Working class heroes, man. I love ’em. Heroines too. I’ve written plumbers and farmers, bartenders and construction laborers—there’s something about someone who knows what it’s like to put in a hard day’s work that makes me believe that they can and will put that same work into their relationships. I worked in the white collar corporate world for years, and we liked to throw around the “work hard, play hard” line, but you have never seen play like a bunch of mechanics when they go out on the Continue Reading
Bawdy Quickie from Bawdy Bookworms
Hi Smexy Readers! My friend Thien-Kim, the founder of Bawdy Bookworms asked if she could stop by and give us some information about their new box subscription! I hope you'll check out the Quickie box and just their site in general :) I'm excited to announce our new box, BAWDY QUICKIE! The monthly subscription box will exclusively feature diverse romances paired with erotic toys. We officially launched last week and will announce our first book November 1st. The boxes will ship November Continue Reading
Smexy Top Ten October 18
We made it to Friday! YAY!! 10. Need to watch a soothing video? Check out this cake decorating video. 9. I’m a knitter. Last year I vowed to knit socks. It went so well I have a half inch nub of a sock still sitting on needles in my knitting bins. Last night I saw a post on Reddit about someone knitting TWELVE socks at a time. I can’t even wrap my head around how to do two at a time, twelve is beyond my scope. 8. Shameless self promotion time. A few weeks back I recorded an episode Continue Reading
Guest Post: The Sights and Sounds of NOLA Knights by Rhenna Morgan
I love New Orleans. I’ve been there more times than I can count, and I’m pretty much your standard tourist when I visit: Nighttime trips to the French Quarter.A stop at Pat O’Brien’s—because it’s Pat O’Brien’s.Requisite visits to at least one fortune teller—because it just seems to fit the city, and who knows where you’ll find a good idea for a book!A breakfast or mid-afternoon trip to Café Du Monde.Souvenir shopping at the French Market.Cajun Food.Cajun Food.Cajun Food. Oddly, hardly any Continue Reading
Guest Post: Romance Take Two by Sabrina Sol
Second Chance romance is one of my absolute favorite tropes. When I saw that Sabrina is part of an anthology, Do It Again, featuring 5 novellas about second chance, I asked her to write a post about the trope and the anthology. Take it away Sabrina- Is love sweeter the second time around? According to the popular trope known as Second Chance Romance, the answer is a resounding “Yes!” I love a Second Chance Romance because I think the stakes are higher and the main characters have Continue Reading
Guest Post: Subverting the Billionaire Trope by Angelina M. Lopez
My debut romance novel, Lush Money, is about a Mexican-American self-made billionaire businesswoman. I would love to say when I thought her up in 2015, that I was aiming for a trope-subverting heroine; that I anticipated the 2016 election, the #MeToo movement, and the resolve of women and people of color to no longer accept the status quo of being pushed to the background. But I’m just not that wise. I owe much to luck for the gift of Roxanne Medina, the smart and sultry billionaire heroine Continue Reading
Top Ten October 11
10. Alyssa Cole will be the featured speaker at the Researching the Romance Conference at BGSU in April 2020. 9. Check out this beautiful cover for Farrah Rochon’s new book. Book Riot also has a preview of the first chapter. I have it added to my Goodreads TBR! 8. And this one from Kwana Jackson. Who wants to join a knitting book club so we can read this and knit? 7. Have you seen/heard about these footballer wives that are feuding? I skimmed the story and it seems wild. I am Continue Reading
Kini’s Friday Kisses- Reviews for books by Julianna Keyes, Nicole Jacquelyn, Elle Spencer, Sarah Mayberry, and a fantastic debut from Diana Biller
I’ve been trying to limit my time on social media and that has allowed me more reading time. After I got off track with my ARCs I made sure to read some over the weekend. Since last week I read 4.5 books. Here’s some thoughts about them. Team Player by Juliana Keyes- I closed out my Keyes binge by finally reading this book that has been on my TBR for several months. It’s a baseball romance. The heroine works in the PR department for a baseball team. The hero is a short stop on the team the Continue Reading
Giveaway: Celebrating Kitty Scarlett’s One Year Adoptiversary
One year ago today, I officially adopted Kitty-Scarlett. Just 5 days prior I made an impulsive decision to adopt her. I’d been thinking for years about adopting a pet, but it’s a huge commitment. But in early October I was really feeling my aloneness with my son in college and my parents announcing they would be relocating to Nebraska. I just knew I needed some other living being at home with me. I need to feel less alone. I went to my local shelter with the intention of just looking. I knew I Continue Reading
Guest Post: Dream Cast for American Love Story by Adriana Herrera
Adriana is back with another beautiful dream cast for her latest novel, American Love Story, which released earlier this week. Thanks for stopping by Adriana!! Patrice and Easton’s romance is almost here and have I got a casting for you! For this third installment of the Dreamers series we’re back in Ithaca and my favorite broody Haitian is in deep with a certain Whiskey eyed ADA. Since I’ve already picked some of the main players for the series, you will see some familiar faces, but Continue Reading