My Canadian Writer's Retreat

Happy Spring!!!

 

I'm so excited that Spring has finally sprung. Next to autumn, Spring is one of my most favorite seasons. It is the time when the snow melts away and I can finally start using my writer's retreat.

I love my place. It is nestled on four acres in cottage country in Northern Ontario, Canada.

Here's a pic that I took on my last visit. Plenty of snow.

Here's a pic of the inside - my kitchen.

And that's my mom by the sink.

(pardon the mess - I wasn't expecting company) lol

While I'm at my retreat, I usually write in a room over my garage.

 

 

It's so pretty and cozy up here and plenty a story

has been born inside these walls. *grin*

The pine desk under the window was built by

my thirteen year old nephew (at the time - he is now almost 21).

The white table (with the yellow tablecloth) in the nook was built

by my dad just after I was born (54 years).

We have very creative guys in my family. :-)

When you peek out that window there you can make out the silhouette of my house.

 

 

About ten years ago when I bought my property, I wrote my stories

on a hammock strung between two trees...now I have four walls.

Not bad for ten years work, eh?

I hope you have enjoyed my tour of my writer's retreat.

Drop by anytime!

 

Catch my latest release

 

 

You can find the links to this boxed set plus many other stories by following this link:

http://www.janspringer.com

 

Hugs and Happy Reading!

 

 

Some days you can't be prouder of your kids

For anyone who knows or loves a child with special needs, you know how special it is to have them get up and do something out of their comfort zone. Then to watch then watch them excel at it...it's one of those heart swelling moments.

My daughter is what we lovingly call an "Aspie", meaning she has Asperger Syndrome. (It's a high functioning form of autism) Many of you might recognize recent stories about Odin, the young man in Peterborough who didn't have anyone rsvp to his birthday party and his mom asked for help to make it a special 13th for him. He too is an Aspie and I can't read enough about how wonderful the world made his special day. Tee is a bit older than him, she'll be 18 in a couple months. Like many mom's the idea of her going to college makes me want to wrap her in bubble wrap.  

Seneca College has an amazing behaviour science program at the King Campus. One of the courses offered focuses completely con Autism and other spectrum disorders. We met the instructor at a Ride for Autism event in the fall and she contacted me to ask if Tee would be willing to be a guest speaker in her class. (The majority of their interaction with kids are non-verbal elementary students.)

Dad gets camera credits, I'm behind the artwork. lol

In short it was an amazing couple of hours. Tee was so nervous and I wasn't certain if she would get overwhelmed and "shut down" but the students in the class made us all so comfortable. Our entire family went  because the class was excited to learn the perspective of not only Tee but her parents and sister. 

Tee did an incredible job. She answered all their questions and talked about her art work and her plans for the future. It was a moment when I realized how much she has matured and capable of doing things completely out of her normal routine. Ry is incredibly good at public speaking and between the both of them I think they showed that our family is just as (slightly) normal as everyone elses. Or as normal as any other family with a sense of humor as twisted as ours. 

That doesn't mean I'm not still going to fight to wrap her in bubble wrap before college but maybe I'll limit the amount to 2 or 3 layers. :) 

Available for Pre-Order!
    Release Date: April 14th, 2015

Unconditional Devotion (Peacock Terrace Apartments 1)

A devastating battle with depression destroyed Hannah Robinson’s once-victorious career as a defense attorney. The relentless dark cloud of despair that shrouds her brings Hannah to question whether she can fight to go on any longer. That is until what had been an unexpected request from her neighbors leads to new-found joy that breathes new life into her dreary existence. 

Passion and seduction sizzles for Hannah and her dynamic neighbors, but as fate would have it, they will need far more than erotic satisfaction from her, despite her struggle with mental illness. 

As close as brothers since their days in the same neglectful foster home, Craig Ledet and Daniel Mire’s friendship stood the test of time. Their bond was fortified upon the arrival of a child neither of them knew about before. Blissful with the creation of an instant family, they are soon scourged by a vicious trail of events that leads them to court, extortion and kidnapping. 
Unconditional Devotion (Peacock Terrace Apartments Book 1)

Do you have plans for April 17 & 18th? Don't miss out on the first annual Romancing the Capital Conference in Ottawa, Ontario. There are only a handful of tickets left for what is going to be an amazing weekend!!

http://orc.evelanglais.com/

  

Happy Spring!

It seems we've all been talking about spring here on the blog, but then, there's nothing like a cold Canadian winter to get people excited about the change of the seasons. In my neck of the woods, we've had snow and more snow, and cold temps since Christmas. Having the temps rise and the snow disappear over the past week has been an amazing gift. The days are longer and the sunlight is more golden (it's blue in the winter).

I've been out in the garden, checking on the progress of my lovelies. The tulips are poking out of the soil this past weekend, and I can see the spires of snowdrops appearing. The irises are up (which surprises me) and the sedum buds are rounding. There's growth everywhere I look, and birds swooping through the garden too. The cardinals are busy, and the chickadees are at the feeder. There are woodpeckers, too.

Has spring appeared in your neck of the woods yet?

I've also been finishing the edits for my next release, Firestorm Forever, which is the final book in my Dragonfire cycle of paranormal romances featuring dragon shapeshifter heroes. Firestorm Forever will go on sale May 13. You can download the first chapter for free from my store, in EPUB or MOBI, or read a shorter excerpt on my website, right here.

One of the most exciting things about spring this year is the Romancing the Capital readers' conference, taking place in Ottawa in just a couple of weeks. Will Ottawa's famous tulips be in bloom? Even if they aren't, it'll be a wonderful time, with lots of readers and writers hanging out together. I'm so looking forward to this event, and hope to see you there.

Have you booked your place yet? I hope to see you there!

Kacey Interviews Canadian author, Karen Blake-Hall #RomanceAuthor #ComingSoon

Good morning, Karen. Thanks for stopping by our blog!

Thanks for hosting me today.

Tell us a bit about yourself. What part of Canada do you call home?

I live in Ajax, Ontario. It’s located outside Toronto. Our family moved here 27 years ago, but as a baby I lived here too. Funny that I ended up back where I started.

What is one highlight that readers might find interesting about your hometown/city?

Ajax didn’t exist before World War II. It was decided to put a Defense Industries Limited (DIL) munitions factory on farm land. It was close to GM tank factories in Oshawa and Camp X, the spy training facility, in Whitby. The town was named after the HMS Ajax.

You may have seen the TV series, ‘Bomb Girls’. It was based on the DIL plant in Scarborough and the TV show ‘X Company’ is based on spies trained in Camp X.

What is your favorite Canadian saying?

Eh? I can’t explain it, but I do say it more than I should.

Which part of Canada would you love to visit, but haven’t had the chance to yet?

British Columbia. I have family and friends living live there. I keep threatening I’m going to visit them and enjoy all the beauty of the province.

How did you get into writing?

I’ve written stories since I was a child. I’m dyslexic and no one could understand my spelling. Laughs. When I was a teen I gave up my dream of writing, but it wouldn’t leave me alone. I wouldn’t be published without my support group, my family and my critique partners who have learned to figure out my spelling and correct it. 

If you weren’t a writer, what other career would you have?

Salesperson. I talk a lot. lol

Karen's upcoming release ... 

Single mother, Molly Jackson, wants to run the family freight business in the North West Territories and take care of her family without receiving any more creepy letters from a stalker.

When Gramps ask him to stop the stalker, RCMP officer Brock Kingston comes home, excited to prove his love to Molly, but is surprised by her coolness.

Will their rekindled love survive when a secret from the past is revealed?

Releases April 15

Connect with Karen:

Website: http://www.karenblake-hall.com/

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/7203856.Karen_Blake_Hall

Karen Blake-Hall Bio

When Karen talks about romantic suspense stories, her eyes twinkle wickedly, or at least that’s what she’s been told.

Karen’s sharp-bladed fiction cuts to the heart of the emotions driving her characters in desperate situations.

When she’s not at her day job she’s crafting more tales of love and crime or spending time with her husband and children. She lives outside of Toronto with her husband, The Professor. 

 

Thank you for stopping by, Karen. We all wish you the best of luck with  You Are Mine.

Romance in small towns, Hot British accents, -40 winters and Hey! I don't think that's an icicle!

Helloooo ! How are all my lovelies today? Have you all had a chance to experience Romance this month? I live in a very small town in Southern, Ontario. and I often joke that it's not the place to be if you're a single woman looking for romance. Heck, the only place to meet men around here is the local bar where, if you have all your own teeth... you're overdressed. lol

But you know what, Celtic Souls? Romance is everywhere! We just get so caught up in our everyday lives that we don't notice it. 

I admit, romance can be subtle sometimes. It sneaks in and gives you a little kiss and you don't even know it's happened. Sometimes I have to turn off my regular brain and turn on my author brain to see those moments. And they are there... right under our noses. So let me share with you a little thing that happened to me in this small town not so long ago... It was a very cold morning. I dragged myself out of bed and got ready for a busy day in my corporate world. I had several meetings that day so I had to dress to impress. As I pulled off my street to begin my hour long commute into the city, my fuel light came on. Figures. on the day that its -40 and I'm wearing stockings and 4" heels. UGH. I pull in to the gas station on the by-pass to the highway and get out to pump gas.

While I'm following the instructions to pay I notice a black Porsche pull up to the pump on the other side. Damn nice car, I might add. Leaning around the pump I have to say the 'upholstery' was pretty good looking too. Just how long does it take to pay at the pump for heavens sakes? Push this, swipe that, insert your chip... gah ! I'm freezing ! I kicked someone on the ground that I thought was an icicle but I'm almost convinced that it was one of my nipples! 

Shivering commences, and a large masculine hand, folds over mine on the pump handle. I look up at the most handsome man. Mr. Porsche 911. He smiles and nods in the direction of my van. "Go keep warm." well, as if those piercing blue eyes weren't enough, that British accent just deduced me to a puddly mess. A frozen, slushy puddle. 

Suddenly it doesn't feel all that cold out. lol  Is this happening? A handsome man, with bedroom eyes and a panty melting British Accent... Driving a Porsche... is standing in -40 temperatures to pump my gas! Then it happens, I look down at the platinum ring on his left hand. Nooo! So I did what every self-respecting single woman standing in front of a hot man wearing a wedding band would do. "Soooo are you happily married?" I ask, through chattering teeth. He laughs and at that moment I expect winter to fade away and roses to magically start growing around the pumps, creating us a garden of Eden. "Go!" he says, still chuckling. "Get in the van and keep warm." 

Reluctantly, I did as I was told. When he was all done, he tapped on the window on his way back to his car. Sighs......... I've never seen Mr. 911 again. I stop by that gas station all the time in hopes to catch him. Perhaps he was just a traveler passing by on a journey to somewhere. I will never know, I suppose. But I think of him often. My heart starts to beat a little funny whenever I see a black Porsche. I could have dismissed that event as a random act of kindness by a stranger. And maybe to him that was all it was. But to me... Tricia Daniels romance author... well that story morphed in my mind into a great love story. A story where they run into each other again at this same gas station sometime in the future and they are both single and available. I see a happily ever after for these two...and it's definitely a story I'm going to write. SOON!

So I have a mission for you this month, Ladies! In your ordinary everyday life, I'd like you to start looking for romance. It's out there. It might not involve you directly... it could be an elderly couple walking through the shopping mall, holding hands. It could be two strangers who's eyes meeting across the Tim Horton's. lol Email me with your stories!  author.tricia.daniels@outlook.com or send me a PM on  Facebook I'd love to share your stories with my fans!

Life is so much happier when we let love in. I'm making it my mission to share it.

No more winter! Travel to a Space Station or Another Planet for March Break

Foreverary is finally over! March is here with warmer temperatures. Yay! The snowbanks are slowly melting away, driveways are becoming visible, and the streets are going back to their normal width. Everything looks dirty from all of the sand and gravel used to makes the roads less slippery, but this won't last. The trees have already started to bud. Soon, crocuses and tulips will be bursting through the ground to bring us the first colours of spring. Robins will return, and the rain will make everything look fresh and new again. I can't wait!

Copyright: / 123RF Stock Photo

But, until then, some Canadians are travelling south for March Break, which is next week. While my family has no plans to go anywhere, I know some families going down to Florida, hoping to catch an early burst of summer before returning to our much cooler temperatures.

If you're like me, and are staying home for March Break, there are other ways to get away at least for a short period of time. You can watch a movie, read a book, or listen to an audio book.

It's also time for spring cleaning, right? I like to put my earplugs in, and listen to an audio book while tidying up, doing the dishes, and other chores.

With the audio books I have out, you can visit a space station, or travel to another planet. Why not take a listen and find out if you'd like to visit one of my worlds?


You can listen to samples from my other audio books on SoundCloud. And if you'd like to WIN one of my audio book titles, you can pop on over to my blog and enter there.

 

My audio book titles are available from Audible, Amazon, and iTunes.

Until next month!

Jessica E. Subject is the author of contemporary and science fiction romance, ranging from sweet to erotic. In her stories, you could meet clones, or a sexy alien or two. You may even be transported to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.

When Jessica isn't reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk with her giant, hairy dog her family adopted from the local animal shelter.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com and on twitter @jsubject.

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Getting Ready For Spring

I don't know about anyone, but usually when the temps get warm I start to get squirrely. And by warm I mean single negative temperatures.

Okay...I can here you laughing over there, so stop it! Single negative temps are a big thing when you're this far north.

My driveway is going to be a nightmare, not to mention the marshland that will now replace my back and front yards. I really hope my basement doesn't flood as a result.

I think for today, I'm going to post some of the pics and links to music that have really helped me pull through all this crappy weather lately, and some of my own personal challenges.

Elements played by Lindsey Stirling

Everyone meet, Oscar! My garden Gargoyle is the best part of my flower bed, my second favorite is my three varieties of Monkshood aka Wolfsbane. ;-)

The hubby and I having a dorky moment. Yikes! I had no idea how short my hair was last year until this photo. :-P

Yup...I'm already plotting for next year's Halloween fun. 

Boy am I really done with winter that I have to look at old photo's from our old jaunts to Fort Creek Conservation Trail. 

Sweet Surrender by Sarah Mc Lachlan

Well that's it for me for now. What do you listen to, or do when winter is starting to make you down in the dumps? 

Spring? Not in my neck of the woods

It's March. Finally. And the weather people are starting their countdown to the first day of spring. Which by the calendar is March 20th, although I don't consider it spring until I see the first crocus or snowdrop peeking out on someone's lawn.  Which won't be until late April in my neck of the woods.

Creative Commons use attribution:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/juandoso/7481217920

Those of you attending the Romancing the Capital conference will miss the Canadian Tulip Festival which takes place from May 8th - 18th. There's a really cool story about why there are so many tulips in the Ottawa area every spring -- and how the Ottawa Civic Hospital was officially made 'extraterritorial' back in 1940 for the birth of Princess Margriet so the princess could maintain her exclusively Dutch citizenship until the family could safely return to their homeland after World War 2.

But as I said, we won't see those blossoms until May. So those of you in the south who are posting photos of your spring flowers already on Facebook? Picture me totally jealous.

For now this is my view from my kitchen window.

*sigh* Yup, I expect to have a leak when all that ice backs up underneath the shingles soon.  Which might explain why I enjoy writing stories set in Texas. Where even though they get the occasional dusting of snow...well, usually within a few days it's back up to shorts weather. Or it is for us Canucks. (And if you're on the east coast where you've had 7 feet of snow in the past month? My sympathies!)

Feeding the Flames

Sometimes your soulmate has been right in front of you their whole life. It shouldn’t take almost losing them to find them.

Volunteer firefighter Zac Buchanan has been carrying a torch for Tabatha Morgan since…well, forever. A promise he made years ago backfired, sending Tabatha into the arms of another man, and him into a decade of heartache. Now Tabatha’s back in town, newly divorced, and the sparks between them are setting them both aflame.

Tabatha would have bet her secret five-alarm chili recipe that her school girl crush on Zac had died out long ago. Except those slumbering embers reignited the moment Zac walked into her diner. Now each time she sees him—hears him, thinks about him—she can’t imagine her life without him again.

But if their new-found love and sizzlin’ hot action in the bedroom—and living room, kitchen and bathroom—is to survive, Tabatha must also accept the smoke, flames and danger of Zac’s job. Or their happy-ever-after will forever be extinguished.

FEEDING THE FLAMES was originally part of the FIVE ALARM ALPHAS bundle.

Smashwords:  http://bit.ly/1z9TTqH
Amazon.com http://mybook.to/FeedingtheFlames
Kobo http://bit.ly/1zATQrt
Nook http://bit.ly/1I261EU
iTunes http://bit.ly/1zSycm3

Excerpt:

Quinn squared his shoulders. “Did you ever consider that you’ve been dating her all along.”

What the fuck? “No. Dates involve holding hands and kissing. Going home and getting naked and sweaty.” He adjusted himself at his body’s reaction to that image.

“Think about it, Z. How many times do you stop by her place and have dinner with her in your average week?”

Four times last week.

“Who helped her paint the diner after the asshole she hired disappeared partway through?”

“Both of us.”

Quinn shook his head. “I helped paint half of one wall before I got called in for an extra shift. But you helped not only paint the diner, but put down a new floor, and made sure her sprinkler system and electrical was up to snuff. And how many movie marathons have you guys had?”

They’d watched the entire Breaking Bad series, eight seasons of Criminal Minds, and watched Firefly at least a dozen times. And he’d enjoyed every damned minute.

“Hell, you even told me that she fell asleep with her head on your lap last week, remember?”

It had been hell and heaven at the same time—heaven with her hair spilling onto his lap, over his fingers, her lips curled into a soft smile, her breath warm against his jeans-covered cock. Hell because he kept picturing her waking up, lowering his zipper and taking his cock in her mouth. Hell, because she hadn’t. When she’d finally awoken, he’d made a mad dash to the bathroom to beat one off.

Quinn continued, obviously unaware of the memory he’d revived—or maybe he was and wanted to drive home his point. “You know what her favorite dessert is.” Cheesecake. “Her favorite movie.” A tie between Princess Bride and Serenity. “You know that she loves manicures, pedicures, back rubs, and vintage clothing.”

“Hey, you know all that stuff too. Which means you’re perfect for her.” The fuel tank refilled, he replaced the nozzle in the tank and climbed back into the chopper.

If he’d been hoping Quinn would give up and leave him alone as he parked the chopper in its reserved spot, he’d been dead wrong. The moment he finished his final inspection, Quinn started after him again. “Just take her to the concert already. Give things a chance—and don’t deliberately try to screw things up to push her my way. You have to give it a real shot.”

“What if I scare her off?”

“Oh for fuck’s sake, Buchanan, I don’t remember you ever bein’ such a whiney ass girl. You’ve put Tab up on this fucking high virgin pedestal. She isn’t afraid of you because she already knows all the worst parts about you. Trust me.”