We’ve all heard non-romance readers deride the genre, claiming it’s “formulaic,” “predictable,” and “easy.” Then it seems like every other day some literary fiction writer tries to jump on the bandwagon even as they drip with scorn for romance. They’ll crow about how their book is “not like other romance novels,” because their heroine is “strong,” not knowing that the majority of romance novels DO have strong heroines, or they claim their book has a superior writing style, missing that many of the most beloved romances have brilliant prose. Or they commit the most unforgivable sin: calling their book a romance when it doesn’t have an HEA. This is equivalent to marketing a book as a mystery, but the mystery doesn’t get solved. Anyway, I’m going to lay out a few reasons why romance isn’t as easy as the haters claim. It’s all about the journey, NOT the destination. First, let’s talk about the HEA. Romance authors fulfil a sacred promise to the reader that the characters will end up together. Non romance readers and writers think having all books in the genre end the same way is why romance novels are easy to write. Actually, the HEA requirement is…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Brooklyn Ann!   Writes: Urban Fantasy romances between vampires, witches, sorcerers, and other paranormal creatures with a heavy dose of weirdness, heavy metal, and interdimensional shenanigans. 80s Horror Romances featuring a Final Couple instead of a Final Girl. Rockstar Romances featuring metal bands finding love on the road in the craziest ways.   My latest novel, BEWITCHING THE VAMPIRE, is an enemies-to-lovers romance between the Lord Vampire of New Orleans and the leader of a local witch coven. Highlights include a powerful, plus-size heroine, a vampire who likes Twilight and those old-lady strawberry candies, a waffle house brawl, and a whole thing with the song, “Laser Shooting Dinosaur.”   About: I’m an ex-mechanic from Idaho who has always been a weird outcast. I love heavy metal, horror, cats, and art. I’ve loved New Orleans ever since my romantic awakening came with Interview with the Vampire. In Bewitching the Vampire, I finally got to set a book in that eccentric city and showcase my love…

I initially assumed that your new book TO TEMPT A SORCERER was part of your Brides of Prophecy series. When I looked it up on Amazon, it said that it is the first book in the Blood Prophecy series. Is this a spinoff series? If so, how is it connected? In book 7, RECLAIMING THE MAGIC, the hero and heroine reunite with their long-lost daughter, who ended up with a grumpy high sorcerer who’s had appearances in the series since book 3. The daughter’s story HAD to be told, but it doesn’t fit in the timeline in the main series, so a spinoff was the way to go. There are other interesting characters and places I also wish to explore in this spinoff, so every book will be a fun standalone.   How would you describe these “prophecy” books to readers unfamiliar with them? Mephistopheles, an evil being who thinks he’s a god has been creating his world by stealing parts of other worlds for thousands of years. The magical beings and human mages escaped to another world called Aisthanesthai. The remaining Earth humans with magic were persecuted until they were virtually wiped out. Then, Mephistopheles created vampires. But they…

Even though there are a gazillion or so paranormal romances out there nowadays, it still surprises me when I read stories about supernatural beings that work a regular job or are some type of performer. Stereotypes can be a hard thing to shake. Part of me still expects a vampire to have a castle and be shrouded in shadows and be all dark and mysterious. The books I’m going to discuss here are full of vampires, orcs, demons, and all kinds of paranormal hotties who would be amazing to have as a showstopper at any party. The first paranormal romance I remember reading was DARK PRINCE by Christine Feehan. I can think of a few characters from her Carpathian series who would make my list for must-have entertainment. I know, I know. These two series have different versions of “vampires”, but I think it would be cool to have Savannah from DARK MAGIC by Christine Feehan perform her magic act for Laurell K. Hamilton’s Circus of the Damned. Of course, her honey Gregori wouldn’t be thrilled about having her around all that paranormal eye-candy. Four bands that would make an electric musical combo would be the Dark Troubadours from DARK…

You can read more about Fresh Fiction Senior Reviewer Miranda Owen and her reviews here! “But sometimes, the things you wanted most were the things that would destroy you.” Cynthia Eden, BOUND IN SIN In general, I’m a cozy mystery kind of a girl. I don’t usually go for movies or books that promise “high suspense.” That’s usually a turn-off for me. If a book has dog tags or a pistol on the cover the odds are that it’s probably not for me. Likewise, a film trailer or poster with some intense music or describing how the hero/heroine has a limited amount of time to defuse a bomb, rescue so-and-so, or recover the lost jewel of blah blah blah does nothing for me. I like scary movies, but usually with the violence that is cheesy and obviously fake rather than what I think of as “torture porn” – gratuitous torture scenes that don’t further the story or have us learn anything new about the baddies and generally just stick in my head like some toxic sludge that resurfaces even years later. There are, of course, exceptions to every rule. I do read some mysteries and some romances with a few…

I love a Brit hero and Rod in TEMPTING BEAT is especially charming. How does he rate compared to other heroes you’ve written? Which are your favorite heroes you’ve written & those written by other authors? Rod was a blast to write. He’s always been so laid back and sweet that I wanted him to find the perfect HEA. It was also interesting to find what demons were hidden behind his cheerful demeanor. Favorite heroes I’ve written: Vincent in ONE BITE PER NIGHT, Razvan in IRONIC SACRIFICE, Radu in UNLEASHNG DESIRE and Klement in WITH VENGEANCE. Favorites by other authors: Rhevenge in JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series, Zarek in Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter novels, and Preacher in Beverly Jenkins’s NIGHT HAWK. What made you decide to write a story with an older heroine/younger hero? I did it by reader request. Since I’ve always dated older men, the idea never occurred to me and when some readers asked me to, I thought I DEFINITELY should give older heroines some representation. And when one suggested I should have a nurse heroine, I was all, “Hell yes! I know so many amazing nurses.” Also, writing this book gave me a chance to…

I blame Fred Astaire. Years of listening to records entranced by the sublime staccato of his tap dancing made me naturally inclined toward a hero who can keep a good beat. There are a lot of romance novels featuring rock stars of every type. While reading Brooklyn Ann‘s recent book TEMPTING BEAT, I began thinking about just how many of my favorite books have diverting and delicious drummer heroes. “For life can be delish With a sunny disposish” Ira Gershwin “You know, you can be kind of intense sometimes, Malcolm Ericson. You come across as this happy-go-lucky-type dude most of the time, but you are in fact a man of many layers.” —PLAY by Kylie Scott I love a charming and witty hero. Mal Ericson, from Kylie Scott’s Stage Dive series, is the first drummer hero I read about. It’s easy to see immediately why Mal, a fan favorite, is still talked about years after his book PLAY came out. Mal’s manic energy, good humor, and highly amusing sexual confidence is vastly entertaining. Anne Rollins is fighting a losing battle trying to resist Mal’s charm once he picks her to be his fake girlfriend. Over the course of PLAY, Anne…

Get the latest from Brooklyn Ann for only $.99 Brooklyn Ann is back with a brand new Regency paranormal romance and she wants you to take a bite out of WYNTER’S BITE for only $.99. From now until April 15th, WYNTER’S BITE is available for a special discount. You can’t go wrong with a sexy new read! WYNTER’S BITE by Brooklyn Ann Scandals with Bite #5 She was thrown into an insane asylum for believing in vampires… Now one has come to rescue her. Eight years ago, vampire Justus de Wynter fell in love with bluestocking, Bethany Mead, and suffered the consequences. He was sentenced to exile as a rogue vampire, and she was imprisoned in an insane asylum. After years of searching, and dodging patrolling vampires, Justus has finally found his love. But even after he breaks Bethany out of the asylum, the dangers that face them have only begun. For Justus is still a rogue, with no territory to grant them safety, and Bethany is a fugitive. As they flee across the English countryside in search of refuge, Bethany and Justus must overcome the challenges of their past and find out if love is possible on the run….

I think the wait for ONE BITE PER NIGHT has been even more nail-bitingly tense than it was for my debut novel, BITE ME, YOUR GRACE. Though the pub date for my debut novel was a long 18 months after I signed the contract, everything in preparation for turning a humble word document into a book happened on schedule. This one, on the other hand, was like the proverbial “bratty” child that comes after birthing a “perfect angel.” A marketing decision which caused unexpected changes in the manuscript, coupled with two personal emergencies, and other marketing decisions caused my release date to be delayed twice. The cover even changed. Despite the fact that I just compared this book to a bratty kid, this one is actually my favorite. I’ve never before fallen in love with one of my own heroes. 🙂 Anyway, finally all of the book-making process is complete and ONE BITE PER NIGHT will hit the shelves on August 5th! To celebrate, I finally get to tell you about the book, show off the cover, and give you a teaser excerpt. I’m also going to give away a copy of the first book, BITE ME, YOUR GRACE to…