Romance Writer’s Weekly #lovechatwrite

Thus week on our Romance Writers’ Weekly blog hop our topic is: How did you get started in your career, how did you get to where you are today and what’s next for you?

I started writing novels almost by accident. I had been practicing law for many years when I became friends with another author in my office building. She had just started writing her first novel and was so excited. I spent a couple of years following her writing journey and sharing in her joy of writing. One day, when I was especially discouraged with the practice of law, she suggested I try to write a novel. I laughed. I knew nothing about writing fiction! But I sat down a couple of days later and started my very first romance. I loved it. It was so different from the formal legal writing I was used to. I guess you could say I never looked back. I split my time between writing and practicing law for about four years before I took the plunge and transitioned to writing full-time. I’ve never regretted the decision. Today, is the release day for my twenty-sixth novel. Writing romance and happily ever after is something I truly enjoy and hope to be able to continue to do for the rest of my life. I have found my calling 🙂

How did you get started in your career? leave a comment and then head over to Jenna’s blog at https://www.jennadasie.com to see how she got started, too 🙂

Christmas Romance is in the air

Hi Everyone, my new Christmas Novel, A Peakview Christmas, is now available for pre-order at http://amazon.com/dp/B07GWT7HG1  Reserve your copy today and get it delivered on October 1st, just in time to get in the Christmas Spirit. A great holiday romance. APC cover FB copy

Rain, rain go away

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Well, it’s been raining here in East, Texas for a couple weeks now. I’m starting to forget what the sun looks like. At least three more days are in the forecast. Oh, I know, we need the rain. Its good for all the little flowers that will be coming up shortly. I’m just not a fan of clouds, they bring me down. After a few days my mood turns as dark as the sky.

Maybe I’m spoiled after living in Colorado for over forty years where the sun shines almost every single day. I have to say since moving to Texas last summer, for the most part its been pretty sunny. I think its February. Isn’t February awful everywhere? It’s our shortest month, but somehow feels like the longest. I lived in several different states in my life, in many different regions of our country with many different climates. One conclusion I’ve come too, is this: October is beautiful no matter where you are, And, February is not. Once we pass Christmas and Valentine’s Day, we’re all ready for spring, but it’s still winter. I will survive. That little jingle we used to say as kids has been running through my head all day “rain, rain, go away, come again another day.” Maybe if I say it enough the sun will peek through:)

Enjoy your day, wherever you are. Even if it’s raining.

Christmas in Texas

As many of you know, this past summer I moved from my long time home in Colorado to my new home in Longview, Texas. I was excited about the warm winters and lack of snow. I’ve never been a winter person. Give me 70-80 degrees, and I’m happy 🙂 What I hadn’t anticipated is how the seasons just blend together. In Colorado, we have four distinct seasons. One ends and another follows (that is, except for spring when it’s been known to snow on Mother’s Day, but that’s another story).

Anyway, in the fall freezing temperatures appear in September, sprinklers are turned off, mowers are put away, and the grass goes dormant for the winter. Then the fall leaves turn to brilliant shades of yellow, red and orange, and quickly fall off of the trees. The end of September and the month of October are spent raking leaves. By the time mid-November hits and it’s time to put up the outside Christmas lights, there’s a clean slate. Nothing much interferes. Oh, we had an occasional snow, but the snow serves to make the lights more festive–the bright colors shining through the white.

Not so in East Texas. I enjoyed putting up the lights without the need for my down jacket, mittens and scarf, but the grass was still growing. I carefully staked the Christmas ornaments into the front lawn, only to have to move them to move the grass underneath. And then, the leaves finally turn and begin to fall- IN DECEMBER. Lot of leaves. Tons and tons of leaves, that gently fall to the ground and cover the ornaments. Once again, ornaments are moved to rake underneath them.  Every week, more and more leaves fall.

We’ve been in a basic drought since I moved here in July with very little moisture. That is until this week. The weather has decided to make up for all of those sunny days. Three days ago we had four inches of rain and today is predicted to be much the same. Why do I mention this? Because of all of those nice little extension cords criss-crossing my lawn. Everywhere one cord meet the other, moisture gets in, and shorts out the lights resulting in blown fuses. Just when they were all dried out, it’s raining again. Hard. The other night I did something I’ve never done in the month of December, I didn’t turn on my Christmas lights! I didn’t want to spend the entire night flipping breaker switches.

All in all, I’m happy to be in Texas. I admit, I do like a white Christmas, preferably with all the snow melting by the 26th, but when I saw the 9 degree temperature in my former town this morning, I didn’t miss that. I guess I’ll take 70 degrees and soggy lights.

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays to you from me. Whatever your beliefs, or whether you’re in snow or rain, sun or clouds, warm or cold, its the loving spirit of the season in our hearts that count. May you all have a blessed start to 2018!

Colorado Winter Moon

Book number 6 in my Peakview Series, Colorado Winter Moon is now available at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0716F4ZSW

Jill Haymaker brings you back to picturesque Peakview, Colorado in this small town western romance. Sam Phillips has given up on love since the death of his wife. With only his small dog, Marshall, for company, he’s content to live out his life alone. That is until he meets the perky and vivacious, Vickie Dalton at her son’s wedding. There’s just something about her that makes him want to reopen his closed heart.

Vickie, widowed at a young age, has spent her life raising her children and grandchildren in Tumbleweed, Wyoming. Romance for herself is the farthest thing from her mind when she travels to Colorado for the wedding. But when she looks into those bright blue eyes, she senses that Sam in one of a kind. Is she too old to take a chance on love, especially if it means leaving her home and grandchildren behind?

Under the glow of a Colorado winter moon, can these two lonely people discover a passion they thought was long gone. Can they find a way to juggle family and location to be together? Come home to Peakview, Colorado where everyone has a chance at love.

 

Free holiday romance

My Christmas Novella, Colorado Cowboy Christmas is free for your kindle Dec. 13-16 just in time for Christmas. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MFD0T97

Cynthia Welch has made a name for herself as one of Chicago’s top divorce attorneys at the expense of her personal life. Burnt out, she heads to Peaktop Guest Ranch for a couple of months of solitude over the holidays.

AJ Coulter, a cowboy from Wyoming, has been a loner and a drifter ever since his divorce and his teenage daughters leaving for college. He finds a temporary job at Peaktop Ranch as the head wrangler.

 When their paths cross, Cynthia begins to question her life in Chicago, and AJ struggles to find a way to keep her in Colorado.

 Can the spirit of Christmas bring these two people from very different worlds together and help them find their way to true love?

 This Christmas, come home to Peakview, Colorado where everyone has a chance at love.ccc-front-final

 

Snow day- the down side to a home office

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I moved my office to my home at the beginning of the year. So far its been a mostly positive experience. On cold winter days, no more driving across town in the cold, getting all bundled up, all I do is put on my fuzzy slippers and walk up a flight of stairs, cup of hot tea in my hand, to my office. It’s warm and cozy in here. And I am getting more accomplished each day, not nearly as many distractions as in the office building downtown. All good. Yesterday it snowed some, and I didn’t have to go out and slip and slide on the icy roads.

Then this morning I wake up to another foot of fresh snow. The radio is blaring out the closures. All schools and most businesses are closed for the day. Everyone gets a snow day! I turn to Facebook to hear stories of sledding and building snowmen, friends watching movies for the whole day in their pajamas or reading a great novel.  Everyone loves those days when they have an excuse to just enjoy the day, when it is impossible and excused to stay home and do nothing. It’s good for the soul.

Where am I you ask? You guessed it, in my office working away in my fuzzy slippers with my cup of tea.  It was easy to walk up the stairs this morning. Not a snowflake on me. I had no excuse. My office wasn’t hard to get to at all.  I tried to give myself permission to just take the day off like everyone else, but without an excuse, I couldn’t convince myself to do it. I’m working away, just like every other day as I occasionally look out the window at my neighbor on his dune buggy pulling a sled behind it down the street filled with giggling grandchildren. Maybe I’ll give my self permission to shut down a little early and see if he will give me a ride 🙂