Monday Mayhem – Attitude of Gratitude

An attitude of gratitude. I hope you all know how very grateful I am for your support and encouragement. Lord knows, I probably don’t say it often enough, but I am. Writers write the stories they want to tell, but when we connect with at least one other person…that’s golden.

So, in case I haven’t said it lately, THANK YOU.

I appreciate you more than words can say. And I have a lot of words at my disposal. 🙂

This holiday season, I am taking part in the Attitude of Gratitude giveaway sponsored by my beloved Brinda Berry.

Brinda has gathered nearly fifty authors and we are GIVING AWAY books as a way of showing our gratitude for our readers. This is a great way to discover new-to-you authors, so don’t miss out!

<3 Mags

Monday Mayhem – Snow White vs Cinderslut

There’s a phrase that gets tossed around Romancelandia that really raises my hackles. No, it’s not ‘bodice ripper’. I can laugh that idiocy off because it’s only used by people who don’t know (or want to know) any better.

No, this is a term that people use to differentiate those books who leave the bedroom door open during sex scenes from those who close the door and fade to black when things start to get intimate.

The label that makes me cringe is: Clean romance.

*shudders*

Just typing it makes my fingers curl. Why? Not because I want to see every detail of all the action on the page, but because it implies that sex between two competent, consenting adults is somehow dirty.

Sex is not dirty.

People who enjoy sex are not morally corrupt.

Women are not required to be ‘in love’ to enjoy sex.

Now, I have no issue with not having the sexytimes spelled out for me on the page (though I admit, I am usually a bit disappointed, particularly if I am way into the couple). But don’t dress one kind of book up as Snow White, and the other as Cinderslut.

I read a lot of romance. I know the high heat level in many of our books is shocking to those who don’t regularly read the genre.

But for the love of Happily Ever After, we do not need to start labels that imply that one depiction of love is good and wholesome, and the other depraved or shameful.

Sex is not dirty.

People who enjoy sex are not morally corrupt.

Women are not required to be ‘in love’ to enjoy sex.

All that is required for a story to be considered romance is a central love story and a happy ending.

Let’s keep it that way.

A special birthday edition COVER REVEAL!

It’s my birthday, and I have something very special to share with you!

No, it’s not cake. But, if I had cake, I’d share it with you. I think this is even better than cake. No, wait, strike that. I can’t say that. But I can say it’s every bit as delicious as cake.

You want a taste?

Are you ready?

Are you sure?

Gah! I can’t wait anymore! Look! Look at the prettiness!

I am so in love with this cover and CANNOT WAIT to share Millie and Ty’s story with you all! Here’s the scoop on PLAY FOR KEEPS:

Mixing business and pleasure is a dangerous game…

Tyrell Ransom, the new men’s basketball coach, is ready to whip his team into shape and start winning some games. But when compromising photos of his soon-to-be-ex-wife with one of his players go viral, everything comes crashing down. With reporters thick on the ground, Ty and his team need some serious damage control―now.

When public relations guru Millie Jenkins arrives in her leopard-print cape to save the day, things reallyheat up… Soon they’re going to have to work double time to keep their white-hot chemistry out of the headlines.

Available April 3, 2018 from Sourcebooks Casablanca

Pre-order your mass market paperback now!
Amazon ~ B&N
Or, ask your local bookseller to order a copy for you!
ISBN #978-1492651529

 

Monday Mayhem – If this writing thing doesn’t work out

It’s my birthday week! Yay!

Okay, it doesn’t really mean much other than I get to use it as an excuse to eat stuff and say, “Hey, it’s my birthday week!” but I plan to use it.

In case you were looking for an update on our trip to New York City, Julie Evelyn Joyce covered it here. It’s pretty comprehensive and I really don’t have much to add, since she ganked most of my pictures for it. So much fun.

Fodder got me a special present for my birthday. Apparently, I’m hard to shop for when it comes to anything beyond and Amazon gift card (and I really don’t understand why he feels compelled to go beyond them, but anyhoo…), but he came across something on eBay and knew I had to have it.

He was right.

Meet my 1976 Smith Corona Super G, Ghia

She’s a super sporty portable manual brought to life by Karmann Ghia designers Alejandro do Tomaso and Tom Tjaarda. Not only is she in great working condition, but she is still sleek and beautiful. Even the carrying case is racy!

So, yeah, if this novelist bit doesn’t pan out, I can always fall back on writing poetry in parks, like we saw last weekend.

I just need to brush up on my poetry skills…and stop rhyming things with Nantucket…

Have a great week, everyone. Eat cake and blame it on me!

Oh! And I’m participating in a multi-author contest this week! Join me, Brinda Berry, Juno Rushdan, and Aliza Mann for a chance to win prizes from each author and be entered to win a $50 amazon gift card!