Introducing the RAD Reading Podcast!

Did you know I now have a bookish podcast?

Y’all know I love talking all things reading and giving book (and movie/TV) recommendations. I’ve been doing it on this blog for many years. But a few months ago, I got the urge to do something a little different with that kind of content.

I love a bookish podcast and I listen to a number of them every week, so that got me to thinking, what if I did one of these? There’s nothing I love more than talking about reading or passing along a great book, so why not do it over the virtual airwaves?

I was a little (a lot!) intimidated to learn the how-to’s of podcasting, and I’m definitely still learning, but I decided to take the leap. I teamed up with indie editor Dawn Alexander and we’ve launched RAD Reading, a bookish podcast where the R stands for refresh and the D stands for discover and where we help you do those two things for your reading life.

We have had so much fun this first month of episodes, and we have lots more to come! If you’d like to give us a listen (and we’d love it if you would!), links to the first five episodes are below. You can listen to the episodes on this website, through Apple podcasts, or you can add it to whichever podcast player you prefer.

How to Listen:

• On our website

• Apple podcasts

• Audible

• Spotify

• Acast  

• Or add to your favorite podcast app with their “Add by URL” feature and paste this link there: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/rad-reading

This month’s episodes:

The Life-Changing Magic of the DNF

Our first episode! Join us as we talk about our vision for the podcast, preview our weekly bookish themes, and then jump into our topic of the week--the life-changing magic of not finishing a book you’re not enjoying. And make sure you stay until the end to get our RAD Reading Book Recommendations of the week!

Feeling All the Fall Feels: Seasonal Book Recs

Fall is here! This week we’re talking about whether or not we’re seasonal readers and how to enhance those autumnal vibes with your reading choices. We’re also bringing you a big stack of book recommendations! Roni’s got a pile of recs from one of her very favorite micro-genres: dark academia & campus novels. And Dawn is bringing the heat with sexy football-themed romances and some fun seasonal rom-coms. Come feel all the Fall feels with us!

Making Your Own Reading Journal (AKA Fun with Office Supplies)

We love upgrading our reading lives, so this week we’re talking about one of our favorite ways to enhance the reading experience--creating our own reading journals! Plus, as always, we’re giving our RAD Reading Recs of the week.

October’s Read/Watch/Listen Recs

This week we’re giving you all of our favorites of the month! Join us as we share the books, audiobooks, TV shows, and movies that have gotten our highest marks.

They All Float: Our Best Halloween Recs

Happy Halloween! This week Roni freaks out Dawn with her scary book and movie picks (and episode title) and Dawn offers recommendations for those who prefer their Halloween on the gentler side. It’s a long one, y’all! We’ve got a pile of recs for you, including suspense, horror, true crime, and paranormal romance. Grab a bag of Halloween candy and join us!

That’s a wrap on our first month! Next month we’ll be tackling things like taming distractions so you can get more reading time and giving our best comfort reads.

I Am Not Here to Distract You: My New Social Media Promise

You know how sometimes random things come together in a way that makes you think of something in a different light? That’s partly a definition of creativity—seemingly disparate things/ideas being brought together to create something new. Well, yesterday I had a few things coincide that got me thinking about how I want to handle my online presence.

As many of you know, I’ve been thinking a lot about social media and distraction lately (and really for a number of years now.) Hence my 30-Day Social Media Declutter (which I wrote about here) and what I learned from it (which I wrote about here.) So this is a topic that is constantly buzzing at a low hum in my mind.

Yesterday, a few things happened that got my gears grinding about this topic again. First, I attended an online workshop about how to do social media well as an author. I enjoyed the workshop and appreciated the information. Much of it was about picking which platforms best suit you and how to be fun and on brand as an author. This can include things like posting funny memes, cute pet photos, and entertaining videos. Things many of us enjoy. Things that many authors do well.

However, when I imagined myself looking for fun cat videos to post or finding cute memes, I kind of winced inwardly because—wow, I see that distraction train roaring down the tracks straight for me. I don’t think I can trust myself to go searching for those things because a) I’ll get lost in the internet black hole (I mean, what’s more tempting than endless cute animal videos?) and b) my perfectionism will make me search endlessly for the “perfect” one to post. Plus, I don’t post photos that aren’t mine or aren’t paid for after getting sued years ago over using a photo on my blog. So, I listened to the advice but also knew that I couldn’t heed some of it. But let’s put a pin in that thought for a moment. Because…

Later that night, I was reading the essay collection On Being 40(ish). This was such a great read, and I really got a lot out of many of the essays. I know I’ll be revisiting a few of them. But one near the end called “I Don’t Have Time for This” by Sophronia Scott really resonated with me. In it, she talks about how her friend called her to be miserable about the election results together. Here’s an excerpt:

“My friend has called me to commiserate. But I’m not miserable. I haven’t given a thought to being miserable. The sun is pouring through the windows of my yellow kitchen, my family is healthy, my friend is on the phone, and I’m glad to hear her voice. So I will try to figure out how to gently put into words the overpowering feeling I have more and more as I walk through middle age: I don’t have time for this.”

She goes on to talk about how her son was a Sandy Hook student who was a few doors down from the shooting and survived and how that gave her new perspective on how precious time is and how it isn’t guaranteed. So, she chooses to focus on the joy in her life and not wallow in the misery. Not sticking her head in the sand but choosing joy in her every day life.

So what could this possibly have to do with me writing about social media? Well, here’s where my brain went. Life is precious. We get our particular amount of time on this planet and then it’s done. I’ll turn forty this year. What do I want to do with the rest of my time? How do I want to spend those limited minutes? Which led me to…

Do I want to spend my time searching for cute dog memes to post?

And secondly…

Do I want to contribute to using up YOUR minutes with trying to keep you looking at my page and distracting you from your life?

The answer felt really clear in that moment. I’m not here to distract you. I don’t want that to be part of my job. Yes, I want to write the best books I can, and some people might see reading romance as a distraction, but I see reading a good story as an experience or a chosen respite. Time reading a book rarely feels like wasted time to me—unless the book was terrible, lol. Even watching TV shows usually doesn’t feel like wasted time to me. A good story well told is something that makes me happier. But when I get lost in the internet hole of social media or random videos or top ten posts, I rarely feel better for it.

And frankly, with all my blogging about reclaiming focus and taking breaks from social media and doing device-free summers, it feels hypocritical of me to post fluff to keep algorithms fed and you seeing my page. Note: This is absolutely not a judgment of anyone who does post those things or the countless number of people who enjoy the content. My husband starts many of his days with cat videos because that gives him a happiness boost before he goes to work. There’s nothing wrong with that. This is not about what should be posted or shouldn’t. This is a personal decision about what I feel aligns with who I am and what I want to give you.

When you visit my blog or read my newsletter or see something on my Facebook page, I want you to feel like you’ve gotten something of value out of it. It doesn’t always have to be serious, of course. Despite the tone of this post, I’m not a particularly serious person. Fun and laughter have great value. But I also don’t want my contribution to be filler that I’m posting just to keep the algorithms happy and eyeballs on my sites. I want it to be things that aren’t on a million other pages. My goal for my blog is for you to walk away with something to think about or a great book recommendation or a new TV show to try out. My goal for my newsletter is to make it good enough that people would actually pay to subscribe to it (I’m not going to charge, don’t worry. But that’s how I judge how much I like a newsletter: would I pay a subscription fee for this?)

Basically, I want to add value not distract.

And yes, of course I want you to buy my books. I really, really do! :) My family likes to eat and, you know, have a roof over our heads and stuff. (So high maintenance!) But I have to believe that if I put everything I have into writing quality stories (which involves me concentrating and not spending too much time on social media either) that you will still buy my books—even if I’m not constantly in your feed reminding you that I’m alive and have something to sell.

How about this? I work to give you good things to read and aim not to waste your time. You occasionally buy one of my books and tell your friends to read them. Deal? ;)

My promise to you:

1. I won’t blog unless I feel I have something interesting to talk about or offer you.

2. My newsletter will remain focused on providing you with quality content. It’s full of these posts plus extra content including what I’m reading, what books I’ve bought lately, and behind the scenes photos.

3. All book recommendations on this blog or any of my social media channels will continue to be non-sponsored content. I don’t accept books for review, so anything I recommend is being recommended because I enjoyed it.

4. I will continue to write the best stories I can (which sometimes means being a slacker on social media.)

5. I will do my best not to waste your time and will be grateful for any time you choose to share with me.

Thank you for being here.

And if you want to keep up with my posts along with exclusive content, sign up for my newsletter. This is, by far, the easiest way to keep up with me, no social media checking required.

Have a great weekend!

What newsletter would you pay for? I’m always looking for great new ones to check out. :)

ANNOUNCEMENT: Rock That Romance Online Writing Classes with Roni Loren

ATTENTION WRITERS & ASPIRING WRITERS

If you’ve followed me for a while, you might know that I started off in this bloggy world with a website for writers called Fiction Groupie. Once I landed a book deal and was published, I had to switch things up and didn’t have the time to maintain that website. But I’ve never lost my love for teaching and sharing what I’ve learned with other writers.

In the past few years, I’ve given many in-person workshops throughout the country and have truly enjoyed that experience. I can’t do it as much as I would like because travel is tough, especially when you have a kiddo, and the majority of my time has to be spent on writing my books. However, with all the new platforms for presenting classes online, I realized that I could provide these classes without having to leave the house (introvert dream, yes?). So, in 2019, I plan to launch Rock that Romance Novel classes that you can take from the comfort of your very own home.

I don’t have all the details to give you yet because right now I have to focus on finishing book 4 in The Ones Who Got Away series and need to hammer out a few more things, but my goal is to launch the first class in Spring 2019. My plan is to offer classes for new and aspiring writers and also some for the more experienced writers who want to amp up their writing skills. Classes will mostly focus on the craft of writing, but there may be occasional classes about other writing-related topics (focus, organizing, etc.) if there’s interest.

So, if you’re interested in being the first to know about the classes and to have the chance at beta prices (AKA discounted) for the initial classes, sign up for the mailing list below.

Here’s the official pitch in which I talk about myself in third person. :-p

Sign up for updates about the launch of Rock That Romance Novel classes

Ready to take the leap and learn how to write that novel you've always wanted to write "someday"? Or maybe you're already writing but you want to raise the bar from "good enough" to "top shelf" writing and need to hone your craft. Either way, New York Times bestselling and two-time RITA-award winning romance author Roni Loren is here to help you get there. This email list is for those who are interested in hearing about Roni's online writing workshops when they launch (tentative launch date: spring 2019). In the future, this list also may include newsletters about helpful writing tips and topics. 

*This is separate from Roni's newsletter for readers.

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LOVING YOU EASY Blurb Reveal!

Some of you have been asking me when the next Loving on the Edge book will be out and who it will be about. Well, I have your answers! I don't have a cover yet, but LOVING YOU EASY will be out in September 2016. And you're going to meet new characters in this one. The heroes are former members of the Ranch and you'll see a cameo by Andre (from Melt Into You) but these guys and the heroine will be new to you. : )

Want to know what the story's about? Here you go!

About LOVING YOU EASY:

Cora has an amazing sex life. She’s beautiful, daring, and the most popular submissive in Hayven. Too bad none of it’s real... 

 IT specialist Cora Benning has figured out the key to her formerly disastrous love life—make it virtual. In the online world of Hayven, she’s free of her geek girl image and can indulge her most private fantasies with a sexy, mysterious master without anyone in her life discovering her secrets. Until her information is hacked and she finds herself working to fix the breach under two very powerful men—one who seems all too familiar...

Best friends and business partners Ren Muroya and Hayes Fox were once revered dominants. Then Hayes was wrongfully sent to prison and everything changed. Ren wants to get back to who they were. Hayes can’t risk it. But when they discover the new IT specialist is their online fascination, and that she’s never felt a dominant’s touch, the temptation to turn virtual into reality becomes all too great…

The ebook is up for pre-order only on Amazon right now and the paperback isn't up there yet. So more links will be coming as soon as the retailers get everything into the system. But I wanted to release the blurb as soon as I was allowed to share it. : )

So who's excited?

---

And I know September is a long time away, but don't forget that OFF THE CLOCK, book one in my new Pleasure Principle series, is coming in January. I'm thrilled to be doing two series at the same time and I hope you'll enjoy the world of The Grove in OFF THE CLOCK as much as you enjoy The Ranch. 

Fill-Me-In Friday: Best Links of the Month

Fave pic of the week: A swan trying to intimidate me out of the last piece of bread. (Btw, this was taken at the park near Love Field airport, which is where I based the scene in Crash Into You with Reid and Brynn in the back of his truck.)

I haven't done one of these in a while. Mainly, I got away from them because when I was so busy under deadline, I didn't have time to surf and read articles, but also because I'm unsure if this feature was still proving helpful to anyone since so many people do round up posts these days. So let me know if you think these should stick around or of you'd prefer another type of post in its place.

Here's the great stuff I've come across in the last few weeks...

• Goodreads | Blog Post: What's Going On with Readers Today? Goodreads Finds Out
• Author, Jody Hedlund: The Most Important Quality In Best Selling Authors
• Bad Reviews, Statistics, and Underwater Basket Weaving | Martinis and Manuscripts
• The Millions : Judging Books by Their Covers 2013: U.S. Vs. U.K.
• Erotica: Full-Frontal Shelving | Genre Spotlight via Library Journal
• Who Should Read Your Unpublished Work? - Rachelle Gardner
• New iPhone app vows to fix e-mail clutter - CNN.com
• Blogging Like No One is Reading « Pickle Me This
• Be the Gatekeeper of Your Mind - Rachelle Gardner
• Three things I've learned being a judgmental b*tch via Tawna Fenske
• New Adult- Passing Trend or Legitimate Genre? via Publishing Crawl
• 11 Authors Who Hated the Movie Versions of Their Books | Mental Floss
• 10 Types of Social Media Updates—How Many Are You Using? | Michael Hyatt
• A Query Letter that Worked — Lauren Layne | Author
• 8 Books for Writers by Raima Larter via AmWriting Blog
• Jennifer Represents...: The Twitter Confessional
• Is Blogging Still Essential to a Fiction Writer’s Platform? via Mike Duran
• 8 New and Necessary Punctuation Marks - CollegeHumor Article <--so funny
• 7 Ways to Look Good on Your Webcam via Rachelle Gardner
• Are You Neglecting This Important Book Sales Tool? 5 Steps to a Great Product Description via Anne R. Allen
• How to Work on More Than One Book at a Time via Kill Zone
• A Secret to Happiness? Don’t Get Organized. « The Happiness Project
• When we defend romance reading as escapism, the critics win via Dear Author
• Discovery of eBooks Will Never Improve Until Retailers and Publishers Learn to Speak Like Customers via Dear Author
• lindsey roth culli: is there an app for that? <--way to track new book releases
• Christine Bell - Author: Demystifying Rankings (for those of us who just GOTTA know!) <--fantastic info
• Writer Unboxed » Resolve to Tweet Better in 2013

What You May Have Missed Here:

• Most Popular Posts of 2012
• Reading Challenges for 2013 - Clearing the TBR (and Netflix Cue)
• Must Read Monday - A YA Pick
• Should You Write That Potentially Controversial Scene?
• Must-Read Monday: Give Me Your Old School Romance Picks
• Must-Read Monday: A Book I Think Every Woman Should Read
• FALL INTO YOU's Television Debut & Book Clubs
• Must Do Monday - The Reasonable Portion of a Bucket List
• Book Sales: What I've Bought & Why I Can't Resist
• NOT UNTIL YOU Info & Pre-Order Now Available!
• Reading Sexy Books For or With Your Partner & A Message to the Dudes
• Must-Read Monday: A Hero in Drag? Yep, It Totally Worked
• Journaling for the Chronic Journal Abandoner
• Must-Read Monday: The Happiness Project
• Entering a Writing Contest? Five Newbie Writing Mistakes To Avoid (guest at Savvy Authors)
• Ten Every Day Items To Add A Little BDSM Spice to Your Relationship (guest at Romancing Rakes)

All right, so those are the best I've come across in the last few weeks. Hope you find a few gems. : ) Have a great weekend! (And let me know if you want me to continue doing round up posts or if you'd prefer something else.)