I’ve been pretty quiet for the past few weeks, depending on where you’ve been looking for me. Last week I went to Florida with my sister and daughter and had a great time! We flew into Orlando and went to Epcot, then we drove through Alligator Alley and found a hotel room in Naples where we spent some time on the beach. After that, we finished our vacation in Key West, swimming and lying on the beach. I only burnt myself a little bit, which was a miracle because I love the sun and the heat! We drove by Ernest Hemingway’s house, but because we were either going to or from the beach, we didn’t have time to stop in and look around (and my daughter and sister wouldn’t have been interested in that anyway). Getting back to Orlando was a long and tedious drive, and when we flew into Fargo, North Dakota, on Tuesday, we were all ready to go home, sleep in our own beds, and not talk to anyone for approximately 457 days.
Here are some of the pictures I took on the trip!
The beach at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, Key WestThe beach at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, Key WestThe beach at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, Key WestA beach in Naples, Florida, at duskThe view out my plane window, Fargo, North Dakota
We came back to some cooler weather, grey clouds, and drizzle, but fall is my favorite season and I don’t mind a bit! Today is going to be perfect for all the laundry I have to get done and cleaning out my email, which for some reason has 457 new messages in it. Funny how that works!
But, I’ve been busy with book stuff too, and before I left, I finished Cold Mercy, the second book in my hockey duet. Those will be released sometime late next year, hopefully around the start of the 2027-2028 hockey season, but we’ll see how that goes. While I was sitting in a hotel room in Naples, I decided to release Bitter Love on January 26th, 2027, so for the rest of this year I’ll be getting that ready to go. I’m really excited to get back to Jesse and Jordan! Bitter Love is a small-town, second chance standalone novel I wrote in 2025 that I’m only now getting ready to publish because I published Wicked Games in May of this year and wrote my Black Ice hockey duet first. So I’m more than ready to revisit Bitter Creek, Minnesota, and give Jesse and Jordan their happily ever after! Subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss out on the cover reveal, blurb reveal, and a chance to download it for free before it goes up on Amazon–though it will be available on Kindle, in Kindle Unlimited, and paperback like my books always are.
I’ve been having a lot of fun with Reels on Instagram, and if you like that kind of content, you can follow me over there! I’ve been doing better with posting regular graphics, too, and of course, since Christmas is right around the corner, I’ll be hyping up my Christmas novel, A Heartache for Christmas, and I know you don’t want to miss that! You can follow me here: https://www.instagram.com/vaniamargenerheault/
That’s about all I have for right now. It will be nice to settle back into my regular routine of work, getting Bitter Love ready for publication, and occasionally settling in to watch something. Last night I watched The Love Hypothesis on Prime, and it was cute. It had some laugh-out-loud parts, so I would recommend it if you have two hours to spare and don’t know what to watch.
If your ereader has been looking a little empty lately, today is a great day to fill it up!
✨Romance Bookworms✨ is hosting a Stuff Your Ereader event today, August 10th, 2026, and more than 1,300 romance books are available to keep for free.
There are books in just about every romance subgenre and includes books on every platform including Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and Google Play.
The books are only guaranteed to be free today, so make sure you double-check the price before you click that buy button!
I just wanted to pop in and say thank you to everyone who downloaded my Cedar Hill Duet while it was free. I hope you’re enjoying Rick and Devyn’s and Beau and Talia’s stories as much as I enjoyed writing them!
I’ve also been experimenting with Instagram Reels lately, and I’ve been having a lot of fun! If you’d like to see book snippets, behind-the-scenes posts, and updates about my books, I’d love it if you visited me there! You can find me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/vaniamargenerheault/.
And if you’ve been thinking about diving into my King’s Crossing serial, now is a great time! For a limited time the first three books are on sale:
♥️ Book One: $0.99 ♥️ Book Two: $1.99 ♥️ Book Three: $2.99
Hi everyone! I hope you are having an amazing summer so far! ☀️
I wanted to celebrate my Cedar Hill duet’s beautiful new look, but I also wanted to say ✨thank you!✨
Your support over the years has meant more than you know, and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than by making both books FREE through July 28!
Whether you’ve been meaning to read the duet, recommend them to a friend, or if you just want the new covers, now is the perfect time to visit Cedar Hill!
If you enjoy:
❤️ Romantic suspense
🛟 Protective heroes
🔍 Twists and mystery
💕 Emotional happily-ever-afters
…I hope you’ll give Rick and Devyn and Beau and Talia a try.
I always enjoy hearing about new books, so I thought I’d share a few that have caught my eye lately. Whether you’re planning a beach day, relaxing on the patio, or hiding indoors with the air conditioning running, here are a few new releases and upcoming books from authors I’ve enjoyed and am excited to support.
Melody Loomis has been working hard on her Storm Series novels, and she just released her fifth one! If you love contemporary romance featuring natural disasters, this series is for you!
When temperatures rise, tensions flare…
Never trust a Ford—that’s what Dallas Jones was raised to believe. For decades, the Jones and Ford families have been sworn enemies, and Dallas has no intention of letting his guard down. The family ranch, their legacy, everything they’ve worked for—it’s up to him and his brother to protect it. The last thing he expects is Kenneth Ford’s daughter at his door…and the attraction to her catching him completely off guard.
Alison Ford has always had a crush on Dallas, even if she knew it could never happen. Their families’ feud complicates everything, and Dallas has never even noticed her. But when her job as an HVAC tech sends her to his ranch during a brutal heat wave, Alison finally gets to know the man she’s admired for years. The spark between them is impossible to ignore.
Dallas knows his family would never approve of him getting close to Alison. Still, she doesn’t feel like the enemy he was raised to expect. But when the Fords sabotage a business deal, suspicion gnaws at him. Dallas can’t help wondering if Alison might have had a hand in it. Already in too deep, the thought of Alison betraying him hurts worse than he imagined.
As the land grows dangerously dry, fire threatens the ranch, and mistrust threatens his heart. Dallas must decide what matters more—holding onto old grudges, or risking it all for the woman who might finally make him believe that not all Fords are the enemy.
I’m excited to read Heat Wave, but I think I’ll wait until it cools off a little bit. Here in Minnesota, we’ve been going through our own heat wave, with temperatures in the nineties every single day for the past week. But it’s definitely at the top of my TBR!
Another book I’m excited about is my friend Jennie’s paranormal romance! She’s been teasing us with blurbs and snippets all summer. August 25th can’t come soon enough!
She aches to belong somewhere, and he’s determined to forget his past. Stuck in a cabin whose dark end is approaching, they’re both in denial, and one of them has secrets. Smokies magic could save them. If only he would allow it.
When heartbroken Faye Livingstone escapes to the Smokies, she hopes to reignite her long-lost creativity and the magic she hasn’t felt in years, but she isn’t prepared for the deficit of it in her beloved cabin or for sparks to fly when reuniting with the boy she once called her hero, now the cold company exec who owns Smoking Bear Lodge, and the man against preserving it.
In denial that magic ever existed here, Ty Woodlock is trapped, and he’s determined to remain hardened, even while his childhood friend thaws his heart. As they share their souls and their art, he finds himself letting go of lifelong bitterness, but it’s only a matter of time before she learns about his company’s deal to demolish the only place either of them ever called home.
Time is running out as darkness spreads, stealing what magic remains, and when unveiling family secrets, they discover that an ancient treaty must be honored, or they’ll lose more than just the haunted cabin. With death at their doorstep, will they be able to listen to their hearts once and for all and save the mountainside?
The last book I’m thrilled to feature is a “sweet” contemporary romance by DM Simmons! 🧁 I’ve had my eye on this book for a long time and I can’t wait to read it! It will be the perfect novel to dive into after all my beach reads!
Tess never expected Brady Hawk to walk back into her life.
Once Thornbrook’s golden boy—and her best friend—Brady is now an NFL star sidelined by a shoulder injury and fighting career-threatening rumors. When the media frenzy spins out of control, his agent has the perfect solution: a fake relationship to change the narrative.
Brady needs someone he can trust. The only problem? The only person he wants is the one whose heart he broke. For Tess, agreeing to play the part should be easy. Let Brady hang out at her bakery and flash a few convincing smiles. Then he can go back to his life and Tess, hers.
But when old memories that refuse to stay buried, and a chemistry that never truly disappeared, pretending becomes harder than either of them expected. As the lines between fake and real begin to blur, Tess and Brady discover the greatest risk isn’t the cameras, the rumors, or the headlines—it’s losing each other for a second time.
I hope something here piques your interest! I know I’m looking forward to reading them!
As for me and what I’ve been doing . . . I’ve been busy writing Cold Mercy, the second book in my hockey duet. These characters have so much to say, the book is practically writing itself, which is lovely! Other than that, we’ve been having fabulous weather for Minnesota. Hot and sunny, it’s just what I need before the freezing winter sets in.
In bookish news, I’ve set up my free days for my Cedar Hill Duet (Captivated by Her and Addicted to Her) and I’ll be announcing that soon in a separate post. They’ll be free on Kindle and as always, they’re available in Kindle Unlimited and Paperback. I recently redid the covers, and I’m really happy with how they turned out! Set a reminder to check back next week!
Next month, Rescue Me will be included in a huge book blast, but I’ll remind you as the date comes nearer. We have a little while yet, but I’m excited to give Sam and Lily some love! So get ready to stuff your ereaders! You’ll have lots to choose from to get you to the end of the year! 📚 ♥️
That’s all from me today. I hope you’re having a relaxing and sunny weekend! ☀️🌸
Talk soon!
Vania
PS: None of the links posted here are affiliate links and the graphics were made without the use of AI. Thanks!
I can’t believe we’re already heading into the Fourth of July weekend. 🎉 🎆 ☀️ Summer always seems to go by faster than I want, even when I’m trying to slow down and enjoy it.
As for what I’ve been working on, I’ve spent most of May and all of June working on Frozen Assets, my hockey romance featuring Beckett and Sloane. I’m happy to say that the ending is in sight! If everything works out, I’ll be writing THE END sometime this week. 🎉
I’ve really enjoyed spending time in their hockey world, and all the research I’ve done for the past year has paid off. Beckett and Sloane have been living in my head since last summer, and now that Frozen Assets is almost finished, I’m already looking ahead to Cold Mercy, which is about Celina, who is Sloane’s sister, and Trevor, who is Beckett’s good friend. Those two have made it very clear they aren’t going to wait long for their turn.
I almost forgot to mention that earlier I teased giving away Captivated by HerandAddicted to Her to celebrate their new covers and the glow up I gave them on the inside. I still want to do that, so check back here for an announcement after the holiday!
Besides that, summer has been filled with the usual mix of work, family, errands, and trying to enjoy the nice weather whenever Minnesota decides to cooperate.
I hope you’re having a wonderful summer so far. If you’re celebrating this week, have a safe and happy Fourth of July!
Happy Monday—and happy Memorial Day to everyone in the U.S. I hope if you’re off today, you’re enjoying the long weekend! ☀️ 🌺 🌸
I had yesterday off my day job and spent part of it at the zoo with my sister and my daughter. We lucked into a good parking spot, the weather was gorgeous, I got to feed some goats, and it ended up being a really nice day. We went out to dinner after that, and then I spent the evening working on Beckett and Sloane.
Speaking of that, I’m 35,000 words into Frozen Assets and I’m having so much fun with it. I’m completely obsessed with early ownership drama, press conferences, and all the tension that comes with forcing two people into a marriage neither of them expected or wanted. All the hockey research I’ve done over the past year has paid off, and I’ve turned into a lowkey fan, keeping an eye on who will win the Cup this year. 🏒 🏆 (Go Avalanche!)
Wicked Games is still out in the world doing its thing, and I’m grateful to everyone who’s picked it up, borrowed it, reviewed it, or shared it so far! If you missed it (though, how could you have since I’ve been talking about it nonstop!) you can find it on Kindle, in Kindle Unlimited, and Paperback.
After months of plotting, writing, and getting this story ready, Wicked Games is officially live on Amazon in Kindle Unlimited and paperback!
If you love emotionally intense romantic suspense with mystery, secrets, and two damaged people finding their way through grief and danger together, then add Wicked Games to your TBR ASAP!
Two broken hearts. One small Minnesota town. Too many secrets to count.
If you pick it up, I hope you love Avery and Seth’s story. And if you enjoy it, reviews are always deeply appreciated—they really do help readers find books they might love.
So, here’s a funny little story. When I set up my pen name, I decided to not use periods after my initials. I’m not sure why. Maybe I just liked how it looked without them? No matter what I was thinking, I had no idea what kind of annoying inconvenience it would create whenever I published. Because on Goodreads, all official author profiles need to have the periods after an author’s initials whether they publish with them or not. So when my books port over from Amazon to Goodreads, they land on a fake profile that doesn’t have periods after my initials. This profile can’t exist (and honestly, I have no idea why), so every time I publish, once my book ends up on that “fake” profile, I have to contact support and have it moved to my official profile.
It’s just an annoying thing I have to remember to take care of every time I publish because readers have a difficult time finding my new books if they’re not on the profile with all the others. If I would have known what a hassle publishing without periods would cause, I think I would have just used periods. Live and learn.
The good news is, I did remember to check after I put Wicked Games on preorder, and after contacting support, it’s now where it should be! That means, you can:
* Mark it as currently reading if you grabbed an ARC * Leave a review if you read an ARC * Add it to your TBR list if you’re waiting for it to become live on Amazon (May 15th!!)
Doing any or all of the above is so appreciated because it helps readers find the books they love to read! ♥️
Surprise! My Cedar Hill Duet has a brand new look!
I recently refreshed the covers for Captivated by Her and Addicted to Her and I’m so happy with how they turned out! These stories are so close to my heart since they were the first books I published when I started my pen name, and it felt like the perfect time to give them covers that better reflect the characters and the world inside the books.
The insides also got a light polish to reflect the changes on the outside, so if you’ve read them before, nothing has changed except some cleanup edits and polishing. If you’re new to Cedar Hill, now is a great time to meet Rick and Devyn and Beau and Talia!
I want to do something special to celebrate, so watch this space for updates!
Thank you all who have read them and supported me! I appreciate all of you! ☺️
