Every time I see this photo, I think of my mom maybe getting all dressed up as a dancer to welcome spring. There’s just something about the flowers in her hair, costume, and hand that scream spring to me. What do you think?
#WriteWed In Search of the Older Heroine
As I grow older, I’m always tempted to write a story about an older heroine – a woman in her forties or more who has had life experiences such as having children, ending a marriage, changing careers and most importantly, finding love again.
I am, after all, a hopeless romantic. In TO CATCH HER MAN, Tori’s mom Virginia and her ex-husband Pablo are on the way to finding love again. I’ve been toying with the idea of writing their story, showing how they first met and what happens after they find each other again.
What do you think? Would you be interested in a story with an older heroine?
#TipTuesday The Carb Dilemma
I’m a carboholic. I admit that and falling off the carb wagon is really really bad for me. Case in point, this week. It started off last weekend with a conference, built over the week in anticipation of Easter and crescendoed on Easter Sunday. Cakes. Bread. Chocolate. Pastries. As much as I kept to eating well for most meals and not only continued with my workouts, but intensified them, the addition of carbs set me back massively on my weight loss plans.
I’m sad about it, but taking steps to rectify the problem by watching my carbs and trying to limit myself to complex carbs in small quantities. What’s the difference between simple and complex? In a nutshell, complex carbs are those that are naturally occurring in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. While they break down into simple sugars eventually, they also contain fiber and other healthy ingredients.
Simple carbs are things like refined sugar, white bread, etc. which even if they have naturally occurring sugars, lack the beneficial fiber and nutrients that come with complex carbs. You can find a more detailed and scientific explanation about the different carbs in this article by Fitday.
So what foods are complex carbs? Here’s just a few:
- Oats
Fruits
Carrots
Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Peas
Barley
Brown Rice
Beans
Lentils
Corn
You can get more info on additional complex carbs and a carb calendar at MyFit.Ca.
I hope this was a helpful Tuesday Tip. You can click there to visit another good article on things to do to lose weight!
#ManCandyMonday Model, Fitness Guru, Rugby Player Stuart Reardon
It’s chilly and wet today, so I really needed someone to heat me up! I’ve been seeing Stuart Reardon around on various covers, pages, etc. and thought, today’s the day he visits the blog.
Stuart is a fitness model and professional rugby player for the North Wales Crusaders. You can find out me about Stuart at his website, including lots of awesome photos at his gallery and more about his Fear Nothing Fitness program.
Click here if you cannot see the trailer below for Stuart’s 2016 calender.
I hope you enjoyed today’s Man Candy Monday.
#ThrowbackThursday The Easter Parade
When I was younger we lived in Queens and I remember coming into Manhattan several times for the Easter Parade. We would walk along Fifth Avenue seeing everyone in their Easter hats and then go by Rockefeller Center to check out all the lovely flowers. One year we went to see The Sound of Music and it was a very moving experience for me since I so identified with the Von Trapp family and having to leave home.
This is a picture of my mom, sister, me and my grandmother in the Rockefeller Center Promenade. Don’t look too happy in this one, but these trips were always fun!
#WriteWed Always a Bridesmaid Series Inspiration
I am so so excited to say that I’ve accepted an offer from Sourcebooks for a new contemporary romance series – ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID. The series is about the last three unmarried friends and what happens as one by one, they possibly find the man who might provide the Happily-Ever-After.
The series was inspired by my daughter and her friends since they are all in various stages of dating, getting engaged, and getting married. I thought it might be fun to explore that moment in time and what happens as friends’ relationships change.
Another fun thing – the stories have a hometown feel even though they are set in different parts of New York City. I really love sharing the unique neighborhoods in New York so the stories will move from upscale places like Chelsea and Gramercy Park to more blue collar neighborhoods in Spanish Harlem and Brooklyn.
The stories will also show the diversity of New York City with the first story being about very wealthy old money families to the second story about an up-and-coming Latino family and finally, the third story highlights a big boisterous Italian family!
I am so excited about this series and about being part of the Sourcebooks family. If you’d like to know more about them, visit the Sourcebooks website and also, the fabulous Casablanca Authors website with so many wonderful Sourcebooks authors.
I’m having a little fun with the announcement this morning, so here’s a banner for you! Nope, this isn’t the cover! We haven’t even gotten to that stage yet! I will let you know as soon as we’ve decided on a release date for the series.
#TeaserTuesday The Summer Heat is on…
I’m very excited to be working with some friends on a brand new box set – the SUMMER HEAT collection! We’ve been having lots of fun sharing teasers and other info from the stories at our Facebook Page and we’ll be having a release day party on May 24. I hope you’ll check them out and now for some teasers on the books in the box set.
16 All New SCORCHING HOT Romances from NY Times, USA Today, and International Bestselling Authors!!!
Don’t Wait! Pre-Order NOW from:
Amazon US ~ B&N ~ iTunes ~ Kobo ~ Amazon UK ~ Google
Guaranteed to make your blood run hot. Passion, steamy nights, excitement, and suspense. Something to suit every reader’s taste. Grab a cool drink (you’ll need it!), find a hammock, and curl up for an unforgettable escape.
1: Caridad Pineiro, Under the Boardwalk – A passionate night under the boardwalk brought them together, but can Chase and Natalie rekindle that lost love in just one night?
2: Nina Bruhns, Fast and Flirty – The top-secret package STORM Corps transporter Kade Maddox is hired to deliver turns out to be way more trouble—and a whole lot sexier—than he ever anticipated.
3: Rebecca York, Outlaw Justice – Will a surprise reunion with her old lover save her life when she flees from a homicidal husband?
4: Jennifer Lowery, The Fall (Book #2 ATCOM series) – The last thing ATCOM agent Brendan Devayne wants is to settle down, but Mia Lawrence makes him think twice…
5: Taylor Lee, Jared: (Book 1, The Justice Brothers Series) – The rookie cop learned the hard way that when tangling with the Justice Brothers, Justice—like Love– isn’t always fair or easy.
6: Traci Hall, Festival by the Sea – Al Cooper’s too bad to be a cop and too good to be a crook; Darcy Smith can’t get enough.
7: Stephanie Queen, Beachcomber Heat – This summer’s heat wave on Martha’s Vineyard is breaking records, but so is the crime wave. The combination is causing a wave of red-hot dangerous desire between Dane and Shana.
8: Alicia Street, In Training for Love – When private fitness trainer Shannon meets her hot new client, loving her job takes on a whole new meaning.
9: Kathy Ivan, Sex, Lies and Apple Pies – A televised baking competition brings them together. But deceit, intrigue and revenge are on this menu. Can their love survive?
10: Jackie Ivie, The Hunted – LeeAnn’s got business in Miami. Bring on the sun. Sand. Sexy men to look at. The last thing she expects is to be someone’s target.
11: Michele Hauf, The Geek Gets The Girl – Mistaken for the IT geek? This sexy CEO is about to learn the intimate operations of his company—up close, and personal.
12: Rachelle Ayala, Bad Boys for Hire: Ken (Bad Boys for Hire Series, #2) – After Jolie Becker is left at the altar, her friends secretly hire a hunky beach bum to cheer her up.
13: Katy Walters, Sands of Seduction – Clary escaped to a place of sea and sand, a place of passion and seduction.
14: Melissa Keir, Protecting Her Pigg – Arson and fire bring them together, but what will cause the most damage…the arsonist bent on revenge or their own stubborn ways?
15: Dani Haviland, Pool Boy Wanted (No Experience Preferred) – He’d never known a woman before, and that’s just how she wanted him.
16: Jacquie Biggar, Summer Lovin’ – Can two mismatched lovers find a way past their mistakes, or will they keep their lonely hearts forever guarded?
These stories are all EXCLUSIVE to SUMMER HEAT: LOVE ON FIRE for one month, so what are you waiting for? Pre-Order Today so you don’t forget! [LIMITED TIME OFFER 99c for 16 romances, what’s not to love?]
Amazon US ~ B&N ~ iTunes ~ Kobo ~ Amazon UK ~ Google