Rebecca Connolly's Blog, page 5

It’s Gonna Be May

Let’s talk, my friends.

May is coming. May is an insane month for me in more ways than one. I am both terrified and excited for May.

Let’s start with RELEASES.

May 1: Spinster and Spice, Book 3 in the Spinster Chronicles

May 7: Snatching the Catcher, Book 4 in the Belltown Six Pack

May 9: The Beauty, Book 3 in the Miss Bell’s Finishing School

GOOD. NIGHT. AM I CRAZY?

The answer is yes, probably. I like projects, what can I say? And this, ladies and gents, is why my mouth is riddled with canker sores and I’m always tired. Stress is amazing that way.

Next, May is insane because of trips.

Trip 1: A FABULOUS conference with some of my favorite people. Good for the soul and good for my career.

Trip 2: EPIC research trip that I have been planning for ages that will change my life. Good for the soul and GOOOOOOOOD for my career.

Trip 3: A wedding!!! So excited for this lovely friend’s wedding and to be involved. Good for the soul, doesn’t do a thing for my career, which is fine and fabulous.

Why else is May insane? Oh, because I’m also in the middle of other projects and deadlines, plus I work full time, plus I’m in the middle of some pretty big life changes, and I just need comfort food all the time, but I can’t because WEDDING and WEDDING PICTURES ARE FOREVER.

Anywho. That’s okay. May is a good month, and this one will be good too.

Provided I survive it.

What are your best survival tips for busy times? What about travel tips?

And what are some comfort foods I can indulge in that won’t ruin wedding pics?

Help me! And happy almost May!

The post It’s Gonna Be May appeared first on Rebecca Connolly, Romance Author.

High School

For an as-yet-unannounced project, I’m revisiting the world of high school. And revisiting a high school and high school life as an adult.

I gotta admit, high school was not a particular highlight for me. There wasn’t anything wrong with my time there, but there wasn’t anything particularly amazing about it either.

Unless you count what fantastic shape I was in from swimming almost every day.

But that is another post for another time.

Since I’m revisiting this time that a lot of people actually really enjoyed and really enjoy remembering, I thought I would make this post all about it and see what kind of response I get.

You never know.

So let’s talk dances first. How were you asked to your school’s big dances? Did you go with a date or with friends? Or both? Which was your favorite and why?

What about sports? Did you go to your high school’s big games? Was there a big community support for them? How did your school and your community show their support?

Let’s talk crushes next. Did you have a classic high school crush? Did you tell them? Date them? Stay safely in the friend zone?

What if you saw that crush all these years later?

Let’s see, what else….? Did you love high school? Hate it? Don’t care?

Give me your good, your bad, and your high school ugly! Let’s see what we get!

The post High School appeared first on Rebecca Connolly, Romance Author.

DIY

Late post today, folks, mostly because there was a late night last night and a long (LOOOOOOOONG) day at work….

But hey, enough about that.

Question.

In the coming weeks, I will have the opportunity to put together my own office specifically set up for my writing. I have been wanting this for YEARS, and now I’ll get to do it!

Which brings up a whole different set of questions and issues.

How exactly does one arrange an office effectively? How is it decorated? What about organization? Comfort? Style? Workability? Best use of space? Where do the books go? How do I store promo stuff?

What color is the room????

I have never thought about questions like these with such panic in my life. Excited for sure, but OH MY GOSH WHAT DO I WANT? I am no interior decorator, and I am soooooo helpless.

So let’s turn it over to you, lovelies. If you were me, and you could arrange your writing office any way you like, what are you doing with it/to it?

Hit me with your best thoughts. (See what I did there?)

Meanwhile I’m going back to brainstorming how to repurpose an entertainment center for a home office…

The post DIY appeared first on Rebecca Connolly, Romance Author.

Ouch

Y’all, I can barely move right now. I mean seriously, my fingers hurt typing this.

Why, you ask?

Because I did a dumb thing.

I went swimming.

Now, long ago in a land far away, I was a swimmer. I swam almost every day, hours at a time, and it was painful then, but not like this. That was sore, good workout, pushing my young and able body beyond its already fantastic abilities.

This is PAIN. I’m not sixteen anymore. I haven’t swam laps in at least 4 years, and that was for a week, and it was at least 5 years before THAT since I swam for a workout….

This is pathetic is what this is. I hurt just breathing. Like it actually hurts those tiny muscles in between the ribs to move when I breathe. And my back hurts, my legs hurt, my arms hurt, my…. I’m not sixteen, okay? And I’m so very out of shape.

I didn’t know how much until I swam.

This has nothing to do with writing. Unless I write a has-been swimmer story. Not sure who would read it, but I could.

Share your current “ouch” with me, be it your brain, your back, your left ankle, or your teeth. Let’s all liven our ouch together.

The post Ouch appeared first on Rebecca Connolly, Romance Author.

Idea fest

Today I’m thinking about ideas. Ideas are everywhere. I mean EVERYWHERE.

And they attach themselves to me.

Not all of them are good ideas, not all of them are feasible, but I love them all. I seriously love ideas.

So why not share some story ideas? Any time period, but let’s stick with romance. What do you think I should write? I’ll give you a shoutout in the book if your idea makes it!

Hit me with your best shot! Let’s get creative!

The post Idea fest appeared first on Rebecca Connolly, Romance Author.

Bless your Pinkerton heart

Just a quick note this week, since I’m supposed to be trapped in my private writing hole when I’m not at work.

As a side note to the quick note, my writing hole is just more of a blanket fort that encompasses my desk. Or my couch. Usually to the soundtrack of a Netflix binge.

Productivity is middling.

ANYWHO.

I released a novella this week, and it’s a really fun one. I wrote in a multi-author series about female Pinkerton agents who had to marry their training agent for propriety. The first one was a sweet ride.

This one is a hoot.

My leading lady is a Southern belle in every respect. She’s feisty, she’s smart, she’s spunky, and I adore her. Might name my daughter after her. If I have a daughter.

Otherwise I’ll name a dog after her. If I get a dog.

At any rate, you’ll want to read An Agent for Alexandra if you like banter, wit, swooning, passion, tension, adventure, romance…

Huh. It has everything, doesn’t it? Let’s pretend you said that, not me. Then I can use it in promo stuff.

Go get it. Enjoy. Review. And bless your heart, tell your friends!

The post Bless your Pinkerton heart appeared first on Rebecca Connolly, Romance Author.

A Bit of Irish Love

No, I’m not releasing an Irish Romance, but that sounds like a fabulous idea! Considering my heritage, it really would be a wasted opportunity…

No, I’m talking about the glorious upcoming holiday of St. Patrick’s Day!

I have always loved this holiday, and I can’t even say I have a reason for it. You know, family heritage aside. I just love the clovers and the leprechauns and the pots of gold… I love all the green and the Irish paraphernalia, and Irish pride!

I get irritable about the lack of St. Patrick’s Day candy, particularly with certain chocolate and peanut butter shaped goodness…. Where are the all green M&Ms???

It’s not time for that soapbox, sorry.

I’ve been to Ireland, and it is a glorious place! Someday I want a cottage there. The people were so lovely and the accents are fantastic, and it’s just good all around.

So this Sunday, March 17th, break out the green pancakes, the green milk, your corned beef and cabbage, your gold coins, your green biscuits, or whatever else you can turn green to be festive!

Pretend to be Irish if you aren’t! Celebrate being Irish if you are! Break out the clovers and the green apparel!

It’s a glorious day!

(And if you have ideas for my Irish romance, shout them out!)

The post A Bit of Irish Love appeared first on Rebecca Connolly, Romance Author.

A to the Q

Lately I’ve had a lot of questions and it’s been tricksy to stay on top of them all, so I thought that this week’s blog post would be a recent Frequently Asked Questions. Hope you guys don’t mind. If you think of any other questions you want answered, post it wherever you see this and we’ll see if I have an answer!

Q: Will there be a story for Lily Arden Granger and Thomas Granger? PLEASE say there is.

A: YES. I’ve been so mean about those two, I keep dropping hints all over the place. Someday I’ll track that and offer an apology for each one, or something. There IS a story for them, it WILL be coming, and it WILL come soon. Plans are in place, and I have a research trip this year to prep it. You’ll love it. I hope.

Q: When is the next Spinster Chronicles book coming out?

A: May 1st! Spinster and Spice is in the works and it will be awesome. I think. I hope. I think it is. My team thinks it is. fingers crossed!

Q: PLEASE tell me we’ll get Rook’s book soon!

A: Yes, we will. July 1st, By Hook or by Rook will be coming to you!

Q: Is there going to be a story about Derek Chambers’ sister, Diana?

A: Maybe…? I have the barebones of a plot there, but nothing solid. If I get enough interest, and find time, and the right situation, I just might!

Q: Will there be a sequel to Love Out of Focus?

A: Maybe. I have plans, but since that book was a Kindle Scout winner, which isn’t a thing anymore… Well, there’s just a lot of details that we don’t need to go into, but suffice it to say, I would love to! I just don’t have it figured out yet.

Q: Are we going to get books for Weaver, Hal, Sphinx, Trick, and the other great London League characters?

A: Umm…. yes. Yes you will. I think. Mostly yes. I can’t promise that EVERYONE will get one, but I will do my darnedest. You know how I get about supporting characters.

Any other questions??? I’ve got answers!

The post A to the Q appeared first on Rebecca Connolly, Romance Author.

Treat Yo Self

My sisters say this all the time, and I love it. I find it super catchy. I don’t watch the show it comes from cuz it’s not my cup of tea. But the line I love.

Why shouldn’t you treat yourself? When you do something awesome or hard, absolutely treat yourself! When you’ve had a rotten day, treat yourself! When you have survived a tough week or had a fabulous week or month or year, when a long project is done, TREAT YOURSELF!

I have two projects right now that I really need to be cranking out. Like it’s getting down to the wire type of stuff. I’ve already decided that I will treat myself when I survive them, provided I make the deadlines.

The question is how. How will I treat myself?

First thought is a mani-pedi. Second is cheesecake. It might be both. But what other options should there be?

Gimme your ideas, and we’ll see what sticks!

In the meantime, y’all treat yo self!

In other words, be good to you!

The post Treat Yo Self appeared first on Rebecca Connolly, Romance Author.

We’re Number 1!

Wow. The last 2 weeks or so have been absolutely insane!

A Tip of the Cap came out in February 1, and then Hitching the Pitcher came out February 5. I was barely able to catch my breath between promotion and details and excitement! Remind me not to do releases so close together in the future…

And then… THEN…

The news broke that A Tip of the Cap has reached #1 on Amazon in Regency Historical Romance! I have NEVER hit #1 in ANY category, and this category is HUGE! It is seriously competitive and intense, and my book got #1??? I don’t even care how long it stays there, it’s amazing enough that it happened!

So now what? Am I doomed to have a massive crash after that serious spike? What about Hitching the Pitcher? Totally different category in the romance genre, and what if it doesn’t deliver?

What if I never get to #1 again?

What if…?

Being #1 is more terrifying than I thought. Not sure I like it. Delighted, surprised, and elated by it, but also nervous, stressed, and pressured.

Reaching your dreams and goals is scary business, man.

But for now, I’m going to push the nerves aside and celebrate being #1. And get excited about the new adventure of sports romance.

Hope it stays fun. That’s All I really need.

The post We’re Number 1! appeared first on Rebecca Connolly, Romance Author.