Dedicated to the One I Love...

I'm working on final edits for my October release, Love is Grand. I know some authors don't enjoy edits, but I do. This is my final chance to make sure I have chosen the right words to tell my story.

And I love this story. For those of you who've read the other books in the Walk in the Park series, you're familiar with Ainsley and everything she's gone through. Here's the tentative back cover copy:

Ainsley Davis had it all. . .

. . .a job she loved

. . .a husband she adored

. . .a baby on the way

But after her husband’s unexpected death, she left her job and retreated to the safety of her parents’ home. Two years later, Ainsley is still there, raising the baby alone and envisioning danger around every corner. When her position as a park ranger at the Grand Canyon reopens, she realizes God may be trying to tell her to return—if she can face the fears that hold her captive.

Fellow ranger Dustin Cooper is thrilled to have his old friend back. But Ainsley isn’t the fearless girl he remembers. Even so, Dustin pushes her to put her trust in God and jump back into her life.

Policeman Jake McGuire fled to the Grand Canyon after an on-the-job mistake. He’s determined to live a stress-free, anonymous life. Until he meets Ainsley. Suddenly he realizes he’d like to be a hero again—if only in her eyes.

Can Ainsley regain her zest for life—despite the risks—and find the right man to walk alongside her? If so, she may be surprised to find that even the second time around, Love is Grand.

Well? What do you think? Sound like a book you want to read? I hope so!

In addition to edits, it's also time to pen the dedication. I find dedicating the book to be very difficult. I read somewhere that a book dedication was kind of like a tattoo--once it was inked, there was no turning back.

So far, I've dedicated books to both of my parents, both sets of grandparents and three of my best friends. I have a couple more days to settle on the dedication for Love is Grand. I have an idea for the dedication, but I'm not sure yet.

How about you? If you wrote a book, who would you dedicate it to?

Letters to Juliet...my own version

At Juliet's tomb in Verona, Italy (I'm back row on the right)

I went to see Letters to Juliet a couple of weeks ago and was hit with nostalgia.

Why? Because once upon a time, I spent three months traveling through Europe. During that time, I visited so many amazing places. One of them...Verona, Italy. And you guessed it, I penned my own letter to Juliet while I was there!

So you can imagine my delight at seeing the movie. I love Italy. Love it. (I secretly consider putting all of my belongings in storage and bumming around Italy--writing, eating yummy food, and talking to cute Italian guys...)

And to get to revisit Verona on the big screen was cool. Honestly...I had all but forgotten writing my own letter to Juliet until I saw the movie. It all came back to me as I watched, and sure enough--when I got home and found the battered journal I filled that summer...

"Saturday, June 14, 1997...I am on a train headed back to Florence via Bologna. We visited Verona today, the city of Romeo and Juliet. We walked to Juliet's tomb from the train station and it was so cool. There were a ton of letters and flowers and we were the only ones there. I wrote a 'Dear Juliet' letter and left it at the tomb. We walked to her house and saw the balcony and her statue..."

I won't bore you with the rest of the entry, but will say that there was a pressed flower stuck in that page that I'd taken from one of the bouquets left at the tomb.

I only have a vague recollection of my letter to Juliet. If I remember correctly, it spoke of true love and soul mates--and was written on a piece of purple notebook paper I borrowed from one of the other girls traveling with me.

Thirteen years have passed since I penned my letter to Juliet. During that time I've had some really bad dates. And some really good ones. Along the way I've met Mr. Almost Right, Mr. WRONG, and Mr. Could Be...If He'd Get His Act Together. (LOL)  But like I told a group of students recently...the path I'm on is the one for me. I look back and those times I thought I was flailing around aimlessly, I was really gathering the experiences that I would someday write about. The experiences that would add up and make me who I am supposed to be.

And I'm thankful that one of those experiences was traveling through Europe and writing a letter to Shakespeare's most famous heroine. :)

Photos of the trip below: (and yes, these are pre-digital camera pictures that I had to scan...so the quality isn't all that great!)

On the train on our way to Verona...yes, that is a Yoda figurine with us. He was sort of our mascot that summer...

Plaque at Juliet's tomb, quoting Shakespeare

Statue of Juliet, outside her house

At Castleveccio in Verona (mentioned in the movie)

And how about you? Have you ever visited a place that later showed up in a movie or in a book? Or is there an experience you wish you could "do over" because it was so cool?

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!

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!)

A Book Release is like a First Date...Seriously

I know. You think I'm crazy.

But it hit me yesterday that having a new book release is sort of like going out on a first date with a new guy you really like. Hear me out on this. :) And if it doesn't make sense to any of you, I blame it on the Benadryl I'm taking for these awful allergies!

Here is my theory:

First Date: When his name pops up on your phone/e-mail, your heart pounds.
Book Release: When you get the e-mail from Amazon saying they've shipped your book, your heart pounds.

First Date: You stress about what to wear. You want him to think you're good looking and interesting.
Book Release: You hope your book cover is good looking and interesting enough for people to pick it up and buy it.

First Date: You hope he finds you witty and charming.
Book Release: You hope readers find it witty and charming.

First Date: You worry about the impression you're making. You try to read his expression and body language so you can gauge how much he likes you, but men can be confusing.
Book Release. When you see that people are "currently reading" your book on Good Reads or Library Thing, you worry about the impression it's making. You try and gauge how well they like it by what page they're on. (sites like Good Reads allows readers to log what page they're on and give immediate feedback

First Date: If you had a good time, you hope he'll ask you out again.
Book Release: You hope readers had a good time with your book and that they'll read your next release.

First Date: You wonder what he'll tell his friends/family about you.
Book Release: You scour the Internet for reviews, hoping readers found something nice to say about the book you lost sleep and shed tears over.

There you have it. :) Make sense? It's like this: going on a date with a guy you like equals putting yourself out there. Likewise, when your book releases, there's no stopping it. A piece of yourself is in that book and suddenly, what was once your private, made up world, becomes public. People may bash it and say ugly things about it. And you'll have to sit by and watch. (I can already see a future post: "How break ups are like bad book reviews"...haha!)

Although Love is Monumental doesn't officially release until May 1, some online outlets have already shipped copies. (hence my initial heart pounding when I saw the "your order has shipped" e-mail)

And speaking of Love is Monumental, I'm looking for a few more influencers*. If you have a blog or website and are interested in being an influencer, please send me an e-mail. In the e-mail, please include your name (first and last) and your blog or website address. Here's the back cover copy for Love is Monumental so you can see if it looks like a book you'd be interested in being an influencer for:

Finding love has become a feat of monumental proportions for a shy park ranger.

Park ranger Vickie Harris loves living in the nation's capitol. She loves working at the Washington Monument. But she's never been in love. In fact, her personal life is non-existent. On her thirtieth birthday, shy Vickie impulsively promises her friends that she’ll ask out the next eligible man she meets.

Professor Thatcher Torrey has had enough heartache to last forever. Through with love, he’s spent years building his life around work. So when his longtime rival sets out to make a historic find, Thatcher is hot on his heels. But he can’t do the research alone. Intellectual Vickie is the perfect research partner and he'll stop at nothing to convince her to help him with his quest.

Just as these polar opposites form a bond, a secret from Thatcher’s past pulls them apart. Will they go their separate ways? Or will they come to realize that when it’s with the right person, Love is Monumental?

You can contact me by visiting my website and clicking the "contact Annalisa" tab: http://www.annalisadaughety.com/

*An influencer writes a review and posts on multiple online bookstores (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.) and online book review sites (Good Reads, Library Thing, etc.). An influencer might also post a review on their personal blog or site. Word of mouth is very important, so an influencer might tell friends and family about the book if it's one they might enjoy.

We'll Miss You, Julia Sugarbaker

I'm so sad to hear about the death of Dixie Carter. I was a huge fan and to this day, Designing Women remains my all-time favorite TV show.

In tribute, here's a clip of one of my favorite Julia Sugarbaker moments!

I'm Giving Away a Copy of Love is a Battlefield!

The Battle of Shiloh took place on April 6-7, 1862. In honor of the 148th anniversary of the battle, I'm giving away a copy of Love is a Battlefield! As most of you know, Love is a Battlefield is set at Shiloh National Military Park and was inspired by the time I spent as a ranger at Shiloh.

If you've never visited Shiloh National Military Park, this weekend would be a great time to visit! There will be living history demonstrations all weekend, which are always really interesting to see. Visit their website for more information.

If you haven't had the chance to read Love is a Battlefield or you have a friend who you think would like a copy, answer the following question between now and midnight Friday for the chance to win a copy:

If you could visit any National Park this summer, which one would it be?

As for me--I can narrow it down to three! If I could visit any National Park this summer, it would be either Yellowstone, Gettysburg, or Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty.

Can't wait to hear where you'd like to visit! Just leave your answer in the comments and I'll randomly select a winner on Saturday!