May Possibilities & Writing..

 Happy Wednesday!

Yes, I changed the title graphic banner on here. It's to match what I have on my social media pages. Please bear with me as I try to adjust the settings/layout. I'm not the most knowledgeable about these things, but I have someone I can ask to help me.

Currently I'm querying Shifter Secrets, my YA Fantasy Romance featuring wolf-shifters. I haven't written a story featuring any kind of shifters in a long time, but that's okay. My long-time critique partner (who has read just about every manuscript I've written in the last 16 years) and my long-time beta reader (who has been with me about as long and read almost all my manuscripts written in the last 16 years) said Shifter Secrets is some of my best work. It's got more personal aspects for me, but I won't tell what...I'll let the reader guess! It's a bit more on the serious side that Sugar & Frost, but it still has some humor in it (gotta love the male main character, Vest Plenilune's, cousin, Xavier--he's hilarious in my opinion and the female main character, Mauri Kipp, is sweet, but has a secret she's dealing with that isn't an easy thing).

Sugar & Frost is currently on hold. This does not mean it is permanently shelved--I have every intention of getting it out to readers somehow, I just haven't decided what path to take to make that happen. I know what I want to do, but I may have to adjust my wants to something I can do at this time. I still love the story (it's my long-time beta reader's favorite--even thought beta reader said Shifter Secrets is some of my best work) and it's one of my favorite things I've written. I love the story, the characters, the magical/cozy aspects, including some humor. It features fairies, elves as tall as humans (male main character Chase Frost), magic, a feud, a delusional would-be rival to the female main character, Kallie Sugar, it's all so fun. Not to mention Kallie's family lives above the family owned-and-operated bakery. If you like cinnamon rolls, cookies, pies, etc...and a fun coffee shop that's right across the street from the bakery, you'll have fun with this.

I like to think my work would sit comfortably (with more magical elements than the following examples) beside Kasie West's P.S. I Like You, Maybe This Time, and Places We've Never Been or perhaps near Jenny Han's To All The Boys I Loved Before, but on the more sweet end of romance (and again, with magical type elements). Lots of yearning (go read Becky Dean's Love Unmasked for context....or with Eliza Prokopovits' Regency Magic Faerie Tales series (that does have magical elements)--although, mine are set in current time period rather than the past)...or something fun like Eva Austin's My Favorite Color Is series.

Fairytales (or Faerie Tales, whichever spelling you prefer) definitely influence my writing. I've loved many of them (which explains me gravitating towards Eliza Prokopovits' series and Shonna Slayton's Beauty's Rose, etc.)

In any case, that's some of what I've been doing this month--as well as writing another manuscript and working on research for yet another manuscript that will have a historical aspect to it (brush off those Buddy Holly, Paul Anka, etc albums!) My unfinished manuscript file folder seems to grow. LOL

I hope you all have been having a wonderful May. Can you believe it's already the last week of this month? The year seems to fly by (at least, for me, it does!)

God bless! Have a wonderfully whimsical Wednesday and a joyful June!

I Missed A May Post...And It's JUNE, Now...

 Happy Tuesday All,

Wow...I can't believe I actually forgot to post on here in May. In my defense, I thought I had, but when I came to post a June entry I realized I had missed May!

In May, my husband and I celebrated our anniversary. We've been married for well over 10 years! :-) We didn't do anything big...but we did get take out from Chili's, which was good. My husband is my Real Life Hero. The man has seen me at my best and my worst and STILL loves me, so I'd say he's a keeper. My wedding was lovely. I felt like a princess (which is cool, since my Dad sometimes calls me "princess"). We had a blast at our reception and a wonderful honeymoon on St. Croix (US Virgin Islands).

This June my parents will celebrate 57 years of marriage. I'm so happy for them!

In terms of writing...I've turned a bit of a corner so to speak. I had a brainstorming session with my long-time critique partner, author Tess St. John, which helped one of my manuscripts quite a bit. I've been able to add some pages and some ideas are coming down the pipe for the manuscript, so that's great. :-)

I read 3 books by Victoria McCombs (The Storyteller's Daughter, Woods Of Silver And Light, The Winter Charlatan--they're all part of the same series. I enjoyed them!) I've read some other books, too, that I've enjoyed, but given that I write primarily YA Fantasy and Paranormal, I thought I'd mention those 3 specifically.

I'm still hopeful on the query front, but right now I don't want to say much about it. It's a process!

I hope things are good on your end and that June is a good month for you. Take care!

Have A Tremendously Terrific Tuesday and a Joyful June!

May Has Arrived...

 Happy Monday and Happy May!

April was full of many things...including going up to Springdale, Arkansas to lay my father-in-law to rest. I didn't know him very well, but being up there with my husband and kids, I got to learn a little more about him. I knew he'd loved his wife to the very end of her life, but what I didn't know was how much. Several pictures had the caption "My beautiful wife..." and then a description of the picture. In the living room and his room, the walls were full of pictures of her and of their wedding. He had several of them framed. In all of them he looked happy (she looked happy, too, just in case y'all wondered). So I got to see more of his devotion to her. My mother-in-law died some years ago from Alzheimer's. By the time I met my husband and we were getting married, she was already pretty far along (although we did talk a tiny bit about her rose garden--which the flowers in their yard were lovely). They're now buried together in a cemetery in Springdale, Arkansas, according to my father-in-law's last wishes. My husband was AMAZING. He did the majority of all the cleaning in the house, and moved a ton of furniture. Some he gave away, some he sold. The house is just about sold (people up there move fast!) I barely saw him because he was so busy. But we did manage to get over to Eureka Springs and to Two Dumb Dames. I've been to Two Dumb Dames twice and ordered from there about 3 times. The fudge is the best fudge ever (in my and my husband's opinions). And yes, they do ship. I had some delivered to my parents' house last year, as well as to one of my best friend's. Everybody I've had try it has been totally amazed by how good it is. The company was started in 1979, and now the daughters/sons run it (so it's still in the family). It's a funky little shop with chocolates, fudge, truffles, candy, and t-shirts. I love it.

My anniversary is this month, which is something I'm happy about. Another year with my Real Life Hero, another year full of good and bad, ups and downs. Living out our marriage vows, being each other's best friends, being parents, family, friends to others. It's not always easy, but it isn't something I'd trade in. He's a man who truly gets me and I consider that a gift from God. So I'm grateful for him.

Mother's Day is right around the corner, and I want to wish every mother out there a very Happy Mother's Day! I love my children even when it's tough (and sometimes especially when it's tough). Nobody is perfect, but they are incredibly special to me.

As to writing, I'm continuing on. I've been querying a manuscript, and I've got several other ideas. I've no idea what will happen or where everything will lead. God has always been in charge of things in my life, and so I entrust this to Him, while trying to do what I can. I'm hoping more of my books will be available on audiobooks--my narrator and I are often in touch (he's worked on some things for The Author Encounter with me and my business partner, Nan), so we'll see.

I've made some new author friends this year, and I'm grateful for them being in my life as well, and for you, my darling readers!

I wish each and every one of you a marvelous May! I hope it's a good month for you all.

Have A Magically Merry Monday!