Hope some of you are still checking back here while I've been 'absent' for a while. The death of my husband, partner, darling companion, lover, and keeper-of-the-mailroom (he wore a lot of hats :-)) was sudden and left me stunned with a hole in my life and pain in my heart. However, I'm carrying on as he (I'm sure) expects me to with my 'work in the back room' which is how he referred to my writing :-) I will always miss him coming to the door about two or two-thirty to say "Coffee in ten minutes" when I pushed everything aside to enjoy time with him, no matter which editor wanted what.

Before this happened, I had signed a contract for my entire Maryvale series: the first two already in print; the TR of a hardback just out in May; and a new Maryvale mystery every year. So I guess work will be my salvation. I have a place reserved beside him (Jim the Gem was his 'at home' name :-)) so I'll write my mysteries and know where I'm going - in more ways than one. I'm picturing him greeting people and relatives, sitting in with bands he's always admired with his alto sax, and looking around for fun places to show me when I get there. In the meantime, for a while, it's back to Maryvale for me.

My editor thinks the first of the series will be out by the end of next year, and I'm working on another one now. The first two which were already in print are: The Devil in Maryvale and The Nelson Scandal so you can look at them on Amazon to see what they're about and know if you'd like to read them (even if the editor decides to change the title). The third in the series is available now in hardback from Five Star and it's on Amazon too. The new publisher will do it in trade paperback after the first two and as I said above, I'm working on another one. I'll put a thumbnail on it here next time I blog.

In the meantime, I have two books coming out this year: RECIPE FOR TROUBLE which is the third of the Maryvale cozy mystery series, and SPANISH EYES which is a romance-suspense and has a wonderful review on ALA's September page. Loved having it there since there's a special place in my heart for libraries :-)

Please come back to visit, I'll be 'working in the back room' and try to blog more often.

Break's over!
Love,
Jackie