MONTHLY NEWSLETTER: January/February

The time for my first 2012 newsletter has rolled around...and there’s so much to tell that I don’t know where to start!

I celebrated a birthday in late January, and it turned into a whole week of celebrating. My BFF Marian flew in from Ohio, and some of my favorite people on the planet joined us for dinner; there were movies and lunches and facials...and lots of special coffees! It turned out to be just what I needed to rejuvenate me before Marian flew home and I started into the home stretch on the final book in the Baker series.

The Another Emma Rae Creation series of books that started with Always the Baker Never the Bride introduced my readers (and me!) to Emma and Jackson, characters with whom I fell in love. Three more novels were contracted to follow that first one, and in the final book (Always the Baker FINALLY the Bride), I was given the opportunity of providing a long-lasting happy ending for Emma and Jackson.

Have you seen the movie classic, Romancing the Stone? Kathleen Turner’s character was an introverted romance novelist who wrote in her jammies with music playing in her ears. Upon completing the book in tears, she dried her eyes, blew her nose, and shared a toast with her cat to celebrate. When I put the final touches on the last book of the series yesterday, I had a quick flash of Kathleen.

Wearing an oversized tee, sweatpants, and my hair piled on top of my head in a messy ponytail, I wrote the last words before I turned off the music, hugged my dog Sophie, and cried for several minutes. After blowing my nose, I put together a late dinner: a green salad, cheese and wheat crackers, some red grapes and strawberries, and a glass of wine. (And yes, I sat on the sofa and shared a few bites of the cheese with my dog!) When we were through, I didn’t smash the wine glass in the fireplace – mostly because I drank it from a plastic cup, and my fireplace is electric – but the sentiment was there.

Yeah, the life of a romance novelist. It’s a glamourfest.

In other great news, I signed a contract a few weeks ago with Moody Publishing to write a contemporary series of romantic comedies for their River North imprint, each of them based on fairy tales. Since the first of them – If the Shoe Fits (Cinderella) – has to be turned in just a few months from now, I’ll only have a week to cleanse the creative palette before I start writing again.

It’s all about the writing schedule, peeps!

Also in the tunnel for this year is a novel for Abingdon Press’ new line, Quilts of Love. Each of the books in the series center around a quilt, and mine will be a memory quilt for an ovarian cancer support group. I’m really excited about it because, as I think most of my readers and writer buds know by now, I’m a survivor of the disease. The novel will be based on characters living here in the Tampa area, and the Ovacome support group at my treatment center will be featured.

There are some other really exciting possibilities in the air as well. It seems like when it rains with interest in my writing, it really does pour, so I may have more interesting announcements in the months to come. Stay tuned!

The third book in the Baker series (Always the Designer Never the Bride) hits bookstores next month. If you’d like to know more about it and/or view the video trailer, just go to nav bar on the right and click on the ABOUT MY BOOKS page. I’m really excited for readers to get to know Audrey and J.R., and to take a little trip back to The Tanglewood for a visit.

I have some upcoming opportunities to meet and get to know my readers as well. I’ll be doing a private Skype chat next week with a small book club in Rhode Island that is reading the whole Baker series. Then in March, I’ll be talking to and signing books for a group of educators here in Florida. The diversity of my readers always excites me, and I love meeting them whenever I can.

Special 4th birthday wishes to my favorite little girl, Olivia. Her awesome brother Nico turns 3 shortly as well.

Marian has a birthday coming up next month, too...but I’m pretty sure Chuck E. Cheese won’t be involved in her celebration. I could be wrong though.

I also want to send out special thanks to Bonnie Cordova, the wonderful reader who won the contest to choose Emma’s wedding cake in the final book. I really enjoyed our conversation, and I had a ball writing her into FINALLY the Bride as a character who meets Emma and Jackson.

Until next month...Be safe, be blessed and watch for evidence of His grace. It’s everywhere!