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LOVE WINS CHARITY ANTHOLOGY

April 5, 2026 by in category Writing Happy Resurrection Day…. Happy Easter.

I had a topic in mind to discuss this month, but it was one of those topics that’s better discussed or debated, not written about. So, as I sat at my computer wondering what to talk about this month, I opted to turn the spot light on an anthology I’m participating in.

I didn’t know Twyla Turner personally, but I followed her on Facebook. I watched her share about her weight loss and later her battle with cancer. As her illness progressed, I felt compelled to pray for her, so I reached out to her. I told her I felt led to pray for her and asked what she wanted prayer for her. She said yes and told me what she wanted prayer for. I immediately added her to my prayer list. Needless to say, I was shocked when I saw her father’s post on Facebook about her passing.

When I heard about this anthology, I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of it. I wanted to help bring awareness to the cause and help Twyla’s family and loved ones celebrate her memory.

So, here I am, one of eight incredible authors—Harper Black, KT Bond, AJ Buchanan, Gabbi Grey, Olivia Huxley, Gabbi Powell, and Alexa Sant—have created LOVE WINS: Stories of Heat, Heart, and Hope—eight unforgettable romances celebrating love in all its forms.

💖 Available now—but only until May 15.

Every single dollar raised will be donated to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in Twyla’s memory.

Whether you knew and loved Twyla, or you’re discovering her for the first time, this collection is a chance to celebrate her legacy the way she lived—through story, connection, and love.

✨ Buy the anthology or make a donation here: https://lovestories4you.wixsite.com/charity-anthology

I encourage you to support this project because it’s for a good cause.

BLURBS FOR “LOVE WINS” PROMO

TURN BACK TIME by KT Bond
They say time will tell, and that the third time’s the charm. Winsome Bernard would like a word with whoever “they” are.
While helping out her sister at her B&B, the last person Winsome expects to encounter again—for the third time—is the man she once believed was lost to her forever. Alain DuPont has already walked away from her twice. Once because he had no choice. Once because he made the wrong choice. Either way, she’s done paying the price for his absence.

As the son of a diplomat, Alain understands the power of a charm offensive. But charm alone won’t save him this time. Somewhere between leaving and returning, he’s learned the truth he should have known all along: the most important decision in life isn’t where you live or what you do, but who you choose to love.

That ‘who’ has always been Winsome.

Now he wants a third chance, but Winsome isn’t convinced he deserves it. With old wounds reopened, undeniable chemistry simmering, and no room left for excuses, Alain must prove he’s no longer the man who let her walk away—while Winsome must decide whether a love broken can still be trusted a third time.
A second-chance romance about grown love, hard-earned trust, and the courage to choose again.

A ROAD TRIP TO THE HEART by Harper Black
When her cross-country trip takes a turn, she finds herself on the road to love…
After the tragic loss of her father, Maisie Jones is starting over. At least that was the plan until illness forces her to delay her journey near the Colorado-New Mexico border.

The only available accommodation in town is a cottage owned by a big, tall, handsome guy with hard edges who, for some reason, looks vaguely familiar…
Max Mitchell isn’t going to tell Maisie who he really is—at least not right away. His fame as a musician is in the past, and he’s never regretted fading into obscurity to become a family man.

Max is determined to get to know the quiet, introverted Maisie. But for a loner like Maisie, she’s reluctant to believe a man as confident as Max is interested in her.
All Max knows is that he hasn’t felt like this about anyone since his divorce. However, there’s another woman in town with her sights set on Max’s heart, which means convincing Maisie to stay could prove to be a bumpy ride…

IN PERFECT RHYTHM by AJ Buchanan
When past admiration meets present attraction, two men rediscover the rhythm of love.
For years, Levar Hunter has felt emotionally out of sync. Now a magnetic attraction to his younger colleague builds like a symphonic crescendo—unexpected, undeniable, and impossible to ignore.

Levar has never forgotten Andrew Chang-Lee, the gifted young musician he once mentored while teaching at a local college. After Andy’s graduation, friendship replaced formality, a bond that endured quietly for over a decade. But when Andy—now a celebrated concert pianist—returns to public life after an extended absence, something between them has undeniably shifted. And it isn’t just the proximity they share as colleagues at the gifted academy where Levar teaches.

Andy’s fascination with his former mentor has never faded. It lingers like an unfinished melody, one he never quite learned to set aside. This time, reunited with Levar as equals, he’s determined not to leave the song unfinished.

Accepting a five-month position as artist-in-residence is, officially, Andy’s way back into the spotlight after a serious health scare. Unofficially, it’s about Levar, the man who once inspired him, and whose growing awareness is unmistakable. Andy’s feelings haven’t changed. And this time, neither will Levar’s.

Tender, sensual, and emotionally rich, this slow-burn M/M romance is about second chances, hidden longing, and finding harmony when the timing is finally right.

EMMANUEL’S SURRENDER by Gabbi Grey
Dalton
I firmly believe old age shouldn’t take the fun out of life, and I love helping the residents at The Good Life look their very best. I was born to be a hairdresser. I was also born to be a flirt, and that hot new doctor brings out the shameless in me. At first, it’s all in fun, but I notice him watching me even when he pretends he’s far too busy for my antics. Usually, guys call me shallow or lightweight, and they leave me without a backward look. Somehow, with Dr. Bradner, I feel seen. Important. Is there any chance a man like him might actually date a guy like me?

Emmanuel’s Surrender is a small-town, age-gap, interracial, opposites-attract, instalove gay romance with a by-the-book doctor, a sassy hairdresser who has no boundaries, and senior residents who don’t know how to mind their own business.

THE PLUS ONE PLAYBOOK by Olivia Huxley
Star hockey defenseman Declan Fitzpatrick just wants to play the game and avoid talking to the media, including tenacious reporter Ayana Williams, who’s been after him for months. When his mom sets him up with a blind date for his brother’s wedding weekend, he panics and tells her he’s already taken – by Ayana, the only name he could recall in the stress of the moment.

Ayana will go along with the charade, but only if he’ll grant her exclusive access for an in-depth profile. Her future with her employer demands she succeed.

Three days at the Fitzpatrick family home as a pretend couple should be easy, but sharing a room, and so much of themselves, with one another begins to blur the lines. As the weekend winds down, Declan and Ayana must decide if they’re playing for keeps, or if this relationship was always headed for the penalty box.

A BRUSH WITH THE PAST by Gabbi Powell
Victoria fled a broken heart twenty years ago, putting an entire country between her and the man she’d loved. She got married, had a son, and life was good. Except good can become bitter in a heartbeat. The marriage ended in a nasty divorce, and a horrific accident changed her life forever. Now she’s come back home to Mission City to start fresh. To give her son the best childhood she can. To reconnect with her mother. To put the pieces of her shattered future back together. That’s the plan, at least. Until she discovers who lives next door.

Douglas will always regret breaking up with Victoria. He was young and reckless and had big plans, made bad choices. After she left, he found a quieter life, married a woman he loved, and grieved when he lost her. When he decided to return to Mission City, the house he liked best happened to be next door to Victoria’s mother. A bit masochistic, perhaps, but at least he might get news of her now and then. Until the day Victoria returns to her mother’s house with a young son, a broken marriage, and a whole lot of pain in her past. Douglas wants nothing more than to make Victoria happy again, but how can he prove this grumpy middle-aged man is worthy of a second chance?

A Brush With the Past is a 25k grumpy/sunshine, interracial, sensual second-chance romance with a man who’s tortured by his past, a woman looking for a fresh start, an interfering mother, and a precocious seven-year-old boy. The story is part of the Love in Cedar Valley world.

ONE WEEK by Tracy Reed
Chef Roman Maxwell is as comfortable in the kitchen as he was on a Special Forces assignment. But a last-minute catering job for an executive retreat presents him with an opportunity for love with attorney Makena Crawford. She never expected one week with the hot chef would whet her appetite for love.

IT’S ONLY LOVE: A ROMANCE IN THREE STORIES by Alexa Santi
It’s Only Lunch
Cassandra Alston has always had a secret crush on her friend Luke, so she’s not prepared for the revelation that he’s finally single and available. Her fears send her fleeing their lunch together, but when COVID-19 lockdown strands her at O’Hare, she calls the one person she knows will always come to her rescue.

It’s Only Christmas
When Christmas skeptic Cass agrees to a road trip down the California coast to see the holiday market in Solvang, neither she nor Luke expect the series of disasters that await them, starting with a trip to the emergency room. Now they’re trying to keep their trip afloat, their relationship together, and their Christmas spirit bright despite the obstacles standing between them and their destination.

It’s Only Forever
The course of true love hits a final snag at their wedding, where two feuding uncles each insist he should have the sole right to walk Cass down the aisle. Bringing their families together means Cass and Luke must resolve tensions still lingering from Cass’s own parents’ wedding of 30 years before. Maybe it’s not too late to elope … 1 0 Read more

Calling All Book Lovers

March 28, 2026 by in category Writing

If you live in a part of the country that experienced a horrible and very snowy winter, I hope that spring has come your way and that all that white stuff will soon be melted. Unless of course you loved sitting inside by a warm fire drinking hot chocolate and reading books.

Speaking of books…

Book Lovers Con

This weekend 450 readers and authors have gathered in Las Vegas for Book Lovers Con at the Flamingo Hotel.

As this blog posts, I’m getting ready to sign books at the BLC Bookfest. But as I write this post, the conference hasn’t started.

Do you like book signings? I’m too much of an introvert to not find them challenging. I much prefer hobnobbing casually with readers at the conference social events to sitting behind a table that (in my mind) screams “buy my books”. Authors and readers out there, what do you think?

A New Strategy

For this conference, I’m bringing just a handful of print books for sale, and trying another author friend’s strategy for ebook sales. Three of my series starters are on sale for 99 cents. Interested readers can scan a QR code for purchase–a savings for them, plus no extra print books for them to cart home.

If you’re in or near Las Vegas, join us for the Bookfest from 10 am to 1 pm, and be sure to stop by my table and say hello, no purchase required!

If you can’t make it, you can still take advantage of these deals! (sale runs through April 30th)

Marrying Mr. Gibson

Book One, Sons of the Spy Lord Series

For a chance at true freedom, a spy’s daughter dodges an arranged marriage to an earl’s illegitimate son and seeks the fortune left by her inscrutable father. When her quest draws a villain’s threat, the only person she can trust is the war-weary soldier she doesn’t want to marry—but can’t seem to resist.  

Universal Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/MarryingMrGibson

Fated Hearts

Book One, The Macbeth Series

Plagued by memories of war and visions of coming battle, a Scottish Baron meets the daughter he denied was his, and his only true love—the wife he divorced. He soon discovers that the jealous enemy who drove them apart has resurfaced, more treacherous than ever. When his lady and daughter fall into a vengeful trap, can he reach them in time?

Universal Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/FatedHeartsbyAlinaKField

The Duke She Despised

Book One, The Upstart Christmas Brides Series

Hiding her true identity, a young vicar’s widow takes a position as housekeeper in a remote Scottish castle at Christmas for a new duke who years ago sabotaged her chance for happiness. She quickly falls for the duke’s charming but not very competent factor, not knowing that he’s hiding something also—he’s the duke she despised!

Universal Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/TheDukeSheDespised

I’ll let you know in future posts how my plan works out!

Until next time, happy reading!

Image credit (girl reading): Depositphotos.com

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Once upon a translation… make that three… c’est si bon!

March 11, 2026 by in category Jina’s Book Chat, translation, Writing tagged as , , , ,
The Resistance Girl in Dutch

The Resistance Girl in Dutch

The Lost Girl in Paris in Spanish

 

Words… words… words.

They drive us authors crazy, the right words, the passionate words… the words that make your characters do stupid things and wonderful things, too.

Even more surprising to an author is when your words are translated into thousands of words in another language. Will the reader ‘get’ what you’re trying to say? Will they feel the love, the pain?

You bet they will.

The art of being a translator is one I can attest to personally when I was a tour guide at Universal Studios. I gave the tour in German and also learned it in French as a backup for our French guides.

My Universal Studios ‘stuff’ — name tag, parking sticker, studio ID (love the hair!), photo of me in Paris, and my Universal Studios Tour Guide Manual in English — I had to translate it into German.

I had to do the translation myself, which had its moments on the tram when I was trying to explain Bruce the shark in ‘Jaws’, or the early days with Boris Karloff as ‘The Monster’ wearing a paper bag over his head when he went to lunch between takes so no one would see his makeup job. I’d stumble and fall over words, but as one visitor from Munich told me, ‘You have such heart for what you do. Even if you don’t know the right word, we understand.’

I never forgot that.

I also acted as a ‘translator’ for my sensei, teacher, in class when American tourists came into the kimono shop after hours when we having a kimono and dance class on the small stage. However, here I was translating from Japanese to English.

So you can imagine I have the deepest respect for these fabulous professionals who put their hearts and souls into translating my books into other languages. It’s not unusual for a translator to contact me by email, asking me for clarification on something because they want to get it ‘right’. Merci, Bedankt, and Gracias.

For the first part of this year, I’m thrilled to have 3 of my Boldwood Books coming out in Spanish, Dutch, and French. La chica perdida en Paris (The Lost Girl in Paris) came out in the worldwide Spanish market in February; Her meisje in het verzet (The Resistance Girl) came out in Dutch on March 8. Les enfants volés de la guerre  (The Stolen Children of War) comes out in French on April 1st. (no cover yet! I’ll update when we do.)

So for now, mes amis, I shall say, Au revoir — until we meet again and we shall. For words are like stars in the sky. I never tire of them.

 

 

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I will write 500 words…

March 10, 2026 by in category Charmed Writer by Tari Lynn Jewett, Writing tagged as ,

And I will write 500 more…

I’ve been struggling with my identity, on so many levels in recent years. My kids have all moved out of the house, I’ve changed my address, lost nearly half of my body weight and completely changed who I see in the mirror, in fact, where did the white hair and wrinkles come from… and there are days when I wonder am I still a writer?

Obviously, I’ll always be a mom, but for so many years, my life was entirely wrapped around my boys, and being a mom. Many of you will understand the sense of loss and even floundering when your kids all move out, and you realize they’re probably not coming back. And that’s as it should be, they’re adults. Sitting at the dinner table, Hunky Hubby and me, having a peaceful dinner, no interruptions, no loud conversation, arguing with brothers, fighting over who gets the last serving of whatever is on the table…or fighting because someone took the last serving while no one was looking. No food being thrown…not that my little angels every would have done that. I’ll never be a mom in the same way.

I prepared for this, or I tried to prepare anyway. I’d written for magazines and newspapers since my oldest was 9 months old. While I didn’t call myself a writer ̶ writers are people like Nora Roberts, Phillipa Gregory, Megan Hart ̶ I wrote, was published, and paid. So, when people asked what I did, I said I was a stay-at-home mom. If they pushed, I might say “I write”, without making it part of my identity. When my boys reached their teen years, I realized how hard it was going to be to let go of that part of being a full-time mom. I needed to prepare.

I’d always wanted to write fiction. I wrote short stories. I wrote children’s story. I even wrote a complete novel by hand. So, I wrote fiction, for myself. But I wasn’t a writer.

I joined our local RWA Chapter, and my motivation grew. I wrote at every opportunity, and one by one, my boys moved out. Before they had all moved out, my first novella was published in an anthology. It was hard, but when people asked what I did, I stopped saying stay-at-home mom, or housewife, and started saying “I’m a writer”. And I wrote and published several more books as a hybrid author.

Then I got a second chance, not as Mom, but as Grandma. Grandma, the best title ever. For two years, I was totally wrapped up in Milo as I got to spend time with him full time while my son and daughter-in-law worked. A gift I never expected.

But life is constantly changing, and Milo went off to preschool where his mother is a teacher, Hunky Hubby retired, and we moved from the outskirts of Los Angeles, to rural Arizona. The rural part is a dream I’ve always had. I grew up in rural Ohio, and loved living in the small peaceful farm town where my father had also grown up.

I worried that Hunky Hubby would have a hard time with retirement. He’d worked hard his whole life. He immediately started talking about getting a job. But then something happened. He shifted his focus. We bought the house next door, and he made it his new job. He gets up every morning at 5am, and goes to work remodeling the house. He found a purpose, and he’s thriving.

I find myself getting up, glancing at the computer, and heading to the kitchen to unload the dishwasher. It’s not writer’s block. Characters are talking to me, I have more stories to write than hours in the day, but I walk away.

And I find myself wondering, usually quietly, today publicly. Am I still a writer? Who am I today? Who do I want to be? I still want to write, but am I relevant? Do my words matter in a world I no longer recognize? WHO AM I?

Okay, my rant is finished. Have you ever had a total identity crisis? A collapse of your belief in yourself and the world? Tell me your story.

And in the meantime. I’m going to write 500 words, then 500 more, and maybe I can get back to who I was, or at least find out who I am.

Tari’s Books

#HAUNTEDHERMOSA

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#12DANCINGSANTAS

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#FIREWORKS IN THE FOG

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#SILVER BRACELETS

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#PLEASE SAY YES (#HermosafortheHolidays Book 1)

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Joining the HHH Blog as a Contributor

February 12, 2026 by in category Columns, The Writing Journey by Denise Colby, Writing tagged as , ,

I’m excited to share that starting this month, I’ll be a regular contributor to the HHHistory blog. The HHH blog is the Heroes, Heroines, & History blog. It’s mission? Uniting those who love to write about history with those who love to read it.

Blog Title Banner with the HHH Blog banner and the words Joining the HHH Blog as a Contributor by Denise M. Colby

I’ve been following this blog for a while now. There’s such a wide range of history being shared. The rules are simple. Do not duplicate any topic that has already been written.

Although there have been some posts about California, I was happy to see that there wasn’t specific topics related to the flooding, the rebuilding over the existing city of Sacramento, and several other points of history that I’ve researched for my stories. So as an HHH blog contributor, I get to write about all those things.

My first hhh blog post is February 14th

My first blog is titled Sacramento, California Origins and How They Dealt with Floods. Much of my content I had found when I wrote When Plans Go Awry, but I also found new content, including an image on the Sacramento History Museum’s Instagram page, showing how much devastation occurred because of them.

I have gathered a lot of research and fascinating tidbits over the years, but I couldn’t put it all in my stories. Now I have a place to share the details. My posting date each month is the fourteenth, and my first post goes live on February 14. (I can’t share a link until it is live).

I would love to have you join me.

Sign up to receive the posts here on the main page. https://www.hhhistory.com

Or sign up for my newsletter to receive the link to the post each month.

Denise M. Colby loves to share about her writing journey (see all her posts here), including her word of the year (this year it is BALANCE), her novels, and all the things in between. You can visit her at her website and blog at www.denisemcolby.com or on her facebook or instagram. Please note: some links include Amazon Associate links where Denise can earn from qualifying purchases.

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