A massive thank you to all of my readers!

Because of YOU, Last to Fall came in at #5 on the April ECPA Fiction Bestsellers List!

Landing on lists like this is humbling and still shocks and amazes me.

So thank you again!

Thank you for loving Mo and Bronwyn. For wishing Gossamer Falls was a real place. And for continuing to follow along as I write stories.

Y’all are the BEST!

If you’re on FB, hop over to the Spring Suspense party on Thursday, March 26 from 2-5 (Central).

Spring Suspense Party!

We’ll be sharing about our books and giving away prizes and it’s going to be a blast!

Last to Fall is here!

You can read it in paperback, e-book, and audiobook.

I hope you love Mo and Bronwyn as much as I do!

If you’d like to learn more, you can read all about it in my latest newsletter here.

And if you’d like to chat about it, I’ll be at the Henderson County Library on Monday, March 9th. The event is free, but you do have to register for it! You can do that here!

If you’ve already read it, it would be amazing if you could do this author a huge favor and leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or wherever you purchased Last to Fall! It really does help!

It’s Sunday night….time for the Sunday Scaries.

Do you know this term?

“Sunday Scaries” is a way to describe the anxiety or dread often felt on Sunday evenings. Some studies say that over 80% of working Americans experience the Sunday Scaries. 

For me, it’s typically a combination of frustration with myself for all the things I failed to accomplish over the weekend or some low-key anxiety about all that needs to be done in the week ahead. It’s the time of the week I’m most likely to be on edge and snippy. And it’s been so much worse since I turned in my latest book three weeks ago.

There’s this idea that when an author turns in a book, they will experience a sense of euphoria and delight. Maybe some do.

I do not. 

I generally cry, pray, and thank God that I got to the end with his help, and then sleep. When I wake up, I’m faced with all.the.things that didn’t get done while I was on deadline. 

This particular post-deadline stretch has been BAD.

I’ve spent a lot of time in a fog, undoubtedly due to emotional, creative, and physical exhaustion. The rest of the time, I’ve been playing catch-up on the things I need to do. Tonight is the first time in three weeks that I haven’t had piles of laundry in my room waiting to be done and an assortment of tasks in desperate need of attention. I made myself rest this afternoon. I played around in the kitchen and even crocheted for a bit while watching the Olympics.

And now, I’m nibbling on a mini charcuterie bowl I made, and alternating between tidying up my office, preparing for next week, and reading a book from a student I have the privilege of mentoring. I have to hit pause on all of it in about an hour to record a podcast interview, and then I’ll be back at it. 

I still have a wildly hectic week ahead, but it’s amazing how continuing to chip away at the seemingly overwhelming things will…eventually…get them done. Even though it doesn’t feel like it in the moment! And tonight I’m reminded that God never expects me to get it all done. He’s the only one who can do that. And He gives me the strength to do what needs to be done. The rest of it can wait.

Tonight, the Sunday scaries aren’t so scary! 

I have no idea what’s on your agenda this week…whatever it is, I hope you’re able to set the Sunday Scaries aside and rest in the truth that God has already gone before you into the new week.

Whatever is coming, He’s already there. And He’s got you.

Grace & peace,

 

Last to Fall launches in 2 weeks! You can preorder it anywhere you buy your books! 🙂

 

 

 

 

Box of Last to FallLast to Fall is in my house!

I had a fun surprise this Saturday afternoon! I knew the warehouse had them, but I didn’t expect them to arrive so soon! Such a fun treat!

There’s never, ever, ever a bad day to find boxes of books on your doorstep! 🙂

Mo and Bronwyn were hard. This time last year, I was pulling my hair out over these two.

And now, here they are. All pretty and put together like they didn’t run me ragged. 🙂

 

Here’s the unboxing video! 🙂

Don’t forget! You can snag Last to Fall from Baker Book House and you’ll receive a signed book plate, a sticker, a bookmark, and 40% off plus free shipping.
Fine print: US residents/addresses. While supplies last.

 

Grace and peace,

 

Happy New Year!

Things are super busy here in my world.

Lots of writing, homeschooling, baseball, preparing for college visits (WHAT IS HAPPENING?!), and bracing for my youngest to get his driver’s permit in February. He asked me for the keys when he was eighteen months. I’ve been worried ever since!

And let’s not forget that I have a book due on February 1st AND Last to Fall releases March 3rd!

Y’all.

It’s a LOT.

Several weeks ago, I looked at the calendar and knew that this past weekend was my only opportunity prior to my deadline to get away and focus on the new story. So I booked the hotel, made the plans, asked for prayer, and on Friday afternoon, got on my knees in a hotel room and cried.

Because y’all…this may come as a surprise, but I have no idea how to write a book. I really don’t. And yes, I know I’ve written a bunch of books. But every single one is a complete shock to me. And, at some point, usually multiple points, with every single one, I’ve wound up on my knees, crying out to the Creator and telling Him (as if He didn’t already know) that there was no human way for me to get a book written in the time available to me.

Truly, my entire writing life is a bit of a mystery to me. I’m as flabbergasted as anyone is that I do this. I’m a wife, I homeschool, I parent a lovely adult daughter with disabilities and two teenage boys who have the audacity to do things like go out with friends, date, play baseball, and keep me in a perpetual state of chaotic confusion. Not to mention that I have parents, a sister, in-laws, friends, and I even have a few hobbies that I sporadically enjoy.

And without knowing all of your details, I know that you have a similar story. You have responsibilities, obligations, relationships, and at times, maybe most of the time, you have no idea how you get through the day. The new year rolls around, and you’re stunned and amazed that, once again, you’ve made it through another trip around the sun.

So if that’s you, please let me offer a small slice of encouragement. When you hit the point where you know – you know in the core of your soul – that you have nothing left to give, that in your own strength you will fail, I beg of you, take it to your good, good Father who knows what you need before you ask.

On Friday, before I left home, my devotions were so spot on that it was like GOD KNEW EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED. (Wild concept, I know! LOL!) And because this isn’t our first dance, I left for the hotel excited to see what He would do.

Unfortunately, when it was time to do the work, my excitement was gone, and just like the disciples, even though He has never failed me, and I’ve seen Him do more than I can ask or imagine, I still forgot, and my fear was riding me hard.

But as I prayed, He reminded me of the feeding of the 5000. So I asked him to take my small offering of words and multiply them in ways that were beyond my human capacity.

Full disclosure: I’m a bit too much of a realist at times, so I hedged my bets and said if that’s not your will, then please help me get whatever it is you want me to have out of this weekend. And help me be okay with it.

There were no audible voices, no angels singing, not even an overwhelming sense of peace that followed. Just a lot of hard work.

For the next twenty-four hours, I did more cutting and re-writing than new writing.

At some point on Saturday, things started flowing. I finished reworking the new idea in, and I knew where I wanted the story to go.

And I honestly don’t have an explanation for Sunday other than to say, “Wow. God is awesome.” I have written 10,000 words in a single day before, but I think only once.

When all was said and done, I wrote the equivalent of 1/4 of my book in 76 hours.

I could write another 1000 words about the timing of the Scripture I read, the devotions, the prayers, and the verses that were so perfect that a few times I found myself staring at them in awe. I won’t because this is already so long, most people won’t get to this point. And that’s okay. I’m not writing it for people. I’m writing it because God wouldn’t leave me alone about it today until I did. 🙂

I want Him to have all the glory! All the praise! And my biggest worry is that anyone reading this would think that I’m sharing so people will stroke my ego, or worse, think that they don’t have access to God’s power in the same way.

Y’all. I’m a sinner. I fail way more often than I “succeed” at anything. I’m so thankful for Jesus because I know He’s the only reason God can look at me and see anything good. It’s not my good. It’s all Jesus and His sacrifice. All glory and honor are His and His alone.

Because when the time is right, the LORD will make it happen.
The One who called me is Faithful.
When I’m weak, He is strong.
He’s the one who holds my hand and says, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

Believe me when I say this: I still have no idea how to write a book.
But I know who does.

You may not know how to do whatever He’s called you to in this season. But you can rest in the One who has called you to it. And if you don’t know Him? Oh, friend, please reach out and let me tell you about my Jesus.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Hey y’all!

Today is all about launch teams.

First, I want to let you know that the application for the Last to Fall launch team will be in my November newsletter. And ONLY in my November newsletter. So if you want to apply, and I hope you do, you’ll need to read that email and follow the links to apply.

Okay, now on to the second launch team I want to share with you.

While I know many of you are romantic suspense and romantic suspense only readers, I also know that most of you read in a lot of other genres.

My dear friend, Deborah Clack, is the debut author for a brand new imprint from my publisher. Haven (and yes, I am in LOVE with the name!) is the new clean and wholesome imprint from Baker Publishing Group. While Revell (my publisher) and Bethany House are the two imprints you’re probably most familiar with, BPG has several other imprints and Haven is the newest to join the family.

Haven launches with Deborah’s book, Even After This, in February. In preparation for this, Deborah has opened up her launch team and the application closes on Friday at midnight.

So, let’s do a little Q&A to cover a few questions you may have.

Q. What is Haven anyway?

A. Haven is the clean and wholesome imprint from Baker Publishing Group. These novels are acquired and edited by the same team that acquire and edit books for Revell and Bethany House. The only difference is that these books do not have an overt faith element. That doesn’t mean they aren’t written from a Christian worldview! Just that the faith elements aren’t spelled out. They are still going to be uplifting, inspiring, and safe for your soul!

Q. Why are you telling us about Deborah’s book launch team?

A. Reason #1 – she’s one of my best friends. 🙂 Reason #2 – she’s a phenomenal author and this story is … chef’s kiss! Reason #3 – Getting readers and launch team members when you’re just starting out can be tricky, and I know my readers are the BEST and are amazing at helping get the word out about new books!

Q. Is Even After This romantic suspense or contemporary romance?

A. It’s contemporary romance, but, I personally think Deborah’s books defy genre classifications. Even After This goes deep y’all. But then, it will make you snort your coffee with laughter, and then there’s the romance, and there is a lot of high stakes drama as well. This book is, quite simply, a story well told. If you love a good story, you’ll love this book.

Q. Who is Deborah Clack?

A. Deborah is a Texas girl. On College Football Saturdays our texts will have more to do with Texas and Clemson than anything else. 🙂 She’s a wife and mother who loves Jesus with every fiber of her being. The story of how this book came to be, how her series with Haven came to be, and really her entire journey to publication is the kind of Story that only God could write. I’ve been privileged to have a front row seat to His Glory and it has been astounding as Deborah has held her hands and her stories open to His plans.

Q. Can you tell me more about Even After This?

A. Like I said, this book goes into some deep territory. This isn’t a rom com. This isn’t fluff. But, I promise there is legit humor, pain that gets redeemed, and that you will get a fabulous and swoony clean romance.

Here’s the description:

Four years after tragedy, Meredith Harper is tired of hiding in her corner of Texas and living life like a game of dodgeball. She packs up her grief, awkward social graces, and sizable life insurance in search of a vacation and investment property in Colorado Springs. A botched dinner reservation throws her into the path of a bona fide movie star, and Meredith pushes through her comical celebrity neurosis to discover he is charming but a terrible dancer.

A viral video of a daring rescue makes Harlan Holcombe’s celebrity star stronger, with millions of his fans deeming him a real-life Hercules. But a minute of heroism doesn’t absolve his past mistakes. As Harlan and Meredith spend more time together, he helps her believe there might be more for her not just in life but in love. And she might be part of the solution to restore the legacy he fears is tarnished. But what happens when the path to redeem his mistakes collides with the path to redeem her loss?

A poignant and humorous contemporary romance of second chances with swoon but no spice, grief and healing, celebrity meets reluctant widow, love after loss, and new beginnings. This clean and wholesome love story will delight fans of Abby Jimenez, Katherine Center, Annabel Monaghan, and B. K. Borison.

If you think Even After This might hit all the right notes for you, I would encourage you to check out the link to Deborah’s launch team application! I promise that she’ll take good care of you!

Link to sign up for the team (signups close 11/7 @ midnight):
https://forms.gle/tyAKMbXaYQswtbKFA
And if you aren’t already subscribed to my newsletter, now’s the time!
Grace and peace,

Hey y’all!

I’m in the mountains at the lake. It’s been a good week, but also a weird week. It’s rained. It’s been cold (for August), and I’ve felt the pull of trying to squeeze in some relaxation while simultaneously managing the beginning of the school year and book revisions. As someone who struggles to relax under the best of circumstances, it’s been a challenge.

Then, MailerLite (my newsletter/blog subscription service) decided to randomly send out messages yesterday when there was no new blog post! Do we know why? No. No we do not. Does MailerLite know why? Maybe? But their answer was, “It was a glitch. We fixed it.”

This is where having an imagination can be a dangerous thing. Because now, I want to know what happened. And I’m not buying the whole “glitch” answer. I have a few different ideas, all of which are based on my (potentially erroneous) idea that the people who work there are all computer nerds.

  • Someone spilled their coffee and, in the chaos, accidentally changed some code, and no one knew it until all these blank posts went out.
  • Something locked up, and they just unplugged everything and plugged it back in (because that usually fixes it, right?), and they reset something that wasn’t supposed to be reset.
  • It was bring the kids to work day, and someone’s little computer genius in training didn’t want to be there. She wanted to be at home reading a book. So to vent her frustration, she messed with the code.
  • Someone is made that they didn’t get employee of the month, and this was their payback.
  • Gremlins.

 

None of that is the point of this post, but now you’ve had a glimpse into the weirdness of my brain. 🙂 I hope you haven’t been too traumatized!

Now, on to the point.

I have a newsletter. Many of you subscribe, but there are still a lot of you who don’t.

I don’t usually share my newsletter publicly because it’s for newsletter subscribers. You subscribe, you get the newsletter and all the goodies that go with it.

But I’m making an exception this time. I want everyone to see what they’re getting when they sign up for my newsletters, and I’m hoping more friends will become newsletter subscribers.

And of course I’m sweetening the pot with a giveaway. A big one. You could win a complete set of signed copies of the Dive Team Investigations series or the Defend and Protect series!

You can get entries by signing up for my newsletter, for following me on social media outlets, and for signing up to receive a notice when I update the blog.

I’d love for you to check it out!

Lynn’s July Newsletter

Assuming our friends at MailerLite were telling the truth when they said they’ve fixed the glitch, once you subscribe you’ll only receive an email when there’s a new newsletter or a new blog post.

And if you get random emails, you can be sure it’s not my fault.

We’ll blame it on the gremlins. Or the glitches. Or the little girls who want to go home and read books. Let’s face it, we all get how they feel! 🙂

Grace and peace,

To say these things are saving my life might be a bit dramatic, but… 🙂

Here’s what’s making a big difference in my summer days!

☀️ AM SUNSHINE ☀️

Y’all. It’s hot in the South. And humid. It’s ridiculous. BUT, when I get morning sunlight in my eyeballs, I have a better day! There’s all kinds of science behind it, but there’s nothing quite like personal experience to make you a believer. And I’m a believer.

☕️ SLOW WALKS ☕️

In order to get my morning sun, I’ve been taking my dog out and drinking a cup of coffee while I slowly meander around the street in front of my house. This goes against everything in me. I’m a multi-tasking/efficiency queen. The logical option for getting morning sun would be to get a power walk in at the same time. Right? But (have I mentioned how hot it is here?) even early the heat can be overwhelming and that ruins the vibe! But a slow stroll? That’s where it’s at!

🥵 MY TOASTER OVEN 🥵

I have a fancy pants toaster oven that is big enough to hold a 9×13 pan, and let me tell you, this bad boy is making life so much easier this summer. I’m using the fool out of that thing. I’ve even been meal planning around “what can I cook in there to avoid turning my oven on!”

👗 DRESSES (with THIGH SOCIETY SHORTS) and SHORTS 👗

You may be sensing a theme here, but a lot of what’s saving my life right now involves ways to keep myself cooler. And dresses are high on the list. I pair them with my favorite anti-chafing/cooling shorts and I’m good for the day!

And after years of not wearing shorts (I do NOT have the legs for them) this summer, I have decided that I DO NOT CARE. It’s hot, I’m hot, and even my favorite cropped pants are just too much right now. So I’m wearing shorts.

🔋 THREE-WAY CHARGING CABLES 🔋

Three-way charging cableI picked these up for our recent trip to Utah, and now we have them all over the house. It seems like every device we own needs a different cable, and these are making things so much easier!

🏁 MY 16-YEAR-OLD DRIVING 🏁

Y’all…GAME CHANGER. Seriously. He’s driving himself to practice, to workouts, to lessons, and to the store for me. I’m here for it!

😎 What’s keeping you going this summer? 😎

June Social Media Roundup

Welcome to this month’s collection of highlights from my social media! For those who prefer to stay connected through the blog, this roundup ensures you don’t miss a thing!

📷 Highlights

Granny Quinn’s prayer journal has remained a popular feature. She’s going on hiatus for a few months, but don’t worry! She’ll be back! She’s going to have a LOT to say about Mo and Bronwyn…

#WackyWednesday continued to be a fun way to help us get through the middle of the week! 

We had fun with #ThisorThatThursday posts. Where do you land on these hard hitting topics? 🙂  

Did you enjoy this social media roundup? Let me know in the comments what you’d like to see more of!

Grace and peace,

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