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I Can Do This
I’m writing this on Fat Tuesday–we’ve been running moving-type errands today, getting ready for the movers to come tomorrow to pick up what Fred, our mover, (he rocks!) calls “the declutter load.” We’ve emptied closets, packed box after box, bin after bin, taken down photographs, and packed away tchotchkes and beloved knickknacks in an attempt to depersonalize our home in preparation for staging it and putting it up for sale. It’s been…freeing in many ways but also bittersweet, and I’ve discovered that there is no way to neutralize this house. It’s been too lived in, too loved in. Our rooms are cozy and warm and inviting, so I’m counting on…
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Revisions
I’m in revisions on Sean and Megan’s story. This is pretty much me for the next couple of weeks. My editor liked the story, had lots of good things to say about it, and really, the revisions aren’t arduous, but they are my same old issues–too much backstory and a heroine who needs to be fleshed out. Liz and I talked about the heroine thing when we were on retreat last week. Here’s the thing. I know my heroines–I know Megan and I think mostly, I’ve presented her well, but the guys in the Four Irish Brothers Winery series have taken center stage in each book because the books are…
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Writing Retreat Day 2
We are in our second day of writing retreat and we think we deserve great thumps of “good job, girls” on our backs. Because we have written, yes, and also because between the two of us, we’ve only bought one pound of fudge and two bottles of wine. No clothes. No sweatshirts proclaiming our whereabouts. We’ve eaten well—we always eat well—talked about everything from character development to eye shadow colors (neutrals work—who knew?), and slept well on the beds in the boutique hotel where we ended up staying. I am homesick, of course. It happens every time. Nan rolls her eyes when I admit it, but then she calls Jim,…
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Writing Retreat Day 1
It’s a little before 8 p.m. and Lizzie and I are already settled in our cozy room and we’ve both written a good bit since we checked in around 3 p.m. It’s been a nutty day. Right off, it is cold! Like winter serious cold! Our reservations were at a state park inn and we couldn’t check in until 4 pm, so we had lunch at this fabulous restaurant here in Nashville, IN — just fantastic food! An amazing cream of chicken soup with spinach and artichokes. Man was that ever tasty! The restaurant is part of an inn here in the heart of town–The Artists Colony Inn. It’s very…
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Retreat!
It’s Sunday morning and I’m still covered up with work, but I can see the light at the top of the heap finally. I’ve been focusing on editing gigs and packing up the house, so I haven’t written a word on Aidan’s book yet. However, I’m in full discovery mode and have even written a synopsis for the story, so I’m already ahead of the game on the book. Now it’s just down to writing, which will begin tomorrow when Liz and I get to our retreat. So, here are my new characters–hold a good thought for the story, which will be a Christmas book and even includes a young…
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A Sexy New Novella from Mellanie Szereto
Flavor of the Day A taste for something sexy… Roma Denata prefers spending her time inventing new flavors at her gelato shop and scratching her sexual itch on the run. Unfortunately, her annoying new landlord is a rash that won’t go away, no matter how often they take their clashes to an unexpected level. And more than her Italian temper reaches the boiling point. A temporary return to his hometown forces Lucas Calloway to rethink his reasons for avoiding emotional ties. His tenant makes him want more than a daily dose of sleeping with the enemy, and revealing his own disturbing secret is the perfect way to convince her to…
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Guest Jeana Mann!
Author pal Jeana Mann is here today with a fantastic sale on a boxed set with over 20 fabulous stories and it’s just 99 CENTS FOR A LIMITED TIME! Over 20 illicit romances with the sexy heroes and strong heroines you crave!Lose yourself in the world of hot hookups, where the stories run from sexy to downright scandalous and the characters will leave you breathless. In these pages, you’ll find tantalizing romance, rekindled flames, and forbidden trysts.From confident military men and suave billionaires to bad boy players, hot alphas, and more, you’re sure to find the illicit romance of your fantasies burning up these pages! These powerful, exciting men will…
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Writer or Author
When people ask me what I do, my answer sometimes depends on how and why they ask the question. If it’s a random, we-just-met-at-an-event kind of query, I choose my answer based on how involved I want to get in the conversation. I know how bitchy that sounds, but sometimes, you just don’t want to have a long conversation with someone you know for certain is going to immediately chortle when you tell them you’re a romance writer. So those folks get “I’m a freelance copy editor.” Then the conversation can steer toward “Oh, I bet that’s interesting,” rather than a smirking “Really? Like 50 Shades? Heh, heh.” Yeesh… Sometimes…
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BookBub Day!
Hey, kids! It’s my BookBub Day! I’m so excited about this feature ad on BookBub! Check it out! I’m holding a good thought that this special price on The Summer of Second Chances, book 3 in the Women of Willow Bay series will spark enough interest that all four books will rocket to the top of the e-book charts. So if you would pass the word, I’d sure appreciate it, and if you haven’t read any of my Women of Willow Bay books and you enjoy a good romantic suspense story, well, this is a great place to start!
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Happy New Year!
I’m writing this post on December 30 because I won’t be near my computer on January 1, 2019. I’ll be celebrating the new year with dear friends and hopefully, being pretty much electronics-free. But I didn’t want to miss a chance to start the new year with my best wishes to all my followers and readers for a joyful and peaceful and successful 2019. It’s been a rough few years for all of us, especially 2018, with the chaos in the country and life feeling so out of our control. My prayer for the country, for my loved ones, and for me is that we chill out. Stop and breathe.…