Category: Guest Bloggers by Name

Etching of woman in multicolour party hat with party blower and unicorn-topped birthday cake with three book covers on plaid background.
I forgot to categorize this one!, Paul Coccia, Author

Paul Coccia: 3 Queer YA Emma Retellings to Celebrate Clueless’ 30th and Jane Austen’s 250th

Catherine

Although publishers may have seen three queer Emma retellings as a bad sales omen, rather than creating a Cher and Amber or Emma and Jane Fairfax rivalry, we embraced the rainbow and created distinct variations, demonstrating how Jane Austen is ripe to be played with and evolved in a post-modern way. Consider this my open letter arguing for the formal creation of an Austenverse.

Alison McKenzie, Author

Alison McKenzie: Who gets an HEA? Or, how I learned to stop worrying and love self-publishing

Catherine

But “your characters’ identities are such that romance readers won’t want to read about them, and romance publishers won’t want to buy a book about them?” That’s not fixable. I didn’t want to fix it. It’s one thing to hear “your book’s not that good.” It’s quite another to hear “your book’s great! But peasants don’t sell.” That, to me, is not acceptable.

A white woman with brown hair holding books.
Marlies Sargeant, Reader

Marlies Sargent: Romance is more than transformation: A thank you note to Canadian romance authors

Catherine

By Marlies Sargent, Editor & Reader I love transformations. From home reno shows to romance novels, I can’t help but get invested in the before-and-after storylines. And maybe that’s why I love editing books so much. I get to work with authors as they revise and edit their work to make it shine. Lately, I’ve… Continue reading Marlies Sargent: Romance is more than transformation: A thank you note to Canadian romance authors

Lindsay-Anne Pontes, peeking over the top of her book Let Me Save You.
Lindsey-Anne Pontes, Author

Lindsey-Anne Pontes: From IEP (Individual Education Plan) to Self-Published Author

Catherine

By Lindsey-Anne Pontes, AuthorFind her on Instagram! Being slapped with the IEP (Individual Education Plan) label in elementary school put you in a “special” category, and this label followed me into high school. Though my IEP was for Reading and Writing and was given to me because I needed extra time when it came to… Continue reading Lindsey-Anne Pontes: From IEP (Individual Education Plan) to Self-Published Author

An image of M. Jacqueline Murray, a beautiful white woman with long silvery hair of indeterminate age but let's say over 25 for sure, wearing a bright red short sleeved top sitting at her desk in her office with the covers of her first 2 books superimposed beside her and behind them 3 hour glasses each featuring something from her books: in one a lighthouse, in another the Toronto skyline, and in the third a mountain.
Guest Bloggers by Name, M. Jacqueline Murray

M. Jacqueline Murray: From Technical Reports to Love Stories: My journey to romance writing

Catherine

By M. Jacqueline Murray, Author "How did a hydrogeologist end up writing romance?" is a question asked by my long-time friends who've known me since we were undergraduates in Earth Science at the University of Waterloo. The truth is, I sometimes wonder that myself. My journey from environmental consultant to medical marketing specialist to romance… Continue reading M. Jacqueline Murray: From Technical Reports to Love Stories: My journey to romance writing

An adorable clipart map of the apple farm with little apple trees dotted all over the place, some veggie gardens, harvest barn, cabins, a pond with a duck and, of course, the Worminator!
Guest Bloggers by Name, Jemi Fraser, Author

Jemi Fraser: The Fun of Writing the Small Towns in Small-Town Romance

Catherine

One unique feature of Bloo Moose is the life-sized moose statues that grace the boardwalk and businesses. Deputy Mooris hangs out at the police station. Elvis likes the view from the boardwalk. Michelangelo sports a cheesy moustache in front of Fortini’s Italian restaurant. Gill with his fishing gear and lures poses in front of Lachance Fishing lodge.