Surrender to Sanctuary	Lights of Imani	Adrienne’s Ghost	Christmas Dance

I write stories of crime and passion, mystery and suspense, and most of all love.
Please check back from time to time to learn what’s new in my world!

Can it really be time for summer? . . .

As I’m writing this, Memorial Day 2013 has already kissed good-bye to several of the annual milestones that mark the holiday in my household.  Yesterday my husband and I watched an old favorite WWII movie, “Up Periscope,” with James Garner. (Although I have to say, “The Longest Day” probably does a better job of showing the immense bravery and wisdom of that “greatest generation.”) Today in church we prayed for those real men and women and their families, and the many who have died to preserve our freedoms. Many Americans will visit gravesites of the fallen today and tomorrow, offering flowers and flags in remembrance.

Then there are the traditions that have little to do with the founding of Memorial Day, or Decoration Day as it was originally called. Many of today’s traditions deal more with family time and just having fun — back-yard barbecues and picnics, baseball and softball, watermelon and dripping cones of ice cream. My husband just finished watching Tony Kanaan win the Indianapolis 500, and I think he’s settled in to watch the Coca Cola 600 tonight. The beaches along the Eastern Seaboard opened for business, including some at my beloved Jersey Shore, just getting back on its feet after being ravaged by Superstorm Sandy.

Summer seems to be right on track out there in the world.  But not in my head.

Somehow in my head, I’ve been watching the transition to summer as an outsider, feeling inside like it’s the middle of January. In my head I’ve still been hunkering down to wait out a long, cold winter.

Then today I picked up a potted tomato plant at the store. My eyes lit on it, and I grabbed it with both hands–like someone thrown overboard into the rapids would grab for a life preserver. Like magic, just the smell of that plant (you know, that unique scent of a tomato plant?) snapped me right into summer, and I could picture myself biting into its ripe yumminess, juice running down my chin. I brought it home, gave it a drink of water, and set it on my patio, ready to bloom and flourish.

Hello, summer.

____________________________

My Latest News

I’m working hard on the sequel to Surrender to Sanctuary. The story is in its baby stages right now, but I’m planning all sorts of new surprises for David and Anna, the crew at the FBI, and at Sanctuary, Virginia. Look for the story in late 2013/early 2014.

Upcoming Appearances

• Saturday, August 10
  Hanover Book Festival in Mechanicsville, Virginia
  I’ll be moderating a panel from Virginia Romance Writers on publishing models
  For information, go here.
• Sunday, September 22
  Fall for the Book Festival, Fairfax, Virginia
  Appearing with other authors to talk about writing suspense and how to keep those pages turning. Watch for details!

If you’re in the area for either, I’d love to meet you. Please stop by and say hi!

I’m fortunate to count many writers as my friends, and you can catch me blogging with the Tea & Strumpet crew. Look for me talking about games we play with our minds the second Wednesday of every month.