and healing through complex 

characters and twisting plots. She enjoys writing Amish, 

contemporary and historical stories. Marie's latest release, The Amish Baker, is a Publisher Weekly best seller. Her next novel, 

The Amish Marriage Bargain releases January 2020. Married for 

twenty-seven years, Marie and her husband have two grown sons 

and one daughter. When she’s not writing, she’s walking, golfing, 

gardening or spending time with her family.

The Amish Baker purchase links:

AMAZON         BarnesandNoble            BooksAMillion               Christianbook

Visit Marie's website or follower her on social media:

mariebastauthor.com        Facebook        Twitter        Pinterest        blogspot

Wishing you all the best in 2019...and a drawing for a free book Roxanne Rustand

I've pretty much given up on New Year's resolutions--I never seem to make much progress, and after all these years I've finally accepted that failing.    Do you have more success with annual resolutions than I do? 

Short-term goals seem more attainable.  Right now, I am attacking clutter and trying to see just how much stuff I can send off to Salvation Army and Goodwill. With our kids grown, the spare bedrooms tend to be collection sites for random possessions, but I would love to have them ready for company at a moment's notice. And...my office is still a disaster after my last book deadline. After that, I look forward to being "off and running" with the next book to write for Love Inspired. Which will be far more fun than cleaning, to be sure!

Do you have any special goals or wishes for 2019? Something you hope to accomplish?

I would love to hear about it! If you leave a comment, you'll be in a drawing for a free e-copy of Falling for the Rancher.

Best wishes to you all for a wonderful, blessed year!

Roxanne Rustand

Crossing one off the list

Do you have a bucket list, a list of things you want to do in your life? 

I recently crossed one thing off my bucket list: I took a trip from Oregon to Denver.  I rode Amtrak’s Coast Starlight down to Sacramento, and then went eastward on the California Zephyr over the Sierras and through the Rockies to Denver. It was like taking a trip through history.

The Sierra foothills, home of the original 49ers

 I went through Donner Pass, where the Chinese immigrants had to blast tunnels through solid granite to get the trains over the pass.  Past Donner lake, which looks far too innocent for its tragic past. 

Donner lake, just below Donner summit

 Past Reno, I started to get the feel of being back in the old West. There were mustangs running wild on the hills. Then the land flattened out into a level landscape of sagebrush and dust, I marveled at the old pioneers, traveling by wagon or trudging through on foot.

East of Reno... a whole lotta sagebrush

 I couldn’t face a 36-hour trip in coach, so I splurged on a bedroom. Falling to sleep on a train was surprisingly easy. I let the rhythm of the rails lull me to sleep as we traveled through Nevada.

Woke to a Utahn sunrise, and the feeling of traveling back in time to the Old West continued. 

Utahn sunrise

 Travel by train is ideal for a writer. I brought my laptop along, and when not gazing out the window, I worked on a scene where the hero and heroine went to a beautiful desert canyon. All I had to do was look out the window for inspiration.

I wrote a romantic scene looking at this romantic scenery

All this needs is a handsome cowboy

The train followed the Colorado river up into the Rockies.

And I do mean up. The route through the Rockies climbed to over eight thousand feet before winding down in slow, wide curves down to Denver.

I loved seeing wild places, far from any road. I had no idea of all the little hidden pockets of beauty the Lord has placed in the loneliest of places. 

White cranes lurking in the emerald-green reeds in a pond in Nevada

Pelicans hanging out on a riverbank high in the Rockies

It was humbling to realize the depth and intricacy of the beauty of the Lord’s works. 

He counts the number of the stars. 

He calls them all by their names.

Psalm 147:4

 Every hour gave me new vistas that I hadn’t imagined before. So many different scenes and settings, people living their lives amid this beautiful scenery. We’d be in the middle of nowhere and I would catch a glimpse of a homestead out in the middle of a clearing. 

It struck me how many different lives were going on all around, hidden from my sight, but not His. If the Lord knows each star by name, I have faith that He loves each person who lives in His creation. And He knows them all by name.


Evelyn M. Hill is a multi-published author who lives at the end of the Oregon Trail. Her debut book, His Forgotten Fiancée, was published by Love Inspired Historical. Her latest book, The English Lieutenant's Lady, deals with British spies in the Oregon Territory (based on actual events). 
When not being distracted by her cat, she writes inspirational romances set in Oregon. She loves to hear from readers. Please visit her website or sign up for her newsletter.

Take Time to Play by Christa Sinclair

Hello! This is my very first post and I’m so excited to join everyone here! So, let’s get started…  

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” This is my all-time favorite quote. I have this saying on my refrigerator and on the cork board in my office to remind me every day that if I want a well-rounded life, I need to engage in some silliness from time to time.

Of course, it doesn’t have to be anything major. Some examples of my silliness are rolling across the grocery store parking lot on the cart, riding on a swing while kids played nearby, getting up on a stage to learn dance moves from professionals, and playing hopscotch down the hallway with some students at work. See? Lots of silliness there, but also tons of fun.

Think about it. When we’re children, our lives usually revolve around church, family, school and playing. As we grow, many people do less playing. And by the time we’re adults, we’ve switched over to focusing on a job (or 2), our own families, bills, and many more responsibilities. We’re expected to behave a certain way and be an example of a mature, respectful adult for younger generations. But I say don’t forget your inner child and here’s why…

In August, I began a new school year with some challenging changes. Between that job, day-to-day living, and working on book revisions, I was neglecting my inner child. But I didn’t realize it at first. Instead, I found myself getting depressed, which led me to sleeping a lot, which led me to not getting work done, which added stress, and then the cycle continued. Yep, I was totally wrapped up in “adulting”.

Then, one day last week on my drive to work I heard a new-to-me song that shook some sense into me. ("Joy" from for KING & COUNTRY).  I soon realized how important it is to embrace my inner child because taking time to play makes me stronger. It reminds me not to take myself or life too seriously. It makes me remember who and what are important to me. And it re-energizes me so I can handle all the adult responsibilities in my life with confidence and a clear head.

So, treat yourself. Be a kid again, if only for an afternoon or even five minutes. The “adult you” will thank you for it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christa Sinclair moved from New England to escape the harsh winters and settled in Texas once she received her Master’s degree in education. When she’s not teaching high school English or traveling around the world, she’s creating brave new characters who overcome danger to find love and to make sure the good guys win. Find out more about her at www.christasinclair.com, friend her on Facebook  or follow her on Twitter.

How Endings Impact Your Readers

by Lisa Jordan, @lisajordan

Several years ago, while shopping with friends at Sam’s Club, we milled around the book/DVD section. One of my friends picked up a movie and showed it to another friend in our group since it had one of her favorite actors in it. We had discussed this movie when the trailers were first shown, but none of us had seen it yet. The friend who adores this actor said she refused to watch the movie because she had talked with friends who had seen the movie and were disappointed in the ending—the lead character died in a shocking way. The friend who brought the movie to our attention asked if the movie was any good, despite the ending. The other friend and I spoke at the same time, "Doesn't matter."

Have you ever read the ending of the book to see if you’re going to like how the story is resolved? I admit to being a second-generation ending reader. Sometimes I really try hard, especially while reading suspense, not to skip ahead because I like to guess whom the villain is and if I’m right.

I want a promise of hope and a happily ever after. Since I'm investing my heart in a story and the characters, I want a heart-satisfying conclusion. 

Quite a few years ago, I watched a movie based on a novel written by a popular secular author who writes love stories—notice I did not say romances—yes, there is a difference. I loved the movie’s storyline and adored the characters until I watched the ending with horror. 

My heart had been ripped out!

I sobbed and not in a good way. If I had been reading the book, I would've flung it across the room. I was that angry! I vowed never to read that author's books or view his movies again. I will admit I broke that vow after a friend promised one of his movies did have an HEA ending.

Endings affect the way a reader enjoys a novel. Some readers like me want the fairy tale and happily ever after. Other readers want a satisfying conclusion as long as the story is good. Of course, the novel genre influences the ending, too.  

Romances need to have a happily ever after where boy and girl fall in love and commit to a future. Women’s fiction novels need to have a satisfying ending for the character’s story arc. Suspense and mystery novels should have a solved crime at the end. The villain isn’t always caught, especially if the novel is part of a series, but most often, all loose ends should be tied up neatly for the reader. Fantasy and sci-fi novels should have a satisfying resolution to fit the story premise. Basically, the reader needs to have an answer for the proposed story question at the beginning of the novel.

What about you? Do you read endings first? What kinds of endings upset you? For you writers, what genre do you write and how do you know when you’ve written a satisfying ending?

~*~

Heart, home, and faith have always been important to Lisa Jordan, so writing stories with those elements come naturally. Represented by Rachelle Gardner, Lisa is an award-winning author for Love Inspired, writing contemporary Christian romances that promise hope and happily ever after. She is the Operations Manager for My Book Therapy. Happily married to her own real-life hero for almost thirty years, Lisa and her husband have two grown sons. When she isn’t writing, Lisa enjoys family time, kayaking, good books, and playing in her craft room with friends. Visit her at lisajordanbooks.com.

I Can't Believe I'm here!

It's a dream come true being new to the Harlequin Publishing family and the Love Inspired line. So, I thought I'd do a top ten list of things you might want to know about me as a way of introducing myself to this fabulous group! So here goes....

10. I was born and raised in Columbia County, NY, an area in upstate New York, about 120 north of New York city.

9. I married my high school sweetheart 38 years ago...and that sounds like a really, really long time ago! LOL! And when we renewed our wedding vows our first time, (yes, we did it twice, and Elvis officiated in Vegas) my husband did a top ten list of why he loved me. Not a dry eye in the church!

8. I love to cook, but cleaning up the mess I make....not so much.

7. I always wanted to be an actress, but never got over my stage fright. My degree is in Theater Arts and I loved creating so much that I decided to write instead...and later in my life I realized I wanted to be a NASCAR driver. I'm still trying to figure out a way to make that happen.

6. I sold my first book on 9/9/99 at 1:30 pm. I was watching my favorite daytime soap, Days of Our Lives when Amy Garvey from Kensington Publishing called to make an offer for my novel, Adirondack Jewel which was published as Mountain Jewel.

5.  I love history and happy endings, which is probably why my first love as an author was to write historical romances.

A field in Clymer, NY the setting for A Love For Lizzie 

4. I love binge watching TV shows, like The Gilmore Girls, The Hart of Dixie, and When Calls The Heart.

3. I'm a country girl at heart.

2. I adore my family, which consists of our two married sons and five grandkids. Who knew having grandchildren could be so much fun?

1. My first Love Inspired book, A Love for Lizzie, (A New York state set Amish story) will be releasing in 2019.

Thank you so much for indulging me. I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you. In the comment section tell me one thing about yourself! There will be a drawing! One lucky winner (USA only) will be given an autographed print copy of A Changed Agent, Waterfall Press, book one, The Adirondack Pinkertons series.

I invite you to join me on Facebook 

visit my website 

Amazon author page 

Pinterest 

The Best Laid Plans by Merrillee Whren

When I signed up for this date several months ago, I was sure I would have the fifth book in my Front Porch Promises series, A Baby to Call Ours, finished and for sale. I don't even have it ready for presale. Three reasons. First, I found out in February that my computer hard drive was failing, and I had to have it replaced. Thankfully, I do have everything backed up in the cloud, but even with that, it takes a week to get the new hard drive installed. Then it takes another week or more to reload the software and all the files on the new hard drive. Secondly, we had unexpected grandparents' duty. We watched our grandchildren for a week, and that included two cross-country flights from Arizona to New Jersey and back. That meant three weeks of my writing time disrupted. Finally, I have no cover for the book. Here are the covers of the current books in the series.

As you can see all the covers have front porches. I want a cover with a front porch with a baby crib or carriage on it. I have been unable to find a photo that works. The first, second, and fourth books have covers made from stock photos. The third book is a photo I took of my friend's front porch with the three chairs on it. The child's chair was borrowed from one of her friends. I would take another photo myself, but I don't have a crib or cradle or a front porch. While the book is being edited, I'll keep looking for that perfect photo to use for the cover. 

All of this reminds me of the verse in Proverbs. "The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps." Proverbs 16:9 (NRSV) I am trusting that this book will come out at just the right time. Not my plan, but God's. 

Have you ever made plans and found that God had something else in mind for you?

PS  If you come across a photo with a front porch and a crib or cradle on it, please send me a message. You can contact me through my website. Click here to find the contact page. 

Merrillee Whren is the winner of the 2003 Golden Heart Award presented by Romance Writers of America. She is married to her own personal hero, her husband of forty-plus years, and has two grown daughters. Connect with her on her Facebook page and sign up for her newsletter.

             

New for December from Our Love Inspired Suspense Authors

Jean C. Gordon here with two new must buys from our Love Inspired Suspense authors. Just click on the cover to purchase it. And to learn more about these talented ladies, click on her name.

Amish Christmas Abduction
by Dana R. Lynn 

KIDNAPPED IN AMISH COUNTRY
After catching a glimpse of something she wasn’t supposed to see days before Christmas, Irene Martello is run off the road and barely survives. More shocking is the backseat whimper of an Amish toddler stowaway and the familiar sight of their rescuer—the man who’d let her down years earlier. Police chief Paul Kennedy fears Irene stumbled onto a kidnapping ring with two dangerous agendas: retrieving the girl and silencing the witness for good. Only Paul can keep them safe for the holidays. Guarding Irene means risking his heart—and his secret—but to save the child and the woman he never stopped loving, it’s a risk he has to take.

Classified K-9 Unit Christmas
by Lenora Worth and Terri Reed

A KILLER CHRISTMAS
When FBI K-9 agent Nina Atkins thwarts an attempted murder, she becomes a target of the killer—the same hit man US Marshal Thomas Grant is tracking. Even caught in the crosshairs, Nina’s reluctant to share her case, but working with Thomas may be the only way to capture a murderer before she becomes his next victim.

YULETIDE STALKING
Determined to stop an arsonist with the help of his accelerant-detecting K-9 partner, FBI agent Tim Ramsey must protect the only witness. But when the criminal begins stalking Vickie Petrov, can Tim convince her to trust him…and help her survive to see another Christmas?