Grab your favorite beverage and settle in for a short respite as you enjoy my monthly newsletter, written with you in mind. In it you will find:
A God Gem - Insights into what God is teaching me
A Tara Tillotson Gem - Tara is the protagonist in the forbidden love, small town, contemporary fiction series I’m writing.
A South Dakota Gem - My home state, and the setting of the forbidden love series, I highlight something special about the Mt. Rushmore state each month.
A Book Nook Gem - Here I feature other authors and let you know what I’ve been reading.
A Husky Gem - The book series has a husky character named Kaos, but I also have two huskies, Storm and Oreo. Those two take center stage in this gem.
A Joyful Gem - My monthly vlog that features stories from my upbringing in South Dakota, updates on book news, and personal stories happening in my life today.
Get my free Novella, Shocking Mercy, when you join Joyful Gems!!
You never forget your first love, the one that got away, the one you still dream of from time to time.
For decades, Tara Tillotson has faithfully honored the vows she made to her husband, even as Alzheimer's slowly steals away the man she once knew. She finds fulfillment in serving her small South Dakota town and has no intention of reopening the door to the love she walked away from forty years ago.
Sheriff Wyatt Russell has spent a lifetime burying his own regrets. Memories from his Gulf War Service plague his thoughts from time to time, but he’s convinced the past is best left in the past. When a series of attacks on the Hot Springs Pregnancy Center occur, Tara and Wyatt find themselves working closely together to find the person behind the crime.
As vandalism escalates to violence and the life of an innocent child is in danger, Tara and Wyatt work to uncover the truth, all while a secret from their past is finally demanding to be told. Tara must choose between the vows she’s determined honor and a love she’s never forgotten.
Filled with impactful characters, strong faith, a dash of history, and a love worth waiting for, Lost Love is a gripping clean, small town, Christian romance with a hint of suspense, about honor, sacrifice and second chances.
Book one in the Tara Tillotson, Forbidden Love series.
Coming December of 2026, Second book in the series, Wounded Love!! Available for pre-order November of 2026.
Exclusive content. Available to you when you join Joyful Gems only.
There you’ll find the stories behind the stories, personal updates, and a few extra gems tucked away just for my most engaged readers. Come with me as I open the jewel box of gems surrounding the fictional world of Tara Tillotson, her dog Kaos, the love she can never have, Sheriff Wyatt Russell, and all of her friends and family in modern-day Hot Springs, South Dakota. In Hidden Gems, you will find:
A Special Content Gem - Anything and everything from what’s in Tara’s purse, to her favorite play list.
A Sneak Peek Gem - Be the first to know what’s coming next!
A Kaos Confidential Gem - The world according to Kaos
A Behind the Scenes Story Gem - Where fiction meets reality.
Hidden Gems is a monthly publication, but I reserve the right to send special updates more often as merited.
Monet Goode, Instructor