As an author, I think it’s important to read books that aren’t perfect so we can perform more effectively in our own stories. That said, there are a few things that will make me put a book down.
Tag: Reading
Our Own Worst Enemy
I cannot say I’ve ever read a romance novel where the heroine sat around twiddling her thumbs waiting for a two-dimensional character with no name, (looking you, Prince Charming... ) to give her a new life.
The Beauty of the Epilogue
There are several reasons I love writing epilogues. Here are just a few.
Writing Lessons From Reading Romance
But despite all those things people tend to say about romance, reading it has made me a fundamentally better author, both in and out of the genre. These books are often escapist and fantastical, yes, but I have taken many important writing skills and themes away from them. Here are just a few.
A Year in Books: 2019
I was lucky enough to enjoy some wonderful books, and while I didn’t hit my Goodreads goal of 150 stories for the year, I’m still excited to look over all the great books I did read and see what I learned from them. Here’s my list for 2019.
Books Reflecting Life
When I tell people I write romance novels, I get myriad responses. By far, the ones I find most offensive are those people who ask, Do you ever want to write real books? Yeah. I do want to write real books. That’s why I write romance novels.
The Disappearing Happily Ever After
But the one thing that a book must have to count as a romance novel at all is either a Happily Ever After or Happily For Now. The reader goes into the story knowing that everything is going to turn out all right in the end, better than all right, no matter how dire the circumstances may seem.
I Want to Read This Book
Crying at books has always been a staple.
But what I wasn’t expecting, on that sunny Saturday morning in May, late into my junior year of high school, was to fear them.
What’s the Deal With Audiobooks?
But nearly three years have passed and my love for the romance audiobook has grown out of control. Here are some of the reasons I swear by audiobooks.
A Writer by Any Other Name
People often ask if there’s anything I would tell the younger-writer version of myself, any advice or information I wish I had known then, and the answer is a resounding yes.
Start with one pen name.
Holland Rae, Writer 