“Debut” seems to be the word of the month around here. And I’d like to keep that going — but turn the attention to someone else. Keli Gwyn is one of the nicest, kindest, most encouraging persons I’ve met as I’ve traveled the writing road. As a matter of fact, I could have filled the previous sentence up with a …
Tonight: The Debutantes’ Story Soiree!
Today’s the day — and I couldn’t be more excited!! Tonight I’m celebrating the launch of Wish You Were Here with three other authors who also debuted in May: Dani Pettrey: Submerged Katie Ganshert: Wildflowers from Winter Olivia Newport: The Pursuit of Lucy Banning I hope you can join us for a one-of-a-kind live launch party! Time: 7:30 – 9:00 …
In My Words: A Wedding Gown Revisited
I hadn’t seen my wedding gown in almost 32 years. You read that right: 32 years. I celebrate my 32nd wedding anniversary with my husband Rob on May 24. With my book launch celebration slated for May 5 (just a couple of days ago), I decided it was time to unpack my wedding gown. Why? In Wish You Were Here, …
Wish You Were Here: What’s Up with the Llamas?
So, let’s talk llamas. I know, I know. I write romance. I should be introducing you to the hero in my debut novel, Wish You Were Here. But the llamas — Kuzko, Pacha and Banzai — have have always attracted a bit of attention along the way to publication. The conversation usually goes like this: Interested person: So what’s your …
Romance & Wish You Were Here & Llamas
Yes, that’s me playing “get to know you” with a llama. Ah, the things novelists do for the sake of research. What do llamas have to do with inspirational contemporary romance? Some would say nothing. But since I am the author of Wish You Were Here, I would say llamas add a whole other layer of fun to a …
Contemporary Romance Writer: A Glimpse at Setting #2: The Stanley Hotel
httpv://youtu.be/85qgvXkts14 My friend Dee Topliff corrects me on some misinformation in the vlog: Author Stephen King stayed at The Stanley Hotel (in room 217) when he wrote The Shining. The Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood in Oregon was used for all the exterior shots. Thank you, Dee! 😉 Last week I ventured into the vlog-o-sphere and gave you all a …
Contemporary Romance Writer: A Glimpse at Setting #1 — Estes Park
httpv://youtu.be/uxpwvgRdyTU I took the plunge into the vlog-o-sphere! Thanks to the inspiration of my debut buddy, Katie Ganshert, who is a vlogging trailblazer, I took my FlipShare with me when I wandered through Estes Park right before Christmas. My debut novel, Wish You Were Here (WYWH), an inspirational contemporary romance published by Howard Books (May 2012), takes place in both …
Contemporary Romance Writer: How Do You Define Happily Ever After?
Every self-respecting romance novel or movie ends with a happily ever after, or HEA in writer-speak. But if we were all sitting around my family room talking romance (lovely idea, that!) and we tried to determine the components of a HEA … well, I’m not sure we could. Spoiler Alert: I give away the endings to some books, so …
Contemporary Romance Writer: What is the appeal of Christmas Romances?
A blog post or two ago, we chatted about how romance sells. Side note: I love when the conversation flows on this blog. I read every comment and am determined to respond to every one. After all, if you take time to read and comment on my post, I want to respond in kind. Back to today’s topic: ‘Tis …
Contemporary Romance Writer: What’s Your Inspiration?
Over at my author page on the Simon & Schuster website, someone in the editorial department wrote a blurb (great word, that!) about my debut novel, Wish You Were Here.* Within the blurb is this phrase: “WYWH … is sure to be a pleasure to inspirational romance readers.” Ah. Yes, it’s true: WYWH is categorized as an inspirational contemporary romance …