A New Year, A New Hope

At the start of a new year, a lot of people make resolutions, set goals, and reflect on the accomplishments of the past year. I’d like to reflect on a little more than just the last twelve months, as the years seem to fly by faster than I can type.

2017 wasn’t the year I had hoped for. I could write a whole list of things I hadn’t accomplished, but I don’t want to dwell in negativity, which is why there aren’t many blog posts from last year.

My day job is going well. It is very rewarding to know that I do make a difference in the lives of the children I work with. Especially for those kids I’ve worked with over several years. I get to see their growth from wide-eyed and wiggly Kindergartners just learning their letters and sounds to fourth and fifth graders who get out of their cars with a book they just can’t put down.

I got my first season pass at Sierra-At-Tahoe, the local ski resort that has become our winter weekend home. With my youngest son on the ski team, my husband a coach, and now my oldest is a ski instructor, I figured it’s the only way to see my family in the winter. I started skiing with a few of the other ski team moms and it’s actually more fun than terrifying now. I’ve learned to work with gravity instead of fighting it, so that helps.

We spent another summer on the river. It started out pretty intense, with the high water levels on the South Fork of the American River. We did a five day trip on the Grand Ronde in Oregon, but our oldest had to stay behind and work his second summer as a whitewater raft guide for ARTA and AO. We ended the summer taking a nice trip down the Middle Fork of the American with our oldest son and his friends. It’s a pretty good feeling to have your child not only take charge of organizing and guiding a great trip, but to invite his parents along.

I published my seventh book. Wow. Seven novels out there in the world that I wrote. Sometimes I need to sit back and let that sink in.

It was only five years ago that I was about to give up on my first novel. I had submitted Better Than Perfect to several agents and publishers who accepted un-agented manuscripts. I had found yet another rejection in my spam folder, with my name spelled wrong, so when I entered an online pitch session on Savvy Authors, I wasn’t feeling too confident. Even when I got a message that an editor wanted me to send my manuscript, I almost didn’t send it.

But I knew if I didn’t, I’d never forgive myself, always wondering if that could have been the one.

So when I got the email from Piper Denna at Lyrical Press, I almost didn’t believe it. I ran out to the driveway where my husband was about to drive off to work. (Well, not run,  actually. I don’t run. Ever). I had to show him the email that said she wanted to add me to their list, an ask him if it said what I thought it said. He said it did, so I signed my first publishing contract in May of 2013.

In January of 2014, Lyrical Press became an imprint of Kensington Books. I signed my second contract for Better Than Perfect, which came out in April 2014.

My second book, Worth The Trade came out in July of that same year.

Making A Comeback was published July 2015 and Earning A Ring, the fourth book in the More Than A Game series was released in January 2016.

I launched a new series, Swift River Romance, with Swept Away in July 2016. In Too Deep followed in December 2016. The third and final book, Diving In, was released in September 2016.

In 2018 I’m planning on attending the RT Booklovers Convention in Reno in May. It will be my first time at RT and I’m looking forward to meeting with other writers AND readers. I hope to have a new series ready by then and possibly get an agent to help me further my career.

Until then, I’ll just keep writing, and hoping that my next book will find its way to even more readers.

 

 

 

 

Free Baseball (Books)

Great News!

Pitchers and catchers have reported to Spring Training. Teams are gearing up for a new season. Baseball is coming. And BETTER THAN PERFECT, the first book in the More Than A Game series is now being offered for FREE! It’s like extra innings for your eReader.

Get ready to fall in love with Johnny Scottsdale and his Goliaths teammates. They’re willing to give it their all on the diamond and in love.

Johnny “The Monk” Scottsdale has won it all on the baseball diamond. He’s even pitched a perfect game. Known for his legendary control both on and off the field, his pristine public image makes him the ideal person to work with young players in a preseason minicamp. Except the camp is run by the one woman he can’t forget…the woman who made him a “monk.”

Alice Harrison once traded her dreams so that Johnny Scottsdale could make it to the Majors—and then everything fell apart. Now here comes Johnny back into her life, just when she’s ready to finally step up to bat. This time she’s not letting up, even if she has to reveal what she’s kept secret for too long from her son and Johnny. She can’t be sure how things will turn out, but she’s not leaving until she swings for the fences…

Available at the following retailers:

Amazon

Apple

Google

Kobo

Nook

 

Love and Baseball and Romance

It’s February, and that means a very special day is coming up this month. On February 14, Pitchers and Catchers report to Spring Training.

Oh, and I’m told it’s also Valentine’s Day. Which is the perfect time to share a Romance with your sweetie.

Come on, Ladies. How many times have you wished your man has acted more like the heroes of your favorite Romance novels?

And how many times have you Men wished there was some kind of manual to help you understand women?

Guess what. There is hope. Which is at the heart of the Romance novel. And in my More Than A Game series, there is also baseball.

I’ll admit, that I’m especially romantic about baseball. One of the first movies my husband took me to way back when we were dating was Field of Dreams. And for my bachelorette party, I watched Bull Durham with my bridesmaids. Our Anniversaries often involve baseball games. Oh, and a few years ago, my ultra romantic husband bought me Javier Lopez’s batting helmet at the game used store at San Francisco Giants Fan Fest.

And I have a bit of a romantic side myself. I did name the hero of my first book, Johnny Scottsdale, after my husband. Well, the name his cousin used to call him when they were kids to tease him. Cousin Mike told my sweet honey that he wasn’t really a Mathews, his real name was Johnny Scottsdale, and he was left on the doorstep. But I got the last laugh.

So, if you’re looking for a Romance that you can share with your sweetie, I have had several men tell me they enjoyed Better Than Perfect. And it happens to be on sale this month for only 99 cents. Plus, the eBook means they don’t have to worry about their friends seeing the cover.

The other books in my More Than A Game series are good too. And they just might inspire a game of catch, or whatever.

  

Hope you enjoy celebrating Pitchers and Catchers report to Spring Training day. It’s the most romantic day of the year. (Unless you’re married to a pitcher or catcher. Then the rest of us thank you for your sacrifice).

Real Men, Fictional Heroes, and Sports Romance

My first novel, Better Than Perfect, was published in 2014. When I started writing a book about an athlete who was perfect, once, for nine innings, athlete heroes were still frowned upon in the publishing world. This was around 2010, when traditional publishing was still the most desirable route. Things have sure changed, and Sports Romance is a pretty big sub-genre.

But my books are still a little different than most.

My hero, Johnny “the Monk” Scottsdale was a player on the diamond. But off the field, he was, well, monk-like. He didn’t screw around. His locker-room talk was about keeping the opposing team from scoring any runs and not about how he’d score after the game. His reputation was the opposite of most “jocks” in real life and in fiction.

I also included the character of a thirteen-year-old boy. His hero was Johnny Scottsdale. Not only because of his ability on the mound, but because of his character off the field. Here was a guy a kid could truly look up to.

Johnny is a character I’d want my own sons to look up to.

He’s modelled in part after real-life pitcher Christy Mathewson. But also the men I know in real life. Men who don’t sleep around. Who try to do the right thing. Men who love and lose and get back out there, trying to be a better person. He’s not perfect. Except for that one nine inning game, where he was. (As a side note, I finished the first draft about six weeks before San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain pitched his Perfect Game in 2012).

There were times when I thought the world wasn’t ready for Johnny Scottsdale. The few sports romance books out there were all about the Bad-Boy jock who scored more off the field than he did on it. Until they met that one special woman who tamed the raging beast. I’ve never been a fan of those types of stories, and when I do try to write “Bad Boys” they don’t stay that way for long.

I write the kinds of heroes I’d want my sons to be. I write relationships that I would wish upon them. (Except for the black moments, the heartbreak they have to go through to get to their HEAs. As a mom, I don’t want them to suffer. At all. But I know they will).

One of the more ridiculous criticisms of the Romance genre is that they set up unrealistic expectations for women. If a man who will treat a woman with respect, give her orgasms on a regular basis, and strive to do their best in their professional lives is unrealistic, then I don’t want to live in the real world.

 

 

 

 

Better Than Perfect #Sale

The first book in my More Than A Game Series is on sale until July 3.

If you haven’t picked up your copy yet, make sure you download it before the Holiday Weekend.

Kindle

Nook

Kobo

Google

iBooks

Better Than Perfect: More Than A Game #1

Johnny “The Monk” Scottsdale has won it all on the baseball diamond. He’s even pitched a perfect game. Known for his legendary control both on and off the field, his pristine public image makes him the ideal person to work with young players in a preseason minicamp. Except the camp is run by the one woman he can’t forget…the woman who made him a “monk.”

 

Alice Harrison once traded her dreams so that Johnny Scottsdale could make it to the Majors—and then everything fell apart. Now here comes Johnny back into her life, just when she’s ready to finally step up to bat. This time she’s not letting up, even if she has to reveal what she’s kept secret for too long from her son and Johnny. She can’t be sure how things will turn out, but she’s not leaving until she swings for the fences…

On Celebrations And Milestones

The baseball season is underway, and today the San Francisco Giants will host their home opener. My phone battery is wearing out with all the MLB At Bat Alerts. My favorites are the off-beat stats such as the Giants and Milwaukee Brewers made history by being the first two teams to bat the pitchers eight on Opening Day.

In a sport that has been played since the 1800s, I find it fascinating that there are still firsts. Such as the Rockies Rookie Trevor Story who became the first rookie to homer in his first three games. In recent years there have been several interesting stories, such as Dallas Braden becoming the first pitcher in Major League history to throw a perfect game for his first career complete game. Or The Texas Rangers’ starting pitcher Colby Lewis, becoming the first Major League baseball player to be granted paternity leave. These and many other facts can be found on the Baseball Almanac’s website here: http://www.baseball-almanac.com/firsts/first15.shtml

 

Then there are the firsts for each season (See: The official “Firsts of 2016” from the official MLB site here: http://m.mlb.com/news/article/170294934/new-mlb-season-rings-in-with-plenty-of-firsts).

While some aspects of the game have evolved. The first game was broadcast on the radio in 1921, and now I can listen to a live game on my phone. But every ballgame is preceded by a song that was written in 1814. Then we sing along to another song written in 1908 in the middle of the seventh inning stretch.

It’s exciting to celebrate the game’s firsts. And as the season unfolds, there will be many other milestones. Perhaps the 24th Perfect Game will be pitched. Or a new home run record by left-handed pitchers will be set. Several players will be looking for their 500th, 1000th, or 1500th hit. Pitchers might be looking for their 200th win or 1000th strike-out.

As an author I am celebrating an important milestone. It’s the two-year anniversary of my debut novel. Better Than Perfect was released on April 7, 2014. I currently have four published novels, and my fifth book will be out in July.

Wow. Five books. That I wrote. Five books that people can read on their Kindle, Kobo, Nook, iPad, or phone. Five books that can be ordered in print and tucked into a beach bag or purse or briefcase.

And to think, just six years ago I was trying to work up the courage to attend my first Romance Writers of America meeting. Thankfully, I made it to that June 2010 meeting where I was welcomed into an interesting club of authors at all stages of their writing journey.

How Writing A Series Is Like Winning Three World Series In Five Years

I recently turned my fourth book in the More Than A Game Series to my editor. After a few rounds of revisions, final copy edits, and galley proofs, Earning A Ring will be available in January 2016 (I think, I don’t have a final release date). I’m really excited about Bryce Baxter and Rachel Parker’s story, and I know many of my readers are too. But this book wasn’t any easier to write than the first one. Or the second. Or even the third book.

  

In some ways, this book was even harder than the first three. Part of it, I’m sure, has to do with expectations. Mostly my own, but I feel like I need to set the bar higher with each book. I’m sure some of my readers will enjoy Earning A Ring more than any of my other books, some who will think Better Than Perfect was almost perfect. I hope some of my readers will have a special place in their hearts for Worth The Trade, and some will make room on their keeper shelf for Making A Comeback.

I started taking my writing seriously in 2010. The San Francisco Giants won their first World Series since moving from New York that year. I have three books available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Nook, iBooks, Books-A-Million. The Giants have three World Series Championships. Coincidence? Maybe. All I know is that I have a fourth baseball book coming out, so we’ll see if the boys in Orange and Black can pull off another title.

This season is off to a dreadful start. (Funny, that happens to the Goliaths at the beginning of Earning A Ring.) I mean, the worst since moving from New York. But the season is young. Very young. And if one team in the division can go through a seven eight game losing streak, so can all the others.

In every baseball season there are challenges. Really, it would be boring to win all 162 regular season games. Just like it would be boring if the hero and heroine met, fell in love, and had no conflict from page one. Would anyone want to read about two perfect people who never made mistakes, never second guessed themselves, and always had everything go their way? I wouldn’t. If I read a book where everything is going right for the main character I’m wondering what catastrophe awaits them.

The challenge in writing a series is in keeping the conflict fresh.The ballplayers all want the same thing, success on the field. It’s how they define it, and how they execute it, that makes the stories different. Johnny Scottsdale had all the personal triumphs on the field, he is looking for the team success before he retires. Marco Santiago had moved from team to team in his career, he wants nothing more than a long term contract. Nathan Cooper has made mistakes that cost him playing time and perhaps his health. He is trying to make it back to the game. Bryce Baxter has been rewarded with success. He just needs to feel like he has earned it.

That’s what we want for all of our heroes and heroines, we want them to earn their happily-ever-afters. We want to see them overcome obstacles, rise above challenges, and come out stronger than ever. We read to feel the emotions of the characters in the books.

We have similar relationships with our sports teams. We feel elated when they have success. We feel the agony of their defeats. And we absolutely feel the joy of winning it all. We are a part of the journey, wherever it takes us. And if the ending isn’t satisfying, well, we’ll wait for the next chapter–or the next season.

The first two trophies.

Today Is My One Year Bookaversary!

A year ago today, Better Than Perfect, made its entry into the world.

In the year since I became a published author, so much has happened.

I’ve done blog tours.

Given away gift baskets for several charity events.

I attended my first Romance Writers of America Conference and my first Publisher’s Cocktail Party.

I’ve made many new friends with authors and readers, both in person and online.

I read reviews of my books, many of them bringing me to tears (yes, especially the good ones).

I’ve been surprised by the number of men who have not only read, but enjoyed my book.

I have learned the hard way that an Amazon ranking that changes hourly isn’t necessarily a good thing.

I have an Amazon ranking. And an author page. And reviews. And the top review is the one that says “a well written story, but not my favorite.”

Reviews from your friends and your friend’s mom mean a lot to you, but reviews from strangers are pretty cool, too.

Some four star reviews are more critical than some three star reviews.

It’s pretty cool to be sitting on a bestseller list with Stephen King or John Grisham, even if it is only for an hour.

Most people have been incredibly supportive of me and my writing. I know other’s have found some people look down on the Romance Genre, but not the people I’ve met.

I’ve also gone through some changes. Like my cover.

Original cover of Better Than Perfect

My editor and publicist. Oh, and Lyrical Press, a small digital publisher became part of Kensington Books. For me, it has been a good thing.

There is nothing quite like holding your books in print. Or getting a whole box of them.

I can’t wait to see what the next year brings.

2014 What A Year

As 2014 draws to a close, I realize a lot has happened this year. With my writing. With my family. For my San Francisco Giants.

The year started with a bit of uncertainty. The small digital publisher I had signed my first book contract with announced the sale to Kensington Books. My first fear was that they wouldn’t want my books. My second fear was that I’d be writing for a huge corporation and the personal touch I’d felt from my editor would disappear. I was offered a contract for the two books, but I found out my editor would not be continuing on. I was assigned a new editor and a publicist with the family-owned publisher. My first book was still scheduled to release on time.

The first four months of the year were spent getting ready for my debut novel, Better Than Perfect. I got my first book cover.

Original cover of Better Than Perfect

But when they were creating the cover for the second book, Worth The Trade, they changed the cover so they would be more consistent.

 

 

 

I participated in Blog tours.

Donated a gift basket to Brenda Novak’s Online Auction for Diabetes Research.

And got ready for my second book launch which had been moved up from September to July.

More blog tours.

 

I went to my first Romance Writers of America National Conference in San Antonio. I had my first book signing, went to my first party for Kensington Authors. I met many of the people who made it possible for my books to find readers. I  met many fabulous authors. I also experienced this phenomenon called “humidity.” It took me a few days to get used to it, but then I enjoyed the River Walk in short bursts. I never made it to the Alamo, though. Too many workshops and networking opportunities.

When I got home, I worked to get the third book in the More Than A Game series off to my editor. I will send off final copy edits before the end of the year. I will complete the fourth book in the next month or so.

Writing-wise, 2014 has been an amazing year. I hope 2015 will bring even more writing success.

For my family, they got to spend a lot of time skiing, as my oldest son joined the high school ski team. His dad, a former Cougar skier, spent time on the slopes assisting. We even got to spend my son’s 16th birthday at Mammoth, where he attended a ski camp with his teammates.

This fall, my son played Varsity football. As a Junior, he didn’t start, playing mostly special teams and backup linebacker. But he made player of the week as a member of the scouting team, where he helped them beat a really tough team on their way to a 10-0 season.

We didn’t do a big family trip this year. Between my attendance at RWA, my oldest son’s football camps, and my youngest son’s trip with his grandparents to the Midwest, we were only able to spend the 4th of July week at our family cabin near Mt. Shasta. And a long weekend at Soldier Meadows.

We also spent some time on the American River, reliving my husbands other glory days as a whitewater raft guide. For the first time in 25 years, my big strong guide wasn’t able to keep me from falling out of the boat.

My San Francisco Giants had a wild ride. It started at Fan Fest in February. I had a great time, the weather was perfect. The crowds not too crazy. Oh, and I got Hunter Pence’s autograph after his interview.

 

You can bet I’ll be going again next year.

The season started on a high note. They went on a ridiculous hot streak. Followed by an even more ridiculous slump. They barely made it to the playoffs, but they made it. And behind Madison Bumgarner, they won their 3rd World Series in five years. Pretty amazing.

 

And even though 2015 is an odd year, I think it’s going to be a good one.

 

 

 

No-Hitters, Perfect Games, and History

Tim Lincecum pitched his second No Hitter on June 25, 2014. It was as exciting to watch as the first one, especially since the Giants have been going through a rough stretch in the season. We’ll have to wait and see if this was the spark that ignites the team on their way to their ultimate victory.

The last Giants pitcher to pitch two no-hitters  was Christy Mathewson. Not Kristi Mathews’ son, who once played second base while his teammate pitched a perfect game in Little League.

Christy Mathewson was a Hall Of Famer who pitched 17 years, most with the New York Giants.Known as “Big Six,” “Matty,” or “The Christian Gentleman,” he had a career ERA of 2.13, 372 wins, 83 shutouts, and 2,502 strikeouts. He also threw two no-hitters, in 1901 and 1905. The Giants went on to win the World Series against the Athletics in 1905.

Mathewson was known for his control both on and off the field. He once pitched 68 innings without giving up a walk. He never argued with the umpires, never played on Sundays, and he married his college sweetheart. He also wrote a children’s book called Second Base Sloan.

“In a time when baseball was known for hard-living, hard-drinking baseball players, there was Christy Mathewson to prove that there was another way for athletes to live. He was the role model after whom every parent wanted their children to shape their lives. ” From http://www.christymathewson.com

Mathewson was one of the players I modeled Johnny Scottsdale, the hero of Better Than Perfect, after.

Pitcher Johnny “The Monk” Scottsdale has won awards, been named an All-star and has a perfect game to his credit. Known for his legendary control both on and off the field, his pristine public image makes him the ideal person to work with youth players in a preseason minicamp. Except the camp is run by the one woman he can’t forget…the woman who made him a “monk.”