Coming soon!

After my publisher, Turquoise Morning Press, closed its doors, I found a new home for my books. I published the series romance novels through Amazon's CreateSpace. But my romantic suspense, REBUILD MY WORLD, found a home at Salt Run Publishing, LLC, Since it's part of my Mustang Sally trilogy, it needed better exposure. This time around, the novel has added bonus material, a short story sequel of sorts called Veiled Threat. If you read TMP's anthology The Wedding Day Collection (now out of print), you may remember Veiled Threat. Both have been reedited and revised.

Soon REBUILD MY WORLD with its bonus VEILED THREAT will be available. I'll keep you posted. I am super excited to be working with the folks at Salt Run Publishing! 

My Mother the CFO

Mother's Big Apple

My parents never went to New York. I doubt they even knew the city's nickname was the big apple. In our house, The Big Apple meant financial management. My parents worked hard in blue-collar jobs to make ends meet. Somehow they kept the bills paid and their spoiled-rotten daughter in Bobbie Brooks clothes and Bass Weejuns.

My earliest memories of payday found my mother at the kitchen table with The Big Apple. Inside were mysterious pieces of paper and the checkbook. I later learned the pieces of paper were bills to be paid or receipts saved for income tax filing. I knew The Big Apple was important because she kept it high on top the refrigerator out of my reach. 

As I grew older, I was trusted with The Big Apple. Mother would say "Get me The Big Apple." I knew that meant she had financial business. Either she needed to pay bills or organize receipts for our income taxes. Daddy deferred all financial responsibilities to Mother. He'd bring in a receipt and ask, "Want me to put this in The Big Apple?"

Years later, after I'd married and moved away, Mother and Daddy maintained The Big Apple method of financial management, and it apparently worked for them. With their spoiled-rotten daughter gone, they emerged from debt and even managed to save enough to retire. It wasn't until I was in my thirties that I saw another big apple at an antique store and learned it was a semi-valuable collectible cookie jar. Cookie jar? I doubt Mother's big apple ever held a cookie in its life. 

Both my parents are gone and my family has divided their few possessions. I am now the proud owner of The Big Apple. I don't use it for a cookie jar or a file cabinet. It sits empty in a place of honor in my own kitchen to remind me of my family "riches." Mother and Daddy may not have had financial wealth, but they gave my sister and me a secure, loving childhood that's worth more than gold.

Do you have something displayed in your home to remind you of your childhood? Do share.

Release day for A Dose of Romance (Drake Springs Book 3)

IBOOKS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO | SMASHWORDS | 

Authors love release day. Months of hard work--writing, editing, proofing, revising, copy editing--culminates in a finished product ready for readers. You! I'm no different. I'm thrilled to have readers download A DOSE OF ROMANCE and read Tiffany and Woody's story. It's set around the holidays but isn't strictly a holiday read. 

This is book 3, you say, and you haven't yet read books 1 and/or 2? Don't let that stop you. While it's fun to read a series in order, you don't have to. My number one rule in writing a series romance is to make the story stand alone. Threads from other stories need to be reintroduced. I don't want my readers lost or scrambling to re-read a previous story. So even if you've yet to try the Drake Springs series, dive in and read A DOSE OF ROMANCE. If you like it, then you may want to buy previous titles. Or not. Your decision.

Happy reading!  And don't forget to enter the raffle for a $10 iTunes card.

Excerpt:

Tiffany rushed in to Fox’s Apothecary right before closing and headed directly to the pharmacy. 

The pharmacist turned to greet her. “Help you?” 

It was him. Woody Fox. Mister light-brew-with-half-and-half. Her heart stuttered and her breath caught. “Um, yes, I’m here to pick up a refill for my dad. Er, Drew Blair.” 

His smile widened. “Drew Blair is your dad? I guess I didn’t realize. . .that is, I didn’t know your name was Blair.” 

“You know my dad?” 

“Yes, I do. Not sure where I’d be without him. He keeps my old Bronco running.” 

“Don’t know where I’d be without him, either.” 

He turned to search through the white bags of filled prescription orders. “His is the best auto repair shop- in town.” 

She did an eye roll at his back. “Right. He’s the only shop in town.” 

He turned his dazzling smile on her. “Here you go.” 

She took the bag and thanked him. “Well, I guess I’ll see you Monday.” 

He frowned. “You don’t work Saturdays?” 

“I do.” She pointed to her temple. “Duh. I’m brain dead from too much studying.” 

“What are you studying?” 

“Business. I’ll have my associate’s degree in May.” 

His hazel eyes flashed with interest. “I didn’t realize you were a college student.” 

“I’m not going to wait tables all my life, not that there’s anything wrong with it.” 

“I know what you mean. What will you do with your degree?” 

“I have a few ideas. Dad says I can run his shop, but that’s risking everything on one business. It’s better to diversify.” 

“Right. Spread the risk.” He leaned against the counter. “I didn’t know they taught business classes at Drake College.” 

“They don’t. I have to commute to Florida Gateway College.” 

“Is that in Lake City?” 

“Right.” She’d stalled long enough. He might think she was flirting. She turned toward the front checkout counter. “See you later.” 

“Sure. I’d like to talk more about your business ideas.” 

“Uh, yeah. But not at the diner, okay? I don’t want to discuss it on the job.” 

“Gotcha.”

Boyd and Lorraine didn’t know her plan. No one did yet. So why had she mentioned it to Mister light-brew-with-half-and-half? Mister engaged-to-be-married light-brew-with-half-and-half?

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Holiday Stories

I've posted before about my love of holiday themed stories. I re-read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens every December. I watch all the corny holiday movies on the Hallmark channel. I have my own copy of A Christmas Story. I admit it. I'm a sucker for Christmas stories, especially romances.

The first Christmas romance I wrote was for Wings ePress. My contemporary romance Last Resort, which was inspired by and loosely based on the old Alec Guinness movie Last Holiday (this was before Queen Latifah's updated version---and yes, I have that DVD, too), earned me the 2003 EPPIE (now EPIC) award for best contemporary romance.

2003 Eppie Winner

Last year, I wrote my first inspirational romance story, The Christmas Prayer,  part of The Heart of Christmas anthology from Highland Press. The feedback I received from readers overwhelmed me. I didn't expect to find many readers for my foray into the subgenre of inspirational romance. Evidently, there's a market.

The reception for that story motivated me to write another, a sequel of sorts, titled Hometown Blessings, which is included in the Christmas Blessings anthology from Highland Press. (Note: All four stories connect to the four stories in the previous anthology, and there's talk of doing a third in the series for 2015). The "hometown" is fictional Harper, Georgia, a small community in the North Georgia mountains. The subject matter may be controversial, but I was moved to write the story. It's a timely issue--sexual predators within the church--and tough subject matter. Yet it's a happy holiday romance, too. I hope you'll give it a read.

Since it's gift giving season, consider copies of these anthologies as presents to the romance readers on your list. The anthology is offered in both print and e-book, or you can download the individual stories for .99 each.   

And don't forget to enter the drawing for the iTunes gift card.

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FOSTER CARE ~ Drake Springs Book 2

What do you think when you hear "Foster Care?" In Drake Springs, "Foster Care" isn't used in the usual sense. Foster Care, located in Foster County and run by the two Foster sisters, is a nursery school and daycare facility. Actually, it's the nursery school and daycare. Drake Springs is a small town, and before the sisters opened Foster Care, working parents had few options for childcare. 

Kirby and Mandy Foster share a passion for children and education, so their chosen career paths make sense. Both vow to keep Foster Care open even in the event they marry. In Kirby's case, marriage is highly unlikely. She's gun shy after her ex betrayed her. Older sister Mandy is just too picky to find Mr. Right.

When a private investigator asks Kirby out to dinner, she knows it's a safe date. He'll soon head back to New Jersey, and she's not serious about any guy. But Nick Tomasi isn't just any guy. He's amazingly easy to talk to (and amazingly easy on the eyes, too). In fact, he seems eerily familiar. It's as if she's known him her entire adult life. How could that be?

As for Nick, could the pretty red-haired Kirby knock him off his game? Soon he falls victim to her "Foster Care" and almost forgets his real reason for the trip to Drake Springs. When Kirby finds out, all hope for a future with her almost soul mate evaporates. Can Nick save the day and win the girl, or will he ride off into the sunset?

Foster Care is available in digital formats from the following sites:



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Where is Harper, Georgia?

The fourth and final holiday story in Christmas Blessings is mine, Hometown Blessings. The title's "hometown" is fictional Harper, Georgia, which is located vaguely near Cleveland, Georgia, in the mountains.

If you visit Cleveland (or any of the area's towns) you'll get a feel for the small town of Harper. My mental model for the town actually was Jasper, Georgia, but I wanted it located a bit closer to Gainesville and Atlanta. Folks in the North Georgia mountains get along. As with most small towns, they band together to help neighbors in need. Plenty of churches of all denominations dot the landscape, and there's a town square with the county courthouse and surrounding local businesses.

And there's good eats! In fact, the "Good Eats" man himself, Alton Brown, is from Georgia. The Smith House in Dahlonega and the Dillard House in Dillard are just two of the many family style restaurants where great local cuisine is served in large bowls (all you can eat!) that get passed around the table. Some of these seat you at large tables with strangers, but you won't be strangers long. Nothing breaks the ice like breaking bread together--usually cornbread.

The Moonlight Diner sits right in the center of Harper, right on the town square, and owner Maudine Jones serves the best biscuits in the South. It's where locals gather for the lunch special or simply for a coffee break. If you're law enforcement, Maudine gives you free coffee, so guess where local cops take their breaks.

Right before Thanksgiving, Harper decorates the town with lighted candy canes on each lamp post. Every place of business participates with lights of their own. The first Saturday in December is the parade and festival, followed that evening by the tree lighting and, weather permitting, street dance.

Welcome to Harper, Georgia. Y'all come on in and sit a spell. Get to know the friendly folks and yummy food. Enjoy Hometown Blessings.

And don't y'all forget to enter the giveaway! You can enter again today even if you've already participated.

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Tour Low Lake, Florida

Multi-published romance author Patty Howell is today's guest blogger, and she created her own southern town for her Christmas story, Low Lake. Patty calls Suwannee County, Florida, home now but has lived all over the world. She's known as a skilled editor, too. And she's also known as my friend and colleague. Be sure to read her story, The Blessing of Forgiveness, part of Christmas Blessings.

The setting for the Blessing of Forgiveness is Low Lake, a fictionalized small town in North Florida that borders Suwannee County. The town has grown over the last twenty years and now hosts about 20,000 residents. For big-city shopping and more elegant dining the townsfolk can travel to Jacksonville, Tallahassee, or Gainesville.

Low Lake’s fame is its churches. Almost every denomination is served and they work together to take care of the less fortunate living among them. Although snow isn’t an attraction at Christmas time, the love and warmth of its residents will melt even the coldest of hearts.

Some of my characters were born and raised in Low Lake, others have moved here from far and wide, but all agree on one thing: even in its growth, Low Lake takes care of its own.

Don't miss Christmas in Low Lake, Florida. And don't miss out on the giveaway. You may enter every day for a print copy of The Heart of Christmas.

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The Magic of Mistletoe, Tennessee

When it comes to Christmas tradition, no town does a better job than Mistletoe, Tennessee. Just ask its creator, author Judith Leigh, our next guest poster. Judy is a good friend, and her compassion and sensitivity show up in her writing.

My setting for Mistletoe Blessings came about one day when I was looking through a travel magazine. I spotted a picture of a snow-covered town, the kind that you see on a Courier & Ives Christmas card. The caption read Why Not Spend Christmas on Lookout Mountain. I knew where I was going to send my heroine, and since they grow Mistletoe around the area that is what I named my town.

Mistletoe is in Tennessee. The small town has grown somewhat and boasts a population of 7,950 residents. When they want to do heavy shopping and fancy eating, they go to Nashville or Chattanooga. Mistletoe is noted for its magical happenings. Many tourists have experienced the strange feelings that come over them while looking at the town’s angel statue. It stands near the center of town next to a Gazebo. It’s a place where dreams come true.     

Many of my characters were born and raised there. Others left then returned to stay forever. Warmth and love surround this town. The citizens are always there for each other with a helping hand and encouragement. It’s a place that once you come here you don’t want to leave; and if you do leave, you’ll come back again and again. 

Come on, why not plan a trip to Mistletoe? See what magic awaits this Christmas. We’re waiting for y'all at the café with a glass of milk and a piece of Tami’s Christmas cake.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway. You may enter every day! 

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Welcome to Stableton, Florida

Today's guest post is from Susan Sweet, friend and author of inspirational stories for Highland Press and mysteries for Wings ePress. Susan takes us on a tour of her story's small town.

Dan Forest returned to his home town Stableton, Florida, after losing his wife and daughter to the devastating floods of Hurricane Katrina. He needed to be around his family and friends to put his life back together.

Stableton is a fictional small town in northern Florida, where there are fewer than 25,000 people. It boasts one major fire department, a sheriff's office, one hospital, and one large shopping strip which includes a major grocery store. Everyone there either knows you or has heard of you, but in a nice way. The closest major town is Jacksonville. If you need the attractions that city holds, you have to travel only 35 miles.

The citizens are friendly, helpful and actually care about the well-being of their fellow neighbors and friends. This is the town I've picked for my character's haven. This is the town where Betty and her daughter Amber rejoin their family to try and move on after tragedy struck them. You'll see how the family atmosphere of this small town steps in to do just that very thing.

Don't miss A Flood of Blessings, the lead story in Christmas Blessings. And don't forget to enter the giveaway. You may enter every day.

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Small Town Holiday Stories

I'm a sucker for corny holiday stories. When George Bailey races through the snowy Christmas Eve to the town square of Bedford Falls yelling "Merry Christmas, Mr. Potter" I choke up. It's a Wonderful Life is a wonderful lesson in appreciating what we have.

Shopping for books, I'm drawn to cover art featuring a snow-covered town square decorated for Christmas. During November and December, my default channel on my TV is Hallmark because the network shows holiday films every day. Some I've watched a dozen times, like November Christmas, and I still boo hoo when the town pulls out all the stops to move up the calendar for a leukemia-stricken little girl (Spoiler alert: She lives. I couldn't watch it if she didn't).

Sure, good holiday stories are set in large cities, too, none better than Miracle on 34th Street. My first trip to the Big Apple included a shopping trip to the Macy's on 34th. Of course. Unfortunately, it was August and St. Nicholas wasn't there yet. Most of my favorites, though, take place in small towns.

My writing colleagues (and now my good friends!) and I put together an anthology of inspirational stories featuring feel-good Christmas stories set in small, Southern towns. Over the next few days, we'll give you a tour of each story's community.

We believe Christmas Blessings makes a good gift for the readers on your list. You may enjoy our previous anthology, The Heart of Christmas. The set would make a doubly good gift. Be sure to enter the giveaway to win a free copy of The Heart of Christmas. You can enter every day!

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RETURN TO DRAKE SPRINGS now!

Today is release day for RETURN TO DRAKE SPRINGS. I am excited to launch this category romance series with Turquoise Morning Press. RETURN TO DRAKE SPRINGS is the first of a six-book "Next Door" series of romance stories, all set in the small Florida town of Drake Springs.

Lance George debates his decision to return to his hometown, but the price is right on the abandoned veterinary hospital he hopes to buy. He’s saved his money to open his practice by living frugally and purchasing wisely. There’s no room in his life for wasteful spending. His alcoholic mother squandered everything she had when he was growing up, leaving him with an obsessive motivation to achieve financial security.

Iris Porter is unaware that she broke Lance’s heart in high school. She’s too busy trying to earn a living in a tough economy. She hopes to reclaim her old job as a veterinary assistant when Lance reopens the town’s only animal clinic. Popular and friendly, Iris is known to be generous to a fault. When a friend’s baby is stricken with leukemia, she organizes fundraisers and enlists Lance’s help.

Lance’s feelings for Iris rekindle when he realizes how much she’s changed. The high school snob is at odds with the caring, sensitive woman who wants to help a family in need. But can he reconcile Iris’s generous spirit with his overpowering need for penny pinching? 

Every book in the series begins with a post from the town's newspaper editor. Here is a sneak peek:

From The Drake Springs Democrat, 

Amy Gillespie, editor.

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Town Crier.” 

Don’t believe everything you hear about small towns. There is plenty going on in Drake Springs, Florida. We have an engagement announcement in the Community section. The dean at Drake College of Liberal Arts, Samuel Drake, is getting married to Victoria Draper of Tampa. This is happy news for the couple but sad news for our annual bachelor auction for charity. Sam Drake always earned generous bids from the women. 

In addition to the lovebirds, the love bugs have returned this month in full force. The swarms of insects that blacken windshields and threaten radiators show up every May and September. Along with our spring visitors, hot weather has returned. So if you’re new to the North Florida area, I say, “Yes. This is normal. Sorry.” At least we don’t need snow removal equipment and chains in winter. I’ll take that trade-off. 

My secret source in real estate says sales have picked up. Look for a couple of new businesses opening soon. Has someone finally purchased the Wilson House? It would make a lovely bed and breakfast (hint, hint). We also need a barista and a veterinarian. Any takers? 

Until next time, remember it’s not gossip if it’s true!

Amy

If some of these names seem familiar, you must have read Reclaim My Life or Rebuild My World, two romantic suspense novels that started my attachment to the small town of Drake Springs, Florida. Or perhaps you read the short story Veiled Threat, part of the Wedding Day Collection anthology.

If you're new to Drake Springs, fear not. The friendly citizens will make you feel right at home. Enjoy!

~*~

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RETURN TO DRAKE SPRINGS

During September, I've posted and had guests post about their fictional small towns included in the Small Town Charm boxed set sold by Turquoise Morning Press. I hope you've had a chance to read this collection of romances. My Rebuild My World is set in Drake Springs, Florida, and I intended it to be the last book set there (a sequel to the first Drake Springs novel, Reclaim My Life). But the town stayed with me. So many interesting characters and so many stories...

October 15, 2014, TMP launches the new Drake Springs category romance series (Their Next Door line) with Book 1: Return to Drake Springs. These are short romance novels that are sweet in tone, available in e-book formats.

Book 1: Return to Drake Springs

If you've read Reclaim My Life and/or Rebuild My World  (Or Veiled Threat from the Wedding Day Collection anthology), you'll revisit familiar characters. But you don't need to read those to start reading this series. I hope you enjoy this small Florida town and that you'll RETURN TO DRAKE SPRINGS soon!

And don't forget to sign up for my mailing list for exclusive content, contests, and fun!

SMALL TOWN CHARM BOXED SET

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I do hope you've enjoyed meeting the eight authors from this small town charm boxed set. At 99¢ it's a great bargain for your e-reader, too.
To learn more about my small town Drake Springs, Florida, "like" its Facebook Page and find out about the upcoming, category romance series from Turquoise Morning Press. It's already an award-winning series!

Or you can order here:

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SMALL TOWN CHARM BLOGGER #8: Jennifer Anderson

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Welcome to Honey Creek, Ohio!

Take a walk around town, where there is only one stoplight, one gas station, one grocery story, many churches and one lake. But, oh man, what a lake.

Honey Creek Lake is where a lot of the magic and drama happens in the sweet, little town. Maybe take a dip in our man-made waters. Walk along the edge and watch the boaters zip by sending waves a water to lap the shores. Have a lazy day, cast out a line and wait for the fish to bite. Or maybe, grab the hand of your loved one and step inside our new gazebo. Slip under our famous Weeping Willow and steel a kiss from your sweetie. Every corner of our lake holds a story. When you’re there, create your own.

Head five miles back into town from the lake, stop by our White Cottage Restaurant, and have a slice of strawberry pie, although I’m partial to the lemon meringue. The pie display case and red-topped tables only add to the incredible yummies filling every plate. Catch 22 Pizza sets off the perfect Italian mood with soft lighting and scents of garlic, warm bread and spicy sauce. Grab a slice or an entire pizza pie. Is doesn’t matter because after one bite, you’ll be back for more.

If you’re only here for a short while, maybe plan a trip back during our summer months. We host a Strawberry Festival with music and booths full of berry fare. July plays host to a Fourth of July celebration with a parade and fireworks at the lake. Rent a cabin and stay awhile. You’re sure to find whatever you’re looking for in our charming town and rural county.

Honey Creek sets the stage for a sweet Young Adult novella, Ice Princess. In it, Mya wants to shake things up in her small town. But once she’s given what she wants, will she change her mind and crave for normalcy.

Here’s an excerpt from Ice Princess, Honey Creek Royalty Book 1:

“Okay. Stop me if you’ve heard this one. A farmer and a pig….”

“Stop,” I yelled without looking up.

“I already told you that one?”

“No, but any joke starting with a farmer and pig can’t be good.” I rolled over on the large towel we’d spread across the sand. It was the last day of summer vacation, and Michael and I agreed to spend the day together doing nothing but enjoying the sun. Living in Ohio, we weren’t sure how many more days we had left. Soon the leaves would fall showing off snow-covered cornfields.

“Can you toss me a Dr. Pepper?”

“Sure.” Without looking, I reached into the small red Igloo cooler we brought and produced a cold dripping can. I knew it was for him since I preferred bottled water to soda. Not Michael. The kid lived on caffeine and sugar. Which made the lack of fat on his body hard to explain. Not that I’d ever noticed. Michael Graves was my best friend. And nothing more.

“So, you ready for tomorrow?”

“Sure, I guess,” I answered. “How’s it any different than the last three years at Fayette County High? Really, we’ve known the same people and gone to school with them for the past twelve years. We all know who we’re gonna eat lunch with or who we’re gonna sit with at opening assembly. Boring.” I wasn’t a pessimist or a Debbie Downer, but Honey Creek needed some excitement and I didn’t think our senior year would prove to be any different unless something unusual happened.

“Ok. So why don’t we spice it up a bit.”

“Like what?”

“Let’s start a nasty rumor or sit at a different table at lunch.”

“Ooh, Michael, you’re so scandalous! Have I been rubbing off on you?”

“Hardly. I think the most daring thing you’ve ever done was streak across my yard when we were five because you’d heard wearing your bathing suit gave you tan lines. Even though you had no idea what tan lines were, I might add,” he said with a smirk. The afternoon sun danced across his blonde moppy hair, intensifying his golden highlights. He sat next to me in a short beach chair staring out at the water. Everyone we knew was out enjoying the last weekend of August. All of the rental cottages were empty from the few Honey Creek vacationers that came to visit the lake. It was a manmade watering hole, but that didn’t take away from the fun had there. Boats skidded across the water pulling skiers or tubers in their wake. The sand was dressed with towels and blankets full of half-clothed bodies soaking up the sun like Michael and me.

“So word around town is there’s a new kid coming to school.”

4 Star LASR Review: Great Read!

“It is a wonderfully emotional short story with just the right balance of sweetness and sadness. I recommend it to anyone who relishes a charming story of love and friendship.”

"The emotional scenes in the hospital and day of funeral are great - I know I cried when I reviewed initially, and I cried again in both read throughs this week - I'm such a sap :-)" -Wendy on GoodReads

Blurb:

Mya Newman never minded the routine or quiet that came with living in Honey Creek, Ohio. For her senior year, she craves something exciting to happen instead of it melting into a cookie cutter routine like the previous years.

When a new girl, Audrey Moore, moves to town, Mya finds herself caught in a triangle. She discovers hidden feelings for her best friend, Michael Graves, but he seems to have eyes for the new girl.

After Mya's father becomes ill and eventually passes, she turns to her best friend, Michael. He never leaves her side, but she wonders if he'd rather be elsewhere. With fear of rejection and loss of friendship, Mya decides she can't confess her recently discovered feelings.

When Michael and Mya share a dance at the Winter Formal, does she open her heart to him? Or does she shy away, forever longing to be the princess who finds her prince?

About Jennifer Anderson:

I'm a Mommy, wife and now author. Even though I've spent many years on either coast, I've spent a majority of my life in the Midwest. Here is where my heart grows with the love and support of my family and friends and here is where I find inspiration for my stories.

I'm also excited to announce Spider, my first non-series YA novel will also release in 2013. My Brother's Wedding, a contemporary romance, releases in e-book only in August 2013. Stay tuned for more news.

My complete list of releases:
Ice Princess, Honey Creek Royalty Book 1
Prince Charming, Honey Creek Royalty Book 2
Queen Mean, Honey Creek Royalty Book 3
King of the Lake, Honey Creek Royalty Book 4
Spider, May 2013
My Brother's Wedding, August 2013

Print edition of Books 1-3 from Honey Creek Royalty Series are now available!

You can visit me at www.jenandersonauthor.com and www.musingsfromthepeanutgallery.blogspot.com

Twitter: @JenniA8677

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SMALL TOWN CHARM BLOGGER #7: Judy Alter

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A city girl discovers small-town Texas

Coming from Chicago, where I’d been raised, I thought I’d met small towns when I moved to Kirksville, Missouri (pop. 1960s about 12,000). But I didn’t really know about small towns until the late 1970s when I started visiting Ben Wheeler and Edom in East Texas. My good friends, Charlie and Reva Ogilvie, had a guest ranch outside Ben Wheeler, and we ate at The Shed in Edom frequently.

Ben Wheeler bothered me. It was then almost a ghost town, with boarded up store fronts, though I understand it’s had a renaissance, thanks to the man who bought Arc Ridge Ranch from the Ogilvies. It was like many small towns I had driven through: it needed a coat of paint. We went once to a dilapidated roller skating rink (my kids loved it) and more often than I liked to a dismal grocery store, since boarded up, where I trusted neither the cleanliness nor the temperature of the refrigerator and freezer units. Don’t even talk about the freshness of the vegetables. For real grocery shopping, we went to Brookshires in Canton, but I guess that’s a feature of small-town life—going to the nearest good-sized town for a lot of things.

Edom, on the other hand, delighted me. We went several years to the annual craft fair, and other times we wandered the main street which featured craft shops—pottery, leather workers, jewelry makers, and a wonderful women’s clothing store. I was amazed that the main street, a state highway, had neither stoplight nor stop sign. You took your chances and you ran like hell.

The best thing in Edom to my family was The Shed.

I suppose The Shed isn’t much different from lots of small-town cafés with chicken-fried steak, fried catfish, glorious meringue pies (Charlie told me it was all air so no calories, and  I reminded him about the pudding bottom), and huge breakfasts. The thing I loved most was that everyone knew Charlie and Reva and greeted them happily. We basked in a small afterglow of fame because we were their guests.

That café and that town became so firmly embedded in my mind that they formed the setting for my mystery series, Blue Plate Café Mysteries. I changed the town name to Wheeler, but no one from that part of the state will be fooled, and I was careful to note that the murders there were from my imagination and reflected in no way on Edom or its residents. But the fictional counterpart of The Shed is central to the story.

A friend who grew up in Granbury, Texas wrote me, “You nailed small-town life.” It was the biggest compliment I could have gotten.       

MURDER AT THE TREMONT HOUSE

Small towns are supposed to be idyllic and peaceful, but when Kate Chambers returns to her hometown of Wheeler, Texas, she soon learns it is not the comfortable place it was when she grew up. First there’s Gram’s sudden death, which leaves her suspicious, and then the death of her married sister’s lover. Kate runs Gram’s restaurant, the Blue Plate Café, but she must defend her sister against a murder charge, solve the murders to keep her business open, and figure out where the café’s profits are going. Even Kate begins to wonder about the twin sister she has a love-hate relationship with. Gram guides Kate through it all, though Kate’s never quite sure she’s hearing Gram—and sometimes Gram’s guidance is really off the wall.

            Kate’s adventures continue in Murder at Tremont House, when she still has to deal with a journalist, intent on probing small-town secrets, gone missing, contradictory stories about the local teen-age heartthrob, and the series of men who seem to rotate through her life.

            No, life in a small town is anything but idyllic and peaceful. But Kate loves the café, and she shares some of her favorite recipes—and some of her good friends.

An award-winning novelist, Judy Alter is the author of two books in the Blue Plate Murder Series—Murder at the Blue Plate Cafe and Murder at the Tremont House,  mysteries that are set in small-town East Texas in a setting modeled after a restaurant that was for years one of her family’s favorites.

She is also the author of five books in the Kelly O’Connell Mysteries series: Skeleton in a Dead Space, No Neighborhood for Old Women, Trouble in a Big Box, Danger Comes Home, and Deception in Strange Places. Before turning her attention to mystery, Judy wrote fiction and nonfiction, mostly about women of the American West, for adults and young-adult readers. Her work has been recognized with awards from the Western Writers of America, the Texas Institute of Letters, and the National Cowboy Museum and Hall of Fame. She has been honored with the Owen Wister Award for Lifetime Achievement by WWA and inducted into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame at the Fort Worth Public Library.

Follow Judy at http://www.judyalter.com or her two blogs at http://www.judys-stew.blogspot.com or http://potluckwithjudy.blogspot.com. Or look for on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Judy-Alter-Author/366948676705857?fref=ts or on Twitter where she is @judyalter.

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