A...romance writer?! I wasn't sure about that. After all, I've always loved, loved, loved writing for middle grade ages. 

"Why not do both?" someone asked. "You already ghostwrite a lot of things."

It's true, I've been a ghostwriter long before I was putting my name on my own work. Still, that took a little thinking. I still wasn't convinced, even though I'm in a writing accountability where everyone else writers...romance! However, I realized as I began having more authors come to me with editing needs for romance, that what was being sent over DID have romantic elements, but there was also adventure. Mystery. Suspense. Just the sort of things I loved reading! It was as though the universe was nudging me toward it.

A short time later, I was tagged in a multi author project. "Do you want to try and write a romance book?" The theme was Runaway Bride. With surprise, I looked at the different synopsis of the other authors and saw: Adventure. Mystery. Suspense.  

I sat down and started writing. I'm working on two books right now, one is a Middle Grade novel, titled My Brother the Supervillain, and my sweet and clean mail order bride book that releases Feb 13, 2023, called Mathilda. Mathilda and her sister Louise (releasing April, 2023) will be running for their lives, thinking the Titanic is a perfectly safe place to get to where they need to go...

As a ghostwriter, I had the confidence to write whatever the client wanted, or wanted me to figure out and create. As an author, it's a little harder. I get super nervous, anxious, and wonder: "Will anyone like this?!"  

I know...it's odd. Perhaps I should niche down, after all, it's odd to have non fiction, children's, and adult books...but that's me. That's who I am. I write the way I read and edit...a  little bit of everything! And I wouldn't change that! 

Writing is fun though, and I really hope you enjoy each of my books. ​

​Remember last time, I told you my tale of woe? I also promised to tell you a bit about OneDrive. This isn't a push toward them, I don't get any sort of kickback, but it's a FREE service from Microsoft, that until that day, I never really took advantage of. 

Many writers use Google Docs. I do not, for anything important. In fact, I admit it, I had an internal freak out when someone beta read for me and uploaded it on Google Docs, with an open URL. Why? Well, because my teen is ridiculously smart with computers (didn't get that for me, haha!) and has explained just how unsafe that is. Also, as a book editor, I've had files completely be deleted I was working on, when the author made a mistake. They couldn't be recovered, and neither was my time and effort. I had to start all over again, double speed to make the deadline. 

Nope, Google Docs is not for anything important. OneDrive though, you get a few free gigs of space, and you can use it to save photos, etc. I pay a little extra and also use it to save my writing. Then, as I'm working, it's backing up (though this paranoid self is also clicking that save button every page or so) and then, if I need to, I can access it though the web on any computer. 

Handy, huh? While I hope that you never, ever, go through something like I did, computer woes happen. A sweet writer I know recently had her hard drive fail...along with her work. Thankfully, someone was able to recover it off the hard drive, but for a while, it looked like they wouldn't be able to. 

When it comes to your hard work, multiple backups is the way!

See that lovely view? That's from my backyard and why I love writing outdoors. At least...I used to. This is the story of why I no longer do, and why I'm saving up to buy a little gazebo so I can go back to enjoying the outdoors. 

Last year, my husband and kids got me a picnic table, painted it green, and added a lovely umbrella to it. Ahh, the hours we sat at it!! Hot, sunny days, we'd crank open the umbrella and enjoy the air. I'd work outdoors, the kids would take shade breaks...perfect. 

There I sat, with my beautiful, fantastic 17 inch white laptop. Yes, I admit...when I got it, I was so in love with it. I'm still in love with it. It's perfection. However...and don't ALL stories start with a however? That spring day, I went outdoors. It wasn't windy at all, but it was sunny. 

I sat my laptop up on the table, cranked open the umbrella and started working. A sudden wind squall came up. The table shook. This is a heavy, wooden picnic table. I grabbed for my laptop, fingers ready to close the screen and run inside when the umbrella snapped. 

The umbrella hit me, knocking me forward, but worse, oh so much worse, it hit my laptop. The screen went too far back and snapped. The screen was still alive, it was connected, but my laptop couldn't be closed. 

Like a crazy woman, I ran inside, cradling my precious baby and screaming. You see, it wasn't my own work I was working on. (I'm a book editor too) And I had a deadline...and now, no laptop. 

Frantically I called, one place after another. Multiple people told me to just throw it away and buy a new one. Buy a new one? During a chip shortage? Hah! I was already using my child's laptop to browse HP's website and let me tell you...it was looking dire. 

Finally, I tracked down a number. It seemed sketchy. No website...the guy answered the phone, "Yeah?" But I was desperate. Desperate. 

"Please! You have to help me!" The story tumbled out, and to my amazement, the guy listened, asked questions, and then said, "Okay. I can look at it tomorrow." My flood of tears rushed out, and crazy lady started bawling on the phone. I might have offered the moon and the stars. Things are hazy at this point. There was a sigh, and he says, "Look, give me an hour. No...don't call me. I'll call you. And I'll tell you where to meet me." 

Desperate folks. Desperate. So, I waited, like an insane woman by the phone for the hour. Kissed my kids goodbye and hoped I'd see them again. I drove, oddly enough, because I live in quite a tiny town, about 5 minutes away, to a tiny shopping center. There, he was. 

The angel in disguise who repairs motorcycles, and computers. 

"This might take a little," he said. "Sit down and stop hovering." 

With an apology, and a purse full of all the cash I could find in case I had to pay an arm and a leg, I waited. The situation wasn't good. But, unlike everyone else who told me to just chuck it, he had a plan. He got the screen set so I could back up my files. He showed me how to close it, just once, he warned. It would crack the mother board if I tried to do it again. Then, he told me if HP couldn't fix it, he could help me order a new frame and replace it. 

After paying him, (Really, not as much as it could have been! This lady was desperate!) I was on my way. 

I also thanked Jesus that I'd bought that three year protection plan from HP. It was $90 WELL spent. Let me tell ya. 

But...it took three weeks to get the computer back. I settled, yes, settled, for a plain, boring, black laptop, without an SD card slot (?!) no disc drive, but fully functional. 

And yes...I bought the extra coverage. 

That's what I'm typing on now. My sweet, white laptop is used for special occasions. But, recently, my black laptop (which I bought a purple cover for, to liven it up a bit) started acting funny. Only a few months old, and acting funny. 

So this, is why this writer has two laptops. And next time, you'll learn why I ONLY will use OneDrive now when I work, and why I'm recommending you do too.