'Cuz We Need a Little Christmas

Sometimes life doesn't go the way we expect it to, and in those moments, we need something to shine light into the darkness.

For me, that part of my brain that multitasks gets stalled out, which means I can only concentrate on one thing at a time, so here's what I've been doing.

Buy it here

WHILE WE WERE SHOPPING released in November (did you get your copy yet?). If you're in the mood for a sweet, fluffy holiday read to go along with watching Hallmark movies, then you'll love this Christmas romance.

Buy it here

I also had the audio for EPITAPH in the works, so once the Christmas book was released, I took time to listen to the audio files to make sure they were good to go. Jane Oppenheimer does a wonderful job bringing Amy and Kevin and all the characters to life. I have approved the files, and they should be available for sale in the next week or so.

Buy it here

I've also been working on FAMILY ALCHEMY, my next release and first in a new series. While I was attending to my other projects, I was trying to get this finished, as well. I had done a final "proof listen" and had set it aside for one last visual proof, which I have now completed. Release day is January 14 and I'm very excited for you to see it. It's a New Adult/women's fiction/"witchy" novel - a departure from my usual romance fare, but my fingerprints are all over it for those of you used to reading my books. You can click on the link in the right-hand column to find out more.




Which takes me to the next project, which I had started, but with everything else, yes, I had to set it aside while I finished one thing at a time. I'm now full speed ahead on the second in series, but we are also in the midst of the holidays. So I know you'll understand if I tell you I'm taking a blog break to spend time with my family, because we need a a little Christmas, right this very minute.

I will be sending a newsletter in January announcing the audiobook and the new release (nudge, nudge. Make sure you're signed up!). Until then...

May the peace and love of the season be with you. 

The Circle of Life

There are times in life when words fail.

I am blessed to be part of a close family. I have my parents to thank for that, and in their absence, my sisters. We talk regularly during the good times, and when trouble strikes, we band together. I cannot tell you how thankful I am that my parents had four of us.

Today, I want to tell you abour my oldest sister. She would HATE that I was talking about her in public, but there is so much I want to say.

When we were little, we weren't allowed to come downstairs on Christmas morning until a certain time, so the four of us would sit on the top steps while my oldest sister kept track of the time with her watch. She made "sculptures" out of stacks of presents, like reindeer (at Christmas) or crabs (for bridal showers). For years, she was the one who organized the family reunions that brought us all together.

She was always up for an adventure. Anytime we asked if she wanted to take a road trip, she was ready to go. We'd get tickets to go to a show in the city, or spend time together on a "sister weekend." When my parents were ill, she and I often rode together to visit them since we live in promixity, giving us time to talk through our emotions before we arrived so we could put on a brave face. She was never judgmental, and there wasn't anything I couldn't talk to her about. And we often did talk, for hours at a time. Weekly. She gave so much of herself to her family and to her friends.

I lost my sister this week, and I don't know how we'll ever fill the void she left behind. She was such a very special person to all of us. There are no words at times like this. Mortality is something we all must face, and something we all take for granted. None of us knew how little time we had left with her, and she didn't know how little time she had. I thank God for her life, for her presence in our lives, and for the love she shared in abundance.

Happy Thanksgiving

So many things to be thankful for this year.

Every year is fraught with struggles, and yet we go on. I'm sure I could come up many nuggets of encouragement to keep us going through the difficult times, but my favorite is "Rainbows come after the rain."

Time claims its due and we lose people we love, but God has blessed us with people who share our loss and the strength to continue on our journeys. New lives are added in the form of babies or friends. I am thankful for each of these things. For lives well lived, for family to help us carry on, for new lives added. These blessings are gold.

Bailey's Cheesecake balls

As an author, I'm thankful for those readers who keep me going, who encourage me with their kind reviews when they relate to my words and stories. This year I'm thankful for audiobook narrators who bring my words to life (Epitaph will be available in January!).

Homemade cinnamon rolls

I'm looking forward to baking wonderful, traditional treats for Thanksgiving and in preparation of Christmas. and because #MyLifeIsAMusical, the soundtrack to this post? My Favorite Things.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Engineer's Wife

This post might also be titled, "But I don't feel like writing"

There are certainly enough distractions over the course of a day to keep me away from my keyboard, or away from the work in progress even at the keyboard, but with a number of them now eliminated, I've run into one more. Hence, the subtitle of this post.

The Big Guy and I went to exercise at the pool last week, and when we came back, I put my watershoes in the utility sink to drain and forgot them there.  Usually, I put them by a window, in the sun. So imagine, the next time we went to the pool, I retrieved my watershoes and they were still wet. And stinky. Fortunately, they weren't showing signs of mold or mildew yet, so I washed them and took them along. Lesson learned. When we came home, I put them where I usually do, like I should have done the time before, but The Big Guy figured  he’d help me and moved them for "optimal air flow for drying."

As background on this, The Big Guy is an engineer, so he has a certain way of doing things. A certain way of organizing things. And yes, he's a little OCD. When I load the dishwasher, he moves things around because, apparently, I'm not balancing the load properly. When we come home from the grocery store, there is a certain way to put some things in the refrigerator. Most of the time, I don't care. He can do whatever makes his OCD happy. I'm generally much more laid back, but sometimes...



Sometimes, I don't WANT him to rearrange my stuff. My shoes have rubber soles (I'm feeling a Beatles reference here). They aren't going to get 360 degree air flow.

But I digress. What does this have to do with writing? Well, it goes to state of mind. Today, he annoyed me with his OCD and now I'm walking around reacting instead of letting it roll off - the way I normally would. Normally I DON'T care enough to react, but today... Well there are enough other things going on in the world that it's one more thing to add to a mood.

HOWEVER - it's also an excuse. Just because I decided to get into a snit doesn't mean I can get away with not writing. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off. Let it go, let it go... (Elsa, anyone?) and get the job done.

Oh, and contrary to what the song says, the cold DOES bother me (anyway), and we're getting winter way too early this year.

I guess my rant is over. Despite the imperfections of human response, I'm living my happily ever after. And now, time to get back to work writing!

Serendipity

I'm finalizing my next release, which should be available in January, and I'm working on the second book in the new series. As I was writing today, I took a "breather" and found a picture that relates to the new book (I quoted the song title, because the one character has a tendency to sing Beatles songs). What are the odds of stumbling across this song today after writing my character thinking about it? Serendipity, I tell ya!

Maybe, just maybe, it's the world telling me to soldier on. Keep writing, even when life throws heart-twisting moments at me.

Do you ever run across seemingly random things that make you stop to evaluate how random they really are?

While We Were (Christmas) Shopping

Hallmark has begun airing its Christmas movies - yes, even as early as last month, but I decided to wait until AFTER Halloween to share my latest work with you.

For those of you who love a little bit of fluff at the holidays, a feel-good story with a happily-ever-after that includes snow and hot chocolate and Christmas markets, I hope you'll pick up a copy of my latest book which released TODAY! WHILE WE WERE SHOPPING is a story about a woman who loves Christmas, and wants to bring the joy of the season to other people who are struggling--or at least who she thinks are struggling. A boss on the wrong side of the ocean. A coworker separated from his family. She's a woman on a mission because "Everyone should love Christmas, right?" 

You can buy it here

Happy Halloween (Books that go bump in the night)

I was that kid who scared her babysitters. They'd come over on Saturday night and I'd ask to watch Creature Features. I loved Dracula, and all the scary movies. Vincent Price, anyone? My babysitters did not appreciate my taste in television. Me? I wasn't so scared.


Bela Lugosi as Dracula

Fast forward about 10 years. A date took me to see Halloween at the movies. Good scary movie. Especially when, after the movie, we went to pick up his sister from work. "I'll go see if she's ready," he says to me (while creeping around the car and then jumping out at me on My side with a resounding BOO). Yes, I jumped. Yes, I was scared.

I also loved reading Stephen King novels. I might have started with The Shining, although I can't say for sure. 'Salems Lot, The Stand, Dreamcatcher, The Dead Zone. My son evidently inherited my appreciation for Stephen King. He's read more of the novels than I have.

After watching the movie, The Haunting, I was compelled to read the story, The Haunting of Hill House. Loved them both.

But the one book that actually did creep me out? The Amityville Horror. I couldn't be in the same room with that book when I finished it.

I've watched Night Gallery, One Step Beyond, Outer Limits--all of those scary shows--and rarely got scared. Except for that one time while I was babysitting...

What scary books stick with you?