May Day, May Day!

Happy May Day, everyone! Don’t you love the delicate, flowering trees and cheery tulips and daffodils erupting around us? I remind myself to appreciate such beauty and resilience when the world seems to be on fire. Anytime we have the chance, we should stand for hope, goodness, and kindness. Books and like-minded friends are blessings along this journey, and I’m also thankful that my transplanted rhubarb actually survived the winter in clumps of dirt in my garage! Now that’s hardy perseverance.

“Perseverance” is one of my personal 2025 keywords. Writing and publishing is a long-haul process fraught with rejection. I hit one of those walls recently with my in-process historical novel. But it turned out to be another blessing. With the help of a librarian pal, I finally snagged a 600-page, out-of-print history of the Southern Indiana mineral spa hotels where my book is set.

Having done a ton of research already, I figured I’d discover a few new things and confirm—or disprove—other assumptions. Nope. ONE PAGE in this massive tome upended my whole second section.

A scandalous shooting by a crazed divorcee! A shattered engagement! Those events led to the loveless marriage I’d already focused on. I’ll leave you with these titillating tidbits as I re-weave my story once again. It’s hard work, but the novel will be better, and juicer, for it!!

Have you ever attended a live event with a super-successful author?

Blockbuster author Shelby Van Pelt drew nearly four hundred readers to a local library presentation last week. Wow! She debuted in 2022, the same year as my first book, Divine Vintage. But she’s sold more than two million copies, and there’s a Netflix movie in the works with Sally Field as Tova. Shelby offered a great presentation, and it was inspiring to hear how many years she reworked this book. When it was done, she first heard about the streaming movie sensation My Octopus Friend. She literally sat on the floor and cried. Turned out, that was another blessing in disguise. She tapped into the movie’s success, found an agent, and sold fast at auction. Have you read this marvelous, quirky tale?

Happy one-year anniversary today to The Ghostly Diva, the third and final tale in the Divine Vintage series. If you haven’t dived into these books yet, Diva is the first in chronological order. They’re all standalones, but after that one, you can swing up to Divine Vintage and end with Divinely Dramatic. Or if you’ve read the others, please add Justine and Liza’s poignant tale to your spring / summer reading list. :) They’re all great beach reads.

Buy Diva Now

My friend Maggie Sims / Debbie Charles is offering a free signed paperback of her new release, Dances with Pucks, for my subscribers here! And yay, the giveaway is open internationally. Mags writes erotic Regency romance, while Debbie skates into contemporary hockey romance. Both pseudonyms offer searing heat levels, so have your fans ready!

Here’s the scoop:

He's an NHL goalie, but guarding the net is not his only goal. She's an introverted financial whiz billionaire, who used to compete in ballroom dancing...and now his instructor as well as part owner of his team.

Dances with Pucks is a workplace romance between two incredibly flexible people, which means things get steamy, stretched, and sometimes twisted. It introduces the Texas Tornadoes, the hottest, coolest expansion NHL team in hockey.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on which athletes you think are the sexiest - NHL / NFL / FIFA / professional dancer / gymnast / other. (Umm, those football pants…)