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Life with Cancer is a journey onward – Lloyd A Meeker author of The Companion @LloydAMeeker #RLFblog #GayRomance #CancerAwareness
Over the last year I’ve re-learned that my experience with cancer is a journey, and I’m not necessarily finished when I think I am. To honor this stage of my life, I now often sign correspondence with the closing, “Onward”. Onward is one directive I know to be relevant about my life journey. Plans, not so much. This is an update on my journey, both figurative and literal.
During Cancer Awareness Week in 2019, I shared how prostate cancer saved my life — that during pre-op screening I learned I first needed a quadruple bypass. Unexpected Detour! I’d had no symptoms, never been seriously overweight and had always kept a basic level of fitness, but my heart’s arteries were 98% blocked. So we took care of that, and then I had the prostate surgery. The cancer in the prostate was a little outside the margins, but there was nothing in the lymph glands they removed. Good news. So, onward.
Last summer, my PSA number began to climb, and living without a prostate I understood it was a red flag I couldn’t ignore, much as I wanted to. Not what I’d planned on. Suddenly, both my husband Bob and I were dealing with unexpected health challenges.
In one of those intimate, tender, deep, calm, no-holds-barred conversations partners can have, we decided this was a sign. It was time to change our lives and live a different way. We decided to sell our house in south Florida, and rent for a year as we prepared to move to Europe. I know we’re not supposed to talk politics here, but I’d be lying to you if I omitted that one of the factors in our decision was the cultural and legal deterioration for men like me and Bob in the US, and especially in Florida. One of the factors, not the only.
So Bob got his pacemaker, and I scheduled hormone therapy and 34 radiation sessions. I resolved to start taking mandolin lessons again, as I realized making music was an important but neglected part of how I want to live. I hope to one day play and sing with others in a jam. Onward!
Our house sold quickly in the hot market, and ensconced in our Fort Lauderdale rental apartment we set about preparing for an open-ended European adventure. The preparation took more time than I expected – so many moving parts. After research, we set our sights on a French long-stay visa good for a year and renewable for a second. Our plan was to rent for relatively short (3 months or so) periods in Spain and various spots in France, getting a feel for places in those countries so when our visa was getting close to ending, we could decide whether we wanted to renew, apply for permanent residence, or return to the US. We even created a FB page: Two Old Men Move to Europe.
On October 8th, just a couple of weeks ago, it happened. We flew to Paris and began our grand, silver-haired adventure/experiment. We’re now in Málaga, Spain, where we’ll stay until the end of January. Then it’s back to France for the rest of the year.
In the middle of all this, in March I found an agent who was ready to go to bat for me and my work. Even as I write, the amazing Amy Collins of Talcott Notch Agency is flogging my latest project, The Garden Witch. Onward, to who knows where?
Living post-cancer is as much part of the journey as diagnosis and treatment. Same journey, different country, so to speak. While it also wasn’t the deciding factor, my cancer warning signs certainly contributed to our decision to translate our health/age/bucket list journeys into a geographical one. There’s no time to waste — adventure awaits!
Onward…The Companion by Lloyd Meeker
Genre Gay Romance, Suspense
Heat level R
Shepherd Bucknam hasn’t had a lover in more than a decade and doesn’t need one. As a Daka, he coaches men in the sacred art and mystery of sexual ecstasy all the time, and he loves his work. It’s his calling. In fact, he’s perfectly content—except for the terrors of his recurring nightmare and the ominous blood-red birthmarks on his neck. He’s convinced that together they foretell his early and violent death.
When Shepherd’s young protégé is murdered, LAPD Detective Marco Fidanza gets the case. The two men are worlds apart: Marco has fought hard for everything he’s accomplished, in sharp contrast to the apparent ease of Shepherd’s inherited wealth—but their mutual attraction is too hot for either of them to ignore.
Shepherd swears he’ll help find his protégé’s killer, but Marco warns him to stay out of it. When an influential politician is implicated, the police investigation grinds to a halt. Shepherd hires his own investigator. Marco calls it dangerous meddling. As their volatile relationship deepens, Shepherd discovers his nightmares might not relate to the future, but to the deadly legacy of a past life—a life he may have to revisit before he can fully live and love in this one.https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09VCPK5YK/
Lloyd A Meeker Social Media
Born on a farm in the Colorado foothills and having led what can only be described as a checkered life, Lloyd Meeker can honestly say he’s grateful for all of it. He’s been a minister, an office worker, a janitor, a drinker, and a software developer on his way to finishing his first novel in 2004. He is a three-time cancer survivor.
A number of his stories have been published, including Traveling Light (DSP Publications), Enigma (Wilde City Press), Blood and Dirt (Wilde City Press), Blood Royal, (Wild Rose Press) and Stone and Shell (NineStar Press). His novel The Companion (Dreamspinner Press) was a finalist in the 2015 Lambda Literary Awards.
Meeker and his husband have been together since 2002. Between them they have four children and five grandchildren. They live in south Florida, and work hard to keep up with the astonishing life they’ve created.
Twitter https://twitter.com/LloydAMeeker
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lloyd.a.meeker
Amazon Author page https://www.amazon.com/Lloyd-A.-Meeker/e/B008FC5VF4 -
Meet Nan Reinhardt @NanReinhardt Author of The Fireman’s Christmas Wish #RLFblog #SmallTownRomance #ChristmasRomance
A nursery school teacher is determined to help her former crush, a grumpy fireman, rediscover his holiday joy in Nan Reinhardt’s new small town romance, The Fireman’s Christmas Wish, book 3 in the Lange Brothers trilogy.
Nan, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! Please tell us about The Fireman’s Christmas Wish.
The Fireman’s Christmas Wish by Nan Reinhardt
Genre Contemporary romance
Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG
Her heart is wide open, but he’s nailed his shut.
Preschool teacher Harley Cole has always viewed life through rose-colored glasses. With a career she loves, friends she enjoys, and a home that is her haven, there’s only one thing missing—finding her soul mate. As the holidays approach, Harley is inspired to help her former high school crush rediscover his holiday joy. It’s just a good deed…until the feelings she thought were gone come rushing back.
Fire Chief Becker Lange returns home to River’s Edge with a heavy heart. His divorce has emotionally ravaged him, leaving him more confused than ever about what women want. So to protect himself from another failure, he closes his heart. And then Harley Cole makes him a flirty dare that she can help him overcome the holiday blues. Beck’s not sure he wants to, but Harley’s a hard woman to tell no.
Can the magic of Christmas and a sweet stray kitten bring these two lonely souls together?
Tell us about yourself as a person.
What is your personality type?
I’m pretty laid back and easy, but I’ll fight for those I love. I’m whatever is between an extrovert and introvert—I can step up if I need to, but I’m happier in the background.
What is your favorite subject to talk about?
Besides my darling Grandboy? France or writing—either one. I loved, loved Paris when I went there several years ago and would go back in a heartbeat. And getting together with other writers to talk craft is one of my very favorite things to do.
What is your favorite book?
Whatever one I’m currently reading—I have way too many favorites to pick just one.
What is your favorite meal?
Warm French bread and a charcuterie board that contains meats, cheeses, fruit, and fresh veggies. Maybe chocolate. Oh and wine… ;-)
Tell us about yourself as a writer.
What are your favorite books for writing advice?
Stephen King’s On Writing is excellent, and Lani Diane Rich’s How Story Works is absolutely fabulous!
What are your favorite reference books?
I love Angela Ackerman’s One Stop for Writers website and all her books—she’s an amazing resource. I’m also a freelance copy editor, so I’m devoted to the Chicago Manual of Style for all things grammar, spelling, and style related.
What’s your best advice for a new writer?
Read, read, read and then read some more in the genre you’ve chosen to write in. Know what the expectations are for contemporary romance or Regency or whatever you’ve chosen. And then write every day, even if all you get in are 100 words, write every day. Don’t be afraid of criticism. It’s how you grow as a writer.
What are your writing goals for the next year or so?
To write the last book in the Weaver Sisters trilogy for Tule Publishing and then to start the new series that I’m contracted for with Tule. I want to grow the town of River’s Edge—my little fictional town on the Ohio River and to keep working on editing gigs because they are my bread and butter.
Where to buy The Fireman’s Christmas Wish
Publisher https://tulepublishing.com/books/the-firemans-christmas-wish/#order
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09YFH87XD
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-firemans-christmas-wish-nan-reinhardt/1141372530
iBooks https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-firemans-christmas-wish/id1620215901
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-fireman-s-christmas-wishNan Reinhardt Social Media
Nan Reinhardt is a USA Today bestselling author of sweet, small-town romantic fiction for Tule Publishing. Her day job is working as a freelance copyeditor and proofreader, however, writing is Nan’s first and most enduring passion. She can’t remember a time in her life when she wasn’t writing—she wrote her first romance novel at the age of ten and is still writing, but now from the viewpoint of a wiser, slightly rumpled, woman in her prime. Nan lives in the Midwest with her husband of 49 years, where they split their time between a house in the city and a cottage on a lake.
Website http://nanreinhardt.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/nanreinhardt
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/authornanreinhardt
Instagram http://instagram.com/nanreinhardt
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5758438.Nan_Reinhardt
BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/nan-reinhardt
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Nan-Reinhardt/e/B007OYDC6O -
A new Romantic Suspense – Arresting Benjamin by Amber Daulton @amberdaulton1 #RLFblog #ContemporaryRomance #RomanticSuspense
A one-night stand leads to an unplanned pregnancy in Amber Daulton’s sexy new romance, Arresting Benjamin. Belle only wants to play her music, but her unborn baby’s father offers her something more.
Amber, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! Please tell us about Arresting Benjamin.
Arresting Benjamin by Amber Daulton
Genre Romantic Suspense
Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R
A one-night stand, a surprise baby, and a mysterious stalker.
Mechanic Benjamin Starwell can’t stop thinking about Belle Hamlin, the ballsy musician he slept with and skipped out on months earlier. He never meant to get her pregnant, but he’ll do whatever it takes to win back her trust and be a part of his child’s life. His desire for Belle drives him to be a better man, but he’s worn thin with a garage to run and his estranged sister dumping her troubles on him.
Belle’s juggling impending motherhood, her indie rock career, and a stalker who’s determined to see her fail. Even though she’s desperate to get her priorities straight, she pushes aside her past hurt and welcomes Benji back into her bed. She never expects him to slip into her heart.
When the danger escalates, they face the greatest challenge of all—protecting their unborn child.
Why did you write this book?
I introduced Benji and Belle back in book 1, Arresting Mason, since they were good friends with that book’s hero and heroine, and I was eager to give them a story of their own. At first, I wasn’t sure if I should pair them together, but that soon became clear as I got to know them better.
They finally meet for the first time off page a few months before their book officially begins. That encounter results in a smokin’ hot one-night stand and changes their lives forever.
I typically write on a schedule with several books planned out for the next couple of years, so I was super excited when it finally came time to write Arresting Benjamin. I’ve wanted to write a romance starring a female musician for a while, and Belle took care of that craving.
What is your favorite genre to read?
As a romance author, I’m going with the cliché answer: romance. I don’t care if it’s hot, clean, sci/fi, thriller, comedy, or contemporary, I love reading about two (or more!) people falling in love and dealing with the trouble that pops up along the way
Who is your favorite character from fiction (not including your own)?
Must I choose? There are so many good ones out there.
Lately, I’ve been re-watching the 1980s TV version of Sherlock Holmes, starring Jeremy Brett. Not only is Holmes a great literary and cultural figure, I think Brett was the perfect casting choice to play Holmes. He brings such life, pizzazz, and intelligence to the character beyond the already established literary base.
What are you working on at the moment?
Currently, I’m writing the first book in a new five-book paranormal/shifter romance series. I can’t say too much about it, but it meshes a few niche tropes that I hope readers will love.
What books will we see from you in coming months?
Trevor’s Redemption, book 3.5 in the Arresting Onyx series, will be released exclusively in the Dangerous Entanglements box set on December 6, 2022. Stay tuned. I’ll be sure to share it on RLF.
Where to buy Arresting Benjamin
Universal Buy Link https://books2read.com/arrestingbenjamin/
Amazon https://amzn.to/3usC6SN
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940186751144
iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id6443054336
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/arresting-benjamin
Google Play https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=JHJ5EAAAQBAJAmber Daulton Social Media
Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. Her books are published through The Wild Rose Press and Books to Go Now, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats.
She lives in North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats.Website https://amberdaulton.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/AmberDaulton1
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/amber.daulton.author/
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/amberdaulton5/boards/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/amberdaultonauthor1/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6624921.Amber_Daulton
Book Bub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/amber-daulton
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Amber-Daulton/e/B00ALQITWY
Get to know Amber Daulton better by signing up for her email newsletter.
https://emailoctopus.com/lists/9d60a166-f2ea-11ea-a3d0-b4694bee2a/forms/subscribe -
Author Interview – Is It True: My Pirate at Midnight by Jocelyn Vonne@Jocelynvonne #RLFblog #HistoricalRomance
My Pirate At Midnight is the first in the Satin & Swords trilogy, a historical romance series by Jocelyn Vonne that will keep you on the edge of your seat. As the winds of passion and fate swirl throughout this story only one thing is clear: The most valuable treasure of all… is a stolen heart.
Jocelyn, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! Please tell us about My Pirate at Midnight.
My Pirate at Midnight by Jocelyn Vonne
Genre Historical Romance
Book heat level (based on movie ratings): Steamy
She’s an heiress celebrating her betrothal! He’s the most feared pirate on the seas! Settle in, destiny will take it from here…
Her ideal life is about to begin….
Julienne is a vivacious young heiress whose engagement is the talk of society. With the anticipation of entering into the enchanted world of matrimony, she is the envy of her social circle. She has meticulously planned out her blissful future, from the paintings that will grace the walls of her new home to the names of her two, soon to be acquired, puppies.
One situation she could never have planned for was abduction by the notorious pirate, Captain Austin, ruler of the seas!
Even more distressing than finding herself onboard a pirate ship, is the realization that the Captain is the same dashing “nobleman” she recently encountered at a social engagement.
And the same scoundrel who left her standing dazed in the moonlight after a passionate kiss!
As the winds of passion and fate whirl them into adventure, you can hear whispered wisdom, “The most valuable treasure of all….is a stolen heart.”
Is it true:
this is your first book?
Yes!
this book is part of a series?
Yes, Book Two – My Pirate’s Embrace will be out in January,
you lost sleep while writing this book?
Lots and lots of sleep, mostly because I was so wrapped up in story I didn’t notice I was writing through the night. I wrote this book when I was 17. I am now 61 and just publishing it.
you did research for this book?
In later years I did research. Once there were computers! Yes, I wrote this originally with pencil and paper, and the first draft was over 1000 pages.
some characters in this book are not human? (pets for example)
Captain Austin has a white fluffy cat on the ship. She is very spoiled. I based her on my persian cat Bella.
this book has more than one genre?
I would say it is mostly historical romance.
you speak more than one language?
No. I mean, I took Spanish and French in high school. I can count to ten in three languages.
you grew up where you live now?
I live two roads over from the house I grew up in. The basement for my family home was dug the day I was born. I lived there until I met the guy down the road at 17 years old. We ended up buying his parent’s house and have lived here for the last 43 years. He is also my husband no longer just a guy down the road.
you love to read?
I grew up having a comprehension problem. I was diagnosed much later with adult ADD, which I image was the problem back then. But no I never liked to read because I would daydream throughout and have no idea what I just read.
you are never late?
I am always late. Always have been. Always will be, Read into it what you will.
you love pizza?
I actually just finished a slice! My husband, son, and father went on a deep sea fishing trip today so my Mom, who still lives down the road in the family house, came to spend the day and we had pizza and salad.
you love sushi?
One of my daughter’s favorite foods is sushi. She and my husband are vegetarians. I like avocado sushi when they are eating sushi. But I don’t think I would go out on my own and order it.
you have a pet?
Yes! We have Bella Boo. She is a Chinchilla Persian and rules the house.
Where to buy My Pirate at Midnight
Amazon Kindle Vella https://amzn.to/39uDOZb
Website https://www.satinandswords.com/
Jocelyn Vonne Social Media
Jocelyn is a native New Englander who wrote her first novel at the age of seventeen. Forty years later, she has three children, two grandchildren, two Persian cats and a pile of manuscripts. With a lifelong love of the arts, she has danced with the Boston Ballet, done commercials and modelling, and dabbles in drawing and painting. Now, at the age of 60, she is finally publishing her novels, starting with the very first, My Pirate at Midnight, the first in a trilogy.
Website https://www.satinandswords.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Satin-and-Swords-108958674871408
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/satinandswordsbook/
Amazon Kindle Vella https://amzn.to/39uDOZb
Get to know Jocelyn Vonne better by signing up for an email newsletter at https://www.satinandswords.com -
Read Someone Cruel in Coyote Creek, the new humorous #Mystery by Kris Bock @Kris_Bock #RLFblog
Someone Cruel in Coyote Creek is third in Kris Bock’s Accidental Detective series. The series starts with Something Shady at Sunshine Haven, which introduces former war correspondent Kate Tessler, a witty journalist who solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turning fifty. Kate is still adjusting to her new underemployed life back in her childhood home in Phoenix when she receives an anonymous message claiming that Mayor Todd Paradise is taking bribes. Could good guy Todd, Kate’s almost boyfriend, really be corrupt or is someone trying to set him up? Kate sets out to discover the truth, with help from her multi-generational, unconventional, and often unhelpful crew.
Kris, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! Please tell us about Someone Cruel in Coyote Creek.
Someone Cruel in Coyote Creek by Kris Bock
Genre: humorous mystery
Book heat level (based on movie ratings): G
Turning fifty in her childhood bedroom wasn’t on her bucket list…
Kate Tessler is convinced her sister is trying to kill her. In fact, she might prefer death to Jen’s “50 for 50 Challenge,” where Kate will try fifty new things throughout the year she turns fifty. Still adjusting to her new underemployed life back in her childhood home in Phoenix, the last thing Kate wants is to prepare for paddle boarding, especially when she receives an anonymous message claiming that Mayor Todd Paradise is taking bribes. The author claims to have proof, including photos, and challenges Kate to publish the story.
Could good guy Todd, Kate’s almost boyfriend, really be corrupt or is someone trying to set him up? Kate sets out to discover the truth, with help from her multi-generational, unconventional, and often unhelpful crew. She thrived reporting from war zones as an international war correspondent, but can she survive a deadly fundraising party, a close encounter with a taser, a turn at an open mic night, and a hundred-pound dog named Whiskers?
Why did you write this book?
As I faced fifty, I wanted to create a mystery lead dealing with some of the same issues: aging parents, concerns about financing retirement, and a body that doesn’t recover like it once did.
What attracts you to this book’s genre?
Mysteries usually have an active plot, with lots going on. Humorous mysteries add quirky characters and fun dialog. Cozy mysteries or cozy-adjacent, like mine, also have a happy ending. You know you’ll get a good time and finish in a positive mood.
Is there an issue that you’re addressing with your book?
I didn’t specifically set out to educate or influence readers, but the Accidental Detective series does explore issues related to aging. Kate is dealing with the things a lot of us face in midlife: aging parents with health or memory problems, concerns about financing retirement someday, menopause, and a body that doesn’t recover like it once did. She has to figure out how to live with the new limitations from an injury that requires her to walk with a cane.
Kate’s father and his friends are also major characters. They are in their seventies and eighties and are active, intelligent, and a positive force in society. At the same time, the stories explore challenges older people face, such as loneliness, being treated as incapable, and the potential for abuse by family members. Maybe readers will think twice before making assumptions about older folks they see.
What’s a fun fact about your books?
I started in children’s literature. My first published book was a middle grade novel (for ages 9-12) called The Well of Sacrifice – historical drama set in ninth-century Mayan Guatemala. It still in print and used in schools when they teach the Maya.
I also have a short series about kids who travel with a ghost hunter TV show. My other 100+ books for kids are educational work for hire, both nonfiction and fiction I’ve been a ghostwriter for some popular children’s mystery series starring your favorite young detectives. I write for kids as Chris Eboch and MM Eboch.
What are you working on at the moment?
I’m working on the fourth book in an upcoming series about cowboy billionaires – specifically, a ranch family that finds out winning the lottery causes as many problems as it solves.
I’m also writing a series with my brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. These are prequel novels set when the movie characters are teenagers. We follow the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie. We just released book 3, Felony Melanie and the Prank War. Sign up for our romantic comedy newsletter to get a free short story or find book 1 at Amazon US, or B&N, or other E-book retailers.
What books will we see from you in coming months?
In the Accidental Detective series, Someone Missing from Malapais Mountain comes out in February of 2023, with two more to follow. The Billionaire Cowboy’s Christmas comes out November 8, with four more books next year.
Where to buy the Accidental Detective series
Tule Publishing https://tulepublishing.com/books/something-shady-at-sunshine-haven/
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097WJYYBZ
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/something-shady-at-sunshine-haven-kris-bock/1139733398
Apple Books https://books.apple.com/us/book/something-shady-at-sunshine-haven/id1573825348
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/something-shady-in-sunshine-haven
Google Play https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Kris_Bock_Something_Shady_in_Sunshine_Haven?id=br00EAAAQBAJ
Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B097WJYYBZKris Bock Social Media
Kris Bock writes novels of mystery, suspense, and romance, many with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. Get a free Accidental Detective short story and bonus material when you sign up for her newsletter. You’ll also get a free 30-page sweet romance set in the world of the Furrever Friends cat café and a printable copy of the recipes mentioned in the cat café novels
Website https://www.krisbock.com/
Blog https://swarmchairtraveler.blogspot.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/kris_bock
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kris-Bock-Author-Page/174350342612332
Pinterest http://pinterest.com/krisbockbooks/
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Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4735592.Kris_Bock
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Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/author/krisbock
Get to know Kris Bock better by signing up for an email newsletter https://storyoriginapp.com/giveaways/29bde1ea-700c-11ec-9233-7fc6b73feec3 -
Read the series: Secret Lover by Fiona McGier #RLFblog #RomanticSuspense