When we moved into our 1980s home the floors were heaving, there was no air conditioning, no fridge and the washer and dryer was in front of the toilet. You could have folded laundry while taking your morning constitution. How convenient. It was also perfect. After living on sailboats, atop a Land Cruiser and in a yurt I was thrilled to be surrounded by drywall! However, due to our house's age the layout was not ideal. Rooms had been added onto rooms and porches enclosed to c

One of my favorite authors is Lily Gold. She writes Why Choose romances that are sweet, poignant and spicy. She does a phenomenal job of giving you a cupcake of a book that ends up making you question everything. Her book "Triple Duty Bodyguards" was a deep dive into internet stardom and the affect of stalking and PTSD. You'd think that a why choose would be all fluff and spice, but this book left me philosophizing about cyber bullying and parasocial interactions. The smut is

This year, as I've started to write my own romance, I've been playing particularly close attention to the female main characters in the books I'm reading. I am looking for strong women who need a champion, not a hero. I want to fall in love with them and cry with them and relate to their fears. I want to be touched by their sincerity and believe their transformation. Of the books I've read this year there have been two stand out FMCs: Yvenne of Syssia and Dr. Elma York. I'll