The AWritersWork authors have a gift for you and your new (or not-so-new) E-reader: FREE BOOKS on Dec. 26th!

Come to AWritersWork.com on December 26th and you can get my novel UNFORGETTABLE as well as a free book from each of the other authors there. One-day only. Don’t miss it! See that website for details.

I’m working right now on a contemporary Western novel, the sequel to my book DANNY BOY. And I’m reminded of the old saying: “There’s nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse.” That’s certainly true for women too, although I’d have to substitute “bull” for Danny and, in my current project, his now-grown son because both books are about top-notch rodeo cowboys.

But that saying leads me to another observation—in this case, about women. A few years ago I had the opportunity to take part in a writers’ retreat with four other novelists and friends. And what a blast we had! Those few days spent in Lafayette, Louisiana at a plantation turned Bed & Breakfast were magical, and oh-so-productive. Not only did we enjoy the special ambience of that area, some killer Cajun food, and scare ourselves half to death on a ghost tour of another mansion, but after the retreat all five of us sold the books we had brainstormed! Can’t ask for better than a hundred per cent.

Then recently, history repeated itself. Last March I joined four different friends and writers here in Tennessee, all published in one genre or another, at a great lakeside cottage. More magic. More brainstorming. More women having more fun than any human being has a right to <g>.

On that three-day weekend, while rain poured down and turned the river into a misty Brigadoon, we also blocked out some stories, read samples of our works in progress, shared workshops on topics that we consider to be our strengths, and generally enjoyed being with our own kind in (again) a productive environment.

Another plus this time? A husband of one of the writers present is a professional chef who graciously offered to come along—and cook for us so we could keep “cooking” up our plots. By the time we left, as in Louisiana, we were all charged up to go home again and WRITE.

Since then I’ve re-worked a book that has been dear to my heart for some time, but which I’d never finished. At the retreat I read a scene from this story, and the group’s support really got my creative juices flowing. JOHNNY COME LATELY will soon be ready to publish and I’m very happy with the result. It’s a prequel (something I’ve never tried until now) to my Harlequin NeXt novel, CHANGE OF LIFE, which should be re-issued soon.

At the same time I’m working on the above-mentioned cowboy book sequel —I’ve never done this before either—to DANNY BOY. And having a fabulous time.

So I can highly recommend such retreats whether they take place at an old plantation, a cottage at a lake in front of a cozy fire on a rainy weekend, or on board a cruise ship, if you’re really lucky. Closer to home, you might spend time with your colleagues/friends at a nearby hotel/motel or at someone’s house. The location isn’t what matters. You don’t have to be a writer either.

The important thing is to get together—a readers’ discussion group would be fun too—and just be yourselves. You won’t be sorry. There is nothing like a bunch of women talking, laughing, sharing insights and observations, creating their own energy, and of course celebrating women.

In case you missed the free download of UNFORGETTABLE, it is still available at AWritersWork.com at a very reasonable price. For more information here about the novel, see the Featured Book section here on this site.