First, allow me to wish you a very happy Easter Sunday. No matter the circumstances or what's wrong in the world, Easter Sunday is a good day for me. It's a day or rejoicing and imminent hope and the reminder that this is all temporary and things get better. "Better" doesn't mean there won't be hardships between now and then--house crisis today is proof--but it's reassurance that the plumbing in heaven is bound to be better than it is here on Earth.

I finished my edits today and handed them in. The minute I did, I found a mistake. Go figure. But that's the game, isn't it? Do you best and realize it's never perfect? LOL  So I swallowed my pride and sent revised edits to my editor. She either loves me for my dedication and despises my anal retentive qualities. 

I did a little shopping, too. I replaced a good deal of furniture in my house late last fall that has been hanging around 20+ years, and I'm just getting caught up on the redecorating portion that makes it all work together. Painting is next. (Do NOT tell Mr. Kelli. He gets cranked out over painting.) But so far? Seriously happy with the results. :)

And in shopping, I found a GREAT store. New, but their stuff is so, so awesome. They do a lot of custom work as well as their standard decorating fare, so if you wanted something customized, I bet you'd be able to get just what you were after. (I did!) The store is called The Shelled Shore. You can find them on Etsy or Facebook. I desperately want the ice chest (on Facebook) next!  If you are looking for anything nautical, this is the place to start your search. :)

Anyway, I just wanted to pop on and share my wish for your Easter holiday to be full of joy and happiness as well as share my fabulous find for home decor (I'm a slave to pretties) with The Shelled Shore. Make sure to tell them Kelli sent you. ;)

I've been quietly (anxiously, nervously, eagerly) biding my time to share the good news. Well, the contracts are signed and in the mail back to Toronto and the deal has been announced in Publisher's Marketplace, so it's time...

There will be more cowboys.

That's right. Cowboys.

I'm so excited, I don't know what to do with myself!
Well, obviously, the answer is, "Write, you idiot."
But I'm trying to be nicer to myself this year. :)

The new series is an spin-off-but-extension-of the world I created for the Wild Western Heat trilogy. Each standalone book is about one of three brothers whose childhood ranch was wrecked and then lost to the spread of BRD (Bovine Respiratory Disease)--the very disease that nearly took out the neighboring Covington ranch. The Monroe brothers are faced with a time crunch in which they either make enough money to buy the ranch back from the bank or lose their legacy to a venture capital company interested in building more tourist attractions to draw people to the area in conjunction with the Covington's dude ranch.

The brothers Monroe decide to open an exclusive excursion company that caters to the dude ranch clientele. It will be hard-earned but fast money that pays them for doing what they most enjoy in order to buy back the land that has defined their family for generations.

The one thing no Monroe brother ever counted on was the depth of the emotional journey each will undertake and the powerful reality that each journey's center will revolve around they one adventure they've collectively sworn off:
falling in love.

Cue the choir, folks. These white knights are women who know exactly what each Monroe brother needs. Sure, they don't know at first. There's animosity, a little resentment and a whole lot of "what the hell?" 

It's what happens in those final pages that matters most.

So when does the first Monroe brothers book come out? Good question. I don't have a publication schedule yet, but the first book is due in August 2016. The plot is spinning through my head, gathering momentum as I get ready to dive into book one. Before more cowboys can happen, though, I have to finish writing the third book in my paranormal series,
The Assassin's Arcanum. 

I hope you are all settling into a beautiful spring no matter where you are, and that you've already (successfully) begun the hunt for the perfect summer reads. I'll have some definite recommendations in that department, so stay tuned...

First, let's just get this out of the way. 

I'm OLD.

How old? I remember when this song was released. I remember rollerskating to this song at the skating rink while the disco ball flashed a million colors over the maple-colored floor. I remember when AquaNet helped feather my hair back a la OMD-style, but I never did get that lift they had. I was more Farrah Fawcett without the skin, hair or body. Okay, so I was a beanpole with jeans that were always a tad too short, long dark hair and a quick smile.

At least some things haven't changed. I'm still a smiler. :)

But this isn't what I intended to talk about! Well, it wasn't until I started obsessing over the age thing. Now, my age might be at least part of the point. Let's revisit that later--and by "later," I mean between someone has to start pureeing my peas.

So why am I here? I have a secret! By definition, a secret is something I can't share. Details, anyway. I can, however, tell you that the whole of the secret involves cowboys and words and happy endings. It's going to be so awesome to share with you everything that's happened over the last few weeks! I'm guessing I'll have the official announcement in a couple of weeks, so be sure to check back soon!

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy some good weather and, if you're stuck inside, that your hot cocoa is spiked with adult peppermint goodness. 

Until next time,
Kelli