When I was a little girl I was that kid with her nose in a book, as I’m sure a lot of you were. I lived in a small town in southern Oregon with my parents and two brothers. My dad was a middle school teacher; my mother took care of us and painted watercolors. Not a lot happened in our little town or on the 8 acres of wooded land my dad and mom proudly purchased for only $29,000 in 1975. Imagine that! The seventies and eighties were a simpler time, especially in small towns. There were no computers or cell phones. Our black and white television only received one channel. But we had a library. The most amazing two rooms on the planet. In books…oh, those glorious books…in the pages and words of stories, I went everywhere.
Later, after I was grown and no longer lived in a small town or a simpler time, I decided it was time to use all the years of study and practice of the craft of writing and actually WRITE the novel I prayed I had in me. That was ten years ago. As of today, I have 18 publications.
In my stories, I often explore what it means to be in ‘community’ with others. I believe greatness can be achieved when we combine our talents and efforts toward a common goal.
When I decided to write a new contemporary series (historical fiction is my first love) I wanted to capture the essence of simpler times. Although the characters of Cliffside Bay are very modern, they are infused with a certain beautiful simplicity. They value love over ambition, put family and friends above all else, and approach their work/lives with integrity. A sense of community weaves its way through all of the books in the series. When one is down, the others come to their aid. When one is up, they celebrate as if the victory is their own. This, perhaps, is the definition of community?
Growing up in a small town gifted me with a keen awareness of the power of community. We all find ourselves in one or several these days, especially as the world shrinks because of technology. I am lucky enough to be part of the author community, Zumba community, mom community, USC alumni, kid from the Valley (Oregon girl)…to name a few.
What communities have you found as you make your way through this life?
The third book in my Cliffside Bay Series, JADED: ZANE AND HONOR, released today. I have to say, these characters are almost as alive to me as the ones that live in my house. Writing their stories has brought so much joy to my life. I hope you’ll fall in love with them as I have.
I’ve made the first in this series FREE right now on all platforms, so maybe grab TRADED: BRODY AND KARA and give it a try. These novels are light reads…sweet but powerful in their simplicity. It’s all about love, my friends. I hope you’ll fall in love with my Dogs and the women they love as much as I have.
Spoiler alert, all my books have HEA, so you can probably guess where they end up. 🙂
Details here:
Pack your bags for another trip to Cliffside Bay!
I’m so excited — Jaded: Zane & Honor is NOW LIVE!!!
GET. IT. EVERYWHERE.
Amazon → https://amzn.to/2L8iDOp
iBooks → https://apple.co/2ybCdHW
Kobo → http://bit.ly/2yezOvR
Nook → http://bit.ly/2LSps6Q
Zane Shaw isn’t the type to cower in a corner, until he meets Honor Sullivan. She’s the most phenomenal woman he’s ever met, but he’s been burned before and so he’s doomed to fall for her from a distance. If only his past hadn’t left him so weary, perhaps he could be the man he was raised to be.
Honor Sullivan has too much at stake to get distracted by a man. But Zane Shaw isn’t just any man. He’s smart, gorgeous, and a survivor like her. Which is why she knows, deep down, that he deserves someone better than her. Someone whole and undamaged. Yet she can’t seem to contain the way he makes her feel.
These two jaded souls with an instant connection just might find that true love is a joy best savored in the aftermath of life’s hardships and pain.
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