Jackie Leigh Allen

An apology and a new contest
First, the apology. The contest for NINA'S NICHE deconstructed. First someone hacked into the email so I couldn't access the people who signed up for my newsletter. Then the restaurant I offered a gift card for closed. That's one of the dangers of writing about real places.
Well, I have a new contest for CAROL'S CHOICE. If you sign up for my newsletter, I am offering a gift certificate to the Falcon Gallery in Julian.
In CAROL'S CHOICE there is a robbery in a jewelry store, which Dan handily takes care of in his role as deputy sheriff, but I named that store after a fictional Judy because I didn't want the Falcon Gallery to get robbed.   
I'm busy working on SHERRY'S SUCCESS, the third book in the Julian Treasures trilogy. It is due out in November. I've already introduced Sherry and Tom and his children, Kristie and Kevin, but now I'm getting to know Beth, Sherry's mother. Part of the fun of writing is dreaming up new characters and finding out their hopes and dreams.
I was at the Orange County Festival of Women Writers last Saturday and Mindy Greenstein, one of the authors told about when she knew she was a writer. She was going under on the operating table to have her breasts removed and she thought of a great line for a book. She knew she was an author because instead of worrying about the surgery, she worried she'd forget the line.
I can't remember a time I didn't love to write, but I knew I was different when I was reading the paper one day and a terrible murder made me think: Now there's a story.
On a happier note, I followed the story of a Marine who'd lost both legs (not that I'm happy about that) and his recovery. His attitude moved me to write WIN'S WAR, which will be out in June.
Now, go to my website, sign up for my newsletter and take a chance on winning the gift certificate to the Falcon Gallery.