Shortly after I finished Love Out Loud, I was launched rather forcefully into the election and holiday season. I released two lighthearted novellas and finished up a third all while spreading the joy of the season. EVERYTHING WAS HAPPY, OKAY?
Except, I wasn’t.
I hate coming up with headlines for this thing. They all sound so trite and contrived. Which, I guess, makes sense because I’m basically shouting, “Open this! Read this! Pick me!” into the void, hoping something resonates enough for it to fight through the noise of your inbox or your news feed.
And I get it. I’m an author. I’m selling books (or trying to)… but I’m starting to think that’s not what it’s all about, and I’m making strides toward changing how I show up in the hopes that I’ll be able to show up more often and more authentically.
If I’m reading the room correctly, we are, collectively, having a moment of anxiety. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think it is. This is pretty common in periods of transition, even if it’s a good transition, and we are most definitely transitioning right now.
Surprise-releasing a novella that was written pretty quickly was so good for my mental health. You’d think it’d be the opposite, right? So I thought I’d talk about that a little today. But first…
Holly is one of those amazing unicorns who are supremely talented in so many different areas. She writes romance! She writes spicy audio erotica! She officiates weddings! She offers baby indie authors (like me) advice and encouragement! She’s a really special person, and I’m honored she’s here to talk to us today. Let’s dive in, shall we?
If you’ve been seeing the social media posts about Romance Con being absolutely magical, I’m here to tell you that it’s all true. It was an incredible weekend, and I’m still glowing from it. I can’t wait to give you my official recap.
I have so many things to celebrate. I am so fortunate, and I am truly so, so happy. But I can’t let this weekend pass without acknowledging something really huge and sad. It’s not my typical post today, but… I don’t know. I’m feeling called to write about this, and who am I to argue with that?
TW for discussions of pregnancy loss on this one. If you’re feeling vulnerable about that, skip this one. Or scroll past to the Updates section.
Believe it or not, Ronnie and I connected over donuts.
Okay, well, sort of. I actually reached out to her back before she started authoring and offered her an ALC of The Write Place audiobook because I had some UK copies burning a hole in my ACX account. So I’ve been following her since before she was an author. On Threads, she posted something about people not liking your book and how scary that is, I think (I can’t remember anymore!), and I came back with something like: “Some people don’t like donuts, either. Doesn’t mean donuts aren’t awesome.” And then she tagged me in a picture of a donut, and now we’re best friends. (I’m manifesting.)
I’m so incredibly proud to announce that Ronnie just released her debut romance, Those Two Words, and I’m super excited she’s here today to talk about it!
Y’all. I have been deep in the muck this summer. I am grateful that I can schedule this newsletter so I can take a breather with my family as we are on a little end-of-summer vacation this week, but I finally feel like a fog is clearing away from my brain, and it is so refreshing to be on the other side of it.
Which also means I figured I should talk a bit about mental health today.
You all should know by now that I am a sucker for all things coffee and romance. So when Megan Becker released her debut novel, Coffee Dates, last summer, I was definitely intrigued! AND it’s a slow burn? About an aspiring writer? Sign me up. I’m very excited to have her here today to tell us a little more about her books and her writing process. So, without further ado, here’s Megan!
