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When Plans Go Awry: A Review by Veronica Jorge

July 22, 2024 by in category Write From the Heart by Veronica Jorge tagged as , , , ,

WHEN PLANS GO AWRY by DENISE M. COLBY—A REVIEW BY VERONICA JORGE

WHEN PLANS GO AWRY
Best-Laid Plans Book One

DENISE M. COLBY

Scrivenings Press

2024

ISBN: 978-1-64917-391-1

A Review by Veronica Jorge

Olivia Carmichael couldn’t have wished for a better life. A beautiful home on her family’s estate. High society friends. And at age 19, the perfect fiancé. God is in His heaven smiling down at her and all is well.

Until tragedy strikes like a lightning bolt.

The sudden loss of Olivia’s parents is difficult enough to bear, but she can probably get through that with the help of her faith. But when her father’s fraudulent business dealings are discovered she loses the house, her status, her so-called-friends, and her fiancé. Where is God now she wonders.

Homeless and penniless, smeared with the shame of her father’s actions, and finding it impossible to continue living in her Cincinnati town that will never again accept her, Olivia answers an advertisement to move to California to become a teacher. She steels her heart to live an independent and loveless life because people cannot be trusted. And determines to make her own way in life without depending upon anyone…not even God.

Olivia prepares to fight to survive when she reaches Washton, California, but she is not prepared for the warm welcome she receives from the townspeople. Their kindness disarms her and she grows to care for the children she teaches. Add to the mix a certain young man who makes her heart leap with possibility and hope, emotions she promised herself never to feel again.

But can Olivia who vowed to stand alone learn to trust God with her life? And can she open her heart to love again?

When Plans Go Awry is a lovely debut novel about strength and resilience, the power of love, and the importance of faith in God.

And if you love an old fashioned love story, this is the book for you.

To learn more about Denise M. Colby and her writing connect with her at, www.denisemcolby.com.

Veronica Jorge  

See you next time on August 22nd!

Other Books Reviewed by Veronica Jorge

BLACK FOOD: STORIES, ART & RECIPES FROM ACROSS THE AFRICAN DIASPORA

INCIDENT AT SAN MIGUEL

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INCIDENT AT SAN MIGUEL

REFUGEE

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REFUGEE

THE WITCH WHISPERER

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THE WITCH WHISPERER
UPROOTED: THE JAPANESE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE DURING WORLD WAR II

THE ORPHANS OF BERLIN

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THE ORPHANS OF BERLIN

DISTANT RELATIONS

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DISTANT RELATIONS

FIVE BELLES TOO MANY

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FIVE BELLES TOO MANY

THE ONLY ROAD

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THE ONLY ROAD

THE LAST GOODNIGHT

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THE LAST GOODNIGHT

MIGUEL’S BRAVE KNIGHT

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MIGUEL’S BRAVE KNIGHT

FOUR CUTS TOO MANY

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FOUR CUTS TOO MANY

FORGIVING MARIELA CAMACHO

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FORGIVING MARIELA CAMACHO

FORGIVING STEPHEN REDMOND

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FORGIVING STEPHEN REDMOND

FORGIVING MAXIMO ROTHMAN

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FORGIVING MAXIMO ROTHMAN

MY FRIEND JACKSON

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MY FRIEND JACKSON

THREE TREATS TOO MANY

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THREE TREATS TOO MANY
SERIOUSLY, MOM, YOU DIDN’T KNOW?

SECRET RELATIONS

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SECRET RELATIONS

TWO BITES TOO MANY

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TWO BITES TOO MANY
#PLEASE SAY YES (#HermosafortheHolidays Book 1)

FOREIGN RELATIONS

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FOREIGN RELATIONS

ONE TASTE TOO MANY

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ONE TASTE TOO MANY

THE ALLIANCE

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THE ALLIANCE

A DRAKENFALL CHRISTMAS

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A DRAKENFALL CHRISTMAS
THE RELUCTANT GROOM AND OTHER HISTORICAL STORIES
THE DAY BAILEY DEVLIN PICKED UP A PENNY

THE SCRIBE OF SIENA

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THE SCRIBE OF SIENA
THE DAY BAILEY DEVLIN’S HOROSCOPE CAME TRUE

SEVERED RELATIONS

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SEVERED RELATIONS
WHEN PLANS GO AWRY

A BIRD WILL SOAR

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A BIRD WILL SOAR

NEMESIS AND THE SWAN

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NEMESIS AND THE SWAN

FLORES AND MISS PAULA

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FLORES AND MISS PAULA

I AM FLAWSOME

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I AM FLAWSOME

LA NOCHE BEFORE THREE KINGS DAY

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LA NOCHE BEFORE THREE KINGS DAY
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Alina K. Field July Featured Author

July 14, 2024 by in category Featured Author, Featured Author of the Month tagged as , ,
Alina K. Field | A Slice of Orange

Award winning author Alina K. Field earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and German literature, but her true passion is the much happier world of romance fiction. Though her roots are in the Midwest, after six very, very, very cold years in Chicago, she moved to Southern California where she shares a midcentury home with two furry four-legged girls and keeps a dependable stash of lollipops for the munchkins in her life.

She is the author of several Regency romances, including the 2014 Book Buyer’s Best winner, Rosalyn’s Ring. She is hard at work on her next series of Regency romances, but loves to hear from readers!

Visit Alina

In addition to Quarter Days, Alina’s quarterly column’s on A Slice of Orange, you can visit her at:

Books by Alina K. Field


CHRISTMAS KISSES

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CHRISTMAS KISSES

STORM & SHELTER

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STORM & SHELTER
FATED HEARTS: A Love After All Retelling of the Scottish Play
MISTLETOE & MAYHEM: A REGENCY HOLIDAY ROMANCE ANTHOLOGY

THE COUNTERFEIT LADY

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THE COUNTERFEIT LADY

A LEAP INTO LOVE

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A LEAP INTO LOVE
WINTER WISHES: A REGENCY HOLIDAY ROMANCE ANTHOLOGY

HAUNTING MISS FENWICK

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HAUNTING MISS FENWICK

MARRYING MR. GIBSON

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MARRYING MR. GIBSON

THE GHOST OF DEPFORD HALL

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THE GHOST OF DEPFORD HALL

THE VISCOUNT’S SEDUCTION

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THE VISCOUNT’S SEDUCTION

ROSALYN’S RING

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ROSALYN’S RING

LILIANA’S LETTER

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LILIANA’S LETTER

THE MARQUESS AND THE MIDWIFE

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THE MARQUESS AND THE MIDWIFE

ADVENGING THE EARL’S LADY

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ADVENGING THE EARL’S LADY

ROMANCING THE PAGES

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ROMANCING THE PAGES

THE ROGUE’S LAST SCANDAL

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THE ROGUE’S LAST SCANDAL

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Hot! Hot! Hot! by Carol L. Wright

July 13, 2024 by in category From a Cabin in the Woods by Members of Bethlehem Writers Group tagged as , , ,

And we’re not even talking about the summer weather. What’s so hot right now?

This month, the Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC, announced the winners of its 2024 Short Story Award competition for works of 2000 words or fewer on the theme of “Holiday Tales.”  For this competition, “holiday” was defined as anything from U.S. Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day. The talented authors whose stories are honored are:

First Place: Rhonda Zangwill, New York, NY, for “Oh! Christmas Tree”
Second Place: Bettie Nebergall, Mt. Dora, FL, for “Just Ask Santa”
Third Place: Mary Adler, Forestville, CA, for “Nellie the Narragansett and the Transferware Platter”

Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order by author’s last name):

  • A. C. Blake, West Columbia, SC for “A Feast to Die For”
  • J. Bosley, New York, NY for “A Wintry Mix”
  • Joan Mularz, Palm Beach Gardens, FL for “Cousin Bonnie’s Plus One”

Many thanks to Marlo Berliner, our Guest Judge, who selected this year’s winners.

For the first time in the history of the Short Story Award, BWG decided to offer print publication to the second- and third-place winners instead of only to the one who won first-place. This means that you’ll get to read all three of these terrific stories in one volume.

The book in which these stories will appear, Season’s Readings: More Sweet, Funny, and Strange® Holiday Tales will be published this fall in print (ISBN: 978-1-954675-04-9) and ebook (ISBN: 978-1-954675-05-6). In addition to this year’s contest winners, the 2023 contest first-place winner, Sally Milliken’s “First Thanksgiving,” will also be included. And, of course, you’ll also get stories from the authors of the Bethlehem Writers Group. Some of the stories are heart-warming, others quirky, and still others with a hint of magic. Watch for the book to be available on October 1.

As if the book coming out on October 1 weren’t enough excitement, we’ll also be unveiling the 2025 Short Story Award competition that day in the fall issue of Bethlehem Writers Roundtable (https://bwgwritersroundtable.com). For next year’s contest, which will open on January 1, 2025, we’ll be looking for stories of science fiction and/or fantasy, and this year we’ll allow the stories to be a bit longer with a 2500 word maximum. The top three winners will receive cash and offers of publication (in print or online in Roundtable). We’ll have all the info for you in October, but until then, sharpen your pencils, grab a cool drink, find a place in the shade, and fire up your sci-fi/fantasy muse. Your story could be the next hot topic!

Enjoy your simmer, er summer.

Book from BWG

Books by Carol L. Wright

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A Month of Happily Ever After

July 12, 2024 by in category The Writing Journey by Denise Colby tagged as , ,

Writing a romance is all about the happy ever after. As a reader, I love the “ah” at the end when the two characters are finally together. Where they learned something new about themselves, opened their heart, and found the one that completes them.

That said, a happily ever after at the end of our novels doesn’t necessarily mean the hero and heroine get married at the end of the book. They could be newly engaged. The couple could decide they are now in a committed relationship. Or they could say I love you for the first time. There are so many options, that it really is the character journey that determines what fits best for our endings.

Personally this past month has been filled with happily ever afters. One fiction, one real life.

The Fiction Happily Every After

The first one was my debut novel, When Plans Go Awry, released in early June. Luke and Olivia’s story is not so much a will they/won’t they (although they didn’t know they would, we did). But the how were they going to figure it out and end up together. 

I won’t give away what happens to them at the end, but it’s been so well received and I have found it so much fun to talk with readers about the characters and the town of Washton, like they were real people. Having these discussions has made me feel the happily ever after my characters feel, and that has been so motivating for me as a writer.

Here are several review statements. Also last month I shared information about the launch activities and launch party held in my honor.

The Real Happily Every After

The second example and the real life one, is that my middle son found his happily ever after and married his sweetheart the last weekend of June. A beautiful ceremony, beautiful couple, and a wonderful day filled with love, laughter, family, and friends. With lots of planning before hand, everything came together perfectly.

And I now have a daughter in the family. It’s been so fun to have a front row seat watching them grow and bond as a couple and plan their future life together.

The Magic of Cinderella

As a little girl the story of Cinderella was my favorite. She has a fairy Godmother, she finds her prince (or the prince finds her), and they all live happily ever after. I now know that life is not as simple as that and that those endings are a moment in time where the couple is happy together. But they are still my favorite stories to read.

A story has to end somewhere, why not have it end happy. We all want that hope, love, and joyful feeling when we realize we are in a committed relationship and someone loves us just as much as we love them. 

There’s something about escaping in a story where the ending is just that. And that is what I love to read and love to write.

Here’s to many more stories of happily ever afters in our lives. Both fiction and real life.

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The Ophans of Berlin speak French and me, too, in my videos by Jina Bacarr

July 11, 2024 by in category historical, Jina’s Book Chat, Paris, sexual assault, sexual violence, World War 2, Writing tagged as , , , , , , , ,

 Once upon another lifetime, I was hired by Universal Studios as a tour guide for French and German tourists. I still have my Universal ID and parking pass…

So when my Boldwood Books ‘The Orphans of Berlin’ was translated into French by City-Editions, well, I couldn’t resist giving it a Parisian try…

I made a bunch of videos in French. Voila! Here are the links to my FACEBOOK page and story to see them.

https://www.facebook.com/stories/10218318286764331/UzpfSVNDOjEyNDQ2ODU2MzY5Njg1Njc=/?view_single=1

https://www.facebook.com/jina.bacarr

Sisters of the Resistance I is off to the proofreader!

Writing the sequel to ‘Sisters At War’ (Paris WW2 — the story of two sisters and how sexual assault on a sister by the SS affects both their lives),

It’s also the story of the women of the French Resistance.

LINK to more info on Sisters At War and Sisters of the Resistance

 

 

 

 

Sisters At War:

US https://a.co/d/eZ25gZb      

UK https://amzn.eu/d/0LEWy2z

Who are the Beaufort Sisters?

They’re beautiful

They’re smart

They’re dangerous

They’re at war with the Nazis… and each other.

BONUS The Orphans of Berlin in French

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