If you'd like to receive updates about new stories and novels, be sure to get on my email list!Short Story: "Re-Ignited"
Eleven years.
Thirteen since they'd been lovers.
It was like another lifetime -- a different person.
When Tess re-connects with her college boyfriend, she finds herself re-thinking life's choices and fighting a battle against the immense magnetism that still exists between them. Will she put her marriage in jeopardy for a second chance with Brandon? (Fair warning: Re-ignited is Rated R due to sexual content.)
Short Story: "The Heroes Left Behind"
"Our soldiers need more support," Butch announced.
There was a general murmur among the Klinger family adults who languished on the resort's large patio.
Aiden knew what was coming next -- and the other family members, although cordial, could not be counted on to come to her aid...
Aiden lost her husband to the Iraq war. Mark lost his wife to infidelity. Is it only natural they should seek solace in each other regardless of their family relationship? What happens when their struggle to come to terms with their losses are at odds with other family members' beliefs?
Novel-in-Progress: "Bricewick's Folly" (Working Title)
When Major Aaron Bricewick is rescued from Afghanistan terrorists, he thinks the worst is over. Even the amputation of one of his legs won't slow him down, he vows. But as he faces one hurdle after another, he begins to realize that the love of the woman he left -- the one woman who can challenge his black-and-white vision of the world -- just might be the most important thing worth fighting for. Will he lose her a second time?
Is there a Sequel to Last Chance Rescue?
There is another story that needs to be told, and that is the story of Brad's anorexic sister, Kimmy. This story will likely take place at Last Chance Ranch about six years after the conclusion of Last Chance Rescue, and many of your favorite characters will be back!
FUN TWIST:
Characters in one of my novels are intertwined with other novels. For instance, the main female character in Last Chance Rescue, Jessie, was briefly married when she was younger. Her husband? None other than Major Aaron Bricewick, "star" of my current novel-in-progress! And Jessie's ski-instructor brother, Reid? He has a story to tell, too!
If you'd like to receive updates about new stories and novels, be sure to get on my email list!
Essay: Why I Ride a Motorcycle
(Published in "Why We Ride," May 2009)
At first, riding a motorcycle was a way to bond with my dad after my parents divorced (I was 11). It was something we enjoyed doing together -- just us (I had three siblings) -- that brought us closer. Poker Runs were a favorite; and who can put a price on father-daughter quality time? (To this day we try to set aside one full day each fall to take our annual father-daughter ride.)
The experience of riding changed when I began the transformation from girl to woman. Although I could not have defined it then, the feel of riding -- the stance, the vibration -- was, pure and simple, sensual.
I found another reason for riding sometime during college. At that time ('88-'92), there weren't many women riders, and being one differentiated me -- and I liked that. And I started to understand that riding a motorcycle also made a statement about me: 'I am an adventurer.'
When I married, "why I ride" changed again; motorcycling became something we enjoyed doing together. This was important, because no one person can be everything to another. Instead of focusing on our differences, my husband and I focused on the things we both enjoy -- a recipe for a long and happy marriage!
Now, as a mother to two youngsters (6 years and 18 months), my reason is again different. These days, most of my riding is a stolen 45 minutes over lunch hour or in the early evening. Motorcycling is more an escape -- a way to take some time out...to remember to breathe...to get a mental "fix" for life's stresses.
It's also something I can share with my children. It was incredible to be able to take my son on several short rides this fall (with the aid of a child safety harness). I dream that riding is something we can do as a family -- that my children will grasp the essence of freedom that riding exemplifies: that they can do anything they want to.
Maybe it's too much to expect, but as my children grow I hope the fact that mom (and dad) rides gives them a message: Don't sit life out; choose to "Dance"!
If you'd like to receive updates about new stories and novels, be sure to get on my email list!