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Sunday, April 14, 2024

A Fun New Hobby

I’ve fallen in love and I’m having a ton of fun with it! I’ve fallen in love with geocaching! I received a new phone for Christmas, and I’ve finally been able to download an app for geocaching. If you’re not familiar with geocaching, it’s basically a treasure hunt – people hide caches and post latitude and longitude co-ordinates or waypoints. Using the app (or a GPS), you can search out the hiding spots, find the caches, and sign a log to note that you’ve found it. The caches can be anything from a miniature tube hanging on a branch, a small container hidden under a rock or in a hole in a tree trunk, a fake bolt, or something tucked into a more elaborate secret compartment behind a little library, for instance. Geocaches are hidden all over the world and even in my own neighbourhood, I’ve visited beautiful parks, gems really, that I didn’t even know existed. Stealth is often required to keep the caches hidden and non-geocachers from moving them. There are EarthCaches that teach you about the geography of the area and newer virtual caches, often placed in areas with a lot of foot traffic where pulling out a container would be too obvious. Some of the caches require you to solve a puzzle to calculate the co-ordinates. It’s great for kids and adults, and I love that you can do it anytime, solo or in a group, and that it’s free! So if you’re looking for a fun new hobby to try, check it out. Here’s the website to learn more about the caches in your area: https://www.geocaching.com

 

If you’re looking for another fun way to pass the time, pick up a copy of Perfectly Honest. It’s the first book of the Perfectly Series, six stand-alone romantic comedies. When Mikaela meets Sam’s mom for the first time, she’s a bit taken aback by the advice she receives – and is trying to hide the fact that the engagement isn’t real!  

 


Perfectly Honest

Medical Romantic Comedy 

You never know where your words will take you… 

 

When Mikaela Finn agreed to be Sam’s “fiancée” for a weekend, she probably should have told him that she’s a doctor. Sam O’Brien, aka “Dr. Eye Candy,” is trying to shed his playboy reputation and convince a small town hospital that he’s ready to settle down.  But when his “fiancée” helps deliver a baby in the middle of the meet and greet, it’s a bit of a shock. If he’d known the whole truth, he might have done things a little differently because somehow his “fiancée” ends up stealing his job and his heart. Not exactly the change he wanted. 

 

Lies and deceit – it’s a match made in heaven!

 

 




Enjoy an excerpt from Perfectly Honest ~

your horoscope

ARIES (March 21-April 19)  Emotions will escalate and confusion will set in with regard to a partnership you thought you could count on.  Take time to absorb what’s happened.  You are sitting in a much better position than you realize.  Bide your time.

 

 

As they stirred their tea, Marla leaned forward with excited eyes.  “I want to know all the details.  What’s your sign?”

Mikaela blinked.  “My sign?”

“Yes.  You know, Sam is a Scorpio.  I hope you’re not a Virgo. All the Virgos are a little…zealous. Too much energy, if you ask me. And I don’t know that Pisces would be a good fit either. They tend to daydream the day away, don’t you think?  I think Sam needs someone a little more grounded. Taurus would be okay, but they do tend to be a bit stubborn and Leo, well I think a Leo would be a bit too boisterous, maybe a bit too bossy for Sam. I wouldn’t like to see another Scorpio. Could you imagine? That would be the worst kind of clash. Don’t you think? Now, last year, I would have said Sagittarius. It was a good year for Sagittarius. This year, I’m thinking a Libra or Aquarius would be good.  I could see that working. I’ve given this a lot of thought. I’ve told Sam. I told him he has to watch the sign, but I never know if he really listens.”

Mikaela’s head spun. “Ah, I’m an Aries,” she said hesitantly.

“Oh perfect.” Marla clapped her hands. “That’s a good match, especially this year. The moon cycle is perfect for an Aries-Scorpio match. I’ve always thought Aries was best at thinking things through before they do something irreversible. That will be the perfect balance to Sam’s Scorpio impulsiveness,” she announced confidently.

Mikaela almost burst out laughing. Yup, that was her all right. Thinking things through. Planning change. Avoiding the irreversible. Marla’s nailed it, she thought ruefully. Sam really should have paid more attention to the sign.

“What is your Chinese zodiac?”

“Pardon?”

“You know. Your heavenly stem, your earthly branch, your animal, your element?”

“I’m not really sure.”

“Hmmm. We’ll have to figure that out. Sam is a Tiger. At least he’s born a Tiger.  Personally, internally I think he’s a dragon. Truly there is a bit of ox and secretively, I suspect a little goat. But then I’m his mother.” She patted Mikaela’s hand. “So if you were a horse, dog or dragon, that would be wonderful. Oh dear, I do hope you’re not a monkey. That would not be good.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m not a monkey,” Mikaela assured her.

“That’s a relief. There are so many things to think about when you choose a mate. Are you a yin or yang?”

“Yin?” Mikaela guessed, hoping to make Marla happy.

“Perfect,” Marla beamed. “Sam’s a yang. The perfect match. You know Olivia and Ron are yang-yang, so I do worry. But they produced the most beautiful daughter.  Just goes to show there’s something good there somewhere.”

“And what is your favourite color?” Marla asked earnestly.

Seriously? She was engaged to her son and that’s what she thought was important? She was beginning to understand why Walt went for a swim. “Ah, aquamarine?”

“Oh, aquamarine,” Marla repeated, nodding her head.  “Now would that be more blue or more green?”

Mikaela just stared. “Blue?” 

“Oh lovely. I love blue, too.”

“That’s important to finding someone compatible?” Mikaela asked skeptically.

Marla laughed. “No, now that would be silly, dear. No, I just asked because I enjoy quilting in my spare time, and I’ve decided to make a quilt for each of the kids as a wedding present. So yours shall be blue. And I’ll get started on that right away.” She leaned forward. “Have you picked a date for the wedding?”

 

Buy link (free with KU):  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08V9CWRMK

 

Award-winning author Linda O’Connor started writing romantic comedies when she needed a creative outlet other than subtly rearranging the displays at a local home décor store. Her books have enjoyed bestseller status. When not writing, she’s a physician at an Urgent Care Clinic. She shares her medical knowledge in fast-paced, well-written, sexy romances – with an unexpected twist. Her favourite prescription to write? Laugh every day. Love every minute.

 

Website https://www.lindaoconnor.net

Twitter https://twitter.com/LindaOConnor98

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/LindaOConnorAuthor

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/795688.Linda_O_Connor

Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Linda-OConnor/e/B00S7CNLEA

Newsletter https://lindaoconnor.net/contact/

 

2 comments:

Tina Donahue said...

Geocaching sounds like fun, Linda - thanks for letting us know about it. :)

Linda O'Connor said...

It's pretty unique in that it's happening worldwide. Let me know if you try it. :D