Memories, Moments, and More 🥳 🥳 🥳 🥳 – August 2026 Updates

Memories, Moments, and More 🥳 🥳 🥳 🥳  
So many memories and special moments in my life formed in the months of August and September. Most importantly, on August 16th my husband and I celebrated our 40th anniversary. Look at us – so young!! I wish I could say I was a teen bride, but no after dating three years while I was in college, we married two years later, right here on Cape Cod. I hold dear beautiful memories of getting dressed in the same cottage I’m sitting in today. High school and college friends attended me – back in the day before hiring a hair stylist and makeup artist to come to the house. My mom and Nana were here. A navy-blue limo pulled down the one lane street to the cottage and off we went to St. Mary’s in Barnstable Village. My brother John walked me down the aisle, while my Dad cried in the front row, unable to do the walk with his oxygen tank. (BTW – happy 112th birthday to my Dad today. Darn those two-packs of cigarettes you smoked daily for 60+ years). My handsome groom and forever best friend waited at the end of the aisle. 40 years is a long time and it’s a blink of an eye. I love you, Jim Daly.

(opens in new tab)The second special moment and memory in August occurred on the 25th, when four years ago, my life as an author began with the publication of THE UNLOCKED PATH(opens in new tab). That bride 40 years ago knew many changes lay ahead, but never ever did she foresee this one! Have you read my book baby yet? It’s available in paperback, Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible on Amazon(opens in new tab). Or ask your favorite indie bookstore or local library to order it for you.

➡️ I also have signed copies available to order directly through my online order form(opens in new tab).
Special September Offer – Did you know September is Women in Medicine Month? Celebrate your favorite woman in medicine with a gift of a signed copy of THE UNLOCKED PATH. Include the note “Doctor/Student Gift” in the notes on the order form and I will donate 10% of the sale price to the American Women’s Hospital Service, which is introduced in THE UNLOCKED PATH and further spotlighted in the sequel, THE PATH BENEATH HER FEET.(opens in new tab) (BTW – The Path Beneath Her Feet turns two on September 5th – another memorable moment this month!)

We celebrated our anniversary with a quick getaway weekend to Essex C(opens in new tab)T. What a darling town, perfect for a couple of history nerds to explore a museum, have dinner on a vintage steam train, and dinner at the Griswold Inn which dates back to revolutionary times. We kicked off the weekend by attending a production of Come From Away at the historic (of course) Ivoryton Theatre. Stellar performances by the cast and an excellent adaption of the book, THE DAY THE WORLD CAME TO TOWN(opens in new tab) by Jim DeFede. My book club had read it years ago. The story shares a gift of kindness and light on that tragic and dark day twenty-five years ago with 9/11. I highly recommend the book and musical.

The story of the people of Gander, Newfoundland, and how they came together to care for citizens from around the world, parallels the demonstrations of compassion shown by Canadians and Americans who came together in December 1917 in the wake of a devastating explosion in Halifax, Nova Scotia. So, I just let the cat out of the bag… the subject of my fourth book due out December 2027. I’m working on the final chapters now for the first draft. Stay tuned for more progress in the months to come as I make more memories.

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Book Club Picks – Criteria and Choices

(opens in new tab)Over the summer, my Third Thursday virtual book club read The Book Club for Troublesome Women(opens in new tab) by Marie Bostwick. It’s been a super popular pick this year with the many discussions it provokes around women’s equality. I wonder if the length of the book also contributed to its popularity. Clocking in at a neat 380 pages, it stays under what seems to be a magic count-off of 400 pages. I know my book clubs all consider the length of the book to ensure members will have enough time to read it in a four-week window. That criteria could come into play with Kathryn Sockett’s newest, The Calamity Club(opens in new tab). It’s certainly sold a ton of copies since its release in May, but at 640 pages, I wonder how many book clubs will tackle it.

Does your group use any criteria to choose a book? Length, genre, library availability?  Drop me a note(opens in new tab) and be entered to win my copy of The Book Club for Troublesome Women(opens in new tab). Entries close September 5th.

SEPTEMBER CHOICES FOR MY CLUBS

Part of me is super disappointed I’ll miss two of my three groups this month. But I’ve got a great excuse – heading off to London and Edinburgh on another John Shors Travel tour, this time with the amazing authors Heather Webb and Eliza Knight. Follow me on Facebook(opens in new tab) for lots of photo sharing!

Two VIRTUAL events this month with the Third Thursday of the Month Book Club | Facebook. Unfortunately, I’ll miss both of them, but you’re welcome to join since they’re over Zoom. Just join the FB group to get the log-in link.

The Shampoo Effect(opens in new tab) by Jenny Jackson with my long-time, in-person group. Bummed I’ll miss this one. I’ll be in Edinburgh!
Theo of Golden (opens in new tab)by Allan Levi with the Sons of Erin book club. I’m taking bets now this will be one of the top book club picks for 2026. This is the second book club I’m in that has chosen it.
Pass It Forward: Special E-Book Edition
One of the only downsides to e-books is an inability to share them with friends. So, instead of giving away a paperback book from my shelves, this month I’m highlighting e-books with two special giveaways.

1. Load up your Kindle for fall and winter reading. Enter to win a KINDLE version of each of my books: THE UNLOCKED PATH, THE PATH BENEATH HER FEET, and UNDER TWO FLAGS.

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Bonus prize: a pair of fun, fuzzy socks(opens in new tab) for cozy reading sessions. You can enter to win by emailing me(opens in new tab) and telling me: How many books in your KINDLE library? My count as of today, 9/1/2026, is 1,607!!! P.S. Did you know you don’t need a Kindle device to read Kindle books. I have the Kindle app on my phone and my Microsoft Surface tablet. Easy peasy. Entries close September 5th.

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2. THE UNLOCKED PATH turned four on August 25th! To celebrate, I’m giving away 100 e-book versions through Goodreads. Head over there to enter today(opens in new tab). Entries close September 24.

Congratulations to Emily R. for winning last month’s Pass It Forward, Palms on the Cape(opens in new tab),(opens in new tab) by sharing her favorite summertime meal is steamed Maryland crabs doused in Old Bay seasoning and Christina H. who won Back to the Cape(opens in new tab) by sharing her favorite summertime meal is a tomato, mozzarella and basil sandwich with tomato and basil from her garden. I say YUM YUM to both!



More Giveaways to Note – Good Luck! 

Check out this awesome collaboration from my Black Rose Writing Hist Fic fellow authors. We(opens in new tab) are the Nashville Six who met up at our annual conference at the end of the July and banded together to create a cool giveaway. One grand prize winner wins a signed copy of all six books, six runners-up each win one of the books. Entries close 9/15/26 with winners drawn randomly on September 16. Enter today! (opens in new tab)


Goodreads Giveaways of Interest:
The White Hibiscus by William Parent(opens in new tab) – (100) ebooks, closes September 3rd

When No One Else Will by Amanda Skendandore(opens in new tab) – (5) print copies, closes September 14

Don’t Miss Out!

Be sure to sign up for my newsletter(opens in new tab) to receive more updates, as well as book reviews, book club tips, giveaway contests, and other bookish ideas each month.

FEATURED REVIEW. 
(opens in new tab)AspenRidge (opens in new tab)by Michelle Wiberg

Balancing Tension with Hope

I listened to AspenRidge by Michelle Wiberg on Audible. The engaging story kept me going on the treadmill a few more minutes each session, as I had to complete a chapter to find out what would happen next. Although I’ve recently read a few post-apocalyptic novels, this one stands out with a highly developed sense of survival, family bonds (both actual and found), mythology, and a slow-building romance.

When cyberattacks, riots, and environmental disasters send society into freefall, Jessie Oakes faces heartbreaking loss and an uncertain future in her father’s Colorado Rockies retreat, where she discovers that resilience often comes from unexpected sources. I also enjoyed the creative way Wiberg wove in Greek mythology throughout the story. Those stories enrich the narrative with themes of nature, rebirth, community, and the cycles of life, adding another layer of meaning to Jessie’s journey.

AspenRidge is an engaging, thought-provoking read that balances tension with warmth and hope. *****

Turning the Pages
In My Hands: Class Reunion(opens in new tab) by Gail Ward Olmsted
On My Ears: Following Sunshine(opens in new tab) by Niamh McAnally – thoroughly enjoying the author narrating her memoir with her lovely Irish lilt.
TBR Pile: Sitting on Top — A few ARC reads, watch for these fall releases:

  1. Desert School for Girls by Ashley E. Sweeney – beta read
  2. Getting It Righ(opens in new tab)t by Karen E. Osborne – ARC read, due out 10/15/26, available for pre-release
  3. The Lark(opens in new tab) by Laura Rader – ARC read, due out 9/23/26, available for pre-release
UPCOMING EVENTS(opens in new tab)

SEPTEMBER (opens in new tab)public events in MA: Natick, North Dartmouth, Hyannis, Bridgewater, West Falmouth, and Marshfield.

SPECIAL VIRTUAL EVENT – open to all
Wednesday, September 23 @ 7:00 PM
Author Talk: 
Opera, War, and the Human Spirit: Finding Beauty in Enemy Territory. Tewksbury Public Library, Tewksbury MA. Register to receive Zoom link.(opens in new tab)

I’d love to schedule an event at your local library, book club, women’s group or other organization. Just click the button below for more information.

Speaking Engagements – More Information(opens in new tab)

(opens in new tab)GENTLE REMINDER – Authors need your help. When you post a review to your preferred site (Amazon, Goodreads, BN.com, BookBub) and/or social media, you’re helping an author gain visibility for their books. On Amazon, that means an increase in ratings and reviews trigger secret algorithms to promote a book to more readers (at no cost to the author). If you’ve read any of my books, I would greatly appreciate a quick 1-2 sentence review. THANK YOU!

If you haven’t read one yet, I hope you will soon – read the reviews already posted. Readers agree that each one deserves a 4.0+ rating.

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Don’t Miss Out!

Be sure to sign up for my newsletter(opens in new tab) to receive more updates, as well as book reviews, book club tips, giveaway contests, and other bookish ideas each month.

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