In my latest release,
MEANT
FOR YOU, Jenny Castelli is a single mom, raising her
son, trying to get a new business started and caring for her aging mother. Jenny
is opening a garden center and although parts of her life are chaotic, making
living things grow always makes her feel centered. Since spring is finally here,
Iβm also planning what Iβm going to plant this year. I definitely donβt have
Jennyβs talent, but I still love choosing flowers and vegetables for the garden
and my potted plants.
Thereβs something about the scent of the earth and getting your hands dirty that
is inherently satisfying. Going to a garden center and choosing just the right
mix of flowers or the perfect tiny tomato stalk is the perfect way to spend a
Sunday afternoon.
Working outside is good for your body and your spirit, although not everyone has
time for a big garden. I used to be more of a gardener but the past few years
Iβve limited myself to a couple of pots of flowers and tomato and basil plants.
Even that makes me feel like Iβve accomplished something. Itβs a great excuse to
get outside on warm mornings and thereβs nothing better than picking a tomato
from the yard in late summer to use in a salad or on a sandwich. Gardening
forces patience and helps you reconnect with the cycles of nature. In this world
we live in where technology is everywhere, gardening is a great excuse to unplug
and be mindful.
Itβs also the perfect activity to do with a friend or someone you love. In Meant
For You, the hero, Owen Dalton, has had his heart broken by Jenny once before.
But when life (and a fake engagement) bring them back together, one of the ways
they connect is working together at her nursery. He gets to see her doing
something she loves and it helps to remind him why he first fell in love with her.
So even if itβs just one tiny plant or a container herb garden, plant something
this spring if you havenβt already and I hope readers enjoy MEANT FOR YOU as
much as I loved writing it!
I was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, and for as long as I can remember Iβve
loved books. Growing up, I wrote stories and plays and graduated with a degree
in Journalism from Ohio University.
By then Iβd also fallen in love with
the mountains. After college I pointed my ancient Honda west until I came to
Colorado. I worked on a dude ranch and then spent a month camping through the
southwestern part of the state. Technically, I might have been homeless but that
hardly seemed to matter while sleeping under the stars.
I settled down to
a career in Human Resources and traveled across the country for my job. With my
fear of flying, I needed something to distract me on all those planes. I picked
up a Julia Quinn novel in an airport bookstore and was hooked. It dawned on me
that the stories milling around in my head were actually romance plots. My
passion for novel writing was born.
Fast forward a couple of years and Iβm
now married, a part-time writer and a full-time Professional Wiper (noses,
bottoms, tears, scraped knees, pet accidents β you name it, Iβve cleaned it up).
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