Author Mike Torreano writes about right and wrong, values that characterized the Old West. "Values we could use more of today." He was inspired when a friend approached him a while back and said he had the idea for Mike's next novel. He spun a fascinating story about thousands and thousands of gold bars supposedly hidden under a peak north of Las Cruces. "I had to know more. What I found was a legend that never had an answer which was just the intrigue I needed to create a story about it." Thus, White Sands Gold. What do you write about?  My sweet spot is traditional westerns, old-timey mysteries with a touch of romance, of course. My latest, White Sands ...
READ MORE

Holy. Freaking. WOW.  Click to grab a copy. https://books2read.com/u/mY7jvV If you want a book that will have you laughing out loud and leave you giggling and smiling like a Cheshire Cat then this is the book for you. Booksprout ARC reader The chemistry is electric and the banter is witty and flows naturally and once you add in the secondary characters you get the perfect rom com. ????????Sleep_Reader???????? Amazon Review Hi, I'm Sunny Chanel, the main character in Middle Ageish, Shirley's novel.  Fifty and dating. A lot. Did I have a choice? Shirley invented me. You know writers are infamously told to write about what they know. Shirley did exactly that. She dated. A lot. Then wrote about her dates in a little gray mini journal ...
READ MORE

August + Ice Cream Books! Choose from 50 reads. With one click of the link, scroll, baby scroll.  I haven't written an ice cream book, but fifty of my author friends have every kind of ice cream story you can imagine. Romance to paranormal romance with witches and ghosts and vampires. Mystery and murder.  Historical. Older couples and second chances. Mermaids. Exotic settings. Your own backyard.  Summertime is reading time, so indulge yourself. Choose your favorite genre and set up your beach chair on the lawn under a tree. Or at the beach, of course. Click for 50 Ice Cream Reads!                   ...
READ MORE

Today is special. I've got a character interview with the stars from Marilyn Barr's new vampire-pirate series, Walk the Walk. Of course, I traveled back to 1724 and climbed aboard the pirate ship, Patricia's Wish, to talk to the crew. Teeth, Chub, and Branko were on deck to greet me.  Shirley: We are docked just off the coast of Aruba on this beautiful starlit night with Carajillo cocktails in our hands. Let’s get started. Good evening, gentlemen. Teeth: Avast ye, lady! No gentlemen for miles which is why we can enjoy our time with you. Chub: Calm your blond tresses, Teeth. She’s just welcoming us… But if you don’t slow down your gob, the drinks you are downing will have you ...
READ MORE

The reality of stepping out there after a long hiatus—whether you’re divorced or widowed—is anxiety-producing. But what I’ve learned about myself and about men couldn’t have been experienced otherwise. Who knows what you’ll glean from an hour or two (or forty-five minutes, in a few cases) over coffee, or a glass of wine, or dinner. And this is a good thing. Healthy and perhaps even a tad heart warming. And fun, too. Stuff I’ve Picked up From the Men I’ve Known Here then, a list of what I’ve learned from male friends as well as men I’ve dated. They are in no particular order. Feel free to disagree with my findings and share your comments and observations. No matter how much experience, ...
READ MORE

I heard it for the first time back when I started dating. A friend gave me advice about internet dating, but I was younger then and more stubborn. "How can I not take it personally? It's personal.” My voice was operatic. “He's rejecting me. Me." My friends who are new to online dating don't get it either. They get pissed off and frustrated and want to cancel their dating site memberships. But I remind them it's not so easy at fifty and over, meeting a man in real life. “IRL,” I say. “See? It's got its own acronym, so it must be a phenomenon.” Online Dating Should be a Supplement to Meeting IRL Which is why online dating, while sometimes painful, ...
READ MORE

Writer Jennifer Wilck is a writer who has trouble with conflict in her real life, and finds it runs over into her writing. Since conflict is essential in a story, she wrestles with being too nice to her characters. I asked Jennifer a few questions about her new book, Unlock My Heart, and her writing process. Welcome, Jennifer. Why did you write Unlock My Heart? I love writing about damaged heroes. I also love writing witty banter between characters, and of course, steamy love scenes. So my Scarred Hearts series is becoming a favorite of mine. The current book, Unlock My Heart, is actually book 2, but can be read as a standalone. Each book in the series features one ...
READ MORE

Getting to know someone isn't easy How do you know he's interested?  When it comes to dating, there are signs he’s interested. Even if he calls only once a week to ask you out, if he keeps in contact, it’s a sign of interest. If he asks questions designed to get to know you better, that’s a start. If he asks follow-up questions to something you told him a few weeks earlier, that’s even better.  My friend Diane says she knew Bob really liked her when he took her to the symphony. “When we’d been dating a bit longer, he told me he hated the symphony. That’s when I knew he liked me.”  Forget the words, go by the actions ...
READ MORE

Can men and women be friends-only? We are a group of seven women of a certain age, sitting around the dinner table (yes, there is wine), talking about relationships. Since we don’t know one another that well, there are lots of questions. “What about men friends,” I ask. “It’s harder at our age, but do you have male pals?” Out of the seven, two have male acquaintances, but only one has a male friend. “I see him every few months. When his girlfriend is busy,” she says. “I’ve always had men friends,” I say. “Except when I was married.” Three of the women are surprised. One says she doesn’t think a platonic friendship between a man and a woman is ...
READ MORE

Never Give Up You've gone on fifteen first meets and you're done. This online dating thing isn't working. It isn't working and you're fine with that. You've got a life, a great life. Friends, grown kids, grandkids, you love hanging out with them. You love the garden, your work, the occasional weekend away. You don't need a man. Of course, a man would be nice. But. He has to be the right man. You've tried. The result? Meh. Your daughter's favorite word, as if meh describes a person. Fourteen men, you met fourteen men. And got one second date. Yup, Number Ten called and you went out with him again, so it counts as a Real Date. But he didn't ...
READ MORE