A New Direction

Posted on May 16, 2025 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome author Gemma St. Claire. Today, Gemma shares an inspiring comeback story and her new release, Dreaming of the Dance.

Here’s Gemma!

Oh, how life can sometimes get in the way!

Nine years ago, I was tooling along, churning out a paranormal/ghost romance series as “Claire Gem.” The ideas just kept coming and I couldn’t type fast enough to get them down, and then…

The Big C came to call. A diagnosis of stomach cancer completely derailed my life. My doctors said it was “treatable,” and “if you had to get cancer, you got the best kind.” (Whoop dee do, I’m such an overachiever.)

But my writing life—along with lots of other things in my world, took a back seat while I endured 24 radiation treatments and the resulting burns and internal damage to my stomach and lungs.

Then, just when I thought I had this beast beat, another speed bump tripped me up (literally!), this time resulting in a fall that not only broke my shoulder but caused nerve damage—to my right arm and hand. I am right-handed… or was. For nearly two years, I couldn’t type, write, or even hold a fork with my right hand. I struggle with the residual nerve pain to this day.

“Claire Gem” got tired of waiting and drifted off somewhere. But my writing muse, sitting atop my monitor with a stern expression, demanded I continue to write. Thus, “Gemma St. Claire” was born.

To anyone who is faced with a life challenge that derails your plans, this quote by American media personality Germany Kent states my advice perfectly:

“Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction.”

My new series is sweet historical romance, where I take you back to 15th C Flanders to visit Coudenburg Palace in Brussels, when Duke Philip the Good reigned. You will meet the Daughters of the Duchess, a collection of the duke’s illegitimate daughters who were sprinkled about his dukedom. The Duchess Isabella has decided (in my fanciful recreation of her personality) to gather these forgotten daughters, one by one, and provide for them a better life. And, mayhap, love.

Tag Line

She dreams of a knight, but he shuns the title. Can a flawed but proud maiden see past the façade of knighthood to recognize real valor?

Blurb

Fifteenth Century, Burgundy. Eva of Utrecht is an unrecognized, illegitimate daughter of the Duke Philip III. Flawed by a birth defect that labels her a “creple,” Eva’s dreams of becoming a knight’s lady seem impossible… until a missive arrives from Coudenburg Castle. An invitation to the May Day Festival may be her chance to win the heart of one of duke’s knights.

Mathieu of Liège is the duke’s ostler, in charge of the horses and hunting falcons, a role he loves. Although a son of a knight, Mathieu has no interest in pursuing the warrior’s path, as he bears the scar on his face as evidence of “noble” brutality.

When he is charged as chaperone to the crippled Eva, his initial resentment turns to something he doesn’t know how to deal with: an affection for this flawed but proud and stubborn young beauty. Can he break through Eva’s pride to win her heart?

Buy Links

Ebook | Paperback

News Flash: Book Two in the Daughters of the Duchess series is now on preorder! https://amzn.to/42LrkZC

Author Bio and Links

Gemma St. Claire grew up in upstate New York many moons ago. She achieved her Bachelor of Arts from the New York Institute of Technology, followed by her Master of Fine Arts from Lesley University. She married her very own, HEA husband and raised three beautiful humans before bouncing about the country. She has landed in Florida and is finally able to devote her life to her writing.

Gemma is passionate about history, particularly the Middle Ages. She’s been to Belgium once and is set to travel back there in August of 2025, where she hopes to discover even more stories to spin and share with her readers.

She loves to hear from her readers, so drop her a note! You can find her here:

New Beginnings for Women Over Fifty

Posted on May 14, 2025 by Joanne Guidoccio

On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

Here are ten phenomenal woman who achieved success in their fifties and beyond:

Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win an Oscar for Best Director for her film The Hurt Locker at fifty-seven.

Julia Child was fifty when her first cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, was published.

Deb Haaland became the first Native-American to serve as a cabinet secretary at age sixty.

Arianna Huffington started The Huffington Post when she was fifty-five and Thrive Media at sixty-six.

Kris Jenner pitched her first TV show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, when she was fifty-two.

Toni Morrison wrote her first novel, The Bluest Eye, when she was forty. She won a Pulitzer at fifty-six, and a Novel Prize in Literature at sixty-two.

Maxine Waters was first elected as a congresswoman for California at age fifty-two

Betty White didn’t achieve icon status until she was cast on The Mary Tyler Moore Show at age fifty, and her popularity soared until her final days at ninety-nine.

Laura Ingalls Wilder published her first book, Little House in the Big Woods, at age sixty-four.

Dr. Ruth Westheimer was fifty-two when she got her first radio show, Sexually Speaking.

Source: Ageless Aging by Maddy Dychtwald, pp. 37-38.

Blurb Blitz: Cowboy Watch

Posted on May 12, 2025 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome multi-published author Petie McCarty. Today, Petie shares her new release, Cowboy Watch.

Blurb

The Watchers Series—Fallen angels cast out of heaven by the archangel Michael for coercing with Satan to gain control. Some of these conspirators—duped late in the game by Satan’s lies—doubled back to seek redemption for their unwitting betrayal. Offered parole in exchange for penance, these Watchers are given the toughest bodyguard missions with little leeway for success.

One last chance.

These are their stories . . .

Cowboy Watch:

Someone—or something—wants Kellen out of town . . .

Kellen Brand’s inheritance comes as a monumental shock—a rundown farm she doesn’t want and one paroled Watcher all her own. Kellen’s eccentric mother believed Watchers to be fallen angels seeking penance by guarding individuals who had lost their way. Seriously? A Watcher? Only her mother . . .

Since Kellen vows no sane woman would choose to live in Riverside, she’s on a mission to dump the old farm fast and to the first buyer who comes along. Unfortunately for her, the only buyer is a resort developer, spurned by a townful of objectors and one handsome cowboy—her neighbor, Luke Thornton. Luke must block Kellen’s farm sale or risk exposure of his own family’s secrets. He can ill afford his immediate and compelling attraction to his new neighbor.

Someone is watching Kellen, but not who she thinks. Someone deadly and intent on scaring her out of town. Or worse. Luke has a hellish choice to make—step in and rescue Kellen from her threats, or to protect his family, stand by and watch . . .

Excerpt

Without warning, a gunshot sounded, and the bullet ricocheted off a tree about twenty feet away. The Appaloosa jerked hard at the gunshot and then reared. The reins ripped from Kellen’s grasp. She grabbed the saddle horn with both hands and concentrated only on staying in the saddle. The frightened Appaloosa reared a second time, then bolted for open ground. Kellen could do little more than hang on for dear life.

Two leaping strides and Lily had surged to a full-on gallop, streaking for the open grassy hills. Windsor’s thundering hooves sounded behind them, and Luke shouted for Kellen to stop. She was helpless, too scared to even glance back at him for fear her grip would loosen. The reins trailed beneath the Appaloosa’s pounding hooves as the mare continued her panicked race to nowhere. If the mare’s hooves got tangled in the dragging reins, they would both go down.

A fallen tree appeared directly in the mare’s path, and Kellen let loose a scream as the sure-footed horse gamely cleared the tree trunk like a thoroughbred jumper. Kellen slipped to the right side of the saddle when the Appaloosa landed, and they galloped on across the open field. One leg still straddled the saddle and her other leg dangled precariously between the matched pairs of pounding hooves. She heaved her leg up as tight as she could to the mare’s belly and prayed it didn’t get tangled with Lily’s legs, but her muscles weakened with every stride and bounce she sustained. And still, the Appaloosa galloped, sheer adrenaline keeping the mare out in front of Luke’s mighty stallion.

Author Bio and Links

Petie spent a large part of her career working at Walt Disney World—”The Most Magical Place on Earth”—where she enjoyed working in the land of fairy tales by day and creating her own romantic fairy tales by night, including her new series, The Cinderella Romances. She eventually said good-bye to her “day” job to write her stories full-time.

These days Petie spends her time writing new Cinderella series tales, her new The Watchers series, sequels to her regency time-travel series, Lords in Time, and more contemporary romance standalones to go along with her two previous releases—Any Fin For Love and Ambush in the Everglades.

Petie shares her home on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee with her horticulturist husband and an opinionated Nanday conure named Sassy who will make a cameo appearance in the upcoming Book 2 of The Watchers, Christmas Watch.

Giveaway

Petie McCarty will be awarding a $15 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Find out more here.

Follow Petie on the rest of her Goddess Fish tour here.

Fun Friday!

Posted on May 9, 2025 by Joanne Guidoccio

Learn What Works for You

Posted on May 7, 2025 by Joanne Guidoccio

In a recent post on the Writer Unboxed blog, author D. L. White shared advice for new writers. Here’s an excerpt from that post:

Read. An author who doesn’t read is like a chef who never eats food. An artist who never goes to a gallery. Where do you discover new technique and new inspiration and let other people’s success motivate you? Where do you find community with readers and other authors? Read! In your genre for study (and of course enjoyment), outside of your genre for breadth of knowledge and to be able to say you read widely. I call all of that dessert. I like dessert.

Make sure you get some dessert!

I am also not a ‘write every day’ person, but determine at what cadence you’ll write and take that seriously. Plan it out, don’t make excuses, show up for yourself. Three-month break, one month of prep, thirty days of writing like a wild person, then edit? That’s how it’s gonna have to be. Learn what works for you, and lean into that, and don’t try to write like X author because you are not that author with their brain and personality and strengths. Learn yours and use them to your advantage.

Read the rest of the post here.

Book Blast: Love Letters to Me, Myself and Him

Posted on May 5, 2025 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome author Rayan Khamis. Today, Rayan shares her new release, Love Letters to Me, Myself and Him.

Blurb

“No two souls meet by accident”

Have you ever felt like you’ve missed someone you’ve never met? Like your soul is yearning to meet another soul that fate has destined for you to meet? As I tackle the challenges of everyday life I come to realization that there’s a higher power guiding me to my soulmate. These love letters have become my anchor and devotion towards my soulmate though we’ve never locked eyes. Come on a journey of self- discovery, self- reflection, faith, destiny and hope. Unwind to my truth of what love, guidance and faithfulness means to me.

Excerpt

“When we sleep our souls partially or temporarily leave our bodies. Sleep is a minor form of death, where the body is present, but the soul is elsewhere. Some people underestimate the significance of dreams by completely disregarding them, while others make too much of them and make every decision in their life based on a dream. Both the Quran and Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, highlight that some dreams have symbols and meanings.”

The Prophet, peace be upon him, categorized dreams into three types:

1. A vision or true dream that is from God
2. A false dream which comes from the devil
3. A meaningless everyday dream which could come from one’s lower self or subconscious thoughts

I am someone who goes to sleep every night saying a prayer to protect me from the devil. At least I try, but when I do, I know that I either go to sleep dreaming from my subconscious or I go to sleep getting a dream from Allah. And it’s easy to decipher the two. As a pious Muslim woman, God is trying to tell us something when we get a dream from Him. For the past 5 years I’ve been dreaming, getting visions after praying for this soulmate of mine. Insha’Allah, because I’ve written a whole book about him, there are some parts where I thought I almost found the one, but I was foolishly blind. However, in the end something great came out of it. I’m a grateful person. I’m trying to stay positive through life because in Islam life is just a test, but the thing is we get lost chasing this dunya (life) We get lost chasing this life when it’s not worth anything. It sounds depressing, I know, but it’s the most beautiful religion I’m still living for. Alhamdulillah (praise be to God)

Author Bio and Links

Rayan, a talented 27-year-old author, hails from Sudan, North Africa. She moved to Canada at the tender age of four, where she has cultivated a unique voice in the literary world. Though she discovered her passion for writing later in life, it was in 2019 that she first picked up a pen to craft love letters, a genre that has since become her signature.

Known for her wit and quiet demeanor around most people, Rayan’s true personality shines brightly when she is among her loved ones, where her loud and vibrant nature comes to life. Her writing reflects this duality, blending sharp humour with heartfelt emotion to create deeply resonant works that captivate her readers.

Rayan’s journey from Sudan to Canada and her experiences growing up between two cultures provide a rich backdrop for her writing, infusing her love letters with a depth and authenticity that set her apart in the literary scene. As she continues to write and share her stories, Rayan remains a dynamic and compelling voice, one that speaks to the complexities of love, identity, and connection.

Instagram | TikTok

Giveaway

Rayan Khamis will be awarding a $10 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Find out more here.

Follow Rayan on the rest of her Goddess Fish tour here.

Spotlight on The Dream Lives

Posted on May 5, 2025 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome author Valeriya Goffe. Today, Valeriya shares her new release, The Dream Lives.

Blurb

As war rages in Ukraine, Viktor Yurchenko flees to the United States together with his three young kids and an elderly mother.

All he is looking for is a refuge for his family; falling in love is the last thing he expects on the other side of the Atlantic. What’s more, he would have never guessed that his journey could help his relatives connect the dots in a decades-old family mystery.

Teresa Jameson, a top executive in an international company, has lived for sixteen years in a seemingly happy marriage. Or maybe she just closed her eyes too often and refused to face the reality?

As ample cracks start to show, she needs to dig deep into her soul. Will she look away just one more time, or give the new relationship a chance to flourish?

Excerpt

“I’ll have to go back to Irpin’ one of these days.” Viktor looked at the streets they were passing by, but his thoughts were far, far away from here. “I need to look for Igor and Tamara. Maybe I’ll be able to find out what happened there.”

“But this is so dangerous!” Teresa caught herself taking her eyes off the road for a brief second. “You might get killed or injured there.”

“Would you be sad if I got killed?” Viktor checked, a light smile starting to shine on his lips. “The first day we met, you were right about to kill me yourself.”

Teresa snorted. “Hey, don’t even remind me about that horrible day! Of course, I’d be sad if something happened to you. Now. Well, even when we just met, I didn’t want to kill you. It was just a bad day, that’s all. I wasn’t myself. And you happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Well, nice to know that this is not your usual way of greeting strangers, especially refugees.” Viktor continued joking. “I must confess, I’d expected a slightly more hospitable host. But then again, I told the kids to be happy that we had a roof over our heads after just arriving in the States. Even if this were a wicked witch’s house.”

“Stop it! You’re lucky I’m driving and cannot throw something heavy at you.”

Teresa laughed. “I’m generally a very nice and friendly person, in case you have not noticed. Talk to anyone, they’ll tell you.”

“A nice and friendly person? This statement needs to be carefully verified,” Viktor shot back. “I am an economist, as you know. I need hard data to make a decision. Lots of data.”

Buy Links

Author Bio and Links

Valeriya Goffe was born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine and spent most of her adult life in the USA. She resides in Washington DC together with her husband, Bill, and a nine-year-old daughter, Elizabeth. You can often find their family golfing, playing tennis or hiking at the Rock Creek Park. They are also frequent visitors at the Jekyll Island, one of the Georgia’s incredible Golden Isles.

Valeriya’s daytime job involves writing analytical reports and managing complex financial sector projects at a large international organization. Previously, she worked in financial services consulting, auditing and in academia. Valeriya holds a PhD degree in finance from the Kyiv National University of Economics in Ukraine and an MBA degree from Kogod School of Business, American University in Washington DC. She is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Charterholder and a member of the Accounting Advisory Board at the Kogod School of Business. Valeriya enjoys learning foreign languages. She is trilingual in English, Russian, Ukrainian and also speaks French and Spanish.

While she finds her business career quite rewarding, Valeriya’s life would not be complete without creative writing. She writes a travel and family blog, and she published her debut fiction novel, Secrets We Keep, in 2024.

Valeriya’s writing is very closely intertwined with travel, from which she gets many of her plots and characters. Over the years, she has visited many countries in America, Africa, Middle East, Europe, and Asia. No matter where she goes, she manages to find some interesting stories which need to be shared with the readers. These stories eventually end up on her travel blog or in one of her books. Africa in particular has left a large imprint on Valeriya’s life and given her a lot of inspiration. She has also been quite lucky to explore the countries of Central Asia which are rich in historical heritage, natural beauty and also interesting personalities. Some of these adventures will be reflected in her future books.

Instagram | Bluesky | Website

Giveaway

Valeriya Goffe will be awarding a $20 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Find out more here.

Follow Valeriya on the rest of her Goddess Fish tour here.

Having thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Goffe’s debut novel, Secrets We Keep, I eagerly anticipated this sequel—and it did not disappoint. From beginning to end, I was captivated by the compelling journeys of Viktor Yurchenko and Teresa Jameson.

Viktor, a devoted single father, undertakes the immense challenge of relocating his mother and children from war-torn Ukraine to the United States. Meanwhile, Teresa grapples with life-altering news that shakes the foundation of her seemingly solid marriage. Thrown together under the most unexpected circumstances, Viktor and Teresa must navigate not only their individual trials but also the growing attraction between them.

The richly drawn secondary characters, both in Ukraine and the United States, add further depth as they face their own uncertain futures and daring new dreams.

I highly recommend this timely and thought-provoking novel. It is truly unputdownable!

Honoring St. Peregrine

Posted on May 1, 2025 by Joanne Guidoccio

Today, we celebrate the liturgical feast of St. Peregrine, a beacon of hope for those suffering from cancer, AIDS, and other life-threatening illnesses. His life and miracles continue to inspire and comfort many in their times of need.

A bit of history…

Peregrine Laziosi was born in Forlì, Italy, circa 1260, the only son of an affluent family supporting the community’s anti-papal faction. When Philip Benizi, Prior General of the Friar Servants of Saint Mary, was sent to reconcile the differences in Forlì, he was attacked by eighteen-year-old Peregrine Laziosi, Later, Peregrine repented and asked Philip for forgiveness.

Philip received Peregrine with kindness and succeeded in changing the younger man’s outlook. Peregrine started praying and channeling his energies into good works. Later, he was ordained a priest and founded a new Servite house in Forlì. He became known for preaching, penances, and devotion to the sick and poor.

One of his penances was to stand whenever it was unnecessary to sit. If tired, Peregrine would support himself on a choir stall. At the age of sixty, he developed an infection in his right leg. His condition deteriorated to the point where the physician decided to amputate his leg.

The night before the operation, Peregrine prayed before a fresco of the Crucifixion. In a moment of divine intervention, he received a vision of Jesus Christ descending from the cross to touch his impaired limb. The following day, the doctor arrived to perform the amputation, only to find no sign of the tumor. Peregrine’s miraculous recovery stands as a symbol of hope, inspiring many in their own battles against illness.

And I would add…the power of prayer.

Peregrine died of a fever in 1345 at the age of eighty-five. In 1609, Pope Paul V declared him blessed, and in 1726, Pope Benedict XIII canonized him.

Shrines to St. Peregrine

National Shrine of Saint Peregrine, Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica, Chicago (Illinois)
The National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother, Portland (Oregon)
Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, Christ the King Catholic Church, Mesa (Arizona)
St. Peregrine Laziosi Parish and Diocesan Shrine, Muntinlupa City, Philippines
Statue of St. Peregrine, Mission Church of San Juan Capistrano, Southern California

Note: You do not need to be near a statue or shrine to ask St. Peregrine for his intercession.

Prayer to Saint Peregrine

Glorious wonder-worker, St. Peregrine, you answered the divine call with a ready spirit, and forsook all the comforts of a life of ease and all the empty honors of the world to dedicate yourself to God in the Order of His holy Mother.

You labored manfully for the salvation of souls. In union with Jesus crucified, you endured painful sufferings with such patience as to deserve to be healed miraculously of an incurable cancer in your leg by a touch of His divine hand.

Obtain for me the grace to answer every call of God and to fulfill His will in all the events of life. Enkindle in my heart a consuming zeal for the salvation of all men.

Deliver me from the infirmities that afflict my body (especially…..).

Obtain for me also a perfect resignation to the sufferings it may please God to send me, so that, imitating our crucified Savior and His sorrowful Mother, I may merit eternal glory in heaven.

St. Peregrine, pray for me and for all who invoke your aid.

Source: https://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/novena/peregrine.htm

Making the Best of It

Posted on April 30, 2025 by Joanne Guidoccio

A long-time fan of bestselling authors and coaches Marc and Angel Chernoff, I look forward to reading their emails and blog posts. Here’s an excerpt from a recent post:

We often yearn for a very small and selective range of life experiences — the fun times, the happy holidays, the things that make us feel comfortable. And yet the full range of our daily reality is often quite different. Life gives us an extensive array of experiences that evoke feelings ranging from sadness to uncertainty to frustration to curiosity to nervousness… to happiness to excitement and more. These feelings are all part of being alive.

So we can revolt against the wide-ranging experiences life naturally provides, or we can make the very best of them. Starting today, let’s do the latter…

This means embracing every moment with our full presence, being open and vulnerable to reality, being gentle with ourselves when times are tough, and practicing sincere gratitude whenever possible.

It means accepting life as it is, and accepting ourselves as we are.

It means not expecting the best to happen every time, but instead accepting whatever happens, and making the very best of it one step at a time.

And it won’t always be easy of course, but it’s worth working on.

Note: I highly recommend subscribing to Marc & Angel’s website.

I am BACK!

Posted on April 28, 2025 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome back author Nancy Lee Badger. Today, Nancy shares an inspiring comeback story and her new release, Heaven-Sent Warrior.

Here’s Nancy!

On the way to publishing my latest book, I have a personal story to tell. Back in early May 2023, I published a book, the third in a series. One week later, my life imploded. While traversing the airport underground garage, I fell off a curb. My sister was waiting for me and I said “Take me to the hospital.”

Many hours later, my left wrist was in a cast and the pain from my five broken ribs required a trip to another hospital because the doctor said, “At your AGE, you need to stay overnight.” Did he have to say it that way? Couldn’t he just mention the drugs they filled me with? Or, the difficulty breathing plaguing me? One ambulance transport later, I ended up staying three nights.

What did this mean to my writing you ask? Have you ever tried to type with one hand? I survived because I had set up lots of promotions in advance for my book’s release. It took a while to get back to writing (and shopping, and doing laundry, etc.) and the results were a short story and a poem for my local writing group’s fundraiser in 2023 and 2024. The latest news is the re-issue of my favorite book series starting with Heaven-Sent Warrior. Did I mention as I lay in my recliner in pain FOR MONTHS that my publisher closed their doors? I love my Warriors in Bronze series, so have edited and updated the three books. I even submitted a short story for the writing group’s 2025 fundraiser for this year, which was accepted. I am back! If you find yourself beat down, but ready for life’s second act, you can do it too!

Tag Line

Asleep inside a bronze statue, a naked Frenchman wakes a century later to save a half-Fae, museum curator from a demon bent on ruling our present-day world.

Blurb

Henrí Chevalier’s last memory was Auguste Rodin and his dusty Paris studio in 1886. To escape his broken heart, Henrí volunteered to sleep inside a statue until needed. Expecting to die, he discovers powers Heaven has given him. Will he fail his mission against otherworldly creatures, such as demons and faeries?

Kenzie Mackintosh, a dedicated art museum’s curator, spies a naked man hiding among bronze statues. Unaware of her fae heritage, their relationship heats up as he disrupts her job. While Henrí tries to process modern buildings, cars, and a broken elevator, a demon attacks and forces Henrí and Kenzie to enlist the aid of her powerful fae relatives. When the demon possesses the body of her ex-lover then use her to take over the world, Henrí and Kenzie must learn to trust each other. Kenzie’s death might be the only answer to the world’s salvation.

Buy Links – https://nancyleebadger.blogspot.com/p/books.html

Author Bio And Links

Nancy Lee Badger grew up in Huntington on New York’s Long Island. After attending Plymouth State, in New Hampshire, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree and met and married her college sweetheart. They raised two handsome sons in Rumney, New Hampshire while she dreamed of being a writer. When the children had left the nest, and shoveling snow became a chore, she retired from her satisfying job as a 911 Emergency Medical Dispatcher and moved to North Carolina, where she writes full-time.

Nancy is a former member of Romance Writers of America and its local chapter, The Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, as well as the Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers. She is currently a member of the Triangle Association of Freelancers based in the Raleigh area. She finds story ideas in the most unusual places.