UPDATE

I got to hang out with these people this past week. They are pretty neat even if the majority of the men didn't even look at the camera. I love my family and I don't get to hang out with them very often, so I will happily take what I can get. Like I said they are pretty neat and I love them. Not pictured is my momma who was getting a pedicure!😁 I love her too.

There is a first time for everything and one of mine happened at the Rockport Book Festival. I got to sit on a panel with other romance authors and talk about my books. Yes- I was nervous, but my favorite thing to talk about is writing, so I actually had a great time. Plus I met some other fabulous romance authors. The entire festival was AMAZING and I hope I get to go back next year. 

On top of being a great book festival, it was beachside so every evening I got to sit outside and stare into the deep blue and listen to the waves crash against the shore. There is nothing more peaceful. 

In the mornings I sat outside and watched these little guys grab some breakfast.  One thing you should know, I have a thing for hummingbirds. They make me smile.

MAY RELEASES

Have mercy. My TBR is already bulging at the seams and I'm afraid this list is going to make it explode.

5/1: Wicked Sanctuary by Jane Henry

5/1: Ashes by the Shore by Nyssa Kathryn

5/2: Puck Them by Jenn Bullard

5/5: Keeping Penny by Susan Stoker

5/5: Heaven Forbid by Markia Ray

5/5: Rules for the Summer by Meghan Quinn

5/7: The Roommate Rules by Brighton Walsh

5/8: Suck, EM Lindsey and Cora Rose

5/10: Broken Like Me by Jackie Walker

5/12: Hart's Landing by Melanie Harlow

5/12: Code Name Kodiak by Heather Slade

5/14: Dial A for Attorney by Megan Wade

5/15: Flint's Strike by Patricia D. Eddy

5/18: Hat Trick by EM Lindsey

5/19: Fever Dream by Elise Silver

5/19: Seal of Rome by Eden Maddox Writes

5/19: Risk the Play by Kaylee Ryan

5/26: The Stowaway by Cara Dee

5/26: Resort Crush by Samantha Chase

5/26: Bad Boy Era by Amy Daws

5/27: Beautiful Chaos by Kelly Fox

5/28: Home and Heist by Penny Reid

5/31: Heir of Courage by Kris Michaels

NEW AUTHOR

I am so excited to introduce you to Carlita Kosty author of Training Freddie. I met Carlita at the Rockport Book Festival and let me tell you, she is a firecracker. And she has opened the door to a genre that I am not sure is touched on very often; senior romance. How cool is that?

TRAINING FREDDIE by Carlita Kosty

GRAB IT

Freddie, an animal shelter terrier, introduces us to the widow and soon-to-be-retired middle school history teacher Merle McKinney. Merle and Freddie form an instant bond when she adopts him and settles him into her San Antonio condo. It soon becomes evident that Freddie sees himself as the rescuer instead of the rescued in their relationship, and he sets about helping Merle find a new man. On a weekend visit to the Gulf coast, Merle encounters Willie - a handsome, witty, and entertaining, albeit peculiar, older gentleman. Merle is smitten, but Freddie knows Willie isn't all he seems to be. Thus begins Merle's quest and Freddie's mission.
Meanwhile, Merle is going bonkers with all the school's changing rules, useless testing, and difficult kids with clueless parents. As a venerable veteran of the Texas public schools, she loves the kids but yearns for the good-old-days when students actually paid attention in class and most of them were polite. She has pretty much had enough and starts seriously considering retirement. Advice on this topic, as well as on her turbulent love life, comes from Merle's eclectic assortment of friends. Never without wisdom to impart, Freddie has a lot to say on the subject of men. However, Merle suspects that Freddie's interest may be more self-serving than helpful.
Although Merle and Freddie's story starts in San Antonio, it takes several interludes at Merle's coastal cottage in the fictional village of Copano Beach on the Texas Gulf Coast. This is where Merle retreated to grieve after her husband's death, and this is where she goes with Freddie to get her head straight when her relationships blow up in her face. Freddie sees these hard times as opportunities to go above and beyond expectations in cheering her up. Freddie loves the coast. It has street snax, frog jerky, and frito bugs. Plus, it smells funky. Freddie loves funky.
The cottage is also where she gets to be grandma with her passel of grandkids. Freddie enjoys the raucous atmosphere of family gatherings, especially if those events include boiled shrimp dinners - something good always falls on the floor – or crabbing trips to the salt flats. Merle enjoys cooking comfort food in the cottage's old kitchen with the tall ceilings and glass-front cabinets. Working in her kitchen always makes her remember her grandmother, her 'Buela, who raised a family on the Mexican border in the early 1900s.
In addition to Freddie's running narrative of Merle's amorous adventures, Merle herself explains her frustrations and exhilarations in the new, scary world of elder dating in her journal that she hopes never falls into the hands of her grandchildren. In the end, Merle learns some very valuable lessons and Freddie has her back all the way. Women who have been reading romances all their lives and are now getting older will find a heroine they can identify with in Merle. Dog lovers will enjoy Freddie's view of events and sage doggie advice.

UPDATES

WHEW! March is done and I'm kind of glad. It started with surgery. For the curious, I had a complete hysterectomy. No more babies. But at 62 I was past that point anyway. I have been battling some issues for about 15 years. I had kept things pretty well under control until about two years ago. I'd been limping along, not feeling the greatest, until I developed some more concerning symptoms and after a few very concerning tests, the doctor said it was time to take action. I'd never had surgery before, unless you call getting your wisdom teeth out, so the whole process scared me. I found out being redheaded poses it's own issues when you have surgery. But, everything went perfectly and the good news is there was nothing concerning and had a great caretaker while I recovered, and now, I'm on the mend. 

The surgery also gave me some time to write so I've made some headway on book 3 of Elena Shores. YAY! I've got a few more chapters and then I can write THE END and pass it off to my AWESOME TEAM! Plus, once that book is on it's way to being published, book 4 will not be too far behind. I'd written it to be book 3 but SOMEONE, not naming names, (Logan) okay maybe I am, decided to throw a wrench in my best laid plans. 

EVENTS

I'll be there!

I am BEYOND excited! 

Nothing better than spending some time with my family on the beach and some time with other authors and readers signing books.

The Rockport Fulton Book Festival 

 April 25-26, 2026

at the Fulton Convention Center. (Paws and Taws)

402 N. Fulton Beach Rd. 

Fulton, TX

 Saturday April 25th, 10am-6pm.

Sunday April 26th, 10am-3pm.

CHARM CITY ROMANTICON

If you are in Maryland, this is the place to be in April

APRIL RELEASES

4/1: Consumed with Passion by Elizabeth Baker

4/5: Spring Fling Anthology by multiple authors

4/7: Captivation Creek by Claire Kingsley

4/9 Broken Mafia Man by Anneke Boshoff

4/10: Gorilla's Little Flower by Cooper McKenzie

4/11: The Hotel: Amelia by DD Lorenzo

4/14 The Price of Vengeance by Erin Fitgerald

4/15: The Forgotten Billionaire by Avery Maxwell

4/17: Garbage Man by Max Monroe

4/22: Tangled in Trouble by Harloe Rae

4/23: Renegade Hawke by Gwyn McNamee

4/24: Unfinished by Janice Whitaker

4/28: Cash by Riley Edwards

4/28: Viking Raider by Vera Bell

4/29: Rescuing Savannah by April Lynn Baker

4/30: Xander by Charissa Gracyk

4/30: Pinch Hitter by Stephanie Rose

SPOTLIGHT

The Price of Vengeance

by Erin Fitzgerald

Pre-Order Now

I followed her even though I knew better. Distance has never been enough to save me from the things I want—or the damage I leave behind.

I spared a life I was ordered to end, something that only buys time with the ruthless crime family that shares my blood. There is no debt they fail to collect.

Relocating to Colson Creek wasn’t an accident. I came to watch over the woman I swore to protect years ago, the life I spared. Hiding in a quiet Minnesota town was never part of the plan, but it gave me something I never expected: A sense of belonging. My best friend’s family welcomed me as one of their own, and for the first time, I started to believe I could be more than what I was raised to be.

I tell myself I’m here out of duty, though I know it’s also out of guilt. The truth is darker and far more dangerous, because I’ve always wanted more than her safety. I’ve wanted her.

When she learns the truth, she’ll never forgive me. But I would give up everything I am, everything I’ve ever known, to see her safe… and happy.

After a lifetime of bloodshed and vengeance, the real question isn’t whether I deserve redemption.

It’s whether love can survive the truth.

SPECIAL REQUEST

Author LJ Evans is the sweetest person and a fantastic author and she and her family are facing some challenges. She has stepped away from promoting her books to take care of her family, so I wanted to make sure I helped support her in some way. If you have some space in your TBR, take a look at her books. 

Here is her latest release.  

THE MOMENTS YOU WERE MINE

LJ Evans

Grab it

A small-town, single-dad romantic suspense.

When the woman I spent my entire life protecting is threatened, I’ll do anything to keep her safe, even break

the vows I made to never make her mine. She’s the only promise that matters now.

A Hatley Family spin-off

Check out all her books and the suggested reading order and grab a few at the link below

Grab them up

WHAT AM I READING

DEFINITELY NOT HIM

by Lisa Wells

This is such a fun read

Grab it

One thrown stiletto. One viral scandal.

Two people quietly plotting revenge.

Manhattan’s most feared fashion editor, Frankie Peterson, had a plan.

Conquer the fashion world. Check.
Avoid distractions like forever love. Check.
Stay true to her motto: Apologies are for the lily-livered. CHECK.

Then she threw a stiletto during Fashion Week.

The moment went viral.
Her reputation imploded.
And now she’s been exiled to Gi Gi’s Crossing to practice being nice.

Spoiler alert: she’s not.

Marcus DeLuca Grant is the man Frankie’s flying footwear nearly concussed. While his need to stay out of the spotlight prevents him from confronting her face-to-face, it does not stop him from arranging her punishment.

Which is how Frankie ends up in the same small town where Marcus is quietly restoring an abandoned manor.

Pretending to be a runaway heiress, Frankie arrives in a wig, leather, and a personality sweet enough to rot teeth.

She has no idea Marcus is the man behind her banishment.

And Marcus fully intends to keep it that way.

Except the longer Marcus spends around the sharp-tongued fashion editor, the harder it becomes to remember why banishing her to Gi Gi’s Crossing seemed like such a good idea in the first place.

As sparks fly and the truth edges closer to the surface, Frankie and Marcus must decide what happens when the person you planned to destroy becomes the one person you cannot walk away from.

Absolutely Not Him is Book One in the Not Him series. Each book can be read as a standalone.

 UPDATES

When life gives you lemons...

Not gonna lie, February was rough. I've been battling some medical issues for several years and in December things started to go south and just kept going. A couple of trips to the ER proved futile other than finding out Morphine made me feel super strange, and making the decision to have surgery. I'm not excited about it. In fact, I'm pretty terrified. I've never had anything more than my wisdom teeth out as far as surgery goes. But, here we are. It is happening. I know it's the right decision and on the brighter side, I will have plenty of time to finish book 3 because I won't be able to do anything for a while. So March will be pretty low key but I am SUPER excited about April because I will be meeting up with my whole family in Austin and then heading to the Rockport/Fulton Book Festival. 

Have you met the McCall brothers?

Get them both with one click Here

MARCH RELEASES

3/1: Devious Delectable Decades Anthology by various authors

3/3 The Sailor by Susan Stoker

3/3 Across the Vanishing Sky by Catherine Cowles

3/5 Combust by Kat Long

3/5: If you Keep Me by Helena Hunting

3/5 Heavens to Betsy by Marika Ray

3/6: The Memories We Made by Cara Dee

3/6 Operation: Defiance by Patricia Eddy

3/10: Mistakes were Made by Lucy Score

3/11: The Heir by Elodie Hart

3/17: Faking Cinderella by Pippa Grant

3/17 The Deal Maker by Louise Bay

3/20: Sun, Sand and Seventy-Two Hours by Jen Simmons

3/20: Fight for Us by Emily Silver

3/24: Resort Bliss by Samantha Chase

3/24: Fallen Hero by Riley Edwards

3/26: The Divine Checklist by Wren Charles

3/26: Unplanned Play by Chelle Sloan

3/27: Whispers in tihe Water by Nyssa Catherine

3/31: Veil of Vengeance by Kris Michaels

MARCH SPOTLIGHT

Sun Sand and Seventy-two Hours

by Jen Simmons

Pre-Order

I got the opportunity to read this book early and it is FABULOUS!

What is the worst possible way to be dumped? Could it include your heart being ripped apart by your best friend’s twin brother…during the throws of pleasure? I’d say that fits the bill. It does in my story, at least.

I’ve always been a hopeless romantic with my entire life planned out, so getting dumped at the beginning of the summer was a massive blow to my ego. But luckily, I have the best girlfriends a girl with a broken heart could ask for.

So, with the promise of a weekend filled with sun, sand, and seventy-two hours of fun, at the forefront of my mind I head to the beach for a long weekend with three of my besties. Because what’s the best way to get over a broken heart and get over the boy who broke it?

To get under another one!

Sun, Sand, and Seventy-Two Hours is a spicy contemporary romance guaranteed to make you believe that love can be found after experiencing heartbreak in the worst possible scenario.

WHAT AM I READING?

The Elusive Billionaire 

by Avery Maxwell

Get it here

One storm. One bed. One unforgettable night. One big mistake.

Savvy
Getting trapped with Greyson Reyes during a hurricane was not part of my plan. He’s grumpy, gorgeous, and the town’s most eligible billionaire. Oh, he’s also the man who has hated me since the day all my secrets blew up in our faces.
Worse, he’s even better at getting me naked than he is at getting under my skin. And he’s very good at that.

Grey
There’s only one thing I can’t forgive—betrayal. And Savvy Monroe not only crossed that line, she decimated it.
Now she’s stuck under my roof, in my bed, and testing every ounce of my control. The town gossip mill is placing bets on wedding bells, but I’m the kind of man who doesn’t get a happily ever after.

Which is why no one ismore surprised than I am at how protective I become when Savvy’s past comes back to haunt her.

UPDATE

And just like that, there were two!!! Have you started your journey to Elena Island?

Get both here

I am so excited for both of these books. Awaken Me was my best release yet and it's all because I have an AMAZING team behind me and wonderful readers! Reviews are coming in and they are FANTASTIC!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐It was a beautiful story that kept me on the edge of my seat.-Aimee

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐A gripping blend of romance and suspense that showcases impressive storytelling-BecReadReview.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Loved, loved this. Pulled me in from the get-go and I was hooked-JFB

NEW RELEASES for FEBRUARY

2/3: Free Falling by Jill Shalvis

2/6: Illicit Affairs, and Anthology featuring

Stella Moore, Sydney Aaliyah Michelle, L.B.

Martin, and West Greene

2/9: Guilty Silence by Freya Barker

2/10: Kept by Sarah Bale

2/10: Damaged Fox by Elizabella Baker

2/10: Revenge Fantasy byMegyn Ward

2/10" Day in the Knight by Tarina Deaton

2/10: Crimson Love by Brynn Asher

2/15: The Tale of Finding Your Way Home by Jay Fields

2/19: Jayson by Charissa Grasyk

2/20: Double Stuff by Sinistre Ange

2/20: Reclaim Me by L A Gallagher

2/24: Into the Deep by Brittney Sahin

2/25: The Moment We Made Ours by LJ Evans

2/26: Bright Lights Dark Thunder by Connor Crais

2/27: Unbroken by Janice Whitaker

2/27: Plunged by Claire Wilder

WHAT AM I READING?

Hush Darling

Avery Kingston

This book will stay with me for a long time. It's so good.

Get it

It’s time for Gia Giordano to die.

Nothing in Gia’s life had ever gone to plan. She never planned to become an orphan. She never planned to marry a dangerous, abusive man. She never planned to get pregnant. And now, there is only one way out. She has to disappear. Permanently.

This is the one thing in Gia’s life that must go according to plan.

Tanner Wilder is barely existing.

He’s spent the last three years of his life living in silent solitude with nothing but his grief and regrets. Then a snowstorm blows a beautiful, mysterious, creature into his life.

She’s nothing but trouble. Every word out of her mouth is a lie. Same as him.

So both are staying hush.

Sometimes two people don’t need words to connect.

AWAKEN ME will be in the SPOTLIGHT here

Read less

Feed your Romance Addiction