LOVE, REDEMPTION AND SECOND CHANCES
The Aspen Gold Series
Years ago, when we moved from Portland, Oregon to Glenwood, Iowa, I immediately located the nearest writing group, Romance Authors of the Heartland in Omaha, Nebraska. There I met Barbara Gwen, who was destined to become a dear friend and valued critique partner. I joined her critique group and would like to say the rest was history. But real life isn’t as easy as fiction.
When we came up with the idea of writing a series about an imaginary town in Colorado, I instantly agreed. That’s when I discovered that writing a book from beginning to end was a long-term commitment, involving more than desire, emotion and enthusiasm.
After taking a five-year hiatus from writing and critique, I returned determined to give my dream a second chance. Our group resurrected Aspen Gold: The Series. I relocated an earlier story to Spencer, Colorado, pitting the town’s historical society’s advocate, Miranda Buffet, against commercial architect, Declan Elliott. Call Me Mandy was my first book, published in September 2019, and the culmination of my lifelong dream. My second Aspen Gold book, Close to the Heart, was published in July 2020.
The late Barbara Gwen’s love for all things Colorado was the catalyst for Aspen Gold. My friends and fellow writers, Cheryl St. John, Lizzie Starr, Donna Kaye, Bernadette Jones and M.A. Jewell are as dedicated as I am to honoring Barb’s memory and to writing and publishing more stories in this series. We possess a deep abiding trust in each other, and I am forever grateful to them for their encouragement, generosity and friendship.
I want to thank you, my readers, for your support, your enthusiasm and your willingness to join me as my journey continues.
