Tag: anthology

Posted in Creekside Cafe

Creekside Café Chat with author Tiffany Christina Lewis

Posted on by Sherri

Welcome Tiffany Christina Lewis to Creekside Café. It is great to have you here.

Tiffany: Thanks for having me Sherri!

Sherri: Your recent blog post titled “Scary Genre: Romance” made me laugh. At first, I wanted to call you on it but then as I read on, I realized we have the same problem, the interpretation of romance. I thought I was a romance writer but then realized this shit isn’t romance. I like to blow things up and kill people, oh they can stop and have sex, but it’s not all hearts and flowers. Sometimes it’s just banging up against the wall and maybe I’ll call you later. What is your interpretation of romance? How do you think the romance genre varies now from what it used to be?

Tiffany: Oh boy. What it used to be was ladies in flowing dresses and making love in flower fields! Every cover was a beautiful woman and a hunky man in a scenic location. The stories were of taming men for marriage or women head over heels. Now, we have interracial, multiple sexual preferences, genre splicing and settings that don’t just resemble lovely flower fields. I interpret romance as fake love. I know a lot of romance authors will want to fight when I say that, but I’m really referring more to TV and movies. I am just starting to really read Romance for education purposes. Educating myself on writing and genres is very important at this stage in my career. A dear friend of mine, Zachary Sigurdson, was the first one to tell me how important it was to get out of my genre, so I am slowly learning about new romance. In TV and film, romance happens when someone picks up your napkin. Unfortunately, I’ve never experienced anything like that, so it’s hard for me to rationalize it.

Sherri: As a hopeless romantic, I differ with what I think romance is. To me, romance isn’t just heart and flowers, it’s giving the person what they need to be their best. When I read romance, I see new authors trying to interpret this in today’s landscape as well as the modern historical romance authors.

I’ve also been married to my own romantic hero for going on 29 years. While some days I want to beat him with a pool noodle, most days he’s my biggest champion. He encourages me to do what makes me happy. He was as excited about my first book as I was. He is my teammate, my partner, my friend and lover, to me, that is romance.

Tiffany: I agree with you on your assessment of romance. Real romance is giving your partner what they need to be their best! We’re still early in our relationship but my boyfriend is also my business partner and his willingness to support my business aspirations and even participate in them, has been life changing.

Sherri: You refer to yourself as a rebel. I agree. I think most of us writing Indie are rebelling against the traditional publishers. What is your rebellion?

Tiffany: My rebellion is actually cultural. When I wrote Inside Out in 2014, there was a huge wave of Urban Fiction in self and Indie publishing that featured negative stereotypes and bad characters. I wanted to flip that on its head. I wanted to be an African American author who wrote Black characters who were not drug dealers, womanizers, promiscuous or murderers. I have always had a love for detective stories so my books were bound to be Crime Fiction and I thought what better way to represent an upstanding African American male than in the role of a detective. Over time, I made my characters LITERALLY rebellious and their passion for avenging victims comes first, over following rules and procedures.

Sherri: We need more positive role models of color. I’m glad to see you breaking the stereo type. If you are looking for great authors who write African American characters who are honorable and strong, check out Reese Ryan, Farrah Rochon, and Beverly Jenkins.

Tell us a little about your series. I recently purchased your first book Inside Out. Michael Taylor sounds like an interesting character. What made you write a crime novel from a male, police detective’s point of view?

Tiffany: Again, part of me wanted to pick a man to mangle stereotypes that were abundant back in those days. He was also the first character to come to me for a full-length work. My stories often just fall out of my imagination and into my lap. I had many stories published back then with many female and male characters, non-detective, but he was the first one who I felt I could write as a novella. I was able to grow that book into two full novels in the series, and the plan is for at least three more.

Sherri: You say you don’t write romance and yet we have a love interest or romantic connection here with Candy aka Vanessa. Tell us a little about their relationship. Why is it not a romance?

Tiffany: Their relationship is entirely romantic but it fits what I think romance is, compared to what I thought romance was offering back then. They met at a strip club which is something urbanites sometimes do, and Michael’s behavior with her, although romantic has an interesting twist that I think is not very abundant in romance. I will also say, without giving too many spoilers, that hint of romance is why it took me four years to write the second book in the series…

Sherri: I think we often get hung up on labels and when it comes time to define ourselves or our writing, we haven’t got just one box to put it in. While your books are definitely crime thrillers, how else would you describe them; what other box or category would you classify them?

Tiffany: Crime is definitely the overarching category for all my books, but the Michael Taylor series is police procedural and these novels have a strong focus on criminals. I love the psychology of criminals so they get a lot of shine in my books. I don’t think there is necessarily a category for that in fiction. In non-fiction it is categorized as True Crime when the movements of a criminal and detective are outlined.

Sherri: You published Inside Out in 2014, you have two other novels in this series out now. What do you think you have learned since writing and publishing your first book? What do you wish you’d done differently? What will you do different with any future books?

Tiffany: The number one thing I would have done differently would have been to keep writing and not wait this long to release a sequel and get serious about my career as a writer. I did a lot of things between 2014 and now that was not writing, marketing or honing my skills as an author. Let my mother tell it, there are two things I was born to do, teach and write. I have been a preschool teacher for over 15 years and this has placed me in many high-ranking positions in the childcare industry, but I haven’t dedicated nearly as much time to my writing career and that was a mistake. I would have sold more and had a nice fan base by now, had I stuck with it, but still, no regrets. Had I released Stitches before 2019, it wouldn’t have been the same.

In the future, I will do what I’m doing now which is finishing my books, making sure they are high quality and release them frequently. I believe the number one marketing tip for authors is to have another book coming out. Lol. So, that’s my plan.

Sherri: Tell us a little about your new company, Rebellion Lit. Are you publishing other authors now?

Tiffany: Rebellion Lit is the brain child of my partner Brandon Lambert. He is the one who taught me that I was a rebel. He has allowed me to run Rebellion with lots of freedom! We each have our area of expertise and Rebellion Lit is my baby. I am very passionate about the company and can’t wait to introduce it to more readers and writers!

Currently we are not publishing other authors, but I have a hand full of people that I am keeping my eyes on. Some self-published authors I’ve met I would love to publish but I have to get the company on a proper trajectory first. There is nothing worse than getting a contract with a publisher who can’t get your book where you want it, so we are starting with yearly Anthologies. They will be themed and we’ll be looking for author submissions in December! We are BUYING works for the book because I believe authors should be paid for their hard work and with our anthologies we can continue developing proper marketing, as well as offering many, many authors exposure for their talent! It’ll be a blast!

Sherri: Tiffany, thank you for being a part of Creekside Café Chats, I look forward to seeing what happens next with your writing and publishing. If you all enjoyed this interview, check out Tiffany’s links and follow her on social media. You can buy her books through her website or on Amazon.

Here are Tiffany’s links:

https://amzn.to/3cvJF0w – Amazon Author Page

https://herscribbledthoughts.wordpress.com/ – Blog

https://twitter.com/MissPiinnkkii – Twitter

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8107983.Tiffany_Christina_Lewis – Goodreads

 my publishing company website. lol. https://rebellionlit.com/

Posted in event, inspiration, my books, News

International Anthology Release Party

Posted on by Sherri

“Kissing and Other Scandalous Pastimes”

Join the fun at The New Romance Café Facebook Page, December 2nd 12 pm until 9pm for our International Release Party! We’re celebrating our first historical romance anthology. It is one of two winter anthologies we’re releasing this year!

I am so honored to be a part of this awesome group. My friend and fellow Pamlico Writer, Tammera Cooper invited me to check out this group and I fell in love with the page, the people and the program. Andie Wood the page founder and her team of awesome moderators have worked tirelessly to put out five anthologies this year. FIVE! All the proceeds have gone to breast cancer research. In the spring I was able to fill in when a family emergency took out the original author. While I’m so sorry she was unable to participate, I’m so thankful for the opportunity to have been a part of that first anthology.

I hope you will join us as we celebrate the launch of this most recent anthology. For many of us it was a labor of love. “Kisses and Other Scandalous Pastimes,” is our first historical romance. My story, “If Only in My Dreams,” is the story of lovers torn apart by war and duty. When Lydia’s brother is killed at Pearl Harbor, she calls off her wedding. After graduating nursing school, she joins the Army Nurses Corps and leaves her heart in North Carolina.

As we celebrate this, our fourth anthology, “Kisses and Other Scandalous Pastimes,” I’m struck by how much has happened in such a short time. Like the short stories and novellas, we write, we have accomplished much in so little time. It takes true heroes or in this case, heroines to accomplish such great feats. I won’t call names for fear of leaving someone out, but I think these amazing women deserve a bow. I will mention Andie Wood who brought us all together. She wanted a safe place for beginning writers to learn from more experienced writers. A place where we could share ideas and experiences. The New Romance Café Facebook page is a place to share our love of books both reading them and writing them.

When I first started writing this story, I knew I wanted to write about World War II. I love history and for me, this was living history having known so many who played a part in the war from my great aunts who went off to work in munitions’ plants, to my great uncles who served in every branch of the military to my grandfather who was a merchant marine and to my neighbor, who was a Navy nurse. So many stories swirled in my head I didn’t know where to begin. When Lydia first made her appearance, I knew she was going to be from my home state of North Carolina and a nurse. Then Jeremy came on the scene and I tried to decide who he’d be. With a husband who is a mechanic both by trade and talent, I decided that Jeremy, like my husband could take anything apart and make it better. He could drive anything with a motor. Unlike my husband, I thought he might also like to fly air planes. My baby sister’s father was a pilot and flew me around when I was a kid. After I got used to my stomach lurching when he did a loop de loop, I loved it.

In a short story, you don’t have the time or space to really build up a relationship, especially if you are still learning like I am. I thought I’d start with the couple already planning their wedding and work my way back. Figuring out the mechanics of telling the story can be as difficult and as interesting as developing the story itself. I could tell the story in a straight line and that’s often the best way. By flashing back to when Lydia and Jeremy were a couple then back to the war, I hope the story lives up to the title. “If only in my dreams,” is a line from the Christmas classic, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Our Allies banned the song from being played fearing it would negatively affect morale. No matter if you are in a war zone, or just far from home, when you are missing those you love, it is often the comfort of dreams, memories, letters and phone calls that help us through. To me, the song and thus my borrowed title remind us of what is truly important, as the Bible says, the greatest of these is love.

I hope you will join us for our book launch. “Kissing and Other Scandalous Pastimes” is available Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. The other The New Romance Café anthologies are on sale now for a limited time for 99 cents at all major retailers. Check out these wonderful eBooks and know that the purchase of these books support breast cancer research worldwide.

I’ll be your host from 8:30 pm until the end. Don’t forget, December 2nd, The New Romance Café Facebook Page. You will have to join to participate but you will be glad you did. There will be gifts, prizes and games. It’s a real party. If you stop by, don’t forget to say hello and I’ll put you in a drawing for a $5 Amazon Gift Card.

I look forward to seeing you all there!

Posted in Creekside Cafe, interview

Interview with Thyra Dane

Posted on by Sherri

Thyra was my second interview. We will both have stories in the winter historical anthology published by the New Romance Cafe, Kisses and Other Scandalous Pastimes.

Thank you for being a part of my journey as a writer and interviewer. I hope someday to meet in person.

Today I have the luxury of visiting with a new writer friend, Thyra Dane. Some may recognize her name from her years of writing fanfiction. Welcome to the Creekside Café, Thyra. It’s almost fifty degrees here, I imagine our North Carolina winter seems more like spring to you.

view from Thyra’s cabin

Thyra: Yes, I was born in Denmark and grew up just south of Copenhagen. We traveled a lot when I was a kid. When I was 18 I moved to California and then to Norway when I was 19. I met my husband in Norway and live in Oslo now.

Thyra: Thank you so much for having me here, too bad it is only by way of our computers.

Sherri: What would you like to drink today?

Thyra: Tea, tea and tea. I drink different kinds of tea at different times of the day. High on caffeine in the morning, no caffeine in the evening. Right now I’ll take tea with ginger. Yum. And just to be clear, to those of us who live in cold climates, tea is always hot. I’m not yet quite over the shock of people serving me iced tea when I ordered tea in North Carolina.

Sherri: I have a terrible secret that could get me tossed out of the south. I don’t like iced tea, sweet or otherwise. You’ve been to North Carolina before?

Thyra: I have. Several times, actually. One time I drove down the coast from Washington DC to Florida with my husband and two friends. Later I visited my good friend, author Suki McMinn, in Tryon. She and her husband opened their home to me and my family, which was incredibly nice. That last trip was part of a vacation where we visited nine southern states in one summer.

Sherri: Wow that gave you a lot to write about. How long have you been writing?

Thyra: I’ve been writing for a long time but it wasn’t until I found fanfiction that I realized that romance was my genre.

Sherri: I’m not familiar with fanfiction.

Thyra: Fanfiction is huge and is essentially about taking characters from books, movies, TV shows etcetera and playing with them.

50 Shades was originally a Twilight fanfiction named Master of the Universe and one of the most popular fanfictions. It’s the same place I published my fanfiction.

We were a great writer’s group. We encouraged each other and quite a few have branched out and become published authors. Suki McMinn and others have done very well by self-publishing, which is very encouraging.

Sherri: Have you published a novel yet?

Thyra: I did have a nibble with a publisher but they went out of business just as I was finishing my story. They wanted a Viking romance and I did write one, but I wasn’t pleased with it so it was probably just the same that it was never published. I am planning on writing a Viking series about three sisters. I have the titles ready: The Shieldmaiden, The Healer and The Wife. I also have the stories outlined but I always stumble over some historical details. I LOVE the Viking age and don’t want to mess up on historical facts. Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible not to since we know so little about the Vikings.

Sherri: Write the stories. Continue to research but don’t let the details hold you back. I believe we often let our fears cripple us. As we’ve been emailing back and forth for this interview, I have enjoyed your sense of humor.

Thyra: I’ve been reading a lot of romance and I feel that this is what has made me a better writer. I have found my voice, so to speak, and know that I need to write stories with a dash of humor or it just won’t work for me. This is why most of what I’m writing these days is contemporary romance.

Sherri: Do you have another job or do you write full time?

Thyra: I am the manager of a PR agency that does PR and marketing for schools for young adults. I love my job and I love writing. What I don’t love is the fact that the day only has 24 hours and a week only has 7 days. I need moooore time.

Sherri: Don’t we all. I work full time, write and chair my local writers’ group, plus have a very large family, six sons and nineteen grandchildren. Some days feel like there is no end and others need another twelve hours just so I can finish what needs to be done.

Thyra: Wow, 19 grandchildren! That must be a lot of fun!

I have two kids, one is 17 and one is 19. The oldest is away for school and is actually leaving for a school trip to Japan tomorrow. My husband and I met each other when I was 19 and he was 20. We’ve been married for 29 years now.

Sherri: What do you enjoy about writing?

Thyra: I love creating characters and making them do fun things. I love the creative outlet, I love thinking about my characters, trying to solve a difficult situation and suddenly having a great idea. Unfortunately, my great ideas usually come just as I’m closing my eyes and going to sleep.

Sherri: What do you feel are your writing strengths and weaknesses?

Thyra: I would like to think that my humor is my strength and, of course, that I have inside knowledge to Scandinavia. My weakness is procrastination.

Sherri: Who are your favorite authors/genres?

Thyra: I have a lot of favorite authors. I love Suki McMinn’s books and also authors like Laura Kinsale, Courtney Milan, Sherry Thomas, L.H. Cosway, Mhairi McFarlane and Roni Loren. I read all subgenres in romance and the only thing I look for is quality writing and well written characters. Historical, contemporary, urban fiction and even alien romance – I’ll read anything as long as the story is good.

Sherri: Would you like to tell everyone how we met?

Thyra: We met through The New Romance Café (Facebook Group) and through the anthology project we’re both participating in. I’m very excited about that book project because I finally managed to finish a story. I’m terrible at beginning new stories instead of actually finishing some of the many I’ve started over the years. I guess, I needed the deadline.

I have an old blog that was very popular (over a million readers of one of the blog posts) but it doesn’t fit my writing now. It was for my fanfiction. So I’m currently moving the best parts to a new blog I’m currently creating: thyradaneauthor.com I hope to have it up and running in a few weeks.

Sherri: Thanks, Thyra for visiting with me today. I’m looking forward to reading your story in our spring romance anthology, Love in Bloom. The anthology is due out in March 2019. The proceeds will go to Pink Ribbon International. 

Posted in event, my books, News, promo

“Love In Bloom”–What it means to be a part of an international anthology.

Posted on by Sherri

Are you ready for spring? Well, I have no control of the weather, but I can give you a little taste of spring, spring romance that is. Check out our spring romance anthology, “Love in Bloom.”


When my friend, Tammera Cooper, author of The Water Street Chronicles, first suggested I join The New Romance Café Facebook group, I thought, yeah whatever. Another boring group doing nothing. Boy was I wrong. Right away, I could tell this group was going to be different. The group is a combination of writers, both published and dreamers, and readers, romance readers. The New Romance Café offers a safe haven for those who love reading and writing romance.


The founder and host of The New Romance Cafe, Andie Wood and her founding group have given its members a place that allows us to share our eclectic views on romance, characters, reading and writing. The genre is explored from different perspectives and even if we don’t agree, our views are respected. The Café is a place to discuss what we love, romance. I am surprised at how much I look forward to and enjoy participating with this group. (The New Romance Café is a closed group.)
Shortly after I joined the group, Andie put out a call for short stories for the group’s upcoming anthologies. A vacancy due to a family emergency offered an opportunity for someone else to join the two planned anthologies. Someone was needed who was willing to write a short story for their spring anthology. Without stopping to think, I volunteered. Little did I know, as we were ending the first week of January that the story would need to be finished, edited and ready to go by February first. Uh, what did I just agree to? Thanks to Lauriel Masson-Oakden, who took on the task of editing both for content and grammar, we managed to get my story, R and R, ready with time to spare. Thank you so much for that, Lauriel!


Having the opportunity to be a part of this anthology is important for several reasons. The first, all the proceeds will go to breast cancer research. Eastern North Carolina has one of the highest rates of cancer in the U S. Learning that the group wanted to support an international charity and was leaning towards breast cancer made being part of this project more important. All of us have been touched by cancer whether we are survivors ourselves, have family or friends who’ve fought the battle or lost it, cancer is very real for all of us. Finding the right charity was a little more difficult. When the U S based Breast Cancer Research Foundation was chosen, it was obvious it was the perfect fit. This foundation works globally to help women and men, deal with breast cancer. BCRF is active in teaching preventive measures and searching for a cure. BCRF funds nearly three hundred researchers across fourteen countries and six continents. I am so proud to be a part of this anthology, all the proceeds from “Love in Bloom” will got to BCRF.


The second reason to be a part of this anthology is a selfish one. Because the group is an eclectic one, representing several different countries, I hope being included in this international anthology will put my name out into the world. The anthology will link to our stories to our other works making it easier for readers to find our other books. As indie authors, our biggest hurdle is being seen in the crowd. If you are on a budget, you have to choose where to spend your marketing dollar and hope you don’t get lost amid the plethora of similar books. By being part of the anthology, helps us to stand out in the crowd. If readers like your story, they can find more from you with just a tap.
The third reason I am so glad to be a part of this anthology are the people I have met. I started doing interviews on my blog. Along the way I have discovered other readers and writers, their work and their friendship. I cannot tell you how interesting it is to meet people from Romania, Norway, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and even the good ole USA, each reads and writes different from me, there may be some similarities but where we are from, our education, our ages all play a factor in what we write. Sharing their stories on my blog and sharing space with them in the anthology is a great honor.


“Love in Bloom” is a collection of romance stories from writers from different parts of the world. Some of the authors are multi-published and successful. For some, this is their first published work. Others, like myself fall into the middle. The stories’ subgenres are just as varied: historical, contemporary, suspense, vampire and steampunk to name just a few. It’s midrange on the heat level but high octane on the romance. Our overall theme is Spring.
So, when you purchase “Love in Bloom,” you are not only getting entertaining stories, you are helping search for a cure for breast cancer.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P6FHS1R
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P6FHS1R
Posted in Creekside Cafe, interview

Creekside Cafe Chat with Andie Wood

Posted on by Sherri

Today I have the great honor of welcoming Andie Wood, the founder of The New Romance Café Facebook Group and the heart behind the spring and summer anthologies, “Love in Bloom” and “Hot Summer Nights.” Welcome to North Carolina and Creekside Café.

Andie: I’ve never been to the States. I have many friends there and would love to visit one day soon.

Sherri: It means so much to have you here today. I am so honored to be included in the “Love in Bloom” spring anthology. Is this the first time you’ve coordinated an anthology?

Andie: When I started the group (The New Romance Café), I wanted to help empower and provide a platform for aspiring and unpublished writers, as well as connecting them with their readership. More established authors joined as well, and I felt this led to a greater sense of community and purpose. Since it is a romance focused group, it felt natural that the output should be a romance collection or anthology. This also led to the idea that the profits of this should all go to charity.


https://www.facebook.com/groups/292243634861501


I’m very excited that The Romance Café will be launching its first anthology of short stories created by author members. I see the anthology as the first step in generating as much exposure for them as possible, all towards a great cause: breast cancer research and care.  Several members’ lives have been affected by cancer one way or another. Many are survivors themselves. We’re honoring all those whose lives have been touched by cancer.

Sherri: That is one of the things that attracted me to the anthology. Eastern North Carolina has one of the largest groups of death by cancer in the United States.

Where are you from?

Andie: I’m originally from Romania but I’ve lived all over the place. I lived in the UK (United Kingdom) for 11 years, had a stint in Spain and Gibraltar, and for the past 2 years I’ve been in the other side of the world, in New Zealand.

Sherri: I’m so jealous. I’ve never been anywhere except the US and Mexico. I traveled some before David and I married, but haven’t had much chance to travel since. Are you married? Do you have children?

Andie: I’m married, I have a 3-year old son and I’m currently 32 weeks pregnant, expecting a baby girl in April.

Sherri: That’s exciting. I had all boys, six of them but I’ve been lucky to have great daughters-in-law and some awesome granddaughters.

You are so active in The New Romance Café, do you work full-time?

Andie: By day, I roam the virtual streets of digital marketing. By night, I’m a voracious romance reader.

Sherri: I love to read but have less chance to do so now with trying to publish and at the moment I’m eye-ball deep in conference preparations. Who are your favorite authors, what genres do you like to read?

Andie: I love romance and gentle crime. In terms of authors, I have to mention Alexander McCall Smith, Sarah MacLean, Nora Roberts, Tessa Dare, and Jayne Ann Krentz and her alter egos. It’s a long list.

Sherri: I’m not familiar with Alexander McCall Smith, but the others you mentioned are some of my favorites. I’ll suggest Sabrina Jeffries, she writes Regency Romance.

Besides reading, what are your other passions?

Andie: I love reading, of course. My other big love is Pokemon. If you watch any of my Facebook Live sessions, you’ll notice I have an impressive collection of Pokemon mugs.

Sherri: I’m a big fan of Minions. They crack me up. I’ve even made a minion of me.

One of my passions is cooking though I have very little time to do it with work and writing. Do you like to cook?

Andie: In terms of my cooking, I have a mantra: if it’s not ready in 45 mins max, I’m not making it.

Sherri: I watch a lot of cooking shows but mostly dream about cooking. Do you have a favorite recipe or a favorite food?

Andie: I’m a big pizza fan, ideally with a thin crust. I remember the first time I saw a pizza, it was being eaten by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! I must have been quite young and it’s left an impression on me.

Sherri: Pizza is one of my favorite things to eat, I’m not good at making it. My first memory of pizza was when we lived in Hampton, Virginia we’d pick up pizza from the Giant Open-Air Market and carry it home. The aroma of pepperoni and bell peppers, spicy sauce and yeast still wafts around in my brain like a ghost. I couldn’t have been more than seven or eight.

The bad thing about pizza, for me anyway, is the calories. I need to start dieting and exercising? My youngest son and his wife are big on going to the gym and running. If I’m running, don’t ask questions just keep going. Are you an athlete or into fitness?  

Andie: I’m afraid the most taxing exercise I do is yoga.

Sherri: You talked about having friends all over the world. Do you keep in touch with them? It must be difficult with the different time zones.

Andie: I try to make myself as available as possible to my friends, particularly as distance and different time zones make it difficult to have set times.

Sherri:  You are the founder and host of several online writing and reading groups, tell us about them.

Andie: Even though romance is THE most sold book genre, it has a stigma attached to it, as well as to those who read it. I created The Romance Café in mid 2018 because I felt that romance readers and aspiring writers were lacking safe, non-judgemental places online where they could discuss their favourite books and authors. Join us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/292243634861501.

Sherri: Thank you Andie for joining me at Creekside Café, I’ve enjoyed our chat. Don’t forget our spring anthology, Love in Bloom goes on sale March 8th, you can preorder your copy. I ordered mine from Amazon US. The proceeds will go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation #BCRF, a US based company that works globally. For more information about the charity, go to their website https://www.bcrf.org/

Posted in Book Review

Christmas Revels V

Posted on by Sherri

I have been a fan of the Christmas Revels anthologies since the first one. As a fan of Hannah Meredith’s historical romances, I greedily bought the first book. Shortly afterwards, I discovered Kate Parker’s Victorian Book Sellers’ series. I have become a fan of these writers and especially look forward to their Christmas stories.

Each year I have bought the Revels. This year I was given an ARC for an honest review. That is not difficult to do as I have truly enjoyed seeing what these awesome writers were going to put together. One or two stories would usually stand out as my favorites, but with each new anthology it has become increasingly more difficult to choose which ones gain that title.

In Anna D. Allen’s Mr. Hunt’s Christmas Caller, we have a very unlikely hero. I loved this story because the hero and heroine were not perfect. Mattias Hunt is not the most handsome, nor the strongest personality. He is somewhat blind to the great lady, Constance Blackwell, who has always been kind to him. When terrible weather brings them together it seems they cannot get a break. Fate continues to pull them apart if Mr. Hunt allows it. In order to find love and to be loved, one must be strong enough to fight for it.

The Christmas Gamble by Kate Parker has a bit of mystery to it, no surprise there, Kate loves a great mystery and writes them too. Lizzie Hancock is full of hope as she and her guardian travel to meet her betrothed, the Earl of Stonebrook during the Christmas season. Her future home is beautiful but something isn’t quite right and this time, it isn’t her guardian’s gambling debts. From the curious staff who can’t tell her exactly when her fiancé will be returning, to his leaving so close to her arrival, followed by the surprise return of her intended’s brother, Gabriel Waters. Unraveling this Christmas mystery and staying a few steps ahead of the drunkard, Lord Grambling, Lizzie and Gabriel must depend upon their friends to find their happy ending.

Hannah Meredith’s The Gnome and the Christmas Star is a joyful story of second chances. The Dowager Viscountess Lyndon, Sophia never expected to be caught up in her own machinations. The plan to give her youngest stepson something to do with his life after losing his arm in the war, wasn’t supposed to include her. Second chances are only offered for a limited time, and one must be brave if they are going to accept them. As Sophia learns to live and love, she teaches others that they too can have their happy ending, if only they believe.

 

The final story, A Perfectly Ridiculous Christmas by Louisa Cornell is a bit of a Christmas farce as three good friends seek to find a wealthy bride for their widowed friend. Life rarely happens according to one’s plans, especially if one adds in three precocious little girls and a menagerie of angry kitties, a lie that keeps growing and an attraction that won’t go away. Valerian, Viscount Keynsham has been managing his friends for years but he is about to meet his match in Lady Catherine Chastleton. This is a story of love and friendship that extends to all of the characters. It is love that begins the crazy farce and love that brings about their happy ending.

 

If you love regency romances and Christmas, check out Christmas Revels V, and if you haven’t read their other anthologies, I can recommend them as well.

Posted in Book Review, event

Never Christmas Without You

Posted on by Sherri

Never Christmas Without You a two-novella Christmas anthology from Nana Malone and Reese Ryan is a must read for anyone who loves contemporary romance with fabulous characters. I love holiday romances but these two stories brought the magic of Christmas and the love of family and friends deep into my heart.
I have a confession to make. I hadn’t planned to read Nana Malone’s story. I’ve never read her books before and I’m so busy right now but I thought I should read her story, Just for the Holidays so I could review Reese’s story since they are together in this anthology. I mean, really, a review of half the book seemed wrong. So…
I read the first few pages and fell in love with Grandma Lucy. I know she is a California woman but she could be a southern grandma. She’s the grandmother I want to be. She is a take charge and tell it like it is character and while she is secondary to the story, she is the main reason I read the whole story! I love to read and as a writer, I look at story and form and character development. Sometimes, being a writer can ruin the reading experience. When I fall in love with the characters and the story is so good I forget how it’s made, that is a great story and that is what these two authors did for me. Their stories gave me so much joy I forgot about tense, point of view, and all of the things I’ve been taught. I simply fell into the story and experienced being with best friends Alex and Justin as they discover what has been right beside them all along. Nana Malone wove together a story that had me feeling the characters’ passion, pain and confusion. I rooted for them and commiserated with them. I laughed at Grandma Lucy’s manipulation and the attitude of strong women who aren’t afraid to make things happen.
Nana Malone has a new fan and I will definitely be looking for more of her books.

Reese Ryan will be hosting a two-part workshop for the Pamlico Writers’ Group Saturday, October 14th, 2017 in Washington, North Carolina, “Building Believable Characters” and “Creating Functional, Yet Compelling, Secondary Characters.” His Holiday Gift is proof that Reese knows what she is talking about. I’d only read a few pages when I had to email Ms. Ryan and curse her for making me cry.
I want a little girl like Maddie. The texture and depth Reese was able to bring to this short story is amazing. The characters are so real. I cried for Maddie meeting her father for the first time. I felt the love, pain and longing of Dash and Mikayla who were once friends. Their estrangement, part of the reason Maddie and Dash never met before.
I love second chance stories and stories of children bringing lovers together. Reese Ryan wove together ideas into a fabulous holiday love story.
Dash is the bad boy, prodigal returned to his small town with the weight of all the mistakes he’s ever made heavy on his shoulders. Having his best friend back at his side is encouraging and confusing. For Mikayla, her unrequited love for Dash simmers just below the surface. Can she trust him with her heart after all that has happened between them? This time, it’s not just her heart he might break.
Ms. Anna, Dash’s mother, is another well thought out secondary character she adds another dimension to the story making it feel like a real world.
Even Reese’s walk-on characters are complete people, their stories revealed with only a few lines. The rich tapestry of this story is what romance is all about. Reese Ryan has created a world I want to dive into. Her characters are friends and family I could have at my dinner table and enjoy knowing. Her Pleasure Cove series is one I’ve enjoyed experiencing. It’s not just a story, it’s a vacation.

Posted in Book Review

At The Billionaire’s Wedding (an anthology)

Posted on by Sherri

At the Billionaire’s Wedding
An Anthology by Maya Rodale, Caroline Linden, Miranda Neville and Katharine Ashe a culmination of contemporary romances based on The Bad Boy Billionaire Series by Maya Rodale.

These talented ladies did something amazing with this book. Taking characters who’d attend the wedding of romance writer Jane Sparks to her bad boy billionaire Duke Austen these ladies brought us different shades of romance. Never have I read an anthology that moved so seamlessly together. While each author’s voice is different their individual stories worked so well together it was at times difficult to believe they were not written with one heart.

I have been a fan of Katharine Ashe for some time. I love her Prince Catcher series. Her story of Piers and Cali, The Day it Rained Books is in true Ashe style of hope and love and happy endings. This Cinderella story brings two mismatched characters into the modern reality of poverty and literacy. As these two characters confront their fears and learn to hope for a future together. They find strengths they did not know they had.

The Best Laid Planner by Miranda Neville and Will You Be My Wi-Fi? By Caroline Linden are two fantastic stories and have succeeded in making me a new fan of these two writers.

Miranda Neville gives life to Arwen Kilpatrick in The Best Laid Wedding Planner making her so real I’d want to hire her for my own wedding. She is feisty and fun and as her own romance twists and turns, we see the woman within. A great loop of fate, this story of love, lust and destiny is a perfect fit into the wedding celebration of Jane and Duke.

Caroline Linden brought an obscure character, Duke’s lawyer Archer Quinn into his own with Will You Be My Wi-Fi? This serious minded man comes to life with the scent of good cuisine. The layering of sensuous desires and personal obligations come together in a tale of true romance. The person who is right for us should give us the strength to be the best we can be.

I bought the Bad Boy Billionaire and Wallflower series by Maya Rodale when I learned she was going to be the speaker at the Heart of Carolina workshop in October 2014, I fell in love. I became intoxicated by the love story of Duke and Jane and spent my whole book budget on her two intertwined series. Maya is not only a fantastic writer, she is also a wonderful speaker giving great advice to new and experienced writers. I have looked forward to the wedding of Duke and Jane as if they are friends, which after three books I feel that they are.

That Moment When You Fall in Love is the story of Roxanna and her secret lover. What would you do for love or friendship? Roxanna and Damien are not your typical romantic couple but their love story is one of the most intriguing because of it. Each of us must interpret love and romance by what we need from the relationship. It is heartening to see these two discover what works for them. As Jane’s best friend and roommate, Roxanna has had an investment in their relationship and it is wonderful to see her find her own happy ending.

For a great adventure in love and romance, check these four exciting stories and the authors who created them.