September 2023 Book Recommendation: Follow the Swallow Home by Annette Bower

Posted on September 22, 2023 by Karyn Good

For those of you who want the opposite of last week’s book recommendation. Follow the Swallow Home by Annette Bower falls solidly in the gentle romance genre.

Published: 2023 Soulmate Publishing

Categories: Contemporary Romance / Small Town Romance / Gentle Romance

Blurb:

At a crossroads, Keanna Dixon packs her car and hits the road. She stops in the small town of Regina Beach, where she pitches her tent after deciding to stay awhile. At twenty-five she’s ready to put down roots and this little town may be the perfect place to do it.

Keith Campbell, at thirty, is happy with his independent life. Computers are his playground, racquetball his sport, and his thoughts are not concerned about love or family. But with the unexpected responsibility of caring for his five-year-old deaf nephew, he finds himself on a ranch, because of a pony.

Keith knows all about apps and blogs, and he hopes his research will assist him in showing Keanna that he is her home.

My Thoughts:

The story revolves around Gerry, a young boy who has lost his hearing and who is grieving the loss of his father. When his mother is called back into service and sent overseas, his Uncle Keith steps in to look after him. He meets Keanna, who has experience within the deaf and hard of hearing community, when his nephew starts to feel overwhelmed and she offers to help them adjust to new circumstances.

The main characters, Keanna, Keith and Gerry are well developed and you really get to know who they are. Keanna and Keith have different approaches to solving challenges. But they listen to each other and they find a way to work together. The quaint resort town of Regina Beach is the perfect setting and a lovely look at life in a rural Saskatchewan. You are introduced to many examples of this as Keanna and Keith get to know each other.

Follow the Swallow Home fits perfectly into the gentle romance genre. You find tenderness in the timely arrival of a little teddy bear that gives Keanna someone to talk to as she searches for connection within the small town. You find it in sticky notes Keith places around their rooms to help his little nephew. You find it the baking of cakes, and the offering of apples to horses, and in all the little things this community does to take care of each other. It’s what you find within the pages of an Annette Bower book. Gentle stories about real people connecting with each other and their surroundings. Definitely recommend.

Until next time…

It’s the first day of fall! Who’s happy to see the season change? I’m definitely looking forward to slightly cooler temperatures.

June 2023: Some Romance Book Recommendations by Saskatchewan Romance Writers

Posted on June 16, 2023 by Karyn Good

I’m putting together this post as I listen to Mary Balogh‘s interview on the Fated Mates podcast. I highly recommend listening to it. Mary is so well spoken, so talented, and very passionate about the romance genre. She’s also a friend and a fellow member of my writing group. So, needless to say, this post is taking forever to write because I’m distracted by listening to one of my favourite writers, Sarah MacLean, talk writing with Mary.

Mary Balogh Regency Romance

Annette Bower Contemporary Romance

Donna Gartshore Love Inspired Romance

Jana Richards Contemporary Romance

Ryshia Kennie Romantic Suspense

Until next time…

Happy reading! I’m always looking for book recommendations, so feel free to share yours!

Soup, Suspense and October News

Posted on October 14, 2014 by Karyn Good

Smart, sexy suspense

Tis the season for Halloween Blog Hops and a chance to win prizes and hook up with some great authors. Taking place from October 27th to the 31st. There will be a grand prize as well as prizes at the different stops!

In other news the sun is shining and there is still an amazing amount of warmth left in the air. It’s the day after Canadian Thanksgiving and I’m stuffed to the brim. It’s all good.

Time for cuddling up in blankets and making soup – one of my favorite things to do. Probably because you can fudge the recipe and it usually turns out. I have a butternut squash sitting in my pantry ready to be turned into a delicious soup. Creamy, Curry Butternutt Soup is one of our favorites!

Meanwhile I’ve received the first round of edits for my second Aspen Lake book, Exposed. Hard at work!

Latest News

Off The Grid releases November 7th. In it Sophie Monroe, an inner city doctor and activist, and Caleb Quinn, a high-priced Family Law lawyer, join forces to save a victimized, pregnant teenager. Available for pre-order at Amazon.

Excerpt:

A glimpse at Off The Grid’s hero, Family Law Attorney, Caleb Quinn.

Caleb Quinn was smart. His new letterhead, business cards, and prime parking spot proof of how hard he worked. He was ranked one of Canada’s top lawyers under forty. He’d made partner at the unheard of age of thirty-two. He was charming. Ask anyone. Women enjoyed his company. He was discreet. Generous. In bed and out of it.

He was attracted to Dr. Sophie Monroe, wanted to get to know her better. So what? Sexual attraction wasn’t a crime. It was the second decade of the twenty- first century, people hooked up. He picked up a scarf, tossed it back, tuned out the most annoying Christmas song ever recorded. An over-crowded department store at closing on Christmas Eve? How much lower could he sink? Like the gift of a scarf was going to improve her opinion of him. He’d probably have more luck if he showed up with a package of tongue depressors.

*If you’re interested in reviewing Off The Grid let me know and I’ll hook you up! karyngoodauthor at gmail dot com

Old News

A friend has been hard at work creating new postcards for Backlash! Since we’re talking heroes…

Thank you Elizabeth Lang, who also happens to be an amazing author of Science Fiction thrillers and Science Fiction Romance! And fellow member of The Saskatchewan Romance Writers

Other News

I’m part of a incredibly talented writing group! I thought I’d leave with a look at their upcoming and current releases.

If Regency Romance is your thing: Mary Balogh‘s Only Enchanting, Survivor Club Book 4 releases October 28th!

This is Book 4 of the Survivors’ Club series, after The Proposal, The Arrangement, and The Escape. Hugo’s story has been told, as have Vincent’s and Ben’s. Now it is the turn of Flavian Arnott, Viscount Ponsonby. He is the Survivor who suffered a severe head injury as a cavalry officer during the Napoleonic Wars, with resulting memory loss, the inability to think or speak coherently, severe headaches, and sudden rages. He spent three years with the other members of the group at Penderris Hall in Cornwall, recovering and learning to cope with his remaining handicaps.

Flavian is handsome, witty, charming, and aloof. His heart was broken when his beloved fiancée broke off their engagement soon after he was brought home from the Peninsula and married his best friend. The double betrayal has left him cynical and apparently quite immune to the lures of romantic love.

Agnes Keeping, a young widow, lives in a small village with her elder sister. She is a water colorist and loves to wander about the countryside painting wild flowers. She had a relationship with her husband of very mild affection and believes herself to be too sensible and prosaic ever to feel the pangs of a romantic passion, though she recognizes that such love does exist. Her friend Sophia, Viscountess Darleigh, is in a deep love relationship with her husband, the blind Vincent, one of the other Survivors.

Women’s Fiction with Romantic Elements: Annette Bower‘s Woman of Substance is available now!

Robbie Smith tries walking a mile in another woman’s shoes to validate her master’s degree research. Even though her professor doesn’t approve, Robbie disguises herself and moves in the world as a large woman, because the women in her research group declare, “You will never know what it’s like to be fat.”

All Jake Proctor wants to do is to spend as much time as he can with his dying grandfather Frank, the only father he’s ever known.

While in and out of disguise, Robbie sees Frank and Jake. Robbie is drawn to the tall, dark, kind man in her neighborhood, but she can’t divulge the truth about her about her oversized self and jeopardize all the hard work she’s put into her research. She has to see her thesis through to the bitter end. Even if it means deceiving the man she’s grown to care about.

Jana Richards‘ One More Second Chance is coming soon from The Wild Rose Press and part of the Lobster Cove series.

Dr. Alex Campbell has an agenda —finish his contract to provide medical services in Maine, pay off his medical school debt, and head back to his real life in San Diego. But when he meets Julia Stewart, all his carefully laid plans are put in jeopardy.

Julia Stewart, Lobster Cove’s high school principal, swears she’ll never let another man drag her away from the home she loves. Her aging parents need her, and the Cove is where she wants to raise her daughter. When her mother’s illness brings her and the big city doctor closer together, panic sets in. Her marriage taught her that men don’t stay. Can she put aside the heartaches of the past and trust Alex enough to accept the love he’s offering? Or will her fear of abandonment mean she’ll send him away forever?

More from the works of The Saskatchewan Romance Writers coming next month!

See you later in the month for some blog hop goodness and chances to win!

End of November Update

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Karyn Good

One day until the end of November and it’s snowing. Again. NaNoWriMo is over. Mustaches and beards disappear. Hopefully. And all is well with the world. Except here comes Christmas. I used to be an uber organized person. Now, I’m not. I don’t know what happened. I have no excuse. The good news is I remember most things.

November did see me taking part in a writing challenge, just not the official NaNoWriMo. At this point slinging out 50,000 words that require major rewriting at the end of it doesn’t work for me. I tried it once. I ‘won’. I ditched 95% of those words but have kept the same characters and the same town. That’s it. I’m much happier with the story this time around. My goal for November was 500 words a day. It was an informal challenge supported by my writing group. We weighed in everyday on our private Facebook page and inspired each other. I didn’t keep super strict track but I’m pretty sure it’s all evened out and I’m on pace to slightly exceed that goal.

Obsession (Kate and Seth’s story) is currently sitting at 30,745 words. 13,693 of those words written prior to November. Here’s a sneak peak at the first paragraph.

Kate Logan figured hiking the long road back to self-respect sucked at the best of times. These weren’t the best of times. The splintered wood of her boutique’s back door jamb was rough and sharp under her fingers. With her bank account sitting at next to zero, repairing the break-in damage was an expense she couldn’t afford. She had insurance, but collecting took time.

I’m also working on a manuscript called Off The Grid. Today I signed up to pitch it to Harlequin’s Dana Hamilton on January 4th as part of their Speed Dating with Editorial Assistant Dana Hamilton opportunity. We’ll see what happens.

And this morning I was busy jotting down an idea for the first scene of the third book in a trilogy that doesn’t have a book one or two. Just plenty of ideas about three adopted brothers and three women who understand about sacrifice.

On December 5th I’m giving a reading along with Mary Balogh and Annette Bower called Some Enchanted Evening…A Romance Reading.

If you happen to be in the Regina area, join us at New Dance Horizons at 7:00 pm!

Starting December 1st I’m offering a Goodreads Giveaway for two copies of my romantic suspense, Backlash. It’s open until the 15th of January.

The Storytellers’ Bouquet

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Karyn Good

Marketing and promotion is an interesting challenge. Especially, when no one knows your name. Writers are always looking for ways to sell more books and create that word of mouth buzz that gets the whole ball of words rolling.

In that spirit, I’ve teamed up with three wonderful authors: Jana Richards, Lesley-Anne McLeod, and Annette Bower to put together a free promotional giveaway called The Storytellers’ Bouquet. It includes links, excerpts from books and four short stories for your enjoyment.

You can find this free download offering on my HOME page or BOOKS page. Just scroll down the page until you find it. Happy Reading!

Please, pass it on.

Lucky 7 from Backlash

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Karyn Good

Back in the middle of June I was tagged by the wonderful and talented author Monica Enderle Pierceto take part in the Lucky 7 meme. In the mood for some romantic dystopian/sci-fi? Check out her novel that releases this July, Girl Under Glass.

Here are the oh-so simple rules:

Go to page 7 or 77 in your current manuscript
Go to line 7
Copy down the next seven lines/sentences exactly as they are
Tag 7 other authors

So here are 7 lines from page 77 of my romantic suspense, Backlash.

Mike continued on, “If you could provide us with a list of friends and places to look that would be great.”

Mike laid a paper and pen down on the cold metal table and pulled out a chair for Lily. Lily sank into it. Mike claimed the one next to her. Chase gritted his teeth as he made his way to the opposite side of the table.

Jason, Lily’s student, is missing. Constable Mike Davenport, Chase’s partner, has called Lily into the station to assist them.

The authors I’m tagging are all talented and engaging writers, some I know in person and some I’ve met online. A bouquet of authors all worth reading.

So, tag! Your it!

In Other News:

Recently my husband and son went on a bike tour of Holland and I couldn’t resist sending a long a little piece of me with them. I hope Chase and Lily enjoyed their tour and I hope someone finds their story in the Amsterdam airport and decides to read it. Perhaps they’ll pass it on and Chase and Lily will continue their travels.

Travelling anywhere interesting this summer?

Reading Therapy

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Karyn Good

I participated in a reading last week at a lovely small town Saskatchewan library along with a friend of mine, Annette Bower. I read from my romantic suspense, Backlash, and she read from her newly published e-book, Moving On: A Prairie Romance. An old converted school house with original tin ceilings and hardwood floors, it contained a small library and an art gallery. We read in a cosy room in front of a beautiful mural created by young local artists to fifteen or twenty interested attendees.

I had a very entertaining conversation with an older woman who hadn’t read a book of fiction since high school. It’s true. Apparently, it’s possible to go fifty or sixty years without reading a book. I’m sure she’s enjoyed many other creative pursuits, but still…

I thought about all those times I’ve read books to save my sanity. Like recently, when I found myself awake at 2:00 am three or four nights in a row because I was coughing and couldn’t sleep. Tucked up in bed, propped up against a mound of pillows, Vicks Vapor Rub smeared on my chest, waiting for the cough medicine to kick in, I poured through four books.

On those bi-monthly weekend Greyhound bus rides from Regina to Saskatoon to visit my now husband in my twenties. Airports, hotel rooms, doctor’s offices. What do people do in these places if they aren’t reading? Okay, excluding hotel rooms!

On our way home from the reading we talked about creative ways to promote ereaders and ebooks. Someone mentioned their niece reading on her ereader while breastfeeding her baby. Oh, how I wished I’d had one way back when to pass those long hours.

It’s been a long day and the next one promising to be just as long. What do you do? You pick up a book and allow the story to sweep you away. There’s nothing quite like immersing yourself in a great book. I’ll even take a not-so-great book over no book. I’ve used books to soothe away teenage angst. I remember once, shortly after moving away from home for the first time at eighteen, a group of girlfriends got together one night to watch the movie: Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I read an entire Harlequin romance once I returned home to my dark, little, very empty house. I don’t remember the name of the story, but it saved my sanity that night.

When has reading saved your sanity?

I hope you check out my friend, Annette Bower and her new release, Moving On – A Prairie Romance.

Moving On-A Prairie Romance

Anna is a mysterious woman that has just moved to Regina Beach. The residents of the small town know everyone’s business and they are very interested in discovering Anna’s secrets. Nick was a Sergeant in the Canadian Army, doing active duty until a horrific accident sent him home to recover. He helps Anna feel safe and comfortable in her new environment, just as he has always done for his men in strange, dangerous places. Meanwhile, he focuses on preparing for his future physical endurance test to prove that he is capable of returning to active duty.

Anna doesn’t talk about her past, and Nick doesn’t talk about his future therefore she is shocked to discover that his greatest wish is to return to active duty. She won’t love a man who may die on the job again. Intellectually, she knows that all life cycles end, but emotionally, she doesn’t know if she has the strength to support Nick.