Deep into summer...

 Dear Readers,

Summer, in all her sweltering glory, has descended like a whirlwind. I had such noble intentions—to make swift work of edits, complete a few new chapters, and glide effortlessly into a re-release schedule. But life had other plans.

This season brought a lot of emotions: a long-awaited vacation (in a place with just enough Wi-Fi to tease), the joy of a family wedding, and the heartbreak of saying goodbye to someone dear - a former work colleague who meant the world to me. These are the moments that remind me that life is never neatly ordered—unlike the Regency courtship rituals I so adore writing about.

Needless to say, writing took a backseat. And while that’s always a painful pause for any author, I’ve come back to the page with a fuller heart and sharpened resolve.

The good news? An Offer From the Duke is getting a second life. The edits are nearly done—tightening scenes, brushing up dialogue, and adding a few flourishes I’d once trimmed. This new edition will feel richer, more refined, and just as indulgent as before.

Thank you, as always, for your patience and support. I know it’s been a quiet stretch, but I promise: the Duke is coming.

E.

Spring will spring

 Hi all,

Hard to believe we are heading into spring already.

So, what's new? I've a few books coming out of their respective anthologies and those will be available as standalones. An Offer From the Duke is up but I am adding some new scenes. Usually, there is a word count limit for anthologies so sometimes I don't get to add all that I want for the first issue. Stayed tuned.

Also, Wicked Affairs, Book Eight, titled Wicked Flames will be the next anthology contribution to be listed as a standalone. I'm not sure if I will add more scenes to this story. It was less than 25,000 words to begin with and I'd need to add a huge volume of words to bring into a full novel. We'll see. Probably depends on my available time.

I'm also finishing up the last two books in the Infamous Forrester's series, involving twins Nicolas and Oliver Forrester. Books still unnamed but I'm getting close to finishing these. 

Thanks for hanging with me, friends and readers!

Here it is... Christmas already!!

 Greeting friends and readers,

Merry Christmas to you all. A special thank you to all of those you purchased and read my two Christmas anthologies: Snowflakes and Scandals along with Six Mistletoe Scandals. A great group of writers participated in these works. Hope you enjoy all of the stories.

As for Christmas, I cannot believe it is on our doorstep. I've had two Christmas present unwrappings - for the kids of course. It's strange how much more exciting Christmas was as a child. But maybe as an adult I am more appreciative of the 'Reason for the Season' - a Savior for mankind. Whatever your beliefs, I hope you find peace and prosperity in the new year.

Wicked Flames

 Hi all,

My next release is coming up:

This installment is part of the Snowflakes and Scandals anthology, set to release on November 12th. In keeping with the series’ blend of romance and suspense, Book 8, Wicked Flames explores the complexities of desire, reputation, and the choices that shape destinies—a must-read for fans eager to return to the Wicked Affairs world. And Anne VanLandingham is back to snoop and matchmake!

I really need some reviews, so if you have a chance, I would really appreciate it.

   

Wicked Affairs 8 - Wicked Flames

 Hi Everyone.

I am so happy to tell you that Wicked Affairs 8 will be releasing this holiday season. Wicked Flames is a novella and will initially be released as part of the Snowflakes and Scandals Christmas Anthology. Later on, you'll be able to purchase this book separately.

The best part is that Anne VanLandingham, the Duchess of Pelham, makes an appearance! Love her. She will be using her matchmaking skills to find a wife for the unrepentant rake that is Lord Dahlingford, Trenton James.

Stay tuned.

Christmas in July

Available now for Pre-order!

The new Christmas Anthology is available now for pre-order.

Six great authors. Six fun-tastic Christmas, Regency-era stories.

 

Springtime is here

Hello friends,

Here we are - great weather, flowers and happiness! I like spring but not like I enjoy fall.

So, what's new?

I've got two anthologies in the works in addition to my regular works (sigh). Both of these are Christmas anthologies and will likely be available October/November. Don't have the specific release day yet, but I'll post as soon as I know.

I have a lot of details on my first story since I'm only about five-thousand words from finishing. I'm calling this an enemies to lover's story, even though the real enemies are Henrietta's now deceased husband and the duke of Crossmere. Crossmere and Henreitta have a lot in common, but their entire 'romance' is distorted by Cross's hatred and the awful weather in the winter of 1816. Can the two find love under the mistletoe? Hope you'll enjoy Six Mistletoe Scandals that I'll be sharing with five other authors. 

My other story is still in development so I can't give you much detail. This will be a novella, probably around 20,000 words, so I'll have a lot of 'action' packed into a short story!

Here's the cover for one of the releases.

Giving Thanks

Wow! I am dizzy with the speed of this year's passing! You? 

Well, what's new? I already told you that an anthology I was to be part of was cancelled. But, good news, I am part of a new one for Christmas 2024, probably available sometime in Sept/Oct of next year. That's just the fun of being part of a group project! 

This will be a Regency setting - my story is set in the winter of 1816, during one of the worst weather events of the 19th Century. But honestly, isn't that one of the best tropes in romance writing, forced proximity? Bad weather, especially snow, can make for some romantic, sexy times!! Add Christmas and a few mistletoe kisses... What can I say, it will be hot. I know you expect no less.

So, Thanksgiving is coming up. I will have a week off as family will be visiting and my sister has all kinds of things planned. Come December, I am traveling by train to the coast for a few days in the sun. I know these next few weeks will fly by.

MANY THANKS to all of you who've purchased my books and even better read them and left reviews. It means so much! 

A few pictures from a trip to London (a few years ago)

Hang with me

Hi readers! 

Some sad news. My anthology has been canceled! I was really excited for this...the story premise was very interesting.  I'll need to rewrite this, of course. That is always a pain but when the story line itself is interesting, it is doable.

The real problem is that I am just behind! Moving, a couple work trips, sick parents, my focus has just been missing.

So, hang with me please! I will get some new stories out soon.

Keep on reading! E.

New Anthology coming

          

 Just a quick update:

Still writing, but at a little slower pace due to my very, very hectic last nine months. I feel like things have settle down quite a bit, so onward!!

The main project right now is the anthology I am working on. The book is due in October with a publication date around January 2024. Of course, delays can happen when you are working with several authors, but I am hopeful. These stories will be all new works, including author Sandra Sookoo! I really like the binding premise of the stories. Let's just say there are many interesting characters visiting the curiosity shop.

You know I mostly write Regency-era romance. This will be in the Victorian era, much like my Imogene Farrell series, (which you should read - it is consistently my high-rated books/series). There are just so many changes happening in England during the Victorian era: telephones, expansive train routes, suffragette movements, Jack the Ripper, the building of Tower Bridge and so much more. It's going to be a fun, and magical, anthology.

Happy Holidays, Readers and Friends

 Here we are! It's almost Christmas.

For me, the gift this year is that I've gotten through a very difficult six months involving COVID, my mother, my job, packing and moving (for the last time, I swear!) and moving into a new place. There were also some emotional stressors that I usually don't experience. I almost feel like writing one of those 'stressors' as the villain in my next manuscript!!!

So, I am ready for the new year with plans to write like CRAZY. I've got an actual writing commitment for an anthology that is coming along nicely though I have changed my hero from one obvious choice to a secondary character that just popped into the second scene in my book. Love when that happens!!!

To all my readers, I hope you have a joyful, blessed and meaningful Christmas. And my gift to you... I'll try to keep my motivation up to continue to write interesting romances.

Greetings and updates

 Sometimes I am just shocked by how much time passes between blog posts. Even commitments to post "once a week" get lost in the shuffle.

So, what am I working on:

Book 4, Infamous Forresters, about brother Oliver and the mysterious Lavina. I still don't have a name for this work.

Book 5, Infamous Forresters, titled Miss Sinclair Dares It All, about Virginia Sinclair and brother Nicolas. Oliver and Nicolas are twins, so I am lightly coordinating their stories. Not as easy as I thought it might be.

A new book titled The Thomas Browne Affair as part of the Love and Other Curiosities Boxed Set due out late next year. This has been a fun story to write and is currently getting all my time.

Wicked Affairs

Wicked Affairs.

Marriages to die for.

Or cheat, steal and lie for.

 

WICKED SCOUNDREL book cover reveal

If writing is baking, then book covers are the cream cheese frosting on top of my sexy cinnamon roll. I love getting my covers back from the visionary Dar Albert at Wicked Smart Designs. What makes Dar so great is she gets my idea for the cover without having to write a 5,000-word essay!

So, here is the long-awaited cover for Book Seven in the Wicked Affairs series - titled WICKED SCOUNDREL. And don't worry, there are more books planned.

Excerpt:

Rose Elliston, the Duchess of Sandhurst, kept her arm firmly wound with Anne VanLandingham’s, Pelham's eccentric duchess, though the two weren’t fast friends. In public, Anne never shied from her reputation, which somehow protected the person she was with, which was just what Rose needed—to be unnoticed.

“I received a letter from the abbess this morning. She wants me to visit again,” Rose said in a low voice.

“That was rather timely,” Anne replied. “Perhaps there are more nobles in debt than I had imagined.”

Rose took a deep breath. There were no right decisions, only expedient ones.

“You are not having second thoughts are you, dear?” Anne asked.

“Do I really want to tie myself to a man who is incapable of managing his own finances?” Rose asked. Oh, if that were really her only problem!

“The pool of suitors is limited. You haven’t told me the particulars of your urgent situation, though I’ve always prided myself on my intuition. In this case, time is more important than money, hence my suggestion for a man indebted. Reverse the tables for once. When your marriage contract is prepared, demand that you provide him a quarterly allowance and let it be known that you will not cover any of his new gaming debts. Then avoid him for the duration of your marriage, except for the childbearing.”

Rose laughed. She had to - the situation was so ridiculous and desperate.

“I will attend her as soon as possible. I only wanted to tell you that your idea had born fruit. Hopefully there is more than one to choose from,” Rose said.

“What? One bad and one worse?” the duchess said and laughed. “Oh, that was rude of me, but then I’m not known for precise etiquette.” If Rose remembered rightly, Anne was a coalminer's daughter from Wales, who happened to be extraordinarily beautiful. They stopped beneath a large oak. “Do you want me to escort you back to Madame DuPuis’? I would be happy to do so."

“Thank you, but this is about my future. You didn’t need to offer advice, you know. I would have figured out a solution eventually.”

“When one of my peers’ cries at one of my splendid balls, it is my highest duty to help resolve the situation. We duchesses must stand firm together, you know. But do come to Grosvenor Square afterward and we can gossip about the lords in debt to the abbess.” Anne patted Rose’s hand. “And you are not to worry. After you choose your new spouse, Rand and I will host you at our home and set you firmly on the path to social acceptance, duchess or not. When I am done with the two of you, it will be as if everyone fully expected the two of you to marry all along!”

COMING SOON!

 

Wicked Scoundrel coming soon

You are about to meet them! Rose Elliston, the Duchess of Sandhurst and Matthew Hardy, Lord of Nothing. 

Wicked Scoundrel edits are finishing up now and I just got the cover back yesterday. I know you've all been waiting patiently for a new edition to the Wicked Affairs series. Book Seven is full of marital angst along with all the hotness you've come to expect from this series. Stayed Tuned!

Missing Muse

Hello friends and readers,

Springtime is here again! While the days are bright and the weather perfect, I am finding very little motivation to write. Just spent the week with family doing Spring Break things that involved more sand than I really care for... :) But I do like the water, so I bore it cheerfully.

So, what's up with writing? I mentioned a few months ago I finished a new book for a publisher's series, which has some very specific characters and themes. I submitted it to that publisher at the end of January - and I've been depressed about it ever since. If I don't hear at the end of eight weeks, I'm going to do some rewrites on it. It will fit nicely into my Wicked Affairs series, but I do have to change a couple of characters.

I have my Wicked Affairs title ready, which I will tell you if/when I hear in the negative on my submission. Gah, I remember why I don't like to send my work off. Just the time it takes, the waiting, the doubts - and then if they say yes - a whole lot more waiting for a publishing date, etc.

Also, I've started a new Regency. I'm about 6,000 words in, but I'm thinking about changing my character traits. What I thought would be my hero's personality would be more interesting for a woman. Perhaps a bit tougher to write though... We'll see.

Merry Christmas, Friends

Merry Christmas, Friends and Readers

and thank you for reading my books this year!

 

What's new?

 

Some updates:

Wicked Affairs – I am disappointed to tell you another year has gone by, and I didn’t get a WA book completed. They are in the works, but I can’t seem to get to THE END. Plus, I had a very interesting ‘idea’ session (meaning I just took a lot of notes) about the children of the WA couples and what a fun series that would be as they move into the Victorian era. Oh, the possibilities.

Infamous Forresters – Books Four and Five are moving right along. I was working hard on Oliver and Lavinia’s story since they had just walked off the boat in England as Love Me Once (Shelene and Roman’s story) wrapped up but Nick and Virginia’s story has been more compelling. Normally, romance is hard times than joy at the end… This is in reverse. They are experiencing a great amount of joy at the beginning of their story but their worlds are about to come crashing down. Nick and Virginia’s story is also set in several different (non-London) settings. That always means more research which I love.

Shot in the dark – Just today I submitted a story to a publisher! I haven’t done that in over six years since Ellora’s Cave closed. This is part of a series, so if the publisher doesn’t accept it, I’ll have to do some rewriting before I can publish independently. I’m trying to reach more readers. Hope this works out.

The Curse of the Weatherby Ball – I’ve got some ideas I am fleshing out here. I do like the idea of this series and want to keep it going.

Maggie Sloane – Another series idea here. Maggie was introduced in An Occasion to Sin. The idea is to have her hoping across Europe with two young men chasing her and she ignoring them while she solves mysteries. Still roughing this out.

That’s it for now!

New Project

It's been several years since I submitted a work to a publisher. However, I found one that is right up my alley. Right now, I'm preparing the submission which includes the first 50-pages or about 25,000 words so I've been cranking that out. My editor will need to do a pass before I turn it in.

I feel really excited about this. Before when I published with EC, it seemed like I could crank out the book because I had real deadlines. Four books a year was very doable. I would love to return to that kind of word production.

And my hero will be a character the likes of which I have never written!!

Wish me luck.

The Infamous Forresters Book 4 and 5 - Coming soon-ish

I just posted a new update on the Infamous Forrester's book pages, but thought I'd put it upfront so you can see what is coming...

Book Five - Oliver and Lavinia - who may or may not be lying about who she is. You met her in Love Me Once as Oliver's nurse while he recuperates from the wounds received at the mutiny aboard the HMS Victorious.

Book Four - Nicolas and Virginia Sinclair - who may or may not be about to ruin her reputation just so she can have a grand, passionate affair before she marries. Oh, and Nicolas may or may not already be married...