I’m so excited to offer my YA fake dating/pop star romance for sale for 99 cents in time for Valentine’s Day.

Check out the blurb…

From the outside, Olivia Macomb looks like she leads a charmed life. She’s an up-and-coming influencer who is an heir to the Macomb family fortune, and about to start a lifestyle brand with her childhood sweetheart, Jeff. Then her world gets blown apart by her longtime boyfriend leaving her the morning of their website launch. Not only has he left, but the business she created is all in his name and she’s been left with nothing to show for all her hard work. Now she has to pick up the pieces and find out who she is on her own.

Enter Walker Vinton, the indie pop star who used to date Olivia’s close friend, Paige. When their school throws a big event, Paige asks Walker to be Olivia’s date to give to the gossip bloggers something else to talk about other than Olivia’s broken dreams.

Walker ends up coming to Olivia’s rescue in more ways than one at the party, and a twist of events leads to the two embarking on a fake relationship. Walker and Olivia wind up becoming best friends and she realizes he’s the boyfriend of her dreams.

He helps her build both her brand and her self-esteem back up. Walker even helps her start a new business. However, the lines begin to blur as Olivia’s feelings for Walker are very real. The two share intimate conversations and dreams, but what’s real and what’s fake in this starry world?

Get it here for $.99 cents for a limited time:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/When-Stars-Collide-City-Book-ebook/dp/B0D8BR4H2L
Amazon CAN: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0D8BR4H2L
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0D8BR4H2L
Amazon AUS: https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B0D8BR4H2L

About the Author

Krysten Lindsay Hager is a bestselling author of YA and contemporary romance. She writes romance because she loves bringing people swoony moments and hope-filled happily ever afters. She writes about falling in love, fame, fitting in, frenemies, first loves, and finding your way in the world. She loves reading, watching movies, and lipstick.

Website: https://www.krystenlindsay.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krystenlindsay/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/krystenlindsay/

Report Card

Last week…

1. I had an appointment with my heart doctor to catch him up on my cancer journey. I mentioned I might be going in for a hysterectomy soon, and he wants me to get a stress test before I do that. I don’t know whether I want to do that. He said my blood pressure and cholesterol are looking fine (I’m on meds for both). I’ll be meeting with my oncologist and the surgeon before I have that stress test, so I’ll feel them out about whether they think that’s necessary. I don’t like the idea of a chemical stress test, even though he says it’s pretty routine.
2. I continued work on one author’s edits.
3. If that looks like a pretty unproductive week, you’d be right, although I have been puttering around my space putting things away and doing some early spring cleaning. I have to get my writer-butt in gear!

This next week…

1. This week, I’ll be diving back into finishing up Ignition! Okay, so I said this last week and the week before, but I mean it this time. Seriously, I want to finish it and put it up for pre-order.
2. I have two authors’ edits to work on this week.
3. So far as personal goals—I’m still not ready to diet. I’m still in celebrate mode. I also can’t find the drive to up my activity. I need some inspiration.

Open Contests

Be sure to check out these posts and enter to win the prizes that are still up for grabs:

1. A Tale of Two Cats (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. Flashback: Hook (Contest–3 Winners!) — Last day to enter! Win a FREE book! THREE winners!
3. Memory Game: Happy Chinese New Year! (Contest) — This ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Tell me a story… (Contest) — This ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
5. Gabbi Grey: I have a secret to share… (Contest) — Win a FREE book!
6. Liza Collins: Having the Heart for Medical Romance (Contest) — Win a FREE book!
7. January into February (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
8. Clear My Bookshelf Giveaway — Win a signed book!
9. TGIF (Contest) — Win a FREE book!
10. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Super Bowl Sunday! — Win an Amazon gift card!

At an early age, Rhonda fell in love with romance novels, knowing one day she’d write her own love story. Life took a short detour, but she decided to dive in and write when the story ideas were no longer contained. Her first plot was on a dirty napkin she found buried in her car. Eventually, she ran out of napkins. With a baby on one hip and a laptop on the other, she made a dream into reality—one word at a time.

Her specialty is men who love to get their hands dirty and women who are brilliant, strong, and flawed. She loves writing about the everyday hero.

When Rhonda isn’t crafting sizzling manuscripts, you will find her busy editing novels, blogging, juggling kids and animals (too many to name), dreaming of a beach house, and keeping romance alive. Oh, and drinking lots of coffee to keep up with her hero and heroine.

Three fun facts about Rhonda Lee Carver:

1. She had odd food cravings while she was pregnant. Sardines in mustard sauce. Penrose sausages. Tuna. And brussel sprouts.
2. She has an unhealthy fear of red ants.
3. She must have peanut butter sandwiches with her chili.

What is Rhonda Lee Carver’s newest release?

Embracing Hope (Cowboys of Sagebrush Rose Book 5) – Kindle edition by Carver, Rhonda Lee. Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Sneak Peek:

“You’re missing out,” she said in a soft, semi-husky voice that lifted the hairs on his neck.

“Really?” He pushed away the remaining basket of fries and wiped his fingers off a napkin. “What am I missing?” He couldn’t stop staring at her sparkling eyes, reminding him of a clear blue sky on a pretty summer day. She had a scattering of light freckles across her nose and the tops of her cheeks, the same color as the bronzed highlights in her hair. And that smile…no doubt stole some hearts along the way.

He wondered how old she was? Thirty, maybe? Something about how she carried herself gave the impression that she could be older.

“The taste of that burger. It’s meant to be savored,” she said, showing off a row of pearly white teeth against her sun-bronzed skin. “You ate it in record time.”

“Anything that takes longer than ten minutes to eat is called fine dining, a luxury that I wouldn’t know much about.”

She leaned in slightly closer. “A burger and fries are considered fine dining around these parts.”

“Then pardon my bad manners, ma’am. How can I make it up to you? What are you drinking? It’s on me.”

“I’ll take my usual, Jenna,” she said to the bartender.

“You have a usual, so does that mean you hang out here often? Entertaining the crowd with your bull riding skills and dining etiquette tips.”

She looked at him while she tucked her bottom lip between her teeth. “You were watching, huh?”

“Who wasn’t?” He cocked a brow.

“I need to show these boys how bull riding is done.” She picked up her drink and slurped it up through the paper straw. “Sometimes they need a reminder that a woman can do anything a man can do, and most of the time better.” She twirled a long strand of her wavy hair around her finger.

“Oh, that statement does have its limitations, but I’m sure you’re right, mostly. These fellows won’t ever forget that you can ride a bull. I can damn well guarantee that.”

“I like to leave a lasting impression.” She locked her gaze with his.

He liked her confidence.

“Mission complete.”

Yeah, he most certainly wanted to learn more about this intriguing woman.

What is the next series of Rhonda Lee Carver’s?

Connect with Rhonda Lee Carver

Facebook: www.facebook.com/rhondaleecarver.author/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/RLCarver
Instagram: www.instagram.com/rhondaleecarver/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rhondaleecarver
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/rhondaleecarverauthor/
Amazon: www.amazon.com/Rhonda-Lee-Carver/e/B00CQLXKTO
BookBub: www.bookbub.com/profile/rhonda-lee-carver
Street Team: www.facebook.com/groups/471259293018665/
Newsletter: Subscribe here

UPDATE: The winner is…Mary McCoy!
*~*~*

Readers still love their niches, and medical romance is still an incredibly popular one — even though expectations have changed considerably. I know! You’re thinking — surely not. Readers like to read within their niche because they know what they like, and they don’t like change. Maybe you’re a medical romance reader, and you know the genre upside-down and back-to-front, and I bet you do, too. There are still the same markers and expectations medical romance writers are expected to hit, and that’ll always be true — whether it’s a small-town sweet romance within a doctor’s surgery or a fast-paced city-hospital romance that bares all. But the genre has changed in one incredible way, and that is…it’s gotten hotter.

Way, way hotter.

You must have noticed it yourself. We’re talking medical romance meets erotica; there’s a story without the sex, but the sex is the cherry on top. We’re seeing every aspect of our medical staff; all those unprofessional moments of lust, of kisses in the medicine room, romps in the break room, moments that were traditionally fade-to-black. Thank you, Grey’s Anatomy! I fully expect it myself when I read medical romances, and I actually feel something is missing when I don’t find enough of it. Like all genres within romance, we’ve gotten much bolder with the spicy elements — we proudly call it smut, right?

But for medical romance, this is a big deal. My first introduction to medical romance as a genre was — like many — via those pocket Mills and Boon books, which are still going strong today with the die-hard subscribers who receive a handful of books in the mail every month. They’re eaten up like Smarties — and they’re definitely sexier than they used to be. When it comes to self-published medical romances, however — it isn’t even the same ball game anymore. The indie writers — who of course started as medical romance readers — knew what was missing. We knew what we wanted. Now, they’re delivering medical smut in spades — and I’m proud to say, I am too.

Lovers of sweet romances may not think it’s their cup of tea, and that’s okay. I think medical romance readers who prefer the fast-paced, heart-stopping city hospital stories — as opposed to the sweet small-town ones I mentioned — might like a little more action in the round. This is medical romance, after all. We like details. The spicy elements are desired in equal measure with the trauma, the patient cases, and those high-octane medical emergencies that have us rapidly turning the pages.

Many writers of the genre are themselves nurses, doctors, paramedics, carers, admins, staff of all disciplines. Personally, I’m an experienced patient (huge congrats on your treatment success, Delilah!) I’ve spent weeks upon weeks in hospital, endured several major surgeries — including open abdominal surgery — and years on medications to treat a dangerous condition. Countless procedures for all kinds of things. For a time, hospital was my second home, and I loved to watch everybody around me work. I even had the privilege of being a guinea-pig for student doctors in their exam, where they were tasked with examining me and diagnosing my condition. Staying in a London hospital, with St. Paul’s Cathedral outside my window, wasn’t all that bad, because the staff made me so comfortable.

I guess you could say that those difficult days were the first kernels of inspiration. My experiences made me feel much more comfortable writing about the genre. I developed a fascination with the different professions I came into contact with, and I began to read medical memoirs voraciously. Lucky for me, these memoirs became suddenly very popular, and I could read everything from brain surgery to forensic pathology and forensic anthropology. I saw the humans behind the profession, including their personal failings, mistakes, relationship problems, you name it. It’s no wonder medical romance is hugely popular today — there are so many variables, so many opportunities for relationships to blossom, and so many wild ways for that to happen!

My first attempt at medical romance was within a three-book-series called Professionals Gone Wild. I wrote about a financier’s son, a barrister, and a neurosurgeon. All books were received well by reviewers, but the medical romance one was by far the one I most enjoyed, the one best reviewed, and it was the best-seller of the three. I realized, then, that I was being given a pretty clear sign — I needed to fine-tune my genre-writing skills, lean hard into the medical niche, and really go for it.

In three weeks, I wrote The Nurse and the Neonatal Surgeon, the first of my London children’s hospital series of spicy medical romances. Writing about two medical heroes falling in love on the neonatal unit was not an easy start, let me tell you — but the readers really loved it. Even my worst review — and there aren’t many of those, thankfully — states that they still enjoyed the patient cases involving the babies, even when the love story wasn’t for them. I take that as a win, because not only is medical romance difficult to get right, but neonatal surgery was a very tough balancing act.

How to give detail, without giving too much detail? How to include heart-wrenching aspects without upsetting the reader so much that they put the book down? The fact is, I wanted to go there, and write something I loved and found meaningful — but doing so without overstepping the mark or going too far was like walking a tight-rope in some respects.

Maybe it’s because I’m a mother myself now, and because I’ve experienced loss in the past — like many of us — but I felt it was a task I was up to. I decided my old-fashioned-style titles — my nod to the old pocket-books I talked about — was a good way to let the reader know exactly what medical scenarios they’d be encountering. If a reader isn’t comfortable with reading about a neonatal unit, then they know immediately that this book won’t be for them. The same goes for the second in the series (all stand-alones with cameos, references to each other, etc.) The Intern and the Plastic Surgeon. If a reader isn’t comfortable reading about craniofacial surgery in detail, or who finds the subject difficult for any reason, they know what they’re getting before they buy or download.

I’m now releasing the third in the series, The Intern and the Orthopaedic Surgeon, TODAY! This one is the spiciest yet; an opposites-attract, teacher-student story with BDSM-flavours and, of course, medical details and patient cases. Gabriel Grant is my favourite medical hero of the series so far. He’s like Peter Steele meets Gideon Cross in appearance, but with Peter Steele’s sense of humour and a hint of the Labrador about him. Personally, I just loved writing him. My leading lady, Connie, is a faith-led woman who is dedicated to her job and her alcoholic father who, through Gabriel, finds a way of nourishing her body and soul in the ways she deserves, and craves.

I always write about dishy-daddy-doctors, but trust me, you don’t want to miss Gabriel Grant!

To celebrate its release day, I’m giving away an ebook copy of The Intern and the Orthopaedic Surgeon! Comment below for your chance to win!

The Intern and the Orthopaedic Surgeon

“I’m a good girl who follows the rules, due to graduate the orthopaedic surgical programme and start my dream career. But when mischievous rogue Gabriel Grant becomes my mentor, he shows me a deeply sensual world that threatens to derail my perfect plans…and awaken my deepest desires.”

Gabriel Grant is a young buck when it comes to Orthopaedic surgery, but he’s making waves as a maverick. Beautiful, sharp and virile, eyes linger on Gabriel wherever he goes – but his eyes are fixed on me.

I’m determined to keep focused, but he thrives on challenge – and I’m proving to be his biggest yet.

My obvious desire permits him to show me he can be what I crave; romantic, tender…as well as white-hot and dominating.

I’m a faith-led woman who craves his searing heat as much as his tenderness, but Gabriel has a thing or two to learn about that. The question is: can he be taught?

Get ready for some alpha male, forced proximity, opposites attract awakenings against a backdrop of the children’s orthopaedics department.

Gabriel Grant knows he’s God’s gift to women; there’s a reason they called him the Bone Daddy. But when his intern demands more than just his body, Gabriel must face his dark past. Will he dare to confront the abuse that still haunts him, so he can offer his heart and soul as well?

*This book is part of a series but works as a standalone novel. Contains 18+ spicy scenes throughout. Mature readers only.

About the author

Liza Collins is a wife and mother of two from the UK. She writes about medical heroes falling in love in a critical care context – and some other stuff too, just for fun.

Keep in touch:
Amazon: Liza Collins
Website: Liza Collins Books
Facebook: /Lizacollinsbooks
Liza’s Newsletter: Liza’s Subscriber Club

UPDATE: The winner is…flchen!
*~*~*

Hello, Delilah! Thank you for welcoming me here to share my new release! Rayne Check is a short story in my Love in Mission City world.  So here’s the secret…I didn’t plan the world as it is. I didn’t plan a series. I’ll share with you how things evolved into what is now 5 books, 3 novellas, and 6 short stories with more to come.

Okay…so I’ve written and MF series set in the fictional town of Mission City, British Columbia — which may or may not resemble Mission, British Columbia — I’m not all that clever.  But my fictional world has, of course, people and places that come from my mind.  And yeah, Fifties diner in real life is Rocko’s (best burgers ever).  Much of the rest, though, is in my head.  As I would want a town to be.  I eventually published a prequel and three books in my Love in Cedar Valley series under my penname Gabbi Powell.  Same town, just I wanted to differentiate.  But there’s a huge amount of cross-pollination.  Characters and locations overlap and interact (and just to make things interesting, I tossed in some characters from my Gabbi Black In Their Eyes series).

Now, I’ve written about 20 books in what is now the Cedar Valley series — but I need to get them edited and I never have the time because I’m always writing new stories.

I hadn’t intended to transition from writing MF to queer books — but it happened.  The fifth anniversary of my novella, My Past, Your Future is in February.  I had a couple of short stories published before then, but I consider that release date as my stepping into the big leagues (relatively).  That book was for a series for The Wild Rose Press.  Then I wrote another gay novella for them for their ice cream series.  Then came the Christmas cookie books and I was all in.

Somehow, I came up with the title Ginger Snapping All the Way, and I sat down to write the novella.  I won’t bore you with the nitty gritty, but I quickly realized two things: this was a novel, not a novella, and…there was something magical about this book. In the end, I wrote the book as it was meant to be — 72k — and self-published.

Magic.  I had a launch strategy.  I had a discounted price.  I had audio release at the same time as the ebook and the audio was amazing (I still listen to it as a comfort read).  Ginger was my entry into what I saw as the big leagues.

So what next?

Just before it launched, I was presented with the chance to write a short story for a charity anthology.  I had literally a weekend.  I was like…HUH?  Then I remembered one of my lead characters from Ginger had an asshat ex.  I didn’t know it, but I was about to write my first redemption MM story.  And I did.  Stanley’s Christmas Redemption was 17k.  And reviews were mixed, but the anthology sold well and we raised a bunch of money.

First lesson — be careful when you name people.  Stanley was never meant to get a book. It’s not a name some people might associate with a hero. Second lesson — be careful when you name a book.  If I could do it over, I wouldn’t have chosen to put Stanley’s name in the title.  Anyway, long story short – the rights reverted and I wrote the story I mean to tell and released Stanley as a full length 85k novel.  Third lesson — be careful when you expand a story — fans will come to expect that with all your short work.

Suddenly, I had a series.  Well, two books.  By then I was writing short stories and novellas for promos and charity anthologies  I was writing up a storm — always short and always in the Mission City universe.

But I needed another big book.

I’ve talked about the genesis of Sleigh Bells and Second Chances before.  I had an image of a wounded soldier returning from a war he was never meant to fight in.  With the help of my plot whisperer, we came up with a story.  And I wrote it.  The rawest book I’ve ever written — and that’s saying something because I am the Queen of Angst.

Okay — book 3 released — all three in ebook, audio, and paperback.

So what next?

Well, I had a story I’d written for a traditional publisher.  The story was sitting on an editor’s desk when he quit and he never passed it along to anyone.  So I was screwed.  But I LOVE the story.  It just needs work (too short and written in third person point of view while I write in first…).  The plan was to fix it up and it would become book 4.

Right…except fate intervened.

I was asked to write a short story (don’t snicker, I said hell, yes to everyone who asked last year).  But who to write…?  I remembered a secondary character from book 3 (as well as books 2.5 and 3.5 which I won’t even get into because I’ve yapped enough).

Everett called to me.  So I came up with a short story to introduce him.  I had to find the perfect guy for him.  I had an idea (the only parameters were short and Halloween).  I knew I needed a professional cover, so I went to my favorite designer’s site and found Rayne Check.  Perfect!  I loved the name, the cover…everything.  So she slapped my name on it and I had my other guy — Rayne.  Then came magic again — a short story that has just the right touch of mystery.  Intrigue.  Hopefully enough to make people want to pick up book 4.

Which is Everett and Rayne’s book.

Oops.  Time to get a cover and start writing.

I’ve done both and the book is in edits — called Rayne’s Return.

Meanwhile, I’ve published Rayne Check.  It’s a short — meant to entice readers into nabbing the next book.  Or, if they aren’t familiar with Mission City, going back to the beginning to see how the stories have come together.

The book I wrote for the publisher will be book 5.  Books 6 and 7 are plotted.

And that, my friends, is how you make a series (although I don’t recommend this method to anyone).   Well, how I make a series — haphazard, no idea what’s going on, with stuff slotted in everywhere with characters who pop in and out.  You’ll never know who might drop by in one of my Love in Mission City books.  I hope that anticipation is what keeps readers coming back.

Many of the short stories I’ve written over the past year are part of Mission City and I have plans for another boxset.  Not a single word gets wasted, no character goes unloved, no opportunity missed…

Okay, that was — admittedly — a lot.

Rayne Check is free with most retailers.  Still working with Amazon to get the price dropped.  The audio is in quality control with Audible.  That’s next up.  I have to say, Michael Dean did a great job!

Thanks, Delilah, for hosting me! I’d love to give a prize to a lucky commenter.  I’ll happily give a copy of Ginger Snapping All the Way.  If you have that book, I can offer up something from my back catalogue from any of my three pennames — that’s more than thirty-five titles to pick from. (All published since February 2020 and man, have I been busy…)  So let me know — is there a series you just loved.  Or is there a book you wish the author would turn into a series.  Drop a comment in and random will pick a winner!

Rayne Check

Everett

I meet an intriguing man at Quinton’s annual Halloween Extravaganza. That wicked smile and the tawny-brown eyes behind his mask hold my gaze. Under his costume, the restless energy of his body promises to do explosive, unexpected things to me. So we indulge in a little fun, but when the clock strikes midnight, the man I know only as Rayne disappears into the crowd.

My straitlaced Mission City friends tell me to chalk it up to experience, but I can’t get that man off my mind, or stop hoping we’ll meet again one day.

Rayne Check is a smoking-hot 7k word short story about a buttoned-up lawyer who lets go of his iron control for one night, the man he can’t forget, and the friends who have his back. The story is set in the Love in Mission City world.

Links:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DTJLMGQ5
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/rayne-check
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rayne-check-gabbi-grey/1146877924
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/rayne-check-a-love-in-mission-city-short-story/id6740942266
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=elBAEQAAQBAJ
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1693304
Universal Book Link: https://books2read.com/RayneCheck

About the Author

USA Today Bestselling author Gabbi Grey lives in beautiful British Columbia where her fur baby chin-poo keeps her safe from the nasty neighborhood squirrels. Working for the government by day, she spends her early mornings writing contemporary, gay, sweet, and dark erotic BDSM romances. While she firmly believes in happy endings, she also believes in making her characters suffer before finding their true love. She also writes m/f romances as Gabbi Black and Gabbi Powell.

Personal links:
Website: https://gabbigrey.com/
Newsletter sign-up: https://sendfox.com/gabbigrey
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorgabbigrey/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/gabbi-grey
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15456297.Gabbi_Grey
Amazon Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/Gabbi-Grey/e/B07SJVFX1M
Audible Profile: https://www.audible.com/author/Gabbi-Grey/B07SJVFX1M
Facebook (page): https://www.facebook.com/AuthorGabbiGrey

UPDATE: The winner is…Beckie!
*~*~*

When I was a kid, my aunt had a round, white washing machine with a wringer on top. Little did I know I was watching Black history unfold before my eyes as my aunt cranked the clothes through the wringer. That system of wringer rollers was patented by Ellen F. Eglin.

Depending on your source, Ellen F. Eglin was born either in Maryland in February 1836 or in Washington, D.C., in 1849. She lived in Washington D.C. with her parents, brother Charles, and two other siblings. There she worked as a housekeeper. Sources believe it was due to this stoop work that necessity, the mother of invention, tapped Ellen on the shoulder. In 1888, she devised a clothes wringer made of two wooden rollers with a crank used to squeeze excess water from laundry. Unfortunately, she never received just compensation for her invention.

Because of race prejudice, Ellen sold her invention for $18 (about $598 in today’s dollars). $18 wasn’t an inconsiderable sum when at the time a loaf of bread cost five cents, a pound of meat was ten, and a gallon of milk was twenty. But giving away the rights to her patent for such a paltry sum was a disgrace. The American Wringer company made huge profits from the sales of its product based on that patent. Her wringer is still in use today to wring out mops.

We wouldn’t even know about Ellen and her invention if not for feminist Charlotte Smith, who interviewed Ellen for Smith’s The Woman Inventor in 1890. Asked why she sold her patent, Ellen’s answer was heartbreakingly simple. “You know I am Black, and if it was known that a negro woman patented the invention, white ladies would not buy the wringer. I was afraid to be known because of my color in having it introduced to the market; that is the only reason.” She hoped to create another invention and exhibit it at an upcoming Women’s International Industrial Inventors Congress, but her plans never came to pass.

Those of you who may be watching Sir Julian Fellowes’ The Gilded Age will have heard this truth echoed in the situation of the character Peggy Scott. Wanting to be a writer, Peggy is told by the publisher interested in her work that if they don’t hide the fact that she’s black they’ll lose white subscribers in the South.

The year Charlotte Smith interviewed her, Ellen was working as a charwoman for the Department of the Interior. Records show she was still living in Washington D.C. in 1916, and that is the year assigned to her death.

I like to think that by sharing these blogposts I’m following in the footsteps of women like Charlotte Smith and Hallie Q. Brown (featured in my Oct. 2023 and Feb. 2024 D.D. blogposts) lifting up the lives and achievements of women so they won’t be forgotten.

For a chance at a $10 Amazon gift card, share your thoughts in the comments.

Her Heavenly Phantom
by Michal Scott

Forced into a marriage of convenience neither wants, a mild-mannered banker with an intriguing secret discovers his reluctant bride has a secret, too.

Excerpt:

Unwed and pregnant, Emily Hampton needed a husband. Newly freed and hungry for a foothold among the ranks of the Black elite in 1880s Brooklyn, William Broadman had the answer.

His son Harold.

The warmth shared between the two men stood in stark contrast to the cold chaste kiss Harold and his bride shared. Their coolness continued as they walked up the aisle. Guests, oblivious to their shared contempt, showered them with hugs and handshakes. Harold shivered even more as his father and father-in-law back-patted themselves and toasted the couple’s future happiness at the wedding reception. No doubt the arctic chill between the couple would extend to their first lay as man and wife, too.

If they had to that is. Emily Hampton hated this arrangement as much as he did. Therein lay his salvation. If she wanted as little to do with him as he wanted to do with her, his life didn’t have to change at all. Milquetoast straightlaced banker by day. Virile promiscuous masked singer by night.

The lady of the balcony numbered among his many admirers. Her missives of gratitude roiled with cock-stirring heat.

Your singing ravishes my body.

My core weeps for you.

Oh, for a coupling I know would thrust me into a heaven far beyond my grasp.

The last message had reached him after an exhausting browbeating from his father. He’d come to the theater in need of an escape that even singing couldn’t provide. She’d accepted the invite to join him backstage conveyed by way of his manager. In the dark windowless privacy of his dressing room, they’d thrust their way to a heaven beyond both their grasps.

He looked forward to what she’d write to him tonight. He’d need it as he lay alone on his wedding night.

Buylinks:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DBJ47ND6/
B&N https://shorturl.at/B0NLA
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/secret-identities-8

Sometimes, one of the most difficult things to do as an author is to categorize a story correctly. Yet, it is tremendously important. In fact, it may be the most important thing an author does aside from writing the story. Now, one may think an author should easily be able to identify the genre since he/she wrote it. On the surface, that is an accurate assumption. However, there are a few factors that complicate the issue.

Some genres have overlapping elements. Fantasy and science fiction both include world-building. Romance and love stories both involve deep emotions and relationships. Thrillers and suspenses both include scenes that increase adrenaline and keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Second, some writers have stories that intentionally blur lines. Consider a book that has a magical system as its main setting. For example, a magical school that houses mythological creatures (e.g., dragons, elves, and witches) and only a specific group of people have the ability to use this magic. In this world, there are things that exist that are not explained by any type of science, and the government is run by the Mount Olympus Greek gods and goddesses. Readers would easily classify this story as fantasy.

But what if in that same world, it is explained that some species exist because artificial intelligence and genetic engineering have altered the biology of humans and animals; Earth has become so inhabitable that people have relocated and formed colonies on Mercury; and space travel has advanced to a level that allows traveling from planet to planet to be as common as crossing the street. Additionally, it is set in the year 3056. This second part is clearly science fiction.

Now, I don’t know how something like this would be possible, but suppose this world exists. It has elements of both fantasy and science fiction. Which should the author choose? How is it measured? A reader who wants fantasy may dislike the book because it includes in their opinion too much Sci-Fi. The opposite of that can be true as well. A Sci-Fi reader may complain there’s too much fantasy. It comes down to opinion.

This is where subgenres come into play. Simple, right? Try doing an internet search for the definition of subgenre and tell me how that goes. See, subgenres tend to be one of those things that people know what it is when they see it but can’t tell you what exactly it is—sort of like the mystery meat served in the school cafeteria. A very generic (and I should say useless) definition of a subgenre is that is a smaller and more specific genre within a broader genre. (Yeah, clear as mud. Didn’t teachers always say never use the word to define its definition?) But a subgenre isn’t necessarily a niche, nor is it considered a hybrid or mashup of multiple genres. Here’s my answer. (Don’t take it as being correct, exclusive, or exhaustive. It’s an opinion.)

A subgenre is two major genres blended, and each plays a significant role in the story. If one of the genres is removed, the story would not make sense. Notice that I said “significant” and not “equal.” One of the genres has to be the primary. And yes, it makes a difference. For example, you can have a romantic comedy (romcom) where the romance is highlighted (e.g., A Merry Little Meet Cute: A Novel by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone) or a comedy with lots of romance. But who decides which is primary? One would think the author, but are they?

Many authors have been dragged for mislabeling their books, and quite frankly, incorrectly categorizing a book can kill it. In the past, some authors have been guilty of mislabeling books for one reason or another, but I don’t think that is the standard. Authors want to put their books in the hands of the readers who want to read them. A writer wouldn’t want to market an erotica to sweet romance readers. That’s a huge powder keg waiting to explode. But what how an author conceptualizes a book may not be the same as readers.

For example, I mainly write sports romance. Readers can expect to get a huge dose of both romance and sports. In the past, I’ve received feedback that there’s not enough sports, not enough romance, too much sports, and too much romance all for the same book. It’s not really upsetting. It just proves how difficult the process is. The balance is fragile.

Here’s the bottom line. In the writing world, there are very few rules and lots of opinions. Most everything is subjective. One reason self-publishing became popular is because traditional publishers for a long time tried to shove writers into narrow boxes, and writers grew weary of either having to conform or having to wait until a new box was formed. With few definitions, writers sometimes struggle to find the most accurate labels because they do not neatly fit into any mold. But also, each reader has his/her definitions. Just look at book reviews on Amazon and/or Goodreads to see the scatter. And while looking at those numbers, really look at those numbers. Math matters. The fewer the readers the worse one negative review impacts the rating. It’s easier to pull a rating down than it is up.

And that’s all I’ve got for today. Now, it’s your turn to sound off. Let me know your thoughts below in the comment section. Your feedback allows me to know the content that you want to read. And if you like this post, consider clicking the like button and sharing.

Demon Rodeo

If Brokeback Mountain, 8 Seconds, Poltergeist, and Supernatural had an orgy, Demon Rodeo would be the lovechild.

Demon Rodeo is available now on Amazon. For video book trailers, visit my TikTok page. The full blurb is on my Instagram and Amazon.

Demon Rodeo is the first book in the Chasing the Buckle series but can be read as a standalone. It’s a friends-to-lovers romance set in the rodeo world. These are not your typical cowboys. It’s a widely diverse cast of characters and a mashup of genres that aren’t always seen together. If you’re looking for a palate cleanser, this may be a book for you.

Order:
⇨ Amazon: https://readerlinks.com/l/4174852
⇨ All Stores: https://books2read.com/u/bP8RG7
*Note: All of my books can be purchased from brick-and-mortar bookstores (e.g., Barnes & Noble, Book-A-Million, etc.) as well if requested at the checkout counter.)

Until next time, happy reading and much romance. Laissez le bon temps rouler.

If you’re not following my blog, Creole Bayou, what are you waiting for? There’s always room at the bayou.

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LOCKER ROOM LOVE

Locker Room Love Series

Are you searching for a sexy book boyfriend? You’ve come to the right place.

• Out of the Penalty Box (book #1) One minute in the box or a lifetime out.
• Defending the Net (book #2) Crossing the line could cost the game.
• Ice Gladiators (book #3) When the gloves come off, the games begin.
• Penalty Kill (book #4) Let the pucker begin.
• Future Goals (book #5) The future lies between a puck and a net.

About the Author

Hi, I’m Genevive, and I am a contemporary sports romance author. My home is in South Louisiana. If you like snark and giggles with a touch of steamy Cajun and Creole on the side, I may have your poison in my stash of books. Drop by the bayou and have a look around. The pirogues are always waiting for new visitors.