Hello, Lovelies. Anna here, with some fabulous news. Melva’s newest nonfiction book, Thanks For the Memories, is now available in both Kindle and paperback.
I will never forget the moment I found out about the diagnosis of Melva’s own real life romance hero. We were in Melva’s car, on the way to a reginal RWA conference, chatting about our lives and getting up to date on domestic details. I said something about us having our real life Prince Charmings. Melva agreed that we did and added that her prince had Alzheimer’s.
Oof. That hit hard. I can’t count the times that Jerry welcomed me into their house, his sharp wit, warm regard, and obvious love for Melva. I love when my friends’ spouses are gaga about them multiple years down the road, and Jerry was definitely this. Seeing the two of them together was always something special, and now there was an unwelcome intruder in the form of something that would take little bits of him away at a time.
Many of the stories Melva shares about her own experience in caregiving, I heard first in real time. Glimpses into the cafe itself gave me even more insight. One of the many things Melva and I have in common is experience caregiving for loved ones with memory issues. For me, my father. For Melva, it was more than only one family member. Some fires can only be described by those who have walked through them. All of the emotions in these stories are raw, honest, and real.
To say that I am proud of Melva, for walking that road with her beloved in sickness and in health, is an understatement. I am proud of her for making her first step into indie publication, and her versatility. Thanks For the Memories is not a romance, nor is it a novel, but it is a love story, and one I highly recommend.
One of the big questions about republishing Chasing Prince Charming, our first novel together, and the start of the Love By The Book universe, is, “are you going to change the original story?” Originally, our answer would have been, “no,’ and, essentially, it still is…with a small “yes.”
digitally designed cover concept. NOT the actual cover.
The first difference between the original version from The Wild Rose Press, and the reissue from Melva and myself, is the cover. Both of us love the original version by Rae Monet, and agree that all books in a series need to have the same feel when it comes to cover art. Part of independent publishing is doing all of the jobs, in this case also coming up with cover art concepts and series branding. We also agree that people on the cover should reflect the characters in the book. We’ve both been thrown by the “who’s that person cozying up to one of the leads?” type of covers. More conceptual covers can avoid that issue. Please note, we are not saying, “never again” to people covers, so stay tuned.
The other change is more structural. When Melva and I were first writing Chasing Prince Charming, we didn’t know the bigger picture and made a choice for a supporting character’s backstory before we knew they would eventually be a lead in another book. During out chat last week, we discussed our plans for the CPC re-release, and I mentioned that this was our chance to make a retcon. I made the suggestion, and Melva immediately agreed. It doesn’t affect the main plot, and it does fit the character in question better.
Getting to know a character better after three books than in a discovery draft makes a lot of sense. We are excited about it. Now for the next question: do you need to read both versions? The answer is no. While a supporting character in CPC has a few different details going forward, it doesn’t change anything about Meg and Dominic’s romance. Can you read both versions? Sure. We certainly hope so. If you are a completionist, you’ll want the covers to agree, and if you are fond of this character, you’ll want to meet them as their truest self. Call it a director’s cut.
At any rate, we will be focusing on Drama King, the story of Meg’s cunning agent, Kelly, and Jack, the grumpy British actor who never saw her coming. That is the second book in Love By The Book. Three books in, both Melva and I are looking forward to bringing you the whole Love By The Book experience, so stay tuned for the latest updates. Since I (Anna) write on my desktop that doesn’t have Facebook on it (a conscious decision) the best way to make sure you get all updates for this blog and Typing With Wet Nails (and Paws) is to click the subscription link, and new entries will come right to you.
Hello, Lovelies. Anna here for but a moment, because today we get a blog entry from Melva. She and I first met in a writing group where we all wrote to prompts for a certain amount of time, then whoever wanted to share what they wrote could read it aloud to the group. Melva still attends one of those groups and wanted to share the product of one of her sessions.
All right, I told myself, it’s time to settle down and write that next chapter, the one where the two protagonists argue about that issue that will drive a wedge in their relationship. I couldn’t do that, though, until I settled my own argument with my microwave. Believe me, it’s almost human, and I have had a fifteen year, rocky relationship with it. It has a mind of its own, and lately, it decides whether or not I deserve a cup of tea. This morning, as I do almost every morning between 6 and 7:30, I filled a cup with water and snagged a tiny bag of tea leaves, dipping it into the cup with the wimpy string dangling over the rim. I put it into the heart of Monty the microwave. I set it for three minutes while I feed the two felines that have begun to nag me for their breakfast of tuna bits, a ritual that always makes me want to wait a while for my own first meal. As it has done for the last week or so, Monty begins to ding and tells me it has quit the job I have given it. “You may want to call service” scrolls across the digital panel as it turns off the power, and the screen reverts to a series of images that resemble the Japanese constitution. My tea did not even reach the tepid stage before it declared itself off duty.
Monty is only following a trend that the rest of my appliances have followed. Last week, my toaster decided to rebel and only toast one side of my bread. I had to pop up the slices of cheese loaf and turn them over so that they could be toasty on both sides. I lifted the device to see if I could detect something wrong with the wiring and the bottom flap opened up by itself and rained all the crumbs from bagels past onto my counter. “You can be replaced,” I admonished, although I am sure it knew I was too lazy and cheap to run to Target on a hot day just so I could do a simultaneous toast on both sides of my bread. It definitely knew on which side my bread was buttered – the one it decided to toast.
A little while ago, my oven decided to go on strike. I tried to tease it into being a compliant appliance, but it wasn’t having it. I tried sneaking up from it’s blind side and flipping the dial to 350 degrees with a quick rwist of my wrist, and it flashed on for fifteen minutes until it seemed to realize it was warming up and flipped itself off. If I were not the bigger person, I might be tempted to flip it off as well.
I did have to purchase a new oven, but the store told me that they did not install., giving me the number of a company that would be glad to shove it into my wall for a fee. I contacted the representative who sent a person out to size up the situation, who later told me he had developed a bad back and probably couldn’t do it. Finally, my grandson-in-law came over with a buddy, and they managed to manipulate the beast into the wall pocket with a minimum of grunting and groaning.
The rebellion has even reached such casually used appliances as the cleaning tools. I have three dead vacuums in my cellar. I would use them for a matter of months and each one, like wounded soldiers, would stop in mid suck, wheeze, and begin to cough up dust puffs back onto the recently dirt free floor. Yes, that corner of the basement is a sanitation cemetery.
Two weeks ago, my alarm clock refused to wake me up, which was alarming itself. It had been purchased as a birthday gift from my tech savvy son and had blue tooth components and mind reading capabilities. I did know how to set the time, but I was clueless about a lot of its other powers.
My washer has begun to protest if I do a large load for some reason. I think it just doesn’t want to be left out of the failure fashion that has taken the household by storm. I can’t replace it at the moment, so if it conks out, I’ll go down to the stream and bang my wardrobe on the rocks.
I won’t argue anymore. I just reminded Monty Microwave about what happened to the oven, but he didn’t seem to care. He still refused to heat my tea or cook anything I fed him, so I made a trip to the appliance store, and he’s being replaced. Since he won’t fire up, I fired him. I warned him. He should have seen what happened to Oscar the oven and taken heed. He should have realized I do know how to micro-manage.
I now have a new microwave, oven, and toaster, so I am hoping I can have some time to heat up my writing schedule. I think I hear the spirits of the deceased vacuums plotting something, though.
Hello, lovelies. Anna here. Can you believe it’s August already? Things are hopping around here, as Melva and I are both getting ever-nearer our first respective solo indie releases, and are in the very very very earl stages of working on our first collection of contemporary holiday romance novellas.
For the as yet unnamed collection, Melva will write one, I will write one, and then we will write one together. For that one, we are having the best time throwing as many tropes as possible at the wall and seeing what sticks. For Melva’s story, she is learning about chandlery and the modern art of scented candles. For my story, I am researching luxury vehicles and winter survival. Also, there are Italian Christmas cookies.
That’s the news. Now for the FAQ’s. If you have a question that isn’t here, please feel free to ask in the comments, or email me at anna@melvaandanna.com. Please note, the images below are cover concepts, not the actual covers of any books real or imagined.
Love by the Book overview/FAQ:
What is Love By the Book?
Love By the Book is a contemporary romance novel series written by Melva Michaelian and Anna Carrasco Bowling. It is set in the world of romance publishing. Here, you’ll find not only readers and writers, but agents, publishers, and more. You’ll never know who you’re going to meet next but you will get a Happily Ever After in every book.
How Many Books Are Written Already?
So far, three. Here are the first three, in recommended reading order:
Chasing Prince Charming
Drama King
Queen of Hearts
How Many Books Will There Be in Total?
Hopefully, lots! I (Anna) am working on a comprehensive resource so Melva and I can get down to business ASAP.
How Spicy are these books?
“Spicy” is a big umbrella. There’s cinnamon and there’s ghost pepper. While the emphasis is on the romantic relationship between the two leads, there are adult activities on the page, so we recommend these books for adult readers.
Can I Read In Any Order?
We are not the reading police. We hope you’ll want to read all three, and beyond, but reading in publishing order will probably provide the best experience.
cover depicts The Wild Rose Press original edition
Chasing Prince Charmingsets the stage and introduces readers to the world of Stewart House publishing. Dominic Stewart is the publisher and CEO, determined to woo author and romance skeptic Meg Crawford both professionally and personally. We’re not disclosing anybody’s portfolio, but if you like a CEO hero and a heroine who will do anything to care for those she loves, here you go.
This title will soon be out of print in this edition, but will be reissued independently.
Love by the Book #2 Coming Soon!
Drama King follows Meg’s cunning agent, Kelly Nolan, (whom you’ll meet in Chasing Prince Charming) who can find a solution to any client’s publishing woes, but when it comes to her personal life, that’s a different story. Jack Barnes is an actor who is not taking his fallen star status at all well, but Kelly, of course, has a plan. Fans of grumpy/sunshine and fake dating tropes, this one’s for you.
Love by the Book #3 coming soon
Queen of Hearts features Dominic’s sister, Heather, newly divorced and coming into her own as an editor. Her male best friend, Rob, has been in love with Heather since nursing school. Will Dominic and Meg’s wedding provide the stage for a full-blown romance? Friends to lovers fans, and those looking for anxiety representation, you’re welcome.
Will Secondary Characters Become Future Leads?
Of course! That’s part of the fun.
Are There Diverse Characters?
Yes! We believe contemporary romance should reflect the world in which we live.
Hello, lovelies. Anna here. Melva and I have some news.
While Melva and I have nothing but love for The Wild Rose Press, the rights for our debut contemporary romance, Chasing Prince Charming, the first in the Love by the Book series, have reverted to us.
What does this mean for you, the readers? A few things.
If you would like to snag a copy of the current editions of Chasing Prince Charming from The Wild Rose Press, you can still do that for about sixty more days. After that, sales will cease from that publisher, and the e-book will be removed from electronic platforms.
All is not lost. Melva and I will be reissuing Chasing Prince Charming in both e-book and print on demand paperback, independently. Think new cover, new bonus content, and most exciting of all…
New books! Melva and I have the second book, Drama King, the story of Meg’s cunning editor, Kelly, and a grouchy British actor-in-hiding. Think grumpy/sunshine, fake dating, family drama, and the sort of found family that only New York can provide.
For those asking whether Dominic’s sister, Heather, has a book of her own, the answer is yes! Queen of Hearts sees Heather dealing with divorce, co-parenting, publishing, anxiety, and romance. Think friends to lovers, a hero who is exactly what the doctor ordered, and did we mention surprise puppies? Also three, count them, three, holidays.
Yes, these new books will be available on Amazon, as well as directly through us. More details as we have them. We appreciate your patience as we learn these new skills.
While Melva and I had originally planned to stick to a trilogy, that was before we met a gentleman character I will refer to only as “Hot Vet” for now. Oh, and his ex and her next, love stories for characters of all ages, and maybe a little trip up to the north of Maine, to a little town, where, well, you’ll see. This new season will also see a new nonfiction book from Melva, and from me, the first in a new historical romance series.
Our journey with traditional publishing has been wonderful, and we are absolutely looking forward to doing it again in the future. Right now, we are excited to be not only the writers on this project but the publishers as well. We would love to have you on this next leg of the adventure with us. Hit that subscribe button to make sure you are among the first to get the latest, because there will be surprises.
Storm’s blog, Typing With Wet Paws, gets a helping hand (or four) with the addition of the new guys, Melva’s two kitty boys, Oliver and Murphy. If you haven’t found out how they joined the gang, Storm will clear that up over at TWWP. Head on over there for that story and updates on Storm’s week.
Hello, loves. New post on my (Anna) other blog, Typing With Wet Nails. This time, I’m talking about five things I love about my new desk. You’ll never guess number five. Click below to find out all.
Melva And Anna 