Month: February 2023

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Ready for Dessert?

ellenparkerwrites

Do you end your meals with a sweet? Or are you more inclined to take an additional serving of rice or potatoes?

If you like a hint of sweetness without overwhelming your taste buds — I have just the treat for you.

The baker heroine in the upcoming NEW DREAMS enjoys making Kuchen. The bakery customers look forward to apple, cherry, plum, and the pictured apricot.

While I’m sure her creations looked a little different — please allow for changes in oven and dishes 170 years later — I expect they tasted wonderful. A portion of Kuchen would be a great finish for a hearty meal of stew and rye bread.

Save the date — March 22 — Louisa and Hans are on a journey to fictional Elm Ridge, Illinois to make dreams come true.

America beckons with opportunity during the 1850’s.

Louisa Mueller, a baker’s daughter, arrives in Elm Ridge, Illinois with determination to learn English and work as a baker. Since the death of her sweetheart a year ago, she pushes aside thoughts of marriage. However, she’s intrigued by a fellow passenger who tells the most interesting stories.

Desperate for a fresh start, a young thief takes the name Hans Hoffmann when a look-alike passenger dies during the trans-Atlantic passage. Vowing to be an honest man in America, Hans discovers temptation wears many disguises. Will the pair be rewarded as they attempt their new dreams in a strange land?

Kindle edition: https://amzn.to/3vWydWE

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Last Call!

ellenparkerwrites

All good things must come to an end — including the reduced price on COMFORT ZONE.

Will independent, empty-nester Janet risk a new love or stay in her comfort zone?

With a steady job, affordable mortgage, and engaged daughter, HVAC tech Janet Zwingel has no intention to clutter her life with a man.

Police detective Rich Taylor loved his wife until she died two years ago. Asking out the intriguing woman who fixed his A/C should silence those well-meaning acquaintances urging him to start dating.

Into their fledgling relationship come illness, crime, and death. Will they take the risk on a future together?

Tuck this sweet romance into your Kindle for only 99 cents! https://amzn.to/2ZvL0Av

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The Boat’s Coming

ellenparkerwrites

Do you hear the steam whistle? Can you feel the energy?

Four weeks from tomorrow — March 22 — the steamboat The Perch will land at fictional Elm Ridge, Illinois.

Well, that’s the first day you can buy the story which includes the landing. However, the story begins months before and thousands of miles away. Oh — and in the past — 1851 to be precise.

So mark your calendars — or pre-order for your Kindle here: https://amzn.to/3vWydWE

Hans and Louisa will meet you on the page!

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You’ve got my Attention

ellenparkerwrites

Hello, Human! What have you got in your hand? A book? Is it good?

I like stories — either about humans or bears. My favorite? Outdoor stories, of course. And I like stories set here– in the city where I can imagine this group of humans goes after a busy day at the zoo.

Let me guess what you do for a living, sir. You have good posture, short hair, wear a light jacket on a sunny day. Certainly you’re not a co-worker of that fellow with the tank top and shorts. No, by the way, you’re old enough to be his father. I’m thinking you prefer using brains instead of brawn. If I guess right — will you introduce me to your lady friend? You’re observant, scan the people around you. Yet, you don’t look afraid – or worried like the teachers herding the field trip groups past my living quarters. Police officer? How did I do?

You did just fine, Mr. Grizzly. My name’s Rich, this is my friend, Janet. Afraid you’ll have to read about us in COMFORT ZONE to get the whole story. On a budget — no problem. Kindle edition currently on sale: https://amzn.to/2ZvL0Av

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Holiday Treat

ellenparkerwrites

Have you remembered? What other name does February 14 go by?

Tuesday is both correct and not what I’m looking for.

Do you have a Valentine? A spouse or sweetheart? A special person in your life?

Treat them special on this Valentine’s Day. Let them eat cake!

Black Forest Cake makes a special treat – rich chocolate with a hint of cherry. Check at your local bakery.

Or…if you fancy yourself a chef or baker…find a recipe and bake up a surprise.

The heroine in COMFORT ZONE baked the treat for her mother’s birthday — with a test cake for the hero. (He pronounced it delicious.) To learn how more than a cake was involved in the journey to “happily ever after” for this couple check out the book here: https://amzn.to/2ZvL0Av The Kindle edition is currently on sale for .99 — that’s less than a dollar!

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Repairing the Extremes

ellenparkerwrites

Comfort on Call — the fictional heating and cooling firm where Janet Zwingel works, is used to working the hardest during extreme weather.

January deep freeze temperatures keep Janet and the other technicians busy with furnace repairs.

Heat waves, often in August, present challenges with overworked A/C units.

You need to be a special sort of person to repair machinery in these types of extremes. Janet is unique, talented, and dedicated — exactly the traits every employer wants. These same qualities and habits get her noticed in private life — recorded in the clean & wholesome romance COMFORT ZONE. Sample Ellen Parker’s writing now — this sale for the Kindle edition won’t last. https://amzn.to/2ZvL0Av

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Cozy with Chemistry

ellenparkerwrites

Chemistry — we couldn’t live without it.

Metals that don’t fit a child’s preconceived notion. Bubbling and fizzing. Also cakes and cookies rising.

Beakers and flasks and distilling apparatus. Hot plates and coated magnets stirring liquids.

Wear your safety glasses. Douse the match with water. Assume the other person in the lab is working on explosives.

Ah — memories of chemistry classes and labs and analyzers.

On this National Periodic Table Day — I’m looking for recommendations of Marie Curie biographies to read with snuggled under the Elements. Do you have one?

STARE DOWN hero Dave Holmes, pondered and learned from this graphic during undergrad and medical school. Find out more about Dave as a person, not a surgeon, here: http://amzn.to/1LXiTwP This sweet romance is set in St. Louis.

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Winter Doldrums

ellenparkerwrites

Have the short days and long nights of winter gotten you down?

Has it been a long time since the first, exciting, magical snowfall? And now you just wish the cold, snow, and ice would stop?

Cheer Up! I’ve been told that yesterday – Groundhog Day — marks the mid-point between the first day of winter and the first day of spring. We’re on the down slope! Sunset comes later — granted, only by a minute or two.

In the interim — I’ve good news to share. The Kindle edition of the sweet romance Comfort Zone, is on sale for .99 — less than a dollar! This is a limited time sale.

So download today. Grab a cup of your favorite beverage, and settle in a comfy chair. Meet Janet and Rich — mature people faced with a decision — or two or three.

Learn more here: https://amzn.to/2ZvL0Av