H.C. Bentley's Blog, page 3

Interview with Dalton Taylor & Jayde Kincaid

Allie McCabe is back in an interview with Dalton Taylor, one of Gatlinburg's most popular scenic photographers, and Jayde Kincaide, the woman who is helping to build his career. Join them as they talk about love, life, and the work that brought them together.

AM: Hi, guys! Thanks for taking the time to sit down with us and let the readers know what’s happening with the two of you.

DT: Happy to be here.

JK: Thanks for having us!

AM: Let's start, for those who don't know, with how the two of you met.

DT: I flirted with her at the wedding of a mutual friend.

JK: He tried to flirt with me. (laughs)

DT: Here we go...

AM: What do you mean he 'tried', Jayde?

JK: (grinning and side-eyeing DT) Let's just say his flirting game wasn't up to par.

AM: You're hanging your head, Dalton.

DT: Yeah, I'm never gonna live it down.

AM: So, if I'm understanding right, it wasn't exactly love at first sight for you guys.

JK: Understatement of the year (laughs). I thought he came across as a cocky playboy type.

DT: And I thought she was prickly and rude. (laughs). We were both right on some level.

AM: So, if you both thought these things about each other, how in the world did you end up together?

DT: I wore her down.

JK: He's not kidding. (Laughs) And, once he did, we both realized the person the other saw was not who we really are. (shrugging) Once we got to know each other, we realized we had a lot more in common than we thought. It just kind of works.

AM: Now, you both work for Charlotte Montgomery at The Gallery. That must be exciting!

DT: I don't really work at The Gallery, as in on the regular payroll. But I do spend a lot of time there, with the showing and all. Well, that and popping in to see Jayde when I can.

JK: I am on the payroll and I love the job. There's always something new to see or learn. And I actually get to know the clients that come in, unlike when I was waitressing.

AM: You were a waitress before The Galley?

JK: Yeah. It paid the bills, but I really wasn't happy with it.

AM: Dalton, you're just the opposite in your love for your chosen path. I hear the first showing of your photographs did very well.

DT: Yeah, it went great! Kind of blew my mind how many people showed up at The Gallery for the opening. I owe the vast majority of that to Charlotte and Jayde. They worked their butts off to make that night a success.

AM: I'd say they did a great job because your photographs were the talk of the town. Speaking of which, Jayde, I understand you're a photographer as well?

JK: I dabble a little here and there. I'm nowhere near the level of Dalton's work though.

DT: Don't let her fool you. I've seen her work. She's got a great eye and is developing her own style. Don't be surprised if you hear she has her own showing at The Gallery sometime in the near future.

AM: That's so sweet! And, it leads to my final question. What's in the plans for the future for the two of you?

JK: We're in the process of moving in together.

AM: Really? That's great!

DT: And we're taking a trip to visit my mom at Thanksgiving, so we're looking forward to that.

AM: Moving in together and an out-of-town trip. Big steps. Any other big steps on the horizon? Maybe one that includes a ring.

JK: Maybe somewhere down the road. We're both very happy with how things are right now.

DT: Absolutely. We're not rushing anything and enjoying just being together.

AM: You guys are just too cute. Well, I hope you both have continued happiness and success. Thank you for sitting down with me today.

DT: Thanks, Allie. It's been our pleasure.

Want a peek at Dalton and Jayde's story?

Here's your chance to read Chapter One... I hope you enjoy it! :)

It's a 'Holidate' with Abby Sharpe

Hi, y’all! I’m Abby Sharpe, writer of passionate and playful contemporary romance. Thanks, HC, for having me here today!

Did you know there are all sorts of weird holidays? From Play Monopoly Day, to Smash Your Pumpkin Day (first day of November, shocking), to Eat Chocolate Cake Day. And let’s say your sister is recently engaged and wants to show off her fiancé’s baking skills on National Pecan Day (that’s today!), and you really want to bring a date so you can avoid all the raised eyebrows and looks of pity. What’s a girl to do?

She joins the Holidates App and finds herself a date!

It would be totally cool if this was a real app, right? Alas, it’s not. Twelve authors every year each pick a month and a holiday, and then write a story using the app as a way of getting the couple together.

Holidate Fail, my Holidates debut (available for preorder on Amazon), is releasing on May 10 in Kindle Unlimited. I love this fun and flirty story so hard. It’s a trip to write within parameters that other people set, but it also allows you to explore worlds you wouldn’t have gone to before.

Betcha wanna know what obscure holiday I picked, right? Read on!

The wrong turn can lead you right to your brother's best friend

Nerdy hydrologist Dahlia Pesch has better luck attracting alligators while collecting water samples than finding a man. This includes Kelly Brannigan, her brother’s best friend and her crush from afar. Since the tri-county scavenger hunt celebrating National Scavenger Hunt Day is much easier with a date, she sheds her shy identity and tests her luck with the Holidates app. She spends hours analyzing the data before picking her perfect match. She’s mortified when she meets up with Kelly…until she realizes he’s not her Holidate.

When his latest girlfriend dumps him two weeks before the tri-county scavenger hunt, Kelly Brannigan turns to the Holidates app to quickly find a partner. With his fledgling business sponsoring the hunt, it’s important that he be there, having fun for social media pictures and garnering some much needed publicity. His match was perfect on paper—so why was the awkward sister of his best friend taking over his thoughts?

An app didn’t align their algorithms, but since when did computers understand the laws of attraction?

What do you think? And what obscure (or made up!) holiday would you like to celebrate with a date? Romance Reader Day is March 1, and Book Lovers Day is August 9. Just in case you need help deciding.

Don't forget to take a minute to connect with Abby!

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Lucky Number 7

This past Thursday was my seven year publiversary. Things have been kind of crazy around here lately (including hustling to get my latest book to my editor), so I kind of let it pass me by without much fanfare. But then it hit me. It's been...

Two thousand five hundred and fifty-five days since this girl put her first book baby out into the world.

Eighty-four months of making book friends in the form of other authors and readers.

Seven whole years of creating worlds and characters that has resulted in sixteen books, novellas, and/or stories.

What a wild ride it's been so far!

It hasn't always been easy. There have been times where I've felt very alone in my journey. Times where I've cried out of frustration and feeling like a failure. Times where I wanted to quit.

But then I remembered that the things we treasure the most never come to us easy. That everyone has felt alone in this journey at one point or another. That it's okay to be frustrated, to feel like a failure, as long as you let it out an move on with things. And that's it's okay to take a break if things get to be too much.

Then there's that girl inside me that won't let me quit because I'm frustrated or feeling like a failure. She's a stubborn thing, constantly reminding me that if I do quit, it'll be on my terms and I'll go out on a high note. Because writing books is what I've wanted to do-in some shape, form, or fashion-since I was around thirteen years old. And we don't give up on dreams because the journey to achieve them is hard.

The things that keep me going? The feeling of accomplishment of typing 'the end' on a book, especially the ones I fought tooth and nail to finish. The thrill of seeing my covers on various retailers (I get a little tingle when I see my books being bought internationally!). Then there's the feeling of pride when someone tells me they've enjoyed my stories (I may get a little misty-eyed at those). Not to mention watching a novel I've worked so hard on climb the book ranks. I imagine it's how an adrenaline junkie feels finding a new rollercoaster!

Thank so very much to everyone who has ever had a part in the journey. There aren't enough words to show appreciated you truly are. And here's to another seven years of creating new places, characters, and books. Of making new friends, authors and readers alike. And of chasing the dream, even when it's hard.

Capturing Jayde Cover Reveal & Excerpt

If you enjoyed The Bedfords, you're in luck!

Capturing Jayde picks up where The Bedford series ended, shifting the focus over to the Kincaid sisters. In this first book in a brand new series, things are looking up for Jayde Kincaid. She's in a career she loves and life is going pretty well. The only bump in the road? A hot and charming photographer named Dalton Taylor, a man who is determined to see past Jayde's prickly exterior and break down her walls.

Capturing Jayde, releasing April 2023 in my store and on all major retailers.

Here's your chance to read Chapter One before the book releases next month... I hope you enjoy it! :)

Why You Should Write Reviews

This is a republishing of a previous blog post, Reviews: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly, from 2018

If you have anything to do with the book world, either as a reader, author or blogger, you see and hear the "R" word all the time. And I do mean all the time.

Have you seen the reviews? Five star review! Did you leave your review?

Review, review, review. (a la Jan Brady)

You may ask...what's the big freaking deal about reviews? Well, it's simple. Reviews make the book world go 'round.

Want to know what folks really thought of a book? Read the reviews. Want to know how it stacks up against other books of the same genre? Read the reviews. Want to see if a book is going to be your cup of tea? You guessed it...read the reviews.

But what happens when people don't leave reviews? Well, nothing. And I mean that literally. Nothing happens. A book with few to no reviews doesn't generally sell. When the book doesn't perform well in sales rankings, its chances of being discovered by readers drops, because it's not picked up for lists like "people also purchased" or "suggested for you". And if no one can find a book, no one can buy it, which also means no one's reading it. It's a domino effect. Basically, an author has spent a lot of time, money, effort, and probably tears to produce a book that few people will read.

Let me lay it out for you as simple as I can: authors may care if you don't like their books, but they still want you to leave a review.

Yeah, we're weird that way.

Why would we want a review that's less than stellar? Because even a bad review is better than no review. Why? Couple of reasons...one, it shows that someone read the book and thought enough of it (good or bad) to take time to review it. And two, people are curious by nature...if a book has a not-so-glowing review, there are those who are going to want to pick it up, just to see what the fuss is about.

Some people are intimidated by writing a review for a book they've read, and there's really no reason to be. You're pretty much just sharing your opinion, and everyone likes their opinion to be heard, right? A review doesn't have to be a long, drawn out statement. Give it a star rating, a couple of sentences with your thoughts on the book (even something as simple as "I liked this story a lot" works), click submit, and boom, you've left a review. You've just helped an author, not to mention other readers who may be checking into the book you just finished. After spending hours, or even days reading the book, taking five more minutes to review it is nothing.

So, if you want to show authors some love, pick up the last book or two you've read, find it on Amazon, Kobo, iBooks, wherever, and try your hand at leaving reviews. The more you do it, the easier it'll come to you, and the authors will be motivated to keep writing.

This is how reviews make the book world go 'round. :)

HM Shander Welcomes You To Cheshire Bay

Welcome to Cheshire Bay, the Pacific coast’s hidden hideaway.

Nestled in its own little peninsula on the north-western edge of Vancouver Island, a four-hour drive from Victoria, hides the warm and welcoming, fictional, small town of Cheshire Bay.

As you cruise down Main Street, you’ll encounter decorated store fronts with names like Daisy’s Delights, or Whimsical Whims, or the best bookseller on the island – A Whole New World. Stop in and grab a fresh pastry from Sylvia’s Bakery before you truly check out the area but get there early for the best selection (the chocolate braids are to die for!). If you follow the main road right to its end, you’ll discover Lighthouse Pointe; a beautiful sprawling park with an easy walking

trail running along the edge of a rocky cliff that will take you straight out to the working lighthouse. It’s an absolute must see.

Beyond the borders of Cheshire Bay, you’ll find an array of outdoor escapes to enjoy, and don’t forget to pack a picnic basket and blanket, your sweetie will thank you for it. I highly recommend three amazing locales to check out; Glass Beach, where you can watch the Pacific Grey Whales spy hop if the season is right and where you can find your own unique piece of sea glass; or the decommissioned radio tower where the platform gives the most spectacular view of the setting sun; or my personal favourite, Palisade Peak – a lookout you can only arrive at after crossing over the gorge via a suspension bridge, followed by a small, gentle hike to the peak. The view is worth the walk.

However, Cheshire Bay (and area) isn’t just about the breathtaking landscape, it’s about the people. Where there are lots of families, there are also several singles hoping to find that special someone. From realtors to pub owners, to accountants and small business operators, there are a few leading ladies looking for Mr. Right, and the men of Cheshire Bay don’t disappoint. The heroes are sweet, guy-next-door types, who are trying their hardest to be stand-up guys, despite the obstacles thrown in their way. As they do what it takes to win the heart of their true loves, they stumble and they fall, since the road to true happiness is always a winding one, filled with peaks and valleys (much like Cheshire Bay).

I loved building this world so much that it feels real to me. I can envision Main Street, and each of the brick buildings, along with all the romantic locales. Over time, I even created hand-drawn maps of the town and of the surrounding area (available to readers of Return to Cheshire Bay andChristmas in Cheshire Bay). My treasured readers have often commented they wish the town was real, as they’d love to stay at the motel and check it all out. It may be fictional, but you can always travel there with any of the interconnected standalones in the series.

Your first trip to the small town on the edge of the Pacific is a free one. Dreamers in Cheshire Bay features the stars of the later books, as well as providing visitors (aka you, the new reader) a tour of the area. Each story is full of romance, swoony moments to make you sigh, and steamy scenes to warm you up on those chilly winter nights. I hope you’ll come for a visit.

You can hang out with me in my reader group Shander’s Stargazing Romantics, or follow me on Goodreads, BookBub, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.

Thank you!Much love, H.M. Shander

Review: Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton

I am a decades-long Potterhead, so of course, when Draco Freaking Malfoy puts out a book, I'm going to want to read it.

I remember when Tom Felton announced on his TikTok feed that he was doing a book. I knew, just from listening to him talk about it, that it was going to be one I wanted to check out. Literally. I requested it from my library as soon as it was available and, once I had it, took it home and read it in a span of a couple of days.

**WARNING: POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD**

This is probably one of the most down-to-earth, relatable biographies that I've read. Tom relays his stories as if he's sitting next to you in the pub, just shooting the breeze over a cold one. He's very candid about the issues he's had with addiction and how he dealt with them (and continues to work on his sobriety). But, for the HP fans like me, the behind-the-scenes stories are where it's at.

Tom talks about how he got started in films and how the HP franchise changed not only his career but his life. He shares his memories from on-set, from how he forged lasting friendships with the other young actors on set to smoking with Michael Gambon. Or from learning Jason Isaacs method of acting to being terrified of Alan Rickman. There were points in the book where I laughed out loud or was brought to the verge of tears as Tom recalled some of the most memorable points in time on the HP lot.

If you're a Potterhead and love behind-the-scenes type stuff, definitely give this book a read. I think you'll see a whole other side to the kid who played Draco Malfoy.

For the official blurb and buy links, click here to visit the publisher's website

From The Desk of Jayde Kincaid

Dear Reader,

Jayde here! If we haven't met, my sister is Amy (the one married to the hot firefighter, Colt Bedford). If you've read Feel The Heat, you may remember me. If not, you probably don't have a clue as to what I'm talking about.

Either way, hi!

I'm on my lunch break, sitting at a picnic table and enjoying the view of the mountains. I've lived in Gatlinburg my entire life and the sight of the Smokies never gets old. Anyway, I decided to enjoy this beautiful day in the mountain air and write a letter to catch you up on things around here.

The Sisters are all doing great. Amy is in complete bliss with Colt and Emmy has never been happier. She and Colt are like two peas in a pod. Cori is still at Smoky Mountain Sweets and seems to be married to her work. But, she loves it so we don't mention her single status. Amber, however, is a serial dater when she's not busy helping to manage Montgomery Cabin Rentals (which, funny enough, is owned by the family of Charlotte's husband, Landon). The right guy hasn't stuck for Amber yet but she keeps trying.

Things have certainly started looking up after Clay and Abigail finally decided to put the past where it belongs and admit their feelings for each other. We're all looking forward to the wedding! And by we, I mean me and my sisters, as well. I mean, with my sister married into the Bedford family, all the Kincaid girls are considered family by extension. At least that's what Grace says. And Grace Bedford is what I want to be when I grow up. :)

Speaking of the Bedford clan, Charlotte is glowing and beautiful with her growing baby bump. She says she feels like a whale some days but I'll admit I envy her. She's got a great guy and is starting her family, not to mention the business she loves with The Gallery. If I ever have even half the happiness she does, I'll consider myself extremely blessed.

While we're on the subject of The Gallery, can I just say how much I love working there? I am learning so much and it's great to have a job I look forward to every day (unlike when I was waitressing. Ugh.). The only downside? Dalton Taylor. Sure, he's hot and all. Not to mention talented. He's also a giant pain in my ass. But he's the current golden boy at The Gallery and he's not going anywhere any time soon. I just wish he didn't have the charm and the dimples to go along with the overall hotness. That combo could get me into deep trouble.

And speaking of the devil, here he comes. Better wrap this up and get back to work because I have the nagging feeling he's going to want my undivided attention. Again.

Come visit me at The Gallery sometime. I look forward to showing you around!

PS: You'll be able to find out how this whole thing with Dalton turns out on April 17th, when Capturing Jayde releases on all major retailers!

Ask Me Anything - Interview Post

I've done several written interviews over the years. And there are some that had really interesting questions! I've picked some favorites, along with some from my reader group. :)

1. Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Definitely a night owl. Mornings are nowhere near my prime time, as is evidenced by the fact my family backs away from me slowly until I’ve had my coffee!

2. What’s your favorite scent memory?

I’d have to say the smell of homemade biscuits and gravy. It’s such a southern answer, I know! I’m a southern girl, what can I say? But the smell of this brings back the memory of standing at the stove with my Mema in her kitchen - years ago, spoon in hand - as she’s teaching me how to make it from scratch. I can’t help but think of her every time I smell it (or make it).

3. Do you have a secret talent?

When the pandemic started, I got into making book nooks. I loved the challenge of scaling down objects to fit these tiny spaces. I’ve finished three and have a couple of others in progress. I'm working on finishing up a Diagon Alley nook (it's pretty detailed and has taken what feels like forever). I like to think I got pretty good at it!

4. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?

This one works on both the writer side and the personal: Do the thing you love that makes you happy, the thing that feeds your soul, because there will never be a time where absolutely everyone will love what you do.

5. What is your all-time favorite movie or TV show?

I can’t pick a favorite! I’m a TV/movie buff, so there are several. Television shows…I guess I’d say NCIS, Castle, The Rookie (can you tell I like cop shows? lol). Movies… I’m a Harry Potter nerd, love the Marvel series, and am always down for a good rom-com.

6. Do you draw inspiration from real people for your characters?

I actually do! Sometimes it's people I know, stories from people I know, or even myself. Same goes for situations and/or plotlines. I always find it easier to write from familiar situations than to make something up from scratch.

7. How old were you when you first started writing?

Let's see, I was in about 6th grade so maybe... eleven? It started out as a hobby, mostly poetry and short stories. I had a couple of other friends with the same interest so we would read each other's stuff (before I ever knew what peer reviewing was!). In middle school, I stepped things up by submitting work to a literary magazine for kids (as part of an English class project). I ended up winning in several categories and the rest, as they say, is history!

Do you have a question for me?

If you have an AMA question for me, drop it in the comments and I'll include it in a future blog post!

Small Town Talk with Marianne Rice

My Setting, My Muse

City roots, small town heart. That’s how I describe myself and my writing.

I grew up in southern California (yeah, I was, like, totally a Valley Girl) but have lived in Maine since my freshman year of college (a hundred years ago!!). I’ve been teaching high school English for twenty-six years (send wine!), and I’m a wife, a mother to three adult-ish children (21, 19, and 16 years old–send vodka!), and when I have a few minutes, I spend my time writing (send peanut M&Ms!).

I never made a conscious decision to write small-town romance, but these are the stories I love to read, and the ones that are closest to my heart. Don’t get me wrong, I love cities. I love visiting my daughter at her college in Boston, my sister in San Diego, my brother in Los Angeles, and my other sister in New Jersey/NYC. Our sister trips are always in a city where we do fun “city stuff”. In fact, I have a trip coming up next month to New York, and my sisters and I are brainstorming our itinerary.

But when it comes to story building, it’s the small towns that grab my heart. The locally run bakeries, craft stores, wineries, and inns. The town festivals and holiday events. I’m blessed to live in southern Maine with the White Mountains of New Hampshire as my backyard view, lakes only minutes away, the Atlantic a quick twenty-minute drive, and mountains galore. The setting is often my muse, and then I build the characters, families, and communities.

My Band of Sisters series is set in Angel Springs, loosely based on the town of Kingfield, near Sugarloaf, a popular ski mountain in western Maine. The heroines (Army veterans and best friends) run a summer camp on a lake, and there may be a romantic tryst or two during hiking and skiing dates. There's lots of snuggling on cold winter nights, and heated moments swimming in the lake. I also love writing about strong friendships. Not everyone is blessed to have a supportive biological family, and I love creating new family dynamics. You’ll see that in the Band of Sisters.

Nick, the hero in the fourth book, ,One Unexpected Gift, and his family are the inspiration for my spin-off series, Acadia Falls, set near Bar Harbor, Maine (it’s a gorgeous area!). In this series, you feel the love (and tension!) between siblings and adoring parents. It’s a nice offset from the heroines in Band of Sisters who didn’t have a place to call home until they found each other and Angel Springs.

Being outside, whether it’s going for a walk, hiking a mountain, skiing, riding an ATV, toes in the sand at the beach, or floating in the pool, and sometimes hearing stories from my students, ignite my writerly mind and inspire my characters and my settings.

What is it about small town romances that draw you in?

I love connecting with readers! You can join my reader group, The Ricecakes, follow me on Bookbub, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or visit my website.

Happy reading!

~ Marianne xoxo