Dear Reader

I never really understood the meaning of the phrase “book of your heart” until I wrote Leah McKenzie’s story.  When I typed “The End” to every novel, I used to feel it was my favorite.   But This Heart of Mine is different. It’s not only the book of my heart, it’s the book from my heart.

As the wife of someone on the transplant list, I held my husband’s hand as he accepted that his time, our time, would be too short.  He needed a kidney, but the dialysis that was saving his life, was killing his heart.  And breaking mine.

Then like Leah, he got a second chance.  His journey, his pain, my pain, his fear, my fear, and our enormous appreciation to the donor and his family for the gift of life, poured out of my soul and into my keyboard. This didn’t make writing it any less scary.  In some ways, it made it that much more.

When my ten-book Shadow Falls seriescame to a close,and the book idea was in its infancy, I was both apprehensive about writing such a personal story, and about making the switch from the paranormal genre to contemporary.  Then my grandmother’s words of wisdom whispered in my head, “If there’s not a bit of fear in your belly, you’re not living right.  Invite fear into your world, make friends with every challenge you meet.”

In that moment, I knew Leah’s story needed to be told and I had to be the one to tell it.

This book blendsemotion withromance.  It’s seasoned with my humor, my love for a little mystery, and sprinkled with a pinch of the mystical. I hope you’ll join me on this new adventure and take the journey with Leah as she creates her own recipe for living and makes friends with every challenge she meets.

Here’s to always living with a little bit of fear in your belly.