The little sticky I use to mark the current page in the old-school written calendar that keeps me organized is about two weeks behind. Somehow I can’t bring myself to move it because it will mean that summer is getting away from me. Lately when I look up at the top of my computer and see the date, I cringe.
The first part of the summer was hot and smoky from serious wildfires in my state. When the smoke cleared, it was just hot. Panic is starting to set in that my hammock season will be over before I have had my fill of swaying and daydreaming on my patio. The other day a friend posted a picture on Facebook of her two adorable kids adorned for their first day of school.
Could. Not. Believe. It.
The happy news is that part of what has made the summer whiz by is the release schedule of a couple of books. In Plain View, the second in my Valley of Choice series, came out on June 1. Reader response has been lovely. Thank you to those of you who have sent me notes via Facebook or Twitter about enjoying the book. That kind of encouragement keeps a writer writing. (And if you haven’t connected with me on Facebook and Twitter, I would love to meet you there.)
By next weekend, I will be enmeshed in the final round of publisher edits on Taken for English. This book, due out in February, will wrap up the Valley of Choice series. So if you haven’t had enough of Annie and Rufus and Ruth and Elijah yet, you’ll get one more story before you know it.
But lest I think I can catch my breath, this week’s monthly turn takes us to August, which means only one more month until the release of The Invention of Sarah Cummings. This is the third and final book in the Avenue of Dreams series, which started with The Pursuit of Lucy Banning and continued in The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow. Four years have passed since I first began writing that series. With the completion of the series, I feel like my first little baby is going off to school with the big kids.
I’m so grateful for every morsel of encouragement I get from readers who find my books, find this blog, or find me on social media. Launching into publishing novels is a jittery experience. You all make the journey so worthwhile.
