I
am now part of a newsletter collective with other authors.
Yesterday
saw the inception of a new way for authors to share their upcoming releases,
backlist books, works in progress, and more.
Scribe’s
Tribune is a multi-author newsletter, created by Xek K.D.
Rychtevorik, Dawn Weast, and yours truly. We wanted to have our own newsletters
because all of us are growing as authors, and getting more and more recognized,
but none of us wanted to do it all ourselves.
When
Xek first mentioned the idea of a multi-author newsletter to me, I was
intrigued. I had never heard of a multi-author newsletter outside of the ones
like Extasy Books sends out periodically announcing the new releases, featured
stories, the Extasy Books Blog, the latest Editor’s Choice recipients, and more.
A multi-author one we do ourselves seemed like an easier, fun, and great way to get
our books and other updates to our readers.
This
also makes it easier on the subscribers. All of the news from their favorite
authors in one spot, via one email. Plus it also gives them an opportunity to
discover new authors, new genres and more.
We
are accepting applications for authors who would love to participate by
submitting articles once per month. All genres are welcome, from kids’ books to
romance, and from comedy and poetry to horror. All authors welcome – indie like
Xek, trad like me, or a combination of the two. We welcome all authors from all
genres who are willing to pitch in one short article each month. That’s all.
You
can apply to be a member of the Scribes’ Tribune community here.
If
you are a reader and want updates from our fast expanding community, just leave
your name and email on this form.
I’m
so tickled to be one of the founding members of this amazing, fun and talented
community, and I’m so flattered that Xek asked me to join in from the get go.
Here’s
our first edition, released today. It’s an “About the Author” for Dawn, Xek and
myself. Enjoy!
Our next edition will be published on April 28, 2024, hopefully with more than the three of us. Watch for it!!!
I
leave you with one of my favorite songs of all time, featuring my favorite lady
guitarist – Nancy Wilson – and one of my favorite singers, Ann Wilson... “Alone” by Heart.
This suspenseful queer YA romance from critically acclaimed author K.
Ancrum reimagines the tale of Icarus as a star-crossed love story
between a young art thief and the son of the man he’s been stealing
from.
Icarus
by K. Ancrum
Genre: YA LGBTQ
Contemporary Romance
Perfect
for fans of Adam Silvera and Aristotle and Dante Discover the
Secrets of the Universe, this suspenseful queer YA romance from
critically acclaimed author K. Ancrum reimagines the tale of Icarus
as a star-crossed love story between a young art thief and the son of
the man he’s been stealing from—think Portrait of a
Thief for YA readers.
Icarus Gallagher is a thief. He
steals priceless art and replaces it with his father’s impeccable
forgeries. For years, one man—the wealthy Mr. Black—has been
their target in revenge for his role in the death of Icarus’s
mother. To keep their secret, Icarus adheres to his own strict rules
to keep people, and feelings, at bay: Don’t let anyone close. Don’t
let anyone touch you. And, above all, don’t get caught.
Until one night, he does. Not
by Mr. Black but by his mysterious son, Helios, now living under
house arrest in the Black mansion. Instead of turning Icarus in,
Helios bargains for something even more dangerous—a friendship that
breaks every single one of Icarus’s rules.
As reluctance and distrust
become closeness and something more, they uncover the gilded cage
that has trapped both their families for years. One Icarus is
determined to escape. But his father’s thirst for revenge shows no
sign of fading, and soon it may force Icarus to choose: the escape
he’s dreamed of, or the boy he’s come to love. Reaching for both
could be his greatest triumph—or it could be his downfall.
K.
Ancrum is an author of award winning contemporary YA notably THE
WICKER KING, DARLING and most recently the triple starred ICARUS. K.
is a Chicago native passionate about diversity and representation in
young adult fiction. She currently writes most of her work in the
lush gardens of the Chicago Art Institute.
They fought courageously on the
battlefield; now they're fighting for love.
Heroes, Holidays, and Hope
Volume
1
Genre:
Military Romance Anthology
with
stories by
Dania
Voss, Laura M. Baird, Laurie Ryan, Sadira Stone & Lynn Spangler
Sacrifice. Valor.
Patriotism.
They fought courageously on the
battlefield, now they’re fighting for love.
We are a
group of Veterans and Veterans' family members who are also
bestselling and award-winning romance authors! We put our group
together to publish a yearly limited edition, military holiday
romance collection that also supports military / veteran related
charities.
Heroes, Holidays, and Hope Volume 1 supports
Fisher House (comfort homes where military & veteran families can
stay free of charge, while a loved one is in the hospital).
Our
goal is to raise $3000 (or more) during our yearlong campaign.
The
stories in Volume1 are contemporary military romance, taking place
during the cold weather holiday months. Various tropes and steam
levels are part of this “must have” collection and it’s only
available for 6 months after launch day, then it’s gone for good as
we prepare for Volume 2!
Pick up your copy today (gift
some copies too!) – together we can make a huge difference.
Find
us online and get all the details about the Heroes, Holidays, and
Hope project!
Stories
included in the set are:
Imperfectly
Perfect by Dania Voss ~
A
runaway bride, scarred from a horrible accident when she was a girl
and disillusioned with love.
A
former US Navy fighter pilot who had his heart broken years ago and
is untrusting of women.
Resigned
to interact for business reasons, can these two find their way in
Cascade Springs – the wedding capital of Texas Hill County, or are
they destined to remain alone forever?
Passion
and Duty Forever by Laura M. Baird ~
Spontaneous
combustion. That's how Navy SEAL, Antonio Vega, felt when he first
bumped into Coronado animal shelter manager, Leesa Colburn. But a
fiery night of fun doesn't ignite as hoped when he's called away for
a mission.
Each yearns for the other, and
when Antonio returns from a tough deployment, he has a life-altering
decision to make.
Can
Antonio picture a future beyond duty which includes rekindling the
passion between him and Leesa, and committing to forever?
The
Unexpected Gifts by Lynn Spangler ~
Cyndra
“Cyn” Hart hardly ever left her house. After a stint in the US
Army involving a child suicide bomber, she spiraled into PTSD-induced
isolation, not wanting to be part of a world she didn’t understand.
Brady
Jacobs, the local package delivery guy, stirred feelings in her that
she had no idea what to do about. Gradually, he begins to pull her
out of her shell until a misunderstanding sends him into the cold
night air and to the hospital.
Can
she find the strength to fight for the life she could only have
imagined before Brady?
Saved
by Her Marine by Laurie Ryan ~
A
single mom. A wounded veteran.
How
can Kaedon Powell say no to a woman five thousand miles away from her
daughter?
He’s
had enough responsibility to last a lifetime, so when the
eight-year-old next door asks for help, he’s reluctant to step in,
especially since her grandmother doesn’t like him on sight. But the
girl’s mother is in Germany as part of her tour. As a vet, he knows
what it means to be military. He steps up.
Neurosurgical
nurse Holly Miller has no choice but to rely on the stranger next
door until a single phone call turns worry into a yearning destined
to become more. Their long-distance connection turns personal as they
discover how much they have in common.
Can
her love help him accept that sometimes, commitment is worth the
reward?
The
One You Can't Keep by Sadira Stone ~
Forbidden love is the sweetest Christmas treat.
Stationed in
Germany, a lonely teacher and a divorced military dad share a hot
holiday liaison. Both crave more, but she’s his troubled son’s
teacher! Unless they can untangle this mess, their passionate
connection fizzles with the new year.
Dania
Voss and Laura M. Baird co-founded the Heroes, Holidays, and Hope
project to share their love of writing military romances, but to also
use a portion of the sales to help military and veteran charities.
Laura served in the US Army, and Dania's husband served in the Navy.
They invite authors who are also veterans or veterans' family member
to participate.
Each
year, a different holiday theme is written about, with volume one all
about stories at Christmastime. Each story is unique to the author,
ranging from sweet and heartwarming to steamy and sensual. The
anthologies will be available for six months, always releasing on
December 6th.
Volume I benefits Fisher House, an organization which provides
comfort homes throughout the nation (with some even overseas) to
military and veteran family members where they can stay for free
while a loved one is in the hospital. Https://fisherhouse.org
We're
looking forward to giving readers captivating stories that also
support a terrific cause. We also have a merchandise shop that offers
a wide variety of items, from clothes to bags to drink ware, all with
our project logo. https://bit.ly/HHHmerch
Anyone
who has known me since childhood knows I’ve always been a creative type. I’ve
always loved music and singing even though I can’t play an instrument to save
my life (I can read music though) or sing for the life of me, the writing has
always come naturally for me once I realized I loved it and my Grade 4 teacher
at Petite Riviere Elementary School,
Mrs. Hache, told me I had a knack for spinning a tale.
Another
thing I loved doing was drawing. I was drawing since I was about six or seven
years old, and always seemed to draw something to go with any of the short
stories I wrote for my teachers, notably from about grade 2 and up through
elementary school. I can still see one story about my longtime pal Cindy and me
going to a Bryan Adams concert hanging on Mrs. Hache’s bulletin board in her
classroom, she loved it so much, and there was a picture I drew of me and Cindy
included with it.
Unfortunately,
I gave it up after a while. I got so many hateful and downright mean comments
about it that when I got in with the rougher crowd (think the ones who smoked,
didn’t do their school work and more) in junior high that I gave it up. It
seemed that only the geeky kids took stuff like art class in the higher grades,
and some told me I didn’t have what it takes to be an artist. That upset me
because my great uncle Howard (Shankle) was a well-known woodlands painter in
Canada and parts of the United States, and he was one of the few people who
encouraged me – along with my mom and some of my teachers – to keep up with the
art, they thought I had a lot of potential. So I set aside my pencils and pens,
and started focusing more on the writing.
All
of you know how the writing turned out… My debut novel, Stricken (which is now the first book of The Feathered Tartan series!),
came out in March 2017, and I am seeing my seventh book, Could Have Been (Feathered Tartan 4), published by Extasy Books
later this spring… Two of my published books, Away to Me and Honestly
(Feathered Tartan 3), have received the Extasy Books’ Editor’s Choice Seal
of Excellence, meaning they are among the
cream of the crop when it comes to Extasy’s expansive top of the line
stories… which is saying something considering we have tons of talented authors
with amazing books published via Extasy!
Recently,
I realized that in order to expand my itty bitty art business, I’d better get
on the ball and start making ultra-unique items, like drawings and more, all
created by me. On paper. Not AI generated (I don’t like it, anyone who knows me
knows why!) and I do not want to use stock photos or anything else generated by
another human. I want to be able to create one of a kind drawings and paintings
with my own hands, for book cover art, and even unique pieces for
prints, and more – think selling stuff on art sites as a designer.
My
ultimate goal is to be able to draw my own characters like Ewan, Dana and
Joshua Campbell (for example), so my readers and others can see them as I do…
One of my author and art pals is in the middle of creating a webtoon for their
debut novel, a science fiction/dystopian story, and it’s so cool seeing their characters
as they see them.
I’d
love to be able to do that, but it won’t be for a long, long time.
For
one, I have to learn a few techniques. There’s more to drawing than just lines.
You have to learn things like shading, blending colors, and more. It’s
overwhelming at first, but I’m slowly getting used to holding a pencil
different ways, and looking at objects and people to see the shapes in them,
plus shading and different shades of colors, etc.
I
recently purchased a large art pencil set from Amazon. It includes various
pencils in varying hardness for drawing, outlining, shading and more; metallic
and regular color pencils; charcoal in white, black and green with various
hardness and softness; erasers, two pads (one for watercolors, one for plain
sketching); and the most coolest of all – watercolor pencils which you draw
with, then activate with water. It’s so awesome!
My new art pencil set... SO PRETTY!!!
I’ve
played with shading and drawing with the regular pencils, and recently did a
drawing using the black and green charcoals. Today is a fun day, I’m playing with
the watercolor pencils. They are so much fun to use! I love it.
I’m
not confident or good enough to share my work yet. It’s been ages since I last
picked up a drawing pencil or paint, and I’m so rusty that I’m creaking loudly…
Worse than a squeaky wheel.
It
does feel great to be doing it again after so long. I find it relaxing, and it’s
so nice to be able to see how much I’m improving even after a few tries at
something. I still have light years to go but I’m willing to walk that
distance.
Having
a few great friends and art mentors cheering me on is a huge help too. I can’t
thank them enough for their love and support!
I
am so happy right now. I’m expanding my horizons back to what they were when I
was a child. I’m writing, doing art on the computer as a graphics designer, and
on my own with pencils and paper.
Life
is so beautiful! I love this!
Have
a fantastic weekend everyone! I leave you with a new single from Godsmack, who
are one of my favorite bands. I can’t thank my longtime friend Lorrie L for
introducing them to me. I love Godsmack! Here’s the video for Truth.
If she gives me one more chance, I’ll risk it all for that forever
kind of love.
A BWWM Firefighter
Romance
Once Again Mine
by Maia Ambrose
Genre: Steamy
Contemporary Romance
Ex-flame
alert! My high school sweetheart’s back home unannounced.
She’s got me hooked with
those mesmerizing eyes and curves that won't stop.
Stranded in a snowstorm?
Not complaining when her
velvety brown sugar skin warms things up.
I crave the love we had -
But she's got real grown woman
problems,
And a controlling streak that
drives me wild—especially in the bedroom.
Our fiery encounters are louder
than my fire truck's horn.
Sure, she's used to the
public eye, but all I want is her attention.
If she gives me one more
chance, I'll risk it all for that forever kind of love.
Even if it means leaving
everything behind.
Just hoping I survive long
enough to make it happen.
***
Once Again Mine is a
standalone interracial romance. You can expect a second chance stuck
together HEA romance between Jake and Savannah. Steamy scenes and
explicit language are included and intended for mature audiences
only.
Maia
Ambrose is an African American Steamy Romance author from the Midwest
who believes in the power of love and everything it has to offer. Her
stories illustrate the dynamic of contemporary interracial
relationships between strong, resilient black women and
heart-throbbing, irresistible white men. Maia believes there's truly
someone for everyone and aims to inspire more love energy in the
world with her work.
Maia is a notorious night owl, who
frequently burns the midnight oil, coming up with creative romantic
ideas. When she's not writing her BWWM stories, she's spending time
with the people she loves most and practicing self-care.
I’ve
been wearing baggy clothes for months now, afraid of men looking at
me and wanting me. But when Mason takes me in off his dark doorstep,
things change. Now, I want nothing more than to be looked at. To be
wanted.
This
older, grumpy giant is doing me a good turn. He might just restore my
faith in men. And in love.
The
Outback Man series is set in the town of Sunrise, Australia. Each
romance is a steamy standalone but they are best read as a scorching
hot series.
When
a virgin steps into my life, fresh out of hell, I sweep her up and
carry her over the threshold. I might be a bad boy but I want to make
this angel smile every day. Even if she’s saving herself for
a real marriage.
Why
does it kill me that our marriage isn’t the real deal? Can I
overcome my tortured past and claim this bride as my own?
The
Outback Man series is set in the town of Sunrise, Australia. Each
romance is a steamy standalone but they are best read as a scorching
hot series.
Millie
Wolf is an author of short instalove romance. She lives on the sunny
west coast of Australia with her husband and far too many bicycles.
When she’s not reading or writing romance, she’s out soaking up
the sun in a saddle or on the sand. She never goes anywhere without a
good book.
She grows up in the belly of her oppressive
father, where she watches her mother build her armor and hatches
plans for escape. Once freed, she becomes her father's favorite--a
loyal subject, warrior, and advocate who stands by her father even
when her favorite is sentenced for treason and chained to a
rock, where his liver is eaten daily by Zeus's eagle. Then, her hopes
for a reunion with Prometheus are crushed when he disappears, and
years of searching prove futile. With a hardened heart, Athena
becomes a powerful leader of the Olympians.
But when
Prometheus returns from the shadows, her loyalties are challenged,
her heart stirs with unquenchable passion, and her immortal life is
forever changed.
**Get
30% off when you preorder directly from the author HERE!**
Eva
Pohler earned her Ph.D. in English in the mid-nineties, specializing
in twentieth-century British and American narrative strategies. She
has taught writing and literature for over twenty years at a
university in San Antonio, her hometown, where she lives with her
husband, two of her three adult children, and three rescue dogs.
An
award-winning and USA Today bestselling author of over
forty novels in multiple genres, Eva writes paranormal mysteries,
thrillers, and young adult fantasy based on Greek mythology. Her
books have been described as "addictive" and "sure to
thrill"--Kirkus Reviews.
Whichever
genre you read, you will find an adventure in Eva Pohler's stories.
They blur the line between reality and fantasy, truth and delusion,
and draw from Eva's personal philosophy that a reader must be lured
and abducted into complete captivity in order to enjoy the reading
experience.
The
plan was simple. One night. No commitment. No regrets.
Bid
on Love
Jenkins
& Sons Construction Series Book 5
by
Sharon C. Cooper
Genre:
Contemporary Romance
Single
dad, Benjamin Jenkins Jr. learned the hard way that women can’t be
trusted. But the moment Mahogany Rowsey hits his radar, he’s
captivated and unable to resist her magnetic pull.
Mahogany
can spot a player a mile away, and she’s managed to dodge every
single one… until Ben. He charms her into a one-night fling that
leaves her panting for more. But it won’t happen again. She lives
in Chicago. He lives in Cincinnati. Still, that doesn’t stop her
from wanting what she can’t have.
But when Ben shows up
to bid on a project Mahogany is overseeing, what began as one night
of passion becomes so much more. Can these two get on the same page
long enough to turn one night into forever?
*All
books in this series can be read as a standalone.
USA
Today bestselling author Sharon C. Cooper loves anything involving
romance with a happily-ever-after, whether in books, movies, or real
life. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and dabbles
in romantic comedy. She enjoys rainy days, carpet picnics, and peanut
butter and jelly sandwiches. Sharon’s stories have won numerous
awards over the years, and when she isn’t writing, she’s hanging
out with her amazing husband, doing volunteer work, or reading a good
book (a romance of course). To read more about Sharon and her novels,
visit www.sharoncooper.net