On July 12, I boarded a plane and set off for sunny San Diego and my first RWA national conference. Since joining RWA last fall, I’d been mulling over attending. I had plenty of reasons why I shouldn’t go (I haven’t joined a chapter yet, the only people I knew I hadn’t met in person, my hubs would have to take off time to watch the kids, etc) which spurred me to go.

In my life, if I’m feeling intimidated by something I know that’s when I need to (insert your favorite cliche–dig deep, suck it up) and go for it.

And I’m so glad I did.

Heading into the conference, I’ve been kind of hitting a wall with my five year plan. Year one I published three novels in two series. I’m in year two and have published two novels, am finalizing edits on another, and need to write one more. I’m working on novellas for those series too, but then my plan kind of hit a dead-end.

I love self-publishing, I love working with Kindle Press, but I would like to still go after publication with one of the houses as well.

At the conference, inspiration struck for a new novel. My current plan is to finish the books I’m working on for my series and then start this new project and hopefully submit in the winter. I’m really excited about this book and can see how I can develop it into a series that will either be published traditionally or I’ll go the self-pub route again (so sign up for my newsletter for more info eepurl.com/bS6den )

Beyond inspiration, getting the chance to talk to other authors, to meet some of my online friends in person, learning from the workshops, and networking made me so glad that I went. And has me figuring out how to make it to Orlando next year.

 

Throughout June and July, check out the hashtag #RomanticIdea to discover great books and romantic ideas for summer by the experts-romance authors.

 

BLURB:

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

Single mom Layne Slater thought she’d seen the last of Jason McAndry when he chose the rodeo over her and their unborn son. Now Jason’s back in Cowboy Creek and just as handsome as ever. But Layne can’t give in to those feelings again. She has to protect her children…and her heart.

Jason wants to try to make up for the pain he caused when he left. The least he can do is help Layne while he’s home. Before long, Jason realizes he’s finally ready to be the husband, father and man his family deserves. But can Jason prove to Layne that this time, their love is forever?

LINKS:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Books-A-Million ~ Harlequin ~ IndieBound

EXCERPT:

This clip shows one of the first times my cowboy hero, Jason, is alone with the young son he has only just met:

The bear looked well loved, with its fur matted in some places and its cloth body worn bare in others. Had Scott gotten the bear as a birthday gift? Had he slept with it ever since? Did he like it better than the panda he had just grabbed from the bed?

“Have to hug Teddy,” Scott said.

“What?”

“Morning now. Have to hug Teddy,” Scott said again. He wrapped his arms around the panda hard enough to squeeze the stuffing from it. “See?”

Jason froze. He was a rodeo rider and a hard-riding wrangler, and he didn’t hug anything that wasn’t female and wearing a dress and willing to hug him back. He didn’t do stuffed animals.

“Have to hug Teddy,” Scott said yet again.

He could hear the slight tremor in the boy’s voice and see his puzzled frown. Evidently, Layne had made those early-morning hugs a family tradition. He swallowed hard, trying to ease the lump in his throat. “Yeah,” he mumbled. “Hug Teddy.” Feeling like a fool, he wrapped his arms around the little cloth body. Feeling worse, he watched the smile brighten his son’s face and wished he could hug his boy instead.

How many mornings like this had he missed over the years? He didn’t want to think about it, refused to count the days. There would be too many for him to handle and way too many for him ever to replace.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Barbara White Daille lives with her husband in the sunny Southwest. Though they love the warm winters and the lizards in their front yard, they haven’t gotten used to the scorpions in the bathroom.

A larger print reissue of A Rancher’s Pride, book one in Barbara’s popular Flagman’s Folly series, is now available exclusively from Harlequin, while the e-book version is available everywhere. Cowboy in Charge, the next book in The Hitching Post Hotel series (July), is now available for pre-order, with other books in the series to follow. At the end of 2016, she begins a new sweet romance series for Entangled Bliss.

SUMMER #ROMANTICIDEA:

Many people I know love to watch movies but tend to wait and see them at home. That’s great, but for a special treat, shake up the routine and take your significant other to a movie theater.

Of course, in the hot summer months, a big draw is getting to kick back and relax in air-conditioned comfort. Along with that, you get a night out together, away from everyone and everything else. You’ll also have access to some of your favorite snacks—and unless you make repeated trips to the concession counter, you’ll probably eat less than you would in front of the TV.

A huge thanks to Barbara for stopping by this week to wrap-up the Summer #RomanticIdea exchange on my blog.

You can find more info about Barbara and her books at the following locations:

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Newsletter ~ Blog ~ Amazon ~ Harlequin ~ Goodreads

 

Throughout June and July, check out the hashtag #RomanticIdea to discover great books and romantic ideas for summer by the experts-romance authors.

BLURB

Two injured, stubborn souls meet unexpectedly. Will they save each other from their demons or have they been too damaged for too long to see past the pain?

Growing up, all Jem knew was hatred and the pain from his father’s fists. Taunted by the kids at school, he was alone, until a girl with carrot coloured hair sat next to him.

She smiled.
She listened.
She cared.

She was his angel, and he knew he’d love her forever. But Jem’s father hurts him in a way he never expected by taking him away from her.

Now eighteen, scarred inside and out, Jem trusts no one and has worked hard to ensure he’ll never be helpless again. But then he runs into his angel. The only problem is she doesn’t recognize him. Jem needs her to remember him, to show him that their time together meant to her what it did to him. For once in his life he wants to have mattered to someone, to her.

Devon is attracted to the muscular, tattooed, pierced hottie standing by the pub quiz machine. That is, until he punches a guy clean across the bar for daring to touch him. She’s had her fill of violent men and intends to avoid this one at all costs.

LINKS

Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/Jem-Michelle-Abbott-ebook/dp/B00U65KU22

Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jem-Michelle-Abbott-ebook/dp/B00U65KU22/

EXCERPT

I pull back the duvet and try to make as few movements as possible as I crawl in beside her and let the warmth from her body and the duvet envelop me. Her red hair is splayed out across my pillow. I reach out and stroke my fingers through the silken strands. My pillowcase isn’t getting washed again. It can smell of her forever so that whenever I lay my head on it, I can pretend she’s with me. Maybe it will be okay to move a little closer. I’m right on the edge of the mattress. If I fall out of bed I’ll wake her. I scoot closer to her, close my eyes and inhale. She smells of roses. Maybe I should get her some flowers. I picture myself holding a bunch of red roses and chuckle to myself. Nah, I’m not the suave type. Maybe I’ll get a rose tattoo to remind me of her scent.

JEM book trailer https://youtu.be/nTdu_5ywpJ4

#RomanticIdea

Buy a pack of Post-it Notes and on each one write down something that you love about your partner. Put the notes where your loved one will find them: on the fridge door, in their lunchbox, inside the door of their closet, in their shoe etc.

About the Author

Michelle Abbott lives in the UK and hates describing herself in third person.

She’s a self-published author who loves to write new adult romance about heroes who begin as the underdog and are protective of their girl.

She’s an avid reader of romance, is addicted to coffee and loves wine and chocolate, so yeah, not the most healthy eating and drinking habits 🙂 She spends way too much time online when she should be writing. She collects teddy bears and occasionally knits a couple of rows on a sweater she started years ago, which she may eventually finish in time to wear for her funeral 🙂

Catch up with Michelle and learn more about her books and upcoming releases on her website, her blog, Twitter, and Facebook.