A SUITE DEAL on sale now!

Over the weekend, I loaded the files of A Suite Deal onto Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes. It's a short, sweet romantic comedy complete with misunderstanding, miscommunication, and a meddling family. What could be better for the holiday season?

Price is $2.99. Give it a look.

A Suite Deal

In 2003, as an e-published author, I entered the Short Contemporary Romance section of the Virginia Romance Writer's HOLT Medallion contest. I surprised myself, and everyone else who made the finals as well probably, by winning over traditionally published books.

A Suite Deal is a short romantic comedy based on misdirection and miscommunication. I've always loved it and this season decided to update and tweak it to 2015.

I have a beautiful cover designed by Lyndsey Lewellen and I want to share it with you. Hopefully, the book will be formatted and ready for publishing by Christmas. I plan to offer it for Kindle, Nook, and iBooks.

Starbucks' library

Each Tuesday I stop at my favorite on-the-way-out-of-town Starbucks. The store has been remodeled with comfy chairs and a few couches. It's very much a cozy place. And since every cozy place needs books, someone with a lot of foresight has provided a lending library shelf. Customers are encourage to take and return, take and replace. Just take.

This is, of course, too much for an author to resist. As soon as I spotted it, I determined to put one of my own up there. I chose A SUITE DEAL, the 2003 HOLT Medallion winner from the Virginia Romance Writers chapter of Romance Writers of America. It's a small book with a bright pink spine which I thought would attract prospective readers. I put it on the shelf, patted it for good luck, got my coffee and left.

The next week, I checked again. It was gone! Someone was reading it!

The next week, it was back. Did they return it unread? Did they enjoy it so much, they've put it there for others to enjoy also? I'll never know.

Over the weeks, the shelves have become full with all sorts of books. There's Nora Roberts and baby care. And squeezed in there is still mine.

I think I'll take another.

The business card

I'll be attending the Romance Writers of America national meeting next week. It's being held in Dallas, for the third time since I joined RWA in the fall of 1995.

In July 1996, knowing absolutely nothing about all this, I bravely printed business cards and jumped into the fray. I'd written 3 books and thought I was on the verge of stardom if I could find a right-minded agent/editor. Things don't always pan out the way we plan. I'm no longer innocent of the ways of RWA and conferences, I've written 11 books and found a right-minded editor at eWings Press. Stardom still eludes me and I'm a bit jaded. However, I've once again printed business cards.

Looking at them, I was struck by the differences from 11 years ago. Beyond the obvious of a different email address, I had printed on the back of the originals synopses of my three novels. I wonder if anyone ever turned them over and read them! I have a website now, a blog, and a publisher. I won the 2003 HOLT Medallion for Short Contemporary Romance. Considering I entered A SUITE DEAL, an ebook at the time, on comb-bound self-printed paper, I've always considered this a major accomplishment. I won against three Harlequin Temptations and one Silhouette Desire. I'm proud of it and it's on the card!

I always print more than I need, so this year I've stuck with 20. I imagine I'll come home with half of them, but I'll at least be prepared should the verge of stardom present itself.