Order your copy of “Question Everything” today…

Hey there happy reader,

There may have been times when I didn’t think I’d make it across the finish line with this book, but today there is a bright light shining at the end of a very long tunnel. Here’s the proof – literally!

That’s my proof copy of “Question Everything.” 

I suppose that the grey line going across the cover is prevent me from selling it in advance of its publication date, lol! No matter. This book looks great and the story inside is going to keep you turning the pages until you get to the big reveal at the end.

I’m so pleased with the way it turned out and I’m sure you will love Mia and Kyle’s twisted journey into each other’s arms!

I delayed the publication date by a week because I was afraid that I couldn’t upload the cover and the book files in time – talk about a detailed and frustrating process.

But when you finally do get a copy of this romantic suspense novel in your hands, I think the wait will have been worth it. The official release is now October 29th, so if you buy the Kindle version today, it will download to your device at midnight on that date.

Also, for the very first time, I was able to schedule the release of the paperback on the same day as the Kindle files are available. Are you excited? I know that I am!

Plus, here’s a bonus…

I think I might try turning this novel into an audio book as well. I will most definitely keep you posted on that breaking news…

Whew. It’s a lot to process, isn’t it?

But I think a romantic suspense is just the right genre for this time of year. It will take your mind off those pesky election tv commercials, and besides that, it’s almost Halloween. There are all sorts of things that go bump in the night as the days shorten. A book with twists and turns feels appropriate right about now, don’t you agree?

I’m headed to sunny Los Angeles tomorrow to spend some time with grandson #1. 

He’s going to be a chocolate chip cookie for Halloween and is excited about it. My husband decided to go as a glass of milk so that they can partner up to collect the “good” candy! I can’t wait to capture some photos of the two of them walking in the parade through the hipster neighborhood where our son lives. It should be lots of fun…

“Question Everything” is headed your way soon and I can’t wait!

Hey there happy reader,

For every one step forward I seem to take, I retreat another two steps backward on the way to publication for my romantic suspense novel, “Question Everything.”

If it’s not one thing, it’s been another. An extra round of revisions. A computer glitch with Microsoft Word. And now waiting for the final cover files. Amazon doesn’t let me upload the manuscript for pre-sale without the cover, so we wait. And wait. And wait.

I mean, I think this artwork is worth waiting for, so…

It’s just another level of frustration for me, but I’ll get over it, I’m sure! I feel bad for fellow indie author Maria Luis, who when finally, after multiple delays uploaded her book to the platform, the gremlins at Amazon deleted the ending of the story. Anyone who pre-ordered a copy received the corrupted file. Sheesh, Amazon. You had one job!

But I can leave you with one more piece of “Question Everything” that I haven’t shared before now. 

I know I’ve told you that the idea for this book came to me in a dream. It did, but when I reflected on that, I realized why I was dreaming about memory loss. One of my closest friends is dealing with early onset dementia, and I must have been thinking about her and the journey she’s on. She’s shared with me how scary it is not to remember the sequence of common events, or faces, or names of people she’s known for years. Even the dark is frightening to her now.

When we dream, it’s often to sort out the problems we confront in our daily lives. I guess I was looking for a solution, one that unfortunately doesn’t exist. All I can do is share a story, visit with her, and be a friend. That’s all any of us can do, really. So, this book is dedicated to her, and while she no longer can read for pleasure, I can read it to her…

“Question Everything” will hit the shelves soon!

Hey there happy reader!

The wheels are most definitely in motion! “Question Everything” will be available by the end of this month and I’m extremely excited for you to read it…

I know I’ve said this before, but… 

Writing the book is easy. Marketing the book is hard.

I’m lucky enough to have help with this, though, and the good people who do just that sent me a long list of possible ad copy – written by AI🙄

I know I’ve said this before as well – I don’t like Chat GPT and will never use it in my writing.

I don’t see the point of letting a computer tell my stories. I believe that the human experience is best recounted by other humans, and while computers have their place in the world, I don’t want one doing the critical thinking it takes to compose good fiction. Clearly, I’ll be rewriting the ad copy that was sent to me earlier today… I just can’t help myself!!

And speaking of computer mishaps… 

I was babysitting our younger grandson recently. He’s almost ten months old (already!) and pretty mobile. He’s standing, but still crawling, and he’s fast. I had barely turned around before he found the Roomba vacuum, turned it on and watched as it began to travel around the room! He found this to be hysterically funny; I found it terrifying.

He laughed as he chased the thing around the house. I could not figure out how to get it to stop – I had to call my son at work and ask him to remotely make it go back to its home base. I was worried that it was going to eat a toy and blow itself up. Geez. Whatever happened to pushing the vacuum around the house yourself??

All the more reason for me to lock myself away and write! 

Once “Question Everything” is out in the world, I’ll start to outline my (still untitled) historical novel about Stonehenge. It promises to be an interesting winter for this author!

I hope you take the time for yourself to get outside while you still can. The leaves are doing their thing, and the colors are spectacular…

I can’t wait to put this novel in your hands!!

Hey there happy reader!

I feel like I’ve run a marathon carrying my new romantic suspense novel, “Question Everything” under one arm, striding toward the finish line ever so slowly. From initial concept, to writing, then rewriting it FOUR times to satisfy my very meticulous editor (I thank my lucky stars to have found her!), this book is almost ready for its close-up.

I think the artwork speaks for what lies between the covers of this page-turner, but here’s the back cover copy as well:

Maeve Byrne needs a lifeline.

Betrayed and alone, she escapes with her daughter in a heart-pounding effort to protect them from the danger chasing her through the dark night. If only she’d slowed down before that sharp curve on a slick road, she might have had a chance to find her way to freedom. At least until the tree, and the inevitable crash that upended all her plans…

Kyle Walsh should have been at work as a detective for the Boston PD.

Instead, he was running from his demons, ruminating about the one terrible mistake that had twisted his life upside down. When he witnessed Maeve’s car accident, instinct kicked in. What he found there would change him forever, tangling him in a web of mystery that had him doubting every certainty he’d thought he’d ever known.

Question Everything… because when secrets unravel, the truth becomes too powerful to hide!

*************************

This book has a unique plot twist that drives the story.

The female protagonist, Maeve Byrne, loses her memory in a car accident and while pieces of her old life begin to resurface, her current life circumstance makes her wonder if she will ever have the strength to leave the warmth and protection of Detective Kyle Walsh. She knows that she’s running from something, but she can’t remember what it is.

All Maeve does know is that Kyle is someone who she’d like to get to know better. When her worlds collide, real trouble finds her…

Intrigued? I sure hope so!

If I’ve done my job right, this book will leave you turning the pages way past your bedtime! It’s going to hit Amazon on October 22^nd. I’ll drop the pre-sale link here soon.

Hey there happy reader!

Sweater weather has reached us here in the Northeast. The mornings and evenings are cool enough for an additional layer if you’re going outside. It’s my favorite time of year… I love the smell of a fireplace when it’s being put to good use, the sound of leaves crunching under my sneakers when I take my daily walk and the crunch of a really good apple!

Interestingly, our older son has a friend who has staked his claim to fame as the “apple rater.” He takes this fruit and its flavor super seriously. The New York Times agrees that this guy has a rating system of the different apple varieties that you can trust.

☝️ 7 Apple Picking Tips From the Guy Behind Apple Ratings ☝️

No matter which type of apple you prefer (I love mine baked into a pie!) this is the season to find an orchard that lets you pick your own bushel or two. I can’t think of a more enjoyable way to spend an autumn afternoon.

As the days and nights get chillier, it’s also my favorite time of year to expand my TBR list of books.

I have so many titles I’d like to read – Long Island by Colm Toibin is at the top of my list. It’s the sequel to his bestseller, Brooklyn and it continues the story of Ellis Lacey, an Irish immigrant who marries her boyfriend Tony and moves to the suburbs. When she discovers his infidelity, she returns to Ireland to reconnect with her past. I can’t wait to pull out my favorite knit blanket and settle in for some me time with this terrific novel!

Speaking of terrific (or at least I hope you think so!) novels, my next book is almost ready for publication. I’ve been telling you about it for so long, but it’s very close to making its presence known.

This is a story that came to me, fully formed, in a dream.

It was almost like I watched a movie in my own head and just wrote it all down. Well… almost! Since I’d never written a romantic suspense novel before, there was a steeper learning curve than I expected.

Leaving clues within the narrative without giving away the twist at the end is harder than I could have ever imagined. This book took me so much longer than I thought it would to revise. My editor had me do four different rounds of revisions to get it all right. Whew.

It was an exhausting process, but now that I’m on the other side of it, I think it might be my strongest book yet! When you finally read Maeve and Kyle’s story, I hope that you’ll agree that it was worth the wait.

It will be available on Amazon very soon. 

My target date is October 22^nd

Mark your calendars!

Hi there happy reader!

I was in Los Angeles for a few days last week to see our grandson. He’s eighteen months old now, and a bundle of energy and fun.

These knees should tell you everything you need to know about him.

Always on the go, little bumps and bruises don’t stop him from running joyfully and exploring his world with more wonder than I ever remember having myself!

We love to read books together. 

He has a special place in his heart for one of his favorite titles, “Stick and Stone.” The story of unlikely friends –a twig and a rock — he can recite each line and does so with glee. 

When I found a different title illustrated by the same artist, I just knew he had to have it to add to his library.

A little boy wakes up to find that the answer to anything he asks for is yes. 

Pizza for breakfast? Yes! Ice cream whenever he wants it? Yes! A late bedtime? Yes! You get the picture, right?

In one of the hundreds of times I read this adorable story to him, I started to wonder about what would happen if as adults, we were to say yes more often. It’s so easy to say no, isn’t it? No, I don’t want to try, no, I don’t want to risk failing, no, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Now imagine how different life could be if we didn’t hesitate to take that chance and say yes.

That is what I did when I sat down to write my first novel, and it’s what I still do every time I begin a new project.

I give myself permission to stretch my mind and imagination. To test the limits of my love for words, for stories, for reaching out to readers who I’ve not yet met; all of it was made possible by allowing myself to say yes. BTW – I highly recommend it!