Here’s to a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

fb7761fffa5bc87fd55d044a5d0b8162If you’re reading this, then you’ve either stumbled upon me looking for news about Chris Harrison’s wife (forgive me, but I have no idea who either of them are) or you’re actually interested in what I have to say. If it’s the latter, then allow me to thank you profusely, with my sincere hope that you’ve found what you’re looking for or, perchance, you’re looking for something new from me. If that’s the case then you must find my blather at least entertaining, so rest assured there’s more in the works. And to that end…

Even though Wanted: Wife is my debut novel with Avon/HarperCollins, I’ve actually been around  awhile in other forms, and have a backlist that’s yet to be mined. (You feeling lucky?) There’s a sampling of it up top, so please be my guest and have a look. Or if you’ve just finished WW and need more of Andy et al, there’s a “deleted chapter” which is actually a prequel in Andy’s POV, and the first chapter of WW’s sequel starring Marcel, Andy’s brother (still on the drawing board, so sit tight). But there’s actually more to me than just Iron Bog, as you’ll see with a sampling of my Women’s Fiction. It’s just so hard to hold all this talent in check!

Kidding, of course. Because no one was more surprised than me to find WW was #13 on bn.com’s Nook bestseller list last night, and for a fleeting time, actually #1 in Romance (as of this writing I’m #14 and #2 respectively–which still goes a long way to blow my mind.) Also know I didn’t get where I am (wherever that is) by myself, but purely by all those people who took a chance on me, no matter what professional or personal form they took. But most of all, it really comes down to the readers who thought I was worth the coin. Sounds sappy but it’s so damn true–if it weren’t for you guys I’d still be playing those endless games of Free Cell instead of at least trying to make myself useful.

Anyway, just let me say thanks again for reading, I hope the coming 2014 is even more awesome than this one, and that I continue to be worth your time in both pixels and print. Happy New Year everyone!

Gwen

AGAIN gracing the pages of The Kelsey Review

kelsey_review13Somehow I managed to end up between the pages of The Kelsey Review again! This time it’s an excerpt from one of the books I’m throwing out there for your approval, The Heiress of Bearberry. You can take a look right here at this site, or you can click on this link for a nifty turn-by-turn version of the 2013 edition of the literary mag. It’s chock full of all kinds of talent from Mercer County, NJ (that’s New Jersey’s capital county for those left unawares), from photos to original artwork, to poems and short stories and of course, excerpts from soon-to-be-sold novels extraordinaire. Who knows where it may lead? Last year I was lucky enough to get nominated for a Pushcart Prize, for a my short story “Hawks” in the 2012 edition. Pick up a copy and you can say you knew me when!

Laugh if you want, but you have to start somewhere. For those aspiring writers out there don’t discount your local press. A publishing cred is a publishing cred, and people do read these things. Plus it’s still a bit of a thrill to have someone think what you write is worth reading. And the more that you put yourself out there, the more of a junkie you become. What was it Dorothy Parker said…? “I love writing, but I love having written better.”

Well said, Dottie, well said.