Jean C. Joachim's Blog: Stories of Love and Passion, page 49

Welcome, Christina Cole!

Welcome, Christina, fellow Sweet Cravings and Tuesday Tales author and an enormously gifted writer! I'm reading your book, Irresistable, right now and can't put it down. I get cranky when interrupted! Here are a few words from Christina. Scroll down for her gorgeous cover.
 Give and Take Autumn has always been my favorite time of year. As the days turn cool and the nights grow long, I feel my senses coming alive. When the leaves turn to brilliant golds, fiery reds, and dazzling oranges, all the world becomes brighter and more beautiful.
Each time of year has its special moments, but autumn has been especially blessed. It’s the season of harvest, and a time of thanksgiving. As the holidays approach, it’s good for us to take a moment to look at our lives, give thanks for all we’ve been given, and then reach out to share our blessings with others. 
Giving to others is one of the greatest joys in life. Our gifts don’t have to be costly ones. The gifts most-remembered are the ones that come from our hearts.Gifts of time.Gifts of service.Gifts of love.There’s another side to giving, though, and now and then, we need to consider it, as well. Giving goes hand in hand with taking. While it’s easy to be a generous giver, sometimes it’s difficult to gracefully accept what others offer.“No, you shouldn’t have!”“Really, I can’t accept that!”“Please, don’t get me anything!”Chances are you’ve uttered words like those on a few occasions. I know I have.  But when we reject a gift we’re given, we’re denying pleasure to someone who cared enough to show their generosity. This is a lesson I learned as I wrote Irresistible, my historical romance released by Secret Cravings Publishing. The main character of the story, Rise Childers, confuses generosity with pity.   
She’s resentful when Samuel Mills attempts to woo her with gifts, even though those precious gifts -- easels, oil paints, fine sable-tipped brushes -- are the stuff of her dreams. As I wrote the story, I felt Samuel’s growing frustrations. He had a heart filled with love and wanted to share his love with Rise. By rejecting his gifts, she was rejecting him. 
 Of course, all good love stories should have happy endings. That’s one of the reasons why I enjoy writing romances. I believe in love and happiness, and I believe that learning to accept love is as important as giving it. Above all, I know that love is a powerful force for good in our lives, and through the pages of my stories, I hope to share my love with others. 
Irresistible is available for online purchase at the following sites: AMAZON BARNES & NOBLE ALL ROMANCE eBOOKS BOOKSTRAND    

TUESDAY TALES - WORD PROMPT "KNIFE"

Here's a little mealtime conversation from my WIP, The Dating List. Janice and Delia are sisters-in-law.

 “You’re a great cook, Janice…of course you don’t know crap about fabrics or colors…but you’re an expert with food.”
 “Don’t kid yourself, Delia. I know plenty about fabric and colors. Enough to know that the supporting cast at the wedding should wear yellow. Make Carrie look good.” “In case you haven’t noticed, Carrie doesn’t need any help looking good. She’s gorgeous. She could wear a burlap sack and still be the prettiest one in the room. And I’m not wearing yellow,” Delia chimed in.            “You don’t have to be in the wedding, either, Delia. I mean if the bride chooses yellow…I mean, it’s her choice…”            “Right mom. And I’m not choosing yellow. Not fond of yellow. It’s a hard color to wear. And I wouldn’t do anything to keep Delia out of the wedding party.”            Janice made a face but kept eating.            “The carrots are overcooked.”            Carrie sighed.            “What color did you have in mind for the bridesmaids?” Leah asked, cutting a piece of potato with her fork.            “Raspberry or turquoise. Those are universal colors. They look good on everybody, right, kid?” Delia piped up.            Carrie nodded, chewing her meat slowly.            “You should let her decide, Delia. After all, it is her wedding. You’ve had one and from what I’ve heard…have a number of men lined up for number two.”            Delia dropped her fork and knife with a clatter. Grey winced at the loud noise.            “I don’t know what people have been telling you, but I’m not about to get married. No man can equal Jackson Tucker – present company excluded, of course.”            “My brother was an amazing man,” Harv put in.            “Not that I couldn’t have my choice of a second husband. Believe me, there are plenty of men interested…”            “I’m sure they’ve been busy sampling the goods first,” Janice said.            “Can I help it if I’m a desirable woman? You make that sound like a bad thing, Janice. How’s your sex life, anyway? Probably a bit dried up, I’d imagine.”            Several people at the table gasped. Colin put his head down, focusing on his food. Leah blushed while Carrie paled.            “Mom, Delia, please.”            “Tell us all about it, Delia. Any pointers? I’m sure the younger people at the table would benefit from your…your…expertise.”            “Are you asking, Janice? Because if you are, I’d be happy to give you some advice, privately. I know how to please a man. Do you?”            “Delia!” Carrie gasped.            “And so do you, Carrie. Obviously or you wouldn’t be about to marry this fabulous sexy man sitting here,” Delia added.            Grey could feel the color start up his neck. Delia, are you drunk?             “How about those Knicks?” Colin asked. Click here to return to Tuesday Tales Click here for my website

FABULOUS FALL COME TO SULLIVAN COUNTY!

Wanted to share some fall shots I took in and around Lake Huntington with you. What a beautiful season!



























































































































































The Delaware River









I didn't know pine trees shed their
needles!











































 Happy Fall!!


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Where In the World Do I Live?? Secret Cravings Blog Hop

Guess where our authors live and win prizes! Here are a few hints to help you guess where I live:
1 - It's a city
2 - It has a section called "chinatown"
3 - It has a lake in the middle where you can rent rowboats
4 - It's nickname is a fruit
5 - It's the only city that has a "village" in it.
Where am I? Leave your answer in a comment with your email address. I'll draw two winners who will each receive a $10 Secret Cravings Gift Certificate!
Ben Tanner, retired Marine, and I have a new release, a military romance we wrote together. Here's an excerpt:

I can't believe I’m acting this way around a woman I just met.“What?” Tara stopped to face him, dropping his hand.“It’s…just…I’ve had so much pain…I—”“You’re worried about me?”Remember, she’s on the rebound just like you.He nodded. The moon bathed her in soft, shimmery light adding to her beauty. They stared at each other at a safe distance for a minute. Tara laced her fingers between his again, pulling him closer as they walked on in silence for a little bit. She broke from him to lean against a palm tree while she gazed at the moon. Mick joined her, looking up as well."What do you see?" he asked."I see a new beginning...for me...and for you."He put his arm around her shoulders. Tears clouded her eyes as she turned her face away, but he pulled her to him. Tara hid her face in his chest as her tears fell."I’d never hurt you." His whisper carried along on the soft breeze."I’d never hurt you either," she murmured, gazing up into his eyes. Hope I can believe her. I want to, but…At those words, he pulled her into a hug. Feeling her warm body against his, under the moonlight, on the crystal beach, his heart raced while his mind was at ease.  It had been a long time since he held a woman in his arms, or kissed one either.  She raised her chin to look in his eyes as he lowered his mouth for a quick kiss. Flinching a bit at first, she relaxed, then clasped her hands behind his neck. giving a small tug. Mick caught the signal, bent to close his mouth down on hers again but with more passion. The slight pressure from his tongue parted her lips. Tara moaned softly as his arms tightened around her. Desire flowed through his veins, his hands itched to touch her breasts, to strip away her sexy dress and feel the softness of her skin against his. Making love on the beach in the moonlight crossed his mind…his pulse kicked up. You hardly know her. Slow down or she’ll bolt.                          *****************************
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INTERVIEW WITH BEN TANNER, MY CO-AUTHOR

Yes, it's true, I managed to corral the real Ben Tanner to do an interview for me. Ben is a private person but here he tells it like it is. In case you want to know what Ben looked like when he was on active duty in the Marines, here's his pic (runs and hides in case Ben is mad) 
Just kidding. Ben has this picture up on his Fb page. So come with me into the den and meet Ben.



Interview with Ben TannerWelcome to my blog, Ben. Please sit down. Coffee is perking. I have some Danish here or chocolate croissant, if you prefer. The loveseat is most comfortable. Time to meet our readers. I only have a few questions. Well, maybe more than a few! Here we go. 1)     In the book you thank your parents for encouraging you to read. What did they do specifically to make you love to read?My parents always encouraged me to go out and be active, and on days that were not nice, they encouraged me to read. They started me out on books that were par with my level and progressed as I did. I loved the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and many others. Also, at Miles Elementary School in Tampa Florida, we had a teacher who kept books and toys on her desk. If you read a book, and wrote a summary/book report, you were able to choose your prize. It was incentive for us to try reading, and there were a lot of good books there. Two that I remember most are “A Wrinkle in Time” by Madame L’Engle and “A Taste of Blackberries” by Doris Buchanan Smith. Come to think of it, I looked both books up on Amazon a little while back and ordered them. They are still as amazing now, as they were then!2)     What was your favorite book growing up?“A Wrinkle in Time” and “A Taste of Blackberries”3)     What did you want to be when you were a boy?Honestly? Nothing. I never really dreamed about what I wanted to do/be. I just lived day by day having the most fun that I could. 4)     What made you choose the Marines over the other branches of the service?They were the most difficult. Seriously! I decided I wanted a challenge in life and thought, if I was going to join the military, I wanted the toughest.5)     Now that you have written one book, are you bitten by the “writing bug” and want to write more? Definitely! This one was fun. I hope all the others are just as fun, although I did have a hard-butt slave driver trying to keep me on schedule(Somewhat)!!!6)     You have committed to writing two more books with me, will you find that easier this time than the first book or harder? I don’t know. I will figure that out when it is well underway! 7)     What did you like most about writing Love Lost & Found? What did you like least?Working with you. I didn’t really dislike anything about it. Life did get in the way a few times, that threw the schedule way off!8)     What is your favorite genre of book to read?Fantasy, Suspense, and Inspirational are my favorites. 9)     Would you like to write a book in that genre some day?I am not sure, quite possibly.10)  Do you have any hobbies?Playing and composing music, movies, reading, riding ATVs, camping, hiking, and many more. I like to stay busy.11)  What is your favorite season of the year? Why?Growing up, it was always Summer, but now I am leaning a bit more toward fall. I like the outdoors, but these mid nineties to low one hundred degree days aren’t as easy as they used to be.12)   What is your favorite sport?To play, or to watch? I like to watch American Football and Baseball. I love to play volleyball, although there are no beaches near me now. Thanks for being with us today, Ben, and sharing a bit about who you are. I hope you’ll come back again, soon.  It was my pleasure, most definitely.Our military contemporary romance:  Buy Links
Amazon
Secret Cravings Publishing
All Romance eBooks
Bookstrand

A bit about the book:


What do a Marine who received a “Dear John” letter and a journalist who dumped her cheating fiancé have in common? Nothing, outside of being heartbroken over lost love. But when they accidentally end up next to each other jetting to a Caribbean paradise, they do share one thing: mutual attraction. Friendship between Tara Mason and Sergeant Mick Peterson grows quickly through a few dates on St. Thomas. An argument coupled with a blunder strand them on a small deserted Caribbean island. In the midst of nothing but sand and water, possible starvation leading to death, old wounds heal. While working together to survive, Mick and Tara fall in love. Love found in their own private Eden is soon challenged in life-threatening ways when they return to the mainland. Long separations, danger and loneliness test their devotion. Is the love they’ve found strong enough to withstand what life throws at them?     

TUESDAY TALES - WORD PROMPT "DOG"

Here's another sneak peek at my work in progress, The Dating List. I can't share too much as I don't want to give anything away. Dogs figure prominently in several of my books. Especially pugs. So here are Buster and Daisy from The Dating List. 
 Colin pulled into the driveway of the big Victorian house which started a cacophony of barking from inside. By the time they started up the walk, they were assault by Buster and Daisy, the Andrews’ family pugs, jumping up to plant wet kisses on unsuspecting faces. Leah laughed as Buster leapt up to lick her face. Colin tried to pull him down but the persistent pug made another attempt and connected.            “I’m sorry. I forgot to warn you about the dogs.”             “They’re adorable!”  Leah laughed as she wiped her cheek with her hand. The dogs ran to the front door then back to Colin and Leah.       When front door opened, Leah caught her first glimpse of Colin’s parents. Mary, an attractive brunette, wearing an apron had her arms wrapped around her torso. John, tall with thick silver hair, wore a dark plaid flannel shirt held an unlit pipe in one hand and the doorknob in the other.            Mary engulfed her son in a quick hug while her husband motioned them inside. Colin took Leah’s hand and led her into the warm entryway. After introductions were made, John took coats then ushered the lovers to the blazing fire.  
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"EVERYONE WINS" CONTEST - NOW AND FOREVER, CALLIE'S STORY!

Welcome to the "Everyone Wins" contest today. Leave a comment and you're guaranteed to win a copy of  Now and Forever, Callie's Story in either Kindle format or PDF. One lucky winner will be chosen to win any one of my other books, too.
Here's a bit about the book:

Callie Richards led the life of a typical teenager until tragedy turned her world upside down. Rootless and lonely, she wanders into the life of Kyle Maine, a handsome young man who befriends her. Their friendship grows into love that thrives over the years until Kyle makes an unexpected choice in this emotional and sensuous prequel to Now and Forever 1, a Love Story. Brief Excerpt:    Kyle Maine drove his truck along Route 15 where it passed the cemetery, singing along to the Buddy Holly song, “It’s So Easy to Fall in Love.” It had been a good afternoon until he glanced to the right and saw a young girl fall to her knees amid the headstones. He slowed his truck and pulled onto the shoulder to watch, not wishing to intrude on someone’s grief but concerned. He couldn’t tell if he knew the girl at first since she was quite a distance away. But with sudden clarity, he recognized the sway of her hair in the breeze and the shape of her body. It was a shape a healthy young man wouldn’t forget. Callie Richards. He steered his truck into the parking lot.             Callie rocked back on her heels and buried her face in her hands. A sense of overwhelming loneliness swept over her until she felt two strong hands pulling her to her feet. The hands turned her around and two powerful arms enveloped her in an embrace against a warm body. She peeked up to see the solemn face and piercing blue eyes of Kyle Maine looking down at her. Callie rested her palms on his hard chest and laid her cheek there, too, still crying. He kissed her hair and held her until she stopped sobbing, gulping air and shaking. Emotionally spent, she softened against him like a pat of butter in the sun.               He stroked her back, keeping one arm firmly around her waist. She closed her eyes and drank from his strength. The faint smell of soap clung to his masculine scent.               “It’s okay, beautiful,” he murmured. 
LEAVE A COMMENT WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDY AND CHOICE OF EITHER KINDLE OR PDF. THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY! WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN MONDAY NIGHT.  Click here to go to my website for info on my books.

FUN STATE FACTS

Welcome, thanks for visiting! Here's something a little different. State facts you might not know. Did you know...

Pennsylvania
1. In 1909 the first baseball stadium was built in Pittburgh.
2. Drake Well Museum in Titusville is on the site where Edwin L. Drake drilled the world's first oil well in 1859 and launched the modern petroleum industry. 
 3.  Pennsylvania is the only original colony not bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. 
 4. Kennett Square is known as the Mushroom Capital of the World. 
 5. Indiana County is the Christmas Tree capital of the world. 


Georgia
1. In Gainesville, the Chicken Capital of the World it is illegal to eat chicken with a fork. 
 2. Georgia is the largest state east of the Mississippi River. 
 3. Coca-Cola was invented in May 1886 by Dr. John S. Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia. The name "Coca-Cola" was suggested by Dr. Pemberton's bookkeeper, Frank Robinson. He penned the name Coca-Cola in the flowing script that is famous today. Coca-Cola was first sold at a soda fountain in Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta by Willis Venable. 
 4. Providence Canyon State Park, near Lumpkin, is known as the Little Grand Canyon of Georgia. 
 5. The annual Masters Golf Tournament is played at the Augusta National in Augusta every first week of April. 

New Jersey
1. Picturesque Cape May holds the distinction of being the oldest seashore resort in the United States and one of the most unique. 
 2. North Jersey has the most shopping malls in one area in the world with seven major shopping malls in a 25 sq. mile radius. 
 3.  The first Indian reservation was in New Jersey. 
 4. The first baseball game was played in Hoboken. 
 5. The first Drive-In Movie theatre was opened in Camden. 
Which fact surprised you most? Please leave a comment, I love feedback. Thanks for coming.
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LOVE LOST & FOUND!! NEW CONTEMPORARY MILITARY RELEASE!

MY NEWEST RELEASE, A MILITARY ROMANCE, WRITTEN WITH BEN TANNER.
 A bit about the book:
 What do a Marine who received a “Dear John” letter and a journalist who dumped her cheating fiancé have in common? Nothing, outside of being heartbroken over lost love. But when they accidentally end up next to each other jetting to a Caribbean paradise, they do share one thing: mutual attraction. Friendship between Tara Mason and Sergeant Mick Peterson grows quickly through a few dates on St. Thomas. An argument coupled with a blunder strand them on a small deserted Caribbean island.
In the midst of nothing but sand and water, possible starvation leading to death, old wounds heal. While working together to survive, Mick and Tara fall in love. Love found in their own private Eden is soon challenged in life-threatening ways when they return to the mainland. Long separations, danger and loneliness test their devotion. Is the love they’ve found strong enough to withstand what life throws at them?    
Short Excerpt  Tara is moved away from a harrassing man on the plane to St. Thomas. She ends up next to Sergeant Mick Peterson.                                      *   *   *   *   *   *
“I’m Mick. Don’t worry about me, I’m going to sleep,” he said, before rolling on his side and closing his eyes.Mick slept for fifteen minutes, but woke up again. Damn conditioning. I wanted to sleep. Now that he was awake he glanced at Tara, who was engrossed in her book, checking her out. Slim—not skinny, beautiful auburn hair…to her shoulders, perfect breasts, cute nose with a few freckles—pretty. As she turned the pages, he noticed the white mark on her finger from a ring, but no ring. Something she was reading must have struck her as funny because a grin lit up her face. Wow.Tara glanced at him out of the corner of her eye then her gaze met his.“Sorry, didn’t mean to stare. Can’t sleep. You’re…uh…well…um, really pretty. Please forgive me, don’t be scared, which—after what happened I’m sure you are. Go back to your book, I won’t bother you.” Color crept into his cheeks.
Buy Link 

Secret Cravings Publishing

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Meet Tara Mason - LOVE, LOST & FOUND - PART 3

Tara has confronted her fiance about his cheating and thrown his engagement ring in his face. She left the hotel in tears and jumped in a cab to go home:


In the taxi, Tara broke down and sobbed. The driver tossed a box of tissues in the back and shot  a sympathetic look at her in his rearview mirror
“He ain’t worth it, honey,” the driver said.“You can say that again.” She plucked two tissues from the box and blew her nose.She whipped out her cell phone, took a breath to steady her voice and dialed.“Mom, stop the plans. The wedding is off. As of now, that’s when. I’m all right, Mom…I know you never liked him. Now I agree. I’m sorry about your deposit and…and…all this,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “Don’t come, Mom. I need to be alone. Yeah. I know. Thanks, Mom. I love you, too.”She hung up the phone and watched the big buildings pass by as the taxi took her up Park Avenue to 79thStreet, where it made a left turn to ride through the park to the West Side.  Music from the radio filled the car. Then she heard it…”Kokomo” by The Beach Boys. Key Largo…Montego Bay…beautiful, romantic beaches. Making love with Paul in the moonlight. Her heart was heavy with disappointment. The image of their honeymoon resort flashed in front of her eyes, luring her, mocking her. She’d lose an amazing, sexy two weeks there, along with everything else. It was almost too much to bear.
The song continued…the lyrics taunting her. She never wanted to get away from it all so much in her life. An idea leapt into her brain. The car pulled up in front of the brownstone where she lived. She paid the driver and flew up the stairs into her building. She turned on her computer, singing “Kokomo” as she stripped off her business clothes. Standing in her lacy bra and panties by the window watching the sun peek out from behind a dark cloud, she picked up her cell phone and called her boss. “Remember the letter of resignation I gave you, Al? Can you rip it up? Seems I’m not going to work for Paul after all.”“Don’t know if I can give your exact job back, Tara, but we’ll find something for you.”“Hey, I’ll take city desk, if I have to.”“You’ve always got a job here, sweetheart.”“Thanks, Al,” she said, tearing up, “just one thing.”“What’s that?”“The honeymoon time you were giving me?”“Cancel it?”“Not exactly. I want to take it now, instead of three months from now.”“Now?”“Yup.”“I suppose you’ll explain all this to me when you get back.”“How did you guess? What would I do without you?”“Somebody has to take care of you…”“Love you. See you in two weeks.” She found “Kokomo” on her iTunes account and played it…putting it on repeat. She needed to keep hearing the words. Tara started to dance, shaking her hips and singing along. Sitting down at the computer, she logged in and located her honeymoon travel plans. An evil smile curled her lips. Paul left the arrangements to her but used his credit card. Hah! She exchanged the two plane tickets for one first class ticket and a luxury suite accommodation at the resort. “Suck it, Paul, you owe me. Departure, tomorrow…” she said aloud to no one, as “Kokomo” continued to play on her computer.After she clicked on “Save changes”, she got up and pulled out her suitcase.  Still singing, she examined the sexy “honeymoon” lingerie and nighties in her drawer. Light blue with lace, sheer pink, black…all selected to go perfectly with her auburn hair and green eyes. Screw it! She grabbed them all and put them in the suitcase. You never know…  COMING OUT SEPTEMBER 25 Click here to go to my website for more info on my books.