-
Celebrating Mom’s Way
I was just in the kitchen putting baked beans together and it occurred to me how much of my Mom’s way of doing things I’ve brought to my own adulthood. Like, for instance, baked beans. Mother was always horrified at the idea of dumping a can of baked beans into a pot and warming it up right from the can. Instead, she drained the beans, put them in a casserole dish, added barbecue sauce, mustard, a chopped onion, and brown sugar. Then she placed two strips of bacon across the top in an X and put them in the oven. She baked them until they were dry enough that when…
-
Brendan and Tierney–An Excerpt
Here’s a little sneak peak at a scene from The Baby Contract, Book 4 in the Four Irish Brothers Winery series releasing July 16, 2020 from Tule Publishing. You can preorder now and it will be waiting for you on your e-reader July 16! How fun! So, a little setup for this scene: Brendan Flaherty has just offered to father his friend Tierney Ashton’s baby. However, her idea of how it will all work is completely different from his! Enjoy the excerpt! Excerpt: The Baby Contract, Four Irish Brothers Winery, Book 4 She yanked a chair out and plopped down into it, tossing the damp crumpled paper towel on the…
-
The Baby Contract
We’ve got a cover and a title for Brendan Flaherty’s story, Book 4 in the Four Irish Brothers Winery series from yours truly and Tule Publishing. The Baby Contract. I’m so excited about this book because Brendan didn’t really start talking to me until I was into his book. His character was a little hazy at first, as was Tierney Ashton’s. But as I wrote their story, they both got so very chatty that it was hard to decide which part of their story to tell. I think the book is the longest one in the series and honestly, it could have been a series in itself. They are intriguing…
-
The Famous Sister
I love that I’m currently ranked #33 among all of Amazon’s Best-Selling Contemporary Romance Authors–what a wonderful feeling that is! My sister, PJ, teasingly refers to me as “my famous sister,” which I find delightful and hilarious because although I treasure her pride in my writing, I’m hardly famous. I’m simply a midlist romance author, although I do have a small cadre of loyal readers to whom I owe any success I can lay claim to. My publisher, Tule Publishing, has added to that group and I’m ever always grateful to the team there who work so hard on my behalf. But I have to tell you honestly, as I…
-
Hunkering Down…Really?
Right off, this is not news for me–I’m a freelance editor. Lock-down has basically been my life since 1996. I work from home, I write at home, I’m pretty much at home about 70% of the time. However, the whole idea that I have to stay at home is new to me and frankly, it’s kinda bugging me. I keep thinking of reasons I need to get in the car and go somewhere. If this self-quarantine thing wasn’t happening, I’d be merrily working away, needing nothing. Go figure. Here’s the thing, though; this isn’t really terrifying me. We needed a reset in this country, maybe this is the start of…
-
So Close…
I’m soclose to writing THE END on Book 4 of the Four Irish Brothers Winery series–Brendan’s story. Very soon, I’ll have a title and cover reveal for you. This series has been a ton of fun to write and I’m delighted my publisher and readers are loving the Flaherty brothers and the town of River’s Edge. In fact, my publisher has invited me to write another series that happens in River’s Edge, Indiana. So stay tuned! All your favorite characters–Mac from the Riverside Diner, Noah from the hardware store, Dot and Mary from the quilt store, Janet from the yarn shop, and many others old friends, as well as the…
-
We’re Back in Christmas Town for Valentine’s Day!
I am delighted to turn the blog over to Liz Flaherty, one of eight Harlequin Heartwarming authors who are bringing us a box set of new stories with a Valentine’s Day theme! Christmas Town, Maine is one of my very favorite settings and these stories are full of romantic fun! Tell us all about the new anthology, Liz… It’s a magical place, is Christmas Town, Maine, and the writers of its stories can’t wait to go back each year. They start planning the next roster of stories as soon as the current one is finished. They exchange names of characters and businesses and keep a bible of what’s been done…
-
The Empty Bed Review
I was fortunate enough to receive a ARC of The Empty Bed, Nina Sadowsky’s latest installment of the Burial Society series, and wow, what a thrill ride! I both loved, and I confess, was sometimes confused by, the various POVs and settings, but that didn’t keep me from reading well into the night with a driving need to know what happened next, and isn’t that what a thriller is all about? Sadowsky’s artful prose takes you on an intriguing adventure with operatives from the witness protection program/detective agency she created previously in The Burial Society as three different stories intertwine in three different parts of the world. Another exciting read…
-
Hibernation…
-
Simple Goals
I’m over at Word Wranglers today with my first post of the new year. Stop by and let’s talk about goals for 2020. Do you have any?