No Place Like Home...

It's good to be home.

September was a month away from our writing desks, and one we'll remember for a long time. We started in Connecticut, volunteering for a week with Little Pink Houses of Hope. Little Pink gives families affected by breast cancer something that becomes scarce during treatment: time together to rest, laugh, and just be a family. We served meals, played games, and listened to stories. We came away inspired by the strength and humor of every family we met...and our fellow volunteers.

From there we traveled to San Francisco for the International Invasive Lobular Carcinoma Symposium. Researchers, doctors, and patient advocates from around the world gathered to work on a cancer that too few people know about. We were honored to work with other LBCA members in a round-table session and to co-moderate a session on advanced imaging and artificial intelligence, work that could change how lobular breast cancer is found.

By the way, LBCA's Awareness Bus is on the road right now, traveling across the country through October 15, Lobular Breast Cancer Awareness Day. It's stopping at leading cancer centers and community events in more than ten cities. If it comes through your city, please stop by and say hello.

Something every woman should know...

Most people think of breast cancer as a lump. Lobular breast cancer often doesn't form one. Its cells tend to grow in thin, single-file lines through breast tissue, so it can be hard to feel and can be missed on a mammogram, especially in dense breasts.

That doesn't mean you should be afraid. It means you should know your body, notice changes such as thickening, fullness, or a change in the shape of your breast, and speak up if something feels different. You can learn more at LBCA.

Please share this with the women you love. Awareness does save lives.

And some book news...

Now, we're back at our desks, full of ideas and eager to write. But every writer knows the truth: when we're not writing, the stories stall and so does the business. So October is our month to catch up, get the momentum back, and fill your bookshelves while we're at it.

SO WE’RE RUNNING A BOOK SALE FOR A GOOD CAUSE! 

Every book in our bookstore is 50% off, all October long

Highland romance, Regency, cozy fantasy, Westerns, thrillers: all half price through October 31.

Where to start...

Shop the sale through the Book Store Collections Page →

Not sure what to pick? Here are a few more ideas.

For a Highland escape: Start the first book in one of our Scottish series and read (or re-read) the whole series at half price: 

Medieval and Scottish Ebooks

Medieval and Scottish Print Books

Regency Period Ebooks

Regency Period Print Books

For cozy autumn evenings: Our Harbor View cozy fantasy series is the literary equivalent of a warm blanket and a cup of tea. 

Cozy Fantasy and Contemporary Ebooks

Cozy Fantasy and Contemporary Print Books

For Western lovers: Ride along with Caleb Marlowe and Henry Jordan in our Nik James Westerns. They'll put you in the mood for the auction (see below!). 

American Western Romance and Traditional Westerns - Ebooks & Print

For readers who like to stay up too late: Our Jan Coffey thrillers.

All Jan Coffey Books - Thrillers included

For young adult readers: a fantasy, a beach-read, and a sweet slow-burn time-travel adventure.

Young Adult Ebooks

AND... for every book you buy directly from our bookstore,

we'll donate $1 to the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance (LBCA).

LBCA funds research and raises awareness for invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), which accounts for about 15% of diagnosed breast cancers. 

One small request...purchases through Amazon and other retailers don't count toward the donation. If you'd like your book to help, please buy it from our bookstore.

AND... watch for a Western auction...

This October, Little Pink Houses of Hope is holding a Western-themed auction, and we've donated to it. We'll send you the details as soon as bidding opens.

What's next...

Once the laundry’s done and the dust settles, we’re going back to work on Third Street, the next installment of the Harbor View Cozy Fantasy series. We know from your emails that you’re enjoying your time with Skye and Ocean, Arthur and Caleb...as well as our resident 1920s ghosts, Jo and Henry. They’ll all be back...with more startling activity in their little seaside village.

That's it. Thank you for reading with us, for sharing our books, and for being part of something bigger this month. We're grateful for every one of you.

P.S. Don’t forget, the sale ends October 31, and $1 from every book bought in our bookstore goes to LBCA.

Shop now →

Some news, a sneak peek, and our latest kitchen obsession...

Hi dear friend,

We hope this note finds you well—with a cup of tea or coffee in hand and a good book nearby.

Lately, life has been wonderfully full. We've spent countless hours at our desks (still sitting across from each other after all these years), happily debating plot twists, polishing chapters, and occasionally insisting that our version of a scene is the better one. Thankfully, we've learned that the best stories usually come from somewhere in the middle.

Before anything else, we simply want to say thank you.

A little while ago, we made the decision to limit the number of subscribers to this newsletter. It may seem like an unusual choice in a world where everyone is chasing bigger numbers, but for us, this has never been about the size of the list. It's about the people on it. We'd much rather have a smaller community of readers who truly love stories and enjoy sharing this journey with us than a huge mailing list where those connections are lost. Your emails, your reviews, your kind words, and the moments when you tell us that one of our characters felt like family...those are gifts we never take for granted. You are the reason we keep writing, and we hope you know just how much we treasure this little corner we've built together.

Many of you have also followed our family's journey over the past few years, and we wanted to share a small personal update. As most of you know, Nikoo continues to live with metastatic breast cancer. August brings another stent replacement, scans and doctor appointments—a reminder that life with metastatic disease comes with its share of challenges. But we've learned that while cancer takes away many things, it doesn't get to decide how we spend our days. The love of family and friends, your encouragement, and the opportunity to give back through volunteering have become some of life's greatest blessings.

Here’s a favorite quote is from Winston Churchill: "We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give."

That has become something of a guiding principle for us. Whether it's mentoring another patient, volunteering with cancer organizations, or simply being there for someone having a difficult day, we've discovered that giving has a remarkable way of bringing hope right back to the giver. It keeps us all moving forward.

On the home front, we're looking forward to a house full of family over the next couple of months. There is something wonderfully healing about hearing grandchildren laugh, sharing long meals that last well past dessert, and ending the day with conversations in the backyard—or watching the sunset at the beach. Those moments remind us what matters most.

Then, in September, we'll be traveling back to Connecticut to volunteer once again with Little Pink Houses of Hope, an organization that's especially close to our hearts. They provide week-long retreats for families living with cancer, giving them time to simply breathe, reconnect, and make beautiful memories together. It's one of the highlights of our year, and we're honored to be part of it.

NOW FOR SOME BOOK NEWS!

We're delighted to tell you that Second Street, the next novel in our Harbor View Cozy Fantasy series, will be available to order on Wednesday, August 12—which also happens to be our younger son's birthday. We can't imagine a better day to send another story into the world. We cannot wait for you to return to Harbor View and spend more time with Skye, Ocean, Arthur, and all the wonderfully quirky residents of our favorite little seaside town.

Until then, we'd love to share a sneak peek at the next chapter….Here’s the link

And if you're in the mood for something completely different, we've also temporarily lowered the price of our Scottish Starter Box Set to just $1.99. It includes the first novels from three of our Scottish series and is a wonderful place to begin or revisit—or perhaps introduce a friend to our Highland adventures. No pressure whatsoever; we simply wanted to let you know while the sale is running.

And finally (not book news!), our newest obsession...

Every Friday has somehow turned into an unofficial Sourdough Bake-Off at our house (see picture of our dinner rolls above!). We're experimenting with starters, comparing crumb, arguing over hydration percentages (yes, really!), and discovering that baking bread is surprisingly addictive. We suspect many of you have fallen down the same rabbit hole. If you're a sourdough enthusiast, we'd love to hear your favorite tips—or even see a picture of your latest loaf or rolls!

As always, thank you for inviting our stories into your lives and for letting us be a small part of that. We never take your friendship, your encouragement, or your readership for granted.

Until next time, take good care of yourselves—and keep turning the pages.

Something to do. Someone to love. Something to hope for.

Immanuel Kant's Rules for Happiness

Dear friends,

    As I prepare to begin my fifth line of treatment this summer, Immanuel Kant’s ‘Rules for Happiness’ keep coming back to me...quietly, insistently, like a compass pointing home:

Something to do...

Books, books, and more books!

    If you know me and Jim at all, you know we pour ourselves into our work...and we’ll have a lot of exciting news to share about what’s coming in June.

    First, we are so grateful that our publisher has returned the ebook and print rights for three beloved Nik James novels, which we are now bringing home to our May McGoldrick readers. Beyond the Silver Moon, Beyond the Eclipse, Beyond the Christmas Star are retellings of the Caleb Marlowe novels...this time told through the heart of his relationship with Shiela. Revised as historical Western romances (PG-rated), these three books follow Caleb and Shiela from their first meeting all the way to their ‘happily ever after’.

    Also, the next installment of our cozy fantasy mystery Second Street is coming in June. Ocean, Skye, and the full cast you fell in love with in First Street return to Harbor View with another mystery to unravel. We cannot wait for you to read it!

    And this Saturday, we have a BookBub special deal on The Promise. The book that first put us on the USA Today Bestseller List over twenty years ago. It remains the best-selling novel of our career, and it holds such a special place in our hearts. If you haven't read it, there has never been a better time. We’ve down-priced it for you right now!

Someone to love...

You already know who you are!

    Jim, my sons, my daughters-in-laws, and our grandchildren are the light of my life — every single day.

    And then there is you. Our readers. Some of you have walked alongside us for over thirty years, through books and through life, through the highs and the lows, and you have been a true rock in our career and in our hearts.

    We love you more than words can convey.

Something to hope for...

A cure — for me, and for every cancer patient.

    I hope for a cure, not just for myself, but for every person living with cancer. And as I've always believed, actions speak louder than words. If you feel moved to do something, please consider supporting cancer research. That is where change is made.

That is where hope becomes possibility.

    Thank you for bringing so much happiness to our lives.

A New Interview about My Cancer Journey

Nikoo here. In this interview I’m sharing something deeply personal—my cancer journey.

It hasn’t been easy. There have been dark days, times of uncertainty, moments of fear… but also sparks of hope, resilience, and immense gratitude for every single one of you who’s walked this path with me.

In this video, I open up about what I’ve been through. The struggles, the breakthroughs, and the lessons I’ve learned along the way. My hope is that by being vulnerable, I can help others feel less alone.

If you or someone you love is facing something similar, this is for you. You are stronger than you think. You are not alone.

Thank you to everyone who’s sent love, prayers, messages, and encouragement. You lift me up every single day.

Please feel free to watch, share, and comment. Your support means the world.