Fall in the Mountains

I love the colors of fall, and there's no better place to see it all than right here in Central Virginia. I tried to snap pictures of the scenery while driving across the mountain by Skyline Drive, but that didn't work out so well. So... after I got over the mountain, I pulled off the road into the parking lot of Elkton School, and got this great shot of the fantastic trees sitting out front. And this is just a wee bit of the color you'll see when you visit our area. The Shenandoah National Park is magnificent. There's so much color everywhere. For those of you who visit Massanutten Resort to see the changing of the leaves, this coming week is the week to be here. Colors will be at their peak. Also, because it's fall, there will be so many events going on you won't be able to take them all in. Plenty to do!

So, come visit Virginia and see why we love living here!

Oh, and I almost forgot to tell you about the wildflowers that pop up everywhere. This stretch is on Rt. 33 just before you get to Elkton, Virginia. Beautiful!

Making Friends

One great thing about being an author is that you meet some pretty nice people. I met Sheryl at Massanutten, she bought the first two books in my series, and then wanted more. When she called me to find out where she could buy the others, I invited her to my house (I don't live far from the resort). So she came by, and we had a fun time. Sheryl, I hope you enjoy the rest of my books, and will stop by again when you're out this way.

Another day in the life of an author. Making new friends is always a good thing!

Makes Me Smile

This picture just makes my day—a smiling reader showing off her copy of my book. Doesn't get much better than this. Thanks, Danielle!

Getting emails can be so much fun, especially when they come with this kind of atttachment. 

Words and Wine

Please join us for an evening of Words and Wine to benefit SAFE (Services to Abused Families). SAFE provides assistance to victims of sexual abuse and domestice violence in five Central Virginia counties.

The event will take place Saturday, October 6, 2012, 6-10 PM at Prince Michel Winery, Leon, VA. Tickets are $50 per person (sounds like a lot, but it's for a good cause and your contribution is tax deductible). There will be lots of authors on hand who have donated copies of their books for the silent auction, and who will also have copies of their books for sale. New York Times bestselling author of A Slave in the White House: Paul Jennings and the Madisons, Elizabeth Dowling Taylor, will be the featured speaker.

Wine, hors d'oeuvres, carving stations with roast beef and ham, coffee and desserts will be served. Dressy casual.

So please join me this Saturday at Prince Michel Winery! Hope to see you there!

http://www.princemichel.com/
1-800-800-9463

http://www.safejourneys.org/
1-800-825-8876 

FREE on Kindle, October 3, 2012, Wednesday. WHAT YOU SEE, book #1 in the Jesse Watson Mystery series. Check out Jesse and her crew. mystery/suspense/romance/humor http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006WOBQOM#_ 

At thirty-one, Jesse Watson had reached an impasse in her life. It was time for a change. Her job was unfulfilling and her love life was non-existent. Something had to give. Heeding her parents’ advice, she quit her job, gave up her apartment and moved with them to the mountains of Virginia. Her intentions were to find a job and eventually get a place of her own. All that changed the day she went to work for Billy Blackhawk, private eye and Cherokee Indian. Her secretarial skills could not prepare her for what she was about to encounter and her safe and secure life would never be the same.

While in search for a missing girl, a quiet, rural country life with its beautiful mountain scenery quickly becomes a place of danger, murder and mayhem. Jesse faces the wrath of a disturbed, dysfunctional family determined to save themselves at all cost, even to the point of turning on each other. Soon it becomes a race for time as Jesse realizes the life she saves might well be her own.

What you see just may kill you.

*Excerpt from the book: I lay there for what seemed like an eternity. The air had become hot and humid from the late afternoon rain. My knee was throbbing and the cut on my forehead was still bleeding. I held my breath as I crouched down, hiding in the damp leaves and the tangled mass of underbrush. Coming here alone was a stupid mistake... possibly the last one I’d ever make. There was a killer on the loose and he was searching for me. Then I heard a twig snap...