Why Best-Seller Lists Are the Worst Way to Find the Best Romances

Of course, you’re on the hunt for the best romances out there. Nobody picks up a book thinking, “I hope this is mediocre.” But here’s the thing: using best-seller lists, “top author” rankings, “Best of” compilations, or any similar lists to find great romances? That’s one of the worst ways to discover the truly amazing […]

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Other Places to Find Good Books: Kickstarter and Other Crowdfunding

If you’ve been in the book community for any length of time, you probably already know that publishing has transformed in a huge way. Digital books, self-publishing platforms, and audiobook giants have given authors so many new avenues to share their stories with you. But let’s step off the well-trodden paths of traditional publishing and big online bookstores for a moment and explore a more exciting alternative: crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and Patreon.

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Are Historical Romances Really Dead This Time?

I first was drawn to historical romances because of two things.  One was, absolutely, the dresses.  A woman looks so much more womanly in some of the dresses she gets to swan around in, depending on which historical period you get to write in.  And with her breasts and waist emphasized the way most of

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I *Was* Going to Rant…

I sometimes feel that I’m very much behind a lot of cultural shifts and trends — I hear about them years after they’ve got rolling. But there’s an advantage in that: I only spend attention bandwidth on events and phenomena that look like they’re going to stick around. Like the recent wild bear/strange man in

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Where to Find Fantasy Romance

Where to Find Fantasy Romance (Other than the Fantasy Romance shelf) Regardless of which retailer you use to acquire new books, do you shop for books via the categories?  Or the search bar? Often, you know exactly what book you want, and a quick search is good for that.  The title has been recommended, or

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A Most Romantic Sinking

Today, in 1912, and very close to midnight, the RMS Titanic grazed past the iceberg that would eventually sink her, nearly three hours later. Tomorrow will be the 112 anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. Most of us have a romanticized perception of the Titanic, thanks to the James Cameron movie. But the Titanic

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It’s Just a Job: Fairies (2024)

An update on a very old post! (As this site goes back twenty years now!) –t. Fairies, or the Fae, have multiple sources within mythology, and come in a vast range of shapes and sizes, from small pixie-type creatures to human-sized ones, from fair to ugly, to human in guise, to demonic-looking.   Fairies can

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