12/12/24 – I do love a good adventure, don’t you?

Hey there happy reader!

I am so excited to tell you that I am currently on an unexpected holiday! My childhood friend Leslie has joined the ranks of grandparenthood as her oldest son and his wife just had a beautiful baby girl. The new parents live in London, so I flew over to meet the latest member of the family and soak in all the sights and sounds of this city as it celebrates the Christmas season. HOW LUCKY AM I?

The timing could not have been better. 

As I get more and more into the writing of my book about Stonehenge, I find myself right in the middle of one of the main locations of this project. I am sitting in pubs, shopping at vintage flea markets, and immersing myself in the local culture and buzz of this great city.

The Stonehenge novel (still untitled, UGH) starts out in modern day London, flashes back to Salisbury Plain, and ends up in Boston at Harvard University. There are two main female protagonists – a contemporary one named Maia and a historical one named Maya. Yes, the names, although spelled differently, are the same, and for good reason.

These two women are related, not just by blood, but by a special trait that they both share. I think I’m dipping my foot into the world of magical realism with this book and I’m excited to face the challenge of making it all believable for my readers.

 

Leslie and I have had some wild escapes during our fifty-plus year friendship, but none of them have taken place on foreign soil – until now. 

We’ll do our best to stay out of trouble, but I make no promises! When we are together, almost anything can happen, and if often does…

Meanwhile, back at home, this book is turning out to be one of my most popular titles, thanks to all of you. 

I have gotten lots of positive feedback and good reviews. If you haven’t read it yet, go download a copy. Or order a paperback. Or listen to the audiobook! I promise that you won’t be disappointed by the twisty plot or the level of spiciness between the covers.

I think it’s the perfect book to read when you need an escape – and who doesn’t need exactly that at this time of year?

I promise lots of pictures next week of all the places I’ve been. I can’t wait to share all the crazy details with you! For now, I hope you’re enjoying the season and giving yourself a chance to take it all in. Just keep on breathing…

As always, let me know what you think!

xo,
Hilari

12/5/24 – We’re in the swing of it now… the holiday season is officially here!

Hey there happy reader!

I hope that your Thanksgiving was both memorable and peaceful. We had a houseful of family, and I think I’ve finally washed all the dirty towels and sheets… it’s a lot of work but in the end, it’s all worth it! 

Plus, this was the first time that both of our grandsons were mobile! We thought we’d babyproofed the house, but of course, little boys will always find the one thing you’ve forgotten to move up to safer ground. Thankfully we all survived with zero trips to the emergency room!

Despite the toys, the cars, the basketball hoop, and every kind of ball I could think to have at the ready, these two spent most of their time looking out the windows.

They thought my gardeners were magical as they blew the remaining leaves around, securing my lawn for the winter. It was fun to watch the most mundane things through their eyes…

 

Through the entire week, I kept my eye on “Question Everything.” 

This book has truly taken off. If you haven’t read it yet, get yourself a copy. The reviews have been great, and the sales have been even better. Plus, it’s available through Kindle Unlimited, so if you are a member of that service, you can read it for free – lots of people have! This book has more pages read than most of my other titles combined.

This is a fast-paced romantic suspense novel that will keep you reading late into the night!

For now, I’m deep into my yet untitled Stonehenge book. 

It starts off in present day London and flashes back a few centuries to Salisbury Plain and the construction of those massive stones in the circle we all recognize. This book has two female protagonists. One is a researcher, trying to uncover the true meaning of this ancient ceremonial ground. The other is an architect of the project, a woman with great vision who can see the finished project and knows what its significance will be. They are linked through the years and generations by one similar trait…

I’m not going to tell you exactly what that is – at least not yet. I think you’ll find it fascinating when all is revealed!

It’s cold here in the Northeast, the perfect weather for a cozy blanket, a hot beverage, and a good book. Take some time out for yourself today and indulge in those three things!

As always, let me know what you think!

xoxo,
Hilari

11/21/24 – Wow oh wow! I have the best readers anywhere!!!

Hey there happy reader,

Beyond my wildest expectations… that’s what I can say about the launch of “Question Everything.”

I know I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating. Writing is a lonely business. I sit in a room for eight to twelve hours at a time spinning stories, never sure if what I’ve written will resonate with you or not. It’s always a crapshoot… I tend to write what I’d like to read and hope that you’ll want to read it too.

This time, I decided to try my hand at a romantic suspense novel, only the most crowded segment of the romance genre.

I did it because I wanted to challenge myself, but more importantly, I did it to help deal with the reality of a friend suffering from Alzheimer’s. The concept of losing one’s memory is complex and often frightening for the person who’s living though it – I just wanted to address what happens when you can’t remember who you are. It’s a terrifying thought, right?

So, I put this title out into the world not really knowing what to expect. My last two books were historical fiction with a bit of romance sprinkled throughout. I’ve written a number of contemporary romances with happily ever afters.

This book is different, and I’m so glad for that! As I’ve mentioned before, twenty percent of my royalties from “Question Everything” will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association to help fund research. At this point I know that I will be able to send them a substantial check. Let’s keep a good thing going!

 

Even if you read this book in the KU program, the pages you read count toward my bottom line. The more you read, the more I can send this worthy cause…

And for those of you who posted reviews, I can’t thank you enough!

Each review helps boost my standing in the Amazon algorithm, which in turn sends more readers to my page to download or buy this title. I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart!

Finally, you can have a chance to win a copy of the paperback version of “Question Everything” this coming weekend. 

I’ll be giving books away at the Tattered Page Thanks-Book-Giving event this weekend!

Head on over and win some books!!
It’s lots of fun…

I’ll be taking next week off as my family descends on us for Thanksgiving! I hope that whatever your plans are, you take a moment out of the day for yourself. Sometimes holidays seem more stressful than we bargain for… that’s what burying yourself in a good book is for. When it gets to be too much, escape into a story about someone else’s life!

As always, let me know what you think!

xoxo,
Hilari

11/14/24 – Can you help this indie author out? I need reviews!

Hey there happy reader,

I know that many of you have downloaded “Question Everything,” and I hope that you’ve enjoyed it!

This may be my most widely read book yet! 

I have had more page reads on this title in the two weeks it has been in the marketplace than any other book I’ve written before it.

That’s the good news…

The bad news is that it hasn’t been widely reviewed. 

The reviews I’ve had are great, it’s just that there aren’t too many of them yet. As I’ve mentioned before, reviews are a way for readers to shower their love on their favorite indie author – and I hope I make the top of your list!

A review doesn’t need to be long. Two sentences are enough. Or, if you don’t want to write one, you can just go on Amazon and leave a star rating.

With the algorithm that Amazon uses, these reviews and ratings help me cast a wider net on the platform, driving new readers to my page. It doesn’t matter if you do this on Amazon or Goodreads – whatever you do for one shows up on both. It only takes a minute… help this gal out if you can!

And, if you’re looking for a bunch of free books from other indie authors, mark your calendars! 

The Tattered Page Book Club will once again be holding their annual Thanks-Book Giving event.

There are hundreds of authors, including yours truly, who have signed up and are committed to giving away lots of their titles and even some swag. I’ve participated in this every year since it began, and I truly enjoy it. Aside from finding new books to read, the ladies of this group are lovely individuals.

Go on Facebook and check this group out!

For today, I’m just trying to sort out my Thanksgiving shopping list and stay organized. It’s the one weekend of the year when my entire family descends on our house all at once. Every bedroom is filled, every towel is used and somehow remains wet, lol! I do love it – the shared meals, the endless board games, and now my grandsons chasing each other around. In my mind, there is nothing better than that!

I’m also trying to do as much writing as I can before my life spins a bit out of control. 

I’m working on my still untitled Stonehenge book. So far, I think I know my protagonist’s name – I’m just not willing to share it yet. What I know for sure is that she’s a scientific researcher studying the ancient ceremonial ground and that she suffers from terrible migraines. Why does that detail matter? Because it links her to the past and the women who I believe were the architects of that massive structure…

That’s all for now, but you can be sure that more will be revealed in the coming weeks!

I do hope that you’re taking some time for yourself in the beginning of this busy holiday season. Take a bubble bath or a walk. Savor a hot beverage or a good glass of wine. And most definitely pick up a book and read…

As always, let me know what you think!

xoxo,
Hilari

11/7/24 – Have you read “Question Everything” yet? I’m waiting to hear what you think!

Hey there happy reader!

I’m sitting here with bated breath waiting to hear from you! “Question Everything” hit the shelves last week and lots of copies have been sold… so what did you think?

This was my first attempt at a romantic suspense novel, so I am hoping that I kept you turning the pages as you read Maeve and Kyle’s story. 

I think that the twist was one you might not have anticipated… am I right? Did you feel the heat between these two characters? I know I loved writing about them – I do hope you enjoyed them as much as I did! And as I mentioned last week, I’m donating twenty percent of my royalties from this title to the Alzheimer’s Association in honor of my close friend who is suffering from this terrible disease.

When you buy a copy, you’re helping fund research and maybe together, we can find a cure.

 

 

Now that Halloween is behind us, Thanksgiving can’t be too far away. 

This is truly my favorite time of year – I don’t mind the shorter days and cool nights. I treasure them! I always feel more productive when the weather turns colder.

Now that I’ve put “Question Everything” into the world, it’s time for me to turn all my attention to my still untitled Stonehenge book. I don’t have a lot of details to share with you about this story yet other than to say that it’s my imagining of what happened there.

I see it as an ancient matriarchal society led by strong-minded women who were the architects of this ambitious project. There may be a link to a woman living in modern day England as well…

 

 

This is the project that I will be workshopping when I attend Joyce Maynard’s writer’s intensive program later next year. 

I’m excited to have a full week of dedicated time with other authors to craft this novel into something special for you. I’ll be sure to keep you posted along the way!

For now, I hope you’re enjoying some beautiful fall colors as you walk outside, leaves crunching under your feet. Take some time to enjoy the season. You deserve it!

As always, let me know what you think!

xoxo,
Hilari

PS If you’ve already read “Question Everything” and feel inclined to leave me a review on Amazon or Goodreads, I’d appreciate it. Every indie author needs help boosting their title on these sites, and multiple reviews do exactly that! Thanks in advance!!

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