Happy New Year!
January 6, 2020 by Linda O. Johnston in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as happy new year, Harlequin Romantic Suspense, Writing conferences
I know it’s the sixth of the month and you’re probably tired of hearing Happy New Year, but it is my first post here on A Slice of Orange for 2020. I could also say Happy New Decade, although I know that the new decade probably starts in 2021 instead, but I like the idea of 2020 being the new beginning.
So what’s up this year? For me, I’ll have at least one more Harlequin Romantic Suspense book, Colton First Responder, published in February. I’m working on two more HRS books but I don’t know when their publication dates will be. And so far, I don’t have any more cozy mysteries in the hopper, after the demise of my most recent publisher, Midnight Ink, but I do have some ideas I’m working on.
Last year, I attended four or five writing conferences. This year? I’m not sure how many I’ll attend–but the possibility exists of none. Sigh. I enjoy them but two of those I went to last year that are local are held every other year. Others? Well, I might jump in but there are reasons I may not–such as I may not attend Malice Domestic since I’m not currently writing a cozy mystery, nor do I have any recent ones to promote. Maybe the Romance Writers of America, though.
So how about you? What are you up to this year? More writing? More reading? More traveling or attending conferences? More enjoyable things?
Have fun no matter what you do!
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A New Month . . . and Missing the Old
December 6, 2019 by Linda O. Johnston in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as December, Harlequin Romantic Suspense, Linda O Johnston, new release, romantic suspense
November is over. That’s notable in many ways, including that we’re now in the final month of this year.
And for me, one of the notable matters is that I’m no longer Author of the Month on A Slice of Orange!
I was so delighted to have had that honor last month. The blog website mentioned it with wonderful graphics showing quite a few of my books. I saw it posted several times on Facebook, and I posted it myself, as well.
It was a good month for it to happen. I had a new book released then: Colton 911: Caught in the Crossfire, a Harlequin Romantic Suspense book. As I mentioned here last month, it was my first book in the HRS long-lived series about the Colton family, which is large and has family members living in branches all over the country. A Colton is a hero or heroine in each of the books in that series, so it contains lot of highly romantic members.
And now? Well, my next Colton book will be a February 2020 release: Colton First Responder.
Anyway, thank you so much to A Slice of Orange, and to Marianne Donley, for the delightful recognition. I loved being Author of the Month!
Some of Linda’s Romantic Suspense Novels
New Harlequin Romantic Suspense Book! by Linda O. Johnston
November 6, 2019 by Linda O. Johnston in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as Dogs!, Harlequin Romantic Suspense, Linda O Johnston, new releases
I’m excited to say that this November is the month for release of my latest Harlequin Romantic Suspense book. I love them all, of course, but this one has a special twist to it.
It’s my first in the long-running Colton series for HRS.
What’s that? Well, the Colton family has been around for many years as part of HRS. It’s large and has branches all over the country, and it seems that many of its members get involved as either heroes or heroines of romantic suspense stories, usually one a month.
My book is Colton 911: Caught in the Crossfire. In it, the hero, Casey Colton, is the family member. He’s also a Deputy Sheriff in Sur County, Arizona, the story’s setting. Casey is told to go help find some cattle rustlers who have stolen some very valuable black angus cows from the town selectman.
And who’s going to help him? The story’s heroine, Melody Hayworth, a ranch hand who works on the ranch from which the cattle were stolen.
You can guess how the two of them have to get along together during many days—and nights—alone on the cattle’s trail. And… well, it is a romance, after all, despite there being suspense in the story. They need to stay careful and professional and… well, help to take care of each other.
I’m also particularly excited this month to be the Author of the Month on A Slice of Orange.
Gee, this November is one fun month!
Linda’s Newest Harlequin Romantic Suspense Novel
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Writing Weather by Linda O. Johnston
October 6, 2019 by Linda O. Johnston in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as fall. writing, Harlequin Romantic Suspense, Linda O Johnston, new release
As I sit at my computer today writing this blog, I’m a little chilly—and loving it. I like coolness a lot. Even a bit of cold, although probably not the kind of cold some of you reading this experience in the winter.
Me? I’m in Los Angeles, so the winters I experience these days are mild. Sometimes rainy, but I haven’t seen snow in L.A. since around when I moved here a long time ago, and even then it was just a few unexpected flurries.
But weather in writing can take me all over the place. These days, I mostly set my stories in Southern California, since it’s where I am, although I do come up with a lot of fictional towns, so I can always change the weather if I want to.
Still, I was recently on an Alaskan cruise and loving it—in the summer. And of course, my mind being what it is, I came up with a delightful story idea, a mystery series. But I haven’t followed through yet. And that is partially because I had a good sense of what I’d do with my characters in the Alaskan summer, but what would they do there in the winter?
Oh, yeah, I do have some ideas. But whether I actually finish plotting, and write something, isn’t certain yet.
But… weather. My husband was on a trip to Ohio this week, visiting there in 90 degree weather while here, in L.A., the high was in the low 80s, with mornings and evenings cool. So who can really predict how things will be in a particular location? And, as a writer, I can always make things up as I mentioned before, at least on my computer.
Plus, weather doesn’t really make a difference as to whether I can write. My office is indoors, and I can turn on the air conditioner or put on heavier clothes, as needed.
Anyway, Happy Fall, everyone. I hope you are enjoying whatever weather is yours at the moment, and whatever is to come.
And, by the way, I’m looking forward to November. Not for its weather, necessarily, but my next Harlequin Romantic Suspense book, and my first in the Colton continuity series, will be published: Colton 911: Caught in the Crossfire.
A Selection of Linda’s Books
And Happy September by Linda O. Johnston
September 6, 2019 by Linda O. Johnston in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as deadlines, Harlequin Romantic Suspense, romantic suspense
Last month, I wished you all a happy August, the eighth month of the year. Guess what! It’s a month later.
And those deadlines I mentioned? I had to ask for an extension.
That’s a hard thing for me to do, although this time I perhaps could have anticipated it since the deadline for the book I’m working on now was a bit shorter than I usually agree to. I thought, at the time, that I’d be able to meet it. But as September 1 grew closer, I realized I needed more time—which, fortunately, I got.
I’m certainly making progress, but I feel bad that more time was needed. How about you? Do you meet all your deadlines, for writing or anything else? Do you ever ask for extensions? If so, how do you feel about it?
Anyway, time marches on in other ways, too. It’s now closer to the release of my next book, the first of my Colton continuity series books for Harlequin Romantic Suspense.
Colton 911: Caught in the Crossfire is a November release. Looking forward to it!
~Linda
Books by Linda O. Johnston
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