Z.L. Arkadie's Blog, page 2

It’s Finished! Accidental Us by Zoey Locke!

Well, it’s complete! My next new Zoey Locke novel with input from Tabi Ryan will be released soon! The intended release date is 5-14-2024. If that changes, I’ll let you know. I’ll be posting teasers and sneak peaks every day up until release day! The story is barely one chili pepper of steam. It’s just solid feel-good, engaging banter, and connection romance. Here’s the Description in case you’re wondering: I can’t stand “celebrity chef” Randy Thorn. I mean, just look at him, he’s so very pompous—pompous, pompous, pompous. He blew into our small town with is ego in tow, and now he’s my new boss. He’s always on my back, needling me about this or that. Okay, my first confession: Randy’s hot as sin. My second confession:  When no one’s around and are defenses are down, we find ourselves unable to keep our hands, lips…well, our whole bodies to ourselves. Yes, it’s complicated, and it all happens by accident, really. And now, things have gotten more complicated after I pee on a stick—all seven of them. Yikes! *** Also, the tropes are: Small Town Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Boss Romance and Accidental Pregnancy. Alrighty, then, stay tuned for more updates! All best, Z

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Upcoming New Release by Zoey Locke!

We’re almost through half the year, and I finally have an announcement to make! I will soon release a new book by Zoey Locke titled, “Accidental Us.” I’ll share more details, like the description and how the story came to be, along with a First Look in days to come! Stay tuned, and enjoy your Sunday! Best, Z.L.

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The “There were characters that were introduced but nothing happened to them” Comment

Whenever I read that comment in a review of my book or others, I’ll admit it’s infuriating.  I do it because when my characters look into the eyes of the people around them, they are humanizing them. As a writer, I feel it’s my job to humanize them all, even the security guard, the hot dog stand guy, or the friend who’s in town for the day.  Take Once Upon An Unrequited Love. Ana, Lake’s friend, had a real life before she entered the scene and during and after she left the scene. However, I wasn’t telling Ana’s story. She had her own life to live. And everybody doesn’t “get a book” because they showed up as a human being and not a cut-out-character for five minutes. I’m not into crafting paper dolls around my main characters. Sometimes I feel it’s wannabe writers making those comments because it diverts from what some formulaic instructor has taught them. Also, it’s a lot more difficult to craft a full, 3-dimensional world where every character is a human being with a backstory, and that backstory informs their present interaction with the main character(s).  I’ve lasted this long without writing to market for one reason – I craft humans. No matter what situation they’re in, they are human beings, and so are their friends, family, and the people they interact with. Put in craft terms, that is B characters, C characters, D, E and F characters.  Anyway, I just wanted to get that off my chest. I  wanted to explain that because it’s a flawed comment. I have not made an error, but it could be a matter of taste. For instance, another tool I love to use in my writing is not to tell you what my characters are feeling in a moment but to show you through interactions, body language, dialog as subtext, and choices made. You don’t usually find these machinations employed in romance, which is why I’m always amazed I’ve lasted this long, but I use them. I also get marked down for doing that too. But I will never stop writing this way because I’m simply unable to.  Peace,Z.L.

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Renewed Sense of Hope! Inspired by Direct Sales

Greetings!!! Well, I’m back before the end of the year. For the past two weeks, I’ve been setting up my Flaming Hearts Press Book Store on Shopify.  Let me just say I’ve been inspired by bypassing Amazon and the others.  For the past five to six years, those stores have snatched all my inspiration and hope.  I’m not going to blame those stores solely for my misery. I have made a lot of decisions that didn’t serve me well.  I was trying to chase success to the point where I lost myself and inadvertently never found it quite the way I wanted. With that said, I’ve been pondering releasing one good Z.L. Arkadie and one good Zoey Locke book once a year. Or maybe focusing solely on  Z.L. Arkadie.  Z.L. had some really good story ideas before venturing off into the last five books Zoey wrote.  Remember I was going to write the Sommer Brothers? I’ll probably give them a different last name, but I like the idea. One brother’s book per year for three years.  Just to keep Z.L. in the romance game. I also had this great idea about another family of brothers that won’t quite let go of me. I’ve written enough kinds of books to know what I enjoyed the most, and that’s the Blackstone Brothers (who were once the Christmas brothers). I like the right kind of darkness mixed with suspense, emotion, and one-touch, one-look and my heart becomes unrecognizable kind of romance! 🙂 A little fact I’ll share. I was advised to change the brothers’ last name from Christmas to something else because, during the Summer months that series would not sell at all. Well, that advice worked!  It wasn’t the readers. It was store algorithms! You see, that is what I mean about finally feeling free! It felt icky to have to worry about their algorithms all the time.  I also changed the Valentines to the Lords. Did you know I initially wrote the Lord brothers as the Valentines? I miss the Valentines. Sigh… Again, algorithms would make those books seasonal as well.  Anyway, as you can see, opening my own store and even seeing sales trickle in before my major promotional push makes me optimistic. I’m considering dropping all of Z.L.’s new books on The Flaming Hearts Press Shop first for a set amount of days. I LOVE that idea! And it’s all easy. I purchased a few of my bundles as tests and sent the books straight to my Kindle! You just have to know your devices’ email addresses.   Okay. So, I’ll keep you informed of my future plans. If I do it, then I more than likely won’t start writing the first Z.L. book into the middle of next year. But if that changes, I’ll let you know. Recently I’ve undertaken the task during the sparse free time that I have to revise the Sterlings Series. I’ll see how far I’ll take it. I love the characters, but there are many plot points I would not write today. And I mean many.  I love Chance, though. I also love Halo. Maybe I can change the nature of their relationship in an entirely different series in the future. Hmmm???? Okay, and now it’s back to getting my store fully off the ground. I just wanted to stop by and say this! I want you to keep me in mind!  Oh, and by the way, feel free to peruse my store! There are Ultimate and Exclusive E-Book Bundles that might catch your interest! Much Love!Z FLAMING HEARTS PRESS BOOK STORE

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After Once Upon An Unrequited Love’s Release

I’ve been an independent author for twelve years since this July, and I’ve done a lot of changing since then.  Recently something happened in my family; without going into detail, the encounter was emotionally violent – the same kind of emotional violence I’ve always experienced in the orbit of my family. It’s a long story of patterns, pathologies, and incidents that I have tolerated and accommodated because they have been normalized.  When I was eighteen, I went to the Army. There, I met so many people, from all walks of life, who told me who I was, and none of them validated who my family tried to convince me I was. I say tried because I resisted their narrative. They used religion abusively and to their advantage. If I opposed them, I was the devil.  I’ve been undergoing changes my entire life. At some point, I became open to critically challenging my belief systems. Actually, it was a guy I worked with who got through to me. He asked me the right question. When I sought the answer, my whole life began to change. And then later in life, I met my ex-boyfriend, who’s my good friend until today. You see, I’ve been in relationships with plenty of men, which is why I know what I’m writing when I craft sex graphically (FYI, I’ve never written anything I haven’t experienced – except in the Parched series. That was over the top! LOL). But, I’ve only had a handful of people I considered a partner. My ex and I  met in 2015. My pathologies picked him, and his chose me. What do I mean by that? He had to feel like the kind of love I was used to receiving.  Every man I’ve ever been with had to feel that way. In a way, my ex felt that way, but in another way, his issues were so unique and exactly what I needed to open new neural pathways in my brain.  That’s why I want to write about soulmates because I think the concept has been explored too superficially.  When I think about him, tears rush to my eyes because I’m very grateful to him. I tell him all the time. He was the one who insisted I seek therapy. Of course, my first reaction was, “I’m fine. You’re the broken one.” Then, one night, he invited me to a seminar on codependency, and I went because I was curious why he kept claiming I was codependent. Not even fifteen minutes into the workshop, I thought, “Oh no, I am codependent.!” LOL. Then, his therapist connected me to my therapist, who would go on to become my healer. I’m saying this because my understanding of what true unconditional love should be and feel like only came recently – and remember, I said that I’d been an independent author for twelve years – and writing romance too! Yikes! Let me add this… I’ve always been aware of this deficit within me, which is why I took to writing in series. That allowed me to explore intimacy between characters over time – as they went through life’s ups and downs and stuck it out together.  I like the one-and-done of a standalone, but I very much miss the profound world, character, and relationship building that occurs when writing a series. Anyway, I’ve been going through this profound transformation since “Tempting Fate,” which was first titled “Serendipity.” It’s been challenging to write romance post-therapy.  But love stories, they’re not difficult to write at all, and I want to continue. I never meant to become a romance writer. I’ll admit that I chased the numbers.  You know what the numbers are, right? The money! LOL! But I don’t regret it because I learned so much in the process, making me a better storyteller.  I’m not sure if I have a favorite genre. My favorite book is anything that makes me feel the text deep in my bones. I love to feel when I’m reading a story. And I love to feel when I’m writing a novel too. I had this sci-fi story idea about fog. But I recently realized that it came from my broken place. Did you know I was this close to studying to become a licensed therapist?  I was in consultation with the university admissions counselor. Just before I went all in, I admitted to myself that I love my job as an author. I think that’s why the counselor gave me time to think about it; he must’ve sussed it out.  I wanted to be a therapist because I was projecting. If I could fix others, then I could experience the sensation of improving my own situation. You know, those original wounds that are difficult to identify and subsequently heal. And so, I ended the admission process because I already have a career I love. I’m a writer! And also, I use my box full of healthy tools to continue my healing process. However, after Once Upon An Unrequited Love, I planned to write a sci-fi novel that just reeked of my issues! Lol. I’m too embarrassed to tell you what it was about!  I started the outline and arrived at a certain point and thought – this is not healthy, Z. Therefore, I’m in the process of figuring out what comes next. So, please enjoy my backlist until I know! It’s 4:33 a.m. on this side of where I am, so I’m going to bed.  I wish you the best in life and love, and I wish you a sincere HEA. I’ve appreciated you – those few who take the time to read these long posts of mine. LOL! I know you’re my faithful fans, who have stuck with me through all the thins and a few thicks! LOL.  No matter what I do next, I will forever appreciate you and let you know where you can always find me.  Much Love from the bottom of my heart,Z 😘

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Once Upon An Unrequited Love is Now Live at All Stores!

Just an FYI – Once Upon An Unrequited Love is finally available at Amazon’s Kindle Store. I haven’t been able to verify if the book is available outside of the US store yet. If it isn’t available in stores outside the USA by Friday morning, then let me know, and I’ll contact Amazon. I truly hope you enjoy this particular story. I also want you to know that this is not the final book cover. My commissioned cover, which will be discreet featuring a gorgeous view of Lake Como, Italy, isn’t finished yet. But this guy is cute, so… However,  I invite you to envision your own Max Grove. Okay, going to bed. It’s late or very early, depending on how you look at it. Good night (or Good morning) Z Get Your Copy Today!

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Once Upon An Unrequited Love Release DELAY on Amazon

I’m surprised that it’s taking forever for Amazon to publish ‘Once Upon An Unrequited Love.’ But there is a severe delay. I have no idea what’s the holdup, but this is why I’ve gone wide again. Because when this kind of crap occurs, I’m not beholden to Amazon. And so, as of now, Once Upon An Unrequited Love is available in all stores except Amazon! I’ll let you know when Amazon publishes the book. GET YOUR COPY TODAY!

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Sunday Oct 22, 2023 Author’s Update!

Greetings from Z! I feel as if I should’ve made this post five days ago. I’m just so far behind, but it’s not because I’m that busy. I think after finishing my last book, I’ve been emotionally weary. I truly gave that story my all. And now, I need a long break. Anyway, just so you know, Once Upon An Unrequited Love will be released in two days, October 24th, as planned! So get ready to read! The current book covers for the series will change though. I was late in commissioning covers from one of the best cover artists out there – Najla Qambar. OMG, she’s so talented and highly professional. Her process is like a well-oiled machine. I’ve been doing this for twelve years, and to finally do business with a cover artist like her is very refreshing. The first cover that will be changed is Once Upon A One-Night Stand. I should have the final version in a few days. Even though Once Upon An Unrequited Love releases in two days, the cover will probably change by the end of the week or next week. But I made the current covers. My goal was to capture a mood, but my covers pale in comparison to Najla’s. I mean… Like, Wow. But mine are perfectly fine. Plus, it’s what’s between the covers that matter, right? LOL. Although I’ll wait until I receive her cover to publish the paperback.  Anyway, I plan to add my LOVE in the USA series to the Books and Series tab. It was my first series, and it’s very spicy. But I was reading through some of the books this weekend, and now I can finally identify what makes them special.  I consider the Love in the USA series very interactive, meaning it’s written to make the reader experience exactly what the characters are going through. Your feet are on the ground. I think that’s why earlier versions met so much resistance. There are people in our society who think reality revolves around their belief systems and that fiction should depict their sense of reality. I find that to be true with romance readers more than any other genre. That fact has been very disconcerting. I think, though, with Romancing The Boss and Billionaire, and especially with Once Upon An Unrequited Love, I’ve come full circle per se.  When writing the book, I felt as if I wasn’t here as I crafted the story on paper or in my head. I felt as if I could escape to my characters’ reality. I haven’t written such escapism, free of the criticism of those vocal romance readers who want to shove our world into their boxes, until my final book in the series. And it felt so good. So freeing.  I’m very proud of Once Upon An Unrequited Love. And I’m confident you will enjoy it. I just did me – period. And I’ll be doing ME for the remainder of my writing career. Alrighty! I shall start the process of cramming five days of undone work into the twenty-four hours. Sigh… I’ll be back soon! Oh, and have you read the Prologue? I’ve published it in a few different places, but I’ll add it below just in case you missed it.  I didn’t want to release chapter sneak peeks of this book. I feel it has to be consumed – no stopping and waiting for the rest because each paragraph informs the next and the next, building until the crescendo, which is the last word of the book. But the Prologue, you can read it now. Prologue Once upon a time, there was a girl who loved a boy. The girl knew she wanted to be with the boy forever from the moment she sat across from him during an interview for a graphic artist job. There was something about how easily he smiled and laughed at every funny thing she said, which she does when she’s uncomfortable; she becomes a comedian. Even her lousy jokes landed well with him. He was open, honest, and a good person—those traits emanated from the boy like a hearth warming the chambers of her heart on a cold and stormy night.  She landed the job, of course. And her crush on the boy brewed for months because she was afraid to tell him or even show him how she truly felt. He was quite the catch at their company. So many women fell in love with him too. And not only because of his good looks. The boy was simply the best kind of man. He looked you in the eye when he spoke to you, making you feel as if you were the only person who mattered in the world. He was strong, loyal, and believed in the best of others. So no, he couldn’t have loved her. She had only attracted emotionally stunted men, who lost interest after learning that despite her free and generous spirit, she couldn’t save them from dullness or narcissism. And in return, they would leave her devastatingly heartbroken. No… The boy had been more than she could ever imagine, more than she ever thought she deserved. Then, one day, she told him how he made her feel. The words gushed out of her like the downpour of Niagara Falls. She said she loved him from the moment she looked into his eyes. She said she hoped he could find something in her to love too. She said she didn’t deserve someone like him because no man like him ever liked her. Then, the boy stopped her from talking, kissed her Cupid’s bow mouth, and asked her to join him for dinner.   They had been inseparable from that night until…  Perhaps the boy worked too much. Maybe the boy suppressed too much anguish and hate. Perhaps the boy hadn’t gone to get himself checked out when the headaches started because he thought it was just stress. Probably if the boy had…  Perhaps.  Just perhaps if he had done something else, anything else…  I stop squeezing my eyes shut and open them to whisper, “Perhaps the boy would still be alive.” 

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10-9-2023 Author Update!

Greetings, Well, I’m back today to announce that I have finished Once Upon An Unrequited Love. The book is now undergoing the editing phase. Also, the new release date is Tuesday, October 24, 2023. I gave myself an extra week to make sure the final draft is ready to go. I wanted to leave the Valentine – Lords – Groves universe writing a story that’s true to my heart. Thankfully the characters’ backstory allowed me to accomplish that. I’m commissioning new covers for Once Upon A One-Night Stand and Once Upon An Unrequited Love. It’s amazing what gets books moving and what doesn’t as far as book covers. After years of trying to figure things out, I’ve learned a few things. First of all, my light blue covers with objects and hearts get the most downloads right off the bat. However, the read-through is low if the language is too strong and the content too racy. And I get it, because I must confess, I’m turned off by too much graphic sex and strong language in a book. I didn’t start my romance career that way. However, I used to listen to those reviewer/gatekeepers earlier in my career criticizing me for not using the p-word or the f-word. And once I went down that road… So, after handling the language and the intimacy so brilliantly in my latest book, I changed it all in Crossing The Line, A Fake Love Deal, and Boss On Notice. And now – finally – I’m seeing better read-through from CTL to AFLD with the famously blue covers! IDK… When I finished this last book I felt renewed. I felt optimistic. I’m aware that my books will never be the same. Lately, I’ve been intensely practicing self-awareness because as I step into this next phase of my career, it’s going to make me a better storyteller. So get ready because Once Upon An Unrequited Love will be available at all ebook retailers starting October 24, and you might be able to find it on some platforms on October 23 if you’re looking. And as a morsel of a treat, here’s the Prologue of Once Upon An Unrequited Love: Once upon a time, there was a girl who loved a boy. The girl knew she wanted to be with the boy forever from the moment she sat across from him during an interview for a graphic artist job. There was something about how easily he smiled and laughed at every funny thing she said, which she does when she’s uncomfortable; she becomes a comedian. Even her lousy jokes landed well with him. He was open, honest, and a good person—those traits emanated from the boy like a hearth warming the chambers of her heart on a cold and stormy night. She landed the job, of course. And her crush on the boy brewed for months because she was afraid to tell him or even show him how she truly felt. He was quite the catch at their company. So many women fell in love with him too. And not only because of his good looks. The boy was simply the best kind of man. He looked you in the eye when he spoke to you, making you feel as if you were the only person who mattered in the world. He was strong, loyal, and believed in the best of others. So no, he couldn’t have loved her. She had only attracted emotionally stunted men, who lost interest after learning that despite her free and generous spirit, she couldn’t save them from dullness or narcissism. And in return, they would leave her devastatingly heartbroken. No… The boy had been more than she could ever imagine, more than she ever thought she deserved. Then, one day, she told him how he made her feel. The words gushed out of her like the downpour of Niagara Falls. She said she loved him from the moment she looked into his eyes. She said she hoped he could find something in her to love too. She said she didn’t deserve someone like him because no man like him ever liked her. Then, the boy stopped her from talking, kissed her Cupid’s bow mouth, and asked her to join him for dinner. They had been inseparable from that night until… Perhaps the boy worked too much. Maybe the boy suppressed too much anguish and hate. Perhaps the boy hadn’t gone to get himself checked out when the headaches started because he thought it was just stress. Probably if the boy had… Perhaps.  Just perhaps if he had done something else, anything else… I stop squeezing my eyes shut and open them to whisper, “Perhaps the boy would still be alive.” *** I’ll be back soon! Best, Z

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Free Romance Bonanza! Stuff Your e-Reader!

Sept 20-22, 2023 Only! Today I bring delectable goodies!!! Between Sept 20 and Sept 22, 2023, get a curated offering of free romance books at your preferred ebook retailer, no strings attached. This is just a helpful collection of free-for-a-limited-time romance ebooks, all of which are being featured on Romance Bookworms for the first time! These books are available at all ebook retailer outlets – Amazon, Apple, Kobo, Nook, and last but not least, Google Play! Enjoy! ROMANCE BOOKWORMS FREE E-BOOKS

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