My next book, a secret hookup, and a hole

Let's talk about ministers

The first boy I ever had a crush on was the son of a minister.

My minister, technically.

I grew up a military kid, and back in the 1970s officers in the Air Force had to go to church (this is what I was told as a small child). So we went to a Lutheran church, and later, after my parents divorced, we moved in with my grandparents (mom’s side) and went to the local church where - oh, irony - my parents had had their wedding.

It was a United Congregationalist Church (aka UCC), but back then it wasn’t part of the UCC. It was just called [name of town] Church.

“Jimmy” was the minister’s son, and we were fourth graders. I had a love-hate relationship with him, which mostly meant chasing each other on the playground, besting one another in class (I answered more questions right), and learning that some girls (not tomboys like me) got more attention than others, but I was the one the boys picked to play on their team, so I didn’t really care if so-and-so’s hair was shiny, or that other girl smelled nice.

I remember going to church and seeing Jimmy in Sunday school classes, but didn’t realize he was the minister’s kid until my grandma pointed it out once. Suddenly, I felt like maybe Jimmy was… better than me?

Because his dad worked for God.

Mine just worked for the president.

God was stronger than the president.

(Again, I was 9. Raised in military culture in the midwest. This is how my mind worked back then).

So I started getting weird around Jimmy, and he noticed, which meant he shoved me a little harder when we played Red Rover on the playground, and sneered more but still picked me for Capture the Flag teams. Once in a while, I’d catch him staring at me in class and stick out my tongue at him. He’d laugh.

See? First crush.

Then Christmas came. And I wore a dress to church.

Remember: I was a tomboy with a capital T. The year before, in third grade, I’d gone to a different school (military kid…) and at my old school I could beat up ALL the boys.

And by “beat up” I mean scare them enough that no fists ever flew. I was the tallest kid in my grade!

[Note: I am a whopping 5’4.75” tall, but I was 5’2” by the age of 10. Early bloomer in too many ways.]

By 4th grade, in my new school, that was no longer true, though I had a new feature that made me stand out: a bustline. For all the people out there who wore a bra before you were 10, you have my sympathies. I feel your pain.

(Literally, because by the time I was 23, I was a 48F and got reduction surgery, but that’s for another story…)

Back to 1980.

Grandma made me wear a dress for Christmas services, and it scratched. It scratched but I did it, and she curled my hair, and I went to church and Jimmy gawked at me.

Then he ignored me.

The dress scratched because my bustline? Well, it was growing. That meant wearing a bra by spring. Spring of fourth grade.

And a bra has bra straps, which were irresistible to fourth grade boys in 1980.

I got snapped constantly, and the first perpetrator was Jimmy. Back then, we were told “the boys tease you because they like you” and we were expected to just… take it.

Except I didn’t just take it. I pushed him - hard.

And then I got in trouble.

Grandma told me he should be ashamed, being a minister’s kid and all, and that she would say something to his father. I begged her not to, and she respected that. Handling this situation on my own was important to me.

A few boys snapped my bra strap after that, and Jimmy probably did once or twice but I couldn’t see him because he was wily and ducked behind other less wily boys. Eventually, another girl got a bra and became their target, and by the end of the school year it didn’t matter, because - yep - we moved.

Again.

5 different schools by 5th grade for me.

I looked Jimmy up just now (ah, Google) and it turns out he does something super boring (if I say it, he might piece together who I am, so let’s say it’s like a boring accountant job, or working as a salesperson). He wasn’t a boring kid, but then again, I’ve worked boring jobs, too.

We can’t all work for God, or the president. Most of us wouldn’t want to anyhow.

What the heck does my long, rambling story about Jimmy have to do with my books? Oh. Right.

Ministers.

I never dated Jimmy, but he was my first big crush. And he was a minister’s kid. But the minister in my upcoming September 10 release, Never Date the Minister, doesn’t have kids.

Yet.

I am making a very tenuous case for this being related, so just go with it LOL.

Nessa, from the first two books in my Whatever It Takes series, Never Plan a Billionaire’s Wedding and Never Fall for the Bride’s Father, is determined not to be Nessa the Mess. She’s going to get her career in order, stop dating the wrong guys, and focus on herself.

And other than a one-night stand with a hot guy she meets at a charity auction, she’s doing just fine.

Until he turns out to be - yep! - the minister at her next wedding project.

One night stand books are a hoot. This one was so fun to write.

And even better - on September, 10, you get simultaneous eBook, print, and audiobook release for this book! No waiting for people who love to listen.

Pre-order now:

Accidental poisonings. Unexpected tidal waves. Jealous stepsisters. Brides caught cheating in the coatroom at the reception.

Just a typical day at work, when you’re a wedding protector.

And Nessa Martini, the newest and youngest member on staff, is doing her best to fix it all.

Starting with her own chaotic life.

A one-night stand with a hot bodybuilding social media influencer who turns out to be a minister is not Nessa’s idea of personal growth, no matter how much she enjoyed it.

She’s trying so hard to be mature, grounded, responsible, and to get ahead in her career working for Wedding Protectors, Inc., where they guarantee your perfect day – whatever it takes.

But when she ghosts on Mr. Perfect after one night of pleasure and he turns out not only to be the TikTok sensation known as “God’s Gift,” but is also the minister at the wedding she’s assigned to for work, all of Nessa’s careful plans go out the window.

She can’t date a man of the cloth.

Or can she?

Matt Draper knows he’s a study in contrasts. A bodybuilder who makes sweaty, shirtless weightlifting videos for millions of followers – and a minister? He didn’t pick the nickname “God’s Gift,” but he’s stuck with it now.

And he’s stuck on gorgeous Instagram influencer Nessa, too.

It may have been only one night, but it was a phenomenal night, and Matt wants more. Way more. When coincidence works in his favor and they meet at a wedding rehearsal, he takes his chance. She’s slow to warm, and so mysterious, yet social media perfect.

Too perfect.

For a guy who is all about depth and connection, can he break through her surface and find more?

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Pippa Grant’s Secret Hook-Up

Hold on, now. Pippa herself didn’t have a secret hook-up, but her new book is out!

And her book has nothing to do with the hole I mentioned above. Promise. ;)

This one has a wedding setting, too! While you’re waiting patiently for Nessa and Matt’s story, here’s a GREAT book by a fantastic author to devour in one sitting:

Description: You’d think nearly dying trying to get out of a too-tight gown in a dressing room and being saved by a strong, competent man was a good thing.

Not so much, though, when that strong, competent man is your ex. Your secret ex.

And the reason you need a gown is because you’re part of a charity auction.

The charity auction where he gets into a bidding war to win you.

And now, because you’re one of few female coaches in professional baseball, and he’s the captain of the local professional hockey team, and he paid a ridiculous sum of money for you…

The entire city is shipping you. You can’t leave your apartment without getting a knowing wink from strangers. Your bosses want to use the publicity to have you jointly launch a new community outreach program.

That’s bad enough. It truly is.

But even worse?

Duncan Lavoie, the green-eyed, curly-haired, dimple-cheeked, hot as lava hockey player wants a second chance. And he’ll play dirty to get it.

The Secret Hook-Up is a laugh-out-loud romcom featuring the hot-as-sin hockey captain of the Copper Valley Thrusters, the Copper Valley Fireballs’ lady baseball coach he never got over, and a misbehaving formal gown. It stands alone and comes complete with a happily-ever-after.

Read and listen to it right now:

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There’s Hole in My House

That is the window to Clark’s office.

You know those arguments in long-standing relationships where you’re both right, but money/time/effort/energy prevents the person who wants to take action from taking it?

That’s what this is about.

Clark’s office had ollllllld casement windows with the hand-crank handle to open the window. It’s nearly impossible to attach an air conditioner to that kind of window (we tried all the conversion kits, but they don’t factor in the hundreds of moths when you live in the woods LOL).

Life has been stressful here, especially with D’s medical issues. The heat wave kicked Clark into overdrive, and he wanted to CUT A HOLE IN THE SIDE OF THE HOUSE to just install an air conditioner.

I proposed we get new windows instead. He was agog, because that is more work (or so he thought), more expensive (yes, it is), but it’s also more practical.

Fortunately, Clark’s brother is a contractor, so we had a hole in our house within a few days, and now we have windows being installed.

Problem soon to be solved.

But that hole, man… it freaked me out for a bit!

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Masked Fun at the Hospital

If you live anywhere near Worcester, Massachusetts (like I do), then you might have gone to St. Vincent’s Hospital. We went last week for the first time, for D to see a new specialist, and I had no idea they have a three-story atrium/botanical garden walking area! For once, going to the hospital had a fun side to it!

No one likes going to the hospital, of course (especially immunocompromised folks like us!), but St. Vincent’s is easily the most beautiful hospital I’ve ever been in.

I normally don’t post pictures of my kids, but we’re masked, so…

That binder, sadly, isn’t full of story ideas. Each color represents a specialty (neurology, cardiology, etc.) for D. Fellow moms of medically complex kids know all about “the binder,” or if you don’t have one yet… you will. <3

That’s a carbon dioxide monitor (Aranet) tucked into the beautiful rocks in the atrium. Any reading under 800 is good, and 562 is fantastic! CO2 monitoring is a way to test air quality.

It’s a good thing we like St. Vincent’s, because D will be going back there within the next 1-2 months for an overnight procedure (boo, hiss, but that’s life).

Speaking of masks…

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Masked Book Signings

I am so inspired by Katie Robert’s recent book event in Oklahoma! If you don’t follow Katie on Facebook, go here and see what all the fuss is about!

Image credit: Katee Robert

I haven’t done an in-person event since May 2023, but I absolutely could if every attendee were willing to mask. I’d provide masks, of course.

There are a number of really cool, local indie bookstores I could reach out to for masked signing events. I could even go to Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, and the very eastern section of New York State (Hudson Valley area/Albany) if people are interested.

Let me know if this is something you’d be interested in, and WHERE (bookstores and libraries would be ideal, but we’d have to be able to all mask). I’ve got new books coming this fall and next year, so I could start planning. I also know other authors who are immunocompromised who might be interested in a group book event, so that’s another cool idea!