The past month has been a whirlwind of activities, from getting a book ready and launching it, painting the house, and attending conferences and reader events, and an ongoing GIVEAWAY! (More on that below.)

This past Saturday I attended the OCC RWA annual Birthday Bash with over a hundred fellow local authors.

With authors Alanna Lucas and Maggie Kaye

The chapter’s tradition is to present published authors with a rose for every published story, novella, or novel, and I received my rose for Liliana’s Letter.

Then I joined other local authors for a reader event and book signing.

Here I am sharing a table with author Sydney Sterling

Whew! Getting ready for Saturday kept me hopping, but this week will be just as busy! Tuesday, I’m attending Lady Jane’s Salon, Wednesday, author Addie Jo Ryleigh is stopping by on her Release Day to share an excerpt from The Duke’s Temptation, and Thursday, [cue the fanfare!] is release day for Liliana’s Letter.  I’ll be hopping on to a couple of other blogs that day to share the good news!

And to celebrate, for the month of October I’m running a giveaway for my newsletter subscribers and the readers I’m meeting at conferences and events. Winners of the Amazon gift cards and books I’m giving away will be announced after The Romance Studio Spookapalooza event ending October 31st. If you’re just stopping by my blog for the first time and would like to subscribe, click over to my Find Out More page.

This weekly post is coming to you a day early in honor of Columbus Day, the holiday that celebrates the great wave of early nineteenth century immigration. Like many recent newcomers, these mostly poor immigrants, the “huddled masses”, embraced the romance of the new world and the chance to work, worship, and speak freely.

The Immigrant Ship by John C. Dollman, Wikimedia Commons

Happy Columbus Day, and I hope you’ll check in during the week.

Images: whirlwind and rose: Depositphotos; party and signing: the author; immigrant painting: Wikimedia