Yesterday, M Jane Colette and I were guests of Mike Deregowski on his show The Writers’ Block, talking about romance, erotica, and creativity. Click on the graphic below to check it out! (We start around the halfway mark.)
Monthly Archives: February 2021
The Romance of Renovation Shows
Romance? Renovation shows?
Yes, really. Trust me on this.
A renovation show, especially a show like Home Town (on HGTV), is the house and family version of a romance novel. For those who haven’t seen it, Home Town is set in Laurel, Mississippi, and has woodworker Ben Napier and designer Erin Napier (the most delightful, sweet married couple ever!) renovating older houses for people who are looking to move to their town. It’s the epitome of sweet, feel-good television, and it’s become one of my go-to shows during this pandemic, when I need something to take my mind off of my current reality. It helps keep my anxiety in check, though that’s a whole other post!
A renovation show, like a romance novel, has a specific structure. There’s the introduction or first meeting of the house and the people buying it. There’s the plan, and the execution of that plan, the building up of the house, where everyone falls in love. And then, with very few exceptions, something goes wrong. There’s a black moment. It could be the discovery of termites (shudder!) or bats (cute but stinky!) or half your floor rotted away. Whatever it is, it can put the renovation in jeopardy, either through damage or cost. You know that things will work out in the end, but you don’t know how. And then, finally, the building is done, and the people who have bought the house get to see how it’s turned out, and everyone lives happily ever after in their gorgeous house.
A romance novel starts with the meeting of the two (or more) love interests. There’s the pursuing of the romantic relationship, the build-up, the falling in love. And then, there’s something to make the characters doubt their love, or something that gets in their way. And that black moment happens, where you’re not sure how things will turn out, or how they can possibly succeed. But you get to the climax, and love wins out, and everyone lives happily ever after.
See what I mean?
Do you have a renovation show favourite? Or perhaps a romance novel whose story revolves around a renovation? Let me know in the comments! I’m always looking for new shows or books!
Read Your Heart Out!! Free romance books for Valentine’s Day!
Read Your Heart Out!
I’ve joined a group of romance authors from multiple subgenres to bring you Read Your Heart Out. Our goal is to provide you several free books just in time for your Valentine’s Day celebration. Click this link to find my books and other titles by new-to-you authors – https://claims.prolificworks.com/gg/IFBZZYpJOXLkSrLhbN8H
Check out fabulous books from M Jane Colette, Elizabeth Kelly, Ramona Gray, Jenna Howard, Vicki Tharp, April Alieda, Evelyn Bloom, and myself! There’s a range of books, from hot to slightly-sweet, straight, gay, lesbian, paranormal, contemporary, and more! Don’t miss out, this giveaway lasts until February 15th!
Check this out! The Color Theory Anthology, 17 Exclusive ALL-NEW romance stories by bestselling authors about couples who defy convention and follow their hearts.
COLOR THEORY ANTHOLOGY
A.M. Kusi | Anne Welch | Arden Aoide Blair Babylon | CA Miconi | Danielle Pearl Eden Butler | Elizabeth Marx | Janet A. Moto Kenna Rey | Lori Ryan | M. Jane Colette
Piper Rayne | Shannon Bruno | Sierra Hill Willow Aster | Carmen Cook
Release Date: February 2
17 Exclusive ALL-NEW romance stories by bestselling authors about couples who defy convention and follow their hearts. These stories are all brand new and only available in this box set!
Love is blind, but it’s never easy.
A Book a Day Presents: Color Theory is a collection of stories about love that is determined not by the color of one’s skin, but by the connection of two hearts. They face challenges, but together they not only overcome—but soar. These couples know the color of one’s skin can’t determine who a person loves. Love is so much more.
This amazing anthology will only be available for a short time, and all the proceeds will go to the education of black students.
Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/3JXWlv
Meet A.M. Kusi: Welcome! We’re Ash and Marcus Kusi, a wife-and-husband author team under the pen name A. M. Kusi. And enjoy writing romance novels that are inspired by our experiences as an interracial/multicultural couple. Our novels are about strong women and the sexy heroes they fall in love with, are emotionally satisfying and always have a happy ending. To learn more about A.M. Kusi, visit: https://amkusi.com/
Meet Anne Welch: Anne grew up in a very small town in South Carolina, where as a kid, she always loved to read books, make people laugh and write songs. After having success in her home state she decided to pursue dreams of becoming a writer and moved to Nashville, TN. When she’s not writing you can find her reading or searching for a husband. She loves spending time with her friends, nieces, nephews and her two fur babies. She enjoys making people laugh and loves hearing from her readers. To learn more about Anne Welch, visit: https://www.annewelchauthor.com
Meet Arden Aoide: Obstinate Insomniac, Introverted Anarchist, Juvenile Humorist, Anglophile, Red Lipstick Fetishist, Cat Herder, Lazy Housekeeper, Foodie, Philosopher, Mother, Lover, Compiler of Lists… To learn more about Arden Aoide, visit: https://www.ardenaoide.com
Meet Blair Babylon: “I’m passionate about books and literature. The best books are intense, enthralling stories that readers can get lost in for days. Books delve into what it means to be human and connect us to each other. Books allow us to live all our possible lives. Books open us to loving each other and the world more. I write intense, deeply imagined romance novels for serious readers because the world needs more love.” ~~Blair Babylon Blair Babylon is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author who used to publish literary fiction. Because professional reviews of her other fiction usually included the caveat that there was too much deviant sex and too much interesting plot, she decided to abandon all literary pretensions, let her freak flag fly, and write hot, sexy, suspenseful romance. To learn more about Blair Babylon, visit: https://blairbabylon.com
Meet CA Miconi: CA Miconi began reading at the age of five and has never stopped. Her childhood was filled with multiple readings of Gone With the Wind, the ultimate tragic romance. CA got her own HEA when she married her retired military hero, Gary, in 2010. She began her author services company, Lucky 13, in 2015, specializing in editing, proofreading, promoting, social media management, and administrative support. CA also hosts and sponsors author and reader events, never dreaming she would one day attend events as a signing author. When she’s not reading, writing, or working with authors, CA enjoys traveling, spending time with her grandchildren, boating, motorcycling, and cheering on her beloved Baltimore Ravens. To learn more about CA Miconi, visit: http://www.camiconiwrites.com
Meet Danielle Pearl: Danielle Pearl is the Amazon and iBooks best selling author of the Something More series. She lives in New Jersey with her three delicious children and ever-supportive husband, who–luckily–doesn’t mind sharing her with an array of fictional men. She did a brief stint at Boston University and worked in marketing before publishing her debut novel, Normal. She writes mature Young Adult and New Adult Contemporary Romance. Danielle enjoys coffee, wine, and cupcakes, and not in moderation. To learn more about Danielle Pearl, visit: https://www.facebook.com/daniellepearlauthor/
Meet Eden Butler: Eden Butler is a writer of contemporary, fantasy, and romantic suspense novels and the nine-times great-granddaughter of an honest-to-God English pirate. This could explain her affinity for rule breaking and rum. When she’s not writing or wondering about her possibly Jack Sparrowesque ancestor, Eden patiently waits for her Hogwarts letter, reads, and spends too much time in her garden perfecting her green thumb while waiting for the next New Orleans Saints Superbowl win. She is currently living under teenage rule alongside her husband in southeast Louisiana. Please send help. To learn more about Eden Butler, visit: https://www.edenbutler.com
Meet Elizabeth Marx: Windy City writer Elizabeth Marx brings cosmopolitan flair to her fiction, which is a blend of romance and fast-paced Chicago living with a sprinkle of magical realism. In her past incarnation she was an interior designer—not a decorator—which basically means she has a piece of paper to prove that she knows how to match and measure things and can miraculously make mundane pieces of furniture appear to be masterpieces. Elizabeth says being an interior designer is one part shrink, one part marriage counselor and one part artist, skills eerily similar to those employed in writing. Elizabeth grew up in Illinois and has also lived in Texas and Florida. If she’s not pounding her head against the wall trying to get the words just right, you can find her at a softball field out in the boonies or sitting in the bleachers by a basketball court. Elizabeth resides with her husband, girls, and two cats who’ve spelled everyone into believing they’re really dogs. Elizabeth has traveled extensively, but still says there’s no town like Chi-Town. To learn more about Elizabeth Marx, visit: http://elizabethmarxbooks.com
Meet Janet A. Moto: I’ve always been passionate about storytelling and impressed by the influence it has on people and the decisions they make in life. I love engaging with the projects I work on, diving headfirst into the research, investigation, and production of stories I feel are worth writing about. I am a curious and proactive Author, interested in preserving the foundations set by classical literature by adapting them to modern themes and trends. To learn more about Janet A. Moto, visit: https://authorjanetamota.wixsite.com/janetamota
Meet Kenna Rey: Kenna Rey is a compassionate romantic. She is always dreaming up stories about love and fulfilling relationships. She writes a multitude of romantic genres and loves to write about powerful female friendships. In her obsession over the human dynamic, she leaves nothing to chance. Kenna resides in the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri with her high school sweetheart, a kiddo and three snuggly doggos. She loves to host get-togethers with family and friends, hiking, camping or riding roller coasters. She is also a big fan of anything chocolate. To learn more about Kenna Rey, visit: https://www.kennarey.com/
Meet Lori Ryan: Lori Ryan is a NY Times and USA Today bestselling author who writes contemporary romance novels and romantic suspense novels. She lives with an extremely understanding husband, three wonderful children, and two mostly-behaved dogs in Austin, Texas. It’s a bit of a zoo, but she wouldn’t change a thing. Lori published her first romance novel in April of 2013 and has loved every bit of the crazy adventure this career has taken her on since then. She is a hybrid author, publishing both as an indie author and through SilverHart Publishing. She also has a new side hobby of creating coloring books for adults! Lori loves to connect with her readers. Follow her on Facebook or Twitter or subscribe to her blog. Oh, and if you’ve read Lori’s romantic suspense books and thought it was one of the best romance novels you’ve read 😉 , please consider leaving a review with the retailer of your choice to help other readers find her work as well! It’s a tremendous honor to have her romance novels recommended to others or written up in reviews. Lori promises to do a happy dance around her office every time you write one! To learn more about Lori Ryan, visit: https://loriryanromance.com/
Meet M. Jane Colette: m jane colette writes tragedy for people who like to laugh, comedy for the melancholy, and erotica for men and women who like their fantasies real. She believes rules and hearts were made to be broken; ditto the constraints of genres. The result? “A whole new sub-genre of her own… social realist erotica that’s frenetic and complex and funny and very well observed.” Also, smoking hot. Which is still the most important thing in erotica, romance… and, life? A poster child Gemini, she is, most of the time, at least two people. Her left-brain persona sold out long ago. She wears severely-cut suits of black, blue and only that shade of green (“No, not that shade—have you seen the colour of my hair and eyes? Please. Let’s coordinate.”) and spends a lot of time in board rooms, offices, and “war rooms” (what a name!) parsing lies. It’s a living. (But, oh, what a plethora of source material…) Her right-brain persona longs to be an iconoclast and an artist. When nobody’s looking, she writes poetry. To learn more about M. Jane Colette, visit: http://mjanecolette.com/
Meet Piper Rayne: Piper Rayne is a USA Today Bestselling Author duo who write “heartwarming humor with a side of sizzle” about families, whether that be blood or found. They both have e-readers full of one-clickable books, they’re married to husbands who drive them to drink, and they’re both chauffeurs to their kids. Most of all, they love hot heroes and quirky heroines who make them laugh, and they hope you do, too! To learn more about Piper Rayne, visit: http://www.PiperRayne.com/
Meet Shannon Bruno: Like Ms. Perky says, “I’ve got deviants to see, and a novel to finish.” Author of non-mushy contemporary romance. To learn more about Shannon Bruno, visit: https://www.facebook.com/authorandwordnerd/
Meet Sierra Hill: Sierra Hill wrote and published her first contemporary new adult romance in 2014 and has since published over 30 novels. She is a 2020 RONE Award-Winning author of Game Changer, as well as award-winning college sports series, Courting Love, and the twice award-finalist erotic ménage serial, Reckless – The Smoky Mountain Trio. Sierra lives in the Seattle area with her husband of 25 years and their rescued German Shepherd. When not writing, she enjoys baking, reading and traveling to see her favorite alternative rock band, Pearl Jam. To learn more about Sierra Hill, visit: https://www.sierrahillbooks.com
Meet Willow Aster: Willow Aster is the author of USA Today bestseller, True Love Story, In the Fields, Maybe Maby, Fade to Red, Lilith (formerly known as Whore), 5,331 Miles, Miles Ahead, The Kingdoms of Sin series, and co-author of The End of Men series with Tarryn Fisher. Willow loves nothing more than writing the day away—anywhere will do. Her husband and two children graciously put up with her endless daydreaming; otherwise, the writing would never get done. She’s also an avid reader, and has been known to walk, cook, and clean with her nose in a book. She’s lived in Texas, Tennessee, Indiana, and California, but Minnesota has captured her now and doesn’t seem to be letting go. Although shy, this lifelong writer and artist is convinced that the best part of this career for her is meeting and connecting with readers, authors, and all of those in this community of lovers of words. To learn more about Willow Aster, visit: http://www.willowaster.com
Meet Carmen Cook: Carmen Cook grew up in Montana, riding horses and dreaming of life beyond the mountains. As soon as she could, she started traveling, heading across the country for college and backpacking through Europe before finally earning a fine arts degree and throwing down roots in the Pacific Northwest. It wasn’t long before her imagination started running away with her and she started writing. To learn more about Carmen Cook, visit: https://www.carmencooknovels.com/