FRIDAY PHOTO

 Good morning, friends!

June is fast approaching and I'm seeing a lot of the wild chamomile flowers in my yard. I look forward to reading something you've written. Remember to tag me or share a link in the comments below.

All my best!

~ Angela

CONFERENCE INFORMATION! - Ozark Creative Writers

 Good morning, friends.

OZARK CREATIVE WRITERS

Today's conference is near and dear to my heart. This will be my twenty-nineth year attending - minus 2 years. 1) the year my youngest granddaughter was born and 2) the year we all missed. 

Over the years I met and made friends with some amazing people. Folks like Western writer, the late Dusty Richards and his wife Pat. Romance author, the late Velda Brotherton as well as other talented authors like Linda Apple, Chrissy Willis, western author and musician Mike Blakely and W. C. Jameson.

The list could go on. I've learned so much from this conference and these people. One of my most precious memories occurred at my very first one. I won the top contest that year for a story I'd written about my 'step' mom. I also won with two poems I'd written in high school when my guidance counselor told me that writers didn't make money. That I needed to focus on a career. (at the time I wanted to be like Barbara Walters, focusing on entertainment) I thought she was doing fine for herself but guidance counselors are supposed to know, right? 

Thanks to the Ozark Creative Writers conference I've been making money with my writing for the bast twenty-nine years. Those first wins gave me the confidence to do what I loved, and I still am. 

INN OF THE OZARKS

(479) 253-9768

There is a block of rooms for the Ozark Creative Writers but they fill up fast. If you want to go, book now! However, there are several other great hotels a short drive in Eureka Springs, even two or three that are haunted ;-).

Please join us for this fabulous conference in the beautiful Victorian town of Eureka Springs AR. We've been meeting in the same hotel for fifty-seven years, minus the year we held the conference off-site since the conference hall at Inn of the Ozarks burnt down and was just beginning their rebuild. The hotel took care of us that year as well, shuttling the attendees (around 200+) back and forth from the hotel to the venue and back. Great people at Inn of the Ozarks. Tell the folks at the front desk Angela Drake sent you. They're my besties. 

If you register before August 31, 2025 you'll be eligible to enter any and all of the contests (On the Spot is available for attendees only) for a chance at prize money! We could all use that, right?

Ozark Creative Writers takes place October 9th - 11th. There is a welcome event the evening of the 9th, usually entertainment on Friday night then the Awards Banquet on Saturday night. You'll also find some down time Saturday afternoon to explore the shops downtown. I suggest taking the trolly for that as parking is scarce downtown during the 'in' season. 

Click the conference and hotel links (below their respective pictures for more info and I hope to see you there!

All my best!

~Angela

  

WEDNESDAY REVIEW - Wrangling A Texas Sweetheart

 Happy Wednesday, my friends!

I've been busy setting up as much as I can since Bob will probably be home today. I won't do anything but listen him talk about his trip for the rest of the week. That's okay. He listens to me, too. Large part of why we've been married forty-one years in August. You have to communicate - in the right way. I'll loop back to communication in the actual review. But first....

AMAZON

BLURB:

Watch out, Wilder, Texas! Sweetie's back in town!

 Sweetheart Mae Holiday is the oldest of the six Holiday sisters—the one who carries the burden of continuing the family's ranching tradition. Except Sweetie doesn't want to be a rancher. She wants to be the next Dolly Parton. And she's going to achieve her dream come hell or high water...or the inability to sing her songs in front of a crowd. When her daddy suffers a heart attack, she heads home to Wilder. Before she even reaches the edge of town, she's pulled over by a sexy-but-grumpy sheriff who makes it clear she's not welcome. Since before she headed off to Nashville she broke his cousin's heart, she understands why Sheriff Decker Carson has a bone to pick. But no one tells Sweetie what she can and can't do. When she finds out her mama and daddy are losing the ranch, Sweetie decides to put her country music dreams on hold and stay to help save her beloved home—even if she has to take on a stubborn Texas lawman whose sizzling kisses make her start to wonder if she’s been following the wrong dream all along.

 Decker Carson has had a thing for Sweetie since first seeing her strut around the Holiday Ranch with her golden ponytail swinging and her eyes sparkling like a dew-drenched meadow. But he flat refuses to let his feelings show. Everyone in Wilder knows Sweetie has always been Jace’s girl. Jace is not only Decker’s cousin, but also the one who helped him get through the loss of both his parents. Decker is not about to break the no-kissing-cousin’s-girlfriends rule—even if Sweetie and Jace have been broken up for years. Unfortunately, when a scintillating rumor spreads through town and every cowboy in the county starts showing up on the Holiday’s front porch with flowers and marriage proposals, it’s Decker’s job as sheriff to untangle the mess. Which means spending a lot more time with the one woman he can’t resist . . . and the one girl he wants to make his own.

First off, it's kind of hard to read the last quarter of the book when you can't see through your tears. Katie Lane pulled out all the stops on this one. She also brought in the communication aspect between the characters in a way I've never seen before. Sure, lots of authors write about how the hero and heroine have trouble getting on the same page because they 'think' they know what the other is thinking. But, Katie Lane really brought it home. I knew Decker and Katie were right for one another when he was not swayed by her sweet voice and batting eyelashes in the opening. Not because he didn't want to be, but because he knew if he gave in, there'd be no turning back. He'd been gone for her since he was fourteen. Those first crushes really can lead to the real deal. Like Mimi suggested, things take time to grow.

I could not find a thing wrong with this book. Not so much as a missing piece or crumb to interfere. I'm going to have to read the rest of the series. Rome has my attention and he's in Book 2.

I'm giving Wrangling A Texas Sweetheart:

You can purchase Wrangling A Texas Sweetheart by clicking the Amazon link below the cover photo above or Katie's Amazon link. Follow her on all of her social media links to see when new books come out.

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   TWITTER-X   INSTAGRAM   GOODREADS

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

All my best!

~ Angela

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - Katie Lane

 Good morning, friends!

I am all set to roll out great books and shine the light on their authors. 

Most of my reads come through Bookbub, for a couple of reasons. 

1) They're inexpensive or even FREE for a short period. A s a new member of the social security plan, saving money is important. Plus, I'm able to share these reads with you in hopes you can grab them at the special price.

2) They're a great way to meet new-to-me authors. Often times, I'll read the rest of the books in their series when time allows. I do have my own books to write, too. 

Today I'm shining the spotlight on Katie Lane

Here's a bit about, Katie:

Katie Lane is a firm believer that love conquers all and laughter is the best medicine. Which is why you'll find plenty of humor and happily-ever-afters in her contemporary and western contemporary romance novels. A USA Today Bestselling Author, she has written numerous series, including Deep in the Heart of Texas, Hunk for the Holidays, Overnight Billionaires, Tender Heart Texas, The Brides of Bliss Texas, Bad Boy Ranch, and Kingman Ranch. Katie lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and when she's not writing, she enjoys reading, eating chocolate (dark, please), and snuggling with her high school sweetheart and Cairn Terrier, Roo. Katie loves to hear from her readers and can be contacted at any of the links at the bottom of this post.

I look forward to reading and reviewing Wrangling A Texas Sweetheart. This is Book 1in the seven-book series, Holiday Ranch.

In the mean time, you can find out more about Katie Lane and her books by clicking any of the following links:

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   TWITTER-X   INSTAGRAM   GOODREADS

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

All my best!

~ Angela

THOUGHTFUL MONDAY

Good morning, friends.

Would you please do me a favor and let everyone know these blog posts are live again. Help me give others something to begin their week with. ~ Thank you!

All my best!

~ Angela

FRIDAY PHOTO

 Hi friends!

I wanted to give you a little something different this week.

In the past, I've given you beautiful photos to work with. This week, with so much devastation in the past few weeks (and a year ago this weekend in my own community), I'd love for you to challenge yourself to look for something positive and beautiful amidst the rubble. Even Dorothy found something she desperately needed.

If you post your story somewhere, please tag me or post a link in the comments. I'd love to read it.

All my best!

~ Angela

WEDNESDAY REVIEW (Thursday) - A Man To Hold On To

 Good morning, friends!

The house is really quiet. Like I've not heard quiet in a really long time since Bob retired. He left to visit friends in Iowa today. He'll be gone for six days. 

One year ago this coming Sunday, his best friend lost his house in the Memorial Weekend tornado, prompting a move to Iowa where he grew up. Until Jack moved, I hadn't thought about how some of us look at our childhood home (house, city, state, friends, etc) as a place to return when life gives us a kick in the pants.  We find strength in lots of places for various reasons. Remember that when we get into the book - A MAN TO HOLD ON TO.

AMAZON

BLURB:

Therese Matheson doesn’t know if she’ll ever get over losing her husband in Afghanistan. Surviving Paul’s death has been hard, but raising his sullen son and his thirteen-going-on-thirty daughter alone has been even harder. All they need is a fresh start, and Tallgrass, Oklahoma, could be the perfect new beginning . . . especially when Therese meets Sergeant Keegan Logan. The sexy combat medic and single dad soon awakens a desire she’d thought long buried.

Keegan always wanted to be a father . . . someday. So when his ex-girlfriend disappears, leaving her daughter in his care, Keegan’s hands are tied. He must find the girl’s father. His search leads him to Tallgrass and to a beautiful brunette widow who has no idea her husband was ever unfaithful. What begins as a friendship soon ignites into something far more and gives him the courage to be the kind of man—and father—he always dreamt he could be. But his secret still stands between them. Can Keegan reveal the truth and convince Therese they share something too special to lose-a love that can bring two families together?

A Man To Hold On To is Book 2 in the Tallgrass series by award-winning author, Marilyn Pappano. 

FREE IN EBOOK AS OF THIS POSTING

I really liked this story and want to read about the rest of the girls (6 books total) all banded together by one tragedy. They are all military, Gold Star widows in their small community. They've been friends before losing their husbands and hold on to each other through everything life throws at them. Some are closer than others. We see a lot of Jessy in this book. She's introduced in Book 2 so she can carry her own story in Book 3. Book 2 is all about Theresa and how she is dealing with the loss of her husband and his two children from a former marriage; a13-going-on-23 year old girl trying to cope with the loss of her dad and a mother her doesn't really want her and a 10-year-old boy who grunts a lot while trying to eat his stepmom out of house and home.  Add in a man that makes Theresa feels something deep in her soul for the first time since her husband's death and a cherub little 3-year-old with blond ringlets, adding hope where Theresa never thought she had any left. 

Marilyn also brought in sex without us having to watch. That's the way to give a little sizzle to a romance without every detail. We know how things work and Marilyn gave us credit!

I'm giving A Man To Hold On To :

You'll find more about Marilyn Pappano by clicking on the following links:

BLOG   FACEBOOK   TWITTER   GOODREADS 

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

All My Best!

~ Angela

 

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - Marilyn Pappano

 Good morning, readers.

Once again I'm a day behind, thanks to Earth Mother. Instead of writing this post on Monday, I spent the afternoon packing up the electronics and prepping the storm corner for yet another round of potential tornadoes and severe weather.

We've lived here twenty years and received more tornado warnings just THIS year than in the first nineteen. We thought we'd moved just south of tornado alley but apparently, the path is widening and becoming more fierce. 

So, Author Spotlight on Wednesday it is. 

I wasn't sure where I was going this week so pulled up the first 'most recent' download from bookbub to find this author from Oklahoma:

Here's a bit about Marilyn:

Award-winning and bestselling author, international traveler, feted at a Hollywood premiere . . .

 All true . . . but my regular life is a whole lot more routine. Deal with the five big puppers who share our house, babysit our grandson, battle the jungle that is our yard, pray for summer in winter and dream of winter in summer, and hunker down at the computer -- that's my real life.

I grew up in Oklahoma and had the fun of living in Georgia, Alabama, California and the Carolinas, thanks to my husband's Navy career. When he retired, we came home to Oklahoma and have lived in the same house for seventeen years. That's a real "Wow!" for someone used to the nomadic military life.

Writing was the perfect career for all that moving. Have computer, will travel. I've set books, or part of them, in every state we've lived in and been inspired by every place I've ever been. I've now written somewhere around 80 books, and I think I've got only about 8,000 stories left to tell.

My biggest hobby is starting new projects -- starting. Not completing. I'm still not done with the cross-stitched Army seal I started when our son joined out of high school. He did tours in Georgia, Colorado, Korea, Italy, Iraq, Afghanistan and Louisiana, and has been out for a few years. So I'm a little slow.

I like to think about getting organized, painting my living room in cool beachy colors, and turning my entire five-acre yard into a garden. I also dream about having every room in my house clean at exactly the same time, but I live by the motto of the woman who taught me to quilt: A clean house is the sign of a bored woman.

And I've never been bored.

How many of us can relate to starting projects we never finish - or at the very least - take forever to come back to?

Writing doesn't seem to be an issue with over 80 books to her credit.

Tomorrow, I'll be posting a review of A Man To Hold On To. Normally, I wouldn't share links early but this is still FREE on Kindle. Just click the title to be taken to the book on Amazon. 

To find out more about Marilyn Pappano, click on any of the links below. NOTE: some links are outdated but still provide great information!

BLOG   FACEBOOK   TWITTER   GOODREADS 

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

All My Best!

~ Angela

THOUGHTFUL MONDAY

 Good morning, friends. 

Have you read any good books lately/ Please share in the comments below so we can read them, too.

All my best!

~ Angela

WEDNESDAY (Thursday) REVIEW - A Forest Between Us

Good morning, friends!

AMAZON

While today's book is a bit (okay, a lot) more detailed in the bedroom than I prefer, overall the story was well written. I won't go in to detail. I'll leave that to discover for yourself. In the mean time, here's more about A FOREST BETWEEN US.

BLURB:

– Owen –

Harper Calloway is the one who got away.

Gorgeous. Vivacious. Witty. Everything my introverted self could never be. And though that single night five years ago is all I had with her, there’s no forgetting the girl who steals your heart.

So when the woman in question shows up on my doorstep demanding an annulment for a drunken Vegas wedding I don’t fully remember, it seems like a sign. A second chance to make good on that connection I’ve never felt with anyone else.

Except she doesn’t have any interest in reconnecting, even as things between us heat up the longer she stays in town. What will it take to convince her I want forever?

– Harper –

Owen Taylor is not who I expected.

Protective. Thoughtful. Humble. And the sexy lumberjack vibe he’s got going on? Who knew I was such a sucker for that?

I didn’t come to Crescent Pass to start anything up. My life is in Chicago, not the forests of the Pacific Northwest. But the longer I stay here waiting for an annulment, the harder it is to resist this rugged mountain man who shows me for the first time what it’s like to be understood. Cherished. Worshipped.

We both knew from the beginning this couldn’t last. So why has he gone and stolen my heart?

The naivete of Harper was surprising. She is twenty-six and still believes that marriages in Vegas aren't real? Seriously? I thought this made her appear immature for a city girl working in a major marketing firm. The pieces didn't fit for me. Personally, I think she just blocked that Vegas night out of her life so she didn't have to think about Owen Taylor. That chamber in her brain is unlocked with her friend Kelly's news that she is engaged. 

Then there's Owen who never forgot her. Now there was a character who was believable. He lives in backwoods and enjoys his solitude. Personally, I'd love to see the furniture in real life he creates. Wouldn't it be nice if we all found The One and never looked elsewhere trying to replace them. Folks, The One is not replaceable. As to his physical appearance, everything fit, even the beard. However, I felt she glossed over the beard in places where that could have been included other than between her legs, like their first 'real' kiss. More from Harper about the feel of his beard/ mustache following the kiss. Was it soft or  more like a brillo pad. She might like how he looks with a beard (we learn much later) but what about how it feels. We had better descriptions of his furniture (which I'll share a video at the end of this post highlighting one of the descriptions).

While I enjoyed the story over all, I found some things were lacking. For that reason, I'm giving A Forest Between Us:

You'll find Allie Winters through the following links:

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   INSTAGRAM   GOODREADS   TIK TOK

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Here's a video short showing a variety of table top resin pours similar to what Allie describes in her story:

All my best!

~ Angela

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - Allie Winters

Hi friends!

I do apologize for this being a day late but Monday (when I should have been setting this up) was a rough day. Up too late on Mother's Day had me dragging Monday. I don't do well when up past my bedtime. LOL

Then there was last week when there was no book posts at all. I'd been reading a book and realized the author's work needed a bit of editing so I wanted that fixed for her before she posted it to Amazon. Hey, it happens. Especially, when you're life is crazy but you're still trying to live your dream. I'll have her book in a couple of weeks. The story is great! Stay tuned.

So here we are.. a day late but not short on talent. This week's author is Allie Winters. I found one of her books through Book Bub and like my book a couple of weeks ago, A Forest Between Us is Book 1 in a series. The others are out so I'll be doing some reading down the road. LOL

Here's a bit about Allie:

Allie writes within a variety of tropes but all romance. She is the author of the upcoming Aurora Bakery series, Crescent Pass series, the Lessons Learned series, the Bishop Brothers series, and the Suncoast University series.

Allie lives in sunny Florida with her husband, daughter, and two cats. A librarian by day, she spends her nights writing happily ever afters.

 Get access to free bonus epilogues by subscribing to her newsletter at alliewinters.com/extras

I'll be sharing my review tomorrow of A Forest Between Us. In the mean time, please check out Allie's links below.

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   INSTAGRAM   GOODREADS   TIK TOK

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

All my best!

~Angela

THOUGHTFUL MONDAY

Good morning, friends. 

May your week be full of sunshine & smiles.

All my best!

~ Angela

 

THOUGHTFUL MONDAY

 Good morning, friends.

I hope the weather is as gorgeous where you are.

All my best!

~ Angela