Wow. What a winter. Mother Nature hasn't quite figured out the calendar has changed not only to Spring but to April as well. Up here in Maine, we got another blast of snow Friday night, and the winds were wicked. Thankfully, the sun is now out and it's warmed up to a balmy 45. Brrrr

The past few months have been nonstop busy with the kids' activities, writing and reading events, the day job, chores, and the like. Finally, FINALLY, vacation week is upon us. One more week of work and then it's family time in sunny California. The kids have been a few times (we have family out there) but now that they're older they're even more excited.

With a family of five, the rule is: each person brings one carry-on. Hubby and Little Guy will have no problem fitting their shorts and T's in a backpack, but the girls and I...it'll be a challenge.

One packing tip I've shared with the kids is to roll your clothes. Not only does it take up less room, but they don't end up wrinkled! The Easter Bunny put 3 oz travel bottles in their baskets last week for lotions, shampoo and such. We'll be wearing our warm gear: sneakers, jeans, and sweatshirts, which will save some space in our bags. Other than that, I don't have many packing tips; I'm always looking for more.

I've had pretty good luck with my traveling...until two weeks ago. I was flying home from JFK (a 50-minute flight) and got held up by TSA. They didn't like my flat iron and took it apart. I ended up missing my flight by 3 minutes and the next available flight was 10 hours later!!! Thankfully, I was able to get on the stand-by list for a flight 4 hours later. Two people missed that flight (sorry, guys!) which got me a seat on it. Phew! At least I was alone and got some writing done.

So, tell me. Any packing tips or funny travel stories to tell? I'd love to hear them!

If you follow me on social media, you may have picked up on my love of all things wine, shoes, and Chris Hemsworth. Two of my loves made it into my newest book, At First Blush.

A few years ago my sister-in-law and a few friends of ours visited some local wineries and we fell in love with not only the wine, but the beauty of the vineyards as well. I especially love the story of the Zanellos of Zorvino Vineyards in Sandown, New Hampshire. What a fun couple and a gorgeous vineyard! I was hooked on their fabulous wine, especially their Fragole Z (a strawberry blend wine) and Mapplez (apples and maple syrup!). From here, At First Blush was formed, and then my Well Paired series fell into place. 

And tonight I get to be part of an amazing author signing event at Zorvino Vineyards! If you're in New England, stop by the vineyard in Sandown, New Hampshire from 6-9pm on Friday, February 2nd. There will be wine, food, and an array of authors and their books. Romance, children's books, nonfiction, cookbooks, and more!

Oh, so you're wondering where Chris Hemsworth falls into this? You'll have to read At First Blush to find out. Comment below when you know!!

​Kids are resilient, aren't they? It's a good thing because there's a heck of a lot of stress that comes along with childhood...and parenting. Two years ago today, we rushed Little Guy to the hospital where he was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Unfortunately, the disease wasn't new to us. Princess was diagnosed in 2008. It was traumatic back then, but the second time was even worse. The emotions, the fears, the reality of how life for our son, as well as our daughter, would never be the same, came crashing down on us.

Back when Princess was diagnosed, we knew nothing about the disease. We were scared and confused and unaware of all the challenges and obstacles that she'd have to work through. I'm glad we didn't know. It would have been too overwhelming.
​Two years ago with LG, it was even worse because we knew  what to expect. We knew how his life would forever change. We knew he would have to carry this with him for the rest of his life. Literally and figuratively.

LG didn't realize today was his Two-Year Diaversary. Probably because he accepted his disease and has moved forward. That's hard for me to do. Every day (Literally, EVERY single day. Every hour. Every meal. Every sleepover. Every event.) I think about his diabetes. He's sleeping late. Could his blood sugar be low? He's playing sports and looks tired. Is it because his blood sugar has dropped but he doesn't want to stop playing? He's having seconds or thirds. Did he put in enough insulin to cover all his carbs? Is he running high? Does he have ketones? He's at a sleepover. Oh, the worries are on triple overtime. 

I should learn from LG, though. While he absolutely hates diabetes and having an insulin pump attached to him twenty-four seven, three hundred sixty-five days a year, his personality hasn't changed a bit. He's still a goof. He asks the most random questions. He's still shy at school. He's still an adorable, spunky, handsome, eleven year old. My hovering and worrying only remind him he's different.

And he's not. He's not different. He lives with Type 1, but he's exactly the same boy he was when he was diagnosed. No. Wait. Actually, he's not. He's braver. Stronger. More independent. More mature. For this, I am thankful. 

So while today will bring back memories of the night our family stayed in the emergency room crying around Little Guy's hospital bed, it's just another day for LG. We celebrate today as the beginning of a new life. One filled with promises, rainbows, and unicorns (those in the T1D world understand). 

I've gotten together with forty other authors to bring you dozens and dozens of romance books that feature adorable pets. From contemporary to suspense to fantasy, you're sure to find a book that warms your heart and gives you all the feels. Check out our PETpalooza HERE. 

When I was little we had a miniature poodle named Holly. (Her birthday was on Christmas, how fitting!) She was an amazing little thing. When she left us for Doggy Heaven, we adopted a miniature schnauzer named Mitzi. I'm partial to small lap dogs. Unfortunately my husband is crazy allergic--even to hypoallergenic dogs--so I haven't had a pet in over twenty years. 

My next book, At First Blush, comes out in January and features a Bernese Mountain dog. With my obsession with Chris Hemsworth, and a dog being so big, it only seemed fitting to name him Hemsworth, Hemmy for short. Tell me about your pets. What breed, and how did you name him/her?

In the meantime, you can read about sexy pilot Graham Riley, his therapist Meg O'Fallon and her spunky Shih Tzu Maggie in Staying Grounded. 

Those in the writing community are most likely familiar with NaNoWriMo. For those of you who aren't, it's National Novel Writing Month. Writers sign up and make a goal to write 50K words in the month of November. 

I love competitions, but only enter when I know I'll be able to succeed. I don't like failure (who does?) and always, ALWAYS reach my goals. This is because I set realistic goals. The first time I did the NaNo challenge (although I didn't technically sign up) was in 2014 and my goal was not to write 50K words. I normally don't write ANY words in November (it's a busy month) so I made my goal to make a conscious effort to write as much as I could. I didn't announce my goals (for fear of failure) and didn't have any writing buddies. 

I completely shocked myself by writing 30K words. In 2015 I officially signed up, started my buddy list, set my goal at 30K again, and became a voice of motivation for others in my writing circle. I actually wrote 70K words. An entire first draft of a novel, which was later published in March of 2017. The book I wrote last year will be released in the spring of 2018. Pretty cool, in my book. Pun intended. 

So what's my motivator, you ask? Myself. I'm in constant competition with myself. But I'm realistic. I know with my full time job and my three kids and their schedules, I can't write every day. I'm not a fan of "I can't", but really, I can't. What I can do, however, is set more long term goals. Monthly. Yearly. Those I have more control over. My day-to-day I can't--really--control.

My advice to you, whether you're a writer, painter, gymnast, crafter, accountant or whatever, is to make timelines and goals that work for YOU. Don't compare yourself with others. The Facebook friend who writes 5K a day and works full time and has two kids may not have the medical issues you and your family has to deal with. Maybe she has a stronger support system and you're running things on your own. The author you follow on Twitter may write a thousand words a day 365 days a year, but does he walk in your shoes? No. No one else does.

Maybe you're a punster or a plotter or something in between. That will impact your word flow as well. The writer who spends a lot of time crafting the perfect sentences in her first draft will have a lower word count, but will spend less time editing. The one who rushes through the words may have more holes to fill and will have to do multiple edits. Again. Your shoes. Your books. Your words. Your world. 

Be YOU and no one else. Make goals that make you happy, that measure your success, not your success compared to others. 

Good luck to all my writer friends who are stepping it up and setting goals. If you want to Buddy me, my NaNo name is MRiceauthor. I can't wait to hear about your successes at the end of the month. 

Fall. If  you're a New Englander, chances are it's your favorite season. Even though I grew up in sunny California, I've been in Maine since college and will always consider myself a Mainer, I think I'm especially fond of fall because I didn't get to experience it living in Southern California.

There's so much to love about New England year round, especially Maine, but when Mother Nature cools down and the leaves begin to change...wow. Just wow! Magnificent leaves of red and gold and orange line every road for as far as the eye can see. 

Everywhere you look, there's beauty to be seen.

And with the changing leaves also comes the scrumptious smells. Crisp, sweet apples freshly picked from the orchard. Slice them and bake in a pie, or make a batch of apple sauce in the crockpot and the entire house smells heavenly. 

My kids love apple nachos. Thinly sliced and spread out on a plate, then drizzled with chocolate, melted peanut butter and coconut. If we have caramel on hand, we drizzle some of that as well. 

Pumpkin. Everything pumpkin. Pumpkin whoopie pies are a favorite in our house, as are pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. I love pumpkin pie with fresh whipped cream and pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust. YUM!

Between the leaves, the apples, the pumpkins, the corn mazes and mums, you'd think Maine couldn't get any better. And then there's the Fall In Love With New England Reader event in New Hampshire. It's where some of my favorite authors and I get together to put on a fabulous weekend for our readers. If you're in New England on Saturday, October 14th, stop by the Best Western in Manchester, New Hampshire. It's totally free to get in! I'll have goodies for all my reader friends.

Break out the fuzzy socks, the blankets, the tea mugs and dive into your favorite books this fall. (Preferably one you've picked up and had autographed at the Fall in Love with New England event!) Tell me, my reader friends, what's your favorite thing about the fall? 

Happy reading,
Marianne

Yup. You heard me right. I'm wide and cheap.
First, I'm wide. Well, the nightly ice cream and the baking aren't helping my hips any, but that's not what I'm referring to. Most of my books are currently in KU (Kindle Unlimited) which has disheartened my readers who use Nook, Google Play and Kobo. Good news! False Start is now on all platforms--it's now wide.

​
And I'm cheap! In celebration of going wide False Start is only $.99 on ALL platforms! How cool is that?

And I get even cheaper!! I'm super excited to tell you about an anthology Wounded Love is part of. I joined up with six other International and USA Today bestselling authors to bring you My Soldier 2, a boxed set of SEVEN FULL-LENGTH military romances for only $.99. Wow! You can't beat that! 

Don't forget, you can sign up for my newsletter for exclusive giveaways. And all new subscribers get a link to a free book. Pretty cool, eh? 

Want to be part of my reader group? Click here to join the Ricecakes. It's all fun and games over there.

Happy reading!
​~Marianne

ALL IN FOR LOVE

Six award-winning authors bring you six *sweet to sensual* romances filled with suspense, thrills and maybe even a ghost or two--for less than the price of a cup of coffee—99 cents!
Welcome to La Bonne Chance Resort & Casino!
With thousands of people passing through the casino’s doors on a daily basis, it’s no surprise that a variety of lives and loves are on the line there. It’s said that you’re more likely to lose your heart at La Bonne Chance than a hand of poker. Whether you are the Director of Casino Operations or the guy who created its software, a jilted bride or a black jack dealer, a past guest’s ghost or a sous chef--when it comes to love, the stakes are high.
Thank goodness what happens at La Bonne Chance, doesn’t always stay at La Bonne Chance….
Ready to roll the dice?
An Inn Decent Proposal, Sharon Buchbinder
Can an hotelier with a past and a chef with a future revive the grand dame in a neglected old inn?

Perfect Odds, Lashanta Charles
When a jilted bride meets the man of her dreams, will she embrace the new plan, or cling stubbornly to the old one?

A Ghost To Die For, Keta Diablo
She didn't believe in ghosts...until one showed up in her room.

Raising Kane, Kat Henry Doran
Funny how a night in jail will change a woman's outlook on life.

For Money Or Love, Margo Hoornstra
She's the one woman he can't afford to lose.

I have a treat for you! My Wilde Sisters Boxed set is only 99 pennies, but only for two days. That's right you mathematicians, each book is only $.33 each! 

New to the series? Here's a little blurb about each:

 I'll be giving away this amazing FOUR-BOOK prize pack,    
 including an autographed copy of Brenda Jackson's Seized
By Seduction. To enter, just sign up for my monthly newsletter. I'll be giving away books every month!