Friday, February 7, 2014

Why Wait - Ginger Simpson



WHY WAIT FOR A WINNER WHEN THERE ARE PLENTY OF WINNERS TO CHOOSE FROM with Ginger Jones Simpson at www.gingersimpson.com

Why won’t Meagan Murphy’s father allow her to date anyone in uniform? He must have reasons he hasn’t shared, but contrary to Daddy’s rules, Meg meets Ryan Cullen while volunteering at the USO and throws caution to the wind. Ryan only has a short time before his unit ships out, and Meagan intends to make the most of the time they have left together. His parting gift is a ring on her finger and a request that she wait for him to return. Will he make it home to ask permission for her hand…or are all those nightly radio newscasts about mounting casualties warning her to prepare for the worst?

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Countdown to Valentine's Day - Ginger Simpson

Click Here to proceed to  my Pinterest Board - By Karen Cote


Betrayed by Ginger Simpson The advertisement claimed: “Find your true love; we’ll match you with the person of your dreams.” Their irritating spam clogged her computer inbox. "Free tonight? Let’s chat." Cassie Fremont thought of hitting the ‘trash’ button, but the promises were alluring. Divorced and so lonely, Cassie signs up for the on-line dating service. What she doesn’t know is the cost of the ticket for her ride on the romantic roller coaster from hell. See more at http://www.gingersimpson.com

And stay tuned for the next "Relationship" story - Deceived.  Coming one of these days...after I finish Yellow Moon.  :)

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Killarney Sheffield's Foster Parenting Video

Books We Love author Killarney Sheffield is very involved with the BC Ministry of Child and Social Services to encourage  foster care in Canada. In this great video, Killarney talks about how she came through the system herself. Please check it out!






Find out more about Killarney's BWL titles here, and follow the links to her website, blog and Facebook pages. http://bookswelove.net/sheffield.php




Thursday, January 30, 2014

A Look into the Life of Officer and Author Ron Crouch

by DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard

From The Standard article, found here

NORTH DURHAM: After a 35-year career in law enforcement spanning two continents, local North Division police officer Ron Crouch will be hanging up his badge this week.


The veteran officer has been with Durham Regional Police since 1992 after beginning his career in law enforcement in his native England in 1978. Since 2002, Officer Crouch has worked out of DRPS’ North Division.


However, his journey to become a police officer began several years earlier.  "It was 1971, and human rights was in its infancy, so they turned me down because I was too short. Half an inch too short," said Officer Crouch.


So, instead Officer Crouch joined the Merchant Navy as a navigator, an adventure that allowed him the opportunity to see the world.


"I had this romantic idea of girls in grass skirts and tropical islands." recalled Officer Crouch "During the next six years I worked aboard oil tankers, including super tankers, general cargo ships and container ships. I never did meet any girls in grass skirts during that time, but I sure saw a lot of sea and a lot of desert and had many adventures along the way. My fondest memories are of navigating the Norwegian fjords."


In January 1978, Officer Crouch joined the Sussex Police, and was posted to the busy seaside town of Brighton for 11 years before spending an additional 18 months in the village of Storrington.


It was a turbulent time in the UK, and according to Officer Crouch, led to several violent incidents.


"Respect for the police was nonexistent. Just about every arrest resulted in a fight; few were willing to come quietly." Officer Crouch told The Standard. "This was the era of riots across the UK, including the almost decapitation of Constable Keith Blakelock during the Brixton riots."


In July of 1990, Officer Crouch arrived in Canada after 10 years of applications, but the trip was almost very short-lived.


"I almost went back in the first hour, because I ran into Canadian bureaucracy," said Officer Crouch.


After a series of jobs, and subsequent lay-offs led him to almost return to his native England after just 18 months, Officer Crouch was hired by Durham Regional Police, spending time in the Major Crimes Unit in Oshawa before heading to North Division in 2002.


Widely respected throughout the department, the interview with The Standard prior to his final night shift on the force was frequently interrupted by well-wishing comrades who came to pay respect to Officer Crouch.


"Ron genuinely wants to help people - even career criminals - he wants to get to the root of the problem so that he never has to see you again for the wrong reasons," said Constable Craig Mullen. "The compassion that he shows people, I haven’t seen in another officer that I’ve worked with."


According to Officer Mullen, the positive impact Officer Crouch has had on the community over his 11 years at North Division is evident everyday.


"Not a single day goes by that someone doesn’t stop to thank Ron for the things he’s done to help them and the way he’s treated them," added Officer Mullen.


Aside from his career in law enforcement, Officer Crouch is also an avid painter as well as a writer.


In recent years, Officer Crouch has self-published a children’s book and had two adult books published by Books We Love, a crime/romance novel set in Ontario and a crime mystery set in England. As retirement from the force looms, Officer Crouch is looking forward to publishing a memoir of his experiences over a 35-year career in policing.


In a career marked by highs and lows, it’s the camaraderie of the position that Officer Crouch will remember most fondly.


"What I think I’ll miss most is the banter and laughter in the locker room at the end of the shift between he crossover of the two platoons," Officer Crouch said. "And the old guys I sit with in the morning at McDonald’s."


His legacy of compassion for all people will live on through the efforts of those proud to have served alongside him with DRPS.


"Ron has taught me aspects of policing that I’ll carry over through my career and pass on to younger officers," Officer Mullen said. "Ron has made me a better police officer." 


Find Ron's BWL titles here




Saturday, January 25, 2014

IT'S BECOMING PAINFUL TO WATCH TV by Ginger Simpson


I've always been very open to suggestion and even had to stop watching Marcus Welby M.D. in my youth because I manifested the same symptoms the morning after I viewed an episode. Now don't class me as a hypochondriac... there's a vast difference between inventing illness and mimicking one.

I thought I had a pretty good handle on that problem, but now I have to worry about the side affects of the medicines I take...you know all those things they babble at sound faster than the speed of light at the end of the recommending ad?. Would you rather have RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome) or a severe gambling problem? I'm not sure. Depends on my luck, I guess.

Although I don't suffer from the condition, I'm thrilled that those with genital warts are trying to protect their partner by taking a little pill a day, but how happy will they be when their mates suffer a stroke? How about that commercial that shows someone slumbering restfully after ingesting just one little tablet? How peaceful can you sleep when complex behaviors such as “sleep-driving” have been reported by people taking the drug. I kid you not! And what about this epidemic of penile flacidity? Is that even a word? Has this always been a problem and if so, why are we forced to hear about it now? Shouldn't that be a personal issue?

I take medication for atrial fibrillation that comes with a warning list a mile long. I can't take over-the-counter cold medicines because I might have a stroke, and if I combine it with a certain anti-depressant, I might become suicidal. Next thing I know, I won't be able to have sex on a night with a full moon in any month beginning with J.

What happened to the days when we didn't have to hear about feminine itching, hemorrhoids and especially sexual dysfunction. Do we really want to see a couple who has that problem, see the twinkle in their eye and know their business? I don't. I'm an author and I believe in a good romance, but I like something left to the imagination. Don't you?

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Killing Your Darlings

or The Dangers of Thinking 'Outside the Box'...by Jenna Byrnes

This post was originally written a few years ago when I was a regular columnist on the 'Oh Get A Grip' blog. Hope you enjoy the reboot!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I thought long and hard about the subject this week, "Killing your darlings."

Huh.

None of my darlings has ever died.

You see, I write HEA. Happily ever after. Killing off one of the main characters works directly against the HEA affect I strive to achieve.



Do I ever put them through torment before that last page is turned? Duh. Books need conflict, or there won't be an interesting story. Most often, the conflict involves something dreadful that's keeping Boy #1 away from Boy #2 (or Girl #1, if you swing in that direction!) As with most good movies or TV shows, the conflict could usually be solved if an objective third party would sit Numbers 1 and 2 down and set them straight with the facts. But that wouldn't be nearly as much fun.

Recently, I tried to kill off a character. Not a main, but a secondary 'snitch' that had a fairly decent role in a cop short story I wrote. As usual, I sent it to my second set of eyes, Jude Mason, for editing. She sent it back with some red marks, some nice comments, and the phrase, "I don't think killing that guy is going to work."

Harumph.

It was my story, and I wanted the dude to die, so I left it in. I got the acceptance back with a contract and short note from my editor, "I really don't think that guy should die at the end. Not a very 'romance novel' thing to do."

Well, whaddaya know? Jude Mason was right. LOL (Okay, she usually is. But sometimes I fight it as much as possible.) And so, with the click of a few keyboard keys, the snitch was pulled back from the brink of death and was healing nicely by the end of the story. I didn't really mind making the change, but sometimes I question the 'in the box' parameters that romance writers have to stick with. I get tired of men who must be alpha males, and just once, I'd like to send one careening over a cliff at the end of a book. I know, I know...not a very 'romance novel' thing to do. But I've often wanted to try my hand at horror. Maybe there, it would work.

Heh heh heh! 



Jenna Byrnes
Page Scorching Erotic Romance
http://www.jennabyrnes.com/
http://bookswelove.net/jennabyrnes.php  




Monday, January 13, 2014

The Back Nine


 


 I FIRST STARTED READING  & WAS READING FAST UNTIL I REACHED
THE THIRD SENTENCE. I STOPPED AND STARTED OVER READING SLOWER AND
THINKING ABOUT EVERY WORD. THIS EMAIL IS VERY THOUGHT PROVOKING. MAKES
YOU STOP AND THINK. READ SLOWLY!

 AND THEN IT IS THE WINTER OF YOUR LIFE€¦   TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU'VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU'LL EVER BE,

SO ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.

 You know ... time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware
of the passing years It seems just yesterday that I was young, just
married and embarking on my new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it
seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that
I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my
hopes and dreams.

 But, here it is... the "€œback nine" of my life and it catches me by
surprise...How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where
did my youth go?

 I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that
those older people were years away from me and that “I was only on
the first hole” and the "back nine" was so far off that I could
not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like.

 But, here it is...my friends are retired and getting gray...they move
slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse
shape than me...but, I see the great change...Not like the ones that I
remember who were young and vibrant...but, like me, their age is
beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see
and never thought we'd become.

 Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for
the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore... it's mandatory!
Cause if I don't on my own free will.. I just fall asleep where I sit!

 And so...now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all
the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do
things that I wish I had done but never did!! But, at least I know,
that though I’m on the “back nine”, and I'm not sure how long it
will last...this I know, that when it's over on this earth...it's over.
A new adventure will begin! Yes, I have regrets. There are things I
wish I hadn't done...things I should have done, but indeed, there are
many things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a lifetime.

 So, if you're not on the “back nine” yet...let me remind you, that
it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to
accomplish in your life please do it quickly! Don't put things off too
long!! Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can
never be sure whether you're on the 'back nine" or not!

 You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your
life...so, live for today and say all the things that you want your
loved ones to remember...and hope that they appreciate and love you for
all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!!

 "Life" is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to
those who come after. Make it a fantastic one. LIVE IT WELL! ENJOY
TODAY! DO SOMETHING FUN! BE HAPPY ! HAVE A GREAT DAY Remember "It is
health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver. LIVE
HAPPY IN 2014!

 LASTLY, CONSIDER THIS: ~Your kids are becoming you......but your
grandchildren are perfect! ~Going out is good.. Coming home is better!
~You forget names.... But it's OK because other people forgot they even
knew you!!! ~You realize you're never going to be really good at
anything.... especially golf. ~The things you used to care to do, you
no longer care to do, but you really do care that you don't care to do
them anymore. ~You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV blaring
than in bed. It's called "pre-sleep". ~You miss the days when
everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF" switch.. ~You tend to use
more 4 letter words ... "what?"..."when?"...” ??? ~Now that you can
afford expensive jewelry, it's not safe to wear it anywhere. ~You
notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless"?!!! ~What used to
be freckles are now liver spots. ~Everybody whispers. ~You have 3 sizes
of clothes in your closet.... 2 of which you will never wear. ~~~But
Old is good in some things: Old Songs, Old movies, and best of all, OLD
FRIENDS!!

 Stay well, "OLD FRIENDS!" ! It's Not What You Gather, But What You
Scatter That Tells What Kind Of Life You Have Lived.



 HAPPY NEW YEAR MY FRIENDS

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