I started writing in 1998 after a divorce. My friend Betsy (everyone needs a friend named Betsy) told me to journal my feelings. I tried, but I ended up writing a story about murdering my ex-husband and getting away with it. […]
I began writing romance to escape the mundanities of motherhood and the heart-breaking reality too often involved in school counselling. Indeed, in those first years, I developed a split personality; psychologist and romance author.
One was steeped in realism and the other swaggering heroes. […]
It’s time to welcome in the 2021 series, the Rebellious Sisterhood. The series features three female artists looking to make a mark on the world and live life on their own terms. Book 1 features Artemisia Stansfield, a woman seeking promotion to the rank of RA (Royal Academician) at the Royal Academy of the Arts. Set in primarily in 1820, after the death of one of the original Academy founders, Mary Moser in early 1819, Artemisia struggles to overcome gender barriers despite her talent. […]
A Pairing to Die For, the second book in my Colorado Wine Mystery series, recently released and in it, my main character must defend her dashing chef boyfriend when he is shockingly accused of murder. While writing this story, I mulled over my favorite bookish relationships. What draws characters together and why do certain couples standout? […]
I’m a longtime fan of a series by Carrie Vaughn about Kitty the werewolf. Kitty works in radio, and each book leads off with a short playlist. I always liked that idea.
Since I started learning to dance I’m always looking for new music. The obvious places are shows like SYTYCD and DWTS, movie soundtracks, and ‘people who bought X also bought Y.’ But finding new music through books is also a thing. […]
Happy Holidays, AAR readers! My name is Debbie Baldwin, and I am the author of the Bishop Security romantic suspense series. The first novel, False Front, is currently available in print and e-book at all major online booksellers. Book Two, Illicit Intent, will hit the virtual shelves in December. […]
“The naming of cats is a difficult matter’ – T.S. Eliot
At what point do fictional characters get a name? Generally, it’s when they have to be identified in order to make it clear who another character is talking to, or who is speaking, or who is doing something.
How a name is assigned is a Process. Mine has evolved a little. […]
I have to admit, it was my love of the fairy tale romance between Prince William and Kate Middleton that prompted me to vote for London when my now husband asked where I might want to go on our first overseas trip together. There was so much more once we arrived that helped to mold a permanent place in my heart for London and inspire me to write my latest romantic comedy. […]
There’s a group on Facebook for self-published authors that I follow, and recently there was a discussion about a crowd of Amazon reviewers who piled on to criticize an author for not accounting for the coronavirus pandemic in her book, which was set (at least in part) in 2020. The book in question was published in 2019. […]
We all know that the 5 generations—Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Baby Boomers and the Silent Generations—have some pretty big differences.
Although some of these may be rooted in unfair stereotypes, there’s no doubt they have different life experiences and expectations for everything from marriage to employment to entertainment. […]