Little Tidbits about my Crescent Bay Series

Tugging on your heartstrings . . . 

Okay, Regency readers, just remember this:  I love you all and I love that you love my Regency romances!  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.  But my poor contemporary romances are languishing on the digital shelves . . . sigh!  :-(    Why?  I'm not sure because my beta readers and those who've reviewed them seem to like them, and I certainly enjoy writing them "almost" as much as I do my Regencies.  

So, I'm asking:  can you give them a shot?  These are not trashy stuff, I assure you.  Hey, I attended Catholic school from elementary through high school!  God forbid Sister Mary Joseph ever found out, I'd be dead meat .  . .

To start you off, my Crescent Bay series, book #1 and #2, go on sale tomorrow (May 2) through May 7 -- both will be free on Apple, B&N, Kobo and more -- here are the links for Hold You in My Heart and Straight from the Heart.  Unfortunately, Amazon will not let me reset the price to free unless I'm a "select KDP" author.  However, if you show them the offers at their competitors, I believe they'll honor the sale.

And, as so many of us Indie Authors ask, if you would leave an honest review on either or both, I would truly appreciate that.  So many of us depend upon reviews for future sales.

But now let's have a little fun, shall we? 

In Hold You, Amanda Gallagher opens a vintage home decor shop and her family members help her create various "rooms" throughout the shop.  Her cousin, Giana, creates a Boho corner (vintage hippie style) and I got the idea from a website and Justine Blakeley's book, Jungalow.  Awesome book!  Here's an example:

Takes your breath away, doesn't it?  Of course, my husband would run from the house screaming if I did this in the living room -- ha!  But I just love the bold designs and colors, especially during a dreary New England winter.  

Here's another image that inspired the side garden to Amanda's house where several scenes take place:

Not sure about the umbrella but you get the idea -- private, romantic and cool during the hot summer months.  The perfect setting for a romantic interlude, right?  

And who are Amanda Gallagher and Nate Russell?  

Sometimes a writer has images already in her head about her heroine and hero; sometimes not.  The two characters organically form as you write.  But for Amanda and Nate, I did have two distinct ideas for my characters.  Here are the posted images from Instagram:

I hope you'll give them a chance and read Hold You in My Heart.  Each time I finish a romance, I find myself a little sad to say goodbye to my characters.  If I can bring them back in the next book, great, and I think that's one reason so many authors create series -- they're reluctant to let go!  

Next blog posting will feature Giana and Ryan - completely different from Amanda and Nate, but just as much fun, in Straight from the Heart.  And naturally I'm already making notes for book #3, Heart's Journey, featuring Simone and Marc.  But in the meantime, I'm writing the final romance of my School of Sophistication, featuring Lady Caro and her long lost love, Julien Roberge, which should be ready for release in early June.  

Happy Reading!

Claire H.  

A Pefect Summer Read!

 

I'm so happy to release Book Two in my Crescent Bay series, Straight from the Heart!  This novel features the growing relationship between Giana Lindstrom, who is Amanda Gallagher's cousin and Maid of Honor at her upcoming wedding to Nate Russell, and Ryan Cassidy, that sexy deputy sheriff and Nate's Best Man -- Amanda and Nate were the first couple in Hold You in My Heart. 

What fun characters to work with -- Ryan starts off as a smart ass, always teasing Giana and calling her 'squirt' due to her diminutive stature.  And she sasses him right back, no holds barred, having grown up with two older brothers.  But as I started writing Straight from the Heart, I decided to place Giana in a somewhat vulnerable position, a bit defeated and frustrated, career-wise, and taking some heat from her family about finding a husband, etc.  And that was the turning point for Ryan.  Despite his love 'em and leave 'em attitude, he comes to realize that she's in a delicate state of mind and spirit and thus he's forced to up his game if he's intent on winning her affections, if not her love.  Of course, there's still lots of sass between the two of them, but now the stakes are getting higher, leaving the reader hoping that they'll realize there's so much they could 'win' if they'd only connect at a deeper level.

Why not give Ryan and Giana a shot?  And, of course, there are several secondary characters appearing in this story, so you know one of the couples will be the H/H in Book Three, planned for a late winter / early spring release in 2023.  Stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter, which I tend to send out about once a month, featuring sales, updates and sometimes sneak peek at upcoming works.

Happy June & Happy Reading!