Good Monday Morning!

​Happy New Year - Ours is staring out fabulously! Always fun having the people we love with us! 

Now, I know this is silly, but I survived a week with a two year old. As many of you know, there’s a reason we have our kids young. This week I have been constantly reminded of that fact LOL. Beyond any doubt this child has more energy than I will ever have again in my lifetime! Thank heaven he loves slowing down to enjoy a good book! It’s so hard to believe it wasn’t just yesterday that he was born. Whenever there are small children around it reminds us how fast time really goes by. The other thing we figure out fast with grandchildren is that the human heart has no limit to how much love it can hold. Amazing when you think about it. 

​Anyhow, today we give him back to his mom and dad and then hubby and I will probably take a week or ten to recover! LOL. 
 
In the meantime we’ve been busy over the holidays with business. My first two German translations of the Farradays release later this month, paperback books are now available on my website (and pss – here’s a little secret – they’re cheaper too!), the Farradays in audio are probably days away from being available on my website too, and I’m desperately working on names for the new series. Did I tell you I’m working on a new series? Well, just to say thanks for following the blog – here’s a little (and I do mean little) snippet of the first book.
 
Friends allow me to introduce you to the Sweet family:
 
Preston Sweet slammed the door of his SUV and slipped his keys into his pocket. Unlike his apartment in town, the front door of the Sweet ranch was never locked.  From the near empty drive, it looked like only his brother Cooper had beat him home. Every Sunday the driveway would be filled with cars. Tonight would be the first time the house would be bursting with Sweets on a weeknight for no other reason than his mom had called and asked.
The sound of spitting gravel cut off his thoughts. Even with the dust cloud blowing in the thick summer air preventing a clear view of the approaching car, he knew the driver had to be Rachel. His sister was the only person in the family who considered every open road a NASCAR track.
The car came to a screeching halt within a few feet of him, though it felt like inches. She probably should have moved to Hollywood and been a stunt car driver. “Cutting it pretty close don’t you think?”
Rachel yanked her overnight bag from the back seat and shook her head at her brother. “Nah. I had plenty of room.”
Even though he had just seen her a couple of weeks ago, he scooped her into a warm hug as though it had been forever ago.
“Any idea what this is all about?” she mumbled into his shoulder. The same underlying tinge of tension he’d felt since his mom’s cryptic call, cracked in Rachel’s simple question.
He shook his head, and eased back. “I can’t decide if Mom announcing she’s getting married would be best case scenario or worst case scenario.”
Like a shot, Rachel sprang back. “Mom’s getting married? I thought you didn’t know what this is all about.”
“No. That’s not what I meant.” He shook his head. “I was simply wondering what could be so important that she would call all of us and tell us she needed us home. Now. Then it hit me a wedding would be something seriously important. Especially if it were our mother getting married again. Once my mind wandered that far, then I couldn’t decide if that would be a relief or the beginning of some new kind of hell.”
“She’s not even dating.” Rachel smacked him lightly on the arm and growled her frustration with her big brother. “Why would you even go there?”
“Because the other option was she’s dying and I don’t want to go there ever.”
On a heavy sigh, Rachel nodded. “That would certainly make getting hitched more appealing.”
He reached for her bag. “Did you ever think about it?”
“Mom getting married again?”
Moving forward, he bobbed his head.
“Nope.” She fell into step beside him. “I just can’t picture anyone with Mom except Dad.”
“Know what you mean, but still, it has to be pretty lonely some days in this big old house.”
“Yeah.” She stopped at the porch steps and looked up at the expanse of the old two story home. “But for now, I don’t think this is it.”
“I hope so. I’m not ready to go there yet. Some day, but not yet.” The way his dad had drummed into all their heads since they were old enough to walk, he held the door open for his sister. “And the more I think about this call, the more I’m sure whatever it is, I’m not going to like it either.”
 
I hope you liked my little intro – now we have to work on title and a series name. I’ve kicked around Second Chance K9 Ranch series?  Did I mention there will be dogs ?? LOL. It’s not rolling off my tongue though. I also thought of Sweet Family Ranch series but that doesn’t mention the dogs. Then I thought I could use a subtitle. Do you like books with subtitles? Perhaps A Home for Grayson: a Sweet Family Ranch novel -  in the Second Chance K9 series.  Thoughts? Suggestions?
 

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