Crazy about Writing: Beaver Pond Newspaper

Lifestyle, May 1, 2015

Meet Tate and Shelby Malone, owners of Beaver Pond’s newest and funkiest art boutique, From Junk to Treasure

By James Collins

Recently, I met with Tate and Shelby in the most eclectic art boutique Beaver Pond has ever seen. What most people would consider junk or toss in the trash, Shelby Malone revives and repurposes into unusual art pieces. Clothes, plastic bottles, aluminum cans, pallets, you name it. They’re all here.

Shelby and Tate sat across from me, practically sharing the same space on a revitalized couch. His arm was draped across the back of the couch and his fingers toyed with the tips of her apricot hair. Newlyweds of just a few weeks. Meet Tate and Shelby Malone…

“So tell me. Where did you two first connect?”

A slow grin slides across Tate’s face, and Shelby’s face sports a bright pink hue.

This I can’t wait to hear.

“The men’s restroom,” Tate replies.

OK. That was rather unexpected.

“I tend to be rather clumsy. Tate came to my rescue that time—”

He laughs.

“Well, lots of times actually,” she amends. “Growing up, my parents joked that their insurance company always required extra coverage for me.”

“You both work at Beaver Pond High School, right?”

“Yes. Shelby decided to keep teaching full-time, and I’m a guidance counselor.”

“Did you grow up wanting to be a counselor?”

“Not exactly,” Tate’s jaw clenches.

“He had a wonderful role model. Just like he is to the students in Beaver Pond.” Shelby casts an adoring look at her husband.

“You rose above the homeless statistics to graduate from a top-rate college.” I skim my research notes for the counselor’s name. “Mr. Harris, wasn’t it?”

Tate stiffens. His thick eyebrows narrow. “Yes.”

Shelby pats his thigh in a comforting gesture, and he visibly relaxes back against the couch.

“Was it love at first sight?”

“Yes!” Shelby nodded, as if her ‘yes’ wasn’t emphatic enough. “But, not so for Tate. He took a little convincing.”

“That’s not quite—”

“How so?” I ask, interrupting Tate.

“For starters, he’d given up dating.”

“Not into the bar scene?”

Grimacing, he shakes his head.

“It’s tough when the ones who are supposed to love us let us down, isn’t it?” Compassion warms her face. She turns to her husband, her knuckles skimming his whiskered jaw. “His parents’ abandonment created this emotional barricade. He worried about losing the people he loved, and he mistakenly assumed his disadvantaged upbringing would keep me from loving him. As if I cared about material things.”

“That seems rather obvious.” I glance rather pointedly around the space filled with recycled treasures.

“Her parents actually bought a store for her! How could I compete with that?” Tate asks, brandishing a palm.

“I could see how that might present a problem. So what happened with that?”

“They only put down a deposit to hold it. They didn’t actually buy it. Besides, it was in Promise Lake. I told them my heart was here, in Beaver Pond. With Tate.”

“You did?” Tate’s words come out soft, as if only meant for her, but his deep voice carries.

She nods. “I had to show him that I wasn’t going anywhere and that things weren’t important. He was.” Although her words indicate she’s speaking to me, her head is turned towards Tate.

Tate smiles, kisses the top of Shelby’s head.

Thick lashes shutter over ivory cheeks, but only for a few seconds before she focuses on me. “He lived through horror, but he never gave up. He’s the kind of man teenagers can look up to because he gives 100%. He taught me that dreams don’t always come wrapped in shiny packages like we expect. Sometimes you just need to let them go, and then they come back to you, a hundred times better than what you imagined. He’ll make a wonderful daddy someday.”

Tate’s chest puffs up, and a clump travels down his throat. “And Shelby…she saw into my soul and reinvigorated my wounded spirit much like she does with her art. Where everybody else sees junk, she sees treasure.”

And there you have it, folks. The real deal. Tate and Shelby Malone, owners of From Junk to Treasure.

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Available 5/1 by Subscription
to Pure Amore

Did you enjoy meeting Tate and Shelby? Friends, I'm so excited to share May's Pure Amore release, When Hope Rises, with you!

Art teacher Shelby Coltman transforms junk into treasure and longs for a place to showcase her creations. She’s thrilled when her friend volunteers to room with her. Shelby can finally buy a storefront. Unfortunately, Kennedi’s brother can't seem to let go.

Abandoned as a teenager, guidance counselor Tate Malone has become surrogate and over-protective father to his sister. Life is great until Shelby Coltman wheedles his impressionable sister into sharing an apartment. Raised in wealth, the beautiful Shelby could never understand poverty or rejection, and Tate doesn't appreciate her uprooting his sister.

When Shelby hands over her savings to a homeless student, will God obliterate Tate's fears and deliver all of Shelby’s dreams...when hope rises?

Crazy about Writing: Why Pure Amore? by Dora Hiers

So you’re browsing the bookstore and a gorgeous cover screams at you to pick it up. You don’t recognize the author’s name, but intrigued by the back cover blurb, you buy it and hustle home. Settling back in your recliner with a steaming cup of tea, you dig into the pages, quickly becoming immersed in the plot and enjoying where the story’s taking you…until you find yourself peering through the bedroom door.

What do you do? Do you keep reading or slam the cover down on the book? Do you read more books by that author or publisher? And what do you do with the book? Hide it from your kids? Donate it to the library? Toss it in the recycling bin?

Pelican Book Group recently launched a new imprint, Pure Amore. Pure…as in undefiled, wholesome. As in romances you can trust won’t propel you through the bedroom door. Books you can feel safe leaving out on the table in plain sight, without fear that your preteen might skim the pages.

Topping out at 45k words, these petite gems feature heroes and heroines between 21-33 years of age, one or both sexually pure, and Christians from page one. No preaching, no conversion scenes, no controversy, no judgment. Just two flawed characters trying to hold tight to ideals the world no longer values.

I’m thrilled that two of my books, When Love Triumphs and When Hope Rises are included in this line. How could I resist the opportunity to create stories with hunky heroes who just might need a little shove from a feisty heroine to overcome their fears?

Take Tanner Random, from When Love Triumphs, for example. After years of being a Navy SEAL, he’s back in Promise Lake to care for his abandoned niece. He hopes Winter will recognize that he’s not the same guy she rejected years ago, that he buried his old ways along with his best SEAL bud. But even if she does, he has his niece to care for now…and an alcoholic father who rarely leaves his chair or strays far from a bottle of whiskey. Does the same gene course through his blood?

Or Tate Malone, a guidance counselor in When Hope Rises. Growing up, Tate lugged buckets of water home from a nearby park for bathing and cooking, and studied by candlelight. His parents had moving down to an art, knowing the exact number of rent payments they could skip before being evicted. Then, just before his junior year, they moved again…without telling him. He gave up dating after his last girlfriend called him a freak for refusing to be intimate. When Shelby seeks his help for a student, he’s forced to confront his insecurity...would she abandon him, too?

 

We each have fears and flaws, experiences and struggles, hopes and dreams. We bring all of that with us into our relationships. We love, we laugh, we argue, we fall short...in every way.

Sure. We mess up. But that’s not the end of the story. The end is so much better, sweeter. There’s…Grace. Forgiveness. Restoration. Hope. Love. And perfect love covers it all. That’s why I write, and that’s what I hope readers will take away from all my stories.

Pure Amore…available by subscription, a book delivered to your mailbox or inbox every month for an entire year.

It’s your turn. Do you prefer romances where the bedroom door is closed?

Why or why not?

Blurb for When Love Triumphs:

Police Officer Winter Evan and Navy SEAL Tanner Random are wrong for each other. Winter fears the water. Tanner skims through seas for a living. So four years ago, Winter convinced herself she’d be better off not worrying about his months at sea and his increased cajoling for physical intimacy.

But when she walked away, she lost a giant chunk of her heart.

Now Tanner’s back in town to care for his abandoned niece. No longer a SEAL, he’s sticking to the safety of the North Carolina mountains as a paramedic. Should Winter risk losing her heart all over again? Will God help them build what started years ago into something solid and secure? When love triumphs...

Blurb for When Hope Rises:

Art teacher Shelby Coltman transforms junk into treasure and longs for a place to showcase her creations. She’s thrilled when her friend volunteers to room with her. Shelby can finally buy a storefront. Unfortunately, Kennedi’s brother can't seem to let go.

Abandoned as a teenager, guidance counselor Tate Malone has become surrogate and over-protective father to his sister. Life is great until Shelby Coltman wheedles his impressionable sister into sharing an apartment. Raised in wealth, the beautiful Shelby could never understand poverty or rejection, and Tate doesn't appreciate her uprooting his sister.

When Shelby hands over her savings to a homeless student, will God obliterate Tate's fears and deliver all of Shelby’s dreams...when hope rises?

Excited about Reading ~ Just One Kiss by Wendy Davy

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The Cover Story~

After acting on a dare and kissing the hottest guy at Granbury High, Molly Parker was left with a broken heart and a legacy she couldn’t live down; Dustin McKinley left town the very next day, taking her hopes and dreams along with him. A decade later…they meet again.

Molly assures herself she won’t fall for Dustin’s charms this time, yet with his good looks and dimpled smile, guarding her heart proves to be more of a challenge than she ever expected.

When Dustin inherits his grandmother’s farmhouse he returns to Granbury intending to sell the property. However, he must first evict the tenant occupying the garage apartment—the woman he walked away from years ago and has never been able to forget.

Dustin assures himself he’s doing what must be done, but when he reunites with Molly his attraction to her rekindles, jeopardizing his carefully constructed plans.

My takeaway~

Just One Kiss was all it took for Dustin McKinley to bolt for New York, leaving Molly Parker embarrassed about accepting the dare that sent him running. When another man swindles her savings, she's over men and dating, content to grow flowers over relationships. That is until Dustin returns, and both are confronted with feelings that never faded. A few hurdles stand in their way, though, an eviction notice, the demands of Dustin's job, and Carter Hutchins, the guy who plans to seduce Molly.

With a twenty-something hero and heroine who both value purity, Just One Kiss is sweet and soft, the kind of book that leaves you with an "ahhh" at the last page.

"I want to be loyal to my future marriage. I believe my body is a gift I should save for my husband." ~Molly Parker

I especially enjoyed the parallel woven into the story involving Lakota, a homeless Labrador Retriever who the whole town cares for, with Dustin.

"She just has to believe she's found the right place to be." ~ Molly Parker on Lakota, the town's stray dog 

 If you're looking for a pleasant read to curl up with for a few hours on a rainy Saturday, you can't go wrong with Just One Kiss. 

~ Dora, Fiction Faith and Foodies Blog

Disclaimer: I purchased Just One Kiss. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I received no monetary compensation.

Goodreads Giveaway ends soon

Enter the giveaway here 

A fire. An old girlfriend. A new identity.

"Winter, since you saved our new house from burning to the ground, can we talk you into joining us for pizza?”

His new house? 

Pizza?

Winter swallowed the giant clump in her throat. Tanner lived here now? In Promise Lake? Next door? How could this have happened without her knowing? Granted, she spent long hours on the job, and lately she’d been hanging out at the Henderson place. Apparently, she needed to pay more attention to the home front. A felon could have moved into her neighborhood and she wouldn’t have known. 

Or worse. 

Tanner Random could have moved in.

Police Officer Winter Evan and Navy SEAL Tanner Random are wrong for each other. Winter fears the water. Tanner skims through seas for a living. So four years ago, Winter convinced herself she’d be better off not worrying about his months at sea and his increased cajoling for physical intimacy.

But when she walked away, she lost a giant chunk of her heart.

Now Tanner’s back in town to care for his abandoned niece. No longer a SEAL, he’s sticking to the safety of the North Carolina mountains as a paramedic. Should Winter risk losing her heart all over again? Will God help them build what started years ago into something solid and secure? When love triumphs...

When Love Triumphs is part of the newly launched Pure Amore line, available by subscription with Pelican Book Group. Subscribe and receive a year's worth of pure romances for as low as $48.

Teaser Saturday

“I should have known.”

“Should have known what?” Her voice came out soft, silky, refreshing as a tall glass of iced tea on a hot summer day.

“That you would be the one bringing them home. You’re a softie inside, you know that?”

He stepped close. Close enough for him to know that she had a cinnamon mint in her mouth, close enough to see the sheen glazing from those luscious jade eyes.

Winter narrowed her brows and glanced frantically in both directions. “Sheesh! Don’t let anybody hear you say that. You’ll ruin my reputation.”

Her face lifted up to his, her cheeks puffy with amusement, her eyes shining with joy.

“Your reputation? You mean spending all your off-duty hours helping a family be able to bring their children back home? Or the hard core cop image you show to the world? Which one, Winter?”

Her face softened, bringing that vulnerability she only showed occasionally, exposing her true beauty. Beauty that shone from the inside, from that huge heart of hers.

The banging, the laughter and tears, the hugging and slapping all faded into background noise, leaving just him and Winter, standing under the shade of a massive oak tree.

Tree branches swayed in the soft breeze, the leaves shimmering with beauty and strength, but fragile in the heavy winds and storms.

Just like Winter.

Sturdy and strong on the outside, but the inside?

Inside she harbored a fragile, gentle soul. One that suffered when the storms of life hit her at such a young age.

He leaned closer and flicked a wisp of hair that floated loose from her ponytail behind an ear. He held his breath, wanting to capture this moment, this picture of her, forever in his head.

Not just the midnight blue shorts and ruffled white top she wore. No, he wanted the essence of Winter. Her spirit of kindness and reconciliation. Her desire to heal fractured families. Her generous heart.
        If he were an artist, that’s what he would paint.

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Did you enjoy that little gem? It's from When Love Triumphs, my first novella in the Pure Amore series, due to release in November via subscription with Pelican Book Group. It's one click shopping. You don't have to drive to the bookstore or check back for new releases. After subscribing, each month your "Pure Amore" romance will be emailed to your inbox, mailed as a print copy, or you can select a combination of both for as low as $48. Check out the gorgeous covers and intriguing blurbs for all twelve books here. Convenient, right? How cool is that? :)

Teaser Saturday

So, what's been going on with you guys? You're too quiet. Or maybe it's just me? lol. 

You can probably tell from my sporadic blog posts that I haven't been reading too much lately. I hope to remedy that soon, starting with Sandra Ardoin's debut novella, The Yuletide Angel. But I have been crazy busy writing. Six books are contracted and ready to roll off the presses with Pelican Book Group.

Pretty, huh? I agree. When Love Triumphs, my first novella in the PURe Amore series, is due to release in November. It's available, along with eleven others, through subscription with Pelican Book Group. You can see the gorgeous covers and intriguing blurbs for all the books here. Subscriptions start as low as $48 (that includes one book a month for an entire year), and you have your choice of digital or print formats.

Maybe you'd like a peek into When Love Triumphs? Yes? Well, why didn't you just say so? lol

Her lips tasted sweet and tangy, cinnamony. He meant for it to be a quick kiss, an encouraging gesture, a promise of more to come, but her sudden gasp and the way her arms curled around his neck made him linger and long for more, a lifetime of summer evenings with this woman by his side. His hands dropped to the curve of her back and tugged her close. She fit so right, so perfectly into his arms, that all the binds around his heart cut loose.

What will it take, God, for her to see that we can do this?

With a reluctant but satisfied sigh, he pulled back from her lips, dipped his forehead to hers, and willed his heart rate to slow to normal.

He didn’t see Winter’s chest expand, so he knew she was holding her breath. Finally, those luscious green eyes fluttered open, and then she inhaled, deep and shaky, her arms still wrapped tight around his neck. Her words whispered against his lips. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure.” Could the evening get any sweeter?

“Mine, too. But don’t let it happen again.” Her arms dropped.

Whoa! Back it up there. Hadn’t she just admitted that she enjoyed the kiss? What was he missing here? He narrowed his eyes. “Why not?”

 “Because I can’t—”

Did that delicious little goodie convince you to subscribe? I hope so. If not, I'll be back later to share another one. Stay tuned!

Shortly after When Love Triumphs releases, Christmas in the Rink, my first ever Christmas-themed romance, will be offered as part of PBG's Christmas Extravaganza. Yay! But more on that later. 

Right now, I'm working on Kester Ranch, a sweet contemporary romance series with cowboys, adorable kids and two Australian Koolies on a Texas ranch. The first book, Roping the Cowboy is complete, and I'm in the process of finding a home for the series. 

So that's it for me. What's going on with you?

PURE Amore...Sweet Romance, Pure Enjoyment ™

PURE...the new sexy! 

Wow! It's hard to believe that the first Pure Amore romance rolls out next week! I'm incredibly honored to be a part of this new venture with Pelican Book Group.

Over the last five weeks, we've showcased awesome stories by Wendy Davy, Marianne Evans, Delia Latham, Mary Manners, and Clare Revell. Featuring heroes and heroines between the ages of 21-33, never married and one or both a virgin, PURE Amore stories center around two flawed individuals seeking to honor God in all areas of their lives, especially in ways society doesn't often understand or value. They top out at 45k words, petite little gems bursting with emotional and romantic depth. 

Available by subscription, Pure Amore will release one delicious romance per month in e-book, paperback, or a paperback/e-book combination for one year beginning October 1, 2014. Squeal! Yes, that's next Wednesday!

For now, fill your mug with some English Toffee coffee (my favorite!) and settle back in your recliner for a glimpse at When Hope Rises and When Love Triumphs, written by...me. :)

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When Hope Rises
Art teacher Shelby Coltman transforms junk into treasure and longs for a place to showcase her creations. She’s thrilled when her friend volunteers to room with her. Shelby can finally buy a storefront. Unfortunately, Kennedi’s brother can't seem to let go.

Abandoned as a teenager, guidance counselor Tate Malone has become surrogate and over-protective father to his sister. Life is great until Shelby Coltman wheedles his impressionable sister into sharing an apartment. Raised in wealth, the beautiful Shelby could never understand poverty or rejection, and Tate doesn't appreciate her uprooting his sister.

When Shelby hands over her savings to a homeless student, will God obliterate Tate's fears and deliver all of Shelby’s dreams...When Hope Rises...

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When Love Triumphs
Police Officer Winter Evan and Navy SEAL Tanner Random are wrong for each other. Winter fears the water. Tanner skims through seas for a living. So four years ago, Winter convinced herself she’d be better off not worrying about his months at sea and his increased cajoling for physical intimacy. But when she walked away, she lost a giant chunk of her heart.

Now Tanner’s back in town to care for his abandoned niece. No longer a SEAL, he’s sticking to the safety of the North Carolina mountains as a paramedic. Should Winter risk losing her heart all over again? Will God help them build what started years ago into something solid and secure? When Love Triumphs...

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I've really enjoyed these peeks into the precious romances offered in the PURE line. I hope you have, too. If you haven't already subscribed, here's the link: subscribe. Don't miss out! PURE Amore...Sweet Romance, Pure Enjoyment™ starts next week!

PURE Amore...Sweet Romance, Pure Enjoyment ™

PURE...the new sexy! 

Wow! It's been an awesome few weeks, hasn't it? Let's see...we've sampled some absolutely delicious sounding books by Wendy Davy, Marianne Evans, Delia Latham, and Mary Manners, all offerings from Pelican Book Group's newest line, Pure Amore, sweet, hope-filled romances that will leave you "satisfied and smiling." Featuring heroes and heroines between the ages of 21-33, never married and one or both a virgin, the stories center around two flawed individuals seeking to honor God in all areas of their lives, especially in ways society doesn't often understand or value. They top out at 45k words, petite little gems bursting with emotional and romantic depth. 

Available by subscription, Pure Amore will release one delicious romance per month in e-book, paperback, or a paperback/e-book combination for one year beginning October 1, 2014. Fire up your tea kettle with some English Tea and settle back with Battle of the Flowers and Keepsake by UK suspense author Clare Revell. 

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Battle of the Flowers
Lia Wilder, a barista with a flair for inventing specialty coffee, always enjoys the annual battle of the flowers parade held each summer in Headley Cross. All the local businesses get involved in the competition and build a float made entirely of flowers and coloured lights. Lia has a not-so-secret crush on the local Christian DJ, Jordan Tanner, so when first prize of the Miss Battle title is a date with Jordan, Lia is railroaded in to entering the contest.  

Jordan Tanner isn't convinced being a celebrity is a good thing. After all, he’s still single for that very reason. Even though he’s liked a girl from church for a long time, he’s afraid to ask her out for fear his status will scare her away.


Can coffee and the battle of the flowers make love bloom? Or will envy and betrayal throw too many thorns onto the path of true love?

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Keepsake
Blake Tyler is content with being housefather to twenty-four children aged four to eighteen. He has to run a tight ship, but his days are made brighter by his secretary, Livy Staples. Finally plucking up the courage to ask her out, he invites her to a house party at the home of his brother Lord Gabriel Tyler, 8th Earl of Elton.

Livy Staples has long fancied her boss, but he is just that—her boss. Besides, she's running for her life and hiding a huge secret. She's changed her name every few months since her brother died, and if a police check unmasks her true identity, this weekend could end her.


When she decides to take a risk and tell Blake her secret, an unexpected tragedy upends both their lives. Is their fragile relationship doomed or will it be for keeps?

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Whew! They both sound fantastic, don't they? Here's the link to subscribe. Pop in next week when we'll showcase the last two offerings, When Hope Rises and When Love Triumphs, written by me. :)

PURE Amore...Sweet Romance, Pure Enjoyment ™

PURE...the new sexy! 

So far we've sampled some wonderful books by Wendy Davy, Marianne Evans, and Delia Latham, all offerings from Pelican Book Group's newest line, Pure Amore, sweet, hope-filled romances that will leave you "satisfied and smiling." Featuring heroes and heroines between the ages of 21-33, never married and one or both a virgin, the stories center around two flawed individuals seeking to honor God in all areas of their lives, especially in ways society doesn't often understand or value. They top out at 45k words, petite little gems bursting with emotional and romantic depth. 

Available by subscription, Pure Amore will release one delicious romance per month in e-book, paperback, or a paperback/e-book combination for one year beginning October 1, 2014. Today, top your hot chocolate with a dollop of whipped cream and settle back to enjoy Simple Blessings and Blackberry Ridge by the awesome Mary Manners. 

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Simple Blessings

Charlene Cammon is an inspirational romance author who has lost her muse. In fact, following the failure of her own real-life romance, her muse is not just missing—it’s on life-support. Fearing she’ll never complete another book, Charlene heeds the advice of her best friend, Brynn. She leaves the city for a summer sabbatical to a remote cabin in Crestview. There, she'll be removed from civilization and meet the book's deadline…or so she thinks.

Gage Kenner's life as an air-ambulance pilot is put on hold following the death of his brother. Raising his eight-year-old niece, Jenna, is more than Gage bargained for. A summer break at his cabin in Crestview might be just the ticket Gage needs to forge a bond with heartbroken Jenna. What Gage doesn’t bargain for is impetuous Charlene, who has taken up residence just over the knoll.

Jenna’s needs bring Gage and Charlie together, and Charlie learns that sometimes, it’s as fun to write a real-life romance as it is to pen one for the pages.

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Blackberry Ridge

After her parents’ deaths, Chloe Chastain leaves Blackberry Ridge to pursue a life in the city. When she's called back to her childhood home to care for her niece as well as to oversee renovations on the century-old family home, she realizes that memories still lurk among the polished wood and sawdust.

Connor Lawson has made a successful life for himself, despite a few bumps in the road. Ensconced in the house-flipping business with a lifelong friend, he's come upon the biggest project yet—renovating the Blackberry Ridge farmhouse where he spent long, leisurely days with Chloe Chastain.

When Connor and Chloe realize they’re tossed into the same renovations, will they manage to put past hurts behind and work together, or will the project—and their love—fail?

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Oh. My. Stars! What's not to love about a story featuring a romance author? Love it!! And I just adore renovation stories where the heart changes along with the house, don't you? Here's the link to subscribe. Pop in next week when we'll showcase Battle of the Flowers and Keepsake by suspense heavy hitter, Clare Revell. 

PURE Amore...Sweet Romance, Pure Enjoyment ™

PURE...the new sexy! 

For the last couple of weeks, we've been diving into Pelican Book Group's newest line, Pure Amore, sweet, hope-filled romances that will leave you "satisfied and smiling." Featuring heroes and heroines between the ages of 21-33, never married and one or both a virgin, the stories center around two flawed individuals seeking to honor God in all areas of their lives, especially in ways society doesn't often understand or value. They top out at 45k words, petite little gems bursting with emotional and romantic depth. 

Available by subscription, Pure Amore will release one delicious romance per month in e-book, paperback, or a paperback/e-book combination for one year beginning October 1, 2014. Fill your mug with some hot chocolate and settle back to enjoy At First Sight and Jingle Belle by the majorly talented Delia Latham.

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At First Sight

Reagan Massey has gone through a great deal of trouble to make her cousin irresistible to the visiting single minister but things get a little sticky when Reagan falls in love with Cord Phillips herself…

Cord doesn’t believe in marital bliss after seeing the mockery his parents made of their vows. He’s promised himself he’ll live as the Apostle Paul lived, dedicating himself solely to God. When his heart turns traitor, Cord has to completely rethink his position on love.

Things around Riverbend House of Worship take on some humorous, heart-touching, soul-stirring twists and turns, with Reagan and Cord so busy getting in God’s way that they can’t see the path He has laid out for them to travel…together.

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Jingle Belle

Jingle Belle Knowles is excited about the opportunity to write a Christmas jingle for a new restaurant in Pohono, Oklahoma—until she meets the company’s cocky PR man. Despite an immediate personality clash with much-too-handsome Italian Nick Santini, Belle finds herself irresistibly and unacceptably drawn to her insufferable client.

Nick isn’t pleased about working with the lovely jingle writer. But with a grand opening date just two weeks before Christmas, he and his brother need something to draw shoppers off the streets and into their Tuscan-themed restaurant. Given Belle's stellar reputation, Nick makes up his mind to grit his teeth and get through the project.

They’re both adults. They’re both Christians. And they’re both determined to make the project a success. But when a passionate, self-assured, hard-headed Italian butts heads with a stubborn, auburn-haired, confident Irish spit-fire, the results could make for a highly chaotic Christmas season.

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Sigh...don't these two stories sound positively delish?? Here's the link to subscribe. Be sure to check back next week when we'll showcase Simple Blessings and Blackberry Ridge by the awesome Mary Manners. 

PURE Amore...Sweet Romance, Pure Enjoyment ™

PURE...the new sexy! 

Last week I introduced you to Pelican Book Group's newest line, Pure Amore, sweet, hope-filled romances that will leave you "satisfied and smiling." Featuring heroes and heroines between the ages of 21-33, never married and one or both a virgin, the stories center around two flawed individuals seeking to honor God in all areas of their lives, especially in ways society doesn't often understand or value. They top out at 45k words, petite little gems bursting with emotional and romantic depth. 

Available by subscription, Pure Amore will release one delicious romance per month in e-book, paperback, or a paperback/e-book combination for one year beginning October 1, 2014. Fill your tall glass to the brim with some iced tea and enjoy  Date Night and Then and Now by uber talented Marianne Evans. 

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Date Night
Ethan Miller's family has done...what?
His profile is plastered on MingleInFaith.com. Now, this career-focused, happy-to-be-a-bachelor is forced to endure an episode of speed-dating. 

Interior designer Natalie Gibbs is on the dating circuit, eager to find "the one," but she has strict rules about the manner in which she'll embrace a romantic relationship. She wasn't even supposed to meet Ethan Miller—but God had other plans.

Ethan spends a month each year in Honduras, offering eye care to the underprivileged. He senses a sweetness to Natalie that prompts him to invite her along on the next mission trip.

The voyage leads them far from New York City, but straight into the hearts of the Honduran people.

Slowly, Ethan's heart is swayed toward the idea of love. But Natalie's mission work teaches her about a love that reaches far beyond romance.

What's God's plan? Should their hearts combine—or does He want them to serve...and learn...from one another—and an extraordinary date night?

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Then and Now

Aiden Balfour has always craved stability, independence and security. He's led a rocky life but always treasured his summers in Northern Michigan with his best summertime friend, Olivia Masters.

Olivia is dedicated to preserving the life she's known and has always treasured at her grandparent's home high on a bluff overlooking the pristine waters of Avalon. With their blessing, she's turned the expansive piece of property into a quaint, restful bed and breakfast.

But developers are circling—and they're led by none other than Aiden Balfour. Now an ambitious businessman, he's determined to turn the lake into a tourist mecca. Olivia is equally determined to stop him...no matter what his hold on her heart.

Can the innocent joy and love of their youth be reclaimed? Can then...and now...ever be reconciled to a future overflowing with love and hope?

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Yowzee! Did you enjoy these back cover blurbs? Here's the link to subscribe. Come back next week to check out At First Sight and Jingle Belle by the lovely Delia Latham.

PURE Amore...Sweet Romance, Pure Enjoyment ™

PURE...the new sexy! Celebrate purity with Pelican Book Group's newest line of sweet, hope-filled romances that will leave you "satisfied and smiling." Featuring heroes and heroines between the ages of 21-33, never married and one or both a virgin, the stories center around two flawed individuals seeking to honor God in all areas of their lives, especially in ways society doesn't often understand or value. Topping out at 45k words, these little goodies are the perfect size to snatch small reading bites during lunch breaks or while waiting to pick up your kidlets after school. Petite, yet bursting with emotional and romantic depth. 

Available by subscription, Pure Amore will release one delicious romance per month in e-book, paperback, or a paperback/e-book combination for one year beginning October 1, 2014. I'm thrilled to be a part of this new venture with Pelican Book Group, and over the next few weeks will feature all twelve books by six authors, in alphabetical order with the exception of my books, which I'll save for last. This week, settle in with a giant mug of your favorite coffee or tea and enjoy Wendy Davy's Just One Kiss and Flirting with Danger!

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Just One Kiss

After acting on a dare and kissing the hottest guy at Granbury High, Molly Parker was left with a broken heart and a legacy she couldn’t live down; Dustin McKinley left town the very next day, taking her hopes and dreams along with him. A decade later…they meet again.  

Molly assures herself she won’t fall for Dustin’s charms this time, yet with his good looks and dimpled smile, guarding her heart proves to be more of a challenge than she ever expected.

When Dustin inherits his grandmother’s farmhouse he returns to Granbury intending to sell the property. However, he must first evict the tenant occupying the garage apartment—the woman he walked away from years ago and has never been able to forget.

 Dustin assures himself he’s doing what must be done, but when he reunites with Molly his attraction to her rekindles, jeopardizing his carefully constructed plans.

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Flirting with Danger

As a repossession specialist, Gavin Sykes has the means to legally and morally do what he does best—take things that aren't his. He thrives on repossessing high-end merchandise, hoping to atone for his shadowy past. But, even with all his experience, he never could have anticipated the future that awaits him.

When Sabrina Grady is hired to expedite the repossession process, she finally has the means to fulfill a promise she made long ago. New to the trade, what she lacks in experience she more than makes up for with courage, determination, and sheer willpower. While she expects Gavin to be a fierce competitor, she never could have anticipated his unwavering resolve or his intense desire to protect her.

Caught in a game of cat-and-mouse, Gavin and Sabrina must choose between seeking the thrill of the chase and seeking each other.

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Wow! They sound fabulous, don't they? And don't you just adore the covers? Here's the link to subscribe. Come back next week to read about Date Night and Then and Now by uber talented Marianne Evans.