Inspy Romance

Inspy Romance—Fall in Love With a Good Book

Sunday Edition

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Hi from Australia! Autumn will officially arrive in Australia next week, and the leaves in Canberra are already starting to change color and fall many weeks earlier than usual. The photo below is from my neighborhood.

Australia is a land of weather extremes. We can suffer brutal droughts and bush fires, and also flooding rains from cyclones and La Nina when the drought breaks. The rain has returned this week, and south east Queensland is experiencing devastating and life threatening flooding. In only 24 hours, Wivenhoe Dam, the main dam that supplies water to the city of Brisbane, has gone from 80% capacity to 160% capacity. The river systems are struggling to cope with the enormous volume of water. We’d appreciate prayers for safety, and that no more lives will be lost in the flooding. We continue to pray for the heartbreaking situation unfolding in Ukraine.

On Valentine’s Day 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 that includes a Kindle Paperwhite.

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.

Lindi Peterson’s winner is Akemi Furuyama!
Milla Holt’s winners are Kathleen Mattingly and Margaret Bunce!

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? Laurie Larsen 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 jilted brides and runaway brides in Episode 61. 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, Tabitha Bouldin asked What Do Authors Think About?
On Tuesday, Laurie Larsen discussed Book Birthdays + #Giveaway
On Wednesday, Carolyn Miller shared Checked Impressions Release Day + #Giveaway
On Thursday, Janine Rosche’s husband talked about So I Married a Romance Author 
On Friday, Narelle Atkins asked for reader input on To drink or not to drink in CCR books… + #Giveaway
On Saturday, Jan Thompson discussed Creating Your Own Reading Challenge

Next Week on Inspy Romance

Monday: Merrillee Whren (On A Beach Somewhere)
Tuesday: Tara Grace Ericson
Wednesday: Heather Gray
Thursday: Liwen Y. Ho (What Being an Asian Romance Author Means to Me + #Giveaway)
Friday: Shannon Taylor Vannatter (An Olympic Rollercoaster #Giveaway)
Saturday: Valerie M. Bodden (For the Love of Inspy + #giveaway)

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!

Narelle Atkins (199 Posts)

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.


Comments

  1. I don’t want to think of Autumn yet. Today we have had electrical storms and lost power for over 4 hours. (Church we had to use books again, no lights, a/c or microphones) they have come back tonight over an inch of rain which is more than the whole year so far and my tank finally has water in it. I do feel sorry for Queensland with all the flooding. My state had it in January but it missed where I am .
    I am definitely praying for the Ukraine. I have friends who have relatives over there.

  2. It’s a tad soggy here in Toowoomba, QLD. It has not stopped raining for days. The rain is heavy and constant. The roads have turned into rivers. I’m so over it. Happy I live on a hill.

  3. Hi Jenny, It doesn’t feel like autumn is coming after summer feeling like an extended mild and wet spring. Electrical storms are not fun. I’m glad your power outage wasn’t longer and that there was enough light to do church with the books. It’s good your water tank is refilling. Wivenhoe Dam is now 177% and rising. I remember visiting areas of Brisbane near the river when I was a younger and asking why are all the houses built on top of tall poles with all those stairs to climb up and down. Those old Queenslander homes are the ones that keep standing strong when the flood plains fill with water. Thanks for commenting. 😊

  4. Hi Mary, Our prayers are with you and everyone in Toowoomba and the surrounding regions. Being stranded on a hill and surrounded by water is not fun. Praying the rain will ease ASAP. Stay safe. xo

  5. Here in Far North Queensland it’s sweltering!! Autumn is far away!!
    My heart goes out to friends in the Gympie region, as well as Brisbane. The volume of water in the current situation is unbelievable.
    Praying also for Ukraine.

  6. Hi Margaret, Far North Queensland is summer all year round (says the Canberran who can experience single digit celcius max temps in winter). I hope autumn arrives sooner rather than later! It’s just awful seeing the devastating flooding in the Gympie region. Now the Northern Rivers region in NSW is next in line for the rain and flooding being experienced in Queensland as the weather system moves south. Thanks for commenting. 😊

  7. We are under flood watches in Ohio too from all of the snow melting followed by all of the heavy rain. I am so glad winter is almost over.

  9. We’re gearing up for Summer, as Florida doesn’t participate in Spring!! Some parts of Central Florida have hit 88 and 89 this week. Thankfully, I’m closer to the coast, so our high’s have been in the 80’s. This week, we’re to only be in the 70’s. As long as we don’t get to those upper 80’s, I’ll be happy!! Hurricane season is still three months away; however, we’ve been known to get some “sub-tropical” systems in May! Some politician is wanting to change hurricane season to May thru November instead of June through November. If that’s like trying to change the time, it may never happen!

  11. Hi Narelle from Sunny SW Michigan – 34 degrees F(1 C). The birds think spring is in the air. They are enjoying the day chirping and squirrels are scampering through yesterdays light snow cover. So thankful for the blessings in my life – shelter, food, utilities, family and friends. The Ukraine is in my prayers. When Great Uncle Otto immigrated to the US in 1914 at the start of WW1, the rest of family fled to East Prussia. This region and fleeing Russians first in WW1, the WW2, then during the Berlin Airlift, then my parents immigrated to the US, and then my grandmother, aunt, uncle, cousins July 1961 two weeks before the Berlin Wall was erected. My cousin Hans lived in East Berlin under communism till 1989. What the Ukrainians are experiencing breaks my heart. Prayers for the brave men staying to fight for not just their country, but democracy. So much heartache – disasters, Covid, oppression and more. Stay safe and healthy.

  12. Hi, looking forward to spring here in Texas. I will be praying for Australia and the Ukraine. Have a great day, stay safe and have a great weekend.

  14. Hi Lori, wow, I hope and pray you’ll all be okay. We don’t receive enough widespread snow in Australia to have a snow melting problem. I hope your spring weather arrives soon. Thanks for commenting. 😊

  16. Hi Trudy, I hope your 70’s weather continues. That’s a long hurricane season! We occasionally have cyclones in the north that arrive either before or after the official cyclone season. At present, we sadly don’t need cyclones to create crazy wet weather events. Thanks for commenting. 😊

  18. Wow. I can’t believe Autumn/Spring is right around the corner, but I have felt the weather change lately. Sorry to hear about the floods, will be praying for you.

  19. Hi Renate, yes, I’m thankful for blessings we have when there’s so much chaos and heartache in other parts of the world. Your family’s story is amazing, and I’m glad they were able to settle in the US. The Ukrainian people are fighting for democracy, and we continue to pray for them. Thanks for commenting. 😊

  22. Soggy and waterlogged outside in Sydney and aircon/fans on the inside and dreadful humidity, c’mon autumn! No wonder people prefer certainty, change often leaves us so uncomfortable even if it is only the weather. Say safe everyone.

  24. On the Oregon coast in the town I live in, we sometimes deal with flooding during the early fall/ winter. This year, it affected us for about 3-4 days (high water on the road/saturated ground, etc), though thankfully no real destruction! When it rains heavy for a few days at a time, the roads, ground, and river just can’t handle all the water and it causes a real mess….not to mention, it’s downright scary.

    I’m sorry to hear about the destructive flooding in Australia, I pray you are kept safe!

  25. Sending love, thoughts and prayers for all. Thank you ladies for all your hard work and care that you give to us. God bless you all. Congratulations to the winners this week.

  26. I just started reading your book Her Tycoon Hero today and am excited to get into it!

    Over here we’re still in the cold and dreary winter and longing for the warmth of summer.

  27. It’s been a crazy summer aye. I’m in Canterbury New Zealand and this morning was 2.4 degrees the coldest summer morning on record since 1945 and the wettest Feb since 1944. Dec and Jan also broke records as the wettest in decades. Not a great summer and our trees are also turning, autumn has arrived early for us too.
    Been seeing the floods in Aussie from friends and family, praying for you all.

  29. I prefer to read summer time due to Spring starting but I like to read all year road about anytime of the year even if it’s 12 months away.

  31. So sorry you’re experiencing such extreme weather. Will say a prayer for you all that the rains will ease and the flooding will stop soon.

  32. Hi Dianne, I’ll be praying for you all in Sydney in the coming days as the weather system heads your way. February humidity is horrid. Thanks for commenting. 😊

  33. Hi Trixi, Thank you for your prayers. The flooding here is heartbreaking. Lismore, an inland town of around 40,000 population, is experiencing a once in a thousand years flood event. The surrounding Northern Rivers region is experiencing unprecedented flooding in areas that normally don’t flood. People are being rescued by boat from their rooftops. I’m glad your flooding this year has not been too bad. Thanks for commenting. 😊

  36. Hi Carolyn, yes, La Niña has drenched us all downunder with too much cold, soaking rain. 2.4C is too chilly for February! Our weather has been breaking records for all the wrong reasons. We appreciate all your prayers. At times like this, I’m happy to be living inland on the Southern Tablelands and 600 metres (1800 feet) above sea level. The South Coast of NSW is a ninety minute drive to the east, and the deluge from up north will arrive there in the next few days. Thanks for commenting. 😊

  41. Prayers for Australia. Looking forward to warmer weather cause we can fix our mobile home again. Get our stuff out of storage.

  42. We certainly do live in a world of extremes, and of course it will only increase. Great to hear news straight from someone close to the action (I’m in WA), but wish the circumstances were better :(

    Here, it’s as if the weather was watching the calendar, with the last 2 days going cold and straight into proper autumn weather without missing a beat. I’m hoping we get a few more days of heat first, though, before it disappears for another year.

    I was in a church on Sunday and they read out an email from missionaries in the Ukraine. It was pretty sobering, but they are not deserting the congregation, even though they’ve been advised to leave the country for safe refuge. Tanks had started rolling in and people were given martial law… Listening to the details gave me chills. It’s such a reminder of what truly matters.
    I’m enjoying these posts and look forward to the ones ahead.
    Thanks heaps ;)

  44. Hi Tracy, We appreciate your prayers. The flooding rains are still with us and causing a lot of hardship and property damage. I hope you can fix your mobile home soon. Thanks for commenting. 😊

  45. Hi Mercey, I hope you’ll have a few warmer days soon. The flooding disaster in the east isn’t over with more rain expected in NSW in the coming days. Praying the river levels will be lower than anticipated. The situation in Ukraine is heartbreaking and scary. We keep praying. Thanks for commenting. 😊

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