Dear Angel Friends, Yesterday, I was informed by the administrator of two multi-author projects that she is removing me from both series. I have already spent hours working with the graphic designers on the covers and outlining my books. I paid for the covers myself. I woke up in the middle of the night with ideas for scenes and fell in love with my characters. I made room in my busy schedule to write their stories. I was eagerly looking forward to promoting the series and other authors writing for them. I couldn’t wait to tell my stories – both clean romances based on biblical themes of letting go of pride, accepting mercy, and giving grace to others. Shocked at the news, I asked why I had been dismissed. She answered it is because one of the other authors in particular has been complaining about my posts on my author page and in my reader group – apparently I am not “Christian” enough because I support LGBTQ+ and pro-choice. The administrator did not tell me who this author is. Whoever it is does not know me personally. They never came to me directly. They have no idea who I am. I daresay they have never read one of my books. When I asked the administrator why she didn’t remove them instead, she said she prefers “not to rock the boat.” I cannot tell you how sad and angry this makes me, as an author, and as a Christian. Thank God I know that these women do NOT represent Christianity or Jesus Christ. Let me tell you a story. I grew up Jewish in a small rural town in north Texas. My mother is Jewish and my father Methodist. They are happily married. My dad – a professor – wanted us children to be raised Jewish. However, we celebrated all holidays and my parents encouraged us to learn and explore faith, as eventually we’d need to develop our own personal relationships with the divine anyway. As the only Jewish kids in town, growing up was hard. I found swastikas carved in my desk at school one day. I was told I was going to hell. Teachers ignored me. I was ostracized by other kids. I sat by myself in the lunchroom. I was blamed for things I didn’t do. I have felt a spiritual calling all my life and spent my early adult years studying Eastern philosophies and religions, finding much wisdom and peace in the ideas. Shortly after I turned 30, I found myself engaged - to a Christian man. His mother, in particular, welcomed me with open arms. She never criticized me and didn’t care that I was Jewish. She just loved me, unconditionally, without judgment. I began to wonder what Christianity was really about, since she was exactly the opposite of the “Christians” I had grown up with. In fact, I realized that I had become a hypocrite – I had developed an intense dislike of Christians/ Christianity because of my experience as a child. However, I really didn’t know anything about Jesus. Determined not to be like the ignorant people who once shunned me, I began visiting churches and attending services. I listened to sermons on radio/podcast. I invested in teaching CD’s. I began to study the Bible. And finally – I understood the person of Jesus Christ. I was baptized a few years later. Friends, political and social issues are based on time, place, and culture. God(dess)/ the Divine/Source (whatever you want to call it) is limitless. A person’s relationship with Source is theirs alone. It is deeply personal and has nothing to do with politics. I am a disability counselor and an author of romance, fantasy, and mystery. I do not ask or expect my clients, colleagues, readers, friends, or family to agree with my viewpoints on everything, to like everything about me, or like every book I write. I won’t agree or like everything about other people, either. No one will ever be able to force the rest of the world to agree with them. I simply am humble enough to never think I would know what's best for someone else. Decisions that are right for you may not be right for me and vice versa. We are each the only one who has walked in our individual shoes, after all. And love is really the only thing that matters at the end of the day. I would have gladly supported these other authors and promoted them and their books, regardless of their stances on a myriad of topics. I know they are trying the best they can in this life. I forgive them for the pain and hurt they caused me. I feel very sorry for them as well. Life must be very challenging indeed not to be able to tolerate (much less befriend and encourage) others with differing opinions. I would never want to live such a constricted, fearful life. May I never be so narrow-minded or prideful to think I know what’s best or right. One thing I know for sure, I will never stop trying to learn, keep an open mind, humble myself, and seek out our commonalities rather than focus on our differences. The type of judgment and intolerance shown to me by the women who blackballed me is not what the world needs right now. Only when we set down our own egos and learn to love others who are not like us, who do not agree with us, can we find what really matters. That is unity and love. We are all in this life together. None of us truly knows what lies beyond. That is the great mystery of life. Our mortality bonds us together as human beings. Even if I don’t agree with you, I will still be your friend. I will support you in your values and beliefs, even if they are different than mine. I will encourage you and help you be the best you can be. I will show you grace. I will offer you love. I wish those women peace. I hope anyone reading this will take a few minutes to pause and reflect. I can testify that it is possible to work with, be friends with, support, and love someone who is different or doesn’t agree with you. Only by extending grace to others – no matter who they are – will we be able to overcome and heal the divisions in our communities and the world. I pray for this. In peace, Annee Jones |
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Love is For the Dogs Available Now |
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A coveted award…a missing Maltese…and a cheating ex… Can Trisha Campbell survive this year’s dog show competition in Last Chance Beach, much less walk away without a broken heart?
If there’s one thing vet tech Trisha Campbell knows, it’s dogs. Men, however, not so much. Especially ever since catching her ex-boyfriend, Miami P.D. Landon Prescott, kissing her arch-nemesis, Blythe Baker, at last year’s dog show after Blythe’s pup Princess took home the grand prize. Needless to say, Trisha's not looking forward to seeing either of them again at this year’s competition in Last Chance Beach, even if her beloved Maltese, Chloe, is a front-runner for the coveted trophy.
Soon after arriving on the island for the week-long event, Princess goes missing and everyone fingers Trisha as the dog-napper since her pooch is Princess’ main opponent. With not only the prize money but also her reputation at stake, Trisha’s willing to join forces with none other than her cheating ex. Can she and Landon figure out a way to work together to catch the culprit and find the missing Maltese before the whole competition goes straight to the dogs? And what happens when they find themselves alone together at last? | | |
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Priscilla's Stake Available Now |
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“At twelve o'clock on Monday, April 22d, the resident population of Guthrie was nothing; before sundown it was at least ten thousand. In that time streets had been laid out, town lots staked off, and steps taken toward the formation of a municipal government.”
March 1889
Franklin Sinclair, wealthy Chicago mine investor, has had enough. It’s time for his vain and spoiled daughter, Priscilla, to grow up. After refusing every suitable man who might have her as a bride, he declares that if she wants to see a penny of her inheritance, she must go to Oklahoma to stake a claim on his behalf in the upcoming land run. Otherwise, he’ll marry her off to the first old man who expresses an interest in her before he retires to San Francisco. Priscilla, horrified but determined to get what she wants, agrees to the deal. However, what happens when she discovers that poor and pesky – yet annoyingly handsome – Ladd Mabry, also plans to head out west to participate in the land run?
Ladd Mabry works in a dirty Chicago factory after his father was killed in an explosion while mining for silver in California. He blames the mine’s owner, Franklin Sinclair, for not ensuring safe working conditions at the mine. Since he can’t get close enough to the man to demand restitution – or at least an apology - he’ll settle for his pampered (albeit gorgeous) daughter, Priscilla. Irritated after she blows him off, Ladd decides to leave Chicago altogether and start over out west. But who should he then discover on the very same train bound for Oklahoma?
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Fireworks in Friday Harbor Available Now |
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Will the 4th of July fireworks light the way to love for Summer and Ace when they find themselves thrown together in Friday Harbor this summer?
Seattle marketing specialist Summer Connelly welcomes the assignment to supervise the construction of a company float for the annual 4th of July parade in Friday Harbor, WA. Not only will it be a chance to prove her leadership skills to her boss, but an opportunity for a much-needed escape, especially since she hasn’t taken any time off since her divorce was finalized over a year ago.
Ace Lockhart is tired. He works himself to the bone at his Portland contracting company, but something in his life feels off. When doctors tell him his elderly father has taken a turn for the worse, he heads to Friday Harbor to be with the old man, simply because no one else in the family will even speak to him after what he did.
As fate would have it, Summer’s plans for the parade go up in smoke before any fireworks are even set off. Can Ace be the ticket to light at the end of the tunnel? Will their days together prior to the big show lead to fireworks in more ways than one?
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It's Always Been You Releasing July, 19th |
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Take the plunge in this summer’s most anticipated Friends to Lovers collection for charity! Blake Thatcher and I have been best friends ever since we decided to finger paint the walls of our Kindergarten classroom when Mrs. Humphreys went to the little girls’ room. Over the years Blake and I shared everything from our lunches to our algebra homework; we laughed at each other’s jokes, cheered for each other’s teams, and celebrated our graduations from high school and college. I just kind of figured we’d always be best friends. So when we’re at a party with our new significant others and Troublemaker Tom asks why the two of us never dated, why does it feel like our friendship is suddenly over? | | |
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A Dream of Beasts and Sorcery Releasing July 30, 2022 |
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A Dream of Beasts and Sorcery brings together 15+ tantalizing tales of paranormal romance in this epic collection of enthralling books penned by bestselling and award-winning authors.
Ever Avarice
Elizabeth Dunlap
Andra Dill
Beth W. Patterson
Ashlee Sinn
T.K. Eldridge
L.E. Holloway
Mary Duke
Diane Riggins
Faedra Rose
Annee Jones | | |
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Dean Last Man Standing Releasing August 8, 2022 |
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Is there hope for love's sweetness to prevail? Or will this competition make them bitter enemies forever? Dean and Josie are the rival owners of the best bakeries in town. Josie is famous for baking the tallest cakes, making all her sweet creations a little bit like her: steady and reliable. Dean is famous for crazy taste combos, explosions of colors inside his cakes, kind of like his personality: a little bit extravagant, a lot flashy. When the cameras and crews of the most intense baking competition - Wedding Baker come to town, Dean and Josie engage in the ultimate battle for supremacy. The competition forces them into close proximity, and all contestants engage in pettiness and naughty comments while they bake. Will Josie win the hearts of the audience with her insanely tall and sturdy confections, or will Dean delight the jury more, making him the last man standing in this sweet, sweet war? | | |
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Salem Academy Releasing August 10, 2022 |
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More than three hundred years have passed since the Salem Witch Trials, but the truth about what really happened has remained a secret.
At Salem Academy the magic that was once bound is now free and these descendants are more powerful than ever.
Want to know what happens next? These amazing authors will bring you on a magical journey full of dark romance, mystery, YA, a whole lot of magic,and maybe even murder.
We have a little something for everyone to enjoy. | | |
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*** NEW!! Annee's Angels SUMMER SHARE CONTEST 2022 *** |
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I'm excited to bring you even more opportunities to win fun prizes!! Each quarter in my reader group, Annee's Angels, there will be a "Share Contest" post which we will pin to the Featured Posts section at the top of the page. Each time you help spread the word about my books, post a link to your share in the comments. The more you share, the more chances you'll have to win the prize when the contest closes at the end of the quarterly period. This summer, the featured prize will be a $25 Amazon gift card! The winner will be selected on August 31, 2022. Examples of ways to share: ● Post a review of one of my books on one of the major book retailer sites like Amazon, Goodreads, and Bookbub (*please note this is not a requirement to win, just an example of ways to share!); ● Blog about one of my books; ● Share on FB and social media such as Instagram, Twitter, Bookbub, etc.; ● Invite members to Annee's Angels; ● Be as creative as you like! Most importantly, HAVE FUN!!! If you are not already a member of my reader group, join now to participate in this and other exclusive Member-Only exclusive events: https://www.facebook.com/groups/anneesangelgroup |
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Are you struggling right now? Do you feel alone, or isolated? Would it help to know that someone is thinking of you, holding you in their heart, and praying for you? If so, please email me! Your submissions will be kept in *strict* confidentiality. I will always ask your permission before sharing any requests with my team. We would love to be there to help support you during times of trial. Email me here info@anneejones.com |
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| | Are you ready for Sweet Christmas Kisses? Look no further! These bestselling authors have teamed up to offer a delightful selection of Holiday-themed Sweet Romance Books. Available for a limited time. | | |
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| | Clean Holiday Romance Free- .99 For a strictly limited time! | | |
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Let's ConnectI would love to connect with you, so I've made an easy list of places to find me! My Facebook Page My Readers' Group My Amazon Page Add me to your Address Book: info@anneejones.com This will help make sure you never miss an update! |
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