#WriteWed Need #Fashion Inspiration What to Wear for my Keynote Speech

Counting down to the RWA National Conference and really really excited about the keynote speech I will be giving at the 2016 Neilsen Romance Book Summit which will be held on July 14th in San Diego.

I hope you some of you can make it to either the RWA Literacy Signing on Wednesday or the Romance Summit.

Today, I’m asking for some Fashion Inspiration on what to wear to present my keynote speech. Should I be all business-like in a suit, less formal in my little black dress, or casual and colorful in a bright tunic with black pants beneath? I really really need your help with this!! So is it 1, 2 or 3 below?

keynote
Many thanks to Gisela for the little black dress and wonderful tunic! Also bought two of their bathing suits. Their stuff is fabulous and you can get it locally at OG Surf & Skate.

Nielsen

4th of July #JerseyShore

Hope you all had a great 4th of July! We had lots of fun down the Shore! Beautiful beach days, being a part of the 4th of July Parade in Ocean Grove and fireworks. I love fireworks!

So today I’m sharing some photos from the weekend!

Day at the Beach

Bradley Beach

Sunset over Ocean Grove

Sunset over Ocean Grove

The OG Surf & Skate Gang at the Parade

OG Surf & Skate Crew

Waiting for Asbury Park Fireworks

sunsetsmall

Fireworks Bradley Beach, New Jersey

If you can’t see the photos below, click here to see the photo album.

#ThrowbackThursday My First 5K #fitness #health #thisgirlcan

If you had asked me a year ago whether I thought I’d ever be able to run a 5K again, I would have been doubtful. Actually in my youth, I’d run multiple 10Ks, but that was before excess weight pulled me down.

Today’s Throwback is to two weeks ago when I was able to do a 5K on the treadmill. I didn’t break any land speed records, but like I told my hubby when I did 3.5 miles on Sunday, it’s about just being in the race and not how fast I finish.

Anything is possible. I sometimes lose sight of one of the things my mom always told me: Anything can be yours if you’re willing to work hard for it.

For the last year I’ve been working hard at improving my fitness and health. I’m going to keep on working hard at it. I also hope I can inspire any of you who doubt you can do it to take that first step toward a better life.
workout

#ThrowbackThursday RWA 2010 & 2016 Literacy Signing & Nielson Romance Book Summit

I am so looking forward to the 2016 Romance Writers of America Convention. This is one of my favorite conferences because I get to see so many fans and friends. On top of that, this year I am giving a workshop on how to juggle being a part-time writer with your day job, family, and friends. I’ll also be the keynote speaker for the Nielsen Romance Book Summit. A little nervous about that and still wondering what to wear for such an important talk! Yikes.

Today’s throwback is to the 2010 RWA Conference and the literacy book signing.
rwa2010signing

The 2016 “Readers for Life” Literacy Autographing will be held on Wednesday, July 13, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina in San Diego, California. It’s RWA’s goal to reach the 1 Million Dollar Mark in donations for literacy!

I’ll be donating copies of ONE NIGHT OF PLEASURE to be sold to raise money and I’ll have some special goodies for those who come to the signing!

If you’re interested in what’s happening in the publishing industry, please join us at the Nielson Romance Book Summit. Learn from industry leaders where the romance industry is today, the challenges it faces, and what steps to consider to growing your career. Click here to register for this event!
Nielsen

#FreebieFriday Cooking with the SUMMER HEAT Authors #FreeRead

CookingGood morning! It’s #FreebieFriday and this morning we have a free cookbook loaded with outstanding recipes from my fellow SUMMER HEAT Box Set authors.

All of the recipes are connected to our stories in the anthology and they all look incredibly tasty. The cookbook is a perfect way to find out more about some of the things that inspired our stories.

You can download the free cookbook at these various online retailers:

I hope you have a fabulous Friday and please don’t forget that the SUMMER HEAT box set releases on May 24! The SUMMER HEAT Box Set is specially priced at 99 cents for a limited time and is now available at:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1SXcNjW
BN: http://bit.ly/1VIZ7qJ
iBooks: http://apple.co/1Ovw5MB
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1XPUCvS
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/20CGJBa
SummerHeatAuthors.com: http://bit.ly/1oI4s7c

SummerHeat_BoxSet_LRG-trans

#WriteWed Inspiration for Natalie from Under the Boardwalk

When it comes to fashion, I am hopeless. I’m told that as a kid, I was always worried about my dresses and shoes. But for a long time, I’ve been a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl. That’s not to say that I don’t like dressing up every now and then and that since I’ve lost some weight, I’m a little more fashion conscious. But, big but, that fashion gene passed me by for the most part.

That’s why I rely on my daughter, who inherited my mom’s fashion sense. My daughter knows how to put clothes together and I often turn to her for advice. I also often buy things at her surf and skate shop because she brings in clothing that’s pleasing and different. She’s also really big into sourcing her items from local companies, small surf and skate brands, and companies that support sustainability and other causes.

As a small business owner, she’s also a risk taker, and I admire her for that.

In Under the Boardwalk, the heroine, Natalie, is a fashion designer and a risk taker. She’s the one who is creative and willing to try different things, unlike her husband Chase, who has become way more set in his ways and distant as he tries to do what he thinks is right for himself and his wife.

Chase’s drive to become successful has driven Natalie away from him and it’s up to the two of them to try and understand their very different personalities and see if they can find a way back to the love they had shared in the first wonderful years of their marriage.

I hope you enjoyed finding out a little bit more about Under the Boardwalk and about the inspiration for the heroine.

SummerHeat_BoxSet_NOBCK

#WriteWed Always a Bridesmaid Series Inspiration

I am so so excited to say that I’ve accepted an offer from Sourcebooks for a new contemporary romance series – ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID. The series is about the last three unmarried friends and what happens as one by one, they possibly find the man who might provide the Happily-Ever-After.

The series was inspired by my daughter and her friends since they are all in various stages of dating, getting engaged, and getting married. I thought it might be fun to explore that moment in time and what happens as friends’ relationships change.

Another fun thing – the stories have a hometown feel even though they are set in different parts of New York City. I really love sharing the unique neighborhoods in New York so the stories will move from upscale places like Chelsea and Gramercy Park to more blue collar neighborhoods in Spanish Harlem and Brooklyn.

The stories will also show the diversity of New York City with the first story being about very wealthy old money families to the second story about an up-and-coming Latino family and finally, the third story highlights a big boisterous Italian family!

I am so excited about this series and about being part of the Sourcebooks family. If you’d like to know more about them, visit the Sourcebooks website and also, the fabulous Casablanca Authors website with so many wonderful Sourcebooks authors.

I’m having a little fun with the announcement this morning, so here’s a banner for you! Nope, this isn’t the cover! We haven’t even gotten to that stage yet! I will let you know as soon as we’ve decided on a release date for the series.
always