I told myself I’d write a lot of blog posts this year and I’ve been a bad, bad author! I have no excuse. Unless disorganization is an excuse? I suppose I should say I have no justifiable excuse. Anyhow, here I am again.
I must admit that I’m still happy with my decision to distance myself from social media. It has definitely been a huge plus in preserving what is left of my mind and soul. I recently popped onto Facebook to get contact info for a writer friend and quickly saw that things haven’t changed. In fact, it is noisier than ever so I’m glad I stayed away this past year.
HOWEVER! I discovered a downside to avoiding social media when I didn’t hear some of the lovely things people said about my books. Luckily there are some kind, social media savvy folks in my life who keep an ear out and share the good stuff with me when I am in danger of missing it. And then there are those fantastic people who directly send me fabulous emails that really make my day.
One of the winners of this week’s Marvelous Message Award is this amazing, wonderful fan art from @bookishaveril on Instagram.
Argh! I love this SO MUCH! This is a PERFECT representation of Hy. Just perfect!
I know there is a heated debate in the romance world between illustrated vs. “real people” covers (kind of ironic term these days given how many AI clinch covers I see on historical romance books) with people firmly planting themselves in one camp or the other. But I think there is room in the publishing world for both (although preferably without AI).
Obviously, based on the bulk of my covers, I’m a fan of illustrated. Largely that’s because I’ve never found it easy to locate models who fit what I have in my mind’s eye. My first cover, DANGEROUS, did really well representing the hero, Adam. But as pretty as the woman on the cover is, she doesn’t look like she’s in her 30s like my heroine. Still, who even wants to look at her when there are Adam’s abs to be enjoyed, lol?
Anyhow, this rendering of Hy fit exactly with my mental image of her and I adore it.
I wanted to say THANK YOU to all the people who exchanged cards with me. I had so much fun making those cards! And it was a delight to get cards every single day beginning around December 1st. My mom put them up all over the house. They are perched on cabinets, coffee tables, and even propped up on picture frames. They are a lovely collection. I am definitely doing it again next year and I might even consider a Valentine’s Day exchange. Do people even send Valentine’s Day cards? Or I suppose it would be Galentine’s Day? Stay tuned.
Happy 2026 to everyone!
