Skip to main content

Strange Journeys & Unexpected Destinations


Creatures of Passage by Morowa Yejide 
20th-c. contemporary speculative literary fiction 
Akashic Books, March 2021 (paperback, July 2022) 

Blurred lines between the living and the dead, reality and fantasy, slumber and consciousness make Nephthys Kinwell's winding routes through Washington, D.C. multifaceted renderings of people who are haunted by their pasts while they seek and decipher clues on how to move forward through grief and disappointment into their purpose. Creatures of Passage slides across and between genres and weaves together heavy themes into a buoyant narrative with the exquisite language and imagery of accessible poetic sensibilities that lifts readers' spirits. 

  • Free Will or Destiny? 
The Mutual Friend by Carter Bays 
contemporary fiction with romantic elements 
Dutton, June 2022 

Six Degrees of Separation in the age of screen fixation and addiction 

The Arc by Tory Henwood Hoen 
contemporary fiction with romantic elements 
St. Martin's Press, February 2022 

Calculating more than chemistry  

  • City of Lights (& Intrigue) 
Almost Perfect (Cordoba Agency #4) by Delaney Diamond, author & publisher 
contemporary romance, May 2022 

Fresh thematic mix of To Catch a Thief + The A Team + Undercovers = unlikely allies-to-lovers + family-by-choice  

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Hot Love in the Kitchen & Travelling Through Time

Redemption of the Heart by Moni Boyce contemporary romance Love Snacks Publishing  8 January 2019 Despite addressing heavy themes of domestic violence, incarceration, and grief, Redemption of the Heart is a charming and sweet spicy read in the tradition of a 21st-century interracial homage to Janet Dailey’s monthly romance era. Gemma’s open-hearted ingĆ©nue contrasts starkly with Alex’s jaded workaholic. They struggle with a variety of challenges, but ethnicity isn’t one of them—a spin that feels particularly modern. Once readers commit to their suspension of disbelief regarding the cascading impact of lacks in due diligence by several characters, it’s easy to settle in to enjoy this love story. The recent public debate about the pros and cons of Gillette’s ā€œWe believe the best man can beā€ campaign ties in with the contradictory messages in the story threads about toxic masculinity. There’s a scene in which Alex apologizes to someone who was openly bragging among cowork...

123123! Goodbye 2023! Hello 2024!

  A Marquis to Protect the Governess by Parker J. Cole  historical romance fiction  Harlequin Historical, December 26, 2023  Sometimes scrolling through new releases available on Libby (even though there's a stack of physical books within arm's reach), leads to unexpected reading pleasure. That's what happened with me upon starting this gem of a tale. Like opening my first books by Ms. Bev(erly Jenkins), Gay G. Gunn, Vanessa Riley, Alyssa Cole, and Lisa Rayne, Isadora and Andre's rocky love story hooked me from the first page. Using a seamless integration of historical context, character evolution, and high stakes combined with emotional nuances, this author has crafted an engaging tale that organically includes people and places too often erased from historical romance fiction.   Hot Flashes and Hockey Slashes by Marika Ray & Sylvie Stewart, authors & publisher  contemporary romance fiction  October 2023  Who knew that normalizing op...

21st Authorversary & 20th IPPY Awardiversary + Thanks!

  [front cover of Seducing the Burks: Five Erotic Tales by Cardyn Brooks with the image of an open hand making a beckoning gesture, a "2004 Independent Publisher IP Award Finalist" medallion sticker; back cover with blurb, "authorHOUSE" logo - formerly 1st Books, barcodes]  Self-publishing 21 years ago was still often considered "vanity publishing" as in ego-driven by writers not talented enough to merit a contract with a traditional  publisher. My decision to self-publish came after years of feedback praising the compelling nature and professional quality of my submission as prefaces to rejections that included phrases like, "Will your target audience of readers relate to the level of privilege your main characters have?"   WT...  It took me awhile to understand that since my Black characters are educated and middle class, agents and editors assumed that most readers wouldn't identify with them since (they also assumed) most Black people wer...