August Updates

It's been a very active month. I finished the final edits for the Guidepost novel I wrote this year for their new series, Miracles of Marble Cove. Mine is Book 5 and will be called Autumn Light. I'm told it should come out in November. But that's really for those who sign up now (Books 1 & 2 are already being sent out). The way Guideposts has structured the series, the books really do need to be read in order (reads something like a mini-series). So when someone signs up, they start them off with Book 1. Then every 4-6 weeks, mail them the next book in the series. Click here if you'd like to check it out.

I'm almost finished with my 6th novel for Revell. The current working title is "If Only In My Dreams." I say, "working title" because titles often change between when I turn the manuscript in and when the book shows up on the shelves. This one is due out this time next year. It's not a Christmas book, per say, although it does take place in the Fall, and Thanksgiving and Christmas are background characters in the story. If you recognize the title, it's the last line in that romantic Christmas classic, "I'll Be Home For Christmas." The book is about a Vietnam vet who's given a chance to reunite with a family he'd thought he lost forever, and a totally unexpected romance.

The Series With Gary Smalley

Over the summer, I've been developing the storyline for Book 1 of my new 4-book series with Dr. Gary Smalley, as well as roughing out some ideas for Books 2-4. Cindi and I are getting excited about this. The plan is to send what I have to Gary by the end of this month. Then he'll review it and come up with any additional thoughts and ideas he might have. Then on Sept 20th, we'll fly in to St. Louis, Missouri, rent a car, and drive to Branson where Gary lives with his wife, Norma. We'll spend a few days finalizing our book plans, then Cindi and I will drive back to St. Louis to attend the ACFW conference. There, I'll meet with our editor and go over everything. Hopefully, she'll love it, and I'll return at the end of September to begin writing the first book.

Some Great Early Reviews for Remembering Christmas

My 4th novel, Remembering Christmas, is just about to release in a week or so. We've already received some great reviews. RT Book Reviews, the largest magazine in the country totally devoted to reviewing new novels, gave it a 4.5 Stars/Top Pick rating in the Inspirational Category. This is their highest ranking. The reviewer, Leslie L. McKee said:

"Walsh crafts the perfect holiday page-turner. Few people ever get the opportunity to know how a seemingly minor act can affect another’s life. With his gift for words, Walsh brings that experience to life, all the while making the reader feel like a dear old friend."

I have to say, reading that didn't hurt.

Then Library Journal magazine weighed in. This publication is read by librarians all across the country. After doing a nice job summarizing the story, they said:

"...This bittersweet tale of families abandoned and rediscovered should appeal to fans of Richard Paul Evans."

This is a prized recommendation. Richard Paul Evans has written some of the finest and bestselling Christmas novels of all time, like The Christmas Box and The Christmas List. It would be wonderful if a fraction of his fans discovered my books.

It's been a fine summer so far (now...if we can just make it through Sept with no hurricanes).