This is the first time I’ve had two books released in the same month.

No Amends is a dark psychological thriller.

Last Chance is a sweet contemporary romance.

I wrote No Amends a year ago after a devastating turn of events. It is my most plot-driven story based on two characters and what they desire. The novella originally won first place in a writing contest but I declined accepting the award and the subsequent publication once I realized I could not negotiate the rights I wanted.

Last Chance was originally titled One More Chance. A UK publisher was interested in purchasing it, calling the story “endearing” and “Hallmark-like.” But their marketing department didn’t think the company could recoup their investment in an overseas author. So, I went on the hunt for a publisher that would.

I don’t like the business of publishing, and it is the least favorite of the topics I teach when I coach my students to become professional writers. But it is a necessary evil if you want to reach an audience beyond the handful of family and friends who will read anything you write, published or not.

When I started out over 15 years ago, I had been advised to write in one genre only, but now those same agents and publishers are advising against that technique, stating readers want diversity and a blending of genres. Why not write everything for everyone?

And so that is why you have your choice: thriller or romance. The thriller has a hint of romantic elements. The romance has a historical bent. But both are fiction, inspired by life but born out of the imaginings of my mind.

Enjoy either one of them (or both).