Category Archives: Event

Travel with Mona. Visit Singapore

Posted on by — Leave a reply

The Republic of Singapore is an island country and city-state located in Southeast Asia. The island has four official languages; English, Tamil, Malay and Mandarin and celebrates the national holidays of many different religions.

High temperatures and nearly constant precipitation are the norm throughout the year.

Singapore is the second most expensive city in the world but has been identified as a tax haven for the wealthy due to its low tax rates on personal income and tax exemptions on foreign-based income and capital gains.

It is one of the cleanest cities in the world. Thanks to rules about spitting and littering, Singapore is free of unpleasant smells or unsightly litter. We were warned not to bring chewing gum on the island.

 Also, it is one of the safest places in the world. Crime is extremely rare in Singapore. Most people feel absolutely safe venturing out on the streets at night. The laws are strictly enforced.

Singapore is described as a Garden City. The Singapore Botanic Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, covers an area of 74 hectares and is home to multiple themed gardens, three lakes, and a tropical rain forest. It’s the most visited botanic gardens in the world receiving over 4 million visitors annually. 

The orchid is the national flower. As the flower most associated with hybrids, the orchid is a symbol of Singapore’ s multicultural heritage, a representative of the harmony among the various ethnic communities. 

Visiting a Buddha temple is a must.

In addition to buying jade bracelets and earrings in Singapore Chinatown.

If you have the chance to visit Singapore, don’t hesitate. It’s certainly a memorable visit.

I have three books on sale for $0.99 during the month of May.

On Amazon
On Amazon
On Amazon
IRRESISTIBLE NEW BEGINNING WITH A FIRST LOVE

No love can ever be as special as your first.
What if you could have the chance at a new beginning with your first love?

Find true love and your happy ever after in the pages of these SIX BRAND NEW, full-length steamy stories from New York Times and USA Today Bestselling, Award-Winning Authors.

TWO HEARTS REUNITED by Tamara Ferguson, USA Today bestselling author: When Lieutenant Eric O’Neill returns to Crystal Rock for a family reunion, he’s shocked to run into none other than Anya Weldon, the only woman he’s ever loved. Learning that her life’s been filled with tragedy, he’s determined to win her back—even if it means assisting with her search for her sister, who she believes was abducted by human traffickers ten years earlier.

BACK TO ME by Natalie Ann, USA Today bestselling author: Cooper Winslow accepted that his first secret love in college was lost to him forever and moved on with his life. Years later, fate brings them together and now he wonders if he is going to lose her again with all the family drama he’s lived with for years.

SWEET SUCCESS by Suzanne Jenkins, USA Today bestselling author: Carly and Jake love each other, but have goals that will place them at opposite ends of the country. When their dreams fall through, will love still be an option?

YOUR DANGEROUS KISS by Alicia Street, USA Today bestselling author: Rafe March considers his career on the big screen a fluke that he isn’t sure he ever wanted. With magazine cover good looks, a near genius IQ and a wealthy family, his options in life are plenty. Too bad the only thing he ever really wanted was Lucinda.

WE’RE ALL WINNERS by Mona Risk, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author: Scheming people and secrets separated them. With help from her toddler and his German shepherd, love may bring them together again.

THE REGAL ROSE by Susanne Matthews, International bestselling author: She’s a princess in distress; he’s her knight in shining armor. Can he rescue her one more time?

My, how picnics have changed…

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Picnics have been around since before I was born and that was a long time ago. Mom made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on store-bought white bread, the kind that tore to pieces if the peanut butter was too thick. We didn’t have baggies of any sort, either. The sandwiches were wrapped in waxed paper or aluminum foil. We took fruit – maybe a watermelon if it was the right season – and a bag of chips. Ah, remember Wampum chips? They were the ‘other’ corn chip. Tortilla chips didn’t come in bags back then. There were only two flavors of potato chips then, too: plain and barbecue. Nothing fancy like the gyro or biscuits and gravy flavored ones I saw recently. Times were tough…

We had an honest-to-goodness picnic basket, not a paper bag or cardboard bucket. Ours was made out of wicker – the natural fiber kind, not plastic. The set came complete with Melamine-type plates (sectioned with ridges so the beans didn’t slop over into the potato salad or sandwich). There were probably paper plates available, but we never used them. We were treated to a bottle of soda or shared a pitcher of Kool Aid, chilled and in cups we took home with us to wash.

Nowadays, if we go on a picnic, we drive through a fast food restaurant or stop by the grocery store. A bag of burgers and fries or an eight-piece pack of fried chicken, a few pints of various sides, and maybe some Jo Jo’s (the most awesome super-fries in the world). Instant gratification but high cost, low nutrition, and loads of garbage to dispose of!
Back in the day, if we wanted music, we’d open the car door and listen to music on the AM radio. No Sirius, Alexa, or streaming tunes through a smartphone. Of course, there were battery-operated transistor radios around. They came out around 1955. Aw, how great to listen to music without power cords.
We sprayed DDT-type bug spray or swatted flies and mosquitoes with a fly swatter, but otherwise were pest free. We didn’t have to worry about being interrupted by phone calls either. There were no such things as portable phones, much less cell phones. That’s why it was so important to let someone know where we were going and when we’d be back. Sort of like a flight plan for a day trip on the road.

What kind of picnic foods did they have in Revolutionary War-era America? Find out about Evie’s ‘fast food, Colonial-style’ in Naked in the Winter Wind, the tale of a 21st-century woman who finds herself in a new and improved body in 1780s North Carolina.

THE FAIRIES SAGA: Thirteen books about friends and family who bounce between the 18th and 21st centuries, fighting bad guys and the elements, striving to make new lives in their little corner of North Carolina.

Travel with Mona to Thailand

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓

Visit the Island of Phuket

When I was still at University preparing for a Ph. D. in Analytical Chemistry I became a good friend with Tumany, a graduate student from Bangkok, Thailand. She talked daily about her home town, its history and many treasures. When she offered to have her brother act as our guide, I couldn’t resist the temptation of going to Thailand. My husband had endless free mileage from business trips and said why not. Several of our professors asked me to bring back sapphire rings or necklaces for their wives and daughters. During an exhausting three-day visit of Bangkok we ate the spicier food I’ve ever tasted, admired the most gorgeous sapphire rings I’ve ever seen, and visited more than a dozen temples, and then we headed to Phuket.

Years later I returned to Phuket on a cruise. This island boasts some of the most beautiful beaches with fine white sand, nodding palm trees and glittering sea such as the mystical Phang Nga Bay.

The rock was the filming site for the 1974 James Bond movie, The Man with the Golden Gun.

Phuket is blessed with more than 30 amazing beaches to choose from. I had the chance to soak my feet in the Indian Ocean. But we were more attracted by the exotic aspect of the island.

The statue of the Big Buddha looms above the city. It’s a150 ft statue made of marble. We didn’t visit it but I took pictures from far.

Wat Chalong or Chalong Temple is the most visited, revered, and largest temple in Phuket. Highly considered as a must cultural visit in Phuket due to its history and scale.

Built in 1837, Wat Chalong Phuket is the most popular Thai Temple on the island and is one of the cultural highlights on many Phuket sightseeing tours. The tallest building, Chedi, is 60 meters high and is said to hold a bone fragment of Buddha himself. The interior of the building contains pictorial illustrations of Buddha’s journey. The building alone is three floors filled with golden statues.

Its historical significance was that the monk founders of the temple, Luang Pho Cham & Luang Pho Chuang led Phuket’s Chalong District citizens to fight against the Chinese Rebellion in 1876 using their knowledge of herbal medicine to heal the injured.

As a place of worship, tourists will experience many locals offering prayers and lighting candles, which is generally a very peaceful experience, but one that is often interrupted by the loud bang of Chinese Fire Crackers to ward off bad spirits.

Dancer
Silk weaving

At the Thai Cultural Village we enjoyed several shows with dancers and watched silk weavers at work.

LAST CHANCE PLANS https://amazon.com/Last-Chance-Plans-Love-Book-ebook/dp/B0BL1ZPD41… Sweet and Sassy Emotional, Sensual, Humorous. During a flight to Miami, she meets the charming businessman and his mother. Rick doesn’t hide his attraction. But…

Release Day!

Posted on by — Leave a reply

The Puck Bunny – a hockey rom-com by Stephanie Queen

PLUS A BONUS HOCKEY ROMANCE!

image

from the Some Girls Like It Cold series

What made me so self-conscious?

It was my name. Not Sara–my last name–Bellagamba. (I knew you’d understand.)

When I was young I couldn’t say it right and when I tried, the kids made fun of me.

Handy Hint: explaining the meaning of your name–Bellagamba means beautiful leg in Italian–to a bunch of five-year-olds won’t stop their teasing. In fact, I think it’s like some kind of trigger for escalation.

And I’m pretty sure if I didn’t run, they would have stoned me for being crazy. (only slightly exaggerating)

Fast forward

to my current post college career and nothing much has changed. I’m still self conscious and still have a tendency to say ridiculous things at inopportune moments.

Except now I’m working for the Boston Brawlers NHL organization, my dream job–because I’m a massive hockey fan and a particular fan of one player–Quinn James.

The Brawlers just signed him and I almost passed out with excitement over the unexpected news.

I won’t lie–I want him. (Yes, that way.) Bad.

Fat chance of that happening

Even if I weren’t so self conscious, I’m not in his league. He dates starlets and models and was last seen with a princess on his arm…

Quinn

Why did I sign a deal with the Boston Brawlers?

I was a f**ing NHL super star in L.A.. My life was perfectly scripted with fame, fortune and all kinds of women throwing themselves at me.

But a hushed up incident with a certain princess caused me to miss seeing my dad on his death bed. Now my family is pissed at me. And I need to deal with them–and the loss of my dad.

So I signed with the Brawlers, moved from L.A. to come back east and return to my roots.

Between hockey and dealing with the need to square things with my family and get real about relationships, I have plenty to concentrate on.

So why do I find Sara, the awkward little puck bunny and big f-ing distraction, so irresistible?

Why do I let Sara Bellagamba of all people, sidetrack me from what’s most important in my life, family and hockey?

The Puck Bunny, a Boston Brawlers Hockey Spin-off, is the first in the Some Girls Like It Cold Series, a funny and poignant romp where the awkward girl gets her dream guy against all the odds, scoring big for her team which includes every secret Puck Bunny everywhere. And the dream guy gets the deeply satisfying life with the dream girl he never knew he desperately wanted. HEA Ending! (duh!)

(Warning: language and sex for a mature audience.)

GET IT NOW WITH A BONUS!

*********Early Bird Bonus!*********

When you buy it or read on Kindle Unlimited, you get a link to a FREE BONUS BOOK, Hockey Heartthrob by Kat Obie.

You need to get the book by 3/31, because after that, the bonus disappears.

In the meantime, check out the blurb for Hockey Heartthrob. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

image

Hockey Heartthrob

Second chances don’t happen every day. I was too focused on trying to break through with my hockey career to really make a move on Nastia Schmetinova when we were at the U together. Imagine my surprise when I learned that she was going to ref our Saint Patrick’s Day game.

I couldn’t make the same mistake twice. I had to give it a shot.

Hopefully I didn’t wait too long to make a move and I won’t sacrifice team unity by following my heart. But I can’t ignore my feelings for her.

Hockey Heartthrob is a second chance romance filled with sexy hockey players who give it their all when it comes to romance. Grab the fifth novella in the Loving the Puckers Series which makes you go “Awww.”

*****READ NOW*****