Hi everyone,
I’m tremendously excited to have an unexpected update!
I’m not sure how many know this, but I’m a member of the Romance Writers of America, which is the national organization founded to further the interests of the Romance genre. Some months back, the RWA established two new awards referred to as Diamond Hearts (for published authors) and Golden Hearts (for unpublished author...
2024-11-12 23:00:56 +0000 UTC View Post
~ Edgar ~The meeting was to be held at the Madison Hardlight, a downtown Raleigh hotel for the ultra-wealthy that Edgar had never heard of. After stepping into the dimly-lit splendor of the lobby and wading across its deep carpet, he conservatively guessed the cost of a night’s stay at one month’s salary.
Naomi’s email had included directions to a private dinin...
2024-11-10 16:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post
I resolved to tell Mel everything the moment I got back to the roadster.
At first, I told myself it was because I was eager to brag about tricking Ángel. But that self-deception flaked off quick. The real answer was fear. I was scared Mel wouldn’t tell me about Ángel if I didn't bring him up first. The idea that she might not trust me that far made my guts ache. It wasn't like she didn't ha...
2024-11-03 16:26:14 +0000 UTC View Post~ Liv ~“You two head down. I’ll be along in a moment.”
The conference room was on the ground floor, which meant Mr. Hartnell would have to use the single-person elevator he’d had installed due to his hip. It was an old injury, and Liv had heard at least three tales on how he'd gotten it, each more bizarre than the last. Hartnell himself never talked about it. He waved t...
2024-10-27 15:00:09 +0000 UTC View PostI have exciting news, and I want you to hear it first:
I've just signed a deal with Royal Guard Publishing and work will be getting underway soon. I don't have details to share in terms of the timeline, but so many people have asked about this that I didn't want to delay the announcement.
To the readers who sent me those enthusiastic audiobook inquiries: you played a direct role in making this happen—the weight of...
2024-10-25 13:43:35 +0000 UTC View Post“A cat,” Mel said, stifling a massive yawn.
I jerked out of my road hypnosis. “What?”
“That’s my shifter form,” she told me. “I know it’s probably driving you crazy, so I thought I would just say it.”
She was watching the road, showing me her profile. Her full profile, with no glasses. It was hard not to stare. Mel’s face—her eyes—still felt so new. It wa...
2024-10-20 15:00:11 +0000 UTC View PostHi all, just wanted to give a quick progress report.
This week I've uploaded Chapter 2 of Opposites Distract. There are two reasons. First, I wanted to introduce Edgar's POV, and second, I've been using this time to perform some vital behind-the-scenes upkeep on Sunglasses in the Rain.
I was running myself ragged for some time, barely finishing a SitR chapter before it got updated. Now that I have OD to give me some breathing room, I've had time to organize my no...
2024-10-13 15:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostEdgar’s words had scored a direct hit—just as he'd intended.
Liv Doyle shot to her feet like a soldier hearing the call to battle.
More like a wake-up call, he thought with satisfaction. The Liv Doyles of the world were always stunned when they didn’t get what they wanted.
Her palms slapped down on the opposite side of the desktop, and Liv...
2024-10-13 15:00:18 +0000 UTC View Post“What are you doing?”
The man standing in Liv Doyle’s future office turned to stare at her. He raised one eyebrow. Liv felt bad as soon as she recognized him. She hadn't intended to sound so suspicious.
The computer guy wasn't competition.
“Sorry, Edward—”
“Edgar.”
She blinked. “Oh. Edgar. Right.”
Great. Now she’d sn...
2024-10-06 15:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostPoll #2 is concluded, and I'm proud to announce that our back-up story will be Opposites Distract!
Liv Doyle is the best investigator at Hartnell Inquiries. She's paid her dues, earned her rep, and knows exactly what she's worth: the sumptuous corner office that just opened up. It was supposed to be hers—until the computer guy staked a surprise claim.
As some...
2024-10-02 17:55:53 +0000 UTC View Post“Sure…” I wasn’t sure, not really, not about what Mel was trying to tell me. “I know that shifters turn into different animals, obviously. And about the, uh, variations. With the other stuff.”
“The other stuff?” Mel said doubtfully.
Come on, Cal, what is it called? I resisted the urge to rapidly tap my forehead. “The hands and eyes and things like that? Um…parti...
2024-09-29 15:24:20 +0000 UTC View PostHi everyone, it's time for my second Patreon poll! ✌️ You will have the chance to decide between two very different romances. Chapters from the winner will be uploaded on weeks I'm unable to update Sunglasses in the Rain. Descriptions of each story are below.
If you're having trouble choosing, you can always pick option 3. And don't worry, the loser won't get tossed into the fire dumpster! Both of these tales will eventually be shared with you. 😄
To give all patron...
2024-09-25 15:29:40 +0000 UTC View PostHi everyone,
This is one of those updates every creator hates writing.
So…I’ve had some rough weeks lately. My stress levels are spiking and my anxiety is starting to manifest in lost sleep and other symptoms. I won’t bury my head in the sand about a fact that’s increasingly obvious.
I'm suffering from burn-out.
This isn't intended as some dire proclamation. Burn-out affects...
2024-09-24 18:26:44 +0000 UTC View Post
Despite its recurring rattle, the roadster’s heater turned out to be good at its job. My feet were still chilly, but otherwise I was heading towards “comfy.” I silently thanked the car for stopping my slow slide into a hypothermic coma.
That earlier conversation with Mel had brought heat of a different kind. Listening to her open up about her past had been like playing with fire. I’d be...
2024-09-22 16:11:01 +0000 UTC View Post
~ Mel ~
We're an hour down the road before it occurs to me to turn the heat on.
“Ah! Dammit, I'm sorry.” I lean over and quickly slide the levers as far as they’ll go.
“That’s all right.” Cal glances at me and smiles, his breath pluming out.
Aiming a profanity-laced mental tirade at myself, I silently urge the heater to start working...
2024-09-15 16:35:06 +0000 UTC View PostHi all! I have stuff to share, so let's get to it.
First, I'm happy to report that Charlotte's Reject has been performing very well. 🥳 Considering how much of an unknown this story was, I'm deeply gratified and more than a little relieved! This was my first novel written via Patreon, and I'm glad some of you were with me every step of the way! I say “some,” because I've gained more than ten new followers since publishing!
I'm now within striking range of fifty...
2024-09-15 16:34:31 +0000 UTC View Post“Don’t do this to me, Cal.” The phone connection brought out Rory’s latent whine. “I have plans tomorrow.”
“What plans?” I frantically rooted around my dresser drawer with one hand, grabbing underwear, socks, and a few shirts. I tossed them onto the bed one by one. “Is it Call of Duty or the Dragyn Shyfter DLC?”
“It’s whatever the gaming gu...
2024-09-08 15:52:25 +0000 UTC View Post
The sunlight and my phone’s battery were dying at the same rate, so I halted my amateur research just before sunset. The truth was I had to stop. My head was a mess of scattered facts and clouded emotions. The only thing in sharp focus was the newly returned pinpoint throb between my eyes.
Outside, the sunset was thready, its red glow filtered through a sky as moody as I was. I ...
2024-09-01 15:00:15 +0000 UTC View PostDid I end that last part too dramatically?
The thing is, my present situation is kind of nerve-wracking and it's coloring my memories. That storm I heard in the stock room actually drifted south less than an hour later, and not a drop of rain fell. I should also add that not much happened during my shift.
The drama all came at the end, when the thunder returned.
Shit, let me just tell the...
2024-08-25 15:36:27 +0000 UTC View PostHi everyone,
I'm excited to announce that the final version of Charlotte's Reject is complete and in the process of being uploaded to Amazon for an August 20 release! 🥳 I've been working on CR for so long that this feels both sublime and surreal, and I'm thrilled to have made it.
[ EDIT: The book is out now! Here's the link. ]
The older Patreon version will be taken down...
2024-08-15 05:01:35 +0000 UTC View PostHi everyone, I thought I'd post a quick update on what I've been up to (apart from working on Sunglasses in the Rain). It's really just the one thing: The KU release of Charlotte's Reject. It's been taking up almost all of my mental space for months now.
I am a crispy critter. 🫠
But the destination is finally in sight! The book has been built and beta copies are in the hands of readers as I'm typing this. If all goes well, the revised and expande...
2024-08-11 16:09:58 +0000 UTC View PostOkay, it’s not like I really have a sixth sense for fuckwads, but allow me a little artistic license, especially in this case.
If we're going strictly by reality, the arrival of the black pick-up only annoyed me at first. It meant I’d have to make sure that Rory had gotten back from dropping off my groceries. But things got a lot more ominous when Mel noticed the truck. I watched he...
2024-08-11 15:58:04 +0000 UTC View Post
As I stroked Mel’s feathers, a jolt of awareness struck. This thing was laying on her chest. Along with the charm, my finger was tracing the subtle swell of another, more innate, charm. I sucked in a breath at the same time Mel gave a sharp exhale. She stepped away. My hand jerked back.
“I didn't mean to interrupt—”
“So where are you—”
We lapsed into silence....
2024-08-04 15:57:58 +0000 UTC View PostBefore we go further, I should talk about Drywell. Considering how everything turned out, I guess this is sort of a eulogy. No. Damn…that’s way too dark. Must be more jittery than I realized. Anyway…
Drywell isn't a town. It's not even big enough to be a village. Derry Wagner once pushed the idea that it was “an attitude about living life,” but I’ve seen Derry stick a black ...
2024-07-28 17:55:43 +0000 UTC View Post[ A/N - Welcome to the first chapter of Sunglasses in the Rain! As always, the first entry is free to the public. I hope you enjoy this slice-of-life romance with a mystery at its center. ]
The first time I laid eyes on Mel was one year ago. It was the first Friday of April, just before ten o’clock, and I still remember how cold that night was. Of course, I didn't know her...
Wow! Talk about a come-from-behind finish! With my first story poll concluded, I'm proud to announce the next story to be featured here will be Sunglasses in the Rain.
Drywell wasn't a town, it was a collection of buildings aspiring to be a wide spot in the road. As the night attendant of Drywell’s lone gas station, Calvin Keller was expecting to be the first document...
2024-07-11 22:52:48 +0000 UTC View PostThanks to everyone who's voted in the story poll! Voting is still open here.
As I type, To Love a Goddess: Summer is in the lead, but Sunglasses in the Rain has made a surprising rally into second place. With eight members still able to vote, I'm going to leave...
2024-07-07 19:17:15 +0000 UTC View Post[ A/N - This is the bonus conclusion to Book 1 and a teaser of the dangers in store for our unusual couple. ]
Della had never reclaimed her emotions so easily. Under different circumstances it would have been a triumph. But riding next to Nicholas, after what she had done…she wanted...
2024-06-30 15:40:06 +0000 UTC View PostHi, everyone!
It's time for my first Patreon poll. 😄 With Charlotte’s Reject going into revisions for eventual publishing, I want to switch gears and write a romantic short. Shorts are tricky, but practice makes perfect! I'm at a tangled crossroads, so please vote for the idea you like the most. I'll leave this up a week (or until a clear winner emerges).
Optio...
2024-06-26 17:27:22 +0000 UTC View Post[ A/N - I can't believe we're here already. When I began posting installments of Blood and Lace many months ago, I promised 26 chapters and 60,000 words. I have now delivered 28 chapters and 72,000 words. I also promised no cliffhangers, so this entry ends the "official" offering of Blood and Lace on this Patreon.
There will, however, be one final bonus chapter next week. It essentially marks the conclusion of Book 1. The problem, of ...
2024-06-23 15:56:48 +0000 UTC View Post