Music Tells My Stories

Good afternoon, my Lovelies! Many of you have been with me since the beginning of this blog, but I've recently gained a ton of new followers who are interested in me. (Look, I don't know why either, but here we are.) So, I'm going to take a few minutes and introduce myself. I was born and raised in western Kentucky. I grew up in a small town where everyone knew everyone. I spent my early childhood taking ballet and tap, playing softball and basketball. I spent my summers on Kentucky Lake camping and fishing. Not much makes me happier than camping out under the stars and listening to the lake lap at the shore while a campfire sparks into the night. Yes, I know how to camp and fish. I know how to clean, load, and shoot guns. (I'm not a bad shot, either.) I'm also a certified archery instructor and spent quite a few years teaching archery to my Girl Scout troop. I became interested in learning how to play different instruments as a pre-teen and taught myself piano. I a...

Good evening, my Lovelies! Do you guys miss me blogging on a set schedule? Or do you prefer not having a clue when I'm going to regale you with my nonsense? In some ways, I miss having a schedule. I'm just not sure I have it in me anymore. Okay, before I get started here... How ya doin'? It's been rough lately. I know. Globally, things are a shit-show. My personal level has been rather shitty, too. But, we're all in this together, and somehow or another, we're going to figure this out. Y'all! I came real close to deleting my entire social media presence this weekend. If it wasn't for the fact that this is the only means I have right now to get word out about my books, I would have. All of it. Over the years, I've used this blog to share myself with you all, but also as a means to work through anything running through my mind. I've used it to bullshit. I've used it to try to help my mental health. We've gone through a lot together, and I...

Good morning, my Lovelies! You know I'm going to ask how y'all are doing, but I know, if you're like me, exactly how complicated that answer is. But, I wouldn't be me if I didn't check with you before I started talking about me! So, how ya doing? Hanging in there? Me? I'll be honest. I'm not that great right now. I've repeatedly tried to keep my socials from being political, from expressing my opinions about things. It appears that is no longer an option.  I cannot and will not support the current administration in the US. I never have supported these fucked up ideas and never will. What is happening is NOT okay! Have y'all ever heard the saying "Freedom isn't free?" Well, it isn't. We've seen this time and again throughout history. Let me tell you, this is NOT what my friends and family fought and died for. The price they paid is far too high for this administration to come in and shit on them, to shit on all of us. They're...

Good morning, my Lovelies! Happy New Year and welcome to my first blog of 2026! I hope the new year has started off well for you and that the year ahead is nothing but fabulous! By the time you finish reading this, you are either going to be cheering for me or thinking 'what the fuck...' Either way, please know that I've put quite a bit of thought into this, and my new-ish outlook is not some randomness that popped into my head. I have made a decision, and it is one that I really wish more women would make. Throughout my life, I have been severely mistreated by the men I've had relationships with. I've had enough of the narcissistic abusers and users. I've had enough of their 'get what I want and walk away' attitudes. Let me share a story. Once upon a time, there was a woman who met a man. They started out as friends, but it was obvious there was something more. Over time, that something more really began to make itself apparent. He told her from the beg...

Good morning, my Lovelies! I hope all is well with you and that life is simply wonderful for you right now! My little corner of the world is beginning to rebuild after a metaphorical earthquake. It has been a struggle, but I'm getting there, y'all! Anyway, I'm sure you're just on pins and needles waiting to see what I'm going to lay out for you today. Right? Well, I wanted to talk to you about me. (Because...what's more important than me? 😂) Growing up, I always felt as if I couldn't be myself. I was constantly told to "tone it down" or to "act like a lady." I was too much.  Too loud. Too bold. Too audacious. Too crazy. Too impulsive. I felt as if I were confined by expectations imposed upon me by generational restrictions. I was supposed to be a lady, prim and proper. It was constatnly drilled into my head. I absolutely do NOT blame my grandmother and mother for this. It's what they knew, handed down to them just as it was handed do...

Good afternoon, my Lovelies! Two blogs within a week? Holy shit! Who am I?  This one isn't going to be super long, or at least I don't think so. Mostly, I just wanted to share a story with you. I've got loads of them, and I'm fairly certain this is one that I've not shared with you previously. A couple of years ago, I attended my first book event as a reader. I'd been to a bunch as an author, but never just for me, just for fun. Just to give you an idea of where I was at and what all was going on, this was during the time that I was caring for my mother during her battle with cancer and going back and forth between her place in Kentucky and my home in Delaware. I had been home for a signing event and had planned on attending Charm City Romanticon in Ellicott City, Maryland, on my way back to Kentucky. It was a break, a getaway that I needed to rest and recharge. It was a great couple of days, and I had the BEST time! Now, if you know me, you also know that I con...

Good morning, my Lovelies! Oh, my goodness! I blogged! Actually, I wrote a blog a couple of weeks ago, but I guess I'm too chicken to post it. Maybe it's self-preservation? Whatever. I didn't put my heartbreaking story of deception out into the universe. Yet. So, how y'all doin'? I'd like to be able to tell you that I'm well, but my mind hasn't been in the best of places for a few months now. (Reference the story of deception mentioned above.) Other than that and the crushing blow it gave my heart, I'm doing great! I'm working diligently on Blood Moon Bayou - my spicy murder mystery set in the fantastically amazing city of New Orleans. This story has a bit of everything! There's murder, history, southern ambiance, suspense, and of course, that spicy romance. Want a curvy, kick-ass FBI agent who's sexy as hell and knows she's sexy as hell? I got you. Want an affable, fun-loving male character who turns into a bit of a pleasure-dominant...

Good Friday evening, my Lovelies! I hope this blog finds you well and that your little corner of the world is a safe and happy place at the moment. I'm good. In fact, I'm better than I've been in a long while. That being said, you know if I'm writing a blog then I have things on my mind I need to get out. I really was trying to do some writing on the book I'm working on, but sometimes things just dig into my brain and won't let go. This is the only way I can set shit aside sometimes so that I can carry on. I'm having trouble with this one, which is definitely an indicator of how difficult it is for me to think along these lines. I've actually started this blog over four different times, and this is only the third paragraph. Okay... here we go. I'm a good person. I'm a very good person with a big and forgiving heart. And I don't believe people give me nearly enough credit for how good a person I truly am. The things I know. The things I've...

Greetings, my Lovelies! I'm sorry I haven't blogged in a while. I just checked, and it has been since June! Life has been crazy for me. I've been traveling all over - New Jersey, Louisiana, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee... Whew! I also moved BOTH my children off to college. Insert sad face. They just HAD to decide they wanted to do something with their lives! 😂 (Should I be concerned that one of my youngest's classes is just learning about makeup? Theater makeup, but still. LOL!) I'm obviously trying to get used to a much quieter house, and while I miss my children, I'm hoping that with them gone, I can make progress on some things I've been meaning to get to. I've got a LOT of digging in to do on some stories I'm working on. I hope you have been well and that everything in your world is right as rain! On top of all that I just mentioned, I've been dealing with a major emotional upset. I need to get some of this out of my head. Yes, I've tal...

Good morning, my Lovelies! Long time, no blog! Sorry guys. Life has been life-ing lately. I hope that life has been far kinder to you since I last checked in! If you're reading this, please know that I am currently at a signing event. Yes, I took the coward's way with this blog and scheduled it for a time I wouldn't have to think about it and wouldn't be bogged down worrying about what everyone thinks after they read this. So, I'm coming to you with a confession - part I'm not proud of and part I am. I'm fairly certain that I've spoken with you all before about my struggles with depression. Once I finally came to terms with it, I've tried my best to talk about it. I may not always volunteer my story, but if you ask, I will talk about it. I'm a firm believer that sharing our experiences can be beneficial all around. It helps to talk. It helps to listen. What I haven't spoken about too much is my lifelong struggle with my weight. Well, here we ...

Good afternoon, my Lovelies! It is a rainy, lazy day here on Delmarva. How's things where you are? Ya good? Taking care of yourself? I certainly hope so! I'm sure you're extremely excited to read whatever nonsense I'm getting ready to throw out here. (The fun part of blogging for me is that I don't have any more idea of what I'm going to say than you do!) So, buckle up while I share what's on my mind today. I've recently been talking to a friend about a multitude of different things. My books, my life - things I've done. Seriously, we've covered a shit-ton of topics. (It's been fun getting caught up/getting to know each other a bit better.) As you guys have seen through the years, I really don't hold much back. That became obvious when our conversation turned to more sexual topics. Y'all know by now that I'll tell you what you want to know, right? (Just not some of my secrets... 😉) So, when discussions of body count came up, I an...

Good afternoon, my Lovelies! It has been a hot minute! I know! I'm trying, y'all. I really am. I hope this blog finds you healthy, happy, and living your best life. Me? I've come an incredibly long way on the health front and feel better than I have in about 20 years. Happy? I'm working on it. Living my best life? I'm working on it. I'm just back from my first author signing event of the year and while I wish it had been a bit more successful for me as far as book sales, I did have a good time. It's always great to talk to readers and to see my book-world friends. I've been pretty busy working on this next book. I'm literally days away from having the first draft finished which is always an exciting time for me. Finishing one book and starting another? It's an amazing feeling. So what's on my mind today? Oh, I could load you guys up with all the bullshit that floats through my head. But today I think we'll talk about secrets. It's oka...

Greetings, my Lovelies! Yes, I know it has been over a month since I've blogged. My stress levels have been about to take me under. I hope you all are doing well and that life has been kind to you. I hope that YOU have been kind to yourself. We tend to be our harshest critics, whether personally, professionally, emotionally, physically, or otherwise. (I'm sorry, y'all - this one is going to be a long one.)  So, what's on my mind today? I suppose I want to talk about communication and how important it is. Look, I totally get not wanting to talk to people over the phone or even in person. I get that texting can be easier. Most of the time I feel the same way. And it's great for quick updates, planning nights out with our friends, or a quick check-in with family. Here's the thing - for the majority of people - if a text is more than three or four lines, they skim over it. They don't actually read it. I'm sure there are exceptions. As an author, this bugs th...

Good afternoon, my Lovelies! I hope this blog finds you well and that you are living your best life. I also hope it finds you loved, and appreciated, and that the people in your life showered you with gifts yesterday to show you just how much you are loved and appreciated. Well, it happened. The depression has hit just as I knew it would, just as I told you in my last blog. Valentines Day was forgotten for me by the ones who say they love me, the ones I've given my heart to. I know I shouldn't let it get to me this way, but it does. And it sucks. It sucks to not feel the love that I'm told is there. I'm tired of crying. I've cried buckets for the better part of two weeks (not all prompted by the subject of this blog). Every time I think I have no tears left, more come pouring out of me. I'm tired of not feeling important. It would be lovely if words were backed up by actions. It would be lovely if when someone tells me they love me, they actually meant it instea...

Good afternoon, my Lovelies! It is my greatest hope that this blog finds you healthy and happy. Me? I'm working on it. If you've been with me for a while you know that a few years ago I started going on a writer's retreat. I always scheduled it for sometime around Valentine's Day and there's a very good reason for that. For many people in committed relationships - married, dating, or whatever label you put on it - when Valentine's comes along, there are plans made. Some go to dinner, some give gifts, and some plan romantic evenings. Some people put a ton of effort into it - some minimal - but whatever level of effort, there is love shown. Somehow, those things have never happened for me. Ever. No matter who I've been with. I used to try to brush it off as no big deal, but over the past 10 years or so I've come to realize it IS a big deal - at least to me. I've never been taken to dinner on V-Day. I've never been given a gift other than an occasio...

Good afternoon, my Lovelies! I wasn't going to blog today but I need to get some things out of my head. I've been in tears for the past two days and I can't seem to stop them from coming. I have a girls' night planned with friends for tomorrow and I should probably just wait and talk to them, but I can't think about anything else right now, so maybe if I write it down I can salvage something of this day. First, how y'all doin'? Is it cold where you are? Are you taking care of yourself? Drinking your water? Alright, here we go. With very, very few exceptions, my entire love/sex life has been made up of men: 1. Declaring their love for me just to keep me around as a backup. 2. Expecting me to always be waiting. 3. Telling me I'm beautiful simply to see if I'll fuck them. 4. Telling me they want me and want to be with me, then disappearing. They shove my entire existence into the back of a closet where they run across me five years later and pull me out...

Good afternoon, my Lovelies! I am deep into writing the third book in my Mountain Mayhem series but I needed to come up for air. I keep hitting crossroads with this story and am questioning whether I've taken the correct path or not. I would love to dive into another story for a bit to see if I can let this one rest and unfold for me, but I'm afraid if I do I'll not meet my deadline. (BTW, the next time any of you hear me talking about putting a book up for preorder that I've not written yet, grab me and shake some sense into me. Okay?) Being able to bounce back and forth between stories usually helps me, but I could totally see myself getting sucked in and pushing this story to the side. So, anyway... How y'all doin'? Y'all good? Enjoying your new year so far? Getting some fresh air? Drinking your water? Taking care of your mental health? It's that last one that has been getting me lately, but I really don't want to talk about that today. Nope! Toda...

Good Wednesday morning, my Lovelies! Am I overwhelming you with blogs lately? I hope not. I hope the things I write about are entertaining, touching, or make you think about your own life and realize you aren't alone in your struggles, triumphs, and joys. We all need those connections, even if it comes from a stranger. I hope you're all doing well and are having a wonderful holiday season. Obviously, this year hits a bit different for me. In the past year and a half my father, mother, and aunt have all passed away. I also recently had the first man to EVER make me feel beautiful, sexy, and wanted - the man who rescued me from a really bad marriage, to suddenly die. So, yeah, this one is a bit rough for me. I know I have friends and family I can lean on, but it's still taking a toll on me. This is the first year since I moved from Kentucky that I've had nowhere else to go for the holidays. We used to trade off holidays, ya know? One year we would visit at Thanksgiving an...