*Romance is in the Air* Releases...

Romance is in the Air with short novellas by Sherry Jones, Susan Atwood and Robin Bayne will be available at By Grace SOON!

*Romance is in the Air* Blurbs and Excerpts

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Whispers in the Wind by Sherry Jones
Overworked Grace Belden hears whispers in the wind. Could Braden Colter be her voice of destiny?


Grace Belden looked her sister’s desperate face before her gaze dropped to Claire’s nine-month’s worth of swollen belly.

“I need a physical presence at that location, Grace. I wouldn’t ask but…” Claire’s voice trailed off, but Grace knew the words she’d left unspoken as well as the wording in the vendor contract.

“Only for you, Claire, because you are my baby sister who looks like she’s ready to pop.” Grace gave a sigh over her designer outfit she’d not had time to change, however, she turned to reload the cart with the afternoon’s required supplies. “And because after today my life will never be the same.”

“Oh, pray tell me the reason, Older Sister O’ Mine.” Claire settled deeper into her chair to prop her feet up on a stool.

“Your sarcasm pains me, but I’ll tell you anyway. I whispered my heart’s desire into the wind, which, according to Madame Zelda, means that my wish will come true. She’s a nice lady. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings.”

“Very poetic. I hope you wished for a date.”

“A romantic stranger would have to drop from the heavens. There is no suitable date material in Maydale, Texas. That means for today, you are my only date. On that note, I’m off feed the world.”

She guided the snack cart from the vendor’s supply area to the main circuit of the park. Lord, it had been years since she’d done this job. Her parents had owned the concession contract then. She lifted her face to the afternoon sun and breathed deeply, though her tired feet protested the long walk.

I’m waiting for you, Grace.

“What?” Irritation knitted her brows into a frown. She’d go put in a vacation request Monday morning. A person who heard voices in the wind clearly needed a break.

Will You Be My Valentine? by Susan Atwood
Beth is perfectly content with her plans for Valentine’s Day---a date with an old romantic movie and a hot pizza. Why does she feel a stab of jealousy while helping her new neighbor choose a Valentine’s gift for the woman he is planning to ask for a date?

“Wait one minute, Jack. I have a great idea, but I have to take this delivery first.”
Beth returned in a few minutes with a selection of chocolate flowers.

“How about these? They’re my favorites. They’re pretty, women love chocolate, and they won’t be hurt by the cold.”

“They’re perfect. And I know she’ll like them,” he said, eyes twinkling.

The Red Hat by Robin Bayne
Joe can’t believe the annoying woman from the theater was the new sales rep—could he learn to work with both her and that hat?


“Can you believe this woman?”

The voice came from behind her. Meg stiffened in her cinema seat. The scents of popcorn and tacos floated around the theater as the previews began, and she relaxed.

“What is with that hat?”

The voice came again, slightly louder this time. Someone was upset with her hat! It wasn’t that tall. What was his problem? She shifted lower in the seat, but that hurt her lower back. Theme music flowed from the speakers as she felt her friend’s gaze on her.

“Don’t worry about him. Just watch the movie. Think about that appointment you have tomorrow with your first sale customers.” Tina patted Meg’s arm then ripped open a box of Sno-Caps. Meg nodded and tried to ignore the man behind her, thinking all the time that his voice sounded slightly familiar.
* * * *
Joe Dalton entered the model home slash sales office the next morning, prepared for a meeting with the builder about materials he needed for cabinetry on lots ten and eleven. The smell of hot coffee greeted him as he headed directly for the house’s modern kitchen. As he passed the library off the main hall, he peered in, but didn’t see the real estate agent he usually chatted with. Instead, on the oak credenza behind the sales desk, sat a red felt hat with a small feather tucked in its trim.

The red hat he’d seen at the movies last night.

Now, he really needed that coffee.

By Grace Release Tidbits

Get the inside scoop about the short shorts in February's Romance is in the Air anthology, available from By Grace this week!

Sherry (Shara) Jones ~ Whispers in the Wind
Living in my part of Texas, prone to short winters and long months of warm weather, we can guarantee that by the end of February, spring really is just around the corner. Despite a last few freezing days, the crepe myrtle trees, with their beautiful fuchsia color explosions, manage to survive our weather and flourish.

Sometimes two people, despite the obstacles and against the odds, manage to find each other and create an attraction so strong that their love seems to whisper in the wind…

Susan Atwood ~ Will You Be My Valentine?
This story arose from the “What If...” game. What if... the new neighbor you maybe-sorta-kinda have a crush on came into the card shop where you worked and you had to help him pick out a Valentine’s Day gift for another woman?

My heroine, Beth, loves old, romantic movies. So do I :) Some of my favorites are “An Affair to Remember” and “The Philadelphia Story.”

Robin Bayne ~ The Red Hat
When I was in high school I did some local modeling, and my favorite prop was a red felt hat. I liked all sorts of hats, but that was my favorite, and that is the hat I envisioned when I wrote “The Red Hat.” However, I never wore it into a movie theater like my heroine does in the opening of the story. The Valentine’s theme during the month of February also made me want to use a prop of this color, to go along with all the red hearts being sent among lovers.

The setting is actually one from my life. Before I started working in the mortgage banking industry I worked for a builder as a sales rep, and the model home I worked from is the one I set the story in. The hero, though, is completely from my imagination.

By Grace Release Week...*Romance is in the Air*

By Grace is releasing a romantic anthology this week, with short stories from Sherry (Shara) Jones, Susan Atwood and Robin Bayne.

Sherry (Shara) Jones
Sherry (Shara) Jones began seriously writing in 2002 with an eye towards publication. While writing her first romance novel, she penned short stories to submit to national magazines. Imagine her shock and complete amazement when the very first story she submitted, sold!

Since that time, she has been fortunate enough to be published with By Grace Publishing, as well as with sister company, Moonlit Romance.

It’s been a fascinating, enriching, and worthwhile adventure made even more enjoyable by the people that she’s met along the way.

Sherry's Backlist: Tall, Dark and Daddy (By Grace); The Haunting of Sarah Dyson/Out of the Shadows (By Grace); Blue Plate Special: Pops' Girls: Lessons in Love (Moonlit Romance); The Long Way Home/Pops' Diner (Moonlit Romance)

Susan Atwood
Susan Atwood fell in love with creative writing in elementary school. Her first story, “The Three Kittens” garnered a congratulatory note from the principal. Writing got put aside for “real life” in the form of college, career and family. A chance “how-to” find in the library book sale convinced her to stop scribbling and get serious about writing.

Today, “real life” consists a home in the Midwest with her husband, three children, a dog and a cat.

Susan's Backlist: The Pendant: Callie (Moonlit Romance)

Robin Bayne
Robin Bayne is the award-winning author of five novels and three novellas, and is a regular contributor to the “Spirit Led Writer” ezine. Her essays, articles and devotionals have been published in the God’s Way Book series, Cup of Comfort Devotionals, The Secret Place, Christian Communicator, Writer’s Journal and many other publications. She has given workshops at regional and online romance writing conferences and the Writer’s Digest World’s Largest Writing Workshop. She lives in Maryland with her husband of sixteen years, and works a "day job" as a mortgage underwriter.

Robin's Backlist: From the Winds (By Grace); The Good Samaritan (By Grace); The Scent of Falling Snow/Christmas Grace (By Grace).

February's Moonlit Romance Release: *Temporary Intrigue* by Judy Huston

Temporary Intrigue by Judy Huston from Moonlit Romance.

*Temporary Intrigue* by Judy Huston

Luckily for Dimity Forbes, it’s not really an issue that she has made a disastrous first impression on Josh Williams. Romance is currently running a poor third on her priority list - or is it?

Luckily for Josh, he can see that this wacky, accident-prone blonde is totally the wrong type for him. Even if it seems that some of those mishaps might not be quite so accidental after all, it’s nothing to do with him, and he’ll take good care to stay away from the temptation she represents. Or will he?

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He had laughed with her, then his smile faded. Moving forward, he frowned down at her.

“What on earth have you been up to now?”

Almost but not quite touching, the fingers of his right hand traced the bruising down the left side of her face.

“Another stupid accident. A car nearly ran me down on Thursday night.”

Dimity wasn’t quite sure how she found her voice. The electricity seemed to have transferred itself from the air to his fingertips and zapped across the millimetre between those fingers and her skin, setting off a series of pleasurable mini-shockwaves and almost taking away her breath in the process.

He winced, putting his hand on the wall close beside her head, studying her closely.

“Are you okay?”

The lift door slid open onto the short hallway that led to the third floor’s main work area. Waiting, tapping the toe of one shiny black shoe, was Gail. Her expression of impatience changed to indignation when she saw Dimity apparently enjoying an up close and personal with someone, then altered again to surprised recognition.

“Josh!” She held out her hand. “Good to see you. I was at meetings all day Friday, but I heard you looked in.”

“Very briefly.” Josh shook hands, also briefly, Dimity was pleased to see.

“Melissa’s on leave for the next three weeks,” Gail went on. “You can use her office.”

Josh nodded.

“Thanks, she showed me where everything is. I’ll need to borrow one of your support staff occasionally.”

“Unfortunately we’re in a state of flux with staff, but I’ll see if I can find someone - competent - to help you.” Gail shot a toxic look at Dimity who was trying to edge past unnoticed. “I noticed you called in sick on Friday. That must be a record, after only four days work.”

“For someone who was involved in a serious accident only three days ago,” said Josh, stretching the truth without a blush, “I think she’s doing pretty well to front up for work at all.” His tone was mild, but there was a hint of frost around the edges.

Yes! Dimity gave the air a gleeful mental punch. Gail bridled.

“Fortunately her absence didn’t seem to make much difference,” she snapped.

“Really?” Josh’s eyes were alert. “Then if you don’t have much for Dimity to do, I’m sure you won’t mind making her available to help me out for the three weeks.”

Available SOON! From Moonlit Romance!

Intriguing Tidbits

Temporary Intrigue really grew out of two things: one was a wish I had, several years ago, to buy two paintings I saw in a small art gallery in a historic riverside town near the Australian city of Newcastle where Temporary Intrigue is set. I’m no art connoisseur but the paintings, depicting Australian native animals, struck a special chord with me. I went home agonising over the price that I couldn’t afford but very much wanting those paintings on my wall. When I finally decided I would buy them, and hang the expense, I went to the gallery only to find – of course – they had been sold to someone else. They haunted me until I wrote them into Temporary Intrigue.

The other trigger was my mother’s habit of visiting her great aunt once a week, taking me with her when I was a child. While they talked, I retreated to my great aunt’s sunroom where she kept piles of women’s magazines, filled with short, romance fiction stories. I read and read, weeping over the sad parts but always confident of the prospect of a happy ending, a prospect that rarely failed to materialise. I became addicted to romance fiction. One day, I decided, I would write a romance novel of my own . . .

Temporary Intrigue by Judy Huston releases this week at Moonlit Romance.