Hello to all,

If you’re new to my newsletter, welcome.  

The month of May has started with news which hurts my heart to relay. A beloved member of the Indie Author community has passed away. It was very sudden and unexpected.  

Jeanette ‘Sapphire JBlue’ Charrette was a bright light and many times the first inteviewer/blogger to welcome a new author onto the scene.

I released my first book on November 11, 2021. On November 12, 2021, I had my first ever author interview on Sapphire’s show to discuss it. From then on, she regularly invited me to discuss each new release. A stalwart supporter of independent authors, she didn’t just have them on her show for clout. She purchased their books. She insisted on purchasing. And, when possible, she’d purchase directly from the author.

I sincerely do not have the words to express how much I will miss my ‘cousin’ from New York. If heaven has libraries, book stores, and book clubs, I feel sure she’s a frequent visitor.  I’m also certain she’ll find a way to keep her show going there, interviewing authors and sharing her love of books.

There are many things to be learned from her life and the light she shined into the world. The one thing I will take with me is to love what you love out loud and without shame. Sapphire loved books and anyone who spent time around her learned this very quickly. There was no mistaking it.

My deepest condolences go out to her family and friends. We mourn with them, but we also celebrate her life. It was a life well lived, filled with love, laughter, an indescribable light, and over far too soon.

Her family has announced arrangements. If anyone can and would like to attend or send a token of condolences, I’ll post the announcement below.

Life Stuff

On the life front, things are going well. It’s prom/graduation season. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the beautiful prom pictures on social media. I love seeing the range of creativity on display. It warms my heart.

I’m not sure about you, but I’m rearranging schedules to accommodate graduations.😮 It’s a juggling act, but I wouldn’t change a moment of it. If there’s away for me to support the young people and children in my family, I try to make it happen.

What about you? Are you immersed in prom and graduation season? If you are, don’t forget to take a few moments for yourself. It’s impossible to pour from an empty cup.

Writing Update

I am thoroughly enjoying expanding Thrive. So far, I’ve added an additional 12k words. 😳 

And just from the vibe I’m getting from the characters, there will probably be another 12k before I’m done.  Bailey and Hayden are taking advantage of this opportunity and letting me in on so much more of their thoughts and parts of their time together that I couldn’t get into before.

If you’re reading as I write on Patreon, you’re getting to experience it all right along with me. If you haven’t started reading, the first three chapters are free to the public. I have to keep the spicy stuff behind the pay wall. So, if you want to know how they burn up the sheets, you’ll have to at least become a Darling to get into the good stuff. 😉

Since my brain no longer functions in a manner that lets me write one book at a time, I also still have two other projects going on. I’ve added episodes to the Blacktooth Summit paranormal serial, as well as to the Sexy Scenarios Volume II, which us under my Midnight Locke pen name. 

I’m really enjoying weaving the same couple through each scenario. If you’re reading that one, you know I’m talking about Amethyst and the shenanigans she gets up to with her granny’s typewriter. 🫣 🌶️ 🥵 🔥

I’m also in final edits for Power. I’m planning a June release for that one. So, be on the look out for a cover reveal soon. 

Upcoming Book Events

I’m looking forward to the next book event on my schedule, Writers on the River (WOTR26), in Peoria, Illinois. I always enjoy this event, and it checks my service to others box, because it’s a charity event benefiting Thistle Farms.

As a sponsor and featured author, guess what I have? Free general admission tickets to give away!  

One thing I love about book events is the opportunity to connect with people who’ve been with me on my writing journey as either Newsletter or Patreon subscribers, or members of my Facebook group (Darie’s Real Deal)

If you’re interested, drop me a line and let me know. Winners will be announced on or before May 15, 2026. I’d like to see you there, and you’d get the chance to meet and hang out with some other great authors!

If you already have your tickets and plan to attend, please remember the best way to make sure I have the books you want is to place a pre-order. Traveling with my entire catalog isn’t feasible. Ensure I have what you want by placing your order prior to June 10, 2026. 

Writers On The River

https://writersontheriver.com/

July 11, 2026

Pre-Order:

https://beventi.co/orderform/julh2fzebi

Coupon code:

9X2CR3NV

Join the Facebook group to keep up with all announcements.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/writersontheriver

Other upcoming events

Indie Lit Con 2026

Manchester England

August 15, 2026

https://indielitcon2026.eventbrite.co.uk

Pre-Order

https://beventi.co/orderform/j0ao1yyhch

Coupon Code: 6E2P3LHF

Haunted Mansion

Savannah, GA

October 28-31, 2027

https://www.hauntedmansionfantasyball.com/

Pre-Order

https://beventi.co/orderform/hnkisgvqxi

Coupon Code: VM89VS3K

Reminder!

If you're a library supporter, here's a gentle reminder that the majority of my books (95%) are available on your favorite library app. So, check them out!

Draft Pick Series Book Box

Have you ordered your book box yet? Don’t miss your opportunity to have all four special edition, autographed copies of each book in the series. The items in each box were carefully chosen to match the sports romance theme keeping the reader in mind.

https://beventi.co/orderform/saac5oxzod

Order your book box today!

That’s all for now. As always, thank y’all for rocking with me. I sincerely appreciate you!

If you like having the inside track on what I write, you should join my Patreon to read along as each story is shaped.

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Irish Cherry

Frost Family Series - Book Four

One reluctant guide. One irresistible tourist. Zero chance of staying detached.

Cherryce ‘Cherry’ Hampton has a plan. Travel to Ireland, connect with her distant relatives, and have fun. She also has an over-protective sister and a pushy cousin who think her plan is missing an important piece. They insist she needs someone to look out for her. Cherry does NOT want a babysitter...until she meets Eoghan Driscoll—the man who’s supposed to “look out” for her while she’s in Ireland.

Eoghan Driscoll isn’t a bodyguard. Nor is he a babysitter. Especially not for a fully grown woman who thought it would be a great idea to solo travel internationally. He has a business to run. Coll’s Whiskey Distillery takes up his time, and he doesn’t need the distraction.  Even if the distraction is a beautiful, curvy little spitfire with a sassy mouth and stubborn streak.

Irish Cherry is a steamy rom-com that inspires laughter, pearl clutching, and may make readers look to visit the Emerald Isle for themselves. 

Buy Now!

Draft Pick Season IV: Vitaly

Love wasn’t in her playbook. But Vitaly Antonov was rewriting the rules.

Vitaly Antonov has carved his own path out of his brother's shadow. Being the professional hockey league’s most sought-after goalie had its perks. Too bad his agent's sister, Jacelyn Shannon, wasn't one of them. At least not yet. 

Jacelyn Shannon had learned long ago she was better off depending on herself. Being everything for everyone else was okay. But she stayed solid and solitary. Jacelyn had no desire to link her life with anyone else. Too bad Vitaly Antonov isn't just anyone.

They come together in a whirlwind. Reality rears its head almost as quickly. While they navigate the dynamics of their new relationship, Jacelyn's former life threatens their future. But, Vitaly won't allow anyone to get in the way of their happiness.

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Just Kiss Me

Love wasn’t on the table, but he’s all in.

Ensley Warren hasn’t been very lucky in love. In fact, it seems like she dated a variation of the same guy over and over. Taking a self-care day, she walked through the doors of Anton’s High Roller Casino and everything changed.

Ryker Stephens was just minding his business, playing blackjack at Anton’s, when he laid eyes on a beauty who immediately captured his attention. Love was the last thing on his mind. However, from the moment she walked into his arms, literally, his new mission became providing whatever she needed—and he didn’t even know her name yet.

Ensley and Ryker’s attraction is undeniable. Can Ensley trust in what she feels for Ryker, or will she allow societal norms to get in the way? Will Ryker win in his quest to provide Ensley with not only protection, but the desires of her heart?

Start Reading Now on Kindle Unlimited!

For Real

Frost Family Series - Book One

For Driscoll Kelly being a man of action, and few words, has served him well as he worked his way through the ranks of the Secret Service, landing a coveted position on the detail of the First Family. Making the decision to change his trajectory, he moved to a division chief position in a location right outside of Atlanta, Georgia. He’s settled into his life and his role as a protector. A visit to his home town of San Diego, California puts him on a path he hadn’t considered taking, but once he’s on it, he can’t turn away.

Banker and audit specialist, McKenna Frost has finally reached a time in her life where she’s where she wants to be professionally – even if she doesn’t have much going on in the way of a love life. With the support of her loving family and sister circle, she recovered from the disastrous end of a relationship she found was nothing but a house of cards. Deciding to take a break from the demands of her job, she and her friends plan a week-long get away in sunny San Diego, California.

A chance meeting in the airport brings the two together for a short rescue mission that leads to an opportunity. Will the circumstances that connected them be enough to keep them on a path together? What happens when the two are faced with obstacles from the past? Can Driscoll open up enough for McKenna to have a place in his organized life? Can McKenna get beyond past hurts to allow room for love?

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The Cowboy's Innocent Wife

by: Niccoyan Zheng

Ryan Kay has two rules: keep it light, keep it moving. Flash a devastating smile, charm his way through life, and never, ever get attached. It’s a system that keeps his dark past buried — and his heart intact.

Until Jo Welch crashes into his world.

On the outside, she’s temptation wrapped in silk — confident, gorgeous, and dangerously alluring. But Jo isn’t the bold seductress she pretends to be. She’s innocent. Untouched. The kind of woman a man like Ryan should steer clear of.

Too bad one reckless, white-hot night shatters all his good intentions.

Jo has a secret she’s desperate to leave behind, and Ryan was supposed to be her way out — quick, easy, forgotten. Instead, one impulsive decision leads to consequences neither of them can ignore.

Bound by circumstance, Ryan and Jo strike a bargain: a marriage of convenience to fix the mess they’ve made. It should be simple — business, not pleasure.

But resisting each other proves to be the hardest part.

With old wounds and buried secrets threatening to tear them apart, Ryan and Jo must decide if what sparked between them was a mistake... or the start of something real.

A broken cowboy. An innocent temptation. A marriage that’s too hot to fake for long.