LOVE WINS CHARITY ANTHOLOGY
April 5, 2026 by Tracy Reed in category WritingI had a topic in mind to discuss this month, but it was one of those topics that’s better discussed or debated, not written about. So, as I sat at my computer wondering what to talk about this month, I opted to turn the spot light on an anthology I’m participating in.
I didn’t know Twyla Turner personally, but I followed her on Facebook. I watched her share about her weight loss and later her battle with cancer. As her illness progressed, I felt compelled to pray for her, so I reached out to her. I told her I felt led to pray for her and asked what she wanted prayer for her. She said yes and told me what she wanted prayer for. I immediately added her to my prayer list. Needless to say, I was shocked when I saw her father’s post on Facebook about her passing.
When I heard about this anthology, I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of it. I wanted to help bring awareness to the cause and help Twyla’s family and loved ones celebrate her memory.
So, here I am, one of eight incredible authors—Harper Black, KT Bond, AJ Buchanan, Gabbi Grey, Olivia Huxley, Gabbi Powell, and Alexa Sant—have created LOVE WINS: Stories of Heat, Heart, and Hope—eight unforgettable romances celebrating love in all its forms.
💖 Available now—but only until May 15.
Every single dollar raised will be donated to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in Twyla’s memory.
Whether you knew and loved Twyla, or you’re discovering her for the first time, this collection is a chance to celebrate her legacy the way she lived—through story, connection, and love.
✨ Buy the anthology or make a donation here: https://lovestories4you.wixsite.com/charity-anthology
I encourage you to support this project because it’s for a good cause.
BLURBS FOR “LOVE WINS” PROMO
TURN BACK TIME by KT Bond
They say time will tell, and that the third time’s the charm. Winsome Bernard would like a word with whoever “they” are.
While helping out her sister at her B&B, the last person Winsome expects to encounter again—for the third time—is the man she once believed was lost to her forever. Alain DuPont has already walked away from her twice. Once because he had no choice. Once because he made the wrong choice. Either way, she’s done paying the price for his absence.
As the son of a diplomat, Alain understands the power of a charm offensive. But charm alone won’t save him this time. Somewhere between leaving and returning, he’s learned the truth he should have known all along: the most important decision in life isn’t where you live or what you do, but who you choose to love.
That ‘who’ has always been Winsome.
Now he wants a third chance, but Winsome isn’t convinced he deserves it. With old wounds reopened, undeniable chemistry simmering, and no room left for excuses, Alain must prove he’s no longer the man who let her walk away—while Winsome must decide whether a love broken can still be trusted a third time.
A second-chance romance about grown love, hard-earned trust, and the courage to choose again.
A ROAD TRIP TO THE HEART by Harper Black
When her cross-country trip takes a turn, she finds herself on the road to love…
After the tragic loss of her father, Maisie Jones is starting over. At least that was the plan until illness forces her to delay her journey near the Colorado-New Mexico border.
The only available accommodation in town is a cottage owned by a big, tall, handsome guy with hard edges who, for some reason, looks vaguely familiar…
Max Mitchell isn’t going to tell Maisie who he really is—at least not right away. His fame as a musician is in the past, and he’s never regretted fading into obscurity to become a family man.
Max is determined to get to know the quiet, introverted Maisie. But for a loner like Maisie, she’s reluctant to believe a man as confident as Max is interested in her.
All Max knows is that he hasn’t felt like this about anyone since his divorce. However, there’s another woman in town with her sights set on Max’s heart, which means convincing Maisie to stay could prove to be a bumpy ride…
IN PERFECT RHYTHM by AJ Buchanan
When past admiration meets present attraction, two men rediscover the rhythm of love.
For years, Levar Hunter has felt emotionally out of sync. Now a magnetic attraction to his younger colleague builds like a symphonic crescendo—unexpected, undeniable, and impossible to ignore.
Levar has never forgotten Andrew Chang-Lee, the gifted young musician he once mentored while teaching at a local college. After Andy’s graduation, friendship replaced formality, a bond that endured quietly for over a decade. But when Andy—now a celebrated concert pianist—returns to public life after an extended absence, something between them has undeniably shifted. And it isn’t just the proximity they share as colleagues at the gifted academy where Levar teaches.
Andy’s fascination with his former mentor has never faded. It lingers like an unfinished melody, one he never quite learned to set aside. This time, reunited with Levar as equals, he’s determined not to leave the song unfinished.
Accepting a five-month position as artist-in-residence is, officially, Andy’s way back into the spotlight after a serious health scare. Unofficially, it’s about Levar, the man who once inspired him, and whose growing awareness is unmistakable. Andy’s feelings haven’t changed. And this time, neither will Levar’s.
Tender, sensual, and emotionally rich, this slow-burn M/M romance is about second chances, hidden longing, and finding harmony when the timing is finally right.
EMMANUEL’S SURRENDER by Gabbi Grey
Dalton
I firmly believe old age shouldn’t take the fun out of life, and I love helping the residents at The Good Life look their very best. I was born to be a hairdresser. I was also born to be a flirt, and that hot new doctor brings out the shameless in me. At first, it’s all in fun, but I notice him watching me even when he pretends he’s far too busy for my antics. Usually, guys call me shallow or lightweight, and they leave me without a backward look. Somehow, with Dr. Bradner, I feel seen. Important. Is there any chance a man like him might actually date a guy like me?
Emmanuel’s Surrender is a small-town, age-gap, interracial, opposites-attract, instalove gay romance with a by-the-book doctor, a sassy hairdresser who has no boundaries, and senior residents who don’t know how to mind their own business.
THE PLUS ONE PLAYBOOK by Olivia Huxley
Star hockey defenseman Declan Fitzpatrick just wants to play the game and avoid talking to the media, including tenacious reporter Ayana Williams, who’s been after him for months. When his mom sets him up with a blind date for his brother’s wedding weekend, he panics and tells her he’s already taken – by Ayana, the only name he could recall in the stress of the moment.
Ayana will go along with the charade, but only if he’ll grant her exclusive access for an in-depth profile. Her future with her employer demands she succeed.
Three days at the Fitzpatrick family home as a pretend couple should be easy, but sharing a room, and so much of themselves, with one another begins to blur the lines. As the weekend winds down, Declan and Ayana must decide if they’re playing for keeps, or if this relationship was always headed for the penalty box.
A BRUSH WITH THE PAST by Gabbi Powell
Victoria fled a broken heart twenty years ago, putting an entire country between her and the man she’d loved. She got married, had a son, and life was good. Except good can become bitter in a heartbeat. The marriage ended in a nasty divorce, and a horrific accident changed her life forever. Now she’s come back home to Mission City to start fresh. To give her son the best childhood she can. To reconnect with her mother. To put the pieces of her shattered future back together. That’s the plan, at least. Until she discovers who lives next door.
Douglas will always regret breaking up with Victoria. He was young and reckless and had big plans, made bad choices. After she left, he found a quieter life, married a woman he loved, and grieved when he lost her. When he decided to return to Mission City, the house he liked best happened to be next door to Victoria’s mother. A bit masochistic, perhaps, but at least he might get news of her now and then. Until the day Victoria returns to her mother’s house with a young son, a broken marriage, and a whole lot of pain in her past. Douglas wants nothing more than to make Victoria happy again, but how can he prove this grumpy middle-aged man is worthy of a second chance?
A Brush With the Past is a 25k grumpy/sunshine, interracial, sensual second-chance romance with a man who’s tortured by his past, a woman looking for a fresh start, an interfering mother, and a precocious seven-year-old boy. The story is part of the Love in Cedar Valley world.
ONE WEEK by Tracy Reed
Chef Roman Maxwell is as comfortable in the kitchen as he was on a Special Forces assignment. But a last-minute catering job for an executive retreat presents him with an opportunity for love with attorney Makena Crawford. She never expected one week with the hot chef would whet her appetite for love.
IT’S ONLY LOVE: A ROMANCE IN THREE STORIES by Alexa Santi
It’s Only Lunch
Cassandra Alston has always had a secret crush on her friend Luke, so she’s not prepared for the revelation that he’s finally single and available. Her fears send her fleeing their lunch together, but when COVID-19 lockdown strands her at O’Hare, she calls the one person she knows will always come to her rescue.
It’s Only Christmas
When Christmas skeptic Cass agrees to a road trip down the California coast to see the holiday market in Solvang, neither she nor Luke expect the series of disasters that await them, starting with a trip to the emergency room. Now they’re trying to keep their trip afloat, their relationship together, and their Christmas spirit bright despite the obstacles standing between them and their destination.
It’s Only Forever
The course of true love hits a final snag at their wedding, where two feuding uncles each insist he should have the sole right to walk Cass down the aisle. Bringing their families together means Cass and Luke must resolve tensions still lingering from Cass’s own parents’ wedding of 30 years before. Maybe it’s not too late to elope …
Neetu Malik: Featured Author
April 1, 2026 by Neetu Malik in category Featured Author of the Month tagged as Featured Author of the Month, Neetu Malik, Poet's Day, poetry
Neetu Malik’s poetry is an expression of life’s rhythms and the beat of the human spirit. She draws upon diverse multicultural experiences and observations across three continents in which she has lived. She has contributed to The Australia Times Poetry Magazine, October Hill Magazine, Prachya Review, among others. Her poems have appeared in The Poetic Bond Anthology V and VI published by Willowdown Books, UK, NY Literary Magazine’s Tears Anthology and Poetic Imagination Anthology (Canada).
Her poem, “Soaring Flames”, was awarded First-Place by the NY Literary Magazine (2017). She has also been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, 2019 for her poem “Sacred Figs” published by Kallisto Gaia Press in their Ocotillo Review in May, 2018. She had a monthly column, Poet’s Day, here on A Slice of Orange.
Neetu lives in Pennsylvania, USA.
You can find Neetu’s poetry in these volumes.
Hover on the cover for buy links. Click on the cover for more information.
Overturned
March 30, 2026 by Dianna Sinovic in category Quill and Moss by Dianna Sinovic tagged as compassion, Cooking school, Dianna Sinovic, turnovers
Hannah dipped a brush into the egg wash and spread the pale fluid over the turnovers, mentally crossing her fingers. Beside her and across the steel work table from her other students concentrated on their entries. She had to ace this final exam; if she didn’t, her budding pastry career would never rise to reality.
She slid the tray of turnovers into the oven and set her timer. Some students had their trays in the oven ahead of her, but at least five others were still assembling. Their instructor, Bridget, a tall, large-boned woman with a perpetual frown, kept her gaze moving around the commercial kitchen.
“This is no time to dawdle,” the instructor said, addressing the room. “The clock is ticking.”
Indeed. The test required that the turnovers be done to perfection by a specified time. Hannah relaxed slightly; hers were baking. She had nothing more to do until she removed them from the oven and placed them on the cooling rack.
Pastries. Turnovers. Cakes. Pies. She wanted to make them all. Every day. And if she passed this final exam, she could open her own shop, maybe. Someday.
She was pulled out of her daydream by soft sniffles. The student to her right was frantically stuffing her turnovers while sobbing softly. Pamela, slender as a spatula, routinely was the last to complete a class baking assignment.
The other students, all of whom now had their entries in the ovens, chatted in clumps, ignoring Pamela, although a few sidelong glances said they were quite aware of her struggle.
According to the class rules, each student was to work alone. This was not about collaboration but the ability to complete a task within a time frame. It required focus and efficiency. Pamela seemed lacking in the latter, but to her credit, she never asked for help.
To hell with the rules. Hannah washed her hands and stepped up beside Pamela.
“You fill and I’ll crimp,” she said. “You’ll be done ASAP.”
With a small gasp and a look of gratitude, Pamela moved over to allow Hannah to join her. There was a rise in murmurs from the other students, and Hannah felt the instructor’s eyes on her.
“Miss Stevens, you know the class guidelines,” Bridget said. “This is solo work only. Miss Murray must complete the assignment by herself.”
Hannah did not look up, did not stop her work. Within minutes, the batch was prepped, brushed, and in the oven.
“Thank you,” Pamela whispered, her flushed face turning even redder. “I know it’s not allowed, but . . . ” Her eyes teared. “I’m going to flunk anyway. And now you are, too. Why I thought I could do this . . . ”
Hannah hoped her smile was reassuring. “That’s bullshit. You won’t flunk. You’ve turned out some nice pieces.” She searched her memory for something she could call out, but came up blank. Mostly burnt or underdone. Unappetizing. Bitter flavors.
“What’s your plan after the class ends?” Hannah helped wipe down the table and wash the prep tools.
“To open my own shop.” Pamela looked away. Exactly what Hannah dreamed of. “I’ve got the business savvy down. My dad’s a CPA, and I’ve soaked up what he does. Numbers are my happy place. But baking . . . ” Her words trailed off.
Bridget, the instructor, circulated through the kitchen, stopping to inspect each turnover batch as it emerged from the oven, making notes on her black clip board. By the time she made it around to their side of the work table, Hannah’s turnovers sat cooling on a rack. The aroma made Hannah’s stomach rumble. The crusts were perfectly crisp and brown.
Leaning over the table, Bridget surveyed the platter and nodded briefly. Hannah handed her a knife, and the instructor cut one turnover exactly in half, then sliced a sample. Another nod as she chewed and swallowed.
Pamela, meanwhile, removed her batch from the oven.
Scribbling on her assessment sheet, Bridget gave no hint of her judgment. “Under normal circumstances, your work would place at the top of the class,” she said. “But unfortunately, I must give you lower marks for ignoring the rules.”
“That’s not fair,” Pamela said, her voice rising. “Hannah stepped in because she knew I was behind. It was an act of compassion.” She glanced at Hannah. “And I’m grateful. Don’t mark her down for that.”
Bridget gave a half-smile. “I’m afraid compassion has no place in a commercial kitchen. Speed and efficiency are what matter. As well as a superior product, of course. Miss Stevens must learn that if she hopes to succeed.”
Pamela reached in front of Hannah and picked up half of the turnover the instructor had sliced. She took a big bite, chewed and smiled. “Well, this is a ‘superior product’ despite the compassion she showed.”
“With all respect,” Hannah said, “I think there’s room for kindness along with efficiency. A kitchen staff has to feel part of a team, and you get there by practicing empathy. At least, my staff will.”
“You’ve a long way to go, Miss Stevens,” Bridget said. “You’ll learn or go under.”
Hannah fought the urge to argue back. She wouldn’t win. Instead she turned to Pamela.
“I have an idea.” She took a breath and realized she had the attention of the entire class. “What if we partnered? I hate math, so you keep the books, and I do the baking.” She quickly added, “You could help bake if you want.”
Hannah bit into one of Pamela’s turnovers and squelched her reaction to the off-putting flavors. With luck, the shop would keep Pamela too busy with sales to allow time in the kitchen.
It was after Pamela’s squeal of approval, and after class had ended that Hannah opened the handwritten note the instructor had attached to her graduation certificate.
“The test of any person lies in action.” Below it, in red, her grade: an A.
Some of Dianna’s Books
Featured Author: Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC
March 29, 2026 by Bethlehem Writers Group in category Apples & Oranges by Marianne H. Donley, Contests, Featured Author of the Month tagged as Bethlehem Writers Group, Bethlehem Writers Roundtable Short Story Award, Susan Kaye Quinn, The BWG
About Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC
The Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC (BWG), is a community of mutually supportive fiction and nonfiction authors based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The members are as different from each other as their stories. BWG also publishes quality fiction through their online literary journal, Bethlehem Writers Roundtable, and their award-winning A Sweet, Funny, and Strange Anthology series.
Next up for BWG
BWG is working on their ninth anthology, Illusive Worlds: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales of Science Fiction and Fantasy.
In connection with this anthology, they are hosting The Bethlehem Writers 2026 Short Story Award.
The contest deadline is April 30, 2025. The theme is Speculative Fiction (tales of science fiction and fantasy, broadly interpreted).
BWG is seeking never-published short stories of 2,500 words or fewer.
First Place:
$250 and consideration for publication in our upcoming anthology: Illusive Worlds: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales of Science Fiction and Fantasy or Bethlehem Writers Roundtable
Second Place:
$100 and publication in Bethlehem Writers Roundtable
Third Place:
$50 and publication in Bethlehem Writers Roundtable
The 2026 contest judge is speculative fiction author Susan Kaye Quinn.
About the 2026 Contest Judge
Susan Kaye Quinn has designed aircraft engines and studied global warming, getting a PhD in environmental engineering along the way, but now she invents cool stuff in books. She’s been writing across multiple genres for 15 years, with her latest works focusing on hopepunk, solarpunk, and the new stories we need to build a more just and sustainable world. Her short fiction can be found in Grist, Solarpunk Magazine, Reckoning, and all her novels and short stories can be found on her website: SusanKayeQuinn.com. She is the host of the Bright Green Futures podcast.
Read BWG’s interview of Susan here.
For more information on the 2026 Short Story Award and for information on how to enter, click here.
Books from Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC
Calling All Book Lovers
March 28, 2026 by Alina K. Field in category Writing
If you live in a part of the country that experienced a horrible and very snowy winter, I hope that spring has come your way and that all that white stuff will soon be melted. Unless of course you loved sitting inside by a warm fire drinking hot chocolate and reading books.
Speaking of books…
Book Lovers Con
This weekend 450 readers and authors have gathered in Las Vegas for Book Lovers Con at the Flamingo Hotel.
As this blog posts, I’m getting ready to sign books at the BLC Bookfest. But as I write this post, the conference hasn’t started.
Do you like book signings? I’m too much of an introvert to not find them challenging. I much prefer hobnobbing casually with readers at the conference social events to sitting behind a table that (in my mind) screams “buy my books”. Authors and readers out there, what do you think?
A New Strategy
For this conference, I’m bringing just a handful of print books for sale, and trying another author friend’s strategy for ebook sales. Three of my series starters are on sale for 99 cents. Interested readers can scan a QR code for purchase–a savings for them, plus no extra print books for them to cart home.
If you’re in or near Las Vegas, join us for the Bookfest from 10 am to 1 pm, and be sure to stop by my table and say hello, no purchase required!
If you can’t make it, you can still take advantage of these deals! (sale runs through April 30th)
Marrying Mr. Gibson
Book One, Sons of the Spy Lord Series
For a chance at true freedom, a spy’s daughter dodges an arranged marriage to an earl’s illegitimate son and seeks the fortune left by her inscrutable father. When her quest draws a villain’s threat, the only person she can trust is the war-weary soldier she doesn’t want to marry—but can’t seem to resist.
Universal Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/MarryingMrGibson
Fated Hearts
Book One, The Macbeth Series
Plagued by memories of war and visions of coming battle, a Scottish Baron meets the daughter he denied was his, and his only true love—the wife he divorced. He soon discovers that the jealous enemy who drove them apart has resurfaced, more treacherous than ever. When his lady and daughter fall into a vengeful trap, can he reach them in time?
Universal Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/FatedHeartsbyAlinaKField
The Duke She Despised
Book One, The Upstart Christmas Brides Series
Hiding her true identity, a young vicar’s widow takes a position as housekeeper in a remote Scottish castle at Christmas for a new duke who years ago sabotaged her chance for happiness. She quickly falls for the duke’s charming but not very competent factor, not knowing that he’s hiding something also—he’s the duke she despised!
Universal Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/TheDukeSheDespised
I’ll let you know in future posts how my plan works out!
Until next time, happy reading!
Image credit (girl reading): Depositphotos.com
Featured Books
ROAD TO YOU
Investigative reporter Gemma Wade has been dispatched to her own personal purgatory—small town Marietta, Montana—to write a fluffy, romantic piece about the unprecedented spike in marriages there.
More info →
THE VISCOUNT’S SEDUCTION
An Irish lady from a scandalous family gets a chance at a Season in London and an opportunity for revenge, but her schemes stir up an unknown enemy and spark danger of a different sort in the person of a handsome young Viscount.
More info → 
