May 3, 2026

Celebrations and comforts

It’s May - the month in which my birthday happens and it will be a month of growth and progress. I’ve working on Gone on Arrival and a short story prequel to the Forge County series at the same time. (You can get the short story below!)

Between July and August, the German translations of Rook and Knight will be released. May 22nd to 24th will be a YOLO with Kobo promotion and sometime in late May, my cousin Diane will be coming to visit for our birthday week. Our birthdays are four days apart and for the past few years, she’s come to spend that week with me. It’s always a good time to catch up and spend time with a good friend who also happens to be blood related. (Her grandfather and my great-grandmother were siblings.)

Trees in full leaf - May 1, 2026

The trees are filled out and doing great and the bare patch of lawn is slowly being reclaimed. On May 1st, Bealtaine, I planted some herb seeds in pots and put them under the grow lights in my kitchen. Rosemary, oregano, dill, parsley, sage, chives, sweet basil, cumin, and some butter lettuce are now in pots. I love having plants all over my house, inside and out. It brings life indoors and connects me to the land.

Do you have plants in your house? What kinds? Leave a comment and let me know.

I’ve got a gift for you - it’s a short story prequel to the Forge County Mysteries series.

A day in the life of Sammy Jo Spade.

Sammy Jo is a 911 operator in Forge County, North Carolina. She takes a tough call in the morning, then has a date with her boyfriend for dinner at her parent’s house.

Sounds like a normal day, right?

Not so much.

Now for the good stuff…Grab a free book here and check out the promos for more books.

Since the collapse, head archer Vlash has survived by being what everyone else needed. He rallied the elves, protected the king, raised his son, and tried not to feel the loss of his wife and daughter. But now his son is an adult, according to human law, and no longer needs him.
The king and the other city rulers are stepping down, so the army is no longer needed. He is a relic of another world. A reminder of a past that the mytho youth don’t remember. At the wedding of the knights, he keenly feels the loss of who he was and the life he’d once had. At two hundred and sixty-six, he’s too young to be this bitter. So, when a human dances with him and looks at him without the deference or fear he is used to seeing, he seizes the opportunity.
While it’s only been a couple of weeks since Mason ended his engagement, and he had no plans of hooking up with anyone at the wedding, he has never been able to resist a man in uniform. Elves in their leather and knives are far too tempting.
One night becomes once a week, then twice a week, and…