Dear Lovely Human,
Since I last wrote, there have been two wonderful escapes — both very necessary.
First: a quick weekend in Naples, Florida with my girlfriends to visit one who’s moved away (tragic for us, excellent for her — warmer weather wins). It wasn’t traditional Florida heat, but it was sunshine, palm trees, and laughter — which was enough after being trapped in what feels like concrete snow here in Washington, DC.
Before that, we hosted our traditional neighborhood sledding & après party — our house sits right on the sledding hill, so when it snows, chaos arrives at our door. It was loud, joyful, freezing, and perfect.
Also, here is one of my favorite pictures of our yellow house with the hill beside it full of sledders; it legit looks like a Norman Rockwell painting.
And then most recently: Aspen — which, bizarrely, was warmer and less snowy than DC. We still had an incredible time with friends, and the kids have officially become speed demons on skis.
Aspen and Naples reels are coming in the next week, so keep an eye on my Insta for those, but here are a few quick sneak peek photos from the past few weeks.
Query update: no real change in responses.
But here’s the bigger realization.
The hesitation I’ve always felt about Book One? It’s still there. And instead of pushing past it and querying more agents, I’m choosing to listen to it.
My story coach and I have decided to zoom out and brainstorm the entire trilogy. While we map the series, we’re also identifying what still needs repairing in Book One — especially around clarity of motivation and stakes.
Ironically, the marketer in me is finally stepping in. I’ve always talked about GMC (Goal, Motivation, Conflict), but lately I’ve realized my protagonists need something even simpler:
Clear, measurable stakes.
In corporate terms? They need SMART goals.
It’s funny that it’s taken me this long to apply that lens to my own fiction — but here we are.
So February is for:
- big-picture brainstorming
- series cohesion
- simplifying what’s been overcomplicated
- and reigniting the spark that editing alone can’t provide
If all goes to plan, I’ll be back in revisions in March and back to querying in April.
If life intervenes? We adjust.
Author life isn’t glamorous. But it is honest.
Not one. Not two. Three free romance bundles this month.
I decided to mix it up:
🕵️♀️ Cozy mystery + sweet romance
🏡 Sweet romance
💛 Closed-door and faith-forward stories
Something for every mood.
Clean n’ Cozy – Cozy Mystery & Clean Romance
Free Romantic Stories You’ll Love
Curl up and enjoy.
Instead of teasing text this month, I’ll tease process.
One of my biggest struggles with Book One has been finding the clean, simple marketing hook. And yes — I say that as someone who’s worked in marketing for 15+ years.
Somehow, I made it too complicated.
So now I’m asking harder questions:
- What does my protagonist want?
- Why can’t she have it?
- What measurable change must happen?
It sounds basic. It isn’t.
While I wrestle with that, I also get to brainstorm the middle and youngest sisters in the trilogy — and untangle the baggage they all carry from their father. That part feels like fresh air. That part sparks joy.
Activator strength satisfied.
Sometimes the fix isn’t pushing harder. It’s zooming out.
A few favorites from this month:
Aspen
- The Bear Den — great vibe, perfect lunch.
- Matsuhisa’s somm wizardry
- The St. Regis Spa — the oxygen lounge alone nearly held me hostage.
Naples
- The Vine Room — a tucked-away speakeasy that we absolutely turned into a dance floor.
Recovery Corner
- Arnica gel + Biofreeze are currently my best friends thanks to tennis.
- My Sunday Ski base layer that is adorable and headed to Big Sky with me next month (sadly missed Aspen delivery by a day).
(FYI: I do not receive revenue for any links I share.)
Sasha rode home in the passenger seat at sunset like the true passenger princess she is — content, loyal, and possibly over our constant travel schedule.
Hopefully, next month I’ll have clearer progress to report on the trilogy work — and stories from upcoming trips to the Bahamas, Big Sky, and Arizona.
There will also be several USTA tennis matches in the books by then. Improvement pending. Injury avoidance strongly encouraged.
At least it’s a healthy obsession.
Skye
Originally sent to newsletter subscribers on February 12.