Wednesday, May 14, 2025

All Good Things Must Come To An End

 


Fourteen years.

I have begun this post a dozen times and then torn up each version. This feels like composing a eulogy for a deceased friend. Romancing The Genres has become my friend, I'm going to miss them.

Fourteen years.


My very first book, PULL, a Young Adult novel, had just been released by a small publisher called Westside Books. I was a brand new published author invited to join a new group blog, Romancing The Genres. I was thrilled to represent the YA genre in the group. 

And now it comes to an end. Romancing The Genres comes to a stop after this month.  The blog outlasted my publisher. Westside Books closed its doors almost a decade ago. In the years since, I wrote three additional  books, Being God. Courage and Unlawful Orders, for different publishers.  I also retrieved my rights for Pull  and re-released it independently, and sold over a dozen short stories to magazines.  I am still getting orders for Pull, a novel about a Young man who coses to enter an apprenticeship program for construction rather that take on the burden of college debt.  I love being ahead of my time.


Those fourteen years passed quickly, and the world changed before we noticed. I did realize that blogs were decreasing in importance. Romancing The Genres is the only blog I regularly read these days. I haven't even posted in my personnel blog in over a year. These days I, like so many others, am drawn to TikTok and other video forms of social media. 

Times change. We have to evolve. It's time for Romancing The Genres to retire.  I will miss writing these posts. Miss having something force me to put pen to paper and be creative every month. (Yes, I do write longhand and in cursive. I find it almost impossible to be creative with a keyboard and an empty screen. It has always helped me to think that there was at least one person out there who read what I wrote and gave a chuckle and maybe a moment's thought.

 Finally, me use this last post as an opportunity to share a little news.  I have decided to retire from writing.

I've written and taught writing workshops for adults and kids, mentored and critiqued, edited and reviewed stories for other writers. Now I get to relax.  I still belong to a critique group, I won't give that up until everyone else in the group stops. And I have a creative nonfiction manuscript I am currently editing. I intend to finish that. After I'm done with it, I will begin a search for a different creative outlet. For now, goodbye readers. Keep having fun.

 



Sunday, May 11, 2025

Paradise, California


I took all these pictures. They are pictures of flowers in m yard, in the forest and around town.
I took rainbows and sunsets. Please enjoy on this Mothers Day weekend, and Happy Mothers Day to all 
you mothers out there. Enjoy your day.


 

















Friday, May 9, 2025

Saying Goodbye

 

by Diana McCollum

 "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." - Unknown

As we all say goodbye to Romancing the Genres which has been a beautiful uplifting blog,

We say hello to a new beginning, one that will be different for each of us.

I remember quite clearly when Judith and Sarah asked if I would like to be part of their team of bloggers. Saying yes and beginning this journey with them and the other members of this blog was a bit intimidating because of the level of talent of the other bloggers, but I did it.  I've learned so much about, and from, my fellow bloggers.

I will miss reading the daily posts. Even though I didn't always comment, I tried to always read the posts.

I met Paty Jager after winning a prize on her blog post. I was new to OR and didn't know anyone. She lived in the next town over and we met at StarBucks in Bend, OR, so I could receive my prize. I'll always be grateful for her friendship.

As to what I'll be doing? I may blog more for Windtree Press and/or on my own website: https://dianamccollumauthor.com/

I have taken up painting these last few years and really enjoy it. So I will continue taking classes and making art.

I plan on continuing writing. For now, short stories. I'll have another one coming out in the fall in the Windtree Press Anthology. I have two partial finished novels I plan to work on also.

I'll miss you, fellow bloggers and visitors!

Take care wherever life takes you. Each day is a new beginning, make the most of it!!!

 Diana McCollum



Thursday, May 8, 2025

Where I’ve Been with RTG, Where I’m Going by Lynn Lovegreen



Romancing the Genres is 14 this year! As in many things in life, it feels like “Wow, where did the time go?” I am grateful for the legacy our blog founders have built for readers and bloggers. Thanks, Judith and Sarah!





I started as a reader, like many of you. A friend (Lizbeth Selvig) told me about it, and I enjoyed reading the posts. Then I was invited to join as a Genre-ista. Over the years, I’ve written blog posts on a variety of topics, often including my perspective as an Alaskan. I had the benefit of reading most of the other posts, too, learning from my colleagues and becoming virtual friends with many of them. A shoutout to you all—I have been enriched by your participation!



As our blog winds down and people move on, it’s time to let you know my next steps. I will definitely keep writing. While I don’t have any news at this point, I am querying literary agents; having an agent would allow me to be published by bigger publishers. In the meantime, this is what I can offer you right now:

I have a website with a blog where I post about once a week on topics like life and history in Alaska, book recommendations, and supporting libraries:

www.lynnlovegreen.com



And I have a newsletter where I post quarterly. I provide updates on my author activities, Alaska history tidbits, book recs--and sometimes I give away bookmarks and other swag! You can see my first Substack post and sign up to receive the next one at:

https://lynnlovegreen.substack.com



As an avid reader, I post my book reviews on StoryGraph:

https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/lynnlovegreen



Or, if you’re into social media, I’m active on a couple platforms:

Pinterest (pins about reading and writing, history, Jane Austen, PBS shows, and inspiration for my book projects):

https://www.pinterest.com/lynnlovegreen/



BlueSky (posts about Alaska, kidlit, libraries, writing, and politics):

https://bsky.app/profile/lynnlovegreen.bsky.social













Whether I see you often in the future or this is goodbye, I hope the next chapter of your life is wonderful. Thanks for reading Romancing the Genres over the years. Take care,



Lynn

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Margaret Tanner Shares Her Writing Story

 Hi Friends,

It is a sad day having to say goodbye to Romancing the Genres. Sarah and Judith have done a magnificent job over all these years to keep us entertained and informed.

Author, Margaret Tanner
Well, what can I say about me? I am an Award Winning, Best Selling Australian author.

I like to think my stories will always tug at your heartstrings and evoke strong emotions.

I do not use AI in the telling of my stories.

On a personal level, I am a widow who lost her husband of fifty years at the end of Covid. I have three grown up sons and two lovely granddaughters.

I was one of the early, regular contributors on Romancing the Genres. It was a long time ago and yet it sometimes feels like yesterday.

At the time, I was writing historical romance and was with a publisher. I think I had just started my self-publishing career. Over the last several years, I have concentrated on self-publishing and now only write Sweet Historical Western Romance.

Writing westerns might seem strange for an Aussie author, but I have always loved watching the western movies on TV. Little Joe Cartwright from Bonanza was my hero.

Surprisingly, or maybe not, frontier America and frontier Australia had many similarities – a large single male population, few respectable women of marriageable age, and vast distances to travel. Hence, mail-order brides were a popular way of finding a wife. I have written quite a few Mail-Order Bride books for this very reason.

One of the few differences between our countries were your cowboys wore their guns in holsters, whereas here in Australia, our frontier men mainly stuck their handguns in their belt or just carried rifles on their horses for protection in the wild, untamed wilderness, where danger could lurk around every corner.

Our early settlers, built log cabins or sometimes only bark huts, using what material there was at hand. Like you, there was often warfare between the white man and the Aborigines/Indians, leading to death and destruction.

We also had long cattle drives like you did, sometimes lasting for months.

We had large landholders, squatters for us/ranchers for you. And off course, there were selectors/nesters who were given small parcels of land by the government. Often this land was in the middle of a rich landholder’s property. This brought on trouble, leading to intimidation and even range wars as the squatters/ranchers fought to keep what they believed was theirs, even though they hadn’t paid for most of the land. I have written a Range War series because the topic so interested me.

We had bushrangers/outlaws who held up stagecoaches, banks etc. Most of these wanted men ended up with bounties on their heads. The authorities weren’t too fussed about whether they were brought in dead or alive. Sound familiar? And yes, I have written stories with my heroes being bounty hunters.

I have about 190 books up on Amazon now. Most of them are around the 30k mark, perfect for a quick read. They are all in KU.

Many thanks to Sarah and Judith, and of course all of you loyal supporters, who made this blog such a special place to visit.

As I mentioned Mail Order Brides in my article, I thought you might like this five book Collection.

BETRAYED MAIL-ORDER BRIDES COLLECTION

Discarded Mail-Order Bride

Betrayed by a friend, Dalton McManus spent years in jail for a crime he did not commit.

Dalton McManus lives on his isolated ranch, brooding and  resentful.

Mail-order bride, Jessica Eames is accused of being a sorceress by the grandmother of her intended groom. Discarded and alone in the wilderness, she stumbles on to Dalton’s ranch seeking sanctuary.

Can these two people, whose lives have been blighted by injustice, forget the past and find happiness together?

Duped Mail-Order Bride

Is Fletcher a friend or a foe?

Sara Brady has been corresponding with a man who doesn’t exist.

When she arrives in Carson City as a mail-order bride, she discovers she has been duped by a man thirsting for revenge.

Abandoned in a rundown fort, she finally escapes with the help of a man called Fletcher.

But what will she do when she discovers it was Fletcher’s uncle who duped her? Can love flourish under such clouds of mistrust?

Barefoot Mail-Order Bride

Mail-Order Bride, Sarah Linley, waits for her groom in church. Instead of marrying her as promised, Jason Thomas robs her, even taking the shoes off her feet. After tying her and the preacher up, he steals from the church and leaves.

Bounty Hunter, Dillon McMahon, knows his stepbrother is no good, but even he is shocked at Jason’s latest crime.

Rather than let Sarah be ruined by a further series of disasters, Dillon reluctantly agrees to marry her.

Marriage between these two people is certainly not a match made in heaven. Or is it?

Deceived Mail-Order Bride

New Orleans and Texas 1876

Anna Simpson loses her home and job. The streets of New Orleans beckon unless she can quickly find another job.

Unemployed and desperate, she decides to become a Mail-Order Bride for a wealthy businessman.

She arrives at Dry River with six-year-old orphaned Max to a drunk and abusive prospective groom.

Connor Grey believes he is not worthy of a woman’s love because of his scarred face. He sees Anna being abused, and after stepping in to help is left with her and the child.

Anna’s situation is now dire. She came to marry one man, dare she wed another?

Forgotten Mail-Order Bride

Miranda Kingston’s feckless brother takes out a mortgage on their ranch, then leaves town and she is left to pay off the debt.

With the bank clamoring for their money and threatening to foreclose, she takes the desperate step of attempting to become Rowan Carstairs’ Mail-Order Bride. After exchanging several letters, they agree to marry. Then the letters suddenly stop.

Why would Rowan propose marriage then forget about his bride-to-be?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D2MDZDSS

If you would like to follow me on Amazon or just go in to check on my books. The link is:

https://www.amazon.com/Margaret-Tanner/e/B003T5216E

Monday, May 5, 2025

Time Has Whooshed By! by Paty Jager


It's a sad but happy goodbye to the other authors on this blog and to the readers. I've been a Genreista since Sarah and Judith started the blog. It has been a fast 14 years! 

This has been a place where I introduced myself and many of my writing friends to you. I also shared my books and my change of genres as I wrote

I believe I've talked about all 60 of my books at some point during the journey of posting on this blog every month, and sometimes twice a month on certain topics.

I started as a member of this blog when I became an Indie Author. At the time, I had 10 books at a small press and was nudged by many of my fellow writers to go Indie. The main reasons I picked to go Indie were to be able to say what was on my covers and to be able to put books out faster than one a year. I can write 3-4 books in a year, and I wanted them to come out in a more timely manner than a publishing company can do. 

When I started here, I was writing and publishing Western Romance. Then I wrote an Action Adventure/ Romantic Suspense trilogy, and I decided that I was ready to write the genre I truly wanted to write and had tried to write when I wrote my first novel- a murder mystery. 

After 32 books and 7 novellas in the western romance genre, I switched to murder mystery and now have 36 murder mystery books published. 

Coming out in June will be book 7, Crapshoot, in the Spotted Pony Casino Mystery series. This book has a cool cover thanks to my cover designer. 

Here's the working blub: 

A Fentanyl death.
A missing woman.


Dela Alvaro, head of the Spotted Pony Casino security, and Heath Seaver, a Umatilla Tribal Detective, join forces with the FBI to find Dela’s missing basket-weaving instructor and put a stop to a lethal drug flowing onto the reservation.

The investigation turns deadly when an undercover FBI agent goes missing and the drug cartel’s girlfriend is out for Dela’s blood.

Then in July, I'll have book 1 of my new cozy mystery series releasing at my Christmas in July event on my Facebook page. I'll be giving out gifts and talking with everyone about the interesting sidekicks my main character Andi Clark will work with. The series is titled Cuddle Farm Mysteries. 
Book one is Merry Merry Merry Murder. Think of the Christmas song Carol of the Bells and the title will be playing in your head all day long! LOL Here is the blurb for that book.

In the close-knit town of Auburn, Oregon, Andi Clark’s therapy animals bring comfort to the community, especially during the holiday season. When a young girl seeks solace from Athena, Andi's therapy dog, after witnessing an unsettling scene behind the sleigh, it marks the beginning of a much darker holiday.

As the town gathers for the Tree Lighting Ceremony, a scream shatters the festive atmosphere. Cocoa, Andi’s loyal Border Collie, pulls her toward a chilling sight: a woman standing over the lifeless body of the girl's mother, strangled with Christmas lights.

Determined to help the grieving girl and her town recover from the shock, Andi, her therapy animals, and her niece, a county deputy, take it upon themselves to investigate. As they uncover secrets and untangle clues, they stay one step ahead of the new sheriff and worry that the killer lurking in their midst could be someone they know.

If you want to stay up to date on what I'm doing, you can find my twice-a-month posts on my blog; Writing Into the Sunset, or once-a-month posts on my Mystery blog; Ladies of Mystery. This blog has 9 other Mystery authors who also blog monthly and we have Mystery/Suspense/Thriller guest bloggers 2-3 times a month. 

Another way to discover what I'm up to is to get my monthly newsletter. It not only tells you what I'm writing and where you can find me, I give away a mug a month. https://bit.ly/2IhmWcm

Or pop by my website and see what I have to offer in print, ebooks, and audio. You can also purchase all of those directly from my website. https://www.patyjager.net

Thank you, Judith and Sarah for a wonderful time on Romancing the Genres. 

In the comments, tell me which of the new covers you like best and your name will go in the drawing for your choice of one of my books. 

Happy Reading! 


Paty Jager is an award-winning author of murder mystery, western romance, and action-adventure. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Riding horses and battling rattlesnakes in eastern Oregon, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.