On Memorial Day, we honor and mourn those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Please take a moment to remember the fallen.

Recently, someone asked me how I decide on character names, so I thought this month I would share with you the origin of the name of one of my protagonists. Water Dreams and Water Desires star Nik, who is trying to be normal and fit in, hates the name that makes her stand out: Agathaniki Aphrodite Aronopulos. 

Here's what Nik has to say about her name: 

Oh God, here we go. I'm going to have to explain my name yet again. She hoped she wouldn't babble like an idiot. "I only go by Nik. Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty. What kind of parents name their child after her? I'm so far from her that it's embarrassing. And Agathaniki sounds like a grandmother's name. Niki is too girly. Not that I dislike being a girl, but I don't want anyone thinking of me as some fragile flower who needs rescuing all the time. I prefer Nik. Please, just call me Nik." Yup, there was the babbling. Stop talking now, Nik.

She certainly has strong feelings about her name!

However, I love it. 

I named her Agathaniki after my high school English teacher. She was young, beautiful, a strong woman of Greek heritage, and she inspired me to become a writer. 

I am tremendously grateful to Agathaniki Curris for her mentoring and support, and I wanted my first protagonist's name to be an homage to her.

Thank you, Miss Curris!

Last month I selected 7 winners for the Amazon gift cards instead of 4 because I wanted everyone who entered the contest to get something. I don't think everyone has accepted their prize yet, so if you entered the contest, but you didn't get your gift card, let me know. We'll see if we can figure out what happened. 

This month I'm giving away eBooks by two friends who had recent releases. 

The first two are  Dylan Newton's most recent release, All Fired Up, along with the first book in the series, How Sweet It is. These two Rom Coms are fresh and fun!

I'm also giving away an eBook of Loretta Rogers' The Boneyard, and the first book in her Doc Holliday series, Fatal Passion. I loved both of them. They are amazing cozy mysteries. 

I'll select two winners, one for Dylan's books and one for Loretta's books.

I know you will love these books, so please enter by replying to this email with a few words about your plans for Memorial Day. If you have a relative who served, I would love to hear a little about him or her.

More about the books and authors below. 

Contest closes midnight, June 8, 2022. 

All Fired Up:

After one wild night together, two complete opposites plan to stay firmly in the friend zone, but life has other plans in this delightful romantic comedy, perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez.

As a successful book publicist, Imani Lewis works night and day to promote her authors. It’s her dream job, but she’s become a total workaholic. So when her grandmother invites her to stay for the summer as she recovers from surgery, Imani happily agrees. But being back in the same small town as her one-night stand may not be quite the relaxing break she envisioned…

Zander Matthews wakes up every day determined to enjoy the present because he knows from his time in the Marines that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. But he’s never gotten over the beautiful woman who blew through town a year ago, then disappeared. And he doesn’t want to be hurt again. So they agree to a deal: he’ll help Imani fix up her grandmother’s house as long as they stay firmly in the friend zone.

Whether it’s repairing tiles in his ceramics studio, dodging nosy neighbors, or soothing the most obnoxious parrot ever, Zander never fails to make Imani laugh. And soon their friendly banter is turning ever flirtier. But since Imani’s stay is temporary and Zander can’t be tied to anything beyond the most tenuous plans, will she be able to handle it when things get all fired up?

How Sweet It Is:

What happens when the queen of romance falls for the king of horror--you get "a hilarious rom-com romp," perfect for fans of Beach Read. (Kirkus, starred review)

Event planner Kate Sweet is famous for creating the perfect happily-ever-after moment for her clients’ dream weddings. So how is it that her best friend has roped her into planning a bestselling horror writer’s book launch extravaganza? But the second Kate meets—or rather, accidentally maims—the drop-dead-hot Drake Matthews, her well-ordered life quickly transforms into an absolute nightmare.

Drake Matthews is tired of the spotlight and tired of his reputation as the Knight of Nightmares. He's really a nice guy! But he’s not prepared for Kate, a fearless agent of chaos in steel-tipped stilettos, or for that sweet sting of attraction he feels for her. She’s inspiring him to take his writing in a whole new direction—one that no one expects. Because now Kate and Drake are changing up the rules, and this plot twist might just surprise everyone . . . including themselves.

Author Dylan Newton was born and raised in a small town where the library was her favorite hang-out. After over a decade working in corporate America, Dylan quit to pursue her passion: writing books. When she isn't writing her next romantic comedy, Dylan is pursuing her own happily ever after with her high school sweetheart as they split time between Florida and Upstate New York with their two much cooler daughters and a tone-deaf cockatiel.

Visit Dylan at www.DylanNewton.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DylanNewtonAuthor

The Boneyard:

Part Cherokee, and with empathic abilities, Dr. Tullah Holliday isn’t your average small-town veterinarian.

When her Black Lab brings her a skeletal human hand, she immediately notifies her father, Sheriff Henry Holliday. The dog leads them to the reputedly haunted swamp nearby, where they discover eleven shallow graves with remains of young women reported missing over the past decade. For Tullah, a great barred owl becomes a messenger for these dead souls who reach out pleading for her to find their murderer.

The heir to the swamp asks Tullah to help break the swamp’s hundred-year-old curse, little realizing the dangers she must face—poisonous snakes, wild dogs, and a terrifying monster. Only by listening to the voices in the wind and obeying the owl’s indications can she put the past to rest and avoid becoming the next victim.

Fatal Passion:

Small-town veterinarian and former med student Dr. Tullah Holliday never looks for trouble. Rather trouble finds her.
Who killed Mayor Alma Tackett and her secret lover? Could it be playboy and mayoral candidate Forest Rakestraw? He seems the likely suspect for murder until Tullah finds him dead in a horse stall. When autopsies reveal partially digested donuts laced with poison, fingers point first to the elderly bakeshop owner, then to the high school teacher Rakestraw jilted.
Tullah decides to help her sheriff dad track down the killer. Now it's not just trouble finding her, but danger, and maybe death.

Loretta Rogers Author:

Loretta C. Rogers is a fourth generation Floridian, and proud of her Scots-Irish, German heritage. She admits to using writing as an excuse to avoid cleaning house. In her younger days, she and her pinto mare busted cattle out of the brush. She trailer-trained horses, and competed in a couple of 25-mile trail endurance rides. These days, she rides a rocking chair. https://www.amazon.com/Loretta...

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Water Dreams, Love's Siren Song Book I

Water Desires, Love's Siren Song Book II

The Sea Witch and the Mage, Sirens Series Book I (Prequel to Siren Descending)

Siren Descending, Sirens Series Book II

Witch Trial Legacy

Katherine Eddinger Smits Amazon Author Page

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Good night, friends. Hope all your dreams are magical!