Today, May 4, is International Firefighters Day, a day marked around the world in honor of firefighters and first responders, especially those lost in the line of duty. The Arkansas community in which I have lived for many years is still mourning the recent loss of a thirty-plus-year firefighter, Captain Donald Jones, who was killed while responding to a vehicle accident. Tragically, his death was not an accident. Allegedly (the case has not yet come to trial), a man deliberately drove into a group of responders, killing Captain Jones and critically injuring another firefighter and a police officer.  Today we remember Captain Jones, and the 343 firefighters who died on 9/11, and those many others who died in the line of duty around the world, often with very little public acknowledgement. According to the latest figures I could find, 90 died in the U.S. alone in 2009 and 87 in 2011. Every day firefighters (and other first responders such as hazardous materials teams, EMTs and police officers) across the U.S. and the world put their own lives at risk to protect the lives and property of others.

Firefighters are a close community. One of my husband’s best friends since boyhood is a longtime local firefighter who worked with Captain Jones. When our friend’s son died in a car accident, we saw his firefighting family rally around him. They were the ones who broke the news to him, who stayed with him and his wife and daughter, who later established a scholarship in their son’s memory. We were deeply touched by that fellowship. My husband and I live outside the city limits, and our home is protected by a volunteer fire department. Nearly every day we see the truck and/or ambulance from the nearby station speed past with lights flashing and sirens sounding, and we know that they are rushing to the aid of someone in crisis. We have met several of our volunteer firefighters and EMTs and we know that we can depend on them to respond if we need them.

Several years ago, I wrote two connected books about two firefighter heroes (IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU and VALENTINE BABY), and of course I turned to my husband’s friend for research. He patiently answered questions, then gave me a resource to call for more information in the fire department of the northwest Arkansas city where I’d set the story. I still remember my call to that helpful and humorous firefighter — especially his laughter in response to my first question to him: “Um, what are you wearing?”

Between now and Labor Day, firefighters across the country will stand at intersections and shopping centers with boots to be filled with donations for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The International Association of Firefighters is the single largest sponsor of MDA, raising more than $450 million since 1954. If you see one of those firefighters spending time off to raise funds to fight muscular dystrophy, ALS and other related diseases, please stuff a dollar or two — or a few coins, whatever you can give — into the boot.

Today, and everyday, I thank the men and women who serve as first responders, and remember the ones who gave their lives for others.

April has always been one of my favorite months. With the exception of the usual spring storms, April is a beautiful time in Arkansas. The leaves are new and green, flowers are blooming, the nice temperatures invite us to play outside in “the natural state” without the stifling heat we know will arrive later in the summer. Yes, pollen covers everything in a fine yellow film, and sneezes are as common as smiles, but it really is a wonderful time of year.

My mother’s birthday was in April. She’d have marked her 80th on the 18th of this month (75 was the last she was able to celebrate with us). Her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren remembered our beloved “Nana” on her birthday this year, sending our love to her in her new home. She and my father were married on April 28, 1953 — so happy 59th anniversary to my dad, who is still with us! Easter is usually in April, and I have many happy family memories centered around that holiday — egg hunts and big meals, family portraits and frilly dresses.

John and I welcomed both of our daughters into our family in April. Courtney’s birthday is the 1st (our April Fool child) and Kerry’s is today, the 23rd. Happy birthday to both of these amazing young women who have brought us so much joy.

This year, April marked the publication of my 100th Harlequin book – HUSBAND FOR A WEEKEND – another happy celebration for me! The book is still available in stores and on-line (story details on the home page). I hope you’ll check it out, if you haven’t already. And this month I’ve also released a somewhat different-for-me paranormal story for Kindle only (and free Kindle reading app for PC and smartphones, if you don’t have a Kindle). So it has been a busy and memorable month.

Today is absolutely gorgeous here in Arkansas, a little cool but sunny and clear. While I’m working on my next book, I’ll take breaks occasionally to wander outside and admire the blooming roses and smell the honeysuckle (and maybe sneeze a few times, but I’m used to that). Whatever your weather today (even snow in some parts of the country!), I hope you find a few moments to appreciate the small pleasures.

I have lived my entire life in semi-rural Arkansas — unincorporated areas within a twenty-minute drive from Little Rock. So, country — but not too far from the city. I rode a yellow bus to the town of Bryant, Arkansas, where I attended all twelve years of school (there wasn’t a kindergarten program for me). I spent more than an hour a day on the bus, and I rather envied the “town kids,” who could walk to school or meet up at the local diner or even go home for lunch. We drove to the grocery story, to church, to work — there were no businesses within walking distance of our house. It was always my plan to live in a city someday — and then I married a deeply-Arkansas-rooted guy who wanted to live in the country. More than twenty years ago, we built a house on ten acres, seven miles from the nearest grocery store, church or other business, and our children rode yellow buses to their schools. I’m still within a twenty minute drive of Little Rock, though now I’m north of the capital city, some forty minutes from my childhood home. With plenty of room for the kids to play outside, almost no crime to worry about, lots of privacy, it’s been a good place to live and raise our now-grown family … but I have to admit, I’ve always wondered what it would be like to live in a different setting.

I’ve had a chance to travel quite a bit within the U.S., visiting 33 states so far, and part of the fun of travel for me is to imagine what it would be like to live in each place I visit. What would life be like in Arizona — flat land, few trees, gorges and canyons and deserts rather than the wooded, grassy hills of central Arkansas? Or in New York, with its high-rise buildings and ever-flowing rivers of yellow cabs, its noise and bustle and urgency? Arkansas sees little snow in winter; how would I like shoveling walkways in Minnesota, bundling up against frostbite, skating on lakes frozen solid until spring? I’ve always wondered if my pleasant, but less-than-adventurous childhood helped fuel my writer’s imagination by making me envision those life differences rather than experience them.

In pursuit of their career training, our daughters have moved to urban areas far from home — one in central Massachusetts, the other in Seattle. They both plan to move closer to home eventually, but for now they are where they need to be. As much as I miss them, I’m pleased that they have the chance to explore different parts of the country, different ways of life.

Since our oldest daughter’s stroke in October, 2010, I’ve spent approximately six months staying with her in Seattle, helping in her recuperation so she could continue her post-doctoral training. I’ve just returned from another two-month stay. As much as I regret the reason for my visits — I would give anything if I could have prevented the difficulties she has faced for the past seventeen months — I’ve still found much to enjoy about my stays with her. It’s such a change of pace there. Living in a third (and top) floor apartment with an elevator and a tiny balcony from which one can catch occasional glimpses of Mt. Rainier. Hearing footsteps in the hallway outside the door. The constant rumble of traffic from nearby I-5. Spending 40 minutes on an articulated metro bus for a 4-mile commute. Walking rather than driving to a nearby grocery store, mall, doctor’s office, restaurants. Being surrounded by glacier-topped mountains and so much water — Puget Sound, Lake Washington, Lake Union. Boats, bicycles and buses as commonly used for transportation as cars and pick-up trucks back home. Not better, but different. I enjoy those differences. I love meeting the people who have grown up there, and finding out that other than geography, we aren’t really all that different, after all.

So, I’m back at home on a pretty day in central Arkansas, looking through a glass door at a coral bell azalea in full, glorious bloom, hearing birds outside rather than traffic, the muted drone of C-130s from the nearby air base rather than the noisy clatter of city buses. I’m sitting in my recliner, working on a book set in southeast Texas, imagining what it must be like to live on the banks of a big lake there. And it’s a nice place to be.

Wherever you are, whatever the view from your window, I hope you’re having a lovely day.

♥♥♥

HUSBAND FOR A WEEKEND, available in stores now from Harlequin Special Edition and Gina Wilkins!

WAKE ME,  a Kindle exclusive paranormal romantic suspense, also available now — click on the Home Page for details.

And don’t forget to “like” my facebook page for more frequent updates and to join the conversation there!

From the time I could hold a book and sound out the words, I have been addicted to reading. Books were my companions, my entertainment, my source of adventures outside my working-class, rural Arkansas upbringing. I had a happy childhood, but with three younger brothers, books were my escape to my own world of adventures and travel. I read on the school bus, under the covers by flashlight, outdoors beneath a tree, on car trips with my family. I’d have read at the dinner table had my mother allowed it. The library was a magical place for me. My mother helped me chose books from there that had been favorites of her own — Heidi, Alice in Wonderland, books by Louisa May Alcott and Laura Ingalls Wilder.

One of the highlights of my school memories were the days when our teachers handed out the Scholastic Books order forms! I pored over those forms, reading descriptions of the books for sale, carefully choosing the stories I most wanted to read, begging my mother for book money from our well-stretched budget. When the books arrived, I rushed home to hoard them in my room and read them over and over, savoring the stories, imagining the day when I could write books of my own. I still clearly remember some of my favorite Scholastic Books — Baby Island, The Ghost of Dibble Hollow, The Forgotten Door, The Runaway Robot, and probably my favorite, Follow My Leader. Anyone else remember any of them? I read them until the paper covers were ragged.

In my teens, I discovered romance — Harlequin books, Georgette Heyer Regencies, romantic suspense by Mary Stewart, Victoria Holt, Dorothy Eden, Phyllis Whitney. The childhood stories were left behind, but never forgotten. When my own children brought home their Scholastic Books order forms, I got excited all over again with remembered joy. And I was delighted to find a few of my old favorites still available for them, so they read some of them, too. I know both the girls loved Baby Island as much as I did, and David read The Runaway Robot several times. Just as my mother had shared her love of reading with me, I did the same with our children. We read together, visited bookstores frequently, attended midnight releases of the Harry Potter books, loaded books in tote bags whenever we left for car trips. And occasionally, I had to fuss at one of them (especially Kerry) for reading when she was supposed to be doing something else (like cleaning her room or practicing piano) … but I always did so with a hidden smile of reminiscence.

While I’ve been with our daughter in Seattle, I’ve had the chance to read quite a bit on public transportation and in waiting rooms. I’m reading now on the Kindle Fire I received for Christmas, and have to admit I’m loving it! It’s like having an entire library in my bag at all times, so handy. But I will always have a weakness for those tattered paperbacks ordered from the brownish-paper Scholastic Books order forms. And I’d really love to read The Ghost of Dibble Hollow again! (Which, unfortunately, is out of print now).

***

Remember to check my home page above for information about my newest releases, WAKE ME and HUSBAND FOR A WEEKEND. The Books tab has convenient links to re-releases of most of my older titles.

To join the conversation at my Facebook page, click the link to the right!

Thanks for stopping by.

I’ll be in Seattle with my daughter for another few days, and while summer seems to have already settled in back home in Arkansas with highs in the 80s, spring is just coming to the Pacific Northwest. The highs here have been in the 40s and 50s, still a little cool, but warming. I’ve seen a lot of rain during the past few weeks, of course, but also some absolutely beautiful blue skies above the surrounding snow-capped Cascade and Olympic mountains. The cherry trees are starting to bloom, along with daffodils, early rhododendrons, other flowers, bushes and flowering trees I don’t even know names for. And everywhere I look, towering evergreens remind me why Seattle is called the Emerald City. Just beautiful.

While I’ve been with her, my daughter has helped me update my site here a bit. I have a new front page with covers from current books, links for FAQ and a sign-up for email updates of upcoming releases, and links to all my past books that are now available for Kindle and/or Nook. Within the next few days, my first fifteen published books will be re-released as Kindle exclusives (some are already available there — links are provided on the Books page). And my paranormal suspense novel, WAKE ME, will be released very soon. HUSBAND FOR A WEEKEND, my newest Harlequin Special Edition, is available in stores and for ereaders now. It’s a very exciting time for me, and it was definitely time for an update here! Thanks, Courtney.

Join me on my Facebook page (link provided at right) for more frequent updates and conversations. I love hearing from fellow book lovers!

I haven’t disappeared, though it might seem as though I have from my lack of posts lately. I’ve spent the past month in Seattle with my older daughter – the one who had a stroke in October, 2010. I came here because after her return from visiting home at Christmas, she began to have serious health struggles again – to the point that we were all getting very worried about her ability to continue working and living on her own. While my husband stayed home to take care of things there, I joined our daughter for a series of doctor visits to try to find out why she was struggling so hard against overwhelming fatigue and accompanying depression. Post-stroke fatigue is a serious issue, but hers had gotten suddenly debilitating.

Her amazing primary care physician, rehab physician and therapists worked together to adjust medications and daily activity plans. Not only is Courtney’s energy level now under much better control, she has made such amazing leaps in recovery during the past month that she has brought her therapists, friends – and even landlady! – to tears of joy. For the past 16 months, Courtney has been primarily confined to a wheelchair, her walking unsteady even with a walker or arm crutches (she has suffered from ataxia, or uncoordinated movements following her brainstem stroke). She was frustrated that she couldn’t seem to go beyond 150 feet, no matter how hard she worked – and she works Very hard. One evening soon after I arrived here, I was having trouble with a computer issue (quite common for me) and Courtney got up and walked across the room to help me, without even thinking about what she was doing. I nearly fell over in surprise. She had walked beautifully, without crutches, with little evidence of ataxia! Two days later, her stunned physical therapist — and all the other therapists who have been monitoring her for all this time — watched as Courtney walked for 15 minutes on a treadmill without even holding onto anything, the first time she’d been able to walk on the treadmill. She has been walking more every day since, including a several-block walk from her apartment to a fast food restaurant, a huge accomplishment! That was an exhausting exercise and by the time we got back to her apartment, she was worn out, struggling to pull one leg in front of the other, but determined to make it the entire way without resorting to her wheelchair. I’ve seen this determination in her from the beginning – through a previous life-threatening injury 10 years ago, through earning her doctorate degree and accepting a job 2400 miles from her home, and now after this major stroke. We are so proud of her!

I’ll stay here for a couple more weeks to help her with some more walking (her therapists still aren’t ready to clear her for walking outside on her own). After 16 months in a wheelchair, she continued to keep up her core exercises and strength training, but now she needs to rebuild endurance in walking. She still has little use of her right hand, no pain or temperature sensation on her left side, and bouts of vertigo, but there is little doubt that she’ll soon be able to park that wheelchair most of the time, which is more than many people expected at this point! We thank everyone for the many prayers that have been and continue to be offered on her behalf.

While my daughter works at her career in medical research, I’ve been writing, of course. My next Harlequin Special Edition, HUSBAND FOR A WEEKEND, will be available in April — this is my 100th project for Harlequin, and I couldn’t be more delighted to have been with them for so long! See the Books Available Now page for more details.

For more frequent updates from me, “like” my Facebook page (linked at the right of this post).

I love my job. For more than twenty years, I’ve had the privilege of writing and publishing the stories that are always simmering at the back of my mind. My 100th Harlequin book, HUSBAND FOR A WEEKEND, will be in stores in April, 2012. It was such a thrill for me to mark that number, but there are still so many stories I want to tell …

Writing for Harlequin has been an honor and a constant challenge for me. Within the romance genre,  I’ve been able to write family dramas, romantic comedies, adventure, suspense … even stories about ghosts and psychics … along with the archetypal cowboys, private investigators, cops and docs. And all have had a happy ending, which makes me happy, too. I still have many projects in the works for Harlequin, including an August, 2012, release, HIS BEST FRIEND’S WIFE.

More than a year ago, another type of story began to “haunt” me. Sometimes when I looked in a mirror, I wondered what it would like to see a strange face looking back at me from there, or hear a stranger’s voice whispering from a corner of the room, or find myself with memories that aren’t my own.

That’s what happens to Amanda Holloway in my upcoming Kindle-only release, WAKE ME. Stripped of her own memories, and tormented by flashes of someone else’s life — and death — Amanda wonders if she’s going crazy or being driven by an outside force. Her cynical cop ex-boyfriend wants to know how she knows so many details of his on-going murder investigation, and a handsome musician with possible ties to that investigation wants to get to know her better. All Amanda wants is to reclaim her life and her own memories before someone silences both her and the voices in her head – forever.

WAKE ME was a different kind of story for me to tell, but I loved the challenge as the mystery unfolded in my mind and on my screen. Though it doesn’t quite fit into the romance genre I still love, I stayed true to my storytelling style and voice. I think my regular readers will recognize themes that have always been important to me — the importance of family, the immeasurable value of love, and the universal search for a safe place to call home.

I’ll let you know as soon as the book is available for purchase from the Kindle store (release price will be $3.99). It should be out within the next few weeks. If you don’t have a Kindle device, you can download the Kindle reader for free on your computer, iPad, iPod or smartphone!

I enjoy following several sports on TV, so I’ve seen quite a bit of football during the past couple of months. I’ve watched college bowl games and professional play-offs, and I’m looking forward to the upcoming Super Bowl (and, by the way, I totally called the teams who would be in it).  I also follow NASCAR racing (though not as faithfully as I once did), enjoy the “other” football, as it’s called here in the South — soccer, and am glued to the television every two years for whichever season’s Olympic games are being aired.

“Competitive reality TV,” as it’s dubbed on the website Television Without Pity, sort of continues the sports theme. I’ve never seen “Survivor” or “The Amazing Race,” but I do enjoy “Project Runway,” “Face Off” and some of the talent competitions – “So You Think You Can Dance,” “The Voice,” “American Idol” (which I haven’t watched much for the last couple of seasons). And though my husband teases me mercilessly for it, I absolutely love competitive cooking shows. “Top Chef,” “Chopped,” “Iron Chef,” various food network challenges — something about those flying knives and leaping flames and frantic shouts of “behind you, behind you!” just get my blood pumping. They’re fun, and I enjoy rooting for my favorite contestants to win.

Which made me think — how boring would a competitive writing show be? Let’s face it — while we all hope our product is interesting and exciting, writing itself is not a compelling spectator activity. We sit in a chair, stare transfixed at a glowing screen, pound on keyboards — hitting the backspace and delete keys repeatedly — occasionally argue with the voices in our heads. While some writers perhaps look beautiful and camera-ready as they work, I’m not convinced those exceptions are among my closest group of writer friends. Many of us confess to working in comfy, grubby clothes (p.j.s being the uniform of choice admitted in whispers), with hair tumbled every which way, no make-up and plenty of coffee, soft drinks and chocolate near at hand. Even when those sports or competitive reality programs I enjoy are blaring from the television, my computer is usually in my lap and I’m writing or editing or researching or making notes (while also keeping up with my Facebook friends). Despite that less-than-glamorous description of my career, hunky Mike Rowe is unlikely to visit me for his “Dirty Jobs” show (darn it) — because, handsome as he is, watching him sitting in a chair and typing for an hour would hardly be riveting TV.

Writers on television are often shown attending glittering parties, chasing criminals, meeting with long lines of adoring fans — but that’s not showing them at work. In fact, I often wonder when do those fictional authors actually write? Few of us can make a living scribbling a page or two a week — or even a day, for that matter. All kinds of adventures are taking place in our imaginations, but to share them with our readers, we have to separate ourselves from others and take on the solitary task of putting words to paper — or screen, to be more contemporary. Definitely not a spectator career.

Like all modern writers, I’ve been encouraged to have more of an on-line “presence.” This blog, the flashy website I’m going to have someday (really), a Facebook page and Amazon author page (both now in place – check them out!), and — gulp — Twitter. So, I started a Twitter account, wilkinsgina (the reverse already being taken). Other people seem to tweet often, finding interesting things to say and report. I stare at that blank screen that faces me so routinely, and try to think of something fascinating to send out into twitterspace. I’m enchanted by my artistic husband and our three brilliant offspring, of course, but I realize not everyone shares my enthusiasm for my family. I don’t care to discuss politics or religion, because those are private for me, and I’m not exactly a scholar of either, anyway. Some people seem to tweet their every move during the day, but that hardly seems appropriate for me:

“Sitting in my chair under an afghan, drinking tea and trying to convince my current hero to stop being a stubborn jerk.” Is that too many letters? Not exactly fascinating, anyway.

“Just wrote a complete paragraph and it’s a keeper!” Well, no. Only another writer would see that as a noteworthy accomplishment.

“Actually met my word-count goal today so I’m rewarding myself with a bag of M & Ms and the newest J.D. Robb thriller!” Big deal, I hear you all say with a groan.

So. I have a Twitter account. And a blog. And a Facebook page I also struggle to make interesting. Someday I’ll have a real website. Maybe. I hope you’ll all visit me in those places – I promise to do my best to find something worthwhile to say, at least occasionally.

But mostly, I hope you’ll enjoy the books I produce during my noncompetitive, undramatic work routine. My latest Harlequin Special Edition, DOCTORS IN THE WEDDING, is still available in stores, and the next, HUSBAND FOR A WEEKEND, will be released in April (click the Books Available Now! tab for details). Soon I’ll be able to announce the release of a Kindle-exclusive paranormal suspense novel entitled WAKE ME — I’ll tweet that release date as soon as it’s confirmed. Can’t wait to share details with you of that somewhat different story I so enjoyed writing as a challenge to myself.

Do you tweet? What do you like to read from the tweeters you follow? Feel free to contact me at any of the mentioned sources or leave a comment here. I love hearing from readers!

I received a Kindle Fire from my husband for my birthday/Christmas gift this year (those of us born in late December use that slash a lot). I don’t do product reviews often, but since this is both directly related to my writing career and a technological advance for me, it seemed relevant to discuss it here.

I’ve mentioned before that I’ve never owned an e-reader and that I had my doubts about reading “on screen,” considering my deep love of books. Then I tried reading a few times on an iPod touch — and discovered that I loved the freedom of having a book with me at all times, especially in the various waiting rooms where we all seem to spend so much time. The iPod screen is tiny, certainly, but it was still surprisingly easy for me to read on it. Our oldest daughter carries her Kindle reader with her on her bus commute to work — almost an hour each way — and has commented often about how it makes the travel time pass so much more quickly. John decided it was time for me to have a Kindle of my own, and he choose to order the Kindle Fire from Amazon.

The first accessory I bought was a cover. I choose a black leather cover with a bright blue lining from Belkin (approximately $35 from WalMart)  that also folds into a stand. I like this cover because it’s very slim, adding little bulk to the Fire, and had a good feel in my hand. I have to confess, I like the fact that when it’s open and I’m reading inside the cover, it feels like I’m actually holding a book. The photo above is a little dark, but you get the idea. Cover and all, the Kindle Fire is about the size of a paperback, fits easily into my purse (average size, I don’t like to carry the extra-large ones that make my shoulders ache), and weighs about a pound. Not bad at all.

It was ridiculously easy to download a book from the Amazon Kindle store (maybe a little too easy! It’s like living in a bookstore – dangerous for us book lovers). I had no trouble going to facebook or accessing my email. The settings were easy to find for brightening and dimming the screen, turning wi-fi off to save battery life and so on. On the whole, easy enough for even this techno-challenged mom to figure out. I’ve already read two books and two novellas on it, and honestly, I lost myself in the stories just as easily as I ever have. I’ve also read a hardcover book since Christmas (I’ve been on quite a reading binge), and I still love reading from a “real” book — but I wouldn’t carry it with me out of the house the way I can my Fire.

One of my favorite uses may very well be in the kitchen. Using the stand, I can display a recipe from allrecipes.com or one of the other sites I visit very often, set the little Fire out of the way on the counter, and refer to the displayed recipe as needed. I’ve done that several times already.

The Fire came with a free month’s subscription to Amazon Prime. One of the books I read was “borrowed” from the Amazon Prime library (you are entitled to borrow one book a month from the eligible titles), and I streamed a movie from the free choices offered. The film looked fine on the seven-inch screen and the sound was very acceptable from the speakers. Will I renew the Prime membership? Probably not, at least for now. I don’t order enough to make the free two-day shipping worth the (admittedly reasonable) cost, and I wasn’t excited enough by the range of book or video offerings to make it worthwhile for me, though that could change in the future. But I tried it all while I have it.

The battery life has been sufficient for me so far, though of course I haven’t really put it to the test. I had plenty of power to watch the two-hour film and then read a while before I noticed it was getting low. I think it said it would get seven or eight hours of use on one charge. Fine for my uses.

The only quibble I have so far?

That shiny screen and the resulting fingerprints make my somewhat OCD soul cringe! I spend a lot of time polishing with a microfiber cloth. Colors really pop on screen, but it does take some effort to keep it shiny.

If you don’t have a Kindle device, the Kindle app is a free download from your phone, iPod or iPad or PC from Amazon. Books are reasonably priced, and there are many, many free titles available! All in all, I can give this product two thumbs-up (and then scrub the resulting thumb-prints away with my handy polishing cloth). Thank you for my gift, John. I know I’ll get many hours of enjoyment from it (and thanks to the “kids” for Amazon gift cards — which will be put to good use in the Kindle bookstore!).

♥♥♥

Look for my Harlequin Special Edition, DOCTORS IN THE WEDDING, in stores, at Harlequin.com and for e-readers now! (Click the Books Available Now! tab above for details).

And be sure and “like” my facebook page (link at right) for occasional updates and comments.

Available now in stores, for e-readers, and at Harlequin.com.

Click Books Available Now! tab above for details.

Another busy holiday season has ended — all the decorations put away, too many sweets made and consumed. Although I very much missed having our daughter, Kerry, and her husband, Justin, with us this year (she was on call in Mass.), John and I still enjoyed having Courtney home from Seattle and David here for the holiday weekend on his medical school break. This was the first Christmas in her whole lifetime Kerry hasn’t spent with us, and her traditional place on the carpet in front of the tree seemed awfully empty. We understand the demands of her medical residency, and are so proud of her accomplishments — but we still might have pouted a bit to have one of our brood missing on Christmas. Still, we were able to connect by phone, so she was here in spirit. We did find out who’s been responsible for the before-dawn Christmas awakenings — without Kerry here, the rest of us slept in a couple extra hours that morning! And she always tried to blame her sister and brother …

David starts his second semester of medical school tomorrow. Later this week, Courtney will return to her busy scientific research career. It’s always hard to drive her to the airport and say goodbye until the next visit, but we’re proud of her for forging on in her work despite the challenges she has faced since her stroke on October 30, 2010. Still primarily confined to a wheelchair and with very limited use of her right hand, she still manages to live on her own and to make advances in her research. With post-stroke fatigue a constant challenge for her, some days are so hard for her that she wonders if she can get through them — and yet she continues to display courage and determination when it must be tempting to just give up. There are no words to describe how proud we are of her, and how grateful we are to the excellent doctors and therapists who work with her and encourage her. We know she will continue to make advances both in her recovery and her research during the coming months.

I have lots of plans for the coming year. My new Harlequin Special Edition release, DOCTORS IN THE WEDDING, is available this month, to be followed by HUSBAND FOR A WEEKEND  in April and BEYOND THE MORNING (title subject to change) in August. The latter two books, as well as the as yet untitled one I’m just starting this week, were inspired by the therapists we’ve met during the past year who’ve worked with Courtney. The previous medical-themed books were inspired by our other daughter’s adventures in medical school. My husband teases me about using our kids’ lives as material for my always-active imagination; I remind him that everything in life we see, read or hear is fodder for a writer’s busy fantasy life!

I’ll also be re-releasing quite a few of my early titles soon for Kindle (I’ll let you know when they’re available). And stay tuned for information about the release of my first paranormal suspense novel, WAKE ME. Can’t wait to share the details about that one with you!

May 2012 be a special and fulfilling year for all of you. I hope you’ll come back to visit me here and that you’ll find a few hours of escape and entertainment in the stories I so love telling for you.