Month: February 2025

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Small-Town Girl

ellenparkerwrites

Once upon a time…

Story after story in the books of my childhood started with the same line. However, they took me to many different places.

I went into the woods and into the minds of animals. Or far away and long ago to the King Arthur stories. Sometimes I sailed on ships, or lived in a treehouse, or roamed on a western ranch.

This girl may physically stay in one place — but her book can introduce her to everywhere. Do you have a book with you? She welcomes you to sit beside her and tell her the story between the covers.

Fictional Crystal Springs, Wisconsin, may be nestled in a narrow valley — but they are not isolated from the world. Pick up one of the sweet romances set here: Starr Tree Farm, Hiding Places, and Seed of Desire. You’ll find people of all ages and several occupations. And a few surprises as they go about daily life.

Here are links to the Kindle editions:

Starr Tree Farm: https://amzn.to/2zqIQEw Hiding Places: https://amzn.to/2Jm26GQ and Seed of Desire: https://amzn.to/2RDFgxH

Happy Reading!

Blog

Mobile Security System

ellenparkerwrites

When I was nearing the end of second grade, our family moved from village to farm. One item which was critical to my mother was security when my father was gone to his regular job and evening events.

I had never lived with a dog in the house — but I soon discovered I liked it. Dog and girl got along well. He knew he belonged to mother — she was his #1 protectee, but I was on the short list.

Decades later, when I started writing books, and a lady was inquiring about a security system for her new business, is was just logical that the answer “kennel south of town raises German shepherds” was the reply.

So when it came time to write about the young woman, and her two female cousins, who owned the farm with the kennel, I had my inspiration. Yes, details changed. After all, I’ve lived with and near dogs of several breeds through the years.

Meet Beth Cosgrove and her dog, Dancer, in the sweet romance Seed of Desire. She keeps her past quiet, will the new lawyer — and his shepherd puppy — change her attitude?

Here’s a link to the book’s Kindle edition: https://amzn.to/2RDFgxH

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Thinking Ahead

ellenparkerwrites

Are you tired of cold, dreary winter? Do you long for sunshine and warmth?

Take heart! Spring is coming. One month minus one day from today.

When you reach mid-spring, the Wisconsin apple trees with put on a show. Orchard owners will be walking among the trees, checking blossoms. Bees from either rented or owned hives will be dancing from tree to tree with precious pollen on their legs. I get a little warm, cozy glow in my heart just thinking about the beauty of row upon row of blooming trees.

Until then, you will need to use your imagination. As an aid, I suggest reading a book with a spring setting. Hiding Places takes place in June and offers a sweet romance between a wannabe orchard owner and a culinary student with her own set of problems. City meets rural in this marriage of convenience tale. Click on the link to find the Kindle edition. https://amzn.to/2Jm26GQ

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Important Space

ellenparkerwrites

In the small towns, and some crossroads, in the American Midwest, a church is an important space. Often a village will have one or more church buildings which hark back to the beginnings of the settlement. Or…a newer building will serve a congregation founded a century or more in the past.

Frame, brick, or stone, these small buildings serve to draw the community together for important occasions.

It is in a space similar to this, in the sweet romance, Seed of Desire, where Beth Cosgrove puts on a brave exterior and sings a solo at a funeral. Follow the link to find out more about this accountant and dog breeder as she confronts both joys and sorrows. Fear not, the dogs are heroes. https://amzn.to/2RDFgxH

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Day of Love & Roses

ellenparkerwrites

Valentine’s Day, February 14, is traditionally a day to show affection toward another person. Remember your spouse. Be kind and generous to the person you want to be your spouse. Surprise a friend or neighbor. Encourage children to party and exchange funny, cards filled with hearts.

Do you want to give a special person a special flower. Take care of the color if you give a rose. Roses, as well as other flowers, carry a greeting in a language of their own. Is friendship your goal? Give a yellow rose. Perhaps you want to express happiness — pink’s the right color for you. Do you want to display innocence? Pick a white rose. And the most popular on this day — red, for romantic love.

Something for everyone in this bouquet of artificial roses.

Do roses make her sneeze? Then try gifting her a book. A sweet, small-town romance would be perfect for the day. Starr Tree Farm is set on a Wisconsin Christmas tree farm during the month of January. So grab a hot drink and snuggle into a cozy chair for romance with a touch of suspense. Follow the link for more information: https://amzn.to/2zqIQEw

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Driving Lesson

ellenparkerwrites

One difference between the author and the heroine she wrote at the time of their first driving lesson was sixteen years. Another difference? Mona Smith, age 24, did not have trouble reaching the clutch. Somewhere in her additional years, her legs grew.

Fear not, motorist. Neither of these lessons (real or fictional) took place on a highway.

Note the padded seat. So very welcome when one hits a pocket gopher mound in the field. Simple enough for an eight-year-old. Left foot = clutch. Right foot = brakes. Adjust throttle with right hand. Pause to shift. Large hazard — jerking the clutch tends to dislodge passengers (either standing on drawbar or on attached wagon.)

Check out the sweet small-town romance, Hiding Places, for an account of Mona’s driving lesson. Plus many other things that make June a memorable month at the apple orchard. Follow the link for more details: https://amzn.to/2Jm26GQ

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Tell Me Again

ellenparkerwrites

Almost every farm I’ve set foot on has at least one dog. It does not matter if the primary product is milk, beef, pork, chickens, and soybeans. Somehow, dog and farm fit together.

Some of these dogs work. Yes, herding animals is a real thing. Guard duty, assigned to give the alarm when strangers turn in the drive, is also common. Others watch the human children and do their best to keep them from serious trouble and injury.

This individual of a herding breed never tires of hearing exploits of her distant cousins and ancestors.

The sweet romance, Starr Tree Farm, is set on a Christmas tree farm near a small fictional Wisconsin village. In addition to trees and pumpkins, the farm is home to several young beef cattle and two collie mix dogs. Check out the book for a story about the temporary human and her January adventure. It’s simple — click on the link: https://amzn.to/2zqIQEw

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Within the Valley

ellenparkerwrites

In a large portion of western Wisconsin, where the Mississippi River separates the state from its neighbor, the land is folded into steep hills and narrow valleys.

During the second half of the 19th century, immigrants from Switzerland, Germany, and Scandinavia settled in this area. They found creeks and small rivers in the valleys and springs on some of the hillsides. The land was good for farming and soon crops were planted and domestic animals living on each farmstead.

Villages sprouted up around a sawmill, or a trading post. A church and a tavern soon followed. Perhaps a blacksmith moved into the settlement. Other craftsmen and merchants followed.

Not all of these settlements survive to this day. However, the region is filled with small towns with populations in the hundreds — not thousands.

Placed between two hills, this village is two streets wide. Primarily hardwood, the hillsides take on a beauty only exceeded by New England each autumn.

It was one of these villages which serves as the model for the village of Crystal Springs in my series of three sweet romances: Starr Tree Farm, Hiding Places, and Seed of Desire.

Here’s a link to the first one published: https://amzn.to/2zqIQEw