• Author Interviews

    When a Romance Lives Forever #anniversary

    I believe Romance Lives Forever. December 23, 1973 was the day my husband and I tied the knot. We were both 22 years old, had been born 3 days apart, joined the Navy the same day, and were both stationed in Tennessee. Today marks 43 years together. One of my big sisters gave us 6 weeks. We’d met in June and were married in December, and she worried we were making a quick decision. Well, we were, but it was because we didn’t want to be apart. We still feel that way. The reason I have Romance Lives Forever on all my branding is because I not only believe it’s true, I’ve lived it.

    Kayelle and Edward J Allen

    Now, apparently it’s also true that people start looking alike when they’ve been together a long time, so in case you’re wondering, I’m the one in the white shirt without the hat.

    On a more serious note…

    For those who have lost loved ones this year (myself included), hold on. They say time heals but to be honest, time can be brutal. What works for me is investing in those I still have around me. Being vulnerable and honest and allowing myself to feel what I feel. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. My “coping” mechanism is by nature, avoidance. Learning to both enjoy the present and cherish the past is far from easy. If I do it every day I hope it will get easier. I know I’m not alone, even though sometimes I feel that way. I hope if you are having a hard time during the holidays that you’ll reach out to someone else who needs a moment of hope. Be assured — everyone needs hope.

    Romance Lives Forever will not have guests on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Look for more starting the 27th. On Dec 31st I’ll be sharing a note about what’s ahead on RLF. There are some wonderful plans underway.

    Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

    ~ Kayelle Allen
    Owner of the Romance Lives Forever blog
    https://kayelleallen.com

  • Suspense

    Crystal Creek Christmas by @laurarmcneil #RLFblog #romanticsuspense

    Today’s featured book is Crystal Creek Christmas by Laura Haley-McNeil.

    About the Book

    Title Crystal Creek Christmas
    Genre Romantic Suspense
    Author Laura Haley-McNeil
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): G
    Celebrate Christmas with the Whitlochs
    When a blinding snowstorm shuts down the Crystal Creek Ranch’s
    cattle operation, the Whitlochs have one mission – save the cattle. ER doc Jake
    Whitloch joins in the rescue, but the form he finds in a snowdrift is no cow.
    It’s a woman, a woman who consumes his thoughts despite that two carat diamond
    sitting on her ring finger.
    Noelle Beaupré thanks the rugged doctor for rescuing her
    from freezing to death and the Whitlochs for taking her into their home, but
    now it’s time for her to leave the ranch. She longs to stay with the man who’s
    determined to protect her, but she doesn’t dare. Her deadly secret is in hot
    pursuit. Any delay and she’ll endanger the family who opened their home to her.
    Noelle leaving Crystal Creek Ranch? Jake can’t let her go,
    but how can he convince her he’ll do anything to keep her safe?
    This book includes your favorite Crystal Creek characters
    from Book One of the Crystal Creek Series and several new characters, including
    Max Whitloch’s children from his previous marriages who come to the ranch for
    Victoria and Garrett’s wedding. All Max’s children will have their own books as
    they pursue their quests for love.
    While Crystal Creek Christmas could be read as a standalone
    story, readers will enjoy it more if they have read Guarding Her Heart, Book
    One of the Crystal Creek Series.

    Buy This Book

    Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Creek-Christmas-Book-ebook/dp/B00Q5V2FYW/
    Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/crystal-creek-christmas-laura-haley-mcneil/1121493147?ean=2940151317207
    Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebook/crystal-creek-christmas
    IBooks https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/crystal-creek-christmas/id982599818?mt=11
    https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/heartstrings/id988418118?mt=11

    About the Author

    Laura Haley-McNeil is an award-winning author of romantic suspense and women’s fiction in novel length and in short stories. Her work has been featured in several women’s magazines. She has studied piano and ballet and has been a board member for two community orchestras. She and her husband reside in Colorado. When she isn’t writing, she jogs, bicycles and crochets.

    Author Social Media

  • Contemporary

    Dirty Girl a new #romance by @RoryReynoldsBks #RLFblog

    This quick interview includes info about the author, and introduces the story.
    About the Author
    Rory Reynolds is a stay-at-home mom of two little monsters. She’s a ravenous reader of romance and firmly believes that you can never have too many book boyfriends.
    She writes feisty heroines, alpha heroes, and panty drenching smut with happily ever afters.
    Interview with Rory Reynolds
    Why did you write this book?
    My love of friends to lovers and secret baby storylines was the driving force behind the desire to write Dirty Girl.
    What is your favorite genre to read?
    Romance… any sub genre with the exception of historical.
    Who is your favorite character from fiction (not including your own)?
    I’m going to have to narrow it down to my favorite heroine for 2016… and that would be Saylor Samson from Sinner’s Creed by Kim Jones.
    What are you working on at the moment, and will see from you in coming months?
    Currently I’m working on the second book in my Sassy Girls series that will be out in January. Then after that I’ll be working on a younger woman – older man romance.
    Please tell us about your latest book.
    Jenson Johns has wanted his sister’s best friend for five long years. Keeping her at arm’s length wasn’t easy, but he had no choice—she was too young and too pure.
    No longer a girl, Dylan Thomas has become all woman. Gone is the innocence that once kept him away. Her hungry gaze tells him all he needs to know.
    Now he’s ready to claim what’s his… Once and for all.
    Note: This novella is an insta-love romance with a secret baby and guaranteed happily ever after.
    About the Book
    Title Dirty Girl
    Genre Romance
    Author Rory Reynolds
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R
    Buy This Book
    Author Social Media
  • Military

    Love In Times of War @jacqbiggar et al. #RLFBlog #Romance

    Today’s featured book is Love In Times of War by Jacquie Biggar and others.

    About the Book

    Title: Love In Times of War
    Genre: Romance
    Author: Jacquie Biggar

    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG-13
    At no other point is passion put to the test as in dire times of war. From the American Civil War to WWII, from Vietnam to the War in Afghanistan to the Persian Gulf, the stories in this boxed set summon the strength of true lovers. Written by bestselling, award-winning, and USA Today authors, the novels and novellas in this collection tell of overcoming the odds to celebrate the victory of love.

    If you like Military Romance, Wounded Warrior Romance, Historical
    Romance, Contemporary Romance, or Romantic Suspense, this anthology invites you
    to triumph over the worst of conditions. Together with these unforgettable
    lovers, go through coping with loss, struggling with injuries and
    rehabilitation, and facing difficult homecomings. And just like them, inspired
    by desire, find the courage to bring forth the best in us.
    Dancing with Air by
    Uvi Poznansky
    In WWII London, Lenny is involved in a covert intelligence ploy.
    His task must remain confidential, even at the risk of Natasha becoming
    suspicious of him. Will their love survive the test of war?
    Two Hearts Unspoken
    by Tamara Ferguson
    Beth Bowen is a single mom of an autistic son. Zach Logan is a
    wounded warrior searching for a life after Iraq. Can two lonely people discover
    that love is that something unspoken, missing from their lives?
    The Rebel’s
    Redemption by Jacquie Biggar
    When an old enemy follows him from Iraq and causes mayhem in Tidal
    Falls, can Jared overcome the odds to protect the woman he’s always loved?
    Broken Wings by D.G.
    Torrens
    Joshua, a bomb disposal expert in Afghanistan. Angelina, an editor
    of a local newspaper. Both avoiding love at all costs, until they are
    unexpectedly thrown together. Tested beyond belief… Can their love survive?
    A Soldier’s Promise
    by Angelica Kate
    Ryker is most comfortable in the regulated world of the military.
    When he is sent to Darby’s doorstep to keep a promise to one of his fallen team
    members, every rule he holds will be challenged!
    Returning Home by the
    Sea by Traci Hall
    Brayden and Zoe wed before he went to Iraq. Once united in
    passion, a lot has changed in the six years he’s been away. Will their love survive
    his homecoming?
    A Weldon Family
    Christmas by Jennifer St. Giles
    A frightening event with an uncertain outcome sends Emma and John’s
    memory to the past, where her helicopter went down in Vietnam enemy territory,
    and he risked everything to save her. Can she save him now?
    The Magic of Snow by
    Regina Puckett
    When Staff Sergeant Charlie Prince’s letters stop arriving from
    Afghanistan, Sarah White waits in agonizing suspense to discover what has
    happened to the man she loves.
    Mademoiselle by
    Suzanne Jenkins
    To Philipa, working at Mademoiselle Magazine is more important
    than anything, even love. Her friend, Walter, hopes for a change, but not until
    his trip to the Persian Gulf does she begin to listen to her heart.
    Genteel Secrets by
    S.R. Mallery
    In 1861 America, can the love between a Confederate female spy and
    the Pinkerton detective hired to shadow her survive, or will their story become
    just another casualty of war?
    Moving to Forever by
    PJ Fiala
    Danny Schaefer returns from Afghanistan broken in body, battered
    in soul. Tammy Davis, betrayed in a most personal way, struggles against her
    tormentor. She and Danny must help each other heal, by the power of love.
    Lovin’ Those Navy
    Games by Susan Jean Ricci
    Michael Burke has two passions: his high-school sweetheart and
    baseball. When someone dear to him perishes in Vietnam, will the shock alter
    his future goals? Will it isolate him from Ellie or deepen their love?

    Buy This Book

    Author Social Media

  • Christmas or Holiday

    Christmas Revels III: 3 Regency Novellas @kateparkerbooks #RLFblog #regencyromance

    Today’s featured book is Christmas Revels III: Three Regency
    Novellas by Hannah Meredith, Anna D. Allen, and Kate Parker

    About the Book

    Title Christmas Revels III: Three Regency Novellas
    Genre Historical Romance
    Author Hannah Meredith, Anna D. Allen, and Kate Parker
    Book heat level PG13
    When days turn dark, Christmas brightens the way… Come
    Revel with us again!
    Magdalena’s Christmas Rake – Thomas Eddington comes home for
    a family Christmas to discover his mother in a matchmaking mood. Worse, she has
    invited his childhood nemesis, “Mad Maddie” Winslow, to act as
    chaperone to the eligible debutantes. For her part, Magdalena Winslow hopes to
    go unnoticed. She certainly wants nothing to do with a London rake, and she’s
    not afraid to let him know it.
    Christmas Promise – When skaters at a Christmas house party
    find a dead man beneath the ice, the squeamish local magistrate relies on Eve
    Franklin to help with the investigation. Complications arrive with Lord Adam
    Downing, who is searching for the dead man – and stolen jewels – on orders from
    the Prince of Wales. Eve must now convince the aristocrat to view her as an
    equal—but he sees her as so much more.
    The Christmas Rose – Lord and Lady Trenton have an exemplary
    society marriage—an amicable partnership. Simon dedicates himself to his
    Parliamentary responsibilities and estate concerns. Emma devotes herself to
    their children and her charitable endeavors. But when the stress of the coming
    Christmas season fractures their facade of marital harmony, they discover what
    they both really need and want. Each other.

    Buy Christmas Revels III

    Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/christmas-revels-iii-hannah-meredith/1124326997?ean=2940153668437
    Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/christmas-revels-iii-three-regency-novellas
    iBooks https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/christmas-revels-iii-three/id1142920575?mt=11

    About the Authors

    Hannah Meredith, Anna D.
    Allen, and Kate Parker are three “mature” women whose imaginations
    are happiest in the past. Kate writes historical mysteries and currently has
    three series available. Hannah and Anna write primarily historical romance,
    although both of them have been known to wander into other genres. This is the
    third Christmas anthology in which all three have participated. Hannah lives in
    a small town with a big library in the Coastal Plains of NC. Anna resides in
    the deep woods of Michigan where she loves to cook and collect old cookware.
    Kate lives in a historic town in Eastern NC and studies poisons, much to the
    discomfort of her husband. All have individually won various awards, although
    since none of them was a Nobel Prize for Literature, they’re not mentioning
    them.

    Author Social Media for each author

    Websites
    Facebook
    Goodreads
  • Medieval

    A Bit of Heaven on Earth @LaurenLinwood #RLFblog #medieval #romance

    Today’s featured book is A Bit of Heaven on Earth by Lauren Linwood.’

    About the Book

    Title: A Bit of Heaven on Earth
    Genre: medieval historical romance
    Author: Lauren Linwood
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG-13
    When Gavin of Ashgrove and his closest friend are captured in a fierce battle during the Hundred Years’ War, their captors demand a hefty ransom from their fathers for their return. Robert is quickly set free, but Gavin’s father refuses to pay for his son’s release, leaving him to rot in a squalid French prison. Aided by a sympathetic priest, he escapes and returns home to England, only to find he has been proclaimed a bastard and disinherited.
    With nowhere to turn Gavin journeys to Kentwood, where he fostered as a boy, hoping Lord Aldred will take him on as a knight in his guard. The old warrior is close to death, but he soon realizes Gavin is his son. Aldred plots to have Gavin inherit Kentwood and marry his much younger wife, Elizabeth, a famed and opinionated beauty who remains a virgin after a decade of marriage.
    Will the king recognize Lord Aldred’s first request of a marriage between Elizabeth and Robert, uniting Robert’s estate with Kentwood—or will the temperamental Edward reward Aldred’s years of service and honor a dying man’s final request?

    Buy This Book

    Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing
    Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Bit-Heaven-Earth-Lauren-Linwood-ebook/dp/B00QHMH0IU/

    About the Author

    Lauren Linwood’s historical romances use history as a backdrop to place her characters in extraordinary circumstances, where their intense desire for one another grows into the treasured gift of love. Her romantic suspense novels feature strong heroes and heroines who unite to defeat a clever antagonist and discover a deep, abiding love during their journey.
    A native Texan, Lauren is an avid reader, moviegoer, and sports fan who manages stress by alternating yoga with long walks. She plans to start a support group for Fixer Upper addicts—as soon as she finishes her next piece of dark chocolate.

    Author Social Media