New Release!!

So look what came out today!!  It's a few days early, I know, but I was too excited to wait to hit send!  So here's a little back cover info:

There were three guarantees in Tricia Patterson’s life:
1. Her friendship with Sean Peterson was rock solid
2. She had a career that she absolutely adored
3. This summer was going to be the death of her
With the proverbial “Always a Bridesmaid and Never a Bride” becoming her new mantra, Tricia didn’t know how she was going to survive this year’s round of weddings. Six of them this summer alone! In an attempt to ward off the pity-party, her best friend Sean gives her the perfect solution to help her get through – he’ll pretend to be her boyfriend. While not certain that was going to be of any help, Tricia’s knows it also won’t hurt.
When circumstances beyond Sean’s control keep him from coming home to Tricia’s aid, he sends his brother Ryan in his place. Four years older than his brother and his best friend, Ryan isn’t sure why these weddings are such a big deal. He’s also not sure of what the exact nature is of this relationship between Sean and Tricia. And that’s becoming a big problem because the more time he spends with Tricia, the more he realizes that she’s the one he wants to plan a wedding with.
*This is a 40,000 word stand-alone novella* 

You can find it (so far) on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.  I hope to have the iTunes link soon!
 
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/oz2u6gu
Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/px7fszy
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-wedding-season-1

SUMMER READING GIVEAWAY!!!

So this is going on right now!!  You can enter HERE

Coming Soon to an eReader Near You!

There were three guarantees in Tricia Patterson’s life:

1.  Her friendship with Sean Peterson was rock solid

2.  She had a career that she absolutely adored

3.  This summer was going to be the death of her

With the proverbial “Always a Bridesmaid and Never a Bride” becoming her new mantra, Tricia didn’t know how she was going to survive this year’s round of weddings.  Six of them this summer alone!  In an attempt to ward off the pity-party, her best friend Sean gives her the perfect solution to help her get through – he’ll pretend to be her boyfriend.  While not certain that was going to be of any help, Tricia’s knows it also won’t hurt.

When circumstances beyond Sean’s control keep him from coming home to Tricia’s aid, he sends his brother Ryan in his place.  Four years older than his brother and his best friend, Ryan isn’t sure why these weddings are such a big deal.  He’s also not sure of what the exact nature is of this relationship between Sean and Tricia.  And that’s becoming a big problem because the more time he spends with Tricia, the more he realizes that she’s the one he wants to plan a wedding with.

*This is a 40,000 word stand-alone novella*

When your baby isn't a baby anymore...

So several traumatic things happened today.  Okay, maybe not really traumatic but as a mom...traumatic.

Today was the last day of school for baby boy.  He completed his first year of high school.  The super cool thing about my boy?  He aced it.  Not like super-star acing, but for him, he aced it.  School has never been his thing and he's slightly OCD and has a couple of weird issues and we were worried that high school was going to be rough for him. 

But it wasn't.

He finished the year and he finished it well and tonight when we had our celebratory dinner, I cried a little.  He's 15.  He's not a baby anymore and time is going to damn fast.

Then, just when I was coming to grips with that the phone rang. It was the driver's ed instructor calling me to schedule baby boy's time behind the wheel.  I knew this was coming too and yet now that it's on the calendar and it's a reality?  I can't even believe it.  By the end of the month, he's going to be driving.

DRIVING!!!

Older boy was a nightmare when it came to driving.  He didn't want to do it, he fought it, he had anxiety about it.  The first time the driver's ed teacher got him behind the wheel, he refused to leave the parking lot. 

That is so NOT going to be baby boy.  Sigh. 

Part of me is GIDDY at the thought of him driving.  Someone to run errands.  Someone to run to the grocery store when I'm cooking and have forgotten a key ingredient.  And soon...no more carpool line for me.  These things make me happy.

The thought of him needing me less?  That makes me sad. 

Swag, swag, swaggity, swag...

I think I'm starting to lose my mind a little.  I actually feel that way quite often but right now it feels the most real.  Did that even make sense?

So I LOVE designing swag to give away to readers.  It's become like a hobby and I have to admit, I make some fun stuff.  There are mugs and tumblers, pens, magnets, bookmarks, pins, tote bags, Christmas ornaments, Christmas stockings, pocket journals, Kindle covers, thank you cards, chapstick, gum, key chains, candles...I mean...I've made a LOT.

With the upcoming Shaughnessy series, I really want to specialize the swag to go along with each book.  For example, in "Made for Us", Aidan is in construction.  So I would like to do swag that has a bit of a construction theme - tape measures, key chain flashlights, sticky note pads - that sort of thing. 

Then I started wondering if it was all too much.  Would anyone want construction-themed swag?  I mean, I know I enjoy a good sticky pad and I'm always searching for a tape measure that I can keep handy rather than taking my husband's, but...I don't know.  I know you can never go wrong with pens.  People LOVE a free pen.  I was up in NY visiting family and I had an uncle nearly tackle me to the ground to get a pen!


 I try to stick to a budget - because although I give it away, it's not free to make and ship.  Once in a while I'll splurge - like on the Kindle covers - but most of the time I really try to keep it to a minimum because by the time it's shipped to me and then I pack it up and ship it out to readers, it can get pricey.

 But they're so fun to design!!  When I'm bored or have writer's block - I design swag. 

So readers, do tell.  What do you like to get from authors other than books?  What would you like to have delivered to your door that would make you smile?  Are we trying too hard?  Is some of it ridiculous or a waste of time?  I would love to know!  Really, really, really would love to know!

Now if you'll excuse me, I think I have an idea for some shrinky-dink book charm jewelry that I'd like to investigate and see if I can make it myself.

Happy Reading!!