How many of you had imaginary friends when you were children? I was the only child of my mother and father. While I do have an older half-sister, she was only there every other weekend and six years my senior, making me essentially an only child.
Being an only child is lonely. I longed for a baby brother or sister, but my wish was never fulfilled. So, I made up some siblings. My older brother was Gregg and my younger sister was Amy. We rode bikes, had tea parties under the two maple trees in the front yard and ran through the grass during long, lazy summer days. Gregg was my protector and I was Amy’s.
I invented an entire world around these two. Little did I realize, God was shaping me and teaching me how to create new characters and get to know them as close as a brother. Today, I use similar techniques of daydreaming when I’m first starting a new story. The characters fill my thoughts. I imagine them in different situations. What might they say? How would they respond? Much of the work of writing is done in my mind. I’d love for you to come along and see my process and the finished results.
Available today, July 6th! My friend Dawn LeGros made the short video above to help promote my very first novel length cozy mystery, Murder on Mulberry Lane. This book kicks off something new for me. I still love romance novels and have a number of new releases on the horizon, but you’ll also get more mysteries in the near future.
Small town. Big secrets. One woman who refuses to mind her own business.
Mildred Wiggins isn’t nosy․
She just… pays attention․
It’s been fifty years since Mildred moved to the small Indiana town of Maple Hollow․ She knows her neighbors by name‚ their habits‚ and when something isn’t right․ The man living near her on Mulberry Lane has been setting off every alarm she has․
He’s rude․ Secretive․ Always in trouble with someone. When he’s found dead at the bottom of his porch steps‚ most of the neighbors are not surprised․
The police deem it an accident․
Mildred calls it suspicious․
Armed with her surprising powers of observation‚ her keen sense of justice‚ and her exceedingly opinionated rooster‚ Sir Alphonse Beauregard Clucksworth III‚ Mildred sets out to solve the case․ Because in a town like Maple Hollow, everyone knows everyone… which means anyone could be hiding something.
The deeper Mildred digs‚ the more she believes his death was not an accident․
It was murder․
But it will take more than curiosity to prove it. Will Mildred be the only one brave enough to ask the questions no one else dares?
After all, in Maple Hollow‚ secrets don’t disappear․
They wait․
Order Murder on Mulberry Lane Now!
Having more time to write now means more books coming up. Here is a schedule of books coming in 2026 and 2027.
July 6th - 𝑀𝑢𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑛 𝑀𝑢𝑙𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑦 𝐿𝑎𝑛𝑒. The first in the Mildred Wiggins Mystery Series
August 11th - 𝐺𝑢𝑛𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑠. This is part of the Mail-Order Brides Undercover multiple author series. Historical romance with a mystery.
October 2nd - 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑅𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟’𝑠 𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛. Part of the “Our House on Jakaranda Laan” multipleauthor series.
December - 𝑀𝑢𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑛 𝑆𝑎𝑤𝑑𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝐿𝑎𝑛𝑒. Book #2 in the Mildred Wiggins Mystery Series.
April 20th, 2027 - 𝐼𝑛 𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑆𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡. Also part of the Mail-Order Brides Undercover series.
June 3rd, 2027 - 𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑒’𝑠 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑. Part of the Mountain Men multiple author series “As Darkness Falls.”
Imagine walking to your mailbox. Instead of only bills and junk mail, you have a beautiful letter waiting, addressed to you, from your good friend Mildred Wiggins. She’s sharing the latest mystery in Maple Hollow and the clues she’s gathered. She needs your help figuring out what the mysterious light is on the hill.
I first discovered epistolary letters last summer when my granddaughter had an adventure through them that involved a princess, a dragon, a troll and a puzzle to solve. I kept turning over the idea in my mind, remembering how exciting it was for her each time a new message arrived.
The result is Mailbox Monologues. 24 letters sent over 12 months. Goodies, clues and little gifts to keep you entertained. At this time, you can choose from a cozy mystery or romantasy inspired by Beauty and the Beast. Subscribe month-to-month or get a discount by prepaying for the year. More stories will arrive once I’ve polished them to perfection.
People who love books often have vivid imaginations. Whether you read, write, or do both, you have to create a mental picture in your mind. What do you dream of? I’d love to hear from each of you, either as a comment on this post on Substack or via email. You can also visit me on Facebook and Instagram. I’m limiting other social media sites for the time being to allow me more time to write.
Until next time, I love you all.
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