New Pinevale Valley Shared World Book Is Finally Being Published

You may have been wondering what I have been doing lately. Well, besides working on trying to get my Misadventures of Janie and Diane historical mystery book series up and running (I have been writing and re-writing that series three of four time so far) I also agreed to publish another short story for the First Coast Romance Writers in another of their anthologies. This one is in the Pinevale Valley Shared World series. 

The group is always experimenting with creative ways to help their members get published. Besides Holiday and other types of themed romance short-stories they came up with a "Shared World" series where this one contain novellas set in the same place, using some of the same people, businesses, etc. but allowing for different types of realities and time periods as well. The group aimed to published one story a month for 12 months but was dragged out over 16 months and sadly, my story which is book 11 will be the last.

As with most long-term projects spread out among 20 to 30 different possible participants that have to commit to creating a story, paying to it professionally edited, ensuring that at least 1 other member read and reported positively on the story, and then giving up the rights for 12 months is really quite a commitment of time energy and  emotions. You do get a professionally created cover and published in eBook and paperback. It seems the first 60 days are automatically enrolled in the Kindle Unlimited program so no WIDE publication until after then. I, as the author, and my alter-ego, Jolene, as the Social Media Coordinator for the group will be coming up with clever ways to promote the book. 

Here is the front cover of the book that is on Pre-order right now until October 14, 2025. The paperback book is also on preorder for the same day however it has not been populated onto Amazon quite yet. I have ordered my author copies to aid in promoting however according to KDP it will not be printed and mailed until sometime towards the end of the month. (More of that later). But here is a conundrum that the contributors of these stories may not want to consider once they do get their rights back to the stories. The book covers and the shared world belongs to the First Coast Romance Writers in their current published state that can continue to keep their published in paperback. They have agreed to pull the eBook versions so that the authors can publish the stories with new book covers and different titles on Amazon after their year is over.  

Now you can also re-write the entire story and publish it again under a new title and book cover with a reference to the shared world in the copyright. Or you can just use the short-story as a "Giveaway" on your website. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. 

1. Enchanted Encounter at the Matchmaker Inn by Leah Miles

2. Scooter's Heart by Sara J. Walker

3. Haunt Me Still by Vanessa Victoria Kilmer

4. Aura of Destiny by Leah Miles

5. Love from Above by Merrie Angel

6. Winter Wonder Tale by Vanessa Victoria Kilmer

7. The Proposal Problem by Erika Kilmer Freidly

8. A Rose by Any Other Name  by Vanessa Victoria Kilmer

9. A Twist of Fate at the Matchmaker Inn by Marie Morton

10. Brewing Up Romance by Gloria Zahler Ferguson

11. Pinevale Intrigue by L.J. Green - Paperback link coming soon.

Fun with Miss Marple

Miss Marple has always been one of my favorite characters created by Agatha Christie. I have read most of her books a dozen times over the last 50 years and have enjoyed a lot of the movies and TV series that has been created to showcase her style and versatile wit with her characters. 

There is a wealth of information about Christie and all of her books as well as the characters available on the website: https://www.agathachristie.com/characters/miss-marple

Starting Something New Over on Substack

I went ahead and created an Author Substack newsletter account to go along with the Publication page that I created under Jolene MacFadden. There is some things I need to learn but I have created my first post and there is a subscribe button that works pretty well. I will be working on that for a while to get it up and running so I will be using this blog just for talking about my books. Subscribe, Share and Comment below if you have a Substack I should follow!

I am so P.O.d about the Government's Interference on TikTok

TikTok has been a fast growing platform over the last 3 years. However, as of January 19, 2025 the U.S. Congress have issued legislations the effectively bans the app inside the smartphone stores. The platform has always been a great way to find other authors and readers from around the world, connect with people on a personal level and increase awareness of you as an author. The politics of the thing is disturbing on so many levels. As to the allegations that a "foreign" government will have access to our date and manipulate the public well that has been going on with American companies for YEARS!!! Sounds like a double standard to me. 

This past weekend I learn that the oh so smart CONGRESS is including the new app called Lemon8 (another social media app that is kind of fun but just growing and owned by ByteDance) as well as my favorite video editor Capcut - which I pay for each month will be included in this ban. COME ALL people. Let's grab some sanity okay. 

I for one, purchased a 2 year contract for VPS service and will not be deleted any of these apps off of my computers or phones. I gotta say I am not really happy with the VPN because some of my websites that I need such as my credit union and one or two of my own websites are not reacting well to me using the service. I tried the Fastest Connect and that is always in the middle of Texas so I should not be having any trouble with connections. But then I tried like Switzerland, England and Germany. The jury is still out on those.

Okay I have had my rant for today. My college classes begin this week and one of them requires that I be online with my video camera on every Wednesday from 6-8pm. Wish me luck and to all of my TikTok friends out there lets us know where you will be moving most of your content to so we can follow you there too.    

Where Trade Winds Meet is LIVE WORLDWIDE

 Where Trade Winds Meet is LIVE WORLDWIDE!

In "Where Trade Winds Meet," Muriel Victorine Russell is a determined young woman working in her family's cigar factory, where she balances her responsibilities with her aspirations for independence and adventure. She is proud of contributing to her Conch family's prosperity while managing the daily operations of the factory. She longs for a life of travel and adventure. However, the vibrant life of 1912 Key West, where the bustling streets and the scent of the sea evoke a sense of possibility, has a firm hold on her with its long history family traditions.

William, a young man from a prominent British Bahamian family, shares a deep connection with Muriel. They have a chance meeting on a trolley and instantly connect. Both have a strong connection to their own family heritage. Muriel is also passionate about having their own identities and dreams.

As the story unfolds, the tension between their responsibilities and their desires becomes palpable, culminating in William getting captured by pirates and Muriel's childhood betrothed, feeling betrayed, who will do anything to stop them getting together. Ultimately, we hope that their love will help them navigate the complexities of their lives and their hearts' compass will guide them through the tumultuous waters of their era.

Some of the links for the various versions of the book are not listed on the UBL with Books2Read - one of those the audio version of the Book on Barnes and Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/where-trade-winds-meet-l-j-green/1146530918

Even though Barnes and Noble/KOBO - Audio Book is listed on the site for some reason it will not stick.