Today's queer indie author review: RD Noland's The Curious Thing About the Apartment Vent:
"There were so many things to enjoy about this story, from the meet-cute of the eavesdropping via air vent, to the fun side characters, to the developing relationship... It was hard to put this one down."
Very sweet achillean romance with two acespec characters. Both main characters are secret agents and book nerds, and there's a second, shorter book in the series if you enjoy them.
"Wrath: High Heat Instalove Romance (The Curvy Girl Sins)" goes harder than most of my romance catalog.
When Callum figures out his mother is setting him up for embezzlement, he decides to make his mother's hand-picked hot auditor the instrument of his revenge.
Here's an intro to the world of "Wrath: Jeni arrives at Blackstone headquarters, unaware she's a pawn in the war between Callum & his mother, and meets the wolfish CEO for the first time.
Wow, it's been a while! In less than an hour at 5pm ET / 2pm PT, I'll be chatting with gamedevs Abhi of Venba, Marina Ayano Kittaka of Sephonie, Natalie Tin Yin Gan & @remysiu of 1000xResist!
We'll have a profound talk on how our respective games and characters explore cultural memory, hope, and trauma.
You can watch the panel here, as part of Fellow Traveller's #LudoNarraCon !
If you had your eye on your brother's hot best friend but your brother was trying to keep you apart, what would you do?
Lily is a single mom making a fresh start in a small mountain town. She knows what she wants — the hot mountain man she met last Christmas. Whether her brother likes it or not!
If you like stories about women who go after what they want, you'll ❤ "Taken by the Mountain Man."
"Scar" by Kelsie Calloway has everything: a naive younger woman, a rugged older man, a brush with death that brings them together, leaving them trapped by the storm... plus my blossoming ingenue voice and my 6'5" mountain man voice.
If you like short, high heat standalone first time romance, get it now!
"Firefighter Love" is for everyone who appreciates an older woman or a younger man!
Back in his small home town, James runs into the curvy older woman he's wanted since he was a boy, only now he's grown up into a hot firefighter ad he might just stand a chance.
A hero you will cheer for, great leads chemistry, & a sizzling finale by the fireplace.
Have I ever told you what Maggie Adams made me do for the audiobook of "The Trouble With Angels?" 😅
There are two male characters with a lot of shared scenes: I had to differentiate the voices. And [mildest spoilers] there's a scene where one of the men puts on an accent, & then the other guy mimics him to make fun of him -- that's layer on layer of voice actor challenge.
If you want to hear me flex as an audiobook narrator, check it out! https://geni.us/TTWA
"The Trouble With Angels" is a romantic comedy that's really enjoyable and accessible for people who are not diehard romance fans.
If you've been thinking about checking out my fiction books but felt iffy about the romance genre (romance is not everyone's cup of tea & that's perfectly fine), "The Trouble with Angels" is genuinely a good place to start.
Today's indie author review: Casey Morales' I Hear You:
"What I loved about this book - besides the two great dogs and the two amazing humans - was what I learned about the things the deaf have to deal with... I highly recommend this book. Five stars."
She tried to explain Information Theory to me in simple terms. "Information is that which reduces uncertainty.", she said, adjusting her glasses self consciously. I felt some uncertainty reducing.
She gave me a book by Claude Shannon. The next week, she asked me how I liked it. "It was challenging. I'm trying to make sense of the mathematical notation. Some cool ideas in there."
She smiled and handed me another copy of the same book. "WTF?! I've already read it. I'm reading it again. This conveys no information!"
"Don't judge a book by its cover.", she said, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
I skimmed the new copy. She had scribbled notes in the margins in her womanly handwriting, breaking down key concepts that she had underlined throughout.
"Thank you!", I stammered, meaning it heartily. I wasn't exactly a Cliff's Notes kind of learner, but this was challenging material, and I was grateful for the help. And there was something else. I was attracted to her so much, her mind, her body. I pushed that feeling aside, and smiled politely. I had to think and process information like the good Android I was.
I went over the new copy, over and over. She texted, and asked to meet for coffee. When we met, she handed me a third copy of the same book. I guffawed! She giggled a little, and averted her eyes. What was her new game? I was intrigued. Thumbing through the pages, I found no new writing. It was blank. Well, same as the first copy, but older. There was no information. I was puzzled, till a subtle scent tickled me. An old book smell, mixed with a lovely aroma. It was own perfume. I looked up and she was smiling at me. We made eye contact through two pairs of glasses. A new dimension had just opened in my world. It would take a lot cycles to process the flood of new information flooding my senses. I was melting.
I was chatting with a friend about how lovely and nurturing the men of romance novels can be. It's fascinating to me that that is the ultimate fantasy for many women: a nurturing man. (Men who date women, take note!)
"Saved by The Mountain Man" has one of the most caring & nurturing steamy scenes I've ever narrated. I warmly recommend it.
Here's an introduction to the female lead of "Saved by the Mountain Man," a furious Runaway Bride driving off into the mountains on icy roads to get away from the cheating groom she left at the altar.