Both The Lyon’s Gambit and The Lyon’s Alliance are finalists in the 2025 Heart Awards from the Oklahoma Romance Writers Guild. The winners will be announced at the Heart Award Gala on August 2.

I won’t know the results until August, so for now I’m just thrilled (and maybe a little twitchy with anticipation). These stories were such a joy to write, and seeing them both recognized in this way is something I’ll treasure, no matter what happens next.

To all my fellow writers, readers, and late-...