Happy Sunday! We’ve finally had a week of warm, dry weather in Canberra, Australia, that is beach weather and feels more like a normal summer. I’m not a fan of heat and humidity, and I’m happy with our cooler overnight temps and daytime temps that sometimes reach the low 30’sC (high 80’sF). Two summers ago we sweltered through long heatwaves and bushfires running wild in south eastern Australia. La Nina brings the rain that breaks the drought and greens the countryside in mid-summer. My son took the photo below this weekend while hiking at our National Arboretum in Canberra. 
On Monday we kicked off our annual Birthday Bash giveaway. Paperback book bundles, ebook bundles, a paperback bundle for international readers who live outside USA, plus a fabulous Grand Prize. The Grand Prize and paperback bundles #8-11 are only available for readers who have a USA mailing address.
If you live outside USA with a non-US mailing address, you’re eligible to enter the bundle #12 paperback International giveaway. Only international readers need to register their details for the international paperback giveaway. Here is the link for international readers to register.
Check out our 2022 Birthday Bash web page for more information on the giveaway.
Winners this Week
If you’re a winner, you should have received an email from the author in charge of the giveaway. If not, please email us at: prizes at inspyromance dot com.
Mandi Blake’s winner is Wren Woodland!
Congratulations!
Don’t forget… every comment you make qualifies you to win one of the monthly Amazon card giveaways!
Reader Gathering
Did you know Inspy Romance hosts a Christian Romance Reader Gathering group on Facebook? Carolyn Miller will be our host this week, so please join us… but don’t forget to answer the questions for admittance!
StoryChats @ InspyRomance
Story Chats releases an all-new episode every Friday. Elizabeth, Valerie, and Narelle talked about our recent CCR reads in Episode 60. You won’t want to miss it!
Listen to our new weekly show on your favorite podcasting app, through the player on our podcast tab, or watch us on YouTube! Wherever you listen or watch, please be sure to hit subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!
Last Week on Inspy Romance
On Monday, we launched our Birthday Bash Giveaway: Happy 8th Birthday, Inspy Romance!
On Tuesday, Lindi Peterson discussed The Things I’m Still Learning
On Wednesday, Angela Ruth Strong talked about Love is in the Air with Audiobooks
Thursday: K. Leah shared Inspired Locations
Friday: Milla Holt talked about Romance in the Workplace + #Giveaway
Saturday: Deb Kastner discussed Imposter Syndrome + #Giveaway
Next Week on Inspy Romance
Monday: Tabitha Bouldin (What Do Authors Think About?)
Tuesday: Laurie Larsen (Book Birthdays + #Giveaway)
Wednesday: Carolyn Miller (Checked Impressions Release Day + #Giveaway)
Thursday: Janine Rosche
Friday: Narelle Atkins (To drink or not to drink in CCR books… + #Giveaway)
Saturday: Jan Thompson (Creating Your Own Reading Challenge)
New Releases
February 2022
Kiss Me Like You Mean It, Cowboy (Cavanagh Cowboys Romance 4) by Valerie Comer
Checked Impressions (Original Six Hockey Romance 3) by Carolyn Miller
Say It’s for Good (Laurel Cove Romance 4) by Teresa Tysinger
In Search of a Prince by Toni Shiloh
Her Secret Desire (Big Apple Blessings 3) by Laurie Larsen
January 2022
Postcards by Elizabeth Maddrey
Love on Ice (Original Six Hockey Romance 2) by Carolyn Miller
Waiting for Right Now (Finding Home Book 4) by K. Leah
Truth is a Whisper (Wolf Creek Ranch 1) by Mandi Blake
Dancing with Dandelion (Bloom Sisters 7) by Tara Grace Ericson
Hope for The Cowboy (Whispering Oaks Ranch 1) by Hannah Jo Abbott
Hometown Heroes (Kellursburg 5) by Merrillee Whren
Her Tycoon Hero (Sydney Sweethearts 1) by Narelle Atkins (re-release)
A complete list of Inspy Romance books by our authors is always available on our BOOKS tab. Find our audiobooks and our thank-you gifts for newsletter subscribers there as well!
P.S. Many of you know Paula Marie, a book blogger and friend of many Inspy Romance authors and readers. She’s undergone serious health issues in the past few months, and we’d like to invite you to join us in helping her pay for the hospitalizations, tests, and medications she’s been through. Click here for Paula’s Go Fund Me. Thanks for considering!
A fun loving Aussie girl at heart, Narelle Atkins was born and raised on the beautiful northern beaches in Sydney, Australia. She has settled in Canberra with her husband and children. A lifelong romance reader, she found the perfect genre to write when she discovered inspirational romance. Narelle's contemporary stories of faith and romance are set in Australia and international locations.
We have had a few cooler days which have been nice. Today we finally got a little rain which is good considering my rain water tank ran dry and I found the gutters were full of leaves as was the down pipe which meant no water was getting into the tank.
Its actually nice to have a couple of cooler days but I don’t want summer over yet.
It is HOT here. Qld in February – not for the faint hearted.
We’ve just had a terrible storm in some parts of the UK. Over 200,000 homes were left without power and there’s been millions of pounds worth of property damage. Where I am it wasn’t as severe, thank God, although it made a mess of our back garden and the wind took down our neighbour’s fence.
I always wish we could all share some of our temperatures: give me a bit of Australian sun and heat and you can have some wind to give you a cooler breeze, ha ha.
Hi Jenny, I’m glad to hear the rain is refilling your water tank. Sometimes March can feel like summer. Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Mary, November through March in Queensland has weather that’s too hot for me! A friend of mine who lives on Gold Coast reckons it’s the humidity in February that’s hard to handle. Thanks for commenting. 😊
I’m more of a 20-23 degree Celsius fan. It was hot and sunny in Sydney today though we were supposed to be lashed with torrential downpours and storms. Happy they didn’t arrive! Enjoy the Birthday Bash and hot weather while it lasts.
Hi Milla, I saw footage online of the storm damage – very scary! I’m glad you’re okay and yes, if we only we could trade weather. I’m happy to send some sunshine your way, lol. 😊
Hi Dianne, I could live with 25C and low humidity all summer. I’ll take dry heat over humidity as well. I’m glad you missed the storms today. Last month we were having storms almost every afternoon that triggered a migraine of varying degrees when the barometric pressure changed – so not fun. Thanks for commenting. 😊
Happy Sunday Narelle! Thanks for giving this Michigander a glimpse of beautiful spring Canberra. Midwest February weather has been cold, warm, cold – with snow, rain, slush, ice – miserable with the barometric pressure constantly changing. Thankful we have a warm home and haven’t lost power. Enjoying the 2022 Birthday Bash blog questions and the generosity of our talented Inspy Romance authors for the delightful bundles and daily giveaways. Enjoying the long Presidents’ Day weekend. Best wishes.
It’s very cold in Ohio but at least the sun is shining and it looks beautiful outside.
I can’t wait for spring where I live
Hi Narelle,
Yay for normal summer weather! That picture is beautiful. Australia is definitely on my bucket list. :) #someday
Oh, I can relate to your weather!! We’ve been having wonderful temps in Florida, but this week we’re to get in the upper 80’s to almost 90 in my area, which is Central Florida. That’s entirely too hot for February!!!!! Our “normal” for this time of year is the 70’s. It was cool last night, as in the house when I got up this morning it was 69, so we were down in the low 50’s for the house to get that cool.
We have had nice days lately but now we have a chance for snow today tomorrow and Tuesday I am ready for spring so don’t really want it to snow .
Hi, we have had some nice days here in Texas, it is 84 right now , but we are supposed to get cooler weather on Thurs. maybe down below freezing, but this is west Texas. May you all have a great week and stay safe. Waiting patiently for Spring weather.
Hi Renate, I hope your weather improves soon! Yes, not losing power is definitely a blessing. When I lived in Melbourne a few decades ago, during summer we’d lose power for a few hours on almost every sweltering hot day (105F plus temps). So not fun. Enjoy your holiday weekend and thanks for commenting. 😊
Being a fellow Michigander I can relate to what Renate said. I knew waking up with temps above zero this morning was nice but is going to be followed by standing water flooding a still frozen ground. While it makes for a chore to get my dog out-she isn’t a fan of walking in water or mud-I’m enjoying the warmth and the sun. I will say I could never handle the heat all of you in the summer months are talking about. When it climbs into the 70s I will be whining that it’s too hot! I guess our differences are a good thing though, right??
Have a wonderful Birthday Bash everyone!
Hi Lori, Cold days are easier to handle when the sun is shining. Thanks for commenting. 😊
The weather has actually been nice, not too hot or cold, just busy days.
Happy Sunday Inspy Romance!
We’re still in Winter in the US, however, I just saw the first daffodils the other day. So there’s hope for Spring around the corner! My favorite season :-)
Thanks for sharing your picture Narelle, such a pretty place.
Milla I heard about the storms had another friend expecting to be without power.
We had a beautiful day here in the US Midwest states. The sun was out and it got up to the high 40’s (F) for us. A nice break from the frigid Temps earlier in the week.
Hi Jcp, yes, spring is very welcome after a long winter. Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Priscila, I hope you’ll have a chance to visit Australia when it’s green! Most years the hills are brown in February. Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Trudy, wow, that’s way too hot for February! I have been swimming in south east Queensland in July, but that’s more about me not minding the colder temperatures rather than it actually being swimming weather lol. I hope the cooler nights will hang around despite the hot daytime temps. Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Kendra, We rarely see snow where I live, but I can imagine by the end of winter in the snowy places that you’re ready for warmer spring weather. Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Alicia, I hope your spring weather will arrive soon. Enjoy your week and thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Deb, I have never experienced standing water flooding on frozen ground, and I can understand why your dog isn’t a fan. High 70’sF is my ideal summer weather, and I appreciate the cooler summers we occasionally have where I live. Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Angeline, Enjoy your nice weather. Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Trixi, yay for daffodils! I’m really hoping Floriade (our spring tulip festival in September and October) will be back to normal this year. Our Arboretum is a lovely place to visit. Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Megan, Enjoy your beautiful days with warmer weather. Thanks for commenting. 😊
I hope your friend doesn’t lose power.
Thank you so much for sharing. The pictures are fabulous. God bless you. Congratulations to Wren.
Here it’s nice weather but cool but we’ve got snow lol
Hi Debra, You’re very welcome. The green hills are pretty. Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Amy, I’m always happy to see snow, lol. Thanks for commenting. 😊
Our weather in Wisconsin was near 50F Sunday. Now it is getting colder again, and we are expecting a snowstorm with 3-5” of snow tomorrow.
Hi Julie, I hope your snow storm doesn’t cause any problems. 3-5” would be pretty to see on the ground. Thanks for commenting. 😊
They are awful I used to get them with the cool changes, hopefully no more storms for you xx
The weather along the East Coast of the US has been quite warm during the day and very cold at night the last week. Thanks for sharing the picture with us.
Lovely photo! I am so ready for spring here in Vermont where I live! 😊
I’m so jealous of your amazing weather! I love summer and can’t wait for it to be our turn here in America.
Hi Tina, You’re very welcome. Enjoy your warm daytime weather. 😊
Hi Caitlyn, I hope your spring weather arrives soon! Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Melynda, We have been blessed this summer, and now the rain is returning. I hope your spring brings warmer weather. Thanks for commenting. 😊
We’ve been iced in and it’s now slowly melting but it was a beautiful view while it snowed even if it didn’t really stick!
Hi Abigail, The very occasional snow showers that we have in Australia where I live never sticks on the ground for longer than a few hours, if it sticks at all. I’m glad you enjoyed the snow while it lasted. Thanks for commenting. 😊
lots of new releases