Allie Bock's Blog, page 7

A Gift for You!

Hi dear Reader,
I wanted to wish you a happy holiday season. Thank you for reading my newsletter. It means the world to me that you take time out of your day to read my thoughts. I have a little Christmas present for you. It is a novella of how the parents of my Kisment characters fell in love. If you like Hallmark movies, you’ll like this story.
Get your free ebook!
You can only find it here, so snatch it up! It will be available until January 15th. Then, I’ll be taking it down.
I know I promised it at Christmas time, but the Bock household was turned upside down. I couldn’t emotionally process anything for a bit. So forgive my tardiness.
Trigger Warning: I’ll be talking about loss of a beloved pet.
If you don’t want to read further, just download the ebook and let me know what you think!
How were your holidays? Did you enjoy them?
Our holiday season was bleaker than normal. Back in October, our Dachshund, Finn, was diagnosed with a malignant cancer. At that time, the cancer had spread throughout his body and surgery was not an option. Our veterinarian didn’t know how long he would have. (Yes, I’m a horse vet and I have a small animal vet for my dogs.)
He was doing good through most of November and the early part of December. He just slept more but continued to eat everything and play ball. Hubby and I wondered how long he would do well. The cancer didn’t seem to phase him in his normal life.
Then the weekend before Christmas, he stopped eating his dry and canned dog food. Well, he was pretty a special dog. He was born the day before Hubby and I met. He was the reason I canceled our first date. We almost didn’t meet. So, I cooked him scrambled eggs and ground beef. We played ball all the time the last few days. (It was his favorite thing.)
It worked for a few days until he stopped eating and started to get sick. It was time to say good-bye. No matter how much I tried to prepare myself, I just wasn’t ready.
We were in the vet clinic, and he was sedated. He gave a big slobbery kiss to each Hubby and I before he fell asleep. It was like he was saying that it’s okay and he was ready to go on.
I believe that all dogs go to heaven. He is up there chasing his blue rubber ball, swimming in a crystal-clear lake, and hunting rabbits in wild open fields.
Now, we have a big hole in our family. I catch myself looking for him around the house. He slept with Baby Bock in her bed. Hubby doesn’t have his ball playing partner. Tank, his brother, is depressed and JJ, my rescue, lost his best friend. It has placed a cloud of sadness that the holidays didn’t seem as joyous as normal. He was special to us, and we miss him a bunch.
Have you lost a pet? How have you dealt with it?
Needless to say, I didn’t have the headspace or energy to finish the story. I barely got my Christmas shopping done.
I sincerely hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Hugs,
Allie

December 2022 Newsletter

 

Hi dear Reader,

How have you been? I hope this finds you well. It has been a bit since I last wrote. I’ve done some soul searching and have decided to change things up in my blog. Instead of twice a month, I’m going to do once a month on the first Tuesday of the month. Then if I have any new releases or special promotions, they will be in a special short note. (I’m working on something special for newsletter subscribers for the holidays). Subscribe Here

November was a busy month for my family and I. We decided to go to San Antonio for a week of vacation. It was a great trip. We drove down from Minnesota, and it took us two days to get there. We stopped several times to let Baby Bock run around at play places and rest stops. The countryside was beautiful and the trip went smoothly. Driving through Texas was the hardest part. I think we hit every single construction site and back up through Dallas, Fort Worth, and Waco. But we finally made it to San Antonio. Hubby got us reservations at the Crockett Hotel which is right next to the Alamo. It was fun to stay in a historic hotel and be within walking distance to all of the stuff. We did the audio tour of the Alamo where they give you a device with recordings on it and we press the buttons for each exhibit we see. Baby Bock thought it was a phone and kept taking mine to “talk” on it. I found the history of the Alamo fascinating and the exhibits were well done. We also walked the Riverwalk and ate at the Hard Rock Café. Baby Bock isn’t the best at sitting still for long times in restaurants. The other really cool thing we saw was the Briscoe Western Art Museum. They had all sorts of art from paintings to sculptures to exhibits on tack that was used. My favorite was seeing the different saddles that were used on horses. We also caught up with several friends from the area and then drove back home. San Antonio is one of my favorite cities to visit. What is your favorite place to go visit?

We got home just in time for Thanksgiving. Honestly, we were too tired to cook a big meal. A couple of friends invited us over for homemade apple and pumpkin pie. There is nothing like homemade pie. We ate too much and didn’t do much else for the weekend. How was your Thanksgiving?

With all that going on, I have been working on some books. My Cowboy of Convenience is almost done. I will be waiting for after the New Year to announce a launch date. It will be the last book of that series. I’m working on a spin-off series with more cowboys and horses and strong women. I’ll tell you more about it when I get the details ironed out.

I am working on a surprise story just for newsletter subscribers. So if you want to read it, subscribe to my Substack.

Hugs,

Allie

What are your favorite genres to read?

 

Hi Dear Reader!

How was your Halloween?

Our Halloween was wonderful. The weather was perfect. It was warm for Minnesota and no breeze. Baby Bock and I sat at the end of our drive and handed out candy. We had a record number of kids this year. We had 22 trick or treaters. Not a lot, but our neighborhood doesn’t get a lot of trick or treaters. Baby Bock didn’t dress up as she is only one year old and it is a challenge to get her to wear sleeves and shoes on a good day. LOL. So she just wore a cute shirt with the word “Daddy’s under my spell”. Did you hand out candy?

For a writing update, My Cowboy of Conveinence is at the editor’s getting worked over. It’s a waiting game until I can get it back to polish it up for release. I am working on a short story on how Ma and Pa Kisment fell in love. It is halfway done, and I can’t wait to share it with you. Most likely, it will be done in time of Christmas!

The question of the newsletter is: What genres do you love to read? What do you reach for when you need to escape? Do you have a favorite book?

I tend to across genres. Of course, I read a lot of romance and romcom. When I need a break from romance, I usually reach for historical fantasy. The Night Circus is one of my favorite books of all time. I also like to read a lot of mysteries. It doesn’t matter if it is a cozy or hardboiled. I’m currently reading a cozy mystery by Laurien Berenson. My mom gave it to me because she likes reading her. The book is Watchdog, a Melanie Travis Canine Mystery. I’m reading it out loud to Baby Bock. We are only 25% in, but enjoying it so far.

I am excited to hear what your favorite genres are!

Hugs,

Allie

To read it first on my newsletter Subscribe Here!

What to do on a blustery day?

 

Hi Dear Reader,

How are you doing today? Are you enjoying October so far?

Here in Minnesota, it has been cold and dreary. The first part of the week it rained. Then, it snowed yesterday. Yuck! I’m so not ready for winter. I tell Hubby that I miss Texas and am ready to go back, especially when I have to break out the hats and gloves! He laughs like it’s a joke. Sometimes, it’s not.

What do you do when the weather isn’t nice? I like to read, of course! This past week, I joined Kindle Unlimited for the first time in years, because I found my Kindle while cleaning my desk. I usually read on my phone with the nook app. I love Barnes and Noble.

Do you read in KU? Why or why not? Please leave a comment below.

In my newsletter, I have a list of books I am reading this month. Go here to check it out!

News off the range Newsletter

Well, I'm off to make a cup of tea and curl up with a good book. 

Hugs,

Allie

What is your favorite trope?

  

Hi Dear Reader! 

How are you doing? Can you believe it is October 1st?

The weather has changed to fall here in Minnesota. The nights are cold, and the days are brisk with sun and lots of wind. The trees are turning to reds and oranges. It is a very pretty time of year here. We have been taking the horses and Baby Bock out trail riding to see the colors.

My news this time around is that I finally finished my edits of my latest project, My Cowboy of Convenience. It is now off to the editors and beta readers.

So now that I don’t have an active project to work on, I like to think ahead. My Cowboy of Convenience is the last Kisment brother finding love, which means it is time to start a new series. I want to keep it in Sunnydale, because I like the little town. What I’m trying to decide is who will be in it and which tropes to use.

What is your favorite trope to read in a romance novel? You can definitely have more than one!

I’ve been seeing a lot of single dad stories. Of course, billionaires are always popular. Do you like second chance romances? How about friends-to-lovers or enemies-to-lovers?

I am enjoying the single dad stories. I also really like best friend’s little sister and matchmaker stories. Let me know in the comments or by an email what you like and what you enjoy about the trope (if you want). It will help me out on planning/plotting my next series.

 

Thanks a bunch!

Hugs,

Allie

Draft Horse Show

We met a couple of friends at a draft horse show last week. It was a lot of fun to see all of the hitches. They are just beautiful horses with gorgeous harnesses and wagons. The theme was 1920s.

 

The smell of corn popping!

Hi dear Reader,

How has your summer been?

I just love summer. What is your favorite thing about summer? One of my favorite things to do is attending street fairs.

This past weekend the town I live in had their summer festival. It was three days of activities, contests, and food. My parents came to visit, and we went on Saturday.

The town square was blocked off with a farmers’ market that was in full swing with craft tables, farm fresh produce, and local products. The small businesses had their stores set out on the sidewalk next to food carts. The gyro stand roasted lamb. One place made kettle corn. Another was deep frying Oreos. Hubby’s favorite is the mini donuts covered sugar and cinnamon. I always have to have the internal struggle with deciding between gyros and funnel cakes. A musician sang country songs on the stage in the middle of the square. People milled about or sat at the picnic tables to watch. We had a great time walking and shopping.

I always stop at the bookstore. The owner has tables of ex-library books set out on the sidewalk. It’s $2/book and I never know what I’m going to find. I ended up taking home a Stephanie Plum novel, which always makes me laugh. I also found a romance set during the Prohibition where the heroine is a bootlegger, and the hero is a long-lost boyfriend turned undercover agent. I haven’t started it yet, but it sounds good.

I’ve used the various street fairs I’ve been at as inspiration for the one Melanie goes to in Falling for My Cowboy. I had originally planned it to be on the town square like in Marshall, MO. That street fair was a blast with good food and music.

But Sunnydale doesn’t have a town square, so it was going to be set up on Main Street. (Some day I’ll make a real map of Sunnydale, not just my scribbles on paper.) It was fun to bring a city girl to something that is quintessential small town. Below is an excerpt from Melanie’s point of view:

That afternoon, we went to Sunnydale’s Spring Festival. Colorful tents lined the sidewalk of Main Street where vendors sat selling everything from pies to beaded necklaces to hand-carved wooden statues. And the smells. Buttery popcorn, kettle corn, churros, and, of course, hotdogs. It smelled so good; my stomach rumbled. Delilah and I walked around the stands, ate churros, and played some games. When the sun began to set, a chill came into the air.

“Hey Delilah, I’m going to get my jacket from the car. Do you need anything?”

“Nope.” She aimed her air rifle at the balloons and lined up her next shot. “I’ll be here until I win that purple unicorn. It’ll look great on my sofa.” She nodded to a ridiculously large stuffed unicorn at the top of the booth.

I headed to Delilah’s car when a familiar rusty truck pulled up next to me.

“Hey,” I waved to the driver and continued on my way.

Pete leaned out of the window. “Are you coming or going?” He pushed his cowboy hat up higher on his forehead. His eyes sparkled when he looked at me causing my heart to pitter-patter to its own beat. My breath caught at how good he looked in a tight T-shirt with a five o’clock shadow. What was wrong with me? I usually liked clean-shaven men in fancy business suits, not some ruggedly handsome hillbilly. I shook my head to clear such thoughts.

“I’m on my way to get my jacket. Delilah’s shooting balloons,” I motioned back to the festival.

A chill crept up my arms causing the hair to stand on end. I rubbed my arms and looked away from his intense gaze.

“Alrighty, I’ll park and walk with you.” He smiled like I had just made his year by going to the Spring Festival. His eyes lit up and little creases formed in the corners of his eyes. He angled his truck into a nearby spot. By the time I’d retrieved my jacket, he was leaning against the hood of his truck with his arms crossed. He gently took my jacket and helped me into it. An electric buzz went up my arm as his hand grazed my skin. His soft breath tickled the back of my neck. I was suddenly aware of how close he was and took a step away. Come on, Melanie. Hold it together.

“Are you enjoying your stay?” He fell into stride next to me.

“It’s been nice.” I hesitated and twisted my hands inside of each other. “It’s nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city.”

“Really?” He stopped and tipped my chin up with his finger to meet his unwavering gaze. I sucked at lying; his eyes searched mine for a minute.

“Actually, I miss it a lot.” A sigh escaped. “I love Delilah, but podunk isn’t my thing.”

“Well, that’s Sunnydale. As backwoods as you can get, but we do have a nice traffic light.” He grinned and we walked in silence. “Why did you come here then?”

“In my defense, Delilah lives in San Antonio. That’s a big city.” I pushed my bangs out of my eyes. “I thought we would be hanging out there. Not here.” I swept my arm towards the festival.

The lights from the rides twinkled in the setting sun as children ran up and down the street. Happy screeches filled the air. A band tuned their instruments at the far end of the festival.

“If you give us a chance, you might find that you like it. We can be surprising.” He continued to walk as if he didn’t say the most confusing thing ever.

We? What was he talking about? Sunnydale surprising me or him surprising me?

Delilah was up ahead, waving us down, holding on to a large purple unicorn. She was surrounded by her brother and a bunch of other people I hadn’t met. She winked at me as Pete made his way through the group.

“So, you ran into Pete?” That seemed like more of a statement than a question. She linked her arm into mine. “Let’s go try some rides.”

Granted Melanie is a product of my imagination, I was proud of her for trying something new without being too prejudiced. She ended up having a great time. Have you done something out of your comfort zone that you ended up liking more than you thought?

(As an aside, you can find Falling for My Cowboy by following the link if you haven’t read it.)

Falling for My Cowboy

To read the rest of the newsletter go to my Substack!

Hugs,

Allie

Are you a brat or burger person?

 

Hi Dear Readers!

How have you been?

Summer is in full swing in Minnesota. There are cookouts, county fairs, fireworks every weekend in our town, town festivals, the farmers markets, and lots of time in the water. It always seems like it flies by so fast, especially up here. We have been busy going to family functions with our little person. There is always a lot of food and it’s fun to watch Baby Bock try new things. Standard fair for Upper Midwest cookouts is brats, burgers, hotdogs, watermelon, corn on the cob, bake beans, and some sort of Jell-O. My grandma makes this wonderful green pistachio fluff. Hubby’s mom makes a delicious orange fluffy Jell-O.

The question of the week is: are you a brat or a burger person? When you go to a cookout, which do you put on your plate?

Let me know what you like with a comment!

I’m definitely a brat person. My hometown butcher shop had the best brat (at least I think so). My dad would boil them in beer before placing them on the grill. They were so delicious. I’m not a sauerkraut person. Shame, isn’t it? So, I eat mine with mustard.

In my books, Sunnydale is a small town in Texas. It is totally fictional as it’s a mashup of all the small towns I’ve lived in. I love living in small towns because everyone knows everyone. And a lot of times it seems like people are more welcoming in a small town. Being a veterinarian, I get to know a lot of the people, at least the ones with animals.

One Saturday afternoon, I received a call from a client that she noticed that her cow was calving. If I had time, would I please come to help. Of course, I said absolutely, and I’ll be there in 15 minutes. I changed into my scrubs and coveralls. (Calving get messy and it was a Saturday.) Hubby and I get in the truck and head to her place.

We arrive to the place and a cookout is in full swing. There’s a grill going, several coolers of beer, and tables of food. Not to mention people. It seemed like all the neighbors and relatives were there. Nothing like performing to an audience. So, we head out around the barn to where this cow is trying to have her baby. It was a wet summer and there was a lot of mud. The woman’s husband, who wasn’t a rancher, jumped into the pen with his white tennis shoes and khakis shorts. He sloshed through the mud to chase the cow into the chute. His shoes weren’t white anymore.

He was puffing but the cow walked calmly into the chute. I gave her an epidural to lessen her contractions and helped her push out her baby. She had twins and they were all tangled up. Once I got them untangled, they popped out. Two healthy baby boys.

Once the cow and calves were moved to a small pasture, Hubby and I were invited to stay for the cookout. I don’t remember what we had for food, but everyone teased the woman’s husband about his ruined shoes!

The joys of being a vet in a small town!

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Allie's Newsletter

Hugs,

Allie

Which POV is your favorite?

Open in browserWhich POV do you enjoy?May 15th Newsletter Allie BockMay 16

Hi Dear Reader,

How are you doing? Did you celebrate Mother’s Day?

This Mother’s Day was my first one as a new mom. It was really nice. Hubby brought home my favorite drink and a chocolate cake pop from Caribou Coffee. (It was the Campfire S’mores mocha, so good.) We spent lots of family time together as Baby Bock has decided that she doesn’t need to take naps anymore. She’s six months old, and I was looking forward to the quiet time.

How did you celebrate it?

Lately, I’ve been spending my free time working on the last book in the Cowboys of Sunnydale series. It’s still in the brainstorming phase. I’ve been reading a lot of books across all different genres, trying to gather new ideas. I have the two main characters and their big problems. Now, I just have to come up with the subplots.

Since I’ve been reading, I was wondering which point of view do you enjoy reading the most: first person or third person or it doesn’t matter?

Leave a comment

Most of the western romance and small-town romance I read is written in third person with the “he said/she said”. But the romantic suspense and urban fantasy that I’ve enjoyed have been first person with the “I said/I saw”. I love reading in first person, as you can probably tell since that is how my books are written. I’d love your thoughts on it though.

That’s all for today. I hope you are having a great month. Below you’ll find some new books to check out! Plus, there is the BookFunnel giveaways from last newsletter if you missed them!

Hugs,

Allie

Book Blurb:

Wylde and Dallas are neighbors with little in common. He sees a stuck-up girl who’s too good for their parties and would rather study than have fun, while Dallas sees a jerk who thinks getting drunk and laid is the key to happiness. When Wylde’s kid brother shows up unexpectedly, Dallas witnesses the softer side of Wylde and is intrigued. She watches the way he cares for Motley and begins to realize she was wrong about him. Will the path lead Dallas and Wylde to each other or will the journey through family problems, broken promises, and tragedies be too difficult to endure?

Path of the Heartbeats

Book Blurb:

She inhales life with every breath. He’s suffered a world of pain. Can they rise above tragedy to find their happily ever after? Maree Davenport refuses to let a tearful past rule her future. After losing her parents at the age of five, the big-hearted fabric designer is determined to embrace her feelings and find happiness no matter what. So when she literally runs over a handsome new firefighter in the produce section, the hopeless romantic is certain she’s just collided with destiny. Everyone Rhys Larsen ever loved has died. And though he may have hit it off with the pretty girl at the store, the haunted EMT knows better than to let her into his heart. But when an accident leaves her wounded and in need of care, he vows to nurse her back to health. As Maree struggles to break through the grieving man’s walls, she fears his deep-seated superhero complex will make him unreachable. And as Rhys grapples with trying to protect the beautiful woman from his curse, he worries he’ll have to choose between doing the right thing and true love. Can this conflicted couple reconcile their opposite takes on adversity and find purpose in each other’s arms? Grocery Girl is the touching first book in the Green Hills wholesome small-town romance series.

Grocery Girl

Book Blurb:

He's ready to settle down. Her first love is music. When he brings home a gold digger to meet the folks, will the hired help put a song in his soul?

Randy Easton is a rancher at heart. So when the wealthy Texan decides to propose to his high-maintenance girlfriend, he takes her to the family homestead hoping she'll embrace the quiet wide-open spaces. But after her loathing for horses shatters his dreams, he finds himself drawn to a melodious singing voice coming from the kitchen.

Becky Monroe has found her groove as personal chef to rich cattlemen. But the aspiring songwriter's perfect pitch screeches out of tune when the ruggedly handsome heir rides in, accompanied by a backstabbing spitfire. And when her employers leave on an extended vacation, she's trapped serving the hunky cowboy and the vegan vixen with a predator's thirst for the kill.

Though Randy strikes a fast friendship with the country-gal cook, he struggles to search for his suddenly missing parents while keeping his would-be bridezilla happy. And as Becky does her best to maintain a professional distance, she can't help but feel that falling for the boss's gorgeous son has all the ingredients for happily ever after.

Will this star-crossed couple discover that together they hit all the right notes?

A Cowboy's Recipe for Romance is the charming first book in the Billionaire's Venture Romance series. If you like endearing heroes, scheming villains, and Lone Star love stories, then you'll adore Amy Proebstel's sweet ride into the sunset.

A Cowboy's Recipe for Romance

Spring is in the Air

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I'm Moving!

Hi Dear Reader,

I'm moving!

Well, not physically. I'm moving my newsletter to a new provider for the May 1st email. My newsletter subscriptions have been growing by leaps and bounds. Thank you to y'all for subscribing. :) My needs for the provider has changed and I want to give you the best experience I can. 

What does this mean for you?

Not much, honestly. You don't have to do anything. The email will look a little different, but all the content will stay the same. The sender will be alliebock.substack.com. 

You can still contact me at this email: alliebock@hotmail.com.

In other words, I've been doing great. Springtime is the busiest time to be a veterinarian. Besides the usual vet work, foals are being born. I examined one yesterday that was born overnight. She was adorable with long legs that seem to go every which way. She wobbled around on them and nickered to her mama. I checked her over to make sure she was able to nurse, listened to her heart and lungs, checked her legs, and ran some newborn bloodwork. Hubby holds babies for their blood draws and she kicked out at him. She was so feisty. Both her and her mama were healthy.

What have you read lately? 

I picked up some Harlequin romances at the used bookstore this past week. I'm looking forward to a quiet evening to dive into them.

For a writing update, I haven't done much with work and Baby Bock taking up so much time. I have My Cowboy of Convenience waiting to get edited. It should be out later this summer. 

Below I have a giveaway for free books in exchange for your email. It is for "wide" authors which means you can find their books on Barnes and Noble, Apple, Amazon, Google, Kobo, etc. Check them out. There are some good ones on there. 

Until next time, I hope you have a great rest of April. 

Hugs!

Allie