#FreebieFriday Win ARC of ONE SUMMER NIGHT & Jersey Shore Goodies

Good morning and Happy Friday! I love Fridays! The weekends give me a chance to sleep in an extra hour, get in a multi-hour writing jag, cook something fun, visit my daughter and last, but not least, take a long stroll on the boardwalk. Sigh, I so love Fridays.

Today’s “freebie” is a chance to win an ARC of ONE SUMMER NIGHT and some Jersey Shore goodies (pint glass, tote bag, lanyard (1) and more!)

For a chance to win, add ONE SUMMER NIGHT to your Goodreads Want to Read Pile by April 30th! You can do that here: One Summer Night

ONE SUMMER NIGHT Arc & Jersey Shore Goodies Giveaway

#ThrowbackThursday RT Book Cover 1999

Today’s throwback seems somehow appropriate since I’m going back to my contemporary romance roots with the At the Shore series. I’ve been very happy to hear all your positive comments about how much you liked those original novels and how you’re looking forward to the new stories. ONE SUMMER NIGHT will be out in October 2017 and I think you will really love that Romeo and Juliet tale. It’s even got a balcony scene, but not in the way you might expect. Please take a moment to add ONE SUMMER NIGHT to your Want to Read pile on Goodreads!

This is the cover of my very first novel, NOW AND ALWAYS, on the cover of Romantic Times magazine. I was told by a reputable source that the cover model was the famous John DeSalvo.

What Makes a Good Hero? #WriteWed

I had the pleasure of attending the Liberty States Fiction Writers Conference this weekend and a workshop by the marvelous Virginia Kantra. Virginia is a lovely lady and an amazing speaker. I always get something worthwhile from her panels and speeches.

The panel I attended was one on “What Makes a Good Hero?” It had lots of information and got me to thinking about how to refine the hero in book #2 in the At the Shore Contemporary Romance series. But it also had me contemplating what inspired Owen Pierce, the hero in #1 – One Summer Night.

When I think of Owen, I think of someone who is almost too perfect to be true. Someone who always does everything by the book. Owen is honorable and full of integrity. He’s hard working and demands a lot of himself because of a father who belittles him and a brother who needs his love and support.

Owen would sacrifice anything for the people he loves and he’s not afraid of commitment. But to have the woman that he loves in his life, Maggie Sinclair, he may have to lose all that he’s worked for as well as his honor and integrity. It makes for an interesting story, trust me! LOL!

Here’s how I pictured Owen. Sexy, right?

Nacho Figueras

Photo Credit: By Jiyang Chen (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

And just in case that smoldering look wasn’t enough, how about this one courtesy of his Facebook Page?

You can order One Summer Night at the following retailers:

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2krMwfE
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2kYLWZV
B&N: http://bit.ly/2kNuo0p
iBooks: Coming Soon!
Kobo: Coming Soon!

A Typical Cuban Meal #Tuesday Tip

I’m in the process of writing #2 in the At the Shore Contemporary Romance series and am working on a scene where the hero visits the heroine at her condo in Jersey City. The heroine is Cuban and she knows that the hero loves Cuban food. Unfortunately, she’s been hard at work over the weekend, but she still knows where to go to pick up some great Cuban food before she comes home.

So what’s a typical kind of Cuban meal? I’ve shared some recipes with you before, so here’s a list of what you’ll see in the scene I’m busy writing. You can click on the links for the recipes or visit my Cook’s Treat page.

Black beans and rice for sure!
Citrus-marinated Roast Pork
Plantains of some kind – how about Mashed ones or ripe plantains (maduros)?
Ropa Vieja (a shredded beef dish)
Flan for dessert

I’m thinking maybe a nice sangria to help wash everything down!
Ropa Vieja

Look for ONE SUMMER NIGHT, #1 in the At the Shore Series, in October 2017. You can pre-order this contemporary romance at the following sites:

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2krMwfE
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2kYLWZV
B&N: http://bit.ly/2kNuo0p
iBooks: Coming Soon!
Kobo: Coming Soon!