Lyn Cote's Blog, page 34
November 13, 2016
Have You Ever Wondered About How Books Get Printed for You?
Thanks to author Maggie K Black, we can get a peek into how Harlequin, the publisher of Love Inspired books (Romance, Suspense and Historical lines) does its THING.
Here’s Maggie K Black:
Recently I got to visit the amazing team of customer service and warehouse people working at the Harlequin Distribution Center in Depew, New York.
?These are the incredible people whose job it is to talk to customers on the phone, recommend books, take orders, field any questions and then send books off to readers and bookstores.
?If you’re a member of a Harlequin or Love Inspired Book Club, or have ever called Customer Service, then you’ve probably talked to one of these great people directly, and if you’ve ever ordered a book online.
To read more, here’s the link.
November 6, 2016
October 30, 2016
Lyn Reviews Roxanne Rustand’s The Single Dad’s Redemption
The Single Dad’s Redemption by Roxanne Rustand
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Though Roxanne Rustand is a good friend, I don’t think that disqualifies me from giving an honest review. I’ve read many of RR’s books and this one does not disappoint. Roxanne has a way of portraying characters that we care about. Certainly a man wrongly imprisoned such as Connor is a prime example especially when his main goal is to find his son and care for him.
Keely is the woman who hires Connor ( a man who’d spent his life on the rodeo circuit before prison), to work in her gift-antique shop. Yes, an unlikely turn of events. However, he needs the $ to fix his truck so he can go to his son. And Keely is in the midst of tourist season and a prime shopping promotion in town.
The inclusion of Bobby, a boy without much of a family and with special needs, adds another dimension, showing how caring Keely is. Add a curmudgeonly dad and a local cop who’s not buying that Connor was wrongly imprisoned and you have an interesting mix.
If you are looking for a sweet romance with a touching hero and heroine, don’t pass up this book!
To purchase, click here. On sale for $1.99!
Send to Kindle 
The post Lyn Reviews Roxanne Rustand’s The Single Dad’s Redemption appeared first on booksbylyncote.com.
October 23, 2016
Lyn Shares Out My Window, Early or Rather Late Autumn
Here is OUT MY WINDOW Early Autumn.
I’m fortunate enough to live in a cottage on a lake in the northwoods. This is the maple tree that always turns first. Usually it begins in late August. This year it remained green till late September. Has your weather been WEIRD this year? Ours has!–Lyn
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October 16, 2016
October 9, 2016
Author Kimberly Rose Johnson & The Strength of Compassion & Giveaway
Author Kimberly Rose Johnson is my guest today. She has a new book A CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING and heroine to tell us about. Here’s Kimberly:
thrust into a situation
Interior designer, Bailey Calderwood, has been thrust into a situation she never dreamed of being in. Not only is she running the day-to-day operations of Belafonte Designs, she is nursing her boss, Mona Belafonte, back to health after a stroke.
Mona is difficult on a good day, but now she is impossible. Bailey has no idea what has turned her boss against her. To complicate matters, Stephen Belafonte the youngest of Mona’s sons returns from a two-year stint in France.
Has no idea how to care for her
Stephen is supposed to take over the care of his mother, except he has no idea how to care for her. Bailey finds herself under more pressure to not only do her job, but to train her son.
An incident in Bailey’s past causes her to believe she is unattractive, but instead of focusing on her appearance, since she considers herself hopeless, she focuses her attention on making things around her beautiful as well as investing in the lives of those she encounters.
her greatest strength is compassion
I believe one of her greatest strengths is her compassion. She is able to show compassion to others even when she is not treated fairly. Not only that, she must push past fear and insecurities to be able to do so. Her love for the Lord shines through in her daily life in spite of a past that left her feeling less than desirable.
I admire that quality in her, especially considering how she could have responded to the bullying she experienced as a child and teenager. Bailey is definitely someone I’d like to have for a friend.”–Kimberly
To purchase, click booksbylyncote.com.
October 5, 2016
Author Laura Ingalls Wilder, An Inspiration
I have just finished writing the rough draft of my next Love Inspired Historical romance, set in Pepin, Wisconin, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s birthplace. Have you read books 1-3, Their Frontier Family, The Baby Bequest, and Heartland Courtship? Have you read The LIttle House series?–Lyn
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September 26, 2016
It’s out TODAY! Sweet Christmas Kisses 3 Boxed Set & PARTY!!
Ring in the holiday season with 17 all-new, stand-alone stories from New York Times, USA Today, national bestselling, and award-winning authors. Sweet Christmas Kisses 3 takes you around the globe from small-town USA, to London, England, and even to Africa with a foreword written by USA Today Bestselling Author Donna Fasano. Don’t miss out on this sweet romance boxed set that’s sure to touch your heart, make you smile, and put you in the mood for Christmas.
~*~
On Christmas Eve by Mona Risk
She yanked him out of her heart years ago. But fate throws him in her path again and his tender gaze erases her loneliness. Can they forgive each other and create a new future?
Christmas Holly by Christine Bush
Can a lonely single father of five-year-old triplets find love on a South Carolina beach? It might just take a Christmas miracle!
Mistletoe and Sage by Lyn Cote
New deputy in town, a single mom, two wounded hearts with a puzzle to solve together—will love spark under the mistletoe?
A Merry Little Christmas by Denise Devine
Merry Connor and Anthony Lewis search for treasure and find true love.
The Christmas Gift by Raine English
When Riley Wayne receives a dog for Christmas, it’s not just the pup that makes her heart flutter, the rescue group’s handsome owner does too.
Untangling Christmas by Shanna Hatfield
Tricked into helping with Silverton’s Festival of Trees, electrician Mike Clarke battles faulty outlets, tangled lights, and a woman determined to share the spirit of the season.
A Christmas on Miracle Mountain by Ciara Knight
When it takes a miracle to heal a heart.
The Kampala Peppermint Twist by Milou Koenings
A twist of fate. An overbooked flight. Christmas in Africa will flip her life upside down.
The Road Not Taken by Magdalena Scott
Francie Standish Carrington has some tough decisions to make and a lot of questions about a past she thought she understood.
A London Christmas by Roxanne Rustand
When Catriona heads to London for Christmas to meet a guy she met online, he steals her purse and disappears, but will a handsome photographer in the pub end up being the man of her dreams?
Her Christmas Secret by Alicia Street
Desperate to help her sister’s family, Lila courts a cold-hearted investor for her handmade toys, but learns Christmas has a way of bringing surprises where they’re least expected.
Falling For You at Christmas by Kristin Wallace
One expectant mother. One gorgeous innkeeper. Three days that will change her life forever.
Second Chance Christmas by Merrillee Whren
A young boy helps his estranged parents find love again at Christmas.
Christmas Eve Wedding by Cindy Flores Martinez
A maid of honor is swept up in the chaos of planning her best friend’s spur-of-the-moment Christmas Eve wedding.
Secret Wish by Victoria Pinder
Luke Morgan doesn’t believe in miracles, but this season Christmas brought him Caro Soliz, the family maid.
Candleglow and Mistletoe by Josie Riviera
A rising pianist and a pro stuntman winding down his career find love amid the glow of Christmas candles.
Couple by Christmas by Pat Simmons
Divorcee Derek Washington wants to reconcile with his ex-wife by Christmas. Although he’s got a plan, with the help of his six-year-old son, Derek only has two weeks.
LET’S PARTY!
Join the authors for the booksbylyncote.com.
September 25, 2016
Don’t miss tomorrow’s Sweet Romance Reads Facebook Party!
Click to go to the party! booksbylyncote.com.
September 18, 2016
Chapter 1 of Mistletoe and Sage, Lyn’s Holiday Novella Out Soon!
This is my new Holiday Novella which will be released next Tuesday September 27th in an ebook boxed set of 17 holiday novellas in the
SWEET CHRISTMAS KISSES 3 collection
for 99 cents.
The price will go up after the initial launch so pre-order today! Order links below.
Mistletoe and Sage
Lyn Cote
Chapter 1
Why was she letting the new hire disturb her peace? Deputy Sage Dietz hurried inside the warm kitchen, shaking the snow from her hair, trying to shake the man’s image.
“Mama!” Little Tucker ran toward her, his arms lifted high. “Mama!”
She swept him up into a fierce hug. “How’s my guy?” For the millionth time she wished her late husband could be here. She kissed her son’s dark hair, enjoying the best moment in her day, ignoring the tug of grief. Or trying to.
Plus-sized “Ma” Havlecek stood at the stove, stirring what smelled like a pot of beef soup. Her dapper husband Bruno politely rose from his place at the round table to greet Sage.
“Was Tucker good today?” Sage asked the woman who had helped raise her, many others, and now her little son.
“He’s always good,” Bruno said. “Ma and I don’t know what we’d do without our little buddy.”
“Take off your coat.” Ma ordered. “You’re both staying for soup.”
Tucker struggled to be put down so Sage released him. He ran to the table and grabbed a paper and handed it to her.
“You finger painted today?” she asked.
Before he could answer, her phone rang. She lifted it out and touched the screen. The night dispatcher was calling. “Hi, what’s up?”
“Sorry to bother you, Sage, I know you’re off duty,” the dispatcher, an older woman, said. “But we’ve got a big fight at Flanagan’s and a bad multi-car accident on the highway and we just got a call from a property manager in that new development near Ma’s. Since he knew you’d be close, Rodd asked if you’d be willing to go there to assist the new guy with the crime scene. He’s just gone off duty too. But we’re stretched pretty thin.”
Assist the new guy—Garrett Connolly? The last thing Sage wanted to do. Not to mention she’d waited all day for these moments here in this warm kitchen with her little boy and people she loved and who loved her.
She swallowed a sigh. She had no choice. “Okay. What’s the address?” She jotted it down. “Got it. Is Connolly there yet?”
“He’s on his way.”
Sage touched the smartphone screen and then looked at Ma. “I’ve got to go help at that new subdivision down the road.”
“That fancy new place for folks puttin’ on airs?” Ma was clearly displeased. Tucker clutched Sage around the knees as if he understood she was leaving again. Bruno came over and lifted the little boy into his arms. “Your mom will be right back.”
Tucker wailed his displeasure.
His shrill tones prickling her nerves, Sage grabbed her parka, hurried outside again, and drove off into the November darkness. Snow still fell, but lazily. She drove up the county road to the new subdivision of nearly twenty houses, “Lone Lake Lodges.” Navigating the circuitous lanes, she noted by her SUV lights that some houses were still under construction and others were standing new and proud in the wooded area that ringed Lone Lake.
She parked in front of the address entered on her phone and got out. To loosen her tense neck and back, she tightened and then relaxed the muscles. She could not let on that the new deputy had made a definite impression on her.
A man in a faded jacket and tan work clothes waited in the drive. No doubt he’d been hired by one of the out of town owners to regularly check on the seasonal homes in this new area.
She walked up to him, triggering the motion-activated light that had just timed out. She didn’t like what she saw behind him—neon yellow-green paint had been sprayed on the three doors. The first said: WE, the second: DON’T WANT, and finally the third: YOU. She frowned. Some of the local residents didn’t like the new influx of more affluent residents. Nearby communities had a history of tourists and seasonal visitors and residents, the Steadfast area not so much.
“You the police?” he asked, ignoring her uniform.
“Yes.” She introduced herself. “I’m Deputy Dietz.”
“This is bad,” he said.
After living away for six years, she no longer knew practically everyone in the Steadfast-LaFollette area, so it didn’t bother her that she didn’t recognize this man. She’d come back at the beginning of spring while the new deputy Garrett Connolly had just come in late October.
“It’s certainly unfriendly,” she agreed wryly.
“Well, I guess we should have expected some— ”
Hearing the sound of another car, she held up a hand to stop the man from pouring out all he had to say about the vandalism. “I’m just here to assist.” She turned. “Here comes Deputy Connolly.”
And right behind him came a silver dually pickup with “Gallagher Development” blazoned in black on the side punctuated by a stylized cluster of fir trees around the last word.
Sage knew who the driver was, the new bigwig in town, Ron Gallagher. He hustled out of his truck, met the deputy, and walked him up the drive. The developer of Lone Lake Lodges, the man who was bringing in new people and new money to the county, was barrel-chested and had a lot of curly salt-and-pepper hair.
Deputy Connolly—just a head taller than she and very solid-looking—strode up to her. He had thick dark brown hair, close-cut. He looked at her with his very green eyes.
She had wondered why two deputies were needed for a simple case of vandalism. But one look at Gallagher’s red face gave her a hint. Two deputies showed that the local sheriff was taking this seriously. “Hi, I—” she began.
But Gallagher’s booming voice drowned hers out. “What a mess! Do you know how expensive those garage doors are? Their factory finish has been compromised.”
So she stepped back. She was off duty, after all.
Connolly nodded once in her direction and then turned to Gallagher. “This is a crime scene.” He held up his hands, stopping the man from going closer. “You can’t come any farther.”
“You know who I am?”
“From the writing on your truck, I’d say you’re Gallagher. I’m Deputy Connolly from the sheriff’s department.”
“I’m Deputy Dietz,” Sage added quietly.
“I didn’t know there were any women in law enforcement here,” Gallagher said.
Sage didn’t know if he meant it as a negative or positive comment so she merely ignored it.
“I got a call that one of my houses had been vandalized—” Gallagher began.
“Yes, Mr. Gallagher—” the workman started.
Connolly stopped him and asked.” What’s your name and reason for being here?”
The workman’s gaze shifted between the two men.
After giving his name, he said, “Several of the new owners hired me to check on their property once a week. Mr. Gallagher here recommended me for the job.”
Connolly finished jotting down the information. “Right. Didn’t the owner have a security system put in?”
The man shook his head. “No, said he didn’t need that in this out-of-the-way place. But—”
“And that’s the way we want our new home owners to feel about building here,” Gallagher cut in. He began a long tirade about how much these homes cost and how his development added so much to the community.
Connolly nodded politely. Since Gallagher’s bluster was bugging her, Sage assumed the new deputy felt the same and had to admire his cool.
She tried to ignore how Connolly’s presence sharpened all her senses as well as how Gallagher was working himself up into what Ma would term a “tizzy.”
“I need to get on with my rounds,” the workman finally interrupted. “And I didn’t call you about just this house.”
“What?” Gallagher squawked.
Connolly grimaced. “Show us.”
“Is the other house close?” Sage asked.
“Houses,” the man said, motioning up the dark street. “And I’ve still got to check my other clients.” He led them to the next house, triggering another set of motion lights.
Sage walked beside her fellow deputy. If she could ignore her awareness of him as a man, surely it would go away.
****
Under Gallagher’s scrutiny, Garrett stood, studying the double garage door with more neon-green spray paint, trying not to react to the glowering man or to Sage—tall, slender, with long dark hair.
“Mr. Gallagher, I need to go around and find all the vandalism and begin the investigation. There really isn’t anything else you can do here right now.” Garrett stared at the man.
“Very well, but I don’t want this to happen again,” the developer blustered and turned to go.
“Neither do we,” Garrett agreed as Sage walked down the drive toward the next lot.
“I’ll be calling the sheriff tomorrow for an update,” Gallagher called over his shoulder as he left.
“Do that,” Garrett said automatically.
Sage called, “More paint!”
He tamped down his reaction to the unfortunate fact that they had multiple acts of vandalism to investigate. He moved to join Sage.
“So, you’re the sheriff’s sister-in-law?” he asked, trying to get a handle on all the relations here.
“I am.”
When he’d gotten the call, the dispatcher had—without his asking—begun to fill him in on Sage’s story. A widowed single mom who was related to the sheriff. He’d stopped her there. He didn’t need to know Deputy Dietz’s personal history to work with her, and he didn’t like gossip. He’d been a target of that at home. He didn’t want people here knowing about his breakup, why he left Iowa.
He forced himself to say the obvious. “We’ve got a lot of houses to cover. I don’t think there’s any doubt this is probably the work of one kid or a group of kids.” He motioned to the nearest “art work.” The cold November wind gusted against them.
“You’re probably right. How do you want to handle the report?” she asked, deferring to him as the senior deputy. She’d served since spring, but he had years of previous experience.
“Let’s get the crime scene kit from our cars and start gathering flecks of the spray paint and look for any discarded cans. But that would probably be too much to hope for.”
“Right.” She turned to start walking down the drive.
In order to be able to stop himself from watching her, he’d have to be dead. She was very good-looking, and from what he’d heard, well-liked.
Loneliness whistled through him like the chill wind. He pulled himself together and headed toward the road to get his camera from his car. He was quite capable of working a crime scene with Sage. Just keep your mind on the job.
****
Nearly two hours later they’d finished examining five homes that had been part of the spray-painting spree. They’d collected paint flecks but not much else. The “artist” had not left behind any other evidence for the crime lab.
Sage was pleased to find that after getting through the usual initial awkward moments, she and Connolly actually worked well together. He was good at his job.
He joined her at the curb lit up by the motion-activated light. “All done?”
“Yes.” She held up the last sealed bag.
“You’ll be heading home then?” he asked.
After a nod, Sage led him down the final drive. “This is a bad thing.”
“Vandalism like this is always nasty, but Gallagher‘s reaction went over the top—”
She looked over her shoulder at him. “Gallagher had a reason to be upset. This vandalism is bad for our local economy. A new influx of homeowners have brought in much-needed property tax revenue, and when they come up to visit they support the local restaurants, shops, etc. You heard the property manager say the owner didn’t think he needed a security system here. Both the developer and the county want them to see our area as a safe place to own a vacation home, a good place to retire.”
“Well, crime can happen anywhere.”
Sage pinned him with a look. “The sheriff doesn’t want crime to happen here at Lone Lake Lodges.”
“I hear you. But all we can do is our job.”
“Right. I’m heading home then.”
****
Garrett called after Sage, “Good working with you!” He watched her hurry to her aged SUV at the curb. She was a coworker, and he knew he had to toe the line—not step over it. And why was he even thinking about that? Did he want to get into a rebound situation? No, thank you.
He started his car and did a U-turn. He was about to drive away when Sage stopped her car and flagged him down, a hand out her window.
He halted next to her and rolled down his window.
“Here. She won’t listen to me.” She handed him her phone.
He took it gingerly. “Hello, how may I be of help?”
“Well, you sound real polite.” An older woman’s voice.
“Ma’am?”
“I told Sage to have you follow her here. I got a bowl of my beef noodle soup with your name on it—”
“Ma’am, I have to take in—”
“I know you’re off duty. Sage told me. And I make my own egg noodles. Turning in evidence can wait long enough for you to eat a bowl of soup.” The woman clicked off.
He handed Sage her phone. He should excuse himself, but the mention of homemade noodles, maybe like the ones his grandmother made, stopped him. He was off duty now. In fact, he’d worked overtime to do the crime scene.
“You might as well stop. It won’t take long,” Sage said. “Ma’s soup is to die for.”
“I’ll follow you.” His stomach rumbled on his last word.
Chuckling, Sage started off.
Normally he would have headed straight to headquarters. But nothing about the crime was time-sensitive. The sparse evidence, such as it was, could sit while he took time to eat one bowl of soup, right?
**************
If you’ve read my “Northern Intrigue” series, this is connected to it.–Did the chapter catch your interest?–Lyn
Here are the buy links for this novella collection SWEET CHRISTMAS KISSES 3
Amazon
Barnes&Noble
