My little inspiration!

I figured since I am doing this blog, I should introduce those of you who don't know me to my little girl, Avalon. She is my only child, 4 1/2 years old, and is the light of my world. She's smart and funny and ridiculously imaginative and never stops talking for a second! And the way she looks at the world--with eyes filled with wonder--it just makes my heart swell. I waited a long time to have a baby girl--and she is worth every second of the wait. (Even those colicky months when she was a baby that I didn't think I'd make it through!)

When you read JUST THIS NIGHT, you will see I had a lot of fun with the hero and his daughter Ashley. And let's just say it's definitely not a coincidence that Ashley is also four years old in the book! In fact, I outright stole some of my husband and daughter's most adorable moments for the book. (Hey! They say write what you know, right?)

The part that was hardest to write, however, was the backstory of Mac's ex-wife, who chose her career over her family and abandoned father and daughter in the worst way possible. When Ashley wakes up from a nightmare screaming for her mother, Mac is rendered completely helpless. He doesn't want to alienate his daughter from her mother. But how does he explain that she's not coming back--in the way a four year old would understand.

It was hard writing those pages. But I'm most proud of them. And I love having a hero who's also a good father. He may be damaged goods, he may not always say or do the right thing. But his heart is always in the right place, devoted to his baby girl.

Mari

Happy Holidays!!!

Hey!

I feel kind of strange writing this blog before any of the books officially come out. Like I'm shouting into a dark room! But in case you stumbled upon this blog or maybe are one of the bloggers or other advanced readers who scored an early copy -- WELCOME!! It's great to have you here. :)

I'm writing this on my first day back to "work" since the holidays and I put "work" in parenthesis because I pretty much did NO WORK TODAY. Well, I did take two very productive naps which were VERY needed and I met my friend Jo out at Kerby Lane for breakfast tacos (it's a Texas thing!) and we drank HUGE hot chocolates with lots of whipped cream and worked on our GOALS FOR 2015 list.

It's something we've been doing both yearly and monthly. Coming up with goals for each month and then meeting the next month to go over them and see how we did. We aren't always 100 percent, but at least it gives us something to strive for and check off our lists. We also do affirmations -- since much of the writing business is out of control, we write down positive things we would LOVE to happen, but can't make happen of our own volition. For example, my affirmation for 2015 is to become a USA Today Bestseller. It's a lofty goal, I know! But you know what? Back in 2005 - my entire goal was just to have a book published. And that seemed even loftier at the time. In fact, I don't think many of my friends or family believed it would actually happen. But I held the dream in my heart and 10 years later I have 22 books to my name - with more to come.

In the words of Frank-N-Furter from Rocky Horror Picture Show: "Don't dream it. Be it."

Also...did I mention hot chocolate?

It was REALLY good hot chocolate.

Anyway, I'm trying to take it easy this week cause starting next week I really have to ramp things up. I have a middle grade book called, IF THE SHOE FITS, (that title might change) that I need to write in the next month or so. Once I finish that, I need to get started on the third EXCLUSIVE ROMANCE series--the book that comes out after BREAK OF DAY. I think we're calling it LEAVE AT DAWN. It has a war-torn foreign correspondent that I think many readers will fall in love with. Heck, I already have a crush on him -- and I haven't even started writing his story yet!

OKAY must go pick up my daughter from preschool! She's very excited cause she moves up to Pre-K2 next week. What a big girl!! :)

Talk soon!
MARI