Tallahassee Book Signing

 

Saturday's book signing at the Tallahasee Books-A-Million exceeded my expectations!  Not only did people turn out to buy copies of Rancher's Son, but I met lots of truly fantastic readers!

Cocoa Beach Library Event

 

Look where I'll be Wednesday night.

I hope you'll be there, too!

 

Time for Contests!

Contests, contests, contests.

When she visited STAR, my local RWA chapter , Random House editor-at-large Sue Grimshaw reminded everyone that writing contests serve a vital place.  Quite often, she said, she looks over the author's bio before selecting an item to read from the slush pile.  The submissions that include one or more contest finals or wins are the ones that will snag her attention.

For unpublished writers, the contest "season" runs year round.  Pick a month.  Any month.  Look in the back of the Romance Writers Report.  You'll find one or two, sometimes more, contest deadlines.   

For published authors, the contest season is much shorter.  Most of those contests open in November and close in December or January because they use the copyright date as an entrance criteria.  For instance, the 2013 contest season is underway for books published in 2012. 

I had two books hit store shelves in 2012, Rodeo Daughter and Rancher's Son.  Which meant I had twice as many contest entries to prepare this year.  For the last few days I've been busy filling out entry forms, autographing books and packing envelopes to mail.

Here's the result, all ready to take to the Post Office. 

Don't they all look like winners?

Release Day Tidbits

Tomorrow is the long-awaited release day for Rancher's Son! 

In honor of the occasion, I Googled the title this morning.  It always amazes me what little tidbits you can find on-line.  For instance...

Rancher's Son is on sale in the UK!  See http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ranchers-American-Romance-Fatherhood-ebook/dp/B009USMQIC 

Genre Go Round Reviews gave Rancher's Son a very positive review saying, " Character driven, fans will enjoy this engaging Yuletide romance as a late twist accentuates that love is the foundation for a functioning family." 

If you haven't had the opportunity, I hope you'll "like" my page at www.facebook.com/LeighDuncanBooks for a chance to win a prize package that includes an autographed copy of Rancher's Son. 

And last, but puzzlingly not least, a copy of Rancher's Son sold on Ebay in October, nearly two months before the release date.  I'm scratching my head over that one.  If you can shed some light on how that happened, I'd love to hear from you. 


   

Counting Down To Release With A Contest!

One week from today, on November 27th, Rancher's Son arrives in book stores and e-readers.  Kicking off the week leading up to release day, I'm holding a contest! 

Want to win an autographed copy of Rancher's Son and more????

It's easy!

Simply 

"Like" my author page at:

 

www.Facebook.com/LeighDuncanBooks

 

On 11/27/12, I'll pick two names at random from all my followers to receive bookmarks, autographed copies of Rodeo Daughter and Rancher's Son...and more!

One additional name will be selected, again, at random, to receive the same prize package from new "likes" between today, November 20th, and release day, November 27th!

(Prize packages can be mailed to only US and Canada addresses.)

Rancher's Son Rave Reviews

The reviews of Rancher's Son are in...and it's a hit!


Coffee Time Romance and More
5 Coffee Cups!

"A wonderful story of second chances and new beginnings--Western style...an enjoyable read with charismatic and likeable characters." 
                       
 Night Owl Reviews

"A heartwarming story...the kind of story that Harlequin does best...I loved it!"
                                 
 Harlequin Junkie

"A sweet American romance that will steal your heart...The story is profound and has some secrets that might just surprise you."

                      
 Romance Reviews Today

"May leave readers with a tear in the eye...An enjoyable tale with a sweet romance."
                                               

Pre-order your copy of Rancher's Son today or pick up a copy on release day--November 27th--from:

 

Harlequin     

Barnes & Noble    

BooksAMillion

Amazon

 

It's an end-of-the-year blow-out at The Romance Reviews!

A copy of my December release, Rancher's Son, is one of the many prizes to be given away during this month-long event.

Join the fun at The Romance Reviews for a chance to win books, swag and tons of prizes, including the Grand Prize--a one-hundred dollar gift card. 

A Visit with Rancher's Son's Hero and Heroine

Swing on over to the Harlequin American Author's blog today where Sarah and Ty, the heroine and hero of Rancher's Son, have dropped in for a chat.  I'm offering up bookmarks and chances to win copies of great Harlequin American Romances.  http://harauthors.blogspot.com/

A Weekend of Music

In the past few years, hubby has turned his attention from fly fishing to bluegrass and old-time country music.  Which means, whenever we can, we spend a day or two at a music festival.  This weekend was one of the best within driving range--at the Barberville Pioneer Settlement for the Creative Arts.  

Somewhere near 100 groups performed at various venues ranging from an old-fashioned church to outdoor pavillions and a barn.  At the same time, there were workshops on all aspects of bluegrass, folk and old-time country music, even a few on songwriting. 

While I enjoy spending the day listening to banjo and fiddle music, for hubby, there's nothing better than sitting in on a jam.   

Hubby, on the right, my sister and brother-in-law, and a close friend, headed for music and fun!

 

Every seat in the barn taken while Just N Time plays.

The Stone Family Band plays gospel at the Sugarcane Tent.

There's hubby, doing what he loves best, playing in Jam Tent #2.

SURPRISE DELIVERY

The doorbell rang this morning.  Not expecting guests or deliveries, I was surprised to see the DHL courier standing on the porch.  In his hands, he carried a large box from my editor.  She’d found a dozen copies of The Officer’s Girl and wanted to make sure I had them. 

"Leigh Duncan gives the term 'beach read' a whole new meaning," said Becke Davis in a review of The Officer's Girl for Buy the Book.  "She makes you feel the sultry Florida heat, but the story--true to the Harlequin American Romance style--is heartwarming, sexy and sweet."

Heartwarming is a word a lot of reviewers use to describe my books.  Night Owl Reviews calls my latest one Rancher's Son a "heartwarming story...the kind of story Harlequin does best."  Romance Reviews Today calls it "an enjoyable tale with a sweet romance." 

Rancher's Son will be available the end of November, just in time for Christmas.  But since I now have extra copies of The Officer’s Girl, I think I should share them with you, don't you?  The Officer's Girl has been out of print for a while, so this is a rare treat! 

 

Comment here for a chance to win one of two copies of The Officer’s Girl.  Names will be chosen at random from the comments made between now and 10 AM EDT Tuesday, 10/30/12.  US or Canada only, please. 

PLANES, HURRICANES AND WEDDINGS

(This post, which I wrote shortly after my own daughter's wedding, goes out to my good friend, Leslie Kelly. Leslie's daughter is getting married this weekend and, like it did with my daughter, a hurricane threatens to ruin months of planning. Fingers crossed that all works out as well for your daughter as it did for mine, Les.)
 

            My husband and I live just yards away from the ocean on Florida’s East Coast.  The old-timers call our section of the state Hurricane Alley because big tropical storms regularly blow our way.  When that happens we evacuate further inland to my sister’s house taking our most precious possessions along with us – the family photo albums, the dishes Nana’s mom brought from “the old country”, my grandmother’s heirloom quilts … and my husband’s fly rods.  Once, we didn’t move quickly enough and spent twelve terrifying hours stranded on the wrong side of the causeway when a hurricane hit.   After watching whole trees fly past our windows and listening to our walls groan in the wind, we vowed, “Never again!” and considered ourselves experts on these big storms.   Our advice?   “Get out of their way!”

          Looking back, it was good advice.  Too bad we didn't consider it when planning our daughter's wedding.  Despite reams of lists and months of preparation, none of us ever considered the impact of a major hurricane moving straight up the Atlantic coast and into Washington, DC.  I wish we had.

            When our daughter's Maryland wedding approached, hubby and I flew up a week before the wedding to help with those pesky last minute details – like paying the bills.  We left Florida on Friday, leaving clear skies and balmy weather behind us.  At my daughter’s, the telephone rang on Sunday. 

            “We’re heading to your house,” my sister announced.  “What do you want us to get?”

            I had no idea what she was talking about and told her so.

            “You haven’t heard about Floyd?” she asked, incredulous.  “Don’t you watch the weather up there?  Floyd’s a Category 4 storm and he’s headed straight for us.”

            I don’t know who decided on giving names to hurricanes; someone with a wicked sense of humor who wanted to imbue them with personalities, I guess, but a Category 4 storm was nothing to ignore.  Storms get their ratings according to their strength with Category 1’s something like a toddler having a temper tantrum in a toy store.  Andrew, who nearly destroyed South Florida, was the giant who squished the toy store flat at Category 5.

             I asked the really important question, “Are you still coming to the wedding?”

            My question was met by dead silence.  At last I heard a big sigh.  “If the airports don’t close and if we still have a house after this storm, we’ll be there … but I wouldn’t count on it.”

            Uh oh.  My sister was the wedding coordinator and if she couldn’t make it, we had a big problem.  Without her, we had no one to oversee the caterer, no one to meet the florist at the church, no one to make sure everyone walked down the aisle on time, no one to hold the smelling salts.  The way things were going I was pretty sure we’d need those smelling salts.

            The telephone rang again.  Someone else wasn’t going to make it out of Florida for the wedding.  By Monday night, we had ten cancellations.  Tuesday, another ten.  That night, Floyd made a last minute turn, struck Florida a mild, glancing blow and decided instead to head up the East Coast.  The cancellations moved right along with him. 

            Now, if you’ve ever planned a wedding, you know that the caterer gets paid in advance.  Everything is based on head count and that number is decided upon weeks before the wedding.  Last minute cancellations are like flushing money down the toilet; you’ve paid for the meal, the drinks and the cake, but no one will be there to consume them.  By Wednesday, thirty-five of our one hundred and fifty guests had cancelled; the toilet was flushing like crazy, and Floyd was bearing down on Baltimore.

            We called the caterer.  He suggested we re-schedule.  “Out of the question!” snapped the bride.  We agreed to talk again the next day. 

            Thursday and Floyd arrived together.  The airports closed.  The schools closed.  The banks closed.  But we were in full wedding mode.  Armed with lists of errands, we turned a deaf ear to the storm warnings and ventured out into high winds and torrential rains.  By noon, the father of the bride had driven far enough. 

            “We’re going home,” he said.

            “One more stop,” the bride replied.  “We have to pick up my wedding gown.”

            A huge gust of wind buffeted the car, pushing us into the on-coming lane.  I screamed.  Luckily, ours was the only vehicle on the road.  Hubby muscled us back into the right-hand lane. 

            “Nope,” he said and started turning the wheel. 

            “What about my gown?” she asked. 

            “If you die trying to get it, you won’t need it,” he answered.

            I tightened my seat belt and longed for the peace and quiet of the hotel.  We had reservations starting that night.  Or at least we did … until the airport at BWI closed.  When we tried to check in, our suite was not available.  Someone else’s flight had been cancelled and they had not checked out on schedule. 

            “Throw the bums out,” my husband grumbled.

            “Sir, we can’t force them out into the middle of a hurricane,” replied the clerk without seeming to understand that she was doing the same thing to us.  

              By Friday morning the storm had passed, the airports re-opened, and people from all over the country were calling to un-cancel their cancellations.  Thinking the worst was over, the bride and I hopped into our rental car, drove over power lines and around downed tree limbs, picked up the wedding gown and managed to arrive at the rehearsal only 45 minutes late.

            “It’s all downhill from here,” I thought as the minister took his place at the front of the church. 

            But instead of putting us through our paces, the minister asked, "Has anyone checked on the ballroom?"  He was only asking because he had just stopped at the McDonalds next door.  The McDonalds didn’t have electricity and was closed.  A sign on the door said it might be several days before power was restored.

            I had attended a wedding once where the electricity had failed; I didn’t want to do it again. I reached for the paper bag I carried for just such emergencies and tried to remember my doctor’s advice:   “Put the bag over your mouth and breathe slowly.  Everything will be okay.  Just breathe.”

            Picking the right date for a wedding is second in difficulty only to finding the right gal or the right guy to marry.  Everyone has a time when they absolutely, positively cannot be there.  Our groom was an ardent basketball fan; he ruled out an entire season.  The bride didn’t want to “glow” in her wedding gown; she vetoed the summer.  One brother-in-law handed us a Florida State University football schedule and told us to count him out if FSU was playing the weekend of the wedding.  Even my hubby weighed in, suggesting we avoid times when the fish were running.  (His request was overruled; no one can be that flexible.)

            This was our first experience in planning a wedding.  Since we only have one daughter, it will be our last.  In setting the date, we tried to consider everyone’s needs. 

 

            If we had to do it over again, I wouldn’t listen to a word they said.  I’d just pay more attention to the weather.

Writers.  Sometimes our conversations veer in strange directions.

For instance, at Writers’ Camp the other day we took a break after an intense two-hour stretch to discuss what we’d like to have as our last meal.  (Don’t get me started on the connection between marathon writing days and thoughts of last meals.) 

One of my friends swears it’s shrimp-and-grits for her.  But she’s not talking about bland white grits with a sprinkle of cheese with a few rubbery shrimp on the side.  She’s talking about ‘Nawlin’s style shrimp-‘n-grits, which is a whole nother deal.  Delicately cooked, plump shrimp.  A fabulous spicy sauce flavored with bits of ham.  Coarsely ground, slow-cooked grits. (For the Northerners among us, think cream of wheat with butter and salt instead of sugar and you’ll be in the ball park.  Not running the bases, mind you, but at least in the ball park.)  Done right, shrimp-and-grits is mouth-watering goodness.

Not to be outdone, the rest of us weighed in with our last meal choices.  One wants a perfectly grilled steak with twice-baked potatoes.  One who, I swear, will be watching her figure on her deathbed, specified salmon and spinach. 

Me, I’m partial to rack of lamb with a nice merlot sauce.  I always thought I’d top it off with one of those super-rich chocolate desserts.  Maybe one of those molten lava cakes.  You know, the kind where you slice into warm chocolate cake and this liquid chocolate sauce flows out. 

The only thing better than chocolate, however, might be a slice (or two, since it’s my last meal, right?) of Key Lime pie.  I had a bite of the perfect pie this weekend when hubby was kind enough to share his from Harry’s Seafood Bar and Grill in Tallahassee, Florida.

I tell you, one taste and my mouth thought it had died and gone straight to heaven. 

Digging A Little Deeper Into Facebook

“You must have an Author Page,” my friend said.

“Why?” I asked.

“Once you have over three-thousand friends on Facebook, the site will cut you off,” came the response.
 

“Not a problem,” I insisted after checking my lowly Friends count.  “I’m a long, long way from that.”

“But it’s hard to make the switch.  You need to act now.”

Convinced, I corralled another friend, Kristen Painter (www.kristenpainter.com) , to spend an afternoon giving pointers.  She was/is a saint.  And one of the most knowledgeable people I know.  As co-founder of Romance Divas (www.romancedivas.com) she’s so techno-savvy, there are times I just keep my mouth shut rather than taking the risk that my ignorance will slip out. 

But for one whole afternoon, she taught and I, well, I tried to absorb. 

Let’s just say I’m not exactly a sponge, okay?
But Kristen is such a good instructor that I walked away, my head fairly bursting with knowledge, the owner of a brand, spanking new author page...with nothing on it.  A blank slate, if you will.

 

I immediately set to work designing a “cover” (Facebook-ese for pretty banner) and populating my About sheets (more Facebook-ese for “important information).    Despite a few roadblocks,

things turned out pretty well.  Or at least, I think they did.  Why
don’t you check it out yourself at: 
www.facebook.com/LeighDuncanBooks. 

Stick around long
enough to “Like” the page, and I’ll keep you informed with all my
writing news and updates.

The Reward

The other day, I asked if you could guess what was on its way to my house.

Do you think you know?

One last hint:

 

 

It's not a very big box, is it? 

Certainly not large enough to hold

the culmination of months of effort.

Mine and many others.

So, are you ready for the big reveal?

 

 

 

Here they are, the advance copies of Rancher's Son. 

Most of them will go to reviewers.  A few I'll tuck away...forever.

In the meantime, I have something else to give away. 

If you'd like a Rancher's Son autographed bookmark, send your snail mail address to me at:  leigh@leighduncan.com



Guess What's Coming To My House Today

The notice below appeared in my inbox yesterday morning.  Can you guess what's coming to my house later today?  Or why I'm sooo excited about this package?


This notice alerts you that the shipment listed below is scheduled for delivery tomorrow.

Scheduled Delivery Date: Monday, 10/08/2012

If the scheduled delivery needs to be changed, select the Tracking Number below or log on to ups.com to request a delivery change from the tracking detail.

Shipment 1

---

Shipper: HARLEQUIN

Approximate Delivery Time: between 3:15 PM and 7:00 PM

I'm visiting the Gem State Writers today and hope you will, too.  I'll be talking about where we get the characters for our books, so swing on over and say, "Hi!"

http://gemstatewriters.wordpress.com/

An Early Christmas Present

“Your Christmas book.” 

For months, that’s how my editor and I referred to my fourth book for Harlequin American Romance.  See, I’d told her the story took place around Christmas time, and she said something along the lines of, “It’d be good for you to have a Christmas book.”  So, even though the most of the story takes place after Christmas, it went on the December schedule.  And, until we decided on a title, we referred to it as “your Christmas book.” 

Is it any wonder that when we started talking about cover art, I imagined a Christmas tree and gaily wrapped packages? 

Months passed.  The story progressed from a one paragraph summary to a ten-page synopsis to a full manuscript.  For weeks, I rode along with Ty and Sarah on a cattle drive through Florida’s version of the Old West while their ties to the little boy abandoned on Sarah’s doorstep Christmas Eve deepened. 

Though we still occasionally referred to it as “your Christmas book,” the story found a great title:  Rancher’s Son. 

And then came the day when the cover art for Rancher’s Son arrived in my inbox.  I clicked on it...and instantly fell in love with Harlequin’s Art Department...again.  Because of all my covers, this is my favorite. 

Her job with the Department of Children and Family Services has exposed Sarah Magarity to the worst side of parenting, so much so that the altruistic red-head has vowed never to have children of her own.  Fourth-generation cattleman Ty Parker looks into his childless future and wonders what will become of the ranch he’s worked so hard to preserve.  His answer might be a five-year-old boy abandoned on DCF’s doorstep, but only if the cowboy convinces the jaded social worker that he’s good father material on a two-week cattle drive through Florida’s version of the Old West.

Rancher’s Son goes on sale November 27th, just in time for...Christmas!

Catching Up On Book Reviews

In between writing, writing, writing, I've been reading, reading, reading.  And now it's time to share some of my recent favorites with you.   

What I'm looking forward to:

Kristen Painter's Out for Blood, October 30th from Orbit Publishing

What I enjoyed:

Barefoot in the Rain by Roxanne St. Claire
Grand Central Publishing
Available October 30

 

I love reunion stories, and Barefoot in the Rain is one of the best ever.  Gripping emotion and sizzling attraction in an incredibly beautiful setting—these are hallmarks of Roxanne St. Claire’s books.  And in Barefoot in the Rain, she brings them all together to tell Jocelyn and Will’s story.  This second book in the Barefoot Bay Series starts out with a brief, but so important, glimpse into Jocelyn and Will’s past.  The event that shattered their love made me ache for them to get back together.  It also gave this reader an incredible insight into why Jocelyn has such strong, protective walls around her heart.  Will might be a gorgeous hunk of a baseball player, but reuniting these two will take much more than good looks.   Other things that set this story above the norm were the unfolding of secondary characters and the touching way in which Roxanne handled the challenges of dealing with Alzheimer’s.  I laughed.  I cried.  I couldn’t put this book down.

 

The Five Kisses

By Karla Darcy

Glades Publishing, August 2012

Short and sweet, these are the words that best describe Karla Darcy’s latest Regency Romance, The Five Kisses.  I found this story highly entertaining, a great way to spend an afternoon.  Regency Romance is not one of my fav sub-genres, but Ms. Darcy snagged my interest with her opening lines and kept me captivated straight through to the very end.  I look forward to the next book from this wonderful author.

 

Silent Witness by Diane Burke

Love Inspired Suspense

Available August 1st

 

Another reunion story and, as I said, I love ‘em.   

A double-murder in a small town brings Sheriff Elizabeth Bradford face-to-face with the man who broke her heart, the one she can never forget.  But Adam isn’t the same boy who left town—left her—so many years ago.  For one thing, he’s discovered faith, and puts that faith into action.  Some things haven’t changed, and Adam’s insistence on calling her Lizzie stirs up all the feelings Sheriff Bradford thought she’d buried.  As the two work together to protect an orphaned, autistic child, Lizzie and Adam face enough challenges to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. 

A beautiful story, beautifully written.  Diane Burke has another winner in Silent Witness. 

Don’t You Wish by Roxanne St. Claire

Delacorte Press
July 2012

 

I picked up a copy of Don’t You Wish this week expecting a light and frothy, fun, summer read.  And it is.  But it’s so, so much more.  Engaging, interesting, wonderful—I could go on and on.  The story hooked me from the opening scene where Annie Nutter, the heroine, sits in the front row of her school bus  watching--okay, getting smacked by—the popular kids as they pass her by.  Immediately, I could relate.  I am Annie Nutter.  Aren’t we all?   

I could not put this book down!  It’ll take more than one caramel macchiato to get me through the day ‘cause I stayed up all night reading it.  Annie/Ayla’s story is surprisingly deep, with more emotional twists than I thought a story like this would have.  I loved, loved, loved this book and will be on the lookout for more great YA reads from Roxanne St. Claire.

Can I Get An Amen by Sarah Healy

NAL Trade

Available June 2012        

 

I’m not usually a fan of first person narrative, but Sarah Healy’s debut book, Can I Get An Amen, hooked me from the opening lines and refused to let go through the closing paragraph.  Bravo, Ms. Healy, for creating a thoroughly engaging, while thought-provoking, read.  I look forward to reading more of your work in the future. 

 

The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck

Thomas Nelson Publishers
April 2012

 

No doubt about it, Rachel Hauck is an amazing writer. Her Inspirational Romance stirs the heart, the soul and the spirit. The books she co-writes with CW star Sarah Evans are superb. But in The Wedding Dress, Rachel shows her true gift for combining tears, laughter and a heartwarming story into one terrific book that leaves the reader with a fabulous takeaway.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

A flurry of activity kicks off the day a new book is released.  Especially when that new book is a Harlequin American Romance, like my June release, Rodeo Daughter.  By the time the book is available, I’ve spent more than a year writing and revising it with the help of my fabulous editor, Laura Barth, and  keeping my fingers crossed that the Art Department comes through with another terrific cover (for all my three books, they’ve hit three home runs).  Despite the efforts of so many people who come together to make each book perfect for our readers, Harlequin American Romances are only available in book stores for a short time.  So, I try to make the most of it. 

Long before the actual release date, I send out review copies and start bending the arms of my good friends, hoping they’ll let me kidnap their blog for a day.  But the fun really gets under way at the first book signing.  Here, I’m very lucky because Kaori Suzuki-Fischer, RWA’s 2011 Bookseller of the Year, is the New Business Manager at “my” Barnes & Noble, and she loves nothing better than filling the store with romance authors and their readers.  This time, the phenomenal Roxanne St. Claire (Barefoot in the Sand), Rachel Hauk (The Wedding Dress) and I teamed up to do exactly that. 

That’s me.

That’s Roxanne on the left, Rachel on the right.

Did you notice the bags of caramel corn I gave away to anyone who stopped at my table?

A family reunion in St. Augustine meant a chance to share Rodeo Daughter with some of my cousins and the only aunt I have left on my dad’s side of the family.  That’s Aunt Doris, off to the left.  She’s a great fan of the Oakridge Boys, and there are stories I could tell you about that, but it’ll have to wait for another day. 

From St. Augustine, hubby and I trekked up to Tallahassee where our son and his lovely bride make their home.  This time the trip, which normally takes about three hours, took quite a bit longer because I insisted we stop at every Wal-Mart and Target along the way so I could drop in and sign books.   Another book signing, this time at Books A Million, closed out the trip before we headed for home. 

Once we were back, I spent several days dropping in at book stores, Wal-Mart and Target department stores (pretty much wherever Rodeo Daughter was on sale in Central Florida).  But since I was on my home turf, so to speak, I found these drive-by book signings a tad on the expensive side.  One problem with writing for a living is that, strange as it might seem, I don’t get out much.  When I do, I tend to take advantage of it.  A blue ray player, a new phone system, several books by authors I’d been wanting to read, fishing gear and several full shopping carts later I decided that drive-by book signings, as much fun as they are to do, might not be the healthiest choice I can make for my pocket book. 

Now that July is upon us and four more terrific Harlequin American Romances are available, my promotional efforts for Rodeo Daughter are winding down.  As with all Harlequin releases, Rodeo Daughter will always be available as an e-book.  If you’d like an autographed book mark, just email me at leigh@leighduncan.com, and I’ll drop one in the mail to you (N. America addresses only, please).  In the meantime, I’ll be hard at work on my next book for Harlequin American Romance and looking forward to the release of Rancher’s Son in November.