What a difference a few days of sunshine and warm temperatures can make! My dog is old, and our walks are sometimes far too slow for my liking, but the beauty bursting forth in every direction makes our slow pace gratifying. An added bonus: more time to listen to audio books!
But speaking of spring, my travel plans were derailed by the tornadoes sweeping across the country, and I send my deepest sympathies to anyone who was affected. Instead of my intended itinerary, I made a long-planned and long-postponed pilgrimage to Boonsboro, MD, where the incomparable Nora Roberts set up shop a while back. The town, located not far from the Civil War Antietam battlefield, is not a major metropolis, but it is home to the lovely bookshop, Turn the Page Bookstore, that Nora and her husband have kept open for years. I bought books (who’d have guessed!), candles, a t-shirt, and a few winsome charms. You’ve read a Nora Roberts or a J.D. Robb book – of course you have. But go back and read another. Last year’s NIGHTWORK, was terrific, and during my visit I was catching up on audio with Eve and Roarke in one of their early volumes. Now I’m eagerly awaiting the release of IDENTITY later this spring.
Fan-girl worship aside, my first great listen this month was DEAR EDWARD, by Ann Napolitano. A serialized adaptation is currently playing on Apple TV, which I will probably never get around to watching, but the book is terrific. It had me spellbound from the first sentences, with phenomenal narration by Cassandra Campbell. The novel moves back and forth through time, detailing the everyday minutia of passengers aboard a flight from New York to California, and the life, several years later, of its sole survivor, Edward. The book is a work of fiction, but Ms. Napolitano’s exhaustive research makes the exquisite detail real and immediate. We know the fate of the flight before we board, but we hold our breath in both hope and fearful anticipation, nonetheless. Edward is forced to start a new, second chapter in his life, with a harsh abruptness few of us can ever imagine, and his journey will linger in my memory for years to come. I’m a romance junkie, and this is most definitely not a romance, but it is a story ultimately overflowing with love.
Another second-go-round book I was delighted to encounter was THE SECRET LIFE OF ALBERT ENTWISTLE by Matt Cain. Again, not your traditional romance, but--spoiler alert--it is a lovely boy-meets-boy, boy-loses-boy, and boy, after many, many, many years, gets a happily-ever-after heartwarming love story replete with charming secondary characters. Matt Cain pulled off the impossible by making the tale of a world-weary retiring British postal worker absolutely riveting.
Fresh Fiction’s beloved Cathy Maxwell has a new book out, A KISS IN THE MOONLIGHT. It’s the start of what looks to be a great series, and as I write, a copy sits on the top of a pile teetering next to my bed. But first I wanted to finish the last book in her previous series: HIS LESSONS ON LOVE. Here we find everything we love most about historical romance: a ne’er-do-well hero (the Earl of Marsden), a lovely but unlucky-in-life heroine (Clarissa), and multiple obstacles to any possible happily-ever-after, including a baby on a doorstep, painful family secrets, and a duel at dawn. Ms. Maxwell always delivers with snappy dialog, quirky but enticing characters the reader can’t help but love, and a setting that makes you yearn to explore the English countryside in person—preferably alongside her wonderful cast of fictional figures.
I mentioned tornadoes earlier. Climate disasters are popping up at an alarming rate, and World Central Kitchen is one of the larger organizations always quick to respond. Six other romance writers and I write together in the morning, and we brought our talent together to create a heart-warming anthology, LOVE AT DAWN, celebrating love in a variety of genres. Most importantly, all our proceeds are going to World Central Kitchen. My story, Second Sunrise, will grab your heart, perhaps bring a tear to your eye, but leave you with a sense of joy and contentment. Get a copy today and know you’re doing good at the same time.
Celebrate spring, slip into an enchanting tale, and show your support for World Central Kitchen!
Remember waking up with the first blush of a new romance filling your morning with joy?
Seven breakout authors bring you a medley of love stories that will quicken your senses, lift your hearts, and make you imagine love in whole new ways. Spanning the scale from gentle and sweet to spicy hot, each entry brings a fresh look at love in all its variations along with the perennial promise of morning's renewal. ALL proceeds go to the charity feeding people in need here and in every corner of the globe: World Central Kitchen.
Romance Anthology [NapierPress, On Sale: March 21, 2023, e-Book, ISBN: 2940167051492 / eISBN: 9781959289005]
Meg's friends during her high school years all expected her romance novels to hit the shelves decades ago, but she foolishly allowed "serious pursuits" to get in her way. Now that her beloved children can feed, clothe, and most importantly, support themselves, she's free to turn her attention to her first passion - putting words to paper that capture your attention and make your heart sing in quiet joy. Her stories tell most frequently of second chances--in life, love, and sometimes even at rediscovering a soul-mate from a previous life.
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