If you haven’t read any of the LOVE IN A SMALL TOWN romances yet, now is the time to start! This box set is free on all vendors for a limited time. (See links below: Amazon may not have gone free yet, but will shortly.)

To celebrate, I’m sharing this little peek into what’s been going on in Burton recently via an email update from Cory Evans to her daughter-in-law Ali, who lives part-time in Burton and part-time in New York City.

Dear Ali,

I saw your text message this morning about feeling out of the loop, but you know, I don’t love to text long and complicated updates. So I figured I’d email you instead. Hope you don’t mind!

Everyone here is well. I was out to the farm for a meeting about the Christmas Bazaar–yes, I’m on the committee again this year, despite swearing I was retiring from that fuss and bother–and so I was able to see Meghan and Sam and the twins. Oh, my, those babies are getting so big–and smart! Of course, they’re beautiful, too. Daniella and Justin are talking up a storm now. I can’t wait to see them with Bridget and Colleen when you and Flynn and the kids come home for Christmas this year! It’ll be so much fun.

Oh, and Sam and Meghan are doing well, too. I think they’re still slightly sleep-deprived and a little shell-shocked after being parents for a year, but they’re getting into the swing of things. Meghan just keeps telling everyone how happy she is, and Sam is the sweetest daddy ever–apart from Flynn, of course.

I was over to the Road Block for lunch today. I ran into Rilla who was there with her cousin Jenna and Sydney Garth. They were planning a joint baby show for Jenna and Sydney–oh, did I tell you BOTH of them are pregnant? I swear, there’s something in the water down here. Those two have gotten to be such good friends, it really does my heart good to see it. Anyway, Rilla seemed to be a little extra glowy these days, too, so I pried it out of her that Piper, Noah and Miriam are going to have a little sister or brother some time next spring. She swears this is the last baby, but judging by the way Mason looks at that woman, I wouldn’t bet on it. But let me tell you, Ali, seeing him happy and contented again after everything that man went through is definitely an answered prayer.

Maureen and Smith spent last week in Boston visiting his parents and his brother. Every time they go, I worry that the big city will lure them up there permanently, but Reenie swears that they love the slower pace of life in a small town. Their veterinarian practice is growing, so I assume that would keep them here, too. I’ve been hinting to my daughter about wanting more grandchildren, but you know that girl just keeps evading me and saying that they’re having too good a time with each other to think about settling down with kids yet. Maybe you and Flynn can be an example to her that being parents doesn’t mean ending the fun–only expanding it.

I had a package from Elizabeth last week, with all kinds of delicious cookies she’s been trying out for her blog. She sent some to Kiki, too. We both agreed that she’s got some crazy talent in the kitchen! Anyway, Elizabeth and Trent are still loving life on the road. Trent left Crissy Darwin’s band, as you might have heard, and is spending some time in Nashville to record his first solo album. I reminded Elizabeth of the Christmas Bazaar, and guess what? She talked Trent into coming back to Burton to play for us at the Bazaar! We’re all so excited and can’t wait to see them. 

With your dear family home, Elizabeth and Trent, too . . . we’ll have a real extended family Christmas, won’t we? I’m so tickled that you’ll be here for the Bazaar, too. And I’m very curious about the big news you teased about in your text . . . are you sure you want to wait to tell me in person? 

Well, I should finish this up and head to bed. I have to be at the library bight and early–our new round of preschool classes begin tomorrow, and I like to have everything set up before the little ones arrive. 

Much love to my grandbabies, to my son who never writes to his mother, and of course to you–my wonderful daughter by love! 

Kisses and hugs,

Mom Evans

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An update from Ava and Liam . . .

Hey! Wow, it’s been a long time since I’ve caught up with you. So much has been going on.

As you know, Liam and I finally tied the knot in the most perfectly imperfect and beautiful Christmas wedding. We followed that up with the most incredibly romantic and sexy honeymoon ever known to man–or woman. Sigh . . .

Since then, life has been pretty damn sweet. With Liam’s support and encouragement, I left my job at the ad agency and launched my own social media promotion company. I’m not going to lie, the work’s been hard–and long–but the results have been amazing. I have a full roster of satisfied clients and a waiting list of interested people, too. I’ve just hired my third employee to help me handle all the business . . . and because I’m going to want to take a little time off soon, too.

Liam finished his graduate studies and is a full-fledged professor at Birch. He’s the professor all the students are dying to have, and not just because he’s so much fun to stare at while he lectures. He also has the unique ability to make the subject matter more interesting than anyone dreamed it could be.

With life going so well, we were also able to buy our first house. It’s a little fixer-upper not far from campus and near my new office, but it’s been so much fun to work on together. We’ve become expert painters and tile-layers. Well, expert might be going a little too far . . . 

Let’s see, what else is new?

My brother Vincent and Liam’s best friend Amanda surprised us a few months ago by throwing an impromptu wedding at my family’s restaurant down the shore. They had invited all of us to come down for dinner, claiming that we hadn’t gotten together as a family for a long time–which was true; we’ve all been super busy–and then once we were there around the table in the restaurant, they announced that right after we finished eating, Father Byers was coming over to perform the ceremony. We were all shocked, but honestly, it was the most perfect wedding for the two of them. Neither of them wanted a fuss, but they didn’t want to elope, either. (Probably because Vincent was afraid of my mom!) So we got to have a fun dinner and celebrate these two we love so much. It was a win-win! 

Julia and Jesse are still going strong. In addition to their sweet little girl Mia, my goddaughter, they just had TWIN boys. Julia is going absolutely nuts chasing after all three of the kids, but I think she’s loving every minute. She and Jesse are just as much in love now as they ever were, and we hang out together quite a bit. I’m so lucky to have such wonderful friends! 

Speaking of friends, Giff and Jeff are FINALLY engaged. Why did it take those two so long? I think Jeff was ready, but Giff wasn’t. He wanted to make sure he was firmly established in his business, which he totally is. Anyway, no quickie surprise nuptials for those two: they’re throwing a huge and very lavish bash in Philadelphia in February. And they’re also talking about adopting kids sooner than later, which is especially sweet because . . . 

We’re having a baby!! Yes, folks, you heard it here first. We’ve put off starting a family for a while, but the time is finally right. I’m about six months along, and I’ve never been happier. Liam walks around half the time like he’s the first guy to knock up his woman . . . and the other half of the time, he’s worried to distraction about me, about the baby, about how we’re going to adjust to being a family after it being just the two of us for so long. 

We’ve been setting up the nursery and picking baby names. We want to be surprised about the sex, but I have a feeling I’m carrying a boy. Liam doesn’t care, but I think he’s a little worried about having a son, considering the rocky relationship with his own father (who divorced his second wife about a year ago and has joint custody of their little girl). But I’m not worried. I know Liam is going to be the best father in the world. 

Well, that’s all the news here. My mom’s been making noises about having a big family reunion, so I hope we can catch up there–maybe with our new addition. 

<3,

Ava

Just Desserts

Liam Bailey is my sexiest dream and my worst nightmare, all rolled into one delicious, forbidden package.

I’m the girl with an iron-clad plan. Everything in my world is about succeeding, excelling, and making my large Italian family proud of me. That means graduating college with honors, landing the perfect job, and not letting anything–or anyone–get in my way.

But Liam is the guy who makes me want to break all my rules.

He’s the embodiment of all my naughtiest fantasies, with his incredible body, his brooding eyes and his tempting smile.

Liam’s also the sweet-talking, complicated son of a well-known politician, the big man on campus, the athlete, the rich guy who’s never had to work for anything in his life.

When I don’t fall into his lap like the other women do, I fully expect him to walk away. After all, why would a girl like me matter to someone like him?

But it turns out that Liam doesn’t give up easily. He’s not going to let our friends’ opinions, his parents’ disapproval, or my own walls get in the way of what he wants . . . which, apparently, is my heart.

Well, after all, rules were made to be broken.

I Choose You

Wedding bells are ringing for us. I hope.

The path of true love has sometimes been bumpy for Ava and me. I mean, I was her best friend’s ex-boyfriend, the son of a disgraced politician, and a former campus playboy. Ava was the hard-working, single-minded scholarship student with no time for romance. We were the couple least likely to succeed.

But almost two years later, love for us is better than ever. I’m pursuing my dream of being a college professor, and my girl Ava’s the rising star at a local ad agency. But I still have one more goal: I want to marry the girl who changed my life.

Neither of us realizes that making it to the big day might be our greatest challenge yet. Between my parents’ acrimonious divorce and Ava’s family’s ideas of how to plan the perfect wedding, it’ll take the strength of our love—and a little help from our friends–to see us through to happily-ever-after.

Here are the promised photos–enjoy!

September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day. Authors, readers, and bloggers are uniting again his year to fight stigma, spread mental health awareness, and support the prevention of suicide. To encourage participation, we’re giving away a $50 Amazon gift card and a Book Lovers Unite for World Suicide Prevention Day t-shirt to one lucky winner.

Two kinds of stigma continue to persist: public stigma and self-stigma. Public stigma occurs when other people view a person with a mental illness in a negative way. Public stigma feeds into self-stigma when people with mental illness internalize the negative talk they hear from others.

Well-meaning people say things like, “Suck it up,” “Choose to be happy,” “Turn that frown upside down,” or “Focus on your blessings,” as if mental illness were a mood, a frame of mind, or an attitude that can simply be overcome at will.

Often, people who suffer from mental illness blame themselves instead of seeking help. Just as a diabetic needs insulin, a person with mental illness may need treatment.

People who contemplate suicide don’t want to die; they just can’t fathom how to live because they are so miserable. They can’t see past their pain and misery, and they see no point in going on.

According to the International Association for Suicide Prevention, “Every year, suicide is among the top 20 leading causes of death globally for people of all ages. It is responsible for over 800,000 deaths, which equates to one suicide every 40 seconds.”

IASP explains that “[e]very life lost represents someone’s partner, child, parent, friend or colleague. For each suicide approximately 135 people suffer intense grief or are otherwise affected. This amounts to 108 million people per year who are profoundly impacted by suicidal behaviour. Suicidal behaviour includes suicide, and also encompases suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. For every suicide, 25 people make a suicide attempt and many more have serious thoughts of suicide.”

If you’re contemplating suicide, please don’t do it! Instead, seek help. You might be suffering now, but you never know what tomorrow brings. Reach out to a friend or family member. See a doctor. If that doctor doesn’t help, try another. Please don’t give up.

If you’re in crisis, please reach out to the toll-free hotline in your region. You can find your hotline here: https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/.

If you are grieving the death of a victim of suicide and need help, here are resources that can help: https://www.iasp.info/resources/Postvention/National_Suicide_Survivor_Organizations/.

If you suspect that someone you know may be contemplating suicide, please reach out. We often hesitate because we’re afraid we might make things worse by saying the wrong thing. According to IASP, “Evidence suggests that this is not the case. The offer of support and a listening ear are more likely to reduce distress, as opposed to exacerbating it.”

Warning signs to look for include severe anxiety, agitation, hopelessness, rage, feelings of being trapped, a strong urge for vengeance, engaging in risky activities, excessive alcohol and/or drug use, withdrawing from people, trouble sleeping, and dramatic mood changes.

THE TOUR

Book lovers from all over the world have joined together to share their stories and spread mental health awareness. Please follow this tour guide to find our posts and to enter our giveaway for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card and a Book Lovers Unite for World Suicide Prevention Day 2020 t-shirt:

P.D. Workman, Author

Triple A Book Blog

Jessica Burkhart, Author

Here Is What I Read Blog

Crossroad Reviews

Jazzy Book Reviews

Book Corner News and Reviews

I Love Books and Stuff Blog

Luv Saving Money

Debbie Manber Kupfer, Author

Ash Ineski, Author

Allie Burton, Author

Book Butterfly in Dreamland

Sara Crawford, Author

Tawdra Kandle, Author

Quinn Loftis, Author

Kat’s Indie Book Blog

Day Leitao, Author

Steph Weston, Author

Lanie Bynum, Author

L.B. Carter, Author

Holly and Mistletoe

Eva Pohler, Author

THE GIVEAWAY

From September 1-10, enter for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card and a Book Lovers Unite for World Suicide Prevention Day t-shirt. There are lots of ways to enter below–choose one or all. You can also tweet daily for extra entries. We’ll email the winner by September 11th.

[Here is the html for the giveaway:]

<a class=”rcptr” href=”http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/72abbf8f39/” rel=”nofollow” data-raflid=”72abbf8f39″ data-theme=”classic” data-template=”” id=”rcwidget_l5f81k3j”>a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>

<script src=”https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js”></script>

[Or use this link:]

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/72abbf8f39/?

OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP

1. On September 10th at 8 p.m. your time, light a candle to remember all those we have lost to suicide and to represent the hope of preventing suicide. People all over the world will be participating. You can send an ecard in 63 different languages to invite others to participate. Find the ecards here.
2. Purchase a Book Lovers Unite for World Suicide Prevention Day 2020 for $20. For every shirt sold, five dollars is donated to the International Association for Suicide Prevention. Order yours here.
3. Spread the word about this giveaway, to encourage more people to read our posts and tweet about overcoming stigma. Use the share buttons at the bottom of this post, and

Click to tweet: #EntertoWin a $50 #giftcard and #Tshirt while fighting #stigma and spreading #mentalhealthawareness for #suicideprevention #WSPD.

OTHER RESOURCES

Here are videos on suicide and mental helath that I have found to be helpful:

The Bridge Between Suicide and Life

You’re Still Here: Living After Suicide

This Is for All of You in a Dark Place

Suicide Is Preventable

My favorite romantic book lines:

“I don’t ask you to love me always like this, but I ask you to remember. Somewhere inside me there’ll always be the person I am tonight.”

TENDER IS THE NIGHT

F. Scott Fitzgerald

“You could have had anything else in the world, and you asked for me.”

CITY OF GLASS

Cassandra Clare

“Mo Nighean donn,” he whispered,” mo chridhe. My brown lass, my heart.”
Come to me. Cover me. Shelter me. a bhean, heal me. Burn with me, as I burn for you.”

Diana Gabaldon

The Fiery Cross

“I’m in love with you, and I’m not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I’m in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we’re all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we’ll ever have, and I am in love with you.”

John Green

 The Fault in Our Stars

“To douchebags!” he said, gesturing to Brad. “And to girls that break your heart,” he bowed his head to me. His eyes lost focus. “And to the absolute fucking horror of losing your best friend because you were stupid enough to fall in love with her.”

Jamie McGuire

Beautiful Disaster

“There are no refunds and no exchanges with love. It comes with flaws and imperfections. It’s raw, unfiltered, and sometimes it isn’t easy.”

Pucked Up

Helena Hunting

My favorite romantic movies lines:

“I wanted it to be you, I wanted it to be you so badly.” You’ve Got Mail

“I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.” When Harry Met Sally

“I hate the way you talk to me, and the way you cut your hair. I hate the way you drive my car. I hate it when you stare. I hate your big dumb combat boots, and the way you read my mind. I hate you so much it makes me sick; it even makes me rhyme.

I hate it, I hate the way you’re always right. I hate it when you lie. I hate it when you make me laugh, even worse when you make me cry. I hate it when you’re not around, and the fact that you didn’t call.

But mostly I hate the way I don’t hate you. Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.” 

Ten Things I Hate About You

“I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss of her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it. One.” City of Angels

“I’m scared of everything. I’m scared of what I saw. I’m scared of what I did. I’m scared of who I am. And most of all, I’m scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I’m with you.”

Dirty Dancing