OBX | Dani Jace. Romance Author

The official start of summer has begun and romance is in the air. What tales of summer love do any of your characters have to share? Leslie Hachtel asks this question of our Romance Writers Weekly authors.

My brand is Seaside Heat, so most of my novels are based on summer love. Hot as Blazes is a friends to lovers story about a down and out a surfer who returns to home at the beginning of the summer season.

In Sand and Sin, a SEAL returns to his home base and falls for a local bar owner who’s ex can kill his career.

In Game On! a semi pro football player rents a beach house during the summer practice season and meets a fellow beach lover. The teacher he falls in love with has a past that intermingles with his new team.

Romance Writers Weekly with coffe cup underneath and a mocha foam heart in cup

So if you’re in to literal beach reads, check out my books which are available from all major e-book sellers. Next on the hop is A.S. Fenichel.

American Flag Food Fruit Fresh Healthy Pineapple — creative commons license

Romance Writers Weekly with coffe cup underneath and a mocha foam heart in cup

This is 4th of July week for those in the US, but most countries have an Independence Day or similar celebration. What was your tradition growing up? Fireworks? Trip to the beach? Cookout? As an adult, what’s your favorite Independence Day activity or what would you love to do? Hope you’ve already visited A.S. Fenichel on this week’s RWW Blog hop.

When I was a kid, we were usually visiting relatives in South Carolina during July 4. Can you say watermelon… I can but don’t like it. Yes, I’ve been told I’m weird. My cousin’s birthday is around this time and she’d always ask for a red velvet cake. Now that was better than fireworks for me. 🙂

These days, hubs, son and I vacation the week of July 4th on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We meet up with neighboring beach rental families that we’ve become close to over the last eighteen years. Our kids have grown up together. They are our “Beach Family.” Surrounded by these wonderful friends, we spend Independence Day on the beach and then grill out for dinner. Occasionally, we all get together and have a block party.

The men used to launch fireworks (illegal) until one year they’d just

finished and the police came driving

down the beach in their SUV. Stagnant air still fresh with sulfur hung about the men in a cloud. Luckily, other felonious fireworks shooters further south launched some rockets saving our guys from being questioned or worse. Since then, we stick to watching others who don’t mind pressing their luck.

Below is a pic of some flavorful rum cherry bombs we make to get the party started.