Hey there happy reader!

I can’t believe that it’s almost Labor Day! It always seems as if summer is the quickest of all the seasons. Here in the northeast, May is rainy and cold, June slowly warms up and then boom! We have two months of heat and humidity before the leaves begin to fall. Cue the pumpkin spice…

I don’t mind this change at all because fall is my favorite time of year. 

I think it has something to do with the beginning of the school year. I’ve always loved blank notebooks, sharpened pencils, and the excitement at the chance to learn something new. Even though I haven’t been a traditional student for a very long time, I find autumn to be reinvigorating. The crisp air, the deep blue skies, the crunch of falling leaves underfoot… it all makes me happy.

So even though I haven’t been to the beach yet this summer, I’m already turning the page. Bring me a pumpkin spice latte, please!

I may no longer find myself in a classroom, but I feel as though I’m always learning something new. 

I think it has all to do with writing historical novels. Through my research for my work-in-progress, “Below the Horizon,” I’ve discovered so much about Stonehenge that I might have never known.

For instance, the multi-stoned monument was not built as a burial ground or cemetery, as many once believed. Now it’s thought that Stonehenge was a community center, a place where the people of that time came to share news and trade goods.

Scientists have determined through carbon dating exactly where the stones came from and how old they are, and archeologists have discovered artifacts that have led them to believe that the people who lived there cooked over open fires and had a sense of true community.

How did they know to position those stones so that the sun rose directly overhead on the spring and autumn equinox? No one knows, and maybe that’s a mystery that will never be answered. It is nice to be able to think about it and create my own world out of that exact question…

To me, that’s the joy of writing fiction.

You get to build a world, populate it with interesting characters, and tell a story. I can’t wait to put this new book in your hands… and this time, the professionally narrated audiobook will be available immediately as well!

For now, get outside to enjoy these waning days of summer. Sit under a tree, head to the beach (if your surf isn’t too rough!) and read a book. You deserve the time to catch your breath and re-energize!

Hey there happy reader!

We’re inching closer to the publication of my new and improved small-town romance series, “The Gypsy Moth Chronicles,” and I couldn’t be more excited. As you know, I’ve signed on with Vinci Books, a London-based publisher specializing in working with indie authors like me.

I’ve shared the new cover art with you already, but here’s another look…

As soon as I have the publication date, I’ll let you know here first! 

And then, in a random and very cluttered antique store in Santa Rosa, California this weekend, I found these…

These two small dishes have gypsy moths painted on them! 

I think it was a sign letting me know that those books are going to make a splash once they hit the marketplace. Or at least I hope so…

This is one of the libraries at Oxford University…

I’ve been spending a lot of time with my work-in-progress, “Beyond the Horizon.” I’m incredibly invested in my two female protagonists, one (Maya) nearing the end of her career, the other (Miriam) just beginning hers. It’s an interesting juxtaposition; one I didn’t really plan on when I began writing this book.

It’s always fascinating to me when a novel takes a turn that I didn’t expect. No matter how many outlines I create, or how many notes I take, the characters always dictate the story – literally! I hear them telling me everything I need to know. 

The photo of the library above is a perfect example of that. When I started this novel, I had no idea what an important role it would play for one of my characters. Imagine discovering something unknown in a library within a book as ancient as the original printing press. It’s intriguing, right?

And while we’re on the topic of historical novels, who else is watching Diana Gabaldon’s “Blood of My Blood?” It’s the origin story of “Outlander,” and I’m hooked!