The Secret Cure LAUNCH!

Today is the day! After years of work, The Secret Cure is out in the world. Preorders have manifested in Kindle libraries, like magic! Ebooks can be downloaded and read! If you buy now, you can start reading in seconds. I’m SO EXCITED to share this story with you!

A gripping psychological thriller with a twist.

She’s getting better. He has no clue. That’s exactly the way she wants it. 

To pull off the perfect revenge, her cure has to remain a secret…

The official blurb (below) will tell you what the story is about. But not only is the concept fascinating, there are a handful of fun facts that make this read unique. Here are a few:

• The ending changed 4 times before the final version. (Bah!) Endings can be tricky, especially for thrillers. For this one, I was reluctant to literally “kill my darlings.”
• The MC’s temporary paralysis is a real condition–though an extreme case–called Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
• Another character has a synesthesia-like PTSD from her time as a medic in the Iraq War. Synesthesia is a fascinating condition that mixes up the the senses. Think colors for feelings, etc. A brilliant treatment of this is in The Color of Bee Larkham’s Murder by Sarah J. Harris.
• The book is international, for many reasons. One of which is the fact that the publisher, Darkstroke Books, is based in Paris.
• A major character (the mistress) is Russian. I studied abroad in Russia in the 90s just after the Cold War, and ended up majoring in Russian language. Hence, Russian culture references and phonetically spelled Russian words are sprinkled throughout.
• Because I got the idea for the story while at a resort in Sicily, part of the book is set there. And Mount Etna is featured. Hence, the antagonist (the cheating husband) is Sicilian. Italian phrases are sprinkled in, too!

Official Blurb

In her mid-30s, Rosalie Giordano is in the prime of her life. Long saved from the manipulative hands of her mother, she’s been married to her fairy tale hero for ten blissful years. Vincent is sweet and strong, and stunning as hell—and completely enamored of her.

Just as they begin to plan for a family, Rosalie is diagnosed with a mysterious virus that renders her temporarily paralyzed. As days stretch to weeks, then months, she learns not only is her condition chronic, but the love of her life is having an affair.

As her health improves, a slow burn of vengeance simmers in her heart. With the help of her homecare nurse, she regains full mobility. While hiding the truth from her husband, she uncovers the extent of his betrayal…and learns he is not at all who he seems. Their planned anniversary trip overseas gives her the perfect occasion for revenge.

But at the fancy Sicilian resort, Rosalie is not the only one with a score to settle with Vincent. And in the end, she’s not the only one with blood on her hands…

New Book Deal Alert!

Five years ago, I got a story idea that stubbornly clung to my psyche until I unleashed it onto the page. It became a true labor of love, as it was inspired by my then-6 y/o. When my husband read the first draft he said, “This book will change your life.” It’s my favorite thing I’ve ever written. Today, I’m signing a publishing contract with Immortal Works that will help get this very story — BOY ON HOLD — out into the world.

Pop the bubbly! Cue the fireworks! Woo-hoo!

Yes, this is a new publisher. Lots of people ask me about the publishing process. How I found this publisher is, in itself, an interesting story.

Back in March, I took part in a Twitter pitch contest called #PitMad. Basically, you pitch your story using hashtags to indicate genre and theme. If an agent “likes” your Tweet, it’s a request to see more. It’s a fun way to query a bunch of agents at once — and practice the art of a the modern-day elevator pitch. (Note to writers: the next #PitMad is September 6, 2018! Get your pitches ready!)

Here was my pitch.

Some pitches got lots of likes. The most I saw on one pitch was 17 likes.

Me? My pitch for Boy on Hold got one like. ONE.

Blugh. My first thought: “Well, that was a waste of time. I’m never doing that pitch contest again.”

That one like was from Immortal Works. Not an agent but a publisher. They requested the first page.

Blugh. My next thought: “Only one page? This was seriously a waste of time.”

So I sent the first page and didn’t give it much thought.

Almost 3 months later — (yes, 3 whole months) — Immortal Works got back to me, complimenting the quality of my writing . . . and asked to read the entire manuscript.

That made me sit up a little straighter. My next thought: “Oh! Okay, let’s see where this goes.”

As I sent them the MS, I also sent it to my Kindle since it had been a year (or two) since I read it through myself. While on vacation with my family, I read it on my iPhone, highlighting all the parts that I thought needed work. I couldn’t help but get excited about the story all over again. When I got home, I got to revising right away with renewed energy.

Then, a surprise. An email from an assistant editor at Immortal Works saying she “loved it.” That she “totally cried” at the ending. She said it reminded her of To Kill a Mockingbird but with schizophrenia instead of racism (Whoa — !!). And she wanted to recommend it for publication.

My thought at this time? Let’s just say, I was jumping-out-of-my-chair psyched. I had to hold back not to tell everyone — even strangers in the grocery line. Instead, I settled for a celebratory happy dance with my husband and kids.

About a month later, they officially requested to publish my book. The contract was in my inbox the very next day. Today, I signed!

Now, I’m beyond stoked. I’m FLOORED. I can’t tell you how gratifying this is. To have a publisher as excited as I am about my story. That’s when you know you’ve found the right match. They LOVE the book. And “totally cried” at the ending. Her last email to me said that she got “chills” thinking about it as she ran errands. Squeeeeeeeeee!

Writer friends who are slogging through the noise to get your work noticed, keep up the good fight! Keep querying! Keep pitching! Remember this: it only takes one like.