Thank you for having me here today to talk about my newest release, LEAN ON ME.  This book is the second in a series set in the fictional town of Holloway, West Virginia. The hero in this book is the brother of the heroine in the first book in the series, IT’S NOT CHRISTMAS WITHOUT YOU.  The books all standalone. The connection is through characters.  This one is related to that one…you get the idea.

I am a huge fan of connected books. I love reading about one family member, starting to care about another character, and then reading books about him or her. When I began reading romance, which was a later-in-life thing for me, I was really attracted to books by authors who wrote these connected series. Even now, years later, I love reading books with this characteristic.  But those earlier ones are still some of my favorites.  Here are a few examples:

1.     Linda Howard’s Mackenzie family – Honestly, I adore pretty much all of Linda Howard’s early category (Harlequin/Silhouette) romances.  She wrote a series of books that included DIAMOND BAY and some others.  The characters weren’t biologically related, but they were a makeshift family, and that totally worked for me. Then I read the Mackenzies, these larger-than-life alpha heroes, and I was hooked.

2.     Lori Foster’s TOO MUCH TEMPTATION and NEVER ENOUGH – Half brothers, completely different in personality, both strong and determined and deliciously readable.

3.     Nora Roberts Chesapeake Bay saga – This series is often cited by people as a favorite. There’s a reason for that. The characters are rich and the devoted to each other. The setting, the heroes…loved it all.

I think the appeal of these books is the sense of community.  There is something hopeful and exciting about seeing these character build relationships. I’m not alone, right?

Giveaway:

E-copy of LEAN ON ME

open to all.

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Cassidy Clarke once climbed the world’s highest mountains, but after an unexpected illness ends her career she’s back in her hometown, broke and hoping for a little luck. But the townsfolk aren’t exactly putting out a welcome mat for the woman who once snubbed them in the media, despite her apologies now.

Mitch Anders knows someone has set up camp on the grounds of his plant nursery, and he’s surprised to find his sexy high school crush ducking questions about where she’s staying. Though he’s sworn to stop cleaning up other people’s messes, Mitch offers Cassidy a job and a place to stay—his place. Bedsharing optional, but definitely welcome.

Out of options and too attracted to Mitch to keep things platonic, Cassidy says yes to his offer. She wants to get back on her feet financially and start a new career. She never expects to suffer a different kind of fall, one that has her believing Mitch just might bring her something bigger and better than luck.