Memphis Moments Series News

So last week was Elvis Week in Memphis--always a fun time. For the third year in a row, I ran in the Elvis Week 5K. The race starts and ends at the gates of Graceland. Such fun!

Me, after the race.

Some of you may know that I've written 2 books in what I call the "Memphis Moments" series. The first one, All Shook Up, released earlier in the year. Unless you are a member of the Harlequin Heartsong Presents Book Club, finding a copy has been VERY DIFFICULT. The next book in the series, Can't Help Falling In Love, released a couple of weeks ago. Again...if you aren't a member of the book club, you haven't had the opportunity to purchase a copy. 

I finally have the information on how you can get a copy of your own!! You can call Harlequin Reader Services at  1-800-873-8635 and tell them the name of the titles you'd like to purchase.

I happen to think these 2 books are worth the read...so please call and order your copy ASAP! Here are the covers and blurbs:

All Shook Up: Suzanne Simpson's life seemed perfect--nothing tied her down. A rental home with a yard for her dog, a job at Graceland she could leave at a moment's notice, and a long-distance boyfriend she could turn away without regret. It was exactly what she wanted: no commitments whatsoever.

Until Nick Taggart came along. Suddenly the "safe" guy who wanted no commitments either was the very one she couldn't lot go. But when his past holds him back, she must face her own hurt to discover the life and love she never knew she needed.

Can't Help Falling in Love: For the past few years, Emily Madden has devoted her life to her work as a nurse at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital--partly as a way to lessen her grief over losing her sister to childhood cancer. Love isn't on her agenda. But after she meets Andrew Beckett, the uncle of her favorite patient, she's surprised by how much she enjoys his company.

Andrew isn't in Tennessee for love. He's there to help his niece fight a hard battle against the cancer raging through her. Then he meets Emily and can't seem to keep from thinking of her.

As Emily and Andrew's friendship grows into something more, can they find the courage to face what holds them back? Will Andrew be able to forgive himself for a past tragedy and accept forgiveness and love? And will Emily allow herself to let go of a long-held quest to fulfill her sister's dreams and chase the dreams of her own heart?

Now for the fun! Since it has been so difficult to find copies of these books, I'll give away 3 sets of books! Here's how to enter:

Tell me the most exciting/fun/interesting/happy thing you did this summer! Leave your comment and your email address anytime between now and midnight Thursday, August 23. I'll draw for winners and mail books on Friday!

On a Break



Arnie has no problem relaxing...even on my laptop!

I'm a huge FRIENDS fan. I own the whole series and still watch even though I can pretty much say the dialogue along with the characters. Remember when Ross and Rachel were "on a break" and that became something of a catch phrase?

Well that's kind of where I am right now.

On a break.

Me and writing. We are on a break.

See, I've taken on too much over the past few years. This year alone, I have 6 published works releasing.

That means I've been on a constant deadline for a very long time. And that was a real blessing--I'm fully aware of that. I've been so blessed to get the opportunity to write those books. I love each of them dearly and can't wait for readers to read them. I've loved (almost) every minute of it, except for those long sleepless nights toward the end of each deadline when I fear that I've lost the ability to write.

But a few months ago, I took a hard look at my life--and I didn't like what I saw. My super wise grandmother told me that she feared I was WRITING about life instead of LIVING it.

Yikes.

And the truth is, she was right.

Somewhere along the way, between working full time for NFT and writing on a constant deadline, I'd become a shell of a person. I regularly missed family dinners and get togethers and reunions with my friends. I rarely went anywhere. My excuse? "I have to work. Sorry. Maybe next time."

Even worse, I realized that when I did get together with my family and friends, I WASN'T PRESENT. Not really. My body was there, but my mind was with my manuscript. The tension that I carried with me, knowing I was running behind (as I always was) on a deadline prevented me from really enjoying those moments.

There was always a little piece of me that thought if I wasn't at work, then I should be writing. Or editing. Or working on galleys.

And that piece kept me from being fully present in my own life.

From fully being able to have a good time and live in the moment.

How awful!

So I'm on a break. Sure, I have galleys for two more books that will be due soon, but other than that, I'm taking some time off. Time to live. Time to enjoy life. Time to unpack my house that still has boxes in every room because I haven't had time to unpack even though I moved months ago.

So for a couple of months, I'm on a break. A friend told me recently that I needed to learn to relax. You know what? That is exactly right. I don't relax very well because I always have this idea that there is something else I should be doing.

So I'm going to  take time to smell the roses. I'm going to sit in my backyard and read books. I'm going to watch movies. I'm going to paint my kitchen. I'm taking a tap and ballet class for fun. I'm going to cook new recipes. I'm going to spend more time with my family and see my friends as much as possible. I'm going to stop taking myself so seriously and laugh a little bit more.

And when I come back to my laptop, things are going to change. I'm not going to let myself get overloaded again. I'm going to be more selective when it comes to saying 'yes' to projects. Even better, I'm certain my little self-imposed sabbatical will make my future books better.

I think I'll come back inspired and eager to get back to work. I already have some book ideas brewing in my head that I'm sure will need to come out soon.

But for now...

I'm on a break.

Running to Stand Still

Me and two of my best friends...about to see U2 in Chicago

As usual, I'm a day late...okay, several days late. But don't hold it against me! I've been super-busy. Can you believe I've written 3 books and 1 novella this year? I can't. The past few months have flown past in a blur of deadlines.

I've managed to squeeze in a little fun. I went with some of my best friends to see U2 in Chicago over the 4th of July. What. A. Night. Our seats were amazing. My friend, Kelly, and I went to see them in Germany when we were 21. Although a few (ha!) years have passed since then, I think we felt 21 again.

Bono...

But after the quick trip to Chicago, it was back to Memphis and back to work and writing and a seemingly endless heatwave. (remind me of that in January when I'm complaining about the cold...)

I'm thrilled to announce that Love Finds You in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, has officially released! In honor of the new release, I'd like to give away a copy!

Tell me what's been your favorite thing about Summer 2011 so far--and leave your name and email address. I'll choose a winner on Monday, August 8.

Oh...and I'm making a little announcement today over at Southern Belle View. It means a fun new feature will be coming to my blog. My newest adventure is sure to be entertaining for you and life-changing for me! I'll be talking more about it next week!

Happy Weekend!

Becoming a Runner

I'm one of those people--you know the type--who tends to run from conflict. When there are tough things that need to be dealt with, I'd rather ignore them in hopes that they'll go away. In other words, I internalize everything.

This can cause problems sometimes. :)

A few years ago, everyone in my workplace had to take personality tests to find out how we related to one another. My type was "most likely to go postal" because we let things build up and didn't tell people when things bothered us. (don't worry...I don't really think I'm going to be going postal anytime soon!)

But these days, I'm doing a different kind of running. The actual put-on-my-running-shoes-and-go kind of running. And I have a love/hate relationship with it.

I'm about to start my fifth week of training in the couch to 5K program. If it weren't for this program--and the get running iPhone app that I'm using, there is no way I'd have made it this far.

There are days when it is really hard. All I can think about is stopping. But I don't. I keep going, because I know how good it feels when I'm done. There is a very honest kind of satisfaction that comes from completing the training runs.

The 5K I'm training for is coming up in September...but I'm actually going to run in one just for fun in 2 weeks. The Elvis Presley Run, Walk, Rock & Roll that starts and ends at the gates of Graceland. Ha ha! Even if I end up walking more than I run in that one, it's okay. I've heard that some people dress up like Elvis for the race--that's reason enough for me to run--just to see a bunch of Elvis lookalikes running around. Perhaps I can work that into a book somehow...

5 Things...and a Giveaway

Signing at LifeWay Christian Store's Fiction Day!

I've been on the road lately, doing lots of book signings and meeting lots of readers! Such fun! Although, I have to admit, several hours at a book signing and by the end I feel like I've been hit by a truck! It's tough for introverts to feign extroversion, even for a few hours! :)

In lieu of a "real" blog post today, I decided to do one of my favorite things. Make a list!

Here are 5 random things you probably didn't know about me...

1. I know how to fire a Civil War era cannon. Seriously.

2. Once when I was in London, a representative from Vidal Sassoon asked me to be a hair model--but I couldn't because I was leaving to come back to the States. She gave me her card and told me if I ever returned to London to give her a call. (I personally think this encounter happened because my hair looked so awful that day that she felt sorry for me...)

3. I hate cottage cheese, olives, and mushrooms. Those are about the only things I absolutely WILL NOT eat.

4. I rarely ever see a movie in the theater. Like I average about 1 per year. Not sure why, exactly. I prefer to just get them on NetFlix. And while some people think dinner and a movie constitutes a good date--I do not. I think that's a dating cop out because of the lack of conversation during a movie. :)

5. I'm a little bit addicted to my iPhone. Especially the "Words with Friends" app--it's like always having someone to play Scrabble with, no matter where you are!

Okay...now for the giveaway portion of this post!

I'm going to give away a copy of my new release, Love is Monumental! To enter, just answer the following question and include your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win. A winner will be chosen randomly on Saturday.

What are you most looking forward to this summer?

I'll answer first. :) I'm most looking forward to having a few lazy summer days at the lake with my family. I missed every trip last year because I was on a couple of tight deadlines. This summer, I can't wait to swim, sit in the sun & read a good book, and eat yummy food from the grill. Perfect summery fun!

Remember--leave your answer by Saturday for your chance to win Love is Monumental!

Summer Girl

I'm a little bummed that August is zooming past.

I closed my eyes for a second in early May and a second later when I opened them, it was August. School is back in session and fall clothes are out in stores. What?

I am a summer girl, through and through. Always have been. Even when I got my "colors done" way back when that was cool. You guessed it. I was a "summer" hands down.

I want a flowy dress, flip flops and my hair up in a ponytail. A glass of sweet tea and a lazy day on the lake. Maybe a hammock in the late afternoon and a good book. Dinner outside, preferably something right off the grill and either cold watermelon or homemade ice cream for dessert. Maybe both.

Am I describing a vacation? I don't remember those. :) I've taken vacation days lately, sure. But they've all had a purpose and included some form of work.

But as crazy as it is right now, life is good. My first book is in stores now! I can't get over that. And my second book will be out before you know it. These are exciting times.

So please don't think I'm complaining. I'm not. I'm just trying to remind myself to take a little time to smell the roses. Before summer's a thing of the past.

Song of the day, Summertime by Kenny Chesney.

Summertime and the Livin' is Easy

I love summer! At least I love the summer that lives in my memories....the one that included endless days of climbing trees, looking for four-leaf clovers, and eating cold watermelon.

Do kids even do those things anymore? Not being a parent, I'm not really sure. A couple weeks ago we were in Chattanooga and I was running around Tim's sister's backyard chasing fireflies (we don't have those in Mobile and I just couldn't help myself).

It made me wonder if all the things that made summer "summer" to me are obsolete today. (and laugh at myself for acting like a little kid)

I admit that I'm a bit of a weirdo. My favorite holiday is the 4th of July. I love the heat, the fireworks, the patriotic songs and parades. Picnics, water skiing, camping, and fishing are my favorite things.

So here's to a great summer, filled with cold watermelon, fireflies, and four-leaf clovers!