Flora Reigada's Blog, page 17

IN YOUR DREAMS-PARADISE FOUND

The historic Pritchard House in Titusville Florida, inspiration for the "Casa Martin."Imagine you have won a week of being catered to at the classy Casa Martin bed and breakfast in sunny St. Augustine, Florida. I say imagine because the elegant, Queen Anne, Victorian-style home exists only in the pages of my "Castle in the Sun" romantic-suspense series.The series follows its renovation from abandoned and run-down, into a community jewel, much like its inspiration, the Pritchard House in Titusville, Florida. See this elegant home and you will see how I envision the Casa Martin. But while the Pritchard House serves as a community museum, the Casa Martin serves guests generous helpings of fine food and southern hospitality.
In your mind's eye, step onto that welcoming porch to unload your baggage and cares. Admire the ornate, antique furnishings and framed artwork, as the hostess escorts you upstairs to the master suite.Continue your dream vacation in the pages of "Second Chance-Too Good to be True?" first in the series. 
E-book ONLY 99 cents:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LB889Z6
Cover art by: SelfPubBookCovers.com/ diversepixel

YOU'VE GOT IT IN ALL THE RIGHT PLACES

"You've got a fat butt," Liz's husband, Steve, tells her.
Liz had put on a few pounds since giving birth to twins and her husband, Steve, would not let her forget. Before taking off with a twenty-something plaything, he rips Liz apart with his words.
"I wasted my youth on you. You've let yourself go. Look at you! I don't even want you anymore." Although an accomplished artist, it has been far too long since Liz has picked up her paintbrush. She feels stifled and unattractive. The discovery of a hidden locket filled with secrets, leads Liz to Carlos, a handsome and accomplished Presidential aide who has dined in the White House and flown aboard Air Force One. He pursues Liz and wants their relationship to move forward. He finds her attractive and desirable just as she is."You've got it in all the right places," he tells her.
But Carlos has wined and dined beautiful, bejeweled women at embassies and conciliates around the world. He has earned his reputation as a womanizer. Can Liz trust him? 
Answers unfold in Second Chance-Too Good to be True? Book 1 in the Castle in the Sun romantic-suspense series
Join Liz and Rosa as they travel from New York State's
pine-scented forests, to Florida's sun kissed shores.
E-book ONLY 99 cents.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LB889Z6

SECRETS IN STONE

Ancient stone walls winding through the wilds of New York State, hide secrets and Liz discovers one of them. 










Following the clues takes Liz and best friend, Rosa, to a castle in paradise (the Castillo de San Marcos) in St. Augustine, Florida.  The Castillo de  San Marcos in St. Augustine, FloridaInside the castle, more secrets are engraved on the walls. For centuries, no one has been able to decipher their meaning. What might it all mean and how does it lead the friends to an abandoned Victorian home, an encounter with police--and romance? 
The mysterious words are barely visible.It all unfolds in Second Chance-Too Good to be True? Book 1 in the Castle in the Sun series.
E-book ONLY 99 cents: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LB889Z6


TO HEAVEN AND BACK

Carlos took off on his roaring Harley-Davidson, never imagining the fate awaiting him. He stopped at an intersection, when the speeding pickup truck smashed into him, bulldozing Carlos and his motorcycle across the road.
In an instant, he went from bleeding on the asphalt, to a radiant meadow and the joyful welcome of loved ones who had gone before.This glimpse of heaven is described in "Second Chance" the first book in my "Castle in the Sun" romantic-suspense series, coming soon. While based on actual accounts, Carlos' encounter with the beyond, is fictional.
But what happened to me is more real than the stars in the sky. I describe this glimpse of heaven in my devotional, "Where Your Heart Meets God's." I would need the comfort it imparted, because heartbreak and rejection would soon crush me to the core.
The unfolding situation bowed my shoulders as I trudged to bed that night and fell into a troubled sleep.
Then suddenly, I found myself prostrate before a king on a throne and in the presence of love infinitely greater than any I had ever known. This love surrounded me like an embrace, yet it was not only external. Like the penetrating warmth from a fireplace, it reached into my every molecule. The love was more than emotion. It was alive and it had its source in the being on the throne.
Even though I could not see him, I never thought to ask why. Whatever happened, I knew this king had my best interests at heart and was committed to my care, like a father for his dear child. Kindness was at His core.
I immediately knew this King of Love was God.
As He spoke, tenderness filled His voice—a voice that in eons past, had thundered the universe into existence.
He issued two promises, one about my children, the other about the writing career of which I had always dreamed.
He issued a third, more personal promise as a wind lifted me into a tunnel that would transport me home. That's when I caught a parting glimpse of my surroundings, which seemed to be carved into a mountain. Massive stone walls illuminated in candlelight, were reminiscent of a grotto, or the holy hush of votive candles at a church altar.
Although my problems were still there when I awoke the next morning, I knew the love that had carried me to heaven and back, would never let go.
See Exodus 33:20
See 1 John 4:8
Read more about encounters with God in their many forms and how we can recognize them in our lives, in "Where Your Heart Meets God's, Find Your Personal Treasure." 
Paperback, $10.  https://www.amazon.com/dp/1728822378
E-book also available, ONLY $1.99. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K18VT33

VISIT FLORIDA FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME

VISIT FLORIDA FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME
Fly away for a dream vacation in sun-kissed, St. Augustine, Florida, in the pages of "Second Chance-Too Good to be True," first in the "Castle in the Sun," romantic suspense series.
Join Liz and Rosa as they visit a castle in paradise and encounter mystery, romance and even danger. A plane ticket will cost hundreds of dollars, and a vacation thousands. In the pages of "Second Chance," a dream, Florida vacation can be taken for mere pennies and right from the comfort of your own home.
E-book ONLY 99 cents. Your "ticket" to a dream Florida vacation.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LB889Z6
Paperback also available: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1792112661


The Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida.
The "Castle in the Sun." Nighttime view from oceanfront condo.

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!

Danger is lurking among the trees.We never know when a minor change in our daily routine will alter the course of our life. Thirty-something Liz Bertelli had other things on her mind that fateful day she ventured from her usual walking path into New York State's pine-scented, but lonely forest. Her husband had left for a plaything in her twenties and it had been far too long since the award-winning artist had picked up a paintbrush.Liz doesn't see the mother bear with cubs until it is too late. When the bear charges, Liz runs for her life. She winds up on a new path,
where she discovers secrets in stone that take her to a castle and romance.
But will that path put Liz's already broken heart in a dangerous place? Should she again run for her life?
Find out more in "Second Chance," Book I in the "Castle in the Sun" series.
E-book ONLY 99 cents, for a limited time. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LB889Z6
Paperback also available: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1792112661
Liz's "Castle," the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida, a major setting in the book.

A TASTE OF SPAIN

Set aside your cares and enter the luxurious Florida condo featured in my "Castle in the Sun," romantic-suspense series. Enjoy the "million-dollar" ocean view.
In the kitchen, Latino hunks and brothers, Carlos and Jack Martin are preparing ethnic cuisine for love interests, Liz and Rosa.
Relax and enjoy the ocean view, photo by D.R.Vaca frita (fried cow) is on the menu. It is shredded beef, marinated in lime, garlic and salt, then seared until crispy. Yellow rice, black beans and maduros, (fried plantains) are on the side.The table is set in elegant dinnerware, and
Liz cannot resist taking a picture of her meal.Come join Liz and Carlos, Jack and Rosa, for adventure, romance and a dream Florida vacation, seasoned with a generous portion of mystery and Spanish flair.
It's all in "Second Chance With a Spanish Flair" Book 1 in the "Castle in the Sun" romantic-suspense series.
E-book ONLY 99 cents, for a limited time:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LB889Z6
Paperback also available: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1792112661
Enjoy a taste of Spain in romantic, St. Augustine, Florida.

FEAST AMONG THE PALMS

Set aside your cares and enter the luxurious Florida condo featured in my "Castle in the Sun," romantic-suspense series. Enjoy the "million-dollar" ocean view.
In the kitchen, Latino hunks and brothers, Carlos and Jack Martin are preparing ethnic cuisine for love interests, Liz and Rosa.
Relax and enjoy the ocean view, photo by D.R.Vaca frita (fried cow) is on the menu. It is shredded beef, marinated in lime, garlic and salt, then seared until crispy. Yellow rice, black beans and maduros, (fried plantains) are on the side.The table is set in elegant dinnerware, while candles flicker to the strains of romantic background music. Liz cannot resist taking a picture of her meal.Come join Liz and Carlos, Jack and Rosa, for adventure, romance and a dream Florida vacation, seasoned with a generous portion of mystery.
It's all in "Second Chance-Too Good to be True?" Book 1 in the "Castle in the Sun" romantic-suspense series.
E-book ONLY 99 cents, for a limited time:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LB889Z6
Paperback also available: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1792112661

BEAR ESSENTIALS: What if you encounter one?

Liz did everything wrong when she encountered a black bear with cubs in the woods behind her New York State home. After making eye contact, which the bear may have perceived as a challenge or threat, she ran in blind panic. The bear gave chase.Although this opening scene in my romantic-suspense novel, "Second Chance,"
 is fictional, many have had a "real life" encounter with a bear. Some do not escape.
Liz should have known better than to run. Her ex-husband was a hiker and fisherman. He had warned her.
Bears have a keen sense of smell. If you see one, don't try to run away. Back away slowly. Yell at the bear. Firmly tell it to leave. "Get out of here!" Especially beware of a mother bear with cubs.
As Liz ran, she heard the bear closing in—snapping branches, crunching on the forest floor.
Suddenly, she tripped over an exposed root, falling and striking her head against an old, stone wall. Immediately the bear was on top of her.

If only she'd heeded her ex-husband's advice. It echoes instruction given by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
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IF A BEAR BECOMES AGGRESSIVE ANDAPPROACHES YOU:Raise your arms and speak in a loud, calm voice while backing away.IF IT CHARGES YOU:Stand your groundIf you have bear spray, dispense directly at the bear. Please access the Department of Environmental Conservation website to learn about the proper use of bear spray.IF IT FOLLOWS YOU:
Stay together.Do not run, but continue to back away while speaking loudly.                                  IF THE BEAR CONTINUES TO FOLLOW YOU:
Stand your ground.Intimidate by making yourself look bigger by waving arms, clapping, shouting, banging sticks.Prepare to fight or use bear spray.IF THE BEAR MAKES CONTACT WITH YOU:Fight back with anything at hand (knife, stick, rocks, fists).
To find out more, visit:http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/94710.html
But what became of Liz? It is all revealed in "Second Chance-Too Good to be True," Book 1 in the "Castle in the Sun," series. E-book ONLY 99 cents.  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LB889Z6  
Paperback also available.  https://www.amazon.com/dp/1792112661
Cover art by: SelfPubBookCovers.com/ diversepixel

WASH A CAR WITH A WEDDING GOWN?

Before taking off with Gloria, a twenty-something plaything, Steve verbally assaults his wife, Liz. 
"I wasted my youth on you. You've let yourself go. Look at you! I don't even want you anymore."
Seeing the rage in Liz's eyes, Steve bolts for the door as she hurls a vase at him. Barely missing his head, the vase smashes into the wall.

He mocks her. "You broke it! I was going to give it to Gloria, along with your wedding gown. It's just her size and you'll never squeeze your fat butt into it again.""I'll wash the car with that dress before I give it to you and your tramp," Liz yells back.Although Steve has redeeming qualities, such as being a good father and provider for the twin sons he had with Liz, his hurtful words and actions keep Liz in emotional chains. This continues after she begins a relationship with Carlos Martín, a brilliant and  handsome Presidential aide, who has flown aboard Air Force One and dined in the White House.He says he loves her, but Steve said he loved her too. And Carlos has wined and dined beautiful, bejeweled woman at embassies around  the world. Can Liz free herself from the chains that bind her, to surrender her heart? Find out in "Second Chance-Too Good to be True?" Book 1 in the "Castle in the Sun" romance/suspense series. E-book ONLY 99 cents.  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LB889Z6 Paperback also available:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/1792112661 Cover art by
SelfPubBookCovers.com/ diversepixel
In Book 2, "Obsessed," coming soon, it's kisses and "war"on Florida's sun-drenched shores.
Cover art by:SelfPubBookCovers.com/ Daniela