Why? Because I AM TIRED. My little fingers are worn to the bone. I’ve already been writing for thirty-one hours today, and the day isn’t over yet.

But you’ll be happy to know I’m conquering this thing. Laurel Heights #9, a.k.a. MAD ABOUT YOU, is just about done with gestation and on the verge of being born. Are you ready for it?

Do you know want to know what a little sneak peek into the story? It’s about…

• Julie and Scott
• Bull and Joey
• flowers
• an evil rival
• Thunder Chicken
• a wedding
• and a red corset

MAD ABOUT YOU. Coming July 3rd. Prepare yourself.

So let’s get back to this blog thing, which I’m not doing this week. I’m really serious about that. There are a hundred things I’d rather be doing than writing a blog. Forget a hundred—let’s settle for five.

Grab the Broom! Five Things Kate Would Rather be Doing 

1. Reading. Do you know how much easier it is to read a book than to write one? A LOT. 
2. Cleaning the toilet. ‘Nuff said.
3. Traveling. I need to go to Paris. Yes, it’s a need. If you’ve been to Paris, you’ll understand that. 
4. Folding laundry. It’s so much more relaxing than pretty much anything related to writing.
5. Absolutely nothing. ‘Nuff said.

Sorry. I hope you’re not too disappointed. Come back again next week when I’m (hopefully) more rested. Maybe I’ll tell you about the new series I’ve been pondering…

Anyway, since I’m busy writing (and re-writing) I hope you guys will excuse me if I skip my blog post this week and just give you a haiku. It’s a haiku from the bottom of my heart, if that makes it better.

Fingers flying fast ~

like feathers propelled by wind.

Writing is so hard.

This is my LEAST favorite question. I mean, it’s like asking a person where they find the air they breathe. Ask me where I get my ideas from and there’s a chance I’ll stab you with the purple Jelly Roll pen I use for editing.

Only I don’t want you to die, so I’m going to answer this question here, once and for all. Take notes.

My sister and I visited our mother last week. Mom just moved into a new house, and my sister still had boxes she’d left before she moved to New York four years ago. So Mother nagged asked us to go through them and clean them out of the garage.

Needless to say, not everything piled in the garage belonged to my sister. We scored, though, when we found a big box full of old family photos.

Frankly, it was my sister who uncovered what a treasure we’d found. I’d dismissed them and moved on when suddenly Parisa exclaimed, “These are Ebba and Julius’s engagement and wedding photos!”

Ebba and Julius (and Ebba’s two sisters, Laura and Irma) were our adopted grandparents.

All the memories of my childhood include them. They loved us with all the love any biological grandparent would. Ebba taught me to be a strong woman. Julius, in his seventies, would lie down on the floor and play blocks with us. On my wedding day, I wore the ring Julius gave Ebba on my right hand.

I’d never seen the pictures of their engagement, or their wedding. There was also an album of photos from when Ebba, Laura, and Irma were children in the late 1910′s and early 1920′s, as well as from when they were young ladies.

In some of the old photos, there was a boy who posed with them. They didn’t have a brother. Who was he?

I turned to my sister and said, “What if some family found a box of photos and discovered a long-buried skeleton? A secret, like a family member who’s been hidden or lost?”

My sister nodded as she flipped the page of an album. “Sounds good. You should write that.”

And there’s the answer to that dreaded question. It starts with being open to possibilities, and then asking What if?

I just saved you from dying tragically from a killer purple Jelly Roll pen. You’re welcome.

The winners for a digital copy of ALL FOR YOU are—drumroll please…

     All of you!

I know I said ten people would win, but I changed my mind. Welcome to my world, where what I say goes, and I say everyone who commented on last week’s blog post wins a copy of the novelette.

EMAIL US your choice of format. The lovely Katie, who runs my world, will send you your copy. Congratulations, ladies!

Thanks for playing along on my birthday month. I had a good time. We should do it again next year, don’t you think?

There are a few days left of my birthday month, so let’s go out with a bang. This week, ten people receive a copy of my just released Laurel Heights novelette, ALL FOR YOU!

Anna Godwin likes it spicy.

At least she used to. Somewhere between law school and real life, she lost her sparkle. Now she wears boring business suits to boring dates in her boring life.

The last time Anna remembers feeling that sizzle was with the one man who’s all cayenne and passion: Max Corazao, the one who got away.

Except Max still sees Anna as a woman full of spice. And Anna intends to do whatever she can to be that woman again—with his (unknowing) help…

ALL FOR YOU is available this week exclusively on iBookstore, but it’ll be available everywhere else on June 7th. But comment on this blog for a chance to win a copy, in any format, this week.

In ALL FOR YOU, Anna tries to kick up her wardrobe in any way possible, including white knee socks. So describe what you like to wear when you feel sassy. If I know guys, you’ll have good things to tell. Wink.

I loved how many of you were funfetti cupcakes. It was awesome how you were all decadent, even in your sweetness or tartness or when you thought you were plain. For the record, NONE of you are plain or boring. You’re all scrumptious from my point of view.

I wish I could have all of you win, but this week’s winning five, for the $25 gift certificates to the online store of their choice…

The banana pudding cupcake, Terri (such a sweet memory of your mom!)

Simply decadent vanilla with chocoate, Marcy Meyer

Double chocolate with chocolate frosting, Tiny V (totally right!)

Florida Key lime all the way, Karen Hiebert 

Devilishly chocolaty Michelle D.

EMAIL US your store of choice and we’ll get your gift certificate out to you right away. Congratulations, ladies! And good luck to the rest of you this week.

I’m tired today. I’m not sure why.

Actually, there are reasons. I may have been going out a lot. Ahem. But I’ve also been writing nonstop, trying to finish the first draft of MAD ABOUT YOU, Laurel Heights #9. Then there are a lot of things happening here in Kateland: changes and new things that are all exciting but time-consuming. Mostly, though, I blame my Magic Man, who’s been away for a week. It’s like someone took my life-size teddy bear away.

Anyway…

I’ll just get on to why we’re all here, shall I? In other words, week 3 of my BIRTHDAY EXTRAVAGANZA! This week, five people will win a $25 gift certificate to the online store of their choice.

To be entered to win, tell me what flavor of cupcake you are.¹

Good luck, and happy birthday to us!

¹ An aside –> I love reading all your comments. I’ve been super slammed with writing the past couple weeks so I haven’t been able to comment so much, but I’ve been reading everything. I love learning what gifts you loved, and seeing your awesome haikus. So thank you.

A book and haiku

To send five lucky people.

Birthday treats for all!

And the winners are…

Chanpreet, Janet Hartman, Stephanie A-P, Brittany, and Seyi.

Congratulations! PLEASE EMAIL ME your address so we can get the books out to you.

To everyone else: more prizes coming this week! Try again, and good luck.

This year, I got a surprising number of presents. I’m not sure what that means. Maybe I’m regressing. Maybe people just like me this year. Toss up.

What I received:

- cupcakes

- cupcake note cards

- cupcake candles

- a cupcake-print storage bin

Sense a pattern?

I also received a Le Creuset braising pot from my Magic Man (I really wanted one, but I couldn’t justify buying one for myself because I hardly ever cook anymore). And my brother-in-law gave me a gift card to Lululemon for athletic gear (he either thinks I’m sporty or that I need to workout more).

In short, I feel as though I made out like a bandit. I love the gifts, but more than that I love the care everyone put behind figuring out what would please me. It’s not about the stuff, it’s about being loved.

And because I love you, I’m giving presents to you all month. This week we’ve got…

An autographed copy of a Laurel Heights book!

Five lucky people (living in the US or Canada) will get an autographed copy with a personalized haiku by yours truly. (You have to picture me saying that in the game show host voice.)

To be in the running, post a comment here answering this question: What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? Or the worst. Or tell us what you’d love to get.

Do it. Winners (who live in the US or Canada) will be announced on next week’s Tuesday blog. May the Force be with you.

Ketialie

Sharryn Phillips

CactusDuck

Natalie

Tanya

Samantha Manning

Cheryl

Christine Caywood

Chanpreet

Jennifer (comment 35)

Stephanie

Shari

Stacey Johnson

Michelle

Teresa

Valerie

Denise F.

Alicia Clark

Jennifer (comment 39)

Lily

Emma

Karen

Sabrina

Sarah

Jeannine

Woo hoo! Congrats, ladies! Please email to let us know which book you’d like and your preferred format. The lovely Katie, who runs my world, will get your copy out to you this week.