When Characters Don’t Do What the Author Planned by Lyn Cote

on November 21, 2022

What’s the author to do? To think? Well, usually I smile because that means that my characters have become REAL. Once a reader said to me, “You act like these characters are real.” And I said, “Within the pages of the book, they are!” If my characters do not behave like real people with minds… Read More

Lyn Cote

Lyn Cote

USA Today best-selling author of over 40 romances, Lyn Cote writes award-winning contemporary and historical romance. Her brand is "Strong Women, Brave Stories." Her books feature a strong heroine, often a multi-cultural cast of characters and authentic history or contemporary life. She lives with her real life hero in a lakeside cottage in the northwoods with two fun cats. (She loves dogs too. :-)

https://BooksbyLynCote.com/SWBS

Lyn Cote Contest

Lyn Cote is giving away an ebook copy of NORTHERN INTRIGUE BOOKS 1-3 box set to one winner.  

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Getting to the Holidays

on October 4, 2022

“Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go,” went the old song. Merry, merry. No worries. The horse knows the way, the sleigh is heated. Grandma is perfect and nobody ever gets grumpy. Not so in my world. The grandmas were all lovely and worth visiting. It did seem, however, that… Read More

Sheila Roberts

Sheila Roberts

Sheila Roberts lives on a lake in the Pacific Northwest. She's happily married and has three children. She's been writing since 1989, but she did lots of things before settling in to her writing career, including owning a singing telegram company and playing in a band. Her band days are over, but she still enjoys writing songs. Sheila's books are best sellers and often appear as Reader's Digest Condensed Books. Her novel "Angel Lane" was named one of Amazon's top ten romances in 2009. Her novel "On Strike for Christmas" was a Lifetime Network movie and her novel "The Nine Lives of Christmas" is currently being made into a movie for Hallmark. When she's not speaking to women's groups or at conferences or hanging out with her girlfriends she can be found writing about those things near and dear to women's hearts: family, friends, and chocolate.

https://www.sheilasplace.com

Sheila Roberts Contest

Sheila Roberts is giving away a beautiful St. Patrick's Day shamrock scarf to one winner.

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How the ‘Year of ‘No’ Transformed my Entire Career

on September 28, 2021

Starting a career as an author with that first finished manuscript is probably the most exciting and terrifying journey an aspiring writer can embark on. The uncertainty of finding an agent, finding the right publisher, finding reviewers and finding readers is daunting and can be slightly overwhelming. But after that first book does all those… Read More

Jennifer Snow

Jennifer Snow

Jennifer Snow is a USA Today Bestselling Author writing contemporary romance fiction for Grand Central Publishing and Harlequin. Her stories range in heat level from sweet to sexy and are set everywhere from big cities to small towns. Her books are light and humorous, but also full of heart, featuring families and communities readers love to visit over and over again. Originally from Newfoundland, Canada, she now resides in Alberta with her husband and son and three mischievous cats. She is a member of The Writers Union of Canada and the Alberta Writers Guild. She currently publishes psychological thrillers under her pen name J.M. Winchester and writes screenplays and TV shows in her 'spare' time.

http://www.jennifersnowauthor.com

Writing a Sweet Contemporary Romance Means Taking No Emotional Shortcuts

on December 17, 2020

What is it that makes you as a writer decide to go in a new direction? What makes you pivot and think, “Hey, I could do that, actually. Maybe I should think about how?” That was the creative case with His Holiday Crush for me. While I love writing romance, sweet contemporary romance has never… Read More

Cari Z

Cari Z

Cari Z was a bookworm as a child and remains one to this day. In an effort to keep reading from being her only love, she did all sorts of progressively more exciting things, from competitive gymnastics to alligator wresting (who even knew that was legal!) to joining the Peace Corps, which sent her and her husband to West Africa, where they spent two years working and learning. Writing was a good way for Cari to entertain herself with no electricity, and she hasn't looked back since. She writes award-winning LGBTQ fiction featuring aliens, supervillains, soothsayers, and even normal people sometimes.

https://carizerotica.blogspot.com/

Writing in the Time of Coronavirus

on December 4, 2020

All the way back in October, a million weeks ago, a writer friend of mine posted on Facebook that she was already working on her 2021 planner. I commented that I was still trying to get a handle on organizing 2020. She responded with a sad face. But I wasn’t kidding, and I wasn’t looking… Read More

Julie Hammerle

Julie Hammerle

USA Today bestselling author Julie Hammerle writes young adult novels that focus on nerds, geeks, and basket cases falling in love. On the YA side, she is the author of The Sound of Us (Entangled TEEN, 2016) and the North Pole romance series (Entangled Crush, 2017). For adult romances, check out Knocked-Up Cinderella. A graduate of Butler University with degrees in secondary education and Latin with a minor in music, Julie lives in Chicago with her family and enjoys reading, cooking, and watching all the television.

https://juliehammerle.com/

Okay, I admit it. I listen to holiday music. Not just during the holidays.

on November 20, 2020

It’s that time of year again, when holiday music is ubiquitous everywhere, and we haven’t even had Thanksgiving in the states! On the radio, in the shopping centers, at the grocery store… Some people love it. Some loathe it! Some can handle it in short doses but come January, off it goes! I have to… Read More

E. Elizabeth Watson

E. Elizabeth Watson

E. Elizabeth Watson writes historical romance and lives in West Virginia with her sons, husband, and various pets. With degrees in Archaeology and Anthropology, Elizabeth instead began pursuing a career in fiction writing after earning an Honorable Mention in the 2013 Texas Observer short story completion, and making it to the quarter-finals in the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. Elizabeth is a member of RWA and Maryland Romance Writers. Join her newsletter at https://eelizabethwatson.com/contact/. Follow her on Facebook @Author.E.Elizabeth.Watson. Find her on Twitter @AuthorEEWatson

https://eelizabethwatson.com/

Who doesn’t love Christmas cookies?

on November 17, 2020

In my book, The Mistletoe Trap, my hero and heroine, who are best friends, start flirting and food fighting as they decorate cookies. And maybe it’s all the mistletoe their families have hung, but suddenly the decorating session turns into a kissing session. Luckily kissing burns calories, because Gavin’s an NFL quarterback who likes to… Read More

Cindi Madsen

Cindi Madsen

Cindi Madsen is a USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance and young adult novels. She sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she'd be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they're sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children.

http://cindimadsen.com/

Why Romance is Even More Relevant this Year…

on November 16, 2020

Hi! Thanks so much for stopping by today. I’m Victoria James, romance author of sweet, small-town contemporary romances. It just doesn’t feel like Christmas if I don’t read-or write-a holiday book. They are hands down my favorite to read and write. This has been quite a year for everyone. And I know, more than ever,… Read More

Victoria James

Victoria James

I always knew I wanted to be a writer and in grade five, I penned my first story, bound it (with staples) and a cardboard cover and did all the illustrations myself (if you’ve ever seen my drawings you’ll know how horrible they must have been. I still draw stick figures). Luckily, this book will never see the light of day again. In high school I fell in love with historical romance and then contemporary romance. After graduating University with an English Literature degree, I married my own hero, pursued a degree in Interior Design and then opened my own business. After the birth of our first child, I knew it was time to fulfill the dream of writing romantic fiction. I’m a hopeless romantic who is living my dream, penning happily-ever-after’s for my characters in between managing kids and the family business. Writing on a laptop in the middle of the country in a rambling old Victorian house would be ideal, but I’m quite content living in suburbia with my husband, our two young children, and very bad cat. I’d love to hear from you! Always feel free to connect with me via email, Twitter, or Facebook.

http://www.victoriajames.ca

How a book is born, or where I got my idea for my very first Christmas romance

on October 17, 2019

People often want to know where writers get their ideas, and in interviews authors reveal how they people-watch or listen in on conversations and then what if- questions start bubbling in their brains. For me, it often starts with a single scene I imagine clearly. Out of the blue really. The image of a lady… Read More

Viv Royce

Viv Royce

With the same trademark atmospheric settings, relatable characters and cute canines that made several of her cozy mysteries #1 Amazon US and Canada bestsellers in multiple categories, Vivian Conroy pens romance as Viv Royce, creating heartthrob heroes ranging from rugged pilots to royals reluctant to believe in true love who meet their match in that girl next door or the co-worker with the business ideas exactly opposing their own -- happy endings guaranteed! When not frequenting fictional worlds, Viv loves to hike (especially in the mountains), craft with paper, felt and clay, and hunt for the perfect cheesecake. Quite active on Twitter, she's the founder of #HistFicChat, a live Twitter chat about historical fiction, featuring authors like Kate Quinn, Anna Lee Huber and Susan Spann, and would love for readers to follow her and connect via @VivWrites.

Holiday Traditions

on November 13, 2018

by Jennifer Hoopes For some of us, the Christmas holiday is full of traditions and memories, possibly both good and bad, and while writing The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby, and more recently getting ready for its release, I couldn’t help but relive some of my favorite things about Christmas growing up. With my dad’s passing in… Read More

Jennifer Hoopes

Jennifer Hoopes

Jennifer grew up in Maryland as the baby of nine, (a yours, mine, and ours love story) but today hangs her apron in a small town in Pennsylvania where she lives with her husband and two daughters. When not writing contemporary romance, she can usually be found elbow deep in flour, entrenched on the bleachers as she cheers her daughter on at a swim meet, or planning the next school party. She loves caramel and roller coasters, cries at Disney movies, and cannot live without coffee and Jane Austen. Jennifer is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and Central Pennsylvania Romance Writers (CPRW.) She loves connecting with readers and writers alike and can be reached through her contact page or on her fan page on Facebook. You can also follow her on Twitter.

https://www.jenniferhoopes.com

Christmas in Vermont

on November 19, 2015

Snow, snow, snow, snow…. If you’ve watched White Christmas with Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney, you’ll remember the song that starts that way. It’s an ode to snow, a fun and festive tune the characters sing as they take the train to Vermont for a frosty holiday. Except Vermont didn’t have snow that December, contributing… Read More

Joanne Rock

Joanne Rock

Four-time RITA finalist Joanne Rock has never met a romance sub-genre she didn't like. The USA Today bestselling author of over eighty books enjoys writing a wide range of stories, most recently focusing on sexy contemporaries and small-town family sagas. An optimist by nature and perpetual seeker of silver linings, Joanne finds romance fits her life outlook perfectly---love is worth fighting for. A frequent speaker at regional and national writing conferences she enjoys giving back to the writing community that nurtured and inspired her early career. She has a Masters degree in Literature from the University of Louisville but credits her fiction writing skills to her intensive study with friend and fellow author Catherine Mann. When she's not writing, Joanne enjoys travel to gather new ideas.

https://www.Joannerock.com

Joanne Rock Contest

Joanne Rock is giving away the first three books in her Single in South Beach series-- SEX & THE SINGLE GIRL, GIRL'S GUIDE TO HUNTING AND KISSING, and ONE NAUGHTY NIGHT, to one winner. Open INTL. Winner will receive digital editions.

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November – All About Holiday Romance

on November 3, 2015

by Jeanne Devlin There may still be candy corn in the house and a pumpkin on the porch, but at your local bookstore the winter holidays have already arrived. Whether its new novels, sizzling anthologies, the first time in paperback, or reissues of old favorites, November’s new titles look to be all about what can… Read More

Jeanne Devlin

Jeanne Devlin

Jeanne Devlin is editor of The RoadRunner Press, an award-winning traditional publishing house based in the American West. An editor of newspapers, magazines, and books for more than thirty years, she has also worked on national marketing and publicity campaigns with such publishers as Simon and Schuster and St. Martin's and for a number of New York Times bestselling authors, including Robyn Carr, Sabrina Jeffries, Debbie Macomber, Linda Lael Miller, and Wendy Corsi Staub. A graduate of the Stanford University Publishing Course, Jeanne is a member of the Children's Book Council, the National Book Critics Circle, and the Oklahoma Center for the Book of the Library of Congress. She also consults with boutique publishers.

http://www.theroadrunnerpress.com