The Crotchety Old Man

Tag: Romance Novelist

  • No More Romance for Me

    Since my first novel was published in 2012, finding the right shelf in the bookstore for my stories has been a challenge. I’m talking, of course, about genre. Turns out, my stories don’t fit in any particular genre. Genre is a handy label to give readers an idea of the kind of story they’re about…

  • Ready for Some Strange

    Coming up with an idea for my next novel has never been a problem. By the time I finished writing Until Thanksgiving, most of After Christmas Eve had already come together in my head. Once I started writing that story, I knew several of the characters would turn up at the Stonewall Riots for Happy…

  • Field Research: Unexpected Outcomes

    I decided to write about my experience with the smartphone hookup apps to bring my readers up to speed on something I suspected they — you — knew little or nothing about. Most of you, including more than a few published authors of gay romance novels, are straight women. Reporting on my field research was…

  • My Next Project

    As a university employee, I’ve been off the week between Christmas and New Year’s since the mid-1980s. Depending on where the holidays fall, I usually add a few days to one end or the other to extend the break even longer. It’s never enough time off, and it always goes by too fast. In the…

  • Channeling My Inner Romance Novelist

    Yesterday I wrote the first draft of what may be the last chapter of After Christmas Eve. The ending has always been a little hazy in my mind. Because the story continues, part of the challenge is deciding where to stop. I decided when I sat down to write it that the last chapter would…

  • The Unveiling

    We all know not to judge a book by it’s cover, right? But whether you’re browsing online or in the bookstore for an ebook or a paperback, the cover is the first thing you see. And it’s often the reason you decide to buy (or not buy) the book. A good cover tells the reader…

  • Another Step Closer

    It’s been two months, one week, and two days since I signed on with Dreamspinner Press. The initial email message from them explained all the steps leading up to a December or January release for Until Thanksgiving. The long list was intimidating and a little frightening. The message from the editor said to be patient.…

  • My Life as a Romance Novelist: The Weekend

    Panic motivated me to take the day off from work last Friday. Being a romance novelist is a lot more work than I knew. I needed a three-day weekend to get my act together. I spent most of the weekend in my recliner with two chihuahuas between my legs and a Macbook on my lap.…

  • Living on Cloud Nine

    I’m still happily ensconced atop Cloud Nine. Life is good here–full of promise and possibilities. I like it a lot. All I think about is Dreamspinner Press’s upcoming release of Until Thanksgiving–my first novel. Since Wednesday I’ve called or emailed everyone I know who isn’t on Facebook or Twitter, chatted with all my pals at the…