Janet Lee Barton's Blog, page 2

New Book Release

REBECCA’S STORY IS OUT!

It’s February and the release month for A DAUGHTER’S RETURN. This is Rebecca’s story and the 4th story in my LIH BOARDINGHOUSE BETROTHALS SERIES. I’m so excited! I loved writing this story about Mrs. Heaton’s daughter.

Right now, I’m on the lookout for it. If you see it in a bookstore or Wal-Mart, I’d love it if you’d let me know.

And if you want a chance to win it AND the first 3 books in the series, just sign up for my newsletter on my webpage: www.janetleebarton.com

You’ll be added to the other subscribers and I’ll do a drawing on March 1st!

Until next time,

Janet

Writing News and a peek at my newest cover

 

Hi everyone. I’m so excited that I’ve just received the cover for my February release, A Daughter’s Return, the 4th story in the Boardinghouse Betrothal series. I LOVE the covers LIH has given me! AND I’ve just signed a contract for two more novels in that series, and I’m so thrilled about it, I’m celebrating by starting a newsletter and  having my husband pick a number and giving away the first 3 books in that series to whomever is that number in my list. If you’d like to have a chance to win them, all you need to do is sign up for my newsletter here–the sign up is on the right hand side of the page.

I promise not to flood your mailbox with newsletters—they’ll probably come out seasonally at most. I’ll announce the winner in the first newsletter out. The sign up is on the right side of the page. While I’d love to have your name so I can announce it in the newsletter, all you have to enter is your email address–and it will never be sold or given away.

If your name is chosen and you’ve read the series, I’ll give you a copy of this one.

Until next time,

Janet

 

Novella Christmas sale in October? Maybe Thanksgiving and Christmas?

I love Fall. In celebrating it, I’ve got three novellas on sale for 99 cents each at Amazon–all of which have both Thanksgiving and Christmas in them. Love writing about both wonderful Holidays!  If you like reading about them, I think you’ll enjoy these.

On sale now–click on each cover to take you to their page:

 

 

 

 

 

Until next time,

Janet

 

New Release-A Home for Her Heart

I always love September, but I’m especially excited about it this year. The third book in my Love Inspired Historical series-Boardinghouse Betrothals, A HOME FOR HER HEART, releases this month and should be in your local Wal-Mart very soon, or it’s available on-line now.

I’m very excited that A HOME fOR HER HEART has received a 4 1/2 star “Top Pick” from Romantic Times Magazine. I love writing these stories and hope you enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed writing it!

From the back-cover:

Magazine writer Elizabeth Anderson has sparred with newspaper reporter John Talbot for years. Though they cover similar stories, John thinks Elizabeth’s writing is trivial, and she finds him too boastful. So when they must work together to investigate New York City’s worst tenement houses, they’re surprised by the great team they make.

Despite their professional rivalry, John and Elizabeth begin to trust each other as they grow from competitors, to friends, to something more. But then John makes a startling discovery that would break the story—and Elizabeth’s heart—wide-open. John’s always been driven by his career—can he give up one dream for another?

Boardinghouse Betrothals: Hearts taking shelter—and forging new beginnings

Look for book four, A DAUGHTER’S RETURN, releasing in February of 2015

Newest Novel–Stormy’s Rainbow now in all formats

 

I am so excited that Stormy’s Rainbow is finally out in all formats!  It’s at Amazon.com e-book and print, and most other online retailers in e-book.  This is the first contemporary novel I’ve had out in several years and takes place in my home state of New Mexico. Could be the first in a series–haven’t decided yet. I’d love to know what you think in the comments below!

It’s a reunion story about two people who think they’ll never find love and once they meet up again, they are sure of it. Stormy and Chance live in two different worlds. She’s a famous country music artist and he’s the chip-on-his shoulder cowboy who rejected her ten years earlier–but their feelings for each other have never gone away. Will they ever realize that the Lord has a plan for them? Or that it is possible to blend their two different worlds?

Until next time,

Janet

Newest Novel–Stormy’s Rainbow

 

I am so excited that Stormy’s Rainbow is finally out!  It’s at Amazon.com, now in e-book and will be at other e-book  and paperback retailers soon!. This is the first contemporary novel I’ve had out in several years and takes place in my home state of New Mexico. Could be the first in a series–haven’t decided yet. I’d love to know what you think in the comments below!

It’s a reunion story about two people who think they’ll never find love and once they meet up again, they are sure of it. Stormy and Chance live in two different worlds. She’s a famous country music artist and he’s the chip-on-his shoulder cowboy who rejected her ten years earlier–long before he became a minister. Will they ever realize that the Lord has a plan for them? Or that it is possible to blend their two different worlds?

Until next time,

Janet

Writing News

 

It’s been a busy few months–getting the fourth Boardinghouse Betrothal’s book in to my editor and then working on a proposal for the next two books in that series. I’m so excited that this series will keep going for a while.

The third book in the series, A Home for Her Heart, will be coming out this September and the fourth, A Daughter’s Return, will be coming out next April. I hope you’ll like them as much as I liked writing them. And, I’m really excited about the two stories I’ve proposed for the fifth and sixth books and hope my editor likes them as well as I do.

I’ll be writing again about A Home for Her Heart when it’s release date nears, but it can be preordered online now. I love the cover–what do you think?

 

And I have more writing news–I’ve been working on a new contemporary novel, set in my birth state of New Mexico. It will be out in Ebook in early July and you’ll be able to order it on-line. It’s called Stormy’s Rainbow and I loved writing it.  Here is a peak at its cover. What you think? It’s one of my very favorites, too!

I do love writing the Boardinghouse Betrothal series for LIH so very much, but I’ve always liked writing contemporary stories, too, and I love this one!  I hope you will too!

Just wanted to catch up–before edits come for the book coming out in April–to let you know what’s coming up next. Love this writing life!

Until next time,

Janet

 

Land Run Brides

With the anniversary of the 1889 Oklahoma Land Run falling tomorrow, April 22nd, and the upcoming June release of the Barbour 3-in-1 of this series, called LAND RUN BRIDES, I wanted to repost how it came about.

I loved writing this series. Guthrie, OK is just down the highway from where I live and it was so much fun doing research there. The historic downtown area is a National Historic Landmark and it is like walking back in time to stroll up and down its streets. The idea for the series was born doing just that.

It didn’t take long to come up with all kinds of ideas on what might have happened in this town that grew almost overnight into the Territorial Capitol and then the first state Capitol.

Settlers came from all over to turn this town into one that equaled those back East in what it offered its’ citizens. There were restaurants, and all kinds of businesses.

From the very beginning, there were theaters and opera houses, hotels and boarding houses and streets of lovely homes–and many of these still exist, preserved to bring the past to life.

First up was I’D SOONER HAVE LOVE, a story of two of the first settlers in the area and how they fell in love with each other and their new city.

Unable to give her husband children, Faith Anderson watched his love change to disappointment before he died in a riding accident. She’s determined never to marry again, and instead plans to build a new life in Guthrie, Oklahoma along with thousands of other settlers who have rushed to the area.

But that was before she met Gabe Logan, a man whose simple presence maker her heart race and whose kindness to others begins to warm her heart–in spite of her best efforts to remain cold. Gabe himself has secrets in his past that he’s convinced will keep any self-respecting woman from wanting to marry him. But that doesn’t stop his traitorous heart from falling for Faith.

If the past were different, Gabe and Faith would sooner have love. Will they let their fear of disappointment and rejection keep them from accepting the love God has placed in their paths?

That story led me to want to tell Faith’s brother’s story in SOONER SUNRISE about two lonely hearts who long for each other.

Once Ben Thompson finds out that the Sam Carter he saved from a burning tent is really a lovely young woman named Samantha, a tiny spark of love is ignited between them. But Sam is determined to keep it from growing into a flame. She has a past she’s running from and she’s determined never to trust her heart to a man. Not even one as dependable as Ben.

Ben is just as determined to convince Sam that God Brought them together for a reason. Just as she’s beginning to believe that might be true, her past catches up with her and she’s ready to run again. Can Ben convince Sam that he and his family will not hold her accountable for the rumors spreading against her? She’d bring more hurt to them by leaving than any rumor ever could. Will she run or stay and fight for the love they both long for?

But Guthrie wasn’t the only place settled during the land rush. Oklahoma City grew at a rapid pace and two decades later, in SOONER SUNSET, this family finds the town it helped to settle is in a battle to keep the capital right where it is. Charity Logan likes her life just as it is. She has the best of both worlds, living and working in Guthrie during the week and spending her weekends in Oklahoma City with her parents most weekends. She’s always prided herself on hr ability to make decisions–but that was before the governor’s campaign to move Oklahoma’s capital from her hometown to the city. And it was before she met Luke Johnson, a reporter she’s falling in love with but can’t find it in herself to trust.

From the moment Luke meets Charity, he is drawn to her inner and outer beauty. Luke’s career as a reporter working for one of Oklahoma’s influential newspapers has been his top priority, and he’s never before been interested in courting a woman–until Charity. But no matter what he does to prove his love, Luke knows something is holding Charity back.

How will Charity find the courage to trust in the midst of an uncertain world? As the sunset appears to be falling on the first Sooner capital, will Luke and Charity find a hope to unite them as they face a new day?

 If you’d like a copy of all three stories together in one book, look for it to come out in June of this year. It is now available for pre-order in print or e-book at most online bookstores.

 

 

 

 

A new cover for one of my favorite novellas

Is it really February already? I’ve been working on edits on A Home For Her Heart–Elizabeth’s story in  my Boardinghouse Betrothal series for LIH that will be coming out in September, and I’ve started on the next story.

I have a little breathing room now, and decided to do something about the cover of Language of Love, one of my favorite novellas. I love the characters in this story–the sweet romance,  and the family feel.  But, I’ve had several people tell me that they didn’t think the cover portrayed the sweet love story. So, with February upon us, I thought I’d try a cover with a different feel–one that says romance.  But as the first one seemed a little–busy–I wanted to keep it simple and this is what I’ve come up with. What do you think?

Until  next time,

Janet

New Cover

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old Cover

 

 

Beginning to feel like Christmas

 

Well the house is decorated inside and out, and with snow outside, it is really beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!  We’re having a neighborhood open house next week, so still some tweaking to do, but it’ll be fun!

A new place sometimes means a few new decorations to go with the house, so I chose teal colored ones that seemed to be in this year and they go great with the colors in our living-room.

 

 

 

 

I love lights–they always serve to remind me that Christ is the light of the world and I can’t seem  get enough of them. I have them on any garland we have in the room.

 

 

 

 

Mr. and Mrs. Santa have been with us for quite a while and our grandchildren expect to see them each year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And to show you how nice the snow looks from our front porch, here’s a picture of it right after our snow. I love how peaceful it is where we live! I hope it’s feeling a lot like Christmas where you are!

 

 

 

 

 

And just in case you still need a little nudge, and have a Kindle, I think my novella, THE COOKIE JAR, might help a little. If you click on the cover, it will take you to Amazon.

It really is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!  Wherever you are, I hope you all enjoy the lights, and that they serve to remind you of our precious Lord and Savior as they do me.

Until next time, Janet