Luzell Lost

At long last, I'm pleased to bring you something new! This Rapunzel retelling features Luzell, a spunky young woman inspired by my grandmother, Luzell Cahoon Boucher. Available just in time for Christmas 2021!

Luzell knows two things for certain: her parents' love story is the greatest romance ever told and her father will do anything to protect her from the world that took his wife's life.

That won't stop Luzell from slipping out from under his thumb, especially when his overprotectiveness becomes unbearable. Wandering the forest alone, she meets Matthew, a handsome stranger with mischievous eyes and a taste for adventure.

As Matthew expands her world view, her isolation becomes more stifling. Her longing for freedom forces her to face the reason for her father's restrictions. To unravel the mystery of her mother's death, Luzell must step into the world she fears and fight to learn the truth.

Luzell Lost is a retelling of the classic fairy tale Rapunzel that will make its readers fall in love with fairy tales all over again.

Available now on Amazon in Kindle and paperback editions.

Cover Reveal

For the last couple of years, I've been working on my Rumpelstiltskin retelling, Golden Gown. Inspired by the portrayal of Rumple in the television series Once Upon a Time, I wanted to create my own Rumpelstiltskin tale featuring him as the hero. My longtime love, Gilbert Blythe (from Anne of Green Gables) crept in and made the mischievous imp truly lovable. Then I make Rumple into a Spaniard and Gilberto De La Vega was born.

My heroine, Elyse Morley, is based primarily on my grammy, Elsie Caraway, and secondarily on all the Boucher and Caraway women. Elyse is patient, hardworking, talented, and has a good sense of humor. However, like all the women in my family, when Elyse is cornered, her latent temper comes out.

Here's her story:

Elyse has lost everything; her parents, her family home, and the village where she is loved and respected. Still grieving, she arrives in a new town where she must prove her skills as a seamstress. Overnight, she creates a gown stunning enough to catch the princess’s eye and win the community’s approval. With every eligible maiden clamoring for her designs, Elyse must do everything in her power to appease them. 

No one can ever know that in the moments when she doubts her abilities, a mysterious stranger with a talent for tailoring and a penchant for damsels in distress comes to her aid. If anyone ever discovers the truth, her reputation will be ruined.

Golden Gown will be available May 2019 and a number of great events will run through May and June. Stay tuned! There will be more fun to come!

Blog Touring: Midnight Sisters

That's right! It's time for another blog tour! Connecting with readers, writers, and bloggers and getting their first impressions during Becoming Beauty's Blog Tour was a blast! And seriously, who doesn't love a good giveaway? And bargains!

For Midnight Sisters' Blog Tour I decided to shake things up a bit. For instance, the giveaway is bigger and better this time, featuring a chance to win Amazon gift cards or a signed copies of Midnight Sisters. And for the duration of the tour, January 9 - 20, Becoming Beauty in eBook will be on sale for 99 cents!

That's just the beginning. Each blog tour day will reveal something new about the mischievous cast of Midnight Sisters. It promises to be fun! Check back in over the next couple of weeks to take advantage of all the cool things that are going on!

Jan 9: R.K. Grow (Jonas Selkirk feature)

Jan 10: Blooming with Books (Ariela Spencer feature)

Jan 11: Eclectic Alli (Passionate Geek feature)

Jan 11: Mel's Shelves (Brisella Spencer feature)

Jan 12: Adrienne Quintana (Canela “Cinnamon” Spencer feature)

Jan 12: A Backwards Story (Daniela Spencer feature) 

Jan 13: Bookworm Lisa (Estella/Frizella Spencer feature)

Jan 13: Perfect Beginnings (Estella/Frizella Spencer feature)

Jan 14: Cindy C. Bennett (Gisella, Hayla, Isella Spencer feature)

Jan 15: Inkings and Notions (Gisella, Hayla, Isella Spencer feature)

Jan 16: Wishful Endings (Janela Spencer feature)

Jan 16: Corinne's Garden (Krisela Spencer feature)

Jan 17: Katie's Clean Book Collection (Larela Spencer feature)

Jan 18: Literary Timeout (Braden feature)

Jan 19: A Backwards Story (Book Review)

Jan 20: Let It Be & Celebrate (Special author feature)

Amazing things are happening over the next few weeks. Midnight Sisters' Launch Party is scheduled at the end of the blog tour. Naturally, you're all invited! And giveaways, freebies, and author events will continue through February. 

Thanks for dropping by, awesome readers! Feel free to enter the giveaway below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Calling All {Book} Bloggers!

I'm pleased to announce the Blog Tour for my second Young Adult novel, Midnight Sisters. a twist on the fairytale classic The Twelve Dancing Princesses.

The blog tour will run from January 9th through the 20th, and will feature each of the main characters. That means all twelve troublesome noblewomen and two rather smitten gardeners will have their moment in the limelight. The blog tour will culminate in the Midnight Sisters book launch at Endless Indulgence of Ogden on January 21st.

In conjunction with the blog tour, Midnight Sisters will be released in paperback and eBook, Becoming Beauty in eBook will be on sale for 99 cents, and I'll hold various giveaways and run other special promotions for both books.

Here's the line up for the Midnight Sisters blog tour:

January 9: R.K. Grow
January 10: Blooming with Books
January 11: Eclectic Alli (Passionate Geek Feature)
January 11: Mel's Shelves
January 12: Adrienne Quintana
January 12: A Backwards Story
January 13: Bookworm Lisa
January 13: Perfect Beginnings
January 14: Cindy C. Bennett
January 15: Inkings and Notions
January 16: Wishful Endings
January 16: Corinne's Garden
January 17: Katie's Clean Book Collection
January 18: Literary Timeout
January 19: The Phantom Paragrapher
January 20: Let It Be & Celebrate

All the amazing bloggers, authors, book reviewers, and writers who participated in Becoming Beauty's blog tour in 2014 have been invited to take part in The Midnight Sisters Blog Tour, but anyone who is interested is encouraged to participate too. If you'd like to claim a date for the blog tour, contact me via email using the buttons on the sidebar, on my Facebook Author Page, via Twitter, or by leaving a comment below.

Also, feel free to peruse the websites and blogs of the tour participants listed above. Who knows? You may find your next favorite read! A huge thanks to all of them for so eagerly coming on board. Also, thanks once again to Cindy Iverson for her gorgeous blog tour banner design.

Cover Reveal: Midnight Sisters

Though I'm not the type of girl who poses for Glamour Shots like those made popular in the 90's, pulling together fashion, location, and fabulous accessories for a cover shoot is totally up my alley.

I've waited since June to reveal the cover art for my second Young Adult novel, Midnight Sisters, a twist on the fairytale classic, The Twelve Dancing Princesses. It is with pride and great pleasure that I finally reveal the cover for Midnight Sisters, to be released in January 2017.

An excerpt from Midnight Sisters:

Do no meddle with the Master's daughters.

The words rattle around Jonas’ head. What is the punishment again? Death? Dismemberment? Jonas, the newest addition to the gardening staff, can’t recall the exact penalty for breaking the rule. What does it matter anyway? He would never dream of meddling with the Earl of Bromhurst’s haughty daughters.

Until he comes face to face with Lady Ariela Spencer, the eldest of the His Lordship’s daughters.

Her elusive smile and open manner cause him to question his convictions. In no time, he’s drawn into Lady Ariela's world of mystery and intrigue, a world where she and her sisters will do anything—including leaving twelve empty beds at midnight—to escape their father’s strict rules.

Only Jonas can uncover the truth and save them from their father’s wrath and their own folly, if he is willing to risk everything he’s ever worked for. 

* * *

A huge thanks once again to the amazing team who made this image possible, Cammi, Jill, Sue, and especially Cindy, my amazing graphic designer. I love you, ladies!

* * *

A note from the author:
Whenever I mention The Twelve Dancing Princesses, there is invariably someone who is unfamiliar with the tale. By clicking the above link, you'll be taken to versions of the fairytale from all over the world. Also, if you click on the link at the beginning of this post, you'll be taken to the Grimm Brother's rendition, which is the one I followed most closely.

Confessions of an Austen Addict

I fell into Jane Austen's novels when I was completing my college education. My high school English teacher introduced me to several classics, but for whatever reason, Austen wasn't among them. I still remember the massive volume my roommate brought with her. Three inches of book in an archaic language should have been daunting, but my roomie's passion was catching. I devoured them. These days I have my own thick volume as well as a respectable collection of DVDs. 

When my friend Raylynn Sleight recommended Jane Austen Ruined My Life and continued to rave about the series, I had to pick it up. Not only was the writing superb and the research behind it impressive, but the theme rang true. Emma, a woman whose entire world has been upturned by a cheating husband and a blight on her professional career, takes to England to follow the steps of her favorite author Jane Austen and do her best to clear her name and reclaim her life.

These days I never expect novels to rattle me to the core. So many books are badly written or are based on themes I can't relate to. A woman's story of self-discovery with a side of romance is a breath of fresh air.

“...These years, snug in our cottage have taught me that had I home and husband of my own, I should not have birthed my novels...My writing box and my little table by the window have been the happiest of endings. You, dearest sister, will know the truth of it, but others who know me less may not comprehend the truth of it.”

Jane Austen Ruined My Life, p 232

My own life choices, Bella's journey in Becoming Beauty, and the life Austen herself led converged on me and tears coursed down my cheeks as I read this section. I didn't expect that, just as I didn't expect Bella's journey to result in tears when I wrote it. My life, like Austen's, has been very quiet. Little romance has entered it. I lamented the fact in private until I realized that because of my quiet life, I have had the time to teach and write and come to know myself. That knowledge is perfectly precious to me.

Someday romance will enter my life again and the days of teaching and writing will have to shift around to accommodate them. But for now, I am grateful for writers who take me on meaningful journeys. Like Beth Patillo. And a certain Miss Jane Austen.

I'd love to know what you're reading! Leave me a comment. And if you need anything else to read...
Book Hangover
Miranual for Life
Letters to My Future Husband
Author, Ninja, Fangirl
Anne-with-an-E
Where Life Takes You
Persuaded
Pass The Pepper
Tragically Flawed or Not
Okay, it's official. I'm addicted to books. And romance.

Cover Reveal: Becoming Beauty

Like anyone else who dumps blood, sweat, and tears into a manuscript, I've been dreaming of Becoming Beauty's cover for a long time.  Not only did I hope for something that set my version of Beauty and the Beast apart from the rest, but I wanted it to reflect the journey that transformed a flawed character into a strong heroine.  The artists at Cedar Fort Publishing and Media couldn't have encapsulated this any better:

Now comes the fun of waiting until November 11th to see the real thing!  In the meantime, here's something to whet your appetite:

Bella’s time at home has been spent fobbing off her responsibilities on her siblings, weaseling new gowns out of her father, and daydreaming about the life she ought to be living as mistress of a wealthy household.  When her father returns from an extended business trip, Bella’s life is turned upside-down and she is left with no choice but to call on the mercy of the Beast.

Refusing to be cowed, even by someone as dangerous and imposing as the Beast, Bella matches barbed comment for barbed comment while scheming to escape. Her plans are derailed when she catches a glimpse of the man behind the monster, and when Jack, the Beast’s sole companion, draws her in with his inherent kindness. With unexpected determination, Bella throws herself into her new role as the Beast’s maid and finds the work both challenging and rewarding. Surprised by the capability displayed by the “pampered princess,” the Beast begins to soften toward Bella and a tenuous relationship springs up between them. 

Since her arrival, Bella has been haunted by strange visions of a woman named Rose. When she discovers a neglected bedchamber reminiscent of the one in her dreams, Bella’s curiosity is peaked. Her attempts to discover Rose’s fate and the part the Beast and Jack played in her disappearance will cost Bella more than she can imagine.  However, if she can untangle the threads of the past, she may yet earn her own happily ever after.

Thank you for your kindness and support in making Becoming Beauty a reality!