Monday, January 4, 2016

Romantic Getaways for Valentine’s Day by Jana Richards, Author of Chill Out



The ultimate gift a couple can give themselves is time. So this Valentine’s Day how can you make time for each other on any budget?
1.    We’re off to Grandma’s House! – If you can’t afford to get away for a weekend, how about sending the kids to visit grandma (or any other reliable adult) for a sleepover? You can stay home and cook your favorite meal together, and then have a totally relaxing and romantic evening in. How about starting with a bath together with scented oil or bubble bath, a glass of wine and candlelight? It doesn’t have to cost much but it brings you closer together. The best part – sleeping in the next morning.
2.    A Small getaway – In my city, some of the big downtown hotels advertise specials around Valentine’s Day that include dinner, a night’s stay and breakfast the next morning. There’s no travel on icy winter highways and it’s totally relaxing, with someone else doing the cooking. Ah, Heaven!
3.    Going the extra mile – If you don’t mind a little travel, I’m sure you can find a small inn, bed and breakfast, or an affordable cottage to rent near your home, like these in Ontario, and these in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. In my neck of the woods, there are fully winterized cottages to rent in a nearby provincial park that come with wood burning fireplaces and hot tubs. You can be as active as you want to be; you can hike, cross-country ski or snowmobile. Or you can spend the entire weekend in bed. Your choice!
4.    Going All Out – There’s no shortage of suggestions for weekend excursions for Valentine’s Day online. Are you reading this in Europe or the UK? The Guardian has dozens of suggestions, from a weekend trip to Bruges, to an excursion to the moors of Yorkshire. If you’re in North America, how about a getaway cruise? Or maybe a ski trip to Whistler in BC or Aspen in Colorado. Anywhere is possible if you have the means!

You don’t have to spend a lot of money in order to get away from it all. All you need is some imagination and the desire to be with your loved one. Whatever getaway you choose, make it something you’ll both enjoy.

Where would you like to go this Valentine’s Day/weekend? What’s your suggestion for getting away from it all and spending time with your love?

Renata Cabral needs to hide for the weekend. Her cousin’s Valentine’s Day wedding means she’ll face embarrassing questions from her large, extended family. Questions like “Why aren’t you married yet?”  Since the breakup of her last relationship, she’s not ready to answer that question. She invents a work-related excuse and escapes to a friend’s lakeside cottage.

Noah Brownlee has been hiding for two years. But now he’s ready to come home and mend his broken relationship with his brother. When a friend offers the use of his lakeside cottage, Noah arrives in the middle of a blizzard with his English Mastiff, only to find the place is already occupied. With her big brown eyes and quirky sense of humor, Renata stirs feelings he thought long dead.

As the blizzard rages, the candy hearts predict love. Can Valentine’s Day work its magic between them?

This is part of a multi-author series of novellas The Wild Rose Press has put together for Valentine’s Day- all can be read as standalone titles

Amazon US    Amazon UK    Kobo    Chapters/Indigo   Bookstrand

Excerpt:
The bedroom door swung open and Renata stood in the opening wearing a short robe that revealed her lovely legs. A light floral fragrance drifted to his nose—he envisioned a field of flowers. Spike brushed past her and entered the room.

“Oh! I didn’t realize you were with Spike.”

“I’m sorry. When he gets a notion, he’s pretty hard to stop. I’ll get him out.”

“No, that’s okay. I don’t mind having him in my room. Besides, I doubt you could make him leave if he doesn’t want to.”

She was probably right. “You’re sure? He snores something awful. And did I mention the drool?”

She smiled. “Yes, I discovered the delights of sleeping with Spike last night. But I have to admit, I kind of like having the big lug around.”
“You’re sure you don’t mind?”

“I’m sure.” She took a step backward into her room, holding the door between them. “I should get some sleep.”

“Yeah.”

She hesitated, as if waiting for him to speak. For a moment he thought she was going to invite him into her room. But then she swallowed and lowered her gaze.

“Goodnight, Noah. Sleep well.”

“Goodnight.”

She quietly closed the door. Noah’s heart beat frantically as he stood outside. He wanted her in a way he hadn’t felt in a very long time, a deep primal urge, an overwhelming desire. Should he knock, ask to come in, ask to spend the night with her? Should he throw caution to the wind and let her know how he felt?

He raised his hand, ready to knock. What if he’d misread the way she’d responded to his kiss? Were his feelings for her simply a product of their isolation together? If she made love with him tonight, would she later regret it?

Fear slapped him in the gut. He couldn’t face another rejection. He let his hand drop to his side and walked to his room.

In her life away from writing, Jana Richards is an accountant/admin assistant, a mother to two grown daughters, and a wife to her husband Warren. She enjoys golf, yoga, movies, concerts, travel and reading, not necessarily in that order. She and her husband live in Western Canada with their Pug/Terrier cross Lou and several unnamed goldfish.

When Jana Richards read her first romance novel, she immediately knew two things: she had to commit the stories running through her head to paper, and they had to end with a happily ever after. She also knew she’d found what she was meant to do. Since then she’s never met a romance genre she didn’t like. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and historical romance set in World War Two, in lengths ranging from short story to full length novel. Just for fun, she throws in generous helpings of humor, and the occasional dash of the paranormal. Her paranormal romantic suspense “Seeing Things” was a 2008 EPPIE finalist.

She loves to hear from readers.  Connect online at:
Website:  http://www.janarichards.com
Blog:  http://janarichards.blogspot.com
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/JanaRichardsAuthor
Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/JanaRichards
Amazon Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/author/janarichards
Newsletter Signup: http://www.eepurl.com/m3UnT
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2892274Jana_Richards
Google+ Profile:  https://plus.google.com/100820406211390323245

Tour giveaway
1 $15 Amazon Gift Card

4 comments:

  1. Thank you for having me on your blog today, Sharon!

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  3. It looks great, I hope to get a chance to read it soon :)

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