Showing posts with label #connie vines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #connie vines. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

My Work in Progress: The 12 Scents Of Christmas, "Fragrance and Love Series," Novella #1 By Connie Vines #Perfume, #Fragrance Library,

Temps are in the mid-80s (26.7°) today in SoCal.  Getting into the holiday spirit takes a little work, but I'm getting the hang of it.




Scents/ fragrances are personal preferences.  While we may not like the same perfumes, colognes, or candle scents, we usually agree on the scents which represent "holidays."

The phrase 'smells like Christmas' is something we use throughout the year. 


Scents that come to mind are:

Mulled wine. 
Cinnamon. 
Pine. 
Orange. 
Clove. 
Gingerbread. 
Rosemary and Thyme.
Hot Chocolate.
An Open Fire.

What are your favorite holiday scents?
What memories come to mind when you relive that special moment?

Why are the choice of scents universal?  Because scents trigger memories.

Why are scents capable of triggering memories?

Because scent skips the thalamus, smells can enter our brains and attach to memories without us consciously registering or processing them.


3 roses from my garden

With this thought in mind, you can imagine the fragrance of my roses, correct?

Rose scent varies with the time of day. The early morning is when scents are strongest, with the most powerful scents produced by the first blooms of summer. 

When confronted by an unfamiliar scent, we must process the fragrance.

Magnolia is one of my favorite scents (having spent a great deal of my early childhood in the southern states). The large floral blossom has a sweet floral fragrance that's lightly fruity, with some comparing the scent to that of Champagne. Its fresh yet relaxing aroma makes it incredibly popular in aromatherapy.


Are there fragrances you are drawn to?  

Do you have a favorite perfume?

A favorite lotion scent?


More about more work in progress:


My setting is near the southern California coast, where abundant flowers are grown.
Since I worked as a fragrance consultant at a perfumery. You also have a peek into the perfuming process. 

Though I'm still pondering names for my Hero and Heroine.

I assure you there will be recipes for holiday treats and a few surprises.



 Follow me on Facebook/Instagram/or my blog for updates!

Remember, I post questions to my readers.  Naming my hero and heroine will be added tomorrow.







click on the link to purchase my novels :-)  
Or view my bio.


Happy Reading,

Connie








Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Eccentric (Quirky) Writing Habits? Yes, I Have a list. By Connie Vines #BWLAuthors Blog, #MFRWAUthor, #WritingTips

Most authors, of course, have personal eccentric writing practices. Fueled, no doubt by his or her personal muse. 


Agatha Christie munched on apples in the bathtub while pondering murder plots, 

Flannery O’Connor crunched vanilla wafers.

Vladimir Nabokov fueled his “prefatory glow” with molasses.

Then there was the color-coding of the musesAlexandre Dumas, for decades, he penned all of his fiction on a particular shade of blue paper, his poetry on yellow, and his articles on pink; on one occasion, while traveling in Europe, he ran out of his precious blue paper and was forced to write on a cream-colored pad, which he was convinced made his fiction suffer.

 Charles Dickens was partial to blue ink, but not for superstitious reasons — because it dried faster than other colors, it allowed him to pen his fiction and letters without the drudgery of blotting.

Virginia Woolf used different-colored inks in her pens — greens, blues, and purples. Purple was her favorite, reserved for letters (including her love letters to Vita Sackville-West, diary entries, and manuscript drafts. 

Lewis Carroll also preferred purple ink, but for much more pragmatic reasons: During his years teaching mathematics at Oxford, teachers were expected to use purple ink to correct students’ work — a habit that carried over to Carroll’s fiction.

So how do my little eccentric (or never before mentioned) writing practices measure up?  Is my personal muse quirky, dull, or out of control?

Since my quirks are normal for me, I had to think about this for a bit.


• I always drink coffee that is part of my current ‘setting’.  When my setting is New Orleans I mail-order my coffee from my favorite spot. If I'm writing a story where the season is more than a backdrop, like my current novel, I drink flavored coffee.  At the moment, it is Pumpkin Spice (Starbucks limited blend). 🎃



Café du Monde.  I have my cup and saucer, and a portable mug when I am writing outdoors.   I have a blue coffee pot and matching tin cup when I am writing westerns (yes, the coffee is VERY strong and black).  And of course, a Starbuck cup, Disneyland/ Club 33 mug, or Snoopy (Peanuts) mug when my novels take place in SoCal.

• My music and my menu planning also is linked to my settings.  All within the range of normal.  Though I have more than my fair share of coffee mugs and cups.

• I listen to diction videos on YouTube so that I am not relying on my memory for the sound of a Cajun accent, Texan’s drawl, etc.

• I visit areas on Google Earth and Zillow.  Even if I have lived or vacationed there, I may have forgotten an interesting ‘something’ I can insert into dialogue, or find a way to describe a scene.

• I talk to myself.  Oh, not simple little sentences.  I’m talking about a two-way conversation: “Do you think that might work?”  “No.  Would you do that?” 

 “How about. . .”  This is about the time my husband walks by to find out who’s on the phone, or if I’m asking him a question.  The dog even pokes her head in from the doorway to see what’s going on.  I’m guessing this is not in the  ‘normal range.




• When I write, my workspace is in perfect order.  I have colored folders/pens/notebooks that match and are exclusive to the story I’m working on at the moment.

• I never enroll in an online class when I’m writing—it’s guaranteed writers’ block.  I never talk about my WIP . Why? If I talk about it I think I've added that 'tidbit' to my story.  Then I find myself reading through my draft over and over wondering where the scene went!

• If I'm writing a contemporary story, I only read historicals or fantasy novels. I never read in the same genre I'm writing

💖Whatever story I’m am currently working on is always my favorite.

• I survive on 3 hours of sleep when I am deep in a story.  I know I drink coffee, but I seem to run the story in my mind when I sleep too.

• I also pick up the quirks of my heroines.  I have several friends who are in theater and said it’s a bit like ‘method acting’. 

Fortunately, I’m back to my state of normal a couple of weeks after typing THE END.

I believe all of these little quirks are part of a writer’s voice.  It is what we, as readers, look for in a story.  

Hopefully, it is what my readers, enjoy about the novels, short stories, and novellas that I write too.

To include a bit of personal history: Anton Lada was my granduncle.  (My personal blog, Dishin' It Out, features him in my "Random Thoughts, Scattered About" Monday.

Arkansas Blues by Anton Lada & Spencer Williams for your listening pleasure 🎵🎹🎤


Happy Reading!

Connie


My Places:

Dishin' It Out Blog

.instagram.com/connievines_author/?hl=en

https://bookswelove.net/vines-connie/


Shop Here: 

Amazon Author's Page

Smashwords Sale!

.barnesandnoble

.kobo.com

Shop Walmart ebooks


 

Rodeo Romance Series and Sassy and Fun Fantasy Series
by Connie Vines

Sunday, March 28, 2021

Indoor Dining and Other Joyous Occasions by Connie Vines

We have all been social distancing, staying home, and donning masks for the past year to prevent infection. Depending on the size of your "social bubble" (usually, immediate family members), you are able to interact with others. The vaccine availability seems to have lessened stress levels of many, and for that, I am grateful. 

However, here in southern California, we have been "closed" for almost and entire year. 

Historic Downtown Upland

Even outdoor dining was only a very recent and not very frequent option.

Being an Introvert by nature, and a writer with two dogs for company, life hasn't been intolerable for me. However, the days and weeks seem to blend into one another. 

And, while my dogs were able to visit the groomer--I was not.

I am not very good at do-it-your-self hair cuts. Still, I am ambidexterous, so my nails are presentable. (Not a good trade-off, but it is what it is.)

When we were given the okay for indoor dining, I realized I have not sat inside a restaurant since Jan. 2020. 

Wow.

My favorite restaurant (Souplantation) is shuttered for good.

This gave me a chance to re-define 2021 with a tentative baby-step.  Nothing profound, mind you, but a step back into normalcy.

I do love coffee but I also enjoy a cup of Earl Grey tea every afternoon, I realized, pondering a place to dine.

I visited my hairstylist.

I was able to make a reservation at a 'newly relocated'  English Tea Room.

The Magnolia Tea Room is only 6 miles from my home. It's also located in the Downtown Historical District in Upland, California. 

I thought I'd share my joyous occasion and '1st 2021 Adventure' with you :-).


The Outdoor Garden


The Afternoon Tea setting


The scone was delicious (I didn't snap a picture)



The Ladies' Room
 






Terry, "Me" and Michael (notice my lovely hairdo)
 All vegetables and fruit are harvested from one of their two local farms.
Farm to Table is their motto.
I brought home a jar of  'honey with a touch of lavender', too!



After I click the 'publish' button for this post, I'm back at my keyboard with a pup in my lap and a cup of hot tea within reach. 

Happy Reading! (remember to mention a favorite tea in any comment you leave for me.)




Next Release















Sunday, February 28, 2021

Mardi Gras and Gumbo Ya Ya by Connie Vines

 Last month's blog post focused on the art of perfuming. This month I'm focusing on the Cajun experience and giving you a sneak-peek into my next BWL release, Gumbo Ya Ya; an anthology for women who like Cajun romance.

Key points about Cajun Country:


WHAT DOES MARDI GRAS MEAN?

In French, Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday. (Mardi is the word for Tuesday and Gras is the word for fat.)

This name comes from the tradition of using up the eggs, milk, and fat in ones pantry because they were forbidden during the 40-day Lenten fast, which begins the next day (Ash Wednesday) and ends on Holy Thursday (three days before Easter Sunday).

Therefore, a big part of Shrove Tuesday is eating an abundance of delicious fried food—especially donuts and Shrove Tuesday Pancakes!  YUM.

In England, where the day is also known as Pancake Tuesday, festivities include flapjack-related activities. 

WHAT DOES GUMBO YA YA MEAN?

everybody talks at once

It means “everybody talks at once, which, if you've been to any meeting, political, social, PTA or otherwise [in New Orleans], you know what gumbo ya ya means.”

Mardi Gras was celebrated in New Orleans soon after the city’s founding in 1718. The first recorded Mardi Gras street parade in New Orleans took place in 1837. Now a major metropolis, New Orleans is the city most known for its extravagant celebrations with parades, dazzling floats, masked balls, cakes, and drink.

American Cajuns:  Cajun, descendant of Roman Catholic French Canadians whom the British, in the 18th century, drove from the captured French colony of Acadia (now Nova Scotia and adjacent areas) and who settled in the fertile bayou lands of southern Louisiana. The Cajuns today form small, compact, generally self-contained communities.

And now, to the good part!

Five Reasons to Marry a Cajun Man (Just ask one):

1. CAJUN MEN COOK

Don't like spending all of your time in the kitchen working over a hot stove? Don't worry your pretty little face about it, chèr. Cooking for you is exactly what we want to do. As a matter of fact, it's what we think about doing when we wake up. Not only do we want to do the cooking, but we do it well. We get it from our mom. Oh, and we even come complete with our own cookware.

2. CAJUN MEN DANCE

Do you always find yourself wishing your man would dance with you? Well, if you land yourself a Cajun, you'd better get your dancing shoes dusted off. We love to dance, and it doesn't matter where or who's watching. Wedding reception, night club, grocery store...it doesn't matter to us. We even have our own unique way of doing it. If we really like you, we'll teach you.

3. CAJUN MEN ARE HANDY

When you marry a Cajun man, you can forget about having to make a "Honey Do List". If something needs fixing, we got that. I mean, like before you even notice something needs fixing we've already noticed it and are on our way with our tools to take care it. We even figure out how to fix things we have no business trying to fix. Cajun men are extremely resourceful that way. The only problem here is, we'll also fix our neighbor's porch, our buddy's trolling motor, our cousin's shrimp nets, our Parrain's blender and so on...You'll have to tell us to stop and come home.

4. CAJUN MEN HAVE A GOOD TIME

You won't find a Cajun man moping around complaining about things. It's not that we aren't serious, we just don't see the need to let things drag us down. We're extremely resilient in pretty much every way. Cajuns don't wait for other people to fix our problems, whatever they may be. We figure it out, put some dirt on it and move on. Why would we want to be all mopey and boude when there's cold beer to be had?

5. CAJUN MEN LOVE THEIR MAMA

People say that if you want to know how a man is going to treat you, watch how they treat their Mother. Well, inside of 5 minutes of seeing us around our moms, you'll want to run off to Vegas on a red eye flight to get hitched immediately. Our worlds revolve around our mothers and will revolve around you as well. We're mama's boys and damn proud of it. She's the woman who gave us life and taught us how to make a roux, and we'll always be eternally grateful for this and so much more. The same rules also apply to our grandmother. Also, be warned, your own mother may like us more than you.

        




Here are a few Cajun words and sayings you may hear when visiting Louisiana.

Cher [sha]: A term of endearment usually used with women, similar to ‘dear’ or ‘sweetheart.’ “Would you like another cup of coffee, chèr?”

Cocodril (ko-ko-dree): Alligator/gator.

Envie [ah(n)-vee] A longing or hunger to do or eat something. Other Southerners might use the word ‘hankering’ where a Cajun would use ‘envie.’ “I’ve got an envie for some boudin.”

Fais do-do [fay doe-doe]: A Cajun dance party. (Also, an expression adults use when they want children to go to sleep.) “Will we see you at the fais do do?”

Laissez les bons temps rouler [Lay say lay boh(n) toh(n) roo lay]: Let the good times roll. With more than 400 festivals each year, this saying embraces the fun-loving nature of Louisiana.

credit: Pinterest


EASY CAJUN DANCE STEPS    A link to a university website to teach you easy dance steps. 

AIR BOAT SWAMP TOUR!         A link to a swamp tour--yes, you will see a gator!

CAJUN MUSIC--Old School !      A link with Cajun Music which will have you dancing the Cajun                                                                     two-step!


I hope you enjoyed your visit to Cajun Bayou Country!


 Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Connie Vines


My vacation photos (pre: Pandemic).:


Trolley in New Orleans

My Favorite Coffee Shop: Café du Monde with a mug of café latte and beignets. 

Shrimp and Grits

And then there was my run-in (runaway from) the swamp gator!


MY BWL website link

books2read

BOOKBUB


HAPPY READING!







Thursday, May 28, 2020

Life Keeps Getting More Complicated--Why I don't Like Puzzles by Connie Vines



Where Did I Park My Barbie Jeep? - Memebase - Funny Memes
memebase.com



While we are all hunkered down during the Pandemic, everyone is discovering hidden strengths, honing new-skills, discovering new hobbies, or in my case--discovering tasks they really, really dislike.

Adulting is difficult and tiring, even in the best of times.
Now, we--well, me anyway, are entering a new dimension--frustration.

When I leave my home, masked, gloved, and careful to observe social distancing--I can't decide if I'm slightly agoraphobic, feral, or simply confused because I'm in the great out-doors.

Did I lock the door?

Did I turn off the oven?  Since I wasn't cooking this morning, odds are the answer is, yes.

I'm concerned about others during these uncertain times.  I worry about family, friends, and those with pre-existing medical conditions.  I also recall, in a time before vaccines were perfected for measles, whooping cough, mumps, and chickenpox.  My parents spoke of  families self-quarantined when a loved one contracted the deadly virus, polio.

Somehow, we are emerged from those difficult times and I trust we will again.

So, I'm blogging, writing, baking, and visiting with my youngest grandson, a second-grader, who is being home-schooled.

Of course, I wish to be supportive.  I listen as he pencils Mandarin characters and explains what he's learned.  At his age, I was fascinated with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs so we 'share' information.  He also loves puzzles.  I have no problem looking at puzzles online, finding the puzzles he wants--those with zillions and zillions of pieces.  Mount Rushmore--with 4-presidents faces carved in the granite, The San Francisco Bridge over the blue bay and fog-engulfed sky, and other challenges.  Which I happily give to him with a joyous heart.

Sweetie that he is, my grandson is worried that I'm sad, "Grammie, I don't have a puzzle".

Well, I didn't have the heart to tell him that I really, really don't like puzzles.  Oh, I understand the concept.  Find the corners, then fill in the boarders, separate by color then by 'what you think it is: nose, eye, snowman's hat'--whatever.

Perhaps, because I'm the eldest of five-siblings, I'm unfamiliar with the concept of 'personal space'.
My Barbie dream-house couch was stepped and broken by brother number 1, about two-seconds after I pulled it from the box.  My sister (at the age of 4), would systematically pull out every Oreo cookie from the package, eat the frosting and skillfully reassemble the cookie before placing it back in the package. Brother number 2 and brother number 3 would race to the door whenever the doorbell rang.

Please note: A trajectory is the path that an object with mass in motion follows through space as a function of time. Hence, a complete trajectory is defined by position and momentum, simultaneously.

Which means:  Connie, walking the the door to greet her date, was in the trajectory path.

Maybe because my job involves solving problems - Meme on ImgurAnd to add to the daily chaos: 

We had two dogs residing in the household.  My sister's well-behaved Lab/Shepard mix.

And my AKC champion purebred miniature poodle. Smart, trainable, loving, and master of Covert-Ops.


Jacques, ate marbles, crayons, and snagged biscuits to hide under couch cushions..



I hope I've brightened you day with my blog post :-).













I'm thrilled to share my "cover-reveal" for my next BWL release:
an anthology for women who like romance Cajun style


BWL LINK  Visit BWL site for my releases and much more!


my website and all social links


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Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Do the Characters in a Novel Reveal the Inner Thoughts of a Writer? by Connie Vines

Topic: Your characters come from your mind, from other people you've witnessed, but can you create their lives without them revealing something about yourself? Have they ever taught you something?

I needed to ponder this question for a few minutes.

So, are my fictional characters my 'great reveal'? I asked myself.

 To a degree I believe this to be true.  Every story is filtered through an author's view of the world, emotions, and life experience--at least for my heroine.

However, there is also a curtain we all have firmly in place--revealing only what we wish to reveal to others.  The same is true of our characters.  My heroine will be more like 'me' in my rough draft than she will be by the time I've completed my novel.

In my soon to be released "Gumbo Ya Ya an anthology who like romance Cajun".  One of my heroines, Celeste, jumps overboard into a raging sea!

Not a plan of action in my 'non-fictional' life.

 Runaway horse?  Yep, I'd saddle up.Image result for woman riding a running horse


 Yoga on a mountain top?  Sure, with a soft yoga mat.

Dine on escargot, Rocky Mountain oysters, frog legs? I have, and I will in the future.

 Hold a 6 ft. python--yes, though someone else had a firm hold of upper portion of snake's body (no accidental snake-licks for me).

Jump into the sea?  Image result for stormy sea


No.  Never. . .ever.

 I seem to be be more removed--meaning more analytical in the development of my secondary characters.  This is especially true when I seeped myself in the secondary character's world, work, and point of view.  I become the secondary characters, like a method actor.

Now, my villains must have a motivation with a trigger rooted in a past event/or recent trauma.  Providing me with way I can explain (not justify) the villain's twisted reasoning/action.

Yes, some people are evil, truly evil.  However, I have yet write a novel requiring I delve into that degree darkness, and doubt I every will.

The second part of the topic:  Have my characters every taught me something?

My current release, "Tanayia" Whisper upon the Water, Book 1 Native American/First People Series, taught me to not only view life, but experience the hardships though the eyes of another person.


Opening Prologue 1868:

The Governor of New Mexico decreed that all Indian children over six be educated in the ways of the white man.

Indian Commissioner, Thomas Morgan, said:  It was cheaper to educate the Indians than to kill them.

1880, Apacheria, Season of Ripened Berries

Isolated bands of colored clay on white limestone remained where the sagebrush was stripped from Mother Earth by sudden storms and surface waters.  Desolate.  Bleak.  A land made of barren rocks and twisted paths that reached out into the silence.

A world of hunger and hardship.  This is my world.  I am Tanayia.  I was born thirteen winters ago.  My people and I call ourselves "Nde" this means "The People".  The white man calls us Apache.

I believe i have learned a great deal from my fictional characters.

When writing my novella, "Here Today, Zombie Tomorrow,"  I discovered my quirky sense of humor was becoming more developed--and this was actually a good thing :-).  My readers will also have a peek into the 'behind the screens' of Hollywood beauty and glam! in "Bell. Book, & Gargoyle".(My Sassy & Fun Fantasy Series are all set her in my own backyard--SoCal.)

What have you learned from the characters featured in the novels you read?  Novels you write?

What doesn't this reveal about you as a reader? or novelist.

Happy Reading,

Connie




Amazon.com
Amazon.UK

KOBO

Soon to be Released:



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Thursday, December 28, 2017

Realistic Ending vs. Happily Ever After Endings by Connie Vines

How do you want a story to end? Should it have a fairy tale ending? A hopeful ending? Or do you like stories with more realistic endings—even if the protagonist doesn’t come out ahead and the villain doesn’t get his?

Realistic Endings vs. Happily Ever After Endings



While some would consider me a witty, yet realistic introvert, they would be surprised to learn that I’m a big fan of the fairy tale ending. Sure, I like my mysteries and crime shows and novels, an occasional Disney movie, and I overdose on Hallmark Chanel movies. Who doesn’t? But I prefer at least a hint of happily-ever-after endings. Yes, my historical novels are very realistic.  Still, I must always have a glimmer of hope and the chance of a happily-ever-after ending. . .somewhere in the future.

I have to care about the characters. I will forgive problems with plot and storyline if I just have to know what happens to the characters.

To make me care, the characters have to be genuine, authentic, real. I have to know they are, in many ways, like me. We all have our commendable qualities and those we’d rather keep hidden from the world. As writers, our characters have to be the same. Otherwise, the reader won’t be able to relate and will too easily dismiss them.

Realistic? Yes. Dark and defeated? Definitely not. 

Not even in my paranormal or hard-scrabble historical stories. 

Turn Off the Lights, But Leave the Door Open

Christy Harkin said, “The difference between writing for adults and children is this: You can lead children into a dark room, but you must leave a door open.”

I actually prefer that open door myself—or at least a distant pinpoint of light. 

Action adventure. Suspense. Drama. In all of these genres, the moments we can take a breath—maybe even laugh a little—help us prepare for the intensity to come. These moments must be skillfully crafted. They can’t boot the reader out of the story altogether.

Maybe the protagonist’s best friend cracks a joke when he’s nervous.

Maybe the evil antagonist has a soft spot for kittens (Hellboy).

Maybe an unjaded, innocent child plays a key role in the story (Remember the original and the reboot of the t.v. show “V”?).

Maybe the protagonist grew up surrounded by love and laughter, moves back into her family home and is reminded of those memories everywhere she looks.

Even the most sobering, the most depressing story can have its upbeat moments and a positive yet realistic ending.

Can our stories be believable and realistic yet sprinkled throughout with positivity? Yes, I believe they can.

PRACTICE


Spend ten minutes and write an intensely dark scene. List three or four ways you can shine a light into the darkness. Choose the most believable and write for an additional five minutes, bringing the light to bear.

Post your scene in the comments area and take the time to share some positive comments with your fellow writers/readers.

Now.

How do you craft a happy ending?

Your readers want your protagonist to get what they set out for, but if everything is miraculously, flawlessly perfect by the end, it may all seem a bit too good to be true. Create an ending that is positive but has a bittersweet edge, or simply reflects the struggles and sacrifices your protagonist had to make to get there. If you look to some of the endings of celebrated books, while they may be considered happy, there is usually something that keeps them from being entirely perfect, and that’s why readers root even harder and are even happier that the hero of your story got what they deserved in the end.

Tie up any loose ends

There is nothing worse than ending a book and going ‘is that it?’ If there are lots of unexplained elements to your book, or lots of parts to your story that remain open ended, you run the risk of frustrating your reader, no matter how pleasing your ending is. Tie up any loose ends before you finish your story - unless it’s part of a series that is in which case leaving them on a cliffhanger can be intriguing!

Keep it simple

Of course, the build up to the end of your story can be full of drama and tension and maybe even a twist or two. But when it comes to writing the actual ending don’t over complicate things. If you throw in distractions or suddenly add another element or layer you’ll only distract the reader, and this will make your ending seem weaker and take away from it somewhat.

Don’t use a cop out

Make you're ending thoughtful and meaningful. If your protagonist is in an impossible situation at the end of your book, think carefully about how to get them out of it. If they suddenly wake up and ‘it was all a dream’ or a magical unexplained force or character suddenly saves the day, your reader will feel cheated, and despite having resolved anything they won’t appreciate the way you’ve done it.
Don’t force a happy ending

If a happy ending doesn’t feel right, don’t force one just because you think it will please your readers. Write an ending that suits the style and content of your story, not all books have to have happy endings after all!

Snippets from my all my novels and novellas are available at BWL, Publishing and my website.  www.novelsbyconnievines.com

https://books2read.com/u/b6rj10  (link to purchase)

Lynx, Rodeo Romance, Book 1 


She moved to make a fresh pot of coffee, offering him an unobstructed head-to-toe view.  He recognized the sassy, denim western shirt and was grateful for the ruffled blouse that concealed the rising curves of her breasts.  He knew she had curves, he had felt everyone of them yesterday when he held her in his arms.  Today he wanted no visual reminder of how lush her body really was.

Rachel returned and refilled his mug, and Lynx paraded his thoughts and a different direction.  “What are you doing working the early shift?” he asked.

Rachel poured herself a mug of coffee, frowning at his question.  Grabbing the sugar container, she poured a long stream into her coffee and stirred.  “I couldn’t sleep. So I came in early.”

“Join the club.” He watched her take a sip of her coffee.

Her gaze flew to his, and he smiled, a measure of wicked satisfaction rushing through him at the telltale flush sweeping across her cheeks.  He waited in anticipation for her response, but before she could reply, they were interrupted.

Charlene came around the corner, her arms full holding a platter containing his breakfast, Tabasco sauce and a bottle of catsup.  Sliding the platter onto the counter, she said, “Nothing like a good meal to take the orneriness out of a man.”  She cast him a smile before sitting down the bottles.  He grinned at her, and Charlene blew him a kiss.

Lynx reached for his fork.

Charlene tossed her head, her blonde mane of hair tumbling around her shoulders.  “Give Lynx a chance,” she hissed as she walked past her friend. “I bet he’s stubborn, but I have a feeling he can be awfully sweet.”

“Sweet” wasn’t a word Rachel would use to describe the tall Texan.  “Sexy,” “tough,” “arrogant,” and maybe “charming.”  “Sweet? Never.  “I doubt it,” she said.

Charlene chuckled, and then glanced at Lynx.  “Coward.”  She tossed the word at Rachel before snagging a cup of coffee and heading back to the kitchen.

Was she a coward?  Rachel glanced at Lynx’s bent head, the thick pelt of hair glistening under the lights.  His hands were strong and capable, and oh-so-gentle, her heart reminded her.

With a soft sigh, the sweet memory of Lynx’s touched drifted through her mind leaving her achy and empty inside.  Was she throwing away her chance at happiness with both hands? She wondered.  Why was she thinking of that now?  Shaking off the sensation of loss.  Rachel glanced out the window at Lynx’s dusty red truck.

He’d be leaving soon.

Still, her heart overflowed with an indescribable feeling as she looked at Lynx.  It was a shattering realization that frightened her—Lynx Maddox had found a way into her heart.

Coming attractions:


Bell, Book, & Gargoyle, Sassy and Fun Fantasy Series, Novella 2

Why does the doorbell always ring at the worst time?

With on hand trying to hold her hair on top of her head and the other stretched across the vanity, reaching for her hairbrush, Sybil Shayne frowned into the mirror as the door chimes echoed through her high-rise apartment.

“Oh, for the love of Max Factor,” she mumbled around a mouthful of hair pins, trying in vain to twist a stray lock of hair that insisted in obstructing her line of vision. Just one minute more and she’d have this pinned. . .

The peal of the doorbell as replaced by determined knocking.  Whoever was out there wasn’t giving up.  “Okay, okay.  I’ll be right there!”

Jabbing one final pin into her hair and fumbling with a can of hairspray, she managed to fill her tiny bathroom with the sticky mist, before bounding down the hallway.  Once she reached the living room, she screeched to a halt and forced herself to walk slowly.  Think poised, she reminded herself.  She did have a reputation to maintain.  This could be one of her clients on the other side of the door.
Hand on the doorknob, she actually jumped when the doorbell sounded again.

Lipsticked smile firmly in place, she jerked open the door.

An attractive, dark-haired woman carrying a bundle of some sort, shouldered her aside and stepped inside the apartment. “Sib, shut the door.  Hurry-up. I think someone may have followed me!”

Without though, Sybil automatically followed her best friend’s orders.  Sliding the deadbolt lock into place for good measure.  “What do you mean, you’re being followed” Standing on tiptoe, she glanced through the peephole to the outside hallway.  “I don’t see anyone.”

After marching over to the floor-to-ceiling window, Pippa yanked the gauzy curtains closed.  “Turn off the lights!  Never mind, hold her.” She said shifting the firmly wrapped blanket into Sybil’s arms.

“She’s heavy,” she warned before darting through the apartment, snapping off lights like a wild woman.

Pippa was right this bundle was heavy.  “What kind of puppy do you have, a St. Bernard?  I feel like a holding a chuck of cement.”

“No! Don’t put her down.  She’s not a puppy.  Just keep holding her.  Magdalena is her name by the way.”

“Not a puppy?” Sybil asked, alarm widening her eyes, and causing her voice to rise an octave or two.
“Pippa what are you up to now?”

+++

I hope you have enjoyed my article and the snippets.
I hope everyone has enjoyed a wonderful Holiday Season. 

I am looking forward to 2018. 

Happy New Year!

Connie

https://books2read.com/u/mKJEa5

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/483144?ref=draft2digital


LINKS:
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