Hello, lovely reader!
I hope you and those you love are happy, safe, and well. I'm praying for God's peace and love to rest on the world, and on you, too, especially in these troubled times.
So, it’s travel day again for hubby and me! This evening I’m off to our Bulgarian retirement house, on the night flight rather than the morning flight I usually take. I’ll travel to Bulgaria on the plane he’s flying into the UK on. We won’t see each other — again! — but it’s the only way to minimise the time our cats are left alone in either of the houses.
Life is going to be so much easier when we can be both living in one place — God willing, in our retirement home. It be nice for hubby and I to actually see each other. Though video calls are fun (we did one on Tuesday where he had kittens climbing all over him!), it’s not the same as being together. And I would be happy never to travel further than the next town once we are settled in our village house!
I’m praying I can successfully apply for the residency visa without needing to wait till I reach official retirement age next year and get my pension. If I can get the visa, we could move as early as this autumn. Putting that in God’s hands, and also doing the work by taking a load of paperwork with me to get officially translated as part of my application!
And on to the book news!
What I’m writing now… or that should be, still writing!
You may have seen this before a few months ago, and I’m posting this again to remind me that this story needs to be completed! She’s the exiled princess of a tiny imaginary Balkan kingdom in the mountains between Bulgaria and Serbia. He’s had the job of hereditary Prime Minister thrust on him by a tragedy. Someone or something is threatening their country. A marriage of convenience might be the only way to save it!
The “Can they find lasting love?” question in the image isn’t quite right, at least, only the “lasting” part! It’s more, can they make their love work despite all the issues in the way. It’s becoming clear they already have the love, after growing up together and sharing a sweet first kiss in their teens, though their love was forbidden. But there are so many complications…
My writing process varies from book to book. Some I have a very strong idea of and plan in advance, at least the main events. Some I have no idea apart from seeing two people together in a situation and discovering more about them and their situation as I write. Often even with planned stories they surprise me by throwing something unexpected, and that’s a good thing! Sometimes it feels as if the words are flowing directly from God. If I overthink the story and try too hard to do it in my own strength, it gets stuck.
Which is why this one has been a long time coming. Stuck, stuck, stuck again! I have rewritten the first fifty pages of the book more times than I can count. So I’m sitting back and letting God send me insights. Who are these people? What led to them being where they are right now? What is His plan and intention for them? Where do they need to grow, change, and surrender to Him to get there? What will help them do that?
Like life for all of us, really!
I had hoped that I’d get a lot done over the past few weeks. I had a bunch of the author assistant work I do helping other authors to do first, which was fine, but the pesky dental issues (breaking a back tooth my first morning back in the UK, which needed a difficult surgical extraction!) completely derailed my intentions. So I’m hoping that this trip, between cat care, working on the house and garden, time with my sweet friends there, supporting hubby back in the UK, and singing in the choir for the summer festival, I will be able to immerse myself in this story and make some solid progress. Prayers appreciated!
Still 99c US & UK for a couple more days!
If you enjoy romances where initial antagonism becomes reluctant love and you don’t have a copy of my This Can’t Be Love! ebook set yet, just a reminder that it’s currently reduced to 99c in the US and UK, but only until June 6. Stories are all deeply emotional and faith-filled and range from tiny lakeside communities to the heart of London. Includes accidental false pretences, reluctant fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, matchmaking friends, boss/employee, and reunion, but in every story, love (especially God’s love!) overcomes all barriers and transforms the couples’ lives.
This week’s f-r-e-e recommendation!
Here are the new f-r-e-e additions for my to-be-read library this week! No-cost this morning on Amazon but prices do change so be sure to check before hitting the buy button! All should be clean and faith-friendly, but as I haven’t read any of these stories yet, I hope I haven’t missed anything I wouldn’t normally choose to share!
The Secret Obituary Writer by Amy Martinsen is clean rom com/mystery;
Against All Odds by Irene Hannon is Christian romantic suspense;
A Secret Summer Child by Lee Tobin McClain is a Christian romance of healing and redemption;
The Promise of Picnics by Emily Dana Botrous is an opposites attract small-town Christian romance;
One Last Stand by Susan May Warren is Christian romantic suspense;
Nobody by Creston Mapes is a Christian murder mystery/ thriller, not my usual reading choice, but this looks really good! Just check the price — it is showing as f-r-e-e in the US, but not in the UK, so this could be a US only price reduction.
This week’s group book promos!
If you’re looking for something new to read, this group promo features seventy sweet and clean romances!
Includes my stories His Radiant Bride (small-town single dad/ marriage of convenience), Imperfectly Proverbs 31 (accidental false pretences/ antagonists to love), See Me (boss/employee, fake engagement), Teapots & Tiaras (antagonists to love/ matchmaking friends), Dolce Vita (friends to love in Wales and Italy), and More Than Friends (brother’s best friend/ colleagues to love).
Though the organiser specified that all books should be genuinely clean, I can’t say for sure they all are, so please choose carefully!
Pet news
The UK cats have all been relatively well-behaved, though the extreme temperature swings mean everyone is shedding! I’ve been spending a lot of time cleaning up hair and hairballs.
Here’s Gremmie again, looking very sweet and innocent. Except he shouldn’t be sitting in my medication box, especially after removing the tight lid on his own! It could be worse, I’m thankful he didn’t try opening medication packets!
The Bulgarian kittens are all doing well, even tiny Squeak, but are STILL in the house. In previous years this semi-feral barn cat mother has raised her kittens completely outdoors, but with aggressive tomcats and a fox prowling around (sadly it took two of my neighbour’s hens last week), she’s obviously decided she wants to be a house cat now to keep her babies safe. They have all started eating solid food and are litter trained, but Little Girl is still feeding them, too.
Those babies have grown!
This week's randomly chosen ebook winners are Patricia, Diana, Raz, Iona, and Edwina. If your first name or the name in your email address matches one of the winners' names in the list above, reply letting me know which of my solo ebooks (sorry, sets are not included) you'd like as a free Bookfunnel download. You can see them all here. His Tender Mercy and Heart in Hiding aren't yet released, so if you opt for one of these, you'll be added to a wait list and get a copy when your choice is finally reader-ready.
This week's give.away — five subscribers who click any link in this email by Sunday, June 7, 2026 will be randomly chosen to win their choice of my ebooks and will be named in next week's newsletter.
Until next week, I'm praying you and those you love are happy and healthy, with many precious moments of peace and joy to brighten your days.
Blessings, and happy reading,
O God, in mercy bless us; let Your face beam with joy as You look down at us. Send us around the world with the news of Your saving power and Your eternal plan for all mankind. How everyone throughout the earth will praise the Lord! How glad the nations will be, singing for joy because You are their King and will give true justice to their people! Praise God, O world! May all the peoples of the earth give thanks to You. For the earth has yielded abundant harvests. God, even our own God, will bless us. And peoples from remotest lands will worship Him. Psalm 67 TLB
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