My Friends:

It seems like forever, but UNTIL HE MET RACHEL—number six in my “Spotlight on Sentinel Pass” series--is finally out. E-book readers can currently download copies as we speak. Traditional booksellers should be shelving copies in the coming weeks.

This book holds a special place in my heart. Many of you were with me in spirit last summer as I wrote it in between weekly trips to the cancer center where my late sister was being treated. Rachel and Rufus, the protagonists of this book, were self-reliant characters who basically told me their story whenever I could break away from the ongoing drama in my real life. Their romance has a “Beauty and the Beast” element that is hopeful, life-affirming and often quite fun.  I mean, seriously, how many books have your read where Chapter 2 opens with:

“Sex toys.
To pack or not to pack? That was the question that would have had her mother rolling over in her grave…if her mother were dead. Which she wasn’t. Yet.”

(And wait till Rufus’s dogs get hold of the box. Feathers fly and certain unnamed objects become doggie chew toys. Yikes.)

May is also my friend Brenda Novak’s Online Auction to raise money for Diabetes Research -- www.brendanovak.com.  Please join me in bidding on some of the amazing prizes that have been donated to help this terribly important cause. One of the items I donated last year was a chance to see “Your name in my next book.” The winning bid belonged to Diane Appelman. Diane didn’t buy this for herself. She wanted me to use her late son Stephen’s name—because she knew he’d “get a kick out of it.” I wrote back asking her to tell me about him. (With Diane’s permission, I’ll post her tribute in my Mother’s Day blog.) I was honored to rename Rufus’s younger brother: Stephen--the boy who proved to be the driving force behind Rufus’s reason for reaching out to Rachel. When you read this book, I hope you’ll feel the connection I did to this lovely young man.

Check out my contest! Four weeks, four winners. You only need to register once. In addition to a signed copy from my backlist, each winner will receive a fabulous, one-of-a-kind "Iris" card, handmade by my friend Denise Dupertis, who is the bravest, most determined cancer survivor I've ever met. Each card is truly a work of art. (Photos on the contest page soon, I promise. It's just so hard to choose.)

I’m blogging weekly—“Tuesdays In Debland,” along with a monthly update on the Wine, Women and Words Book Club reads. This month—big surprise—we’ll be discussing UNTIL HE MET RACHEL, along with The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson.

The next book in the “Spotlight on Sentinel Pass” series will be out this fall. The title is: THE GOOD PROVIDER.

If you’re on Facebook, I hope you’ll become my friend. And check out the Superromance fan page, which offers all sorts of great links to wise blogs, free books and interesting sites.

Happy reading!
Deb