Ophelia is Ready!

Let’s have a State of the Book address! I’m not sure I’ve ever done one of those, so let’s do it!

Ophelia - Sweetwater Saga Book 2

The day has finally come!! Ophelia is done! Official release day is October 28, 2025. Pre-orders are available right now. Get your copy now so it comes to you on release day.

Would you like to get an electronic copy of Ophelia for free? I am currently taking applications for Street Team members for Ophelia's release. In a nutshell, you promise to submit a review on release day and I give you a copy of Ophelia for free! Go HERE to get more information on how to be part of the release of the second book in the Sweetwater Saga!

Rose: A Sweet Wheelchair Romance

Book one of the Fleurs du Jardin series is finally out and I’m so excited to share it with you. It’s about a girl named Rose who has a crush on a boy. She’s shy and her disability only makes her feel more invisible to the opposite sex. Tristan, her best friend’s brother, believes a fake boyfriend is all she needs to attract the boy’s attention. When you’re already with someone, other guys notice. But will the fake dating start being a little too real?

It’s a speedy read, and I’m curious about your thoughts! Tag me in your social media if you read it. And psst—if you read it, don’t forget to leave a review. Please and thank you!

This kicks off a new series for me. There will be three other books, all about the Desjardin sisters — Rose, Lily, Daisy and Violet. Violet is about halfway through the first draft. Daisy is more in the planning phase and Lily is being a bit more difficult. But we’ll get there.

Social Media

You might not realize it, but I have a Booktok channel on TikTok. I’m the worst at being consistent, but I try to post regularly about life and my writing. 

If the rumors are true, that TikTok is going to finally be shut down in the US, then I always have my Instagram as well. I've been trying to update it more regularly so make sure to check it out as well! I have two separate accounts for WS Deming and Whitney Lynn books, so I'll list both below.

I’m looking to create a community of readers who love my books and to introduce you to many talented indie authors of sweet, low-spice and closed-door romances.

• TikTok
• Whitney Lynn Instagram
• WS Deming Instagram

Editing Services

Hey, I edit and ghostwrite - did you know that? I’m a huge reader and have always loved writing. I’m good at spotting problems in stories and suggesting fixes. It’s like parenting; you’re in charge, but a second opinion is always good. And I’m not one of those editors with an ego. Take or leave my suggestions. You can leave them without worrying about hurting my feelings. I just want your book to be awesome and for you to be happy with it.

Editing - I offer developmental edits, line edits, and proofreads for your manuscript. I’ll link my Fiverr account HERE which will describe each type of edit. If you’re unsure, shoot me an EMAIL.

Sensitivity Reading - I specialize in reading manuscripts when characters are disabled. There's so many reasons to do this, but first and foremost, it's to ensure your character is accurate. There are a lot of stereotypes when it comes to disability and a lot of it is offensive and abelist. I specialize in reading for spinal cord injuries, spina bifida and lower limb amputees. But in case you can't find someone to read for you that have personal experience with other types of disabilities, I'd be happy to do a more general reading. Go HERE to my Fiverr account for more information.

Fiction Ghostwriting - Obviously, I specialize in romance. But I also am adept at science fiction, fantasy, historical and middle-grade. I will take your ideas, your ideal word count, and craft a manuscript tailored to your vision. You can be as hands off or collaborative as you like. Though I favor teamwork, I’ve successfully taken the lead on projects before. My Fiverr page has more info, but I’m happy to help if you’ve got a book idea but hate the writing part.

That's all for now. I'll keep you updated as Ophelia's release day gets closer!

Vella has Died

Kindle Vella has died. Bezo's answer to Wattpad is officially being ended in February 2025. I will not say I'm surprised, but it is what it is. One thing Wattpad offered to readers was reading stuff for free. Then if they liked what they were reading, then they could move onto paid content. But Vella was never like that and most of its target audience, tweens to teens, don't have the disposable income to pay for something they may not like. Or want to risk their hard earned pocket money for an author that may suck.

I tested the Vella waters with my book, Rose, part of the Fleurs du Jardin series. What I learned is my writing probably doesn't lend itself very well to serialized fiction. I didn't sell very many reads at all.

So I'm learning from my mistake and making Rose a full-fledged novel available on KDP coming soon. I'm still working out things like a new cover and formatting it for ebook and paperback. But once those are in place, I will let everyone know how and when they can get book one in this four book series!

In the meantime, make sure to use up any tokens you might have purchased for Vella between now and February!

In Defense of Fanny Price

 

Mansfield Park was my least favorite Jane Austen novel. Fanny Price was my least favorite heroine. She was so different from Elizabeth or Emma. She made me want to shake her with her passivity and primness. She got what she wanted in the end only because they happened to work out. Fanny could have done a hundred things differently, yet she didn't.

So naturally, I started my quest to re-write Jane Austen’s novels with the most challenging novel to me—Mansfield Park. The values of Regency England align with modern LDS culture, especially in Utah. But in writing Mansfield 2nd Ward, I discovered there was so much more to Fanny Price than I had originally understood. So instead of subverting what Jane had originally written, I ended up defending Fanny’s choices. Examining why people acted as they did in the novel posed an interesting challenge. I surprised myself and I hope Mansfield 2nd Ward ends up surprising you too.

More than Meets the Eye

I thought Mansfield Park (1999) portrayed a Fanny Price I liked better than in the book. She had more spunk, stood up for herself sooner, and communicated better with Edmund.

However, the movie Fanny had too much of everything above which ended up making the tribulations with her family somewhat confusing. But one thing was clear - no matter how much spunk she had, it had to hurt that her family discounted her since she’d come to live with them. She wasn’t "family enough.” There is going to be some collateral damage to your psyche living with this, even if you have a lot of spunk. So it was almost cognitively dissonant for her to think anyone in the family except Edmund would take her seriously. Elle had to differ from this version in my book. I wanted Elle’s motivations to make sense in the context of her personality and her place in the Norris household. And as Nate’s best friend.

You’ve Got a Friend

So I had to give the book Fanny’s motivations for how she handled the Mary/Edmund situation a lot more serious thought. I’d always scorned Fanny’s reasons for quietly suffering while her love pursued someone else. Writing Mansfield 2nd Ward made me realize there could be good reasons.

Elle doesn't take action against Sophia out of love for Nate. He chose Sophia, for good or bad. Elle’s choice to keep her opinions to herself, when that definitely wasn’t in her nature, wasn’t a passive thing. It was very much an active thing. Despite her love for Nate, she had to accept her friend's mistake. Nate gave Elle the chance to tell him what she thinks of Sophia, but it made little difference in the end. Nate was too enamored to notice Sophia's flaws. Elle realized this, as did Fanny when it came to Edmund. 

And that changed my perspective on how Fanny dealt with Edmund. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink. You can offer your opinion, yet the choice to listen is theirs. You can try to help someone you love see they’re making a terrible choice, but you can’t make them see it if they don’t want to. It made Fanny’s choices look less passive to me, and a lot more frustrating for her. 

More than a Woman

Writing Mansfield 2nd Ward also changed my opinion on the way Henry and Fanny interacted. When I was fleshing out Tucker’s personality, I had to think about what made Elle so attractive to him. Obviously, a player loves the chase. But that will only keep him interested for a while and Elle makes him work for her attention. Yet he never gives up. It’s very much like Henry with Fanny. Once Henry notices Fanny–like really notices her–there seems to be this obsessive fascination with her. I don’t entirely understand the reasons Henry became so enamored of Fanny Price in the book, but I had to justify it for Tucker and Elle.

What it all came down to was the benefit each received by being together. They saw reflections of themselves they wished to be. 

For Tucker, Elle was a catalyst, or an agent of change. He saw things about himself because of her he’d never considered before. Would I feel better about myself if I attended church every Sunday, committed to my priesthood, and was loyal to one woman? 

For Elle, he allowed her to discover her power as a woman. He admired her in a way she hadn't experienced before. Something Nate didn't provide. Nate tended to treat her like a dad. Tucker showed Elle she didn’t have to fear being desired by the opposite sex and feeling desired was a boost of confidence she’d never experienced before. It fundamentally changed the way she viewed Nate and made her understand how he totally overlooked her once he got home from his mission.

It’s another aspect of the Fanny and Edmund relationship I had failed to notice. Once noticed, though, it was definitely an important one. Fanny comprehended desire is part of marriage as love, respect and friendship.

Henry's pursuit of Fanny made Edmund face his emotions. They were emotions he’d likely under-estimated or tried to ignore.

Writing my book made me understand Fanny Price a little better than I had. She still drives me bonkers and I like Elle’s spunky, if somewhat bossy, personality more. Jane believed that the good girl deserves the good boy with enough strength to show her true self. And I achieved that with Elle and Nate in Mansfield 2nd Ward the way I had wanted.

*~*~*~*

Who is your least favorite Jane Austen heroine and why?

Tag me in your social media to let me know your answer!

** This is an edited version of a previously released blog post on wsdeming.com (no longer active). **

Jane Austen, again?

I see it in your face at the bookstore. Or when you’re seeking something to read online. You’re looking at my book, Mansfield 2nd Ward, an LDS retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion. You make the same face I do when I see Hallmark's "Pride & __Fill_in_the_Blank__" title.

Jane Austen, again? Really?

Yes. Really.

But why?

The Regency era of England shares similarities with LDS culture. You line them up and they look pretty darn similar. Not saying us Mormons run around in frock coats and cravats and stuff. But we have cultural expectations regarding marriage and church attendance. It leads to small group cultures that arise from the organization of regional wards (a congregation) and stakes (a parish).

Is that a bad thing? I think it depends on what expectations we’re talking about. Some are pretty funny in how similar they are. Some of them, well, they’re pretty sad.

What We Do for Love

Mr. Crawford and Fanny. Captain Wentworth and Anne. Mr. Ferrars and Elinor and Colonel Brandon and Marianne. Classic couples from Jane Austen’s collection of amazing stories whose struggles to be together still speak to us even after 175 years. And the biggest common denominator among them are the concepts of love and marriage.

Back in Jane’s time, love and marriage were a pretty big deal no matter what your social status. And several of her stories touched on the pitfalls and the possibilities love and marriage in her time could bring. Whether they were marrying above or below your station or whether you got married at all was pretty important for most of Austen’s readers.

In a religion that values family and connection, marriage in the LDS church is a pretty big deal too. Single people know this best. Ask them. They’ll tell you. All about it. No matter if it’s because of a missed chance, the death of a loved one, or no one picked you out of the starting lineup, Jane Austen speaks to the single person in all of us. Let’s explore what that could mean for the girl who’d “been a very pretty girl, but her bloom had vanished early” as Anne Elliot’s did. Or the divorced, single or widowed sister in the ward feeling a little like Fanny Price, who, as the outsider, was constantly reminded “they cannot be equals. Their rank, fortune, rights, and expectations will always be different.“

I’m not suggesting that the other ward members think themselves above these blessed sisters. I’m suggesting that we see them in an environment where certain members in the ward are a little rounder than the square hole pegged for family units. Seeing the amusing side of being different, but also the realities, too.

Mr. Crawford, Edmund Bertram and Fanny Price

The love triangle is not my favorite romance trope (so, of course, my first book, Mansfield 2nd Ward, is one). But I’m not averse to using it as a tried-and-true mechanic of a delightful love story. Two men in love with you - who wouldn't love that? Choices, choices. Fanny's dilemma is far more complex. It’s one that LDS girls all over the world are dealing with themselves — bad boy or boy of the world vs. good boy or church-going boy.

This is a simplistic view of the problem. There’s more nuance than leather jacket wearing street thug vs. oxford-and-tie-wearing, scripture-toting Peter Priesthood. Some boys outside the church are really great guys. But many of our divorced sisters know too well some brethren inside the church talk the talk pretty well, but don’t walk the walk behind closed doors.

What it shows us is we need to be mindful of our choice no matter who they are. Fanny struggles a little between her love for Edmund and her rampant denial of her attraction to Mr. Crawford. In the end, Fanny comprehends Edmund's worth. She had Mr. Crawford and his actions to compare Edmund to. To find the Prince, we must kiss a few frogs.

Captain Wentworth and Anne

Oh, boy, can soooo many of our dear sisters relate to this one. The age old church culture question of “Am I too old date?” Young women aged 21 or 22 are asking this. It's a question my character, Paige, from Always Faithful had already come to terms with. But seriously? I mean, getting married, sealed to our chosen companion and raising a family should be pretty high on the priority list for life. It’s a representation here on Earth of the order of things in Heaven.

There is a strong expectation for young church members to take care of it quickly. Young men get home from their missions and the elder folk are already elbowing them in the ribs to move to the next step in their life progression. And we sell girls on an idea created by certain aspects of church culture that marriage, even temple marriage, is the happily ever after they’re looking for. So these well-meaning young folks rush to the altar.

Church culture looks critically at those who are single, or the leftovers. Why haven’t they found anyone? If you were attractive, kind, and spiritual enough, you would have found someone! People of Anne’s acquaintance speculated that her face had lost its early bloom and now no one would want her, and she had agreed with them.

Austen’s moral of the story is clear in Persuasion—one should think for themselves who constitutes a suitable spouse and decide without external influence.

I’ve looked at it from a slightly different perspective and one that can apply to nowadays. I’ve always been of the opinion that Anne did pretty well for herself, despite her disappointment and circumstances. She carved a life out for herself. Anne had no guarantee she’d run into Captain Wentworth ever again. She could do nothing about her age or her looks. She put her efforts into tasks and excelled, which made her well-loved.

We should encourage our young people to value carving out a worthy and valuable life for themselves. I shouldn’t matter if they don’t find a spouse right away. They shouldn’t spend most of their time and energy looking for a spouse. Our worth within the church shouldn’t be determined by our marital status. Each of us has a different life path to take, personally overseen by a loving Heavenly Father, and He knows our value better than anyone. If He intends for a spouse to show up, then He’ll arrange it so they come. No sign of a white knight? We have other priorities.

Mr. Ferrars & Elinor, Colonel Brandon & Marianne

I saved the biggest for the last because it's massive. There’s so much sub-context that has implications for every aspect of church culture. Sense and Sensibility mainly comment on the perceived merit of a person because of their economic status or level in society. Some elements in our culture value people based on educational prospects, political affiliation, or activity status. Some people may not fit in at church because they don’t represent an understood norm, like body type, size, race, sexual orientation, disability, or even body art. Church culture has caused people to lose sight of the gospel's message of inclusivity. It was a major theme of my book, Date-Ability, especially in context to an LDS singles ward.

What relevance does this have to Sense and Sensibility? Think about it. Why were Marianne and Elinor deemed unsuitable brides? Money. Edward and Elinor cared deeply for each other. Edward’s mother couldn’t have cared less. Mr. Willoughby ditched Marianne for the rich girl faster than a hot potato because, though Marianne was beautiful, she was poor. Luckily for Edward, things worked out. Lucky for Marianne, things didn’t. (I guess that’s up for debate. Marrying a guy nearly double your age at sixteen/seventeen isn’t what I’d call a happy ending, but it was a different time period. Whatevs.) Both women had a value outside of what society saw.

Making choices based on expectations can cause unhappiness.. Edward endured the consequences for a while. Mr. Willoughby almost certainly suffered them until death. We all know we have agency given by God to everyone, but sometimes the pressure we feel from people we love makes it feel like we have no choice. There is a special light that shines when a couple is equally yoked and in love for the right reasons. But I’ve also been witness to the consequences of people so desperate to belong, they married anyone who happened along because they checked off certain criteria.

Shouldn’t the value of belonging just mean that we’re part of the church family and the community at a large? Do members have to have a marriage card, or mom card or active member card to enjoy the benefits of being part of Christ’s gospel?

One of my favorite bloggers is Al Carraway, who sometimes goes by the moniker The Tattooed Mormon. She is funny, sweet, and I dare you to read her testimony of the church and not tear up. She truly strives to live the gospel the best she can–and she has elbow length sleeve tattoos.

Al tells the story that is unfortunately not an exception within some wards. A member of her ward unashamedly said she was going to hell for her tattoos. Had they taken a few minutes to know Al, they would have known she was a new convert. Her tattoos were done in her younger years. Instead, judgement and vitriol were thrown in a new convert’s face.

Some new converts aren’t as strong as Al. Some lifelong members aren’t as strong as she is. She walked away from the experience, applying it as a learning moment rather than taking offense. What of the one whose faith is growing? Are we going to pour salt water all over it because they have gages in their ears? Or because they came to church in jeans? Or because they smell like cigarette smoke? Or because they’re Native American or Middle Eastern or Eastern Asian or Aboriginal? Or they have autism or Tourette’s that cause them to have outbursts they can’t control?

Colonel Brandon and Edward Ferrars ignored society's expectations and loved their brides. Not for what either sister could offer, but for who they were. Heavenly Father sees the person on the inside, no matter the disability, addiction, tattoos, piercings, race, or clothing. He roots for His child to make choices that enrich their lives and live with dignity. And as He has constantly directed us, He expects us to follow his example.

What We Should Do for Love

Jane Austen is as relevant today as much for her witty dialogue and timeless love stories as for her social commentary. Times have definitely changed since she was alive. The caste system has become less rigid. Most people marry the person of their choice rather than the person they’re expected or arranged to.

But some things never change. Just as Regency-era people did, we choose the people we love. We have doubts and fears we’re making the ideal choice for our life partner. Or we worry the right one might have passed us by. We search for acceptance in the church and the world. Church is supposed to be our protection from the world's lure. Not all members experience this. I think we should strive to make church a place that truly reflects the sign located outside nearly every chapel everywhere in the world. Cherish your fellow ward members without condition.

*~*~*~*

Do you have a ward member that has inspired you with their Christ-like love for others?

Tag me in your social media to answer the question!

*A republished version of a blog post from wsdeming.com (no longer active).

Sweet, Clean and Wholesome Romance

If you’ve read romance at all, then you know navigating heat levels within the genre can be a challenge. There’s nothing like picking up a book that looks like a sweet romantic comedy and then having your retinas seared off by an unexpected sexy scene. So how do you know which books to pick to prevent sore eyeballs? What is the difference between sweet, clean, or wholesome romance?

Sweet and Wholesome

People sometimes use the titles 'sweet' and 'wholesome' synonymously.. And most of the time, that’s ok. Sweet and wholesome romances have little physical interaction between the main character (MC) and their love interest (LI). Think Hallmark movie level heat - maybe holding hands, maybe a brief hug or a cuddle, and usually a kiss or two and that’s about it. The story concentrates strongly on the mental and emotional bonding between the couple.

The fundamental difference between sweet and wholesome, in my experience, is religious vs. secular. This is an unofficial designation, observed when reading the different romances available. 

Wholesome tends to be the more religious type romances. It could be overt, like being categorized as a Christian romance. Or it could be more subtle, like the people in the story don’t live together before marriage. They might pray or drink alcohol only at dinner or on special occasions.

Sweet, on the other hand, is more secular. They won’t concentrate on religious themes or standards. The story focuses on the common relationships found in everyday life. They keep swearing and violent themes to a minimum. Usually none.

Also, sweet romances can include LGBTQ+ themes, where wholesome probably won’t.

Clean Romance

Clean romance can include any and all of the above. Fade-To-Black or Closed-Door romance are other ways to identify a clean romance. Clean romance means that there will be kissing, hugging, cuddling, feelings, touching, and fading to the next scene when the clothes start to come off. Or mostly off. One or two might have come off. But there are no focused descriptions of body parts or the reactions said body parts are having, or what those body parts might be doing.

There are also different spice levels within the clean romance genre as well. My daughter and I came up with the following designations:

• Peppy - Pretty much on the same level as sweet, but maybe there was a bit more touching or kissing than grandma might be comfortable reading.

• Tangy - Deep kissing, some touchy-touching without getting too descriptive, a bit more descriptive of feelings and the character’s reactions to physical interactions with their LI. Maybe light making out. 

• Zesty - All the above with some clothing removal, heavy necking or making out, but right before things get ‘interesting’, they close the door and the scene cuts to the aftermath.

Sweetwater and Ophelia are Zesty, while Rose (on Kindle Vella) is Peppy. My rule of thumb is that once things head south of the collarbone, I cut to the next scene. I also don’t do moaning, screaming, or rubbing.

Clean tends to be more LGBTQ+ friendly than the other two. Most queer friendly novels are probably going to be in the Spicy and up categories, if it’s a book for adults. However, plenty of YA novels have been published in the last decade or so that can give you both a clean and queer book to read.

Clean can also mean more serious subject matter than sweet or wholesome. Men aren’t always nice and respectful. Bad things besides bakeries shutting down can happen. Harder decisions besides “Do I go back to the big city or stay in the small town?” have to be made. Swear words or violence are not showcased, but can still be there. In Sweetwater, one theme of the book is war-related PTSD. Not generally something you’d see on Hallmark.

Cozy

I thought I’d give an honorable mention to the term cozy, in case you didn’t know what that meant. Usually used regarding mysteries, but I’ve also seen cozy horror as well. The characters in the novel usually reference the violence instead of describing it in detail. In horror, the best example I can give is Goosebumps but for adults.

Cozy also doesn’t have a lot of sex or swearing as well.

How Can I Tell?

Unfortunately, there is no surefire way of being able to tell if a romance falls within your particular comfort level. Here are a few ways I recommend vetting the book before you buy it:

• No chesticles on the cover - if there’s a shirtless guy (or girl) on the cover, then you’re likely to have picked up a spicy or smutty novel. They don’t call ‘em bodice-rippers for nothing.
• Read the reviews - some covers, especially in the romantic comedy genre, can be deceiving. The trend right now is to have bubblegum-bright covers with cute, illustrative people. But then when you read it, there are romps in the hay all over the place. Look at the reviews for the book on Goodreads or Bookbub. People should give you a pretty good idea at spice level.

Where Do I Find Good Books?

Again, there is no definitive way to screen your books, but here are some additional ideas for finding good books:

• Search Filters on Book Retailers - not the most reliable way to filter books, but it is a way. You might use keywords like ‘sweet romance’ ‘wholesome romance’ ‘clean romance’ ‘Christian romance’ or ‘sweet and wholesome.’ Particularly for the latter keyword, since no other genre uses that keyword, except maybe women’s fiction.

• Social Media - again, keywords are important, particularly if you’re going to be searching Instagram, YouTube or TikTok. There are huge book communities on these platforms. Using the above referenced keywords can help you find like-minded readers and authors in the genre you want to read.

• Facebook Groups - there are a ton of Facebook groups that cater specifically to these kinds of books. Just search for clean romance and you should find a bunch.

• Newsletters - some authors like to take part in book recommendation swaps on their newsletter, or they like to do book reviews. In my newsletter, I try to have at least three or more book recs from other authors writing the same kinds of books I do. Search for book recs in your favorite author's newsletter.

I get it. It’s hard to find good reads nowadays. It seems the spicy and smutty kinds of romance have the loudest presence in retail stores and online communities. I’m not passing judgment on people who like to read the smut and the spice. I’m someone who prefers to read things I wouldn’t be ashamed to let my teenage daughter read. So I understand how hard it is to find a balance between swoony and smutty when the publishing industry has no classification system to alert us. I hope this helps you find a book that you can read without having to cover grandma’s eyes or straining your eyebrows.

*~*~*

What is the best place to find sweet, clean and wholesome books that you've found?

Tag me with @passableprose on your social media to let me know your answer.

Happy Reading!

Summer Sun and Writing

Summer is in full swing at my house. The weather has improved, school is out. We’re sleeping in, and getting out and about. And accomplishing some goals before the school year starts again. Things I didn’t have time for, or the weather didn’t permit. I'm aiming to write away from my house. Reading more is a priority. And I’m working on finishing up some books that have been on the back burner.

Read and Write Outside

My new house has a small patio area that I plan to use to the max this summer. My neighborhood is pretty quiet and I’ve always loved the sound of kids playing outside. I’ll get some patio furniture-a table for my laptop and a comfy chair for reading. I’ll get a healthy dose of Vitamin K and D and it will be nice to be present in my neighborhood.

I want to get out more in my community. I become quite the hermit during the winter. I'll write outside my house once a week. One good place I’ve found is my local library. I can drop my youngest off at the local pool and spend an hour or two amongst books. Our local library doesn’t allow food or drink. Our local tabletop game store, Game Haven, is a pleasant alternative when I need my Liquid Fortification and a snack. And the proprietor lets me stay as long as I want. As long as there’s not a tournament.

Utah is fantastic for its outdoor spaces. I haven’t enjoyed them much since some life-changing events in the last couple of years. We have a cute little canyon with dry riverbeds and picnic tables with fire pits. I’d have my laptop while birds chirp and the wind rustles the leaves in the trees. My kids get to go crazy running around the woods.

Read More Books

I’ve been slacking on the reading front as well. I rarely have a lot of time to sit down and read a physical book anymore. So I splurged with a Scribd* subscription this year. And I have been loving it. 

My only complaint is their search feature makes it very hard to find clean romance. It will bring up some suggestions. But sometimes Scribd has books misclassified as “sweet romance” where it’s anything but. Of course, the first hint the book probably isn’t ‘sweet’ is naked chesticles hanging out right on the cover.

I’ve also wanted to find more indie authors who write clean and sweet romance. It’s important to me and to those authors that I find and support them, read their books and leave reviews. It’s so important to an author, especially indie ones, for the reviews. I’m making connections with these kinds of authors through Story Origin. You’ll see suggestions for these authors if you sign up for my monthly newsletter.

Finish More Books

The period that my life was in upheaval was the most creatively prolific I’ve ever been. I have several books already in finished first draft form that I’d love to get to in the coming years. A couple are closer to release than others. I aim to get at least two done before the end of the year.

Ophelia - Book two in the Sweetwater Saga, I’m about halfway into the restructuring editing I’d been working on the last couple of months. I can finish it for fall release now that school is done. I’m so excited for everyone to see it. If you read it on Wattpad, where I first released it, it was very rough. VERY rough. Still readable, but I’m sure it left many people feeling like something was missing. I feel I’ve fixed most of it, and you’ll fall in love with Ophelia and Justin as I have.

Zoe - Yes! There is a book three in the Sweetwater Saga. I'm a quarter of the way through the first draft. This is the story of Anna and Phillip’s daughter, Zoe, now that she’s graduated from high school. Then she discovers that college is not nearly as challenging as dealing with your love life when you’re just becoming an adult.

Daughter of Witches - I mention this one only because it’s going to take up a lot of my time over the next year. It’s a romantic fantasy set in a might-have-been Ireland and Scotland. I have a few scenes already written for the four-book series. I’m sure you can appreciate that it’s going to be a while before it’s available. But it’s what I’m working on currently, both developmentally and writing-wise, that I’m sure I’ll talk about more in the future.

I have lots to do and a small amount of time to get them done. Subscribe to my newsletter for book updates. And in return, I’ll send you a Sweetwater short story about Anna and Phillip. Here’s to the sun, summer and all the writing!

*~*~*

What kinds of activities do you plan to get done this summer?

Tag me in your social media with your response!

Happy Reading!

* I am not affiliated with Scribd for this recommendation.

Why I Chose to Self-Publish

Self-publishing for my books was a conscious choice, not a back-up plan. Or at least it started out as a backup plan. Quickly, it became so much more than sloppy seconds. There was power in the control I had over every aspect of my book. There was the overlap of social media marketing necessary for my book that publishers would expect me to do anyway without their help. There was the ability to release books on my timetable, not theirs.

The dream of all new writers is to write a Great Novel, send it off to an agent or publisher. They adore the manuscript and a book contract is forthcoming. The writer rides off into the sunset as a newly minted author. But with Amazon, Ingram Spark, and others made it possible and convenient to release a book on your own. The old-school way-it-was pathways were no longer necessary.

Would I have published traditionally given a chance? Maybe. But as I’ll mention later, there were reasons for me not considering that route compared to the other options I already had. And I took the risk of standing or falling by my own choices. I was willing to take that risk.

Control at Every Point

This was the point of highest risk. Risk of your finances and sanity. It is insanely expensive to produce a book on your own. Especially if you want your book to be as good as a publishing house work. Little expenses (or big) add up fast. You need professional editing (multiple rounds), paperback and ebook formatting, cover design, and hard copy copies. Then there’s the marketing materials like bookmarks, stickers and business cards, website design and maintenance, copyright registration fees, and ISBN purchases. That doesn’t include any extras too numerous to list. 

As expensive as it is, every single bit of it is yours to design, approve, and release when you want. Sounds like a lot? It is. But I adore my beautiful covers because my cover designer and I worked together to make something I loved. If I ever want to change it, I get a new one made and attach it to the files already on Amazon or Ingram Spark. I don’t have to get anyone’s approval and I do it whenever I like.

I don’t write to the market. I write what speaks to me and make it available to people who might like it. I discovered that in the traditional publishing world, how well you wrote hardly mattered. Ok, it did matter, but it was a secondary consideration of what the be-alls of the publishing industry were looking for. They only invest in books they feel will sell well, while only offering a limited type of book for people to read. It didn’t necessarily reflect what the readers were reading or would read. Not to mention I wasn’t writing my books for wide audiences. I had something to say in a particular niche and it was one that agents and publishers weren’t buying. How do you compete against that?

You can’t.

Social Media Marketing Machine

One of the biggest letdowns about the traditional publishing industry was their change in marketing behavior. Thirty to fifty years ago, if you were lucky to get offered a publishing deal for your manuscript, then the publishing house took on most of the heavy lifting for marketing your book. The author could expect to do some book signings at local bookstores. If their book was popular enough, they might do some promotion tours.

That’s not the way it is anymore. Traditional publishers no longer handle marketing for the authors unless they are one of the top-tier monsters of the industry, like Steele, King or Sanderson. It’s actually written into the contract that the author will do a certain amount of marketing for their own book. The publishers limit their involvement to slapping a cover on it, printing a bunch and getting it in bookstores. Anyone can use Ingram Spark for the same thing.

Authors who have spent time trying to get attention for their book know it is a matted, twisted jungle out there. Hundreds of other authors are trying to do the same thing. But the publishing houses want to send you in with no water or machete. Good luck!

If you have to hack away at the jungle, you do your own research. And buy your own equipment so you have the right tools and supplies for the job. And a quick search on Pinterest or YouTube will bring up hundreds of resources teaching you how to navigate it all, most of them from other authors already doing it. 

My Timetable

I’ve spoken to other authors, so I know I’m not alone in this sentiment. You’ve put blood, sweat and tears into writing and editing a finished draft of your book. It is the best thing since Shakespeare and you can’t wait for everyone to read it. You’re sure it will be well-received if it's accessible.

Nope. One of the most disappointing aspects of the traditional publishing game was the time from finished draft to book on a shelf. Time wasted away waiting for responses to queries. Months and months would go by before you’d receive a “thanks, but no thanks” in your inbox. And then the process would start all over again with more queries sent. It seemed a colossal waste of hope, energy and precious time submitting to someone who probably didn’t even read the first page. 

And when authors got picked up, it was months and months of contract negotiations and approvals. Their books sat on a shelf waiting for its turn to be churned out of the publishing house machine, and before it was available on the bookstore shelves. That entire process can take upwards of a year and a half or more. All told, three years could pass before your book sees the light of day.

I control the timeline. All of the above steps of producing a book speeds up to weeks rather than years. On average it's taken about two months to get everything in place so I can start the marketing process for my book. Then another month or two for bare minimum marketing. That's a lot better wait than years.

Am I rolling in cash now that I’ve self-published my book? No. My book catalog contains two books right now–Sweetwater and Rose. My marketing efforts so far have been spotty at best. I don’t expect my books to have rocketed to the stratosphere. Not to mention the fact that disabled woman/able-bodied man romances, or inter-abled romances, are not exactly a hot ticket–yet. But Sweetwater has some excellent reviews and I’m preparing to release Ophelia by the end of the year. On my schedule.

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Do you find most of your books at the bookstore or online like Amazon?

Answer in your social media, and tag me to check it out!

Happy Reading!

Spotlight - Ophelia, a novel

 

My current edit-in-progress is my book Ophelia, book number two in the Sweetwater Saga that began with Anna and Phillip’s love story in Sweetwater. I had to re-write some of the beginning of the novel because there were some plot points that weren’t working. I really hate having to do nearly full re-writes, but it makes the story a lot better than the version on Wattpad.

When I wrote Sweetwater, Ophelia was just a spunky side character meant to spur Anna forward to considering taking Phillip seriously as a love interest. But she soon turned out to be a fan favorite amongst my Wattpad readers and so I started developing a story for her. Sweetwater hints at Ophelia’s past and her future as well. And I wanted to explore that, considering people just loved her sweet and loyal personality.

I love having face claims, pictures that represent the look of my characters I find on the internet, when I’m writing my stories. They give the characters a look and a personality. When I saw this picture of a cute blonde with pink ends to her hair, I KNEW she was Ophelia. The real girl is a Norwegian fashion blogger and cute in her own way, so I hope she doesn’t mind me stealing her look.

Some other inspiration was a character in the movie P.S. I Love You, the sister of the main character. Loyal, loving and a complete free-spirit, she inspired these important attributes that define Ophelia’s character.

Next, I had to flesh out Justin. My biggest question is what kind of guy would appeal to Ophelia? She has an unhealthy penchant for choosing the absolute wrong guy. Who could take her out of the singles pool for good?

Check out those baby blues. I knew immediately this was the kind of guy that would appeal physically to Ophelia. He was adorable, but in a non-muscle-head kind of way. He looked sweet, but not a pushover. He had to be opposite of Mike, the villain in the story, physically and in personality. Justin had to be romantic, thoughtful, know what he wants and confident in himself as a person. Justin needed to be the kind of guy willing to stand up for himself against Mike. He also needed to be the kind who avoided fights because he wanted to look masculine. His masculinity was a given because he didn’t need to prove it.

The relationship between Ophelia and Justin started out pretty straightforward. He adores her spunk, creativity and apparent love for life. She finds him adorkable, sweet and smart. But in real life, we all have hang ups. And in romance, those hang-ups so often trigger the hang ups in the person we’re interested in. In Justin and Ophelia’s case, we’re dealing with some very specific issues. Trust issues stemming from Justin’s childhood and feelings of inadequacies for Ophelia because of an incident that happened before Anna’s first husband, Darren, died.

One of the other themes I deal with in Ophelia is the subject of dating violence in relationships. No worries, it’s not about Justin. I wanted to show what breaking up with a narcissistic person looked like. I based Mike off of an experience a family member of mine dealt with when she broke up with one of her exes. You do not break up with a narcissist. They break up with you. And even when they do break up with you, you still belong to them. They honestly can’t handle you being with anyone besides them, even if they don’t want you anymore. This insecurity can lead them to do harmful things to their partners or former partners. As irrational as it seems, they feel justified in punishing former or current partners for the “sins” committed against them. I tried walking a fine line with this theme because I don’t want to glorify violence. There are too many romance novels out there right now that mesh sex and violence. I didn’t want to concentrate on that. To me, it’s not sexy for one partner to dominate the other even if the partner is willing. It’s just too close to the real thing for my comfort.

With all that said, I can’t wait to finish up Ophelia’s happily ever after. I may come close to her not getting it as I can, because I’m evil. It is, after all, a romance novel.

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What’s your favorite part of a romance novel? What part can’t you wait to get to?

Post it on your social media, and tag me to see it!

Happy Reading!

Must-Have Writing Foods

I am a grazer. I’ll admit it. When I’m writing, I love certain foods that help my brain push through the writer’s block and imposter syndrome to the finish line. These foods cycle at different times and there are ones that are seasonal but there are a few “rules”. For a writing session, I will have these types of foods at any given time—salty, sweet and chocolate.

Salty

Popcorn is my buddy. Three minutes in the microwave and it’s all the salty, butter deliciousness I desire. I prefer ACTII popcorn (it’s good and inexpensive). However, I may or may not get an extra large popcorn tub at the movie theater and refill it before I come home. There’s just something about movie theater popcorn that you can’t replicate at home.

Veggie Straws is a relatively recent addition to my snack stable. Ever since I became gluten intolerant, I needed something that didn’t have wheat in it and was a sort of, kind of healthy at the same time. My dog Rigby gets all the spinach green ones and I eat the potato and sweet potato ones.

White Cheddar puffs are also a relatively new offering. Cheetos are gluten-free, but I once tried a bag of these when the gas station didn’t have the other kinds I liked. I was hooked. I love the mild white cheddar flavor and, for whatever reason, they are less greasy than the regular Cheetos when you get to the bottom of the bag.

Sweet

Happy Cola gummies may or may not be a branch off of my admittedly severe addiction to cola in general. They are sweeter than what I drink (I don’t like drinking my calories). I like the fruit-flavored gummies, don’t get me wrong. But there’s just something about these that makes it impossible for me to stop eating them.

Skittles are one of the best candy in the world. One of those kinds of candies you can eat until you suddenly notice your stomach is hurting. And your tongue is semi-numb with tart sweetness overload. And of all the flavors, tropical is my favorite. Sure, the original flavors are good too but variety is the spice of life.

Amongst all the high fructose corn syrup and piles of sugar, yes, I do like natural sweetness as well. And I was just lucky to find a picture with all my favorite fruits–watermelon, apple slices, grapes and pineapple. Not usually as a salad as pictured there, but if I can’t get watermelon, then I’ll settle for grapes. If I get a ripe pineapple in the high desert of the Rocky Mountains, then I’ll settle for apple slices with peanut butter.

Chocolate

Almond and Toffee Symphony bars have literally been a favorite since they came out in the 80s. What’s better than English toffee mixed with toffee and my favorite nuts, almonds? Swoon.

Peanut or Peanut Butter or Classic Mix M&M’s—With the advent of Classic Mix, I’m in M&M heaven. While I’m not the biggest fan of regular M&M’s, having them every once in a while isn’t bad. But then there are the times when I cycle between peanut and peanut butter that having all three in a bag TOGETHER is my dream come true.

Snickers Bars are classic. You get all the good things in one - nougat, caramel, chocolate and peanuts. To be honest, it’s my fallback in case I can’t get anything else. But it’s not that I’m complaining. It’s these and Mounds that got stolen out of my kids’ Halloween bags every year.

Seasonal

Peeps–it’s controversial, I know. I am in the “I love these" camp. In fact, I have an entire process for Peeps to be perfect enough to eat. They cannot be eaten right away. Oh, no. They have to be cured first. Once I buy a package, the plastic needs to be removed. They need to sit out between three days and a week in order for them to dry out slightly. Once they are extra chewy, but not hard as rocks, they are ready.

Candy Corns are a Halloween must-have. Not only that, but it MUST be Brach’s version. The version where they use real honey in the recipe. Without the extra ingredient, candy corns can be crusty and flavorless. But Brach’s version is chewy and has the perfect taste.

Popsicles is my summer treat of choice. And while I don’t mind the more expensive kids, these Twin Pops are the ones I always go for first. There’s something about them that reminds me of childhood. Not to mention that they still have their green pops still flavored like lime instead of green apple. Gag. Who likes green apple?

Honorable Mentions

Ice Cream is not something I eat often when writing. It gets forgotten about when I’m really into working on a scene and, therefore, melting. But I can’t deny it’s part of a good life no matter what you do for a living. Besides that, there are a few local restaurants here that make “milkshakes” which are basically soft serve ice cream that can have mix-ins. Sort of like McDonald’s McFlurries with WAY more options. My favorite is chocolate ice cream with Reese’s peanut butter cups mixed in.

Muddy Buddies I don’t eat very often. TECHNICALLY they are gluten-free. But something about them hints they’re made in a facility that has wheat floating in the air apparently. I can’t eat a lot of them, or very often, or I regret it. But I admit I love the taste of them. And yes, I could make my own at home, but who likes to do that when there is that enticing bag hanging out in the snack aisle?

I have the most amazing recipe for caramel given to me by a childhood friend of the family. I might share if you guys want me to. But I almost never use it to make caramel. The family used to make these enormous batches of caramel popcorn with it, and well, as mentioned, I love popcorn. Then you combine this swoony recipe for caramel and popcorn together and I practically give myself diabetes every time I make it. Hence, it doesn’t get made very often because it is VERY high in sugar of all kinds. But so worth it.

This is not an exhaustive list of snacks. They are the most common ones you’ll find crowding my desk or filling up my garbage can.

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What kind of snack must you have if you’re writing or reading?

Answer in your social media, and tag me to check it out!

Happy Reading!