Ruth Ann Nordin's Blog, page 22

Updated My Publishing Schedule for the Next Year

I had to go in and move some books around for my publishing schedule. This is what I came up with. I was tempted to slip in a new series that I’m itching to start, but I’m going to be good and focus on the series I’ve already started.

A Perilous Marriage is still set for May 27

I can’t believe the 27th is almost here. In fact, I can’t believe it’s already May. Time really does go faster as you get older.

I currently have 3 books slotted for the Marriage by Necessity Series, but I just added a character in The Cursed Earl that might make this a 4-series book.

      Book 4 possible

An Earl In Time will be due out July 17

(This is a standalone fairytale romance that does take place within my Regency world.)

I am in the final stage of edits on this one.

Interview for a Wife will be out September 25

I am done with this one. I will start in on initial edits soon.

This wraps up the Nebraska Prairie Series. I’m excited to finally be able to cross this “wish” off my list since I had wanted to do this for years.

   

The Cursed Earl will be out November 7

I’m only on Chapter 3 of this one. I have much more to go, so that’s why I pushed the release date back. I don’t want to rush a book just to get it out sooner. I want to make this book the best it can be.

The Loner’s Bride is due out January 23, 2022

I am about to start this one. I’m excited to finally write about Jeremiah and Katie, and since I’m itching to start it, I figured I’d move it up the publishing timeline. This will be the last book in the Wyoming Series.

Suitable for Marriage will be out March 27

I am in Chapter 4 of this one, but ideas are slow in coming. That’s why I pushed this one back down the publishing timeline.

This is Book 3 in the Husbands for the Larson Sisters Series. It does not wrap up the series. I plan to add one more book.

Book 4 to come

Heiress of Misfortune is due out May 15, 2022

I won’t start this until I finish The Cursed Earl. That’s why this is pushed to a year out.

You Can’t Always Judge a Book by the Reviews

Seriously, you can’t.

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The value of any book’s average-review rating is psychological in nature. We’ve been conditioned to believe a book that has a 3-star or below average is a terrible book. It’s not true, but it’s the perceived value of the book. In getting my Psychology degree, I was exposed to studies that showed how real the “group think” phenomenon is. We all like to think that we’re independent thinkers who aren’t impacted by what other people say and do, but the truth is, we are greatly impacted by what others are saying and doing. A person has to be intentional in order to think independently. This is why reviews are so powerful in the world of books. In only one second, we form an opinion of a book simply by the average number of stars it has.

The trouble is, it’s easy to manipulate the book review system. I’ll give some real world examples below.

Reasons for fake 1 and 2-star reviews:

Back January of this year, a group of scammers on Goodreads sent out messages to some authors basically saying, “If you don’t buy our review service, we’ll go in and 1-star your books.” When the author didn’t pay, the scammers used fake accounts and did as promised. A few authors reported getting 30 1-star reviews in one day. Sure, if a reader were to dig in and take a look at the reviews, they would probably realize the author was a victim of a scam, but most readers don’t look beyond that snapshot “average star rating” that is placed right next to the book. Most readers would assume the book truly sucks and keep scrolling through books. The scammers know this, which is why they followed through with the threat. You can read about this in detail at this post. I never go to Goodreads, so I found out about this recently. Fortunately, enough authors went to Goodreads about it. (It takes a significant number of authors complaining to get things done.) From a casual search I did on Goodreads, it looks like Goodreads has resolved this issue. The authors were able to win over the scammers.

I only mention the thing about Goodreads to demonstrate how easy it is for anyone to create fake accounts with the intention of leaving 1 and 2-star reviews on someone’s books. Now, the scammers on Goodreads were looking to make a quick buck off of the fear of authors. In the author community, reviews are important. Retailers tend to offer preferential treatment to higher-starred books, and advertising companies won’t promote books unless those books have a certain amount of 5-star reviews. So whether we want to admit it or not, reviews matter.

People have other motives to try to hurt an author via the review than to make a quick buck. People who don’t like an author in real life have been known to leave nasty reviews on books out of spite. I remember hearing from an author years ago whose ex-wife made it a point to 1-star every book he put out with the intention of killing his author career. No amount of telling Amazon about those reviews got them removed.

Also, there are authors who’ve gotten 1 or 2-star reviews as soon as their books are released. It’s not the fact that those reviews popped up so quickly that is the red flag. The red flag is the fact that this happens to multiple books. One author said that she was seeing a trend where one person kept buying her books (for a verified purchase tag on Amazon), 1-starring the book, and within the same day returning the book. This happened to every single book in her series by the same reviewer within a week. I find it difficult to believe that the reviewer was sincere about giving any of her books a chance. The reviewer obviously had ulterior motives. And this happens quite a bit in the author community to other authors. I have dealt with this myself.

Also, sometimes books get a 1 or 2-star rating from other authors whose goal is to hurt their competitor. The author leaving the review doesn’t want the book to be successful (for whatever reason). I’d like to say every author in the community is supportive and encouraging, but this simply isn’t true. Authors do use reviews to hurt other authors. I’ll use myself as an example this time. Back around the 2009-2011 time period, there was a certain reviewer who made it a point to 1 and 2-star my books. It turns out she wrote in the same genre I did under a pen name. So when she was in the groups, she was known as X, but when her books said she was Y. This hid her real identify. The problem is that it’s a small world, and someone connected the dots and exposed her for being an author who was pretending to only be a reader. (A word of advice, if you are an author, you can participate in a reader community, but be honest about being an author AND resist the impulse to use the community to market your books. If you’re in a reader group, be there as a reader.)

I spent a lot of time talking about the low-star reviews, but there is the other side of the equation. Not all reviews are manipulated to hurt books.

Reasons for fake 4 and 5-star reviews:

Sometimes the system is rigged in favor of amassing favorable reviews. I remember talking to a writer in one of my writing groups who admitted to paying a review service to give her books glowing reviews because she was struggling to get visibility. She also happened to be paid for leaving glowing reviews on other authors’ books. Then there was another author who was later exposed for paying for reviews on his books. It was a big deal back in the early 2010s in the writing community. He got publicly shamed for this. I don’t know if it ended up hurting his career or not. All I know is that I learned this is a huge “no-no” in the author community.

Then there are authors and friends who 5-star each other’s books for the sole purpose of “boosting” the average star rating on a book. I should add a disclaimer here. I have no trouble with authors reviewing each other’s books as long as the authors give an honest review. If the author truly loves a book, they should be able to say so. The problem comes when authors are leaving glowing reviews just to boost the book’s reviews. Some authors don’t even read the book. They just throw out the 4 or 5-star review on the book. I have left reviews, but I only do it on books I’ve liked. I don’t want to be the author who trashes another author’s books. I do, however, aim to give my honest opinion. Over the years, I have become less and less inclined to leave a review. We’re currently in an atmosphere where authors leaving reviews can do more harm to an author’s book than will help. This is because readers tend not to trust those reviews. The best reviews are those by people who don’t write books.

Now, I will add, that authors should have free reign to review books dedicated specifically to authors. Writing craft books or marketing books are perfect for authors to review, regardless of how the authors feel about the book. If I’m going to invest my time and money into a writing or marketing book, I want to know if it’s worth it. I want the good, the bad, and the ugly in the review.

But for fiction, I think authors are better off raising other authors up, and my advice is that if you don’t like the book, don’t review it. This world would be a much better place if we all lived by the adage, “Treat others as you’d want to be treated.” I can’t think of a single author who would love it if another author left a low-star rating on their book. So why do that to someone else’s book? Let the readers take care of the fiction that’s out there. If the reader honestly doesn’t like the book, they can say it.

So let’s say you come across a book, but you’re wondering about the reviews. Can the reviews be trusted at all? I have a couple of tips to help in this regard.

1. Check the author’s history. What other books have they done? How long have they been around?

2. The best reviews are those where the reviewer gives you specific examples of what happens in the book AND their opinion. If the reviewer can tell you something that happened in the book and what they thought about it, then you’re almost certain that this is a legitimate review. Obviously, someone could get the cliff notes from someone about the story, but most people don’t take the time to go into detail about the books unless they’ve actually read the book.

3. Check the sample for yourself. The sample isn’t the entire book, but it should give you enough to decide if the book is something that you might enjoy. Ultimately, your satisfaction (or dissatisfaction) with a book is based on your own tastes, not someone else’s.

Things I Learned From Watching Disaster and Horror Flicks

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 Today’s post is just for fun.

1. Always dress comfortably. You can’t run well in high heels and a dress.

2. Always charge your phone before you go on a trip.

3. If you hear a strange noise, it’s probably wise to get the heck out of there instead of sticking around to find out what’s coming.

4. If someone leaves you a strange message warning you about something, it’s best to get out of town and never look back.

5. That person following you in the shadows probably isn’t your friend.

6. Don’t ever answer the phone from an unknown number.

7. Don’t sign up for an app telling you when you’re going to die.

8. If there’s some creepy legend about a place, don’t go there.

10. If you’re going on a trip, take a can of gas, a week’s supply of water for everyone in the group, nonperishable and easy-to-open food like military MREs, warm clothing, a Swiss Army Knife, and something to make a fire. A flare gun might also be a good idea so the helicopters can see you easier. Even if you think you have a reliable car, you can’t be too safe.

11. Never leave on a trip without resolving conflicts. The worst things seem to happen to people who fight before leaving. Plus, you don’t want to spend half of your time in peril sobbing because of unresolved relationship issues.

12. If you come to a small town and everyone is staring at you as if you have a second head, don’t stop to eat. Bolt for the next place.

13. Never trust the government. Chances are they’re coming up with some story to cover up their role in something terrible they unleashed upon an unsuspecting population.

14. Be the first one to get out of town. Otherwise, you’re screwed because as soon as everyone discovers the big disaster, they will ALL be trying to get out of town the exact same way.

15. If a horde of people start to come for your car, drive out of there like nobody’s business.

16. If you stop to take a video or get a look at the danger coming your way, you’re probably going to die. Just run and don’t look back.

17. In a storm, a stopped car is a doomed car. Just keep driving.

18. It’s often the best friend who’ll suddenly fall in love and want to sleep with your spouse. Don’t take both on the same trip.

19. Beware children of who are too mature for their age or just stare off into the distance.

20. If you’re babysitting, lock all of the doors and windows AND close all the drapes as soon as you enter the house. Also, never answer the phone or the door.

21. Anything can kill you. Get rid of anything sharp if you end up in a situation that is remotely “strange”.

22. If some weirdo starts spouting off about something evil coming, you might want to take his words into consideration. Many have died from just laughing off a lunatic’s dire warning.

23. Maybe it really is the end of the world. Might as well get to that bunker right now.

24. If aliens do arrive, they will NOT be friendly. Don’t go to the craft with welcome signs. Also, the military is no match for their technology, so the government won’t be saving you. Just get away from the major cities as soon as those UFOs arrive.

25. Genetic manipulation never leads to anything good.

26. Sadly, even a cute cat or dog can be dangerous. Trust your gut. If your pet suddenly seems strange, get rid of it (if possible).

27. Dolls can be creepy. Take one into your home at your risk.

28. Sometimes that goth teen who is a loner has the answers you’re looking for. I don’t know why, but teens seem to be smarter than adults who have had years and years of experience when “something wicked this way comes”.

29. If it came from space, don’t approach it.

30. If you’re rich, you’re probably doomed. People who’ve had to struggle for their whole lives in order to survive are the ones most likely to survive. Befriend the people with the bitter childhood that taught them life is cruel and unfair. Your chances of survival will go way up.

31. Be a prepper if you can. These are the people who always have what you need when the world is falling apart. If you can’t be one, befriend one.

32. Boil water before drinking it if it’s from a lake or other stagnant water. Many have been up all night with diarrhea from the organisms swimming around in that water. Might as well add a water purifier tablet or straw to your gear in Tip #10.

***

Those are my tips from years of careful study of watching movies that range across the spectrum of science fiction, thriller, and horror. If you have any tips you have, I’d love to hear them!

I Will Not Be Doing Kindle Vella (or Exclusivity In General)

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I don’t know how many people have heard about Amazon’s new Kindle Vella. Written Word Media did an excellent post explaining it. I read the email Amazon sent out, and I checked out their video on it. In my opinion, Written Word Media does the best breakdown of this program, so I highly recommend the article if you’re wondering about it.

The downside to Kindle Vella

The reasons I won’t be putting anything into this is because I can’t put my story into a book format AND I don’t want to be exclusive. Yes, Kindle Vella is another exclusive program from Amazon.

I love putting my stories into books. I have nothing against serialized fiction, but I don’t like publishing stuff in that format. It’s why I dropped off of Wattpad. I gave it a try and didn’t care for it. It’s why I don’t do serials. I tried a serial early on with Return of the Aliens, and I felt the reader got a better deal by paying for the entire book rather than episodes. I know this is a highly controversial subject among authors. I have no trouble with authors who like this format of publishing. It’s just not my cup of tea.

Regarding exclusivity, I understand why authors are exclusive to Amazon, but this is something that has never appealed to me. For me, it all boils down to the freedom to do whatever I want with my books. I like being able to publish my books however, wherever, and whenever I want. That has always been the appeal to me even before self-publishing became acceptable. I like writing the story exactly the way I want it, I like being in charge of the cover, and I like being in charge of the pricing. The only thing I don’t like is writing the book descriptions because I’m weak at it. But as they say, nothing is perfect.

A quick note about the ability to borrow my books:

Once in a while, I’ll have get a question from a reader as to why I don’t put my books into KU so they can take advantage of the “borrow” feature.

I’m on Scribd and I’m in libraries. Scribd offers a subscription plan where you can find my books. Granted, KU authors won’t be there, so that’s the downside to it if you’re heavily invested in KU. KU requires authors to be only on Amazon. They can’t be in other places. There is no such limitation in Scribd. Also, there are online libraries. Thanks to Smashwords, all of my books have the ability to be in libraries. You might have to ask your librarian about them getting my books to your library, which I realize can be a hassle, but the opportunity is there.

I avoid exclusivity for two reasons.

1. The freedom factor.

If I were to sign up for KU (or even Kindle Vella), I’d have to agree not to have my story anywhere else. That means I’m vulnerable to the retailer. Let’s say someone out there pirates my book and uploads it to a piracy site. Amazon would require me to deal with this or they will remove my book from their store. I’ve heard of KU authors going through this, and it’s a major headache because you have to nail down where your book is on a piracy site, you have to send a DCMA (which is a takedown notice), and then you have to hope the site actually removes the book. I have no control over someone out there who decides to take my book and put it on some piracy site, and I have no control over what the person running the piracy site will do. Piracy happens all the time to authors. Quite frankly, I don’t feel like chasing after piracy sites all day. I’m busy enough as it is with writing new stories, homeschooling a kid, and juggling the wife-and-mother dynamic (because I do want to spend time with my family). The last thing I want is Amazon breathing down my neck and threatening to remove my book because I went against their Terms of Service in KU.

2. The threat of removal from Amazon has already hit me, and I’ve never been exclusive to Amazon.

I had a couple of books removed from the Australian store. (There might be other countries Amazon has hit, but at the moment, I only know of one.) These books were under a publisher at the time. I asked my publisher about it, but the publisher had no idea this happened, and the books were never made available. I now have the rights to those books back and have republished them, but I don’t know if they’re up in the Australian storefront.

Also, there have been three instances now where I’ve gotten emails from Amazon threatening to remove one of my books from their store because of a price difference between retailers. This is how the email reads: “Your book is $0.02 cheaper on Kobo in this other country (then they name the country). If you don’t adjust the price in your Kindle Direct Publishing dashboard within five business days, your book will be removed since the Terms of Service say we must be the lowest price.” The problem is that even when I do the same price on all retailers, there will be a country that offers a different price. This is probably a currency conversation thing. I set my books at the US price and let retailers deal with the currency conversion. With 100 books out there, the last thing I feel like doing is going in and manually adjusting the currencies in every single country. There’s simply not enough time in the day to micromanage this.

Long story short, when I’ve gone into the dashboard over at Amazon, it turned out that I couldn’t lower the price in that particular country because I had it as long as it would already go. These were on my $0.99 books. The only price lower than that is Free, and Amazon won’t let you click a “Free” button. To get a book free on Amazon, you have to price it free on the other retailers and hope Amazon will price match it. In the end, I had to raise the price on the wide retailers to make Amazon happy. And that really sucked for readers on other retailers who should be able to buy their book at the same price an Amazon customer does. This is extremely frustrating. I can’t control how a retailer is going to convert currencies.

The bottom line is that Amazon can–and will–remove books at any time for any reason. At least when I have my books across multiple retailers, I have a buffer. If Amazon did remove a book for some reason, someone can go somewhere else to find it.

Exclusivity prohibits my ability to reach readers on other retailers, and some readers would rather not buy books on Amazon.

Now, someone might argue that If Amazon removed a book I did have exclusively there, I could always publish it on other retailers at that time. That would be a terrible decision. It would not only hurt me (from building up my audience on those other retailers), but it would hurt the person who wants to read the book on a retailer that isn’t Amazon. My original reason for not jumping into KDP Select (and later KU) was the lose-lose scenario it presented. I knew some readers who were Nook and Apple readers. They started reading my books back in 2010 when I was getting started. They didn’t want to buy on Amazon, and they didn’t want to download the Kindle app.

In the writing community this argument comes up a lot, “This is a business, and you have to do what makes the most money in order to keep your job.” I’m not running my business with my head; I’m running it with my heart. I just can’t take the “feeling” part out of the equation like some can. A lot of authors out there oppose emotional decisions. This kind of thing gets argued about a lot in writing groups. Writers who write for passion are considered hobby writers who have no business sense in the writing community. If I had an eye roll emoji, I’d use it right here. Yes, I get it. Emotional decisions aren’t always the best for the bottom line (money), but there are friends I have made over the years because of my books. If I were to go exclusive, that would be akin to me telling them that they don’t matter to me.

A couple of these people have given me encouragement when I needed it most. I almost quit three times over the past decade, and every single time, it was my readers who gave me the encouragement I needed to stay in the game. People who read books aren’t just a source of income. I feel like a lot of authors treat their readers that way. I realize I don’t have a large audience, but I have one that has been supportive the whole way. That means a lot to me. Instead of agonizing over ads and marketing, I’ve decided to get my personal finances in order. The less dependent I am on my writing income, the more freedom I have to run my writing business (or hobby as some would call it) from an emotional standpoint. My aim isn’t to be a household name. I just want to connect with a few people in a meaningful way and write what I love. Exclusivity doesn’t help me reach those two goals. Being across multiple retailers does.

There Can Only Be One (A Post for Writers Who Are Writing for Passion)

Over the past month, an author friend and I have been exchanging music videos on You Tube that inspire us while we’re writing our books. She knows quite a few independent musicians that I had no idea were out there, and I really enjoyed getting exposed to a variety of new music. For An Earl In Time, I found one particular group she found to be instrumental in setting the mood that I needed in order to finish the book. I’m suspect a lot of writers out there use music to get them into the world they are writing

In this case, this is the only music group that could deliver on exactly what I was looking for. Their stuff is different. It’s not stuff you’ll find on the radio. Other music groups come close, but they just can’t quite make the mark. This group writes their own music and lyrics. They create their own videos. They upload their songs across multiple platforms for sale. This is an indie music group. No one can duplicate what they are doing. They have a style and sound that is uniquely theirs. In other words, this group is irreplaceable to me.

And this brings me to this subject of this post.

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The benefit of a creative endeavor is that it’s fully dependent on the person who is creating it. You can decide what kind of product you will produce.

Anyone can tell a story that hits main plot points. Anyone can target popular tropes and trends. Anyone can follow the “formula” of storytelling. You can plug in all of the structural components and have a commercially viable story. That’s what a lot of writers who are writing for money do. They just put things into the “formula” and produce a story. These books are a dime a dozen. They’re all over the place. I’ve read some of them, and they sound the same. It’s obvious to me that their books meant nothing to them on a personal level when they wrote them. I understand that these can make good money, but that’s largely because of the subscription model.

The reason subscription services do so well is because the content is consumed and tossed out. Subscribers aren’t keeping your books. But I get it. The reason why these writers write books is for money. They aren’t interested in being on someone’s shelf for a lifetime. They don’t care if someone reads their books over and over, nor are they interested in writing something that will touch someone on a deep emotional level. This is all for the here and now. We’re in an instant gratification world. We want our reward, and we want it right now. Hence their mindset and why they write what they do.

If you are irreplaceable (meaning your stories are distinctly you), you will create books that people will want to keep. You know what I did with that group I found on You Tube? I went to iTunes and bought their songs. I burned their music on a CD. That way I get to keep those songs forever. The reason I did that is because they have impacted me on an emotional level. Books can have the same impact.

To create anything of lasting worth, a writer needs passion. The best books take readers on an adventure they’ll want to read more than once. Exceptional books have layers that will allow readers to pick out new things when they read a second or even a third time. Writing at the deeper level is art in its purest form, and art requires emotional commitment to the story one is writing.

The greatest contribution writers can bring to the story is the writer themselves. No one else can tell the story the way the writer will if that writer is fully invested in the story. Don’t be afraid to merge in aspects of your past, your personality, and your values to the stories you write. The mix of these three elements is what makes the things you produce different from what others are doing. It’s also going to ensure you’re passionate about what you’re doing. You can fake many things, but passion isn’t one of them. The stuff you’re fired up about is going to bleed off the page.

Writers who are passionate about their work might not write books that are the biggest sellers, but these are books that resonate most with the readers who enjoy them. These books will have their critics. Every creative venture ends up with critics. That’s the nature of writing. You simply can’t please everyone because, eventually, you’ll come across someone who has a completely different set of likes and dislikes than you do. This is why you can’t take criticism personally. I know that’s easier said than done, but it’s true. Take a look at the 1 and 2-star reviews on your favorite books. Music and movies get their share of criticism, too. Criticism is all over the place. And it only seems to be getting worse in an era of social media where people feel at liberty to tear others down. If you reach enough readers, you will get some hate.

But does receiving criticism mean you should give up writing what you’re passionate about? Of course not. I guarantee you that there will be people who will absolutely adore your work and will want more of it. There is a reason you attract certain people but not others. The people who enjoy your books are the ones you should focus on. Forget the haters. They don’t count. Only you can write your books with the enthusiasm necessary for you to connect with your readers. No other author will be able to do that. That’s because there can only be one you. Just like a fingerprint and DNA, you can’t be replaced. You can’t be duplicated.

Embracing that aspect of yourself can be very freeing when it comes to getting maximum enjoyment from your writing. It’ll also free you up to write the books that will have the greatest impact on those who love them. Books have the opportunity to touch someone’s life in a meaningful way. Think of it. You have the power to give something lasting to another person in a way no other author can. You have no idea who that person is or how many are out there. All you can do is write the story. The rest is up to God.

I don’t believe in coincidences. We live in an age where we have the means to write and publish our own books without the permission of a publisher. There’s a reason for this. We have an opportunity. Let’s not waste it. Give everything you are to your stories. When the day comes when you’re no longer here, who knows if your books will continue to find new readers? Granted, a lot of books will fall into oblivion, but you might write a book that will be passed down from one generation to another. I doubt authors like Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, or Edgar Allen Poe thought we’d still have their books around today. Maybe a century from now, your name will be along with theirs.

So give this your all. Be irreplaceable. Be you. And most of all, have fun while you’re doing it.

A Most Unsuitable Earl Trivia

Ethan (Lord Edon)’s book!

The idea for this book came me when I was writing the beginning of The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife. It was in this snippet:

The duke pointed in the direction of a young lady dancing with her partner.  Nate tried to determine whether she was interested in the gentleman she was currently dancing with or not.  She was smiling and seemed to be talking amiably to him.

“Isn’t that Lord Edon she’s dancing with?” Nate asked.

Rumsey frowned.  “Hopefully not for long.  His most notable accomplishments are gambling and women of ill repute.  I fear he’s taken an interest in her dowry.”

At that point, I knew Rumsey’s daughter would end up with Ethan. What I didn’t know was how much I’d enjoy writing Ethan. After all this time, Ethan and his friend, Christopher Robinson, are my favorite two Regency characters.

***

This is the original cover:

When I decided to give my entire backlist a “face lift”, this book was one of them. (As you can see by the “Regency Collection” series title, my original intention was to write only a few Regencies.) At last count, I have completed 31 Regencies (2 of which are completed but haven’t been published yet).

***

I like Ethan’s mother. Her role was meant to be comical, but some people find her annoying. This is why I say that I have a weird sense of humor. Some people really hate it. They find it immature. No need to keep sending me messages letting me know how immature my humor is. I’m already aware of it. I grew up on Mel Brooks who did parodies. I enjoy movies that are parodies. Yes, they’re stupid, but they’re hilarious, too. I also enjoy “I Love Lucy”. That is my favorite TV show of all time, and Lucy got into a lot of trouble through the situations she put herself in. All of this influences my humor. It had a hand in the relationship between Ethan and his mother.

***

When I wrote this book, just about every single Regency out there I came across had a rake in it. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be neat if the hero was only pretending to be a rake?” And that’s how Ethan was born.

As a side note:

The whole “rake” thing in Regencies and the “hero who sowed his wild oats” theme in historical westerns is exactly why I started writing romances to begin with. I was tired of the experienced hero and virgin heroine theme that kept popping up. On the other end of the spectrum were the super squeaky clean romances which had the passion of a rock in them. I loved reading romances, but something had to change. After searching bookstores and talking to the employees who couldn’t help me find the books I was looking for, I ended up writing them myself.

***

Ethan needed a heroine who could complement him. While he was outwardly a rake, he was inwardly prudish. I did not go into the book expecting that, but as I wrote the story, that is how his character developed. So I needed to balance this out. That is why Catherine ended up being a wallflower who was secretly a seductress. I thought it would be fascinating to work with two people who were opposites. She allowed him to be the person he truly was, and he allowed her to be the person she truly was.

***

This part always cracks me up and is a good example of my weird sense of humor:

“Just what I need for a son-in-law,” Catherine’s father muttered.  “He’s nothing but a pansy.”

At that, Ethan’s eyes flew open and he eased into an upright position.  “I am not a pansy!”

“Of course, you’re not, my dear,” his mother replied as she hurried over to him and wiped the sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief.

Even though Ethan’s mother drives him crazy, he loves her, and he knows she has his best interest at heart. That’s why he lives in the same house with her and takes care of her.

***

In this book, Catherine’s father didn’t approve of Ethan. As I continued to write Regencies, that ended up changing. I can’t remember what book it’s in, but I have a part where I reference that her father paid Ethan a compliment (or something along those lines) and it shocked Ethan. I wish I could remember what book that was in. But yes, after years of terrorizing Ethan, her father finally grew to like him. Much to Ethan’s relief, he no longer has to worry about being invited over for “fencing”.

***

While Ethan promised to never gamble again, later books reveal he didn’t keep this promise if he was sure he’d win. He even joined the bet in Taming the Viscountess, and this was the one time he actually lost.

***

The scene where Ethan and Catherine are at the circus is also in Her Counterfeit Husband when Jason is trying to figure out the truth about his past. I wrote Her Counterfeit Husband before I wrote A Most Unsuitable Earl, and I was looking for a way to mix the characters into the same world without them being aware of each other.

***

In this book, Ethan is reading “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” in Lyrical Ballads, With a Few Other Poems. I read this book twice in high school (in two different schools since I was in Ohio up until my senior year; I moved to Florida my senior year). In a college, I had a teacher who used to quote from this story quite a bit. He would say, “Water, water, everywhere, and all the boards did shrink; water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink.” I can quote that off the top of my head because of him. I actually enjoyed this story, and to this day, it’s one of my favorites, though it’s far from being a romance.

No Job is 100% Secure, and This Goes for Writing, Too

Today’s post is inspired by this video via the Dave Ramsey show:

As a quick disclaimer, I realize not everyone can make money doing what they’re passionate about.

With that aside, let’s get to the post.

Passion AND write-to-market writers can suffer from a loss of income.

The vision that the marketing gurus will sell writers is that writing to market is a secure way of making money. This is a myth. Does it happen to some writers? Of course, it does. However, writers have also made money writing books they are passionate about. I know this because I’m one of them. Granted, the amount of money I’ve been making has decreased since 2015, but I’m fortunate to still make something. And guess what? Recently, I read a book where an author who embraces the writing-to-market approach is making less money, too.

What does this mean?

It means that regardless of whether you write for passion or write to market, you do NOT have a secure source of income.

What I’ve noticed over the years is that writers who embrace passion over writing to market understand this better because the expectation when writing for passion is that you might not make money. The expectation when writing to market is that you will make money. And just because you can market well, it doesn’t mean you’ll always be raking in the money. I’ve come across writers who have plugged in the tried-and-true marketing strategies outlined by the indie community, and sadly, they didn’t make much money. That’s why so many writers end up disillusioned and quit.

Also, don’t assume that if you manage to make good money writing stuff to market you’ll be happy. What if you pick something you don’t like just because it’s popular? What if that paid off, but now you’re hating it? What if this is your only source of income? What if you end up feeling trapped?

I know of an author who writes a genre she absolutely hates. You see, early on, she decided to pick a genre she didn’t care for because it was hot. This was due to the “write to market” advice she received. The advice worked. She’s making a living at it. But the thing is, she HATES writing now. She cries because she is trapped. Now, I don’t know if she would have been able to build up a following and make a living if she had written in a genre she enjoys. No one can know that because we can’t go back in time to find out. She wishes she could write something else but is too afraid to do so since it’s hard to start over. She feels that the stuff she is writing now is “secure”. So she is determined to keep on with it.

I sympathize with her plight, but I wouldn’t wish this experience on anyone. There’s nothing worse than having a soul-sucking job that makes you miserable. If you are tempted to write something you hate, I urge you to carefully think it over. Remember, job security is a myth.

Changes in the indie publishing landscape will impact income potential.

In writing, you’re going to have obstacles, regardless of whether you’re writing for passion or writing to market.

First, you’re dealing with the fact that it’s harder to get visibility because the amount of books available exceeds the amount of people who will buy them. This is a simple supply and demand issue. The higher the supply, the lower the demand. That will impact the price of things. This is why books are cheap. There are so many of them. Authors can argue about the price of books all they want, but I took Economics in high school and college, and no amount of arguing is going to change reality. Unfortunately, even with competitive pricing, you’re still going to have trouble finding an audience because of all the books out there.

Second, you have a lot of marketing savvy writers out there who know what they’re doing. You can’t just put your book up and expect people to find it. You have to work to get noticed. That makes it harder to sit back and let the money just roll on in. I get the frustration. I don’t have a great marketing personality. I understand why writers have trouble in the marketing area. Unfortunately, with an ever-increasing supply of books, marketing is important to your income potential. I’m not saying that marketing will magically do the job, but it has to be something you’re doing. Gone are the “gold rush” days of indie publishing when getting noticed was easy. (Yeah, I miss those days a lot, but what are you doing to do? You can’t rewind the clock.)

Also, there are unexpected factors that come into play. Readers who used to have discretionary income are finding their budgets tightening up due to the impact Covid has had worldwide. People have lost their jobs. There are businesses that have shut down. This is going to affect how much people can spend on books. I think this is going to propel more people to embrace subscription reading services. As a result, I think we’re going to see more subscription reading services in the future.

I don’t see how any of the wide retailers can require exclusivity because Amazon’s market presence is so great. Kobo has already started a subscription plan with Kobo Plus. How long will it be before Apple, Google Play, and Barnes & Noble do it? I dread this day, but I’m afraid it’s inevitable. People are used to paying a flat rate for unlimited content now from places like Netflix, Spotify, Hulu, Pureflix, Kindle Unlimited, Kobo Plus, and so on. We are in an environment where people have gotten used to a subscription plan for access to whatever is available. Some writers will end up having to take a cut in pay in order to have their books included in these plans. There’s no way a retailer is going to be able to pay a 70% royalty rate on a book that gets read in a subscription program.

Regardless of what you write, this is going to impact income. Sure, you can have your own website and sell books directly. That is something I recommend anyway, but even so, the bulk of readers prefer to buy books from their retailer. Most don’t want to go to a different site, download the file, and then upload it to their device. It’s a pain. I don’t like doing it, either. I’ve only gone through the hassle one time. This was an author I personally enjoyed a lot and this author only had the book on that one personal website. If this author had been on my preferred retailer, I would have bought the book from the retailer. If I (an author myself) am reluctant to go outside of my preferred retailer for a book, then think of how many readers will be reluctant to do it.

After reading all of that, you might think I’m a gloomy person. I don’t consider myself to be gloomy. I see myself as a realist. Job security in general is a myth. No one can promise that if you do something, your books will sell. There are too many variables at play. I only listed a couple of them. In writing, you’re going to have your good months and your bad months. Knowing your writing income isn’t secure will help buffer you from anything that is going to come your way. Hopefully, it’ll prompt you to save money. You want to have a cushion to fall back on should things fall apart. Be optimistic but also be wise.

Beware of your stress level

The last thing I want to address is the issue of stress because if you don’t watch your stress levels, it’s going to have a negative impact on your health and your relationships. In order to come back against a job loss of any sort, you need to be in good health and be in a good emotional place.

I recently read two books by writers who focus on writing to market. I don’t know if these authors know each other, but I was surprised by how much they stressed over either losing money or not making more. For them, the bottom line really is money. They didn’t come out and say this, but by the way they wrote, I could tell they were stressed out over how well (or not well) their books were selling. These are authors that make a lot of money. We’re talking serious six-figures here, like at least half a million a year. And something to note was that even though they are making all of this money, they are not satisfied. It’s always about making “more and more”. That’s why any month that yields less than what they expect freaks them out. Is that how you want to spend your time? Writing and marketing with such fervor that you’re in a constant state of stress over what is happening to your bottom line?

That’s not how I want to spend my time. I might not have made what they did, but I was in that exact same stressed-out state in 2016 and 2017. I was a mess. Money does NOT bring peace, and it does NOT bring happiness. Sometimes it brings misery in ways you don’t expect. I don’t think these two authors realize what is happening to them. I didn’t back then until I hit serious burn out. After I made the switch to writing for passion, I’ve had dry spells, but I never sat down and cried for hours because I was so stressed out over trying to make more money. Thank God I’m no longer in that trap.

Writing can be fun. It can be something that brings you a lot of joy. It’s all in how you look at it. I am all for making money. If you can make money doing something you love, you should be doing it. I’m very luck in that I still make something. It’s a tremendous blessing. But I realize this job is not secure. Who knows if I’ll end up taking a job outside the home in the next year, or two years, or more? I have no idea what the future will bring. That’s why I’m trying to make the most of this time while I have it. My goal is to get as many books out as I can while this season in my life is here.

So really, the question I’m asking you is this: how do you want to spend your time? We don’t get to live forever in this particular life. I’m 46. My mom died at 48. That has made me aware of the brevity of life. You can spend your time being miserable writing stuff you hate, or you can spend your time writing stuff you love. It’s really up to you. But this whole thing of writing something because it’s a secure source of income is a myth. My advice is to get beyond the myth. Look at things realistically. Consider how you want to spend your time. I know people who have lived a long time and are miserable. My mom might have died at 48, but she was happy. In my opinion, she lived a more fulfilled life. It’s not the number of our years that matter; it’s what we did with those years.

At the end of your life, you are going to be left with the books you wrote. What kind of books do you want to see in your catalogue when you look back on what you did? I can already tell you that books I wrote for passion are my favorite ones. Give me passion any day of the week over misery and stress.

Updates on What I’m Doing

First of all, thanks to the person who reminded me about the Crossover Page (where I list all of my series and any overlaps) and the Larson Page. I went through and updated those this morning:

Crossover Page for all of my romances

Larson Page

Now to the post…

I have A Perilous Marriage done and up now on pre-order.

I’m not 100% happy with the description, so I’m going to see about tweaking it. I have read books and watched videos on how to make a good book description, and I am still not any good at it. It’s frustrating. Some authors have a gift for this kind of thing. I, unfortunately, am not one of them.

A Perilous Marriage is Book 1 in a brand new Regency series titled Marriage by Necessity. I originally introduced the hero in Kidnapping the Viscount. For quick reference, here’s the cover to help jog anyone’s memory in case they’re wondering what book I’m talking about:

I’m the kind of person who needs a visual aid when trying to remember what someone is talking about.

Anyway, in Kidnapping the Viscount, Charles was the brother who kept unwittingly getting in the way of Heather and Gill as they were trying to find their way to their happy ending. (I got a kick out of how much her brother kept jumping to conclusions, so I thought he’d be perfect for a plot where the hero assumes the heroine killed his best friend.) A warning though, A Perilous Marriage is not a comedy. It’s a more serious book.

A Perilous Marriage is due out May 27. If you prefer to pre-order, here is where you can find it.

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Apple

I actually finished An Earl In Time.

I didn’t think I was going to get done with the first draft until at least this summer, but once I received help from an author friend who excels in stuff like romance, magic, and gothic elements, it turned out to be a breeze to fix the problems that was bogging me down. I already knew the ending when I started this book, so that was easy to tackle.

I contacted the cover artist about changing the subtitle from “A Time Travel Romance” to “A Fairytale Romance”. While this book is a standalone, I want the ability to write other Regency Fairytale Romances in the future if other ideas happen to come to mind. This Regency has been placed in my regular Regency world. Toward the end of this book, I give a very brief mention of Lord Steinbeck (hero of The Earl’s Wallflower Bride who shows up here and there in other Regencies) and another later mention to Lord Clement (hero of The Earl’s Scandalous Wife who also shows up here and there in other Regencies). Keep in mind, these are just mentions. I couldn’t resist the pull to throw a couple of my other Regency characters into this book, especially since it fit in to do it.

It was fun to do something different within the world I enjoy. I find it helps to keep the creative wells going strong when I allow myself to dip my toes into other areas from time to time.

I started The Cursed Earl

This is Book 2 in the Marriage by Necessity Series.

 

I suspect this one will be a comedy. The hero is new to the series, but he’s friends with the hero in A Perilous Marriage, and I introduce him in that book. I originally went with Eric, but then I thought I’d go with Algernon, which I established in A Perilous Marriage. Long story short, I thought Eris (based off a friend I know in real life) was too similar to Eric and could lead to come confusion. So he’s now referred to as Algernon.

Anyway, the heroine of The Cursed Earl is also introduced in A Perilous Marriage. She is Charles’ cousin who is in London to find a husband. Algernon is very superstitious, and he’s convinced he’ll die on his 25th birthday. Since his father and older brother are dead (they never were older than 25, hence is fear), he is tasked with the responsibility of having an heir. Reina is secretly in love with him, so she offers to help him with his duty to the crown.

I’ve only just started this, so I’m not really sure how things will go, but since Algernon is a member of White’s, I’m going to bring in Lord Edon and Mr. Christopher Robinson somehow. I’m looking forward to seeing them again.

While I’m discussing the Regencies, I want to mention this before I get to the historical westerns.

I was browsing through the pre-made covers on The Book Cover Designer. I saw two pre-made covers that screamed, “Pick me, Ruth! Pick me!” I gave it a few days to think of what stories would go with the books because the only way I can justify buying a cover is if I have a story for it.

There were only two by this cover artist, and I want three for the series, so I’m getting the third book cover done soon.

This will be the Marriage by Obligation Series. I am going to tuck this series between the Marriage by Fate Series and the Marriage by Fairytale Series because the timeline for this series fits there.

As excited as I am about this series, I can’t start on it until after I finish the Marriage by Necessity Series, so we’re looking at October-November of this year before I start on Secret Admirer.

Here are the books:

Secret Admirer (Marriage by Obligation Series: Book 1)

Remember Cressica from The Perfect Duke?

She was the oldest sister of Nicholas Lidgate, the Duke of Ravenshire. A couple of people mentioned wanting to read her book, and she’ll fit in perfectly in this book. Another thing that plays perfectly for this specific book is the ladies group that Cress (short for Cressica) just joined. The group is an elite social club, and it’s important that Cress marries the right gentleman.

Well, I thought it would be fun to do a heroine falling in love with a servant plot. I loosely approached these in Fairest of Them All and One Enchanted Evening, but the differences in social status between the hero and heroine didn’t factor into the plot. I can use that here because of that elite social group. What I need to do is figure out which male servant I want to be the hero.

Midnight Wedding (Marriage by Obligation Series: Book 2)

I haven’t thought over this one too much yet, but it’s a spin off of the idea for Kidnapping the Viscount, except in this case, the heroine has help from someone in her family in abducting a titled and wealthy gentleman with the intention of saving themselves from financial ruin. This one could go many ways, but this will fit the original idea I had for Kidnapping the Viscount. The original version of that book was a lot different than how it turned out to be.

So in this book, the hero is NOT going to be happy. The heroine is going to be incredibly naive as to just how precarious her position is when she goes through this kidnapping idea her idiot family member(s) had. I recently read a blog post about how ladies could be ruined and financially devastated so easily in this time period if the marriage was dissolved and she’s left with a child. Knowing all of this puts into perspective the reason why certain laws had to be put into place to protect women. The Regency era wasn’t friendly to women in a lot of respects.

The Duke’s Return (Marriage by Obligation Series: Book 3)

I don’t have the cover yet, but I plan to introduce the hero in Book 1 of this series. He’s going to leave the heroine of The Duke’s Return on their wedding day for some reason (haven’t decided yet). He returns in The Duke’s Return, and I’ll see how things go from there.

Now for the historical westerns…

This is Book 3 in the Nebraska Prairie Series:

   

This was originally meant to be about 30,000 words, but I’m nearing 40,000 words and have more to go. I have a vague idea of how things are going to end. I have probably 5,000 more words to write in order to fully establish the relationship between the hero and heroine before I can come in for what will conclude the story.

At any rate, I should be able to have this out in July.

I haven’t made any progress in this one over the past month or so because I’ve been so focused on An Earl In Time. Now that I wrapped up An Earl In Time, I can get back to this. It is due out in November.

I haven’t forgotten this one. I plan to start on it when I finish Interview for a Wife. That should be (hopefully) in June. I’m looking forward to getting to this one since it’s okay for me to pair up Jeremiah with Katie.

Random Trivia About My Regencies Books

I was only supposed to do one series. ID 76715845 © Sheila Fitzgerald | Dreamstime.com

Back when I wrote my first Regency book (The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife), my intention was to only write one series. I had read some Regencies in the past and enjoyed them. Rose Gordon’s books happened to be among the ones I read right before I decided to take the plunge and write a Regency myself. As fate would have it, I ended up meeting Rose when she left comments on a blog and a forum I co-authored at the time. It wasn’t until we were emailing each other that I realized she wrote the books I had enjoyed. Long story short, we became friends. It was actually my enjoyment of Rose’s books that prompted me to write a Regency series. She helped me with the first series as I was struggling to get acquainted with the feel and flavor of Regency time period. If you haven’t read her books yet, I highly recommend them. Here’s her website.

Anyway, I originally titled the Marriage by Scandal Series as the “Regency Collection” because I meant to write a few books and then return to doing my historical westerns and contemporaries. Due to time constraints, I can’t devote my attention to more than two specific genres over the long run. So I figured once I was done with three or four books, I’d leave the Regency genre and that would be it. Well, I ended up falling in love with the cast of characters I had created in this Regency world, and I didn’t want to leave them. Lord Edon and Mr. Christopher Robinson are the two I enjoy the most, which is why I’m constantly bringing them back. Another reason I fell in love with my Regency world was that I could do stuff in this genre that I couldn’t do in historical westerns or contemporaries. Regencies are fun because the littlest thing is so “scandalous” that it can shock everyone, and a lot of times you can force a couple to marry over the most ridiculous thing. A lot of things that are scandalous in Regencies will only get a shrug in historical westerns or contemporaries. So I dropped the contemporaries and dedicated my time to historical westerns and Regencies.

All of the Regencies take place in the same world, which means I have the same cast of characters at my disposal at any one time, but I decided early on that I was going to do spin-off series instead of one really long one. I know some authors who have 20+ books in a series, but as a reader, I don’t like reading a series that long. My time is so constrained that I don’t get much reading in as it is. Because of this, I prefer 3-5 books if I read a series. I write books the way I want to read them. I also create series the way I want to read them. You’ll never see me do a super long series. I’ll do multiple series within the same world, though.

Lady Cadwalader ID 65249898 © Andrewgenn | Dreamstime.com

In my Regency world, Lady Cadwalader is the most influential person in London. Lord Cadwalader is a force to be reckoned with, too, but no one surpasses his wife. Reputations rise and fall based on her opinion. The only person who remains unscathed by her opinion is Lord Edon. No matter what he’s tried, he can’t ruin his reputation. This is because a lot of people secretly admire him for having the fortitude to disregard the rules of the Ton. So Lord Edon is just as influential as she is, but he’s on the opposite side of the spectrum in respectability, though that aspect of him has gone somewhat undercover due to his father-in-law keeping an eye on him. The threat of a fencing “accident” will do that to any gentleman.

Lady Cadwalader was never meant to be a permanent “mainstay” in my Regencies. I originally intended to dethrone her. She’s a snob of the highest sort, and I figured she should get what’s coming to her. That was why I came up with the group, Ladies of Grace. I introduced that group in the Marriage by Bargain Series with Book 1 (The Viscount’s Runaway Bride). I figured by the end of the series, Lady Eloise would replace Lady Cadwalader. That was why I inserted little things about the rivalry between the two ladies as the series went on. But as I continued the series, I realized I had grown to actually like Lady Cadwalader. Maybe it’s because she had time to grow on me, or maybe it’s because there is no better opponent to Lord Edon than Lady Cadwalader. Lady Eloise was definitely a snob, but she didn’t have the same flare than Lady Cadwalader did. In the end, I ended up removing Lady Eloise. The Marriage by Fate Series’ purpose was to bring about the fall and removal of Lady Eloise, once and for all.

Needless to say, Lady Cadwalader is very happy with the way things turned out.

“The” Book ID 153495775 © Irina Volkova | Dreamstime.com

When I introduced the book on how to pleasure a lady in the very first Regency I wrote (The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife), I didn’t expect it to make an appearance beyond the Marriage by Scandal Series. But then I found out some people liked the book, I decided to bring it back. It doesn’t show up in every book I write. I bring it up once in a while if I feel the hero will benefit from it. At first, I debated whether to reveal the author of this book or not, but then I thought I’d clear Lord Edon’s name since he hates how many people assume he’s the author. I figured if nothing else, the reader should know the truth. That was why I revealed the identity of the author in His Wicked Lady (Book 1 of the Marriage by Arrangement Series).

***

That’s all I can think of off the top of my head. If anyone has any questions about my Regencies, feel free to ask. I wouldn’t mind doing another blog post.

The Villain in Romance (A Storytelling Post)

After writing the post on villains, I started to think of why so many people assume that romance is nothing more than “porn for women”. And then the realization came to me. These people don’t understand how the basic elements of storytelling applies to romance. In their minds, romance is nothing more than the hero and heroine meeting, having lots of wild sex, and the book ending. (A lot of people also don’t realize that there are romances out there that don’t contain sex. But I’m not here to argue the fact that romance runs the range from squeaky clean to erotic.) I’m here to point out that romances actually come with a plot.

ID 23454316 © Teresa Yeh | Dreamstime.com

I know. It’s hard for some to believe, but there is more to falling in love and getting to the happy ending than simply telling the reader, “They met, they fell in love, the end.”

The hero and heroine have a goal. The goal in romance is for the hero and heroine to end up happily together. While that sounds simple enough, it’s really not that simple because your villain (be it a person or thing) will present the conflict. There can be a parent, sibling, an ex, or other person who is actively working to come between the hero and heroine. I’ve done these, and they work well enough. They’re also self-explanatory. They’re very surface level villains.

The best villains for romance, in my opinion, are the ones in which the villain comes from within the hero or heroine. Most romances have these inner demons working within one or both characters. That’s why the villain often used in a romance is an emotional one.

Emotional villains come in many forms. I’ll give a few examples. 1. A hero might have to overcome the pain of a divorce in order to fall in love again. The villain in this case is the fear of going through pain again if the hero opens himself up to the heroine. 2. A wallflower/spinster heroine who doesn’t feel attractive has to overcome her insecurity in order to believe she deserves the love that the hero is offering. The villain in this case is her insecurity. 3. A hero might have been a complete jerk in the past and is working hard to redeem himself, but he struggles with the reality that he is now deserving of the heroine’s love. The villain in this case is the hero’s guilt. He must overcome it in order to accept that all has been forgiven and he is allowed to have the love he most desires. 4. A heroine desires independence but is afraid the hero will restrict her freedom if she were to fall in love with him. The villain in this case is the heroine’s fear that if she gives her heart to the hero, then she will sacrifice who she is. There are plenty of emotional villains out there to present a plot in a romance. It’s all in how that villain is used.

Let me illustrate how an emotional villain works in a romance by taking one of the examples I listed above. We’ll look at the wallflower/spinster heroine scenario.

What would be the best personality type in our hero? You’d want someone who is able to recognize what makes a lady superficial. Our hero is seeking someone he can have a genuine conversation with. He wants someone who has inner beauty that others miss. Since the villain in this story is the heroine’s insecurity, we need obstacles that target her insecurity. The obstacles are there to keep her insecure. Anything that makes her feel insecure will add to the conflict between her and the hero. Perhaps one of the hero’s family members finds her lacking and makes her feel like the hero could do way better. Or maybe the hero ends up stuck with some task at a job that keeps him gone a lot, and she begins to wonder if he’s secretly with another lady (one he finds much more desirable than her). In both cases, her insecurity has been reinforced. Regardless of the obstacles, she is going to have to overcome them until the end of the book where she finally comes to realize that the hero truly does love her and sees her as the most desirable lady who’s ever lived. The happy ending comes when she overcomes that war with insecurity, and since this is a romance, her ability to overcome her insecurity is due to the hero’s love. Without the hero, she is unable to reach the point where she’s confident with herself.

A final word: my advice is to avoid the overused tactics of endless cycles of misunderstandings and the endless cycles of interruptions. I see these used a lot in romance, and it drives me crazy. The hero and heroine should be mature enough to sit down and have a conversation, and they should be allowed to do it without someone always coming in to interrupt them. Use these things sparingly. It’s far more effective to get more creative when coming up with obstacles to throw at the hero or heroine.