In recent weeks, I’ve heard about behavior from authors that have surprised and shocked me. Now much of this has occurred on Facebook and other social media so you’d think I’d be immune by now but… Authors – behave. Okay I had to say it. Most authors are all about talking about their books. You go to their page, site, and so on and the books are splattered all over the place. This is PERFECT author behavior. I saw a post from author A bashing author B for not paying author C for work which had been done. This is...
Happy July 4th
First off, Happy, July 4th. It always feels funny saying that, as a Brit, it isn’t one we celebrate for obvious reasons in the UK. But I am incredibly happy for my American cousins, I hope it is a great weekend for you all. I would love to hear what plans you have for this year. What would you normally do? And how will it differ from other years? How will it affect your family’s celebrations? There is an extra note of irony this year for us in the UK, there is a loosening of our restrictions for socialising. I...
Guest blogger Eileen Troemel
Guest blogger Eileen Troemel Hi! When I introduce myself, I like to tell people I have a split personality because I write across three names. RJ Stone is my newest pen name and she’s writing (yes I’m referring to myself in the 3rd person – weird) children’s stories. Current release – Dragon of Frendur – a chapter book for 8 to 10 year olds which is about an ordinary village which stands out in absolutely no way – well until a dragon drops out of the sky and into their village square. https://books2read.com/RJ-Dragon-of-Frendur Eileen Troemel is my name and I...
Father’s Day
Father’s Day Father’s Day is a funny one for me. I lost my father fourteen years ago. I used to mark the day of his passing, his birthday and armistice Sunday (the equivalent to Memorial Day in the US.) I didn’t feel that Father’s Day had a lot of relevance to me. That has slowly changed over the years, I spend more and more time thinking about him and what he means to me. I find myself questioning what he would think about the current situation in lockdown, what he would think about the choices I have made, and the...
Possessive Characters In A Romance
Possessive Characters In A Romance By Callie Carmen As a romance writer and reader, occasionally I come across possessive characters. At first, they may seem charming, but often they turn into the type that smothers their partner. I read an article recently titled, “7 Signs Your Partner Is Possessive & What Experts Say To Do About It” by Carolyn Steber. The article got me thinking about my past and present relationships with men and about the characters in my Risking Love series published with BVS. Going through the seven steps I realized that I had dated someone that was very possessive...
Strong voices of romance
Strong voices of romance By E Pettersen I love a good romance. I've been reading romance novels since the age of fifteen, and I enjoy becoming immersed in a world of passion and drama, where a strong bond exists between lovers. However, I noticed over the years that the plots wore thin, and characters lacked depth in the pile of romance books that I collected. Some of the books had scenes that were red flags: abusive relationships, women not standing up for themselves, and blurred lines concerning consent. On top of that, I was tired of the submissive protagonist. A...
Pandemic Anxiety Busters
Pandemic Anxiety Busters by Gibby Campbell We are well into the pandemic now, and I’m noticing more and more folks posting about how anxious they’ve become. I thought I’d write an article on how to cope. I actually teach this at the college level. Step 1 is to recognize what you’re feeling as normal. You’re human, which means emotions happen. When there’s a pandemic, and the world has gone crazy, emotions REALLY happen. Step 2 is to name them. This is trickier than it sounds. You know you’re anxious, but what are the underlying emotions? Are you fearful, angry, grieving, depressed, or something else?...
The Genesis of Amber
Continuing this series of guest blogs. This is by the author of The Unveiling of Amber, Viola Russell. The Genesis of Amber: From the time I could read, I wanted to be a writer. I’d written stories since I was probably eight-years-old, so I’ve had a writing career of fifty years. As a kid, I never felt I was limited to one genre, and indeed, I dabbled in various genres. As an adult, I’ve also never liked to limit myself; however, I find myself writing a great deal of historical fiction. I admit I love research, but I sometimes venture...
Lockdown Dreams
I want to expand our BVS blog to include a wider variety of views and thoughts. What better way to do that than open the forum to the talent of our authors? It is with great pleasure I introduce Alice Renaud.......... Lockdown Dreams When my life was busy and full of work, friends, church, outings, etc., I sometimes thought, “How nice it would be to be at home, with nothing to do except relax, watch TV and read books.” Hmm… We have been in lockdown now since 20 March, and I realize I quite liked my busy life. I would...
A new web page a clean start
A new web page a clean start I just wanted to put out a short message to get the ball rolling on our all new blogs. www.blackvelvetseductions.com We have a new website which we are all very proud of. Thank you, Jessica, our amazing art director. We are so proud to be working with her. New books are coming out all the time and there are great deals from our back catalogue. You will find some of our books on Kindle Unlimited. You can find out more about our deals and new books by signing up to our newsletter. https://blackvelvetseductions.com/?page_id=2472...