New Release: Christmas at the Beach (Novella)

The ladies from Ten Beach Road and Ocean Beach are back in an all-new holiday novella.

When Madeline Singer, Avery Lawford, and Nicole Grant first gained ownership of Ten Beach Road, they didn’t realize that remodeling the house would not only bind their fates together but give them a second chance at rebuilding their lives.

Now they’re gathering at the newly sold Bella Flora for one last Christmas. Kyra, Madeline’s daughter, is hoping to get a brief respite from the paparazzi that constantly hounds her and the son she had with famous actor Daniel Deranian. But when a string of bad news threatens to disrupt her happy holidays, Bella Flora’s sanctuary may be threatened for all of the women who call it home.

Coming Soon: American Honey

I am thrilled to announce my second novel, American Honey. It will be published by my small press, Bloomwood Books, very soon! If you've read my debut novel, True Love Way, my novelette Cupid On Deck, and/or my short story in the Sunlounger anthology, you'll notice that American Honey is a departure from my previous work. The characters are much younger, and it's the first time my main characters originate from somewhere other than the West Coast. It's my first story set in the South. I'm really excited to share it with you! I've been working on it for over two years. I think American Honey is best described as a cross between the Disney Channel series Austin & Ally and ABC’s Nashville. 

Book Description

After graduating high school, Olivia “Ollie” McKenna leaves her small town roots in Summerville, Georgia, to pursue her dream of becoming a professional singer. With her best friend and older sister in tow, wholesome Ollie travels to the big city to compete in singing contest Atlanta Idol. There she meets nineteen-year-old Jack Bradley, a fellow country singer who quickly becomes a close friend. The connection between them is magnetic and an opportunity to sing together could change their lives forever. But what about Ollie’s mama’s fear of the music business? She’s been burned by the lures of the bright lights before and doesn’t want Ollie anywhere near that world. And Ollie’s growing feelings for Jack as more than just a pal could ruin everything. Despite her own doubts, Ollie is determined to win. Can she make her dream come true or will she return to her hometown empty-handed and brokenhearted? 

Sad News from Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy

It’s a sad time for chick lit fans, especially those enamored with arguably the most beloved heroine in the genre: Bridget Jones. The first two novels are iconic and basically define chick lit. Everyone knows Bridget Jones, millions love her and her story, and so many people have been rooting for her for years and have been excitedly gearing up for the third book in the series, due out next month. Then an article ran in The Sunday Times yesterday, and everything changed.

This is when the spoilers start, so if you haven’t heard the news and are still blissfully waiting to read Mad About the Boy, then stop right here. If you’ve heard already or want to know, here we go…  

Mark Darcy is dead. Yes, that’s right. Bridget’s love interest, happily-ever-after, husband is gone. And Bridget is single again at fifty one years old. That’s how the new book kicks off. Why oh why did author Helen Fielding do this? Why, why, why? If she wanted to break them up, then okay. Divorce them, or separate them, or reveal that Darcy is gay… Anything but kill him off! Bridget and Darcy have two kids together, so she’s raising them alone while trying to date again. Maybe Fielding wanted to explore being single at an older age and for different reasons. But this is not the story to do that. Write a completely new story with new characters and a widowed heroine at the forefront. But don’t write this for Bridget. It’s just wrong.

And here’s why: Now the preceding two novels are ruined. Who is going to read those knowing that Darcy dies? That puts a damper on those stories because how can anyone be happy for Bridget reading those books knowing what will happen? Plus, chick lit is an upbeat genre. People don’t want read it to be depressed. And let’s face it… Darcy’s death is depressing. Poor Bridget. The poor children. Poor Darcy! It’s just awful. No one opens chick lit wanting to read any of that.

So, that brings up an interesting question… Is the new Bridget Jones novel chick lit? Or has Fielding veered off into women’s fiction of the more serious variety? Is it possible that Fielding has succumbed to the awful trend in publishing now? You know the one where any kind of women’s fiction has to be riddled with depressing subjects (divorce, death, cancer, etc.) for a publisher to jump on board. Believe me, I get it. That stuff is real life. But real life is also happy and full of love, and a lot of people do get the fairytale, the happily ever after. And that is the heart of chick lit. If readers want to be saddened, not entertained, then chick lit is not the genre to read.

Or even worse, did Fielding do this for shock value and as a publicity stunt? It’s quite horrifying that not only Fielding, but her entire team think killing off Darcy is a good idea and a good direction for Bridget’s story. But why, after all these years, ruin what Bridget’s fans love so much? It’s mindboggling.

What do you think? Are you outraged? Will you still read Mad About the Boy or are you going to ignore its existence and pretend Bridget and Darcy are still together? In remembrance of Darcy, share your favorite scenes, what you love the most about him, and what you love about his relationship with Bridget.