BURNING LOVE #OnSale by JanaRichards

The ebook version of BURNING LOVE, my paranormal/contemporary sweet romance, is on sale for .99 cents from June 14 to 28!

Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | B and N | Bookstrand | Google Play | Kobo | iBooks | Walmart

Blurb:

After causing three cooking fires in her apartment, Iris Jensen finds herself evicted and homeless. She lands on Riley Benson's doorstep, looking to rent a room in the beautiful old home he's restoring. It's only for six weeks until Iris leaves Portland, Oregon for her new job on a cruise ship. Firefighter Riley knows firsthand what a bad tenant she can be. But he needs money to finish the work on the house he loves. And something about Iris pulls at his heart…

Meanwhile, in Heaven, two angels watch over the young lovers. Angelica and Hildegard work in Heaven's Relationship Division, where angels match mortals with their soul mates. The angels believe so strongly in Iris and Riley’s love that they break Heaven's rules to help them. Can the angels convince them their love will last a lifetime?

Excerpt:

Riley looked into her beautiful blue eyes and her smiling face and did the only thing he was capable of doing at the moment.

He kissed her.

Maybe later, he told himself, when sanity returned, he’d think of a hundred reasons why pulling Iris into his arms, holding her snug against his body, and plundering her soft, sweet mouth was not a good idea. But for now, right now, as she wound her arms around his neck and made tiny sounds of excitement deep in her throat, it felt exactly right.

Heaven. Having Iris in his corner made him believe everything was possible.

He stepped backward toward the stairs, pulling Iris with him, intent on taking her upstairs to his room. He suddenly tripped, nearly losing his balance. He glanced behind him and saw the object he’d stumbled over. A set of luggage sat next to the stairs, still bearing tags from the retailer.

“What the hell is this?”

Iris kissed his neck. “I’m sorry. I should have taken them up to my room.”

Iris had bought new luggage for her trip. Her plans hadn’t changed.

She’s leaving me.

The thought acted as effectively as a bucket of cold water tossed over his head. What was he doing? She was leaving in three weeks and didn’t plan to return. The calendar in the kitchen reminded him of that every day. Why start something that would only lead to heartache?

He’d already lost too many people in his life.

And Riley instinctively knew that if he let himself get close to Iris, let himself love her, a part of him would not survive when she left.

Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | B and N | Bookstrand | Google Play | Kobo | iBooks | Walmart

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Updates, Goodbyes and Memories by @JanaRichards_

Garage Sale Update

In my last post, I wrote about our upcoming garage sale. I’m happy to report we had a pretty successful day. My daughter got rid of the furniture she wanted to sell, and my husband was happy to sell stuff that’s been cluttering up the shed – an old lawn mower, a fertilizer spreader, and two bikes. Inevitably, some smaller stuff was leftover, but I’ve made arrangements to donate it. Pretty soon I’ll be able to get back into my garage!

As great as it was to declutter, one of the unexpected fun things about having the garage sale was getting out into the front yard and talking to people. We have very long winters here in the great white north, and as a result, we spend a good part of the year stuck indoors. That means we may not see our neighbors for long stretches of time. Having a garage sale was the perfect opportunity to socialize.

I’d never met the neighbor from down the street before but when he saw we were having a sale he came over to say hello and introduce himself. The neighbors across the street filled us in on some neighborhood gossip (always interesting). And the lady who bought one of our bikes asked me if I was interested in walking with her. So now I have a walking buddy. All in all, it was a very successful day.

Saying Goodbye

Fellow Wrangler Ava Cuvay wrote her final Word Wranglers post on Tuesday, and I just want to say I'm really going to miss you, Ava. Even if you thought your posts have been uninspiring of late, I've always enjoyed your writing. And your sense of humour! I will continue to stalk you on Facebook to get a dose of that lovely humour. Best of luck, sweetie!

Today in History

Today, June 14, would have been my dad’s 98th birthday. With June 6 marking the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, I’ve been thinking about him a lot. Dad was a twenty-two year old Saskatchewan farm boy in 1942 when he enlisted with the Regina Rifles. After training in Shilo, Manitoba and Vernon, B.C., he was shipped to England to continue his training. And on June 6, 1944 he found himself storming Juno Beach on the Normandy coast.  

Dad’s fighting days didn’t last long. On June 9, 1944 he was captured by the Germans and spent the next ten months as a POW. He celebrated his twenty-fourth birthday as a prisoner.

He didn’t talk much about his prison camp experience, other than to say they didn’t have much to eat, aside from turnips. Every time a football game came on TV, he told me about seeing the game played for the first time in the camp by some American POWs. But he also talked about working in German factories as forced labour. He was probably a prime candidate since he spoke German. 

When my daughter and I requested my dad’s war records, we found copies of three telegrams sent to my grandparents. In the first one, dated June 1944, it lists my dad as missing. The second one, dated November 1944, tells them the Red Cross has confirmed he is a prisoner of war. The third and final telegram in April 1945 informs my grandparents that my dad is safe in England. It struck me when I read those telegrams that for nearly six months my grandparents didn’t know if their son was dead or alive, something I’d never considered before. I can only imagine what they went through. 

So, I’m thinking of you, Dad. Happy Birthday.

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So this is Good-Bye

By Ava Cuvay

There is no way to ease into today’s blog topic, so I’ll come right out and say it: this is my last blog as a Word Wrangler.

It’s truly a bittersweet decision. Life is getting too crazy for me to keep up with everything I’m trying to juggle (I blame the tweens), so something or several things need to give. For some reason I can’t figure out, I’m unable to comment on anyone’s post, which has significantly reduced my ability to interact with my fellow Wranglers and all who join us at the corral. And my recent posts – heck, maybe the last couple years’ worth – haven’t been particularly inspired or inspiring.

But I hate having to say “good-bye.” It feels a lot like giving up or admitting defeat, and I don’t like that feeling. So much so that I’ve struggled against this decision for a long while. It’s just a phase… Things will get better… I just need to better plan my time/focus on what I want to say/talk about things that are meaningful/do it all better than I have been… Even the little changes now seem overwhelming and I just have to concede that I can’t do it all, even though I wish I could.

I also dislike “good-byes” because not only do I have to bid farewell to the wonderful readers who visit our blog, but I also have to walk away from the five fabulous gals who have been my fellow Wranglers for so long. They are talented writers and wonderful, warm, supportive, funny, and delightful individuals. And I will truly miss them. While we’ll still connect through Facebook and through their blogs, it won’t be the same and I certainly don’t like that kind of change.

But life moves ever forward, and sometimes the road we need to walk diverges from the paths of our fellow travelers. Which sounds all philosophical and wise, but it’s really just a fancy way of saying I need to make some changes in my life, and stepping away from Word Wranglers is one of those changes.

So, I’ll say good-bye, and wish everyone a wonderful journey in your life. For anyone who wants to keep tabs on me and isn't already following me on facebook, Goodreads, or via my newsletter, I'd love to have you stalk me ;-) Otherwise, may the Muse bless you with written words and author magic. Live long and prosper. Do or Do not; there is no try. And May the Force be with all of you!

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Conquering the Blank Slate

by Margie Senechal

The blank page is a scary place for a writer. I'm thinking that while I stare at this blog page and I can't think of anything to write. But, now I have like 30 words and the page no longer blank. Maybe my thoughts are tied to my fingers. Hmmm

I am tired of living of a merely existing life. One in which I work, return home exhausted, and really don't do much of anything else. My two days off are generally spent in catching up on all I didn't do on those other five days, seeing a movie with Jordan, scheduled appointments...

I want to learn to live a life of intent. I want to choose my course, not just drift on the course I'm on.

To that end, last week I wrote out a five-year goal list. Some of the items on that list were:
--lose 100 pounds
--be working 30 hours a week
--published 2-3 books
--go to Rachel Herron's Italian writing getaway

There are other things on the list, but I'd have to leave the computer and find them, and since I only have 30 minutes before I have to go to work...

After I wrote my 5 year goal list, I decided what I wanted to tackle in the present to work towards those goals. Like losing 2 pounds a month.

And as for writing, Rachel Herron's newsletter dropped in my email the day after I wrote the list and she was talking about the success of her first 90-day novel writing course. And breaking down your writing goals into achievable daily goals.

SO, for my suitcases manuscript, I have 25K words. I figure it should be about a 60-65K when it's finished. I want to finish it by the end of July. I did the math and I should be writing 900 words a day.

Although, since I made that decision, I've only written a few hundred in three or four days. So, I need to really commit to that goal or my total words per day will increase if I want to be finished by August.

I'm listening to the rain hit my tree out my desk window and really wishing I didn't have to go to work this morning and could stay at the computer and write forever...

Soon, my muse, soon.

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Lipstick on a cup and other memories by Liz Flaherty #WordWranglers

"Flowers in the city are like lipstick on a woman -- it just makes you look better to have a little color." - Lady Bird Johnson

Several months ago, I put on makeup to go out and realized I looked better with it on. Nan and I were off on a weekend soon afterward and did a little high-school-freshman shopping at Walgreen's or CVS and I added to my cosmetics supply. On her advice, I even started wearing eye shadow. I'm still not good at it, but I'm getting better. Whether I like to admit it or not, the truth is that when I look better, I feel better. That being the case, I wear makeup nearly every day, even if I'm not going anywhere. The roommate likes me in it, too, and mentions it, and while I don't think I'd wear it for that reason alone, the "new look from an old lover" doesn't hurt.

A few days into my makeup-wearing adventure, I looked at my coffee cup and saw lipstick on its edge. My first thought was, I'll admit, "Yuck," and I grabbed a napkin to rub it away. My second thought was of my mother-in-law, who left lipstick on every cup she drank from and, more importantly, on everyone she kissed hello or goodbye.

In short, lipstick was part of Mom's telling you she loved you. I think of her every time I see my "Tickled Pink" lip print on my cup. And I leave it there.

You might wonder, and rightfully so, what lipstick smears have to do with writing romance or women's fiction. The only time the prints show up is on murder mystery covers or if a wayward husband is having an affair.

But my kids grew up with their grandma's lip prints on their foreheads and their cheeks. It is a memory that has a place in all our hearts. It gives joy to me each time I look at the pink spot on my cup.

As an author, this is what I want to give to people who read my stuff. They don't have to remember all my titles, protagonists, or story lines. They don't have to finish a book if it doesn't click after the first chapter, although I thank them for trying.

But, if they remember Grace Elliot saying "geezy Pete," or Lucy Dolan's cat, Kitty Kinsale, or that Cass Logan made the best gingerbread men in Christmas Town, I'm happy with that. I hope they are, too. I hope it's the lipstick print on their cups and that they smile when they remember.

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Cover Reveal!

Hey Wranglers, check out the cover for my newest book, Meant to Be, which releases July 18 from Tule Publishing. It's Book 2 in the Four Irish Brothers Winery series and the new title fits the story to a T. I love, love how the folks on this gorgeous cover truly capture Sean Flaherty and Megan Mackenzie. I'm so excited about this book! Sean and Megan's friends-to-lovers story is not only fun and romantic, but book 2 in the Four Irish Brothers Series brings back all the Flaherty brothers and the quirky small town of River's Edge, Indiana. There's even a little secondary seasoned romance happening! (No spoilers, but you're going to love it!)

Please click to pre-order Meant to Be--on July 18, you'll be so glad you did!

Can a near-tragedy help two best friends realize they’re meant to be so much more?

Best friends since grade school, high-powered Chicago attorney, Sean Flaherty, and small-town mayor Megan Mackenzie have always shared a special bond. When Sean is shot by a client’s angry ex, Megan rushes to his side, terrified she’s about to lose her long-time confidant.

Upon his return to River’s Edge to recuperate, Sean discovers that his feelings for his pal have taken an undeniable turn for the romantic. While Megan struggles with an unfamiliar longing for Sean, she worries that he may be mistaking a safe place to land for love. 

Can Sean help her realize that they are truly meant to be so much more than friends?

Thanks so much for all your reader/writer support for the Flahertys and my books! I appreciate you all more than you know!

~Nan~

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