Hooray for May, dear Reader!
​

I'm a May baby, so I always look forward to this time of year. Most of the pollen is over. The leaves have filled out. In my neck of the woods (Washington, DC), we're mostly done with truly cold and gloomy weather (though naturally we will soon be bellyaching about the heat, because Humans 'R' Us). My condo's pool will open in another few weeks and this year I'm determined to weave regular visits into my lifestyle. I don't know why, but some years I'm all, "The pool rocks!" while others are I'm like, "What is a pool?"

The other thing I really adore about May? My mom had the good sense to time my arrival so that it always lands on or near Memorial Day, so most years I get the gift of a three-day weekend. Score!

Funny story about when she went into labor with me: my dad was in the Army, stationed at Walter Reed Army Hospital. My mom's younger sister was visiting. When Mom went into labor, Dad was working, so Aunt W drove her over. No problem. But the car was a stick shift and the only parking available was on a hill. Tricky! After a few attempts—performed under the smart-alecky oversight of a bunch of recuperating soldiers leaning out of the windows of their hospital rooms for a smoke—my aunt handed the keys over. Picture my hugely preggers mom waddling around the hood of the car to do the parking and "hitting the landing" in one smooth spin of the wheel. She turned those sassy soldiers' jeers into cheers. Ha! In an era way before smart phones and the internet, I can't help put think this was probably the most entertaining event of their day. And being a storyteller, I sometimes wonder whether they ever recounted the story and what they would highlight about it from their perspective.

Book Update: Once & Nevermore, a Little Longer Delay

Delayed, but not denied — Part Two The release date for Once and Nevermore has been delayed again as the anthology coordinator continues to recover from a devastating house fire. My heart goes out to her as she deals with the aftermath. Rest assured though, *the book will arrive* and my story The One That I Ask will be in it! I'm still hopeful for a summer release, but since control over that is out of my hands, I'm leaning into the comfort mantra of "delayed is not denied" a little longer. I'll share the buy link as soon as it goes live! ​Click here to see the anthology's wicked cool website. Scroll down the homepage until you see a box that reads "Speak the Magic Words." Type "Cornwall" to reveal a fun surprise from my story. And if you visit my author page on the site, be sure to click the "cast a spell" button for a sighting of our star mascot, Camuel, and some of his bros, all suited up for a spring hike through the mountains... 👉 Coming Soon!

A Woman Whose Life is About to Get Complicated. More Complicated. And Heated. Very, Very Heated. I'm making good progress on The One That I Crave! I thought you might enjoy learning about our heroine, Romy Nottingham: Romy has always felt a little out of step with the rest of her family. In a household full of extroverted actors who can’t seem to pay the bills on time, quiet, practical artist Romy has spent years putting her own dreams on hold so she can stay on hand to manage everyone else’s never-ending dramas. But when the university where she works moves the goalposts yet again, forcing her to earn another credential to keep her job, the clock starts ticking—and the doubts start creeping in. Can she step out of the helper role long enough to start living her own life? Complicating matters? Felix Mack, the drop dead gorgeous guy who keeps popping up, making her yearn, burn, and rethink all her carefully constructed priorities. 👉 Read The One That I Crave this Fall

🏡 Progress on the Homefront: I'm ho-ome! (But the work continues...)

Huzzah! As of Sunday, May 10, I am back home after the Great Flood of January 19. After almost four months of sleeping in any bed but my own, I am happy to confirm: my bed is the best. I sleep on a Purple mattress and I swear by it. But more important than any mattress brand is the blessing of returning to my nest, surrounded by my stuff. My nervous system, stuck in low-grade hypervigilance for months, now has a chance to exhale. There's still a big piece of construction left before we call the job done—we're waiting for cabinets to arrive so my wall of built-in storage can be completed—so I'm not really doing a lot of unpacking yet... Still, did I mention my bed is awesome? 🛌 🫶

👢 But that boot from the subject line? Yeah. Life's not letting me get too comfortable yet, lol. I managed to damage my ankle back in March. After a couple of false starts where I thought it was healed, my ankle let me know I was dead wrong during the move back home. I got in to see an orthopedist this week, and now I'm stuck in a walking boot for at least the next couple of weeks, possibly longer.

It's gonna look sexy at the pool, I'm telling you! 👙🏖️😎

May's Book Jam

We love a good book, right? And free? No complaints. I have another great free "only one bed" story for you from my author pal Tracy Brody and a collection sizzling freebies to make you happy this month. Dive right in, the water is luscious.

Faking it For the Boss by Tracy Brody She lied to get the job. Now she needs to produce a fiancé to keep it. ​ Olivia thought wearing a fake engagement ring to her job interview was a harmless little fib, but when she earns the company’s incentive trip, the lie spirals out of control. With no other options, she invites her friend and longtime crush to pose as her fiancé on the cruise. As they attempt to fool her boss and co-workers, Olivia and Bash must confront their feelings and decide if they're truly fooling everyone else, or just fooling themselves. Get my FREE book!

Steamy Romance for Free Gorgeous grumpy guys and the women who win them over In search of billionaires, dukes, cowboys, bosses, silver foxes or, say, a mafia doctor? We got you covered. You get them... uncovered. ​ FREE Steamy Romance for May

May's Other Duties as Self-Assigned List

• Write more of Crave
• Beseech the universe (and my contractor) to finish up the home renos so I can unpack
• Attend writing retreat cruise to Bermuda!
• Gather friends for a celebratory birthday lunch

I hope your life is sailing smoothly, that you have a vacation on the horizon, and that you enjoy the rest of spring because we know: Summer is coming. 🥵🤣

Ciao for now,

Keely

J. KEELY THRALL
​Enthralling Romance

​
​