It’s October. Yes, October. And I know what you’re thinking. What books do I have to look forward to as I finish out 2018?! Oh, is that not what you’re thinking? Well, it’s definitely on MY mind, at least, as I’m feverishly working on a few books that I hope to have in your hands very, very soon!

For those of you who can’t wait, here’s a little more info about what’s next…

Wasted Time – I’m right in the middle of this one, y’all. I’m pretty sure this is the first book I’ve written where the bulk of the love story happens entirely in the first half. What in the world goes on in the second half? Well, it turns into an even better love story as life takes some unexpected turns. No, no one dies. (I’ve hardly killed off anyone in the past, and this is always the first conclusion y’all jump to. “Who dies?!” No one dies. Well, except for that one person…) Who is this story about? Bradley Walker, who we saw in Taking Chances and Childish Ways. He’s Jill and Lisa’s younger brother, back in their small town and ready to finally sell the old family home. You’ll meet his realtor, Julie, on the very first page, and the other characters who come out… well, you’ll see. God’s redemption is the heart of this book, and I’m excited about where it’s heading. I’m hoping for a LATE OCTOBER release date for this one!

Holiday Town – Yes, this is the Namibian Christmas book! I’m halfway done with this one, but if you looked at it, you’d wonder how it’s the halfway point as I’ve got the beginning written, some of the middle, most of the ending, etc. It’s been hard to focus, y’all, with all these words and scenes flying through my mind faster than I can get them typed up! This story is told from six different perspectives – Beth, Kait, Lucy, Joey, Piet, and Jude. Won’t that get confusing? No, you’ll be able to keep it straight. There are three different storylines going on, but they all overlap and connect. The “real time” of the story is just five days, from December 22nd to December 26th, with all of the action happening in Swakopmund. I love, love, love this book and these characters. And I’m going to wait and release it on November 26th, which is my 40th birthday. Because what do I really want to do for such a milestone day? I want to go back to Swakopmund! Hectic, ja?!

The One That Got Away (or maybe a better title that I haven’t thought of yet, lol) – Remember the end of Picture Perfect? Seventeen year old Stella Finn, sneaking pictures of some guy named Levi, getting ready to spend the summer working alongside him at camp. Oh, yeah, you remember it now. Well, that ended up being a disaster for both of them, but I couldn’t leave them like that. So they’re getting thrown back together to work it out. And what better situation to throw them into than a destination wedding where Levi is a groomsman (again) and Stella is doing the photography (yes, again)! I was stuck on the destination part, not sure where I was going to send them, so I asked Wes to help me think through it. And he came up with a brilliant plan, even helping me to talk through and think through the deeper parts of the story. (He also said that we need to take more exotic vacations so I’ll have more to write about. Agreed.) I’ll be putting this book out there in December!

And then, friends, guess what we’re at? Book number 50. 50?! Yes, 50! I can’t even believe it, honestly. So what is book 50? Here it is…

Road Trip – I don’t want to ruin any surprises, so I won’t say much. But I’ve already started working on this one, and it’s going to be so much fun. Road Trip will be the first book of 2019, and you just might get a tease for it in another book. Just maybe.

So there it is. What are you most excited to read?!