3 Why I Love Books with Smokin’ Hot Sex

Look, I understand that on-page sex in a romance novel isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. And thankfully, there are a plethora of “closed door” romances and every heat-level in between to indulge everyone’s different idea of the perfect romance. But, to me, taking the sex out of a romance novel would be like taking half… Read More

1 CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON

Although set in a secondary fantasy world, many aspects of LAST OF THE TALONS are heavily inspired by Korea. While worldbuilding, I looked to Korean culture to create a world in which a teenage assassin begins a violent game of cat and mouse with a Dokkaebi emperor. Unsurprisingly, one of the most important elements of… Read More

1 The Sublime Joy of the Epistolary Romance by Kilby Blades

Well, here we are in the modern age. Forget Love in the Time of Cholera. Love in the time of Tinder has arrived. Suddenly we have dating profiles; we’re swiping left, and sliding into people’s DM’s. It’s efficient. But is it right? Love was once a drawn-out affair–an endeavor that found us hopeful. It made… Read More

3 Fall—the busiest time of the year?

Growing up in Minnesota, I’ve always loved autumn. The incredible fall colors. The wonderful scent of burning leaves (this memory probably dates me!)  Riding my horse bareback down the road past sparkling streams and deep blue lakes, with most of the pesky flies and mosquitos gone. Such glorious times!  The photo is of Tucker, with… Read More

2 The Mix-up at the Animal Shelter!

Lyn Cote here–About the Mix-up at the Animal Shelter–In June we had to put our cat to sleep. V-8 (named for the engine) was 21+ years old and finally couldn’t walk and didn’t want to eat. I cried of course. He’d been a member of the family since 2003. We got him from the local… Read More

2 Bringing Back the Fun

I’ve been writing for a long time—which is fun. I’ve had a lot of stories published—57 traditionally published books in fact, so far—some of which have been in series that are now ended. They include several mysteries series, such as my Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mysteries, and my Pet Rescue Mysteries. Neither one is current. Yet,… Read More

1 Family Bonds

By: Negeen Papehn I’m so happy to be on Writerspace again, discussing my newest release, Guarding Her Heart, with all of you. I fell in love with this sister duo the minute I put them on the page, and so it felt fitting to give little sister Niloo, her own story to tell. I’m hoping… Read More

2 Sea Breeze Cocktail Recipe for Summer

One of my most requested recipes is one that my friend Aly from New Zealand often whips up in honor of blazing sunsets over the Pacific Ocean. In fact, this recipe inspired the name of the Seabreeze Inn novel, and in the story, Shelly Bay is often found mixing Sea Breeze coolers — virgin or fully loaded, as… Read More

6 Fairytales Feed Fantasy

When I started putting together my new fantasy trilogy, I knew I wanted to incorporate fairytales. Rather than a faithful retelling I wanted to touch on elements from several fairytales and make them my own for my characters and their world. I also wanted to pull in lesser known fairytales, which is when I started… Read More

1 HOW DO I GET MY IDEAS FOR WRITING?

My readers are always asking where I get my ideas for books, so I wanted to share about my latest short story called “The Secret Wish” in THE WISHING QUILT. A few years ago, I was traveling into Kansas when it started raining. I pulled off the highway onto a one-block downtown area and watched… Read More

2 What’s a Trope?

What’s a trope? Well, do you enjoy reading romance? If so, what is your favorite kind? Second chance at love? Later in life romance? Marriage of convenience? Arranged marriage? Single mom? Single dad? In the “biz,” these are called, “tropes”—“defined as a recurring theme or motif, as in literature or art: the trope of motherhood;… Read More