There’s no greater honor than having an author of the caliber of Jerri Hines agree to read and review your book.
Below are her words that you can find on the back cover of Noah’s Lark. I am both humbled and grateful. Thank you, Jerri. She even included me in her Romantic Picks blog.
And then there’s reader reviews, and they’re the ones that truly touch my heart. Like the one below from G.E. Barrett.
She’s read and reviewed each one of my books and follows my blog. She is truly a valued part of my reader community, and I can’t thank her enough.💕
Then one morning you wake-up and open Instagram and there’s a totally unexpected review of the first series, the AMI Series, and I know without a doubt that I’m an author!
This arrived on the day we were signing the closing on our home of 37 years, and I needed it more than Daphne Drake could have known. I don’t know her, and had no idea she was reading my books, but I’ll never forget her, or her lovely words.
So if you ever wonder if an author really cares about reviews, or if they even matter, rest assured, they do.
My heartfelt thanks to everyone who’s taken the time to review my books. It’s because of you that I continue to bring you sweet and spicy love stories set on beautiful Anna Maria Island, Florida.
If you aren’t familiar with Noah Greyson, let me introduce you to him. What more can I say?!
Meeting new authors, whether in person or through social media, is always a highlight in my life. I love to read their work, and I love to share it with others, and that’s where today’s post is taking me. This is a review of Adam’sWitness by J.C. Paulson, one of the special authors of the Twitter Writing Community.
Grace Rampling is a newspaper reporter who gets a tip on a story just as she’s about to finish her weekend assignment. Deciding that the story…one where a local Catholic Church has abruptly canceled a performance by a gay men’s choir, is important and relevant, Grace heads to the church and stumbles, literally, on to the church’s bishop…dead.
Detective Sargent Adam Davis arrives on the scene to find Grace hiding behind a pew, and as any good reporter would be doing, taking notes. Adam and Grace have an immediate chemistry, but Adam stays very professional, despite the feelings that grow for the gorgeous redhead.
Adam’sWitness is much more than a Mystery Thriller. It’s a love story that includes both the budding relationship between Adam and Grace, but also reveals the gay relationship between Adam’s Police force partner, and a local banker. In fact, a hate of the gay community ends up being the crux of the mystery, but it’s handled beautifully.
Of course I fell in love with Adam. Tall, gorgeous law enforcement officials always become my book boyfriends, and Adam fit the bill perfectly. But this book is so much more than a romance. It checks all the boxes for the type of books I like to read.
As a speed reader I often bypass descriptions in scenes that I think feel like minutia, but I didn’t skip a single word in Adam’sWitness. The storyline kept me spellbound, the characters jumped off the page with realism, I could almosts feel the frigid air of early spring in Canada, and I had to know how it ended. So much so that I struggled to put it down.
If your looking for a book that will keep you thinking about it for days,  Adam’sWitness is it. Don’t miss it!
Noah”s Lark is still available for Preorder. Find me on Amazon for the ebook under Dana L. Brown books or Preorder the paperback at http://SYPPublishing.com
When Colleen Young asked if I would be interested in doing an interview for her FightingProse blog, I immediately said yes! I love sharing my story, and the AMI Series, so it’s always an honor when someone asks me to do so.
It feels like a long time coming, but I’m so excited to share with you today the cover reveal of Noah’sLark, along with the presaleinformation. Last year at about this time I asked readers to vote for the character from the AMI Series that they’d like to have me write about next, and Noah Greyson was overwhelming the winner.
With the launch of Noah’sLark, the spin-off series AMI Family begins, and I have to tell you, I’ve fallen in love with Noah Greyson. He’s different than his brother Nick, from the original AMI Series, but as Lindsey Brothers says “he’s a bad boy, but a really good man.”
I hope you will be as amazed with this gorgeous cover as I am, and that you’re excited for the release of this book. It has my heart and soul and I can’t wait for you to read  it.
USE THE Â COUPON Â CODE NOAH INÂ THE LINKÂ BELOW FOR A $3.00 DISCOUNT!
Every month my Amazon Prime account offers me a free Ebook. Sometimes the choices I make don’t live up to my expectations, and sometimes I fall in love with a book that I probably wouldn’t have chosen, had it not been free. That’s what happened with TheLastBathingBeauty by Amy Sue Nathan. From the first page it drew me in, and isn’t that what a book’s meant to do?
Betty Stern is 18 in the summer of 1951. The book begins in September of that year, which Is the month and year of my birth, so that alone caught my attention. In the opening scene Betty is getting ready for her wedding at her grandparents resort in Michigan, an event you can quickly tell is not surrounded by the typical wedding excitement. The reader knows that Betty, beautiful by all accounts, is not marrying for love, and as the book progresses the story unfolds.
If you’ve read my books you know that I write in a vacillating format of “Now and Then”, and TheLastBathingBeauty also moves back and forth from the present to the past. It’s a wonderfully written account of the time when families  spent summers together at resorts, and gives the readers of today a glimpse into life in the 1950’s.
TheLastBathingBeauty is a story of memories, and second chances, and first love. It’s a romance without graphic love scenes, but that only makes it better. Being able to imagine that summer in 1951 made it almost magical, and I can still vividly see the characters in my mind.
As the book goes on Betty is now an old woman, “Boop” to her family and friends, and ready to sell the Sterns Resort. As I too am making plans to sell the home I’ve lived in for 37 years, Boop’s feelings reflect my own.  She decides to have one last hurrah with her childhood friends, and long lost secrets emerge. An unexpected visit from her granddaughter, Hannah, that same weekend, brings Boop’s story full circle, and explains all the unanswered questions.
If you’re looking for a true “feel good” story, that will leave you thinking about it for days after you turn the last page, you can’t go wrong with TheLastBathingBeauty. It’s available in paperback, Kindle and Audible formats, and I know you won’t be sorry!
Everyday, no every hour, we’re being bombarded by information around Covid-19. Some of it is positive, but most is frightening. Even my 95 year old mother says we’ve never faced anything like this, and she’s right, but there has been other life threatening epidemics, but most of us either weren’t alive, or don’t remember them.
From the July 28, 1949 Evening Press in Muncie, IN
A couple of week’s ago my cousin, Dr. Daniel Hayes of the University of Michigan’s Rogel Cancer Center, sent me an email with an article from the October 1949 edition of Popular Science, concerning  my paternal grandfather, James H. (Jack) Reichart. The article was about the iron lungs he made during the polio epidemic that devastated our world. I knew the story, hearing from my dad, John W. (Bill) Reichart, but was thrilled when Dan suggested that it needed to be presented to a national market.
I am the keeper of what I call “TheBigBook” and was able to find articles from  Time Magazine, Redbook, and Popular Science about my grandfather, and how he stepped up to help a community in need. It’s a wonderful feelgood story for a world in shock over a virus we can’t seem to control yet. But we will, just as we did polio.
I hope this story of my granddad, a man I never knew, will bring you the inspiration that it did me. He was an ordinary man, with an extraordinary gift, and he made a difference.
When I was in school being a cheerleader was high on my dream list. Unfortunately it never turned into a reality. I had tons of spirit, and loved nothing more than rooting my team on, but I had one real problem; I was not athletically inclined. Splits, backflips, and straddle jumps were well out of my comfort zone, so I joined the cheer block, and did my cheering from the sidelines.
My athletic abilities have never gotten better, but I’ve found that I’m a pretty good cheerleader, as long as jumping in the air isn’t required. That’s why I’ve chosen this forum for cheering on some great authors, with great books, that I think you’ll enjoy knowing about. These books are available in paperback or ebook formats, but if you’re practicing social distancing, ebooks are easy, quick, and economical, three of my favorite words!
I am a proud owner of each one of these books, and I highly  recommend them to you. My new motto for the time being is #stayathome #readabook, and anyone of these would be a great choice.
And if I can self promote, The3ebooksintheAMISeriesareonsale for99 centseach!! Read the books that became my Fairytale, and be ready when Book I of the AMI Family spin-off series launches this spring. Noah’sLark has really taken hold of my heart, and I can’t wait for you to read it!🧜‍♀️
From my Amazon author page you can find all three AMI books. LottieLoser, CallMeCharlotte, and The Greysons. They are a series and best enjoyed when read in order.
On March 4th, when my last post was published, I promised to share my “AuthorAdventure” with you today. Little did I know then that the world we live in would come to an abrupt halt while I was traveling. I was blessed that two of my events took place before social distancing was put into place, so below are a few pictures and details about the ones that happened.
DeLand, Florida is a lovely college community, about 23 miles west of Daytona Beach. Robert Macomber, Florida author of the year, told me about Muse Bookshop when we met last summer at the Florida Authors and Publishers Conference. Naturally I’m always looking for new venues for the AMI Series Books, so last fall during our annual visit to New Smyrna Beach we stopped in and met with the owner. I shared with her that I would be coming back to Florida in the spring and she invited me to be the featured author in the town’s monthly Wine, Women, and Chocolate event. How could I resist?! Three of my favorite things in a bookshop?
What a fun evening it turned out to be! The theme was St Patrick’s Day and I’ll say 90% of the women coming through were dressed for the occasion. We drank wine, ate chocolate, and of course, talked about the AMI Series.
One especially fun gal was Patti, whom I immediately felt a kinship with. We talked and laughed and she asked for a picture with me! How cool was that? This gorgeous woman also shared with me that she’s on the list for a kidney transplant. Who would have guessed?
From DeLand we stopped in Clermont and had lunch with my very first author friend, Kathryn Knight, and her husband, Tom. Katie and I are not only both tall blondes, but we have similar values and beliefs. She is a true joy and has been featured on this blog if you want to know more about her. Kathryn is the Award Winning author of TheFate & Freedom Series and TheTwenty & Odd.
Our next stop was Bradenton, where my soon to  be 95 year old mother lives. We had a day to spend with her before my second event, a speaking engagement at The Woodlands Village Retirement Community in Bradenton. The Recreation Director, Betsy Verrips , had read about me last fall when I was holding a book signing on Anna Maria Island, and reached out to see if I was interested in telling my story to her residents.
The event was set for Saturday, and we had to fill out a questionnaire, and have our temperature taken before entering, but thankfully we were able to proceed. The residents were lovely, and I enjoyed telling them my “bank to books” story. The lady pictured below is such an avid reader that her family gave her a 95 books for Christmas! I love that!
With Betsy Verrips, Rec Director
That evening we had dinner at one of my favorite restaurants on the island, The Cortez Kitchen. It has the best grouper sandwiches, and is mentioned in Noah’sLark, as well as the original AMI Series Books.
With my Mom! Going strong and as beautiful as ever.
The book festival in Venice was canceled for the safety of everyone, and as much as I hated it, I totally understood. My 3 city AuthorAdventure didn’t quite happen as I’d hoped, but isn’t that how things go?
John Lennon said “Lifeiswhathappenswhenyou’rebusymakingplans”, and it’s so true. I planned on selling lots of books, and finding lots new readers, but I’m thankful for the way things turned out, our safe travels, and our health. And most of all, I’m thankful for my husband, and his never ending support. To be honest, what more could I ask for?
Until we read again…đź“š
Blessings,
Dana L.❤️
If you’re looking for a fun read while “self isolating”, the AMI Series Box Set is available for FREE on KindleUnlimited. The link is below but you can find all of the books in both ebook and paperback options by putting Dana L. Brown books in the Amazon tool bar.
Today I want to talk about what makes you love a novel? Is it the characters, the storyline, or the ahem, sex?! Seriously, is there one thing that makes you sigh when you’ve come to the end of a book and wish it wasn’t over?
How about conflict? In LottieLoser I think the tension between Nick and Lottie is part of what people enjoyed most, although when I asked they told me it was because Lottie was a strong woman, with the same body image issues that most women have.
CallMeCharlotte has done the best award wise of the three AMI Series books. A Five Star Reader’s Favorite Review, a Gold Medal from the Florida Authors and Publishers Association, and named a Finalist in The Best Book Awards, Romance category, for the year 2019, CMC is a true romance novel. Yet the conflict was minimal. Was it the encompassing love story playing out that judges liked? Because, when asked, readers told me they missed the passion that Lottie and Nick shared in LottieLoser.
So here’s the deal. I’m trying to become the best writer and best author that I can be. Everyone seem to have an opinion on what makes books successful, and I have one too. I think a book needs to grab ahold of your heart and not let go. I think the story has to be compelling and the characters have to feel real to the reader. And for me personally I need a book boyfriend. That tall…height is a big deal to me, brooding hunk of a man that makes you quiver. Even in the books I read where the man is the protagonist, I need him to have swagger and sex appeal. I read all genres of books but the ones I like best at least imply that the man knows how to romance a woman.
So where is all this leading? I need to know what it is you love, and what it is that makes you keep reading an author’s work. Why? Because I want to be the author of those books.  The ones you buy, and tell your friends about. The ones you write 5 Star Reviews for, both on Amazon and Goodreads. The ones you can’t stop thinking about and talking about. And when someone asks who your favorite author is I hope my name comes to mind!
Are my goals a little lofty? Maybe, but a goal without a plan is just a wish, and I have a plan in place! So please, reply in the comment section of my website on what makes you love a book and an author. In the new AMI Family Series I’m adding characters with diversities, as well as visits to new locations, and I’m excited about them, but I want you to be as well.
“We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.” —J.K. Rowling
Find me on Amazon for the ebook under Dana L. Brown books or Preorder the paperback at 
