Sunday, May 26, 2019

Contest Season

A lot of people ask me why I still enter writing contests. After all, I've published 19 books, and written plenty more that will never come out from under the bed. Am I a glutton for punishment or what?

It takes a great amount of courage to enter a contest.After all, you're asking for people to tear into the story you've poured yourself into for months and find things wrong with it.  I'm not a trophy collector and don't really care if I win. But I would like to be a finalist, since that means my work gets read by someone in the industry. However, even if I don't make it into the top three, I can count on getting some really helpful feedback about my entry. That's the real reason I enter contests. Since I moved to North Carolina, I lost my critique group. And it doesn't matter how many books you've written, another set of eyes on your work is always a good idea. Often the author is too close to the work, knows exactly what the story is about, even though it hasn't translated entirely to the page.


Such is the case with my current WIP. The idea sprouted from a scene in another book I was working on and I decided to run with it. But, while I was running, I kept one of the characters from the original manuscript and he kind of was like the headless horseman in this instance. I didn't really think about him in this manuscript, since it worked in the other book, but the contest judges were left scratching their heads. Needless to say, the man is gone now. He hit the cutting room floor with a resounding thud.

I've taken the comments from the first contest and improved the opening scenes of the book. And I have even more ideas on how to improve it further. Since a book is never done, even after it's published, I'll keep working on this one.

Watch this space.

Sunday, May 19, 2019

It's Re-Release Time!

As most of you know, I have decided to re-release all nine books in the Cotillion Ball Series, plus the novella prequel, as I regained the rights to this landmark series. Book 7 in the series, Expressly Yours, Samantha, is available for pre-orders now and will be released on May 30. It contains one of my favorite tropes–a girl who disguises herself as a boy or man. In this case, Samantha, or Sam, decides to sign on with the Pony Express until she can reach her 18th birthday and legally be free of her uncle. Here's the cover of this tale that has fast horses, duplicity and intrigue. There's even a reference to my favorite explorer, Jedediah Smith.



The novella prequel, An Unconventional Courtship, is still available at no charge. If you'd like to read about how George and Charlotte met and fell in love, this sweet little tale will help you understand how they raised such unique children. Here's the link for the free download: https://claims.prolificworks.com/free/wPvUwkuJ


Happy Reading! Load up your Kindle and get ready for the beach.

Sunday, May 12, 2019

Happy Mother's Day!

Today is Mother's Day, the time when we all pause for a moment and think about the woman who gave us birth. My own mother has been gone for more than twenty years, but my best friend has willingly allowed me to share her mother, and two of my sisters, and my nieces are mothers, so I do have cause to celebrate. In fact, if you count a four-legged offspring, I guess I'm a mother, too.


I certainly write enough about women who, if they aren't mothers already, they will be by the time the book is finished. In fact, Charlotte and George Fitzpatrick had nine children before they stopped reproducing. Nine children wasn't as unusual 150 years ago as it is now, but George wanted to stop at three or four. Charlotte's wish was for a large family. And we see who won that battle.

I can think of no better way to celebrate the day than to offer up Charlotte and George's story to everyone, free of charge. Here's the link to download your copy: https://claims.prolificworks.com/free/wPvUwkuJ


And to all the selfless mothers out there, Happy Mother's Day! I hope you get to prop your feet up for a little while, anyway, and read about Charlotte and George.

Sunday, May 5, 2019

It's Giveaway Time!

It's my birthday month, and I'm celebrating. I think birthdays shouldn't be limited to a specific day, but rather should encompass the entire month. So, you might ask, what am I doing to celebrate?

Glad you asked.

I recently got the rights back to the final two books I had with Crimson Romance/Simon & Schuster. One of these was the sweet romance novella that encapsulated the meeting and romance of Charlotte and George Fitzpatrick, the heads of the Fitzpatrick household, and parents to the nine children who have their own individual stories in the Cotillion Ball books. Charlotte and George most certainly did have An Unconventional Courtship. 


So, to celebrate the re-release of this sweet book, I'm offering it up for free, all this month. Here's the link to download your free copy :https://claims.prolificworks.com/free/wPvUwkuJ

Your free copy will be available from now until the end of May. Thanks for sharing my birthday month with me.