First…. I typed The End on my June 2022 Harlequin Intrigue release FOOTHILLS FIELD SEARCH! I’m super-excited about this one because it’s a part (book #3) of a multi-author series called K-9s On Patrol.
I got to write about a yellow Labrador retriever named Winnie, who is a trained search & rescue dog.
As you can see, my black lab, Sally, is trained mainly in kitchen search and scarf, but she’s pleased that I was able to help rep the breed.
Then, we had to offload this one this weekend. I mean, the maintenance and upkeep alone…
Our daughter’s wedding!
And finally… Harry will be released into the wild tomorrow!
TRIAL IN THE BACKWOODS – the third installment in my Raising the Bar Brief series from Harlequin Intrigue hits the shelves 9/28/21! Look for Harry and Alicia at a bookstore, Walmart, Meijer, or other mass merchandiser near you!
Whew! I don’t know about you, but I need a nap. Is it October yet?
You guys… I read a news story the other day that fit the series I just signed on to do with Harlequin Intrigue so perfectly I literally made this face:
It’s one of those cases so wild it’s hard to believe it’s true. I have a whole squad of hamsters running in their wheels!
Do you track the little things that make you happy? If you follow me on Facebook or have seen my newsletter, you might have seen me post my #happythings lists. They’re pretty simple. Every day, I pick at least one thing (usually food-related) that made me happy that day. I know that (like me) many of us are cutting back on social media, so I thought I’d share a few happy things here.
I have more Intrigues coming! I’ll have one in June 2022, and another series of three coming late 2022 or early 2023.
My latest – FOR THE DEFENSE – is available everywhere! Show me your “spotted in the wild” pictures!
Don’t worry, I bought the copy I touched, signed it, and gave it to the cashier.
TRIAL IN THE BACKWOODS is coming out at the end of this month. Its release will mark my 10th book with Harlequin!
But usually, my happy things are not a big deal. Some days, I have to scrounge for them. Other days, I have to take something negative and find the silver lining.
We’re all struggling. We’re all tired. You are not alone. Neither am I.
I hope you can find a way to celebrate the happy things in your life. Wanna copy off my paper? Go ahead, I won’t tell Sister Elizabeth. Here are my #happythings from August 2021.
The gathering of energy pennies like Scrooge McDuck. 🪙💰
Bob Jog 5k with Kelli. 🏅
A good/productive afternoon for the Ethridge men.
Sally made me nap. 😴
Brainstorm 🌩 with Katie and Kristina.
Ted Lasso – the best part of any Friday.
7k words today!
Hit the 50k mark! Over 10k this weekend. Closing in on the finish line.
Spotted in the wild with my Canucks and Aussies!
Deal announcement. 📢
Playing with me plot bunny. 🐰
Baked sugar cookies for my sweet sugar babies.
My boys!
A fun evening of Ethridge mayhem.
Rumpus nap with Sally. 😴
Thankful I am vaccinated, praying my family comes through this well.
“I’m sorry to inform you that you have earthworms.”
Two negatives and mild positives. Chat with my Cabinet. 💻
Officially cleared to live in our bubble again. Chat with the ISU OG.
Ted Lasso is like a rainbow 🌈!
Trader Joe’s sea salt dark chocolate caramels.
Great chat with the ladies from Categorically Romance podcast! 🎙
A good BFA call with Jess and crew.
Release day! Walmart, Luigi’s, and Small Cakes. 🧁
MasterChef and reader recovery programs.
“Sorry I touched your label maker area.”
Leftovers feasts and big fires 🔥
College football makes revisions more bearable.
Butter roll. 🥮
Celebrating Luluday with microwavable cups of Steak ‘n Shake chili. As one does.
Got fresh with Bill over dinner. I had him at Hello Fresh. 🍋
As I write this I’m getting ready to do an interview for a podcast. It also just occurred to me a couple of days ago that book #2 in the Raising the Bar Briefs series, FOR THE DEFENSE will release on Tuesday. Oh, and did I mention that I’m trying to finish drafting a book that will release next summer?
So what have I been doing? If you said hanging out with Fodder, napping with the beasts, watching Ted Lasso, you’d be right! Or, should I say, spot on!
But I have been working here and there. This is part of my new process. I know that the work will get done, and I’m not stressing about it.
So let me remind you of this. If you want a paperback copy of AN ABSENCE OF MOTIVE (Book 1), today is the last day to buy one in stores. Tomorrow, they will switch out the stock. Of course, ebooks will be available in perpetuity and you can order paperbacks through Harlequin.com.
Why? I miss it. I miss the interaction I get to have with people here, even if it’s only a few.
Aren’t blogs kind of, you know, dead? I don’t care. I’m tired of chasing trends, disenchanted with social media, and want something more personal than my newsletter.
Will you still send newsletters? Of course! But there will be a little more of me in the posts here.
How often will you post? I’m not sure. I think not weekly, but maybe a couple of times a month.
About what? General babbling. Life, writing, books, anything, and everything.
Attorney Marlee Masters’s brother was murdered. Proving it means working with Sheriff Ben Kinsella and facing down the nasty gossip in their rural Georgia town. Although they accuse Marlee of being the real threat, there’s a stalker vowing retribution if they don’t end the investigation. Ben won’t abandon Marlee in her hour of need, but will she have to place herself in even more peril to catch the killer?
TO MAKE YOU FEEL MY LOVE has been selected as a finalist in the Single Title category of the Greater Detroit RWA Bookseller’s Best contest! The winner will be announced Tuesday, July 20, 2021. Cross your fingers for Cash, Brit, Wydetta, and Sir James!
Like everyone else, I’m trying to roll with the punches, but oy! They keep coming, don’t they?
Just wanted to do a quick post to say hello, and check in. I’ve been hard at work on my series for Harlequin Intrigue. You can expect to see, AN THE ABSENCE OF MOTIVE – the first book in the Raising the Bar Briefs series in August 2021.
Book 2 – FOR THE DEFENSE will release in September.
Book 3 – BENCH TRIAL IN THE BACKWOODS will be out in October.
Raising the Bar Briefs coming soon!
Whoo hoo! That’s some good news, right?
In other news – SEDUCING STEVE is on sale for only 99¢/99p! Tell all your friends!
That’s the news I have for now. I know we’re off to a crazy start already, but please know I wish you all health and happiness in 2021!
My husband would make faces if he knew I’d used the Todd Rundgren line, but he’s down there and I’m up here and he never looks at my blog anyway, so there you go.
Hi, friends. How are you holding up? I hope you and your loved ones are well. We are okay here. I have voted, but Fodder has not yet done so. Don’t worry, I’m a pro-level badgerer, so he will get it done.
We’ve been mostly holing up, which is good because someone *points to self* had a book to write. And guess what? I did!
I finished the rough draft of SMUGGLER’S BLUES (Pine Woods #2 for Harlequin Intrigue) yesterday. Yay! It’s a bit of a hot mess at the moment, but I have a month to whip it into shape before it’s due to my editor.
Screenshot of the last lines typed – definitely subject to change
In the meantime, my editor is taking her first crack at book #1 – tentatively titled ABSENCE OF MOTIVE. I’m also plotting and planning to write something completely different for NaNoWriMo – a RomCom!
If you’re a writer or other type of creative reading this and flipping the bird at your screen, please know I’m not saying these things to brag. Staying busy has been the best way for me to cope with what’s happening all around us, but I know it’s not the same for everyone.
We’re over a half-year into this thing. Like the rest of you, I miss my family. I miss my friends. I miss traveling. I miss going to the grocery store without suiting up like I’m touring Chernobyl. Fodder and I are still not dining-in at restaurants, but we are supporting our favorite locals. Since we live in the boonies, I bought some nifty cafeteria trays we use for our in-town car dining.
Date night means schnitzel night!
Fancy, right?
Tell me, what’s helping you get through? I’d love to hear from you. To know you’re okay and I’m not flaunting my schnitzel for naught.
Be well. And if you are one of my American friends, don’t forget to VOTE!
What do you know? I’d completely lost track of the days.
Closeup of dates on calendar page
So what have I been doing with my Labo(u)r Day weekend? Laboring.
Okay, not really doing hard labor, but I’ve been working on my next book. I tacked a couple of vacation days on at the end of last week (since I’m not going anywhere anytime soon) and decided to hunker down and get a chunk of my next Intrigue book written. And guess what? I did!
Party puppy!
Okay, maybe it’s not quite time to pull out the confetti cannon, but as of this morning, I am over 1/3 in, and feel like I’ve got some momentum going to carry me into the workweek and beyond.
We’ve also been puttering around the house. Fodder has a project he’s been working on in the barn. Basically still trying to stay as far away from the rest of the world as possible in hopes of staying healthy.
I hope you and yours are well. My thoughts are with all of my teacher friends and pals who are wrestling with kids going back to school. Continued prayers for our healthcare professionals and first responders. Everyone is doing the best they can, and I just know you are rocking it!
So here’s a little celebration for you too. Your labo(u)rs are not in vain!
