Mar 27 2017

Authors in Bloom Blog Hop


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If you’re looking for the Authors in Bloom Blog Hop then you have found it.

*Read to the end for the prize and grand prize information*

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Hi, I’m Janice Seagraves. Author of romance stories in various genres.

I also love to garden too.

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Photo taken by Janice Seagraves

This is from our Nectarine tree. It has the prettiest blooms I have ever seen.

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Photo Taken by Janice Seagraves

This is blooms from an almond tree and looks just like blooms from a peach tree. That’s because they are actually derived from the same tree. Almonds are developed for their nut and Peaches for their fruit. Nectarines are also related to Peach trees, but their blooms are a darker pink and the fruit’s skin is smooth and has no fuzz.

Gardening tip: I also grow tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, cucumbers, and onions. Most vegetables grow best in well-drained soil.

However, since I live in the Central Valley of California (South San Joaquin –Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare, Kern County), and it dryer here, (we just came out of a six-year drought), some of the things we do here might not be quite right for your region.

Like planting in a hole.

Recently I and my family moved into town. I have a raised bed for my garden and I’m only allowed to water twice a week.

Water is a big issue, so I found planting in a hole will keep the soil around my plant’s roots moist. Everything else is mulch as much as possible to help hold in the moisture.

As you can hopefully see from the photos of my garden, my peppers and tomatoes are all planted into holes and staked. Staking I also recommend, since it will keep your plant up out of the dirt, your fruit clean, and viruses like the Mosaic leaf virus at bay.

Since this is a book blog hop, I’ll also post a blurb and excerpt from my last book, Alien Heart.

And there is a garden in it. 🙂

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Blurb: Divorcee and single mom, hardworking Audrey Westberry is the host of a cable TV show called Miz Fixit.
Romance was the last thing on Audrey’s mind when two handsome extraterrestrials join the audience of her show.
Soon Audrey finds out a single word “mated” has different meaning when you are born a galaxy away. After a wonderful night of passion, Audrey finds herself far from home, impregnated and her life turned upside down.
Will she ever be able to leave the alien compound, see her son again, or get home in time to film the fall season of her Miz Fixit show?
But what’s a girl to do with two aliens that smell like candy, and their kisses taste like it, too?

Excerpt:

“Greetings,” said the tall man on her stoop, with a delightfully deep voice and a slight English lilt.

He wore blue jeans and a dark purple long-sleeved shirt. He had one of those legionnaire’s caps with a piece of cloth that covered the back of the head and his ears. A pair of wraparound sunglasses hid his eyes. The only clue to his identity was the hint of lavender in the hollow of his neck and cheeks, which the reflection of the shirt couldn’t account for.

“Keefe?”

He slipped off his glasses as he grinned at her. “Yes, are you ready for our date?”

“Just about.” Letting him in, Audrey took a deep breath, taking his vanilla scent deeply into her lungs. Suddenly, she wanted to see his skin and had two of his buttons undone, before she quite realized what she was doing. “Uh—sorry, your shirt looked too tight. You had all the buttons done up to the top.” She opened the collar a bit. “That’s better isn’t it?” God, she so wanted to kiss his exposed throat.

“Yes, it’s fine. Thank you.” His hands slid along her arms, leaving a tingling trail of warmth.

His touch felt wonderful. Her face heated as she turned away. What’s the matter with me? Trying to hide her confusion, she gestured toward the dining table, the stack of bills and her laptop. “I just have to finish this. Where are we going?”

“It’s still early. We could go to the zoo.”

Oh good, the zoo would be an easy date. “Okay, sounds great. Just give me a few minutes, so I can change and get some comfortable shoes on.”

His eyes lit up at the sight of the produce piled on her table. “Are those vegetables from your garden?”

“Yes, did you know about my garden from my show?”

“You did a spot on how to start a garden, and filmed it right back here.” He walked to her sliding back glass door to peek out. “Your garden is bigger now.”

“Yes, it is.” Audrey smiled, but her gaze lingered on his muscular ass. Her hands itched to caresses—no pinch his butt. “I hate to tell you this, but those segments cost me my neighbors.” Back to work, she told herself, taking a seat. “They hated all the trucks blocking the street, and let me know about it too.”

Determined to distract herself, she started going through her bills.

“What are you doing there?” He walked back then looked over her shoulder.

God, he smells wonderful. I’m not going to be able to concentrate with him so close. “I’m going through my bills, setting them up to be paid through my online bank’s billing system. It saves time, paper, stamps and a tree.”

“Are your checks automatically deposited?”

“Yes, it’s another way to save a tree.” She hit the pay button, waited until it went through then turned off the computer. “Okay, I’m done. I just have to change.”

“Would you mind if I help myself to your produce?” He gestured toward the table.

“Did you take your enzymes?”

“Yes, but I didn’t have enough time to eat breakfast. Paz watched late night movies, and kept us awake all night.” He actually rolled his eyes. “And I slept through the alarm because of it.”

Chuckling, she pictured him in bed with a pillow over his head. Oh shit, naked. She bit her bottom lip at the image. “What kind of TV did they have?”

“There’s cable and satellite TV at our suite, which we don’t have at our domicile.”

“Paz must have been in hog heaven.”

“Uh?” He looked a little blank. “He was happy, but Blade and I weren’t. All I had time for this morning was a shower and a piece of toast before my taxi arrived. The enzymes should still be effective for a little longer.”

The very thought of Keefe naked in a shower had Audrey crossing her legs, tightly. “Well, sure, help yourself. I won’t be long.”

Audrey hurried to her room, shut the door and leaned against it, sighing with relief. I got to control myself, or I’ll be tearing Keefe’s clothes off his body. No-no, now I’m imagining that too.

Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Alien-Heart-Chronicles-Arcon-Book-ebook/dp/B01N0N73OF/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Janice-Seagraves-Author-117551164948239/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/janiceseagraves


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Click here to enter your link for the grand prize and view this Linky Tools list…

Winners will be posted on both the first (Dianne Venetta) and last
(BloominThyme) websites.

*Prize from Janice Seagraves*

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This beautiful butterfly necklace will go to one lucky commenter.

It is similar in design to the one that Keefe gives Audrey in Alien Heart.

The value is no more than five dollars. The prize for those living in the USA or Cannada. If you win and reside outside of this area, a gift card will be substituted and sent via email. The value worth no more than five dollars USA currency.

For the prize: Please leave a comment and answer these two questions. What is your favorite thing about spring, and what is your favorite romance genre?

45 comments on “Authors in Bloom Blog Hop”

    • Hi Mary, Parks are so lovely in bloom. Have you ever gone to the Gilroy Garden Theme Park? I heard that they are beautiful and I’ve always wanted to go.

      Historicals are tough to write, I have only tried writing one once and it’s in an anthology: Persephone’s Song. The title of the story is: Weather Witch, set in the regentcy period.

      Janice~

      Like

    • Hi Joye, I’ve seen the desert bloom once and it was lovely.

      I have a romantic suspense in Windswept Shores Two. Someone is after Megan and they don’t know who until the very end.

      Janice~

      Like

  4. Spring is the time for my son’s birthday–3/21! I like to read romantic comedies and romantic suspense!

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    • Hi Linda, Aw, that’s so sweet. My daughter was born in July, the hottest month of the year and when she got grown, had her son on the very same day.

      I have humor in most of my books, and Windswept Shores one and two have suspense in them. Especially Two.

      Like

  5. You are quite the photographer too. The flowers are pretty! It’s too cold here for planting yet. Maybe in another month or so. They say by Mother’s Day but I’m thinking Memorial Day.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Linda, I live in California and I know exactly what you’re talking about. August is the hotest month of the year. I had my daughter at the end of July and it was the hostest July on record. Not nice when you are about to give birth.

      Like

  6. My favorite thing about spring is all the blooming trees. They are beautiful!! My favorite Romance genre is Historical. Thanks for doing the hop.

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    • Hi Rachael, I love doing hops and chatting with people. Blooming trees are the best. So pretty.
      I used to read a lot of historical myself. I’ve only written one set in the regency period. It’s a fantasy piece in the Persephone’s Song song anthology.

      Like

  7. My favorite thing about Spring is that the snow will be gone soon. I also love tht my Lilac bushes will be blooming soon. I like modern romance.

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    • Hi Nancy, We don’t get snow where I live, but I feel for you. Snow all through winter must be rough.
      I think you mean contemporary romance. I only have two of those combined with suspense that’s Windswept Shores one and two.

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  8. Thank you so much for the Hop and tips. I love to see the flowers blooming in spring. My favorite genre is Romantic Suspense. Thanks again. catwoman-1(at)comcast(dot)net

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  9. Thank you for participating in this hop. I am learning so many gardening tips (which I find yours very informative and useful) and I love the pictures of all the blooms on your trees. My favorite thing about spring is that the trees are getting their leaves and all the flowers and fruit is budding out!!

    Thanks for the excerpt also. It sounds really good!! I love almost all genres!! I guess my favorites would be historical, YA, and I like the paranormals also.

    Judy Cox
    magnolias_1(at)msn(dot)com

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    • Hi Judy, My pleasure. I love doing hops.
      I don’t write YA, and most of my experience doing paranormals are in the anthologies. I have one that’s about the granddaughter of Poseidon set in the regency period. It’s called Weather Witch and it’s in the Persephone’s Song anthology.

      Like

  13. I live in Florida where the 3 seasons are Hot, Really Hot and Hella Hot….but I do like the longer days in Spring!

    Thanks for the amazing giveaway!
    elizabeth(at)bookattict(dot)com

    Like

    • Hi Elisabeth, That actually sounds worse than my home state of California (Central Valley), where the weather is cold, foggy, warm, hot, and too freaking hot. Spring is awesome, but only last two days here.

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  15. I love when my lilac trees bloom and the fragrance is everywhere. I’m a fan of all romance. turtleemiwee(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  17. The beautiful blooming plants and flowers are my favorite thing about Spring. I love historical romance. jeanna_massman(at)hotmail(dot)com

    Like

  18. The blooming flowers are my favorite thing about spring. I love most all romance, but paranormal and suspense are my favorites! Thanks for the giveaway! 💖
    bunnyclem(at)gmail(dot)com

    Like

    • Hi Bunny, I love flowers too. I have my pansies and sweet alyssum that bloom year-round but are at their best in the spring.

      That’s good. I have a paranormal romance coming out this year.

      Like

  19. My favorite thing about spring is that I get to start planting outside again. Strawberries here I come! 🙂 My favorite romance genre is romantic suspense, but I read all sub-genres of romance really.
    cchant86 @ yahoo.com

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  20. My favorite thing about spring is how everything starts to bloom and grow and feel alive again. My favorite romance genre is a toss up between PNR and regency romance. vipersweb (at)gmail (dot) com

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