Jenn McKinlay's News #40
February 12, 2021
Hello, Readers!
Happy February! I've always loved the hearts and flowers month because…chocolate. Like who cares if you have a hot date on Valentine's Day when there is chocolate.? Am I right? So load up on the Dove, Godiva, or See's, and watch a romcom, or better yet, read a romcom or five, and have a great month!
Giveaway: This month's newsletter giveaway is a signed copy of About a Dog, a "beach romance" scented candle, and a pair of dog lover socks to celebrate my first dog lover's romcom set on a beach in Maine! Perfect, right? One randomly chosen subscriber will win, so check your email! Notifications will go out on Monday, February 15th!
There are also monthly giveaways on my Instagram @mckinlayjenn and an independent FB page called Fans of Jenn McKinlay (super social and fun) and my assistant Christie always has loads of promotional giveaways on the FB page McKinlay's Mavens. She is crafting an insanely awesome giveaway for this summer's romcom release, Wait For It, as I type! So, join up and jump into the FUN!
Book News: PRE-ORDERS!!! I have two books available for pre-order right now. FOR BATTER OR WORSE, the 13th Cupcake Bakery Mystery, which comes out on 05-04-21 and WAIT FOR IT, my second women's fiction romcom hits the shelves on 08-10-21!!! I know times are tough but pre-orders are literally what keep authors in business. Publishers will keep series alive when the pre-orders are significant. Even if you just ask your local library to pick it up for you, that's a huge help!
What's On My Mind: Hooligan 1, the college boy, moved out at the beginning of the year. The pandemic kept him home a few months longer than he'd planned, so I was grateful for that but ready for him to go. I mean after months of all of us being together, one might say I was more than ready for it. But then…he went!!!
I remember the day he and I moved him into his apartment. As I was leaving, H1 fixed the cover on the truck bed (yes, I drive a pickup truck).
"Thanks, Squire'" I said. (I've always called the Hooligans squires -- no idea why).
"Can I be promoted now that I've moved out?" he asked.
"You want to be knighted?" I gasped.
"Yes," he said.
I paused to catch my breath. I mean I knew he'd stop being my squire someday but today? Really?! When I was sweaty and dirty and trying to learn Swedish so we could build all this stuff from IKEA?
I swallowed past the lump in my throat and nodded. Then I put my hand on his shoulder, as I didn't have a sword handy.
"All right," I said. "I dub thee Sir Hooligan 1."
He grinned. I smiled and blinked back some tears. We hugged. Then I left and cried all the way home.
It was a rough day. The Hooligan 1 sized hole that he left in our humble house felt enormous. I spent the day roaming from room to room, stopping to look at the pictures of him, from babyhood to adulthood, that are all over the place. What happened to my blonde curly headed young scamp? Where did my Minecraft obsessed middle-schooler go? I swear I only looked away for a second! I was soooooo sad.
Hub, Hooligan 2, and I had dinner that night and the empty seat at the tabled bummed us all out. The feeling that things would never be the same dogged me right until bed time. I was locking up when someone opened the back door. Ack!
And there he was. Hooligan 1 gave me a sheepish look and said, "I forgot my toothbrush." This is code for "I was homesick". I dragged him in. We had a second dessert (okay, I had a second dessert). We talked about his apartment and made plans to go shopping for everything he didn't know he needed in a few day's time.
He hugged me when he left and that's when I knew everything was going to be all right. Little birds have to soar from the nest, that's exactly as it should be, but the nest will always be there when they come back down.
Thanks for being the best readers ever! May your TBR pile be high, your pot of tea hot, and your box of chocolates full.
Happy Valentine's Day!
XOXO Jenn