Tag: author
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Word Candy: Why Simple Words Often Taste the Sweetest
As writers, we love words. We collect them like candy and sometimes feel tempted to show how many we can fit in our mouths. But when does the complexity of our words begin affecting reader retention? Writers often can fall into the trap of trying to write on the level of J. R. R. Tolkien,…
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Kiara Colón Releases a Unique Twist on the Robin Hood Trope
I’m thrilled to share my friend Kiara Colón’s latest release, Hood. A thrilling adventure of romance, retelling, and wolf shifter lore. Born in Puerto Rico and residing in Connecticut with her kids and parents, Kiara balances a full-time job while juggling life as a mom and pouring her heart into writing and beautiful crocheted crafts.…
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New Release Spotlight: Indus Selene’s Uncertain Ice
I love a good sports romance, and today we’re celebrating the release of Uncertain Ice, a new sports romance from author Indus Selene. A game developer by day and romance author by night, Indus balances raising her son with building heartfelt fictional worlds filled with wholesome love stories and just the right amount of spice.…
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F*ck and Other Buzzwords: Shock Value Disguised as Edginess
Is it okay to throw around a few F-bombs in your writing to spice it up? At what point does it start looking desperate for attention? It’s something most writers have to ask themselves at some point. As an open-door romance writer, a few F-bombs and penis references come with the territory. A steamy sex…
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Don’t Feed the Book Trolls
Social Media strikes again. Over the past couple of weeks, a handful of people have decided they are the judge, jury, and executioner of literature. Readers are told they lack intellectualism for not reading the right books. Writers are dismissed because they write romance, or the content isn’t deemed a literary masterpiece, or the reader…
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Why Indie Publishing is My Vibe
Many readers assume that indie authors choose self-publishing because they were not good enough to secure a traditional publishing deal. That assumption could not be further from the truth. For many of us, self-publishing is not a fallback plan. It is a strategic, informed decision. For me, it was a choice I made intentionally and…
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New Writers Deserve Support, Not Shame
The hardest part of becoming an author is publishing that first novel. You are putting a piece of yourself into the world, fully aware that it will be judged. The risk of being picked apart by reviewers alone can be daunting. When that criticism comes from other authors, especially those who position themselves as gatekeepers,…
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Could Cartoon Avatars Be Hurting Your Romance Author Brand?
As the old saying goes, first impressions are everything. That can be said about how an author’s profile reflects on your work, especially in romance. In a writing group on Facebook today, I came across a post asking about the use of a chibi or anime-style avatar for an author’s profile image. The author mentioned…
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Book Beats: What Authors Need to Know About Spotify Playlists
Right along with BookTok vibes, book playlists are trending. Authors everywhere are adding playlists to their novels to spice up those sizzle scenes and set the perfect mood. But should we? I’m not a fan of the trend, though I’ll admit that I do pull inspiration from all sorts of music. I’ve often gotten inspriation…
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I was not ready: The jump from Serial Platforms to Self Publishing
Most authors who take the leap from serial reading platforms to self-publishing won’t admit the huge mistakes that come with it. Why? Because it’s a time we’d often rather forget. From the hard breakup with sketchy pay-to-read apps, to unpolished manuscripts, off-market covers, and just flat-out not knowing what we were doing—it was a slap…
Loretta Kendall 