Currently Reading - Fangirl Down

Wells Whitaker was once golf’s hottest rising star, but lately, all he has to show for his “promising” career is a killer hangover, a collection of broken clubs, and one remaining supporter. No matter how bad he plays, the beautiful, sunny redhead is always on the sidelines. He curses, she cheers. He scowls, she smiles. But when Wells quits in a blaze of glory and his fangirl finally goes home, he knows he made the greatest mistake of his life.

Josephine Doyle believed in the gorgeous, grumpy golfer, even when he didn’t believe in himself. Yet after he throws in the towel, she begins to wonder if her faith was misplaced. Then a determined Wells shows up at her door with a wild proposal: be his new caddy, help him turn his game around, and split the prize money. And considering Josephine’s professional and personal life is in shambles, she could really use the cash…

As they travel together, spending days on the green and nights in neighboring hotel rooms, sparks fly. Before long, they’re inseparable, Wells starts winning again, and Josephine is surprised to find a sweet, thoughtful guy underneath his gruff, growly exterior. This hot man wants to brush her hair, feed her snacks, and take bubble baths together? Is this real life? But Wells is technically her boss and an athlete falling for his fangirl would be ridiculous… right?

 

 Amazon

 

Twelve years ago, Trust, the final book in my Finding Anna series, was published. 

 

When I wrote the book, this was supposed to be the end of Stephan and Brianna's story. There was a lot of pressure to make sure I gave readers a satisfying ending.

 

Brianna's journey wasn't always easy to write. There are some heavy topics in this series, but it has also been one of the most rewarding story I've ever written.

 

Healing from trauma isn't a quick fix and it wasn't for Brianna. I wanted to show the ups and downs, the good days and the bad. 

 

I've been so blessed over the years to have readers who've fallen in love with Stephan and Brianna. Who've immersed themselves in the story and cherished them as much as I do. So much so, that I ended up removing the epilogue from Trust and continuing the story in Change.

 

 Now, twelve years later, I am writing what will be the last book in Stephan and Brianna's story. And yes, I mean it this time.

 

While I can't promise we'll never see them again, their story will come to a close with the sixth and final book in the series. 

 

I wish I could give you a release date, however, I'm not quite to the point where I can do that. There's still too much of the book to write, yet. But if you haven't yet, please sign up for my newsletter for the latest updates.

 

 And if you haven't started reading Finding Anna, click the link below to download the first book, Slave, for FREE.

 

Download Slave

Currently Reading - One Golden Summer

I never anticipated Charlie Florek.

Good things happen at the lake. That’s what Alice’s grandmother says, and it’s true. Alice spent just one summer there at a cottage with Nan when she was seventeen—it’s where she took that photo, the one of three grinning teenagers in a yellow speedboat, the image that changed her life.

Now Alice lives behind a lens. As a photographer, she’s most comfortable on the sidelines, letting other people shine. Lately though, she’s been itching for something more, and when Nan falls and breaks her hip, Alice comes up with a plan for them both: another summer in that magical place, Barry’s Bay. But as soon as they settle in, their peace is disrupted by the roar of a familiar yellow boat, and the man driving it.

Charlie Florek was nineteen when Alice took his photo from afar. Now he’s all grown up—a shameless flirt, who manages to make Nan laugh and Alice long to be seventeen again, when life was simpler, when taking pictures was just for fun. Sun-slanted days and warm nights out on the lake with Charlie are a balm for Alice’s soul, but when she looks up and sees his piercing green gaze directly on her, she begins to worry for her heart.

Because Alice sees people—that’s why she is so good at what she does—but she’s never met someone who looks and sees her right back.

 

 Amazon

Currently Reading - The Frozen River

Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.

Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.

Clever, layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon’s newest offering introduces an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard. The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.

 

 Amazon

New Adult vs. Adult Fiction

 At a recent writing group meet, we talked about writing for different age groups. How writing for children's, middle grade, young adult, new adult, and adult differ when it come to vocabulary, language, and content.

As we moved through the different age ranges, highlighting the standards for the classifications, both from a library prospective, as well as, a commercial one, we ended up getting stuck on new adult. It's not really a classification, as far as age range, that libraries use, but it is used in the commercial space, and has been for over a decade.

 So what is new adult?

If you've never heard the term before, it can be confusing. Up until a little over a decade ago, new adult meant a book fell into the adult genre and was a new release. Or, at the very least, a new acquisition for the store or library. But today, in the commercial space, that might not be what someone means when they say they're looking for a new adult book.

Most books that fall into the new adult category have characters between the ages of 18 to 24 years old. They are embarking on their lives as adults, encountering a lot of changes, and adjusting to new responsibilities. They are new adults.

A lot of these books revolve around college and college students, but they don't have to. The genre tends to revolve around characters finding their way in life as adults. Experiencing things for the first time.

The new adult label is most often found in the romance genre. It focuses on falling in love for the first time as an adult. Sometimes it deals with one or more characters losing their virginity. And it usually involves one, or more of the characters exploring things out of their comfort zone.

Why is this distinction between new adult and adult important in romance?

I've been a romance reader for the better part of my life, which means I've read all different types of romance. And while I enjoy some new adult titles, I tend to favor adult titles. Why? The maturity of the characters.

That's not to say all new adult books have immature characters. They don't. Elle Kennedy's Off Campus series is a perfect example of that.

While her characters are in college, and sometimes they do stupid things, they don't come across as immature. They all have responsibilities and they take them seriously.

But new adult books often center around going to college, college parties, and finding your way as someone who's often experiencing independence for the first time. As a woman who's flirting with 50, and has been on her own for several decades, that holds very little interest to me. 

That, however, is one of the great things about books. There are different genres, different characters, and different lifestyles we can read about and we can find the books that speak to us. Even if they don't speak to someone else.

It's one of the things I love about indie publishing. There is no gatekeeping. No begging an editor in New York to give your book a chance.

Self publishing has opened the door to everyone. If you have a story you've written, you have the ability to put it out to the masses-to find your audience.

Do you have a preference between new adult and adult books?

Currently Reading - First-Time Caller

A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle–inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.

Aiden Valentine has a secret: he’s fallen out of love with love. And as the host of Baltimore’s romance hotline, that’s a bit of a problem. But when a young girl calls in to the station asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, thrusting Aiden and Heartstrings into the limelight.

Lucie Stone thought she was doing just fine. She has a good job; an incredible family; and a smart, slightly devious kid. But when all of Baltimore is suddenly scrutinizing her love life—or lack thereof—she begins to question if she’s as happy as she believed. Maybe a little more romance wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

Everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending…even the handsome, temperamental man calling the shots. But when sparks start to fly behind the scenes, Lucie must make the final decision between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.

 Amazon

Currently Reading - The Paradise Problem

Anna Green thought she was marrying Liam “West” Weston for access to subsidized family housing while at UCLA. She also thought she’d signed divorce papers when the graduation caps were tossed, and they both went on their merry ways.

Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living paycheck to paycheck while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance. There’s just one catch.

Due to an antiquated clause in his grandfather’s will, Liam won’t see a penny until he’s been happily married for five years. Just when Liam thinks he’s in the home stretch, pressure mounts from his family to see this mysterious spouse, and he has no choice but to turn to the one person he’s afraid to introduce to his one-percenter parents—his unpolished, not-so-ex-wife.

But in the presence of his family, Liam’s fears quickly shift from whether the feisty, foul-mouthed, paint-splattered Anna can play the part to whether the toxic world of wealth will corrupt someone as pure of heart as his surprisingly grounded and loyal wife. Liam will have to ask himself if the price tag on his flimsy cover story is worth losing true love that sprouted from a lie.

 

 Amazon

Currently Reading - Out of the Clear Blue Sky

Lillie Silva knew life as an empty nester would be hard after her only child left for college, but when her husband abruptly dumps her for another woman just as her son leaves, her world comes crashing down. Besides the fact that this announcement is a complete surprise (to say the least), what shocks Lillie most is that she isn’t heartbroken. She’s furious.
 
Lillie has loved her life on Cape Cod, but as a mother, wife, and nurse-midwife, she’s used to caring for other people . . . not taking care of herself. Now, alone for the first time in her life, she finds herself going a little rogue. Is it over the top to crash her ex-husband’s wedding dressed like the angel of death? Sure! Should she release a skunk into his perfect new home? Probably not! But it beats staying home and moping.
 
She finds an unexpected ally in her glamorous sister, with whom she’s had a tense relationship all these years. And an unexpected babysitter in, of all people, Ben Hallowell, the driver in a car accident that nearly killed Lillie twenty years ago. And then there’s Ophelia, her ex-husband’s oddly lost niece, who could really use a friend.
 
It’s the end of Lillie’s life as she knew it. But sometimes the perfect next chapter surprises you . . . out of the clear blue sky.

 

 Amazon

Currently Reading - Part of Your World

After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable. While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. She’s fine with being a “mere” ER doctor. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important.

Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people. Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet she can’t just give up the joy she’s found with him either.

With so many differences between them, how can Alexis possibly choose between her world and his?

 

 Amazon

Currently Reading - The Brazen by Devney Perry

A small town, forced proximity romance from #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Devney Perry.

Kerrigan Hale’s personal life is about as exciting as a bucket of tar. With hard work and hustle as her steadfast companions, who needs romance or adventure? Her empire in Calamity, Montana, isn’t going to build itself.

For years, her mentor—and investor—helped make her dreams come true. Until his unexpected death put her fate in his grandson’s hands. A brazen billionaire, he seems intent on ruining Kerrigan’s life.

But if Pierce Sullivan thinks she’ll go down without a fight, he’s sorely mistaken. Pushed to the extreme, she drives to his ritzy mountain lodge to force the arrogant You Can Call Me Mr. Sullivan to hear her out.

No sooner does she arrive than a snowstorm traps her with Pierce. Stranded together for days, she’s in for the battle of her life. Pierce is nearly irresistible by candlelight. Without his suits and fancy cars, he’s almost human.

Except only a fool would let down her guard. And Kerrigan can’t risk her future. Not when she doesn’t know if he’s out to pilfer her dreams . . . or to steal her heart.

 

 Amazon

Currently Reading - The Wildest One

A scorching hot, hockey, forbidden, billionaire romance from USA Today best-selling author Marni Mann …

I’m not the calm before the storm. I am the storm. And only she can tame my wild ways.

Hockey is my religion.
My body is my temple.
My only goal in life is to win another Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Whales, so women are just a sexy distraction.

Until her.
The fiery redhead I see across the bar while I’m at an away game.

With one look, I know I have to meet her.
With one touch, I need her beneath me.
With one bat of her long lashes, I want those eyes gazing up at me as she kneels before me.
And with booze flowing through my veins, I do something I’ve never done. I offer her a proposition—to spend a long weekend with me.

What is only supposed to be three nights of sizzling passion turns into much more, and when I leave for my next away game, I find myself wanting her in ways I’ve never felt.

She’s a young heart with an old soul.
My dream woman in every way.
The only thing I’ve ever encountered that my family name, talent and money can’t attain.

But there’s too much distance between us, and I realize that maybe we just aren’t meant to be.

Until a chance meeting skates us right back together and our time is suddenly now.

Except all of that changes when I learn the truth …

She’s forbidden, untouchable, and off-limits.

With my heart on the line, can I score the most crucial goal of my life, or will she realize that being with the wildest one isn’t worth the sacrifices she’ll have to make?

 

 Amazon

Black Friday Sale - Get Tangled For Only 99¢

 

It's that time of year and what better way to get into the spirit than to spice things up with a holiday romance. 

Tangled in His Embrace is a second chance romance that follows single mom, Gabby, and Jax. These two have a history and it's a complicated one, but he wants to make it right. Is she willing to risk having her heart broken again to give Jax another chance?

Grab Tangled in His Embrace for only 99¢ until December 5, 2025!

Buy Your Copy 

The Reality Of Book Signings

 

I've been publishing for about 13 years now, so I have a lot of experience with going to different signings, both traditional book focused events and local vendor/craft fairs. If you're thinking about attending one of these, you need to go into them with realistic expectations.

A little over a week ago, I went to an event in Atlantic City, NJ. It was a book centered event, meaning all the vendors there were either authors, or selling bookish merch.

It was the first event for this promoter in this location. Any time an event is new, there is always a question on how successful it will be. I've been to ones where I've sold a lot of books and others where I've sold next to nothing.

 In this case, it did not go well and I could see the writing on the wall almost as soon as we arrived.

After parking our vehicle, we headed inside to see where we needed to go before unloading all my books. We went through a set of doors to access the elevators and immediately, we spelled urine. Not exactly a great first impression.

We took the elevator to the second floor and followed a long hallway until it opened up into a large room. To the left were more elevators and people waiting to get on them.

Once we got closer, we noticed a sign directing us down another hallway to a conference room. One of the organizers of the event greeted us and confirmed we were in the right place.

 Back at our vehicle, we loaded all the books on a cart my husband's father loaned us, and went back inside. The ride up was uneventful, and we hauled everything into the conference room and found our table.

The set up went without a hitch and the organizers were attentive and came by to see if anyone needed anything. Authors trickled in, setting up their tables and preparing for readers to start arriving at 11am.

Only, they didn't. When the doors opened to VIPs, less than 10 people entered. With around 50 authors present, we realized quickly this isn't look promising.

The event ran until 4pm, a total of five hours. In that time, about 50 people walked through the room, only about half being readers. It was disappointing to say the least.

 I'm not sure what doomed this event. Was it the location in the hotel? Was it because the event was in Atlantic City?

To contrast this, last weekend, I set up a table at a local vendor and craft fair. I was back on my home turf in Ohio and at an event I've done multiple times before. 

For the first two hours of the event, I had more people walk by my table than I had the entire day at the Atlantic City event. Granted, not all of them were readers either, but I can't attempt to sell books to people who aren't there.

At the end of the day, I paid $150 for my table at the Atlantic City event and sold 5 books. I paid $60 for my table at the craft and vendor fair and sold 15 books. 

This is the reality of book signings. You never know what you're going to sell. It's always a risk you're taking. But historically, I've sold more at craft and vendor fairs than I have at book conventions and the table fees are significantly less.

Currently Reading - Beneath the Stars

Alina Carson meets Chase Adams when she’s eleven years old, after he moves in down the street carrying nothing but a chip on his shoulder and dimples in his cheeks.

Immediately she falls, loving him before she even knows what loving is. But becoming best friends with Chase’s little sister means that he’s off-limits, no matter how much their connection screams for something more.

Chase never cared much for following the rules. Abandoned by everyone who was supposed to love him, he’s broken and insecure, choosing to push others away before they have a chance to hurt him. But there’s something about the girl with golden hair, and before he can stop himself, he’s sneaking through her window, whispering his deepest secrets beneath her glow ‘n stick stars.

As time goes on and they get older, he decides to give their love a chance, no matter what anyone else thinks. But old habits die hard, and when tragedy strikes, Chase is back to doing what he does best.

Ruining everything.

Chase disappears, and years pass, leaving Alina with no choice but to pick up her broken pieces and move on. Until one day, he’s back. All grown up and taking over his family’s business.

When Alina and Chase are thrown together and forced to work in the same building, old feelings resurface, and Alina quickly realizes that Chase is on a mission, determined to right the wrongs of his past.

Starting with her.

 

 Amazon

Old Wounds Can Cloud New Beginnings

Healing starts with acceptance, setting boundaries, and choosing self-love first. Ready to open your heart again?

 

 

Beth has no interest in getting involved with another man for the foreseeable future. To say her last relationship ended in disaster would be a colossal understatement.

 

Drew decides to join Serpent’s Kiss to see if what appeals to him in fantasy is something he wants to explore in the real world. He’s also hoping that he’ll be lucky enough to meet a woman with whom he can explore his desires.

 

Will she give him a chance, or did her ex leave her with scars too deep to heal?

 

Get your copy of Burning for Her Kiss https://books2read.com/u/38DxdB.

Currently Reading - Falling Like Leaves By Misty Wilson

Gilmore Girls meets Jenny Han in this autumnal teen rom-com about a city girl stuck in a quaint small town who must confront her future and her old flame while the town prepares for an annual fall festival.

Ellis has a plan: spend her senior fall prepping her application for Columbia, get into their journalism program, and set the foundation for a respectable career. So when her parents announce that not only are they separating, but Ellis has to move with her mom from New York City to Bramble Falls, Connecticut, to live with her aunt and cousin, it couldn’t come at a worse time.

From past summers spent in Connecticut, Ellis knows Bramble Falls is idyllic and charming. But it also seems to be full of distractions. There’s local barista Cooper Barnett, Ellis’s one-time best friend and first kiss who now wants nothing to do with Ellis. And then there’s the Falling Leaves Festival, a local autumnal celebration run by Ellis’s aunt where people from all over come to see Bramble Falls’s beautiful foliage. The house is stuffed with decorations, and every conversation seems to center around the festival.

Dragged to every oh-so-charming event from apple picking to pumpkin carving, Ellis can’t stop bumping into Cooper…or falling for the quaint town and its quirky residents. As her return to Manhattan gets repeatedly delayed, Ellis finds herself caught between two very different places—and the futures they represent.

 

 Amazon

Looking for relationship advice? Forget the self-help books!

  He’s charming. He’s persistent. And he’s the boss’s son. 

Jesse Masters always gets what he wants—and right now, what he wants is Cassie Ross. The chemistry between them is undeniable, but there’s just one problem… Cassie works for his father.

Cassie has sworn off relationships after getting burned by her ex. The last thing she needs is a fling that could risk her job. But Jesse isn’t just a fling—he’s intense, dominant, and makes her feel things she’s tried to forget.

Is she willing to put her heart on the line and give in to Jesse’s desires? Or will she let fear keep her from the love she’s been waiting for?

 Falling for the Boss’s Son is the first book in the steamy Head Over Heels series. Perfect for fans of workplace romance, he-falls-first, and deliciously hot D/s tension.

 Start reading now and let Jesse sweep you off your feet → https://books2read.com/u/4jE0oo