Michelle McCraw's Blog, page 6

Writing progress, June 20, 2022

I’m so excited, y’all! Forget Me is ready to publish on Friday! My ARC team is starting to post their reviews, and I’m so thrilled to see their supportive words for my prickly heroine, Mimi!

You can see a new entry at the bottom: Filling the Well. I went on a 2-week vacation (what even is that?) and had a GREAT time wandering around Spain and a few other places in Europe. I came back rested (well, except for the jet lag) and inspired, and I hope to bring that fresh energy to my writing. The well is FULL!

Now I’m slowly getting back into my current project, shown below as Frenemy. It’s partially set in Barcelona, and I’m sifting through my travel memories and photos for that inspiration. 

My First Book Signing

The last weekend in April, I participated in Spring Fling, a biannual conference put on by the Chicago-North Romance Writers.  What a blast! Not only did I learn a lot and get to meet some great writers – Angelina M. Lopez and Sara Whitney, among others – but I hung out with friends I’d only previously met online. 

AND I participated in my first book signing! It was great to talk about books with readers. Didn’t my table look great? 

Writing progress, May 15, 2022

Because of some upcoming life events (all good!), I focused on getting Forget Me ready to publish ahead of its June 24 release. And as of today, the files are ready to upload!

Unfortunately, I haven’t made as much progress on the new book as I’d like, but I’ll turn my attention to it as soon as life is back to normal!

Writing progress on 3 projects: Forget Me (done and ready to publish!), Goddess (drafted), and Frenemy (draft in progress)

Cover Reveal – Forget Me

I have a brand-new cover to show you!

Meet, Mateo, my first-ever himbo hero. What’s a himbo, you might ask? Think Chris Hemsworth as Kevin in the Melissa McCarthy Ghostbusters. Or Kronk in The Emperor’s New Groove. A man who’s attractive but also a little dense. They’re also usually pretty sweet. I think you might get a cavity from Mateo!

Here’s the back-cover blurb:

When accountant Mimi wakes up after a night of fun with her girlfriends, she remembers the hot guy in glasses she flirted with at the bar but not much else. With no way to contact him – no phone number and not even a selfie – she’ll just do her best to forget him. Because nothing, not even a sexy mystery man, will keep her from winning her dream job.

Except…Mateo.

Her brother’s friend is everywhere – spilling coffee on her presentation, bringing apology flowers to her at work, even wowing her new boss at her project meeting.

Mateo has never struggled to be the fun, cool, suave guy – except around Mimi. She’s found his Awkward switch, and now it’s stuck in the ON position.

After screwing up Mimi’s presentation, the least Mateo can do is help her. He charms her boss, who pushes them to attend the foundation’s upcoming gala together. If helping Mimi means being her fake date at her big work event, he’s more than man enough for the job. And if he can convince Mimi he’s good enough to be her real boyfriend, he’ll have all he’s ever wanted since he met her that night in the bar.

Forget Me is a fake-dating, opposites attract romantic comedy with a fun spin on the amnesia trope. It features an uptight accountant and a himbo who can’t keep it together around her. It can be read as a standalone and is the fifth book in the Synergy Workplace Romance series.

Cover of Forget Me by Michelle McCraw

Forget Me releases June 24 and will be available in ebook and paperback at all retailers. Preorder it today!

Who’s the real hero – Batman or Alfred?

Today we’re celebrating administrative professionals.

I know, Alfred is Bruce Wayne’s butler, not his admin, but do we REALLY think Batman could do all his superhero business without Alfred’s calm, get-shit-done support? Could Iron Man even get his gauntlets off without BOTH JARVIS and Pepper Potts? Doubtful.

I’m a little late – Administrative Professionals’ Day was April 27 – but EVERY DAY is a good one to recognize those who support us in the workplace. From the receptionist at the front desk to the admin who knows EVERYONE in the building and how to make things happen effortlessly, these folks are the backbone of the organization. Where I work, a wonderful woman named Renée makes the magic happen whenever I need to bring clients onsite or cater in a delicious lunch that accommodates vegans and folks with food allergies.

I wrote about administrative professionals in both Friend Me and Boss Me. In Friend Me, Marlee is Jackson’s amazing admin and friend. And in Boss Me, Ben goes above and beyond for both his boss Cooper and the company that Cooper has temporarily forgotten he loves.

Writing update
Forget Me, Mimi and Mateo’s book, is back from copyedits, and I’m working to polish it up and send it off to the proofreader early next month. And I’ll also have a cover reveal for you SOON!

In between work on Forget Me, I’m working on a new series that I’m VERY excited about. I don’t have any details for you on publication dates yet, but I’m basically grinning ear-to-ear as I write it. I hope that love comes out on the page!

And don’t forget, if you’re in the Chicago area, you can come see me Saturday, April 30, at the Sheraton Grand Chicago hotel, from 3-5pm. Entrance is FREE and open to the public. I’ll sign books – your copies, or buy one there – and hand out chocolate and bookmarks. I’d love to meet you in person!

P.S. – Have you seen The Batman? Do you have THOUGHTS? Leave a comment, and let’s chat!

Writing progress, April 18, 2022

This month, I made progress on Frenemy (working title) and got about 20k words done. Meanwhile, my editor is hard at work on Forget Me (coming June 2022).

Writing progress on 3 projects: Forget Me, Goddess, and Frenemy

Emerging from hibernation

Happy northern-hemisphere spring!

I know it’s a few weeks after the equinox, but here in Ohio, it’s finally starting to look like spring. My crocuses have bloomed, and my daffodils are putting on a show. The temperature is creeping up into a tolerable range for my thin Texas blood. Most days, it’s worth the sniffles from my hay fever!

And with COVID numbers declining I’m heading out to my first-ever author signing! Folks in the Chicago area, mark your calendars for Saturday, April 30, at the Sheraton Grand Chicago hotel, from 3-5pm. Entrance is FREE and open to the public. Come by and chat (please?). I’ll be sharing a table with one of my favorite authors, Carla Luna, and we’d love to see you there.

Confession time

I’m a slow writer. I know there are folks out there who can put out a book every month or two, but that’s not me. I think, even if I didn’t have a day job, I’d still write like a turtle. And, y’all, I’m a reader, too, so I KNOW the frustration of waiting for that next book from my favorite slow writer.

BUT! Once a month, right here on this blog, I post my progress. So if you’re into that sort of thing, you can follow me here or on Goodreads to get my writing updates. AND if you like teasers, I post a snippet from my work in progress on Instagram every Friday under the #FridayKiss hashtag. Check it out!

Puppy pic

Here’s Bear saying, “Stop ignoring me, Mom!” She LOVES being the center of attention.

Celebrating Caregivers

Here I go getting all serious again…

March 3 was Caregiver Appreciation Day. I didn’t know this, but it’s celebrated twice a year (also on November 13). It seems fitting to celebrate our caregivers twice since caregivers work so hard, often 24×7. When my grandmother struggled with dementia, my mother became her caregiver despite their oil-and-water relationship, which became even more painful as my grandmother could no longer remember her daughter. Although she didn’t often complain, I know it was exhausting and heartbreaking for my mom to support my grandmother in her last years.

So if you’re a caregiver – whether as a parent, child, professional, or volunteer – I salute you. Thanks for all you do!

Also, whether you’re a caregiver or not, hugs to you. I know the world news is a lot, and my heart goes out to the people of Ukraine and to everyone affected by the conflict.

Photo by Kostiantyn Stupak on Pexels.com

Now, back to our regularly scheduled lighthearted programming and BOOK RECS…

OMG, did this book make me laugh! Pippa Grant released a new rom-com this month. You know I’m a sucker for a book with a dog… Get ready for a swoony, laugh-out-loud romance featuring a botched wax job, a woman in over her head, a man in over his heart, and the sweetest misguided dog to ever play matchmaker…or at least make sure these two anti-love birds never have clothes when they get out of the shower.

(in Kindle Unlimited)

I just discovered Sara Whitney, and I am totally for her. Her latest release, Tempting Fate, is an opposites-attract, second-chance romance with a plus-size heroine. I’m loving it!

And I’ve just filled up my e-reader with this selection of FREE books. Dive in!

Finally, I can’t get my hands on this yet, but I’ve clicked the Preorder button at least three times.

Party, celebrate, and dance the night away!

From Cupcakes with Carlos to Valentina’s lair, this collection brings the heat.

Dance with fate, celebrate culture, and fall in love with traditions. Chefs, coaches, tequila distributors—Fiesta Nights incorporates your favorite tropes with characters from all around the globe.

If you love Alexis Daria’s bilingual characters or the Latin flair of Priscilla Olivera, Fiesta Nights will rock your world. My hilarious friend Carla Luna has a story in this, and I can’t wait to read it! 

P.S. – If you want to read my book about a caregiver, it’s Friend Me. The heroine, Marlee, cares for her father as he develops dementia. But I promise, it’s lighthearted, and nothing terrible happens to her dad. (Would I do that to you? Never!)

Writing progress, March 13, 2022

Today, I’m starting a monthly series of blog posts so you can keep up with what I’m working on. Bonus, it helps me track my writing, too!

Progress on three projects: Forget Me (Synergy #5), Goddess (New series, #0), and Frenemy (New series, #1)

Celebrating ladies, Galentine’s Day-style

It’s coming up on THAT holiday – Valentine’s Day – which for many can be a time of stressful consumerism (raise your hand if you’re having to hand-craft 23 personalized valentines for your kid’s classroom exchange), loneliness (yes, I have ordered two entrees to hide the fact that I’m dining alone, I mean, saving one for tomorrow), and ill-considered hot takes on the romance genre (I’m looking at you, my misguided brother-in-law).

Me, I’m all about Galentine’s Day.

So this week, I bring you ladies celebrating ladies.

First up, one of my favorite lady authors released a book last month, and it is SO SWOONY. Pick up Bold Love by Lauren Accardo. It’s got an artistic heroine, a former football player, the MOST hilarious set of side characters you’ve ever met, and all the gorgeous scenery you can expect from Lauren’s Forever Adirondacks series.

Get Bold Love Puppy pic!

In the spirit of Galentine’s Day, here are my two gal-pal Cavalier King Charles Spaniels making a heart shape on the floor. Awww! I miss them SO MUCH.