Romance is in the air… and in my books! Reading a good romance can almost feel like falling in love – it makes you hold your breath, make a wish and sigh in satisfaction when, against the odds, they do make it through and find true love. The bigger the obstacles, and the more you doubt, the better the book is. That’s why writing romance and women’s fiction is so much fun.

I started a sequel to Embers of Hope that share’s Cassie’s story. It was so easy to jump and and pick up with my characters… but now I’m trying to picture the right man for her. She deserves the very best! And that’s not so easy to find in someone who is dealing with his own problems – because we need some conflict for a good story. I know this man is very tall with dark blue eyes, and his little girl is named Isabel. He still needs a name! So parts of this book are coming together quickly and easily, and other parts are still vague. That’s okay. It’s how writing works for me.

Well, I hope you do something special for yourself today. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Do you remember what you daydreamed about as a twelve year old kid? I did quite a bit of day dreaming in general, creating story after story, but one of my biggest fantasies was “being an author.” I wanted to create stories and have people everywhere reading them. I can remember how much I loved books and how I’d flip through the pages and breathe in that paper scent. Times have changed quite a bit, and many people are reading on devices these days, but storytelling is still the heart of all this.

For the last few years, I have felt “so close.” I was at the tipping point. It’s right here! In my defense, I’ve never been just a dreamer. Dreaming means putting everything you have into a goal. Dreaming means knowing you will get to the point you’re aiming at. Dreaming is like “Ob portu,” or waiting for the tide to change so you can bring your ship in. Dreaming can mean a lot of work, but it’s work you love.

And dreaming is worth it. I launched my Facebook author page last March and began tracking book sales a few months later, and total downloads in December.  You could say the opportunity for me, and many other authors, came through Kindle Direct Publishing. It’s allowed us to directly reach readers. I’ve reached thousands now! I’m at 130,000 Kindle downloads and counting.

Now I can see “that point” is actually a step. There are many more above me. Every step offers me more knowledge, and more questions to lead me forward. At the same time, I think it’s perfectly okay to pause and enjoy. It’s also a time to say ‘thank you’ to all the readers who made it all possible. Thanks for being a part of my journey.

(“Romancing the Valentine Blog Hop” is previous post, click here.)