... Because Everyone Deserves Happily Ever After
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Thanks for stopping by.  If you’re new to my website, I’m the author of over fifty romantic fiction novels, and a series of short stories I call  Flirts. I love to tell a story that sometimes makes you laugh, sometimes makes you cry, often has a surprise or two, but always ends happily ever after.

I live in North Texas with my husband, a rescued German Shepherd who believes himself to be the neighborhood goodwill ambassador (the German Shepherd, not my hubby),  a fifty-pound American Pit Bull who is convinced he's a lapdog.  Occasionally I get to puppysit my Golden Retriever  grandpuppy.  All dutifully sit at my feet as I write my next story.

So come on in, explore my pages, and see what's in store for you!​

Working Away

4/28/2025

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For those of you who are Farraday fans - you probably know that the Farraday sagas will continue after Ryan - there was a small - and I mean SMALL hint in Quinn as to where more Farradays will come from, but it will be obvious in Ryan - Which - I wrote the first chapter of this week - and just for the fun of it - for you guys - here it is - You can preorder on any vendor you like- Apple was finally fixed - though anyone who preordered before last week will need to go back and do it again. 
  
The air at the Farraday ranch buzzed, thick with the happy chaos only a sprawling family gathering could generate. Laughter competed with the distant sizzle of ribs on Uncle Sean’s massive grill and the joyful shrieks of children engaged in an energetic game of tag that seemed to encompass the entire back acreage. It was Aunt Eileen’s birthday, and like everything the Farradays did, the celebration was an all-out affair.

Ryan Farraday leaned against a post on the back porch, a half-empty bottle of cool beer in his hand, and surveyed the scene. He loved these moments – the easy camaraderie, the unconditional welcome extended to anyone who stepped foot on the ranch, and the sheer volume of love packed into one place. Still, a small, unfamiliar pang echoed in his chest lately. Watching Morgan and Valerie huddled close on the porch swing, Neil and Nora sharing a private smile by the steps, Owen and Connie practically attached at the hip near the drinks cooler, Paxton keeping a watchful eye on Sandra and David near the sprawling oak, and Quinn and Eloise somehow managing to make supervising the kid’s dessert table look romantic… well, it made being the last single Oklahoma brother feel distinctly… single.

“All right, all right, make way!” Quinn’s voice cut through the general hubbub. He and Eloise carefully maneuvered a stunning, handcrafted rocking chair onto the porch, its dark wood gleaming even in the fading light.

A collective gasp went through the nearby relatives, followed by appreciative murmurs. Aunt Eileen, emerging from the kitchen with a fresh platter of Toni’s famous cake balls, stopped dead in her tracks, her hands flying to her mouth. “Oh, Quinn! You didn’t!”

“He most certainly did. Happy birthday, Aunt Eileen.” Eloise beamed, her eyes sparkling as she looked from the chair to Quinn.

“It’s beautiful.” Eileen ran a reverent hand over the smooth, curved armrest. “Just beautiful.” She settled into the chair, letting out a contented sigh as it began to rock gently. Her wide grin beaming brighter than sunshine. “Absolutely perfect.”

Ryan smiled. Trust Quinn to create something both practical and a work of art.

A nudge at his elbow pulled Ryan’s attention away. Mike Davis, the carpenter who’d been heading up the finish work on the restorations before aggravating an old knee injury, stood beside him wearing a stiff brace and looking decidedly uncomfortable amidst the relaxed family vibe. Mike was a good guy, a heck of a worker, but clearly out of his element here.

“Hey, Ryan.” Mike nodded as Morgan joined them by the railing. “Got a minute?”

“Sure. What’s up?” Ryan took another sip of his beer.

Mike shifted his weight, his gaze darting towards the group around the rocking chair. “It’s about my sister, Nicole. The one taking my place while I’m having surgery.”

“Right.” Morgan nodded. “Did she change her mind?”

Ryan sure hoped not. Finding high caliber workers around this neck of the woods was nearly impossible. If Mike’s kid sister was half as good as he was, she’d fit in just fine.

“No.” Mike shook his head.

“Good.” Morgan chuckled. “Hope she knows what she’s getting into. This crew can be a handful.”

“She knows,” Mike’s brow furrowed slightly, “she’s tough. And she’s good. Maybe better’n me.” He paused, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s just… well, she knows how to hold her own around construction guys. I’m not worried about that.”

Ryan leaned back against the railing. “Ok. Then what?”

“I’ve told her that the filming can sometimes make getting the job done a little more challenging.”

“Tell me about it.” Morgan sighed.

“So she’s prepared for that, but what worries me isn’t the crew or the filming as much as…” Mike’s gaze sharpened. “Well, as Jet. That guy is all over women like white on rice.”

Ryan exchanged a quick glance with Morgan. Jet was a skilled worker, but Paxton had mentioned the guy having wandering eyes and hands back during the charity build. They’d kept a closer eye on him since. “Don’t you worry, Mike. Nicole will be fine.”

“We look out for everyone on our sites,” Morgan added, his tone firm but reassuring. “Consider her under Farraday protection. We’ll treat her like our own sister.”

“You don’t have a sister.” The frown on Mike’s forehead deepened.

“We have sisters-in-law and cousins. Same thing,” Ryan reassured.

Mike visibly relaxed, a grateful smile touching his lips. “Thanks, guys. Appreciate it. Just… you know... kid sister.”

“We get it.” Ryan clapped Mike on the shoulder. “Seriously, no worries.”

They all shared a chuckle, the tension easing. As Mike wandered off towards the food, Morgan nudged Ryan. “Speaking of sisters-in-law, looks like Owen and Connie finally set a date.”

Ryan followed Morgan’s gaze to where Owen was showing Connie something on his phone, both of them smiling. “About time. Heard anything about the plans?”

“Fall wedding, here at the ranch. Bigger than mine and Valerie or Neil and Nora’s wedding.”
“Any wedding would be bigger than yours. You guys eloped.”

Morgan shrugged, then leaned closer. “Question is, will Mom make the trip down for Owen’s?”
Ryan sighed, swirling the beer in his bottle. That was the million-dollar question. His mom, Mariah, hadn’t exactly mellowed regarding Texas. She’d been suspiciously quiet since Patrick, their dad, had started making regular trips since his first visit with the reclaimed barn wood, but Ryan wasn’t holding his breath for a sudden change of heart. “Don’t know, Morg. Dad’s working on her, but…”

“But she’s Mom,” Morgan finished. “Stubborn as they come. Feel sorry for Dad sometimes.” He paused. “She might have held hope when Neil married that the rest of you would all move home and settle down after this reality TV gig is finished, but it’s pretty obvious that none of us are moving back there any time soon.” His expression grew more serious. “Or are you thinking of going back?”

Tuckers Bluff and Uncle Sean’s family had felt like home when they were kids and the years hadn’t changed that. With all his brothers settling in Texas, he had no real interest in returning to Oklahoma. Maybe once in a while for a project or two, or to hang out with his parents, but settling down? No. Texas was his home now. Ryan shook his head.

Morgan flipped his free hand in a there-you-go gesture. “Then if Mom doesn’t come down for Owen’s wedding, she might miss out on seeing any of her sons get married in person.”

The thought settled heavy in Ryan’s gut. Morgan was right. If their mother couldn't overcome whatever had caused the rift years ago, she was the one who’d truly be left out. He watched Eloise laugh at something Quinn said across the porch, a warmth spreading through him that had nothing to do with the Texas heat or the beer. Yeah, settling down here definitely had its appeal.
* * * * 
Nicole Davis surveyed her hastily made bed and the three piles of her belongings. Definitely taking, maybe taking, and probably not. The definitely taking pile was alarmingly small compared to the maybe. How long was this temporary gig in Tuckers Bluff really going to last? Mike had said at least a few weeks, but could drag on as long as a month or two while Farraday Construction waited for his knee to heal post-surgery. If she was only needed for about a month, warm weather clothes would do, but if he took longer, cold weather could descend on residents on a whim. Even in Oklahoma, there were days she’d swear Mother Nature was bipolar. 

She held up a favorite pair of worn-soft jeans against a newer, stiffer pair. Laundry. That was another unknown. Would she have easy access? She probably should have asked Mike more about her accommodations, but he seemed so distracted and worried. Probably about his upcoming surgery, so she didn’t press him much. Surely, whatever he’d arranged would be just fine.

“Still sorting, dear?” Martha, her parents’ next-door neighbor and designated house-watcher, poked her head into the room. As always, her silver hair was perfectly coiffed.

Nicole sighed, dropping both pairs of jeans onto the definite pile. “Trying to. It’s hard guessing how long I’ll actually be gone, or what I’ll really need.”

“Oh, I know the feeling. Every time George and I go on one of those week-long cruises, I’d pack enough for a month.” Martha chuckled. “Better safe than sorry, I always say. Especially with clothes.” She peered at the piles. “Isn’t it exciting?”

“Packing?”

Martha was as good a neighbor as anyone could ask for, concerned and attentive and yet not always in your business. Or at least if she was, she hid it well. But sometimes following her train of thought was a challenge for Nicole. Maybe it was a generational thing. “No, dear. You’re going to be working for those television cousins.”

Oh. Nicole nodded. “Yes. I guess I am.” She’d been so concerned about her brother’s fall that aggravated an old football injury, leaving him unable to climb ladders or put any real weight on his bad knee, that she hadn’t really given a whole lot of thought about who she’d be working for.

“They all seem like nice people. And from what I’ve seen of that show, easy on the eyes.” Rolling her eyes in a mischievous way, she dramatically fanned herself with her hand. “Might be nice to have some nice scenery while you work.”

Nicole laughed, shaking her head. “I’m just focused on doing a good job filling in for Mike. He’ll need this job after he’s recovered from surgery.” She glanced around the room, the quiet feeling amplified now. “It’s just… strange. This house feels so empty since Mom and Dad moved to Florida.” At first she’d thought retiring in the Sunshine State would be great for her parents. The way they described the senior community, Nicole wished they’d build communities like that for young people. What she hadn’t expected was how quiet the house would seem without them.

“I know, honey. We all miss them.” Martha’s gaze grew distant for a moment. “Florida. Sunshine year-round. Sometimes I think George and I should pack it all in and head south ourselves.” She sighed wistfully. “Maybe someday.”

“You’d leave your prize-winning roses?” Nicole teased gently.

“Never!” Martha straightened, instantly back to her practical self. “Now, have you talked to Mike again? Gotten any more details about where you’re staying?”

“Not really,” Nicole added a sweater to the definitely pile. West Texas nights could get cool as fall settled in.

“I’m sure it’s going to be lots of fun.” The older woman had probably forgotten the part about Nicole working on a construction site.

Something that to this day made her own mother cringe. From the time when Nicole was a little girl, her mother had tried to interest Nicole in frilly dresses, cute shoes, and ribbons in her hair. To her mother’s chagrin, Nicole was a grade A tomboy. She’d climbed trees with the boys, could throw from left field and reach the catcher in the bread basket to tag a player out without using a cut off man, and beat any boy at arm wrestling without breaking a sweat. All things that had come in handy when she found herself working construction. She could hold her own and even be accepted as one of the guys.
​
There were always those workers who resented when a woman could work better than they could, but most of the crews just appreciated a good worker and didn’t care if they were male, female, or Martian. Hopefully, the reality show crew were just like any other crew and not full of themselves Hollywood types. Shaking her head, she reached for her steel tip boots and thought, surely her brother would have warned her if there might be any chance of trouble. Then again, he was a man, sometimes oblivious to the hand in front of his face. On a sigh, she tossed her baseball glove on the definite pile. Maybe Martha was right and there might time for some fun after all.
 

How about that? It's been ages since I've had a start of a book so far before release! 

I'm also almost a third of the way through Sweet Deal - the new series - do y'all remember you can start that series early directly from my webstore? Well you can! Otherwise the first three are up for preorder - this one will be up as soon as I'm done with it! 

and now - off to take uncle for cataract surgery!  Everyone have a great week! 
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And another week bites the dust

4/21/2025

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I'll tell you - writing Sweet Temptation is proving to be a bit of a challenge as I near the end - I decided to go for one of my more humorous big moments and it is giving me fits. Y'all might have to settle for snickers instead of guffaws! 

I am however thrilled to have gotten to spend a lovely working dinner with a friend and her niece - the reason the niece is a big deal is that she's a social worker and I needed help with Rachel Sweet in Sweet Deal - the next book I'm starting as soon as Temptation is done - which I'm hoping is sooner than later - sigh. 

I didn't bother taking a photo of my chocolate martini because you've all seen so many pictures of pretty glasses with chocolate swirls LOL - but I did photograph the escargot. I'm a huge seafood fan. I love escargot when it's well prepared. This one was a tad too garlicy for me - but the interesting thing was the biscuit puffs on top - aren't they cute? I actually didn't eat them because I just love the escargot and butter sauce, though this time there was one missing. I popped the puff while the waiter was still there and told him one had escaped.  I also said it was no big deal, but a few moments later they brought me out a whole other serving of six - and ha - we found the missing little sucker - there were two in one of the spots! 
As you can see I took plenty of notes - that was page one of several pages! the poor waiter had to keep waiting for us because we were so busy yaking and taking notes we'd forget to look at the menu - especially because I have learned to say - Hang on a minute - while I write down what people are saying, otherwise if I try to keep up with the talking, I can't read my notes the next day! 

A nice perk - is we even came up with the 'emotional' big moment near the end of Sweet Deal - and this time it will not be a comedy - I may have lost my funny bone! 

Did I mention I'm in Houston for this dinner? The nice part is I get free accommodations at my daughter's house! Unfortunately, I still need to work. While I was out on the back porch having a business conversation without the kids running about being kids, I happened to look up at the ceiling fan and thought - is that a bird's tail? And a real nest? - I walked around and saw a bird's head -- no idea what kind-- but she sat SO still, I wasn't even sure if it was real or if it was a fake deterrent to other birds. 

My daughter said that the bird comes every year. Sadly the first year they moved in they didn't realize there was a bird's nest and while they were playing with the switches to figure out what was what - the fan obviously kicked on and the next day they found the nest and eggs on the ground. What they don't know is if the eggs ever hatch. 
The first photo is that bird's tail that I was unsure of - the second photo is mama bird's head. she was SO still. But I have no idea what kind of bird she is. 

That's all the news I have for this week!  Hopefully next week I'll have finished Sweet Temptation - Oh - and do y'all remember that tomorrow is the release of Quinn?  I hope everyone loves Quinn as much as my review team has! 

Okay, signing off - talk to y'all later - and feel free to leave comments to let me know y'all are liking what I write! Ta ta! 

​
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I'm Back! LOL

4/14/2025

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Home sweet home! 

We had a lovely time visiting friends and family after the week at Disney.  While visiting my cousin we had the most interesting and delicious pizza. The corner crusts of the star were stuffed with ricotta cheese! I have never heard of ice tea in blue - but that's what the Greek restaurant served! and of course, a casual ocean front lunch of fresh shrimp and lobster bisque - Yum! 
We did have to replace a broken suitcase - with the small blue one - but there was so much STUFF that got bought or that my daughter didn't have room for, that we had to buy a second little blue suitcase! Of course, part of the problem is my hubbies big shoes! Mine flatten pretty good, but hubby doesn't like sandals so his size thirteen shoes can take up a suitcase all by themselves!  If you're wondering - the small black one is my laptop bag. Though I've figured out I can fit a long weekends worth of clothes in there no problem too - it's pretty big! So - for a two week trip I'm not sure if all that luggage is good or bad LOL 

of course hubby had to try on the hat for his new life status. Thankfully, he seems to be enjoying not having to go to work first thing in the morning. He mentioned that he was concerned it would be a shock to his system - nope - he seems to be enjoying it quite a bit! and might as well post a photo of us - this was the last lunch in Florida! 
You're probably wondering about work - well I did indeed get more writing done on the airplane home - I love flying because I get so much work done - now this week I'm catching up on all the things that went wrong while I was gone - son's car broke down, pool pump broke down, son's plumbing is backing up, and - well - you get the picture! LOL.  Regardless of all the demands - I'm still working on finishing Sweet Temptation. So no worries there. 

Also - if anyone is interested in purchasing Quinn early - he's available right now from my web store in ebook format.  If you prefer to wait for your favorite vendor, you can start counting down - 8 more days! 
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Okay,  uncle is having cataract surgery today and I'm his wheels so I'm off!  Oh - and if you're wondering- Sweet Beginnings and Sweet Surprise will be available about a month early on my webstore so I'll keep you posted when that happens! 

​Take care everyone! 
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I Survived Disney LOL

4/7/2025

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More importantly - my feet survived Disney LOL. 

We walked 15-18k steps a day - well I did - and that's because Oma got to sit a lot and watch the stroller while folks walked to and rode some rides.  I do the easy ones - you know - It's a small world or little mermaid - the ones you ride along like a leisurely Sunday stroll LOL. The roller coasters it turns out is my grandson's favorite!  I'm pretty sure he rode the Seven Dwarfs runaway train ride at least a dozen times - he loved it so much and the photos Disney takes capture the smiles every time! 

I did indulge in soft serve ice cream, and big breakfasts and more than one fried food and thankfully only gained one pound - it would have been nice to lose with all those steps and the sweltering ninety degree heat all week, but I consider only gaining a pound a win!

Here are a few photos - not very clear and a bit far but hey, Oma isn't a professional photographer and her cell phone isn't noted for it's camera quality!  We have - the Dumbo Ride, and the Magic Carpet ride, and the carousel. Though this was the first try - my granddaughter didn't want to stay on the carousel so we took her off - which is why my hubby's back is to the camera. Second try she rode but I could not get a decent photo of them on my camera with the thing moving round and round. sigh. You might see hubby's head peeking out from the carpet ride and I keep finding my daughter by her white baseball cap LOL.
Of course there were lots more rides that I simply didn't get photos of. There was also lots of shopping. My granddaughter made out like a bandit. Her mom was fully into providing the Disney experience so she got an Ana  and an Elsa doll from frozen, she of course got Mickey Mouse ears (grandson didn't want much) though hers were colorful with a veil, and both kids got bubble makers, my granddaughter got little mermaid and the grandson got buzz light year - those got the most mileage and a friend took me to the store to buy a new suitcase (one of mine the handle snapped off) and so I bought bubble refills for a fraction of what disney charges.  And I'll be nice and not rant about what Disney charges for everything - those people have to be rolling in money because IMHO it is the greatest rip off on the planet - but millions of people don't agree with me. Though I will mention that we took our kids to the park and stayed at the same hotel and our experience was much more, shall we say attentive, than now.  There's no real customer service and I honestly felt like a cow in a cattle drive - but the kids loved it and my daughter enjoyed it - so there you have it. 

So - here we have a moving shot of the mickey ears with the colored veil lol, as well as the night time castle and fireworks - I will give Disney this, they do a great fireworks display! 
Now - as y'all know, any author gets ideas from real life. This trip was no exception.  I bumped into a bachelorette party wearing sashes. I snapped photos - here are just a couple - and you KNOW this has to go into a book somewhere. Don't know which one or where - but it will happen!  

I also hope to have a new collaboration with a fabulous musician who writes lovely songs - he's going to go through his collection and we're going to find some wonderfully romantic original music to use in my books - I hate that I can't use lyrics to some of the songs I reference, but this way I will be able to use lyrics and if anyone wants, they can listen to the songs online or even buy them maybe - we'll see how it works out, but I'm quite excited about the possibilities.  The last photo is the two of us and my hubby after out lunch meeting! 
okay - I think this about covers my work week at Disney! This week is off to visit friends and family and hopefully find more material for more books!
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Day One Starting at Disney

3/31/2025

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Well - technically - it's day two since we arrived yesterday afternoon but all we did was explore the hotel.  Today is the beginning of the vacation - so I will have much more to share with y'all next week. 

For now know that I moved the storyline forward on Sweet Temptation. I got lots of words on the airplane ride - always do!  And this story will be coming to you as planned in July. 

So far the grands are enjoying the hotel, though Oma is having a heck of a time keeping up with her grandson, seems he's learned how to run at top speeds and I never have! 

I also detect staying on a diet here is going to be impossible, I just hope all the walking offsets the calories! 

I hear them in the hall - time to go

​See you soon. 
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Another Week and Lots of Irish Soda Bread

3/24/2025

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This has been a very busy and tiring week for me.  As you know, I spent a week in New York at a friend's side in the hospital. I was delighted to help her feel more comfortable and more agreeable to eating, taking her meds, and having some diagnostic tests done. We are still waiting for results, and her future is unknown at this time, but I felt better leaving her in a rehab facility to get her strength that in that hospital she dreaded.  

It does remind me though that everyone needs to have advocates in their corner. Her sons are lovely wonderful men who I am delighted to consider family, but neither was equipped for this degree of medical challenges. Even my daughter, who has my gumption and doesn't let herself get pushed around, even she wouldn't have enough experience to know what to ask or when to ask when it comes to healthcare.  I am the medical power of attorney for a friend of mine here in North Texas with no children of her own. My medical power of attorney (called proxy in some states) is a dear friend who also has had a great deal of hospital experience due to her now passed parents.  It's really important to pray and believe for a peaceful end after a very long life, but it's equally important to have a plan if you become hospitalized in a less than stellar mental state. I am thankful to whoever it was in my life that mentioned setting out chocolates at the rehab facility to encourage nurses and aids to pop in and check on the patient more often!  

I am however very proud of myself for spending a week in New York eating hot italian bread, and pasta, and pizza, and ohhh so good Irish Soda Bread - I talk about it in my Hart Land Series but have never found decent soda bread in Texas. I had to enjoy a piece just about every night I was there, and am thrilled to be home and not have gained any weight. Didn't lose it - but didn't gain is just as satisfying under the circumstances! 

now. book talk!  I am finishing edits on Quinn today so I should have more news on him by the next blog post!  I also have Sweet Surprise, book two of the new series waiting for me to start on those edits!  I am hopeful that I can do all that AND finish book three before the family leaves for Disney World.  I can't believe that our Disney trip is less than a week away! Though I won't have much to report next Monday as that will just be the start! 

Now - below are a few photos- I know it seems weird, but with no 'real' diners in my part of the country, I took a photo of a favorite diner where my friends and I meet up while I'm in NY - my one disappointment, they had no boston cream pie this visit...sniff. The other photo is the tubs of chocolates and candies. I sure hope they do the trick. And lastly - my Irish Soda Bread. I took one last slice and had in my purse to eat on the plane ride home. I am so going to miss that. Will have to have my friend ship me some next St. Patrick's day season! 
Though, I do admit, hubby and I are curious to discover if we're going to find soda bread in Ireland!  Will let you know the answer to that puzzler this summer!  We have our first seven nights of hotels booked and after that, it will be a 'see where we go' trip and hopefully, we won't be sleeping in the car! lol. 

All right - I need to get back to work.  Everyone have a good week! 


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What  A Week

3/17/2025

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I am blessed to have several cherished friends since high school who are still a part of my life - even though I live half a country away from where I grew up. 

On Tuesday I received a message from the son of one of those friends telling me she'd been in the hospital and was asking for me - he was completely overwhelmed with how things had escalated in a negative way.  I arrived in NYC Thursday - and it's been insanity - 

Like a bull in a china shop - I pretty much steamrolled over the hospital staff (how's that for a mixed metaphor! LOL) - ticked off a lot of people along the way but bottom line, she'll take her meds and cooperate if I'm around - she wont' if I'm not - so this is short and sweet because I have to drive 30 minutes to get to her - 

Happy St. Patricks Day - and please keep us all in your prayers. 
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Springing Forward

3/10/2025

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Anyone hate the time change as much as I do?  Losing an hour is always tough. Tossed and turned trying to get to sleep at a decent hour because I had things to do this morning which technically was an hour earlier than I'd like so I 'needed' to go to bed earlier than I would have liked.  
I can't help but think, if Arizona and Hawaii don't change time, and everyone there is happy, and no one there complains, why can't the rest of the country do the same? I know I don't want little kids walking to school in the pitch black, and it's hard for parents to get young kids to go to sleep when the sun is still shining at 9pm - I'd like to go to standard time and stay there - 8pm is plenty late in the day to still have daylight. any how - that's my two cents on that one. 

On my weight loss efforts I am delighted to announce I'm down another pound and a half this week.  I'm actually quite pleased with myself because I even went out to dinner Saturday night - ate more parmesan rice than I wanted to (who could resist) and still didn't gain - Yay!  Going with my daughter's family to Disney is a great motivator - I need to lose more weight so I'll have more energy to keep up with the kiddos - at least to not slow them down! 

The book front is chugging along. Sweet Surprise is at the Editor now along with Quinn.  And I'm off to a strong start with Sweet Temptation. 

here's a tiny snippet from Sweet Temptation.

     “Something wrong?” Garret had been studying her.
     In for a penny, in for a pound. He already knew everything about her, what was one more thing. “Your aunt mentioned a board with work opportunities.”
    “Yes. There’s a lot of word of mouth in a small town, but the bulletin board helps folks connect faster.” His eyes softened. “So, does this mean that maybe you’re thinking of looking for a fresh start here? In Honeysuckle?”
        She shrugged. “Bizarre I know.”
     “Not necessarily. Here no one knows anything about you. Not your past. Not your problems. It would be a truly fresh start. No judgments.”
       A smile tugged at her lips. “That does hold a certain appeal.”
      “What did you do in Houston?”
    “Despite having a degree in psychology, I worked as manager for a small family owned insurance business.” She couldn’t stop her smile from growing wider. Just thinking about the sweet job she had put her in a happy place. As long as she didn’t think about how stupidly she threw it all away.
     “Managing a business sounds industry agnostic. There’s probably more than one business in town that could use a good manager.”
     Wouldn’t that be nice. If a little hopeful. “Of course, I’d have to find a place to live. Are there are a lot of apartments in town.”
   His expression grew more serious. “Not really. We’re growing but not enough for an apartment complex. Though some folks have turned attics into apartments. A few have done like the north east and turned larger homes into multifamily units, but not a whole lot. Yet.”
    “That’s what I was afraid of.”
     His gaze drifted off somewhere, his eyes cooling. She could almost see the wheels turning in his mind, but didn’t have the foggiest idea what had him thinking so hard.  Nodding softly, as if trying to convince himself of something, he blew out a soft sigh. “I may have an idea.”
     If anyone else on the planet had said that to her, she might be grabbing her purse and heading for the nearest exit, but from Garret, the honorable man who had rescued her from herself, what could she lose by hearing the man out? 

And that's it for today.  Have a great week! 
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Chugging Along

3/3/2025

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Oh this has been a busy week 

I'm still waiting to get my edits back on Quinn, not sure how early I'll have it up for sale on my webstore, but I'm trying. 

I can say that I'm one chapter away from finishing book two of the new series - Sweet Surprise- and I'm pretty confident that those will be availabe on my storefront at least a month before official release day - won't that be fun.  

As for real life around here - well - I'm puppysitting the grand dog - My son keeps getting swept away on weekend trips and I get the dog.  As you can see from his posture - we treat the poor thing so badly - I mean, who wants to sleep on a comfy sofa like this: 
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Then there's the downside to warmer weather in Texas. Outside by the pool looking at the filter - I shifted and looked up to the house and went- oh boy - time to paint!  Well, and repair too - only this time we're using cement board for that trim work! 
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I just hope no little critters have gotten into my attic through that bald spot! Hard to tell from the ground and I am NOT climbing a ladder. My sense of mortality has become more acute in my old age! LOL. I prefer two feet planted  firmly on the ground! 

okay - I'm heading back to Sweet Surprise, with no sun out today I'm feeling more sleepy than creative and I really want to move on and figure out book three ! 



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Four Pounds Down

2/24/2025

4 Comments

 
I am very excited about this last month of weight loss effort - while 4.4 pounds doesn't seem like much - I am thrilled to have lost that over the last four weeks. If I can lose five more pounds over the next five weeks, when walking around Disney with the grands, it will feel like I'm carrying one less bowling ball around!  LOL - sorry if that doesn't make sense - my uncle told me years ago, for every ten pounds overweight we are, it's like carrying around a bowling ball. That image has stuck with me, so now my goals are short - lose one bowling ball. Then when that happens, I'll aim for the next bowling ball! 

I'm also pretty thrilled to have started planning hubby and my first real vacation in ages - though I suppose the five day cruise to Cuba seven years ago does count, but it was twenty years before then that we took a trip together- Now, he's retiring and we're going to Ireland. His family roots are Irish so he's looking forward to meeting second cousins and seeing where his grandparents were born and lived.  I'm just looking forward to seeing the Emerald Isle. Of course the challenge for this pantser is that I have a miserable time planning ahead, it's pretty much lets get in the car see where it takes us and find a hotel. On our list of tourist things is Cliffs of Moher, Dingle, Kerry Ring (?), a little town called Adare, been told to stop there for lunch, of course the Blarney Castle, though I have no intention of hanging upside down to kiss a rock- as many of you know- I already have the gift of gab! LOL. And the odd one is the isle of Man. Apparently the movie Waking Ned Divine was filmed there and hubby and I thought it would be fun to go see.  Instead of flying back to England, we'll ferry to the isle from Dublin then ferry to Liverpool and train wherever we need to go after that.  If anyone has been to Ireland, we're taking suggestions! 

As for Quinn - I am delighted to say I could be finished with him as early as tonight! He's been pretty cooperative, but I had a few challenges here and there, we'll see what my editor thinks! 

Recently, I heard someone somewhere, don't remember if it was on TV or on my computer or what - but it talked about the village idiot and I had to reuse the line - so here it is: 

     “Morgan came over the radio next. “We’ll keep driving toward the interstate, just in case it’s someone else Ned saw. The guy is pretty old. Out.”
​      Eloise turned to Quinn. “Who else could possibly be out on a night like this?”
    “Unfortunately,” Finn leaned closer to the front seat to be heard over the howling wind. “Most villages have more than one idiot.” 


Anyhow, there's always something in every book that I stole from real life, and this book, that's it LOL. 

Because of the horribly cold weather last week, all I did was stay home and hibernate - which probably explains why I'll be finishing Quinn a week early, everyone else hibernated too! 

Well, that's all the real life and book news I have for today - remember to tell all your friends about my books - after this trip it will be time to start saving up for the next one! 

Just curious - does anyone love to travel and see new places besides me? 


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