Tag Archives: harlequin author

When I…

27 Thursday Jul 2017

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I’m the kind of person whose head is always stuck in the future.

When we pay this off, then we’ll be able to…

When I finish this manuscript, I have to work on…

One of these days, I’m going to achieve ____, and then I’ll have arrived.

But I’ve noticed that the arrival never happens. After each project, there is another one. Even financially, there is always another goal ahead of the one we achieve. Pay off this, save up for that. When I reach one milestone, I start aiming at the next. I’m the teensiest bit Type A. Had you noticed? 😉

Then I came across this thought on Glennon Doyle’s Facebook page, and it gave me pause.

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I’ve often said that you’ll never be able to be a writer unless you love the process. And I don’t use the word “love” lightly. Unless you thoroughly enjoy all the different stages, you’ll quit. There’s no way you could keep going… and I’m truly grateful that I do love the the process!

But every now and then, I have to let go of all my goals, all my “when I do this” thoughts, and just enjoy the moment. Because while achieving is important to me, it’s actually about the writing. I love the writing.

When I pay off this, then I’ll be able to… continue writing.

When I finish this manuscript…. I’ll be a writer working on edits.

One of these days, I’ll win an award or hit the New York Times Bestsellers list, or, or, or… and THEN… I’ll sit down and write the next book.

It’s so simple. No matter how far I go, or how much I achieve, I’m a writer because I love writing. There’s nothing else I’d rather be doing. And even if you gave me $1 million dollars, the very next day I’d sit down and continue on whatever manuscript I was working on. Because I’m a writer. It’s in my blood.

Stopping to enjoy the moment isn’t a bad thing, because this moment, right here, is the fun part!

Perspective. ❤

 

 

 

Hint, hint, Mr. Johns

20 Thursday Jul 2017

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Anybody else cook this way? I’m not a bad cook, but I’m a forgetful one, especially when working on a project. When I’m fully focused, I can whip up some really delicious meals. In fact, Mr. Johns claims that part of the reason why he married me was for my cooking… I just have to put that in there for my own pride. LOL! But when I came across the above meme, I laughed more than I should have. 😉  Because I also check Facebook a lot.

IMG_3471_1024x1024My birthday is coming up in October, and the only thing I’ve asked for from my husband is a Sugar Baby apron. I already have one–and they are so cute! But I want another one, because I’ve used this one every single day for almost a year, and it’s starting to fade. These things happen, I suppose.

So all I want for my birthday is another one… or two. I’m not picky, and they do have a lot of great patterns! They are gorgeous aprons, and they do nothing to improve my cooking, but they do save my clothes from splatters, and when Mr. Johns comes home to see his wife in a 1950’s apron, I have a sneaking suspicion that if the above chicken happens, it’s a tiny bit more forgivable.

Maybe not a LOT more forgivable, but it tips the scales in my favor.

So if you know us, and my husband happens to mention that he’s got to buy his wife a birthday present and he seems in any way undecided about what to get me–the apron. She wants the apron.

Apparently, I’m not visual

17 Monday Jul 2017

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I can never see the differences in the Spot the Difference memes on the Harlequin Facebook page. At least not right away. It takes me a bit. I end up posting them to my author page on Facebook and ask for help. My readers are helpful people, and I love them for it.

But then Harlequin chose MY cover for Spot the difference, I saw it right away. Maybe because I know the cover so well.

But do you see it??

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This book is a July release, so still on the shelves! If you haven’t picked up your copy, the clock is ticking…

Or, you know, you could pick up a copy online. No pressure. 😉

Harlequin

Amazon

 

The summer search for writing time

13 Thursday Jul 2017

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I love the summer–the warm weather, the thunderstorms, the days that don’t have to revolve around school schedules… I really like to wear pretty dresses, and I wear them all summer long. Once the September chill hits the air, though, I’m all about warmth and coziness, so I have to make the most of the dress season I have it.

I do love the summer! I feel like I have to defend that a little bit. But being two weeks in, I have to tell you… I miss time alone. I don’t write well with my family around. They talk to me. (Imagine!) They ask for things. (Snacks, conversation, where things are.) And they treat the summer like it’s vacation time. Which it is, for them, but not for me!

So I have to find places where I can write alone, and summer turns into this quest for silent writing space. Or if not silent, uninterrupted writing space.

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The above picture is of me writing at our local indoor pool–or beside it, rather–while my husband and son swam. I have a personal deadline that is looming.

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And here I am at my favorite spot–the local library’s silent room. I have to sneak to get to it, because I run across all sorts of people I know at the library, and I end up stopping for a quick chat. But with my family at home, I have limited time in that sterile, silent space, so I have to turn off the internet and make the most of it.

Writing books really is a full time job! At least the way I do it. And I’m lucky that I get to work from home and schedule my own time. So I’m not complaining–I do love this!

But there’s something to be said for September, too, when I get that silent time back again. 😉

 

Hope, Montana

10 Monday Jul 2017

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This Christmas, my Hope, Montana series wraps up with MONTANA MISTLETOE BABY.  Cowboys, ranches, babies and falling in love… all set in the small, ranching community of Hope, Montana. I’ve really enjoyed writing these books–such a fun escape from the everyday!

So I thought I’d give you a quick review of the series, just in case you’d like to catch up on your summer reading. 😉

 

Safe in the Lawman's Arms Cover

Montana sheriff Mike Cruise never pictured himself as a father. But with temporary custody of a toddler, he has to learn the ropes fast. Thankfully, his sweet new nanny, Malory Smythe, fits right in, and Mike begins to believe he can make this family thing work. Although he knows it can’t last forever… 

After her cheating ex left her pregnant and alone, Malory could easily fall for a strong, protective man. But she can’t risk repeating past mistakes with men, especially with a child on the way. When their makeshift family is threatened, will it drive Malory and Mike apart…or will it bring them together for good? 

Enjoy a special bonus short story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber, MY FUNNY VALENTINE

 

 

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Mackenzie Vaughn is determined to learn to run the Montana ranch she’s inherited—even if it means relying on Chet Granger. Years ago, the serious (and seriously handsome) cowboy broke up her relationship with his younger brother, and Mack doesn’t want to remember that heartache. 

Chet knows gorgeous, spunky Mack is off-limits. His brother would never forgive him, and Chet always puts family first…until he can no longer ignore his feelings. If Chet gives in to his heart, he’ll lose his brother and the ranch they share—if he doesn’t, he could lose Mackenzie forever.

 

 

Christmas Bride

 

Hope, Montana, is no longer home to Andy Granger, who sold his piece of the family ranch to developers. He’s only back to run a cattle drive in his brother’s stead. But the community can’t forgive him for selling out. And Dakota Mason, the beautiful cowgirl he hired, has every reason to hate him… 

Ranching is in Dakota’s blood. And now the developers have cut off water her neighboring ranch desperately needs. She’s only on the ride for a paycheck—not to turn her back on her community. And definitely not to fall for some overly protective urban cowboy. But Andy may surprise everyone…including himself.

 
 

 

 

Valentine Bride

Brody Mason needs a nurse. As soon as he can walk again, he’ll leave Hope, Montana, and go straight back to the army. But Kaitlyn Harpe? That’s adding insult to injury. Not just because she’s a daily reminder that Brody’s fiancée, Kate’s sister, married his best friend while he was fighting in Afghanistan. But because Kaitlyn had kept the truth from him. 

The Kaitlyn he knew before he deployed would never have perpetuated a lie like that. But this new person—the confident, beautiful woman with hidden depths in her eyes—is nothing like the shy, serious girl he knew. This Kaitlyn troubles him. Because Brody is starting to wonder if he proposed to the wrong sister… 

 

 

triplets

When Nora Carpenter becomes sole guardian of her triplet goddaughters, she needs backup—fast. So she heads home to the family ranch in Hope, Montana. But when she arrives, Nora learns that her great-grandparents’ house now belongs to Easton Ross. 

Easton and Nora used to be friends, back when Easton was a lanky ranch hand who was always there for her. Now he’s a rugged cowboy who hasn’t forgiven her for leaving town. Easton lets Nora and the triplets bunk with him and can’t help falling head over heels for the adorable babies. But Nora can’t stay. For the triplets, living in Hope would mean a lifetime of gossip. And Nora has to put her new daughters first, even if it breaks her own heart.

 

Coming in August, 2017…

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Avery Southerly has finally met her biological father…sort of. Instead of properly introducing herself, she took a job as cook at her dad’s ranch in Hope, Montana. There’s just one problem: Avery can’t cook! Luckily ranch manager Hank Granger agrees to help, and things quickly begin heating up in the kitchen. 

But romance is not on the menu—Hank could be fired for fraternizing with an employee, and Avery is only in town to get answers. Then she’s headed home to Kansas, where she truly belongs. Hank is determined to help Avery discover the truth about her past. Yet the more time they spend together, all he can see is the future. He just needs to help Avery do the same!

 

And coming in November 2017, MONTANA MISTLETOE BABY!!

 

 

 

 

 

Lust, respect and patience

06 Thursday Jul 2017

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Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward were married for fifty years. That’s a long time–especially in Hollywood. When asked about the success of their marriage, Paul Newman said,

[Love and marriage requires] some combination of lust and respect and patience. And determination.

“Lust.” It’s not a crude word–it’s a romantic fact! It’s that physical connection that holds you together. I know a lot of people say, “I married my best friend,” and I understand what they mean by that: that they love spending time together, talking, and building the part of the relationship. But in my mind, “best friend” kind of discounts the romantic part the relationship, and I think that private, physical connection is too important to sideline.

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When I hear “best friend,” I think buddy. But Mr. Johns isn’t my buddy. He’s my soulmate, my confidant, my resting place. When I slide into his arms and fit right under his chin, my heartbeat slows–I can feel it!–and we both exhale this sigh of relief. When we’re uncomfortable in social situations, we lean toward each other. Our physical connection–even on a heartbeat level–is like a seal around us.

Joanne Woodward famously said, “Sexiness wears thin after a while and beauty fades, but to be married to a man who makes you laugh every day, ah, now that’s a real treat.”

So maybe she saw it a little differently than her husband did, but you can’t say that their relationship didn’t have that spark! And without that elemental physical connection between the two of you, what’s the point? I think a marriage would be long and monotonous without it! Perhaps as the years go by, that part will wear a little thin as Mrs. Newman said, but I don’t think that my spot right under his chin where our heartbeats echo each other will ever change.

That’s mine.

Covers across the pond

26 Monday Jun 2017

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One of my favorite pass times lately is Googling the Mills and Boon version of my covers. They tend to do a different cover in the UK and Australia, and I find it so interesting to see what they change!

This is the North American version of THE RUNAWAY BRIDE vs. the UK/Australian version.

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The difference for this one seems to be the cropping, mainly, and some color tint. But even that cropping makes a difference in the feel of the cover, don’t you think?

If you haven’t picked up a copy of THE RUNAWAY BRIDE yet, please do! 🙂 I’ve been getting great responses on this book. People seem to love it as much as I do!

Mills and Boon

Harlequin

 

Real people would need extensive therapy

22 Thursday Jun 2017

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A few weeks ago, Mr. Johns and I watched a movie I really enjoyed: True Memoirs of an International Assassin starring Kevin James. The premise of the movie is that there is an unpublished writer trying for his big break, and when his book is picked up by an online publisher, he is mistaken for an actual assassin.

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It’s very funny with some great action… but one thing really bothered me. The movie’s “moral,” is that the writer needs to get an actual life instead of living vicariously through his characters. Ouch.

I’m a writer who writes a lot, so you can see how this might hit a nerve for me. I spend most of my time clattering away on a keyboard, and I have to say–I don’t want to live the drama that I write!

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That’s the fun of books, isn’t it? You get to slip into the skin of a completely different person and live a life of danger and drama that you don’t actually want to experience in your own humble existence. In a book, you can run out on your own wedding when you discover your fiance is cheating on you, or you can adopt triplet newborns that your half-sister left to you in her will… You can even take a huge romantic risk with an emotionally unavailable cop without any long term consequences!

In my real life, I don’t like drama. I like quiet days spent rattling away on my keyboard, I talk to two budgies about how pretty they are, and I consume copious amounts of tea. In my evenings, I make dinner for my family, agonize over ordinary things like child rearing, and flirt with Mr. Johns. I certainly don’t do all the things I write about! Thank goodness.

Jan_van_Eyck_059We all need an outlet, an escape. And fantasy is just that… it doesn’t actually work once you force it into the harsh light of day. Please, please don’t bring my books to life–I don’t think I could survive them! My heroes and heroines come out happily in the end, but real people would probably need years of therapy after all that.

So here’s to the readers and writers who prefer their drama between the covers of a good book. We aren’t missing out on anything… trust us. It’s better this way.

How mad would you be?

18 Sunday Jun 2017

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I stumbled across this story about a couple who’d spent $80,000 on their dream wedding, only to have their best man hijack the day and propose to his girlfriend… mid-ceremony!

Apparently, the best man was also the officiant, and he went on to talk about his future with his new fiancee, instead of focusing on the couple actually getting married. He also requested a dance for himself and his own bride-to-be alone on the dance floor during the reception. That’s a lot of gall, I have to say.

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But here’s my question: on a scale of 1-10, how mad would you be?

Public_bathroom_toiletI think I’d be about a 2, and here’s why–we had a really cheap wedding! I really think the money factors in. Mr. Johns and I decided to get married… and did. It was a tiny wedding, the goal of which was to get hitched. I don’t remember the vows, or much of anything detail-wise. I was just excited to be married to my guy. In fact, my most vivid memory of the day was being locked in a public bathroom with my husband at the restaurant where we were having our reception, and us saying to each other, “We’re married! Can you believe it?” A bathroom. So if one of our 8 guests had proposed during my wedding, I don’t think it would have phased me a whole lot.

Now, if I’d put off my wedding for several years, planned the perfect wedding and spent $80 K on it, I might have been more annoyed. And while the best man was really lacking in social graces, I’m of the opinion that a wedding is just one day. And you can’t control it all! Things will go wrong. Things will go right. It’s a success if you end up legally wed!

However, I may be alone in that opinion. What do you think? How mad would you be if your wedding was hijacked by a proposal?

My Happy Spot

15 Thursday Jun 2017

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I have two more weeks of writing in beautiful, uninterrupted silence. Then school ends, and it’ll be a little noisier around here!

But I thought I’d share a couple of pictures so you can see my happy spot. This is my view from my lazy boy chair where I do the  majority of my writing lately.

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I had the birds outside that afternoon so they could get some fresh air. I think they feel a combination of fear for their lives and the thrill of not being dead yet out there, because they’re always so happy to come back inside! LOL! But I’m convinced that some fresh air is good for them… and a little adventure never hurt, right?

I’m really enjoying my petunias this year. They’re so hearty. This is them a couple of days after a hail storm, to boot. They just grow and grow–the perfect flowers for me. I really can’t take much credit for them. They flourish in spite of me. And in spite of the hail, apparently.

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This is the view I’m enjoying this summer. 🙂 I hope you’ve carved out some beauty for yourself, too. ❤