Short & Sweet Hometown Girl

#springappreciation

You may have already enjoyed Spring in your part of the world, but where I live winter hung on with cold days and gray skies, so we’re now enjoying May to the fullest. Nebraskans tend to go from running the furnace to the air conditioning, with a only few days of comfort in between. It is what it is.

Everyone needs to hear this, so to let you know — I appreciate you! Each year I set personal and writing goals. The personal goals always include finding the joy in each day and this year I’m reminding myself to tell people I love and appreciate them more often.

#newrelease

Today is release day!

Small-town life was never enough for rodeo champion, Justin Cooper, but when he returns to Oklahoma to recover from an injury, Stevie Marshall catches his attention all over again. She’s still the prettiest girl in town, still rooted to the community, and still doesn’t share his passion for adventure.

Resistant to change, Stevie has never fallen in love with another, and she’s not about to fall for this handsome cowboy all over again. Her heart has taken too much of a beating to make the same mistake twice. This life wasn’t good enough for him last time.

Justin thought he’d rather fall off a bucking bull than face his feelings, but their close proximity challenges his thinking. Can blue ribbons and trophies stack up to a life with the hometown girl he loves?

This time the cowboy is going to hold on tighter than ever.

Click on the cover to order.

You can’t imagine how many versions of this cover I made before I decided on one. I always run covers past my street team to gage reader likes and dislikes and take their opinions seriously. (I’ll use that girl on a book, because I still like her!) Thanks, Street Team!

What do you think?

#amreading

I had a birthday last month, and one of the gifts I received is 365 Days of Power by Rick Renner. “Personalized prayers and confessions to build your faith & strengthen your spirit.” I’ve used many devotionals over the years, and enjoyed all of them; this one is good because the daily pages are short with a scripture, a prayer and a confession.

On Kindle I just finished reading a soon-to-be-released book by my critique partner, M.A. Jewel titled Gorgeous Scars. It’s the latest addition to the Aspen Gold Series and will be announced soon. It’s a great story!

#amwatching

Some will be surprised (others not at all) that my favorite tv shows include The Walking Dead and Fear The Walking Dead. So many shows struggled throughout the pandemic and some came back after the mid-season break as good as ever, others not so much. TWD made six episodes featuring two actors at a time for safety reasons. A couple were good — others not so much. Season 11 will be the last for this series, which is tough for us die-hard fans to accept. Truth: All things, good and bad, eventually come to an end.

On FTWD my favorite character was killed off. It’s a hazard during the zombie apocalypse., but :::WAAH::: I miss Garrett Dillahunt’s portrayal of the kind-hearted six-gun toting cowboy John Dorie paired with Jenna Elfman. Thankfully, I can go back and rewatch my favorite episodes anytime.

I started Blood and Stone on Netflix yesterday after a day of yard work. Saw on Twitter a lot of people are watching it.

#personalupdate

Some of you know that at the end of March we tragically lost our 20-year-old grandson. I wasn’t able to process the loss for a while because my son and daughter-in-law’s pain was all-consuming. I don’t know if a person truly ever “processes” something like this. Grief is individual and personal and pretty much without limits or boundaries, and we have to deal with loss in our own way. I am eternally thankful Jared’s name was written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and he is now seated at the right hand of God. That is a comfort. Missing him is unbelievably painful, and we’re all facing life without him.

On his birthday April 5th, we had a birthday party with family and close friends. We sang and cut cake. We released 21+ balloons into the sky at sundown and we cried. But it was a good time to remember him and have one more evening to celebrate his life.

#amwriting

I’m working on Maybe I’m the One. As you may have figured out, I’m getting my head back into the writing process. I love the story and the characters, and finishing it will be exactly what I need to do.

So often writers think that if they only had more time they could write more. I’ve always adhered to the belief that we don’t have time to write, we make time. If time was the factor, there should be a million new books out right now, because writers had most of 2020 to stay home and write.

For most of us, however, it didn’t work that way. I read something recently about the lack of stimulation affecting ideas, and I do believe that’s been an issue. Seeing people, watching their mannerisms, hearing their voices and inflections is stimulating to a creative mind. While Zoom is wonderful and kept most of us connected, it simply doesn’t prompt ideas in the same manner.

A couple weeks ago, my granddaughter, Alexis and I took a girls’ day and went to as many Goodwills as we could, simply to browse and spend time together. We had lunch at Applebees. While we were enjoying our meal, a couple of tables away, a manager interviewed a young woman applying for a job. After a minute, we recognized we were both absorbed with eavesdropping on their conversation, and listened to the entire interview. Alexis has a full-time job in annuities, but she also has a passion for creative writing. That is the kind of stimulation writers need: Overhearing snips of conversations, people watching, and honing our observation skills.

Even for non-writers, there are plenty of things that affect the ability to focus on projects. The year we’ve all been through proved that. My husband has been reading so many books, I can barely keep him supplied. I, on the other hand, can’t concentrate long enough to get through one. We’re all unique, and we all react differently to stress and uncertainty.

Zoom calls kept my critique group connected, and even more accountable than previously, for which we’re grateful. I hope now that more and more people have been vaccinated and are going back to jobs and school, that we’re able to settle into whatever the new normal may be.

#promo

I’m working to get to 1,000 followers on BookBub so they will send pre-release emails. As of this week I’m at 758, so please CLICK HERE to follow me.

#aspengold

If you’ve read Aspen Gold books and haven’t left a review, please do so.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK THEM OUT

Available now! Speechless, an Aspen Gold short story by *lizzie starr.

The wait is almost over for Another Night Alone by Bernadette Jones!

Gorgeous Scars by M.A. Jewell is coming soon!

“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” - Maya Angelou

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