We all know that opposites attract—King Kong and his beautiful blonde. Poor little Cinderella and her wealthy Prince. Kermit and Miss Piggy. But in the realm of opposites falling in love, there’s something special about the awkward girl and the cocky popular guy. Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club were my faves growing up. So why do we love these stories so much? Maybe they make us believe that the world can be saved one set of hearts at time. In any case, the jock-and-nerdy-chick stories are at the top of my favorites list and here’s why I loved them enough to create The OHELLNO Series! #1. The jock has a body to worship And let’s face it, no woman can resist a set of perky abs since they make us think about all of the other parts of his body that might be hard and perfect, too. (Wink, wink.) #2. On the inside, most of us feel like nerds—only some of us mask it better Let’s be honest, we have all felt awkward and left out at one point in our lives, which is why the nerdy girl is so relatable. As strong and brainy as she might be,…

Hi! Thanks for having me back! There’s been a lot of debate over whether or not it’s better to be a plotter or a pantser. I like to think that I’m a bit of a hybrid. When I first started writing I would begin a story with characters and a vague idea for the plot and then run with it to see where it would take me. Things have changed a little now that I’m writing more and at a quicker pace. Now, in the initial stages of a book, I write out the general plot and main points in the story and fit it into a schedule that I do my best to adhere to. At least, to a point. But there is still something to be said about the mystery and adventure that comes with the unravelling of a story and the characters as I write. Part of the fun of writing for me is just that, the discovery. So, when I get the whiff of a submission call that makes my muse sit up and take notice, I just have to run with it. That’s what happened with CLAIMING ZARA. My publisher put out a call for…

Emily Perl Kingsley joined the writing staff of Sesame Street in the early 1970’s and is credited with creating several stories for children. What many didn’t know was Kingsley reared a son with Down Syndrome. Together they wrote a book about their experience, COUNT US IN: Growing Up with Down Syndrome. In 1987 she touched the hearts of many parents, including me, when she wrote an article about raising a child with a disability. She compared the experience of preparing for the baby like planning a trip to Italy. Getting ready requires reading travel brochures, choosing sites to see, packing your bag. All your friends are going to Italy, too, so you can share the event together. But, Kingsley states, when you get off the plane you’ve landed in Holland. There’s nothing wrong with Holland, but it’s not the trip you planned. You begin to read different brochures and learn about the place where you landed. Disabilities are like that unplanned trip. Parents must read new books and discover what makes their child unique, whether the diagnosis is Down Syndrome, Autism, Spina Bifida, or any other number of maladies that can strike without warning. Their journey will take them in…

From Gail’s House Newsie News Writing a story is like baking a cake. There are so many layers, each one more yummy than the next. Interior design was also like that for me. For almost half my life, I helped to make peoples’ homes both beautiful and functional. Just like cakes are beautiful on the outside and oh, so good, on the inside. Someday, I’ll write that memoir, but right now I’m busy crafting the first book in my new, five-book series about a prominent family living in New York City in the late 1800s. And lucky me, I get to spend some time designing and decorating my heroine’s bedroom, and even luckier me, I get to spend some time with my heroine’s mother who is, of course, my exceptional client. Read on » Read the rest… Gail . . .   INDIGO SKY by Gail Ingis In a whirlwind romance, a lovely New York socialite marries a fêted, debonair author. But beneath the charm is a cheating husband addicted to hasheesh. Her dream marriage turns sour and the simplicity of her life runs amok when a handsome stranger, her husband’s business partner, threatens her staunch loyalty to her wayward…

Happy Friday, friends! Thanks so much for joining me. Today’s letter is E and for it I chose the word extraordinary. I love this word because it literally means extra ordinary. Or, if you want to get more technical, Dictionary.com defines extraordinary like this: beyond what is usual, ordinary, regular, or established exceptional in character, amount, extent, degree, etc.; noteworthy; remarkable I personally love the first definition. Beyond what is ordinary. I like it so much because for us, to become beyond what is ordinary, we need God. God takes the ordinary (though if you think about it, nothing God created is ordinary. Everything is a masterpiece and work of art, but I digress.) and makes us extraordinary. He equips us through His Holy Spirit to accomplish extraordinary tasks, to break the bond of what is regular, and to become remarkable. A few examples from the Bible that I love are: David defeats Goliath. A young boy with a sling and a rock defeats a mighty warrior. ( 1 Samuel 17) The walls of Jericho come tumbling down from just the blare of horns and days of marching around them. (Joshua 6) Sarah gives birth to Issac when she is…

CROWNED AND DANGEROUS by Rhys Bowen A Royal Spyness Mystery For the first time in paperback, the latest Royal Spyness Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Malice at the Palace. Nothing is simple when you’re thirty-fifth in line for the British crown, least of all marriage. But with love on their side, and plans to elope, Lady Georgiana Rannoch and her beau, Darcy O’Mara, hope to bypass a few royal rules. Their plans are thwarted when they learn that Georgie’s future father-in-law has been arrested for the murder of a wealthy American. With the elopement postponed, they head for Ireland where Darcy’s father insists he’s innocent, and it’s up to Georgie and Darcy to prove it—for better or worse. Mystery Private Eye | Mystery Historical [Berkley Prime Crime, On Sale: August 1, 2017, Mass Market Paperback / e-Book (reprint), ISBN: 9780425283493 / eISBN: 9780698410244] Buy CROWNED AND DANGEROUS: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | iTunes/iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | Powell’s Books | Books-A-Million | Indiebound | Ripped Bodice | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR About Rhys Bowen Rhys Bowen is the New York Times Bestselling Author of the Royal…

Ready for a murder mystery cloaked in a “costume?” Fear not, Diane Vallere is here! DRESSED TO CONFESS by Diane Vallere A Costume Shop Mystery Someone is masquerading as a murderer at Proper City’s annual Sagebrush Festival—and it’s up to costume shop owner Margo Tamblyn to solve the case. It’s time for the annual Sagebrush Festival in Proper City, Nevada, and this year’s theme is family game night. Margo Tamblyn and her dad, owners of the Disguise DeLimit costume shop, have provided costumes for local dance troupe the Domino Divas, who each wear a different color domino mask. When head dancer Ronnie Cass misses the performance, Margo finds her dressed to kill in her costume—and dead. As the police investigate, Margo learns that Don Digby, her father’s best friend, is the prime suspect, tied to the victim by a long-ago unsolved robbery. Now Margo must unmask the real killer before her dad’s buddy winds up in prison stripes. Mystery Cozy [Berkley Prime Crime, On Sale: August 1, 2017, Mass Market Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780425278307 / eISBN: 9780698183452] Buy DRESSED TO CONFESS: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | iTunes/iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | Powell’s Books | Books-A-Million |…

[giveaway id=15315] ADDRESSED TO KILL by Jean Flowers A Postmistress Mystery Third in the Postmistress Mystery series by Jean Flowers, following Death Takes Priority and Cancelled by Murder… Love is in the air for postmaster Cassie Miller and the residents of North Ashcot, Massachusetts. Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and the town is gearing up for a special dinner dance at the senior center. With the local musical group performing at the dance displaced from their regular practice location, Cassie is all too happy to host them during off-hours at the post office. But not everything is coming up roses. When one of the musicians, Dennis Somerville, is found shot in his home, rumors swirl over who might have wanted him dead. Cassie must determine if there is a link between a string of recent break-ins and Dennis’s murder before another victim winds up with more than a broken heart. Mystery Amateur Sleuth | Mystery Cozy [Berkley Prime Crime, On Sale: July 25, 2017, Mass Market Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780425279120 / eISBN: 9780698185197] Buy ADDRESSED TO KILL: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | iTunes/iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | Powell’s Books | Books-A-Million | Indiebound |…

[giveaway id=15311] A TANGLED YARN by Betty Hechtman Yarn Retreat Betty Hechtman knits up murder and mayhem in the latest in the national bestselling Yarn Retreat Mystery series. Casey Feldstein has her hands full with preparations at the Vista Del Mar hotel on the scenic Monterey Peninsula as another yarn retreat begins. The retreaters will be thrown for a loop this time, learning the trendy art of arm knitting and finger crocheting. But not everyone is enthusiastic about trying something new, and Casey is forced to come up with an alternative craft for her less adventurous pupils. Things go from worst to worsted when a travel writer from a neighboring retreat group is found dead in his room among a sea of feathers. When one of the owners of Vista Del Mar pleads for help, Casey gets hooked into the case and must unravel a delicate skein of secrets to catch a killer. Mystery Cozy [Berkley Prime Crime, On Sale: August 1, 2017, Mass Market Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780425282687 / eISBN: 9780698406179] Buy A TANGLED YARN: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | iTunes/iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | Powell’s Books | Books-A-Million | Indiebound | Ripped Bodice |…

I love lipstick! So what else is new? Most women love it. But I want to share with you why I love it. My favorite color is RED. Red lipstick is bold. It tells people – Don’t mess with me, I have a smart mouth and I know how to use it! It’s been said that men love red lipstick. Bright red lipstick, red roses, the lady in red—it seems as though all things love and romance are associated with the color red. … Do you wear the color red? read more… INDIGO SKY by Gail Ingis In a whirlwind romance, a lovely New York socialite marries a fêted, debonair author. But beneath the charm is a cheating husband addicted to hasheesh. Her dream marriage turns sour and the simplicity of her life runs amok when a handsome stranger, her husband’s business partner, threatens her staunch loyalty to her wayward husband. When she faces the ugly truth about her marriage, her need to finalize her divorce sends her on mad chase across the wilds of nineteenth century America with a handsome stranger where she learns the hard lessons of murder, kidnapping, and more, that almost destroy her. Romance Historical [Soul Mate Publishing, On Sale: October 21,…