In early October, I decided to join many of the women from my church in a 10-day break from social media. And after that ten days was up, I realized that I love being disconnected. I stopped watching the news years ago because it was depressing, so I have no idea why it took me so long to realize that social media was bringing the same darkness into my life. I know it’s important to be informed, but neither Twitter nor Facebook should be my go-to sources for information. I didn’t join those platforms for information, but as social media has evolved it’s become a lot more about pseudo-news and a lot less about being social. Being social is good. I love people. I love interacting with people. I want to continue interacting with people on social media. And the one thing I really missed these last three weeks was the PEOPLE. Okay, okay. If we’re being totally honest, I also missed the dogs. Instagram is great for dogs. And food. And books. Please send me all the pictures of your dogs, food, and books. Thanks ever so much. There are a few other lessons I learned during my vacation:

• Social media doesn’t affect the number of words I write in a day. Shocking, I know. I filled that time with other things…like reorganizing. You should see all the closets in my house. They are gorgeous.
• I read 18.5 books in the last three weeks. Let’s agree that is a ridiculous amount of reading, and at least a portion of that time would have been devoted to social media. Reading makes me happy. I need to keep doing that.
• I missed Instagram more than any of the other platforms. I think that’s partially because it’s less devoted to “news” and more devoted to images. I very rarely stop and read someone’s entire post.
• Taking a break from social media did not affect my self-esteem. I think I’m an outlier on that one.

Moving forward, I want to spend more time focusing on people, on building friendships, on sharing the highlights (and sometimes lowlights) of our lives. Here’s to the people.         And to the dogs.  

Earlier this year, I posted on Instagram about how I was so very close to quitting. I’d completed a lot of manuscripts. *cough, cough* NINE *cough, cough* They’d all been edited, rewritten, redited, before they went on submission. A couple of them were cut at acquisition, which means an editor is willing to buy the story, but the marketing team didn’t think it would sell well. I’d gotten some really beautiful, heart-rending rejections.

And I lost faith in myself.

So many people responded to my Instagram post, both in the comments and privately, offering encouragement and advice. One very successful author said she’d been in the same position and her husband had said this: “When was the last time you wrote something fun? Not something you wanted to sell. Just something that was a story you wanted to read. Before you give up, maybe you should remember why you loved writing in the first place.”

What would it cost me to write one more story just for myself? Besides a few weeks/months of work, nothing. So I sat down and wrote the manuscript that became STEALING HOME.

You guys, I love this story. It’s light and fresh and contemporary. It combines two of my great loves–writing and sports–throws in an awesome girl-boss and a love interest who is a genuinely good person. I worked in minor league baseball for a couple of years and several more as an editor of a sports marketing magazine. I got to use all that knowledge, the crazy stories, and inside jokes and turn it into a story I’m really proud of.

Working with Ashley Hearn and the crew at Page Street has been an incredible experience. Not only is Ashley a phenomenal editor, but she comes from a sports marketing/sports business background too! Her edits made the story so much stronger. And I can’t wait for you all to read it in June of 2019. More details, covers, and reveals to come soon!

VOYA loved SKYLIGHTER!!!  I’m so glad. And, once again, relieved.  It’s so great to know that people are enjoying my book!!

Here’s what VOYA had to say:

New dangers, decisions, and revelations await Johanna as she embarks on an adventure fraught with many perils, including the struggle to understand and embrace her true identity and the future that lies before her. Tasked to magically repair the wall separating Santarem and Olinda, Johanna comes to realize that her past and destiny are even more complex than she realized, which only further complicates her relationship with Rafi, including how she feels about their betrothal.

The second of The Keeper’s Chronicles, The Skylighter maintains the same fast pace as Wallace’s Storyspinner (Simon & Schuster, 2015/VOYA February 2015), with each short chapter highlighting a different character’s perspective via third-person narrative. This multifaceted approach offers insight into the overlapping stories of Johanna and Rafi, as well as Dom, Pira, Jacaré, and occasionally Leão so that readers of the first novel will be especially able to grasp the complexity of this captivating world of romance, magic, and politics. As the story blurs lines between friend and enemy, true motivations, character histories, and high stakes are revealed, and the text questions what sacrifices are necessary when it comes to both love and war, as well as how far people must go to not only protect those they love but also defend against those who seek power only for themselves. Rich in both emotion and action, The Skylighter is a thrilling and heartfelt fantasy that will keep readers frantic to turn page after page until the very end. —Meghann Meeusen

So turn up the music and join me for a kitchen dance!  WOOOO!!! 

And, if you haven’t ordered yet but still want swag, you can until March 29! Just email me a screenshot/copy of your receipt and your address and I’ll mail some goodness out to you!!