Happy 59th Birthday in Heaven, My Loving Trent

 Dear Readers,

This is the 59th birthday of my loving Trent, my soulmate, confidante, best friend, and biggest cheerleader.

My heart has a gaping hole that's never healed, since he died June 11, 2016.

I miss him every day, every hour, every minute that he is not here.

Let's wish him the BEST and BRIGHTEST birthday of all time! He is watching over me from heaven, each and every day. How do I know this? He sends me "signs" all the time. 

He leaves me dimes everywhere I go, with the year "2016" on them, to commemorate his passing and so that I will know it's him for sure.

He sends vehicles with the license plate 419 for his police badge or 611 for his death anniversary.

Trent loves me, beyond the grave, beyond all eternity. He sends people to comfort me on my dark days, he sends songs out of nowhere..."I left my Heart in San Francisco"(Tony Bennett)..."Owner of a Lonely Heart"(YES)..."Money"(Pink Floyd)...just to name a few.

He sent a piano player to my work...she plays every lunch hour on the piano, two of my all time favorites..."I Believe" and "You'll Never Walk Alone." Her name is Patricia, a sunny, loving, delightful lady who had no clue these songs got me through painful times in my life. I sobbed when I first heard her gentle fingers dancing across the keys on the piano. I can't even make this stuff up.

Without further ado...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN HEAVEN, TRENT RIGEL GARDNER. MISS YOU. ALWAYS XXXX

Love always,

Your Queen,

RR xo

Merry Christmas To All, And to All A Good Night!! We survived the pandemic of 2020

 Dear Readers!

Christmas Day is here! I can't believe the year is slipping away so fast!

Remember when the pandemic first hit big in March of this year in North America? The mass panic and hysteria of extra hand washing, wearing masks, and hiding out at home really had us in an uproar. Not to mention, those frantic people hoarding toilet paper! You had to drive to about seven stores before you could find some. So glad they put restrictions on that now.

How are you doing out there? Here in Southern Ontario, we got a dusting of the white stuff. It's not much,  maybe an inch or two, but it was enough to put me in the mood for a white Christmas. Last night was freezing rain and gloominess.

Just wanted to hop onto the computer and wish you all a Very Merry Christmas, wherever you are.

I'll be resting here A LOT with four days off work. My lemon tea, Starbucks blond roast, and egg nog will keep me company, along with boundless Hallmark Christmas movies and the company of my amazing daughter. Oh, and my Scentsy stash. This romance author is a Scentsy consultant with a serious addiction to the wonderfully fragranced wax bars that make home and hearth smell so divine!

Yes, we are self-isolating. There's no place I'd rather be, than here at home for the holidays. I need to rest. I am exhausted. This year has been draining, emotionally, physically, and mentally. I hope you're all taking good care of yourself, with plenty of rest, fluids,

and self-care. Loving yourself through it all is the best gift you can give.

In the timeless

and festive words of writer Clement C. Moore: "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night."

Stay safe! Happy holidays and a VERY BRIGHT AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TOO!

Much love,

RR xo

LET THERE BE LOVE

Let there be falling leaves
from well-worn trees,
towering oaks,
and silver birch,
etched in time
with lines to tell
what they've been through

Autumn's bounty of
crimson, tangerine, gold
Falling, trickling,
Cascading
to the earth like
dreams and stories
we've carried so long
in hearts brimming with
hope & promise

Let there be September and October nights of
smoky skies
and diamonds in our eyes
as we watch the world slumbering
and we sit hand in hand,
under the blanket of love
sharing, loving & caressing
Just two souls
who've found one another
in the lottery of the cosmic path

We are lucky,
oh so lucky
to be here at this moment
Two flames amid
7 billion

I wanna get lost in your aquamarine eyes
and just forget the world
savor every minute of you
like the whip creme on my lips
and the hint of pumpkin spice on my tongue
from the steamed milk latte
you served me today

Let there be September skies of baby blue
with sunlight pouring through
and evening skies of sapphire
when the firewood burns
in old homes across town
while we share a moonlit stroll
murmuring secrets
only we can know

Let there be joy in our hearts
to whisk away the fear
let there be kindness
to chase away the gloom and doom
of this cruel world
let there be laughter
bubbling over from
our happy, kindred hearts

But most of all,
let there be Love.

--Rochelle Renee --
Sept 5 --2020
12:26 p.m. EST

DESIRE: The New Novel Coming Soon in 2020

Dear Readers,

The New Novel is halfway done!!

I am unbelievably STOKED as I write this from my "writing room" in the dark, with a cold beverage, air conditioning, Dirty Dancing soundtrack blasting and my Scentsy warmer on the desk (scent tonight is "Cozy Fireside." Thanks Julie Cooney!!)

My long weekend here in Ontario Canada is spent lovingly working on my fiction that claims my heart and soul.

DESIRE is like a personal diary of sorts for me, except for the domestic abuse that never happened on the physical level, but still...I have experienced abuse on another level, and it is equally disturbing. Write what you know -- best advice I ever received. I feel my books are enriched with stories, people and elements of what I've personally gone through.

BLURB:

Reanna Mcleod moved back to Silver Springs after her husband John Daly broke her bones and sent her to the E.R. He's in prison now and she decides to make a clean break, back to the charming town where she grew up.

But things have changed. Her parents sold off the "Ponderosa" aka the farmhouse and magical land where she flourished in her novel writing, and called it home for 30 years. When her mother's cheque from the realtor came, she nabbed her $1 million, leaving Reanna out in the cold. "You're on your own," her mother sneered, and Reanna scrambled for a place to live. That's when charming sociopath John came along, sweeping her off her feet and promising her a better life with him in a mansion in another city.

Moving back to her hometown, Reanna is blessed to rent the small room above the coach house her school teacher friend Tracy leases to her on her country property. It brings Reanna back to her roots; small town feeling, clean country air, and a chance to write again.

What she didn't count on was running into her former neighbor, Grant Montgomery. Reanna has carried a torch for him for 15 years, and had to stuff her feelings deep down where they couldn't be found. But now Grant's wife has passed from cancer, and Reanna sneaks into the funeral to give her quiet condolences and pay her respects to the lovely Jean, who was always sweet and welcoming to her.

Grant spies her running off as the funeral-goers leave the premise. When he finally locates her and confronts her, Reanna is reluctant to open her heart and tell him the truth about what she wrote in her diary so many years ago. But Grant isn't blind; the smart-as-a-whip History professor of Remington University can see the love and vulnerability Reanna has been trying to hide from him.

Soon, a blossoming romance is coming to life, and Reanna must face her demons or forever risk her chance of real love with the One Man who's been there for her since day one. Can she let go of the horrors of the past, open her heart to Grant, or will she forever blow her chance at true love?

DESIRE is the story of domestic abuse and a woman overcoming her trauma. It's the story of a narcissistic mother who did more damage than good to a loyal daughter. It is the story of friends banding together in hard times, but most of all, it is the story of a passionate awakening between old friends who never knew how deep a love could run.

******************************************************

With much love,

RR xo

Farewell To My Radio Hero: A King Among Men, the Incomparable Don Jackson of CHFI Fame

Dear Readers,

The world lost a beautiful soul this past week on July 12, when former CHFI-FM 98 music host and evening show host Don Jackson passed away.
He'd been ill with cancer for a few years, and with a courageous spirit, battled till the fateful end.

Don was my radio hero, the man I looked up to and admired as a young ingenue writer, penning romance novels and listening to his soothing voice before bed, as he read articles, poems and relationship/psychology advice from bestselling books, along with the love songs to accompany each show's specific theme. The show ran from 1990 to 2010 on CHFI-FM 98, Toronto's perfect music mix. From 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. weeknights, I tuned in eagerly, with my cassette deck on "record" mode.

In a strange, serendipitous way, Don was someone I got to know personally when I entered, and WON, a Mother's Day essay contest in May 2015. Along with his lovely wife, Lydia, and their beautiful children, Christina and Donny, they were gracious to invite me to dinner at their home and partake in a 25th wedding anniversary, which melted my heart and made me love them even more. Real people, really nice, just GENUINE and wonderful, made me feel like family. What an experience! I am forever grateful to the Jacksons for their friendship and hospitality. I feel closer to them than my own family, and that is saying ALOT.

My heart is broken over the loss of this amazing icon to the music world.  Don was so much MORE than a voice on the airwaves; he was HUMAN, authentic, deep, intelligent, charismatic, loyal, faithful, a devoted husband and exceptional father. I'll miss our chats and most of all, I will miss the music and wisdom you brought to a harsh world that badly needed your "Lovers & Other Strangers" program. May you rest with angels now, Don, and one day greet me when it is my turn to cross over to the pearly gates.

Love and admiration,
Your friend,

Rochelle Renee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72XL9s1L3XQ

FINDERS of LOST LOVES

Dear Readers,

SOMEONE has touched my heart --DEEPLY.

He did it many years ago. Unannounced. Without warning, without intention.

I don't think he planned on it. Innocently, he guided and mentored me on a path in which I needed direction. I'd been lost, hurting, betrayed, after a failed marriage blew up and countless other people had failed me. Left me out in the cold. Some of this was partly my fault. I'd forgotten to care for and nurture the NUMBER ONE person who mattered most: MYSELF.

In late 2011, he crossed my path again. We'd first met March 2009 but it was briefly, and I almost missed him! Thank God I slowed down a couple years later, and stopped to enjoy the scenery...and take stock of my life. Because, on a late October afternoon, the 28th to be exact, there he was again! He'd been working in the same office as a person I went to for an appointment. She called him over, and my heart melted. After two and a half years of running from myself, this man caused me to stop and assess everything. Just his presence alone, the kindness and velvety tone in his voice, the charismatic approach and riveting blue eyes, well you get the gist. I was a sinking ship in an ocean of possibilities and wonder.

This person gifted me with THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIFT I could ever hope to receive. He gave me his ATTENTION, his KINDNESS, his GENTLENESS, his TIME, and most of all...VALIDATION... that I was a SOMEBODY. That I truly mattered on this planet.

What emerged from the ashes was a thing of beauty indeed. My once stony heart suddenly blossomed, my writing that I'd long ago had locked away in a box somewhere soon was breathed back to life, and I had a novel that took form in a brief seven weeks, thanks to this wonderful man.

Mister Blue Eyes...let it be said that you've been my Beacon of Light since I met you, and the funny thing is, you never once asked for anything in return but my HONESTY, TRANSPARENCY and ACCOUNTABILITY. All you wanted was for me to SHOW UP with my battle scars, deep wounds, failings and mistakes and my own true self, showing you my soft heart and VULNERABILITY. I cannot tell you what this means to me, after 11 years of knowing you.

I feel a heart once broken has opened the floodgates, and fully opened them to you and you alone.

I know, I know...it's odd isn't it? You're probably smiling at me from the distance and reading this with a smug grin, thinking "here she goes again..."

But the hard facts are there: YOU have been the one CONSTANT thing in my life all this time, that BRIGHT LIGHT shining its luminescence in the dark over trouble waters, guiding me back to the shore.

You might think it's bizarre for me to feel this way, to salute you and praise you the way I do.
Frankly, you deserve it. I've been through a HELL OF A LOT in this life. You've been the ear to listen and the shoulder to cry on; that means a king's ransom to me.


There's a part of me that has just unwrapped a searing truth that is blinding and breathtakingly gorgeous: We were loves in a past life. There is no other explanation for this. I have to be honest, I am sorry if that is brutally honest to you.

I just beam all over with the revelation of finding one of my past life soul connections. God, I loved you way back then, and I love you even more NOW!

You even said so yourself, in your own blog, that love is not just reserved for loved ones, and immediate family...but also for those we encounter in everyday life, who impact us, enrich us, inspire us...so here I am, before God and the world, telling you what you mean to me.

What a thrilling revelation, to discover that we met lifetimes ago, and we've met again in this current life. Thank you, my beacon of hope, for showing up just when I needed you. Never stop showing me your kindness, your smile, your warmth. It's what I truly live for in these hard times and a rapidly changing landscape.

I LOVE YOU XOXO.

Now, I leave these songs for you. Dedicated to you and you alone.

Love always,

Your Rhiannon

P.S. The "signs" and pics posted here will be clues that only YOU will get! (wink wink)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71QrBOkCOeo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm0eA5Qi-Rw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jenWdylTtzs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCRwglZgNXI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3EJfIwZr88

Quarantine Days of Romance, Old Soul Music & Other Ponderings

Hello Dear Readers,

Sorry for being quiet and not posting for a while. This whole Covid-19 business has got me a little bummed out.

I'm trying to type some new fiction, and the words are not coming. As I said on another post, the summer is the least productive time for me to create new novels. There's something about the sun, the distractions of life, the atmosphere is different, and I struggle to get "into the groove" of writing anything juicy.

I'm so very much a "fall time and winter girl" -- I love the swirl of the leaves, that crisp scent in the air, and the crystalline, snowy nights -- pure, festive, sensuality that just gets the creative juices flowing. Summer is just not my thing. I miss my summer concerts, and they've all been canceled this year.

But alas! Here I am, still plugging away. TRYING, at least, to get something going.

You can't force the Muse now, can you? That's what I thought. SIGH...

Something inside me WANTS to create more fiction! Do you ever get writer's block? For me, it's when I can't get the motor running, and it takes forever to type a few paragraphs. Usually, distractions, and my A.D.D. is bad these days!

With a coffee beside me, it's late afternoon, and I'm in my "bat cave"-- the cool, dimmed, cozy bedroom with the white desk and I've got my Scentsy warmer on with "Cozy Kitchen" as the scent of the day (a blissful batch of warm oats, with brown sugar and cinnamon swirl). I love me some Scentsy (thanks to my rep Robyn --LOL) and lately have the stockpile flourishing with new scents.

What, may I ask, are you doing to help ease the ache of quarantine? Is there a new hobby you've taken up, or perhaps a new friend you've met?

For me, it's just trying to enjoy life "moment to moment," by appreciating what's left in my life. The people who REALLY MATTER and losing myself in soul music that lets me escape the mundane part of life that I'd rather not deal with.

Today's choice track, the Whispers, from the Bay Area, California, from the album "Open Up Your Love," released June 15, 1977: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZHRGSNmQ1g&list=PL_Z62noe2sfFtHh3Cf-vDDt0Na6KTekZE&index=9&t=0s

Remember, this quarantine won't last forever, better days are coming, don't lose hope, and don't forget to hug those people you love and hold them close (the ones who live with you, of course).

Have a wonderful Sunday funday!!

Cheering for you always,

RR xo

AGAINST ALL ODDS: A BI-COASTAL LOVE STORY FROM CHICAGO TO L.A.

Dear Readers,

The first women's romance novel I wrote in 1993 is about to be published for the first time ever...and I am so AMPED to share it with you!!!

"Against All Odds" is my baby. I penned it as a teenager and it was written from May 19, 1993 to April 20, 1994. Those eleven months were a learning curve. I wrote my little heart out, and I read a LOT of novels to get some experience on the craft, to learn to perfect a complete manuscript.

For 27 years, it sat in a box. Oh, I came back to it, time and time again, to read over the classic lines I'd written. Mainly for my own entertainment, let me tell you.

Sometimes, reading it gave me a little "buzz" of delight over the nostalgia of those blessed days.

I LAUGHED-- a lot, at the cheesy dialogue that needed editing --BADLY.

I GRIMACED -- over the typos and misplaced, over-the-top adjectives I thought I needed to make a successful book.

I CRIED -- over the moments of tragedy and the scenes where my characters DEEPLY connected.

I SWOONED -- over how hunky my music producer hero PETER ADAMS is, and how beautifully he and my heroine STARR TAYLOR fit together. Like a glove.

So, without further ado, on May 19th (the anniversary of the first page ever written, 27 years ago)..."AGAINST ALL ODDS" will be in print!!! 

I can't wait for you to read all about the epic saga of Peter and Starr!

I just know you will enjoy them as much as I do!!

Stay safe -- and as always,

Stay Passionate,

RR xo

LONGING re-launch! Classic 2013 romance novel is BACK!!!

Dear Readers,

To celebrate seven years since I wrote my beloved novel "LONGING," I have revamped and re-launched it this week!

Grab it for FREE on Kindle! April 28-May 2nd.

This novel is near and dear to my heart, and I wanted to gift it to you, dear readers, so that you can enjoy it as much as I did. I wrote it for the 2013 National Novel Writing Month, better known as "NaNoWriMo." It was such a joy to write this little gem! To this day, I consider it in my Top 3 of all my novels.

Please go to Amazon.com and download LONGING. This sexy, playful story is one of tragedy and triumph. It features heroine, Rhea Collins, a singer-songwriter and animal activist, who's lost her husband and finds a passionate awakening with preacher Mitch Kelly, who seems to be the most unlikely match for her, so she thought. Come along with me on a sizzling journey as you get swept into the love story of Mitch and Rhea.

I've included both links here...one for the paperback edition and of course, the FREE link for the e-book. You can read it on cell phone, tablet, computer, laptop, or Kindle. Just download the Kindle app and enjoy!!

As always, thank you for reading my romantic novels -- I wish you health, wealth and happiness for 2020!

Love,
Rochelle

https://www.amazon.com/Longing-Rochelle-Renee-ebook/dp/B087PRN515/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=rochelle+renee+longing&qid=1588129712&s=digital-text&sr=1-1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087LBPCLW

EMBRACING THE CHANGES: Life Is What Happens When We're Busy Making Other Plans

Dear Readers,

I've discovered long ago --and have been reflecting on it this past week -- that the only constant thing in life is "change." Tomorrow is not promised, and all we have is the present moment, our true GIFT.

Change can be exhilarating, but it can also be downright TERRIFYING.In truth, how many of us are actually READY for that change when it comes?

This week I heard from a woman whose daughter, at 58 years old, was "let go" of her 20-year stint as an admin assistant at a prominent Toronto college. The woman was devastated. The letter addressed to her stated "you no longer fit the ethics and culture of our organization."

I can't imagine what that would feel like, being in a career you love to work in, and then one day, you are forced out of that job in the most unkind way.

In my own experience, I've been forced out of jobs for various reasons, and most of the time, I was not given a reason. I've understood that it was because I was simply "not a good fit." You know what? What a wonderful revelation! Just for the fact that --THANK GOD-- I was meant to be elsewhere!!!! Hallelujah to that! Let's raise a toast. Why would I ever want to waste my time, skills, talents and beauty on a career and people who don't celebrate me? No thanks! NEXT!!!

Let's not undermine the fact that "Life is what happens when we're busy making other plans" (John Lennon).
Did you ever notice that the most incredible adventures have happened when we were forced out of our comfort zone? When did you ever experience anything MONUMENTAL or news worthy, just by sitting there like a bump on a log, or "coasting"through life at the same boring and predictable pace? Exactly.

I'll admit...some changes have been painful and left deep scars. I was not ready for them. Now, looking back, I am grateful that I was transported to another time and place. Even outside of my zipcode!

For 2020, let's try our best to embrace the changes that occur. It's good for building character, we face new obstacles but we also experience fresh opportunities and BRAND NEW PEOPLE that might bring us the greatest JOY of our life. By holding onto the bland stuff from 2019, we may never know how incredibly stellar we could become, if only we took that plunge.

My wish for you this year is to take more chances, allow the changes, and forge a new path to a brave new frontier.

I wish you joy, love and happiness always.

Much love,

RR xo