Love is Monumental has officially released!!

Discover how the Washington Monument attracts more than tourists when a shy park ranger serves as guide to a handsome professor. Love is Monumental is the second installment in the Walk in the Park series.

The official release date of Love is Monumental was May 1, but with all the tornadoes/floods/etc., I'm just now posting about it!

I'm so excited for this book to get into the hands of readers--I love the characters, flaws and all! So far, the book is getting a good response from reviewers too!

I'm hopeful that readers will enjoy a little glimpse at Washington DC and all the monuments along the National Mall. It was fun to pick out interesting bits of information about some of them to include.

I'm scheduled to do a few blog interviews/giveaways over the next few weeks, and one of the questions I often get is about the characters--who would play them if the book were ever (dare to dream) made into a movie.

So here's a sneak peek at my choices for the main characters:

First, park ranger Vickie Harris. Vickie is always well put together. She's a bit of an over-achiever and the epitome of a perfectionist. Her quest for perfection causes trouble in her personal life--because no one can ever live up to her expectations. Despite being a park ranger, Vickie is not very outdoorsy--and knows nothing about sports! She loves fashion and has an affinity for 80's movies. We meet Vickie on the cusp of her thirtieth birthday--an age she's always dreaded. I think Ginnifer Goodwin would be perfect to play Vickie.

Dr. Thatcher Torrey, a college history professor, is in his late thirties. He is a classic workaholic--never giving any thought to his personal life--or lack thereof. Thatcher is content to focus on his classes and spend his weekends tucked away at his fishing cabin. He'd rather be outdoors than anywhere else. Thatcher despises technology--he doesn't own a cell phone and thinks social networking is the downfall of society. His past is a bit of a mystery, but let's just say he's been hurt one too many times and is determined not to let himself become attached to anyone ever again. I'd cast Noah Wyle for the role of Thatcher. I think he can pull off the right mixture of studious and masculine.

Finally, Katherine Wyatt is the third point-of-view character. I suspect the addition of Katherine's point of view will be a surprise to most readers, as they will wonder how Katherine's story connects with the main storyline. Rest assured that she is an important character. Twenty-year-old Katherine deals with her mother's terminal illness for much of the book. She's seeking her place in the world with the unsettling knowledge that soon she'll be facing life alone. I struggled with the right actress to portray Katherine and finally settled on Miley Cyrus.

So there you have it! My cast of characters for Love is Monumental. If you've read the book, I'd love to hear your thoughts on who you would cast! And if you haven't read the book, you can purchase a copy here! (shameless plug, I know, but a writer has to eat...and pay rent...ha!)