The Secret of the Keepers is finally here!

It's not even 4 a. m. and I just checked Amazon for the third time since midnight. There's nothing that sends the old adrenaline pumping like seeing this for the first time:

It's both terrifying and gratifying to see your name on the jacket of a book cover. I've discovered with every book I write there's a little piece of me within those pages, and that feeling of being vulnerable, exposed, is still there. I thought that writing another book would make it go away. If anything it got worse!

Still, it's times like these that make me realize that I'm living the life I want to live. I wake up every morning and put my imagination on paper, and then I spend the bulk of the day inspiring young minds to dream. I couldn't ask for more!

Thank you to those who have supported me, encouraged me, and been a part of this journey. I'm so blessed to call you friends, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to live an authentic life.

Question of the Day--New Characters in the Keepers?

Six more days until Keepers debut!



FAQ--Are there any new characters in the second book?

I think it would be difficult to write a sequel using only the characters from the first book. When you add a new world, that becomes impossible.

In The Light of Asteria, Nora and Gavin spent the majority of their time surrounded by only their clan. We didn't get a chance to meet the thousands of kinsmen that live in the castle, the servants, the leaders, or even the Elite Guard. And trust me, they are all there, in the back of my head, just waiting to be explored. :-)

I could spent years fleshing out characters and roaming the countryside, and while I'm sure I'd find it fascinating, the rest of the world would be bored senseless. Trying to create a believable world while not overwhelming the reader is difficult at best, and so I went back to the basics, only introducing those that drive the story forward.   

To be honest, these new characters in The Secret of the Keepers that are so strong I struggled finding words to do them justice. They are an amazing addition to Gavin and Nora and I can hardly wait to share them with you!

Viva Las Vegas!

For my 40th birthday, my best friend Corina surprised me with a trip to Vegas. Needless to say we had a boatload of fun, but I soon realized that if I lived anywhere close to a casino, I'd be one of those people they'd keep tabs on. Vegas is like the grown-up version of Chuckie Cheese, and I'm a kid at heart.



There's something about pulling the lever on a slot machine, it's that anticipation ... the excitement ... what if you actually won? Two things I'll never forget about Vegas: Corina shouting "Oh yeah, baby!" Every time we won so much as a quarter, and the feel of a slot machine handle.

Thanks to my friend Megan Curd, I've now become a KDP junkie. For those of you that don't know, KDP stands for Kindle Direct Publishing. It's a place where Indie authors log in to see a live record of how many books are being purchased. With the click of the refresh button, I get an up-to-date account of how many books are sold. Needless to say, it's now permanently pinned as an app tab!

As soon as I opened the KDP site for the first time, that feeling returned in the pit of my stomach. I knew it right away. Vegas. It feels like I'm sitting on the top of the roller coaster, getting ready to careen down a hill. And every time the sales number goes up and have to shout "Oh yeah, baby!"

All I have to say is Viva Las Vegas!