Category: My Writing

When I first wrote Murmur of Love and realized I’d feature a prince, I thought long and hard about the country I’d use. A European or Mediterranean kingdom seemed to be the answer, but I wanted something different. 

And so the Kingdom of Andraste was born. Before you say ‘Andras— what?’, here is my reasoning.  

Andraste (pronounced Ahn-drah-stay) means invincible. And Andraste existed. Well, as much as a mythical being could exist. She was an Icenic war goddess invoked by Boudica in her fight against the Roman occupation of Britain in AD 60. Sounds so … well, romantic, and perfect for my literary kingdom. Continue reading “A whole new world …”

Jo and Kurt’s epic journey to their HEA has been my most favorite story to write … to date.

Rush of Love is a touching love story between two people who shouldn’t make sense, yet they do. You have the dispirited deputy sheriff, a newly divorced father of three, falling for his children’s temporary nanny, home on summer vacation from art school in Washington, DC. Continue reading “Writing ‘Rush of Love’ was … well, it was a rush.”

The Texas Solace series is not just about the powerful relationship between the main characters. It’s also about family and the dynamics within the Lawson family. It’s filled with second chances and forgiveness, healing and redemption between the members of the family and also those who have wounded them.  

In this series you will be transported to the fictional world of Bulwark, Blaze County set in the heart of the Texas Panhandle (see my Mott Creek blog). You’ll soon find yourself entrenched in the wonderful people who inhabit the region. Continue reading “The Texas Solace Series”

To kick start the Texas Solace Series, I have written Right Side of Love. It’s a short story, 12k words, introducing you to Jonathan and Branna.

Jonathan Lawson inherits the original Double J with his cousin, Jason. But Jason is only interested in rodeos, and on the eve of their grandfather’s funeral, Jason hitches his trailer and takes of, leaving a seventeen-year-old Jonathan to cope with running the entire ranch.

It’s tough, but Jonathan manages to keep the ranch together. Unfortunately, certain things get left by the wayside, such as his burgeoning relationship with the pretty Branna O’Connor.

After six years of waiting for her Jonny to get his act together, Branna has had enough, and she decides to take matters in hand. 

And then Jason returns.

Read Right Side of Love to find out how the two young lovers cope with the cousin being back, and finally find their happy ever after.

Of course, their story continues as we read about their children’s tumultuous lives, starting with Murmur of Love, available on Amazon.

Right Side of Love is available on Amazon for $0.99, BUT it is also available for free when you sign up for my newsletter. 

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As with all things things in life, change is inevitable. The same applies to an author’s characters. I choose Walker for my fictional family, but as my editor pointed out, Walker has been used ad nauseam. 

So to the drawing board we go . . . Continue reading “It’s All in the Name”

This August I had the wonderful opportunity of visiting my friend, Marisue Potts, on her ranch near Matador, Motley County, Texas. We met via the internet when I had the temerity to email her, and ask if she would mind answering a few questions about ranching. There I was, a complete stranger, someone who has never set foot on a cattle ranch, never mind Texas. Without hesitation she agreed, and our years-long friendship started.

Continue reading “Mott Creek Ranch”

With both my sisters living in America, visiting the States is a fairly regular occurrence. At the end of July, I have my next trip coming up. I choose July/August as my oldest sister, Cynthia, will be celebrating her 50^th wedding anniversary. What an achievement!  

Oh, I almost forgot . . . it’s also an opportunity to escape the cold and wet Cape winters! I love the Western Cape of South Africa. The winter weather — not so much.

But this time it’s more than family for two reasons. Continue reading “Watch Out Texas, Here I Come…”

I have now joined the list of authors with many rejections. Sigh!

In November I sent my manuscript to two USA publishers, Sourcebooks and Tule, both who have imprints aimed at books set in Texas. And, on an off-chance, I also approached an agent at The Knight Agency in NYC. Continue reading “Rejection, Rejection, and Yet Another Rejection”

… from the manuscript assessment, that is.

Having your work criticized is daunting. As a whole, I don’t take criticism well. I suppose not many people can handle being told you’re doing something wrong, but somehow it truly gets my back up.

But I needed to buckle up and tackle the task of revising my baby— after all, I paid good money for it! Continue reading “So What did I Learn?”

“The author can rightly be proud of herself for creating a novel with such a complex and ambitious plot. It takes enormous discipline and courage to write a romantic saga of 144 000 words. It is clear that she knows the genre well and understand the basic elements needed to engage readers from beginning to end. There are however various aspects of the text that can be improved. The rest of this report will be used to point them out and make suggestions on how to address these problems, so the author can strengthen her novel and refine her craft.”

It took me a few days to fully digest the 10-page report I received. Continue reading “… and … Feedback!”