• 8-Sentence Sunday

    Can you believe it’s a new 8-Sentence Sunday? Where is the time going? I’m deep into Book 3 of the Women of Willow Bay series–Sarah’s as-yet untitled story. I’m open to suggestions by the way. Setup is the same as last week–Sarah is closing up La Belle Femme, the resale shop she manages at a women’s shelter in Chicago. A mysterious limo has been parked outside each evening for the past couple of days and she and Mack, the nightwatchman are wondering… “Yup,” Sarah returned the smile—Mack was a sweetheart. She switched off all the lights except the can lights over the front window and locked the register as he…

  • 8-Sentence Sunday

    Annnndddd…we’re back with a new Weekend Writing Warrior’s 8-Sentence Sunday post. I’ve decided to take you all along as I start my new Women of Willow Bay novel, so who knows where we’ll end up. This week, I’m giving you the first 8 sentences of the new book. So here’s the setup: We met our heroine in Sex and the Widow Miles–she’s Sarah Everett, the woman who ran the Chicago resale shop in the battered women’s shelter where Julie volunteered. Remember tough little red-headed Sarah, who went toe-to-toe with a gun-toting abuser? Six years ago, she escaped her abusive husband and ran away to Chicago, where she now manages the…

  • Weekend Writing Warriors 8-Sentence Sunday

    Sunday’s here and so are the Weekend Writing Warriors! Continuing the scene in the coffee shop between Carrie and Liam in Once More From the Top, they’re finally face-to-face after 16 years. She’s determined to maintain her cool, even though inside, she’s a wreck, but his cool is making that impossible… “Mind if I join you?” She shook her head since he was already pulling out the chair opposite hers. When she was finally able to speak, her voice was raspy. “What are you doing here?” “Getting coffee?” She gave an exasperated sigh. “I mean what are you doing in Willow Bay?” “Vacation… with a little work thrown in.” He…

  • Weekend Writing Warriors 8-Sentence Sunday

    It’s Sunday and you know what that means! Time for another snippet from one of my novels. So we’re still with Carrie in ONCE MORE FROM THE TOP, and she’s still reeling after discovering that the man who’s haunted her dreams for so long is suddenly  in Willow Bay. In this scene, she’s sitting in the local coffee shop reading the paper a couple of days after seeing Maestro Liam Reilly for the first time in sixteen years. Of course the big news in the Arts and Entertainment section is…you guessed it… The headline jumped out at her as she shook the Record-Eagle open to the Arts and Entertainment section,…

  • Weekend Writing Warriors 8-Sentence Sunday

    It’s a new week and a new 8-Sentence Sunday. Continuing in the scene from last week’s snippet, Carrie in Once More From the Top, has figured out that her old friend and teacher was the one who brought Maestro Liam Reilly back into her life. Panic has set in and she confronts Eliot in a hurried and hushed phone call: “You promised,” Carrie choked out the words in a whisper. “You promised me you wouldn’t tell him.” “I haven’t told him a thing.” “Not yet you haven’t; don’t, Eliot, please.” Carrie begged and then hated herself for it. Eliot sighed. “I told you, he can draw the kind of crowd…

  • Weekend Writing Warriors 8-Sentence Sunday

    I’m switching books on you again! Here’s a snippet from Once More From the Top—Carrie’s story from The Women of Willow Bay series. She’s just seen Maestro Liam Reilly for the first time in 16 years and she’s trying to figure out why on earth he is in Willow Bay. Suddenly it occurs to her that her dear friend and former piano coach, Eliot, may have been responsible. Frantic and furious, she dials him and demands to know if he brought Liam to town and why.  Eliot’s response is typically cool and controlled, even though she’s flying apart: “I can see that talking to you tonight is going to be…

  • Weekend Writing Warriors 8-Sentence Sunday

    We’re here again—yay! Back in the apartment with a very frustrated and turned-on Julie. She’s trying to figure it all out… Sex had reared its frustrating little head again, and I hadn’t been so shocked about anything since the night Charlie dropped dead in my arms. Taking a deep breath, I poured some more wine into my glass and slugged it down. It never occurred to me that I’d desire anyone except my husband. I’d never wanted any man but Charlie, so when he died, I assumed I’d live my life as a widow and one day a grandmother, but never again as someone’s lover. When was the appropriate time…

  • Weekend Writing Warriors 8-Sentence Sunday

    I’m back from vacation and ready to “Warrior up!” It’s been a couple of weeks since my last snippet, but we’re still in the kitchen with Julie in Sex and the Widow Miles. Will has just kissed her and then walked out and she’s very confused and aching and well…horny… I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until the door closed quietly behind Will, and I released it in a giant whoosh before I laid my forehead on the cool granite of the countertop. Shit, shit, shit. My heart still pounded, every nerve humming from that sensual contact. Good Lord, the boy could kiss; the man could kiss, because…

  • Weekend Writing Warriors 8-Sentence Sunday

    Here we are again. Ready for another 8 from SEX AND THE WIDOW MILES? Last week, Will and Jules were sharing a piece of chocolate lava cake and things got a little…intimate… Picking up from last week: When he ran his finger over my mouth, heat flushed my cheeks. I blinked and sucked in a quick breath, “Will, I—” “Shhh,” He cupped my face and stroked my cheek with his thumb, tunneling his fingers under my hair. Tugging me closer, he leaned in and lightly touched his lips to mine. When I didn’t pull away, he increased the pressure, letting his tongue trace the seam between my lips. I put…

  • Weekend Writing Warriors 8-Sentence Sunday

    I’m back, Fellow Warriors, after a glorious week’s vacation at the lake. This snippet is from my upcoming novel Sex and the Widow Miles--one of the first two books in the Women of Willow Bay series, releasing on September 26. We’re back with Julie and Will again. They’ve finished dinner at her apartment and are sharing a chocolate molten lava cake for dessert. Chocolate, whipped cream, and Will make for a hot situation for Jules, but she’s managing to bluster her way through it. They’ve been joking together about who is the most devoted chocolate fan and she finds another opportunity to remind Will of the difference in their ages,…