Good morning! Welcome to another edition of Wonky Word Wednesday. It was a busy month, starting with my preparations to attend the Gay Romance Literature Retreat (GRL) in Denver. This year’s event was the seventh GRL where readers and authors get together to celebrate their love of books with like-minded people.

Before I could make the 444 mile drive up the interstate, I had swag to gather. Again, I opted for my postcards, since I was overly optimistic when I ordered them the previous year. I still had hundreds to distribute. They were joined by the refrigerator magnets I had made of the covers to The Beyond Heartache series. And, I passed out bottles of water bearing my new logo.

I had an opportunity to meet so many people—folks who read the books I wrote. The experience was exhilarating and humbling. Whereas last year, I sat at my table with postcards displaying the one book I had out and the sequel which was about to be released, this year I proudly displayed the five books which have been published.

I drove to the event with Joel Leslie and Marshall Thornton keeping me company while Joel narrated Marshall’s Femme. If you follow me on Facebook, you will know of my less than stellar meeting with Joel last year. We were each attending GRL for the first time. When he asked me if I liked audio books, I put my foot in my mouth with a resounding, “Oh, God no!” This year, I took him up on his offer of a complimentary audio book and totally enjoyed Femme. On my way home, I listened to his rendition of Mad About The Hatter by Dakota Chase. Each author has a talent I envy, while Joel is an artistic narrating genius.

Another high point of my month was a visit by the talented Pat Henshaw. I met her at last year’s GRL when we sat at the same table playing BINGO. Though we didn’t say much, we connected again in March at an event in Orlando with Dreamspinner Press. We clicked and when she and her hubs visited my state, we spent an afternoon lunching and talking books.

The month wrapped up with the good news that my erotic science fiction manuscript—Transcending Phoenix—has been accepted for publication by Pride Publishing and will be available for preorders on December 26. In addition to the full-length novel they are also publishing my sweet short novella Mason and The Dog Wrangler come April.

Finally, October saw the loss of two members of our community—Sandrine Gasq-Dion and James Vanzant. I never had the pleasure of meeting either of these souls except through FB. Their presence and personality on my timeline will be missed. Their sudden losses are a reminder to us all to hug those close to you and let them know they are loved.