Mary, Mary ...

Mary Teak has struggled with relationships for years. When one date ends in a rather humiliating manner, her friend Brenna sets a plan in motion that will allow Mary to figure out once and for all the reason behind her contrariness. Here's a tiny snippet from "How Does Your Garden Grow?" Book 2 in the Bedtime Stories series:

Mary wasn’t certain what may have passed across her face, but this felt like an invitation for more than “girl time”. Her heart beat quickened at the intensity with which Brenna watched her. Her skin tingled and flushed with excitement, but she said what came to mind. “Girls night in?” 

“Yeah, something like that.” Brenna dug into the next treat — crème brûlée — and offered it to Mary, who opened her lips without hesitation this time. No lingering essence of Brenna’s mouth remained, but Mary could pretend it did.

“So are you simply foregoing the date and getting right to the good part?”

“I’ve never hidden the fact that I’m gay.” Brenna perused the desserts, then leveled her gaze at Mary. “I’m simply expediting you along the path to realizing that you are.”

Mary sat back. She opened her mouth briefly, then closed it without a word. No, she didn’t deny it, but she needed to ponder this for a moment. Or longer.

Oh, yes ... Mary does need to ponder. And Brenna will be a gentle guide as Mary embraces her true self.

This story is truly a joy to write, as so many are not living the lives we are meant to be living. Of course not all of us will discover that we are gay, but there are other discoveries that are just as life-altering. Careers change. Lives change. People change and grow. Embrace those changes or they will destroy you.

Good Evening!

Welcome to Autumn! I can hardly believe we're already a week into this gorgeous season with the added bonus of being the host of my two favorite holidays: Halloween and Thanksgiving. I've heard Autumn referred to as the evening portion of the Wheel of the Year. I love that! Evenings to me are about settling down, reflecting on the day, then letting go.

There are also the fun things that come along with the cooler temperatures ... like football (I even updated my profile photo to illustrate where my loyalties lie ... *shaking my head* Can't help who ya love, right?), bonfires, sweaters, and cider mills ... maybe even a hayride. (<< The link will take you to a little partial flash from a while ago. Sexy fun with Kit and Ethan! **I'm noticing several photos from my blogs are simply not showing up anymore, so I apologize for the missing eye candy.)

A couple of things are currently in the works -- I know they've been "in the works" for oh-so-long, and I thank you for your patience as my life jerks the reins from my hands and runs wild! I've been doing the read-through/revision/expansion for the re-issue of Hearts A Plenty and am really [really!] anticipating it going live again in late fall! YAY!!! Followed in the spring with the release of Tattered Hearts.

I had no idea just how dear to my heart this series would become. When the idea for Vintage Love first came to me, it was fairly straightforward ... small town, sexy people, lots of secrets. Originally it had been planned as a trilogy to begin with Frank Britton and Lydia Sharp (Salvage My Heart, now VL #3), followed by an as-of-then list of characters I wasn't really sure of. Then the Thanksgiving challenge was issued and I decided to have Hearts A Plenty begin the series with a steamy m/f/m introducing Claire Mason, Jared Young, and Mark Pierce. That would be followed by Stella James and Eric Mason in Tattered Hearts, then Frank and Lydia's story, before finally winding up the series with Reclaim Her Heart, a m/f/m f/m/m featuring Charlotte Britton, Gabriel Mason, and Quinn Parker. Yes, the small midwest town of Awry has burrowed deeply into my heart. Looking forward to sharing it with you!

Also on the drawing board are several Bedtime Stories featuring Bicycle Built For Two, and Mary, Mary Quite Contrary, as well as "loading the toad" for Three Men in a Tub and Waltzing Matilda.

And on that note ... I wish you a wonderful evening!

In the works

Yes, it's been a while.

After an interesting year of wild leaps and new adventures -- not the least of which was starting a company with my hubby, working hard and seeing it grow, I am happy to whisper (for fear of scaring off the somewhat timid of late Muse) that there are several projects in the final stages that will (hopefully) be completed soon.

Of course, there's Tattered Hearts, Book 2 in the Vintage Love series. Here we find Eric and Stella figuring out that to heal the adult pain they experienced while young lovers, they're going to have to meet it head on as adults. Together. The other VL stories are in progress, as well ... meaning they each have a OneNote tab designated for them and details are entered there regularly. The VL series will go like this: #1 Hearts A Plenty (currently available through my website), #2 Tattered Hearts, #3 Salvage My Heart (feat. Frank & Lydia), and #4 Reclaim Her Heart (feat. Charlie, Gabe, and Quinn).

I'm also working on a collection of short stories called Bedtime Stories: Erotic Retellings of Classic Rhymes. I'm hoping for at least two volumes, each including 3-5 stories.

YAY!!

While things are still quite chaotic, I am SO happy to be back at the keyboard doing what I love.

Hello Autumn!!

Fall has arrived here in the Mitten! This typically means cooler temps, crackling leaves, and the count down to my two favorite holidays ... Hallowe'en and Thanksgiving!

Five things I love about Fall (in no particular order):

• Orange (What's not to love about this color? It always makes me smile.)
• Kicking through the fallen leaves as I walk through my little neighborhood and town, and hearing them crunch and scatter.
• Delicious comfort foods like pumpkin and apple pies, breads, and caramel apples.
• Classic "scary" movies at our local vintage movie theatre. (Can hardly wait to see The Ghost and Mr. Chicken!)
• Football (Who can resist the boys of fall? Especially when they look like this. Mmm-hmmm.)

Next...

With the groundwork out of the way, I was able to begin writing my next book, Salvage My Heart, the first in a trilogy tentatively called Reclaimed Love. Be sure to watch the progress of this new one with the little Writertopia widget at the bottom of the homepage of this blog.