Welcome to May, dear Reader!

Can you believe we're already in the fifth month of the year? I'm floored by how April just flew by. It ended with a bang for me, though, and I'd love to share it with you in some pictures from the Interracial Romance Author's Expo (IRAE) that I attended this past weekend in Jacksonville, Florida.

I ate SO well on the train ride there and back. LOL! But at least I occupied my mind with educational games ... some of the time. I hate flying, so I always go by train, and it's a long ride.

Fun times were available when we weren't working, both outdoors and in.

And after the "Party Like It's 1974" party was over, it was back to work meeting readers and signing books. And I was surprised to win an award: "Best IR Holiday Romance" for The Surrogate. I proudly displayed it on my table.

Then came the last night and the goodbyes. I can't wait for 2026!

I came away with more than an award, though! I now also have the honor of writing a story that a reader-author collaborative came up with on Friday morning in a fun work session. Readers got to see how authors work, and authors got the benefit of reader input. Then each table presented its pitch to a panel of 'agents'--fellow authors-- and the winning pitch came from my group.

I'll be posting more about that this weekend on my blog. Visit me there then to see what the new story will be titled, and what the bare bones of it will be. And when you do, please subscribe. Thanks so much!

Now to other book news. The Pilot's Wife now has four episodes on Kindle Vella, with a fifth set to come out on Thursday, if Amazon doesn't pitch a fit. If you haven't already begun to read, here's the link to Episode 1. From there, you can follow the story, and please Like after you've read each one and participate by responding to the polls.

A few of my author colleagues have come together to present a series called "Preacher's Kid". Here's the link to all 8 books. Each writer's story will intrigue and capture your imagination. The first one, Tangled Reverence by Darie McCoy, comes out on May 2nd, and each of the other 7 will go live the following week.

Finally, Olivia Gaines's latest novel in her Technician series, Night Blind, went live on April 23. It's another riveting story in a fascinating and innovative series.

I hope I've given you enough to whet your appetite for this month's reading. And I love it when you share with me, so I'll leave you with a question:

Have you ever read a mafia romcom?

I look forward to your answers. Remember to click on the highlighted links to see all the goodies I've laid out for you this month! Until next time, happy reading, everyone!

À bientôt,

KT