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Forewarned book cover reveal and for those who liked Best Kept Secrets - There's something coming!

A few weeks ago I did the most scary thing imaginable. But first…

Fifteen years ago —or something like that—I wrote my first book. At the time I was teaching piano lessons to 45 students, holding 3 or 4 recitals each year, and hosting a big Holiday event. It was a full time job, and I ran my own business. So when I wrote that first book, I decided not to independently publish for one big reason. I didn’t want to run two businesses. And I ignorantly thought my publisher —whoever that was—would manage the majority of my publicity and marketing. I thought they would take care of business.

You know this story.

I got my big break in 2018 and signed with my publisher. Unagented. I was golden. Life was sweet. But then… A series of unfortunate events rained on my parade. All my peeps left the company, and a pandemic changed the world (of publishing).

In the interim, I wrote books. I wrote many books. I wrote a YA time travel book (I love that one and hope to publish it someday too!), and a sequel to Morgan Jewell’s adventure, and two more romantic suspense books. I wrote Forewarned and another thriller, Safe Keeping (coming in 2026). And I pitched books. I still had faith in the system and I wasn’t about to embark on an indie publishing journey blind.

Slowly, I began to dip my toes in the indie pub world with my romance books. Meanwhile my other stories were rejected over and over and over again. But I was so invested in the system—well, stubborn—that I was unwilling to go it alone.

Keep reading, I’ll share the cover of Forewarned!

This year, as you know, I’m publishing my paranormal suspense, Forewarned. I couldn’t be happier.

I learned things from my friends at Blackbird Writers. Several of them are successful indie authors! These folks inspired me! Here’s a huge shoutout to you friends! Thank you for all your encouragement! And for letting me in on your process!

• Saralyn Richard

• Avanti Centrae

• Valerie Biel

• Jeff Nania

• Sheila Lowe

• Sherrill Joseph

• Tim Chapman

• Anne Louise Bannon

• Sharon Michalove

• Joy Ann Ribar

So a few weeks ago I did the most scary thing imaginable since I’ve been a writer. Though I thought about it for a good long time (3 years?) and worried how it would go, I finally asked for my rights back from my publisher. And they gave me back control over my book.

The thing was so easy! I had no idea how freeing it would be!

So I have fully embraced this indie thing and my process. And before Forewarned comes out on August 1, I’m re-releasing Best Kept Secrets, revised and edited for 2025 with a new face lift!

Before I forget, here’s the Forewarned cover! Thank you Tatiana Vila!

Right now I’m editing Best Kept Secrets for the re-release. I’ll be sharing a new cover in a few weeks and later this year I’ll give you book two in Morgan Jewell’s series, Mother of Secrets.

It took me how many years to make this decision? Boy am I stubborn. Because it turns out that traditional publishing just wasn’t the right fit for me. And I’m okay with that.