Arch rivals on the race track, Jake Walker and Missy Sheridan have found themselves tangled in a web of family lies that could get them both killed. In an attempt to form an alliance on the track, they must put aside their differences. However, when heat and attraction take over, keeping their minds on the race becomes harder than ever. As the stakes grow, can they race against each other allowing the best racer to win when they know that the cost to cross the finish line might be one of their lives?

VICTORY, book 6 in the Walker Family Series, is now available. Get your copy today!

New to the Walker Family? Want to start at the beginning? WALKER PRIDE, book 1 in the Walker Family Series is #Free!

​"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door." Milton Berle.

So often we wait for opportunities to come to us. Opportunity will present itself, we think. When the time is right, we tell ourselves.

As an author, I know I've thought that myself. 

When I began to pursue writing very seriously, I made myself a name. What does that mean? I pressed my nose up against some windows. I went to conferences and walked the walk and did the talk. I met people that became excited for me. I became an author.

I got shot down with my pitches and editors thumbed their noses at me. What a great lesson in humility. Then opportunity knocked.

One day, in my email, came a shiny and brilliant email asking me to submit my work to a publisher because they wanted to publish me. (And they say it never works to put yourself out there. Look at that!) Being the eager author that I am (you know, the kind that is about to take over the world) I jumped in with both feet. Does it surprise you that it all crashed and burned around me? (I didn't think you'd be surprised.)

There is a process, and I'd done right by pushing my nose up against the glass, because my head was still above water, even if all my dreams were drowning. 

I had a future here, but it wasn't going to be at the hands of someone else. So I built a door. I built a platform that others soon wanted to stand on as well. When I opened that door of opportunity I had built, in the shape of a publishing company, all my dreams came true. Once my feet were in a stable position, I helped others achieve their dreams and then some of them built their own doors to opportunity.

I think, sometimes, opportunity got tired of knocking on doors and began to hide behind the raw wood of doors yet to be built. Build your own door, stand on your own platform. Seriously, push your nose up against the glass and look in. Whatever you want can happen for you.

#LivingPositiveIn2016

Happy Reading,
Bernadette Marie

​It's human nature to want to make everyone around you happy. I mean, who doesn't want to do their best as not to disappoint anyone. However,  how often have you been disappointed in yourself?

I don't think there is a day that goes by that I don't look in the mirror and find something to critizie myself over. Usually, for me, it's the way my jeans fit or something along those lines. I begin to beat myself up quietly for what I've eaten or for not getting to the gym the day before. 

If it were someone else's happiness that depended on me feeding them the right foods or getting them to the gym, I'd do that. I'd make sure they were taken care of, and they wouldn't be disappointed in my effort. But when it comes to me, it's different.

Why do we do that, I wonder? Why would I not want myself to succeed? I want to succeed, but isn't it funny that I can't tell myself that, and it be enough.

It's not just in the area of physical appearance that we beat ourselves up. It's about our career choices, the raising of our children, our political views. 

I'm a list maker and an alarm setter. I find that keeps me focused on what I need to do at a certain time. Starting tomorrow, I'll be writing, "Don't disappoint yourself," on my list. Just a gentle reminder that I would work harder for anyone else in the world, but that I need to focus on working on number one--Me!

It's been a journey, but I find that when I start my day giving thanks for what I have, everything falls into place a little smoother. The good things become the BIG things, and the bad things remain small and insignificant. It's easy to be grateful for my family. I love them. But sometimes, again, a good moment can be ruined by a bad mood. It's then you have to step back and be grateful for that mood. It reminds you that it's not so bad. Dirty dishes remind you that you had food to eat. Dirty laundry reminds you that you had clothes to wear. Items strung around your house remind you that you have things to enjoy. A commute reminds you that you have a job. Tears remind you that you feel. Fingerprints on your wall remind you that little hands were there. 

When you think of the blessings in those "negatives," they don't seem so bad anymore. And the good things just get Bigger!

Wake with a grateful heart. Sit for a moment and give thanks for those blessings. Write them down and remember them always. Or take a quiet moment to reflect on them.

Always have a grateful heart,
 Bernadette Marie 

"Believe you can and you're half way there." T. Roosevelt

One of the easiest things in life is to dream. Dreaming takes very little effort, and it comes to us even when we're sleeping. To act on that dream, that takes a little more work. A lot of planning goes into making a dream a reality. Very often we stumble and fall. Wanting to give up is an easy feeling. Doing so, even easier. Finding the courage to continue, that takes a lot of believing in yourself. And if you believe you can do something you're half way to your goal. Keep dreaming! Keep Believing!

Have a Beautiful Day!
~Bernadette Marie~
​#WiseWords

I am passionate about writing what I love to read, about the process, and about helping others achieve their goals when it comes to getting their books published. How do you know you're right where you're supposed to be? It consumes you. Sometimes you even disappear from society because your passion is driving you.

Yesterday, I was telling a dear friend about the things I'd been working on. My voice went up in octive. My hands began to fly in the air, and my heart began to race because I was so happy to share my plans with her.

I could talk writing process for hours without tiring. The publishing industry is changing at a maddening pace right now. It's very exciting. It can be frustrating, but that too stirs passion. 

I'm very passionate about the stories I write as well. I have had readers come to me and tell me how that moment they picked up one of my books, their lives changed. Sure, reading HEA romance may not change how you live your life, but at the right moment it might get you through a tough time. What a wonderful thing to hear your work touched someone in such a way. Why wouldn't you want to keep doing it?

Not a day goes by that I don't find thankfulness in what I do. It's a wonderful feeling knowing no matter how busy you are at work it's going to be an amazing day. I'm passionate about what I do, are you?

I'm so excited to have my Keller Family Series Novella, A ROMANCE FOR CHRISTMAS, as part of the 5 Prince Publishing anthology, UNWRAP THE ROMANCE. 

If you're a fan of the Keller Family Series, you remember Tiffany, the beautiful, red-headed best friend of Spencer Benson. A ROMANCE FOR CHRISTMAS is Tiffany's love story. It combines the magic of Christmas, and of course my love of Country Music.

All six novellas are Christmas romances that you're sure to love. Found exclusively on Amazon, this collection is only .99 and Free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers.

The Walker Family Series is the newest in my family sagas. Book 1, WALKER PRIDE, is available  now!
Get your copy here: 

Susan Hayes moved to Georgia to start the life she wanted to live and build her catering career. On the brink of having everything she ever wanted, Eric Walker and his family happened into her life.

Eric Walker’s life had been quiet, structured, and boring until his uncle gambled away the family’s property and jeopardized Eric’s livelihood. Now midst family secrets learned, someone ruining his business and trying to drive him off his land, he fell in love. 

Things will never be the same for them—especially if someone succeeds in destroying the Walker family and killing Eric.

How to stay motivated to write.

If you'd begun writing you'll soon realize that your mind will wander in a million directions. If you haven't given yourself permission to write you're going to be thinking of the dishes in the sink and the clothes in the washer.  Make sure your writing time is important to you and that will help motivate you.

Another key factor in writing is reading. Yep! You need to read to write. Now, I say this from experience. While writing my first book when I was much, much younger, I stopped reading. My purpose was because I didn't want to accidentally steal anything. But the truth is reading other writers only encouraged my creativity. Think about it...when you were younger and you danced until your heart was content you'd follow along at some point, right. It didn't make your dance any less yours. There are only so many story lines and so many words. It's how you string them together.

Think about how music moves you to work out, or dance, or sing at the top of your lungs. That creative spark sparks another. Reading is much the same.

A less popular method of keeping motivated (this is usually by newer writers) is share your work. Find someone who is so enthusiastic about reading what you've wrote and share it with them. Their enthusiasm will spark yours. I'm not talking a critique partner either. I'm talking someone who just loves what you do. It might take some guts to find that person, but I tell you it's worth it.

Again, journal everyday. I'm not saying you need to even journal your trip to the store. However, there is something in everyday. Look up writing prompts on Google. There are tons of them and they will spark your creativity a little bit. We can all use that.

Create a blog. Everyone is an expert in something. Yes, even you can write a blog about something. Heck, Sienfield had an entire show about nothing--and that was the tag line! Create a blog calendar and search how to create blog content. It may not be a book, but it is keeping you writing.

The best way to keep motivated is to have a goal. Do you want to publish in magazines or write books? Are you going to submit to a big house, small house, or self-publish? If you're working with publishing houses you're going to be under contract to do certain things with your writing. A contract certainly motivates you!

Motivating yourself to write will NEVER come easily. After 22 books published I still have to convince myself that I have to sit and write and not just mess around with it. Those dishes aren't going anywhere. They'll be there when I'm done. Writing is important to me. Luckily it pays my bills. So that is one motivating factor. The other is that I crave it and love it. Be true to yourself. That might be all the motivation you need.

Author Bernadette Marie is known for building families readers want to be part of. Her series The Keller Family has graced bestseller charts since its release in 2011, along with her other series and single title books. The married mother of five sons promises Happily Ever After always…and says she can write it, because she lives it. 

When not writing, Bernadette Marie is shuffling her sons to their many events—mostly hockey—and enjoying the beautiful views of the Colorado Rocky Mountains from her front step. She is also an accomplished martial artist with a second degree black belt in Tang Soo Do.

A chronic entrepreneur, Bernadette Marie opened her own publishing house in 2011, 5 Prince Publishing, so that she could publish the books she liked to write and help make the dreams of other aspiring authors come true too.

If you're in the industry you hear it all the time. "I've always wanted to write a book." With a smile on my face I usually tell the person that all you have to do is start. Of course the very unserious "writer" will give me a list of their excuses as to why they can't. A writer who will consider it says, "How do I start." To me that is the key phrase that says, I'm ready.

You have to be motivated to write. Simply put, it takes time out of your day just as it does to go to the gym. Now you can't just sit down and usually write an entire book in one day. You have to start a little at a time. The key is to start.

Motivate your writing by sitting down with a notebook and writing whatever comes to mind. Perhaps you don't want to write a book, you want to write a blog. Google blog topics and you'll be amazed at what comes up. If nothing else you'll have some writing queues to get you started. Let your brain flow for a little bit.

Set out a few minutes in your day, every day to write. You don't need eight hours a day unless you intend on this being your whole career and you can financially afford that now. Ten minutes will be a great start. As your craft grows so will your motivation to continue writing regularly.

Once you start the process of writing with the intent to publish or just to get started it will be like going to the gym. One day you lift  five pounds. After a few weeks you lift twenty. Like I said, you're not going to become a writer in one day, okay you will, perhaps just not a published one. But on day one you wrote something. What usually happens is his motivates you to write something else the next day.

If the desire is really in you it will begin to self motivate you.

If you've loved writing in the past and lost sight of it this process can help you get back on track again. Continuing to carve out a little time each day will help to keep you motivated.

Journal writing is equally as motivating for the creative process. Seriously, jotting down what you did, saw, felt in a day will keep that daily task minder in the back of your head. Every little bit counts. Just like running. Every step gets you to your goal.

 Author Bernadette Marie is known for building families readers want to be part of. Her series The Keller Family has graced bestseller charts since its release in 2011, along with her other series and single title books. The married mother of five sons promises Happily Ever After always…and says she can write it, because she lives it. 

When not writing, Bernadette Marie is shuffling her sons to their many events—mostly hockey—and enjoying the beautiful views of the Colorado Rocky Mountains from her front step. She is also an accomplished martial artist with a second degree black belt in Tang Soo Do.

A chronic entrepreneur, Bernadette Marie opened her own publishing house in 2011, 5 Prince Publishing, so that she could publish the books she liked to write and help make the dreams of other aspiring authors come true too.