November is National Novel Writing Month, aka NaNoWriMo, but for the first time in several years, I am not working on a new book this month. I had planned to be deep into the first manuscript of my new series, Black Watch Security by now, but…well, you know what happened. 2020 has been a beast from start to finish and I’ll be happy if I can finish out the year with the relaunch of the Second Chances series under its new name (Lost & Found) and the release of the long-awaited Triple Threat Box Set.
I have a good friend who swears that life as we knew it went sideways on Friday the 13th in March, so the reset was sure to happen on November’s Friday the 13th. I, for one, am really hoping she’s correct, but with Maryland heading back into stricter lockdown protocols, things are looking iffy. I’m dreading winter’s colder temps, and not being able to get outside as much anymore. I’m really dreading the probability that schools will need to stay closed for the second semester, even though I know it’s what we’ll need to do to keep everyone safe.
Is it any wonder that the romance genre is what’s getting me through the death throes of this Year From Hell? I’ve read so many wonderful titles during this quarantine – beginning with the new-to-me authors I’ve reviewed as part of author Nana Malone’s #BrownNippleChallenge, and ending most recently with Sarah MacLean’s extraordinary book “Daring and the Duke.” I have many more books lined up to read next, and I encourage you to check out my reviews on BookBub and Goodreads. No year in memory has quite required the escape of a great Happily-Ever-After as this one has, so hit up your local independent bookstore (try IndieBound or BookShop to find them) and give these terrific stories a try!
Next month, I’ll update you on the status of the Finding Home relaunch, and tell you whether or not my family won this year’s “Who Decorated for the Holidays First” competition. Be warned – another set of teens lives across the street from us, and they are IN IT TO WIN IT after their 2019 defeat. See you then!
Kristen Casey 