PART ONE
Some stories have a long story…
I started this one back in 2018. Remember those days of innocence?
I pitched it to my agent at the time. She said it had legs, but for many reasons, I didn’t finish writing it until the middle of 2024. By then, the whole world had changed, including publishing. I was no longer working with an agent and submitted it to a few publishers with some warm responses, but they’re all looking for authors who are already viral on TikTok.
So I self-published it and I’m so glad I did! I love this book and enjoyed having more creative control as well as the ability to keep the process moving.
It’s a fish-out-of-water romcom. Meg is out of her depth selling adult toys, but mostly because she’s trying to find her way post-divorce while inching toward forty and an empty nest. Zak is sarcastic and quietly overwhelmed, but wonderfully sweet–and highly curious about the store’s merchandise.
They lean on each other in a way that I utterly adore and yes, there is more than one happy ending. 😉
PART TWO
Wild stuff happens when you follow your intuition.
In the spring of 2025, before I gave up social media, wine, and potato chips, I was sitting on the deck indulging in all three. I saw a post on Threads for the Romance, Eh? book signing in Edmonton.
I hadn’t done a book signing in years, but one of my goals was to do more in-person events to network with other authors, build my indie career, and get more involved in the Canadian romance scene. I applied and they kindly invited me to attend.
Everything about that trip was a win, especially when I met the lovely, Genevieve Loughlin, founder and publisher of Pownal Street Press, a Canadian publisher in PEI. They were starting a romance imprint called Sugar Shack and inviting submissions. She kindly bought a copy of Afternoon Delight and I promised to send her a proposal for something new.
Guess what?! She read the book. She liked it. She made me an offer and Pownal Street Press have acquired Afternoon Delight! It will reissue it October 2026.
Peeps, listen to your gut. And read Afternoon Delight. It’s a freaking delight. I promise you.