Heidi McCahan's Blog, page 7

Sweet Melody Progress Update

I just made progress on Sweet Melody! So far I’m 19% complete on the Editing phase.
Love's Sweet MelodyPhase:Editing18.9%

New contemporary romance coming soon!

“What happens when you take a tiny baby, a guy who’s made a promise to a dying friend, and a young woman who feels she needs to care for all those around her, at the risk of losing herself?
Well, you get this story! 
“Their Baby Blessing” is a sweet heartwarming story full of tender moments. 
Heidi McCahan has written a wonderful book which is easy to read and very enjoyable. “

5-star Goodreads review from Marylin

Hello, readers! As April comes to a close, I’m sharing a quick update on the status of my writing projects. Their Baby Blessing hits the virtual and brick-and-mortar bookstore shelves in just a few weeks. Hooray! I’m beyond excited for you all to read Skye and Gage’s story. Thank you to Marylin and all my early readers for the 5-star reviews and positive feedback. So encouraging!

I wrote ‘The End’ for the 11th time!

Last week I finished another manuscript targeted for Love Inspired. My agent and I are waiting for a response from the editorial team regarding next steps. This one is a sweet, inspirational romance (of course) featuring a single dad, a runaway bride, a puppy and an irresistible five-year-old girl. The setting is a small town in Oregon that’s crazy about Christmas. Such a fun story to write and I’m excited to see it published someday.

My next indie title coming fall 2019

I’m a writer with a lot of stories percolating. This particular manuscript has had a lot of stops and starts. I so wanted to see it published last year. And the year before that. Life happened and I got busy with Love Inspired projects, so the first draft lived on my hard drive for awhile. But I felt a nudge to revisit this story and these characters I love so much. By the way, have I mentioned the setting? This story takes place in Seabrook, WA where my family enjoys vacationing. It’s stunning!

I’m a student of My Book Therapy and Novel Academy, where Susan May Warren coached me through the plotting process, then I hired an amazing editor who shared more insights, so now I’m revising and polishing. I’ve scheduled the cover design for June and if all goes according to plan, Sweet Melody will be published August 6, 2019. Woohoo!

For your viewing pleasure, here’s a photo I’m sharing from Seabrook’s Instagram account. I highly recommend following their social media for gorgeous photos. Even better, if you’re looking for your next family vacation destination, I highly recommend Seabrook.

That’s all for now. Thanks for being a faithful reader. Leave a comment below and tell me what you’ve been up to lately.

Gorgeous photo shared from @SeabrookWA via Instagramh

The post Sweet Melody Progress Update appeared first on HeidiMcCahan.com.

Love’s Sweet Melody Progress Update

I just made progress on Love’s Sweet Melody! So far I’m 19% complete on the Editing phase.

Love's Sweet MelodyPhase:Editing18.9%

New contemporary romance coming soon!

“What happens when you take a tiny baby, a guy who’s made a promise to a dying friend, and a young woman who feels she needs to care for all those around her, at the risk of losing herself?
Well, you get this story! 
“Their Baby Blessing” is a sweet heartwarming story full of tender moments. 
Heidi McCahan has written a wonderful book which is easy to read and very enjoyable. “

5-star Goodreads review from Marylin

Hello, readers! As April comes to a close, I’m sharing a quick update on the status of my writing projects. Their Baby Blessing hits the virtual and brick-and-mortar bookstore shelves in just a few weeks. Hooray! I’m beyond excited for you all to read Skye and Gage’s story. Thank you to Marylin and all my early readers for the 5-star reviews and positive feedback. So encouraging!

I wrote ‘The End’ for the 11th time!

Last week I finished another manuscript targeted for Love Inspired. My agent and I are waiting for a response from the editorial team regarding next steps. This one is a sweet, inspirational romance (of course) featuring a single dad, a runaway bride, a puppy and an irresistible five-year-old girl. The setting is a small town in Oregon that’s crazy about Christmas. Such a fun story to write and I’m excited to see it published someday.

My next indie title coming fall 2019

I’m a writer with a lot of stories percolating. This particular manuscript has had a lot of stops and starts. I so wanted to see it published last year. And the year before that. Life happened and I got busy with Love Inspired projects, so the first draft lived on my hard drive for awhile. But I felt a nudge to revisit this story and these characters I love so much. By the way, have I mentioned the setting? This story takes place in Seabrook, WA where my family enjoys vacationing. It’s stunning!

I’m a student of My Book Therapy and Novel Academy, where Susan May Warren coached me through the plotting process, then I hired an amazing editor who shared more insights, so now I’m revising and polishing. I’ve scheduled the cover design for June and if all goes according to plan, Love’s Sweet Melody will be published later this year. Woohoo!

For your viewing pleasure, here’s a photo I’m sharing from Seabrook’s Instagram account. I highly recommend following their social media for gorgeous photos. Even better, if you’re looking for your next family vacation destination, I highly recommend Seabrook.

That’s all for now. Thanks for being a faithful reader. Leave a comment below and tell me what you’ve been up to lately.

Gorgeous photo shared from @SeabrookWA via Instagramh

The post Love’s Sweet Melody Progress Update appeared first on HeidiMcCahan.com.

10 Books On My Spring To-Be-Read List

Happy spring, friends!

It’s raining and forty-one degrees here today, yet the promise of spring is evident all around us in the blooming trees, birds singing and hyacinth poking through the soil. My imagination often conjures up thoughts of the beach and our kids are already talking about warmer days ahead. On the writing front, I am working on another manuscript that I hope to sell to Love Inspired, revising a manuscript for an indie novel I plan to publish later this year and prepping for the launch of Their Baby Blessing in late May.

And there’s always, always time to read. Here are ten books I’m looking forward to reading this spring (although realistically I might take me all year to complete this list).

Knox by Susan May Warren

Where the Crawdads Sing  by Delia Owens

The Luckiest Man by John R. Paine

Of Fire and Lions by Mesu Andrews

The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick

Moments We Forget by Beth K. Vogt

The Summer of Sunshine & Margot by Susan Mallery

A Soldier’s Return by RaeAnne Thayne

I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella

Sweet On You by Becky Wade

There you have it. Ten books I’m excited to read this spring … and on into summer, most likely. Do you see any titles here that catch your eye? Leave a comment below and tell me what you’re reading. Thanks for stopping by!

 

Happy Valentine’s Day + a few books I’m loving right now

Happy Valentine’s Day, sweet friends!

I hope this finds you well and enjoying this day that celebrates all things love. And if this is your least favorite day of the year, well, take heart (see what I did there??) it will be over in a matter of hours. Ha!

If free books are your jam, there’s a fantastic bundle of sweet, clean romances available for a limited time. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway too. It’s a $50 gift card so you can buy more books. Hooray! All the details available here.

 

Here are a few books I’m loving right now:

Brunch at Bittersweet Cafe by Carla Laureano

The Memory House by Rachel Hauck (available for pre-order and releases April 2nd)

Paper Hearts by Courtney Walsh (a wonderful Valentine’s read and only 99 cents)

I’m a huge fan of Susan May Warren’s work. She writes inspirational romantic suspense like nobody else. She’s also mentored and coached me a lot recently, and I am tremendously grateful. I’ve already pre-ordered her next book (first book in her Montana Marshalls series) and thought you all might want to know about her Goodreads Giveaway. Five signed copies of Knox are up for grabs.

 

Finally, I’ll leave you with a super important question: would you rather receive books or chocolate for Valentine’s Day? Leave me a comment with your answer.

 

 

 

 

Best Books of 2018 According to Me

I’m always so curious about what people are reading. From quick posts on social media to reviews shared by professional readers, I’m frequently watching and listening for the next interesting recommendation. As a romance novelist, I often gravitate toward my preferred genre. Although this year I read some incredible non-fiction and memoir. While I can’t honestly say I stepped too far out of my comfortable romance zone in 2018, I’m determined to cast my proverbial net a bit wider in 2019. I did exceed my goal of reading thirty-six books this year and I’m hoping to read 52 next year.

Without further delay, here’s my highly subjective according-to-me list of the 12 best books I read this year.

Becky Wade’s Falling for You (A Bradford’s Sisters Romance): delightfully well-written, with a super swoon-worthy romance and characters I adored. I’m smitten with this series and soooo excited for book 3, which arrives in the spring. There are certain fictional characters that stick with me long after I’ve read the last page of their stories. Becky Wade’s characters are like that for me.

Bob Goff’s Everybody Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People. I started listening to Bob Goff speak via podcasts and I was instantly intrigued by his story and the message he’s quietly demonstrating with his life. This one’s a keeper and I often find myself thinking about his words and ideas about loving everybody we encounter all the time.

Maddie Dawson’s Matchmaking for Beginners: a little quirky, a little bit crass and a complete delight from start to finish! I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Susan May Warren’s Wait for Me (Montana Rescue Series): Fans of Susan May Warren are probably all a bit distraught that this series has come to a conclusion. But, man, she sure finished it with a phenomenal story! I could go on and on about this book and the whole series. You can read my full review here.

Elin Hilderbrand’s Winter in Paradise: I listened to this audiobook and was sucked in from the first line. This author is a master at constructing twisted, tangled plots with complex, flawed characters. The narrator is fantastic, the setting is amazing and I look forward to hearing more in the next release.

Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Bush’s Sisters First: Stories from Our Wild and Wonderful Life. I so enjoyed this thoughtful and poignant read about one of our nation’s most prominent families. Such an interesting and well-written book.

Rachel Hauck’s The Love Letter: I didn’t know how much I’d love dual timeline stories until I started reading Rachel’s. Soooo good! This one is quite compelling as she expertly weaves the lives of four characters together in a must-read inspirational novel.

Marisa de los Santos’s I’ll Be Your Blue Sky: this author will always be one of my very favorites. Her ability to craft lovely prose while telling an incredible story is amazing. While many novels have been written about a beach house, none that I’ve read tell a story quite like this one. Highly recommend!

Jenny B. Jones’s His Mistletoe Miracle: this one just released and I must confess I devoured it in a weekend. Such a clever premise–a hero who was held in captivity and now grapples with his freedom in light of all he experienced and observed. Throw in Jones’s trademark snark, small-town America, fun and feisty characters all wrapped up in a Christmas romance and this one is absolute perfection.

 

Billy Coffey’s Steal Away Home: this was the first book I read this year and I’m so glad I gave this new-to-me author a chance. Baseball is an excellent metaphor for life and I’m always curious about how an author will take a tried and true plot device like this one and put a fresh spin on it. Equal parts inspiring and bittersweet, Coffey weaves a real page-turner here.

 

The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile

A dear friend gifted me this book in the spring and I was quite curious because I’d heard the buzz online, but lacked any knowledge of the Enneagram. Wow! What a life-changing presentation of an age-old philosophy/teaching. Unlike other personality type philosophies, the Enneagram helps us understand human motivation, which is something I frequently analyze as both a regular person and a writer. More importantly, the authors present a healthy, mildly unhealthy and super unhealthy description of each of the nine personalities, which is extremely helpful for navigating relationships. There are numerous podcast interviews with the authors and Ian Morgan Cron has a wonderful podcast, Typology, dedicated to the Enneagram. If you only read one self-improvement book in the new year, I hope it is this one.

 

Scott Harrison’s Thirst: I heard Scott speak via a podcast recently about his unlikely journey from successful nightclub promoter to founder and CEO of Charity: Water and I was immediately compelled to get my hands on his book. I’m only a third of the way through and if it wasn’t Christmas week, I’d devour it as quickly as possible. As the tagline states, “A story of redemption, compassion, and a mission to bring clean water to the world.” Don’t miss this one, friends!

 

Your turn: what’s your favorite book you read and/or listened to in 2018? Let me know in the comments.

Happy New Year and happy reading, friends!

 

 

 

A Black Friday Flash Sale + a Giveaway You Can Get Behind

Hey, friends!

It’s been an incredible year for me as an author, and as a token of my appreciation for you (my amazing readers) I’d like to offer my new release at a sweet discount. For a limited time, the Kindle edition of Say You Won’t Go is only $1.99 and then $2.99 through Cyber Monday. If you haven’t had a chance to read this second book in my Emerald Cove series, I highly recommend taking advantage of this awesome deal. Click here to buy your copy now.

Also, here’s a giveaway that you can all get behind. Did you know you could follow your favorite authors on Amazon and Bookbub? Then you’ll be the first to know when a new release launches, because Amazon and Bookbub will tell you. This is a fantastic option for authors because we appreciate the ability to communicate directly with you when we have new books to share with the world.

So … show your support! Check out these authors’ Amazon profile pages and click the follow button to hear when they have new books releasing. Then enter the giveaway for your chance to win an Amazon gift card! Click here to enter.

Happy reading!

 

 

Susan May Warren’s Wait For Me is Inspirational Romantic Suspense at its Best!

Happy birthday, Wait For Me!

It’s been an exciting ride and while the conclusion of any well-written series is bittersweet, wrapping it up with Pete and Jess’s story offers a brilliant finale for fans of Susan May Warren’s romantic inspirational suspense.

My review:

Loved it! Pete is a hot mess at the beginning and I was so excited to see how he reacted to everything this story threw at him. Jess’s reappearance in Montana happens at the perfect time and the tension and chemistry between them is almost palpable.

The subplot involving Esme was also an intriguing twist and allowed for fast-paced suspense, including some truly heart-pounding scenarios. Susan May Warren has really upped her game in terms of crafting epic romantic suspense. The inspirational message, thrilling final scenes and awesome cast of characters brings this fantastic series to an appropriate and moving conclusion.

I received a complimentary ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions stated here are my own.

Back cover blurb:

Pete Brooks can’t believe he’s waited an entire year for Jess Tagg to return to Montana, only to have her break his heart by getting engaged to her ex-fiancé. Worse, a series of mistakes on the job have cost lives, and Pete isn’t sure he wants to continue to work in Search and Rescue. Maybe if he can just get over Jess, he can figure out how to move forward.

EMT Jess Tagg has returned to Montana to finally give her heart to Pete, but it seems he’s no longer interested. When a terrible fight between them sparks an impulsive decision, she finds herself crashed on the side of a highway along with Esme Shaw. And just when she thinks things couldn’t get any worse, she and Esme are taken captive and into the untamed Montana wilderness—with murderous intent.

Now Pete and the other PEAK Rescue Team members are in a race against time, the elements, and the actions of a vengeful man. Pete will have to use everything he’s learned to find Jess and Esme—and pray that his past mistakes don’t cost him the life of the woman he can’t stop loving.

Come celebrate the whole Montana Rescue series with Susan May Warren at her Facebook Book Club Party. Click here

to join the event.

The whole series is available in paperback and e-Book editions. Grab your copies at your favorite retailer today!

Epic giveaway: 100 Copies of Say You Won’t Go up for grabs!

Say You Won’t Go, the next novel in the Emerald Cove series, releases in three weeks! Woohoo! For fans who’d like to a chance to win an early copy, Goodreads is hosting a giveaway of 100 Kindle editions. That’s right. 100 copies up for grabs. No purchase necessary and readers don’t need a Kindle to enter, and winners don’t need a Kindle to read the e-Book, either. As you probably already know, there’s an app available for any digital device out there which allows the owner to read a Kindle book. Amazon is clever like that.

See the giveaway details below, click on ‘enter giveaway’, or click here for your chance to win.





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Goodreads Book Giveaway


Say You Won’t Go
by Heidi McCahan

Giveaway ends October 03, 2018.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Breaking News: Writing is Hard

I’m often asked where I get my ideas for a novel. So far the sparks have ignited over observations of human behavior, a trip to a particular location that inspires a new idea, a comment from an editor about what they’d like to see more of, or a story in the news.

Sometimes a character shows up unannounced. Despite my best efforts to tell him or her to “Scram!”

Last summer, I woke from a sound sleep and I was certain this new fictional friend was standing next to my bed. Except there wasn’t anyone there. Yet she knocked so loudly and persistently on the door of my imagination that I found it difficult to sleep. Some writers say this is a ‘eureka’ experience and given the opportunity, they’d leap from their bed and scrawl notes on anything they could find, desperate to document it out of fear that the inspiration might vanish in the morning light.

I wasn’t that motivated. I like to sleep. Besides, I had plenty of other good story ideas, thank you very much. I didn’t care that she had ‘arrived’ as a fully developed character, bursting with key plot points and a resolution to her dilemma.

I told her to go away. Her story was (and is) too hard to write. Too painful.

I’m not here for that. I like sweet, clean inspirational romance, remember?

A few weeks later, fifteen thousand gallons of water poured through our home, earning me a free pass to ignore this pesky character. And yet, I distinctly recall sitting in a lawn chair in my backyard while the water mitigation team demolished what was left of our first floor, and whispered to my agent that I had a “Big Scary Idea” and I’d probably have to write about it.

Then I changed my mind. Too hard. Too scary. I’m busy. My real life is bleak. I can’t wade into this fictional pit.

My new imaginary friend wouldn’t take no for an answer, though. Determined to ignore her, I wrote two more manuscripts and revised two more. I’d show her. A cast of secondary characters, a hero and a subplot materialized. So what. It’s probably all garbage. Who’d even publish this if I did write it?

Still she hung in there. Finally, I passively-aggressively scrawled three chapters and all the details swimming in my head down in my journal. Maybe if I get it out, it will all just go away.

And yet, she’s still with me. I don’t think she’ll be satisfied until I tell her whole story. Fine. I give in. Avery Lansing Crawford, you are no match for me. At last, you can take center stage.

Friends, I’m sharing this snapshot of my creative process not because I want your empathy (although empathy is always nice), but because I want you to be inspired to do the HARD THING that God has called and equipped you to do. You might not be a creative, but more than likely you are facing or will soon be facing something that seems big and scary and impossible right now.

While self-doubt often plagues us, and the enemy wants nothing more to convince us we are not equipped to do what God has called us to, here’s a quick reminder of the ultimate truth from Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Thank you for stopping by. If you’d like to hear more inspiring words of encouragement, head over to Holley Gerth’s website for her Wednesday Coffee for your Heart link-up.

Blessings!

10 Great Beach Reads for Summer 2018

I love to read and I love summer, which makes this one of my favorite posts to write every year. Since we have three boys, I have not had a lot of opportunities to lie/sit beside the water and devour my to-be-read pile, though. As all the mamas out there know, a beach vacation is often a working vacation. My husband is gracious and loving (and also an avid reader), so he often takes the boys into the ocean or plays in the pool with them so I can have a few minutes to read. We’ve also spent many an afternoon at the beach, taking a break from the sun and surf by rocking on the porch of our rental house with lots of reading material to choose from. While life with three boys is never dull, there is plenty of time to read in the summer months.

This month seems to be flying right by and there’s a lot of wonderful books releasing, so here’s my list of titles I look forward to devouring.

By Invitation Only by Dorothea Benton Frank

This author is a perennial favorite for me because I love her voice and the way characters come to life on the page. While not all of her books are my cup of tea, this new one sounds intriguing and I’m excited to read it.

The Summer List: A Novel by Amy Mason Doan

That cover, though. Have you seen it? Makes me want to dive right in to the story. All the hooks for an enjoyable summer read.

The Love Letter by Rachel Hauck

Rachel’s books are incredible. Well-written, inspiring, and guaranteed to draw you in from the opening line. I just bought this and I’m trying my best to save it until I can afford to become completely engrossed, because I know that’s what will happen.

Reunited with the Bull Rider by Jill Kemerer

This is my friend Jill’s new release with Love Inspired and I’m so excited to read it. Wyoming, a bull rider and an adorable kiddo…what’s not to love?

Send Down the Rain by Charles Martin

Another favorite author of mine, I can count on Charles Martin to weave an incredible, redemptive story with characters I’ll be thinking about long after the last page is turned.

How Hard Can It Be? by Allison Pearson

I just started reading this. It’s funny and slightly irreverent, with a protagonist you can’t help but root for.

The Ones We Choose by Julie Clark

This novel called to me from the shelves of Barnes & Noble recently. It’s described as Lisa Genova meets 23andme…I’m hooked!

The Cottages On Silver Beach by RaeAnne Thayne

I love, love, love this author’s sweet romance novels. Haven Point is the kind of community where I would love to live. This is such a great series and I know whenever I pick up one of her novels, I can count on a satisfying happily-ever-after.

Kind is the New Classy by Candace Cameron Bure with Ami McConnell

Tossing a non-fiction title into the mix. I’m reading this now and I highly recommend. I don’t know about you, but this world feels harsh sometimes, and I could use more insight and encouragement about living graciously and exuding kindness.

Second Chance at Two Love Lane by Kieran Kramer

I was just asked to read an advance copy of this one, and it’s a later summer release, so it makes the list because it sounds cute and fun and romantic. Besides, they had me at ‘second chance’. I am a huge fan of a second chance romance.

Your turn: what are you reading this summer? Leave some recommendations in the comments. I’d love to hear what you are enjoying.