Showing posts with label romance novels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label romance novels. Show all posts

Monday, October 2, 2017

What romance means to me...

The romance genre means so much to so many people. It's so much more than some books about love 'n' stuff.



I attended the Romance Writers of America conference this past July and in one of the workshops, author Damon Suede said, "Romance is the genre of hope." He didn't say hope for what exactly, but I think it can mean many things. It's hope that love is out there waiting for us. Hope that everyone will find their happily ever after. Hope that the world will find peace. Hope that we can all find strength. Hope the we can all find what we need most out of life. That we can fight for what we need, want, and believe in.

Romance novels empower us. They show us that the impossible is possible if we work hard and believe it will happen.

The romance industry is primarily made up of women and I love that. We are out there supporting one another, celebrating each other, doing it, succeeding, living our dreams. There's no on telling us we can't.

In times of tragedy and hopelessness, people need something to keep them going. They turn to books and fiction. For many it's an escape into something that they know will end happily. Many will minimize the genre for this reason, insisting that this is fiction, fake, never-gonna-happen. But I don't believe them. If we can't believe that love exists, that happily-ever-afters can happen, how else are we supposed to get out of bed each day?

Friday, April 29, 2016

A new book, a new adventure!!

So so excited to finally share this with you all! I signed on to do a Kindle World!! What is a Kindle World, you ask? Basically, an author creates a virtual "world" with her books, a series. Then they invite other authors to write books that connect to their world. Super fun!

My first is called Refuse to Settle and it's part of Melody Anne's Billionaire Universe.


Pretty, right??? I just love this cover!! And I helped design it!

Check out Refuse to settle and all the rest of the world here: Refuse to Settle

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

What's your favorite thing about romance novels?



I recently asked readers why they love romance novels. What keeps them coming back for more. 

Eris Field said, "I read them to be taken away." I think that's a popular answer. All of us want to go somewhere else when we read. That's the point. For most, reading is an escape. It enables us to leave our troubles behind and lose ourselves in someone else's world...someone else's love story. Whether you have your own love story in real life or not. As Sarah Carol said, "I love romances because I hope to find my happily ever after someday." And I think we like to lose ourselves in someone else's problems, too. Maybe it helps us cope with our own. If they can do it, so can we! 

"I want realism. I want stupid problems. I want humor and sarcasm. I want to not see everything always so back and white. I want flawed heroines and heros." This is what Karen McClive likes in a  romance novel. I agree. I don't want to read about a super model who never gains a pound and never has a pimple, whose life is perfect in every way. Or a hero who always says and does the right things. How boring is that??? I want real characters. I want characters who I would totally hang out with in real life. I want to care about them. I want to root for them. Linda Smolarek likes "quirky characters in interesting settings." Me too. :)

Pat Poreda wants "to fall in love with that hero- with his soul, his mind." She likes the nerds ;) Heros are so so important to a romance novel. He's gotta be the perfect match for our heroine, though definitely not a perfect person. He needs to be sexy, but not always in the obvious way with bulging muscles and washboard abs. Romance has evolved past Fabios. (Not gonna lie though, I like me a nice muscular hero, too!) But it's more about him inside...how he treats her. 

So tell me....what brings you back to romance? Do you agree with my readers??




Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Hero love!



We can't have a romance novel without a hero! (Well, technically, we can....in F/F romance!) But today I'm talking about the guys!

I know many authors don't like to give too much description of their heros and don't often post celebrity inspiration photos because they like the reader to envision him for themselves. Not everyone has the same idea of sexy. And I agree. There have been times I've read a book and the hero wasn't exactly my idea of yumminess. Like a guy with long hair. It's just not my thing. So.....I kinda just nix that part as I read and fill it in with a picture of a guy I find more attractive ;) It works for me :)

But there is no denying that certain jobs or clothes make a hero unbelievably sexy. Can you resist a man in uniform? I don't think many women can! Cowboys are super hot, and right now, I hear the biker heros are way delicious.

And tattoos?? Oh yes!!!! The bad boy with a heart of gold......



And what about personality? I'm not a huge fan of alphas. Again, just not my thing. I don't write alphas, but I don't consider them betas either. Somewhere in the middle?? LOL Sensitive guys.



So, what's your idea hero??? Pictures welcome ;)

Friday, October 23, 2015

XOXO Reader Event!!!


I am soooooooo excited about this event!! It's an all day readerfest filled with special guests, sexy fun, surprises, games, and more, all from the comfort of your home!!!!!

I'll be playing a game of Dirty Telephone at 1:30 pm EST. That promises to be hilarious. ;)

Check out this link with details and the event line up!! You won't want to miss this!!!

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Yay! I'm finally doing a reader/author event!!

I'm always looking for new ways to connect with readers and I'm learning that face to face is an awesome way!!

Unfortunately, my city is not very supportive of the romance genre. We get snubbed often. :( Once  I did a local book fair and oh my the looks I got! I was shocked. I never expected that kind of reception from a community that is very supportive of all art forms. I left feeling extremely defeated. I've done other events as well, with the same reactions.

So I knew I needed to look outside my community for romance novel fans. I have friends who did the Lori Foster event earlier this year and said it was fabulous! Registration for that won't open for a couple months yet. I'll have my fingers crossed that I get in. But in the meantime, I signed up to do a reader/author event in Pittsburgh in March! There will be more than 70 romance authors for an all day book fair. Then in the evening, the VIP guests get to attend a fabulous dinner with all the authors! It all sounds so fun! I can't wait!!

If you're in the Pittsburgh area, check it out! Click here!

Have you ever been to a reader/author event? Thoughts?

Monday, June 1, 2015

SIZE MATTERS is out TODAY!!!!



It's my book bday!!!!! Woo hoo!!

Come celebrate with me at my Facebook party! It goes from 10 am til 10 pm, EST! Click here!

And if you want a little teaser, here's the opening scene of SIZE MATTERS! ;)

If a bicycle had a penis and eyes pleading for a blow job, the whole ordeal would be just like riding a bike. It’s one of those things a person never forgets how to do, no matter how much time has passed. But Bryn Harper hadn’t had sex with a living, breathing man in nearly two and a half years. The only sex she’d had involved rubber and vibrating replicas of manliness. So being in this position—nearly naked as she stepped into her dimly lit bedroom—felt far more difficult than pedaling around on two wheels.
“Hey.” Bryn managed a coy smile as she stood in the doorway connecting her bathroom to her bedroom.
“Wow. You look gorgeous,” Eli said, alleviating some of her anxiety.
She fidgeted with the lace hem of her see-through chemise. “Thanks.”
Bryn had been sort of dating Eli for a couple of months, and it was finally time to do the deed. She’d chosen him as her get-back-on-the-bike guy. Cute and polite, well mannered, with a smokin’ hot bod. He’d help her get it over with, make the fear go away.
They’d been friends for a while, having met at their kids’ school during Field Day. They’d bonded while serving hot dogs to ravenous elementary students. Casual coffees turned into dinner every other week. He was a nice guy to hang out with and he understood what she wanted—light and casual. Attempting to find love again was on her list, but not right now. Not yet. It was still too soon.
Bryn took a deep breath as she left the safety of her bathroom and stepped into the bedroom, illuminated by a half dozen candles. She kneeled on the bed and crawled to him, hoping it looked way sexier than it felt.
Eli’s ravenous gaze ripped off her transparent outfit and devoured her body. Wonder how long it’s been for him? He looked pretty damn hungry. He’d been divorced almost as long as Bryn had been widowed. But surely he had dated in that time. Divorcés were usually back on the bike much faster than widowed riders—the anger-bang, revenge sex.
Bryn would never forget the day her doorbell rang and she ran to answer it, three-year-old Cammie on her hip, her hair a mess, never expecting to find what she did. As soon as she saw the uniformed soldier on her porch, she knew. Her husband would never come home again.
After Johnny died, all Bryn had wanted to do was curl up in bed with her three kids and hold them close. She’d stayed there for days, maybe even weeks. And when she finally came out, life was measured one hour at a time. If she could make it that far without crying, that was progress. Then it was two hours, then three. When she’d made it a whole twelve hours, she’d rejoined society and gone back to work. Her kids needed some kind of normalcy after weeks of seeing her a bawling mess of misery.
But that’s as far as the normalcy in her life went. The only things that mattered were her store and the kids. Finding a companion—love—had been the furthest thing from her mind.
But here she was, two and a half years later, and it was getting really hard to be a single mom, especially to growing boys. Jaxson and Zachary needed a man in their lives, one they could relate to. Grandpa wasn’t really cutting it. Dating Eli was part one in giving her family what it needed.
And Bryn needed a man in her life, too. Not for financial support, protection, and overall dependency, but for companionship and, yeah, sex. Lots of sex. A real, live man to hold her, taste her, and caress her body. Dildos and vibrators were fun, but they didn’t whisper sweet nothings and dirty talk in her ear or press feather-light kisses along her spine.
Bryn focused on Eli, and damn, he looked good lying there. She scanned his seminaked body. For a guy in his late thirties, he had a fine physique. Mounded pecs and sculpted biceps, muscular thighs that made her yearn to be between them. No six-pack, but she wasn’t exactly model shape, either. Her eyes traveled south to his black boxer briefs, where a tent was already forming. Phew! There was a halfway-hard penis waiting for her, and the flow of moisture between her thighs told her she was more than ready for it. It gave her the courage to keep moving forward.
He sat up and pulled her toward him, kissing her far more passionately than they’d kissed before. Until this point, it had only been mini kisses after dinner on her porch, the kids peeking out the front window. But tonight they were blocks away at her parents’ house. No giggles. No interruptions.
Eli pressed her body to the bed with his and trailed a kiss across her neck to her earlobe. Bryn giggled. So much for no giggles.
“I’m sorry. That’s my ticklish spot.”
“It’s okay.” Eli smiled at her. He had a really nice smile. And eyes. He raised one eyebrow, his lips curling into a sinister grin. “I want to taste all your ticklish spots.”
That sounded fun. Bryn’s hunger was most definitely back. She lost her giggles and pulled his lips back to hers, raking her hands down his back, hesitating at the band of his underwear. This was it. A smidgen of fear crept back in, but she squashed it, reminding herself how much better an orgasm felt when performed by someone other than herself, or a vibrator, even the Ultra Vibe with its clit stimulator and rotating pleasure beads.
Time to get that body completely naked. As Bryn reached her hands inside the elastic, the phone rang. Intent on ignoring it, she rubbed down his smooth ass. A soft murmur emanated from Eli’s throat and he moved his lips to her chest, peeling the lace away from her breast before smothering it with his warmth.
The answering machine clicked on and echoed through the house. “Bryn, honey, it’s Mom. I just have a quick question about one of the kids. Call me when you get in.”
There was no better mood killer than the sound of her mother’s voice.


Wednesday, May 27, 2015

SIZE MATTERS book trailer!!

Sooooo excited about this!!! One of my readers made this for me. For ME!!!!!! So so cool!!! THANK YOU Silly Reader!!!!!! Check it out!!

Monday, October 27, 2014

What do romance writers like to read??



In my opinion, if you want great book suggestions, ask a writer. They know how to craft an amazing story, so it only makes sense that they also know one when they read one :)

Other than their own, of course. When it's our own work, we often alternate between "THIS IS THE BEST THING EVERRRRRR!!!!!!!!!" and "This is the biggest pile of crap ever......" But in the end, we love our stories (that's why we write them!) and love reading other people's masterpieces as well.

For me, a great story has to pull me through a plethora of emotion. If you can make me cry, either out of utter despair or complete jubilation, your book is a winner. I love to laugh, and prefer to have a few giggles while I'm reading. I like steaminess. And I want to swoon! I know when I read romance that it will have the happily-ever-after I crave, but I want to think it just might not work out for those two crazy kids. I like twists and turns and I like being surprised. I like when the bad guy gets his just desserts.

So, if an author can do all that, I will love their books and devour every single one! Sounds like a lot, but it's really not. I just want to be immersed in the character's world and feel what they feel. :)

And if you want to follow along, I've started a board on Pinterest with some other fabulous contemporary romance authors where we post all our favorite reads. Check it out! You'll definitely find some awesome stuff there! Click the link below :)

Awesome Authors

Monday, October 7, 2013

Yet another reason......

......why I love writing and reading romance........

I never leave feeling sad.

So, last night we watched Gatsby. I'd been wanting to see it for a while. I've never read the book or saw any of the other movie adaptions, but I did know a tiny bit about the story. It was a good movie with a good cast and lots of pretty things to look at. That era fascinates me. But the movie left me feeing sad. It did not end happily ever after. And I am starting to realize I crave that when I watch movies or read books. I don't like walking away sad.

***SPOILER ALERT***
Click away now if you haven't seen the movie or know nothing about the story.

Jay Gatsby is a complicated character with many flaws. He's mysterious at first, but then we get to know a little about him. He's a man in love, who has done a whole lot to make himself into the man he wants to be, the man he's dreamed of being, the man he thinks she deserves. Everything he did was for her. To prove he was good enough for her. I loved the scene when he was getting ready to see her for the first time in five years....the nerves. So adorable! My romantic heart went all a flutter :)

I liked Daisy at first....I felt sympathy for her. A girl stuck in a marriage, knowing her husband is fooling around and unable to do anything about it. She still loves Gatsby too, and my heart swooned, hoping they would figure it out and be together...finally.

But she didn't love him. Not really. She let him take the blame for killing that girl, a chivalrous act that backfired and got him killed. And she'd had no intention of being with him. She walked away scott free. Nothing he did was good enough for her.

The movie ended and I just felt sad.

This is why I love romance. Love always wins out. I never finish a movie or book and feel sad. There is far too much sadness in the world....everywhere I look. I want to believe that there is happiness in our world. A cynic will say romance stories are unrealistic. I disagree. I believe true love exists. It's not always easy, but it is there for those who want to work hard for it.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Does the pace a reader reads affect their opinion of the book?

I am a romance writer and reader. I love it. I have a hard time getting into a book if there is zero romance in it. I have always been a romantic at heart and my heart swoons whenever I read a book or watch a romantic movie. I yearn for the happily ever after for the characters.

After an interesting chat on my Facebook page the other day, I found myself wondering something.

Often the timeline in romance novels and romantic movies is very short...sometimes as short as a week or a month. It seems perfectly logical to me for a couple to find love in that short amount of time (I did!) but I know many others are skeptical about it. They believe lust is a possibility, but not love. I once had a reader tell me my book was unrealistic because my characters fell in love after only knowing each other a short time. But in romance novels, there is a level of suspended belief that must come along. It's a fantasy...an escape from reality. While some parts are realistic, some are not. And while my love story happened fast, I know it doesn't really happen for everyone. (Though all the successful marriages I know, it happened the same way as mine. My mom and dad dated for years then got married...divorced a few years later. My dad met my stepmom and 6 months later they got married. It's been 30 years.)

But anyway, the real point to my post today.

I started to wonder..... Say a hero and heroine fall in love and find their happily ever after in a novel that takes place over the course of a week. Say reader #1 reads this book in only 2 day's time. So for them, the entire relationship happened really really fast. But what about a slower reader who takes a month to read the same book. Do you think it's more believable for that reader, since they read slower and the relationship sorta took longer, in their mind, to develop??