How is it already May?

Hey everyone,

I’m writing this newsletter as I sit on the couch, watching Chewing Gum (this show is singularly hilarious). I realized that if I didn’t write/send out this newsletter today, I didn’t know if/when I’d get the chance to write it this month, so I’m writing it now while I have time!

First, I want to quickly say that today is the last day to enter the Goodreads giveaway to win an ARC for Heartsick (out on October 7th and available for preorder!)

I finished the first draft for my next romance, The Summer Girlfriend a couple weeks ago. The hardest part of the process (for me) is over. Now, I’m in the process of completing the second hardest part, which is when I print out the draft and edit it by hand. Every day I oscillate between, this is shaping up pretty okay, I think! to oh goodness everything about this is horrible. That’s usually the case for me at this stage. A good 40% of the draft ends up changing during this part of the process. So what I need to do now is just keep plugging away at it. Wish me luck!

Yesterday, I attended Romancing the Craft, a writing conference organized by Adriana Herrera and Steamy Lit. It was the first year that the conference took place on the east coast, and it was such a wonderful event. I moderated a panel about the future of romance, featuring authors, Alexis Daria and Natasha Bishop, as well as Berkley/PRH editor, Esi Sogah and literary agent, Sarah Younger. Earlier that day, Adriana and Sarah MacLean taught an amazing masterclass on how to write a romance novel, and while listening to them, I unlocked a major issue that I’ve been having with the third act of my draft. Later, I attended Alexis and Natasha’s workshop on writing tension, and Nikki Payne’s workshop on writing retellings. Both workshops were fantastic. During Nikki’s workshop, she asked people to share what their favorite retellings were, and it made me think about how years ago, I realized that 10 Things I Hate About You and Deliver Us From Eva were basically the same movie, and I thought that I’d made an amazing discovery! Then I realized that Deliver Us From Eva was also a retelling of The Taming of the Shrew, so it made sense that the movies had similar plot lines lol.

Romancing the Craft will return to the west coast in October. I highly suggest attending the conference if you’re able!

A few weeks ago, I moderated Zakiya Jamal’s launch for her debut YA, If We Were a Movie at The Ripped Bodice, and it was so much fun to celebrate Zakiya and this wonderful book. I highly recommend reading it. My official blurb is, "In If We Were a Movie, Zakiya Jamal combines all of my favorite aspects of a classic YA novel: an endless summer, friends who feel like family and a heart-stirring romance. Rochelle was deeply relatable and I rooted for her and her happily ever after from the beginning. This book is sure to make readers swoon."

Later this month, I’ll be attending the first ever Black Romance Book Festival in Atlanta (tickets are sold out!). I’m so excited to meet readers and fangirl over my favorite authors. I’m hoping to have some Heartsick ARCs to give away at my signing table too.

Last month I read some really good books. I read Alicia Thompson’s upcoming book, Never Been Shipped (on sale June 10th) as well as Regina Black’s next book, August Lane (on sale July 29th). In Never Been Shipped, Micah and John, who were best friends and bandmates as teens, reunite with their other band members as the hired entertainment for a cruise. Years ago, the band abruptly broke up without much communication and there is a lot left unsaid between Micah and John, but they now have the chance to explore the romantic relationship that they’d avoided as teens. I really love the way Alicia writes yearning between characters in her books, and the yearning is so well done in Never Been Shipped! August Lane is about August and Luke, two lonely teens who connected over music in high school. Luke went on to become a one hit wonder country singer, and August stayed behind in their small town. No one knows that Luke’s hit song was written by August. The book flashes back and forth from the past when they were teens, to the present when they’re adults. Luke has returned to town for a couple reasons, but mostly he’s seeking redemption/forgiveness from August. I love everything about this book, but I have a particular sweet spot for the past chapters of August and Luke as teens. Their young love/friendship is just so precious and I wanted so badly for them to be happy! Something that I love about romance is that sometimes books can have similar premises—both Never Been Shipped and August Lane are novels about childhood friends who once created music together, reuniting years later to create music together again. But the execution of these stories is completely different. Each author brings their own style and voice to their stories and makes them distinctive. I highly recommend preordering both!

I also read and loved Only For the Week by Natasha Bishop. Main character Janelle is in Tulum for her sister’s destination wedding. Her sister just so happens to be marrying Janelle’s ex boyfriend (the drama!). If that wasn’t already complicated enough, Janelle finds herself feeling very attracted to the groom’s best man, Rome, who secretly has had a thing for Janelle for years. Janelle and Rome agree to give into their attraction for the week that they’re in Tulum for the wedding. This book instantly transported me to sunnier, warmer climates, and even though I wasn’t on vacation, I think this is the perfect vacation/beach read, and I highly recommend it! (For those of you who’ve also read the book, yesterday Natasha confirmed that book 2 in the series, about two side characters from Only For the Week, is coming next!)

Right now I’m reading The Love Simulation by Etta Easton and Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams, and I’m really loving both. They are definitely much needed sources of joy right now. Soon I’m going to start our book club pick for June, I Almost Forgot About You by Terry McMillan.

As far as movies, I saw Pride and Prejudice (2005) in theaters for the 20th anniversary, and it was truly magical. I had the hugest smile on my face while watching. P&P 2005 is one of my fave movies of all time. I got the DVD in high school, and it’s somewhere at my parents’ house lol. I also saw Sinners, and I agree with so many others that it was fantastic. I want to see it again soon.

Okay, I’d better start doing laundry/all the other tasks I told myself that I’d do today because I avoided them all week. I hope you’re all taking care of yourselves. Until next time!

xo, Kristina