Contest Winner!

Congratulations to Helen Darby! She is the November winner of my Texas Hearts series from Avalon books.

I'm gearing up for another trip and life is hectic. My youngest daughter will be participating in a pageant in Florida and I'll be traveling with her. I'm quite excited about the trip but it does leave me feeling a little stressed during this holiday season. I try to remind myself that the little things I fret over aren't as important as I make them out to be. The important thing isn't for my daughter's dress to be wrinkle free or that everything at home be just so before I leave. The important thing is the people around me.

While in Florida I'll be taking the opportunity to visit my grandmother who will be 90 years old next spring. I'm sure she wouldn't like me to broadcast her age on the Internet, but since she doesn't have a computer, I think I'm safe. I don't get to see her very often at all since I'm from New England and she's so far away so I'm looking forward to the trip.

When I think of my grandmother, I think of a strong, independent woman who loved my grandfather very much. She survived the depression, seeing her husband off to World War II when my father was just an infant, raising 4 children in the Bronx during the tumultuous 60's, burying two husbands while living her life to the fullest. She has strong opinions and a strong faith in God. I remember visiting her in New York when I was a little girl, getting dressed up and going to church with her with my sisters. While visiting her in Florida last summer at the nursing home she now lives in, it was good to see my dad and uncle still bring her out to church on Sunday.

I dedicated Cradle of Secrets to my grandmother because she loves to read and is always asking me when my next book is going to be out. Even at the nursing home, she loves to pass around my books and boast about her granddaughter, the author. Visiting my grandmother feels a little like Christmas is coming early. I hope you all have the opportunity to visit a loved one you don't see very often during this holiday season.

Until next week, many blessings to you all, Lisa