Nearing the end of the journey with great expectations

January has been a very busy month. As a publisher, TreasureLine has many books either being released or on the verge of release. Those books take time! As an author, I released my own "Arms of an Angel" ~ a contemporary romance novella on Kindle. I made a few revisions to the paperback copy but hope to have it in hand for release right before we leave...

Leave? Yes, we are preparing for yet another leg of our unwanted journey through my daughter's illness...hopefully the last leg. We made a whirlwind trip to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota a week ago and, after consulting with a pediatric neurosurgical specialist and his team and receiving the results of an MRI Angoigram, we have decided that she will have the surgery to remove the AVM (Arteriovenous Malformation) in Minnesota. It's a LONG trip and will require that we stay up there for a minimum of 2-3 weeks, however, the procedure will be less invasive and her recovery time will be shorter overall. The doctor seemed extremely competent and Katherine felt very confident putting her life in his hands. She was even more pleased to find out she would not have to have a metal plate in her head for the rest of her life. They won't have to shave her head either, though oddly enough, that didn't really bother her!

I've had numerous people ask me if there is a way they can donate to help with expenses. I will tell you, we are blessed with good insurance, though as you can imagine, there's a lot insurance doesn't cover. Assistance is always appreciated though I would never want anyone to feel obligated or pressured. We firmly believe God will provide, whether that be by the hands of those who donate or some other means. If you choose, the site is available by clicking THIS LINK. Regardless, please keep us in your prayers. We will be traveling on my birthday and the surgery will be the Friday after so I'm expecting her swift recovery and full restoration to be the best birthday present ever! I can't imagine anything a mom could want more :-)

It's Official

I created a self-imposed deadline for myself to have my book released before we left to take my daughter to the Mayo clinic. As of late last night, it is available on Amazon Kindle...we leave on Monday! I'm pretty excited and, I have to say, I'm loving the feedback I'm receiving. Here is just a smattering of what people are saying:

*I'm 2/3 of the way through this book - used 1/4 box of tissues. Couldn't you have at least warned me? I have to fix breakfast, had to put the kindle down - I am bummed...do they really need to eat at a time like this? Ok - I will stop the ramble - Linda, I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!

Posted a short time later: Ok...I'm done...eyes are swollen. This book is wonderful. I just have to stop crying!!! Claire's journey to find her self worth and happiness was so beautiful. I loved Garrett with his wit and compassion....what a man!!! God does put people in your life for a reason....I'm very happy I have "met" you.

*It is easy to feel like you know the characters because of the way you write.

*You are a very talented writer. I love reading your work! You know I am a sucker for happy ever after.

A big thank you to for all the congrats and for those who let me know they are enjoying the book.

My New Cover

Well, I did it! Yesterday, I finally revealed the cover of my upcoming book. The story has passed the pre-readers' tests with flying colors and the comments coming in on the cover...WOW! Very exciting. Now to get it formatted and onto the shelves!

I felt as though I HAD to get this book out there and NOW. If you're a writer, you'll understand. In light of all that is happening in our lives, it made my decision to push other things aside to get done vitally important to me. This creation has been my salve, my escape - a means to help me keep from shutting down. And, I have to say, I love this story. I'm a happy ever after person and Claire, though not at all the most celestial being ever, embedded herself into my heart and I wanted a happy ending for her. I wasn't all that sure as I was writing it that she was going to get it! One of the characters in the book sums it up pretty well:

"Charlie could only hope she’d live long enough to learn to believe in herself. She was a beautiful woman with a heart of gold and a generosity to match, but the way she lived…He shook his head and looked up toward the heavens. Claire needed to find her place in this world. She needed someone to help her, and fast."

I hope you'll take a moment to celebrate with me as well as jumping over to my new author website to read an excerpt. The book should be available in eBook format in the next couple of weeks and in paperback by the end of the month -- fingers crossed...and maybe toes too?!

And, about that cover...It was created by my amazing friend, author Jaimey Grant ~ aka Laura J. Miller. Visit her site, An Author's Art to see the artistic side of an extremely talented author.