When my first novel Promise Me was first released, I got several messages from fans asking for Ronnie's story. Well, even though I'm presently working for Kimani instead of Arabesque, I thought it was finally time to give her a happy ending.

My next book is about chef Veronica "Ronnie" Howard, my main character Cara's best friend from Promise Me. One of my favorite shows on the Food Network are the Challenges, so I've decided to set this book around a similar competition for chefs, taking place in three stages and in three exotic locations, Las Vegas, Hawaii and Paris, France.

Ronnie's primary competition to win the substantial monetary prize is Ace Brown, a former Gourmet TV star who left his show, The Sexy Chef, featuring romantic meals and aphrodisiacs, to travel the world and work on a cookbook. He's an old friend of Ronnie's and when the pair meet up again, their chemistry is sure to reach a Boiling Point.

Hopefully you'll look for this novel, currently titled Boiling Point coming to bookstores in the Fall.

Doing research is my least favorite part of writing fiction. Maybe that dread is a throwback to my days in college where research was an integral part of my psychology major. My favorite part of writing is the freedom to blatantly make things up. But, I realize that a book isn't believable unless you have a grounding in reality. Hence, the need for research.

Whenever possible it's great to do research first hand. For my book, Lilah's List, coming out in January, I got to go to New York City, tour the sites as though I'd never seen them before, and dine in very nice restaurants.

Unfortunately, I won't have the benefit of first hand experience while writing my work-in-progress, Sex and the Single Braddock. My heroine will be flying around on a private jet (I don't know anyone to lend me one) staying in a luxury suite in Monte Carlo (I haven't been able to sell my husband on the expense for a trip like that) and driving around in a Bugatti Veyron worth over a million dollars (I'd never even heard of this car before).

So, unfortunately, this book will be largely constructed on information from the Internet and my imagination. But, now I've added Monte Carlo to one of the places I'd like to visit one day.

Yay, my deadline is over. I'm free. I got through it with more than half a book to write and less than two months to go by writing just 5 pages a day. I finished with a week to spare for revision and my deadline was satisfied with the least amount of stress I’ve ever had while writing a book. I’m going to try to continue that policy with all my future deadlines. Just five pages a day.

I haven't been writing a lot in recent months due to planning my April wedding, having my honeymoon in Hawaii and other general life issues.

But, while my husband and I were in Hawaii, we discussed the possibility of my writing full-time. I wasn't expecting him to take me seriously, but he did. John made me an offer I couldn't refuse. If I complete two more books, I could quit my day job.

My last book, Wedding Bell Blues, was published in May and that was the last book I'd had under contract for HarperCollins. Now, for the first time in years, I'm out of contract. A free agent.

With my normal slacker mentality, there is a strong possiblity I might never finish another book. To be honest, if it weren't for my series of contractual obligations over the years, I don't know if I would have finished any books beyond the first one. Not because I don't love to write. I do. It's just so hard. Life is hectic. And... I'm so lazy. I hate to admit it, but I'm the worst procrastinator ever.

So, with the dangling bait of quitting my day job, I have strong motivation to keep writing books.

Time to write.