Reader Blind Date

Hey FF Readers! Happy Valentine’s Day!Reading a new book by a new author is like going on a blind date. You’re taking a chance on love. But you don’t always want to commit to a full meal, or in this case a full-length novel.Why not try appetizers instead? Say a paranormal romance novella?The Cemetery Circle is only 70 pages and 1.99 USD/EURO/GBP—a great way to get to know each other better. Available digitally today!

Coming soon to paperback and audiobook!

Romance by Another Name--My Top 5 unconventional stories about love

Valentine’s day is days away and I’ve never been one to celebrate it. One year in junior high a friend and I, fed up with the day, threw rocks in a pond and named each rock after a boy. It’s my favorite Valentine’s Day memory.Now I write a blog about fairy tales, which for some is the touchstone of romance. I, on the other hand, prefer something more modern. So in honor of a holiday I don’t celebrate I offer a list of modern fairy tale romances I wish I’d known about in junior high: Outlander series: Despite being set in the past, Jamie’s oddly progressive views about a strong, capable woman is worth wishing for. Plus, the accent… Followed by Frost: A fairy tale retelling of the Snow Queen, it’s a rare redemption story that focuses on loving oneself before loving someone elseThe Rules of Magic: Not an obvious choice, but I appreciate a story that shows that love doesn’t have to last to be deep, meaningful and powerfulThe Woodcutter: The ultimate story about faithfulness versus duty. His love of his wife is all that sustains him and keeps him strong for all the trials ahead even though it isn’t a given that he’ll return. I also love that she isn’t described as a great beauty, just someone precious to himHis Majesty’s Dragon: Not all love stories have to be romantic. Friendship is just as powerful and the love between a man and his dragon, while distinctly an idea of fantasy writers, is no less valid. Those are my top five romances for people who need a little something extra in their love stories. Here’s hoping my paranormal romance, The Cemetery Circle, makes it on to your list of unconventional romances.  Stone Watcher. The term holds no meaning for 30-year-old Cia, who thought a free vacation to Scotland would be the perfect escape from her troubles—not knowing it would commit her to a lifelong promise made centuries before her time.The Cemetery Circle is a paranormal fantasy novella that begs the question—who would volunteer to live next to a graveyard? The answer is—no one.

Valentine's Day Confession

As many of you know, Disney has my heart. It’s the kind of love that can withstand many missteps (like tarting up Merida for her princess unveiling, waiting way too long to give us diverse princesses, and making a meeting with the Frozen girls at Disneyworld a logistical nightmare for any parent). For quite a long time it was strictly platonic…and then came Aladdin.I was eleven when Aladdin was first released in movie theaters. Junior high was already on the horizon, and my elementary school heart was already thinking about boys in a serious way. The thing was, I wasn’t one of those girls who fantasized about getting married. My career was a more exciting prospect and freedom was my main objective. But I still obsessed about boys. Jazmine was relatable to me, she wanted more than what was expected of her—and what was expected was marriage. I can’t remember if I made all these connections as a tween, but I knew I liked her best of all. It also didn’t hurt that we had the same skin tone.Then I met him. Aladdin. Handsome and clever and completely unafraid of a strong woman. He could sing and he had a flying carpet. His best friend was a monkey and (really thrilling to eleven year old me) he never wore a shirt. Escandalo! Was he real? I fully admit to the fact that I developed a huge crush on an animated character, but looking back it wasn’t as strange as I made it sound. Aladdin is the male protagonist I always look for when I read (and write) a book. We take it for granted in an age where women and minorities wish to be heard and want to be represented in every conceivable way. But finding that elusive unicorn—the well-rounded male—is almost impossible. A man who is strong yet sensitive enough to realized when we don’t need (or want) to be rescued. A male character who shows vulnerability and courage. It was exciting then and refreshing now.These men exist in nature. I’ve met them and I married one, but why are they rare in stories? We’ve replaced the two-dimensional female archetype from fairy tales and replaced her with an equally underdeveloped male archetype.Yes, I know this movie sets a lot of people's teeth on edge with its stereotypes and insensitive song lyrics (which Disney recently changed in the song, Arabian Nights) and I freely admit that my analytical side gnashes right along with them. But this isn't that kind of post.I know that by the end of the movie, Jazmine wanted nothing more than to marry Aladdin. The feminist in me wants to rail against that, but honestly I don’t. Once you’ve found the one who lets you be you, it’s reason enough to want to spend the rest of your life with them. So, I don’t begrudge her suddenly going gaga over him. If I ever met Aladdin, my well-rounded husband would have some real competition.