In my last post of 2021, I listed some disappointments of the year and goals for the new one. Number 1 on the list: Reading for pleasure. Since I didn’t read any books just for fun in 2021, I set a goal of 12 for 2022. I didn’t really count as I went and didn’t […]
The Wedding Went Off Without a Hitch – NOT #Giveaway
Our son got married last month. The ceremony was gorgeous, the bride was breathtaking, the groom was cute as could be, it was a beautiful day, and the wedding went off without a hitch. NOT! One major oops threatened the festivities. One of the bridesmaids got her dates mixed up. She thought it was the […]
Thankful for You
I’ve just returned from a massive writing conference in Las Vegas, Nevada called 20Booksto50K. Nearly 2,000 writers converged to talk writing and marketing, but you know what the biggest topic of conversation was? YOU. This yearly conference is for writers in all genres, but on the eve of the first day, about a dozen authors […]
That’s Going in a Book #Giveaway
After being in the house all week, editing a book, I told my husband I wanted to do something fun. Fun for us is go to out for lunch, then hit a few flea markets, and finish up with a grocery run. So we headed to our favorite plate lunch restaurant about forty minutes from […]
Books That Make You Go WHOA! #Giveaway
After over 200 rejection letters, I spent four intense years studying the craft of writing. Certain I’d learned all I needed to know, I prepared to go to my first national conference, back in 2005. I’d submitted my latest manuscript to a publisher and was waiting to hear back from them. I felt good about […]
Fall Books I Love
I’m wrapped in a blanket, wearing fuzzy socks, and drinking hot tea. No, it’s not winter, but this Texas-born girl feels cold as soon as the temps dip below 75. And seeing how northern Virginia got the fall memo on September 22nd, I’m permanently wrapped in layers. So I thought the perfect way to commiserate […]
The Strength of Story
I attended a ladies’ retreat this past weekend. It wasn’t a sleep-away retreat, thankfully. Those of us who are introverts need some down time in-between all that socializing. Even so, there was a lot of peopling that occurred. When you get a group of women together and discuss the things of God, some truths come […]
Sister Stories
The sister relationship is one of the most complicated. From best friends to mortal enemies, every set of sisters has a different dynamic and relationship, and that’s true not only from family to family but sister to sister within the same family. With three daughters and a sister of my own, it’s definitely a relationship […]
Small Town Romance
I live in a small town. I’ve lived in my small town of less than ten thousand people for the past twenty years. Before that I lived in another small town. And while there are some advantages to living in the city (and hey, I’ve written books set in cities from NYC to London) there’s […]
When Troubles Brew After “I Do”
Most romance novels end either with the couple on the threshold of marriage, with the wedding itself, or while the lovebirds are in newlywed bliss. We close the book with a happy sigh, knowing that this couple are going to grow old together, along with all the joys that married life brings. But, far too […]