Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

I hope you all are having a magical season, filled with cheer and warmth and kindness!
Love,
Jools

WHISKEY RAIN is now available

Hi, everybody!

I'm so excited to announce that Whiskey Rain (A Rose City Novella) is now available on Amazon. (Coming soon to BN and iTunes.) This romantic thriller stars reporter Kate Craig as she covers a string of murders plaguing Portland, Oregon.

It's a fast-paced, heart-pounding read, and I loved writing it with Emily Jordan. If you're a fan of Abby's sister from the Forty-Four series, I'm sure you'll love it, too.

Happy Holidays!

Jools

Audiobook for FORTY-FOUR is here!

Hello, everyone!

Hope you're all having a great December. I just wanted to let you know that the audiobook for Forty-Four is now available on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. Sarah Zimmerman has done an absolutely amazing job capturing the tone of the story and Abby's voice. It's a whole new way to enjoy an old friend and would make a wonderful stocking stuffer.

Also, the Kate Craig romantic thriller Whiskey Rain (A Rose City Novella) is still on schedule for a pre-Christmas release. Stay tuned...

Jools

  A Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

  And a giant thanks to you, the fans, for your inspiration and dedication to the series. I am humbled and so, so grateful. Forty-Four Book Eleven is now live on Amazon. Keep checking those other sites (BN, Apple, etc.). It should go on there in the coming hours and/or days. Thanks again! -- Jools

Forty-Four Book Eleven Coming Soon....

 

We're SO close! Forty-Four Book Eleven will be out for Thanksgiving Weekend! More details to follow....

Abby & Jesse Short Story Now Available!

The new Abby & Jesse short story, "The Road Not Taken" is now available on Amazon! You can download it here.

Happy Reading!

Jools

Abby and Jesse Short Story Coming SOON!

Hi, Everybody!

I'm super excited to let you all know that a new Forty-Four is just days away.

It's a short story called The Road Not Taken featuring Abby and Jesse back in high school during the days leading up to Thanksgiving. It's a story I've wanted to tell for a long time and the way Book Ten ended it just might be what the doctor ordered. Priced at 99 cents, The Road Not Taken is about 10,000 words long and will be available exclusively on Amazon. (If you don't have a Kindle, no problem. Just download the Amazon App to your computer, tablet, or phone and you're ready to go.)

Writing about Abby and Jesse when they were back in high school was so incredibly fun that I doubt I will be able to stop at just one. So look for more Abby and Jesse short stories in the months ahead.

Speaking of Amazon, some of you might have noticed that my books are no longer available at B&N, iTunes, Kobo, or Smashwords. That's because I've decided to switch over exclusively to Amazon. But not to worry. I will still put new releases (i.e., Book Eleven, Book Twelve, etc.) on all those sites for at least one month after they come out.

In other exciting news, Forty-Four Book Eleven--Wow, how did that happen?!--is right on schedule to be released over Thanksgiving weekend.

Finally, I will be putting together my Facebook Page soon, so please stop by and say hello ~

I wish you all the happiest of autumns. We've had the best of the best of autumns here in Bend. The fall colors have been stunning and they've latest so long. :)

Jools

Autumn in the west.....

I've been on an extended road trip this autumn (much like a certain character in the 44 series), and it's been such fun. For me, fall is the best of the best season to travel in, with amazing colors around every corner. I thought I would go ahead and be random this morning, posting some of my favorite moments of the season so far as I roamed around with my camera, capturing the beauty.

The pictures are from Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and of course, Bend, Oregon!

Hope you all are having a great fall too, with many fun plans brewing for the upcoming holidays!

Jools 

Forty-Four Book Ten Now Available!

Hi, Everybody!
Book Ten is now available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble! Thank you for being such great fans of the series :)
Happy Reading!
Jools

44 Book Ten Coming Soon!

Hi, Everyone!

A couple bits of exciting news...

First off, 44 Book 10 will be out soon. I'll have an official date in a few days, as well as a countdown. Thanks so much to all those who have written asking about its release.

The other news is that my brilliant cover artist has redesigned new covers for the series, and the books look incredible! I'll be putting all of them on the blog in the next week or so, but most are up on Amazon now if you want to have a look.

Hope you all are having a great, relaxing long weekend!
Jools

Summertime Gladness....

Hi, Everyone~

A quick post to wish you all a great last few weeks of summer~hope you're having plenty of outdoor fun in the sun!

I'm  very close to announcing the specific date for the release of Book 10 (early September) And I'm SO excited about this installment of the series! It's going to be a good one....

Happy Summer!


Jools

Soccer Is Pain, Highness....

Not long ago I was talking to a neighbor about soccer.

About the intensity, the passion, and the excitement. About how the World Cup tournament actually starts two years prior with qualifying games and friendlies. About how the Jools' household nervously gathers around the television to watch the all-important draw, the event where teams are placed into their groups. About how we collectively hold our breaths hoping that Argentina doesn't end up in a "Group of Death." About how that day is more or less the official kick-off of the tournament and it's when the pounding hearts, shallow breaths, and the dreams begin once again.

The countdown starts. Banners, flags, and decorations fill the house. The giant white erase board is nailed to the wall next to the flat screen. There are empanadas and barbeques and Dulce de Leche. Team jerseys are worn, scarves are wrapped around necks even though it's summer, and there is a continuous analysis of both past and present teams, stories of games told and retold.


"Maybe this is the year," we whisper. "Just maybe...."

Argentina has always been our team. Mr. Jools is from Argentina and our two daughters have passionate Argentine soccer hearts. We usually watch every one of those 64 games in the tournament. It's fun research, and we are looking ahead, seeing what teams need to be knocked out, what teams we need to be worried about.

This year the World Cup was incredible, with so many exciting moments. So many stories and so much drama.  Tim Howard in the goal box. Costa Rica. Mexico pushing through. Holland looking fierce. Germany looking strong and focused.  James Rodriguez. And then there were the surprises: Spain, Italy, and England all losing in the group stage and going home early. And, of course, Brazil's epic meltdown.


But back to my neighbor....

She didn't understand and she dismissed the conversation with, "Well, over all these years, surely you've come to realize that there's more to life than just a game."

It took me a little while to figure out what she was really saying. It wasn't just a matter of not  understanding the sport, it was a matter of not understanding what it means to so many people around the world.

It's love, pure and simple.

And with love comes all those emotions: passion and excitement and hope.

And sometimes, heartbreak.


Buttercup: You mock my pain!
Man in Black: Life is pain, Highness.
  
When it's all said and done, I've come to realize that soccer is mostly about pain. And this World Cup, at least for us, was no different. Argentina made it into the Final only to lose to Germany in overtime.


So what does any of this have to do with writing and the 44 series?

Well, everything. Love and pain and happiness and agony are always at the heart of a good story. And
Book 10 is coming soon.....


Jools

The Agony and the Agony....

It was a tough game, a tough loss, a tough day to be an Argentine soccer fan....

 

 There's so much I want to say about this World Cup....

But not today....

Jools

Bring on that Messi Magic...

      

 It's been an amazing World Cup for Argentina so far, but there's one more game to win.

The big one.
The Final in Rio in just a few hours.
We'll need the magic from the little magician. We'll need the defense to play like they played in the Holland game. And we'll need a little luck. 

GO ARGENTINA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Argentina Advances!!!

It was a grueling 120 minutes of football ending in a nail biting shootout, but at the end of the match, Argentina beat Holland 4-2 and advanced to the World Cup Final in Rio on Sunday.


Three best parts of the game:

Romero in the goal box, saving two PKs

Mascherano

 Messi scoring the first PK on the winking goalie Cillessen

Decime que se siente!!!!!

ARGENTINA! ARGENTINA! ARGENTINA!!!!

If you are a fan of the 44 series you know that Lionel Messi is Abby's absolute favorite soccer player. There's a reason for this, of course :) Besides being amazing and magical, he also happens to be my favorite soccer player. And being that I've been an Argentina soccer fan for over 20 years, words can't express my happiness over yesterday's win against Belgium to make it into the semi finals.

It's been an incredible World Cup, playing out on the stage like an elaborate opera, full of passion, heartbreak, spirit, exhileration, madness, and excitement. As a viewer, I've gone through every emotion possible while watching these athletes battle it out. It's been quite the ride. A hell of an inspiring, nerve-racking, teeth-clenching ride. As Mr. LittleJeans would say, "Best show ever, man."

Can you tell what I've been up to the last few weeks?


Hope you all had a fun and relaxing 4th. Here in town, the Pilot Butte fireworks show was spectacular! Way to go, Bend!!

Jools

Spanish Heartbreak

 

 

It's been a dramatic World Cup already...full of ecstasy and agony, glory and defeat. It's hard to believe, but Spain (one of Abby Craig's favorite teams) lost its second game and has been knocked out of the first round.The former Champions fell yesterday to Chile (2-0).

Such a sad day for such an amazing team.

Jools

Father's Day 2014

It's been a crazy few days over here in the Jools' household since the World Cup started on Thursday. Since then, it feels as if I am living in a sports bar. Soccer is always on the the big screen, as well as good food, good beer, and screaming and laughter.

If you follow soccer, you know it's just the beginning. The fun will go on for an entire month.

Today is the day that Argentina takes the field for the first time in Brazil. Being that Mr. Jools is from Argentina and our daughters have that same passionate soccer-obsessed blood pulsating through them, we do it up right (like every four years).

Empanadas with Chimichurri. Dulce de leche. Blue and white flags and decorations throughout the house. Carlos Gardel drifting softly between games.

That's what is going on over here on this Father's Day. Passion, love, and good times.


Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there and hope you all are having a great day too!

Go Argentina!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Jools

Happy Spring!

“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”

                                  ----A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Book Nine Now Available

Hi, Everybody!
44 Book Nine is now available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Yay!
Jools

Book Nine Coming Soon!

We are so close. Stay tuned!
:)
Jools

When Winter Wallops...

It's come late this year, but wow, Bend has finally had a taste of winter. Just a few weeks ago we were basking in warm sunshine on the deck, but now it's a different story....

It's making me think now that Phil the Groundhog knew what he was talking about. And it makes me think too that I'm going to hunker down in my cave this month and write up a storm (to match the one outside) and stay there until the sun returns to melt the massive amount of snow we've received over the last few days.



Also, Book Nine will be out soon! And there's a new website at Joolssinclair.com

Keep the fires going,
Jools