The blog tour for LETTERS ON BALBOA ISLAND starts February 6! That’s this Thursday already!

For more information, check out my tour page at Pump Up Your Book Virtual Book Publicity Tour. But, first, here’s more about LETTERS ON BALBOA ISLAND:

When Rosalie Martin was seventeen, she knew two things that were true: (1) You couldn’t help but meet a man in a military uniform in southern California in the 1950s, and (2) Sooner or later, men would leave. But that didn’t stop her mother, her sister, or even herself from trying to find a man who would stay. And before she knew it, she had not only one man on her hands, but two.

When Rosalie sends a Dear John letter to the one serving in the Korean War to marry the one back home, she begins a life of secrets and regrets. Years later, when letters surface on Balboa Island, she realizes she may have chosen the wrong man. So when fate gives her the chance to make a different choice, will she? Or has she lived a life of lies for too long?

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Balboa Island plays a part in my latest novel Letters on Balboa Island. In fact, look for an appearance of this book in Martha’s Bookstore. You must read the story of how this bookstore came to be. How perfect it will be to have my novel in that store. For one thing, the main character, Rosalie, opens a bookstore on Balboa Island! I’m just sorry we’re not still living in Las Vegas so that I could take them up on their offer to do an author signing. But, perhaps, I’ll get to visit there sometime soon anyway.

I grew up in a suburb not far from Balboa Island and we visited there often, so it felt like I had grown up there – it means that much to me. Besides enjoying the beach, the bay, and the rides at the Fun Zone, we’d sometimes take a family drive right before sunset. The fancy homes with the big windows open to the sea would remain uncovered and when their lights came on, you could easily see inside. My mother and I loved peeking in, although my step dad would chuckle with a bit of embarrassment, hoping to discourage us, or at least pretend to.

My mother grew up in L.A. and talked about her adventures going to Redondo Beach, Long Beach, The Pike and POP, and so I always thought of Balboa Island as my place because I grew up in Orange County. It was only until recently when I told her about my book that my mother sent me this picture of her and her friends on Balboa Island. Who knew?!

Here’ another family picture of my mother with her 2 sisters at The Pike:

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They say that writing/publishing a book is like giving birth – you have to take time to take care of it (market it) and not dump it on the side of the road in a hurry to get pregnant again, ie, write your next book. Well, if that is true, then after just releasing my third novel, I’m thinking three is my limit… or when the pain is gone, do I get back to writing the next book, ie, have the next child? lol!

Author Bob Meyer says that Indie authors shouldn’t spend too much time on marketing their books until they’ve got three to market and then market like crazy. I wonder if that applies to a mix of Indie/published novels – I’ve just released my third novel on Kindle (two as an Indie and one with a small publisher) and I marketed each book separately. Ironically, my Indie books do better than the one with a small publisher. I really don’t understand that because The Tom Jones Club is one of my best books – it deserves to be read more. But that’s what I get for giving up control – lol! I’m going to have to try harder to get it into the hands of the right readers.

Balboa Island, Caribbean Cruise, Las Vegas

So what’s your favorite destination? For those of you shopping for Kindle books for Christmas or for those who get a Kindle for Christmas and will be shopping afterwards, here are my three novels, set in 3 different fun locations, available on Kindle. Buy one, two, or all three:

When Rosalie Martin chooses to spend her life with a military man in the post Korean War era of the 1950s, she can’t forget another she met during the war. And when letters surface on Balboa Island years later, she realizes she may have chosen the wrong man. When fates gives her a second chance, will she make another choice?

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When hot Vegas nights collide with the Tom Jones Club, Lucky takes the biggest gamble of all and bets on her last chance for love. Or is it too late for a commit-phobe woman pushing forty?

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BUY THE TOM JONES CLUB on Kindle

When  Kate “Cyn” Francis changes her name, her hair color, and her age in  order to snag a younger man on a Caribbean cruise, the last thing she  expects is to fall overboard for a Cary Grant look-alike. Sandy Brown,  eager to get over a broken heart, is also looking for love. Millie  Evans, having recently sold her publishing empire, is on a succession of  one-week cruises, looking to reconnect with a past love. But what happens when a shipboard fantasy collides with the real world?

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And that part about being done after writing/publishing three? I doubt it because I already have two more novels in the works.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!