Final Pursuit, a new inspirational romantic suspense, and a drawing for a free book! ...Roxanne Rustand

 

It seems like time has flown since the last day of 2021.  

Since the mid-1990's I have marked the passage of the years in family events and book deadlines set and met, and time steadily marched on.   But boy, have I ever been distracted since the end of December, when our daughter and her husband had their first baby, and our son and his wife had their fourth.  Two grandbabies within a week!

So now, I live for the sound of text messages chiming into my phone, because it is so exciting to see new photos of these little ones. 💓   If only they both lived closer! But the immediacy of these texted photos and messages is a wonderful blessing compared to the old days--when new moms (like me) would have to send letters with photo duplicates enclosed or make long-distance phone calls on Sunday nights for a lower rate.

What memories do you have of how different so many things were just a few decades ago?

With all of the texting, calls, and trips to see these new members of the family, everything else has been on the back burner. So now I am trying to catch up.  Whew!

The first two titles in my Montana Secrets inspirational romantic suspense series were published last fall, and I'm happy to announce that the third book, FINAL PURSUIT, is now up on Amazon for pre-orders, and will be released March 14th.  

Each book can stand alone. It's free for the readers who use Kindle Unlimited, and it's at a bargain price right now for those who don't!  CLICK HERE to find out more. Why not take a peek?  

Leave a comment, and you will be entered in a drawing for a free copy of FINAL REFUGE, the first book in this series!

All the best,

Roxanne Rustand

Christmas in August.... Roxanne Rustand

While most of us here write suspense, some have written in other genres.  That's the case with a novella I wrote this summer, Christmas in Paris. It's part of the 2018 Sweet Christmas Kisses anthology being released in September....and it's on sale right now as a pre-sale  for just 99 cents! 

Nine authors were part of the anthology, and all are either sweet romance writers (meaning they write chaste stories but without an inspirational element) or are inspirational writers.

It's always fun to be a part of this annual project, which is a nice opportunity for readers to "meet" authors new to them for a bargain price.

What was even more fun, was that I got to do my research by traveling to Paris this spring with our daughter,  Emily. 

It isn't always possible to travel to the setting of a new novel before settling down to work on it, and sometimes online research, reference books, and contacting people who live there can provide a wealth of information.

But it's so much more accurate and interesting to actually absorb some of the culture in person.  Sometimes I find I have believed something totally inaccurate!

For instance,  I'd long heard that the French didn't have a high opinion of Americans, and could be quite rude or unhelpful.  That is so untrue! 

We were there for two weeks, and everyone we met was friendly, helpful and so nice to talk to.

 We did learn that it's considered rude to enter a store, an uber or even a bus, without saying Bonjour  to the clerk or driver--a simple courtesy that is expected at every new encounter.  But otherwise, our travels went well without knowing how to speak French. Whew! 
During the entire trip, we only encountered two people who didn't speak any English, and even then, we managed to get by.

The top stained glass photo is from Notre Dame, by the way, and the second one down if from Saint Chapelle.

Have you traveled to other parts of the USA, or to other countries, and found any cultural differences that were interesting and unique?   I would love to hear about them!

All the best,
Roxanne Rustand

Interview with author Lyn Cote, and a drawing for a free book!

Roxanne Rustand here, happy to share an interview with award-winning Christian author Lyn Cote!  For those who leave a comment or a question for Lyn, there will be a drawing for a free e-book!

Tell us about yourself.  What led you to become a writer? I was born to be a writer. I discovered this in 5th grade!

What is your writing schedule like? I'm beginning to slow down from 5 or 6 a.m. to breakfast to lunch to 2 p.m. After 45 books, I have decided to write less and live more!

What is the hardest thing about writing?   Has that changed, over the years? The hardest thing about writing is that so many people don't understand writers. They think coming up with the idea for a book is the hard part. That's easy. I have thousands of ideas. The hard part is putting it down on the page so that when a reader picks it up, she/he gets exactly what's in my mind--sights, sounds, feelings.

Tell us about this book. This is one of my most dear books. It is set in the place I love, the Northwoods, and is about real people facing danger and the demands of loving.

What inspired you to write it? 

Watching snowmobiles zoom past me on a frozen lake.

Give us some insight into your main character.

My main character is Wendy who never knew her father and whose mother didn't recover from this loss till Wendy was an adult. Wendy has to be "mother" to a younger sister and raise herself in the bargain and it makes her a strong and compassionate nurse.

What are you working on at the moment, that we can look forward to? 

I am polishing up a cozy romance (mix of the two genres) also set in the Northwoods. Again it's a heroine who has overcome personal tragedy and yet can love. It's had elements of coming of age too. (And her hero is dreamy)

8. Anything else you'd like to share?  Anything humorous about your writing life? 

The only thing I can think is that I like to include bits of humor in my writing. Laughter is so important to us all. 

Also, Winter's Secret is FREE on all online retailers. Here's the link https://booksbylyncote.com/SWBS/book-table

About Lyn Cote:

USA Today best-selling author of over 40 romances, Lyn Cote writes award-winning contemporary and historical romance. Her brand is "Strong Women, Brave Stories.” Her books feature a strong heroine, usually a multi-cultural cast of characters and authentic history or contemporary life. She lives with her real life hero in a lakeside cottage in the Northwoods with two fun cats. Visit her website/blog at http://www.LynCote.com and sign up for her newsletter. Also look for her on Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest and Twitter

Website https://www.BooksbyLynCote.com/SWBS
Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/LynCoteAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LynCoteWriter
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lyncote/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/101121.Lyn_Cote
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Lyn-Cote/e/B001ITROW4/