For many of us, this winter has been a bit of a downer. So much rain and cold and even snow. But today…oh, today (and yesterday) have been a joy! We hit the 70s yesterday and will again today. 
It’s even possible that there will be record highs here in Richmond today. That’s just fine with me. I know it’s only February, but I’m ready for spring. I love the rebirth, the vivid colors, the warmth. Yesterday, I even did some writing sitting outside on the patio. Life is good!
Months have gone by since my last post. As the mother of four, life is always busy, but in late 2017, we got crazy and added a third dog to the mix. She is a cutie and fits right in! Fortunately, the middle of the night trips outside are long gone and she keeps up with the bigger dogs like a champ. However, the amount of dog hair flying around the house is sometimes overwhelming. My husband asked me the other day if I was really going out with the clump of hair stuck to my pants. Ha! The truth is, I barely notice it anymore!
Although I have been incredibly busy, I still manage to get lost in my fictional world as much as possible. Cancini continues to fight the good fight. This time around though, the bad guys are a little different. No serial killers. No crimes of passion. A cold and calculated plan turns deadly and he finds himself caught up in something bigger than he could have guessed. (This beautiful weather may make me want to go outside, but I LOVE writing outside!)
While I’m still working hard to grow the Cancini series, I’m also researching a novel set in the South in 1918. What a fascinating time in our history. World War I, segregation laws, suffragettes. Although my novel is centered around a single event, there is no shortage of plot lines. In addition to my fiction work, I’ve also managed to take on some new freelance work. My keyboard has been getting a workout!
Today is a happy day for another exciting reason. Subscribers to my newsletter were given the opportunity to win Laura Lippman’s newest release, SUNBURN. Today, I’m thrilled to announce the TWO lucky winners who will receive their ebooks today. Congratulations to Wanita Tonn and Sherry Potts!!!! (Note: I occasionally give away ebook copies of my favorite books or new books by my favorite authors. Be sure to sign up here if you’d like the chance to enter a future contest.) Wanita and Sherry, I hope you both enjoy this book. Click here to see a review of SUNBURN by the Washington Post.
As a writer, I’m also an avid reader and Laura Lippman is one of my favorite novelists. The early buzz on SUNBURN is as good as I would have expected and I’m looking forward to reading my own copy. February is turning out to be a great month for books. I just finished HELLBENT, the third Orphan X novel by Gregg Hurwitz and am about to start fellow HarperCollins author Nancy Allen’s A WOLF IN THE WOODS. In truth, there are so many great books I want to read that my Kindle is overflowing…but not today. It’s warm and it’s sunny and my keyboard and I are headed outside. Cancini has a case to solve!