February was a very productive month for me. I submitted queries to six literary agents. I also sent out the book (currently titled Love & Books) to my Beta readers and received some helpful and encouraging feedback. I'm hoping to complete some edits this month.

I want to send out a few more queries (one agent I really want to query was closed to submissions in February) and submit my book to Hallmark's open submission program. Several readers have commented that the book sounds like a Hallmark movie. Hopefully, whoever reads my submission will think so too.

I've also decided to write a prequel novella for the series. My goal is to have a first draft by the end of the month. I'm excited to write something new, but also a little nervous. For those of you who have read a version of Love & Books, the prequel will be about Jeff and Lisa. For those who haven't, I look forward to introducing you to my little Asheville world later this year. (Though the prequel will take place in California which won't really introduce you to Asheville but here are a few emojis to set the scene: 🏄🏥👫❤)

Each month I participate in a blog link-up on the fourth Saturday of the month called Share Four Somethings. There are four prompts to talk about the past month. It's a lot of fun and I discuss Something Loved, Something Gleaned, Something Braved, and Something Achieved. Check it out and, if you blog, consider participating at the end of the month.

I've joined the Wordle craze like many other people (I mean, Hello, writer here 🙋). I've also checked out Quordle and Nerdle which I do less frequently but still enjoy the mental engagement. Have you tried out any of these free word and math puzzles? Do you have a favorite?

I read fifteen books in February, which is a lot, even for me. That puts my 2022 total at 26 right now. If that was my yearly total, it would equal one book every two weeks! I wasn't doing a lot of writing last month which was probably part of the reason for such a high count. There's a photo of February's reads below. Have you read any of them? Click here to see January's reads.

What was the best book you read this month? Mine was Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano partly because I have been reading a ton of romance and needed a genre break. This was a fun, suspenseful mystery with a great ending that makes you want to immediately pick up the second book. Yes, there's also a little romance in there too, but the main plot revolves around a murder. 💀 

I have a writer friend who is part of a promotion for twenty-two wholesome romance books. There are cowboy, romantic suspense, regency, and beach reads among the selection. Today's the last day to download them before the promotion ends so don't delay. Click the button below and be sure to check out Bayside Betrayal by Sherri Wilson Johnson.