Angela Drake's Blog: THE WRITER'S STUDIO

 Good morning, readers.

I should be home by the time you read this. I'm going to schedule next week's posts as well so I can get settled back in to routine. Bob leaves Saturday and I'll be all about deep cleaning while I'm the only one home. Do you clean better when everyone is out from under foot? Or does it matter? Inquiring minds!

This week's author is Erin McCarthy.

USA Today and New YorkTimes Bestselling author Erin McCarthy sold her first book in 2002 and hassince written over eighty-five books in the romance and mystery genres. Therecipient of multiple writing awards, Erin has a special weakness forhigh-heeled boots, martinis, and traveling. She lives with herrenovation-addicted husband (he built her a bar, so it’s all good!) and theirblended family of kids and rescue dogs.

As her bio states, she's a very prolific and talented author. You can learn more about Erin by checking out the links below.

FACEBOOK    INSTAGRAM   GOODREADS   AUDIBLE

 Good morning, everyone!

I just got home this afternoon. Why do we always need a vacation from vacation?

 Good morning, readers!

I only have a couple days left of this trip to KS. After a couple of days in OK with family I'll be back home. Back to normal to kick off May.

In the mean time, let's finish April strong. I have next week's book review scheduled (you know, since I read these last two books out of order. LOL). This week's book...

It was impulsive of me,sleeping with Theo; he’s a rule-obsessed sheriff who’s SO not my type. Thenagain, Theo’s got this knack for making me feel seen, heard, and desired…

I’m Emma Jacobs, owner ofThe Pretty Pinecone, a romance-only bookstore. I can sell you the perfect lovestory, but I can't seem to write my own happy ending. When a rival bookstorethreatens my beloved shop’s survival, I decide to offer wine tastings andpoetry nights. There’s just one problem—Theo Baird, Sugar Pine's infuriatinglyhandsome yet uptight new sheriff. He’s determined to shut me down over everyminor infraction. 

Good thing that Theo’sgood looking, because his personality is desperate need of a glow-up. And yet,no one challenges me the way Theo can. As my Valentine’s Day event approaches,featuring anonymous love confessions and Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s passionateverses, our boundaries begin to blur, and I wonder if maybe I’ve misread Theoall along. But then disaster strikes, and I must decide if I’m brave enough torisk my heart on the most daring venture of all—falling in love.

LET ME COUNT THE WAYS is a sparkling, small-town romance about finding courage in poetry, passion inthe unexpected, and the one person who makes breaking the rules worthwhile.

Theo is a true hero; the characterizing having nothing to do with being 'the new sheriff in town'. We all come with baggage. Either what we carry on our own shoulders or what we bring in to a relationship. Emma and Theo both opened up their back pack of issues over a period of time through the book, at points when the information was important to that point in the story. Laurel didn't give us everything at once. She fed us what we needed at the appropriate times. She's a master story crafter that way and I look forward to reading more of her work. 

Laurel built believable characters, giving them each their own badge of who they are. Some are a bit quirky, some need to loosen up a bit (and do when the time is right). I'd love to have a bookstore like The Pretty Pinecone, or even Emma's so-called competition book store across the street. 

Let Me Count The Ways is part of a stand-alone series. I need to read the story of Emma's college room mate and Morgan's story. I encourage you to read anything by Laurel Osterkamp. I think you'll love her books as much as I am. 

I'm giving LET ME COUNT THE WAYS...

Please visit the links below to learn more about Laurel Osterkamp.

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   GOODREADS

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

   AUDIBLE

All my best~

~Angela

 Good morning, friends.

I hope everyone is safe in this rollercoaster spring weather. Please be safe and aware of you surroundings.

 Good morning, friends!

There is a slight delay in this week's review. 

I'm having a great time at the junk journal retreat! What a blessing to be in the same room with like-minded creative people... you know, the same type of experience we get at book conventions and writer's conferences.

However, I read the wrong book for this week. While I scheduled all of the Spotlight posts for while I'm away, I intended to read the books on my trip. In a slight error, I read next week's book instead of this week's. LOL

I will post this week's book on Friday. The good thing is, they are novella length so I can curl up and read the book after I walk away from the crafting table for the day. 

If you want to see what I'm doing, please follow my IG account... https://www.instagram.com/angeladrakea 

or my creative channel ...

https://www.instagram.com/KellysCreativeDreams

All my best!

~Angela

 Good morning, friends!

As you read this week's posts I will be on my way home from a junk journal retreat. I craft and do admin. stuff during the day and work on my books in the late afternoon/ evening. I've shared this in my 4/9/26 post so if you missed that, click the dated link.

This week I'm sharing author Laurel Osterkamp with you.

In addition to hernovels, Laurel’s short fiction has appeared in literary journals across theweb. When she’s not writing (which is rare), she teaches adult ESL and middleschool enrichment classes, goes running with twisty audiobooks in her ears, andeducates her daughter on the cultural importance of Beverly Hills, 90210.

She lives in Minneapoliswith a family that loves to argue and cats that love to hiss. Ramona Quimby isher spirit animal.

While you wait for tomorrow's review of Let Me Count the Ways, please check out her links below:

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   GOODREADS

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

   AUDIBLE

All my best!

~ Angela

 Good morning!

I'm enjoying creative time. I hope these quotes and the Friday Photos are inspiring you.

 Good morning, friends.

If you're a fantasy writer, I thought this picture would give you the feels.

Good morning, readers. 

I hope you took a few minutes to check out our author for this week, JoAnn Durgin

BLURB:

Small-town charm andrediscovered dreams are always in season in Dogwood Creek, Tennessee!

Investigative journalist Ryan Hartmann is living his best life. Based in hishometown of Atlanta, Georgia, he gets the prime assignments and travels theworld. When he finally takes a break to visit his Grandpa Luke in a tinymountain town in Tennessee, Ryan encounters a gorgeous fireball of a woman atthe local diner before he even steps foot in his grandfather’s house. After acase of mistaken identity and a wacky run-in at the local bookmobile, these twoare off and running!

Jennifer Collins moved into her grandmother’s mansion in Dogwood Creek fiveyears ago. Her Grandma Ellie has plenty of room and, as a successfulplaywright, she needs an assistant. Also a part-time actor at the nearby SmokyMountain Playhouse, Jennifer slides effortlessly into both roles. Whatshe doesn’t expect is a handsome man from Atlanta withmesmerizing eyes, surprising transparency, and a witty sense of humor who comesto town and challenges her at every turn. When a long-held, fiercely guardedfamily secret is leaked to the public and the press, who hasthe obvious motive? Who can be trusted?

Join the fun among the dogwoods where love is always in bloom. Toss in a bit ofmystery, a group of lovable matchmakers, and the perennial possibility ofsmall-town hijinks. Where the ordinary becomes extraordinary and everydaycitizens step out of the shadows as heroes. Who knows, there might even be aknight in shining armor among them!

I knew going in this was Christian fiction. I have read and reviewed them here many times. However, An Early Spring is really high on the subject. God is mentioned at least once on nearly every page, they live their life according to God, and she backs up some of the discussions by having the characters quoting verses. I get all of that, and I know that's what readers of Christian fiction want. I'm not going to ding her on any of those points.

The good news is, Jennifer and Ryan's story is truly heartwarming. I got multiple chuckles with the bantering between Ryan and his grandfather. Jennifer's grandmother is the epitome of where Hollywood legends go when they walk away from the industry. I loved how JoAnn sprinkled in some of the classic actors that would have been a part of her grandmother's day. I love a classic Hollywood movie. I wonder if there is a story similar to her grandmother's final picture.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I think you will too. I'm giving An Early Spring...

You'll find out more about JoAnn Durgin in the links below:

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   GOOD READS  BOOK BUB

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE   

All my best!

~ Angela

Good morning, readers!

Totally flip the script from last week. This week we get to know Christian author, JoAnn Durgin.

JoAnn is best known forthe beloved LEWIS LEGACY SERIES. The series is complete with 12 books plus theaccompanying novel, PRELUDE. Other popular series include the STARLIGHTCHRISTMAS SERIES, the WONDROUS LOVE SERIES, and the TREASURED VOW SERIES as wellas a number of standalone novels. JoAnn also writes contemporary Christianromance under the pen name of Julianna Desmond.

I'll be sharing Book 2 in the Dogwood Creek Matchmaker's series tomorrow. In the meantime, please check out her links below:

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   GOOD READS  BOOK BUB

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE   

All my best!

~ Angela