romance in my WIP | Black Rose novella edition (+ Tell Me You Love Me turns one!)

Being the scatterbrained nonplanner I am…I missed doing a Valentine’s Day post. I’d also forgotten it was the one-year anniversary for Tell Me You Love Me until mere days ago. Which is crazy. CAUSE THAT’S HUGE!

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

Even just writing To Be Loved (my story in the anthology) was a huge learning experience. It was very scary letting my story be read by all anytime they wanted. Letting it BE out in the world, not safely sequestered away in my Google Docs. Especially a romance story.

Because people have a lot of opinions about romance. 😅 And I can’t please everyone.

But it was a good first experience. Incredibly good. And one of these days I’ll write a proper post going into the details of what the experience taught me. 😉

For now, happy birthday, Tell Me You Love Me!!!!

And if you haven’t already…

read the anthology today!

(*coughs* Because it may or may not be COMPLETELY FREE on Kindle right now *coughs*)

*Evangeline pops in* Didn’t you promise us a sequel? We’re still waiting, you know.

Me: Oh, right. About that. Things happened.

Evangeline: Well, try to hurry up. I was never good at being patient.

Reed: *smirks* Now that, I can attest to.

Evangeline: Reed, it’s been a YEAR! The way she talked about our sequel last year, you wouldn’t have thought we’d be top priority!

Reed: Look at the lady, Ev. She seems a little overwhelmed, don’t you think? I’m sure she has plenty on her plate without us being thrown in the mix.

Me: *winces* Aww, Reed, Ev…I’m sorry. Really I am. Believe me, ideas for your sequel have been growing as time goes by. You’re still close to my heart, never fear. Just please promise you’ll cooperate when I start brainstorming and writing the rest of your story.

*Ev opens her mouth to speak, but Reed swiftly intercepts her response*

Reed: You can count on it, madam…

Ev: *muttering under her breath* …not happening.

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Well, those characters seem determined to stalk me wherever I go. (But am I mad about it? NOPE!) For nostalgia’s sake, here was my post introducing To Be Loved, including character interviews, aesthetics, a playlist, and more!

introducing “to be loved”!

(And you can read its flash fiction prequel for free HERE!)

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Romance in My WIP (a writer’s tag)

Now it’s time to move on to blog tag I’m doing today – “Romance in My WIP,” created by H.S. Kylian (whose beautiful story “For Better or For Worse” was also featured in Tell Me You Love Me, as a matter of fact!)

I’ll be using my characters Kennard Engall and Ravenna de Vivon from A Valley of Stars (a fantasy romance novella coming out in another anthology, The Black Rose Collection!)

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About The Black Rose Collection

Receiving a black rose is a death sentence.

In these seven lands, receiving a black rose is a death sentence. When these perilous flowers endanger their lives, a spy must decide between freeing slaves or completing his mission, a huntress finds herself becoming the hunted, and two sets of mortal enemies are forced to work together—if they don’t first kill each other in the process.

When a couple’s daughter is born with a deadly birthmark, can they escape in time? Or will they lose their daughter to evil? False accusations and threats force an innocent man to flee and fight for his life—but his path to freedom is threatened by memory loss. And when two friends become unexpected enemies, can loyalty overcome duty?

In this collection of seven Christian fantasy romance novellas, characters will learn the value of faith and trust as danger grows and justice is threatened.

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From authors Madisyn Carlin, Kristina Hall, Vanessa Hall, K.R. Mattson, M.L. Milligan, Kaytlin Phillips, and Saraina Whitney comes The Black Rose Collection, a New Adult Christian fantasy anthology.

ADD ON GOODREADS

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the rules

1. Thank the person who tagged you (thank you, H.S. Kylian! Y’all go check out her lovely blog! ❤ )
2. Link back to the original tag
3. Answer the questions
4. Tag as many people as you want!

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the tag!

Question #1 / Favorite OTP – Or One of Your Favorites

I’m supposed to say Kennard x Ravenna for this question, aren’t I?

If I’m being honest, though, Ean West x Gillory Durand (from my historical romance project) are my current One True Pairing. They’ve been with me so long, it’s hard for them NOT to be my OTP.

Question #2 / Second Favorite OTP

I don’t know! *sobs* Kennard and Ravenna, I guess! Or Reed and Evangeline from To Be Loved (in the Tell Me You Love Me anthology). Or [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] from [a certain fairy tale retelling].

If I’m writing the couple’s love story, I need to be able to ship them hard, okay?

Question #3 / How They Met

Um, they meet at a secret meeting. (That sounds so backwards lol. They met at a meeting.)

It’s not a pretty meet cute. Let’s put it that way.

Question #4 / Who Said ‘I Love You’ First?

Ugh, I don’t want to spoil this. All I will say is that this novella is only the beginning of their romance. So…imagine away!

Question #5 / Favorite Date Spot

If they were hypothetically to go on a date, it would be a horseback ride in a field at dusk.

Question #6 / The Blanket Hogger

Again, more hypothetical scenarios here. I imagine Ravenna would be the blanket hogger. She’s little pampered and used to having her own way, whereas Kennard could sleep on the cold hard ground without a blanket in sight for all he cares.

Question #7 / The Bookworm

Definitely Ravenna. Not that she would label herself a bookworm, but compared to Kennard…it’s a no-duh. *chortles*

Question #8 / Polar Opposite Opinion On…(Topic of Your Choice)

They have polar opposite opinions on pretty much everything at the beginning of the novella…but especially on how to go about enacting justice.

I’ll say no more.

Question #9 / Most Likely To Be Organized

I think Ravenna is most organized.

Kennard is more likely to be a small tornado, in his natural state.

But his military training has forced him to learn to be neat and clean…and he’s also more likely to possess the least amount of things, so…the guy has that going for him. XD

Question #10 / Most Likely To Burst Into Song

Kennard. 😂 I don’t think Ravenna even knows how to “burst into song.”

*pause as new scene ideas for the sequel float across my imagination*

Hold that thought.

Question #11 / The Social One & The Not-So-Social One

Kennard could easily be called a social butterfly, whereas Ravenna is most definitely the not-so-social one. It’s kind of a fun dynamic, lol.

Question #12/ First Kiss: When & Where

I must keep at least some of my secrets.

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clean copy of the questions

Question #1 / Favorite OTP – Or One of Your Favorites

Question #2 / Second Favorite OTP

Question #3 / How They Met

Question #4 / Who Said ‘I Love You’ First?

Question #5 / Favorite Date Spot

Question #6 / The Blanket Hogger

Question #7 / The Bookworm

Question #8 / Polar Opposite Opinion On…(Topic of Your Choice)

Question #9 / Most Likely To Be Organized

Question #10 / Most Likely To Burst Into Song

Question #11 / The Social One & The Not-So-Social One

Question #12/ First Kiss: When & Where

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If you want to do this tag with your own characters, I hereby give you full permission to steal away! 😊😉

(Aka, I tag you. 😛 )

How did you celebrate Valentine’s Day? What do you want to see in a sequel to To Be Loved? Are you eagerly awaiting the release of The Black Rose Collection this March? Are you a blanket hogger? Do you burst into song randomly? Are you gonna take advantage of that nice Valentine’s sale and get yourself a free e-copy of Tell Me You Love Me? 💞