Favourites Friday - Books I Love

 

Happy Friday, Readers!

Thank you to anyone who has visited or commented on my blog or social media posts this week. The support is greatly appreciated.

Today, I want to discuss some of my favourite books.

I was going to start with a disclaimer about my previous love for the Harry Potter Series and how that has changed since J.K. Rowling's true anti-trans ideology has become more apparent. However, I have decided to write a full-length blog post about that in the future, as I think it's something important that should be discussed.

Now onto books I love. Please note, if there are issues with the author (i.e. Patrick Rothfuss not fulfilling charity incentives), I don't discuss that here. For the sake of this post, I am separating art from the artist.

In order of when the books were introduced to me:

The Witching Hour by Anne Rice

As I mentioned above, in my late teens, I was a Harry Potter fan, which renewed my love of reading, and I was on the lookout for new books to read. At the same time, I was heavily into gothic subculture. One night, my sister and I were looking for something to watch on TV and stumbled across the Interview with the Vampire movie starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.

I was instantly in love.

As soon as I was able, I went to the bookshop and bought as many Anne Rice books as I could get my hands on, absolutely devouring The Vampire Chronicles. By the time I'd read all the Chronicles that had been published, Anne Rice was firmly one of my favourite authors, and I ventured into her other works. I already loved all things witches, so The Mayfair Witches trilogy seemed like a no-brainer.

Ironically, I started the book and could not get into it. I hated that I'd bought this book, by an author I loved, about witches, and I couldn't get into it. I honestly don't remember why; it just didn't pull me in, and I put it down and moved on to something else.

One of these something else's was Blackwood Farm, another book in The Vampire Chronicles, which briefly featured appearances by Rowan and Mona Mayfair.

Mona Mayfair captured my heart completely, and I needed to know more about her and the Mayfair Family, so I tried to read The Witching Hour again.

This time, something clicked. I think maybe the first few chapters aren't a true representation of the book as a whole, and the switching POVs was frustrating for me (ironic given I later fell in love with GRRM).

But once the story got going, I was hooked. I loved the history of the Mayfair Witches and the gothic horror that came with it, and I was intrigued by how that history would affect the current-day storyline and romance between Rowan and Michael.

The Talamasca were fascinating to me, and I wanted to join them. Lasher was equal parts enthralling and terrifying.

The end of the book left me reeling, and I immediately dived into the next, thrilled to see my beloved Mona featured more prominently.

By the time I got to the final book and then read the tie-in/cross-over with The Vampire Chronicles, The Witching Hour had cemented itself as one of my favourite books ever.

The Northern Lights by Philip Pullman

I am super lucky to have a bookworm for a brother-in-law, and when we saw each other during the holidays, we'd discuss our favourite books. B-I-L always mentioned His Dark Materials and recommended I read them. One year, he bought the complete series for me as a birthday gift.

I'm so glad he did.

I instantly fell in love with Lyra, her world, and the idea of Dæmons. I needed to know what Dust was, and how it connected to Lyra, Pantalaimon, and the world as a whole.

Then we were introduced to Iorek Byrnison, and that changed everything. How can you not love an armoured, talking polar bear? That's the point I knew these books were something special.

As I often do with series I love, I jumped from one book to the next in quick succession, so they all blurred into one big story. A story I adored, and still hold close to my heart many years after finishing the series.

The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

The other bookish person in my life is my sister, and we sometimes have a similar arrangement as me and B-I-L, where we recommend books for each other, and buy the recommended books for the other as Christmas or birthday gifts.

The Name of the Wind was one of these books. I think she bought it for me in exchange for me buying her the His Dark Materials trilogy.

Another book of magic and mystery that instantly pulled me in. I spent hours thinking and theorizing about who or what The Chandrian are, and how Kvothe will defeat them. It also helped that Kvothe was a redhead with green eyes—a sure-fire way to win my heart!

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

By now, it should be clear I love books with magic, mysteries, great world-building, and lore. A fellow Harry Potter fandom friend recommended the books to me, saying that the Lannisters made the Malfoys look like babies in comparison.

I was intrigued.

Then I heard there was going to be a TV show based on the books, starring Sean Bean. I decided I wanted to read the books before I watched the show so that my first impression of the characters and the story was directly from the books.

Comparing the A Song of Ice and Fire series to the Harry Potter series in any way absolutely does not do justice to George R. R. Martin's books, which are phenomenal and one of the best fantasy book series ever.

My redhead-loving streak continues as Sansa Stark became one of my favourite characters. I also have a love-hate relationship with the Targaryen Family and can't decide if they're the coolest people ever or psychopaths. Maybe a bit of both.

Even though the TV series finished on a sour note, and we don't know if and when GRRM will finish the book series, the world of Ice and Fire is so rich and full of lore that I could spend hours reading theories and watching videos about different obscure characters. It's no surprise I'm currently obsessed with the mysterious and witchy Alys Rivers.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I'm one of those people who, when something becomes super popular, I become curious and want to check it out. Sometimes I end up hating the super popular thing (Twilight just was not for me), and sometimes I love it.

The Hunger Games series was one of those 'I love it' times. Although I'd read some YA fiction, I had never read anything set in a world like Panem, and I wasn't sure what to expect.

I had a sort of vision in my mind of what YA books were like (again, Twilight ruined my perception here), and I was expecting a love story set in a war-torn world. Yes, The Hunger Games has that, but oh boy, does it have SO MUCH more. I don't think I've read another book like it that focuses on war, corruption, class systems, and rebellion. It's a series that really makes you stop and think.

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Ghibli movies are my guilty pleasure. When I'm stressed and feeling down, I snuggle in bed and watch one. My favourite is Howl's Moving Castle, so imagine my surprise when I learned it was based on a book.

I also have a soft spot for children's and young adult fiction, especially if it's fantasy. Sometimes you just need something easy and fun to escape into.

I started reading Howl's Moving Castle recently, fully expecting it to be exactly the same as the movie. While it's very similar, there are many key details that make it stand out, and in my opinion, make it better than the movie. Sophie is slightly different, and I liked her much more in the book. Howl is even more of a brat in the books than he is in the movie, and somehow, that made him more endearing. I do love a troubled, broken man. Bonus points if they are magical. ;)

The book is whimsical, light, and easy to read, which for me is perfect. I can switch off and lose myself in another world for a few hours, without having to think too deeply about anything or worry about the world. Perfection.

While these six are just some of my favourite books, if I listed all the books I've read and enjoyed, we'd be here forever. Honestly, I'm pretty black and white when it comes to reading. It either hooks me early on and I become obsessed, or it doesn't hook me and I forget about it.

I can only think of a few series I completed (or nearly completed) that I didn't enjoy. I jump between genres, enjoying both contemporary and other-world stories. Romance is a bonus for me, but not always a necessity. But I'm more often drawn to stories with magic, mysteries, world-building, and lore.

That's all I have for you this week. Now I really should get back to writing my own book, and resist the temptation to play with the new Sims expansion.

Be sure to come back on Monday, for an interview with indie author and graphic designer Clare Bentley.

Until then,

Take care and stay creative.

T.T.F.N.

 

Writing Wednesday - A Status Update for my Two WIPs

Thank you to everyone who dropped by my blog last week for any of my new weekly content. And thanks to those who dropped by on Monday for Diana Dawn’s guest post.

Last week, I spoke in detail about my author origin story. This week, I want to bring it to the present and talk about my current WIPs.

If you’ve followed me here or on social media for any length of time, you will have heard me talk about two stories: The Starlight Prince and The Adventures of Josain Jovenne.

The Starlight Prince is a science-fiction romance about a witch on Earth, Madelyne, who casts a spell to find her true love. At the same time, across the galaxy, an alien prince, Kalas, takes part in a ritual to find his fated mate and is shown a vision of Maddie. Kalas then travels to Earth to claim his bride.

The first 25k of The Starlight Prince will be released on November 19th as part of the Beyond Starlight: An Alien Fated-Mates Collection, with the complete story coming on February 25th, once the collection is no longer available.

For those who don’t know, I wrote and serialized about 30k of Maddie and Kalas’s story as a paranormal romance under the name Wings, Witches, and Wonder.

In January, I began to feel Wings wasn’t quite the story I wanted to tell, and due to the dopamine-seeking nature of ADHD, I had lost interest in serialization. At the same time, I saw the sign-up form for Beyond Starlight and thought the story I wanted to tell between Maddie and Kalas would work well as a sci-fi romance in that collection.

In both versions of the story, there were some key factors I wanted to preserve. First was my love interest, Kalas. As I mentioned in my previous post, oftentimes, my stories are inspired by celebrities or fictional characters I have a crush on. Last year, when I conceived the idea of a witch ‘awakening’ a man from stone with a magic spell, it was because I’d just finished watching Part Two of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures, and I was totally in love with the character Kars.

Kalas took on many of Kars’s characteristics, such as long, majestic hair, taloned nails, fangs, and the ability to transform. In Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures, Kars becomes the ultimate being and grows wings. For Kalas, I took it a step further, having him able to transform into both a winged being, similar to a harpy, and then further still into a feathered wyvern.

In making Kalas my own original character, the whole species of Kralians, their planet, and their crow deity Korvarith Thalun was born.

And from that, a second story was born, but more on that in a moment.

I mentioned some key factors from Wings that I wanted to make sure translated over to The Starlight Prince, and one of those factors was Maddie being a witch.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I’ve always had an interest in magical beings and worlds. Since learning more about myself, I have realized why I am drawn to the more fantastical. As I’ve mentioned before (and plan on expanding on in another blog post), reading and writing for me is an escape, and I find it easier to escape into a completely new, magical world. It’s why I like fantasy movies and games too. Fighting dragons or orcs helps me better forget about the true horrors of the real world for a while.

But there’s another reason why I’m drawn to magical characters, specifically witches. Along with fantasy media, I grew up watching the 90’s X-Men animated series, and I’m now an enjoyer of X-Men comics. Mutants in the Marvel Universe, much like witches in many of my stories, are outcasts. They’re hated and feared. They’re ‘othered.’ When I played the game Dragon Age 2, I felt especially drawn to the mage character Anders and his fight against the oppression of mages.

Why?

Since accepting I have autism (and likely ADHD), I’ve been able to identify that I create these ‘outcast’ characters as a projection of myself. I’ve always felt different. Sometimes only a little. Sometimes a lot. Even now, with great friends, an amazing family, and a fantastic hubby, sometimes I feel … I don’t know exactly how to explain it. But I feel ‘not like everyone else.’

This doesn’t bother me as much as it once did, and I revel in my uniqueness, but as a neurodivergent person, who also identifies as queer and non-binary, I still deeply empathize and relate to the marginalized and oppressed. I recognize my privilege compared to others but at the same time acknowledge I am different. And that’s okay.

Marginalized characters find their way into my stories, so I can hopefully make readers think, “Why is Maddie hunted for being a witch? She’s not evil.” And then hopefully, connect my marginalized characters to marginalized people in the real world. If readers can recognize Maddie shouldn’t be hunted for being a witch, hopefully, they can recognize that their neighbour/colleague/random person in the store deserves to be treated fairly even if they are gay/trans/a different religion/a different race, or whatever other asinine reason people have for ‘othering’ those not like them.

I dream of the day Charles Xavier’s vision for the future comes true, and there’s peaceful co-existence between all people.

Maybe I’m an idealist, but it’s better than the alternative…

Anyway, back on track…

As The Starlight Prince and the universe it’s set in grew, I started to think of other stories in the same universe. I wanted to create a ‘reader magnet’ - a short story that introduced the world and characters of The Starlight Prince without spoiling too much of the story.

And thus, The Adventures of Josain Jovenne was born. If you’ve been paying attention, you know that TSP was in part inspired by Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures, so the title of my reader magnet should seem familiar. I couldn’t help myself. There’s always time for a Jojo’s reference. ;)

As well as inspiring my title and main character’s name, another Jojo’s character also inspired the appearance of Josain, with my main character sharing the same green hair and space buns as Jolyne Cujoh.

At first, all I had was a Jolyne-like character, who I instantly knew would be a space adventurer. But I needed more of a story than that. I knew I wanted to show Kralis and hint at the story to come in The Starlight Prince, so I had Josain visit Kralis for Kalas’s coming-of-age ceremony, where he completes the ritual that shows him a vision of Maddie.

But I needed more story than just that, and also wanted my magnet to make it clear to prospective readers that my stories are spicy. As I said, as much as I am drawn to the magical and fantastical, I’m also drawn to romance.

As often happens, while looking for inspiration, I was fixated on another fictional character -- Aemond Targaryen from House of the Dragon. I instantly knew Josain’s love interest had to have long white hair, wear leather, and be a bit of a bad boy. And from that, I conceived the character Savrion.

Savrion quickly became his own person too, especially as I made him a Kralian like Kalas. He has his own unique backstory, and it ties into the main story of The Starlight Prince.

The more I wrote, the more Josain and Savrion told me about themselves until it became clear they’re not just spin-off characters for a short story, but integral supporting characters for The Starlight Prince.

Josain also insisted she isn’t happy starring in just one short story, and demanded she be the star of the short I’m working on for the WH, WN Christmas anthology. However, this story takes place before The Starlight Prince and The Adventures of Josain Jovenne.

Progress on The Starlight Prince is currently on hold, as I can only work on one story at a time. But I already have ~25k written and scheduled to release on November 19. I’m confident I will have the rest of the story finished before the end of the year and ready to release on February 25.

Right now, my main focus is getting The Adventures of Josain Jovenne finished. It was meant to be a quick and simple short to introduce you to Kralis and Kalas, but instead, it’s on 18k words, and I still haven’t finished. I hope to have it complete by the end of July, and I estimate it will be about 28-30k words when finished.

After that, it will be back to work on The Starlight Prince and Josain’s Christmas story… Oh, and did I mention I also signed up to be part of a collection of “PNR & Dark Fantasy Romance Stories featuring a hot MC that falls for a sorcerer/witch?”

I’ve planned a story called ‘The Last Magic Shop,’ but I will tell you more about that some other time. ;)

For now, I’ll leave it here.

If you have any questions about either The Starlight Prince or The Adventures of Josain Jovenne, please feel free to ask in the comments.

And please follow me on social media, as I share teasers and tidbits from both stories, as well as other fun bookish things, and snippets of my non-writing life.

Until next time,

Take care and stay creative,

T.T.F.N

 

Memorable Monday: Diana Dawn Guest Post

Hello friends! I’m Diana Dawn and I’m a self-published author. I write clean romance stories including fantasy, historical and contemporary. I have a story featured right now in the “Beyond Starlight” boxed set. I thought I would use this blog post opportunity to offer some pointers to new writers. 

1.    Write what you know.*** I know this is said a lot, but it’s true! I struggle more trying to write out of my comfort zone. But when I focus on something I know, the words and content just flow much easier, and it will also seem more real to the reader. This isn’t an exclusive “rule” of course, it just makes writing a little easier. It really helps, at least in the beginning, when you’re still trying to figure out your writing styles and preferences.

2.    Do your research.*** You certainly can’t always stay in your comfort zone, or else you wouldn’t be able to stretch yourself as a writer. The key is consistency within your story and within the genre you’re writing. For example, the story I have in this boxed set, “Beyond Starlight”, is actually not in my typical comfort zone. I hadn’t written science fiction before, but I had the story in my head and wanted to write it. I found that the key to this is to do your research and read other books in the same or similar genre. You may not be familiar with the genre, but the reader may be a pro. So, you want to be sure not to pass his or her “suspension of disbelief” … which means to write something so far-fetched within the genre, that the reader can’t believe it, even in a fiction story. Admittedly, this is pretty subjective, but just keep it in mind. I was part of a post-apocalyptic boxed set a couple of years ago and had a story I wanted to write for it. Originally, the idea for the setting of my story was to be in the pre-colonial era. So, it was a struggle for me to completely change the story and the setting to fit into a post-apocalyptic world. It was such a challenge that I almost gave up! LOL! But I pushed through and completed the story and ended up being very happy with how it turned out.

3.    Stay organized.*** I always have an idea for a story in my head. I find it helpful to jot things down as I think of them so I don’t forget. It never fails… I’ll be driving and think of something for my story, and I tell myself to not forget so I can write it down later. Then later, I’m like “what was that idea I had?”, then I’m kicking myself! LOL! So even if I’m not in a situation where I can write something down, I pull out my phone and record a short note that I can reference later. Also, when I am first writing a story, I’ll have a general overview of it in my head. So, before I go into the details of writing the setting or the dialogue, I’ll do an outline of the story, and sometimes I’ll even do a spreadsheet of all the characters and their relationships, birthdates, and so on. Additionally, if your story has a lot of time points or dates, it might be helpful to do a timeline that shows dates and gaps in months, years, etc. I have a series that spans across five years, so I did a timeline that shows the year, the season and a general description of the important event in the story, so I can keep track and keep consistency throughout the series. I also keep a document with all of the dates for my deliverables. For example, I have a spreadsheet that has the name of the story (whether it’s a stand-alone book or story in a boxed set) its pre-order date, deliverable due date, release date, Facebook group link (if applicable), date I signed up for the set, etc. Don't let a deadline creep up on you and catch you unawares. Put things on your calendar. Make notes to yourself... even send emails to yourself. This helps me to remember things, too!

4.    Get inspired.*** I find it helpful to get inspiration for my story if I can really visualize things in my head. So, I will gather various photos. These can be pictures that no one will see but you… anything that can get you inspired.  I like to gather photos of what I see my characters looking like, whether it’s pictures of movie stars or character drawings. Plus, I’ll find photos of the different settings in my story, like if it’s a forest or the beach. Personally, I also get inspired by music, like if I am listening to a song and can see one of the scenes of my story play out in my head like a music video. LOL! One story I wrote recently took place in the 1400’s in a European-style setting. I got inspired by attending a Renaissance faire, and while I was there, I enjoyed watching the court dancing they did. I had a very similar scene in my book, so that was very inspiring for me. I also had another story that took place on a cruise ship. I gathered a lot of inspiration while on a Caribbean cruise vacation with my family. It was a win-win! LOL! You can use anything to get inspired and get your juices flowing to help you with your story.

I hope these notes helped to give you some takeaways that you can cater to your own writing practices and styles, etc. Thank you all for listening! Reminder to stay motivated! 

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Diana Dawn is a writer and author of the book series, Whispering Willows. As a lover of fairy tales and romance, Diana has focused her writing on romantic fiction, with a hint of classic fables. She has been a lifelong writer and first began creating stories in grade school. When she isn't glued to her computer or lost in her next romance story, Diana enjoys taking vacations with her husband and three children. She would love to hear your thoughts or feedback. Drop her an email at Diana@DianaDawnBooks.com for a special free promotional offer related to her Whispering Willows book series!

Find Diana Dawn online at https://dianadawnbooks.com/

Favourites Friday - TV Shows I've Been Enjoying

 Greetings Readers!

First of all, apologies for posting this Favourites Friday post a day late. We're experiencing a bit of a heatwave here in the UK currently, and I do not cope well with heat. I spent most of yesterday in bed. Thankfully, it's cooled down today, and the coming week is set to be cooler too, so it's business as usual again.

Thanks for your patience and understanding.

One thing me and Hubby make sure we do every day is watch about an hour of TV together (sometimes more, if we feel like binge-watching a complete series, like we did with Fallout.)

For the most part, we like the same TV shows and if there's something one of us like that the other doesn't, we might do a trade, like we did with him agreeing to watch Jojo's Bizzare Adventures, if I agreed to watch Attack On Titan -- and I'm SO glad I did. AoT may be my all-time favourite piece of media. 

But that's a story for another time...

I think I will make a separate post about anime and animated shows we've watched and loved. For this post, I want to talk about live-action TV shows we've watched and loved, including some recent favourites.

I will try not to post too many spoilers, but please be aware, for any show I mention, I will discuss things that have happened up to and including the currently aired episodes.

I'm doing this a sort of 'top four' and I will list the shows from least to most favourite.

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4. Star Wars: The Acolyte on Disney Plus.

Let's start with the most important thing, shall we? We can all agree that Manny Jacinto as Qimir is PERFECTION. The writers knew what they were doing with that river scene! ;)

Credit where credit is due, not only is Manny gorgeous, he's also one of the best actors in the show, along with Amandla Stenberg and Lee Jung-jae. And I think *that's* where my problems with the show begin ...

Aside from the three mentioned above, I didn't find any of the other actors or characters that engaging. Some were downright annoying. 

I love the concept of the Acolyte, and the new lore it adds to the Star Wars universe, and I'm not one of those fans who quibble over small, 'inconsistencies' as long as the story is good. 

What I dislike about The Acolyte is the same thing I dislike about the Marvel TV shows. I don't know if it's the Disney writers, or a problem we're seeing across the board with TV shows now only having 6-10 episodes per season, but something feels lacking. I was a big fan of Lost, which saw a minimum of 14 episodes per season, and a maximum of 25. I'm not saying TV shows should go back to 25-episode seasons, but I do think they need a little more room to breathe and expand. I would have liked a little more everything. More Jedi, more Sith. Especially more with the twins.

That said, I am still interested in seeing what season two has to offer, especially with the character cameo in the final episode. It's clear Mae and Osha's stories are far from over, and I'm intrigued to see what happens next.

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3. The Boys on Amazon Prime

My favourite thing about The Boys is how it subverts superhero media tropes. Homelander could have easier been a Superman type, powerful, with a heart of gold. Instead, he's a maniac! And the good guys aren't all good either, with Butcher being a prime example of this.

Where the Boys loses me is with the weird 'shock value' sexual stuff. How many times do we need to see The Deep have sex with an octopus? Or Mother's Milk get attacked by a giant penis? This season felt especially bad for the 'shock value' sexual stuff, and made what could have an otherwise fantastic season difficult to watch at times.

That said, I really enjoyed the character development of many characters including Hughie, Starlight/ Annie, Butcher and Kimiko.

Season five is meant to be the last, and there's so much currently in play that it's impossible to guess exactly how the final season will go. I have *some* theories, and if one of them is true, The Boys is going in the fridge! :P

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2. House of the Dragon on HBO/ Now TV

House of the Dragon is another show I feel has suffered from the writers limiting the number of episodes. I also think that there's too much focus on sex. I know the purpose of some of the sex scenes in season two, but some of them feel unnecessary.

Once again, the characters aren't given room to breathe, and we seem to be jumping from one huge event to the next, without enough forus on how these events are affecting the characters we both love and hate. A prime example of this is Jace's trip to Winterfell, which is much longer in the books, and could have set up both the pact of Ice and Fire, but also shown us Jace's potential as heir to the throne.

At least Aemond is pretty. I love what Ewan Mitchell has done with the character this season, and the brothel scene was one of my favourites (and no, not just for the obvious reasons). I loved that switch from vulnerable, to 'watch the fuck out' and I think that's really set the trajectory for Aemond's story arc going forwards. I'm ready to see some war crimes! I just wish we'd gotten a *little* more before the switch was flicked. We have no interaction between Aemond and his family regarding both what happened between him and Luke at Storm's End, nor any reaction to Blood and Cheese.

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1. Interview With the Vampire on AMC

One show that didn't struggle with limited episodes was season two of Interview With the Vampire. I feel like nothing was wasted that season. The pacing was excellent, and both allowed the characters to breathe, while also keeping the story compelling and moving.

I know some book purists have issues with various changes (such as Louis' race, or ageing up Claudia), but I think every change that has been made has served the show well. I also think the writing and acting is phenomenal. It's impossible to pin-point just one actor or character who stood out in season two. Even minor characters like Madeleine were fantastic.

Of course, I'm a Lestat fangirl, so I especially enjoy Sam Reid's performance, but honestly, the whole cast are amazing.

The only thing I *dislike* about Interview is how it really emphasizes the weaknesses of AMC's other Anne Rice based show. The Mayfair Witches trilogy is my favourite of all time, and when you see the mind-blowing performances and writing in Interview, it's easy to expect the same thing for Mayfair Witches. Even accepting the changes from the book, the TV shows is still nothing compared to the Interview TV show, and hardly resembles the books at all. It makes me so disappointed. We could have had something so much better.

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Have you watched any of the TV shows I mentioned above? If so, do you agree or disagree with my thoughts? If not, what are some of the shows you're enjoying recently? Or what is your all-time favourite show?

Thanks for joining me for this belated 'Favourites Friday,' I expect next Friday's post to actually be on Friday! I'll be back this coming Monday with a guest post from Beyond Starlight author Diana Dawn.

Until then.

Take care and stay creative.

T.T.F.N

 

Book Funnel Promos & Swaps for 20 July, 2024

Greetings Readers!

I'm back with more book promos and swaps for your reading enjoyment!

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Doggone Alien Love previously appeared in a much shorter form as part of the USA Today bestselling charity anthology, Claimed Among the Stars. The story has been expanded to more than twice the original length and completely re-edited.

You'd think crashlanding on an alien planet would be horrible, especially once the life pod cheerfully told you was interdicted due to a deadly contagion. Great, huh? Instead of possibly dying in deep space, I was going to catch some horrible disease and die alone except for the tiny little dog I was supposed to be looking after because interdicted meant no rescue.

Hooray for me! 

Only it doesn't quite work out that way. The crash could very well turn out to be the best thing that's ever happened to me. It turns out that not only are there aliens living on this world but also, there's more to the 'deadly pathogen' story. As for dying alone? Not only would will the alien who found me not let me or the pup die, but this blue and lavender striped god of manliness has a singular focus: to make me his. 

Buy Doggone Alien Love.

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Book Mojo brings 111 boxed sexts, collections, and anthologies for your reading pleasure.

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Reads2 Love brings you 102 steamy summer reads.

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Athletes In Love is a collection of 45 spicy sports romances.

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BookMojo brings you 30 books that are available for pre-order.

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If you're interested in some more personal news, there is new content on my blog, including a teaser from Kyra Lennon's ALL OF YOU, my author origin story, and my favorite TV shows.
 
Until next time, take care and read on!
T.T.F.N.

 

Writing Wednesday - My Author Origin Story

Happy Writing Wednesday, folks!

First off all, thanks to everyone who stopped by my first Memorable Monday post, and showed Kyra Lennon some love! I'll be back next Monday with a guest post from Beyond Starlight author Diana Dawn.

Today, I'm going to talk about when and why I started writing, the journey I took to self-publishing, and what writing means to me.

 

Memorable Monday - An Excerpt from ALL OF YOU, by Kyra Lennon

 

Happy Memorable Monday everyone!

I'm super excited to share a steamy excerpt from Kyra Lennon's recently released, opposites-attract, badboy, contemporary-romance ALL OF YOU.

And be sure to read the full post to see my review of the book. Spoilers: It's five stars!

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Letting go of his hand, I shifted my position again, moving my leg over both of his so I was straddling him. I wanted to look him right in the eye, and I placed my hands around the back of his neck to make sure he was focused on me. “Cal, listen to me. I’m pretty sure if anyone was to look at me and you and the way our lives have gone, nobody would ever dream of putting us together. And yet, we met, and however nonsensical, there’s something between us. So, as long as you can promise not to lie to me, cheat on me, or keep anything important from me, I really don’t mind that we haven’t been on a real date yet. I can wait.”

Cal’s hands slid around my back, pulling me tighter against his chest before pressing his lips to mine. “I can promise that.”

Smiling softly, I kissed him again, and his muscles relaxed beneath my fingers. As our mouths moved together in a perfect rhythm, my own tension ebbed away, and I lost myself in him the way I’d wanted to when he arrived at my flat earlier. We weren’t in a rush to be anywhere now, and his lips danced with mine with a slowness and sensuality that sent my heart racing and my body melting against his.

I never want this feeling to stop. It was consuming, the way his soft lips touched mine over and over. Hungry but not hurried. Passionate yet tender. I’d never felt how much someone wanted me through a kiss until Cal, and I wasn’t sure I’d ever put so much of myself into a kiss either.

His hands moved up my back, and I shuffled my hips forward, needing to be as close to him as I could get. We finally had some time alone, and I wanted every second of it to be spent with us glued together.

Cal’s lips drifted across my cheek towards my ear. “Stay,” he murmured against my skin. “Stay with me tonight.”

My heart pounded harder at the possibility of an unexpected night together. “I want to,” I said, closing my eyes as his lips lowered to my neck, making me shiver. “But… tomorrow… you… you have to…”

My point that he needed to be up early in the morning fell completely out of my mind when his mouth found my collarbone.

He paused, looking up at me, the need in his eyes almost flooring me. “We’ll wake up early and I’ll take you home before anyone else gets up.”

Cal’s lips went back to my collarbone, feathering kisses there as his hands slipped underneath my top, his rough fingers on my back.

“I don’t… I don’t have anything to…” His teeth grazed my neck, his hands working higher up my back to my bra strap.

His throaty chuckle sent another shiver through me, his breath hot on my neck. “Be a rebel, Shannen. Go home with your knickers in your pocket. Nobody will ever know.”

His husky tone and dirty words caused my skin to heat and the fluttering sensation to stir in my core. His ability to read my thoughts and counter my protests was sexy as hell. When his fingers unclipped my bra, I raked my hands into his hair. “What kind of girl do you think I am?” I teased, tugging to pull his face back to mine.

He smirked, then brushed his lips against my own. “The kind who’s going to let me spend several hours inside her, then fall asleep beside me, fully satisfied?”

I tilted my head to the side as if thinking, and he flipped me over onto my back and climbed on top of me, making me laugh.

“Say yes, Shan,” he said, smiling into my eyes. “Please.”

Winding my arms around him again, I said, “Yes. I guess I am that kind of girl.” 

---

Book details: 

One night was all they ever intended. They soon realise the old saying is true—opposites do attract.

Callum Lewis lives a no-complications life. No long-term women, no staying overnight, and absolutely no commitment. Keeping emotions at arm’s length is his number one skill—that and trying to navigate life as a single dad to a five-year-old.

Until Shannen Morgan changes everything.

As lust turns to feelings, Cal fights an internal battle between keeping Shannen in his life and pushing her away to protect her from his dark past. But when the skeletons are forced out of Cal’s closet, can he keep his girl and the future he’s started to want?

Shannen has never known anything as frivolous as a one-night stand. Her professional image as a primary school teacher just wouldn’t allow such a thing, not to mention her country club, upper-middle-class upbringing. She certainly wouldn’t dream of having a quickie with the stubbled bad boy she meets in a bar.

So, why can’t she keep away from him?

As Shannen falls hard for the rugged charmer, she struggles to balance the relentless disapproval from her judgemental best friend with the freedom she's found in the arms—and bed—of a man who wants her for who she is and not as a suitable little housewife. However, when secrets from Cal's younger years bubble to the surface, will Shannen be able to overlook his sins, or will she retreat into the safety of the predictable life she’s always known?

With friendships, a career, and family ties on the line, is love really enough to overcome all they stand to lose?

You can get a copy of All Of You from all major book retailers here https://books2read.com/allyou

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My Review

TL;DR - If you love spicy, opposites-attract romances with plenty of twists and turns, this book is for you.

Disclaimer: I've known Kyra Lennon for 20 years and have been following her writing career since it began. I was privileged to read a pre-release, beta version of All of You.

However, all opinions expressed in my review are my own and are not influenced by outside factors.

With all that said, if you've been a reader of Kyra Lennon for any amount of time, you come to expect certain things in her books:

Real Characters: From the main characters to the side characters, each and every one feels like someone you could know. All of You is no different, and I found myself connecting and empathizing with almost every character in the book.

Real Emotions: Even though I haven't been through some of the things Cal and Shannen go through in All of You, Kyra writes their emotions (and the emotions of the side characters) so wonderfully that you feel every tear, every bit of heartache, every rush of excitement.

Twists and Turns: In some ways, romance books are very formulaic. Two people meet. There's a mutual attraction. Obstacles stand in their way. Where Kyra shines is with these obstacles. Her love stories are never straightforward. All of You is no different. Cal has a deep, dark past that he hopes to keep hidden. This isn't a bad-boy romance for no reason. And it's not just Cal bringing the drama. There were moments in this book that left me gobsmacked and fuming!

Something new for All of You that Kyra hasn't dived too deeply into before is the steam. I'm not saying her previous books are 'clean,' but sex certainly wasn't the focus of the stories. While All of You isn't pages of smut without any plot, there are plenty of steamy scenes that really get your pulse racing. For someone 'fairly' new to steamy scenes, Kyra did an excellent job of describing the emotions and feelings of a steamy scene without making it vulgar or too clinical.

I have to be honest, if you had to ask me what my favorite Kyra Lennon book is, I'd be hard-pressed to give you an answer. I love them all for different reasons. All of You is no exception. Another five-star, couldn't-put-it-down masterpiece.

Now hurry up and write book two, Kyra. I need to know what happens next!!

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Thank you for joining me for the first of many Memorable Monday posts here on my blog. Be sure to check back on Wednesday for my first Writing Wednesday post, where I discuss my author 'origin' story.

Until then,

Take care and stay creative!

T.T.F.N

New Content Coming to My Blog at claredugmore.com

 

I just wanted to provide a quick update for anyone who follows me here.

If you're a long-time follower, you may remember when I used to post regular-themed content. I miss that, and plan on reviving that on my website.

Mondays will be Memorable Mondays - in which I blog about memorable authors, books, and book-related services from around the web, including many of my bookish friends. The first post will be Monday 15th July, and I'll be hosting Kyra Lennon with a steamy excerpt from her latest release ALL OF YOU, as well as my review of the book.

Wednesdays will be Writing Wednesdays - in which I blog about my writing. What progress I'm making on various projects. What inspires me. What struggles I face. Basically, anything to do with writing from my perspective.

Fridays will be Favourites Fridays - in which I blog about my favourite things. That could be other books I've recently enjoyed, TV shows I'm loving, video games I'm having fun with, and other non-writing things like that. It will be part review, part just me musing and talking about media I love.

I hope some of you will join me there. https://claredugmore.com/blog

Promo Help Wanted: After the Rain, a charity anthology from the Write Here, Write Now Community

 

The Write Here, Write Now Community from Karen Sanders Editing would love to invite you to help us spread the word about our forthcoming charity anthology, AFTER THE RAIN, which is set to release on June 11th 2024.

All proceeds from the anthology will be donated to Hopefull Handbags UK - a charity supporting survivors of domestic abuse. You can find out more here: https://www.hopefullhandbags.org/about-us/

Participating authors: Clare Bentley and Kyra Lennon, Clare Dugmore, Toya Richardson, Louise Emerson, Drew Duncan, Donna Frank, Katie L Smith, TS Arthur, Samantha Lewis, Julie Archer, M.B. Feeney, HL Heidemann, Anna Edwards

Key Dates:

Cover Reveal: May 6 2024

Release Date: June 11th 2024

COVER REVEAL SIGN UP FORM: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfzlojP5WNJeB6O80-glS-kmh7hk4dZi5nYw4ZrOaYXDaUuYQ/viewform?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2xXQSvbZNx6GQq5KNFeU3Pj0wWHe03JIUGbTuz7hFyTnlnM47BHtzlebY_aem_AWXS55rB9qFJeMEr-kIZU7BwjxNhQYqBfvDfyWRPp04xRrGcmhdbu-wug4TLPcuc0rmf7qQh7rladC427etzpMx2

Promo Help Wanted for Beyond Starlight: An Alien Fated Mates Limited Edition Box Set

 

While I've been *vague* about my publishing plans over the last few weeks, the wheels are moving so it's time to talk a little more about what I've been working on.

As some of you may recall, I was serializing a paranormal romance called WINGS, WITCHES AND WONDER, but I felt the first draft wasn't quite where I wanted it to be, so I pulled it from Ream and other platforms.

At the same time, I heard of Beyond Starlight: An Alien Fated Mates Limited Edition Box Set brought to you by Storyteller Publisher 22, and knew with a little tweaking, the story I wanted to tell in WINGS, WITCHES AND WONDER would work perfectly for a sci-fi romance. Thus THE STARLIGHT PRINCE was born.

The first 30k * of THE STARLIGHT PRINCE will be released on November 19th, as part of the Beyond Starlight: An Alien Fated Mates Limited Edition Box Set.

*More news on the remaining ~60k of THE STARLIGHT PRINCE will be coming in due course.

Beyond Starlight will feature nine other awesome authors, and we'd love your help spreading the word about the box set. If you're interested in all the good things like cover reveals, release blitz and ARC sign-ups, all the information can be found on this helpful DS Book Promotions Google form. 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc60vLz_6pVs93YgNcqKzvOthGU1X-pdzcUy4L8NwDoHH5gcA/viewform

Thank you in advance to anyone who signs up to help spread the word in any way, and watch this space for more news about both Beyond Starlight, and my story, The Starlight Prince.