This photo was taken as a new day dawned over the prairie somewhere around the Texas-New Mexico border as we traveled home from Lubbock, Texas, where my husband and I had attended the funeral of my sister-in-law. We had made that same trip a couple of months earlier to see my brother and her. She […]
The Writer and the Rider
When my husband first asked if I was okay with him buying a Harley, I said, “Honey, I’m a romance writer.” Meaning, “Yes.” First of all, he’d supported my dreams of writing, so I wanted to support his dream of riding. Secondly, I thought riding a motorcycle would be like I’d written it in my […]
How authors use Pinterest & why readers love it too!
I always say I’m a reader first, author second. It’s true! And as a reader, I love anything that connects me to books, especially social media. I know not everyone loves social media (there are times I certainly don’t!), but the one feed you have most control over what you see is Pinterest! If you’ve […]
Vacation Inspiration #Giveaway
Since I started writing, whenever we go on vacation, a book begins to percolate. I often plan our trips around a jaunt I need to make for a book I’m writing. Back when I began my rodeo series, we visited the Fort Worth Stockyards and Aubrey, Texas. Both featured prominently in the series. Since we […]
Characters with Special Needs by Melanie D. Snitker
In my reading experience, it’s still fairly uncommon to run into characters with special needs, whether they are main or supporting characters. That’s why, when I discover one in a book, it makes my heart happy. I have a fifteen-year-old son who has severe autism, epilepsy, ADHD, and a speech impairment. So when another author […]
An Ideal Setting for Romance
“This place should be in a book.” Readers, has this thought ever crossed your mind while wandering beautiful places? That was how I felt when I first visited Montana’s Madison River twenty years ago. Soaring mountains, wildlife sightings, pine-scented air, and bright blue sky simply screamed rustic romance! So, when I started writing and needed […]
Free Wedding Planning
When I got married 17 years ago (on the 11th), some of the fancy things they have now weren’t available. Or at least not widely popular like they are today. How do I know this, seeing as I’ve been happily married for almost two decades? Well, some of the books I’ve been writing to come […]
Arrrr you ready?
Doesn’t Quinn look thrilled to be part of the book launch? Don’t worry, she isn’t as mad as she looks, and she only wore the costume for about 5 seconds. Are you ready for quirks, bad jokes, and odd jobs? I love writing characters with quirky habits. My family thrives on bad jokes. And giving […]
Reality in Fiction
I’ve heard it said that being a friend or family of a writer can be a little unnerving. Something about being afraid they’ll end us as a character. That’s probably because one of the most well-known pieces of advice for writers is “write what you know.” So is that really what writers do? Make stories […]
Decisions, Decisions & #Giveaway
Confession time: I don’t like to make decisions. Never have. Probably never will. If I were writing myself as a character in a story, I’d try to figure out why I have such a hard time with decisions. What event from my past made me this way? As far as I can remember, there wasn’t […]