Must Write...

I just don’t feel my day is complete unless I pull out my WIP and type at least one line. Currently, I’m working on what I hope is the second in a series set in western Kansas. I just queried the first story, so my fingers are crossed. Here's an update on my work....

Progress on future books:
A Wife for Big John will be released on Feb. 8th
An April to Remember is with my editor, I’m hoping to get the first edits back in Feb.

Other stories waiting for the next step:
An Unbelievable Journey (a time travel short story), is about a young event planner, Sierra Masters, who is transported back in time to Nebraska in the year 1883 where she assists Buffalo Bill Cody create his first Wild West show. The event is successful, but not nearly as successful as her romance with Jesse Jones.
Shotgun Bride (the first of the series, so the title may change. I’m thinking the series might be the Shotgun Brides of the Quinter Brothers, and this story might be Kid’s Bride). This story is about Jeci Johnson whom must marry the oldest Quinter brother, Kid, in order to save her brother from being hanged for horse theft. It is set in western Kansas in 1880.
Skeeter’s Future Bride (the second in the series) is about the second Quinter brother, Skeeter, and Lila, a pregnant, single, young woman who, aided by a ghost, crawls through a tunnel in 2007 and ends up in 1882. It is set in western Kansas in 1882.
Ma Quinter and her double barrel shotgun have roles in each story of the series.

That's about it for now. Happy writing all!

Countdown to release date...

A Wife for Big John will be released in e-book on February 8th. This was a fun story to write and I learned so much about the logging industry while writing it, including how the hospitals in Duluth and Bemidji as well as others, where built with money the “Lumberjack Sister” collected by selling “chits” or hospital tickets to lumberjacks. Sister Amata traveled across the northern woods selling these chits for over three decades. The men who purchased tickets for anywhere from $1-$5 were guaranteed care at one of the hospitals if they were injured at work, however Sister Amata made it extremely clear the tickets were invalid if liquor or fighting was involved.

The story is set in 1890’s in Northern Minnesota and here’s the back cover blurb:

At first sight, Dani Jones fell in love- not with Big John, but with his stove. It's the latest model and makes her believe her cooking alone will encourage the Boss Man to let her stay until she has enough money to travel to California and be reunited with the man she promised to marry.

Big John Thompson returns from the spring river drive to find the man he hired to cook for the lumberjacks is a slip of a girl- Danielle Jones. To make matters worse, Miss Jones decides John needs a wife, and sets out to find him one...

Happy Birthday Elvis

Well, it truly wouldn’t be MY blog if I didn’t mention Elvis. Since tomorrow is his birthday this seems like a fitting week.

I can't remember not being an Elvis fan. His music has and will always touch my heart. My guest bedroom, decorated with all of the Elvis memorabilia family and friends have given me over the years, is affectionately called “Heartbreak Hotel”. For our 25th wedding anniversary we went to Memphis and stayed at the real Heartbreak Hotel. Trust me- you don’t have to be an Elvis fan to enjoy visiting Graceland and all of the other wonderful sights there. (This is me outside Graceland.)

How or why I became an Elvis fan…I don’t really know…Perhaps I always recognized how Elvis was a true ‘follow your dream’ person. He knew what he wanted and overcame many obstacles to be able to sing and perform for people. Due to some poor decisions, made either by him or those around him, his life may not have ended the way he might have chosen, but I imagine he slid through Heaven’s gate saying, “Wow, what a ride!”

So for all of you who have a dream…Go for it! Elvis is proof- dreams do come true.