When I came home the other day and told my husband I’d seen a pirate ship parked alongside the road, he suggested that perhaps I was enjoying writing Dash’s story a little too much. You know, spending all day writing about a pirate, then seeing them everywhere. He also said something about being in need of a life, but I ignored that part.

Now anywhere else in the world, I would have probably said the same thing. But I live in Seattle. Have my entire life, and if you are from Seattle, you know that as summer approaches the pirates … Read more »

The weatherman made a huge mistake and we had a beautiful weekend here in Seattle–despite his dire predictions of rain and cold. So between writing 15 pages (which is what The Plan had me writing over the weekend) I also replanted my deck pots with new annuals,

planted a new rock garden in the front yard,

ignored the rock garden still to be planted,

walked twice with my old critique partner, Darcy Carson, went for a bike ride and out to dinner with the DH for our anniversary (15 years!), swam at the local pool with the kids, helped the … Read more »

I will modestly tell you that I recently won a Career Achievement Award for Innovative Historical Romance from Romantic Times last month. It was one of those really surprising moments–the sort of “I won? No way!” stunning shock, and the next moment where you either a) feel you must be really old to have a career that deserves recognition or b) that you actually have a career that someone could point out. Then you get to the real important part: gratitude and appreciation for being recognized by some of the nicest and kindest reviewers out there. I mean you, Kathe … Read more »

Part of this business of writing is promotion. Finding the right promo piece that will be different and yet far reaching. Something that isn’t going to take a pipeline of oil to finance, and in the bargain, will be easy to share with as many people as possible. Just call me brilliant because I think I may have put it together with the always talented help of Emily Cotler of Waxcreative and a few friends who wanted to test the waters of my grand experiment.

So I was surfing blogdom the other day (yes, when I should have been writing, … Read more »

So I really did let it slip in my Monday blog (down below) what it is I am writing. Yes, it is true, I am writing Pippin and Dash’s book. If you can’t recall who Pippin and Dash are, then you haven’t read This Rake of Mine or Love Letters from a Duke. I’m not holding it against you, but really this news is hardly going to be as thrilling to you as it would be if you’d read those books. So if you haven’t, stop here, go read those two books and then come back so you can … Read more »

I was asked recently how I start writing a book. Well, I’ll let you in on a super secret: it all starts with the right notebook. Really.

And it can’t be just any notebook. I like colored ones. I have two that I work between–one that is sort of lime green and the other is bright blue. I like those colors because when my office turns into a bomb scene, either because I am in full writing/research/what the heck did I call that butler mode, my office can get a tad bit messy. So a neon bright notebook stands out … Read more »

Okay, the weekend is nearly here and I know some of you are probably making plans. Good idea. And even if you haven’t, I have already done your weekend entertainment itinerary. I know, I know, how kind of me. You’ll thank me even more once you’ve gone and seen:

Ironman.

Believe you me, if I can find a way to go see it again, you’ll find my backside planted in a multiplex with a bucket of popcorn and my eyes all over me some Robert Downey Jr. Now, first off, I am HUGE action film, superhero sucker of a movie … Read more »

I know, an author shouldn’t have favorites, but I really, really, love going to the Rose City Chapter’s Reader’s Luncheon for Literacy. Ah, let me count the reasons”

1) I go down in the most civilized form of travel available. The train. And when you take the train from Seattle to Portland, you have views like this:

And this (South Puget Sound): And you can get a little work done: No one confiscates your banana or your water bottle. You can work with the scenery rolling by and no worries about I-5 traffic and parking when you get to Portland. … Read more »