Something new: Audio!

So picture this: me with some brand new headphones and a microphone and special software on my laptop, huddling under my stepdaughter’s loft, surrounded by hanging blankets, determined to narrate my own audiobook.

True story: that lasted about fifteen minutes until I realized that professionals are professionals for a reason and I am not a voiceover artist! I made so many little errors that editing them all out would have taken ALL my time and no more books would ever be written.

I did love the idea of reading my book the way it sounded in my head as I wrote it. But once I heard an actual voiceover pro read a sample, I loved that even more. Heather Costa, my narrator, has a quirky, offbeat kind of voice that fits my Lost Harbor series perfectly.

So today I’m incredibly excited to release my very first audiobook, MINE UNTIL MOONRISE, available at Amazon, Apple Books and Audible! This book has over 500 reviews on Amazon and a 4 1/2 star rating. It kicks off the Lost Harbor, Alaska series with a fun enemies-to-lovers clash between a hottie boat captain and a nerdy bird scientist.

I hope you love it and would love to know what you think of the narration. If you’re a fan of listening to audiobooks, let me know in the comments!

P.S. I can’t guarantee that I won’t try again with the DIY version. It was pretty fun when I wasn’t tearing my hair out.

Does reading help with your stress?

Hello, my friends — This is such a strange and challenging time for all of us. I hope with all my heart that you are keeping safe and taking care of yourself. We’re doing the best we can here in Hawaii. We’re cutting our trip short and isolating ourselves ahead of our travel—and will do the same after we get home. (Fingers crossed we have no trouble returning to Alaska!)

Giving yourself a break from stress and anxiety is so important. For me, that has often meant escaping into a book. That doesn’t mean I’m ignoring the world or its problems. It simply gives me some relief so I can better handle whatever comes my way. Is reading one of your coping mechanisms? If so, I have some special offers for you!

The Lost Harbor, Alaska series is on sale leading up to the release of WICKED IN WINTER on March 31. Until then, the first three books are deeply discounted (in ebook only.) Take a trip this faraway harbor town on the edge of the Alaska wilderness.

Lost Harbor, Alaska series

If you’d like to escape to a romantic mountain lodge instead of the ocean, I got you covered! The first 3 books of the Rockwell Legacy series have been bundled into a box set which is now on sale for only $.99. Get to know the Rockwell family and learn their secrets.

The Rockwell Legacy

Sending you best wishes for health and safety — and plenty of Aloha from Hawaii.

Sunrise from the roof

Sunrise from the roof

Why my new series is set in Alaska

If you know me at all, you know I live in the biggest, most Northern state, the one with most miles of coastline by a factor of six, the one with the lowest population density (barely more than one person per square mile), the one most likely to appear on bucket lists.

Yes, I live in a small town in the great and wild state of Alaska. And yet—I’ve never set a series here. UNTIL NOW!

Welcome to Lost Harbor, Alaska, a fictional small harbor town perched at the edge of the wilderness. The first book of this series is out today ~ MINE UNTIL MOONRISE. It features Lucas Holt, a boat captain, and Megan Miller, a sassy scientist and newcomer to town, and their ongoing feud that ignites into a passionate affair.

So why did I finally decide to set a series here? Alaska is a funny state. There’s a clear distinction between longtime residents — “sourdoughs” —and newcomers —”cheechakos.” What’s unclear is how long it takes to graduate from cheechako status! I’ve lived here for twelve years and yet I still feel like a newbie. I honestly doubt that I’ll ever claim the title of “sourdough.” For one thing (true confession) I’ve never spent an entire winter here. We always skip out for a sanity-saving trip to Hawaii for a couple months.

However, I have spent twelve years soaking in the fascinating way of life that exists here. Fishing for salmon on a summer night that never ends. Racing the frost to pick the currants. Long underwear. Headlamps. ice cleats. It’s taken me over a decade, but I finally feel qualified to offer my take on living here. In my experience, it’s rugged, but magical. Slow-paced, but dramatic. And above all, for me—romantic. Something about the magnificent landscape and the close-to-the-elements survival mode makes everything more vivid and rich.

I hope you give this new series a chance and that you love Lost Harbor, Alaska! Click here to read an excerpt. And don’t forget to enter my giveaway of a Lost Harbor Gift Basket!

It’s a fine line between feuding and flirting... 

 

Ever since Megan Miller arrived in stunning Lost Harbor, Alaska, she’s been at odds with boat captain Lucas Holt. They’re opposites in every way. She’s a city girl, he’s from an Alaska homestead. She runs nature tours, he’s all about big-money charters. He’s also arrogant, annoying and oh yeah, wildly attractive. Lost Harbor would be the perfect escape from the tragedy that sent her running--except for her feud with the hottie captain.

Lucas Holt came home for one thing—settle his father’s affairs then hightail it back to Colorado. So why is he still here? Is it because there’s something fishy about his father’s death? Is it the endearingly eccentric locals and enchanting scenery? Or could it be Lost Harbor’s newest resident, a sassy scientist who’s as sexy as she is stubborn? Arguing with Megan is the best foreplay he’s had in years. 

Until one of Lost Harbor’s dangerous storms tosses everything up in the air, and a feud turns to a passionate affair--with stakes higher than Megan ever imagined.