Hey Folks!👋

It’ssssss Monday! Brand new week, brand new feature. Hard to believe we’re in the 46th week of the year. Before I kick off this spotlight, I want to acknowledge those currently serving in our military, those who have previously served, and those who risked their lives protecting our freedoms. The guy in the White House may not show you the respect and appreciation you deserve, but I do. Thank you for your service. Happy Veterans Day! 

With that said, I’ve been MIA on social media because uh… it’s NaNoWriMo! I haven’t been logging into the site religiously as I should, but listen, I don’t care about daily word counts. I want this project D-O-N-E by the time Nov 30th rolls around. But enough about me let’s talk about an author who met her writing goals and has a brand new release out today, Ruby Lang. If you don’t follow Ruby on Twitter, you should. She is hilarious. She’s one of few authors who can make me laugh out loud with her tweets. Keep reading and get to know a little more about this charming lady!

Take it away, Ruby…

I always find author interviews kind of boring. We only get to see one side of an author, the polite side. If you had an evil doppelganger, what detail about you would they enjoy revealing to the public that people would find surprising and possibly questionable?

Ruby acts like a Goody-Two-Shoes, but she has unpaid library fines, no skincare routine to speak of, and is a little shaky on the geography of the United States of America, a country she’s lived in for, like, 20 years.

What’s the first thing you do when you get out of bed?

The first thing I do when I get up in the morning is unsnap my carpal tunnel wrist braces, and with my arms free FREEEE to do anything they please, I spread my wings and… brush my teeth and make tea and stare blearily at objects in my kitchen.

Name a book that changed your life.

I read Middlemarch by George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) in my second year at university, and this passage from the book has stayed with me: 

“The growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.”

This what I love about Middlemarch. It’s a story about those very ordinary, unhistoric people getting on with their lives, being scared, worrying about money, falling in love, and changing their part of the world.

In the last week, what made you feel challenged, and what made you smile?

I’m having the worst writer’s block, and release week is here. Nothing makes me feel more like an imposter than not being able to put one word after another during release week.

My daughter started a petition at her school to ban the use of whistles at recess. She’s presenting at assembly, and she told me, “I have to draft a solution! And type it! And pick a font!”  

Pick a font! I died.

Name a song that helps you relax at the end of a long and stressful day.

I love Lizzo’s “Juice.” It’s taken me through summer, and it’s probably going to make my decade.

Tell me about a small change you have made in your life to improve your focus. What did you do, how long did it take until it became effective, and how you sustain this habit? 

Change is good, and I hate it.

I have to switch up my writing routines every couple of months. So last year, I started working in the library instead of at my desk at home. I produced two of my Carina books that way (Open House and House Rules). More recently, I tried drafting in Comic Sans. (It’s very legible!) I slogged through half a draft. But then I got stuck, and I’m now reduced to writing longhand in parent waiting rooms while my kid does her kid things. By next year, I’ll probably have to tap everything out in Morse code while traveling on the B17 bus.

So yeah, my conclusion is that any change itself works (for me, for a short while), and it’s terrible.

What’s more important to you: prose or story? 

As a reader, if someone’s voice doesn’t work for me, I often won’t be able to get into the story. I’ll read the book equivalent of a long thirst tweet if the voice is right.

The Voice is Right sounds like a nightmare reality game show, by the way.

Would you rather travel to space or visit the bottom of the ocean?

Am I a person who wants to plumb the depths or float far away into the cold, unknown void? Honestly, both sound terrifying, although at least the bottom of the ocean has phosphorescent sea creatures. So, I guess it’s the bottom of the ocean floor for me. Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum.

Finish this sentence: In a new Disney Channel original, Hannah Montana struggles with ____________.

Trying Not to be a Problematic Douche.

In your opinion, what does it mean to be good in bed?  

For me, it’s enthusiasm and a sense of fun. Look, it’s cool if you want to look deep into someone’s eyes and do breathing that sounds like Lamaze or whatever in order sustain the act for several days–that’s great as long as your partner or partners are A-OK with your Olympic feats. Technique is awesome, but it can be learned! Attitude is harder to fake and ultimately can make one’s partner feel more important and cared for!

**Bonus Question**

Ever tried BDSM? If not, would you?

B-eing a

D-etective

S-olving

M-urders?

Sounds great!

*LOL, Ruby is a mess!* 😂

Bio:

Ruby Lang is the author of the acclaimed Practice Perfect series. Her alter ego, Mindy Hung, wrote about romance novels (among other things) for The Toast. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, Salon, Bitch, and other fine venues. She enjoys running (slowly), reading (quickly), and ice cream (at any speed). She lives in New York with a small child and a medium-sized husband.

Social Media:

Website

Twitter 

Instagram 

Facebook 

Books:

Activate your one-click finger by purchasing Ruby’s latest release, Open House, Book 2 in her Uptown series!

HAPPY MONDAY FOLKS!

More importantly, HAPPY INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY!✊🏾

Hard to believe we’re in the third week of October. Time is flying, and we only have a few more weeks left in the decade. THE DECADE. Insane, right? I’ve been getting my NaNoWriMo preparation underway. The month of November is *always* my most productive time of year. It seems appropriate to spotlight Tasha this week since she’s been helping me up my writing game with her #20kin5Days sprints.

Learn some juicy tidbits about this dope lady!

I always find author interviews kind of boring. We only get to see one side of an author, the polite side. If you had an evil doppelganger, what detail about you would they enjoy revealing to the public that people would find surprising and possibly questionable?

My doppelgänger would probably take pleasure in revealing the fact that I’m frequently an anxiety ridden basket case who spends a lot of time in my closet meditating. While I don’t hide my anxiety from anyone, I strongly feel like it’s my damn business to deal with in the way I see fit and sitting on the floor in my closet is it. It’s quiet in there and if I’m lucky, a sip of whiskey is involved. 

If it were possible, would you want spoiler alerts for your life?

Nah. While there have been some bumps in the road along the way, I truly believe that all of that contributed to the person I am today. No losses just lessons, nah mean?

Do you view writing as a kind of spiritual practice?

Listen. I used to think people who treated their writing too preciously were kinda weak and constant victims of their “muse.” While I still don’t believe in writer’s block and my only muse is me, I have found comfort in putting some rituals around writing like burning sage and palo santo, good instrumental music, and my magic rocks (crystals). It gets me into my writing headspace a lot faster and while it’s pretty precious process, it’s also portable so I don’t feel like I need to be in a particular space at a particular time to get words on the page.

What’s your favorite ’90s jam?

My fav 90s jam is Murder She Wrote. I love 90s dancehall. I spent way too much time in basement parties windin’ mah likkil waist. *Harper here. Had to insert the YouTube link, I may have had a mini dance break*💃🏾

If you were to get rid of one state in the U.S., which would it be and why?

I don’t know that I would get rid of any state in particular, but I would request that Florida get a major goddamn audit from top to bottom. Between stand your ground and the fucked up laws that keep police from solving crimes, I don’t know if anything but it’s beaches make it salvageable. 

What were you like in high school?

So, a few years ago my school hosted it’s 20th reunion. I didn’t get an invite and only found out about it weeks before the event from a few friends I’m still connected with on FB. According to these folks who still follow me in some capacity, I’m the same ole Tasha. Opinionated, independent, and well acquainted with who I am. I don’t think I ever felt that way in high school but as a military brat, I was accustomed to being the perpetual new kid so I didn’t stress too much about having or making friends or even getting attached to the ones I did make. Somehow that translated as confidence to them, but my therapist seems to think it’s detachment. I just think it’s a survival tactic that comes in handy from time to time.

How often do you read out of your comfort zone?

Constantly. I like books that make me feel uncomfortable. Pain and discomfort precede growth (most of the time) and I always want to improve on the person I was yesterday.

If you could kill off a character from any current television show, who would it be?

Most recently it was Corny Carl from The Walking Dead, but now that he’s dead, I’m to sure. I don’t watch a ton of TV, to be honest.

Finish this sentence: Self-care means _______.

Skipping the bath and retail therapy and learning or doing something new. Self-care is more than face masks and a new hippie—but those can be nice on occasion, too.

Name a Romance novel you believe more people should read. 

Is it wrong to say mine? LOL I’m mean yeah, read The Truth of Things, but if I must recommend a romance that I’ve read and loved recently, I’m going to call out A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole. It was smart, trope-y, mainstream, and still Black as hell. I loved it. 

**Bonus Question**

Ever tried BDSM? If not, would you?

I have no answer for this except to say that if you’re in a long-term, trusting relationship with someone, it’s smart and good for the relationship to try everything at least twice. Three times to really see if you like it. 

Bio: 

Often accused of navigating life without a filter, Tasha L. Harrison has managed to brand herself as the author who crafts characters and stories that make you feel all of the feels. She writes African American, interracial and intercultural erotica and erotic romance with heroines just as brazen, emotionally messy, and dramatic as herself and heroes that love them anyway. 

Social Media:

Website

Twitter

Instagram

Books:

Get your one-click finger ready! Go and download The Truth of Things!

 WHERE I COME FROM, COPS AREN’T SUPERHEROES.

Photojournalist and wedding photographer Ava Greene has been unlucky in love, and even though she calls herself a hopeless romantic, she is more than a little bitter about it. The only attention she seems to get is from the men she has absolutely no interest in and has become unintentionally celibate in her effort to avoid “trash ass dudes.” Ava has officially given up on the idea “the one” when Officer Friendly rolls up on her block.

“NOT ALL COPS…”

Arrogant and just shy of being a cornball with his bad-dad jokes, she knows that this stocky cop might just be the one to make her second-guess every thought she ever had about those who protect and serve. 
Ava tries to make it clear to Levi that she doesn’t need saving, that she doesn’t need to be worshiped, but he is convinced that is exactly she needs. But when Ava finds herself on the wrong side of the law, will he be the hero she needs or toe the “thin blue line?”

Hey Hey Hey,

Happy Friday, folks! 😎 I’ve got a special treat for you. A release day post featuring none other than Farrah Rochon! Yesterday, she had an exclusive cover reveal on Book Riot for her upcoming novel, The Boyfriend Project (check out the cover and read the first chapter here). Today, she’s re-releasing an anthology of holiday novellas initially published by Harlequin Kimani Romance. *in my Rihanna voice* Farrah out here doing big tings! Get to know a little more about this superstar and read an excerpt!

I always find author interviews kind of boring. We only get to see one side of an author, the polite side. If you had an evil doppelganger, what detail about you would they enjoy revealing to the public that people would find surprising and possibly questionable?

My doppelganger would reveal that I’m not as sweet as I appear. Of course, my age is starting to reveal that more and more everyday. 

Finish this sentence: I have the power to _______.

Say no without apologizing.

Who is the most supportive person in your life when it comes to your writing?

I have four—my critique group. We’ve been together for 17 years and I can always count on them.

What musician do you find yourself listening to the most right now?

Does the original Broadway cast of Dear Evan Hansen count as “a” musician? *Harper interjecting here* SURE DOES! #nojudgment

What’s your favorite book that’s an emotional roller coaster?

Judith McNaught’s Whitney, My Love.

Would you rather have a rewind button or a pause button in your life?

Depends on where I am. I’d love to press pause whenever I’m on vacation. When I’m not on vacation, I want to rewind back to a time when I was on vacation.

As a child, what’s the first movie you remember going to see in the theater?

Song of the South (yikes!)

Would you rather only be able to have sex in five minute increments for the rest of your life, or… only be able to have sex for five hour increments?

Minutes. Who has that kind of time? *Me rn @ this answer: 😂*

If you had superpowers, would you prefer to be a shape-shifter or a mind reader?

Shape-shifter! Because then I can be a fly on the wall of all the places I’ve wanted to be a fly on the wall.

What do you enjoy so much that it makes you happy just to think about?

Relaxing on a Disney Cruise ship. 

**Bonus Question**

Ever tried BDSM? If not, would you?

Nope, not answering that. Refer to answer #2. *insert sweet smile* 😊

Excerpt from Tuscan Nights, in the Christmas Kisses anthology:

Chapter One

Aiden Williams buried his chin deeper into his wool scarf as he shifted from one foot to the other on the cobblestones in front of Forno Leoncini. Cursing himself for leaving his gloves in the car, he blew into his cupped hands before shoving them in the pockets of his corduroys.

What had previously been a light snowfall had gained strength over the last few minutes, the thick flakes swirling around him as the wind kicked up. He knew he couldn’t stand out here forever, but he wasn’t ready to make his presence known. Not yet.

Despite the cold, his skin grew hot as he peered through the bakery’s garland-framed windowpane. His eyes focused on the woman standing before a rectangular stone table, her flour-covered fist punching a ball of dough. The last time he’d seen her in the flesh, she was standing in a church vestibule, wearing a wedding gown, preparing to marry his older brother, Cameron.

Three years later, Aiden was still conflicted over how he felt about Cameron being a no-show for his own wedding. On the one hand, he was grateful he had not been forced to endure years of seeing Nyla and his brother living as man and wife. Aiden doubted he would have been able to stomach it, knowing that she was only pretending.

Yet Cameron’s decision to stand her up at the altar had been the catalyst that prompted Nyla’s hasty move to Europe. She’d left Atlanta a week after the aborted nuptials and had not been back since.

But here she was, a mere twenty feet away. And she was as sexy as ever. More gorgeous than he remembered, if that was even possible.

Aiden turned up his coat collar as the snow began to fall in earnest. Uncertainty, entwined with a heavy dose of nervousness, kept him rooted where he stood, just outside the warm glow cast by the bakery’s interior lights. He was unsure how Nyla would react to him tracking her down to this small town tucked away in the hills of the Siena region in Tuscany.

He’d debated the entire drive here whether to contact her but decided against giving Nyla any notice. Aiden was convinced she’d make an excuse for why he shouldn’t come, just as she had done the previous three times he’d suggested they meet in the month since he’d been in Zurich, Switzerland, consulting on an IT project for a worldwide banking giant.

No, he wasn’t giving her a chance to back out this time. He’d come too far to find her—he’d crossed a damn ocean—a job he only accepted because it brought him to Europe.

Yet Aiden still couldn’t bring himself to take these last few steps. Because worse than having Nyla make excuses about why she couldn’t see him would be to have her flat-out reject him to his face.

His gut clenched with a sharp ache. Nyla wouldn’t do that.

Even though she had.

Aiden mentally blocked the words she’d spoken the last time he saw her face-to-face, as he had more times than he could count over the past three years. He never believed them anyway. Guilt and fear had forced her to say the things she’d said that day. He knew what was in Nyla’s heart.

Which was why, when she mentioned on Facebook that she would be spending Christmas alone, he canceled his nonstop flight to Atlanta and rented a car instead. He’d made the six-and-a-half-hour drive from Zurich to San Gimignano, Italy, in just under eight hours. If not for the snow, which he’d never driven in before, and the road signs written in a language he didn’t understand, he would have been here much sooner.

Once he’d made the decision to finally go to her, Aiden couldn’t get here fast enough. Now he just needed to take this final step.

Not yet.

His eyes remained focused on Nyla as she labored over the dough, punching it down, flipping it over and reshaping it. Memories of the countless hours he’d spent perched on the kitchen counter at his parents’ home, or—later, as they became closer—at Nyla’s house in Kirkwood, watching her do this very same thing, had his chest tightening with a mercifully sweet ache.

His favorite fantasy of all time was imagining Nyla coming to him, sweaty from the kitchen heat, with that sexy smile that used to curve up the corner of her mouth. She would crook her finger and he would obey. He would take her then and there, on the kitchen table, up against the counter. Anywhere he damn well pleased.

Aiden shut his eyes against the onslaught of wanting that crashed through him.

Why had he let her pretend that the attraction between them was one-sided? Why had he let her get away without fighting for her?

None of that mattered anymore. She was here now, and Aiden wasn’t letting her get away.

He straightened his spine.

He hadn’t come all this way to stare at Nyla through a window. He’d come with one goal in mind, to convince her that he was the Williams brother she should have been with all along.

“You can do this,” he whispered.

He had to do this. He was tired of living without her.

Aiden sucked in a deep breath of the frigid air, opened the bakery’s front door and walked inside.

Bio:

USA Today Bestselling author Farrah Rochon hails from a small town just west of New Orleans. She has garnered much acclaim for her Holmes Brothers, New York Sabers, Bayou Dreams and Moments in Maplesville series. The two-time RITA® Award finalist has also been nominated for an RT BOOKReviews Reviewers Choice Award, and in 2015 received the Emma Award for Author of the Year.

When she is not writing in her favorite coffee shop, Farrah spends most of her time reading, cooking, traveling the world, visiting Walt Disney World, and catching her favorite Broadway shows.

Social Media:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

BookBub

Books:

Get yourself set up for holiday reading by activating your one-click finger and purchasing Christmas Kisses.