Here's the cover for my upcoming romance novel, "Pillow Talk." I absolutely love it! The cover artist from Class Act Books did a wonderful job. This book is tenitively set for publication this September.

To Dad, With Love

Since Sunday is Father's Day, I'll join everyone else who may be writing on this topic right about now. My dad, Phil, is a retired Baptist minister. He preached in the same church for over 30 years. For those of you not familiar with the pastorate, that's an amazing accomplishment. Some denominations even require their pastors to change churches every couple of years. But, thankfully, Dad stayed right here, in this wonderful Indiana town where I grew up, for most of my life. We moved here when I was three, so this town, this church. is all I know.

When my first book was published, my dad told me how proud he was of me. He said I was the first person in his whole family to have a book published. But my accomplishment seems little next to what Dad did every Sunday of his life. And still does, if he's asked to fill in for other pastors. He spoke the true word of God to his parishioners. Actually in front of people. I didn't inherit the gene from him for public speaking. I'd rather have someone poke me in the eye. Repeatedly.

But even more than Dad preaching every Sunday, was what he did throughout the week. And I'm not talking about the many hours he put in visiting, counseling, and praying. I'm talking about writing. Yes, that's right. My dad is a writer. He took God's inspiration and wrote down the words in his heart. Words he knew would speak to anyone who listened. His sermons are so meaningful, and easy to follow, I could even glean something from them when I was very young. He comes up with some of the most humorous stories you'd ever hear. It's fun for me to check out the faces in the congregation of people who've never listened to a minister with a sense of humor. Some of them are stunned! Aren't men of God supposed to be stoic, dry, boring? No way! Dad is a craftsman with words. An artist of them, if you will.

Even though I didn't inherit his public speaking gene, I'm thankful I at least got some of his storytelling one. Without that gift from God, passed to me through my dad, I wouldn't be so fortunate as to be a published writer today.

Thanks Dad. I love you.

You've Got Gall!

Yes, apparently I do. And no, it's not the bad kind, when it means I'm annoying or impudent. In this case, I get to hang on to it. My gall bladder, that is.

Because of certain symptoms, I've had every test known to man, woman and cat. Hmmm...I hope the last doctor I saw wasn't a veterinarian. Maybe that's why he tried to lure me into the exam room with catnip! Anyway, I've learned more than I ever wanted to know about a person's innards. Believe me, I won't go into it here for you. That would be gross. And inappropriate. Of all the gall!

I've learned so much, in fact, that I feel certain I could write an entire book about it. Well, maybe not a whole book. Perhaps just a booklet. Or a term paper. Okay, probably just a paragraph or two. But it's still a lot to learn about something I never intended to learn about in the first place. However, having said that, why should this information about gall and the bladder thereof, go to waste? No pun intended. Okay maybe a little intended. I mean, everything I read, and observe, hear about or do, can be useful in my writing. And maybe not even the actual stuff I've learned, but the idea could spark something for me. Maybe my heroine is an internist, and the mention of certain unmentionables could add to the believability of the story. Maybe, the hero goes to see her in an official capacity, and it's love at first sight! You just never know. And that concludes this episode of As the Stomach Turns...

An Unexpected Yay!

After receiving some of my short stories back from various kind publishers to whom I had submitted after the horrendous computer crash, I turned around and sent one of them out again. I did it mostly to prod myself back into the wide, wonderful world of publishers. Lately, I've been writing romance novels, which, of course, take longer to write. This means I'm still submitting to publishers, only not nearly as often. I didn't want to forget how! Of course, I hoped they'd like my story, (I mean, as a writer, why wouldn't you want that?) but wasn't sure if they'd accept it for publication.

I sent my story, "(I'd like) to Kill a Mockingbird" to a wonderful new publisher, Deep South Magazine. I'd learned of them through a fantastic newsletter I subscribe to called, Funds For Writers. Within a couple of days, I heard back. In the affirmative! Yay!  (You knew that yay would show itself eventually, didn't you?) So I'm pleased to say my short story should be out sometime this month. I'll post the link when it's official. Yay! Sorry...that one sort of slipped out :)