Sara and Melissa Talk About...Seasons

We've been running a column series to get more personal with our readers. We are currently in our fifth year!

This month, we are talking about seasons. The four seasons provide a nice backdrop to novels, whether they're in the heat of summer, a blustery autumn with the leaves falling everywhere (and pumpkin spice, of course), a cozy warm home after being outside on a freezing winter's day, or all the flowers blooming in the spring. To accompany this post, here are some songs that talk about seasons:

"Girl for All Seasons" from Grease 2
"Seasons of Love" from Rent
"The Time of the Season" by The Zombies
"Seasons" by Maroon 5

We're always open to topic suggestions, so please don't hesitate to share those in the comments. We'd also love to know if you can relate to anything we've said or hear your own thoughts on the topic. So don't be shy. :) We look forward to getting to know you as much as we're letting you get to know us. You can find our previous columns here, in case you missed them. 

Melissa Amster:

I grew up in the midwest, where we got all four seasons to the extreme. Sometimes, we'd get snow in the middle of spring! After moving out east, I noticed that some seasons are more mild than others. Here are my thoughts on each of the seasons:

Summer: Summer used to be my favorite, when I was a kid and got to go swimming almost every day. I also enjoyed having breaks from school or college and would live it up during the summer months. Nowadays, the only thing I like about summer is my birthday. I work year-round, so summer is just like any other time of the year, except really, really hot. I hate being hot. I just feel so disgusting after being outside for a while. I'm also not as much of a Fourth of July person as I used to be. It just feels like any other day to me. 

Autumn: I've always been an autumn person, for as long as I can remember. I don't even care about pumpkin spice. I just love the smell of the air, the leaves changing color, the temperature cooling down a bit, etc. I don't know that I've talked about Sukkot much here, but it takes place during the autumn and the later in the season, the better. (Trust me, it's no fun being in a sukkah when it still feels like 100 degrees out!) This year, it will be in late October, so I'm looking forward to that. I also still enjoy Halloween and Thanksgiving. My older son was born in September, so that's another reason for me to like this time of year!

A glimpse inside our sukkah

Winter: When we first moved to Maryland, we were told that it barely ever snows here. That winter, we had Snowmageddon and could barely even leave our house. I'm not a huge fan of snow, except when I don't have to be outside dealing with it. It's a pain to shovel and it's scary to drive on. I also don't like being extremely cold either. In the midwest, it was so cold that it was actually painful. I enjoy the winter holiday season, but that's about it. I found out that this year, Hanukkah and Christmas are together! At the end of winter, I look forward to my daughter's birthday.

Snowmageddon 2010

Spring: I used to be ambivalent about spring. It was just nice enough out, but it felt like a boring season to me when I was growing up. After moving to Maryland, I now look forward to seeing the cherry blossoms every spring. They're so beautiful! My anniversary and my younger son's birthday are both in March, so that's something fun to celebrate. And while I don't like cleaning for Passover, I do enjoy the holiday once it's actually happening.

Sara Steven:

When I think of seasons, I immediately think of the song “Turn! Turn! Turn!” by The Byrds. To everything there is a season, right? It’s fitting. Just this morning, I reflected on the fact that next year, I’ll have lived in Arizona ten years, when it feels like I just moved here not too long ago. Before moving to Arizona, I lived in Nebraska for fourteen years, and soon, Arizona will contend with that length of time. My boys are young adults and teenagers now, but when we moved here, my youngest wasn’t in school yet, and the oldest son was starting fifth grade. If anything shows you a turn of seasons, it’s realizing how much older your children are. 

The one year my boys attended school together;
6th grade and kindergarten respectively

When it comes to my favorite season, it’s always been the summer. I love the heat. I love the sun. I love the ability to spend as much time as possible outdoors, enjoying fully bloomed plants, nature, and wildlife that you might not see in colder weather. I know for someone who now contends with intense heat in Arizona, I sound a little crazy. Most of the time, residents here hide out during those 115 degree days, and yes, I’m one of them. Even I have my limits. But I enjoyed my early morning walk today, reveling in a cloudless blue sky and neverending sunshine, because I’ll work around the super hot summers in Arizona, not letting it dampen my favorite time of year. 

It’s not limited to where I currently live. No matter where I’ve lived–Oregon, Texas, Nebraska, Arizona–I’ve loved the summertime. I feel more in tune with myself and with my environment. I tread through those cold winter months, prepare through the spring, in order to arrive at June-July-August. One of my earliest memories in my childhood consists of time spent outdoors in the summery sunshine, lifting my face up towards the bright horizon, eyes closed, listening to the sounds of other kids like me playing and enjoying their day. My birthday is in July, too, so that might have something to do with it. I’m a summer baby by birth, and by choice.

Me, enjoying the great summer outdoors

What is your favorite season? Least favorite?

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Sara and Melissa Talk About...Summer

We've been running a column series (for over three years now!) to get more personal with our readers. This month, we are talking about summer. Anything goes with this topic.

We're always open to topic suggestions, so please don't hesitate to share those in the comments. We'd also love to know if you can relate to anything we've said or hear your own thoughts on the topic. So don't be shy. :) We look forward to getting to know you as much as we're letting you get to know us. You can find our previous columns here, in case you missed them. 

Sara Steven:

Every summer, we try to escape the heat of the Phoenix-Metro area. Pre-Covid, that meant flying out to see family and friends, but post-Covid, we had to find other ways to safely travel. Thus began our road trip Sedona tradition. 

This is from July, 2020. 

And July, 2023.

My boys love the Crescent Moon Picnic Site, located by Cathedral Rock in Sedona. This is one of their favorite tree spots to visit while we’re there. They also enjoy the freezing cold water, which is a hard find in Arizona. Yet the high country never disappoints.

I love it when they spend time together like this. It seems a much harder task when we’re back on home turf. The eighteen year old has a part-time job, and the twelve year old seems to have more of a social life than I do, with get togethers and swim play dates, so it never feels like we get much family time together. When we’re in Sedona, we’re on Sedona time. There’s no rush to get from point A to point B. We feel like we can travel safely again, and there are plenty of other places we could go, but this is what we want to do, every year.

My parents are camp hosting in Sedona this year. It means manning the Call of the Canyon Picnic Site at the West Fork Oak Creek trailhead. It’s a trail I’d never been on before, and it was pretty fantastic. 

Even my parents’ dog Panda joined in. I appreciate that I was raised to honor nature, a sentiment I believe I’ve passed on to my children, too. I think it’s a big reason we want to spend time in the Sedona area, enjoying the great outdoors as much as we’re able to. I really, really love our summer tradition.

Melissa Amster:

I am not a summer person. I hate when it gets to 80 degrees or anything above that. I don't belong to a pool, nor do I have the desire to go these days. (I wouldn't mind a water park though.) I don't really do the outdoor activities that go along with summer either. While my job is flexible, I don't really have summer vacation. And that's okay by me. Having said that, here's how my summer has been going so far:

The highlight of my summer so far has been my daughter's Bat Mitzvah. It's something we had planned for quite some time and it was rewarding to see it all come together. It was a really special day and my daughter did an amazing job with her speech. This was about a month ago, but we just got photos back so it was fun reliving the event through them. 

Seeing my kids in theater performances has also been a special part of my summer. My daughter had a great speaking role in Newsies Jr. at her camp, playing Pulitzer. She really came out of her shell this year and blew me away when I saw her on stage. My older son also had a huge role in a local production of The Prom and I was so proud to see him give it his all. He also performed with his high school improv troupe (that he started up last year) at his sister's Bat Mitzvah. 

We didn't do a lot for Independence Day. We went to this big field area in Virginia on July 2nd and hung out with our cousins and watched fireworks. The next night, we got to see friends who were in town from New Jersey. We hadn't seen them in a while but it was like no time had been lost. On the actual holiday, we just laid low for the most part and went to dinner in the evening. It felt like a Sunday more than a holiday. 

I've been volunteering at A Wider Circle, which is a local organization that helps families who have low income get back on their feet. I mainly work in the warehouse to make sure all the clothing that is donated is in dignity condition (no personalization, stains, rips, etc). Here's more on the organization: https://awidercircle.org/

Tomorrow is my birthday, which is a highlight of every summer. It's the only thing I really like about summer anyway. It will probably be low key too, but I plan to have dinner with my husband and kids to celebrate in the evening. Last summer, all three kids had Covid on my birthday, so I want to include them in my celebration this year. (My oldest won't be available, but we have some celebratory plans that we hope will come into fruition next month for both our birthdays, since he's turning 18 in September.  Gasp!) 

Aside from that, I've just been watching a lot of TV. I fell in love with Somebody Somewhere last month and recently was laughing non-stop from The Other Two. I've also been watching The Bear, Never Have I Ever, And Just Like That, Manifest, Riverdale, How I Met Your Father, and XO, Kitty. I plan to watch season two of The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem and am excited for Heartstopper and Only Murders in the Building to come back in August.

Tell us how your summer is going or what you like most about summer or anything else to do with this season!

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Spotlight and Giveaway: Winter Sky

Even though it's still autumn, we're getting closer and closer to winter. Christmas commercials are already airing on television. So it's the perfect time to introduce you to Jenna Starly's latest Lake Lyla romance, Winter Sky. Jenna has one copy to share with a lucky reader!

Likeable, take-charge Winter has never been one to back down from a challenge. Maintaining the emotional walls Owen has spent years building isn’t easy when Winter’s joyful manner is a force as strong as a December blizzard.

Tension builds as Winter and Owen are forced to spend time together, reaching a breaking point as sexy sparks fly. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

Check out the first two books in this series:

Summer Sky * Autumn Sky

Jenna Starly is the pen name of women’s fiction author Erin Gordon.

A Bay Area native, she graduated from UC Berkeley and Loyola Law School. After practicing law for three years, she went back to school and got a master’s in journalism from Stanford. Erin worked for several years as a newspaper reporter covering law firms and then spent more than twenty years as a freelance legal affairs journalist, writing novels in her spare time.

When not writing, Erin enjoys reading, knitting, yoga, and spending time in Lake Tahoe. She lives in San Francisco with her family. (Bio adapted from Erin's website.)

Visit Erin/Jenna online:
Website * Facebook * Instagram

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Giveaway ends October 23rd at midnight EST.

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Listen to these books on Speechify!

Go-to-Gay AND Chick Lit Cheerleader: Spicing up your fall

Jen and Keith are back today for a "he said, she said" of epic proportions. They have quite a controversial topic to discuss, so brace yourselves for the biggest debate of the season...whether to use pumpkin spice or not! Even if this doesn't answer your burning questions or you haven't changed your mind about it one way or the other, Jen and Keith will definitely make you laugh!

Pumpkin Spice – Love it or Leave it?

Jen Tucker: When Melissa asked Keith and I to combine our Wonder Twin power rings for this month’s column, we kicked around two very different ideas. It’s been a difficult time for so many, friends. As humor writers, Keith and I attempt to look for silver linings and hilarity (usually at our own expense) in formidable situations. Our first idea was just that: to enlist some of our favorite humorists to share with all of us what they do to keep humor alive in tough times. Would we offend? Too soon? Too much? Much needed? We weren’t sure and that’s why we decided to go with idea behind curtain number two, because we both strongly believed we should do what we do best right now—make people laugh.

Keith Stewart: SO, I have been a total and complete slacker this month, not that it is different from any other month, except now instead of keeping only Melissa waiting for my work, our cheerleader Jen has been waiting for me, too! Thankfully, Jen carries me when I refuse to sit and write until two weeks after the deadline.

So, without further ado, here’s our seasonal and timely contribution…

Pumpkin Spice – Love it or Leave it?

What Should Always be Pumpkin Spice & What Should Never Be

Jen’s Never List

      *Astronauts—I don’t want aliens thinking we all smell like the fall foliage brooms for sale at Cracker Barrel. (Keith: I agree. Although I am not sure what astronauts should smell like. Old Spice for men? Patchouli for women?)
*Laundry Detergent—I like to smell like sterile bleach or April fresh on laundry day. (Keith: Again, I agree. Nothing beats Tide or Gain. All day, every day.)
*Gasoline—Just no… (Keith: I could sort of go for scented gas. Maybe.)
*The Property Brothers—I want Drew and Jonathan to smell like work site handymen who make the world a better place with their charm and overall handsomeness. (Keith: I would take the Property Brothers however they smelled.)
*Scotch Tape—If only Scotch tape smelled like scotch. Or tequila. Or just Happy Hour in general. (Keith: Seasonally flavored office supplies would not offend me.)   
*Odor Eaters—Gross! (Keith: Agree. I don’t think sweaty feet and PS would mix well, which also makes me rethink the astronauts.)
*Toilet Paper—I can get behind Poo-Pourri but not the Squatty Potty. (Keith: Agree. Nothing scented needs to go there. However, I am the proud owner of a Squatty Potty.)
*Drew Brees’ Pass Record Jersey (BOILER UP!)—Drew, a fellow descendant from my Cradle of Quarterback alma mater, and his professional wardrobe should just smell like good clean fun. (Keith: I don’t know what this means. I don’t keep up with the foosball.) [Jen rolls her eyes and means it with love.]
*Chalk—Hello, pica is real, so let’s not entice our brothers and sisters to stumble by scenting it!) (Keith: I would sort of like to see this just to see kids down on the ground sniffing the sidewalk. Obvious I don’t have kids?)
*Couch Cushions—Have you seen My Strange Addiction? Please see above. (Keith: Agree. Couch cushions already have it rough, no need making it seasonally rougher.)
*Polaroid Pictures—Can you imagine the mob that would ensue by waving your developing photo in the air? They’ll come for you, Keith. (Keith: Is this still a thing? Jen, are you still taking Polaroid pictures? I bet your phone has a camera. Check it out.) Keith, I am so disappointed, but I love you anyway…

Jen’s Always List

Pumpkin Pie – the end! I mean this with love, but I don’t get the enthusiasm for spicing things up pumpkin style. What do pumpkin spice coffee addicts do in the off-season? Do they score it in dark alleys instead of showing up to Easter egg hunts and Passover dinner? (Keith: Jennifer Marie Elizabeth Marsha Tucker! I AM APPALLED! SO much more needs added to this list!)

Keith: Since Jen covered the Never list so well, I am sticking to the ALWAYS list.

Keith’s Always Pumpkin Spice List

*Coffee—call me a basic white girl if you want, but that sweet nectar calls my name. I love it and think coffee should be this flavor all the time (except for the Holidays when mocha peppermint comes out). [Jen: Don’t drink coffee, I drink tea, my dear. Me and Sting that is, but not together. Although that would be so fetch!]
*Hand Soap—I enjoy having my hands smell nice and seasonally pleasing. (Jen: Dial antibacterial 24/7, otherwise, how do you really know you’ve killed 99.9% of germs?)
*Lotion—see hand soap above. (Jen: OK, you got me. As long as the lotion isn’t an all-day scent because it would ruin chowing down a good hamburger.)
*Car Air Fresheners (Jen: I just can’t even…)
*Stamps—scratch and sniff stamps are needed. (Jen: I, like, totally collected smelly stickers in the 1980s!)
*Kale—I may eat the dang stuff then. (Jen: This is the part where I invite Keith to dinner and pumpkin spice the snot out of his kale salad!)
*Actual Pumpkins—have you smelled a raw pumpkin? It’s bad, people. Bad. (Jen: I concur!)

So, what do you think? Agree with Jen or Keith? What else do you think should always or never been Pumpkin Spice? Let us know in the comments.

Have a great Halloween and Fall! And take Keith’s advice, have a PS Latte, pronto!

Keith Stewart is the author of Bernadette Peters Hates Me – True Tales of a Delusional Man. A native of Appalachia, he splits his time between his hometown of Hyden and nearby Lexington, Kentucky. His blog is www.astrongmanscupoftea.com. You can find him on Twitter at @Shiglyogly and Facebook at @AMSCOT (A Strong Man’s Cup of Tea). He is a regular contributor to HumorOutcasts.com and the GoodMenProject.com. He lives with his husband, Andy, and their two dogs, Duke and Dudley.

Jen Tucker is the author of the funny and true stories, The Day I Wore My Panties Inside Out and The Day I Lost My Shaker of Salt. In September 2012, she had her children's book, Little Pumpkin published as an e-book. She also blogs monthly for Survival for Blondes. She currently lives in Indiana with her husband, three kids and two dogs. You can find her at Twitter, Facebook, her blog and on her website. And in case you missed them. check out her previous Chick Lit Cheerleader posts here.

Pumpkins & Pages Hop

Fall is so pretty, but aside from Halloween, there isn't much going on. If only there were something to tie together all the great elements of the season--the rich colors, the pumpkins (and pumpkin spice lattes!), wearing sweaters, walking through crunching leaves, curling up by the fire with a good book ...OH, HOLD UP! There is something going on!

Chick Lit Chat HQ is continuing its tradition of hosting killer hops for Chick Lit and Romantic Comedy fans with our all-new PUMPKINS AND PAGES FACEBOOK HOP to get this season started right! From October 1st through the 7th, more than 50 Chick Lit and RomCom authors are banding together to bring you are most awesome event yet! Along with individual author prizes, we'll be giving away grand prizes of a beautiful fall wreath by Twoinspireyou valued at $160* and THREE gift bags full of pumpkin-scented goodies from Bath & Body Works. PSLs, chunky sweaters, and crunchy leaves ain't got nothing on this week-long party, so don your scarf and mittens and head on over to Facebook and join the CLC HQ events group to hang with authors and readers, find your next great fireside read, and enter to win all sorts of fabulous prizes! See you there!

*The Grand Prize fall wreath giveaway is open to US residents only. However, all of the individual author giveaways and the grab bag giveaways are open internationally.

Excerpt: Hot Winter Nights

About Hot Winter Nights (a standalone Heartbreaker Bay novel)

Who needs mistletoe?

Most people wouldn’t think of a bad Santa case as the perfect Christmas gift. Then again, Molly Malone, office manager at Hunt Investigations, isn’t most people, and she could really use a distraction from the fantasies she’s been having since spending the night with her very secret crush, Lucas Knight. Nothing happened, not that Lucas knows that—but Molly just wants to enjoy being a little naughty for once . . .

Whiskey and pain meds for almost-healed bullet wounds don’t mix. Lucas needs to remember that next time he’s shot on the job, which may be sooner rather than later if Molly’s brother, Joe, finds out about them. Lucas can’t believe he’s drawing a blank on his (supposedly) passionate tryst with Molly, who’s the hottest, smartest, strongest woman he’s ever known. Strong enough to kick his butt if she discovers he’s been assigned to babysit her on her first case. And hot enough to melt his cold heart this Christmas.

Purchase links:
Amazon * IndieBound * Barnes & Noble
Books-A-Million * iBooks * GooglePlay

Photo by ZR Studios

About the Author:
New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Connect with Jill:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram
Pinterest * Tumblr * Goodreads

Excerpt:

It took Lucas Knight longer than it should have to realize he had a
woman in his bed, but to be fair, he had a bitch of a hangover.
Even worse than that, last night was a blur, prompting him
to take quick stock.
One, there was a bundle of sweet, soft curves against him.
Two, his head was currently threatening to secede from the
United States Of Lucas.
And three, his side hurt like … well, like he’d been shot.
It’d been two weeks since he’d gotten caught in some crossfire
on the job and he hadn’t yet been cleared for more than light duty –
something he’d obviously managed to ignore last night given that
he was palming a nice, warm, feminine ass.
Think, man.
Straining his brain, he remembered taking a pain med before going to
O’Riley’s Pub to meet up with some friends. A client had been there,
someone he’d recently helped save from a multi-million dollar corporate
espionage. The guy had ordered shots to toast to Lucas and…shit.
Knowing better than to mix pain meds and alcohol, he’d hesitated, but
everyone had been waiting on him, glasses hoisted in the air.
Thinking just one shot couldn’t hurt anything, he’d knocked back the drink.
Clearly, he’d been wrong and it’d been enough to mess him up big time,
something he hadn’t been in years, not since his brother Josh had
been killed.
Shoving that away for another time – or never -- Lucas cracked open
one eye, but when his retina was stabbed by a streak of sunlight
glaring in through the window, he immediately slammed it shut it
again. Taking a deep breath, he told himself to suck it up and opened
both eyes this time, learning wo additional facts.
He was naked and completely uncovered. And the woman snugged up at
his side was rolled up in his comforter like a burrito.
What. The. Hell.

Warming up to the winter holidays...plus a book giveaway

Halloween hasn't even begun and we're getting into a winter holiday mood. How about you? To get you started, we have TWO copies each of Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand and Christmas in Paris by Anita Hughes to give away, thanks to Little, Brown and St. Martin's Press, respectively.

Winter Storms (may contain spoilers for Winter Street and Winter Stroll)

Gather under the mistletoe for one last round of caroling with the Quinn family in this heartwarming conclusion to Elin Hilderbrand's bestselling Winter Street Trilogy.

Some of the stormy weather of the past few seasons seems to have finally lifted for the Quinns. After a year apart, and an ill-fated affair with the Winter Street Inn's old Santa Claus, Mitzi has returned to rule the roost; Patrick is about to be released from prison; Kevin has a successful new business and is finally ready to tie the knot with Isabelle; and best of all, there's hopeful news about Bart, who has been captured by enemy forces in Afghanistan.

That doesn't mean there aren't a few dark clouds on the horizon. Kelley has recently survived a health scare; Jennifer can't quite shake her addiction to the drugs she used as a crutch while Patrick was in jail; and Ava still can't decide between the two lovers that she's been juggling with limited success. However, if there's one holiday that brings the Quinn family together to give thanks for the good times, it's Christmas. And this year promises to be a celebration unlike any other as the Quinns prepare to host Kevin and Isabelle's wedding at the inn. But as the special day approaches, a historic once-in-a-century blizzard bears down on Nantucket, threatening to keep the Quinns away from the place--and the people--they love most. Before the snow clears, the Quinns will have to survive enough upheavals to send anyone running for the spiked eggnog, in this touching novel that proves that when the holidays roll around, you can always go home again.

Elin Hilderbrand is the bestselling author of Here’s To Us—which debuted at #3 on the New York Times bestseller list and was praised by People Magazine as “just the thing for a day by the sea.” —as well as 17 previous novels. She is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and has lived on Nantucket for over twenty years. WINTER STORMS is Elin Hilderbrand’s eighteenth novel. Visit Elin at her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Christmas in Paris

Christmas in Paris is a moving and heartwarming story about love, trust, and self-discovery. Set during the most magical week of the year, the glorious foods and fashions of the most romantic city in the world are sure to take your breath away.

Isabel Lawson is standing on the balcony of her suite at the Hotel Crillon as she gazes at the twinkling lights of the Champs Elysee and wonders if she’s made a terrible mistake. She was supposed to be visiting the Christmas tree in the Place de la Concorde, and eating escargots and macaroons with her new husband on their honeymoon. But a week before the wedding, she called it off. Isabel is an ambitious Philadelphia finance woman, and Neil suddenly decided to take over his grandparents’ farm. Isabel wasn’t ready to trade her briefcase for a pair of rubber boots and a saddle.

When Neil suggested she use their honeymoon tickets for herself, she thought it would give her a chance to clear her head. That is until she locks herself out on the balcony in the middle of winter. Thankfully her neighbor Alec, a French children’s illustrator, comes to her rescue. He too is nursing a broken heart at the Crillon for the holidays. With a new friend by her side, Isabel is determined to use her time in the city of lights wisely. After a chance encounter with a fortune teller and a close call with a taxi, she starts to question everything she thought was important.

Photo by Sheri Geoffreys

Anita Hughes is the author of Monarch Beach, Market Street, Lake Como, French Coast, Rome in Love, Island in the Sea, and Santorini Sunsets. She attended UC Berkeley’s Masters in Creative Writing Program, and lives in Dana Point, California, where she is at work on her next novel. For more information visit Anita at her website, Facebook, and Twitter.



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Giveaway ends October 25th at midnight EST

Spotlight: Summer Daze

It may be winter down under, but it's heating up everywhere else! Carla Caruso and a few other Australian authors have teamed up to bring us a sizzling anthology...Summer Daze (we dare you to NOT break out a song from Grease right now). And guess what...it's FREE for Kindle at all Amazon locations!

We'll feature their next one, Winter Heat, when we get back into the colder months on our end.

Summer… when hot days, steamy nights, surf, sand and sizzle make that first flush of new love feel dreamlike.

Book Boyfriend by Carla Caruso

Forget ‘opposites attract’ – book-loving Laila Laughton is done with guys who are nothing like her. So when she comes across the library receipt of a gorgeous bookworm who seems like her perfect match, she’s determined to track him down.

That Voodoo That You Do by Sarah Belle

Lila is sick of waiting for the criminally sexy Ben to ask her out, so she’s taking matters into her own hands. But when her attempts to harness the power of voodoo go awry, has she lost him forever?

Awkward Chocolates by Georgina Penney

Tom has been out of the dating game for a long time. A very long time. When his internet date makes a sexy request, can he rise to the challenge – or is it just too awkward for words?

Sunny, With A Chance by Laura Greaves

Brydie is moving on from a bad breakup with her adorable dog, Sunny, in their cute country cottage. City boy Leo doesn’t have time for a girlfriend, especially not a hippy artist with a ton of baggage. But Sunny may have other ideas…

Lily and Viv by Vanessa Stubbs

Teddy has been an outsider as long as he can remember. With high school finally behind him, does he have the courage to be true to himself with his dream girl by his side – or will school’s seductive Queen Bee lure him away?

Killer Heels by Samantha Bond

Tough private investigator Scully has landed the case of a lifetime: probing the disappearance of a celebrity lifestyle guru. She doesn’t need her gorgeous ex, police detective Logan, getting in her way – until her life is at stake.

Relax by the water’s edge and dive into this all new collection of summery short stories by six of Australia’s leading chick lit authors.

The heat is on for Dawn Keable...plus a book giveaway

We're glad to have Dawn Keable here to finish up Seasons month. She's a lot of fun and has a great sense of humor. Her debut novel, Settling Down, published this past winter and she has a copy for a lucky US reader!

Dawn L. Keable is a freelance writer (em)powered by the pen, whose work has appeared in Newsweek, Seventeen Magazine, xoJane and the complaint department of many a national company. She's obsessed with the tropics, bangle bracelets and has made peace with the fact that she's quickly becoming the oldest person in the club. Before you start feeling pity that her home base is currently Providence, RI, know that this little historic city has B-I-G food.

While Settling Down is her first novel, her obsession with fiction is nearly four decades in the making, thanks to a whole lot of reading that went down under a cozy tent created using one of Grandma's handmade afghans. (This also kept her out of the sun--and might have discouraged the crow's feet.) Please. Stalk her out on Twitter and Instagram or her website.

Synopsis:
When Dayna Morrison spontaneously treats herself to a diamond ring for her 33rd birthday, she proves to the world that she doesn’t need a man to enjoy the finer things in life. The real question is, can she prove it to herself?

Logically, Dayna knows she can survive solo; she doesn't need anyone to help her apply mascara, start her car or to clean up the messes she tackles daily as assistant to the editor at Mrs. magazine, where 'only wedded women find the ultimate bliss'. But she's always believed once Mr. Right appears, her life could, and would, finally jump start out of neutral and really begin.

Fault those fairy tales: Snow White. Cinderella. Sleeping Beauty. Their fate until a dude arrived on horseback? Severe food poisoning. Shoeless. In a coma. Then there's Dayna's mom. Whether Soul Train-ing through complete strangers' weddings or giving her daughter the gift of Old Maid cards, personalized with Dayna's face, the memo is the same: No one can do it alone.

The only positive messages of girl power come from her best friend Lydia Chavez. But, since Lydia bought her own home, then found a boyfriend, Dayna's feeling left behind. And a wee bit desperate, especially since that ring, a glittery symbol of singledom hasn't quite given her the confidence she hoped. So when a willing suitor arrives on scene, she can't find any reason not to throw away her soulmate checklist, as well as her J. Lo inspired life map, and try to make it stick.

Settling Down, thoughtful humorous women's fiction, explores what happens to an otherwise strong intelligent woman when she looks outside herself for love and happiness. Told in Dayna’s comedic, witty and often sarcastic voice in the spirit of Jennifer Weiner, Settling Down delves into the universal pressure women face to be part of a couple, and the danger that comes from sacrificing your own needs for someone else's. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

Favorite season: Summer

Favorite thing about this season overall: When you hail from the land of long harsh winters, with lowlights like gray skies, slippery sidewalks and dirty snowbanks, summer always seems like a bright shiny reward from the weather gods. It's like killing yourself through a two month intense abs workout, before uncovering the six-pack. It's like getting up at three am to catch that flight to Puerta Plata. For me, summer says: 'Hey, you. Wait 'til you see your treat for hibernating.'

During this season: The world seems so vibrant and awake that even the sun doesn't want to waste a second sleeping. My beautifully diverse urban neighborhood reflects this energy. As the weather warms, our backyards turn into one giant block party of cultural celebration. From my hammock, the soundtrack becomes Dominican bachata or a live mariachi band and plates of Guatemalan steak, Puerto Rican chicken and bottles of imported beer get passed over the fence.

Favorite thing to eat: Everything. (And I only wish I were kidding.) Once upon a time, someone thought I was experienced enough to review restaurants. They were wrong. But that gig pushed me far, far outside of my chain restaurant comfort zone to a place of brave ethnic exploration and fresh, in-season ingredients. If I could only pick one thing to chow, I'd go with my husband's simple grilled pizza, garnished with yellow tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil.

Favorite thing to drink: Before 2:00 pm: Iced coffee. (I think this once regional drink, has gone a bit more mainstream, but take it from a native, the proper way to make it does not involve putting ice cubes in hot coffee.) After 2:00 pm: Mojitos made with mint picked from our container garden.

Favorite thing to wear: I'm kinda obsessed with sterling silver bangles. I manage to wear them year round, with one or two sadly peeking out from beneath the scratchy sleeve of a wool sweater. But when my arms go summertime bare, it's time to turn up the layering game, which has the added benefit of providing the most movement, and jangling music. Major bonus points when you have something to clap about, or are waving your arms like you just don't care.

Favorite holiday that occurs: My birthday, September 2nd. It actually sometime masquerades as an official federal holiday too, aka Labor Day, which is exactly how a birthday should roll.

Favorite thing to do: For me, life is about the simple pleasures and basking in unexpected delights. Whether going for a lazy walk that ends on the patio of an Italian inspired plaza, sipping sangria. Or wandering across a live salsa band, and stopping to dance in the street, summer is simply the best season to allow the magic of life to leisurely unfold. And grab it with both bracelet adorned hands. Naturally.

Thanks to Dawn for chatting with us and sharing her book with our readers.

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