New Season, New Book, New Scarf!

While I am about the last person who will actually be ready for the holidays when they get here, I'm definitely looking forward to their arrival this year because I have a new contemporary romance coming out!!

HOLIDAY MAN will be available in all digital formats before the end of November, and it's a story that was inspired by one of my favorite seasonal films, Bing Crosby's and Fred Astaire's classic musical "Holiday Inn."

Here's the scoop on the novel:
Shannon Quinn is the small-town girl who runs "Holiday Quinn" -- a holiday-themed inn/resort based in scenic Door County, Wisconsin. One winter evening, wealthy Minneapolis businessman, Bram Hartwick, blows into town along with the fast-falling snow. The sparks Bram and Shannon create succeed in heating up the chilly Midwestern night, not to mention plenty of holiday weekends in the year that follows... But is their relationship only for special occasions, or might it be the elusive everyday love that neither one thought could be found?

Rebecca Young -- the daughter of my Austen Author friend, Abigail Reynolds -- was the very talented designer who created the cover, and I love it! She's just getting started, but she's already got several designs in her portfolio. You can check out some of her other work on her website.

Speaking of very talented people, I was surprised and thrilled to receive an absolutely lovely gift this week from a reader who has become a friend. Catherine DePasquale has awed me time and again with photos I've seen of her amazing knitting and crocheting projects, but this time I was the lucky recipient of one. I still can't get over how cool it is, and I had to share it with all of you. Using some of the colors from the cover of A SUMMER IN EUROPE, and choosing the pattern and the type of yarn based on a scene from the story, Catherine knit me a beautiful and oh-so-soft scarf!! She describes the process and shows photos on her Ravelry page. It was just so thoughtful...and I felt like I was my character Gwen getting a special birthday present (even though, in my case, it's not my birthday ;).

Thank you so much, Catherine!! This is me wearing it in the picture above, and I'm standing underneath one of the Venetian masks that my husband and I brought home from our first trip to Italy together. I can't tell you how much I've been daydreaming about going back! Ahhh, hopefully someday... It doesn't need to be a summer in Europe, btw. I'd be delighted with a fall, winter or spring there...

On a completely different note, you know that old children's joke: "Why was 6 scared of 7?" Answer: "Because 7 8 (ate) 9." Well, I can't get that out of my head today because the date is 10-11-12. I keep expecting there to be some kind of riddle associated with it, LOL. And with that weird numerical observation still hanging in the cyber air between us, I will say goodbye for now (and not a moment too soon, you're all thinking ;). Wishing everyone who reads this a wonderful rest of the week and weekend ahead!

p.s. YAY!! "The Vampire Diaries" Season 4 premiere is finally on tonight -- squeee!!! More Damon!! Any new shows this month that you've been hooked on? Who else watched "Arrow"?