I mentioned last week that I’d been reading a lot. The last ten months have been full of strife, stress and worry. Life often leaves us feeling depleted. It’s important to fill your creative well. And my well felt very, very empty. I couldn’t see my way to doing the things that I have always done to feel creative. And because my creative well fuels my writing, I haven’t been writing very much at all. But it’s time to change that and to be able to do that I have to once again fill my creative well.
My sister gave me a watercolour journal for my birthday. I cracked it open and feathered through all thee crisp clean pages waiting for colour. I love playing around with my watercolours. Nothing too serious. I find inspiration on Instagram and Pinterest and go from there. Lots of times I’m happy with the results. But mistakes will be made. There will be times when I don’t like the colour combinations I’ve used or the strokes or the idea anymore. Or a host of other things. But none of that matters because it’s all about the journey. It’s about exploring. Not about criticizing my efforts.
I’m also working on a very little something for my granddaughter. It’s something I’ve never tried before, a little attempt at a tiny magazine. She may like it, she may not. And that’s okay. It’s not something precious. It’s just a little something I wanted to try that might make her smile. What she does with it is up to her.
So there it is, a little look into my creative process lately.
Until next time…
How are you filling your creative well these days?
I have read a lot of romances in the last several months. A lot. And just like romances do, they helped me through a stressful time. They were an escape from the everyday. They gave me something else to concentrate on instead of worrying. They gave me hope.
These stories did have one thing in common, they were all contemporary romances. My favourites had another thing in common, they all entertained me. I read a lot of sports romances. Who am I even? I loved plenty of plus size heroine romances. These body loving heroines were a shining light. Some of them made me laugh out loud, and they all tugged at my heartstrings. But not too forcefully, which was good because my heartstrings were fragile.
And they gifted me with something else, they helped fill my creative well. The authors’ use of dialogue inspired me. As did their way of turning a setting into a colourful character. The way they worked all the emotion they could into a scene. The creative use of secondary characters. Their description of characters’ careers and how they used the work they did to serve the story. Sometimes in big ways and sometimes in small ones.
So, book recommendation time!
Here are four favourites the come to mind, but I had many.
How is Rose Barnes supposed to build the home (and life) of her dreams when her big, burly contractor keeps scowling at her?
Rose Barnes has got curves for days—and to Angus Drummond, the big, bearded contractor working on her new house, she’s the perfect thorn in his side. Little does she know Angus is perturbed on a daily basis by his attraction to this cheery, smart-ass woman with her sunshiny enthusiasm, her kindness, and her beautiful body.
Angus feels he has a debt to pay to the world and doesn’t deserve love until he pays it. Best to keep his mind on his work and his hands to himself. But the more Rose sees of Angus’s gruff, honorable thoughtfulness, and the more rusty laughter she surprises from him, the more she wants him too.
As their unlikely friendship becomes love, antagonism turns to partnership, and Rose’s house becomes a home. But Rose is keeping a secret that could blow up everything with Angus, and sure enough, it comes to light at the worst possible time…
I love a great plus size heroine. And I mean plus size, and not a size 10. Because, pfff! Also, people of all sizes and body shapes deserve love and adoration. Of course, there is plenty of conflict. Characters will always need to find a better way to navigate the world and improve their circumstances. What’s a book without conflict. Or goals. But they do it without losing weight. Storylines centring around weight loss makeovers are boring.
Curves for Days is far from boring! It’s heartwarming, sexy, and funny, while also tugging on your heartstrings. Rose is keeping a big secret. Because, reasons. So, when she arrives in a new town, Galway, and it strikes a cord with her, she decides to stay and start her life over. Angus would just as soon not have anything to do with Rose. He huffs and he puffs at her but he doesn’t scare her away. Worse, he’s starting to like everything about her.
But what is it Buddha said? Three things can’t remind hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth. Then it’s up to Rose and Angus to decide if their relationship is worth saving.
A steamy read. Definitely recommend! I just finished reading her second book in the series, What She’s Having, and I loved it.
Those Three Little Words by Meghan Quinn (Book 2 in The Vancouver Agitators Series)
I knocked up my best friend’s sister.
Figured I would get straight to the point, because how it happened is a mere snippet of the story I have to tell. The real meat and potatoes is what happened after.
Let’s start with how she decided to inform me and Pacey the news…together. Imagine that nightmare. I was going into what I thought was a hockey marketing meeting, and then bam! I’m going to be a dad and my best friend/teammate is attempting to imprint my face with his fist.
It wasn’t pretty.
Threats were tossed around, friendships were revoked, and then I was marched up to her apartment, suitcases in hand, and forced to live with her so I could take care of her every need. Given how much I’ve pined for the girl, you would think that wouldn’t be a hardship. Wrong.
This is my one shot to win my teammate back. Pacey is the only family I’ve got, so hooking up with his sister isn’t a mistake I can make twice…despite the fact that she’s pregnant with my child.
But with every mood swing, every pair of pants that doesn’t fit right, and every late night run to find the perfect donut, I’m finding it harder and harder not to fall for my best friend’s little sister.
Especially when she kisses me….
This book is ridiculous. In the best way. As is the whole series. I laughed out loud. In the darkest hours of last winter, I laughed. Something I was very grateful for. Those Three Little Words is sooo funny, it’s also emotional and it’s hot. It’s also Eli’s meddling teammates. Love them and their group chats. It’s Penny. Penny is a one of a kind character, and the antics she puts Eli through? Priceless. I actually ended up feeling kind of sorry for him…when I wasn’t laughing.
I would rate this one as Spicy. Also, language warning. Definitely recommend!
Carter Beckett is the NHL’s best player—both on and off the ice. His career is at its peak, his friends are performing better than ever, and there’s no shortage of women to spend the night with. What more could he want?
Olivia Parker isn’t new to professional hockey players, thanks to her best friend’s boyfriend, but she has no interest in dating one herself—no matter how hot he is. And anyway, she loves working as a teacher and hanging out with her best friend, drama-free. Why would she want to spend her time stroking the ego of an arrogant athlete?
But once Carter meets Olivia, he can’t think of anything else. Too bad for him, Olivia is hellbent on keeping him at arm’s length, with no intention of giving into his charms. Perhaps it’s time for Carter to up his game…after all, nobody said he had to play fair.
Sparks will fly as Carter does whatever it takes for Olivia to consider him.
Consider Me is also ridiculously delicious. And so over the top, especially Carter Beckett’s character. He is…a lot. In a good luck Olivia you’re going to need the patience of saint kind of way. But I loved the heroine, Olivia, a high school PE teacher. She was the perfect foil for Carter as she had experience dealing with horny obnoxious teenagers. Thankfully, Carter’s character grows in a way that has him keeping the charm and losing the swarm. Also, the friend groups in both the hero and heroine’s life are strong and interesting and funny.
Definitely spicy. And definitely recommend giving this first book in the series a try.
Until her cocky best friend and his *ahem* rooster take charge.
Look, I’ve had it bad for the girl with all the curves next door forever. She turned me down in high school and since I’m not a total douchecanoe, I lusted after her all by myself in my shower, and we stayed just friends for years.
Now she’s the adorkable librarian next door and I’m the star quarterback of the best pro football team in the league. So when she asks me to be her fake date to her all-girls school reunion I am totally down to show her off to the mean girls who bullied her back then so they can see just how incredible she is. I’ll be the best boyfriend they’ve ever seen. The best fake boyfriend that is.
Until I find out from her slightly-stalkery classmates that she still has her v-card. I don’t see how that is even possible. Not with how sexy and sweet she is. Could it be because she knows she belongs with me?
It sounds like porn but it couldn’t be sweeter. Except for the sex which is definitely spicy. This book is excellent example of a hero who is a decent guy and a heroine who is confident and sassy and together they are developing a respectful and loving relationship. A lot of the conflict comes from outside the relationship. Not that The Cock Down the Block doesn’t touch on a some pretty serious topics like bullying and workplace harassment, it does. But in a respectful, lighter and often funny way.
Also, this was an audiobook for me and I LOVED the narrators: Stella Hunter and Christian Fox who did an excellent job!
So there you are, four contemporary romance book recommendations that are worth checking out.
Holy moly, it’s been a hot minute since my last post. What have I been doing? It’s already September and here I am looking back on the summer and marvelling at how those few short months flew by. It a nutshell, it was a low key summer. We enjoyed time with family (though not enough of that either) and spent time in our yard.
I grew some vegetables in my new raised beds. I finally have tomatoes. One of my absolute favourite late summer things. There is nothing better than toast, a little may and a fresh, warm from the sun garden tomato with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
What else? I read A LOT of books. More on that next week. All romances. Many of them sport romances, which is not exactly my jam. We had a part of our yard landscaped. We’re so happy with the outcome. It will be fun watching everything grow and fill in over the next few years. It already looks different and it’s only been a few months.
It also set a writing challenge for August. 15 minutes a day. It was a gentle way to get back into the writing process. I’m not doing so well in September, but, now that those first two busy weeks of getting back into routine are done, I’m determined to jump back in again.
I also did a five day closet refresh. Updating my wardrobe and transitioning things from summer to fall and winter feels like a great way to ease into the cooler months. Not gonna lie, I also love organizing my closet. It’s a form of stress relief for me.
And there you have it. A little peek into my quiet, regrouping, feel the love and the warmth summer.
This month’s highlight: I challenged myself to try something new. I went to a vintage/antique market and I had a blast. I picked up some pink depression era glass which is something that I mention in my work-in-progress. But I’m also interested in coloured glass. While I was there, I picked up the sweetest little watercolour, and a lovely gold clutch.
This month’s round up also includes a waffle breakfast sandwich. It was delicious and we’ll definitely be eating more of those. I also upped my drink game now that the warmer weather is here. My daughter also picked out a lovely pink bouquet of flowers that brightened our kitchen and our spirits.
A little bit about depression era glass. It was pretty cheap to produce so manufacturers sold it to companies who began offering it as promotional items. It was found in cereal boxes, given away at movie theatres and handed out at gas stations to encourage return customers. It came in many colours and patterns. It was free and brought a little colour into people’s lives when times were very tough.
In my work-in-progress, the heroine, Charlotte Darcy, has inherited her historical family home and is turning it into a bed and breakfast. Depression era glass would have been collected by her great grandmother, Beatrice Darcy, which, among other treasured items, are now in Charlotte’s possession.
Since I mentioned it, I thought I’d share the following is a snippet. Charlotte is hosting a cake tasting for Clare Balkwell and Francis Fisher, co-chairs of the local women’s aid group who are planning an anniversary party for their church.
That’s a round for April and May is already well underway.
Until next time…
Does anyone have an interest in collecting glass? Or anything else? Let me know in the comments.
If you love romance you likely have a few favourite tropes. Tropes are the broad theme the arc of the story focuses on. I have several favourites like the reunited or second chance at love trope. Where are all my Princess Bride fans? I talked about my love of the small town romancehere. There is something about giving someone you had a significant relationship with that ended years earlier another chance.
Fans self.
Send all those recommendations my way!
I want to share a bit more about one of my favourites: Reunited or Second Chance at Love
A couple of my favourite books with the Reunited or Second Chance Trope:
What he’s sworn to protect, she’s willing to sacrifice to save those she loves…
When dedicated teacher Lily Wheeler interrupts a vicious gang attack on one of her students, she vows it won’t happen again. But her rash interference puts her in the path of a cold-blooded killer and the constable tracking him-a man she has little reason to trust, but can never forget.
Constable Chase Porter returned to Aspen Lake to see justice done, not renew old acquaintances. But when he rescues the woman he once loved from a volatile situation, he realizes his feelings for Lily haven’t lessened over the years.
Now, the dangerous killer Chase has sworn to capture has Lily in his sights. Can Chase and Lilly learn to trust each other again before it’s too late-or will old insecurities jeopardize their future?
I love the emotional intensity of second chance romances which leads to loads of conflict. There are so many great second chance romance books out there. I hope you’ve read a few.
Goodbye, March! Hello middle of April. You were full of busy days, both warm and cool, just like you’d expect from March. A gradual warming cooled by a big bout of snow. That’s okay, we’ve had a couple of very dry years and this winter didn’t change that. We need the moisture. That said, I’m sure glad it won’t be sticking around. But enough about the weather…
I’ve been keeping my New Year’s goal of always having flowers in the house. And of course we dyed eggs for Easter. Like I mentioned, we had a big dump of snow. I got a new baby. Another snake plant. I also repotted some plants. And March as been full of cozy lounge wear, including this sweatpant and sweatshirt combo from Hernest, a Canadian ethical and sustainable clothing company.
A good friend put together a delicious Anne of Green Gables themed lunch. It was a delectable mix of different dishes and, of course, there was raspberry cordial. My friend found recipes from Lucy Maud Montgomery online. Apparently Lucy Maud loved cooking and was very talented in the kitchen, much like my friend.
Until next time…
What is everyone most looking forward to in April?
March is proving true to character with one foot firmly planted in winter and the other flirting with spring. So wonderful to see the longer days, the return of the Canadian geese and the feel the promise of spring. On the Canadian prairies, spring doesn’t fully show her face until the end of April or beginning of May. But she’s on her way.
1970s, Red River Valley between North Dakota and Minnesota: Renee “Cash” Blackbear is 19 years old and tough as nails. She lives in Fargo, North Dakota, where she drives truck for local farmers, drinks beer, plays pool, and helps solve criminal investigations through the power of her visions. She has one friend, Sheriff Wheaton, her guardian, who helped her out of the broken foster care system.
One Saturday morning, Sheriff Wheaton is called to investigate a pile of rags in a field and finds the body of an Indian man. When Cash dreams about the dead man’s weathered house on the Red Lake Reservation, she knows that’s the place to start looking for answers. Together, Cash and Wheaton work to solve a murder that stretches across cultures in a rural community traumatized by racism, genocide, and oppression.
Thoughts:
First off I want to stress that this is not a cozy mystery. The content of this book deals with the harsh realities Native Americans faced in the 1970s and that makes for some hard reading. You will find racial slurs directed towards Native Americans and Vietnamese people. There is themes of alcoholism and past foster care abuse.
Renee ‘Cash’ Blackbear is one fierce heroine. At the young age of 19, she’s not intimidated by much. She lives a solitary life as a truck driver who spends her off time smoking, drinking and playing pool. Oh… and she also has visions about potential crimes.
There are really two parts to this story: the mystery; and Cash’s story. Marcie Rendon, a member of the White Earth Anishinabe Nation, does a masterful job of weaving these two stories together. Cash’s past experiences lend context to the present and her abilities lead her down a dangerous trail. Her writing is as vivid and it is unflinching. Definitely recommend.
February is over. Hello, March. I have to say, I’m not sorry we are looking at January and February in the rearview mirror. It feels like a milestone and I have no idea how to explain the relief of welcoming longer days and shorter nights.
February was a mix of trying to get out, celebrating Valentine’s Day, and doing a little crafting. We have watched a lot of cooking shows. We’re new fans of Chopped, which we’ve never watched before now. I’m definitely in a reading slump, but I think that has to do with my ability to focus. As a library user, luckily I can just return books if they don’t immediately draw me in.
I did manage to read Murder on the Red River by Marcie R. Rendon which I’ll review next week.
I started listening to Mistletoe Murders, Book 1 by Ken Cuperus and Narrated by Cobie Smulders and others on Audible. It’s excellent but I have had zero time to put headphones in and listen to anything.
My goal for 2024 was to always have flowers in the house and so far I’ve managed to keep it. So, win.
I haven’t done much fiction writing. I’ve been busy applying for funding to help support our daughter. But I cleaned up my office. For some reasons book titles have been running through my head this last month. I had thought the working title work my book was Just About Perfect but 8 Jasper Street has taken over. I love the simplicity of it.
Here’s to March days which sometimes cling to winter while others melt like spring.
Life has a way of turning on a dime. That was certainly case in December. For those that aren’t aware, we have a daughter with an intellectual disability who faces other challenges as well. She lives with us, and my husband and I are her caregivers. Last month saw her wrestling with some intense mental health challenges. She spent time in the hospital receiving care for which we are incredibly grateful. We still have major challenges to overcome but we are seeing gradual improvement each week. However, it was very hard witnessing her struggling within a severely underfunded healthcare system that is not designed to be inclusive. During the longest night of this winter season I’ve searched for the light.
Who remembers the TV show Northern Exposure? I loved that show! John Corbett played the role of Chris Stevens, a radio host who quoted Walt Whitman, Jung and Dostoevsky and provided an offbeat philosophy and commentary on the goings-on in Cicely, Alaska. One of his memorable rambles was about finding the light.
During this process of breakdown and recovery, I haven’t written anything. I’ve managed some reading. I’ve done some neurographic art doodles. We’ve gone to therapy. We’ve made our way to the other side. It’s time to start a new normal, which means a new routine. Part of that for me means figuring out how to get some writing done. Writing creates a light in me.
Most of us have certain stories we gravitate towards, like romance novels or stories with a happily ever after. Bu it’s a huge category and there are so many great romance books we readers tend to gravitate to certain themes. Or tropes as they are known. Romance novel tropes refer to a broad theme that speaks to the overall arc of the story. Like my favourite starting over in a small town. Or enemies to lovers, another favourite of mine. Reunited lovers. Friends to lovers. Or the grumpy sunshine trope which is very popular right now.
I wanted to share one of my favourite tropes: Starting Over in a Small Town:
A couple of my favourite books with Starting Over in a Small Town as a trope:
Kate Logan needs a safe haven, a place to start over after her modeling career disintegrates in scandal. But her hometown of Aspen Lake isn’t the sanctuary she hoped. Her vow of a low-key life is disrupted by a break-in and other strange happenings at her boutique. As the chair of Aspen Lake’s Gothic Revival Festival, she’s also drawn the ire of a religious fanatic. Kate is up to her stilettos in drama and intrigue including one sexy carpenter who’s determined to get in her way.
New to town, Seth Stone is seeking inspiration and solitude to concentrate on his art. Short on funds, he agrees to take on a second job restoring the damage to Kate’s Closet. Trouble erupts along with the desire to get to know Kate better. When he’s used as a pawn in a smear campaign against his gorgeous boss Seth fights back. But now the whole town is watching. Including the man determined to further his own agenda. Time is running out with nowhere to hide.
Until next time…
What are your favourite tropes whether it’s fiction or television?
