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Wednesday Drop-In: Results of the Cover Survey
Bonjour, Mes Amis, Just dropping in real quick to let you know the results of the cover survey that I sent out to folks a few weeks ago. My friend who put the survey together sent the results of the data she collected. Here’s what the data tells us about the ideal book cover to appeal to the broadest possible audience: The winning formula: A photographic or richly illustrated cover, dominated by bright and vibrant colors, featuring compelling imagery that’s clearly related to the story — with mostly visuals and minimal text. Breaking it down by category: Style: The top three (photographic, illustrated, bold & graphic) are nearly tied, all hovering around…
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Sunday Snippet: The March Lists Edition
When I’ve got nothing, which is the situation as I sit here in front of my computer this morning, pal Liz always recommends doing a list or two. I figure why not? I was thinking maybe favorites books lists would be fun. What do you think? I’ll start. Five Favorite Childhood Books (Too easy, but also fun to think about): The Bobbsey Twins books by Laura Lee Hope–I often pretended I was Nan, the oldest girl twin. The Nancy Drew books by Carolyn Keene–I loved her sporty little convertible and dreamed about a boyfriend like Ned (FYI, he’s fiction). The Jennifer Wish by Eunice Young Smith–amazing stories about a family who…
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Sunday Snippet: The Red Boots and Style Edition
I’ve been working on becoming more confident and seeing myself in a new way. Clothes are part of this very slow transformation–wearing them, buying them, choosing them… knowing what best suits me. In the daybook Simple Abundance, Sarah Ban Breathnach talks about finding clothes that fit your lifestyle. That assumes I have a lifestyle, which I’m not entirely sure I really do. I’m a writer and editor. I pretty much live in comfort clothes–yoga pants, T-shirts with a sweater tugged over the top of them or a sweatshirt if it’s really cold outside. Slippers or socks and I’m good to go for the day. There are even days, I confess,…
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Author Spotlight: Welcome, Shanna Hatfield!
I’m always delighted to share new discoveries with you, and Shanna Hatfield and her books are a fab find for me! We met when I joined the Petticoats & Pistols blog and I’ve enjoyed getting to know her and the other “fillies” who are on the blog. It’s a joy to have her with me today. USA Today bestselling author Shanna Hatfield grew up on a farm where hay fever and life lessons were always in season. Today, she blends her rural roots with a love for storytelling, crafting sweet, wholesome romances filled with hope, humor, quirky characters, and realistic heroes paired with strong, inspiring heroines. When she’s not writing or baking new…
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Author Spotlight: It’s Me, Montana Cowboys, & a Giveaway!
We have a winner! Laura Delgado is the winner of the Montana Goodie Box! Thanks, everyone who stopped by! I love having all of you here! Bonjour, mes amis! Cue the confetti! Light the fireworks! The Cowboy’s Comeback, Book 2 in Juniper Falls Ranch, my very first cowboy contemporary romance series. I’m doing it–writing western romance–and I’m having the time of my life! As I work on finishing book 3 in this new series, I’m falling more in love with the little Montana town of Marietta with each book. I talk about gratitude a lot here. It’s a very real part of my life every day and today, I’m so…
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Sunday Snippet: The January 2026 Musings Edition
How it’s already January 18? Wasn’t it just Thanksgiving? Heck, wasn’t it just summer, for heaven’s sake? Time is going by too quickly. Basically, we’re hunkered down here because the weather is so bitter, flu and Covid are rampant, and I’m doing a round of a topical chemo cream on some pre-cancerous spots on my face, which makes me look kinda gross. I feel safe in my little brick house in the Nest, but the days are are dark–not just because of the season but also because of what is happening in our nation and in the world. We watch events in Minnesota with horror, praying for the folks there,…
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Sunday Snippet: The Audio Books & Memories Edition
I’ve just started listening to audiobooks recently—frankly, since my own book, Forever Cowboy, was released on audio. (Little plug there. Yeah, I’m shameless.) Anyway, I never thought I could listen to an audiobook in the car and keep my focus on driving. Surprisingly, I’m finding that I can, indeed, listen to an audiobook and drive. I started with Claire Cook’s Must Love Dogs because I’ve read the book, enjoyed the film they made from it, and I know the story. I thought maybe if I knew a story it would be less likely to distract me while I was driving. Last month, I listened as I drove up to a…
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Sunday (Whoops, Thursday) Snippet: The Happy New Year Edition
Today is the first day of 2026, and frankly, I’m skipping resolutions and a word for the year and planning all the ways I’m going to succeed and be amazing this year. My plan for 2026 is to simply survive another year of this regime. Well, okay, not simply survive, I also intend to do what I can do to resist and get educated on how I can best fight for our Constitution and the rule of law. That might mean donating to causes, marching in protests, and voting in important elections, but it won’t mean posting and reposting that resistance on Facebook. On Facebook, I’m preaching to the choir.…
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Sunday Snippet: The December Mourning to Joy Edition
Yesterday was the 11-year anniversary of my sister, Kate’s, death. On December 19, 2014, cancer stole Kate from me. It’s always a hard day, but this year felt harder … weepier than usual. Not sure why. Maybe because the state of the world has left my emotions raw and simmering close to the edge since last Christmas. I’m exhausted with worry and fear and cringing at whatever’s next. But Kate’s was a quiet, peaceful passing. She had dealt with health issues for some time, but by the time we discovered what was happening, the cancer had spread and her body had no more fight in it. Three months after the…
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Author Spotlight: Bestie Liz Flaherty Joins Me Today–Always a Pleasure!
I’m so glad to welcome my writing bestie, author Liz Flaherty to the Spotlight today. I stole her bio right off her website because it charms the socks off me. She wanted to shake the dust of central Indiana farm country and move to the city, get rich, wear designer clothes, and write books. Well, she writes books. Liz Flaherty lives five miles from where she grew up, only now she relishes the sights and sounds and scents of the fields around her, doesn’t care much about clothes, and thinks being rich would probably have been overrated anyway. She’s spent the past several years enjoying not working a day job,…