Writing Question of the Month:
How Long Does It Take
to Write a Book?

I have the feeling that there are as many different answers to this question as there are authors, but I will tell you how long it took me to write Feathers in the Sand (floating onto bookshelves on 7/11/22)... only 27 days now!

Watch my video below to see how many hours and days it took!

And many thanks to Karen from Florida, Sherry from Indiana, and Ellen from Pennsylvania for asking this question a few months ago.
Keep in mind that the time chart shown in the video doesn't include all the hours in 2022 that took the book through two more drafts, and then the publishing process!
Look What YOU Get
When You PreOrder Feathers in the Sand

Okay, you're not going to get shells and feathers and sea glass 😘 . . .
but when you pre-order the paperback OR the e-book, you're going to get a very nice present in the US Mail!

If you pre-order the paperback before July 1, I will send you (the week of July 11) via US Mail:
  • your very own signed paperback of Feathers in the Sand
  • a beautiful glossy bookmark with Emily Dickinson's quote Hope is the thing with feathers...
  • a glossy recipe card for Glory's Whoopie pies (you'll meet her when you read the book)
NOTE: You can pre-order the paperback from my website here. DO NOT order it from Amazon as they don't do pre-orders of paperbacks at this time, and the price is very high because I had to list the paperback in order for me to get my author copies ahead of time (whew! Indie Authors of the World, unite :).


If you pre-order the e-book before July 1, you will receive the e-book on your device on July 11, and that week I will send you via US Mail:
  • a beautiful glossy bookmark with Emily Dickinson's quote Hope is the thing with feathers...
  • a glossy recipe card for Glory's Whoopie pies (you'll meet her when you read the book)
NOTE: The links to pre-order the e-book version on Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, Apple iBooks, GooglePlay, and Kobo are on my website here. But you do need to email me the receipt and your snail mail address in order for me to send you your thank-you-gifts! All that info is on my website at the link above.

Got questions? Send a reply to this email and I will gladly respond!

I am looking forward to sharing Feathers in the Sand with all of you.

*** Special Note to My Super Fans ***

If you're one of my super-duper SUPER FANS, you know who you are
and that means YOU don't need to pre-order anything!
Because you've agreed to read Feathers in the Sand ahead of time
and review it on Amazon the week of July 11,
I'm going to be sending you the link to download the e-book
the week of July 11. Plus, if I have your snail mail address, you'll also get
the lovely bookmark and recipe card!

And if you were a Beta reader, you'll be getting a paperback copy the week of July 11 with the bookmark and recipe card!
 🏆 MAY Give-Away Winners 🏆

Congratulations to our May readers who received
a hardcover copy of Allie and Bea, by Catherine Ryan Hyde:
Sherry from Indiana
Susan C. from Massachusetts

Didn't win? Not to worry, you can try again right now . . .
JUNE Fiction
Give-Away:
Recommended
Story That Stirs Heart & Soul

This month I'm giving away TWO paperback copies of The Bookshop of the Broken-Hearted, by Robert Hillman.

Perfect for fans of The Little Paris Bookshop and The Tattooist of Auschwitz, this novel weaves together the power of love, literature, and forgiveness to transform our lives, and--if we dare allow them--to mend our broken hearts.

If you want to enter, just fill out the short form here and I'll do a random drawing THIS SUNDAY JUNE 19. I'll send you an email notice that you've won, and I'll just ask for your snail mail address after that! (NOTE: I use the random generator at random.org to choose the winners
so it's all fair and square.)
AnneMarie, Thank you for reading my author newsletter! I love connecting with readers so I hope you'll send a reply to this email with any questions or comments about reading, writing, my new book, or anything else you want to chat about!

Here I am last month on my 66th birthday! Jeff and I drove up to Rockport, Massachusetts (about 25 minutes north of us) and had a wonderful time.

In between newsletters, I'll be posting more often on Instagram, my blog, and/or my Facebook Author page, so I hope you'll visit me there too.

Keep on reading stories that stir your heart and soul,