<![CDATA[Author Michelle Libby - Saucy women packing heat blog]]>

<![CDATA[Author Michelle Libby - Saucy women packing heat blog]]>Sun, 09 Aug 2026 06:16:31 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[When things don't go as planned]]>Thu, 06 Aug 2026 14:29:19 GMThttp://www.michellelibby.com/saucy-women-packing-heat-blog/when-things-dont-go-as-planned

In June, I took a class from Sarra Cannon on planning and organizing my life and work. It was awesome. She told us to plan to work on days that you have available, but if you're on vacation or know you having something planned, then don't say you're going to work on those days.

I didn't schedule anything during our trip to Maine, but I figured I'd work on things anyway. However, life sometimes has other plans. After the Fourth of July, I got sick and spent five days in the hospital in Maine. Not ideal. I was not able to do anything because I was hooked up to IVs and heart monitor leads. It was a lot.

Now that I'm back home, I'm finding it hard to get back into writing and getting all the things done. Instead, I'm working on little things that have to be done to move my work forward. You should be seeing new things from me soon. I have published a few new lower content books. One for Route 66 and some fun cloud doodle books. Look me up on Amazon to find more info on those books.

My southern short romance story is almost ready to hit the shelves. I hope you'll stick around for that. Enjoy the beautiful summer weather with an occasional thunderstorm.

]]><![CDATA[Hot time in the summer]]>Wed, 22 Jul 2026 17:42:50 GMThttp://www.michellelibby.com/saucy-women-packing-heat-blog/hot-time-in-the-summer

May flew by at the speed of sound. The wedding happened and it was beautiful. My daughter looked so happy, and I saw her husband smile more than I'd ever seen before.

I had friends fly in from up north. It was great to see them and thanks to Lisa and Arne for their help with the decorating and logistics so I could be with Anne as she got ready.

The day was beautiful. After the wedding we met up with our friends from out of town and had a drink. It was the perfect way to end the event. Boozy milkshakes are pretty spectacular.

I mentioned the book I started for Harlequin's submission call, I heard back and it was not selected out of the 170 manuscripts, but that's the publishing biz. I'll continue work on it and publish it later.

After the wedding planning was over, my husband and I took a 13 day road trip over to Oklahoma City and up Route 66 to Chicago in our 23-foot RV. There were good parts and challenges. We got a flat tire on the car dolly and spent a morning attempting to get new tires. The other challenges were slow and lack of internet (yikes) and the lack of showers where we stayed. We even used the shower in the motorhome for the first time since we purchased it in 2021. It worked great and we were so thankful. (Before we used the space for storage only.)

After so many miles, 13 states and lots of pictures and memories, we are back home and I'm getting back to work on all of my projects. I hope the beginning of your summer is already awesome. Enjoy nights by the campfire, days in the water and green everywhere.

]]><![CDATA[On the other side]]>Sun, 05 Jul 2026 14:12:49 GMThttp://www.michellelibby.com/saucy-women-packing-heat-blog/on-the-other-side

]]><![CDATA[One down, one to go]]>Tue, 16 Jun 2026 13:20:18 GMThttp://www.michellelibby.com/saucy-women-packing-heat-blog/one-down-one-to-go

If you've been following my plight, you know that my niece got married mid-April and my daughter is getting married mid-May. I have a little hair left on my head, but that's only because my hairdresser was able to fix the mess I made trying to color it with some temporary wash out in eight washes color. I looked like Ronald McDonald, and for those of you who don't know who that is. It was very red, especially in the sun.

My daughter has realized that the wedding is imminent. She has started working with me on the details. Yay!

Despite all of this chaos, I decided to enter the first three chapters of a manuscript in the Harlequin call for submission. I had to write the three chapters during April, while I was away at a wedding and a writer's conference. I attained my goal and sent the packet off the day before the deadline. Did I mention we also snuck in trips to Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Universal Islands of Adventure and SeaWorld? We did.

The conference was amazing. Kudos to the Florida Star Fiction Writers and Sarra Cannon! The whole thing was motivational and inspirational. I had forgotten what it was like to be around other writers. Sarra was so great to listen to, and I love my mini-Kanban board.

Now that I'm back home, I am preparing to write the next 44,000 words in my Harlequin Intrigue before July 31st. There is a plan.

I'm also planning my next trip. I love to be on the road in our motorhome exploring new places and seeing all the country has to offer. More on that next month. I'll be posting pictures soon of our adventures. You can follow me on Facebook.

Here's the link to Payhip to purchase signed paperback books and a few digital copies. You can pay using PayPal through the Payhip website. Here is the link. payhip.com/AuthorMichelleLibby I'm adding things to the store regularly. Right now, it's mostly paperback books I will mail to the buyer.

Happy Wedding Season!

]]><![CDATA[And so it begins...]]>Mon, 04 May 2026 23:46:15 GMThttp://www.michellelibby.com/saucy-women-packing-heat-blog/and-so-it-begins

It's wedding season and my family has two weddings in a month's time. First, my niece is getting married in April in Florida. I have little responsibility for that event.

The second wedding is my daughter's. She's getting married in South Carolina to a man from North Carolina with a thick southern accent. Planning a wedding isn't for the faint of heart. There are so many details and deadlines, which I care about, but my daughter is much more laidback.

We did get the personalized M&Ms shipped already. This is the fourth personalized batch of M&Ms we have purchased. The first two were for my kid's high school graduation and then one batch for my son's college graduation. Now we have wedding M&Ms and I highly recommend getting them to personalize an event.

As far as writing goes, I have finished two short stories in a Southern romance series. I thought it would be a great time to take a break while we get ready for the weddings, but instead there was a call for submission. The first three chapters were due April 30, and the rest of the book would need to be finished by June 30. Yikes! But, I love a challenge, so I'm into the book. Even when we're at the wedding this month, I will be searching for time to get some words in.

After the wedding, I will be attending the Florida Star Fiction Writers Conference in Cocoa Beach, Florida. I'm so excited to go to an in-person conference. Two of my writer friends originally from Maine, will be there. One moved to Florida years ago and one still lives there. Seeing them in person is going to be excited.

One of the issues I've been seeing in the romance world is that in-person events have decreased. Many writing groups have transitioned to Zoom and stopped doing meetings face to face. Being on a screen is not the same as connecting one on one. When I was traveling fulltime, Zoom meetings were my lifeline to the writing world. Now, being online with my favorite writing people is a blessing. I know people are frustrated at not having meetings locally, but because of Covid being located in Maine or New Jersey wasn't mandatory to be a member. (it never was, but you couldn't always make meetings.) Thus, members are spread out throughout the country and world.

Having Zoom meetings also allows members to hear from experts who might not be able to travel to New England to give a speech. Now they give a talk without leaving home. It's a win-win for all of us.

Well, back to writing on the work-in-progress.

Here's the link to Payhip to purchase signed paperback books and a few digital copies. You can pay using PayPal through the Payhip website. Here is the link. payhip.com/AuthorMichelleLibby I'm adding things to the store regularly. Right now, it's mostly paperback books I will mail to the buyer.

Happy Wedding Season!

]]><![CDATA[Spring, outside and goals reached]]>Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:43:38 GMThttp://www.michellelibby.com/saucy-women-packing-heat-blog/spring-outside-and-goals-reached

I'm always shocked when it gets to the middle of the month and I haven't reached out to say "hi".

I'm happy to report that I completed the New Jersey Romance Writers 30K challenge to write 30,000 words in the month of February. I am working on the second book in a short Southern sweet romance trilogy. I know, I needed to start another project. LOL. Those will be released later this year and are not part of my six in 2026 challenge.

Weather is warming up here in the south. We hit 80 degrees and my family jumped in the pool, which was 65 degrees. Pollen is out. IYKYK. I'm in misery most of the time.

The rest of the month is for wedding planning, trip planning and taxes. My daughter is getting married in May, so we're in full on planning mode. My neice is getting married in April in Florida. We're planning our stay at Disney with side quests to Universal Islands of Adventure and SeaWorld. I also have a romance writer's conference after the wedding. I'm so excited to have an in person event.
I'll keep you posted on how that goes.

Here's the link to Payhip. You can pay using PayPal through the Payhip website. Here is the link. payhip.com/AuthorMichelleLibby I'm adding things to the store regularly. Right now, it's mostly paperback books I will mail to the buyer.

Have a great spring.

]]><![CDATA[When the South acts like the North]]>Tue, 10 Mar 2026 13:04:42 GMThttp://www.michellelibby.com/saucy-women-packing-heat-blog/when-the-south-acts-like-the-north

It's the month of LOVE. Being a romance author first, I love that people think about relationships and celebrate them.

This past weekend, during the snowstorm, I re-edited one of my first books, Kidnapped. You heard that right. Here in South Carolina, we got half a foot of snow the week after we got an ice storm that was supposed to take us offline for a few weeks. Luckily, we only lost power for 30 minutes that time. I believe it's because Hurricane Helene knocked down so many trees, so the ones that are left are of hardier stalk. That being said, some trees and branches did fall and take out power in the area, but it could have been so much worse.

The snow in the south is tough, because if it doesn't melt, people drive like it's 80 and sunny and slip off the road. There are only a few plows, and they brine the roads with a salt water mixture that does little to nothing, IMO. A car wreck is not the way to start off the new year.

This is NJRW's 30K challenge month, where writers get up to 30,000 words written or 90,000 words edited in the month of February. I'm off to an amazing start having edited half of my book in one day.

I will continue work on my Magnolia Creek series and see how much I can get done this month.

I've added more books to my payhip store (link below). Right now, many are physical copies of books that will get sent from me to you. Kidnapped is a digital copy (PDF) you can purchase. I hope you'll stop by. My plan is to add new books daily, in between writing sprints.

Here's the link to Payhip. You can pay using PayPal through the Payhip website. Here is the link. payhip.com/AuthorMichelleLibby

]]><![CDATA[Six in 2026]]>Mon, 02 Feb 2026 13:34:59 GMThttp://www.michellelibby.com/saucy-women-packing-heat-blog/six-in-2026

My motto for the year is "Six in 2026". I have six finished books on my computer that need the final touches. Is it time to release them on the world?

I have signed up for a romance writer's conference in Florida in April. We'll be done there for a wedding, so extending the trip for this conference seemed like a good idea. I've been to this conference before and I'm excited to be at an in-person event. There will also be two of my Maine friends in attendance. Bonus!

As far as travel for this past month, my husband, son and I went to Virginia for the wedding reception of our son's high school friend, who he hadn't seen in years. It was wonderful to see old friends and celebrate love. I took pictures to show to our daughter who is getting married in May.

While we were in Virgina, we had to visit a Civil War battlefield, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania and Chancellorsville. It was chilly, but we got to walk around the battlefields and enjoy the history. No new trips planned until April when we go to Orlando. After the wedding in May, we are planning a trip to finish Route 66 from Oklahoma City to Chicago. Can't wait for that one.

I have started a new romance series set in a small southern town. I've only begun and it's so much fun.

If you haven't heard, I have a store where you can order books directly from me, often at a discount. I will add to it a little at a time, so come by and check it out. You can pay using PayPal from the Payhip website. Here is the link. payhip.com/AuthorMichelleLibby

]]><![CDATA[Happy Holidays]]>Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:43:14 GMThttp://www.michellelibby.com/saucy-women-packing-heat-blog/happy-holidays

Man, do the holidays wiz by. It seems like it was Halloween last week. Now, we're days away from Christmas and I'm just writing a quick update.

Our house is decorated inside and out, thanks to my husband. He loves to make everything look festive. I just like to have everything festive. Wishing you and yours all the festiveness you can stand.
It's the end of the year, and it's right to look back and see how far we've come this year and to look forward to what could be in 2026.

It looks like I have published 21 books this year in a variety of topics. It's been fun. I'm glad that I was able to get those books published, but this next year, it has to be about the writing, not just the creating. I have many books languishing on my computer. They are written and edited, though I will have someone edit them before I hit publish. As it was pointed out to me. I have at least 6 books I could be publishing in 2026. It will take work but doesn't everything. So, the motto for the new year is 6 in 2026.

I hope that you will come along with me on the adventure and in the case of my pirate trilogy, bring your kids along as well.

This year, in addition to donating to Toys For Tots (USMC), I helped distribute hats to a local school. My crochet group, Dacusville Yarn Works, made hats and scarves all year to give out just before Christmas break. Each student and a few of the teachers were given hats at no cost to them. These kids were so thankful and happy with their gifts. It was amazing to see they choose hats they loved. Then some of the adults went to Waffle House. It was my first experience there...is Waffle House a yes or no for you? Inquiring minds want to know.

I have a store where you can order books directly from me, often at a discount. I will add to it a little at a time, so come by and check it out. You can pay using PayPal from the Payhip website. Here is the link. payhip.com/AuthorMichelleLibby

I hope you have a wonderful, family-filled holiday.

]]><![CDATA[It's October already]]>Tue, 23 Dec 2025 20:15:53 GMThttp://www.michellelibby.com/saucy-women-packing-heat-blog/its-october-alreadyWhen we have to close the pool, I want to cry. It's not that I want to swim all the time, but just seeing the blue of the pool and hear the water moving make me calmer and happy.

I'm looking forward to the holidays. Remember when COVID hit and we were spending more time at home? That year everyone agreed to put up their Christmas lights and decorations way before the holidays because it made people happy. I vote we do that. The sparkly lights delight everyone, much like the water in the pool makes me content.

My husband and I went out to look at Halloween lights. We saw some decorations, but it wasn't the same as when all of the Christmas lights are on display.

When I'm not out looking at lights, I'm working on my computer creating new contact. I have five novels done and that have passed through my critique group with more coming. I want you to know that I am working on getting them ready for publishing.

In the meantime, I am publishing coloring and activity books. I have three Christmas coloring books out this year. One is monochromatic, which is a new, fun genre, and then the other two are fun mandalas and ugly sweaters. I hope you'll check them out and consider getting them as Christmas gifts.

We have no travel plans for November. However, there are more trips on the horizon, especially in 2026. I'm actually getting antsy to get out on the road and especially to try out the new couch we have added where the dinette used to be.
It is November, which means trying to write a 50,000-word book during the month. I know I won't make that goal, but I'm going to get three novellas written during November. ]]>