When Love Returns Archives - View from the Front Porch

16 01, 2023

The Fitzpatrick Series is finished so why am I sad?

By judythemorgan|2023-01-08T12:10:00-06:00January 16th, 2023|A Writer's Life, Book Release Announcement|0 Comments

When Love Comes Home, the last of the Fitzpatrick Family Series, released in December 2022. I should be excited and anxious to plunge into a new manuscript, only I’m not.

I do have a sense of relief along with exhaustion considering the amount of energy and focus it took to “birth” Sammy and Tiffany’s story.

But there’s also this lonely feeling that keeps creeping in. I found comfort in knowing I had a Fitzpatrick sibling romance to work on every morning and dream about at night.

I miss the arguments where the siblings tried to persuade me to change my outline. I must admit, sometimes what they came up with was better and more interesting than what I’d planned.

After sharing my feelings with writer friends, I’ve discovered I’m not alone. Sluggishness, a lack of motivation, and energy are common when a writer finishes a book. When an author finishes a series that has taken years to complete the feelings are stronger.

It will subside they assure me. Time for me to move on and do the next thing they advise, reminding me all the Fitzpatrick siblings – Andy and Darcy, Becca and Ethan, Sarah and Nick, Josh and Mara, Faith and Blake, Sammy and Tiffany – have found their soulmate.

And that’s true.

So I’ve started a new manuscript. The new characters and I are doing that first 50- or 60-page dance of discovery. Soon they’ll begin to talk to me, and argue, then I’m sure I’ll be able to bid Sammy and Tiffany and the others farewell.

Want to meet the Fitzpatrick Family? Click the links below. Each novel can be read as a standalone story.

If you have an Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscription, you can read all the books for FREE.

23 11, 2015

Thanksgiving Thanks

By judythemorgan|2015-11-21T14:26:22-06:00November 23rd, 2015|Make Me Think Monday|2 Comments

If you live in the United States, you’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving Day soon.

We Americans began celebrating the day during the Civil War when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”

Since 1924, many of us spend the day watching New York City’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or football. The National Football League has been broadcasting games since its inception in 1920. And, of course, there are always the collegiate teams to cheer for. Around our house, timing of our Thanksgiving Day meal is based on when the University of Texas Longhorns play.

Things today are different from that first Pilgrim Thanksgiving feast in the early autumn of 1621. What hasn’t change is the basis for Thanksgiving. We still pause on this day to give thanks for our blessings.

While I believe an attitude of gratitude should be an everyday occurrence, this Thanksgiving I am reminded of my many blessings:

A loving husband (who’s the hero model for my novels)

Family and friends (far and near)

My pets (who brighten every day)

Most especially you, my readers

If you are traveling this Thanksgiving Day, I wish you Godspeed. Our weather forecast for here in the mountains of Colorado is for snow on Thanksgiving Day, which will make a perfect day for those who ski or like to watch football games.

Me, I’m not that crazy about football or skiing. I’ll be cozied next to the fireplace reading.

If you have a Kindle, you can be reading too. Pick up a copy of my latest release. It’s my special Thanksgiving Thank you for you.

When Love Returns for KINDLE: http://amzn.to/1My5CeW WLR free v.2

24 08, 2015

From contest entry to book series

By judythemorgan|2015-08-22T15:20:48-05:00August 24th, 2015|Book Release Announcement|0 Comments

I’m skipping my regular Make Me Think Monday blog for some important book release news. The second book in the Fitzpatrick Family Series is now available.

The Fitzpatrick family came to life from an entry in a contest sponsored by The White Rose Press back in 2009. I didn’t win that contest. However, in the process of revising my entry, now titled When Love Blooms, for publication last year, the hero’s seven brothers and sisters kept chattering in my head wanting their stories told. Eight preacher kids, each with a sweet romance story of his or her own to share and more story ideas were born.

Read the full account of how my contest entry became a book series here.

When Love Returns tells of Becca Fitzpatrick’s journey to happily ever after. Here’s the back cover copy:

Becca Fitzpatrick fell in love with Ethan Wells at age five. At eight, he proposed. At seventeen, he disappeared and broke her heart. Twelve years later, he returns with a new name – Ethan LaMotte – and a new life in Paris. He claims he’s never stopped loving her.

Once upon a time, Becca believed him. Not anymore. Now family, friends, and adoring students fill her life. Plus, she has an opportunity for the job of her dreams in her small Texas hometown.

Although their lives and work are an ocean apart, Ethan won’t lose Becca another time. But, will she risk her heart again and accept this new Ethan’s proposal?

Get your copy of When Love Returns from any of these bookstores:

AMAZON US

AMAZON UK

NOOK

iBooks

KOBO

I hope you have as much fun reading Becca and Ethan’s story as I did creating it.

17 08, 2015

Five Back-to-School Tips for a Good School Year

By judythemorgan|2015-08-17T14:38:20-05:00August 17th, 2015|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

School bells will soon be ringing. In some places, the bells already signal the beginning of the new school year.

Everywhere parents and kids are hoping for a really good year. I’m offering some tips today from fictional teachers that will make that happen.

In my latest sweet romance series, The Fitzpatrick Family where each of eight preacher kids has his or her own romance story, books one and two are about school teachers.

Andy Fitzpatrick of When Love Blooms is a special education teacher working with at-risk high school students.

Becca Fitzpatrick of When Love Returns is a middle school teacher with aspirations to be the school principal. No spoilers here. You’ll have to read the book.

Brother and sister put their heads together and came up with these five tips to help make this school year an all-round success.

• Before that first day, take a virtual tour of the school with your child and/or visit the school’s website. You’ll find a wealth of information to speed the process and avoid awkward first-day moments.

• Plan a “bus stop breakfast” for your elementary age child on the first day of school. Nothing fancy, simple is best. Becca thinks it’s a great way to start any school day.

• Take your pre-teen or teen to the local mall and splurge on a new outfit. Andy reminds us that wearing what’s trendy is especially important at this age.

• No matter what their age, encourage your child to reach out and introduce themselves. They’ll make new friends so much faster. On the flip side, remind your child to reach out to any new kids.

• At the end of the first day, be sure to ask how the day went or meet the bus then share an after-school snack.

The Fitzpatrick teachers wish all the students, teachers, and staffs a safe and productive new school year. And, so do I.

27 07, 2015

Enduring to THE END

By judythemorgan|2015-07-26T15:49:28-05:00July 27th, 2015|Monday Motivations|0 Comments

I wrote writers’ two favorite words last week—THE END.

FINALLY! Book 2 of the Fitzpatrick Family sweet romance series is now with my copy editor.The book is a novella.It should have been a fast write.

Novellas generally run 20,000-50,000 words with 30,000 words average. With a writing schedule of approximately one thousand words a day, a writer could/should finish a novella in a month. Even if a writer produces fewer words per day, writing a novella is usually quicker than a writing a novel, which runs 50,000 to 100,000 words.

WHEN LOVE RETURNS took months! But, there were legitimate reasons Becca and Ethan’s story took so long to finish.

My normal writing schedule blew up when I fell playing Pickleball and broke my right wrist last November. The nasty break required surgery to put it back together. Operating with my left hand for months was hard. Trying to type one-handed was next to impossible, so I quit writing.

When I was finally able to use both hands on the keyboard, Ethan and Becca quit talking to me. No matter what I did, the pair refused to cooperate. (We writers call this writer’s block.)

To overcome the problem, I abandoned my usually seat-of-the-pants writing style where the story evolves and constructed an outline and forced out page after page. My strategy worked. I finished a first draft.

Unfortunately, Becca and Ethan came out of hiding and started yelling in my head, “that’s not the way it happened.”

I started over. Only this time, the words flowed and THE END came quickly.

WHEN LOVE RETURNS will be released soon and today I’m revealing the cover.You can be the first to know the exact release date when you sign up for my newsletter here. Don’t worry. I won’t spam your inbox or sell your email address. I promise…
• You’ll only receive a newsletter when there’s something worth hearing—like release dates or book cover reveals. There are even giveaways and contests for subscribers only.
• And, you always have the option to unsubscribe at the bottom of each newsletter.

It’s been a long haul to THE END for this novella. I’m off to start the next Fitzpatrick sibling’s story and, hopefully, there will no roadblocks, accidents, or uncooperative characters for their love story.