There’s something about a dog that makes love story a little sweeter. Maybe it’s because our canine companions reflect the best parts of us as humans. Maybe it’s because it’s easier to sympathize with a hero or heroine who goes home to a bundle of fur every night. It could also just be because dogs are fluffy and adorable. Whatever the reason, I’m always ready to fall in love with a book that includes a main character of the canine variety—especially in romance, where the dogs are always treated with respect. If you’re looking for a book that has love, passion, romance, and puppies, these five are definitely worth a read. Most Eligible Billionaire by Annika Martin Martin is a master at writing upbeat and offbeat comedies that make me smile from start to finish. In Most Eligible Billionaire, a “dog whisperer” is put in charge of a billion-dollar company thanks to her ability to read the mind of the dog who was recently bequeathed control over it. Naturally, the very wealthy rightful heir doesn’t buy into this plan. (It sounds weird, I know, but Martin totally pulls it off.) Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgans This was the first…

From crepes to ramen, Winnipeg offers delicious menus to satisfy your cravings. Here are the food spots I love to visit: Kawaii Crepe You feel the fun and youthful vibe the minute you step inside. A classic breakfast of egg, bacon and ooey gooey cheese crepe, try the Morning Sunshine if you want something filling. Something sweet and decadent? Sweet Tooth is your best friend—Nutella, ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and your choice of fruit (I always pick strawberries and bananas). Enough said. Yujiro Tender meat and mushrooms, hearty broth, perfect noodles—they serve one of the best ramen in the city. Hands down. Sargent Sundae Conveniently located across Assiniboine Park, it’s a perfect place to grab ice cream before or after a stroll. They have soft serve and hard ice cream with a wide range of luscious flavors. La Belle Baguette Croissants, pretzels, cinnamon buns, pastries, breads, cookies and more—served fresh and scrumptious. I recommend the chocolate and lemon tart. Oh Doughnuts Oh yes, please! Pretty and tasty, you’ll be craving these like crazy. They also offer vegan and gluten-free options and their flavor selection changes daily. Try the crOHnuts and Everything Bagel. SPITFIRE IN LOVE by Isabelle Ronin…

My top five favorite workplace romances? The author who immediately comes to mind on workplace romances is Jayne Ann Krentz. Most of her early heroes felt like cowboys in the boardroom. I used to eat up her contemporary romances like they were going out of style. So I’d have to put an oldie but a goodie, Sweet Fortune by Jayne Ann Krentz, on my list. And if she’s there, then I have to also add Susan Elizabeth Phillips and the first in her Chicago Stars books, It Had to Be You, about a woman who inherits a football team yet knows nothing about the sport. The humor and conflict between the hero and heroine are laugh-out-loud funny. And the steam factor is high! On a less contemporary note, I’m a huge Shelly Laurenston fan, and she’s known for writing zany paranormal romances. But one workplace romance that’s stayed with me is Big, Bad Beast, which pits wolf shifter and former Marine sniper Dee-Ann Smith up against Ric Van Holtz, her boss. I laugh and flip page after page whenever I’m reading Shelly Laurenston’s books. Staying in the paranormal lane, I’d have to go with Thea Harrison’s The Elder Races series,…

The importance of family, however the characters choose to define that term, forms the core of my Where the Wild Hearts Are series.  In some form or another, each main character is searching for a place to belong—even if they outwardly resist the idea.  Older generations play a significant role. Lou Warrenton, the eighty-year-old veterinarian in Wild on My Mind, gave the hero a family when Bowie was kicked out of foster care on his eighteenth birthday and helped him develop into an amazing single father.  Although Bowie now has taken over running the Sagebrush Zoo that Lou used to own, the older man still shows up to work every day and forms a significant part of both Bowie and his daughter’s lives.  Lou was based on my grandfather, who at the age of ninety-four, still went to work three days a week at the same company where he’d worked for over seventy years. Like Bowie, I still turned to him for advice.  Although Lou may be unsteady on his feet and require more naps than he had as a young man, he is still a vibrant part of his family and the zoo. In the second book, Sweet Wild…

I’m a Kansas farm girl at heart, and I love a great cowboy romance. Throw in a quirky small town and a dog, and I’m sold. That’s why I write small town stories filled with humor and heart. And I love when a western romance does something unexpected, like when Colorado cowboy heroes also play hockey. Oh wait, I know that series. And if you love the idea of cowboys who are as hot on horseback as they are on the ice, then you need to check out the Cowboys of Creedence. The third book in the series, It Started With a Cowboy, is just releasing now, and in this one, Colt, the youngest James brother, talks shy schoolteacher, Chloe Bishop, into helping him coach a youth hockey team of rowdy eight years olds. Being so close to the cowboy she’s crushing on is dangerous territory for Chloe. But when a real enemy threatens her, Colt will do anything to protect her. Even if it means risking himself—and his heart. Once you’ve devoured the James brothers and made Colt James your newest book boyfriend, here are five other great cowboy books to sink your spurs into. It was so hard to pick just five,…

We’ve all met those couples who met, fell in love, and are living happily ever after, right? I think it’s awesome when it happens and while I love hearing about it – briefly – their story isn’t one you could make a romance novel out of. I mean, you could, but why? Angst and beating the odds in one way or another make for an emotional story and that’s what keeps you turning the pages. For those of you who’ve read my books, you know I tend to be fairly light on the angst, but that doesn’t mean my couples have it easy. I’ve had things as easy as couples having to deal with living far apart and figuring out logistically how they can be together, to couples where fertility is an issue and the heroine sacrifices her chance of a future with the hero because he desperately wants a large family. Opposites attract, dating the best friend’s older brother, office romances, enemies to lovers – all of these tropes bring conflict into a story and if we’re honest, we love it! We want the struggle, we want our couple to have to fight for their happily ever after! I…

Gosh, it’s hard to choose just five books. I love reading romantic suspense, but I’m voracious when it comes to romantic thrillers. Give me an edge-of-your-seat plot, pulse-pounding action with a love story thrown into the mix any day. There’s nothing wrong with a straight romance either, but the right romantic thriller is like a cheese plate paired with a glass of big, bold red wine—irresistible. I will devour it. Out of Control by Suzanne Brockmann The Troubleshooters series is addictive. Brockmann always manages to give the reader an entertaining roller-coaster ride while tugging on heartstrings. When Savannah van Hopf decides to pay the ransom for her kidnapped uncle, she turns to Navy SEAL Ken “Wildcard” Karmody, a man she’s had a crush on for years. He’s nicknamed Wildcard for his ability to come up with unconventional solutions and his reputation for saying the unexpected. The two set off for Jakarta, but the simple ransom exchange goes horribly wrong. Ken and Savannah race through the jungle of a hostile country, struggle to evade terrorists as well as friendly fire from other American operatives sent by Savannah’s grandmother. In the process, they learn to trust each other and to see beyond…

I’m having so much fun writing what will eventually be the 4-book Outlaw Mail Order Brides series. The only hope these outlaws have in making a town where once was their hideout was in getting wives and starting families. This series spilled over from my Men of Legend series when Luke Legend started his own private bride service for men and woman living in the shadows who can’t go the normal route. Luke hand carries letters back and forth between the couples and arranges transportation when they decide to marry. Here are five reasons you should read a mail order bride book:   The Great Unexpected Plots really set these books apart. Each one seems a little different somehow and there’s always the big question of whether they work as a couple that draws you in. Sometimes the groom dies before the bride arrives and she’s forced to change directions. Sometimes someone is playing a joke on the poor groom so it’s a surprise when his bride arrives. Then there are the many, many reasons a woman would choose to marry a man she’s never seen. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of variations to these stories. The Romance is a…

I love cowboys! I’m not talking about the guys who dress up in western garb during rodeo season, but the real men who put on their Wranglers and boots, live on a ranch and work hard every day. Growing up in the country, where everyone knows you and your family for several generations, gives you a different slant on life. The cowboys of the Dark Horse Cowboys series are based on these men. 1) I love cowboy books because their world is very familiar to me. The smell of rain on freshly turned soil. The sound of horses nickering. This is home. 2) Cowboys are generally nice guys. They love their mothers, are generally respectful, and are loyal to their friends. The woman who wins the cowboy’s heart will always be cherished. 3) I love when cowboys work hard all day and then spiff up to go into town on a Saturday night. Their Wranglers are pressed. Their boots are shined. And they’re ready to two-step. Cowboy up! 4) I’m an animal lover so I enjoy reading about the cowboy’s relationship with his own animals: his horse and he probably has at least one dog too. They are a team….

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” That’s my favorite Mae West quote. But while Ms. West’s independent spirit is an inspiration to all of us, she doesn’t tell us how to live right, nor does she tell us what to do if we feel like we’re living all wrong. For me, as for a lot of women, the answer was to run away from home and build a new and better life in the West. Packing only what matters most, we find our way to Montana, Wyoming, or maybe Texas, leaving our troubles and our timid old selves behind. I call us Red Boot Women because nothing hollers independence like a pair of red cowboy boots. We buy them first with our scraped-up savings because they help us find our swagger and stomp up some confidence. In Cowboy Trouble, Libby Brown doesn’t have time to buy those boots. She’s too busy ditching her cheating fiancé, quitting her job, and moving 1500 miles from home with only what fits in the bed of a cherry-red pickup. Acting on a long-held dream, she buys a tumbledown ranch with a big red barn, takes a job…