Claire Hadleigh

Winter seems the perfect time to take a break from writing, scouring Facebook and Twitter, scrambling for those book reviews and to simply step back and take a deep breath.  Because, despite the weather now, we know that spring will be here in a matter of eight weeks or so. And if you're into gardening like I am, that means another stress level, although one I welcome -  at least for the first few weeks until my back is screaming in pain if I have to lift one more bag of garden soil or mulch!  But that hard work pays off when I gaze out on the back lawns and drink in the view of English roses, clematis twining up through the deck railings, the colorful pots of impatiens and dahlias -- oh, my heart sings then.  But I digress -- that's down the road.   Right now I wanted to do something with my hands.  Crochet?  Knit?  No, did so much of that during the late summer and fall.  Painting?  No, not really.   Something with...

Well, it's time for a change!  Oh, sure, I'll still be reading my romance novels (already have a stack waiting by the fireplace), but I still have this feeling that I'd like to expand my reading choices, to stretch myself, both as a reader and a writer, sort of replenish the well of inspiration. So here's my new reading theme for 2018 --  Armchair Travel !  Yes, it's easy, not costly and yet I can travel as far and as wide as I'd like, when I like.  Doesn't that sound wonderful?  And, in the meantime, these books may spark the little gray cells as to new venues for my romance stories -- it's a win, win, as far as I'm concerned.  Once again, I am not providing links to purchase;  this is purely for your exploratory pleasure!  MEMOIRS: A Year in the World: Journeys of a Passionate Traveller by Frances Mayes Paris to the Past: Traveling through French History by Train by Ina Caro Thistle Soup: a Ladleful of Scottish Life by ...

Here are my Top 10 choices that I truly enjoyed reading this year, both historical and contemporary.  So here goes: #1:  Breathing Room by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.  All I can say is . . . wow (hear that heavy sigh in the background? That would be me!).  I've read others by Phillips but this was my first and the best. I'll probably go buy my own copy so I can re-read anytime I want! #2:  Somebody to Love by Kristan Higgins.  Delightful heroine and hero -- believable, too, which is sometimes difficult to pull off.  And, if you're not familiar with Higgins, her secondary characters are a whole world unto themselves! #3:  Perfect Match by K. Higgins (yes, again!).  This novel is set in her Blue Heron series in upstate New York and, as above, she digs in deep with these two lovers and the extended families in a tiny town of 700+. #4:  An Improper Arrangement by Kasey Michaels (Regency).  If you lov...

Happy New Year! What better way to start a new year then with a new option for one's readers?  Now, all three novellas are available as one boxed set in digital format. They'll be loading up and available at the low, low price of $1.99 (US dollars) at all the popular platforms Amazon , (Barnes & Noble, Apple iBooks, Kobo coming shortly)! I do hope you'll take advantage of this great offer.  And, if I play my cards right, I should be offering a print box set on Amazon later in February -- just in time for Valentine's Day! Again -- my best wishes to you all for 2018 -- may you have a peaceful and contented year ahead!