Speaking of aliens...

 Okay, we weren’t really speaking of aliens but they’re often not far from my mind. I admit to watching the news attentively when they discuss UAPs (formerly known as an easier title of UFOs). Imagine, it wasn’t that long ago that no one mentioned UFOs for fear of being thought a looney tune. If a pilot reported seeing a UFO he might risk his career. Now, extraterrestrials are nearly an accepted conversation topic in polite society. Ancient Aliens is a hit TV show, and everyone recognizes the names Mulder and Scully.

Triple S Bride was my first foray into a sci-fi/space story and only my second dip into the ménage pool. It was fun! Sabina, a woman on the run, escapes from an abusive relationship by signing up to be an intergalactic bride. She thinks she’s going to marry Walt Sheridan on a far-off planet. Instead, with a dearth of women on C8282, she’s to serve as the bride to Walt and his two brothers. It’s only fair. At least from the men’s viewpoint. Takes Sabina a minute to get used to the idea.

C8282 isn’t a planet inhabited by aliens as much as by creatures, each more dangerous than the last. It’s quite an adjustment. But all in a bride’s work on the Triple S Ranch.

Blurb:
Sabina Volt signs on to be a futuristic mail order bride in an effort to escape her abusive fiancé on Earth. And oh, yeah, the attempted murder charge he trumped up to bring her back from wherever she escaped. She flew off into the universe to marry rancher Walt Sheridan on C8282, but she is in for a surprise. She thinks she’s marrying Walt. Instead, she’s marrying the Sheridans: Walt and his two brothers, Charlie and Dan. C8282 holds all kinds of new dangers—versas and grenetts and more—but it also holds a whole lot a lovin’.

 Buy link:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Triple-Bride-Tasty-Treats-Publishing-ebook/dp/B003BGUOJ2

Excerpt:
"Do you need help with your bags, ma'am?"

Sabina Volt looked up into the earnest young face of the transporter steward. He set her two duffel bags beside the seat, retrieved from the storage closet assigned her. Once petrified of stepping aboard a plane or shuttle, Sabina now wished she could hide in the cabin and avoid disembarking. She no longer had that option—she had to get off.

She shoved to her feet. "No thanks. These are all I have." A glance up the aisle showed an empty cabin. Though the young man's face didn't show impatience, he probably wished she'd get her sorry ass in gear so he could leave.

The steward politely stood aside so she could follow the flashing green lights embedded in the floor leading to the hatch. Dragging her feet as much as possible, dread building with each step, she made her way.

How had she ended up here? It had been sheer madness, signing a contract as a mail-order bride to a man she didn't know in order to escape a man she knew all too well. But the remaining ache from nearly-healed broken ribs proved that most any action would be better than staying on Earth as Kevin Groman's punching bag.

"Thank you for flying with us," said another steward at the hatch.

"Sure," Sabina muttered. Hopefully she wouldn't soon fly with them or anyone else. Not back to Earth at least, or anywhere near her former fiancé.

She took a deep breath, eyeing the length of insulated portable structure connecting the shuttle to the terminal. You've come this far. Don't turn coward now. "It's going to be all right," she muttered. "Buck up."

The lights in the terminal stung her eyes, and after the quiet of the shuttle the noise struck her like a living thing. Comm sets dotted the walls every fifty feet or so, all sending out the latest news from Earth at top decibels. Dozens of people, mostly men and shuttle crews, stood around watching the sets or holding shouted conversations over the din. She blinked and stood a moment, adjusting to the new environment.

Then she saw him. Or at least, the cowboy with crossed arms who leaned insolently against the check-in desk sure looked like Walter Sheridan. She’d stared at his hologram often enough to have his features memorized, yet the man watching her wasn't exactly what she expected.

His face looked sculpted from stone, with a squared chin and sharp cheekbones. Wives' tales claimed smiling caused wrinkles, but no tell-tale lines marred this man's face. He had the coloring of someone with brown hair, but she couldn't tell the color because a sweat-stained, dusty cowboy hat covered his head. When their gazes met, his eyes gave her pause. Green as late spring fields depicted in laser paintings, they were also penetrating and unforgiving. This man wouldn't trust easily or give any quarter. Like Kevin.

Oh, God. She couldn't breathe. For a panicky moment she thought she might pass out. Turn around! Get back on that shuttle. Make them pry you out if need be. She swung back toward the door only to find it locked. Fanning her face with her hand, she had no choice but to find someplace to hide. Coming here had been a mistake, a horrible mistake. Run! Anywhere would be better than—

"Are you okay?"

She didn't look but knew instinctively who stood beside her and took her elbow. He firmly guided her to a chair. When she sat, he forced her head down between her knees.

"Breathe," he ordered.

"I'm fine," Sabina said at last, and she did feel better, though a little silly. Kevin was a long way off. It might have taken her half a year and two beatings, but she finally regained her mind, took back her life and escaped him. The method might prove cowardly and impulsive, but she didn't care. As long as coming here didn't mean jumping from the solar roaster into the core generator.

Please don't let Walter be like Kevin!

Reviews:

“Absolutely loved every moment throughout this book an hope to see what happens next with the entire series. Worth every penny...a story that I'll be rereading again.”

“I really did enjoy this book a new author for me and probably one I will follow further.”

“This novel is a wild erotic ride! It takes you to new worlds with all kinds of great characters.”

“In my opinion it's the great character development that sets this book apart from others. I'm not usually a sci-fi fan, but the seamless way it's woven into the story did not feel like the usual easy-out plot vehicle. I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys a well-written, comitted [sic] menage story.”

“I love the science fiction and the menage mix! Enjoyed every page and didn't put it down until I was done! I can't wait until the next one.”

“Couldn't put it down. Worth a read definitely.”

 A little about me:
A few years ago, Dee S. Knight began writing, making getting up in the morning fun. During the day, her characters killed people, fell in love, became drunk with power, or sober with responsibility. And they had sex, lots of sex.

 

After a while, Dee split her personality into thirds. She writes as Anne Krist for sweeter romances, and Jenna Stewart for ménage and shifter stories. All three of her personas are found on the Nomad Authors website. And all three offer some of the best romance you can find! Also, once a month, look for Dee’s Charity Sunday blog posts, where your comment can support a selected charity.

 

Author links:

Website: https://nomadauthors.com

Blog: http://nomadauthors.com/blog

Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeeSKnight

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeeSKnight2018

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/265222.Dee_S_Knight

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B079BGZNDN

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/dee-s-knight-0500749

Sweet ‘n Sassy Divas: http://bit.ly/1ChWN3K

 

Out Now! Taken by the Sorcerer by @meganslayer #romance #pnr #monsters @changelingpress

Taken by the Sorcerer (Taken 11) Paranormal Women’s Fiction Novel by Megan Slayer $4.99/ Sale Price: $3.99 She’s never been taken seriously. He’s seen as a geek. Together, they could be unstoppable.   Buy Today Changeling Preorder Now Amazon Apple Books Barnes & Noble Kobo She’s never been taken seriously. He’s seen as a geek. Together, they could be unstoppable. Skylar Graves is a synth -- she can shift into anything. She’s also known all around the world as a billionaire playgirl fool. Parties? She’s had them. Money? Bucketloads. Brains… Well, there’s the rub. No one’s ever believed she had the brains to make the money. No one’s ever believed in her at all. Enter Brody and a reason to use those brains. Brody isn’t the best sorcerer. He knows his spells and how to create them, but he’s still learning to control his magic. When he finds his perfect mate, he’ll be set. But is she out there? The trouble is, he’s been tasked with helping other paras find Eerie and he can’t do that alone. The mome he meets Skylar, he knows he’s found his match, but the problem lies in convincing her she’s more than she ever believed. Not impossible… right?

Taken by the Sorcerer/Lady of the Lake Duet (Print) A Paranormal Women’s Fiction Duet by Megan Slayer Print $15.95 With a little magic, they’ll discover their fates are entwined.   Buy Today Amazon Barnes & Noble Order by ISBN at  your local bookstore: ISBN 978-1-60521- 963-9 Now for An Excerpt:  All rights reserved.  Copyright ©2025 Megan Slayer Brody gritted his teeth again. She had to be there. He had no choice. People were discussing robbing her and belittling her… just like he had. Damn it. He bowed his head. He had to think about her as a person and para, not a source of money. That’s how they all saw her -- a reflection of her disposable income. She lived her life like nothing mattered. It was all a big party. She didn’t command respect. Then again, he didn’t exactly command it, either. He did better behind the scenes. Let him stay in his lab with his medicines and potions. There he was fine. All he wanted to do was help his fellow paras. “Excuse me.” A woman tugged his arm and yanked him out of the main space and behind a curtain. “What the?” He stared at her. He’d never seen anyone with golden brown eyes. They were transfixing. But she’d grabbed him. “What do you want?” “You.” He couldn’t look away from her. Most of her face was concealed behind a black, feathery mask. He could swear he knew her, but he couldn’t place her. “I need to speak to you.” She held onto him. “Do you know Skylar?”

Location, Location, Location

When it comes to writing a romance series, there's many elements that need to come together. Most of them are fairly obvious. There needs to be great characters, fantastic stories with lots of love and pining and banter and tension, some defining similarity between all the stories, whether it's taking place in the same place, or the same group of people, whether they are family, friends, coworkers, on the same team, something like that.

But one of the elements I see forgotten most often is the setting. The location where the stories take place is just as important as any of part of the story. Setting gives the reader a place they want to return to for multiple books. A place to escape to when they want to check out from the real world. And as the world gets more and more crazy, having that escape is more and more essential to all of us.

Not focusing on location is a missed opportunity for any author. Building that world in your story allows you to create depth, complexity, excitement, and conflict that might not be there otherwise. 

When I approach writing a series, I try to think of the setting as another character. A character I can grow, expand, explore. A character I can use to show the different facets of any of the other characters, just like how your heroine might react differently to her big brother than her best friend does. Wink, wink. A character I can use to increase the conflict and tension when it’s needed, or add levity. Whatever the story needs.

The more real and vibrant the location feels, the more the world is grounded for readers, and the more they can escape into your world and away from their own troubles. A place nothing like the world they live in.

But one of my all-time favorite parts about creating a locations is that I get to make up the rules. I can create a world where anything and everything is possible. I can write a small town that holds massive Christmas Ball that is attended by everyone in town. That isn’t happening in my town, or any I know, but it can happen in the ones I create. When I’m in charge, anything can happen.

And if in one mysterious small town, the town’s inhabitants can find love through mysterious letters that grant the opportunity to explore their deepest desires, I can do that. And that’s exactly what happens in Snowedin, VT. A small town where everyone knows everyone's business and fantasies come true, because I want them to.

In each of these Snowedin fantasies, a mysterious letter arrives for the characters that allows them to enjoy a night of fantasy with someone, or multiple someone’s depending on the fantasy, that wants to explore the same desires they do. And in my world, every fantasy always ends in true love.

If this sounds like the perfect way to spend a day, you should check out my Snowedin fantasies series. The first book, Reunion Makes Three, is currently on sale for only $0.99 at bookstrand.com.

Buy Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/reunion-makes-three

Blurb: Beth Lewis has always had a fantasy to be with two men who also want each other. For her birthday, her sister gifts her with a subscription to Fantasies Fulfilled, an exclusive online service to help connect people with the same desires. After losing her job and her fiancé, she deserves a little fun and to live out a dream that's been tempting her since high school.

Since his reunion invitation arrived, Dell Harrison hasn't been able to stop thinking about his high school sweetheart, Beth. When he and his live-in boyfriend Marcos Vitagliano receive a mysterious invitation to participate in the exclusive Fantasies Fulfilled services, they decide to add a woman to their dynamic duo. What Dell couldn’t have guessed is that the woman they connect with is the same woman who's haunted him since graduation.

Will Marcos be able to accept Beth in their bed and their lives? Or will adding an old flame to their couple turn their duo into a crowd?

Women’s voices are essential #StrongHeroines #RomanceNovels #AmWriting #Equality

I’ve been alive for over four decades. In that time, I’ve seen some truths I can’t unsee. My kindness and ability to empathize has grown but my tolerance for the superficial has dramatically decreased, as has my desire to conform to unnecessary and unrealistic expectations. Some people call this stage of the life the beginning of the “I don’t care” era. I’m embracing that concept, because of what it truly means.

I didn’t stop caring about everything and everyone. I didn’t lose my capacity to love or to want others to be safe and happy. Instead, I am discovering what actually matters and nurturing the things that make live feel worthwhile, the things that make my soul thrive. In order to begin that journey, I had to be done with a few things.

I am done being patient and gentle with adults who should have gone to therapy to learn how to regulate their emotions. I raised my own children, and I will not be parenting lazy, whiny adults who refuse to put in the work to learn how to communicate like rational, compassionate human beings. I no longer politely agree about anything simply for the sake of harmony. While arguing with someone who doesn’t want to see reason is absolutely futile, I’ve been spreading around lines like “bless your heart,” “I don’t agree but I’m not going to argue with you,” “if you say so,” and my recent favorite, “oh my, that certainly is an opinion.”

Women’s voices are essential to the world and I want to make sure I raise my voice to draw attention to our experiences, to talk about the things we want and need from life, and to use my writing to reflect on women’s strength and incredible courge. I started writing fiction about ten years ago and was immediately drawn to the romance genre. Relationship dynamics have changed over the last several decades and women now expect better from their romantic partners, as we should. I write women who won’t settle for being an afterthought in their love lives. They demand a partner who is present, attentive, and who treats them well. The heroines in my stories are imperfect and struggling to adapt after life has thrown a wrench into their carefully curated existence. Despite getting knocked back, they find the courage to keep fighting and the strength to love, all the while standing firm in what behaviors they will not accept.

 

What I’m currently working on:

These past couple of weeks, I’ve been writing the last few chapters of steamy, paranormal romance, Hawk’s Heart. This will be Jordan and Luke’s story, and the very last book in my Stranger Creatures series. Each book in the series features a different couple in their fight for a happily-ever-after. I’ve also been working on a couple of romantasy novellas featuring women in their forties navigating unexpected new paths in life, as well as writing poetry and learning the how to write flash fiction.

If you’d like to follow me on social media for my latest book information and excerpts, poems, contest info, book recommendations, and other fun stuff, you can find me at:

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Christina-Lynn-Lambert/e/B01MCYK0K7

BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/christina-lynn-lambert

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christinalynnlambert

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15900423.Christina_Lynn_Lambert

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinalynnlambert

Wordpress: https://christinalynnlambertwordpress.com

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/cllambauthor.bsky.social

 

Pay It Forward

 

“To win without risk is to triumph without glory.”

 

That quote is courtesy of the French dramatist Pierre Corneille (1606), and there’s a lot of truth buried in that short sentence. The same is true for a pearl of wisdom I heard early in life — “Nothing worthwhile comes easy.” It’s a simple lesson that more people should follow--to get anything you want from life, whether it’s a career, a relationship, inner peace, or financial security, you need to get out there and pitch for yourself. It’s unlikely that anyone will do it for you.

 

I read a discussion in a writer’s group that mentioned book reviews, the bane of an author’s existence. The poster took the selfish attitude that posting good reviews and blog responses is an expectation for readers. If I read it correctly, they were saying that if you take the time to read a book, you have an obligation to post a review (hopefully a good one). They also felt that we (writers) should just accept any praise we get and move on. I got the feeling this person felt they were too important to acknowledge someone else’s opinion.  

 

I have never taken anything for granted regarding book publicity. I routinely send notes or e-mails to people who have had me as a guest on their blog, or as a featured author in their bookstore. I do the same for friends who were nice enough to post something favorable. It may only be a couple of sentences via email or Messenger, but I let them know that I appreciated their comments. I was raised by a generation that believed in sending Thank You cards for gifts and remembrances, and it stuck with me. If my gesture results in keeping my name near the top of their list the next time I release a book or they need a guest blogger, so much the better. Who says nice guys finish last?

 

I’ve been blessed with mostly positive book reviews throughout my career. I don’t write for the critics and when I read less-than-stellar reviews, I try not to take negative comments personally. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and quite often those criticisms stay with me for future stories. One encounter with a blogger, though, nearly changed my outlook. This woman read one of my romantic mystery/thrillers then trashed it on her site. Naturally I was annoyed, but not so much with her opinion of my prose. What sent me over the edge were her comments that attacked me personally because I’m a man who included a straight romantic relationship in my story. How dare I do such a thing! Everyone knows that men can’t write a realistic romance, right? If that wasn’t enough, she took the vendetta a step further and linked her nasty write-up to a rave review I had received on Goodreads. I’ve never met this woman, and I don’t know why she was hell-bent on destroying my career.

 

Good reviews are nice, but I don’t write to impress literary critics. The ones I’ve encountered are as useful as training wheels on a bowling ball. I write for the person in Parma, Ohio or Rugby, North Dakota who wants to escape from life for a little while. I think of fiction writing as being in the entertainment business. If you can pick up one of my books and get transported to someplace exotic, with characters that you like and a plot that holds your interest, I’ve done my job. I think the nicest compliment an author can receive is “I can’t wait to read your next one.” It doesn’t get much better than that.  

 

Tim Smith is an award-winning bestselling author of mystery/thrillers and contemporary romantic comedies. He’s also a freelance writer, editor and blogger. His author page is AllAuthor/Tim Smith

 

     

My Writing Process and 4TheWords

 

 

Image by Patrik Houštecký from Pixabay

I'm old enough that I can remember composing on one of these suckers. 

I don't know if I'm going to be able to complete a story for the FCRW spring anthology. I keep starting and then switching horses. I don't know when or if this problem will resolve. I'm tired of people saying, "Well, if you just do it like I do."

Yeah, but that's you. It isn't me. What's going on with me isn't what's going on with you.

That's why other people's How To Write The Right Way advice never works for me. Perhaps it doesn't work for most people with ADHD or such. It wasn't created for us.

4TheWords has been a great help for me.

To be clear, 4TheWords is not an all-in-one document creation program. It does not have planning and editing features. It is strictly an online word processor. 

Some people find 4TheWords "too basic." At least this is the description used by one of the writing sprint livestreams I occasionally attend. He asked which writing system people in the livestream used. When I said I was using 4TheWords for composing because it helped improve my focus, he got attitude. 

Just an FYI, ridiculing something that is helpful to your neurodivergent overlords will not endear you to us.

I'm only joking about the overlords thing. I really hope people knew that without my say-so, but one can't be too careful these days. Anyway, that exchange made me a bit salty, and I didn't attend those livestreams for a while. 

As it happens, I used 4TheWords to compose this post. I am currently battling a creature called a Ylly with my words. I'm a fan of the Ylly because it looks like an eldritch horror. 

The above statement paints you a picture of who 4TheWords will appeal to: neurodivergent nerds. I am nothing if not a neurodivergent nerd.

It's taken me a long time to accept my differences. I will never be the model for a Hallmark author heroine. I lurk about in my bedroom/office in the old house in the middle of nowhere where I ended up planting roots. The decorating scheme in this room is not just nonexistent; it's ghastly. 

The guy who owned the house before we did drank a lot of beer and smoked a lot of wacky tobaccy before imposing his ideas on this unfortunate house. The paneling in this room looks like the side of a 1970s station wagon. I'm not even kidding about that.

Bad decor aside, I feel like this house was meant for this family. Perhaps one day we can afford to make it look pretty inside.  Even if that's never possible, I'm still happy to be here. I was unsettled for much of my life, moving every few years. I think this place is the last stop before I head to what Stephen King calls the clearing at the end of the path.

 

Ode to my Upcoming Nine Book Series: World Gone Dark by January Bain

 

Good Morning, Happy Day to you!

I hope you had a good February. Is everyone looking forward to spring as much as I am? It's been quite the snowy winter in Canada. It did lead to lots of writing though, so there is that! I thought today I'd share a poem with you. I write lots of them, often one per book I write as my North Star for writing them. This one is in honour of my upcoming book series from Rough Edges Press: World Gone Dark, a nine book post-apocalyptic survival thriller series based on the Clan Mackenzie of Hardin Creek, Kentucky.

Ode to the Mackenzies by January Bain

 

A death wind blew on Kentucky hills, 

Where the Ghost in the dust began to spin. 

It tested the hearts and the iron wills, 

Of a brother cursed by another’s sin.

 

Cormac walked through the shadow and leaf, 

With an innocent soul and a steady hand. 

He traded his peace for a stranger’s grief, 

To lead a small flock through a broken land.

 

Burgundy stood where the garden once grew, 

The weight of the world on her narrow frame. 

She kept the old vows that the family knew, 

While the darkness whispered her sister’s name.

 

Auburn was lost in a desert of stone, 

With a secret of shame and a bitter scar. 

She faces the howling wind all alone, 

Guided by guilt and a dying star.

 

Poppy sees spirits that dance in the air, 

A child of the needle, of sugar and light. 

With Sera beside her to answer her prayer, 

She smiles at the dawn in the middle of night.

 

Nana is anchored in days long since past, 

Her memory fading like mist on the creek. 

She doesn't see shadows the wicked men cast, 

Or hear the dark warnings the ravens speak.

 

Frost is the Kingmaker, hardened and cold, 

Who traded his soul for a life-saving breath. 

With the Rebel Sons’ colors, defiant and bold, 

He stands at the gates between mercy and death.

Hugs, January Bain/Storyteller