Last week…

• I finished one editing job for another author; plus, I began work on three other projects.
• I finished revising, formatting, and uploading Twice the Bang, which releases Tuesday, June 4th.
• I found art and had covers made for Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology and the Delta Fire series
• I resumed writing my next MBH release, Cyrus, which is scheduled to release June 25th.
• I attended a papermaking workshop!

This next week…

• I will work on three editing projects for other authors, finishing one!
• Plus, I’ll work on the Secret Identities webpage on the Collections site.
• I will begin editing the stories in Secret Identities.
• I will complete revising the last story in the Delta Heat kink series, Once is Never Enough then I’ll format and set it to publish on June 11th.
• I will continue writing my next Montana Bounty Hunter story, the first in the West Yellowstone office, Cyrus.
• I will resume creating small art daily for #The100DayProject.

I will find pool time!

Open Contests

1. Word Search Puzzle: Summer Beach Reads (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. Saturday Puzzle-Contest — Thunderstorms for days… — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Anna Taylor Sweringen/Michal Scott: Mary Jane Patterson — First African American Woman to Receive a B.A. (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Clear My Bookshelf Giveaway (Contest) — Win a signed book!
5. May into June (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
6. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: An Imaginary Friend — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Kerry Pruett!
*~*~*

As I start typing, I can tell this is going to be a meandering post. Sorry—not sorry.

I had a good night’s sleep. I’ve had my first cup of coffee. I’ve been reflecting that the summer is off to a good start. The kids have activities lined up. Opportunities for earnings (special chores). I have little fetch-and-carriers who can run up and down the stairs so I don’t have to as I work away at my desk. The pool is gradually getting clearer. (We added clarifier last night, so hopefully, the last of the fogginess will dissipate.) We want to be able to see the snakes.

Anyway, we’re finding our summer groove. One thing we love to do is watch movies, whether in the theater or at home. Usually, in the summer we limit our ventures to the theater to once a month, if that. It’s so dang expensive to take six people to the theater! But to kick off the first week of summer, this past Thursday, we drove the 45 minutes to a neighboring city to catch the movie If. The kids and I loved it. My daughter and SIL complained that it wasn’t as crazy/zany as they would’ve liked. Yes, I cried too many times during the second half of the movie, but I couldn’t help it. Folks reuniting with their imaginary friends… Who wouldn’t want to live that? When I watch a movie, I’m in the movie. It’s my experience, too.

Yesterday, the 15 and 10 year-olds joined me in my living area to watch Interstellar. I’ve made it a goal this summer to watch every Christopher Nolan movie, and since the 15-year-old and I are the only ones in the house who LOVED last year’s Oppenheimer (the others thought it was too long, too boring–what!?), but she was as riveted as I was, so she and I have committed to watching CN movies this summer together. I hadn’t seen Interstellar since it originally came out, so I’d forgotten a lot about it. The three of us (even the 10-year-old) were again riveted.

Aside from my stated goal of watching every Chris Nolan movie ever made this summer, months ago, I bought a poster I adhered to my bedroom door—one of those “100 Greatest Movies Ever Made” things. It’s a big scratch-off list, and I’ve decided I am going to force myself to watch every movie on the list, and hopefully, find some company in the house to do it with me, too. I worry the kids are too fixated on their phones or TikToks and need a little film history education. So, I scratched off the first one—Shawshank Redemption. My dd and the 15-year-old watched it with me. Great movie, just not one I would want to repeat because admittedly my favorite genres are Sci-Fi, action, and comedy. Next up on the list is The Dark Knight—which will kill two birds with one stone—it’s a Chris Nolan flick!

So, that was my long meander. Sorry (not!). For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle, then tell me whether you ever had an imaginary friend when you were a child.

UPDATE: The winner is…Natalie!
*~*~*

May

 

Work-related:

1. I revised four of my Delta Heat series stories and published three of them: Five Ways ‘Til Sunday, Fournicopia, A Perfect Trifecta.
2. I began writing Cyrus, which is presently scheduled for release on June 25!
3. I completed 6 editing projects for other authors in May.
4. I found art for my upcoming, soon-to-be-revised Delta Fire series, as well as art for Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, coming at the end of July.

Health-related:

1. I saw my doctor for a checkup. The bloodwork came back with many improvements! My blood pressure is under control. I still have areas requiring attention.
2. I spent half of the month with my knee still causing me problems, but it appears to have healed. Just in time for the pool!
3. I am paying more attention to what I put in my mouth. (That doesn’t mean I’m making better decisions!)

Happiness-related: 

1. The kids are out of school, and we’ve already put dates on the calendar for activities. The 10-year-old is learning to crochet this summer and has archery classes. The 15-year-old will be taking guitar lessons. We took the entire family to see If in the theaters.
2. I continued working on the #the100dayproject art challenge but more sporadically as my day job (writing/editing) got more hectic.
3. I attended a two-day papermaking workshop!
4. Here are some examples of art projects I completed in May:

June

For work-related, I plan:

1. To complete writing Cyrus, the first of my new MBH in Yellowstone series, and which is scheduled for release June 25th.
2. To complete 5 editing projects in June!
3. To set up the pre-order and edit the stories in the upcoming collection—Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology!
4. To finish revising and prepare for publication the last books in my erotic romance series, Delta Heat. I’ll republish two of the stories in June: Twice the Bang and Once is Never Enough.
5. To find cover art and set up pre-orders for my Delta Fire series. Three books will be revised for republication and the fourth will be written in July!

For health related, I plan:

1. To swim in my pool every day! (Weather permitting!) Exercise on my recumbent bike when I can’t swim.
2. To start back on my Weight Watchers diet, because it’s time to get serious!
3. To reduce salt and processed food, and incorporate foods good for blood pressure (spinach, broccoli, bananas) and my liver (apple cider vinegar, flax seeds, sunflower seeds).
4. To take my BP every day and log it!
5. To have follow-up medical appointments, routine/annual things.

For happiness-related, I plan: 

1. To finish #the100daychallenge. Just 10 pieces to go!
2. To spend time with the family—movies and pool—now that school is out!

Contest

Comment on anything you’ve read in this post. Tell me what you’re doing to make yourself happier and healthier, or tell me what you plan to read in June…

Like I said, comment on anything for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Stacey Kinzebach!
*~*~*

Just a quick note before we begin… Our pool has been a sore spot. Usually, we’re swimming by the end of April. It’s taken weeks to rid it of algae. Well, yesterday, the pool was finally blue (teal, really), but still cloudy, and we decided what the heck? We swam!!!! Well, the cloudiness made things extra interesting because as we splashed and swam, a snake popped up to the surface to join us! My SIL was quick with the net and flung it into the grass. The thing was a baby water moccasin. So, since the pool is still cloudy today, we decided we’d head to the movie theater 45 minutes away today. We’re going to take the fam to see If! Maybe it will be clearer after we return (we’re going to a matinee). We’ll see. We’re impatient. And I’ll rub a brush over the bottom and smack the water a lot just in case. Being joined by a snake for our first dip does seem like an omen… 🙂

Anyway, onto the contest!

As a way to solve my book-hoarding problem and make room in my bookshelves, I’m continuing my Clear My Bookshelf Giveaway! I have a ton of my books, collected over my 20 years of publishing. So, rather than consign them to the burn barrel (which makes my heart hurt!) I thought maybe a bunch of giveaways would be fun. As the first giveaway garnered a lot of interest, I’m happy to offer more opportunities for readers to win a signed copy of one of my old books! The first winner of the first contest is…Sharon Coomes! (Sharon, I’ll be in touch with you today!)

So, for a chance to win a randomly chosen by me (I might say, do you want a western, an erotic novel, or a paranormal?) book, which I will of course sign and fill with a bookmark and a postcard, painted by me, tell me whether you love going to the movies!

When most people think of types or subgenres of romance, they think of historical, regency, erotic, romantic comedy, inspirational romance, speculative romance, and suspense romance. This is expected as these are some of the most popular. There are others such as dark romance, steampunk romance, alien romance, and paranormal romance. But have you ever heard about rock romance?

Several years ago, I met an author who stated he wrote rock fiction. I was intrigued. While I had never heard of rock fiction, it made perfect sense. Most of my favorite romance movies have musical soundtracks. I write listening to a playlist. Many romantic evenings include music. So, why would it be farfetched to have music as a romance subgenre? But what does that look like exactly?

Over the months, as I spoke with this rock fiction author, I gained a clearer understanding of what this is. The name rock fiction sounds like a story about music. Well, it is, and it isn’t. Let me explain. Rock fiction is not necessarily about a character who is a musician or about music in general. For example, a book about Taylor Swift, probably wouldn’t be considered rock fiction if the plot was only an imagined account of her life. It would need to entail more than depicting her life and music. Rock fiction is more about the approach to storytelling and the inspiration of a story. It adapts the lyrics, concepts, and titles of a song, album, or an artist’s/band’s collection of work to a piece of fiction. The storylines, plots, and character arcs are taken directly from the music.

A close example of rock fiction would be the rock opera, Tommy, which was adapted from the music of the band The Who. The difference is that Tommy used film as a medium while rock fiction is in book, e-book, or audio form. Rock fiction goes beyond being “inspired” by music because the author incorporates much of the music in the story.

Using Taylor Swift as an example again, consider her song, “Fifteen.” I picked this song as an example because Taylor gives a clear-cut narration of a story. The song is about two fifteen-year-old girls who want to (and do) fall in love but have their hearts broken (or at least one of them does). A rock fiction story would have this as the plot and main characters. However, it would go a step further and include lyrics (maybe not quoted directly as that may tiptoe the lines of plagiarizing and sticky copyright violations) in the story. Some rock fiction stories may have obvious references or the references may be more subtle—nearly undetectable. Readers don’t need prior knowledge of the referenced musical material to understand or enjoy the story.

Additionally, rock fiction does not have to be “rock” music. It could very easily be country, rap, classical, bluegrass, jazz, hip-hop, R&B, or any other genre of music. As long as the author uses the music as a central base of the story, then it’s considered to be rock fiction. Since there are so many genres and subgenres of music, it’s practical to use “rock fiction” as a catch-all title. Otherwise, one would end up with all kinds of subgenres—metal fiction, folk fiction, alternative fiction, K-pop fiction, swing fiction, etc. The list would be endless.

Romance rock fiction is rock fiction with a romance at the heart.

And that’s it. Have you ever heard of romance rock fiction? Have you read any? What did you think? What is your take on the subject? Do you agree or disagree? Did you find this information helpful or informative? Did you learn anything new, or did it change your opinion? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section. Also, let me know if you would like me to cover more of these types of topics or dive deeper into this one. If you like this post, please click the like button and share. Your feedback allows me to know the content that you want to read.

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, a blogger and 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.

I’m late posting today! The next story in the Delta Heat series is out! And it’s FREE in Kindle Unlimited! Follow the link to read the opening of the book—but know that this story has erotic content! Very erotic content. You’ve been warned. 🙂

Order your copy now! | Read an excerpt!

When Craig Eason plays switch in front of an audience at La Forge BDSM club as a favor for a friend, it’s supposed to be a one-time thing. But the cop catches the attention of an enigmatic, powerful Dom watching from across the room—a man who may be the one to help Craig test the boundaries of his own sexuality.

Firefighter Aiden Byrne has strong S&M desires he keeps firmly in check. His sub, Jennifer, thinks she likes it rough, but he’s never been able to let go the way he longs to with her. When a defiant stare from a handsome man on the La Forge stage causes Aiden’s most dangerous need to ignite, he wonders if he’s found someone he can truly let go with.

Jennifer is on board, as long as she can be an active participant—but none of them is prepared for the scene that will shake them all to the core and change everything.

Product Warnings: Contains scenes with m/m/f, m/f/m, bondage, spanking, and S&M. Plenty of gratuitous naughtiness.

Note: This book was previously published.

In His Memory

And if you’re looking for the perfect Memorial Day book, I have one…

Click on the cover to read more…

On Memorial Day, he will stand by her side when she visits her husband’s grave, but he wonders if she’ll ever see him as anything more than her husband’s best friend and the man who accompanied his body home for burial…