I am fascinated with romantic relationships and the way they work. I was in high school when I stumbled upon the romance novel Addicted by Zane. I remember reading about couples in her novels and being intrigued by the intimacy and sensuality between them. I loved reading about the ins and outs of the relationships between these characters. They helped me to gain some perspective about romantic relationships early on. I learned a lot through these characters, and I was able to use their experiences as a guide for myself. I began writing my own romance stories to explore relationships my way, and I fell in love with it.
Bitter Sweet is a prelude to a romance series (The Sweet Series) that teaches the importance of open-mindedness and courage when approaching a new relationship.
This novel taught me that love happens in its own timing and sometimes we have to roll with the punches to have it. After reading Serita and Shawn’s complicated love story, I understand the importance of transparency at the beginning of relationships.
No matter how ugly your past may be, as long as you’re open to change, there’s someone who will love all of you. Check out Bitter Sweet to learn some important lessons about romance and being a better romantic partner, and be thoroughly entertained on the rollercoaster ride the storyline takes you on.
Serita Jameson is accustomed to disappointment and hard times. Growing up a ward of the state since the age of three months and having no family, hasn’t been a walk in the park. She endures physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her foster parents, but somehow manages to become a college senior with a double major and hold down a job at the police station as a 9-1-1 dispatcher. However, the last semester of her senior year has brought about some challenges that only the strong can survive. After meeting who she believes is the man of her…
Adultery takes a look at romantic relationships without judgment when a wife gets bored with the monotony of her life and decides to explore things outside of her marriage in search of the affection she was missing from her husband.
This novel taught me the importance of communication and understanding. Although the main character committed adultery to realize what was missing in her life, she came out on the other side with valuable lessons.
For instance, having it all doesn’t mean you will be happy, but you can create happiness with what you have. The husband demonstrates true love to his wife when he decides to forgive her indiscretions and give her another chance. Check out this novel to witness true love and compassion despite one’s poor choices.
The thought-provoking new novel from the international bestselling author whose words change lives.
Linda knows she's lucky.
Yet every morning when she opens her eyes to a so-called new day, she feels like closing them again.
Her friends recommend medication.
But Linda wants to feel more, not less.
And so she embarks on an adventure as unexpected as it is daring, and which reawakens a side of her that she - respectable wife, loving mother, ambitious journalist - thought had disappeared.
Cranes in the Sky is the first book in a two-book (Messiah and Shyheim) series.
In this novel, Messiah experiences many hardships in life that cause her to lose faith in love and in herself since she doesn’t believe she deserves love. When Shyheim enters her life, he proves to her that she is worthy of love. Shyheim and Messiah’s story inspired me to be hopeful for a love that would understand and support me through my trials. It proved that love could appear in a way you least expected and change your views on romance.
Check out this novel to be reminded of what it is to be loved unconditionally, and to see an unorthodox love story unfold.
All her life, Messiah’s faced nothing but hardship, trials and tribulations. She’s tried to work, pray, sex, sleep and smoke her problems away but she can’t escape the gloomy, grey clouds hovering over her head. Just wanting to be happy, she's blinded by love; Messiah only sees what she wants to see – always building up to be let down and ultimately crashing. She craves love and admiration but doesn’t love herself enough to know when it’s time to let go of an old flame. Directionless, she coasts along through life numb, until she meets Shyhiem, the man who will…
Damaged Intentions highlights the significance of making sacrifices for the one you love.
Monica Walters demonstrates that when Philly realizes he has to make the ultimate sacrifice to get his wife back. Philly is leading a tumultuous life of crime and his wife Kema gives him an ultimatum—either to leave the streets alone or lose her forever.
This story taught me that fighting for your relationship is imperative if you want it to work. It also shows the dangers of being in the streets while proving things can turn around for you with the right support system. I love that this novel shows an essential component to healthy relationships.
Check out Damaged Intentions to learn how family and genuine friends make a romantic relationship stronger.
Two Monogamous is the introduction to my first romantic suspense series the (Two Monogamous series).
It questions monogamy when Jarrah unknowingly falls in love with twin brothers, Dario and Dustin. One of the twins offers her romance, mental stimulation, and security, while the other offers her sensuality, adventure, and spontaneity. The two of them work together to be the perfect man for her.
This novel opened my mind to polyamory and made me question whether twins could share each other’s emotions, thus falling in love with the same person. I wrote this series to tackle issues that make relationships difficult. However, I demonstrate how creating a community can make relationships easier.
Check out the Two Monogamous series to explore poly relationships through a group of relatable characters.
Jarrah Harper, a newly divorced young woman, embarks on a journey to escape the pain from losing her ex-husband Quincy. She moves from the countryside of Atlanta to the big city of Chicago to work for her college friend Theresa Martine as editor in chief of Theresa's magazine, Her World Magazine. Along the way, she meets a handsome, charming, almost too good to be true man named Dustin, who opens her up to new, bold, and steamy adventures that makes her question the woman she is becoming. Dustin gives Jarrah a double dose of a perfect man and turns her…
In Pretty Privilege, Zuri, a beautiful 18-year-old Miss High School USA winner faces the realities of life when she goes off to college. Zuri first sees her college journey as a way to be free of her high-standing family's control. Being paraded across beauty pageant stages, commercial sets, and in the streets of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina makes her feel like a caged bird. So, she longed for the freedom she would get being hours away from her family. However, college proves to come with its own difficulties for a gorgeous girl like her when she is coveted by an insistent, spoiled, rich boy named Dexter. How will Zuri handle Dexter's harassment as she embarks on her new journey at South Carolina State University?
From the time I was a girl, I’ve loved stories that put a lump in my throat even as I’m laughing. As a fiction writer, that funny-sad tone is the one I go for in my own work. I gravitate toward female protagonists of all ages who break the mold—women who are intelligent and strong but who also have unconventional, quirky personalities. Women who can be hilarious, infuriating, and heartbreaking—sometimes all at once. Because they are complex and unique, these women tend to struggle with life’s challenges more than their contemporaries. That’s what makes their stories so interesting, and why I have chosen the books on this list.
When Mar’s husband divorces her, she reacts by abandoning everything in her past: her home, her friends, even her name. Though it's not easy starting over, she’s ready for new adventures—as long as she can keep things casual. Each month, Mar goes from one acquaintance to the next: a fellow gym member down on her luck, a flirty hip-hop instructor, a bossy but comical consultant. . . and a handsome novelist who wants more than she can give. Mar learns from each encounter. But can she open herself up to true connection?
Surrounded by quirky, endearing characters, Mar navigates her…
"A fun, entertaining novel! I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't enjoy this book as much as I did." -Leslie A. Rasmussen, award-winning author
When Mar Meyer's husband divorces her for another woman, she reacts by abandoning everything in her past: her home, her friends, even her name. Though it's not easy to start over, Mar is young-looking, fit, and ready for new adventures-as long as she can keep things casual.
With each passing month, Mar goes from one acquaintance to the next. Among them: a fellow gym member down on her luck, a flirty hip-hop instructor, a bossy but comical…
