It’s said that being an author is a lonely profession. It often is just that when one considers the days of isolation developing a plot idea, the fleshing out of plot points, and the actual writing of the story. All are done mainly as solitary tasks.

As I continue to publish novels, however, I’m continually reminded that being an author requires interaction and support by a whole host of individuals.

I may be doing the plotting and the writing, but help with research, discussions with friends and with experts about plot ideas, discussions with other writers regarding difficult scenes, readers of early drafts, readers of later drafts, beta readers, and final proofreaders (Whew—that’s a lot of people!) are important connections even for the self-published author.

Now that I’m publishing my fifth novel—the third in my Rosie Young/Vince Mendez detective thriller series—I know this journey as a writer is not a solitary one. There are those who directly helped to make this latest novel a reality, but there are also those in the past who have helped me in so many other ways—to hone my skill as a fiction writer, in supporting me as I struggled to grow into an accomplished writer, and those who have cheered me on when I was sure my plot ideas were headed toward disaster.

It truly takes a village to publish a novel: those who are directly involved with the project, but also those who have been behind the scenes in both small and large ways in the past who helped shape me as a writer so there could be five published novels with my name on them.

My latest creation is called Pink Oleander, a psychological thriller with a strong female lead, and it will debut tomorrow, January 31st. The eBook is currently available for pre-order and the paperback will also be available starting tomorrow.

The Amazon order page is HERE.

I’m excited to share the story synopsis with you and I hope you will consider giving it a read.

Homicide Detectives Rosie Young and her partner Vince Mendez must answer the ultimate questions of how and why Jack Spencer died on Valentine’s Day and learn who did it. Jack’s girlfriend, Lorri Murphy, is nowhere to be found, and this makes her a prime suspect; but a motive remains unclear, and the continued lack of evidence persists. As additional murders happen, new evidence shows that Lorri Murphy is the killer and that she kills with a unique methodology. Will they be able to stop her before she kills again?