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Val Kovalin

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

Genre

Gay & Lesbian, Romance

Member Since

January 2010

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/ValKovalin

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Welcome. My nonfiction consists of the HOW TO WRITE series for fiction and nonfiction writers. My fiction is gay romance not intended for readers younger than age eighteen. I like humor, strong plots, vivid cultural details, and complicated characters and hope to offer you the same.

For four years, I was one of five paid reviewers for the All Romance Ebooks newsletter until the reviewing program was discontinued. I was the reviewer for the gay romance category. Currently I am the editor of the Fiction Writing topic at BellaOnline.com where I publish weekly articles, a newsletter, and forum advice on how to write fiction. Most recently I have become the editor of the Romance Novels topic at BellaOnline.com where I review both traditional rom ...more

82 posts
Val Kovalin's Blog

How to Write an Accurate Fiction Blurb

If you are a fiction writer who hopes to get published, you need to know how to write a blurb. Your blurb sells your book to readers. When you approach an agent whom you hope will represent your manuscript, you put your blurb into your first email. Your agent repeats the same process with your blurb when he attempts to contact an editor. When your manuscript becomes a book, the blurb is printed... Read more of this blog post »

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Published on February 05, 2015 13:39 • 108 views

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Val Kovalin’s books

Average rating: 3.77 · 835 ratings · 228 reviews · 12 distinct works • Similar authors

	Fall Into the Sun (Alejo and Bobby, #1) 3.85 avg rating — 298 ratings — published 2012 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	How To Write Descriptions of Eyes and Faces 3.69 avg rating — 102 ratings — published 2011	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	How to Write Sexy Descriptions and Sex Scenes 4.16 avg rating — 68 ratings — published 2011	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Wicked Cool 3.30 avg rating — 76 ratings — published 2010 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	How to Write Descriptions of Hair and Skin 3.91 avg rating — 54 ratings — published 2011	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Reach for the Moon (Alejo and Bobby, #2) 4.16 avg rating — 58 ratings — published 2013 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	This is Yours (Alejo and Bobby, # 1.5) 3.51 avg rating — 39 ratings — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	How to Write Descriptions of Eyes, Faces, Hair, Skin 3.61 avg rating — 38 ratings — published 2011	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ink Illusions 3.35 avg rating — 43 ratings — published 2011 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Trinity Trespass 3.66 avg rating — 32 ratings — published 2010 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Val Kovalin…

Series by Val Kovalin

Alejo and Bobby (3 books)
by

Val Kovalin (Goodreads Author)

3.86 avg rating — 395 ratings

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Val’s Writing

This is Yours (Gay & Lesbian)

1 chapters — updated May 13, 2015 06:34PM

Description: Alejandro Sandoval + Roberto Gallegos = love forever. Alejo looks back to one night in June 1980, when he and Bobby were fourteen years old. Only days before, they realized their attraction to each other. But now, Alejo’s dad has invited over his buddies to watch the most anticipated boxing match of the year. Anything could happen during the fight. And anything could happen to Alejo and Bobby as they struggle to keep their newfound love secret while soaking up the macho atmosphere of Mr. Sandoval’s Fight Night. It is a night of love and revelations for Alejo and Bobby. FREE short story, sex scenes: none, 11,000 words of story, not counting additional text such as excerpts and blurb.

Reach for the Moon excerpt (Gay & Lesbian)

1 chapters — updated May 13, 2015 06:33PM

Description: First 10 pages of the upcoming gay romance REACH FOR THE MOON. Eighteen year-old Alejo and Bobby go on a road trip through New Mexico, searching for Alejo's missing cousin Martin, who may have run into trouble after coming out as gay.

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Val’s Recent Updates

Val Kovalin wrote a new blog post How to Write an Accurate Fiction Blurb If you are a fiction writer who hopes to get published, you need to know how to write a blurb. Your blurb sells your book to readers. When you appr... Read more of this blog post »
Feb 07, 2015 04:55PM · 2 likes · like
Val Kovalin made a comment on Ava Marsh’s profile " Thank you for the friends add! Best, Val "
Sep 02, 2014 08:26PM
Val Kovalin has read Necessary Force (K-9 Rescue, #0.5) by D.D. Ayres (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
M/F ROMANCE. Good but longer would have been better. Longer review here.
Jul 01, 2014 08:57PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Necessary Force by D.D. Ayres. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Necessary Force by D.D. Ayres <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Val Kovalin and 2 other people liked Riina Y.T.'s review of This is Yours (Alejo and Bobby, # 1.5): " "You got the most amazing look on your face – amazing and amazed. Your eyes widened in vivid excitement and your pupils expanded. The gold starburst edging each pupil brightened like a sunrise in the rich brown of your irises. Your full lips part... " Read more of this review »
May 04, 2014 07:59PM · see review
Val Kovalin and 1 other person liked Heddie's review of Reach For the Moon (Alejo and Bobby, #2): "A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review. I really loved this story about two young Latino men, Alejo and Bobby. Although they come from two very different walks of life than mine, the author manages to make them very real...." Read more of this review »
Apr 30, 2014 05:43PM · see review
Val Kovalin and 2 other people liked Riina Y.T.'s review of Reach for the Moon (Alejo and Bobby, #2): " “You talk like there is no church or laws. Like you want to marry me.” Aw this...what a wonderful, touching story. Bobby and Alejo quickly became one of my favorite boys ♥ It's this kind of book that caught my interest from page one with its lovab..." Read more of this review »
Feb 14, 2014 08:17PM · see review
Val Kovalin has read Shaking the Sugar Tree (Sugar Tree, #1) by Nick Wilgus (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
What an absorbing book! This was a one-sitting read for me. I could not put it down because its everyday, slice-of-life vividness drew me into the main character's world. This really felt and sounded like the American Deep South on every level even o ...more
Feb 13, 2014 01:42PM · 5 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Shaking the Sugar Tree by Nick Wilgus. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Shaking the Sugar Tree by Nick Wilgus <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Val Kovalin made a comment on Carly’s review of This is Yours (Alejo and Bobby, # 1.5) " Thank you, Carla. Awesome review! :D "
Feb 07, 2014 10:18AM · see review
Val Kovalin made a comment on Lucy Smith’s profile " Thank you for the friends' add, Lucy! Best, Val "
Oct 27, 2013 01:32PM
Val Kovalin made a comment on Me are the champion! " Looking forward to it! :) "
Oct 23, 2013 03:31PM · see blog post

More of Val's books…

Quotes by Val Kovalin

“The only 'ironclad rules' in writing fiction are the laws of physics and the principles of grammar, and even those can be bent.”
― Val Kovalin

tags: writing-advice, writing-craft, writing-process

5 likes

“Every day, I try to be the person I think you see in me.”
― Val Kovalin, Reach for the Moon

1 likes

“You talk like there is no church or laws. Like you want to marry me.”
― Val Kovalin, Reach for the Moon

tags: love, marriage-equality

0 likes

See all Val Kovalin's quotes »

Val’s Quotes

“The mind is its own place, and in itself / Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven. / What matter where, if I be still the same...”
― John Milton, Paradise Lost: Books 1-2

34 likes