1. Life is hard no matter what stage you’re in.

The older I get, the more I wonder when things will get “easy.” Heck, forget easy. I’d take *easier* for a while. Watching Lewis struggle through learning basic commands, learning to settle himself, and learning to be part of his new family I know that just because he’s a bitey, feral maniac today doesn’t mean that tomorrow he won’t remember to lick first, pause, and think before he nibbles a hole in my sleeve. Every day I see growth and change in the little guy. And while it’s never entirely easy, I have the patience to wait it out. To show up and stay consistent. More than anything, I know to stay positive. Because I’m building a relationship with this little guy. It may never be *easy,* but I do know that it gets easier. And every day along the way is filled with love, laughs, and licks that make the journey worth it.

Lewis may struggle, but if I keep a bird’s eye view and stay calm and patient, none of it feels too hard. Challenging, sure, but like I said, the love and laughs make it worth it.

2. The possibilities truly are endless.

This is something I struggle with big-time. I was raised with a lot of no’s, a lot of negativity. A lot of anxieties and fears due to the issues my family had. We all have things that make us limit ourselves, ways we stay small so we can stay safe. My dog, Molly, is amazing, but she’s highly anxious and fears new things. It’s been a slow journey to help her overcome her fears, and that’s taught me to be kinder to myself. But Lewis is a VERY different dog. He doesn’t react with fear, but is curious, stubborn, and oh-so clever.

We recently tried teaching him (at only 12 weeks old) to run through a tunnel to fetch a toy. Molly, my shepherd, would be terrified of the challenge. She is afraid of strange new objects, especially large ones (which makes walking her through the city to trash day a tragic-comedic experience). But Lewis, after investigating, trying, and failing, nailed the puppy tunnel. He loves it!

When I sit at my desk and think about my life or my books, my career and my plans, sometimes it’s TOO easy to think about what won’t happen. What I can’t do. What I fear.

I’ve been actively working on seeing possibilities. When I hang out with my nieces, I absolutely believe they are capable of ANYTHING. Everything! Why won’t I believe that for myself?

Putting myself in the Lewis mindset means seeing myself in the same gentle light. I may have Molly tendencies—fear, anxieties, worries—but there is a lot of Lewis still in me. Curiosity, courage, and consistency—that’s how I plan to change my mindset and embrace bigger and better possibilities.

I love decorating for the seasons, so I added a little color to my bookshelves as we get into spooky season! It’s still sunny and warm here in Los Angeles, but who says we can’t have pumpkins!!!

This month I’m leading a book club and the book we’re reading is a classic!! I’ve never read Persuasion by Jane Austen, but I’ve read plenty of retellings and have watched North & South, which I believe is a Persuasion retelling as well. With all the fantasy and contemporary romance I read, this will be a definite change of pace. But I’m excited!

What books are on your fall TBR?

Thanks so much for reading, friends! Stay healthy, safe, and when the going gets tough, think of little Lewis. No matter where you’re at in life, I believe our best days are still ahead. And we can have lots of laughs and love while we’re in the now.

Of course I jumped at the chance to meet with them! (When Amazon calls, you answer!) I ended up having an hour-long chat with an ACX rep who was really informative and supportive.

He asked why I hadn’t recorded audiobooks of my backlist; what my future plans were for audio. If you’ve never chatted with indie authors about audiobooks before, it’s a whole THING.

Many indies license their audiobook rights to production companies. In exchange for a small advance (usually like $250), an audiobook production company will take on the responsibility for creating, editing, and distributing your audiobook. When you consider that the average single-narrator (so if you’re writing dual point of view, you’d need two narrators!) audiobook costs between $3,000-$4,000 to produce, having someone pay me for my audiobook rights and then covering 100% of the production costs sounds like a good deal… Right?

Well, in a way, it can be. But I know so many authors who regretted giving up their audio rights even 3, 4, 5 years into the contract. The average audiobook contract lasts for 7 years. And at the end of the seven years, if you want out of the contract, sometimes there are costly buy-out clauses. All of this makes sense.

Audiobook narrators do voice work as a job. They aren’t writing the stories of their heart, willing to take on the risk that no one will read it. (Like authors do!) The average audiobook takes 40-50 hours to record. Factor into that audition time, editing, and revisions, and the job is indeed a big one.

The Amazon platform offers indie authors like me some options to manage the costs, but those have their limitations as well. For example, if I decide to distribute exclusively on Amazon, I would be eligible for various plans that allow me to share the earnings with my narrator without paying the entire recording rate up front. The down side to being exclusive to Audible, though, is that I could not put my audiobooks into libraries or sell them on m website.

I’m a huge fan of libraries and would really like to be able to offer my audiobooks to libraries if I record them… So we’ll see…

I started looking into narrators to see if there were voices I could imagine capturing the essence of my characters. I’ve found a few… And I’m hoping to save my pennies so that next year I can release at least one of my books in audio.

Are you an audiobook lover? I probably read 3-5 audiobooks a month! (Thank you, Libby app!) There are some books I need to sit down and savor, but when I’m cooking or cleaning, walking my dog, or stuck in LA traffic, I’m far more likely to listen to an audiobook than music. (So many books, never enough time!)

How do you read your books? Are you a KU fan? Paperback only? Audio? Let me know what you think and if you have favorite narrators! I’m looking at a few lesser-know narrators (including one a few I know in real life!!) so we’ll see… Will there be audio in my future? You’ll be the first to know!

Things I’ve Been Loving

I am reading a bunch of cool books and of course am writing and working hard to get my next release out! How has your transition into fall gone? Los Angeles had a wild heatwave that gave my health a run for its money (I HATE HEAT!! But my family lives here in SoCal, so…) But we’re solidly into fall which means even though it’s still summer weather, it’s not as hot. And that means I can start to plan for cozy season! It’s already been COLD back home in Chicago!!

I hope you’re reading lots, loving the change of season, and staying healthy and happy. Thanks for reading, friends!!

As a childless dog-mama, I’ve been so, so fortunate to be close enough to my sister geographically that I can be a part of her kids’ lives. I’m even more fortunate that my sister and I are close enough emotionally that she wants me involved!!

This puppy has been the latest challenge, and oh, how a puppy brings the feels.

In so many ways, raising a puppy is like writing a book. In the beginning, you’re obsessed. There is nothing more exciting, more important, or more immersive than your puppy. You want to talk about it to everyone you know, look at pictures when you’re lying in be with the little furball finally conked out—even though it’s just a few feet away. You obsessively Google puppy raising advice and instead of BookTok, you’re on DogTok or YouTube watching puppy training videos.

Writing a new book is the same. When I first come up with an idea, I’m overtaken by it. I spend hours thinking about what I need to research, I wildly change names and research the origins and meanings of names. I want to share excerpts and get feedback. It’s so, so fun to get lost in a new world that is so beautifully and uniquely yours.

But then, the puppy chews up a laptop cable. Or a couch. Or they poop on your plush pink bathmat. Puppies get the zoomies, they bite everyone and everything. They revenge pee. They eat shoelaces but not food. They are, in a nutshell, completely feral monsters who for some reason we let sleep in our homes. We pet them. We feed them. We love them. We obsess over whether we’re raising them right.

Just like birthing a book.

There comes a time with almost every book I’ve written that I wonder why on Earth I ever thought this was a good idea. Instead of Googling names, I start trolling Indeed for any job that won’t require me to write. My characters don’t chew power cords, but they can fight me in their own ways—not being funny or urgent or clear or magical or anything else that I know they were meant to be.

But there is always a turning point. When I’m with the puppy and he’s nipping and tugging and acting like a little fool, I think of my adult German shepherd, a dog who is so good, so trustworthy, reliable, and loyal, I could put her in a room piled high with cheeseburgers and she’d sit and wait for my signal before even trying to take a nibble. (Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration… But pretty close to it.) She protects me, she loves me, and like with any living creature I’m going to love, getting there took work.

Just like my sister’s little goofball, when the going gets tough, many writers give up. I’ve taken breaks from books and I have set projects aside and started new ones—thinking a new puppy would save me from the challenge of raising the puppy I have.

Thankfully, in my dog-owning years, I can see that it does get better. They learn. They form bonds. They grow up. And hopefully they don’t chew power cords.

I’m like a lot of writers. I have a day job (I’m fortunate that I love it, but it’s a huge time commitment nonetheless) that drains me and requires me to be really organized. I sometimes (all the time) have to choose between writing a few pages and doing that load of laundry before it gets ANY taller.

But I’ve been pushing ahead and trusting that consistency, faith, and working through the problems little by little, day by day, will get me to “the end.” Just like consistency, discipline, and belly rubs will transform the feral little monster who’s taken over my sister’s house into an amazing, loved pet.

I hope to have not one but three amazing books for you in 2025. I’m fighting the restrictions of time and life and yet managing to write at least one chapter per week, all while making time to support my sister and help with the new puppy.

I hope you have something you’re passionate about. Whether it’s a book, a puppy, a hobby, or just making the most of every day, I hope you weather the tough days. I hope you know that you’re not alone—that we all struggle to have enough time, patience, money, energy, clarity. If you’re not, maybe volunteer with a rescue and spend some time rubbing bellies. I can tell you that all that cuteness really is good for the soul. And for the creativity.

I’ve been through a looooooottttt in my life. And I know readers have, too. Very few of us escape this existence without feeling hurt, pain, suffering setbacks, and even experiencing major Trauma. I’m in the last category, as well as all the others. I’ve been treated for PTSD and had some rough stuff happen in my life. But that’s why I am so passionate about telling stories.

In everything I write, I start with a compelling person. A being (not necessarily a human, lol) who is living through the worst things they could image. Sometimes they are broken and resigned… That was Gia in Bloodguild She was just holding on for one more day, day after day. Bloodguild is free, so if you haven’t read it yet, you can download it here and read it now.

In other projects, the characters have taken in their trauma and built up walls so high, they desperately need love and hope to break through the barriers. I’m looking at you, Pali from The Lover’s Leap.

(Press the play button for some fun cover art effects!)

My latest book, Broken Bloodlines, is my most ambitious work yet. It’s the story of the main character, Elli (Ellisaria) who has lost so much, all that’s left of her are the scars. She’s so angry, but she’s adapted to find small joys in her life: the love of her 11 adopted sisters (this book is inspired by the Grimm fairy tale “The Twelve Huntsmen”) being the primary joy that keeps her from burning down the world.

Elli gets an opportunity to go on a quest that on its surface may bring her short-term relief: money and an opportunity to get closure on her past. But there is another possibility that drives her to leave her home and family—revenge.

In real life, I cannot imagine ever trying to get revenge on anyone. Once when I was living in an apartment overrun by horrible people who stole my assigned parking spot, I put a sign on the offender’s car that said If you don’t stop parking here, I’m going to have your car toward across the country. Did that solve the problem? No. Did I ever take any kind of harsh action beyond one angry sign? Also no.

But in my books, I can give my characters the outlets I wish I had. (Well, maybe not wish. But sometimes revenge is a fun idea!)

Elli accepts the call to adventure but along the way, she finds out that not everyone in the world is against her; that the power of the family she’s built is stronger than the things that broke her; and of course, her one true love is both the reason and the opportunity she needs to heal. (Although not at all in the ways she’d imagined.)

In this series, other characters’ backgrounds come in and each of those characters likewise has experienced trauma or suffering. Elli’s sisters, for example, have all been adopted out of difficult circumstances. We spend the most time with the oldest two, Rixane and Tansy, and (no spoilers) we learn a bit about why these sisters are able to heal and grow while they are on this journey with Elli.

(Character art of Leo and Elli…)

I’m working hard to finish the edits of Broken Bloodlines, the first book in the Huntsisters series, for you now. As I read through this first book, we have a lot going on, and I’m reminded how important romance is as a genre. I care about my readers. I want you to feel seen in your life as well as understood. You may not have gone through what Elli has, or what I’ve gone through, but you have your own history, pain, and stories.

If by reading my work you can escape your own circumstances—and maybe return to them a little more optimistic and hopeful—I’ll have done my job.

Are there triggers or tropes you shy away from in books? Things you don’t want to read about? Do you feel hopeful after reading a character who sounds like you gets the happy ending and healing we all want?

I hope you do! And I cannot wait to share Elli’s story with you. I promise I’m working hard and fast because this series is going to take over my 2025 schedule… And I may have announcements about some career firsts in the coming weeks.

Take good care, friend, and keep reading!! I’m enjoying a super long TBR list right now—too long! But is there any such thing as “too many” books? Thanks for reading!

Over the years, authors and publishers have tried to figure out the formula: how many books do I need to sell to hit a list? Do ebooks carry equal weight as paperback? Library purchases, author copies… No matter where you look, there is a variable to consider when trying to spread the word about your books.

One belief the industry has as a whole (You can research this! This article is old, but it gives a comprehensive look into what authors, publishers, and booksellers face.) is that the weight given to bestselling books sold in paperback or hardcover through independent bookstores factors heavily into whether a book hits a list.

Romance authors have a harder hill to climb since we are still in so many places relegated to small sections or shelved in general fiction. I’m tremendously fortunate to live in a big city where bookstores—independent, major, and everything in between—are a drive (and a $$$ parking spot) away.

Where do you buy books? Are you an Amazon fan (No shade to the ‘Zon! I love KU and Prime shipping!)

You may not know this but where and when you buy books matters to those authors working hard to hit bestseller lists. Pre-orders give authors a massive boost as well. The next time you want to pre-order or purchase a book for an author you love, consider reaching out to your favorite indie. Many independent bookstores offer in-store pickup, so you can save on shipping costs.

I’ve pulled together a list of some of the wonderful romance bookstores you might want to put on the list for the next time you’re ready to order or pre-order a book:

1. The Ripped Bodice Bookstore, Culver City, California

   TRB is my local indie bookstore. I live about five miles from them, and I host a monthly book club in the store.

2. Meet Cute Romance Bookshop, San Diego, California

   Where I live in LA is about a two-hour drive from Meet Cute, but this one is high on my list to check out! The mural on their wall is something I’ve stalked on social media so many times. It’s adorable and I hear the staff is super friendly and knowledgeable!

3. Steamy Lit Bookstore, Deerfield Beach, Florida

   If you’re in the romance community in any way, you need to know about Steamy Lit! They put on an amazing reader conference/signing, and they also have a bookstore in Florida. These women are powerful and are making things happen in the romance community, advocating for diverse representation and supporting diver romance authors and creatives. LOVE!

4. The Last Chapter Bookstore, Chicago, Illinois

   Making my hometown proud is this new romance-focused bookstore!

5. Love’s Sweet Arrow, Tinley Park, Illinois

   For those who prefer shopping in the burbs, Love’s Sweet Arrow is a south suburban alternative for romance readers. They were one of the first romance bookstores I heard opening after The Ripped Bodice, so this mother-daughter duo was definitely ahead of the trend!

6. Grump & Sunshine Bookstore, Belfast, Maine

   I have never been to the state of Maine, but this adorable bookstore is reason enough to visit!

7. Under The Cover, Kansas City, Missouri

   With a store name this cute, I feel like organizing a romance bookstore road trip! Who’s with me?

8. Tropes & Trifles, Minneapolis, Minnesota

   I have a dear friend in Rochester, MN, who I desperately want to visit…and who I know I could drag over to this store!!

9. A Novel Romance, Louisville, Kentucky

   I have not been to Louisville, but I have been to other parts of Kentucky. I would absolutely include this cute stop on my romance road trip!

10. Smitten Bookstore, Ventura, California

    As cute as Smitten looks, my romance road trip won’t last very long if I just stay in California… But Ventura is gorgeous, so Smitten caps off my list!

Where are you from? Did I miss any romance bookstores? Let me know because I’m absolutely serious! I’m ready to hit the road and shop…and maybe even schedule 2025 signings!

Have you taken a romance roadtrip? Tell me everything! Thanks for supporting indie authors and bookstores!

That’s the beauty of romance. We can take a broken but functional person and give them everything. The dreams, the hope, the love.

All of those ideas—the character’s arc, their stakes—what makes their story urgent and important now—come from inside me, my experiences, my success and also my failures.

But there are some thing I have to research. I write epic fantasy, but I of course have never lived without modern technology. Before I ever wrote a word of fantasy (but long after I was a dedicated reader of the genre) I studied the clothes of the Medieval period. The food. Medicine, herbs, healing, and political structures. I’ve made choices in my books (like calling the political structures realms instead of “kingdoms”) based on my personal preferences.

One of the areas that can be hardest to research for me is the architecture of the types of structures that realistically would be available to my characters. A palace or castle is easy enough to research, but manor homes and estates, cottages, cabins, and small villages take a little more digging.

On my recent trip to England, I stayed with one of my oldest and dearest friends and her family as they hosted a wedding. (I truly was living my best rom-com vibes… If I wrote contemporary romance, the trip would have filled a whole series of books!) :P

The wedding took place in a renovated barn on a sprawling estate that had a massive pond and all sorts of beautiful buildings. But we stayed for four glorious nights at Frog Manor in Church Minshall, which is located in Cheshire.

Frog Manor! Photo by me.

When I started researching the place, I had a tough time finding much about it. Cheshire, I learned, is where Harry Styles is from (Harry!), and Church Minshall is a “parish” within Cheshire that has records dating back to the 1540’s!

Now, I have no idea how old Frog Manor is. But as I walked the grounds and explored the landscape, I could just imagine living there hundreds of years ago. How dark it would have been without electricity. How vulnerable and beautiful, peaceful and terrifying living in the distant past would have been.

Just looking at these pictures transport me back to the beautiful, historic space where the past felt so real, alive. The manor had been modernized, but the bones remember. This is why I love fantasy romance. We experience exciting, terrifying, and life-changing moments, change, grow, find love, and we do it all in a place in time that is complicated, beautiful, and infused with a sort of magic.

There is a manor in Broken Bloodlines that I can’t wait to share with you. It was written long before I visited Church Minshull, and I’m so happy to have had the chance to visit Frog Manor to really bring some of the spaces in those scenes to life.

Are you a history fan? Do you fall down the research rabbit hole when you discover something you love? Here are a few of my favorite sites to research all things Medieval:

Revival Clothing

Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources

Armor Venue

Medieval Collectibles

Do you love the Medieval period? Have other resources you love for cosplay, LARP, or just browsing and learning? Please share!

And if you’re ever thinking of visiting England, you can stay in Frog Manor! It’s on several vacation rental sites. Check it out but I recommend you bring friends and a laptop… You might be inspired to write your own story!!!

It’s already August which means we’re in the final dog days of summer. I have had a LOT to keep me busy this summer, and I have pictures to share! The most exciting for this fantasy romance writer was my trip to England.

I stayed with one of my oldest and dearest friends, attended a gorgeous wedding in the English countryside (in a barn!!), and stayed in a historic manor home! It was magical and inspiring and beautiful. I loved every moment and I both edited and worked during the wedding weekend, and I cannot wait to share the words that were so, so inspired by this magical place.

This was my first ever trip to England, so I did a lot of what you’d expect and some things you might not! I saw loads of churches, toured cemeteries, lit candles, and ate lots of yummy pub food. I only spent one day in London (I live in a major city so while I LOVED London, I was more excited about the more Medieval parts of the country—more on that in a second.) and I took the tube, the train, and walked my poor little feet off.

I was blown away by Westminster Abbey. I was able to tour the inside and see the very aisles I’ve seen on TV every time I’ve watched a royal wedding. It’s even more majestic and stunning that the pictures convey!

I visited York, Cambridge, and then went back to York a second time to celebrate my birthday! I’ll share a LOT of pics of York over the coming months. I ate dinner in a pub that dates back to 1491, went on a ghost tour (which was completely hilarious and unhinged!), and walked the Tower that held a king’s chapel and former dungeon!

As a fantasy fanatic, I could have stayed in England forever! I loved the food. I couldn’t believe the villages—the cows and sheep that just are loose in the fields where people walk their dogs and hike!! The trip came and went too fast.

I learned a lot in England that will be relevant to my books (the design of latrines will likely not make it into a book, but you never know…)

It was a life-changing trip and an absolutely HUGE gift from my friend who let me stay with her family for THREE WEEKS so I could attend the wedding and make a holiday out of the time. What a summer.

I’ve been writing like mad, working like a whirlwind, and trying to stay cool through the summer heat. I’ve recorded posts episodes (Season Two will enjoy a fun change in format) and am overall busy but happy to be back home and healthy after more plane, car, train, and bus travel than I’ve done in years all crammed into the last two months.

What’s kept you busy this summer? What are you reading? I hope you’re staying healthy and safe. Stand by for lots of news and new books! I appreciate you reading this update, and if you have been to England or just want to, please comment or message me. I’d love to chat about my new favorite home away from home!

I hope you had an amazing Memorial Day Weekend! If you’re part of a military family or have a military background yourself, please accept my sincere thanks for your service and sacrifice. My grandfather and father both served in the Army, and my stepfather is career retired military, so I sincerely respect and appreciate the sacrifice and commitment our military families make.

I’ve been BUSY over here in Los Angeles. Spring has been cool (love it!) and work has been hectic (also a good thing!) I’m about to take a major trip—the first I’ve taken in ages. My last trip out of the country was a volunteer trip to Romania forever ago. (FOREVER!) So long, in fact, my passport is expired! But I’m getting a lot of ducks lined up so I can attend a friend’s wedding in England this June.

I was so, so fortunate to find someone I trust to dog-sit Molly. She’s such a great girl, but it’s a BIG commitment to leave your 80-pound German Shepherd with someone while you’re out of the country!!

(Molly buried in fresh from the dryer clothes on laundry day!)

I’ve actually never been to England, so this is going to be a fantastic opportunity! I’ll be traveling and working, visiting and hopefully taking a little time off. I can’t imagine a better trip for a fantasy romance author than visiting the country of CASTLES!!! I plan on taking tons of pics and getting loads of inspiration for the next installment of The Huntsisters series!

In preparation for the trip, I’ve been reading, writing, and recording loads of podcast interviews. We’re taking a brief hiatus while my editor gets all the new episodes recorded, and we’ll be back this summer with SO many great guests. I’ve had a blast meeting new-to-me fantasy romance authors, and I’ve interviewed some special guests, including a librarian, a super-reader, and some other non-authors who adore fantasy romance as much as I do!

Pic above is what I’m reading right now. Blood at the Root is a debut novel that is now a New York Times bestseller! I preordered it so I got the hardcover in the mail when it released! It’s YA magical fantasy, and I think there’s romance coming, but I’m not quite there yet!!

I was never much into puzzles, but as you probably know by now, I ADORE all things Critical Role, and a dear friend bought me this puzzle… And I have to tell you, I got hooked!! It took some time putting together, but look how cool it turned out!! I think I’m officially a puzzle gal now… I’ve been thinking about a really fun way to incorporate puzzles into a giveaway at the reader event I’ll be attending in September… Maybe free books for anyone who correctly guesses the number of puzzle pieces in a bag?

I found out I’ll be volunteering at the reading at Steamy Lit Con in August, and I can’t wait to be a part of the day! Fellow author and amazing human Maria Vale will be volunteering with me, so we’ll take lots of pics and talk about all things fantasy on the drive from LA to Anaheim. If you’re coming to Steamy Lit, PLEASE let me know! I’d love to say hi in real life while you’re local!!

As you head into summer, I hope you’re safe and healthy! Reading anything great? I don’t want to spoil too many of the fantastic authors I’ve been meeting, but I’ll share more soon. I’m meeting the most talented authors and reading so many fantastic books!! I’d love to hear what authors you’re loving and who you’d love to see on the podcast!

Stay healthy, safe, and make time for some epic reads! I can’t to share more fun updates with you soon!

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Why?

Well, because indie authors are small business owners. We know what our readers want because we talk to them directly—like right now!

One issue that’s been on my mind a lot lately is putting my books into audio. As an indie author, I pay for and manage everything myself: writing (of course), editing, formatting, distribution, marketing, and art. I hire human artists and I pay competitive rates because I believe creators and creatives should earn a fair wage for their work.

But the one thing that I haven’t yet reached into is audio. But ooooooh, do I want to!!!

The costs to produce an audio book are intense. As I’ve learned through teaching (planning, staging, recording, and editing lecture content before it goes live to students) and my podcast, audio production is not as simple as whipping out my iPhone and hitting record.

A professional audiobook narrator can (and should!) charge between $200-400 per finished hour for their work. That means if they can read about 9,000 words per finished hour, that a 90,000-word book will cost the author $2,000-$4,000!! Worth it? Yes. Do-able? Not for all of us, and certainly not for every book.

But I’ve been thinking through options for getting my next series available in audio this year. One narrator will be fairly easy since the first book is told in one only POV. But what would I want in terms of voices? A female narrator “acting out” the male voice? Minor changes in tone so the listener can make sense of who’s speaking? A full dramatic voiced production?

What attracts you when you listen to audiobooks? Do you prefer audio over KU, ebook, or paperback?

Thanks to the Libby app (my local library), I listen to dozens of audiobooks a month. I find the ones that are highly dramatized with sound effects and changes from the original book are my LEAST favorite—even though those can be highly entertaining. I want someone to READ to me. With a great voice, good pacing, and a smooth flow. Am I too “easy” to please? What do you listen for when you borrow or buy an audiobook? Do you read more/faster when the book is on audio? I’d love to know!!

Stay tuned... As soon as I make decisions and have news, you’ll be the first to know. In the meantime, HAPPY MAY!!

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In fun news, I finally got myself into a salon for a haircut and color. This may not seem like big news, but honestly, it is. I’m a chronic illness gal and between work (which I love but still, time!) and trying to maintain all the moving parts, it’s been an obscene amount of time since I got my hair done last. Like 15 months!! My nieces have been keeping count of my gray hairs and which one of those gray hairs was the longest (since my hair finally hit my waistband…I’m talking obscenely long!)

I finally took the plunge and hacked off inches and added back some color. Pre-pandemic, I used to be the queen of COLOR. Black hair, platinum blonde, red… The only limitation to what I’d do with my hair was my budget and the restraint of my hairdresser. :P

I’m delighted to share the world’s worst selfies and some before/after shots of my fresh ‘do! (The before pics are courtesy of my nine-year old niece who loves doing hairstyles. And yes, we love coloring and making crafts together!)

In other news, I’m nose-deep in edits on two projects right now, and the seeds have been planted for my next series as well. (Whoosh! I need more time to write! Says every writer, I know…)

Since I’m planning on putting my new titles on Kindle Unlimited, I can’t make large excerpts available for you here for free. But I am dying to share the steamy adventures and angsty journey of Prince Leo and Elli with you. I am hoping to have the pre-order up in just another month or so and then ARC signups will be available. Stay tuned! I'm writing like mad and my betas and my new editor have been brilliant. (Thank you, Sabrina!) But for now, since it’s been forever since I shared this, I’d love for you to take a peek at the book that introduced readers to the universe of Efimia, the realm of Tutovl, and the characters from my first series.

If you haven’t downloaded a copy yet, you can read the prequel Bloodguild for free. Here’s the blurb:

Vampire Rainieri Oderisi has inherited a hunger for blood and superhuman healing, but he can’t outrun bad luck. After a trip to salvage treasure goes wrong, Rain’s older brother lands himself in the stockade of a vampire raider.

If Rain can’t repay the value of the lost cargo, his brother’s head will end up on a pike. And Rain will not just be penniless—he may be the next one bricked into a cell for eternity.

Gia Lestalinn is nearly a master scrivener. Nearly. The only thing standing between her hard-earned dream is the long memory of the people of the shire. They know what her parents did, and why they died.

No amount of hard work can clear the debt passed on to Gia and her sister. When a dangerous stranger shows up in the guild shop with a purse full of silver and a mysterious job, Gia feels more than curiosity. Unexpected passion transforms enemies to lovers, but when Rain brings her to a cemetery her first night on the job, will she risk everything to join his bloodguild?

Read Bloodguild for Free Here!

How have you been? What are you reading right now? What work and life stuff has kept you busy?

Here are a couple of books I’m reading now and loving. (Check the content warnings on these if you decide to pick them up!)

This one came recommended by my friend, bookstagrammer Ellen and it’s so fun and funny so far!! I’ll give you my review once I finish!

This one is brilliant and haunting. Monsters and mobsters…what more could you ask for? And it’s on Kindle Unlimited!

Ellen has amazing taste in books (I always have like a dozen books going at once) so when she posted about this the other day, I knew I was on the right track. I just started this, but it’s quickly consuming my thoughts and every second of my free time!

I’d love to see your book recs, hear about what you’re loving in romantasy, and who you’d like to see on the podcast. Have you listened to the Fantasy Romance Podcast yet? I have a HUGE author on the next episode (shhh, it’s Nisha J. Tuli!!) and can’t wait to share that conversation with you.

Thanks for reading, friends! I appreciate you and thank you for reading, listening, and being part of this amazing ride.

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By Kelsey Josephson

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Writing a book is hard enough, but the pressure to “go viral” is intense.

The issue for authors, though, is the alchemy, the formula. Chasing the secret sauce that makes a book (or, more precisely, the social post featuring the book) go viral is next to impossible. Changes in the algorithms are frequent and confusing. What works today lands tomorrow like a turd in a kiddie pool. No, really. This stuff kinda stinks!

The various social media platforms don’t empower creators with the tools. In many cases, posting on a social platform and hoping for a viral result is like auditioning for American Idol. So many hopefuls, so much talent. And yet only a few will get the golden ticket to Hollywood. Even fewer with make it all the way to the top.

Advice from marketers and book coaches and experts from every corner of the industry doesn’t provide much concrete guidance, either. Sometimes that’s who’s telling us to show our faces, don’t show our faces, and so on. But what does seem to “work” is volume and consistency over time. You have to be “out there” to be seen, right? So the more you put yourself out there, the more the chances improve that you’ll be seen.

Or so we think!

(Image: a photo I took on a recent visit to The Last Bookstore in Downtown Los Angeles)

That’s same approach that authors need to take with their publishing strategies. Publish well, publish more, and keep publishing.

I run a monthly in-person book club at a bookstore in Culver City, California. We read exclusively romance, and the focus on the book club is the craft of writing and the business of publishing. Every month, the bookstore closes down to accommodate our large group. In rare months, attendance hovers around twenty. But of late, we’ve seen 35 and even 40 people pack the Sunday evening event.

Virtual book clubs and read-alongs have been on the rise since the pandemic, but in the years since the in-person restrictions have been lifted, the thirst for human connection especially around book content seems to be unquenchable. While I love meeting on Zoom and saving myself the drive through Los Angeles traffic and the ever-expensive costs of parking, there is something about meeting readers who also tend to be aspiring authors and talking through the merits—and the shortcomings—of books we’ve read.

Inevitably, the conversation comes back to that American Idol question… How did this book get so much attention when there are so many other good ones that never get seen?

It’s a question with no answer. Just like what does it take to land a golden ticket to Hollywood? Talent, that special something, and timing, maybe? But thousands have that, maybe tens of thousands.

So what’s a writer to do?

In a culture that can access anything from our phones, Americans reportedly watch three hours of TV per day. Roughly 30 percent of Americans read zero to one book per year. Zero to one!!

You know what changes that statistic from one book to two, two books to three, and turns someone who hasn’t read since high school into an avid reader? They get caught up in a season of American Idol and can’t go back.

What I mean is the one thing that brings people back to reading is the excitement, many times as the result of a book going viral. If the universe throws a book’s title or cover everywhere you look, at some point many people can’t help but wonder what all the fuss is about.

As a writer who struggles to balance life and work that pays the bills plus building my author career, I could choose to step away from the audition, go back home and sing in the shower and never try to put my stories and my work out there for readers. Instead, when I see a book go viral, I’m grateful. Grateful that someone ahead of me in line is having their moment. It’s their time to go all the way, and I will not waste time review-bombing or being jealous or hating on a platform that has done nothing but bring more excited readers into the romance space.

Yes, social media is hard for people who just want to tell stories. But the job of being a writer, like being a singer or an Idol, isn’t just about having talent anymore. I’m so happy to celebrate the successes of my friends and peers, and to keep chipping away, playing the game. I’m in this for the long haul. And I’m not just playing to win. I’m playing to open the space for everyone in line behind me, who hopes it can be possible, who dreams they might get their moment in the spotlight. There are unlimited numbers of golden tickets. And heck, I’m already in Hollywood. :P

Where do you learn about new books? What recommendations help you find new authors to binge? Did a viral book bring you back into reading? If so, thank you and welcome. No matter how you found my work, I’m so, so glad you’re here.

I loved talking with FT, and I adored Ellery and Knox! This cover, this universe, and these amazing characters made this an enthusiastic five-star read for me. I hope you’ll check out not only our fun chat, but also grab a copy of this book!!

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Of course, I didn’t get any credit or royalties for the work. I was paid a flat fee per word and when I handed in my drafts, I was done. An editing team took over the project from there, and I never once had notes or revisions sent back to me. (Phew!)

The series I wrote for was very, very popular. In the first few months it was live on the app it went from 12,000 views to several million. By the time I left the position two years later, the series I wrote (at times as part of a writing team, and for several months over the two years I was the sole writer) had earned more than 40 million views.

40 million views!!

Working on that series was busy. Frantic, even. I have always juggled a lot of projects as a freelancer, but I pulled a lot of long weekends and late nights to make sure the sexy hijinks I wrote on that series were the best they could be.

But writing as someone else, for someone else lit a fire in me. Those 40 million views were on my words…and I didn’t earn enough per month writing to pay even half my rent. I wondered if I could do it for myself. Write my own serialized stories.

Now, not everyone loves serialized stories, but after writing for that app for so many years, I truly enjoyed the format. Short chapters (episodes), multiple points of view, always someone new and something interesting going on… It was a fun and really engaging way to write. So I turned a novel I had into a series and published it on Kindle Vella, a platform for serial fiction. I went on Vella went the site went live, and my series (thanks to some luck and timing and fairy dust) did really, really well.

This is the quirky little series that started it all! Cover by the same artist I work with now, Matt Hubel.

Amazon ran ads promoting my series. I ranked in the top 25 of all series on the platform for the first 12 months the series was live. And then, like everything does, things changed. The platform changed. More great writers and stories came onto the platform. And the genre that I had decided to serialize was getting drowned out by romance!

That was okay with me. As much as I adored my quirky little zombie project, writing horror week after week at that pace (I was writing about 10,000 words a week for a year) was EXHAUSTING. I love zombies, but I was ready to launch my own romance content. I could still write monsters, but I would just put them into an epic fantasy setting.

But while I published my fantasy romances on Kindle Unlimited, I toyed with the idea of trying one of the books I had in the works as a series on Vella. The series was basically an epic fantasy version of Sons of Anarchy. Instead of motorcycles, these bad guys in a massively powerful crime family rode horses. There was a unique magic system and a plant that gave the family its unparalleled wealth. Three half brothers, all bound by crime and wealth and lust, each with different mothers and secret backstories. In the opening episode, their father, Lord Baer Baynne, is caught not only sleeping with his oldest son’s wife, but he was planning to murder his own son so he could be with his pregnant daughter-in-law. Heady stuff, right?

But I LOVED it. There was unrequited love and vampires and even a series crossover. (Neo and Syndrian from Dishonor Among Thieves and Lover’s Leap make cameos!) I published 25 episodes of Wraith on Vella when more changes were rolled out. And then more.

Amazon changed the compensation structure for all series on the platform. Last week, a reader unlocked the first eleven episodes of my zombie series. Translated into pages, those eleven episodes come out to about 140 printed pages. After the new changes Amazon made to Vella, guess how much I earned for those 140 pages being read of my series?

5 cents.

I know writers have very strong opinions about their art and the value of their art. I’m always tremendously grateful when anyone reads me work. Being paid a fair wage for that work, though, is of course important. What is fair?

That’s for each one of us to decide. I am going to leave that zombie series on Vella and count the pennies it earns. I’m not marketing it, and I’m not likely to write more of the series any time soon.

But I took Wraith down immediately. I had bigger plans for that story. Bigger than what it could be as a series on Vella. I gave a little heads up here a few months ago that Wraith would be coming down, and I appreciate if you read it before it left Vella.

But now, my dark, angsty, erotic crime series is in my active drafts. I’m working to expand the storylines and organize the content into books that readers can access on KU. I have the cover done, and I hope to have the pre-order for the book available in the next month or two.

For now, I’m tremendously grateful for the confidence that Vella gave me. Total strangers read my quirky Los Angeles zombie series. I received fan DMs, was invited on YouTube shows and podcasts, and received messages from people who loved that story and begged me to write more. (I took a pause at the end of Season One which was about 250,000 words long!)

But things change fast in publishing. Platforms that are popular lose favor with readers or authors. Trends come and go. No matter what, I’m grateful to you. To readers who support my work and who listen to my podcast. To fans and friends alike who read my 40+ million view series and said, “Callie! You’ve got to publish your own stuff!”

The business of writing is hard, but the benefits of creating stories and connecting with readers and writer friends… There’s nothing I’d rather do. Except maybe fake date a secret prince who’s actually a vampire.

I’m hard at work in my freelance practice and editing both Broken Bloodlines and Wraith for release this year. I’ve been accepted to more author signings and events for 2025, which I’ll share as those events come closer. But for now, this is a thank you as well as a goodbye of sorts.

In taking Wraith off Kindle Vella, I’m leaving behind the platform that made me a writer. ME. Not the pseudonym whose work had 40 million reads. But me. The woman behind the words. The woman who works very, very hard for every penny of my reader’s hard-earned coins that are spent to purchase my work on whatever platform I’m on.

I pray someday my own work will be read at the scale my other series have been. I appreciate the five cents I’ve earned even as I work harder to grow more, write better, and earn the trust and loyalty of more readers.

I have a lot of work to do and a lot of words to write to get there. And every step of the way, I’m so grateful, truly, deeply grateful, that you’re here for the journey.

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Restrictions may apply. Shipping may be limited to the United States. And the box may include NSFW material, so please be over age 18!

This giveaway will be run by Jenifer and is subject to her terms and conditions. Thank you!

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Creating a fictional universe is a very private but also comforting thing. I know why I love my characters. Why this world has the trauma and pain, joys and light that it does. It really is all fun and games…until I have to create a cover brief.

For me, the process of having a cover made is terrifying, exhilarating, and also incredibly vulnerable. For years I’ve lived with characters, tweaked their journeys, and tried to make their stories satisfying so that other people might love them as much as I do. Before the cover is made, I rely on inspiration boards to keep me anchored in what I think the character looks like, what their personality feels like, and the overall themes and tone of the book.

Working with My Illustrator

When I work with my cover illustrator, I send him a detailed document that includes a very early draft of the book’s blurb, title, and vibes. I include pictures of the people who have inspired the characters for me, and offer suggestions about the position the character (or characters, if it’s a couple) could be in. Normally, I offer the illustrator a lot of information and let him choose what composition and design he feels most inspired to execute.

Dishonor’s Cover

For my first book, Dishonor Among Thieves, I absolutely fell in love with the early sketch. The couple’s pose, the quiet angst, the simmering magic of them. When I saw it colored, there were a few things the artist did that I knew couldn’t work. (Neo’s original hair color was gray!) So I requested a few minor color changes, and the final version is what’s on the book today. The artist I hire to pain the cover image is not the same person who designs the cover itself. After the final image was approved, I had my cover artist take the art and format the cover with a font, design the spine, and the back and interior, including the chapter pages.

Broken Bloodlines

If you’ve read Wraith or seen the cover on social media, you know that I tried something a little different with that series cover. Instead of a couple, I decided to try just one of the characters placed front and center. I love all types of covers—object, font, illustrated, even some photorealistic covers—but I know that for as long as my artist is willing to work with me, I wanted to have him paint my covers with beautifully depicted characters.

Broken Bloodlines is going to be the first in the series. There are twelve sisters, two royal families, and a vampire. The cover of the first book has to set the tone for the series and also create a character who can carry the story. I wanted the image of Prince Leo to draw the reader in, but also to not be too perfect. He’s a bit of an Edward Cullen in that way… He’s not perfect, a little anti-hero—the hero who has a long way to go if he’s going to earn his HEA.

Prince Leo is inspired physically by Lee Pace’s Thranduil (IYKYK!!!) and Zayn Malik. His father, the king of Drammen, is under attack from within, but everyone in the royal family has a secret that could bring down their bloodline. Leo was separated from the only woman he ever loved by a tragedy and he’s arrogant, angry, and fiercely protective of the things he cares about…even if he does fall first and hard.

The Cover!!

And here he is:

The scars, the eyes, the crown… The wear and tear on the throne that represents the battle in the palace… I hope you love Prince Leo as much as I do! I’ll have the pre-order up very very soon, and lots more teasers and quotes.

(Cover art by the uh-may-zing Matt Hubel and cover design/fonts by Book Genie!)

For now, thank you so much for sharing this cover reveal with me. It’s always a journey to see how the artist renders what’s lived in my heart and head, and I hope you give this flawed prince a chance to get under your skin the way he’s lived under mine! More to come, and as always, thank you for reading!!

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I have amazing news to share! I will be signing books at Romance Con this fall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin! The event is going to be amazing with a massive list of authors you know as well as new-to-you authors who will be signing their books and mingling over dinner and fun parties.

I don’t want to get all nostalgic on you, but this will be my first-ever author signing event, and I truly am excited, honored, and a little terrified! My mom, in case you didn’t know, was a career romance author. She went to conferences and signings all the time when I was a teenager. I remember Mom bringing home gifts that her readers had made or bought for her. In fact, one particularly beautiful wreath that a reader made Mom gave me and my sister to hang up on our wall. It was so, so cute and for years of my childhood, we had such an amazing reminder of the bond that readers and their favorite authors have right there on the wall each and every day.

I attended a reader event here in California this past fall as a reader. Taking pictures with authors, asking questions, and sharing our excitement over books is something I NEVER get tired of doing no matter which side of the author table I’m on!

Above is a picture of the ever-talented Helen Hardt signing for her lovely fans! Photo by me!

I’ve never met Saharra K. Sandhu in person but we’ve chatted online before. We *finally* got to connect in real life and she is even more awesome in real life! (Selfie by me, lol!!)

I love connecting with readers and have had the most inspiring experiences hearing from readers virtually. But here’s the thing… Most readers go to signings hoping to bring back the most awesome swag, right?

But I have no clue what swag is cool anymore… So if you’re open to sharing your opinion, I’d love your help!

You can choose from the options above or comment on this post to let me know what you’d love to take home from a reader event!

I’m debating about having a selfie station in addition to fun swag, so cool photos will definitely be taken!!

What kind of reader swag do you like? Do you attend reader cons? How do you feel about signed books, swag, and meeting authors in person? I’d love to hear what you think… And, hopefully, see you in September in Milwaukee!!