Thoughts on Writing: Is It Blood or Fire?

I am happy to be a contributor this week to the Southern Authors blog,  A Good Blog is Hard to Find.  The topic is What's the most valuable writing advice you've ever received. 

I have my friend and mentor Nora Roberts to thank for sharing this pearl of wisdom with me when I was a young mother new to the publishing industry: IS IT BLOOD OR FIRE? IF NOT, GO AWAY!

Click here to read more.

Happening in 2012

Aloha!  I'm home now enjoying my familiar Atlantic Ocean views after spending the beginning of my New Year at a cottage in the misty mountaintops of Maui, Hawaii! I enjoyed the Pacific views, ate lots of fish and pupu, and started writing my new book. It was an unforgettable way to celebrate the beginning of a very exciting book year.  Here's a snapshot of what's happening in 2012:

In April, THE BUTTERFLY’S DAUGHTER will be released in paperback, just in time for the return of the monarch. And I’m giving away more free milkseed seed packets for the early spring planting season. Milkweed is the sole food source for a monarch caterpillar. To learn more and request free seeds, click here.


Also coming out in April is the special tenth anniversary edition of THE BEACH HOUSE with a beautiful new book cover. I can’t believe it’s been an entire decade since the release of my first Southern novel.

That will be followed the May 8th release of my brand new prequel, BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES. It’s the return to Primrose Cottage on the Isle of Palms. The year is 1974, a tumultuous time for women’s rights in the South. At thirty-nine years old, Olivia “Lovie” Rutledge is married to an unappreciative husband and raising two young children. As she does every summer, Lovie and the kids head to her seaside cottage to carry on her ritual of being the island “turtle lady,” watching over nesting sea turtles. But this particular summer, Lovie finds herself falling in love and facing devastating consequences. BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES reveals the heart-aching reasons behind Lovie’s decisions---choices that forever shape the lives of her family during that one fateful summer. I've always loved the character Lovie and in this novel she expressed so much of my passion for sea turtles and nature. 

The BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES book tour is coming together nicely.  I’ll post the schedule soon on my website, blog and Facebook fan page.
The novel I’m currently working is based on dolphins, and I got to do some research on this fascinating species during my stay in Hawaii. Later this year I'm planning a trip to Florida to take part in dolphin rehabilitation work. 2012 is shaping up to be an exciting year.