BEACH READS!

The Little Mermaid in 1886 Galveston

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Over the last several years, I’ve had a grand time retelling classic Disney fairy tales in western settings. Next month I’ll be releasing my latest in the Once Upon a Time in Texas series – Part of Your World.

The Little Mermaid holds a special place in my heart. It first came to theaters when my husband and I were dating, and when we were apart the summer before our wedding, my husband wrote me a letter with all the lyrics to Kiss the Girl. Now, this was pre-Internet, so he couldn’t just Google the lyrics. He had to find a cassette recording then rewind it over and over to get the words down. Yes, we’re that old. Ha!

My heroine, Muriel Quinn is a long-distance swimmer who idolizes Agnes Beckwith. Agnes grew up the daughter of a swimming instructor and performer. She was performing in swimming shows across England from age four onward. As a teenager, she turned her attention to distance swimming. In 1875, at age 14, she made history by swimming five miles in the Thames from London Bridge to Greenwich. In 1878, she swam twenty miles. By 1885, she was appearing in the Royal Aquarium of Westminster billed as The Greatest Lady Swimmer of the World.

Agnes Beckwith, Age 14

I styled Muriel’s bathing costume after those that Agnes wore, since she couldn’t possibly swim long distances in the typical bathing costumes of the day.

1880s Swim Suits

Muriel swims along the coast of Galveston in the Gulf of Mexico. And as you might expect, her swimming skills come in handy when our hero, Zane Erickson, has a boating accident and finds himself in need of rescue.

Muriel and Zane come from vastly different worlds. She is the daughter of a man who works at the docks. He is the only son of a socially elite family and is training to be an architect under the great Nicholas Clayton, one of the most successful American architects of the Gilded Age, especially in the south.

Zane has no interest in the marriage his mother wishes to arrange—until the mysterious young woman who saved his life reappears as a potential match. However, their reunion is no coincidence. Caught in a dangerous web of blackmail and deceit, Zane and Muriel must risk everything to protect their growing love—and the lives of those they hold dear.

Preorder Part of Your World Here

This is my first official beach read! Not a common occurrence when one writes historical western fiction.

Are you a beach person?
Do you like frolicking in the waves or do you prefer staying on shore?

Roped Into Paradise

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Sometimes the idea for a story catches me completely by surprise.

Such was the case for my wholesome rom-com that releases next week.

Last February, I was sitting at my desk, looking outside at the cold, wintery day, and wondering why we don’t plan vacations to sunny locales during the coldest months of the year, when an email popped into my inbox from my dad’s cousin, J/J.

J/J loves to go on cruises. In fact, at the time, he was on a multi-week, back-to-back series of cruises in the Caribbean.

When I saw an email from him, I thought, “Oh, fun! More news from someplace where it is warm and sunny and you don’t have to put on wool socks just to go get the mail.”

The email read:

“Is there any chance in the future I might see a book about romance on the high seas where a cowboy takes a cruise to some exotic location?”

After reading that question, I couldn’t help myself. My imagination shifted into high gear and I began brainstorming story ideas.

What if there was a cowboy from someplace cold, going to spend time with his grandmother who lived someplace warm, and the grandma—being an eccentric ol’ gal—drags him onto a cruise without giving him any warning or opinions on the matter? From there, the ideas kept rolling.

I’ve never been on a cruise, but, thankfully, J/J was so kind to answer my many questions and share day-to-day cruising details with me. For a week, I almost felt like I was right there on the cruise ship. J/J was also kind enough to save a bunch of information he received on the cruise, like their daily planners, and mail them to me when he returned home. There was so much great information that he shared, and I tried to work in as much as I could into the story.

A cowboy, a cruise, and a meddling grandma—what could go wrong?

JJ McKade expected to spend two weeks with his grandmother at her condo in sunny Florida, celebrating her birthday. Instead, he got shanghaied by his mischievous grandma on a Caribbean cruise—complete with hot pink luggage, a gaggle of giggling octogenarians, and a humiliating childhood nickname haunting his every move.

Between meddling matchmakers, unexpected friendships, and the endless chaos of cruise life, JJ can’t help being drawn to Kinsley Kline, the ship’s enchanting horticulturist. There’s just one catch: crew fraternizing with passengers is strictly forbidden.

With only a few months left in her contract aboard The Affinity, Kinsley can’t let anything rock her boat or derail her plans. Then the arrival of a hunky cowboy on the ship makes her question if some rules are meant to be broken, and a little boat rocking is a good thing.

From sun-drenched beaches to moonlit strolls, JJ and Kinsley must decide if an onboard romance can last on land, and if love is worth risking their hearts.

Packed with laughter, longing, and a grandmother who refuses to play by the rules, Roped Into Paradise is a heartwarming and wholesome romantic comedy about family, hope, and finding love where you least expect it. Perfect for fans of witty banter, unexpected romance, and cruise ship escapades that sweep you off your feet.

Here’s a little excerpt from the book:

JJ tugged on the only pair of clean jeans he’d packed in his bag and unrolled a green plaid western shirt, fastening the snaps with one hand while using the other to finger-comb his hair. In the adjoining bathroom, he splashed his face with cold water and brushed his teeth, then he moseyed into the kitchen, lured by the scent of coffee.

“Here,” Grams said, shoving a travel mug into his hand. “You can drink that on the way.”

“On the way to where?” he asked, taking a long, bracing sip of coffee so strong and black, he could feel it peeling away layers of tissue as it traveled down his throat.

“The store, JJ. Do try to keep up,” Grams said, snagging her car keys off a hook by the door that led into her garage. She gave him a look that clearly conveyed her thoughts that he was hopeless as he stumbled over the step into the garage. “I’ll drive.”

He thought about arguing, but refrained. Until the caffeine kicked in, he wasn’t sure he could find his way out to the end of the driveway.

Ten minutes later, Grams pulled into the nearly empty parking lot of a superstore that sold everything from fried chicken to pontoon boats. Hungry as he was, the fried chicken didn’t sound all that bad, even if it was a grease-soaked remnant from yesterday’s offerings.

Confused as to why they were at the store before most of the population was even awake, JJ took another long drink of coffee and then set the mug in the cupholder of the SUV.

“Why on earth are we here?” he asked as he got out of the vehicle and walked with his grandmother to the door.

“We can’t go on the boat ride until you are properly outfitted.”

“Boat ride? Outfitted?” JJ thought maybe he’d dreamed the part about Grams mentioning a boat ride last night. Did he really need new attire for a ride around the lake? Usually, they took a fishing charter cruise around the lake at some point during his visit. Cargo shorts, a T-shirt, and an old pair of sneakers would work just fine for that. “What are you talking about, Grams?”

“I told you I booked a boat ride, JJ. Aren’t you listening?” Grams asked as though he were five and incapable of paying attention.

He watched as his grandmother snagged a shopping cart from the row of them outside the door, set her purse inside, and grabbed his arm in one seemingly smooth motion as she marched inside the store.

“What kind of boat ride requires getting up this early in the morning to come shopping here, of all places, so I can be properly outfitted? Last I checked, you and Mom would both develop acute hives if you had to purchase your wardrobe here.”

Grams smiled at the greeter standing near the door and made a beeline for the men’s clothing. JJ hoped he could still move with as much agility as his grandmother had when he was her age. Then again, she attended a yoga class three times a week and took pride in walking at least a mile every day.

“It means, JJ, that we are boarding a cruise ship at half past ten this morning and setting sail for the Caribbean. You need clothes for an eleven-day trip. From the pathetic contents of your duffel bag, you’ll be forced to wash your undies in the bathroom sink every other day. You should have listened when your mother suggested you pack a suitcase with plenty of clothes, baby. Now, stop dawdling and get to shopping.” Grams pointed to a rack of cargo shorts.

Releasing January 29!

If you could snap your fingers and be on a dream vacation today, where would you go and what would you see?

Post your answer for a chance to win a $5 Amazon Gift Card!

It’s the Little Things

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As the summer quickly zooms by and the busyness of fall lingers in the near future, I’ve been thinking about taking a moment here and there to enjoy the little things that bring me joy.

For example, the other morning when I was watering my flowers, a dragonfly landed on a blossom and instead of hurrying on past it to complete the chore, I turned off the water, leaned closed and admired the way the sunlight glistened on its iridescent wings.

The little things.

I’m all too often guilty of not paying attention, or allowing myself the time to savor those precious little joys that come from the simplest places.

Like chocolate chip cookies warm from the oven.

A gorgeous summer sunset.

The horses in the pasture behind our house.

Summer flowers.

Or a refreshing glass of mint iced tea. I’ll even share the recipe with you!

Mint Iced Tea

3 mint tea bags (I’ve tried a variety but my favorite is Bigelow Perfectly Mint works the best)

4 cups boiling water

8 cups cool water

2/3 cup sugar

Mint sprigs

Stir sugar into the boiling water until it is dissolved. Add the tea bags and let steep for about 10 minutes. Discard tea bags and pour tea into a 12 cup pitcher. Add cool water and stir. Toss in a few fresh mint sprigs and serve over ice in chilled glasses.

In my new release, Sunrise Surf, the hero has learned to appreciate the little things in life, because he works a dangerous job as an undercover officer for the Oregon State Police.

 

What happens when a dedicated Oregon State Police officer (who grew up on a cattle ranch) goes undercover as a homeless surfer… and falls for a small-town doctor who has no idea who he really is?

Logan Wright’s latest assignment pulls him deep into a dangerous drug ring on the rugged Seaside coast. But nothing complicates his mission more than Laken Hayes—a beautiful, big-hearted doctor who stirs something in him he hasn’t felt in years.

She’s juggling a full life, raising her teenage nephew and holding down a demanding job. The last thing she expects is to be swept up by a charming surfer with a mysterious past and a heart full of secrets.

If you love slow-burn romance, high-stakes suspense, and coastal charm, Sunrise Surf delivers a heartfelt, page-turning journey where love just might be the biggest risk of all.

What about you?

What little things bring you joy or make you smile?

Post your answer for a chance to win a $5 Amazon Gift Card

and a digital copy of Sunrise Surf.

Fictional Wyoming Town in His New Companion

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My new book released today! His New Companion is the final book in my Wyoming Legacies series, and it’s a Love Inspired K-9 Companions novel, too. I’ve written six books set in the fictional Wyoming town of Jewel River.

The first book, The Cowboy’s Christmas Compromise, sets up the premise of the series. Jewel River has seen better days. Erica Black moves to town and wants to revitalize it. She asks locals to get together to discuss what the town needs and how they can make it vibrant again. Thus begins the Jewel River Legacy Club. Monthly meetings are held in the community center, and each book in the series features at least one meeting. Some of the residents have kooky ideas, and others are hard-nosed and against change. One thing is for sure–the meetings are never boring!

In His New Companion, Ty Moulten has never been to a meeting. His mother, Christy, has been trying to get him to attend one for years, and he never has. He’s hidden himself away on his ranch for five years. He didn’t intend to, but after his fiancée died, he got depressed and couldn’t handle people’s well-meaning sympathy. When the story begins, he’s finally getting out of his shell. He volunteers to foster a service-dog-in-training on weekends, but he gets more than he bargained for. He’s introduced to Fritz, a mini-dachshund, and Ashlinn, the new girl in town with a service dog of her own. And needless to say, he finally attends a meeting.

And as he spends time with Ashlinn, Ty comes to appreciate Jewel River and the community he’s avoided. He sees how generous and supportive the people at his church and his mother’s friends can be. Plus, his mother shocks him with a surprise announcement regarding one of the characters I loved writing–Clem Buckley, a wiry, tells-it-like-it-is retired rancher.

I’m going to miss Jewel River, but I already have a new fictional Wyoming town to enjoy! My next series with Love Inspired is called Wyoming Inheritance, and the first book releases in late October.

Read an excerpt of His New Companion

He would not get attached to the dog. After all, this was a temporary gig.

Ty Moulten stood outside the entrance of Howard Service Dogs in Jewel River, Wyoming, after five on Friday and wondered again if fostering a dog on the weekends was wise. Maybe he should wait until next year when he’d have more time to get used to the idea. Or he could try in a few months when the temperature cooled. July had been a scorcher so far, and they were only midway through it.

Either the sun was melting him or he’d worked himself into an actual fever. Why was he so sweaty? Probably didn’t help that after he’d finished checking cattle, he’d opted to change into a fresh pair of jeans instead of shorts.

Life made more sense in jeans, cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. And being comfortable would help him keep his head on straight. His heart had been broken once. Shattered, really. Fostering a dog was nothing compared to what he’d had with Zoey, but it didn’t change the fact there wasn’t enough of his heart left for him to squander the little that remained.

He didn’t do love—or people in general—anymore.

***

 

His New Companion by Jill Kemerer cover. Mountain background, golden retriever service dog sitting on wooden deck

Healing from heartbreak
Can start with a four-legged friend.

Six years after losing his fiancée, rancher Ty Moulten still struggles with grief. Organizing a fundraiser in her honor and fostering a service dog feel like a step forward, and lead to meeting Ashlinn Burnier, the service dog training center’s new administrative assistant. As Ashlinn helps Ty plan the fundraiser, he finds himself falling for Fritz, the tiny dachshund in his care, and for Ashlinn—who has a service dog of her own. But Ashlinn worries her health challenges make her a burden, and Ty wonders if he can open his heart again. Will two hardworking pups help them choose love over holding on to fear?

Purchase His New Companion!

Do you enjoy fictional towns, or do you prefer stories set in real ones?

Thanks for celebrating with me!

Sunset Shore and a Seaside Adventure

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Seaside is a town that bustles with tourists during the summer season. It’s right on the rugged Oregon coast with miles of beautiful beaches right on the water.

The first inhabitants of the area were Clatsop Native Americans. They lived there for centuries until explorers arrived in the 1700s, seeking a water route across the continent. They are first mentioned in written history in 1792 by a merchant captain named Robert Gray. He explored 20 miles up the Columbia River, and named it after his ship “Columbia.” Sadly, the explorers and merchants brought smallpox along with them. By the time the first European settlers arrive in the area, only around 250 tribe members remained.

The famous Lewis and Clark Expedition—the Corps of Discovery—also visited Seaside. In November 1805, they reached the Pacific Coast and set up a winter camp near the mouth of the Columbia River. They’d run out of salt, so an expedition of three men were sent to find a place to establish a salt-making operation.

They established the salt-making camp in what would become present-day Seaside where they boiled 1,400 gallons of seawater to make four bushels of salt for their trip home. Today, a recreation of the original gives visitors a glimpse into the salt camp of the past. Lewis and Clark’s expedition is memorialized in a huge statue at the center of Seaside’s round-about at the end of Broadway, the busiest street in town that leads down to the beach.

John Jacob Astor was the next to come to the area. In 1811, he established a fur trading post and Fort Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River. By the early 1820s, people arrived and began forming permanent settlements and claiming land in the Seaside area.  However, the city was not incorporated until 1899.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, going to Oregon’s beaches from Portland wasn’t an easy trip.

Trunks were hauled down from attic storage. Bathing suits were cleaned and repaired. Bed linens, clothing, toys, food supplies, and cooking utensils were packed. The adventure was at least a week long and it could last all summer. Prior to 1890, the main means of travel were river boats down the Columbia River to Astoria, or by horseback and stagecoach. It was an all-day trip. Hotels were limited, and vacationers rented cottages or set up tents and camped.

After 1890, a train connected Portland to Seaside. It cut the travel time in half, even though the trip included the Ecola Toll Road with 111 motion sickness-inducing curves. Because the trip wasn’t easy or simple, families who could afford it would often stay in cottages all summer with the fathers commuting on the weekends on what became known as “daddy trains.”

Seaside grew. Hotels were constructed. A highway along the Columbia River opened in 1920, making travel even easier.

 


August 7, 1921, was a memorable day in Seaside.  A new promenade that stretched for a mile and a half was dedicated in a ceremony that brought thousands of people to town. Visitors flocked to the area for the proceedings. Oregon State dignitaries and politicians traveled from the capitol to give grand speeches and join the throngs of merry makers.  The dedication of The Prom, as it would become known, was held with parades, cornet and trumpet orchestras, and fox-trotting into the wee hours at the dance halls on Broadway. Today, people still stroll along vintage lamp-lit walk watching the waves caress the shore.

During the 1920s until World War II, Seaside was a popular place for musicians to stop along the West Coast, with names such as Duke Ellington and Glenn Miller among the most popular acts.

In 1942, Seaside witnessed the shelling of Fort Stevens by a Japanese submarine in the only attack on a mainland American military site during World War II. It happened June 21, 1942. After covertly following American fishing vessels to bypass minefields, a Japanese submarine  entered the mouth of the Columbia River. It surfaced near Fort Stevens, an old Army base that dated back to the Civil War. Just before midnight, the submarine used its deck gun to fire 17 shells at the fort. Wisely, the commander of Fort Stevens ordered his men not to return fire, fearful the muzzle flashes of the fort’s guns would reveal their position. The plan worked, and the bombardment quickly ended. A nearby baseball field bore the brunt of the damage.

Seaside survived a tsunami that swarmed the coast March 27, 1964. A 9.2-magnitude earthquake hit near Alaska and sent waves down the West Coast. According to local legend, some people dancing at a club in town noticed water rising to their ankles. Thinking a pipe had burst, the dancers went outside to find water streaming through town ,carrying along debris from destroyed buildings.

Today, Seaside continues to be a popular tourist destination with many historic buildings and landmarks near the sandy beach where visitors can take in spectacular sunsets.

Just like those in my soon-to-release book Sunset Shore.

 

An artist, a fire chief, and a troubled teen team up to track down an arsonist.

Hallie Hart roams the country seeking inspiration for her cyanotype creations. After deciding to spend the summer in Seaside on the rugged Oregon coast, she unexpectedly encounters the fire chief, a man who captivates her. Despite her hesitancy to set down roots, she forges friendships, discovers a newfound sense of belonging in Seaside, and treasures the love blossoming in her heart.

Seaside Fire Chief Sloan Davis faces a daunting challenge as an elusive arsonist escalates from dumpster fires to burning buildings. Amid the chaos, Sloan crosses paths with a spirited traveling artist. Their immediate attraction sparks a tender romance, making him realize Hallie is everything he’s been missing in his life.

Forced to spend the summer with his aunt in Seaside, Dellas Reeves fights his boredom by following fire trucks out on calls. While his admiration for the first responders grows, he unwittingly becomes entangled in an arsonist’s scheme.

As they join forces to unravel the mystery surrounding the arsonist, their bonds deepen. When Hallie gets too close to the truth, will Sloan and Dellas be able to save her before the arsonist adds murder to growing list of charges?

Find out in this wholesome small-town romance full of hope, love, memorable characters, mystery, and humor.

Today, you can get the prequel to my Love on the Beach series (Sunset Shore is book 2) for just 99 cents. I hope you’ll check out Rose and Moonlight Cove!

 

Just for fun, I’ll be giving away an autographed copy of both
Rose and Moonlight Cove to once lucky winner!
To enter, share your favorite beach location
(can be real, or a fictional place).

What Makes a Great Beach Read?

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SUMMER!

Oh my stars, can you believe it, that it is not snowing like almost anywhere, except perhaps in the highest of high peaks? And what goes along with summer? So many things!!!

Ice pops (or freeze pops, here).

Popsicles!

Flowers…

Sun…. leaves…. color… green!!!!… heat… warmth…. blue skies… thunderstorms… scampering critters…. birds…. birdsong… frogs croaking… bugs chirping… baby birds out of the nest… Oh, so many things! But what’s one of the most recognizable things about summer?

Bathing suits. Sunscreen. Sun umbrellas. Flowered towels. Plastic water bottles. Sandbuckets. Plastic shovels. And

BEACH READS!!!!!

Why are beach reads a thing? Well… because folks are relaxing on the beach. Sunbathing or lounging or just hanging out on vacation and what do tons of people take with them to the beach? A book. Or an e-reader, a Kindle or even their phone!

Nowadays you can read on just about anything and folks aren’t worried to death about getting sand in a $29.00 E-reader… like they used to be about a $129.00 Kindle…

Times change, but people don’t. Not really. And when they go to the beach, or to the shore, or hanging out in the air conditioned hotel room or rented condo, a great read is a marvelous thing.

And it can be any kind of read, but for my money, you can’t beat a great western or romance. Now I like my romances sweet. We all know that. But I like my stories to go deep… to strengthen the backbone of the romance with some real life things and it just so happens that one of those wonderful westerns has just gone on sale for $1.99 for the e-reader version.

A Cinderella-type story… with a country star cowboy prince… and the sacrificial heart that makes all the difference.

In spite of their differences, Trey Walker Stafford knows he owes his life to cowboy and legendary rancher Sam Stafford—the uncle who rescued him after his parents’ death. Trey had left the Double S Ranch to pursue music against Sam’s wishes, but returns to central Washington when he learns he’s the best match for a procedure that could save Sam’s life. Although Trey’s found country music fame and success, he’s also endured the tragic loss of his wife. He croons about love, but struggles with a yawning emptiness he can’t explain.

Overwhelmed by a growing list of challenges, but mistrustful of Stafford men, single mother Lucy Carlton reluctantly accepts Trey’s help to revive her crumbling farm when Sam instructs him to repay the overdue debt to her family.

As the two grow closer, Trey slowly begins to open his heart to this beautiful woman and strives to let go of the grief he’s held for years. Lucy has a complicated history of her own. Can Trey accept her as she is, learn to forgive the past, and find the elusive peace he’s sought for so long?

Okay, so that’s the “skinny” on the story, but there’s more… so much more. Because this story isn’t just about a romance between two unlikely characters… this is a story that was in part inspired by Jimmy Wayne’s history, how he was taken in by a couple who opened their doors to him…

It’s a story that could take place anywhere… so why in the west? Why on a ranch?

Because this story was made for a cowboy. This series was centered around that cowboy code, sometimes misplaced by geography and timing, but never gone for good… because the true heart of a cowboy, of how a man treats a woman… and a dog… and a or cow and a calf and a horse and a kitten… it’s in that ‘putting others first’ example we all love so much.

Now, okay, it is fiction, of course… Men are men, the world is round, and life goes on. But there is a romance that’s bound in the image of a cowboy, taking care to see things done right, and that’s the kind of story I wrote for “Peace in the Valley”. A story of a man who isn’t afraid to step off the big stage, walk away from tens of thousands of screaming fans, and help re-build a barn for the gal next door. Or fill a shopping cart full of food. Or give a little girl a shoulder ride, so she sees the world from new heights.

A caring man is a wonderful thing, but when we slap that caring man on a horse and give him the perfect tilt to his hat, well, then…

Now you’ve got something.

And for the next two weeks, that “something” is on sale for $1.99 at AMAZON, &  BARNES & NOBLE .

The perfect beach read. The perfect romance. And a story that fills in all the sorry holes of a longing heart.

And as a fun glimpse at why I picked that title, (besides the obvious fact that the books are set in the beautiful Kittitas Valley of Central Washington state) here’s a link to Elvis Presley singing “Peace in the Valley” in that beautiful voice of his.

I hope you all had a wonderful Independence Day. It’s a blessed day to remember the courage and conviction of men and women who stood strong in the face of unfairness and adversity… who stood strong even though they were grossly outnumbered by an enemy with much greater fire power than they ever hoped to have…

And men and women who descended from those brave first immigrants, the pilgrams who fled to the shores of a new land searching for religious freedom. Including the freedom to sing things like “Peace in the Valley”, pray in the church of their choosing… or on the trail… and raise their children to be God-fearing people who strove to make their way… On Independence Day I think about those who came to this country… built this country… defended this country… and worked so hard to make a difference in the lives of others.

Courage of conviction. Another quality our cowboys carry into their work, every single day. Just like those that went before them.

Happy summer and don’t forget the BEACH READS, DARLINGS!!!!

 

 

Ruthy

 

 

 

 

Petticoats & Pistols