Greetings from Sunny... and HOT... Florida

My travel buddy and I usually celebrate decade birthdays with a special trip. For her fiftieth we spent three weeks in Australia so she could scuba dive the great barrier reef. For my fiftieth we did a two week Caribbean cruise (because november is a crappy month to visit my bucket list Greek Islands) and now her sixtieth is coming up next year - so - I flew into Florida to help her with some more decorating shopping and trip planning. 

The final decision - though we're waiting for confirmation - Antarctica! It seems we're developing a pattern of new continent visiting on the big years - Maybe for my next one we'll get to see the great wall of china on my bucket list - and a new continent to me! 

Anyhow - this planning has taken up a lot of spare time but I'm delighted to report that Sweet Obsession is back from the editors and off with the review team to proof. You should be able to purchase it early on my website soon. It will release at all vendors in late September. 

I am now working on a holiday book from the Aloha series - its been a while since we've hung out with the folks from the Big Island Dive shop and there was one book I very much wanted to write back in the day- so y'all are going to get it now! 

And now - as we run out the door to go shopping - here is the VERY rough draft of the first scene in the new Aloha book I'm working on:
“What’s that smell?” Sara Alani sniffed at the air like a blood hound seeking its mark.
“My fritters!” Maile Everrett shouted from across the room. Bright red and purple and blue flowers from the family matriarch’s neck to her toes flew past Sara. For the mother of four and grandmother to three of her grandchildren and even more almost grandchildren, that woman could move. Not to mention she wore a muumuu like no one else on the island.
“I’ve got it,” a call came from the kitchen as Maile disappeared through the doorway.  Emily Everrett Hamilton had come in the back door and reaching the oven minutes before her mother, averted a near disaster.
“Well,” Maile slid the hot baking dish onto the stone trivet that always sat on the counter. For anyone who baked and cooked as often as Maile did, putting the thing away simply made no sense. “Only the row closest to the back of the oven are toast.”
Reaching for one of the fritters with a darkened rim around the edge, Sara pulled her hand back and licked her burned finger.
“You know better than that.” Maile grabbed the hand and shoved it under the cold water faucet. A move she’d done often when growing up Sara and the Everrett girls would help in the family kitchen.
Rabb, the family’s beloved German shepherd, stood at his master’s feet. Any other dog would have been waiting for a dropped treat, but Sara knew as well as anyone else in the kitchen, that the astute dog was more concerned for Maile’s safety. As soon as the animal was convinced that Maile’s mad dash across the house and Sara’s hand under running water was not a major, or even minor, crisis, he plopped to the ground from the corner of the room where he could oversee all the happenings.
The front door flew open and now the sweet chaos of the Everrett family was about to truly begin. Billy, the oldest child and only son came through the door carrying their two year old son NAME, his wife Angela had their daughter Isabella by the hand.
The four year old easily dragged her mother toward the kitchen. “Hurry Mommy, cookie time.”
On their tails, Nick Harper, who might has well have been an Everrett considering how close, like Sara, he’d been to the Everrett brood, ushered his own family—Maile’s almost grandchildren—through the doorway. 
Within minutes the kitchen was filled with giggling children and their parents all talking at the same time. Sara had to smile. Only once had she missed the annual Christmas cookie baking day at the Everrett household, and that was because she’d been confined to bed with strep throat.  The memory broadened her smile. When she’d fully recovered she’d had Maile Everrett all to herself one afternoon after school and baked the best looking Santa and reindeer cookies ever. It hadn’t been the same as the loving chaos of the whole family baking on that special day, but Maile had made it special for her nonetheless.
Even though Sara had wonderful loving parents, she always felt doubly blessed to have the Everretts as a second set of parents. Except of course for the matchmaking thing.  Sara had spent the last six years trying to explain to her mother and her mother’s best friend that she could find her own man—when she was ready.  Whether the two women doubted her ability to find a man or if she’d ever be ready, was a mystery to her. Especially since with the best of intentions, those two had tried to hook her up in one way or another with pretty much any breathing male old enough to order a beer for more years than she cared to think about.
“You doing okay?” Emily Everrett, her dearest friend since they’d met the first day of preschool and their mothers had become as fast friends as she and Emily, smiled at her. Ever since Emily turned thirty and she and Doug decided that it was time to start a family, Emily seemed to be more worried about Sara’s biological clock than Sara. After all, she still had a few months until her own thirtieth birthday and in this day and age, thirty wasn’t all that old for starting a family.
“You know I love cookie baking day.” Sara smiled at Emily.
“I do.” Her friend’s eyes were filled with love, friendship, and Sara feared, just a bit of pity.
“Don’t you start turning into my mothers.”
“Me?” Emily’s eyes doubled in size. “What did I do?”
“Nothing. Yet.”  The minute Emily discovered she and Doug were having a baby, she’d tried to set Sara up with one of dive shop customers who’d been getting certified to scuba dive.  The guy had been nice enough, and handsome enough, but it hadn’t taken long to figure out he had more interest in the fish than in women. Especially her.
“What are you two doing out here?” Apron tied around her waist, hands on her hips, Maile stood at the kitchen threshold. “It’s time to mix the dough.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Emily saluted, even though unlike her brother and most of his buddies, she’d never been in the military.
As Sara passed by her friend’s mother, Maile reached for hand and leaned in almost conspiratorially. Sara braced herself. She’d seen that look on Maile and her mother’s faces too many times.
Lowering her voice, Maile glanced back into the kitchen as if worried someone would over hear her sharing state secrets, “Emily tells me there’s a new teacher at the high school.”
Sara nodded, cautiously.
“He’s not married.”
And here they went again. Why did Christmas have to heighten everyone’s interest in finding Sara a man?  Maybe it was time she tried in earnest to find a man on her own.  Too bad she couldn’t ask Santa. 
All righty - I'll leave you all here with that little tidbit to digest! See y'all next week!