Come out and see me. I'll be signing copies of CONFIDENTIAL: EXPECTING! as well as some of my older titles from 5-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 16 at the Barnes & Noble bookstore in the Genesee Valley shopping center in Flint, Mich. Books make great stocking stuffers!

     Gee, that headline makes me sound like a reality TV mom, except that I'm talking about books, not babies. My 20^th published through Harlequin Enterprises hits store shelves in December. 

     In a way, I suppose writing a book is like having a baby. Some days when I stare at my computer screen I feel nauseated. Other days, I have cravings. Only chocolate - and lots of it - will spur my creative process. Some night are sleepless. My characters are kicking and keeping me awake. Toward the end, my story becomes unwieldy. Rewriting is in order. Then the final push comes. Crying and a bit of screaming are involved. Afterward, I take a moment to coo over it and all of the nail-biting and effort are forgotten. Then off it goes to my editor.

     If that isn't labor …

     Anyway, back to my book. The title is Confidential: Expecting! Mallory Stevens, a young, go-for-the-jugular journalist is certain that handsome Chicago radio personality Dr. Logan Bartholomew must have a skeleton in his closet. The man is way too perfect. With his call-in program poised to go national, Mallory is sure that finding the dirt on the doctor will be her ticket back into her editor's good graces. She begins digging, but dirt isn't what she finds. Romance is. Then, as their relationship deepens, she discovers she's carrying her own little secret. 

    What does the future hold for these two? You'll have to read the book to find out.

 

 

 

 

 

I just learned A Venetian Affair is coming out in "An Italian Summer," a special release anthology from Mills and Boon on sale in July. I'm excited my story will be in with ones by fellow Harlequin Romance author Rebecca Winters and Kate Hewitt, who writes for Presents. Here's a quick peek at the plots:


THE LUCCHESI BRIDE by Rebecca Winters

Catherine Dalton has come to Italy to meet her family and she’s quickly swept away into an exciting new life – starting with gorgeous, brooding Italian Alessandro Lucchesi, who steals her breath…and has designs on her body!

ITALIAN BOSS, HOUSEKEEPER MISTRESS by Kate Hewitt

A housekeeping job in a crumbling villa on Lake Como was a fresh start for Zoe Clark. But she hadn’t bargained on her dangerously sexy boss – Leandro Filametti. As the blazing Mediterranean sun heats up, Leandro realises his one desire is to claim Zoe…

A VENETIAN AFFAIR by Jackie Braun

Dayle Alexander decides to join her gorgeous bachelor business partner Max Kinnick in romantic Venice to check out wedding locations, but then realises that her unsettling, sexy, flirtatious partner would be her perfect groom!

My novella originally came out last summer in Destination: Marriage, released here in the States. To read an excerpt, go to my books page.

For more information on An Italian Summer, visit http://www.millsandboon.co.uk/books/special-releases.htm

If you would like to be on my mailing list to receive postcards noting upcoming book signings, send me an email with your name and address. Or, if you'd prefer an email, I can send a notice that way, too.

I'll be at the Barnes & Noble in Genesee Valley mall (Flint, MI) from 6-8 p.m. this Friday (May 15) signing copies of my newest book, MARRYING THE MANHATTAN MILLIONAIRE. I'll also have select older titles available. Hope to see you there!

Oh, and about that signing. Per usual, I sent out postcards announcing the time and date. Or I thought I had. It seems a good dozen or so wound up without the information on the back. So, if you got a blank postcard in the mail in the past week, it was probably from me. Sorry!

I'm thrilled to announce that EXPECTING A MIRACLE is a finalist in the traditional category of the National Readers Choice Awards. I'm in good company, too. Several other wonderful Harlequin Romance authors have been nominated, too. This is the fourth time one of my books has finaled in the NRCA, a contest that is judged by readers. Maybe the fourth time will be the charm. Winners will be announced in July at the Romance Writers of America conference in Washington, D.C. I don't know that I will be at the conference this year, but keep your fingers crossed for me anyway.

Here's the link to the list of finalists: http://www.okrwa.com/nrca.htm#traditional
Check out all that talent!

If you've cruised through my site, you know I have some causes that are near and dear to my heart. I'm advocating for one of them here. In just a few days, Love Without Boundaries is sending a Cleft Medical Exchange Program team to China to perform surgeries on orphans who were born cleft-affected.

Surgeries begin April 5 at the Fundan Hospital in Shanghai. These surgeries are life-changing and, in some cases, life-saving. But, as with all things, they cost money. Right now a lot of wonderful little ones who had the misfortune to be born cleft-affected are scheduled for a turn in the OR. Five more need sponsors. The cost of sponsorship is $1,000, which is a lot to swing, even in good economic times. But you don't have to give the full amount. Any sum is appreciated and it can add up. Pass on a few lattes this week and send it to LWB. It can be that simple.

I can't stress enough how important this surgery is, and the earlier these little ones have it the better for their physical, emotional and social development.

Visit LWB's website at here for details and to see pictures of these wonderful kids. You have to scroll down for the cleft kiddos, but I'll understand if you don't get that far and decide to sponsor one of the kids at the top who have more urgent needs. All these children, no matter what their medical condition, need help. In a perfect world, they wouldn't have to wait so long for it.

Come visit me at the Harlequin Romance Authors blog on April 13 where I share some insights into my writing process - such as it is - to celebrate the release of my newest book, Marrying the Manhattan Millionaire.

The link is here.

Hope to see you there.

I'm curious to know what readers think of my new website. It combines two things I love: writing and gardening.

Anyone who visited my website during the past year probably wondered if I fell off the face of the earth. No new releases were posted. No reviews went up. Nothing got updated. I even had one concerned reader write to ask if I was okay.

I'm happy to report I'm fine. Better than fine, in fact. As Dave Ramsey says, I'm better than I deserve to be.

I've been working on books -- four of which were released in North America in 2008. (See the Books page for titles, blurbs and excerpts.) I also have three books due out in 2009. (Look for Marrying the Manhattan Millionaire in U.S. stores in April.) So, I've been busy, busy, busy.

Not everything has been about work, though. My husband and I also welcomed another son in December 2007, a wonderful little guy who is full of energy and giggles. His name is Will, he turns 4 years old at the end of this month and his favorite word is "Why?"

Once I found some time, though, I knew I had to do something about my outdated website. So, I threw some ideas out to the wonderful folks at Ohno Design, worked up a tagline (Love blooms in every book) and had new photographs taken. (Kaiser Studio in Troy, MI did a fabulous job of making me look far more glamorous than I normally do.)

I think the end result looks pretty darned good. I also think the site is easy to navigate and should help readers find places online where they can purchase my books, especially those books that are already off store shelves.

But tell me, what do you think?

Terrific news! A WOMAN WORTH LOVING, the first book in my CONLANS OF TRILLIUM ISLAND trilogy, has been nominated for a RITA award. This is my third nomination in the prestigious contest and the thrill remains the same. I'm over the moon! Keep your fingers crossed that I'll win the golden lady this time.