Roni Loren's Blog, page 8

I’m so excited to share that the audiobook version of Good Girl Fail is now available! Click above to listen to a sample. Early reviews of the audio have been great!

Here are some of the places you can get it:

It’s on Libro.fm if you want to support your local bookstore. (I’m a new member there and loving it!)

It’s on Audible and is included with Audible’s Premium Plus plan if you’re a member of that, so you wouldn’t even have to spend a credit.

It’s also on Barnes & Noble. If you sign up for a new audiobook account there, you can get this one free!

Some other great options: Kobo | Apple

About the book:

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Loving on the Edge and the Say Everything series comes a new steamy standalone MMF romance that proves good girls can have fun too...especially when she's their good girl.

O'Neal Lory has been taught that one mistake can undo an entire life of right decisions. That it doesn't matter if a person has been good ninety-nine percent of the time. One misstep, one snap judgment, can derail everything. So, she's taken a lot of right steps on the straight and narrow path. Eighteen years of them, in fact. Perfect grades. No rules broken. And definitely no boys.

Until she kisses him.

Auden Blake knows he shouldn't touch his little sister's best friend, knows that innocent girls like her should stay far, far away from him and his roommate Lennox—especially when she could reveal their behind-closed-doors activities to his family. But when sheltered O'Neal goes rogue, ditching her scholarship to a conservative all-girls college and showing up at Bennette State—his school—instead, it's going to take everything Auden has to keep his and Lennox's hands off the curious good girl whose teach me vibes could unravel them both.

Good Girl Fail is a full-length standalone MMF romance with lots of steam, two heroes who like to share and get a little bossy, and a good girl heroine who's about to break every rule that's ever been placed upon her.

Hey there,

First, I want to thank all of you who participated in the open thread last week, recommending the best things you’ve read and watched lately. That was so fun to read. (If you haven’t checked it out yet, you can take a look here and load up your TBR and To Watch lists.)

Thankfully, I’m feeling good after my surgery and the recovery has been much easier than I expected, so yay for that. :)

Newsy News

This week, I have a few exciting things to share. You know, actual newsy newsletter-type things instead of my norm, lol.

So, first, I’m thrilled to announce that the audiobook of Good Girl Fail is out today! You should now be able to purchase it wherever you get your audiobooks.

It’s on Libro.fm if you want to support your local bookstore. (I’m a new member there and loving it!)

It’s on Audible and is included with Audible’s Premium Plus plan if you’re a member of that, so you wouldn’t even have to spend a credit.

It’s also on Barnes & Noble. If you sign up for a new audiobook account there, you can get this one free!

Some other great options: Kobo | Apple

Click below to listen to a sample. (If you can’t see the graphic below or if it’s not working, you can listen to the sample here.)

The early reviews on the audio have been great, and I think it’s so fun that this story was made it into audio. None of my other erotic novels are currently available in audiobook (I wish they were!), so this is exciting.

I hope some of you will give it a try. But listen with earbuds if you have kids or co-workers around! ;)

My new foodie newsletter - Have Books Will Cook

I have been looking for ways to reenergize my creativity lately. (If you follow my newsletter for writers, The Nourished Writer, you already know this.)

Well, this past week, I got hit with inspiration after reading Will Write for Food by Dianne Jacob. I had no reason to read this book for food writers, but I was drawn to it, so I followed the urge. And I’m glad it did because it sparked something in me.

I love food writing and cooking. I read cookbooks like they’re novels (and have over 150 of them). I love reading food memoirs and food essays. I enjoy when fiction has a food component. So, I realized it could be a lot of fun to do something with my obsession.

Enter my new newsletter !

Here’s what it’s about:

I love food. And I love books. Anything that brings those two things together is fair game in this newsletter. So expect to find me talking about…

Cookbooks - I have an ever-growing library of over 150 and will be working my way through them, reviewing and testing recipes.

Food memoirs and essay collections - when I’m in search of a comfort read, I reach for these.

Food-focused fiction - stories that make me hungry are my kind of stories

This is going to be a just-for-fun project for me, and I’m so looking forward to it.

So, if you’re a fellow foodie and want to join me there, you can sign up below. I also have an Instagram account for it if you’d rather follow that way. :) Hope to see you over there!

Subscribe to Have Books Will Cook

So Many Streaming Channels

And lastly today, this isn’t news so much as a confession: I can’t resist a streaming channel.

I already have too many. I have the standards like Netflix, Hulu, Apple, and HBOMax. But I also have niche ones like the horror movie streaming channel, Shudder, and the nerdy PBS streaming channel.

All that to say, I do not need another one.

And then I listened to an interview with Rick Rubin (about his amazing book The Creative Act) and he talked about how he likes to watch high-quality films for inspiration. He mentioned The Criterion Channel and another service called Mubi.

Cue me self-talking: don’t look, don’t look, don’t look.

Readers, I looked.

And, sigh, I subscribed to The Criterion Channel. (I resisted Mubi…for now. Barely.) I really had no shot. Not only does The Criterion Channel have hand-picked films, they also have lists each month. CURATED LISTS, you guys. I adore a movie list. (Or a book list. Or a song list.) I was helpless to its charms.

I mean, this month there’s a list called Michelle Yeoh Kicks Ass and another called Pre-Code Paramount. Last month there was one called All You Need Is Love. Plus, they have exclusive documentaries, like this month there’s one about writer Patricia Highsmith called Loving Highsmith.

So yeah, here I am, adding another channel. I also bought the books Making Movies by Sidney Lumet and In the Blink of an Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing by Walter Murch because I’m a nerdy weirdo who wants to know WHY these movies are considered especially good. The idea of learning to be smarter about film appeals to me. I think maybe because it is so much about story, and story is my job.

I promise this is my last one, though. Maybe. I sort of promise…

Tell me I’m not alone. Do you have too many streaming channels? Or do you have any niche channels you subscribe to? Which is your favorite? I’m curious!

Leave a comment

That’s all I have for you today. I’ll be here in Texas, hoping I don’t have to hide in “the most interior room in the house” because it’s the start of spring here and storms are supposed to be rolling in. (Did I mention spring in Texas is my least favorite season?)

Have a great rest of the week!

Roni

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Hey y’all!

When you get this, I’ll be in surgery. Don’t worry, it should be minor, but it means I’ll be a little slow to reply to comments. However, I thought it would be fun to have an open thread where we can share the best thing we’ve read and/or watched lately.

I’ll start! Best thing I’ve read recently (well, listened to, since it was an audiobook) was Rebecca Makkai’s I Have Some Questions For You. (Such a good literary mystery! And great on audio.)

The best TV series I’ve watched is Fleischman Is in Trouble on Hulu (stunningly good, loved it, immediately bought the book.) The best movie I’ve watched is She Said, which is about the Harvey Weinstein scandal/crimes and the two New York Times reporters who broke the story. So compelling and well-acted. It’s streaming on Peacock.

Okay, your turn!

Happy Valentine’s Day! I have some things for you! Ten, to be exact.

My word for 2023 is nourish. Part of how that translates into real life for me is nourishment via feeding my voracious appetite for all kinds of different content. This constant need for input is how a writer’s brain (or at least my writer’s brain) is when in between projects. I never know where inspiration will come from—and often it’s from non-obvious sources—so I let myself chase mental whims.

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The good news is that while I’m chasing, I run across things that I think might be worth sharing. Here are ten of them from the last couple of weeks that I thought were worth sharing:

The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

I would give this book a million stars if I could. If you’re an artist or creative of any type (and aren’t afraid of philosophical books), get thee a copy. I think I underlined half the book. In fact, it inspired my latest post on my new Substack for writers. Speaking of which…

I have a new Substack newsletter for writers called The Nourished Writer.

Warning: It is not all sunshine and rainbows about writing because I’m working through some things. :) But if you’re a fellow creative, maybe you’ll find some value there.

Check out The Nourished Writer

I will watch anything Mindy Kaling is involved in.

I’ve talked about my love for shows that Mindy Kaling produced or wrote for like Never Have I Ever and The Sex Lives of College Girls, but I realized I’d never actually watched HER show, The Mindy Project. (There’s a whole chunk of TV I missed when my kidlet was a baby/toddler.) I am fixing that now. I’m only a few episodes in, but I’m really enjoying it!

It’s okay to love “bad” movies (and books).

Y’all know I read random nerdy books. This week I’m reading Why It’s OK to Love Bad Movies by Matthew Strohl. If you’re considering it, read a sample because it uses some academic language and may not be for everyone, but I love digging into the weeds on things like this.

The “It’s so bad it’s good” effect can be a lot of fun, and he’s coming at it from a loving perspective instead of a “let’s make fun of this and tear it down” perspective. It makes me think of how this can be applied to books and specifically the romance genre. If you listen to the Fated Mates podcast, I feel like Sarah and Jen come at some books, especially older romances, with this loving, “it’s so over the top it’s fantastic” perspective. Like, of course, the pirate hero is also a secret werewolf and heir to a fortune! How could this go any other way?

So, don’t apologize for liking things the general public might deem “bad” or “trash” or “campy.” In The Creative Act, Rick Rubin says, “What’s considered art is simply an agreement. And none of it is true.”

Preach, Rick Rubin. Like what you like.

Life lessons in books

I’ve started jotting down quotes from books that I think are applicable to life. Some are poignant, some are more humorous (but still true!). This week, I jotted down this one from Grady Hendrix’s How to Sell a Haunted House:

“I’m not as smart as you, but what I do know is that when spooky f***ing haunted dolls start writing messages on the wall, you should get the f*** out.”

Words to live by, my friends.

I am enjoying these two shows:

Fleishman is in Trouble on Hulu- Once I saw it starred Clare Danes and Lizzy Caplan, I really didn’t need to know anything else. (Definitely don’t watch with your kids anywhere nearby though.)

Shrinking on Apple TV - I’ve only watched 2 episodes but I’m a sucker for a show about therapists. Plus, Harrison Ford as the grump is *chef’s kiss*

Confession: I’ve read 12 books so far this year and none have been romances.

I’m sure I’m just in one of my normal reading slumps where I need different types of books, but I also think I’m just…uninspired by the sameness of the covers lately, so when faced with a row of them on my shelf or kindle, I’m kind of like…meh, nothing stands out. In traditional publishing, they’re all cartoons (including mine). In indie publishing, they’re stock photos (or cartoons) but often have a sameness to them as well. That’s not a criticism of any books in particular. Trends are trends for a reason. Sameness signals to readers that “if you liked that one, you’ll like this one” but lately, I’m just craving something different.

I did not need to know that this recipe existed.

When we went to Boston, we had some to-die-for cannolis. Then America’s Test Kitchen sent me this recipe for how to make just the cannoli filling as a dip. DANGER, DANGER. (For some reason, it’s behind a paywall now, but that link will give you the ingredients. The instructions are to just mix it together and refrigerate for 30 minutes.)

I got an early copy of this audiobook from Libro.fm and I am very excited.

Y’all know I’m a sucker for any story involving a true crime podcast. I even wrote a romance with a true crime podcaster (What If You & Me, which is free in Kindle Unlimited right now!). So, I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai sounds right up my alley, and books with podcast plots are often even more fun on audiobook so yay for an early copy. I’ll report back!

Put things on your bucket list because you never know.

The husband got to live out a bucket list item this week. His company gifted him with a ticket to the Super Bowl (on his birthday week no less.) So, add things to your list because you never know! This is his I’m-so-happy-I-could-pass-out face. <3

That’s all I have for you this week! I hope you have a great Valentine’s Day whether you’re celebrating it out or at home, alone or with friends or with your sweetheart! I will happily be on my couch with the fam…and probably some cannoli dip.

Have thoughts on anything above? I love hearing from you, so don’t be afraid to leave a comment! :)

Leave a comment

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New Book alert!

I have a new book! And I’m excited about it! And I hope you are too!

And that’s enough exclamation points for now. :)

But truly, I am so happy it’s today and that I can now share this book with you. I worked on this story (sneaking scenes in between writing other books) for two years, so it feels like I’ve been with these characters forever—in a good way, lol. Even though I had no set plans for this becoming a novel (I was just writing for fun after getting inspired by, of all things, Gilmore Girls), these three characters would not leave me alone and they wanted a full (375 page!) story.

I remember telling my friend, podcast co-host, and editor of this book, Dawn Alexander, that I was just messing around with a story because I missed writing erotic romance, and it’d probably be a little novella or something. To which she said, “Uh huh. Sure. I’m sure it will just be a short little thing.” Because she knows me, lol.

So here we are.

If you’ve never read my older books (pre-The Ones Who Got Away), be warned that this is steamier. I started my romance writing life as an erotic romance writer and this falls into that category. :)

Okay, I think that’s all I needed to tell you. Go forth and read! I hope y’all love Good Girl Fail and if you do, please consider spreading the word online and leaving a review somewhere! I’m decent at writing but suck at marketing, lol, so I’ll take all the help I can get.

Get your copy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble| Apple Books | Kobo

Add to Goodreads

*The audiobook version from Dreamscape media will be available February 28th!

About the book:

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Loving on the Edge and the Say Everything series comes a new steamy standalone MMF romance that proves good girls can have fun too...especially when she's their good girl.

O'Neal Lory has been taught that one mistake can undo an entire life of right decisions. That it doesn't matter if a person has been good ninety-nine percent of the time. One misstep, one snap judgment, can derail everything. So, she's taken a lot of right steps on the straight and narrow path. Eighteen years of them, in fact. Perfect grades. No rules broken. And definitely no boys.

Until she kisses him.

Auden Blake knows he shouldn't touch his little sister's best friend, knows that innocent girls like her should stay far, far away from him and his roommate Lennox—especially when she could reveal their behind-closed-doors activities to his family. But when sheltered O'Neal goes rogue, ditching her scholarship to a conservative all-girls college and showing up at Bennette State—his school—instead, it's going to take everything Auden has to keep his and Lennox's hands off the curious good girl whose teach me vibes could unravel them both.

Good Girl Fail is a full-length standalone MMF romance with lots of steam, two heroes who like to share and get a little bossy, and a good girl heroine who's about to break every rule that's ever been placed upon her.

Read an excerpt here

Happy reading!

Roni

I’m going back to my erotic romance roots with this one, and I’m so excited to share this one with y’all!

Good Girl Fail will be here on January 17. 2023, but you can pre-order the ebook now! The paperback will be available on release day. The audiobook should release in February (tentative.)

Here’s a little more about it!

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Loving on the Edge and the Say Everything series comes a new steamy standalone MMF romance that proves good girls can have fun too...especially when she's their good girl.

O'Neal Lory has been taught that one mistake can undo an entire life of right decisions. That it doesn't matter if a person has been good ninety-nine percent of the time. One misstep, one snap judgment, can derail everything. So, she's taken a lot of right steps on the straight and narrow path. Eighteen years of them, in fact. Perfect grades. No rules broken. And definitely no boys.

Until she kisses him.

Auden Blake knows he shouldn't touch his little sister's best friend, knows that innocent girls like her should stay far, far away from him and his roommate Lennox—especially when she could reveal their behind-closed-doors activities to his family. But when sheltered O'Neal goes rogue, ditching her scholarship to a conservative all-girls college and showing up at Bennette State—his school—instead, it's going to take everything Auden has to keep his and Lennox's hands off the curious good girl whose teach me vibes could unravel them both.

Good Girl Fail is a full-length standalone MMF romance with lots of steam, two heroes who like to share and get a little bossy, and a good girl heroine who's about to break every rule that's ever been placed upon her.

Pre-Order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Kobo

Add to Goodreads

If you’re looking for something quick and steamy to read, I’m making my short story “Movie Night” available for download for a limited time. (LINK EXPIRED) This is the short story that I contributed to the Nightingale charity anthology, which is no longer available to purchase. (Thanks so much to those of you who purchased the anthology!)

This is the story that I was inspired to write after a rewatch of the movie Reality Bites. Fair warning: If you’ve only read my contemporary romances, this story is more in the erotic romance zone. (There are three sets of feet on that cover, y’all, so this shouldn’t be a surprise, lol.)

Note: You will have to sign up for my Happy for Now newsletter to get the download. If you’re already a member, don’t worry, you won’t be signed up twice.

Want a signed copy of one of my Say Everything books?

Call & get one from Half Price Books in Dallas (or go there if you live locally).

I signed these at Book Bonanza. Get 'em before they run out! :)

Half Price Books

5803 E Northwest Highway, Dallas TX 75231

(214) 379-8000

It’s been a long year of waiting, but the third and final book in the Say Everything series is here! I’m so excited to share For You & No One Else with y’all. Eliza and Beckham were such fun characters to write, and I’m going to miss living in that world with them (and Hollyn, Jasper, Andi, and Hill.) I hope you enjoy this last adventure!

Scroll down for an exclusive excerpt!

About the book:

She has the perfect life…and it’s a perfect lie.

Behind the careful façade, she’s struggling:

To feel like she fits in. To find her true voice.

Now, finally, she’s ready to start living her own story.

Eliza Catalano has the perfect life. So what if it actually looks nothing like the story she tells online?  As a therapist, it’s part of her job to look like she has all the answers, right? But when Eliza ends up as a viral “Worst Date Ever” meme, everything in her Instagram-filtered world begins to crumble. 

Enter the most obnoxiously attractive man she's ever met, and a bet she can't resist: if she swears off social media for six months, Beck Carter’ll teach her the wonders of surviving the "real world." No technology, no dating apps, no pretty filters, no BS.

It seems like the perfect deal—she can lay low until her sudden infamy passes, meet some interesting new people, and maybe even curate this experience into a how I quit the online dating racket book along the way. But something about Beck’s raw honesty speaks to Eliza in ways she never expected. She knows he’s supposed to be completely hands-off…but as complex feelings grow and walls come tumbling down, rough-around-the-edges Beck may be exactly what Eliza needs to finally, truly face herself—and decide who she really wants to be.

Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | iBooks | Book Depository | Books-A-Million

Add to Goodreads

Exclusive excerpt:

“What a loser,” Beckham said, disgusted. “He wanted the hot YouTube therapist and knew she was way the hell out of his league, so he stacked the deck in his favor.”

She smirked and dabbed at her mouth. “I am out of his league, aren’t I?”

He grinned. “Eli, he’s not even on the practice squad of your league.”

“And you were right, the dog wasn’t his.”

He snapped his fingers and pointed. “See? I could feel that. No dog would have him. He was definitely holding Fluffy hostage.”

She pressed her fingers to the spot between her eyes and shook her head, but a smile lingered on her lips. “Thanks, Beckham. You have an uncanny ability to show up when I’m at my worst and make me feel better. I promise I’m higher functioning than how I’ve appeared lately. People do pay me to help with their problems.”

He clasped his hands between his spread knees. “Who says you always have to be high-functioning?”

She gave him a droll look. “Um, everyone. I’m a therapist. My job depends on people believing I have it together at all times.”

He grunted. “Tough job requirement. Not allowed to be human?”

She tucked her hair behind her ear. “Not fully.”

“Well, I’ll keep your secret.” He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “That you’re not a robot.”

She stared at him for a moment and then gave him a sad smile. “Thanks.”

“No problem.”

“I’m feeling a little better. I’m going to go and let you get home.” She rubbed her palms along her skirt. “But before I do, can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, sure.”

She narrowed her eyes like she was concentrating and trying to find the right words. “I’m not sure how much booze I still have in my system and if I’m processing things correctly, but earlier…were you about to offer to be an FWB hookup?”

The question made tension rush through him and he got to his feet. He should say no, that she’d misconstrued what he’d said. He could back out now, no harm, no foul. She probably wouldn’t even remember half of their conversation tomorrow.

“Never mind.” She stood and wobbled a little.

On instinct, he put a hand to her elbow to steady her. Her skin was warm, silky. The truth fell out of him. “I was. I know that’s not what you’re looking for, but if you ever find the idea of a low-key hookup with a friend…interesting, or just want to have a little fun while you’re looking for the guy, I bet we could figure out some ways to entertain ourselves.”

Her brown eyes were more focused than they’d been all night, her gaze calculating, then a playful smile curved her lips. “Would you let me lick your tattoos?”

He laughed at the unexpected question even as heat rushed straight downward at the thought. “You’re definitely still a little drunk.”

“Maybe,” she murmured.

“But, Eli”—he bent close to her ear—“I’d let you lick whatever you want…as long as I got the same privilege afforded to me.”

She shuddered a little in his grip and exhaled slowly. “I’ll…keep that in mind.”

He leaned back, shaking his head. No way would she remember this conversation tomorrow.

Want another excerpt and to check out some hero inspiration pics? Click here.

Reviews

Hope you enjoy the book! And if you do, please consider leaving a review on Amazon, a bookstore site, and/or Goodreads. Reviews help so much to get a book in front of more readers’ eyes. I often see my books called “undiscovered gems” by readers. Let’s get this one discovered! LOL.

via GIPHY

Thanks, y’all! (And thank you to all of you who have already left early reviews! <3

Starting next week, I’m taking a six-month sabbatical. Some things will continue: promo for my next book when July gets closer, the RAD Reading podcast, and my Substack newsletter. Most of my social media will be put on pause except for book announcements. I’m putting a hold on teaching clases. I’m also taking a break from writing under deadline.

I explain why I’m doing this and what the process will look like in my Substack letter today if you’d like to read more.