3/5/26 – From self-published to being represented by an indie publisher… what a wild ride!

Hey there happy reader,

As you know, I am now represented by Vinci Books, a London-based publisher who is committed to putting my books out into a much larger world than I could have ever imagined doing by myself. When I signed on, they let me know that they would be changing the covers of all my titles, starting with “The Gypsy Moth Chronicles” series.

What I didn’t realize when this all began, was that they would test everything – the art, the titles, and the series name.

(Where it started)

They changed the art first and I loved the way they made the covers look like vintage postcards.

(Where it went next)

But they weren’t done researching the market, defining my readers and paying attention to the small details.

For example, the word “chronicles” confused the audience. It implies an historical novel, not a contemporary one. Plus, the image was too “old-fashioned” and not current enough to catch the attention of those we were trying to reach.

So…

(Where we are now)

A full re-boot! Not only did they design an entire new set of covers – the rest will be revealed next week – we worked together to rename both the series and the books.

Welcome to “The Seasons of Us” – a collection of five novels. I am very excited about all of this…

Of course, Vinci will let buyers know that these books have been renamed, so that if you bought the originals, you’ll know you’ve already read these stories. 

But to attract a whole new audience, I think this is the way to go. The cover art is very much in fitting with the trends in the contemporary romance marketplace and because this series is about a group of friends who become a family, I think the new titles make sense. I hope you’ll agree.

And, coincidentally, yellow is my all-time favorite color, so it feels like a good omen that the first cover is bathed in this happy shade.

All I can say is that I can’t wait to see what happens next!

I am so close to finally finishing “From Below the Horizon,” my Stonehenge saga. 

This book has taken me FOUR YEARS to complete, from initial concept to completed manuscript. I don’t know about you, but it feels like it’s taken over my life!

I dream about the characters, and I solved a plot mistake in my sleep. Seriously. I knew I had an unresolved plot hole, and I was wrestling with how to fix it when I shot up out of bed at four in the morning with the idea that solved the problem. Crazy, right?

Finally, I think this writing thing might have some strong genetic links! Our three-year-old grandson wrote his very first poem. His mom is a wonderful writer (the poem is reprinted from her Substack) and his Gigi dabbles a bit, lol!

Here it is: