Glynna Kaye Welcomes Spring --- and a New Release!

It’s been a typically crazy winter in mountain country Arizona where my “Hearts of Hunter Ridge” series is set. Deep freeze temperatures and record warm ones. Multi-footer weekend snow systems or an overnight sixteen inches that buried little hyacinths just starting to bloom. That’s what you get most years when you’re at an elevation higher than Denver!

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But springtime is around the corner here--and in just a few weeks, my latest release The Nanny Bargain (#4 in the 6-book The Hearts of Hunter Ridge series) will be on store shelves!

 This was a fun book to write with a cute set of twins whose big brother is fighting an attraction for their pretty nanny. Both Sawyer and Tori have issues from their past that they need to let go of so God can bless their future. So it’s a rocky road on the way to their happily ever after!

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While this part of the country is still a number of weeks away from flower planting if you don’t want them to get nipped by a freeze, in anticipation of that event I want to share previous years’ photos from a local nursery—and my own barrel of pink petunias!

 

 I’ve always LOVED gardening—flowers and herbs and fun things like miniature pumpkins. What about you?

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Due to a high elevation that makes growing season incredibly short--and the poor soil—I don’t dare plant seeds if I want to see any blooms at all. So these days I stick pretty much to patio pots and hanging baskets!

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I hope you’re having a beautiful Spring wherever you are!

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Glynna

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THE NANNY BARGAIN. Concerned for his orphaned twin brothers, outdoor-gear shop owner Sawyer Banks urges new employee Tori Janner to apply for the nanny position their grandparents are advertising…and spy for him. With plans to start over in Hunter Ridge and dreams of reviving her quilting business, Tori takes the job—but refuses to report to Sawyer unless the boys' welfare is in danger. But soon it's her own heart that's in jeopardy. Because after spending time with the committed bachelor, she starts to see the depth behind his easy charm—and begins to imagine herself as his wife.

 

Keep an eye out for “The Nanny Bargain” (Pre-order HERE) and, in October 2017 “Mountain Country Cowboy,” another story set in Hunter Ridge!

Glynna Kaye...and A Taste of That Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

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Yes, it’s only October, so maybe these snowy scenes seem a bit premature to you? But with my Love Inspired November release The Pastor’s Christmas Courtship already spotted on retail shelves (and Arizona mountain country experiencing a dusting of snow on the highest mountain tops), I couldn’t resist!

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As some of you already know from having read my books, this part of Arizona isn’t all desert heat and saguaro cactus. At a 7,000 ft (and higher!) elevation it’s a beautiful ponderosa pine-studded four-season region--which makes it such a fun place to set my stories. Especially a Christmas one!

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Have you started thinking about or even preparing for the upcoming holidays--Thanksgiving, Christmas, the New Year?

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If you’ve started preparations for Christmas, what might those entail? Making a To Do List and checking it twice? Gift shopping or making handmade gifts and decorations? (Don’t you just love the craft and fabric stores this time of year?)

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Perhaps you’ve picked up holiday-themed magazines for ideas and are reviewing your recipe file for family favorites? Or maybe your community or church choir is preparing for a cantata or a presentation of Handel’s Messiah? Have you been tempted, as I have, to read a Christmas novella to get a tiny taste of this most wonderful of seasons?

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What is your favorite Christmas tradition?

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In The Pastor’s Christmas Courtship, the heroine finds herself reminiscing about family traditions and gatherings held at her now-deceased grandparents’ mountain home. She’s retreating there for a healing time alone and to get the place ready to sell—never expecting that her former crush would be back in town or that her sisters would insist she provide their children a Christmas at the cabin just like the ones they used to love themselves.

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I hope Garrett and Jodi’s story gives you a taste of this most wonderful time of the year!

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Happy soon-to-be holidays!

Glynna

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Jodi Thorpe’s childhood vacation cabin seems the perfect place for her to heal her broken heart…and avoid Christmas cheer. After twelve years, nothing in Hunter Ridge has changed--except Garrett McCrae. The bad boy who was once her secret crush is now the town minister. And Garrett won’t let her miss out on all the hope and joy the holiday brings.  With every day he’s drawn to the vulnerable woman Jodi’s become, even as he’s about to leave for a mission halfway around the world.  But as they grow closer, their plans begin to change. Can Garrett make it a season to remember, with a love they can’t forget?

Click HERE to order Jodi and Garrett’s Christmas story!

Glynna Kaye: New Beginnings with a New Series!

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Autumn is here once again and I’m excited to have “Rekindling the Widower’s Heart” debuting -- the first book of my new “Hearts of Hunter Ridge” series.

There’s just something about a small town that captures my heart and imagination, and Hunter Ridge is no exception. As with the setting of my seven-book Love Inspired series set in Canyon Springs, Arizona, fictional Hunter Ridge is nestled in the rugged, sweeping expanse of ponderosa pine country several hours north of Phoenix. It’s a land of cool summers and snowy winters.

Originally settled by “Duke” Hunter as a lodging place for early 20^th century huntsmen, through the years the area remained a relatively hidden haven accommodating visiting hunters and backcountry explorers. Rental cabins, outdoor outfitters, grain and feed stores and stables mingle with typical small town businesses, schools and churches.

But times are changing. Limited opportunity has forced youth, families and old timers to seek greener pastures. While neighboring Canyon Springs has long-welcomed a summertime influx of visitors, only now is Hunter Ridge beginning, by necessity, to draw attention to itself. Those who’ve diligently guarded the reclusive outdoorsman essence of their hometown must now weather growing pains to make room for vibrant newcomers who may hold the key to strengthening the community’s economic life.

The Hearts of Hunter Ridge series explores the lives and loves of men and women who have always called the place home, who once fled its city limits and are now returning, or who are stepping into the little community for the very first time. Join them on their journey to love and becoming all God wants them to be!

Welcome to Arizona mountain country.

Welcome to Hunter Ridge!

A Future to Build On - All widower Luke Hunter wants is to raise his three kids—and be left alone. When Delaney Marks arrives in town to oversee the youth group's house renovation project, Luke decides he must come out of hiding. He's worried she's too young to get the job done. He'll have to keep a close watch on her—and on his heart. Because being with the vibrant girl makes it easy to forget their age difference and to start hoping for a future he doesn't deserve. As tensions rise over project pressures, Delaney tries to make Luke see that some things are just out of his control—and that he is worthy of happiness...with her.

GLYNNA KAYE treasures memories of growing up in small Midwestern towns—and vacations spent in another small town with the Texan side of the family. She traces her love of storytelling to the times a houseful of great-aunts and great-uncles gathered with her grandma to share candid, heartwarming and often humorous tales of their youth and young adulthood. Her Love Inspired books Pine Country Cowboy and High Country Holiday won first and second place, respectively, in the short contemporary category of the 2015 RWA Faith, Hope & Love Inspirational Reader’s Choice Awards.

Glynna Kaye invites you to a "High Country Holiday"

     The mountain country of Arizona is now ablaze with autumn color, the nights crisp with temperatures hovering just above freezing. Long brown ponderosa pine needles and the leaves of maple, locust and aspen are beginning to blanket neighborhood yards. Snow has already topped area mountains, and a cup of spiced cider hits the spot!
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     No, it’s not yet winter—that’s lurking just around the corner!—but arriving in stores any day now is my very first Christmas Love Inspired, “High Country Holiday!”.
 

     Christmas in the high country of northern Arizona is special, indeed. Just as the summers are an amazingly cool contrast to most of the state, winters bring snow—often in abundance—setting off the towering pines to perfection. It’s an ideal locale for a Christmastime romance, so I hope you’ll find yourself a copy of “High Country Holiday” and join Cody and Paris on their journey to love!.
 

Glynna Kaye

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A Holiday Reunion... When Cody Hawk returns to Canyon Springs, Arizona, to make peace with his ailing father, his bad-boy reputation is still intact. So is his love for the woman he was forced to leave behind.  But the privileged Paris Perslow is still off limits.

When Paris needs his help with the annual holiday gala, Cody braves the town’s disapproving glances for a second chance with his first love. Years ago Cody promised he’d return for her. But with everyone and everything against them, what will it take to prove to Paris that his love is the perfect gift?

 

Glynna Kaye's "Pine Country Cowboy"

After a super-wet, record-tying monsoon season last summer(which gave birth in my yard to about a billion ponderosa pine seedlings), it’s been a strangely warm, dry winter in the Arizona mountains, with hyacinths and forsythia blooming MUCH earlier than normal and deciduous trees already budding.

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A usual winter average of 100 inches of snow is currently registering barely above 30 and springtime winds are gusting, further drying out the surrounding pine forest. Monsoon season 2014 won’t start until early-mid July, so we’re praying for more moisture to reduce the likelihood of forest fires—a constant danger in the Arizona high country.

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But it’s early summer in “Pine Country Cowboy,” where Brett Marden and Abby Diaz meet, both having learned the hard way that life can sometimes hand us things that we never “get over”—things that impact the remainder of our lives and we’ll never truly understand. But that doesn’t mean God has forgotten us. He can heal our hearts and bring us peace and hope even in the midst of our reality—if we choose to let Him.

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I hope you enjoy reading the story of Brett and Abby’s journey to love as you welcome another Spring!

Glynna

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No Place Like Home. Abby Diaz longs to reestablish a relationship with her father, so she heads to Canyon Springs, her Arizona hometown, with a painful past she can’t share with anyone. But then she’s needed to care for her young nephew. The little boy takes a shine to a happy-go-lucky cowboy, a handsome man who’s everything Abby can never have. The more time she spends with Brett, the more she realizes he’s harboring a heartache of his own. As she works on repairing family ties with her father, Abby knows that opening up to Brett is key to forging a new future...together.

Glynna Kaye: "A Canyon Springs Courtship"

Welcome to Canyon Springs!
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Councilman Jake Talford is determined to protect his small Arizona town--even if that means keeping a close eye on former sweetheart Macy Colston. Macy has come to Canyon Springs to get the scoop for her popular blog Hometowns With Heart. The rest of the town council hopes it will bring in tourists, but Jake’s worried she’ll turn local gossip into public scandal. He and Macy once more share dreams of a future together. Now it’s up to Jake to make her see what’s most important in life—love, faith and truth.
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There’s just something special about small towns, isn’t there? I was fortunate to experience them growing up in the Midwest and spending vacations in a rural area of Texas where family has lived for generations. A slower pace. Walking to the grocery store, library, school or church--or maybe just a short drive to a neighboring town that boasts a few more amenities. Knowing your neighbors.  A different perspective. I’ve enjoyed incorporating those memories as I create the world of Canyon Springs.
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I also love history, family history and romance reunion stories where the hero and heroine get a second chance to make things right between them. Where God stretches, grows and matures them. That’s what “A Canyon Springs Courtship” is all about!
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This is my fifth Love Inspired set in this little Arizona mountain community. (A sixth releases in April 2014 and a seventh later that autumn!) I love writing about the lives and loves of this beautiful, rugged area of the Southwest. In the summer it caters to fishermen, hikers, bikers, trail riders and those who just want to sit on the porch of their rental cabin and relax. Winters bring in abundant snow, luring in the downhill and cross-country skiers and those who enjoy cozying up to a crackling fire with a cup of hot chocolate. Those contrasts make writing about Canyon Springs especially fun!
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Thank you for encouraging me to continue sharing the stories of this charming little town. I hope you enjoy my September 2013 release, “A Canyon Springs Courtship” -- which will probably hit the store shelves by late August!
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Glynna

Texas Twins #4: Look-Alike Lawman

Glynna Kaye here on a beautiful autumn morning! It’s already down in the 30’s at night where I live, the maples, aspen and locusts are rich in fallish colors, and snow on the mountains could be only a few weeks away! This is my favorite time of year--crock-pot meals, hot apple cider, homemade molasses cookies, and enjoying long walks around the neighborhood as the leafy world turns to orange, red, yellow and gold under a vibrant blue sky.

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Autumn is also a great time of year to cuddle in next to a crackling fire with a hot cup of cocoa, spiced cider or tea---and of course, a good book! To make this season extra special for me this year, I’m thrilled to announce the October release of book #4 of the Love Inspired “Texas Twins” series-–my “Look-Alike Lawman.” I'm told the book is already appearing at Wal-Mart, Barnes & Noble, and grocery stores!
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About a year and a half ago, my editor asked if I’d like to take a break from my Love Inspired stories set in the mountain country of Arizona and participate in a continuity series set in Texas. Who wouldn’t jump at the chance to work with beloved authors Marta Perry, Barbara McMahon, Arlene James, Kathryn Springer and Jillian Hart??? Besides, I love Texas since one side of my family has lived there since the covered wagon!
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The continuity series editor provided us with a basic cast of characters and a primary conflict for each--then turned us loose with each other and our imaginations! HUNDREDS of emails flew back and forth for months, and I enjoyed getting to know the authors whose books I’d read and loved when I was an aspiring writer and only dreamed of being published!
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While each book is a stand-alone romance, we were also given an overarching story which begins in book one (“Her Surprise Sister”), progresses through “Mirror Image Bride,” “Carbon-Copy Cowboy,” “Look-Alike Lawman,” and “The Soldier’s Newfound Family” -- and wraps up with book six (“Reunited for the Holidays”). This is a fun series and I’ve already received emails from readers who are enjoying trying to figure out the “secrets” that build from book to book.
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So, grab a mug of hot cider, settle yourself down in a comfy chair--and delve into the world of “Texas Twins: Look-Alike Lawman!”
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When big-city cop Grayson Wallace visits an elementary school for career day, he finds his heartstrings unexpectedly tugged by a six-year-old fatherless boy. Grayson offers to mentor the child, but widowed mother Elise Lopez wants nothing to do with men in uniform. Now he can’t get the struggling Lopezes off his mind. All he can think about is what family means—especially after discovering the identical twin brother he hadn’t known he had in Grasslands. Maybe a trip to ranch country is just what he, Elise and little Cory need.
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Texas Twins: Two sets of twins, torn apart by family secrets, find their way home.

Glynna Kaye: "High Country Hearts"

The last person she expected to see...her old college crush in Canyon Springs! When Olivia Diaz promised her parents she’d manage their cabin resort, she thought she’d find some direction for her life. She didn’t expect to be working side by side with Rob McGuire. Rob’s as handsome--and as guarded--as ever. Can free spirit Olivia get him to open up about his life, his faith...his mysterious past? Because the more time they spend together, the more Olivia realizes Rob could be Mr. Forever.
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High Country Hearts is my fourth Love Inspired set in the mountain country of Arizona. This beautiful ponderosa pine-forested setting is dotted with lakes, hiking trails and peaceful cabin resorts, making it an ideal getaway destination to step back, quiet down and listen to what God’s been trying to tell you through the hubbub of your daily life.
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Canyon Springs is a perfect place for Rob (brother of Dreaming of Home’s Meg McGuire) and Olivia (cousin of Joe Diaz, also from that first book) to fall in love--and grow up in God. This is a story about fresh starts, forgiveness and self-forgiveness. A story about God’s mercy when we fail to meet His expectations.
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I love writing stories set in this magnificent part of Arizona, a vast area that’s unknown to those who believe the state is wall-to-wall cactus and desert heat!
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I hope you enjoy another visit to the High Country!
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Glynna

Glynna Kaye: Keeping Cool . . . In Canyon Springs, Arizona

Cool in Arizona? But it’s summer, isn’t it?. Temperatures reaching 115-- or higher. Cactus. Heat shimmering off the highways. Bleached bones baking in the desert sun.
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That may be true for parts of Arizona, but while the majority of you are roasting across the country, there’s a portion of the state many don’t know exists! It’s a high-elevation, pine-studded world where daytime highs hover in the low-mid 80’s and overnight temps ranges from the low 40’s to the low 60’s. It’s a a world where summertime warmth can rapidly transform to an autumn-ish 50’s or 60’s when an afternoon cold front moves in, often heralding a monsoon downpour. As hard as it may be to believe, many people in this region don’t even have air-conditioning in their houses!
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No doubt about it, summer in the high country of Arizona is hard to beat!
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It’s in that part of the state that my fictional Canyon Springs is set--home to three books, with a fourth debuting in March 2012! A rugged mountain haven for elk, deer, bears, mountain lions and towering ponderosa pines, it’s also a retreat for people seeking relief from the worst summer can deliver. It’s a region catering to campers, bikers, hikers, trail riders and fishermen. And amazingly, in the “off season” it’s a winter wonderland! Yes. in Arizona!
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At HOME IN HIS HEART (August 2011)
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Finding Her Way Home... As soon as she got married, Sandi Bradshaw wanted nothing more than to move out of Canyon Springs, Arizona. Then everything changed when her military husband was killed. Now, establishing a veteran's memorial in his honor has brought Sandi and her daughter face-to-face with the man who'd once stood in the way of her marriage.
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Sergeant Bryce Harding has a lot to prove to this hometown crowd--and the very stubborn Sandi. But can they embrace the possibility that God might be giving them both a second chance at love?
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If you’re looking for a “cool” romantic escape for a hot summer day, “At Home In His Heart” may be what you’re looking for! Pour yourself a glass of icy lemonade or sweet tea, pull up a lawn chair under a shade tree—and settle down for a visit to Canyon Springs!
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Then if you’d like to make a return trip to this little mountain community, check out the story of Sandi’s friend Meg and her ex-Navy corpsman hero in my award-winning “Dreaming of Home” (Love Inspired October 2009). And the story of their friend Kara and her rodeo cowboy hero in “Second Chance Courtship” (February 2011).
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Glynna Kaye

GLYNNA KAYE: "SECOND CHANCE COURTSHIP" February 2011

Second chances. Another shot at doing something right that we did wrong the first time. An opportunity to make up for something we wish we hadn’t said or done. Unfortunately, as much as we’d like that “do over,” we don’t often have that option.

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However in "Second Chance Courtship"--my second Love Inspired set in the rugged mountain country of Canyon Springs, Arizona--big city interior designer Kara Dixon and ex-rodeo cowboy Trey Kenton come face-to-face once again.

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A dozen years after their fledgling teenage romance came to an abrupt end, Trey’s looking to settle down but Kara’s returned only long enough to care for her ailing mother. One wants to call Canyon Springs home. The other wants to hit the door running. One hungers for roots. The other wings. Old feelings rekindle, but Kara harbors a secret that can split them apart once more. Both must learn that only by trusting God can their hearts be set free to find a second chance at love.
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If you’re looking for a romance to cozy in with on a cold winter’s day, I hope Second Chance Courtship hits the spot! Pour yourself a cup of hot chocolate--top it with a dollop (or three!) of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon--and settle down for a visit to Canyon Springs!

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Then you may want to check out the heartwarming story of Kara’s best friend and her ex-Navy corpsman hero in my award-winning “Dreaming of Home” (Love Inspired October 2009). And in August 2011, we’ll be making another visit to Canyon Springs with “At Home in His Heart” -- where a widowed mom may find a home in the heart of the very man who tried to stop her husband from marrying her!
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So, where is YOUR favorite spot to “cozy in” to read during the winter?

.Glynna

DREAMING OF HOME

Happy Friday! Steeple Hill Love Inspired debut author Glynna Kaye (www.glynnakaye.com) here for my very first Love Inspired Authors post!

Autumn. Brilliant blue skies. Glowing maples. Coolish days and crisp nights. A faint sent of woodsmoke from fireplaces on chilly weekends. Homecoming football games. Raking leaves. Hot spiced cider. Roasting marshmallows. Caramel apples.

Don’t you just love it??

I don’t know about you, but Autumn is the most nostalgic time of the year for me. It’s a time when, from my home in faraway Arizona, my thoughts are drawn to my growing-up years in small-town Midwest. Memories of trotting off to the big stone elementary school that both my mother and grandfather attended (it even had a bell on top!). Creating leaf-pile mazes with my cousins. Riding ponies with them through quiet country lanes. Okay, I admit it--I get a little homesick this time of year when “dreaming of home” as it once was lingers in my mind. The places and the people I love.

Given my affinity for this colorful, bittersweet season that heralds the coming of winter, I suppose it’s not surprising that my first published book, “Dreaming of Home,” is set during this time of year. It’s the story of Megan McGuire who has come to the mountain community of Canyon Springs to pursue a dream in a place she’s never been before—and widower, single-father Joe Diaz who is returning to the old home town to pursue a dream as well. Unfortunately, they both need the same teaching job to make those dreams a reality!

Do YOU have any special memories of Autumn that tug at your heartstrings? If so, please share!

Not only does my first published book take place in this beautiful season, but it’s also being released in October! So in celebration, here’s a Fall favorite of mine for you to try --a little taste of the season!

FRESH FRUIT DIP

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
7 oz. jar of marshmallow creme
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Combine the above ingredients & refrigerate until serving time. Serve with Granny Smith apple wedges (or other fresh fruit of your choice).