Glynna Kaye...and A Taste of That Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

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Yes, it’s only October, so maybe these snowy scenes seem a bit premature to you? But with my Love Inspired November release The Pastor’s Christmas Courtship already spotted on retail shelves (and Arizona mountain country experiencing a dusting of snow on the highest mountain tops), I couldn’t resist!

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As some of you already know from having read my books, this part of Arizona isn’t all desert heat and saguaro cactus. At a 7,000 ft (and higher!) elevation it’s a beautiful ponderosa pine-studded four-season region--which makes it such a fun place to set my stories. Especially a Christmas one!

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Have you started thinking about or even preparing for the upcoming holidays--Thanksgiving, Christmas, the New Year?

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If you’ve started preparations for Christmas, what might those entail? Making a To Do List and checking it twice? Gift shopping or making handmade gifts and decorations? (Don’t you just love the craft and fabric stores this time of year?)

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Perhaps you’ve picked up holiday-themed magazines for ideas and are reviewing your recipe file for family favorites? Or maybe your community or church choir is preparing for a cantata or a presentation of Handel’s Messiah? Have you been tempted, as I have, to read a Christmas novella to get a tiny taste of this most wonderful of seasons?

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What is your favorite Christmas tradition?

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In The Pastor’s Christmas Courtship, the heroine finds herself reminiscing about family traditions and gatherings held at her now-deceased grandparents’ mountain home. She’s retreating there for a healing time alone and to get the place ready to sell—never expecting that her former crush would be back in town or that her sisters would insist she provide their children a Christmas at the cabin just like the ones they used to love themselves.

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I hope Garrett and Jodi’s story gives you a taste of this most wonderful time of the year!

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Happy soon-to-be holidays!

Glynna

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Jodi Thorpe’s childhood vacation cabin seems the perfect place for her to heal her broken heart…and avoid Christmas cheer. After twelve years, nothing in Hunter Ridge has changed--except Garrett McCrae. The bad boy who was once her secret crush is now the town minister. And Garrett won’t let her miss out on all the hope and joy the holiday brings.  With every day he’s drawn to the vulnerable woman Jodi’s become, even as he’s about to leave for a mission halfway around the world.  But as they grow closer, their plans begin to change. Can Garrett make it a season to remember, with a love they can’t forget?

Click HERE to order Jodi and Garrett’s Christmas story!

Christmas In October

Hello, Terri Reed here.  I can't believe Christmas is only 73 days away!! Here's a link to a countdown you want to keep track: http://www.xmasclock.com

I have two books out this month, both are holiday themed. 

Identity Unknown is a fast-paced, edge of your seat romantic suspense. A man with no memory is marked for murder. A female deputy sheriff with trust issues is determined to learn the truth. They must work together to uncover the past and stop the threat or they won't live to see Christmas Day.

A Family Under the Christmas Tree is a charming, delightful story to warm your heart. A man juggling sudden parenthood of a five-year-old and a growing business doesn't need the distraction of his neighbors granddaughter. A woman with wanderlust is determined to keep her heart from growing attached. A matchmaking grandma and a rambunctious dog conspire to form bring these two together.

To celebrate the beginning of fall

, I

’

ve teamed up with more than

40

fantastic

inspirational contemporary romance authors to give away a huge colle

ction of novels

,

PLUS a Kindle Fire to one lucky winner!

You can win my novel NAME OF NOVEL, plus books from authors like NAME and

NAME.

Enter the giveaway by clicking here:

http://bit.ly/contemp-inspy

To celebrate the beginning of fall

, I

’

ve teamed up with more than

40

fantastic

inspirational contemporary romance authors to give away a huge colle

ction of novels

,

PLUS a Kindle Fire to one lucky winner!

You can win my novel NAME OF NOVEL, plus books from authors like NAME and

NAME.

Enter the giveaway by clicking here:

http://bit.ly/contemp-inspy

Good luck, and enjoy

To celebrate the beginning of fall, I’ve teamed up with more than 40 fantastic inspirational contemporary romance authors to give away a huge collection of novels,

PLUS a Kindle Fire to one lucky winner!

You can win my novel Double Threat Christmas, plus books from authors like Margaret Daley and

Linda Goodnight. 

Enter the giveaway by clicking here: http://bit.ly/contemporary-inspy

God Bless, and enjoy!

Good luck, and enjoy!

Strange Things by Mary Alford

My husband and I live out in the country, which is a huge blessing. We have no close neighbors so it’s very peaceful and I love it.

But let me tell you, through the years, we’ve seen some pretty interesting things around here. Whether it be mountain lions, wild hogs, bobcats, various fowl life passing through, or simply a snorting and angry deer, it’s never a dull moment in the country.

One night while sitting outside in front of a fire we heard a noise that sounded like something straight out of a horror movie. My husband and I both wanted to run.

But I have to say, the strangest and most amazing thing I’ve witnessed lately happened when our three granddaughters were out visiting a few weeks back. We took them on a ride in our side by side four wheeler and what we saw, well, we couldn’t believe our eyes. There in the small creek that crosses our property was a group of otters. Otters in Texas? We were certainly stunned. I’ve seen them on TV and at the aquarium in Galveston, but never in the wild.

My husband got online and did some checking. As it turns out river otters originally ranged across most of the eastern half of Texas and even into the Panhandle. The animals were and are inexorably tied to rivers, creeks, bayous and other waterways. In the past, a lot of otters disappeared due to habitat loss or degradation and unregulated hunting and trapping, but they are making a comeback and that sure was lucky for us.

Unfortunately, we only spotted the little otters, (there were six of them) one more time so I think they were just passing through. But still, how great is it to be able to show your granddaughters real live otters in the wild. Thank you God.

So what about you? What is the strangest thing you’ve seen lately?

 

All the best…

 

Mary Alford

www.maryalford.net  

    

 

Having Fun by Leann Harris

I thought I'd never be a grandma. My children decided to do their thing before having children. I decided not to ask the question when are you going to give me grand-babies because I got that question from my parents. But I now have two and I'm having the time of my life. Sunday, the family gather to see our youngest, Isaac, dedicated. He has the sweetest nature and a smile that wilts any heart. And he loves flirting. There were six babies in rows one and two. How beautifully my life has turned around. Proverbs 17:6 Children's children are a crown to the aged. (I don't consider myself aged, but blessed.)

The Fate of "Returned" Books

Keli Gwyn here to talk about unsold books.

Have you ever wondered what happens to books that sit on the shelves at your favorite booksellers and don't sell?

The logical answer is that the booksellers return the books to the publishers. But, sadly, that's not what happens to all books.

In the case of mass market paperbacks, which are the smaller-sized paperbacks such as those published by Love Inspired, a different fate can await them.

If you look at the copyright page of a mass market book, you might see a box similar to the one in this photo. Unless you're a curious sort, though, you might not be in the habit of reading copyright pages and the fine print found there.

In this close-up shot, you'll see that the books might not be shipped back to the publisher. Instead, a mass market paperback might (shudder) have its cover removed, and the remainder of the book would be "destroyed."

Yes, it's possible an employee would wield a box cutter, slice that pretty cover off the book and toss the rest of it in the trash. The mere thought causes me to blink back tears. Perhaps your reaction is similar.

Why would a publisher allow an unsold book to be destroyed? Good question.

Publishers know that not all the books they print are going to sell. They factor that into their planning. Because mass market paperbacks are priced lower than the larger trade paperbacks, the publishers figure it's more cost effective to have the book sellers return the covers for credit than to ship the books themselves back.

It's sad to think of books meeting such a sorry end, but that is the nature of the publishing business. What can help is realizing that every time you purchase a mass market paperback, you're ensuring that the book will not end up lying in some dumpster "stripped" of its cover.

As I stood in our local Walmart a few days back, I saw that all five copies of my August Love Inspired Historical, Make-Believe Beau, were still on the shelves. Knowing what awaited them if they didn't sell, I grabbed four of the books and headed for the register.

Since I'm a softy and believe those books deserve good homes, I gave them away to some happy Facebook friends who will provide them.

Questions for You 

 

Have you ever wondered what happens to books that don't sell?

 

Have you ever noticed the "stripped book" message in a book?

If you were to rescue books from such a fate,
who would you give them to?

Release day!

Jenna Mindel here, excited for the release of my third installment of the Maple Springs series.  Today should be the day A Temporary Courtship hits the shelves at my local Walmart and Meijers!  Yours too.   I'll check on that later today.  Although this is an October book, Sept 20 is the day paperbacks can be ordered off Amazon and Barnes & Noble .  I still prefer a paper book to read, how 'bout you?.

Below, I included the cover blurb, but that's not quite the whole story. My hero, Darren is a man of the land with a deep connection to the area.  He has a chip on his shoulder against the summer residents and tourists who he believes do not appreciate his town like they should.  And Bree happens to be one of those summer people who thinks nothing of Maple Springs other than its a place to vacation.

I'm excited about this book for a couple reasons.  First, there's beagles on the cover!  I love beagles.  But more importantly, I was able to showcase the wild edibles Northern Michigan has to offer.  That was fun research even though I fell in love with hunting for morel mushrooms years ago.  Hopefully, that love translated into this book.

 An Inconvenient Attraction 

Before leaving for a coveted two-year musical residency, cellist Bree Anderson is taking one month for a relaxing lakefront vacation. But she's thrown off track by the instant attraction she feels for one of the resort's instructors. The last thing local Darren Zelinsky needs is a privileged summer resident like the fiancée who jilted him. Bree's no threat to his heart…until he uncovers the vulnerable woman beneath the pristine exterior. And soon Bree is in danger of falling for the rugged outdoorsman. The clock on her stay is ticking and Bree's facing an impossible choice—between a lifelong dream and a lifetime love.

 

ps.  Here's a picture of our beagle, Lana.   We also have a rat terrier, Peanut and her puppy Walnut who will be 4yrs old in Jan, but will always be the baby. :) 

Have a wonderful day!

Best wishes and many blessings,

Jenna

www.jennamindel.com

A Regency Romance Writer Goes to Texas

Regina Scott here. Many of you know me from my dozen or so Regency romances over the years. But that’s not the only period of history that fascinates me. I love a story about knights in shining armor, pioneers heading west on the Oregon Trail, and cowboys riding across the plains. That’s why I was thrilled to be asked to write the third book in the Lone Star Cowboy League: The Founding Years series, A Rancher of Convenience, out this week.

So, how did a Regency author fit in Texas? The Texas Hill Country in 1895 is a far cry from the English drawing rooms of the early nineteenth century. For one thing, there are no butlers, maids, or other servants hanging about ready to dress and clean and cook for my hero and heroine, just a couple of cowboys tending the herd. But that just means Hank and Nancy have to be more resilient. If they want something done, they have to find a way to do it themselves. And those cowboys were so sweet to Nancy when she lost her first husband.

And the language! It was a lot of fun to use a more common dialogue than the elegant sentences my Regency lords and ladies are used to uttering. But that doesn’t mean those cowboys and the ladies they love aren’t witty. Take this exchange between Hank and Nancy.

“For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health,” he murmured, releasing her.

She’d said those vows twice now, but never had she felt them more surely. “That’s right. I mean to honor those commitments.”

His smile inched into view. “Even the obey part?”

“Don’t be absurd.”

Then there’s the food. Those ladies in Little Horn sure know how to cook! In fact, Renee Ryan (Stand-In Rancher Daddy), Louise M. Gouge (A Family for the Rancher), and I had a grand time coming up with recipes for our heroines to cook. Here’s one of my husband's favorites:

You can find eight more recipes, along with extended excerpts from our books, in the Lone Star Cowboy League: The Founding Years Sampler, free on Amazon. 

Because even a Regency author can get carried away in Texas.

How about you? Do you have a favorite time period or setting?

My Volunteer Flower Garden

Hi everyone, Winnie Griggs here.

Unlike many of the other ladies who post here I do NOT have a green thumb. Mine, I'm afraid, is much closer to brown. That's why am so enamored of what I call volunteer flowers, those that just pop up on their own without any effort on my part. In the spring there are those lovely yellow daffodils.  And this time of year I always look for the first signs of spider lilies.

And today was the day I stepped out in my back yard and saw them!  With their blazing red color and slender, tendril like petals they are a sassy close out for summer and harbinger of the Autumn to come.  Here are a couple of pictures of the ones in my back yard.

I did a little reading up on spider lilies and learned that they normally bloom a few days after the first good rain in September, so I guess mine are a little early.

I also learned that they have several other common names (none of which I'd ever heard before) British Soldiers, Guernsey Lilies and Surprise Lilies. 

So are you a bona fide gardener? And how do you feel about 'volunteer blooms'?

TEXAS CINDERELLA - A September 2016 Release

In Search of a Groom 

After a life of drudgery on her family's farm, Cassie Lynn Vickers relishes her new-found freedom working in town as a paid companion for feisty Mrs. Flanagan. When her father suddenly demands she come home, she has no choice. Unless she can find a husband. If only she could convince handsome town newcomer Riley Walker to marry her… 

Riley is on the run. He's desperate to keep his niece and nephew safe from his crooked half-brother. But a delay in Turnabout, Texas, shows him everything he didn't know he was missing: home, family—and Cassie Lynn. Can he find a way to both keep the children safe and become her Prince Charming?

Uncooperative Characters by Leann Harris

I'm working on the next book in my "Rodeo Heroes Series". I know the heroine, Kai Delong. She is the younger sister of the the heroine of my last book. Kai just finished her degree at the University of New Mexico. I know the hero, and where the book is set. It's back in Peaster, Texas, west of Fort Worth. I know the hero has a sister, but none of those folks are talking to me. They're closed mouth. Won't share anything. Both the hero and heroine are second children. (I believe in birth order.) Now I know the horse that is featured in the book that brings the hero and heroine together. The dog that the sister has (therapy dog) happily wags his tail and is willing to lick my face, but that's it.

I am not a pantser, but with this book I plan to sit down and write the first three chapters. I don't like doing it this way, but the same thing happened with my last book. Rats.

New Beginnings

Keli Gwyn here to talk about beginnings.

It's the time of year when my Facebook feed is filled with pictures of students heading off to the first day of school. I smile each time I see one, recalling the joy I felt every year when I headed off to begin a new grade.

The first day of school picture at our place looked different this year. My retired teacher husband and our daughter, who is pursuing a teaching credential, are both working as substitute teachers.

To our surprise, their first guest teacher assignments of the year took place on the same day at the same school. They got to carpool to work.

Even though they had to leave the house by 6 am, I was up with camera in hand ready to capture their departure. A surge of pride rushed through me as I watched two generations of Gwyn teachers head off.

Questions for You

Did you look forward to starting a new school year?

What new beginnings are you looking forward to?

You've Got Mail

Howdy, Pamela Tracy, here and yes, I used one of my favorite movies as a title for today.

Since email became more popular, most of the mail I get from 'fans' come via Internet.  Which is cool because it's immediate.   Another plus, is it's easy to file.   I've figured out who writes me for almost every book (I LOVE YOU) and I figured out some people cut and paste their fan letters (and once they forgot to change the title of the book).

Actual fan letter to me.
By the way, I Googled Fan Letters and discovered that there's a how-to site for
writing a fan letter to Taylor Swift.  I did not find my name mentioned in a similar manner .

Used to be (yes, I've been around a long time) fan mail would be sent to the publishing house.  Many editors had files with their authors' names and the mail would go into the files.  I'm not sure whether the editors (or their assistants) would simply transfer the mail to a manilla folder once the file was full or if there were a few times a year when they cleaned all the files.  Doesn't matter.  A decade ago, a few times a year, I'd get manilla envelopes full (okay, not full full) of fan mail.

There were a few different kinds.  Some simply told me what they loved about the book and promised to read all my books (Thanks Mom and Aunt Shari).  Others told me my mistakes (I once typed ASAP instead of ASSET for a teacher heroine).  Some were amazed that I used all the names of their relatives in my book (There are lots of Brittneys, Sarahs, and Mikes in the world).

Fan letters do touch the lives of authors.  I've gotten handmade bookmarks and recipes (I've always admitted that I don't cook.  Some readers think a recipe will change this character flaw.  So far, the perfect recipe hasn't appeared.  Hmm, methinks the only perfect recipe would be one used for the replicator on Star Trek).  I've had readers share poems and ask for prayers.

Yes, I've gotten the letters from prison inmates.

My favorite, though, came not because of a story but because of a dedication.

I dedicated one of my books to my birth mother who I met a little over a decade ago.

I got a fan letter because my birth mother's name is fairly common and one reader saw the name and the sentence I wrote as part of the dedication, called her friend who had the same name, and said, "Wow, you've had a book dedicated to you!"

The second lady said, "Uh, no, there's hundreds of people with my name.  Not me."

But, she went and found the book and read it, too.  Then wrote me and said, "God has blessed your gift of writing.  Thank you for following His path and sharing your life with us."

She was right.  God has blessed me.

A long time ago, I read an article in the Romance Writers Report.  It was a list of things authors should do.  One item was "Write one fan letter a year to an author new to you."

I've done that.  Sometimes I get a thank-you back.  Sometimes I hear from an author's assistant (I want one of those!"  Sometimes I hear nothing at all.   Best of all, I've made a few friends.

So, readers and writers, what are your experiences with fan letters.

http://www.harlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=65173

Are You a Water Baby?

Keli Gwyn here with an admission: I'm not comfortable in the water.

I come by my fear of the water naturally. Neither of my parents was fond of being in the water. My mom summoned her courage and learned to swim when I was around eight years old. My dad never did learn.

Although I can swim, I'm not a very good swimmer. I didn't learn until I was in high school.

The first day of our swimming unit in P. E. class, the teacher told us to get in the water. Being an obedient oldest child, I did. We were then told to swim a lap. I just stood there.

I'll never forget the look on the teacher's face. She stared at me in disbelief. "You don't know how to swim, do you?" she asked. I shook my head. I'm pretty sure she was shaking hers, too.

That incredibly patient teacher spent the next few weeks making a swimmer out of me. While my friends were logging laps, diving into the deep end and having a blast, I was alone in the shallow end mastering the dog paddle. Talk about humiliating.

I took lessons at the local pool the following summer, determined to avoid future embarrassment. My parks and recreation class consisted of students half my age. I persevered and mastered all the strokes. The side and back strokes are my favorites to this day. Why? Because they don't require me to put my face in the water.

The hero and heroine of my August Love Inspired Historical, Make-Believe Beau, know a lot about water. The hero, Flynt Kavanaugh, is an irrigation engineer. Jessie Sinclair, the heroine, is working as his draftswoman. They and the rest of Flynt's team are helping design the El Dorado Canal, which brought--and still brings--water from the Sierras to the Foothills below, where I live.

Thanks to the efforts of the real men who built the canal, I enjoy water in my glass or in the tub. I give swimming pools and other bodies of water a wide berth to this day.

Questions for You

Do you enjoy swimming?

If so, what is your favorite stroke?

Are you a swimming pool person, or do you prefer lakes or oceans?

(Swimming pool credit here. Canal image is in the public domain)

The Courtship Charade


As a draftswoman in a man’s world, Jessica Sinclair causes a stir as her new male colleagues vie for her attention. And the company manager has an ultimatum: fake a courtship with her boss, Flynt Kavanaugh…or lose her job. But pretending to be smitten with the handsome engineer unleashes a real, complicated attraction—and could reveal the past she hoped to keep hidden.

Jessica is certainly the best person for the job. But as their make-believe romance escalates, Flynt knows that’s not the only reason he wants her on his team. However, with his past shrouded by a shameful secret, Flynt has always focused his ambitions on building a career, not a family. Now he has designs on Jessica’s heart, but can they trust each other with the truth?

Copyright © 2016 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited
Cover art and cover copy text used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited.
® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited
or its affiliated companies, used under license.

Tardy by Leann Harris

As I was standing in the kitchen this morning, it occurred to me this was my day to blog, thus my title "Tardy." Now I don't have to tell you what I did in a previous life. Only a teacher would think in terms of tardy, instead of late. Well, I was in the teacher mode, since on Saturday night I went to a reunion of the first class of students I taught. There were a handful of new teachers, deaf ed, hired to bring the school district up to Plan A, regional day school for the deaf. It was fun seeing those students, seeing how their lives changed. It

didn't take long to start thinking in sign, but reading the other person is what's hard, but isn't that how it is in any language? Now when I saw the picture I took, I told me daughter I looked mad. She told me I had on my teacher face. Also my latest Indie book is out, Stolen Secrets. It happened around the time I started teaching, but there's lots of murder, mayhem, and old secrets coming to light .

Living in Tune with the Seasons by Marta Perry

In today's world, it really is possible to live insulated from the changing seasons. Thanks to air conditioned homes, cars, and businesses, central heating, indoor malls, deliveries from Amazon, phones and Facebook and texting and Twitter, sometimes I think many people have no idea what the weather is like outside their doors!

That's not true of the Amish, certainly, and it's also not true, for the most part, of those of us who live in the country. A few years ago, at about this time of the summer, I was chatting with some women friends at a reception, where I'd been introduced to a newcomer in our community. Our conversation turned, as always in summer, to what our gardens were producing, what jams we'd made, which orchard had the best deal on peaches, and how many quarts of tomatoes we should can.

Finally the newcomer couldn't stand it any longer. She looked at us in astonishment and said, "Haven't you people ever heard of getting your vegetables in a can at the grocery store?"

Well, we had, of course. But to us, our way of life was normal and natural--if not, we probably wouldn't live where we do!

So I've continued to follow the seasons in my cooking and to take an interest in everybody's gardens. Here in Pennsylvania, the progression of pies is inevitable throughout the growing season: rhubarb, then strawberries, then raspberries, then blackberries, then blueberries. By the time we're picking blueberries, the peaches are ready, and there are plenty of orchards close at hand where we can get them fresh from the trees, followed by pears and then apples.

As for the gardens, our suburban grandkids love eating tomatoes fresh from the plant! Who needs them washed and sliced?

We're at the height of zucchini and yellow squash season right now. They don't last long, and I've never found a very good method of preserving them, so we eat and enjoy every day while they last.

Here's one of my favorite squash recipes, guaranteed to appeal even to picky kids, as long as you don't tell them it's squash!

Squash Chips

Thinly slice tender young yellow squash or zucchini, leaving the skin on if desired. Dip each slice in beaten egg and then in a mixture of equal amounts of Bisquick and Italian crumbs. Bring about an inch of canola oil to medium heat in a large skillet. Drop each slice into the oil. They'll brown very quickly, so flip them as one side browns. Transfer to paper towels to drain and keep warm, and continue to do batches until reaching the desired amount. Serve immediately, while they're warm and crispy.

What's your favorite fresh from the garden or farmers' market treat? Your top recipe?

If you'd like a copy of my brochure of favorite Pennsylvania Dutch recipes, just e-mail me with your address at marta@martaperry.com or sign up for my newsletter at www.martaperry.com/lists/?

p=subscribe.

Blessings,

Marta

Messy Manucripts

Keli Gwyn here to talk about making messes. Not just any messes, mind you, but messes of the manuscript variety.

I'm racing to meet a July 25 deadline for my fourth Love Inspired Historical, Her Motherhood Wish, which will be released in March 2017.

Until a couple of days ago, the manuscript was a mess. I have a hunch some of my fellow authors can relate.

I handed that messy first draft to my bright, beautiful daughter, who proofreads for another author, too, and is a line and copy editing whiz.

When Adriana completed her editing pass, I was reminded of a recent "catastrophe" she experienced when she accidentally flung cat food all over the bathroom floor--and counter, too. She had lots of little pellets to pick up; I had lots of little oopsies to address.

Adri returned the story full of notes telling me (nicely) about the many niggling ways I'd muffed up. Things like the heroine being blindfolded by the bad guy but not bound. Can you say oops? I'd made poor Callie look pretty clueless, since she could have just reached up and removed the bandana blocking her vision. Not to worry. That mistake has been corrected.

I'm happy to report that I've cleaned up the manuscript. There are only a few fixes left for me to make. I'm on track to hit "send" Monday. A huge sigh of relief will follow.

Questions for You

Think back to a time when your plate was overfull or your life got a bit messy. How do you handle such times? What works well for you when you're feeling overwhelmed? This fuzzy-brained, deadline-pressured writer welcomes your wisdom.

Such a perfect setting...

Story ideas can come from the most varied places, can't they? Completing a six week Citizens' Police Academy and also the local Citizens' Fire Academy, were perfect for gathering the right details for several of my novels. That's me on the left, in full fireman's gear. I still have no idea how a fireman can withstand the danger, as well as the heat of a fire plus hot summer weather in that heavy gear. I am in awe of those folks!

Travel to foreign countries in the last few years gave me fodder for indie novellas set in Ireland, Scotland and (coming out this fall) England--providing details that couldn't have been gleaned from researching books or the internet.

But my main love is writing for Love Inspired, and my settings for those are in the USA. When not using small towns, I often revert to my passion for the contemporary West--ranching, cowboys, veterinarians, high adventure in the mountains...or the pine forests of the north.

Speaking about pines, we've just returned from a long weekend up along the North Shore of Lake Superior, my favorite place in the Upper Midwest.

Superior is 1,333 ft at its deepest, with an average depth of 483 feet, and has almost 32,000 square miles of surface area. The rocky shores, crystal clear water and agate beaches are breath-taking, and the fresh, pine-scented air is delightful.

And goodness--Duluth itself is now a far cry from its shabby past many years ago, with its wonderful museums, restaurants, unique stores and hiking trails. There's even a downtown boardwalk and bike path that run along seven miles of the shore--barely visible in this night photo from our hotel balcony.

I've been going up there since the age of three--first with my parents, later on with my own family, and it never loses its appeal.  In fact, my very first novel was set along the North Shore...and returning to this beautiful place made me ponder the possibility of setting another book up there.

Right now, though,  The Single Dad's Redemption (Love Inspired) is out in the stores, and I'm working on the next book in that Aspen Creek series, which is set just a little more south--in the St Croix region of western Wisconsin.

What are your favorite types of settings when shopping for books in a store or online? Or does it matter to you?  I would love to hear your thoughts!

Roxanne Rustand
USA Today bestselling Author
The Single Dad's Redemption, Love Inspired 7/2016
An Aspen Creek Christmas, Love Inspired 11/16
www.roxannerustand.com 
www.facebook.com/Roxanne.Rustand 
http://www.SweetRomanceReads.com
https://www.pinterest.com/roxannerustand