This month, this picture from 2014 came alive in book form!

And I got to read it for the first time (except for mine of course).

Karen’s story, The Husband Maneuver, has a fun dime novel excerpt at the beginning of each chapter that is used very creatively at the end.

Regina’s story, Her Dearly Unintended, shows you exactly what strange and unexpected things can happen when the Lord let’s that creek rise!

Mary’s story, Runaway Bride, interlaces an extended epilogue for some of her books with a marriage of convenience story with new characters that steal your heart right quick.

And then there’s mine, Engaging the Competition. Since it’s probably a bit silly to tell you what I liked about my own, I’m going to copy and paste a snippet from a review that I thought was fun: [This story is] “proof positive that a teenager shoot-out is not the optimal method to select a helpmate.”

And now for the fun individual cover! My novella in With This Ring? has its own pretty little cover for the ebook-only version if you’re interested in only my story. They don’t release individually until May, but you canpreorder for $1.99 on kindle if you’d like. (Available elsewhere too for various prices.) Meet Charlotte “Charlie” Andrews

I am so excited to be one of ten authors in The Convenient Bride Collection that’s JUST been released! Do you love marriage of convenient stories? Well there’s nine of those puppies packed into this book!

Mine’s called Blinded by Love and it features Rachel Stanton’s brother Neil Oliver who you met in Love by the Letter.  (And if you haven’t read Love by the Letter, why not? It’s FREE!) 🙂

Here’s the blurb for Blinded by Love:

Neil Oliver is a man of few words and a lot of property, but when he’s informed his failing eyesight may lead to blindness, he knows he needs to find someone to help him that he can trust. Helen Barker has helped raise her sister’s children over the last two decades and will soon be a burden to her brother-in-law’s empty nest. Though she’s not a beauty, Neil has often engaged her in theological discussions, which she’s always found amusing since he fails at normal conversation with anyone else. When he proposes a marriage of convenience, she takes the chance to leave behind spinsterhood despite Neil’s reclusive ways. Will two people set in their ways figure out how to love when sharing words and feelings don’t come naturally?

And here’s the Giveaway! You have until July 10th to enter! Please share!

Prize Package Includes:

7″ Kindle Fire

Kindle Fire Cover (You’ll have a choice of colors)

The Convenient Bride Collection ebook – OF COURSE!

Kindle Versions of:

The Cactus Creek Challenge by Erica Vetsch

A Secret Hope by Renee Yancy

A Bride for Keeps by Melissa Jagears

Two Brides Too Many by Mona Hodgson

The Oregon Trail Romance Collection with Jennifer Uhlarik

The Most Eligible Bachelor Collection with Gabrielle Meyer, Amanda Barratt, and Erica Vetsch

12 Brides of Summer Collection #2 with Maureen Lang

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you don’t like Rafflecopter, you may email mjagears AT gmail DOT com for an entry; put Loaded Kindle Fire Giveaway in the subject line to be entered.

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I’m excited to report that my novella prequel, Love by the Letter, not only won ACFW’s Carol Award for best novella last year, but it now has over 500 reviews on Amazon!

So many happy things are wrapped up in this little story. The fact that it’s FREE so that readers have a chance to read my stuff without worrying about whether they’ll like me. The fact that the dyslexic/academic couple is a reflection of me and my hubby. 🙂 That people are enjoying it, and the big professional organization that helped me so much in learning how to write fiction honored me with choosing my story for their big yearly award.

If you haven’t tried it out yet, even if you don’t have an ereader device, you can use your computer or smart phone to read it by downloading the free kindle app.

You can even read it in Dutch!

The other exciting novella news is that I’ve been asked to write a novella with some of my favorite authors from Bethany: Karen Witemeyer, Mary Connealy, Regina Jennings and I will be collaborating on a novella collection. I’m super exciting to be included with these ladies!