Website Down!

I know we haven't been updating much with everything that has been going on in our family: move, new baby, mentally ill child; however, anyone wanting to get gifts for others from our website at today will find it offline because of a cyberattack on the hosting service, Moonfruit.

It is anticipated that it will be up and running by tomorrow. You can still find our books on Amazon.

Thank you!

The Inconvenient Widow Study Questions

1. Emily constantly rushes into things. Have you ever rushed into something? How did it turn out? What are things you do to keep yourself from rushing decisions?

2. Emily is constantly worried about taking care of her family. Is your family important to you? Have you had to make sacrifices for your family? How does giving up things for your family make you feel?

3. Marcus had decided not to marry because of the way girls acted around him. Have you ever decided that you would not do something but changed your mind later?  Is there anything you always wanted to do but never had a chance? Why do goals change over time?

4. Do you feel Lady Radford is pushy or loving? What are some of her best and worst traits? Would you want to have her as your mother?

5. Lady Radford walks in at a bad time and assumes wrong. Have you ever been in a situation where someone made the wrong judgement about you? How did you resolve the problem?

6. Marcus has a difficult time telling Emily he loves her. In what ways does Stephen help or hinder the situation? Have you ever given advice to someone that did not help them? What happened?

7. Similarly, Emily has a difficult time understanding Marcus' actions. Have you ever misunderstood someone? How did you find out the truth?

8. Many of the books characters do not trust Algernon when Emily continues to give him the benefit of the doubt. The Bible says to be as crafty as serpents and as innocent as doves. How is it difficult balancing this fine line in your life?

9. Some of the bad guys in this story are truly bad. They have completely closed themselves off to reform. How should they be dealt with by the law? Do you believe they should receive the death penalty for their crimes? (They would have been hung in the time period.)

10. Algernon makes many bad choices. Do you feel his actions are excusable? Do you think he has truly changed by the end of the book?

What is an Inspirational Romance?

Well, my book, The Inconvenient Widow, isn't doing so well ratings wise on Goodreads right now. Why? Because it is an inspirational romance. Now, I don't try to hide this fact from anyone. I clearly stated it on my Goodreads Giveaway page. In case anyone didn't know what that was, in the description, I say, "Marcus is there to protect her while Emily’s faith helps her through her ordeals." Unfortunately, the same people who do not know what an Inspirational Romance is also seem to miss that very important clue. 

According to the Romance Writers of America, Inspirational Romance is "Romance novels in which religious or spiritual beliefs (in the context of any religion or spiritual belief system) are a major part of the romantic relationship." All the books I have read that are marked "Inspirational Romance" use Christianity as their basis of belief. Obviously, mine follows suit. 

So, I am getting bad reviews because of all the Christianity in my Inspirational Romance. Sigh. I know I am not the only author to suffer this readership misunderstanding, but it is the equivalent of someone reading a fantasy and giving it a bad review because it contained unicorns and dragons. After all, those creatures aren't very realistic. 

True, my novels don't have sex in them or swearing, so I suppose they are attractive to those who shun these things in books, but it is disappointing to get a one-star review that berates the unbelievably Christian characters, but then in the last sentence says, "The author is a good writer." I write well, but since I have chosen to write Christian Romance my books are one-star. 

So, please, if you are following this blog, go out and tell your friends - and tell them to tell their friends - Inspirational Romances are Christian Romances. The next time I do a Goodreads Giveaway, I will definitely be spelling it out better. 

Book Group Study Questions - Coming Soon

For any book groups that want to use "The Inconvenient Widow," I am planning on posting a few study questions on this website in the future. Feel free to print them out and share them.

The Inconvenient Widow Giveaway on Goodreads!!

It took a long time to get it active - so there are only two days left. We are giving away 10 copies of The Inconvenient Widow on Goodreads. Click the link above to register today!!

The Inconvenient Widow Large Print AVAILABLE NOW!

We just released the large print version of The Inconvenient Widow. This book was written in large print and bold to help ease the reading. You can buy it on Amazon by clicking this link. Or buy it directly through our CreateSpace store by clicking here. Or you can purchase it directly from our Dreaming Reality website: Write To Dream Reality.

The Inconvenient Widow e-books are available on Kindle and will be free to Amazon Prime members for a limited time.

The Inconvenient Widow: Chapter 1, End

As Marcus stood watching the scene unfold, he was even more shocked to hear Lucian return the confidence. His friend explained about his longstanding engagement with Penelope. The additional torture he went through when the relationship was broken off and the girl married to another mere months before his father’s death and the will that left him in a position to wed. He told of the responsibility thrown upon him with the loss of his father. He went into detail about the difficulty and emotional turmoil of having a depraved brother. Then he and Emily began sharing all their life’s struggles as if they had known each other for years.

Marcus sat in the corner growing more and more uncomfortable. Outside, it remained dark, but a cock crowed, reminding him how short time was. As he rose, the doctor walked into the room to check on his patient, and Marcus was thankful for an excuse to leave.

“Shall I go for a marriage license, then?” he asked stiffly.

Lucian and Emily exchanged glances.

“It does seem to offer both of us the best way out of our individual disasters,” Lucian was the first to speak. Grasping Emily’s hand, he asked, “I know I am asking much of you, but Emily, will you be my wife? I only expect you to stay with me through the ceremony. Then, Marcus will escort you to my estate. You do not need to tolerate my woeful company any longer than that.”

“Lord Westings, I shall only agree to marry you if you allow me to stay by your side until the end. I shall not have people saying I was an unfaithful wife who married you solely for your income. If you let me care for you in your sickness as any dutiful wife should, I will gladly marry you.”

Lucian smiled and turned to his friend. “Yes, Marcus, I believe you may go for the license.”

Want to read more? Purchase the full 284 page book on Amazon: (paperback is $7.59; Kindle version is $0.99). If you purchase the paperback, you also have the option to get the Kindle version free for a limited time.

You can also purchase the paperback directly from our website for $6.99. Sorry, e-book versions are only available from Amazon at this time.