This blog is for those 18 and older.

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Sisterhood by Lee McKenzie with Giveaway


Last month I was invited to speak about writing romance to a chapter of the Beta Sigma Phi sorority. I’ve never belonged to a sorority and knew very little about them, but I was impressed with the bond of sisterhood these women shared. Their group was also a perfect tie-in to talking about my books because that’s what I love to write. Not sororities, but sisterhood.

As an “only child,” I missed out on having a sibling sisterhood, but I have acquired the next best thing—the true and long-lasting friendship of some amazing women. Over the years we have supported one another through the joys and sorrows of life: boyfriends and breakups, marriages and separations, births and miscarriages, raising children, changing careers, illness and wellness, and the losses of those we hold dearest. These women, my sisterhood, have the courage and strength to cope with the twists and turns of life, but we’re even stronger for having shared them.

If I had to name one thing that has had a profound effect on my writing, it is these women, their friendship, our sisterhood. My Seattle-set three-book series is about three women who meet at a business women’s organization, form a bond and decide to combine their talents into one business venture. Their company, called Ready Set Sold, renovates, stages and sells homes for other families while searching for their own home sweet homes.

I loved writing the romance in these books (The Christmas Secret, The Daddy Project and Daddy, Unexpectedly) but I also enjoyed writing about the friendships among these women and about the mutual support and encouragement they give one another, and at the end of the third book, it was fun to bring all of the characters and their families together and bring all three stories full circle.

In my next book, The Parent Trap (Harlequin Heartwarming, now available for pre-order), the sisterhood is between two teenage girls who become best friends and decide their over-protective, single parents need a distraction. The solution? Their parents can distract each other! By the way, if the title reminds you an old Haley Mills movie, I’m here to tell you this is not that story! The movie is about reuniting a family while my book is about bringing two families together. The Parent Trap will be an October 2014 release.

I want to thank the wonderful bloggers here at Happily Ever After Thoughts for hosting me today. It’s wonderful to be back!

I would love to hear about your sisterhoods—family, friends or both. I’ll be thrilled to give away an autographed set of my Ready Set Sold Series, and a winner will be drawn from the commenters. 

You’ll also find me on my website [http://www.leemckenzie.com] where you can subscribe to my newsletter, Life in the Slow Lane, and on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/lee.mckenzie.romanceauthor?ref=hl].

Happy reading!
Lee

About Lee:

From the time Lee McKenzie was ten years old and read Anne of Green Gables and Little Women, she knew she wanted to be a writer, just like Anne and Jo. In the intervening years she has written advertising copy, magazine articles, and an honors thesis in paleontology, and edited conference proceedings, educational material and technical publications. Along the way her imagination demanded a more creative outlet, and she soon discovered the world of romance. Becoming a four-time Golden Heart finalist and a Harlequin author are her proudest accomplishments yet. Lee and her artist/teacher husband live on an island in the Pacific Northwest, and she loves to spend time with two of her best friends—her grown-up children.

Be sure to leave a comment to win this 3-book series!

18 comments:

  1. What would we do without our female friends, blood sisters or not? You rock Lee and so do your books.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Pat! And ITA, my "sisters" mean the world to me.

      Delete
  2. Hi Lee,
    Congratulations on moving from Golden Heart to multi-published author! Great achievements!

    I am a Zeta Tau Alpha sorority sister and one of the reasons I joined that group was its philanthropy work in eating disorders. When I joined, I had no idea how that sisterhood would translate over thirty years of communion with sisters, sorority or not, who experience the same food issues. Sisterhood goes way beyond a group. There is a spiritual bond that grows from that initial connection. It sounds like that is what you convey in your books. What a great message! Thanks for sharing!

    LyndeeH

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lyndee, thank you so much for sharing your experiences with your sorority, and especially for telling us about the wonderful work you do. In my second book, WITH THIS RING, the heroine holds a fundraising event for a homeless shelter. I loved writing that story.

      Delete
  3. Hi Lee
    Loved your post. It touched me deeply, but that doesn't surprise me. Your writing always connects to the heart.
    I love men but my women friends mean the world to me. The bond between us transcends friendship and is like a cocoon of love.
    Best always
    Jo-Ann

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jo-Ann, your kind words wrap me in a "cocoon of love." What a lovely phrase! Thank you for sharing it with us!

      Delete
  4. Good friends enrich our lives in a way that nothing else can. Good for you for writing stories about those precious relationships.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Carlene. I love the term kids use these days...BFF. It's perfect!

      Delete
  5. Good friends are always there for you

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  6. That's fantastic, Lee--I'm blessed with one sister by blood, who is also my dearest friend, and many more sisters of the heart, who are more precious than I can say. Thank you for writing stories that celebrate the sweet bonds of friendship!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're welcome, Fedora! Good friends really are sisters of the heart. I love that!

      Delete
  7. What a lovely blog post Lee! I agree with you. Having a community of supportive sisters, whether they are family or not, keeps me going as well. And all the best with this new release.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Congratulations on completing that trilogy. I've the premise of your series. Sisterhood among sisters is fabulous but you're right that it can go beyond that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Donna, thank you so much. You've made my day!

      Delete
  9. Great blog, Lee! Loved hearing how your stories were formed. The bonds of friendships are strong ones and it shows in your writing.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks for stopping by, Jacqui! I'm looking forward to your next book.

    ReplyDelete