Tawdra Kandle's Blog
June 24, 2024
Dancing in the Dark Preorder Perks!
I’d love you to preorder DANCING IN THE DARK because I know you’ll love this book. I’m asking you to preorder it, too, because my goal is for it to climb higher on the charts than any of my previous releases! So I’m offering you some fun perks if you preorder this week! How […]
Dancing in the Dark RELEASE TEAM!!
Hello, friends! I’m offering an opportunity today for those of you who might be active on social media (including Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or the platform formerly known as Twitter). If you’d like to be part of my Release Team for Dancing in the Dark, all you have to do is post about the book […]
June 13, 2024
Dancing in the Dark: The 80s Mixtape Series Chapter One Sneak Peek!
Nash had a huge crush on Peyton when they were in high school, but back then, she had a steady boyfriend–and a secret. When the two meet again at their high school reunion, the sparks they ignored all those years ago can’t be denied. But can they get beyond the past to build a forever […]
May 7, 2024
Getting to Know You . . .
{If you are of a certain age, or if you’re a musical theatre lover, you might be humming this song all day!}
A bunch of my Stack-writing friends have recently jumped on the Let me introduce myself . . . train, which is cool because I always learn something else about the person sharing.
Don’t worry; this is not a Tawdra-reintroduces-herself post. (If you’ve forgotten who I am or why you’re on this list, check out my Substack here: https://tawdrakandle.substack.com/.)
No, I want to talk about getting to know other people, specifically my own characters.
As I’ve mentioned recently, I’m knee-deep in writing the launch book to the 1980s Mixtape Romances, a fun contemporary romance called Dancing in the Dark. I’ve been thinking about this story for almost a year (because it was about a year ago that Olivia Hardin said to me via Marco Polo, “So I have this fun idea . . .”).
Thinking about a book I’m going to write is one of my favorite parts of the creative process. It’s a bit like when you’re dating someone whom you’ve just met, and you’re discovering intriguing bits about them—why she doesn’t eat seafood, perhaps, or that his mother taught him to dance in the kitchen when he was a kid. (←inspired by real-life experience!) I always begin with a vague storyline in mind (they meet THIS way, and then THIS happens, and they end up THIS way). I might know a few details about the main characters, but I don’t know everything.
The thinking-about-it process can last anywhere from a month to a year, depending on when I commit to writing a book. But to be completely transparent, I rarely know all of the details about my characters before I begin writing the book.
So here I am now in midst of writing this book, getting to know more about the characters. An interesting note is that I rarely experience epiphanies about these folks while sitting in front of the computer; it usually happens when I’m at the sink washing dishes, or sweeping the floor or folding laundry.
Last night, for instance, I was chopping vegetables for a dinner salad, listening to Billy Joel on Spotify, and suddenly, I knew something integral about Peyton Rivers, my female lead. It was something that is going to shift the storyline significantly, and it’s also going to be important to Nash, my male lead.
The great part is that I also knew how Nash was going to deal with this situation. I knew that it was going to be frustrating and infuriating, but ultimately, he’s going to do something that will bring about their ultimate HEA.
Because he’s her lobster, of course. (If you know, you know.)
If you can’t tell, I’m having an absolute blast with this book. I’m so excited about the series and about all the books my fellow authors are writing or prepping for publication!
Remember, you can preorder the books ahead of their releases in July and August.
And speaking of those 1980s Mixtape Books . . .
Are you subscribed??
Did you know you can sign up to receive Reunion Updates for the Crystal Cove Class of 1989? This is also a Substack list, and it will be sent out every few weeks from now through the release of all six books . . . if you subscribe, you’ll get sneak peeks and other fun tidbits from all of the books and authors.
Sign Up Here! https://crystalcovehighclassof89reuni...
I’m curious—tell me true . . .
If you had to create a 1980s Mixtape, what songs would HAVE to be on it?
COMMENT below (did you know you can comment on my Goodreads blogs?) and tell me!
OR email me at tawdra@tawdrakandle.com with your answer.
I’ll share my list—and maybe some of yours!—in an upcoming post.
A bunch of my Stack-writing friends have recently jumped on the Let me introduce myself . . . train, which is cool because I always learn something else about the person sharing.
Don’t worry; this is not a Tawdra-reintroduces-herself post. (If you’ve forgotten who I am or why you’re on this list, check out my Substack here: https://tawdrakandle.substack.com/.)
No, I want to talk about getting to know other people, specifically my own characters.
As I’ve mentioned recently, I’m knee-deep in writing the launch book to the 1980s Mixtape Romances, a fun contemporary romance called Dancing in the Dark. I’ve been thinking about this story for almost a year (because it was about a year ago that Olivia Hardin said to me via Marco Polo, “So I have this fun idea . . .”).
Thinking about a book I’m going to write is one of my favorite parts of the creative process. It’s a bit like when you’re dating someone whom you’ve just met, and you’re discovering intriguing bits about them—why she doesn’t eat seafood, perhaps, or that his mother taught him to dance in the kitchen when he was a kid. (←inspired by real-life experience!) I always begin with a vague storyline in mind (they meet THIS way, and then THIS happens, and they end up THIS way). I might know a few details about the main characters, but I don’t know everything.
The thinking-about-it process can last anywhere from a month to a year, depending on when I commit to writing a book. But to be completely transparent, I rarely know all of the details about my characters before I begin writing the book.
So here I am now in midst of writing this book, getting to know more about the characters. An interesting note is that I rarely experience epiphanies about these folks while sitting in front of the computer; it usually happens when I’m at the sink washing dishes, or sweeping the floor or folding laundry.
Last night, for instance, I was chopping vegetables for a dinner salad, listening to Billy Joel on Spotify, and suddenly, I knew something integral about Peyton Rivers, my female lead. It was something that is going to shift the storyline significantly, and it’s also going to be important to Nash, my male lead.
The great part is that I also knew how Nash was going to deal with this situation. I knew that it was going to be frustrating and infuriating, but ultimately, he’s going to do something that will bring about their ultimate HEA.
Because he’s her lobster, of course. (If you know, you know.)
If you can’t tell, I’m having an absolute blast with this book. I’m so excited about the series and about all the books my fellow authors are writing or prepping for publication!
Remember, you can preorder the books ahead of their releases in July and August.
And speaking of those 1980s Mixtape Books . . .
Are you subscribed??
Did you know you can sign up to receive Reunion Updates for the Crystal Cove Class of 1989? This is also a Substack list, and it will be sent out every few weeks from now through the release of all six books . . . if you subscribe, you’ll get sneak peeks and other fun tidbits from all of the books and authors.
Sign Up Here! https://crystalcovehighclassof89reuni...
I’m curious—tell me true . . .
If you had to create a 1980s Mixtape, what songs would HAVE to be on it?
COMMENT below (did you know you can comment on my Goodreads blogs?) and tell me!
OR email me at tawdra@tawdrakandle.com with your answer.
I’ll share my list—and maybe some of yours!—in an upcoming post.
April 24, 2024
Why I love writing grumpy guys . . .
A reader friend mentioned the other day that her favorite romance trope is grumpy heroes, and I am SO THERE FOR THIS.
I love writing grumpy guys who, through the Power of Love, become adorable teddy bears with the person for whom they've fallen hard.
I think the first time I wrote a grumpy/sunshine romance was THE PLAN (Crystal Cove Romances). Cooper had good reason to be a grouch; he'd been married twice, and neither had ended well. He was a single part-time dad, and he was most definitely NOT looking to change his relationship status when he decided to indulge in a one-night stand with Emmy, a hardworking single mama.
It was so much fun to watch Cooper melt for Emmy.
In my latest release, THE WANTED ONE, Wyatt is also a single daddy. He's a farmer, too, and struggling to keep custody of his feisty three-year-old while holding onto the family farm is what leads him to the idea of a fake marriage with Lucie.
I think what makes grumps so intriguing is that they're never bad dudes. They're actually noble good guys who've been dealt a rotten hand in life--so they've learned to protect their hearts by putting up barbed wire fences--AKA grumpiness.
My favorite moment with Wyatt is when Lucie, trying to make up for a simple misunderstanding that's morphed into something huge, cooks dinner and makes a total mess. She expects Wyatt to lose his cool, but instead, it turns into a pivotal point for the two of them. They begin to understand each other in ways neither had expected.
Yeah, I've got it bad for the grumps with marshmallow hearts. <3
I love writing grumpy guys who, through the Power of Love, become adorable teddy bears with the person for whom they've fallen hard.
I think the first time I wrote a grumpy/sunshine romance was THE PLAN (Crystal Cove Romances). Cooper had good reason to be a grouch; he'd been married twice, and neither had ended well. He was a single part-time dad, and he was most definitely NOT looking to change his relationship status when he decided to indulge in a one-night stand with Emmy, a hardworking single mama.
It was so much fun to watch Cooper melt for Emmy.
In my latest release, THE WANTED ONE, Wyatt is also a single daddy. He's a farmer, too, and struggling to keep custody of his feisty three-year-old while holding onto the family farm is what leads him to the idea of a fake marriage with Lucie.
I think what makes grumps so intriguing is that they're never bad dudes. They're actually noble good guys who've been dealt a rotten hand in life--so they've learned to protect their hearts by putting up barbed wire fences--AKA grumpiness.
My favorite moment with Wyatt is when Lucie, trying to make up for a simple misunderstanding that's morphed into something huge, cooks dinner and makes a total mess. She expects Wyatt to lose his cool, but instead, it turns into a pivotal point for the two of them. They begin to understand each other in ways neither had expected.
Yeah, I've got it bad for the grumps with marshmallow hearts. <3
March 6, 2024
A change is coming . . .
One month from today is my birthday. It’s my favorite time of year; growing up, I always thought how lucky I was to celebrate my birthday in the spring, at a time when everything was new and fresh and budding with life (and four months after Christmas, so I optimized gift choices, too!). I also […]
February 5, 2024
New Titles, New Covers, Same SIZZLING Love Stories!
Get these adorable new covers now, available everywhere! Best Served Cold Amazon Apple Books Kobo Google BN Press *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Just Roll With It Amazon Apple Books Kobo Google BN Press *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The Just Us Duet: Just You Amazon Apple Books Kobo Google BN Press *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Just You and Me Amazon Apple Books Kobo […]
November 6, 2023
A Very Romantic Holiday–and why it makes me cry.
Asking for a friend . . . Is it ever too early to read holiday romance? I think . . .no. Seriously, there’s something so magical about love stories set between November and January that I can read them all year around. But I will admit that I begin devouring holiday romance in earnest right […]
October 23, 2023
Halloween Sale!
It’s the spookiest time of the year! So how about a sale on all of my paranormal titles? Use code HALLOWEEN23 to get 50% off every single one! Click on the book covers to buy your favorites.
October 18, 2023
Why I’m a Sucker for Holiday Love Stories
My dad, a 1965 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, used to work with the Academy to recruit young men and women from our area in South Jersey who might be a good fit to attend West Point. Cadets would come down during breaks to speak at local high schools–I was […]
