I know April Showers brings May flowers is the proper statement but this month, I and several author friends are going to shower you with fun tips to make the best of this Corona Virus Pandemic, crafts and or recipes plus there is a big giveaway at the end so read on and enter! This week’s guest is Jana Richards! Hi Jana!
Jana: To keep myself (somewhat) sane during this pandemic, I’ve been trying to keep up with exercise. Or at least, I’m trying not to take root in my writing chair. Most days I go outside for a walk, sometimes alone and sometimes with my husband. Getting some fresh air and a bit of sunshine does wonders for my mental health. Those walks alone? That’s usually when I’m ready to strangle someone. Someone usually being my husband. Walking gives me a chance to cool down and to recognize that no matter how bad things get, we can weather this storm. My gym and Pilates studio closed, but luckily my yoga instructor found a way to continue classes online using Zoom. I love my at-home classes. I spend way too much seated in front of my computer and my back is often unhappy about it. The stretching and strengthening that yoga provides keeps me going and I am beyond grateful to my instructor for going the extra mile so our classes can continue. I urge everyone to take some time for exercise during this stressful time. Since the pandemic began and it’s no longer easy to pop over to the grocery store to pick up a few things, I’ve been digging deep into my pantry and freezer to find forgotten items lurking in their depths. For instance, deep in the pantry I found a bag of dried lentils. I’ve made lentil soup, which nobody but me seemed to like. But I also made lentil salad which is one of my family’s favorites. I got the recipe years ago from a friend after enjoying it at her house. For the sake of convenience, I usually buy ready to eat lentils in a can, but this time I went old school and cooked the lentils myself! I hope you like it as much as my family does.
Lentil Salad 2 cups cooked lentils (or one 19 oz. can cooked lentils) 4 oz. crumbled feta cheese 1 red pepper, finely chopped 2 green onions, sliced 1 clove garlic, crushed Dressing: 2 T. lemon juice 1 T. olive oil ¼ tsp. dried thyme ¼ tsp. each salt and pepper Mix together first 5 ingredients. In a separate small bowl, mix together dressing. Add dressing to lentil mixture and stir. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight before serving.
Lauren, in CHILD OF MINE, loves to cook. One of the first things she does after her marriage to Cole is to host Christmas dinner for their families. For Lauren, food is love.
Title: CHILD OF MINE
Series: Masonville small town series
Author: Jana Richards
Cover designer: Rae Monet
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre/heat: Spicy, R rated
Pages: 192 pages in print
Lauren didn’t intend to sleep with her brother-in-law Cole on the day of her husband’s funeral. But now that she is pregnant, she’s not sorry. Cole’s given her a baby, a long-wished-for miracle. He’s been her friend forever, though she never told him or anyone else how unhappy her marriage to his cheating brother was. And she’s afraid to tell the small town that considered her husband a hero that the baby isn’t his. Cole’s been in love with Lauren since he was sixteen. It kills him that everyone believes the baby is his dead brother’s. All he wants is to claim the baby, and Lauren, as his own. Though she marries him, will Lauren’s heart ever be his? Lauren must tell the truth or risk losing Cole. Is her newly-discovered love for him greater than her fear of scandal in her hometown?
Buy links:
The Wild Rose Press | Amazon | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon AU |
Nook US | iBooks | Kobo | Kobo CA | Google | Walmart
Excerpt/heat rating PG 13: Cole wrapped her in his arms. He held her securely, whispering reassurances. “It’s all right, Lauren. Don’t cry. It’s going to be okay, sweetheart.” She clung to him, her face buried against his neck. How wonderful to be held, to be touched. It had been so long— What was she doing? This was Cole, her friend. She pulled away from him. “I’m sorry.” “You don’t have anything to apologize for.” She turned away and tried to wipe the tears from her face. After she got her tears under control, she made herself smile at him. “Do you remember the homecoming dance? The time I tripped in my new high heels and sprained my ankle?” “Of course I do. You couldn’t walk, so I carried you from the school gym to Billy’s car, and he drove you home. I remember you were a lot heavier than you looked.” She swatted his shoulder, hiccupping laughter mixing with her tears. “Very funny. I was trying to make a point.” He wiped the tears from her cheek with the pad of his thumb, his dark eyes full of tenderness. “So what was your point?” “You’re a good friend. You’ve always been there every time I’ve needed you, and here you are again. Thank you.” He stared into her eyes, but said nothing. She couldn’t look away. He continued to stroke her cheek with his thumb, the tiny caress acting like a balm to her battered heart. She placed her hand on his cheek. “Cole.” They reached for each other in mutual need. He pulled her against his chest, his mouth descending on hers in a hungry, urgent kiss. She sighed against his mouth, and he brought her closer. He wants me. It had been so long since someone had wanted her. Only her.
Bio: Jana Richards has tried her hand at many writing projects over the years, from magazine articles and short stories to full-length paranormal suspense and romantic comedy. She loves to create characters with a sense of humor, but also a serious side. She believes there’s nothing more interesting then peeling back the layers of a character to see what makes them tick. When not writing up a storm, working at her part-time day job as bookkeeper, or dealing with dust bunnies, Jana can be found pursuing hobbies such as golf (which she plays very badly) or reading (which she does much better). Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren.
You can reach her through her website at http://www.janarichards.com
Stalker Links:
Website: http://www.janarichards.com
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Newsletter Signup: http://janarichards.com/contact.html#newsletter
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2892274Jana_Richards
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jana-richards
Backlist: Books by Jana Richards available from The Wild Rose Press Burning Love, Flawless, One More Second Chance, Home Fires, The Girl Most Likely, Chill Out, Child of Mine
Coming soon: TO HEAL A HEART, book two in the Masonville small town series, releasing June 15, 2020!
Now time for the giveaway! Jana is offering an ecopy of Child O Mine to one lucky winner. There are two grand prizes and lots of individual ones!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
3 responses to “Keeping up the Norm #stayinghealthy #lentilsalad #giveaway #romance”
Thanks for hosting me, Cathy!
Thanks for taking part and the awesome prize
“Taking root” in a writing chair made me smile, Jana. I’ve never heard it put that way before. I’m using my Fitbit fitness tracker to remind me to get out of the chair and get those steps every hour. If I could round up some lentils, I’d make your salad. The only ingredients I have is lemon juice, olive oil, and thyme! It’ll have to wait. Child of Mine sounds like a good book. Thanks for sharing, Cathy.