There are so many reasons why Heated Rivalry is entrancing millions of people. Showing the explicit pursuit of connection and love as a worthy and rewarding endeavor is one of them, especially in contrast to the real world environment of divide and conquer.   [a rectangular fabric table runner with a painterly pattern of cottages and trees; it's folded in half and draped over the left side of a black travel case]  As a genre, Romance rules in every way except one. It's the most profitable and popular genre in publishing. Dedicated bookstores, streaming channels, annual conventions, workshops, fan sites, hash tags, and podcasts; sold-out author/book tours, events with casts of adaptations and original screenplays--all of them attract and sustain and grow attention, engagement, and cha-ching. (Theatrical releases of rom-coms have dwindled over the years and the few that get released have launched with a high failure rate, but let's save that discussion for another time along ...

Poet Laureate of The Write Women Book Fest Aressa V. Williams and her team of family and supporters hosted a joyous book launch event this past Saturday upstairs at the South Bowie Branch of the Prince George's County Memorial System. The poet, educator, author charmed and advised us through sharing anecdotes about her life and reading from In Deanwood. [Advance Reader Copy of In Deanwood, A Memoir by Aressa V. Williams arranged under a Heal Write Away business card, 3 thank you ornaments: a snowman, a card catalog entry shaped like a star, and bookshelves shaped like a heart]    [a framed sketch of the house at 5000 Sheriff Road where the author grew up, a paperback copy of In Deanwood, and a framed black & white photo of the author]  [a full-color banner of Pancakes & Chocolate Milk, Prose and Poetry by Aressa V. Williams arranged on a table with clear vases filled with Christmas ornaments at each top corner of the banner]  Thanksgiving is over and it's off...

Along with unfinished business from the past that haunts the present  [5 books; 3 face up and 2 spine up, from left to right: Best Woman, The Gist of Bid Whist, Blind Date with a Werewolf, Crazy Spooky Love, The Year of the Wind]  Read  Best Woman by Rose Dommu  new adult contemporary romance  Penguin Random House, September 2025   Madcap. Tenderhearted. Poignant. Satisfying.  Crazy Spooky Love (Melody Bittersweet #1) by Josie Silver  new adult contemporary romance  Penguin Random House, September 2025  Ornery relatives. Dangerous spirits. Romance gone wrong with potential for it to go right. Intrigue. Mysteries. Laughs.  Blind Date with a Werewolf by Patricia Briggs  adult contemporary supernatural romance  Penguin Random House, October 2025  This novel rendered in 5 short stories (3 previously published and 2 new) is all about Asil with cameos of Moira, Tom, and other series favorites. Looking for love in all t...