Seeker is here!

It’s here! Time to party!

Yes, there was cake! I dabbled with an ombre and naturally wanted to pipe buttercream thistles on top!

Find it on Amazon - ebook, in Kindle Unlimited, and as paperback: HERE.

What is SEEKER about?

Journey to 14th century Scotland:

An ambitious archer.

A future war chieftain.

Rivaling clans.

A magical mortar and pestle.

Can her arrow secure peace? Will it find love?

And don’t forget to check out the other books in the Mortar & Pestle series - collect them all!

A sneak peek into Seeker

WOOT! The cat is out of the bag! My new book, SEEKER is coming out March 9th! This medieval Scottish romance is part of a 7-book series that spans time and genre - from castles to pirates to modern day vampires, artists, and treasure hunters. The series has a bit for everyone.

If you’ve not yet subscribed to my newsletter, it’s loaded with info.

Newsletter subscribers always get an earlier sneak peek plus get access to other free and fun opportunities. :)

Now for that book…

Seeker: Nock, draw, release. Can she unite her clans before it's too late?

〰️

Seeker: Nock, draw, release. Can she unite her clans before it's too late? 〰️

Aileana Montgomerie’s bloodline holds valuable gifts of foresight and healing, but with each honor comes a curse. Even though she is descended from the mystical isles’ folk, she lacks the ability of the Scottish Ancients and wonders if she belongs in a magical family. Aileana just wants a purpose. What good is her bow and arrow if she is denied the right to fight for her clan?

Brodie MacDougall is ordained to be the next war chieftain of his clan. The title is a privilege as long as his brother, the future laird, doesn’t expect him to lift a sword and charge into battle. Chronic pain and nervous vapors force him to spend his days alone. Can his strategic skills keep him one step ahead of his conspiring brother?

Through a magical Mortar & Pestle, Brodie finds his heart’s desire. But there’s a catch. The seat on his brother’s council is no longer dependent upon his health…but on Aileana’s strength. With rumblings of unrest among their clans, will their love foster an alliance or be a step toward war?

Preorder SEEKER now through March 8th at 99¢!

Do you like to read and write reviews? Sign up to be an ARC READER for SEEKER.

The Mortar and Pestle series…

Find the SERIES online All now for pre-order!

New release coming your way & a bit about our Ecuador trip

It’s been a busy summer!

If you’ve not yet subscribed to my newsletter, it’s chockful of info this fall: new release info, a whirlwind summary of our trip to Ecuador & the Galapagos this summer (a longer post on that coming soon but skim down to get a snippet…), my upcoming conferences, book recommendations, and other author highlights.

Newsletter subscribers always get an earlier sneak peek plus get access to other free and fun opportunities. :)

Now for that book…

Seeker: coming soon!

〰️

Seeker: coming soon! 〰️

Pre-order SEEKER on February 10, 2023, which is just around the corner!

SEEKER will be part of a 7-book romantic novella series. Each book is a standalone story, but they can all be read in or out of order for the full Mortar & Pestle experience. More details will be coming in my December newsletter, including information about being an ARC READER for SEEKER. Interested? Sign up!

The Mortar and Pestle series…

A wisp of smoke, a swirl of promise, a breath of destiny…a message within the Mortar & Pestle for those who want to believe.

Throughout time people have sought heir heart’s desire. But true love is often elusive.

Carved with Ancient Norse runes, the Mortar & Pestle shows paths to happily-ever-afters.

Once you capture the Mortar & Pestle’s scent of magic, you’ll want to read all seven individual romances.

Just a few photos from our AMAZING trip to Ecuador!

I am still falling back into the routine of life after our family trip to Ecuador in August. It was our first trip internationally with our children. I have yet to sit and write a blog post, let alone print or order photos! Choosing about 20 of 1700 photos (and that wasn't even enough!) is hard but I did my best (see above). Writing about the beauty that is Ecuador, even harder. I'll summarize our adventure (stay tuned for a more detailed blog post)...

15 days, 4 people, 6 flights, a dozen destinations, sea level to 13,000 feet elevation, wicked altitude sickness, rocky speed boat "ferries," 2 islands, lush wildlife (sea turtles, sea lions, highland tortoises, sharks, rays, marine & land iguanas, blue-footed boobies, Galapagos penguins, toucans, hummingbirds), snorkeling, kayaking, hiking, biking, volcanoes, beaches, cloud forest, Andes mountains, equator, cultural learnings, national parks, zigzagging drives, ice cream & gelato & lattes & so much food, busy city, quiet countryside, amazing tour guides & naturalists, Darwin...

...and more memories than I can write down! I highly recommend a trip to this gem of a place if you wish to explore 4 different ecosystems in one country (islands, coast, mountains, jungle), love nature and science and animals and history/art, have an adventurous side, appreciate learning about new cultures, and well, love to travel. As a former scientist, visiting the beloved Galapagos Islands was a dream.


Romancing the Summer away at RomantiConn - free ticket giveaway!

I know, it’s been awhile! But I’m here! :) I’ve been busy writing and revising and enjoying spring. My quick round-up:

  • Revisions, writing a new book

  • Enjoying early spring flowers and plenty of walking and biking

  • A huge landscaping project

  • Visited a local STEM event and geeked out, Star Wars style

  • Planting my veggie gardens and nurturing my seedlings indoors a little longer

Be sure to sign up for my newsletter for quarterly updates.

Do you love reading romance? Do you like meeting dozens (over 80!) authors, grabbing goodies, and snagging book deals?

Then RomantiConn (a fabulous Romance Reader & Author Event in Trumbull, Connecticut) is for you! I am lucky to be able to give away ONE free ticket admission to RomantiConn this year. I will be announcing the winner on JUNE 1st. You have all month to enter.

Enter here

Enter for a free ticket admission

〰️

Enter for a free ticket admission 〰️

Learn more about RomantiConn

And about tickets here

And it wouldn’t be a blog post from me without photos of nature, hikes, flowers, or coffee mugs, so here’s a spring round-up! Biking, walking, Star Wars at STEM event, daffodils at a botanical garden, some of my seedlings, and cupcakes for a recent bake sale.

Writing the In Between: Romantic Women's Fiction

What makes a book a romance?

Many people think having a romantic arc of any shape or size in a book categorizes it as a romance, but this is not the case. All genres can have a romantic arc in their book. Others presume that if you have two character POVs and they are or become romantically involved it is romance. Also, not always the case. So what is a romance then?

According to the Romance Writers of America (RWA), two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending.

However, a romance’s framework goes far deeper than that. There are “rules” or beats an author must follow, a template of sorts to achieve the status of romance. There are a slew of other conventions and elements readers expect to see in a romance. Often, but not always, the story is formulaic (much like a cozy mystery), and readers know what to expect. There are no surprises.

What makes a book women’s fiction?

According to the Women’s Fiction Writer’s Association (WFWA), women’s fiction is:

A layered story in which the plot is driven by the main character’s emotional journey.

An emotionally satisfying ending (Happily Ever After or HEA) is not a guarantee. Chick-lit, book club fiction, and literary fiction can all fall under the Women’s Fiction umbrella.

According to the Romantic Women’s Fiction Writers (a chapter of RWA), “Romantic women’s fiction is a happy marriage of romance and women’s fiction. On the heroine’s journey through life, she meets the hero, adding romance to her other challenges. In the end, many of her life’s issues are resolved and the romance has a hopeful, satisfying conclusion.”

Now that I got all those murky-hybrid-crossover definitions out of the way, what do I think is Romantic Women’s Fiction?

I believe romantic women’s fiction is any story about a protagonist who undergoes huge personal growth, which is deep and layered. The story may or may not have a HEA (in my case, mine do). The story revolves around a protagonist (usually a woman) overcoming both an internal (emotional) and external conflict, resulting in personal growth. The protagonist’s central emotional journey weighs heavier on the page than the romantic journey.

Authors who’ve successfully entered this realm of romantic women’s fiction include Susan Wiggs, Amy Harmon, Kristin Hannah (some of hers), Katherine Center, Nicholas Sparks, and Barbara O’Neal to name a few. Jeeves Reeds lists a few of these “crossover books” and Amazon even has a category of “Women’s Romance Fiction.”

What authors do you think fall into this realm of Romantic Women’s Fiction?

When an author plunges into the world of querying and marketing such a novel, we quickly find ourselves stuck in the murky world of: Is my book romance? Is it a subgenre of romance? Is it women’s fiction with romantic elements? What is my book?? Who will want this? Agents and readers may say, “Yuck! There’s not enough romance in this” or “Nope, this story has too much romance to be women’s fiction.” It’s the Goldilocks of fiction genres: too much or too little romance. What is the balance of just right? That answer, I do not have.

I am currently querying a book that falls into this mysterious in between. I’m also writing a book that has yet to be labeled with a very low-simmer and side-story romance, but it’s definitely not the central story.

My hope is this new label of romantic women’s fiction takes a strong hold of the writing, reading, and publishing community and becomes a genre we hear more about. I want to see lists on Amazon, Goodreads, and BookBub. I’d love to see hashtags like #romanticwomensfiction take off on Instagram, Twitter, and MSWL.

What do you consider Romantic Women’s Fiction?

I’d love to hear from you.

Until next time…

P.S.

Here’s a list of a just few (there are many of us out there!) up and coming authors who delve into the Romantic Women’s Fiction realm:

Julie Howard ~ Pamela M. Kelley ~ Ramsey Hootman ~ CJ Fosdick ~ Shirley Goldberg ~ Sarah Grunder Ruiz ~ Jennifer Bouchard ~ Paulette Stout ~ Jamie Beck ~ Kristan Higgins ~ Amy Q. Barker ~ Leslie Lynch ~ Rebecca Campbell ~ Lorrie Thomson ~