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February 3, 2012
Heroes of Quantico Series Goes to India!
Foreign rights have been sold for many of my novels, but now my Heroes of Quantico series has been picked up by a publisher in a brand-new part of the world for me—India. Under the licensing agreement, the book will be sold in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. When a book is reprinted outside the United States, the new publisher redesigns the cover to appeal to readers in its markets, so here’s my Indian publisher’s version of the third book in the series, RITA-award-winning In Harm’s Way.
December 17, 2011
Free Copy of Seaside Reunion on Goodreads
My next contemporary romance, Seaside Reunion, releases January 1 (though it will start showing up in stores on December 20), so if you’re feeling lucky, check out the giveaway on Goodreads here. The promo ends December 28.
November 16, 2011
Deadly Pursuit Makes Booklist’s Top 10 for 2011
I’m thrilled to announce that Booklist magazine has chosen Book 2 in my Guardians of Justice series, Deadly Pursuit, as one of the top 10 inspirational fiction titles for 2011. I am honored to join the ranks of such esteemed authors as Jerry Jenkins, Janette Oke, and Lynn Austin, whose books also made the list this year. Booklist, which the New York Times calls “an acquisitions bible for public and school librarians nationwide,” is the review journal of the American Library Association. It reviews more than 7,500 books each year.
November 1, 2011
Lethal Legacy Cover Preview
The cover for Book 3 in my Guardians of Justice series, Lethal Legacy, is now final and I’m exited to share it with all of you. So many people have said they’re looking forward to Cole’s story—and I am, too! Last I heard, the book will be released in August 2012. I’ll be publishing an excerpt on my website early next year, but in the meantime, here’s a synopsis: The police say her father’s death was suicide. Kelly Warren says it was murder--and she has new evidence she believes proves it. Detective Cole Taylor doesn't put much credence in her claim, and nothing in his case review suggests foul play. But when Kelly ends up in the emergency room with a suspicious life-threatening medical condition, the incident strikes him as more than coincidental. Digging deeper, he discovers a startling secret that links her to a long-ago crime. Is history repeating itself? And does someone want Kelly silenced?
October 28, 2011
Cover Girl at Last!
My RITA-award winner, In Harm’s Way (Book 3 in my Heroes of Quantico series), has been translated into German, and my German publisher told me some months ago I would be featured in its magazine this fall. After I responded to the interview questions, however, I more or less forgot about it. Well…I just got an e-copy of the magazine (which is also published in print form), and much to my amazement I made the cover! I must admit, seeing my face on the front of a magazine was a bit of a rush. Even though it’s in German, I wanted to share my excitement with all of you!
October 11, 2011
Deadly Pursuit Hits Bestseller Lists!
I’m thrilled to report that Deadly Pursuit, Book 2 in my Guardians of Justice series, has hit both the ECPA and CBA bestseller lists, coming in at #7 and #8, respectively. It also landed in the top 50 of all books sold (fiction and nonfiction) on the ECPA list. I was also excited to see Book 1 in the series, Fatal Judgment, make a return appearance on the CBA list, coming in at #20. It’s a very exciting thing for an author to see a book reappear on a list nine months after its release!
September 25, 2011
Carol Award Winner!
Breaking news! Last night, at the American Christian Fiction Writers national conference in St. Louis, A Father for Zach won a prestigious Carol Award. The awards were presented at a gala dinner attended by nearly 700 publishing industry professionals, including authors, editors, agents and publishers. I hope to have more photos to post in a couple of days, but here’s one taken at the end of the evening featuring my fellow finalists Linda Goodnight (on the left) and Ruth Logan Herne (on the right). Peeking in between Linda and me is my Love Inspired editor, Melissa Endlich. It was a VERY exciting evening!
August 29, 2011
In Harm’s Way Goes to Germany
It’s always fun to see how publishers outside the United States envision my book covers. I thought you might enjoy a peek at the German-language edition of my RITA-award-winner, In Harm’s Way, which will be released in November. Sometimes titles are translated directly, but in this case the publisher changed the title to one it thought would have more appeal in the German market—Dolls Don’t Lie. As you can see, the Raggedy Ann doll that was a minor element on my original cover now plays a much more prominent role!
July 19, 2011
A Father for Zach Named Carol Award Finalist
Just days back from New York with my RITA award for In Harm’s Way, I learned that Book 4 in my Nantucket-based Lighthouse Lane series is one of three finalists in the short contemporary romance category for the Carol award, given annually by American Christian Fiction Writers. This is the first time I’ve entered that contest, so I’m especially thrilled that A Father for Zach caught the eye of the judges. But it’s up against books by the wonderful Linda Goodnight and the powerhouse newcomer Ruth Logan Herne, so who knows how things will go? I’ll find out in September at ACFW’s annual conference! In the meantime, I’m basking in the glow from my shiny RITA—and still trying to believe it’s real!
July 4, 2011
More Pix From RITA Awards Ceremony!
I don’t want to bore you, but I’ve got some more pix from my big night that I wanted to share. These were taken as I accepted the RITA Award for In Harm’s Way.Here’s what I said: “Eight years ago, here in New York, in a hotel ballroom much like this one, at the RWA conference, and wearing this same dress—not that I’m superstitious or anything!—I won my first RITA. So history can repeat itself—and it’s every bit as sweet the second time around! If I tried to thank everyone who’s helped me along the way in my writing journey, I’d far exceed my allotted time. So I’ll just thank my father, who instilled in me a love of creative writing by telling me a different version of The Three Little Pigs bedtime story every single night. Finally, I’ve always considered writing, like any other talent, to be a gift. And while I can claim credit for honing that gift, the real honor for this award tonight belongs to the giver. Thank you.”
July 3, 2011
In Harm’s Way Wins RITA Award!
I’m thrilled to announce that the third romantic suspense novel in my bestselling Heroes of Quantico series won the romance-fiction equivalent of the Oscar in a NYC black-tie ceremony Friday night, July 1. More than 2,000 authors and publishing-industry professionals attended the event, which was emceed by Princess Diaries author Meg Cabot. Over 1,000 entries were judged in 12 categories; In Harm’s Way took the 2011 honors in the Inspirational Romance division. This was my fifth time as a finalist and my second win—and it was every bit as sweet the second time around! My good friend and fellow author, Debra  Clopton (and her romance-hero-handsome husband!), took me out to celebrate afterward. Yesterday, I came home to find a huge banner on the front of the garage and a bouquet of flowers—all courtesy of my husband—plus, he took me out to dinner. (He’s romance-hero-handsome, too, by the way!) I don’t usually run lots of pictures in this space, but this event deserves a few. That’s me, right after the award ceremony ended, holding my RITA; me and the gorgeous Debra Clopton, celebrating; and me in front of the banner my husband had waiting for me when we pulled in the driveway. What an incredible time it’s been!
June 6, 2011
Daphne du Maurier award finalist!
I’ve been on the road, so I’m a bit late announcing this—but Book 3 in my Heroes of Quantico series, In Harm’s Way, has been named a finalist for the prestigious Daphne du Maurier award. I’m absolutely thrilled! I won this award last year for Book 1 in the series, Against All Odds (and Book 2, An Eye For An Eye, was also a finalist), so I’m not expecting lightning to strike twice. However, I’m delighted that all three books in my debut romantic suspense series were Daphne finalists. The winner will be announced at Romance Writers of America’s national conference in New York City later this month. In Harm’s Way is also up for a RITA award—the “Oscar” of romantic fiction, and that winner will be announced at the conference as well. It will be an exciting few days!
April 28, 2011
New Contracts
The past few weeks have been exciting as I’ve been discussing future books with both of my publishers. I’m happy to report that I’ve signed a four-book contract for more suspense books with Revell. The first three will be a series tentatively titled Private Justice that focuses on former law-enforcement operatives who’ve banded together to form a private investigation firm. The fourth book will either be the beginning of a new series or a standalone novel. I’ve also agreed to write a new three-book contemporary romance series for Love Inspired. It’s called Starfish Bay and is set on the northern California coast. The first book, Seaside Reunion, will be out in January 2012. So be watching for lots more books from me in the future!
March 24, 2011
RITA finalist!
I’m thrilled to announce that I just got “The Call.” Book 3 in my Heroes of Quantico series, In Harm’s Way, has just been named a finalist for the coveted RITA award—the “Oscar” of romantic fiction. I’m thrilled! This is my fifth nomination, and I took home the golden statuette in 2003. This year’s winners will be announced at a black-tie awards ceremony in New York in June (at the very place I won my first RITA!), so please keep your fingers crossed!
March 1, 2011
Upcoming Appearance in St. Louis
I love to interact with readers, and I always schedule a number of speaking engagements each year. Most, however, are for private clubs and organizations. But on March 24 at 7 p.m. I’ll be doing a talk about my career and writing, including a Q&A session, at the Maplewood Public Library. So if you’re in the St. Louis area, please stop by. I’d love to meet you!
February 21, 2011
Cover Preview!
The cover for Deadly Pursuit, Book 2 in my Guardians of Justice series, is now final, and I’m delighted to be able to share it first with you, my readers! Here’s a quick synopsis of this story: As a social worker with the Division of Family Services, Alison Taylor has a passion for protecting children and seeing that justice is served on their behalf. But now it seems she needs protecting. Someone is making harassing phone calls and sending her bizarre “gifts.” When her tormentor’s attentions take a violent turn, she calls in reinforcements. Her brother, Cole, comes to her aid, along with his new partner and former Navy SEAL Detective Mitch Morgan. As her relentless stalker turns up the heat and the danger intensifies, Mitch takes a personal interest in the case. Because protecting Alison has become more than a job; his future depends on keeping her safe. Please watch for Deadly Pursuit, coming in September!
February 10, 2011
Fatal Judgment Hits Two Bestseller Lists!
It’s now official—Fatal Judgment, Book 1 in my Guardians of Justice series, has hit both the ECPA and CBA bestseller lists! In the world of Christian fiction, these are the equivalent of the NY Times and USA Today lists. Needless to say, I’m thrilled! The book is number nine on the ECPA list and number six on the CBA list. All three books in my Heroes of Quantico series made both lists as well, so the new series is off to a great start. Thank you to all the readers who made this fabulous showing possible!
January 11, 2011
Harlequin Heartwarming Reissue
This month, Harlequin is introducing a program featuring reissues of older books from many of its lines. One of my early Steeple Hill books, It Had To Be You, was selected for this new “Heartwarming” collection. All books are being renamed and edited to fit the guidelines of the new program. In my case, I toned down the specific faith content. But the story and values it represents remain unchanged. I did have the opportunity to “clean up” my writing—a great blessing, since I like to think my work has improved over the years! The books are being offered as part of Harlequin’s direct-to-consumer program, but they’ll also be available in many retail stores. Please watch for the new version of It Had To Be You, renamed The Heart Remembers, on store shelves in April.
December 17, 2010
German Edition of An Eye For An Eye
My entire Heroes of Quantico series is being published in German, and I’ve just seen the cover for Book 2, An Eye For An Eye, which will be out in May. My German publisher tells me that readers are loving the series, which is always great news. I think it’s fun to see how art departments in other countries envision my book covers, so I thought I’d share this one with you! Rights for the series have also been sold in India, so I’ll pass those covers along as well when I see them. In the meantime Merry Christmas to one and all!
November 22, 2010
Magazine Feature Interview
Now that the release of Fatal Judgment is drawing close, the media buzz is growing. Check out this fabulous feature interview in Family Fiction magazine. The book is featured on the cover (at the bottom), on the table of contents page, and on pages 34-35. Click here for the online version. To page through the magazine, just click on the top outside corner of the page.
November 11, 2010
New Interview
With the release of Fatal Judgment—Book 1 in my Guardians of Justice series—just weeks away, the publicity blitz is beginning. If you’d like to read one of my first interviews for this novel, click over to christianbook.com. Here’s the link.
November 9, 2010
Reviewers’ Choice Award Nomination
I’ve just learned that A Father for Zach, Book 4 in my Nantucket-based Lighthouse Lane series, has been nominated for a 2010 Reviewers’ Choice award by Romantic Times BOOKreviews magazine. Always a nice way to start the day!
November 1, 2010
Coming to an Airport Bookstore Near You…
My suspense publisher has informed me that my next novel, Fatal Judgment, will be in many airports bookstores—face out!—in January. I’m told it will be in Hudson News stores and many HMS Host airport locations, including Simply Books, Authors Bookstore and Riverbend Books. So if you’re traveling, take a look. And if you spot it, I’d love to hear where!
October 19, 2010
And the Title Is…
Many readers are surprised to discover that an author’s working title is often not the final title for a book. In fact, some authors don’t even bother to choose a working title because more often than not titles are changed by the publisher’s marketing people. With my upcoming Guardians of Justice series, my publisher did keep my title for Book 1: Fatal Judgment. That book will be released in January. We’ve just finished the titling process for Book 2, which will be released in the fall of 2011. My working title was Silent Stalker. My publisher chose Deadly Pursuit, which I love! I hope you do, too. Cover design is underway, and I’ll give you a sneak peek as soon as I can.
September 27, 2010
New Life For It Had To Be You
Over the summer I was asked by Harlequin to participate in its new Wholesome Romance Program, which will debut in January. Harlequin selected twenty previously published books from across all of its many lines and is re-tooling them to meet the “wholesome content” guidelines of this new program. Of course, many Steeple Hill books are a natural fit for this new line. The overt faith content will be toned down, as the new line is geared to a wider audience than Steeple Hill books, but other than that there will be few changes. My 1999 book, It Had To Be You, will be reprinted under a new name—The Heart Remembers. The book will be available through Harlequin’s direct-to-consumer program in February and at Walmart in April.
September 12, 2010
Suspense Books Go Audio!
I’m thrilled to announce that all three of my Heroes of Quantico novels (Against All Odds, An Eye For An Eye and In Harm’s Way), as well as the first book in my upcoming Guardians of Justice series (Fatal Judgment) are being made into audio books. The books will be released on tape and CD over the next few months, beginning in January with Fatal Judgment and In Harm’s Way. They are being produced by Recorded Books LLC, which has also done audio books for authors such as Nora Roberts, Debbie Macomber and Karen Kingsbury, so I’m in great company! These are unabridged versions, so the price point is fairly high, but they would be great additions to public libraries. So for all the readers who’ve asked about audio books, please let your library know they’ll soon be available!
August 25, 2010
 Anything Goes
As my bio indicates, I love performing in musical theatre. I’ve had a number of readers ask if I still do stage work, given my busy writing schedule, and the answer is a resounding YES!—when time permits. I was very fortunate this summer to have the opportunity to play the leading role in a production of “Anything Goes,” the classic Cole Porter musical filled with wonderful songs like “You’re the Top,” “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “Friendship” and, of course, the title song. The performances benefited the Catholic Youth Apostolate, which sponsors numerous worthwhile programs for teens. So not only did I have fun singing and tap dancing and acting, it was all for a good cause! Here are a couple of fun pictures from the show, which we performed last weekend.
 
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