Twenty years ago, I married my college sweetheart. This month, we went to Ireland to celebrate our anniversary — and the magic of the Emerald Isle swept us away.
📽 Come along for green hills, stone walls, and pint-sized pints:
Watch the Ireland Anniversary Reel
Photo: Going to play tennis at Ashford Castle • Pints with my hubbie at the Duke pub in Dublin • Hiking the Howth lighthouse trail outside Dublin
I flew home on my 44th birthday, August 7th, after a long day of travel delays (Ireland apparently didn’t want to let me go). But the best gift? Being reunited with my two girls, 11 and 8, after their two-week sleepaway camp adventure. Now we’re tucked into our happy place in Kiawah Island, SC—beach hair, sandy toes, and salty air.
I’m in the home stretch! Five agents and one publisher have requested my manuscript, and I’m polishing those last chapters, tightening the synopsis, and pulling together a series proposal. Between travels and back-to-school prep, I’m aiming to wrap the former two by the end of August. Send salty dogs (my fave beach drink) and good vibes.
Credit: Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/pin/38984353010623472/
Two romance collections are free for you this month—perfect for these last lingering days of summer:
This month, I’m giving Love at Dawn a little more spotlight. If you haven’t met my favorite science fiction fantasy couple yet, here’s a taste:
“You’re a rebel, and surely you knew that was a place of some import for your movement.”
He looked at her. He’d wanted her to fight on his side, and trusting her now was imperative. Plus, she seemed to know already. He nodded.
She took a deep breath. “They’re mine.”
Frowning at her, he said, “What are?”
Bea rolled her eyes and shouted, “The paintings!”
“The eyes? The secret messages we’ve been passing—have been through you? You are old man Andres?”
“Seemed a safer identity,” she muttered.
Shocked, it took a moment for his mind to process what she’d said. He grabbed her hands, squeezing them, hope swelling in his heart.
“You mean you’ve been working for our side all along?”
“Don’t get your knickers in a twist. Yes.” She sighed. “But I’m still not fighting with my knives. I—I can’t do it, Kendrick. It’s not in me anymore, no matter how good I am. Something happened, and I can’t face combat. I’m sorry.”
Looking at her, he wanted to know it all, take all the pain away, and soothe her. But she had to learn how at risk now she was of the very thing that she feared.
Ireland was pure magic, but here are my Top 5 trip highlights:
- Standing on the Cliffs of Moher with the wind in my hair and my heart in my throat.
- Cozy pubs with live fiddle music.
- The emerald fields dotted with sheep—poor hubs, I made us stop to take pics constantly.
- Exploring castle ruins and imagining the stories they hold—especially those of pirate queen Grace O’Malley!
- Discovering the best fish stew I’ve ever had at Tigh Ui Mhurchu .
On the book front, I finally finished Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (loved it—yes, I’ll keep going with the series) and was gifted Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez in hardcover for my birthday. I plan to get lost in it during my last days at the beach.
🎾 Bonus swoon: If you find yourself in Kiawah, try the Roy Barth Tennis Center’s Adult Tournament Tough sessions. I played with my husband this morning in the August humidity—and renamed it Adult Tournament Tired after!
The pups are in heaven here — sand, waves, and endless beach walks.
When you hear from me in September, I’ll be deep in back-to-school chaos (one kid starting middle school!) and finalizing my submission package for my publisher.
But in the meantime, mark your calendars—over 300 authors (including me!) will be part of the 5th Annual Fall Into a Book Giveaway on Facebook. Expect books, gift cards, swag, and plenty of fun.
For now, I’m soaking up the last rays of summer and trying to keep the sand out of my keyboard.
