Note: Reviews are listed alphabetically by author’s last name. Livesuit James S.A. Corey (The Captive's War novella) While the first full-length novel in this new series was well-written and had a fascinating premise, none of the point-of-view characters particularly grabbed me. In contrast, Karin fascinated me from the first scene as I followed his transition from … Continue reading Five-Star Reads for December 2024
November Wrap-Up & December Goals
I'm prepping this month's roundup from the back seat of my parent's rental car during the great southern tour of 2024. After spending Thanksgiving weekend in Atlanta with friends, I swung by Alabama this week for my spouse's graduation from military training, and now we're on the way up to Nashville to visit old family … Continue reading November Wrap-Up & December Goals
Five-Star Reads for November 2024
Note: Reviews are listed alphabetically by author's last name. Christmas on Stardust Lane Garrett Leigh The best sorts of Christmas romances are those that could be set at any time of year and still read perfectly, because the depth of emotion is rooted in the characters and their connection rather than any specific holiday. Tam … Continue reading Five-Star Reads for November 2024
October Wrap-Up & November Goals
I was beginning to recover from September, and then this week happened. Rather than re-hash my thoughts here, you can check out the blog post I wrote about my plan to keep writing. The releases I have coming up have never been more appropriate, because my contributions to both involve rebelling against the status quo … Continue reading October Wrap-Up & November Goals
Con Report: Northern Rainbow Romance Retreat 2024
To say the past 2 months have been rough for me is an understatement even before the U.S. election results this week. I'm slowly getting all of my projects back on schedule and catching up on the epic to-do list, and today's task is finally writing up my convention report for the first Northern Rainbow … Continue reading Con Report: Northern Rainbow Romance Retreat 2024
Creation as an act of defiance
Or, I Picked a Hell of a Year to Start Writing Queer Romance I've caved to "doom scrolling" on social media a couple of times today, and so far I've seen two posts by author friends announcing that they will be taking an indefinite hiatus from writing. One is a romance author living in a … Continue reading Creation as an act of defiance
Five-Star Reads for October 2024
Note: Reviews are listed alphabetically by author's last name. Xerxes Descendant Adelaide Blaike (House Epsilon #1) The short version of this review basically boils down to "insert screaming and flailing here." This author knows that I'm extremely picky about my speculative fiction, so I considered it an honor that she invited me to be a … Continue reading Five-Star Reads for October 2024
September Wrap-Up & October Goals
Hello from Toronto! I'm bringing you this update from much farther north than usual, during the Northern Rainbow Romance Retreat. So far, I've attended some great sessions on queer history, cover design, and portraying characters with trauma. I'm having a blast spending time with fellow writers, and I look forward to meeting readers during the … Continue reading September Wrap-Up & October Goals
Con Report: Capclave 2024
When I posted my schedule for this event last week, I was shocked to realize that it had been five years since I last attended Capclave in person, between conflicting commitments and other "unprecedented events." Since I live between Baltimore and Washington DC, I consider this con my other "home" convention, and I was delighted … Continue reading Con Report: Capclave 2024
Northern Rainbow Romance Retreat 2024 Schedule
I am extremely fortunate that the year I added romance to my brand, many new romance events also debuted. My willingness to invest in original ideas (which has always been an integral part of my brand) means I've had fabulous opportunities not often available to "newer" authors. This week, I'm thrilled to participate in my … Continue reading Northern Rainbow Romance Retreat 2024 Schedule
Five-Star Reads for September 2024
Note: Reviews are listed alphabetically by author's last name. More Than Need Aurora Crane (Better in Threes #1) Being familiar with these characters from other books by the author in the same shared world means I came at this story from a different perspective than brand-new readers enjoying Crane's work for the first time. Riley … Continue reading Five-Star Reads for September 2024
Capclave 2024 Schedule
How has it been 5 years since I attended Capclave? I had to double-check my own blog because I didn't believe it. I participated virtually in 202, and I unfortunately had to cancel my appearance in 2022 to quarantine after an international trip. Regardless, I'm thrilled to be back this year to an event I … Continue reading Capclave 2024 Schedule
August Wrap-Up & September Goals
My epic summer may be winding down, but that doesn't mean the rest of 2025 will be any easier! I had a blast attending the inaugural Rainbow Readers Cruise as my first official romance author event, and I'm already looking forward to my trip to Canada to attend the first Northern Rainbow Romance Retreat at … Continue reading August Wrap-Up & September Goals
Con Report: Rainbow Readers Cruise 2024
You know I love cruises. You know I love conventions. You better believe that I was one of the first people signed up when this convention on a cruise was announced! Even more exciting (and possibly appropriate), the Rainbow Readers Cruise 2024 was also my first official appearance in my new romance author guise. Then … Continue reading Con Report: Rainbow Readers Cruise 2024
Five-Star Reads for August 2024
Note: Reviews are listed alphabetically by author's last name. Tied Down Kate Hawthorne (Trophy Doms New York #2) Though Hawthorne hits some of the more generic queer romance tropes in this book, such as best friend's brother and bi-awakening, she always put her unique spin on them. Ford won me over by being unapologetic about … Continue reading Five-Star Reads for August 2024
July Wrap-Up & August Goals
I've been so excited for all my epic summer plans for so long that to have them be halfway over is breaking my heart a little. Last month, I spent a lovely week in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and took a fabulous weekend trip to Connecticut for a book signing. Luckily, I've … Continue reading July Wrap-Up & August Goals
Con Report: RomantiConn 2024
Last weekend, I had a blast attending RomantiConn 2024 up in Connecticut as author Rory Maxwell's minion/emotional support human! I couldn't turn down the opportunity when she invited me to take her PA ticket to meet some of my favorite authors and get a crash course from the inside of how romance author events differ … Continue reading Con Report: RomantiConn 2024
Five-Star Reads for July 2024
Note: Reviews are listed alphabetically by author's last name. For the Night Cara Dee (The Game #15) Penelope has always been the outlier within the Mclean House founders as a woman, which only made me more excited to learn more about her and see her find her own happily ever after. We've had glimpses of … Continue reading Five-Star Reads for July 2024
June Wrap-Up & July Goals
Whew, June was a crazy month! Two releases within 2 weeks sounded like a good idea at the time, especially with connected stories, but my brain was absolutely fried. That's one part of why my monthly update is a bit behind schedule. The other parts are because I also visited New York City to spend … Continue reading June Wrap-Up & July Goals
Five-Star Reads for June 2024
All In Kate Hawthorne (Trophy Doms New York #1) If my favorite recurring theme of Hawthorne's writing is the depiction of kink and power dynamics beyond the simple trappings of a scene, a close runner-up is her nontraditional villain redemption arcs. After all, Kale is never a villain in Dalton and Ivey's story, simply a … Continue reading Five-Star Reads for June 2024