I can hardly believe that it's been a full year since my first novel, The Violets of March, debuted. And what a year it has been! Thank you, all, for making this book a success, for sharing it with your friends and relatives, and for

I'm feeling crafty today! So, let's make paper flowers. :) I love this tutorial on how to make all kinds of gorgeous paper flowers: And, how to make paper pansies (or violets!): Plus, how to make flowers from

Today my publisher (Penguin/Plume) sent me a lovely letter in the mail from a reader who wrote to tell me she adored The Bungalow. It made my day. I love getting mail from readers. It means so much to authors. Thank you, Mandy, for taking

How dreamy is this cover from my publisher in Germany (Heyne-Diana/Verlag--a division of Random House), for The Bungalow, which will be coming out in hardcover there in August! Don't you just want to pluck a hibiscus and go sailing off in that little boat? Better

One of the most exciting things for me in this year (almost) of having my first book out (and second, and several more in the pipeline!), is the fun of seeing my books being translated into other languages. To date, I have sold rights to

I love this. P.S. I used to chase butterflies as a little girl and had a fascination with Monarchs.

Which quote resonates with you/your life? Feel free to Tweet, blog, post on Facebook, Pinterest---or just put on a good old fashioned bulletin board. :)

***Update! A winner has been chosen at random. Congratulations, Katrina!*** Today, I'm giving away a copy of the lovely, lovely author Kristina McMorris' new book, Bridge of Scarlet Leaves! Not only did I adore this book, but I adore its author. I had a chance to

My lovely editor sent me a few early copies of the printed covers for Blackberry Winter (just samples in the pre-printing phase) and they are looking really good! I was dazzled with the embossed font (wow!), and the gorgeous, intricate design on the spine. Plus,

Check out this recipe for blackberry-lemon-thyme muffins (yum!) from Living Tastefully. What book do you think these muffins would pair beautifully with? Why, yes, Blackberry Winter! If you'd like, you can pre-order your copy here. [Gorgeous blackberry muffin photo from Living Tastefully.]