I was so excited to participate in the first series of Furever Yours stories for Harlequin Special Edition. I’m one of those people who get teary-eyed every time I go to an animal shelter, so a story about a pet rescue makes me want to run out and adopt all the animals.

In IT STARTED WITH A PREGNANCY, secondary characters Bunny and Birdie Whitaker reminded me of our long-time family friend, Patty. Patty loves dogs, cats, baby bunnies, wild birds, you name it. We joke that she provides her local veterinarian with so much business, they should name a wing after her.

But Patty doesn’t stop with animals, she has the ability to make every single person with whom she interacts feel important. As a kid, I adored Patty so much, I even tried to dress like her, usually in a matching pink track suit and headband. Going to her house for our girls’ only slumber parties always made me feel so special—even when Tootser, her crotchety schnauzer, constantly growled at me. I swear, Tootser had to be the meanest dog who ever lived and yet he was her baby.

But even dogs like Tootser need a home and their own Bunny/Birdie/Patty to love them. I’m hoping that IT STARTED WITH A PREGNANCY, as well as the first five books in the Furever Yours series, brings more awareness to all the wonderful animals out there looking for their forever homes.

My youngest sibling was born right before my senior year in high school—when I already had one foot out the door and was about to start the next chapter in my life. While we’ve always loved each other and spent time together, he and I have never really

My baby brother proving that sassy attitudes runs in the family.

lived together…until now.

My brother recently moved in while finishing his master’s program and, initially, I thought to myself, there’s no way this single and social millennial is going to want to live with his middle-aged, bossy sister and her chaotic and sometimes annoying family. It’ll be too much for everyone to handle. Yet, for some reason, when extra love shows up on your doorstep, there’s always room to accommodate it.

On bookstore shelves February 19, 2019, and available for e-readers March 1, 2019!

The hero and heroine of my latest story are going to have to learn all about that type of accommodation.

Now, you might’ve caught glimpses of Ethan Renault and Monica Alvarez in my previous Sugar Falls books. What many of you might not have known was that behind the scenes, there was some serious flirting and some potential relationship building going on when none of the townspeople were looking. Unfortunately, all of that changes when The SEAL’s Secret Daughter arrives in Sugar Falls…

Is anyone else on summer break? It’s supposed to be one of the more relaxing times of the year, however, I feel busier than ever. Maybe because, in addition to being an author, I’m also a Stay-At-Home-Mom and my kids are in camps, Junior Lifeguards, swim classes and eight hundred other activities that require me to be their full time Uber driver.

Plus I’m working on another Montana Maverick’s book, two new Sugar Falls books, and this incredible Pet Rescue project that Harlequin Special Edition is launching. So I’ve been a little slow to post about THE MAVERICK’S BRIDAL BARGAIN, which was so much fun to write. There might still be copies available in the stores, but it will be quicker to order your copy from your favorite online retailer…

My Dad-In-Law found my book at Target!

I know it’s been awhile since any new Sugar Falls books have come out, but I’ve been working on lots of projects for Harlequin (including some fun Montana Mavericks titles coming soon).  Anyway, the fruit of my labors are about to be released and below is an excerpt from my Dear Reader letter for my upcoming book, A Proposal for the Officer.

Available in stores February 20, 2018, and wherever ebooks are sold on March 1, 2018…

Dear Reader,

I have a close friend who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a juvenile. When I first met her, I was in college and had heard of the condition before, but hadn’t actually known anyone who dealt with it on a regular basis. While I was fascinated with the concept of finger pricks and blood sugar readings and insulin shots, I never fully processed the impact it had a person’s life until I began writing A Proposal for the Officer.

In this book, Air Force Captain Molly Markham doesn’t get diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic until she’s an adult, which throws her military career as a pilot and her lifestyle completely off course. Meeting know-it-all billionaire Kaleb Chatterson doesn’t help things go any smoother.

Doing the research for this book, I realized how much this condition can take a toll on one’s physical and mental health. While I understand that each person’s journey with diabetes is different, I hope that my portrayal of it in this book is reflected accurately. Any mistakes I made in conveying my research are mine alone.

For more information on my other books in the Sugar Falls, Idaho series, chat with me on Twitter at @ChristyJeffries. You can also find me on Facebook and Instagram. I’d love to hear from you.

I’m not the only one in my family cranking out books.  As many of you know, my mom (http://judyduarte.com/) is also an author for Harlequin Special Edition and was the one who inspired me to start writing.  And by inspired, I mean relentlessly and forcefully steered me in that direction by signing me up for workshops and dragging me to conferences.  Because even when you’re an adult, your mother still thinks she knows what’s best for you.

Having a blast at the Harlequin Author Party.  The Plaza in New York City

It turns out my mom was right–as she usually is. Writing ended up being a great career fit for me and one of the added job perks is that I get to embark on this path alongside my biggest fan, as well as my biggest critic.  Thankfully, my mother and I have the type of relationship where we can have fun together on work trips, yet be brutally candid with each other when it comes to critiquing the others’ writing.

For example, our lines edit comments have contained the following sentences:

“Knock it off with the Oxford comma.  If you keep putting them in, I’m going to stop reading!”  -Mom

“Why in the world is your heroine going out on a date dressed like an eighty-year-old golfer?” -Me

It truly is constructive criticism at its finest.  Yet, with the negative comes the positive.  Nobody can motivate me the way my mom motivates me because her work-related pep talks come with an added benefit of a wealth of experience in our field.  She just published her 50th novel for Harlequin, so I’m (usually) pretty confident that she knows what she’s talking about. Check out her newest release and her big Five-Oh, The Bronc Rider’s Baby…

I’m packing up and getting ready for the California Dreamin’ Conference and Book Signing this weekend in Brea, California.  One of the perks of my job is that I get to hang out with other fabulous romance authors at workshops and social activities.  But this year, they added a Reader Event so I’m even more excited to hang out with Barbara Vey and friends at California Readin’.  Some lucky reader is going to win this Sugar Falls Cookie Company Beginner’s Kit… complete with the book that started it all, A Marine For His Mom, Williams-Sonoma baking supplies, and gourmet cookie mixes.

If you weren’t able to get tickets to the event on Saturday, March 25th, you can still come to the book signing afterward.  There will be 60 authors there and I’ll be signing copies of The Makeover Prescription and A Family Under The Stars.

Saturday, March 25, 2017

4:30-5:30pm

Embassy Suites

900 E. Birch Street

Brea, CA 92821

Dear Reader,

Before I met my husband, I’d never slept outside. Never. Not once. My husband, on the other the hand, grew up camping. In fact, my mother-in-law has a very cute picture of him at eight-weeks-old being bathed in a bucket at their campsite. The first time he took me for an overnight stay in the great outdoors, there was such a bad windstorm, we ended up sleeping in the car. Yet he persisted and even went so far as to buy me two sleeping bags (yes, two—one for me and one for him) our first Christmas together.

Over time, my husband’s gift-giving skills have since improved (thankfully) along with my love of camping. Okay, so maybe the word “love” is a bit strong, but I genuinely enjoy our annual “tent-cations” and I think the experience has been amazing for our kids. Last year, my bossy older brother (who always brings his sweet family to join us) convinced us to go whitewater river rafting and the idea for A FAMILY UNDER THE STARS was born!

Alex Russell (who you might remember from previous Sugar Falls books) is a born outdoorsman and wilderness guide. Other than attending a posh and exclusive sleep-away camp in junior high, lifestyle guru Charlotte Folsom isn’t accustomed to venturing too far from the big city. However, when Alex is hired to take Charlotte on a whitewater expedition for her upcoming magazine article, their attraction is stronger than the river current….

Dear Reader,

Upon hearing the news that they’re expecting, many parents will pray that their child is healthy or smart or doesn’t inherit their father’s freakishly long toes. My pregnancy wish, on the other hand, was for a well-behaved child. Then my son’s first grade teacher requested a special conference to address some “issues” he was having in class and my stomach dropped. I grew up with four brothers, so a little bit of rambunctiousness was normal for me, but when she recommended that we have him tested for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, I remember crying as if the diagnosis was a terminal illness. I had such engrained preconceptions about ADHD, thinking this was something parents made up to excuse their child’s poor behavior.

But then I started researching it. I got every book from my public library and bought several from the store. I read online articles, spoke with experts in the field, and joined community forums. One particular book that spoke to me was The Gift of ADHD by Lara Honos-Webb. By the time I got through reading it, I was actually hoping that all the tests administered by the pediatrician, neurologist, and clinical psychologist revealed that my son had this disorder I’d once dreaded.

Like Dr. Julia Fitzgerald explains to Kane Chatterson in The Makeover Prescription, we told our son that he had a super fast racecar brain, which was a good thing, but sometimes he might need help slowing down when it was time to make turns or come into the pit stop. Kane has always been ashamed of his hyperactivity, using an aloof façade to mask his insecurity around Julia, a genius neurosurgeon. Yet sometimes, it takes a special person with a positive insight to see the good in us before we can believe it ourselves.

The Makeover Prescription is now available in stores and on e-books. Chat with me on Twitter at @ChristyJeffries or find me on Facebook and Instagram. I’d love to hear from you.

Remember when I said I had big news?  Well, I finally got the okay to announce it.  I just signed another three-book deal with Harlequin for more Sugar Falls stories!!  The release dates aren’t set yet (they’re still in the idea and plotting stages), but if you have a favorite Sugar Falls resident you’d like to see make a guest appearance, now’s the time to let me know…