Celia K. Nott's Blog: Nott Again

Dear Elbie,

My boyfriend and I have been dating for a few months, but we've known each other for years. I've always loved him; he's funny, intelligent, and has muscles in all the right places. Basically he is perfect! Plus, he loves me, curves and all!

But last week we were fooling around and he... well, he farted. Loudly! It ruined the mood, but not just for that night. Ever since, any time he tries to initiate sexy times with me... well, I'm just not into him anymore.

I don't think he knows why I'm not as into things as I was before, but he definitely knows something is up. There's no way I can have sex with a man who farts while he's fooling around with me, but how can I break up with him without... well, blowing the whistle on what he did wrong?

~ Traumatized by a fart

Dear Traumatized,

I'm traumatized by your story. Let me get this straight, you had an Adonis in your bed and, because he did something perfectly natural and, generally, involuntary at an inconvenient time, you want to get rid of him?

Honey, I have two suggestions for you and one for him. First, I'm worried you ain't never farted before, since you seem so offended by the act. If this is true, go to the doctor. I can't help you.

Second, I don't think this is about the fart. If it is, you may be shallow. Good luck findin' a man as good as Mr. Farting Adonis who will love and hold you just as tightly as he does his anal sphincter.

But I don't think you're shallow. I think you're scared. You got your mister perfect, and maybe things have been good, but you've learned that even perfect ain't all its made out to be. Either you are chasing an ideal that don't exist, and trust me honey, it don't exist. Or you're too scared to admit that what you thought you wanted isn't what you actually want.

If it's the first, you need to stop reading or watching fiction that shows men as infallible. Unless that man is Jesus, you're gonna be disappointed... and if it is Jesus, well, honey, you won't be gettin' nekkid anyway. You understand?

If it's the latter, though, and you've realized Mr. Farting Adonis isn't what you want... and not because o' his toots... well, you gotta pull up your big-girl undies and do the right thing. Tell him. Set that man free, preferably in my direction, and spend some time figurin' out what you really want.

And truly, if you don't fart go get that checked out. Okay?

~ L. B. Whitman

Dear Elbie,

My wife and I have been together a good ten years now and we've always had a great sex life. Like... a stellar sex life. I'm not braggin', honest, because my wife is at least 75% of the reason my teenage-self would be jealous of me. And recently I've hit a problem... a 25lb problem to be approximate.

You see Elbie, I've put on some weight now that I'm in my mid-thirties. I've always been very thin, but since changing careers and winding up in a more sedate desk job, I've started packing on a few pounds. My wife says it doesn't bother her, and she doesn't seem to mind the extra weight when we make love, but I notice. And I hate it. I never understood the anxiety about gaining a little weight, but now that I have to suck in my stomach to see my toes (and other lower appendage), I get it.

I've tried going to the gym and cutting back on food, but that just leaves less time for my wife and I to enjoy one another. Yesterday she asked me if something was wrong with her cooking and I lied and told her I was just stressed. I hated lying to her, but she has always loved my confidence–says its one thing that attracted her to me all those years ago–and I don't know how to tell her I feel fat and unattractive without seeming like I've lost that part of myself. Will she love me as much if I'm not that man anymore?

Can you help?

~ Getting Chubby

Dear Chubby,

Welcome to middle age, where weight stops melting off like you're an ice cream cone on a hot summer's day, and real-world stress starts weighing you down. What you are going through is perfectly normal, both the weight-gain and the lack of confidence, but I'm not so sure you need to worry about your wife loving you any less.

What you should be worried about is yourself. It seems to me you've been a confident fellow for a long time. That doesn't just go away because you got a little more middle. In fact, I don't think it's the desk job that's making you put on weight... well, not directly.

Since this all started with the career change, I'd guess you're struggling with your new identity as a desk-guy. Personally I need to be a few feet from nature at all times, went on a cruise once and it darn near killed me. Too much blue, not enough green. And nowhere to go but round and round and round the decks.

But this ain't about me, is it? This is about you. And Mister, I think you are missin' something in this job that you had in the other one. In fact, I'd like for you to talk to your doctor to see if you might be dealin' with true, blue depression. I've seen it before, after folks came back from the wars especially, and know it can be treated. Your doc'll have a better handle on that end, though.

For now, talk to your wife. I'm willing to bet she's got her own confidence issues, and you can work together to remind yourselves what you love about each other. I've found focusing on loving someone else helps me focus less on how much or little I love myself.

~ L. B. Whitman

Dear Elbie,

I need help! If he asks me why the dishes aren't clean one more time, I may just bury him in the garden.

These last few months, getting my husband (DH) to do his share of the housework has been such a chore. It all started when we moved into our new house.

DH and I have been together for a few years now, but lived in small apartments until a couple months ago. I work from home and my husband (DH) works in the city: a twenty-minute commute from our house, which is half the distance he used to travel. Nonetheless, we both put in forty hours each week.

In the past, because we lived in such small apartments, I didn't mind taking on the bulk of the housekeeping, and DH only had to put his dishes in the sink and take out the trash. But now we have this house, and it's not huge, but it's easily double the size of our apartment PLUS the yard. DH promised he would take care of the yard and step up to help with the cleaning before we moved in, but ever since it has been a constant battle to get him to do ANY chores! He won't even take out the trash anymore, and that was part of his marriage vows.

I've tried everything: asking nicely, posting reminders, setting up a schedule... but DH seems oblivious. I even tried letting the dishes pile up until he HAD to do some, but he just bought takeout and asked me to make sure I did them the next day because he wanted chili for dinner.

I love this man. I do. But if I hear him tell me that he doesn't have as much time as I do, as he walks away from our dirty kitchen and throws his sweaty socks next to the hamper, I might actually kill him.

Please help!

~ Desperate not to kill

Dear Desperate,

Boy howdy, girl, you've got yourself in quite the pickle. That dear husband of yours has had a taste of freedom and don't wanna let it go. What you have here, Desperate, is a classic case of confused identity: You're acting like your husband's mother, not his partner. Which means a good chunk of your problem has nothin' to do with the man at all. It's got to do with you.

Don't believe me? Well, I ain't had the pleasure o' raisin' my own kids, but I've had enough nephews and nieces nibbling at my ankles to have picked up a few things. Firstly, we teach 'em not to listen. All that naggin' we do, telling 'em to do this or do that, and then doin' it for 'em when we finally hit our breakin' point. Just like kids, you've taught DH that if he ignores you long enough, you'll eventually do the job yourself. Who wouldn't ride that gravy train?

Second, you aren't letting him suffer the consequences of his actions. I could be wrong here, but my guess is he wasn't all that good at puttin' his dishes away or taking out the trash in the apartment. You probably helped him out with those chores a few dozen times or so, am I right? Honey, you set a low bar, and because it wasn't much trouble at the time, you let him slide a few times too many.

But a little trouble has become a lot o' trouble now that you two lovebirds have a bigger nest. Now you've given that DH of yours more responsibilities, his slackin' is more noticeable. And no matter how much you nag him, whether with a post-it or an email-list or right when he walks in the door, he's already been trained up to ignore you. You could put a billboard up outside his work an' he'd still cruise into the house, drop his pants at the door, ask what's for dinner, and leave a trail of debris behind him as he makes his way to the living room... or office. I hear men these days spend an awful lot of time on the interwebs. Course, guess we all do...

Now don't get too beat up. It ain't all your fault. Your husband is an adult, not a child, so he never shoulda let you mother him to begin with. Partners are equals, but it don't sound like he even tried to be your equal. That's on him.

Beyond that, he ain't respecting you. You are a working woman, Desperate, not a housewife. It don't matter if you commute down the stairs or across town, your job is just as important and demanding as his. My guess is you couldn't 've afforded that nice new house o' yours without that job, yeah? So you deserve respect, just as much as you deserve love. And right now you ain't feelin' either of those things and if I was in your shoes, I'd be tempted to fertilize my begonias with some DH too.

But it don't have to end like that.

What you gotta do is two things: First, stop doing for him what he should be doing for himself. When my Charlie was alive, we went through a bout like this, but it was about his damn socks. That man would wear three pairs a day just because he felt like it. So I bought him a laundry basket an' his own soap, and stopped darning the things when they wore out. It took two weeks before Charles came back, promising to wear one pair a day unless absolutely necessary... I kept that laundry basket in his closet, though. Just to remind him I wasn't messing around.

Do you hear what I'm saying, Desperate? If the pile of dishes drives you batty, have a his and hers pile. He can't eat off your dishes, so if he wants to eat that chili you made, he'll have to wash up or go without. As for the trash... we're comin' up on summer, so I bet if you started putting it in his car, he'd stop forgetting to take it out. If he don't want to be an equal partner, divide up the house so you don't have to live in his unequal mess.

Second, you need to talk to your husband about this. Adult-to-adult. Apologize for treating him like a child, and ask him to start respecting you an' your job. Don' go on the attack here... nobody likes being attacked and he's learned to ignore you when you go on and on anyway. Just real gentle like tell him that you feel he ain't respecting the work you do. Maybe go at it like hoAsk what he needs, but be sure to make it clear what you need. If the man won't listen, find a pastor or a counselor to mediate. If he still won't listen, well... don't go so far as to bury him in the garden. If you do all this and he still won't change, he's proved he's just a man-child after all. An' man-children can't help themselves... they need mommy to do that.

If it comes to that, and even counselin' won't help, it may be time to give ol' DH the boot. Just keep these lessons in mind before you walk down the aisle again. You hear?

~ L. B. Whitman

Recently there was a lot of buzz about plagiarism in the romance world, which stirred up a lot of the familiar debates regarding the liability of self-publishing. While I in no way want to downplay how harmful plagiarism is (and I'll lump its cousin, pirating, in there, too), I am always surprised at how surprised the writing community is when it happens.

Y'all, there's a reason college professors pay for fancy tools that check their students' work for plagiarism. Plagiarism happens. We live in a broken world full of broken people who make really sucky decisions that hurt other people. Add in greed, and there shouldn't be any surprise when work gets published.

There were, however, two interesting things that popped up in the recent conversation that I wanted to touch on: the liability of self-publishing and the ethics of using a ghostwriter.

Publishing is a risk. Traditional, hybrid, indie... it doesn't matter which route you take, you are risking yourself and your work by putting it into the world for consumption. Well, #toughlove time: if you don't like that risk, don't get published. And yes, indie publishing carries a higher liability when it comes to things like plagiarism and piracy, but it's like being a free-range chicken. If you aren't in the pen, you may be free, but you may also get eaten. Terrible metaphor, I know, but it's something to think about when considering your publishing options.

More interesting, in my opinion, was the topic of ghostwriting that was brought up amidst the most recent P-word scandal. Questions such as, "Is using a ghostwriter cheating?" and, "Who is responsible for plagiarism?" cropped up, drawing out a thousand and one opinions across the internet ranging from snobby to blasé.

I may be late to the party, but why not throw my own opinions on this matter down?

First and foremost, I am pro-ghostwriting. It's not cheating; it's a mutually beneficial transaction between two writers. Having attended a talk by a man who has ghostwritten for the James Patterson, I can tell you that when ghostwriting is done right, the author still is almost as involved as if they were writing the book themselves.

The best ghostwriting happens when the author has molded the hired writer's manuscript like a master potter teaches his apprentice to mold clay. The work will always be a reflection of the master's talent and style, not the apprentice's. That said, the apprentice will be gaining confidence in their craft within the safety net of a functional learning environment. Even more importantly, hiring a ghostwriter can free an author up to work on another project that needs more of their attention and time.

Phew. That was a mini rant. #sorrynotsorry Now that I've made it clear that I believe ghostwriting is not only ethical, but beneficial to both the author and the ghostwriter, let's move on to the big, scary question at the root of all this: If an author hires a ghostwriter and publishes a book that is found to have plagiarized other works, who is responsible? The ghostwriter, or the author?

Whose name is on the book?

Ghostwriting is a service just like professional beta reading, editing, cover design or getting your hair done. Quality service is not a guarantee, and that is why it is your responsibility as the author to make sure you do your due diligence. You aren't just an author anymore, you are a business owner. So act like a business owner. Get a contract, understand the terms, and double check the work done by your service providers.

Wow, it must be a rant-y day for me. Hooey does this topic make me a little heated. Anywho, that's my ten cents on the P-word. I'd love to hear your thoughts about plagiarism, piracy and ghostwriting in the comments! Do you agree with me, disagree? Lay it on me!

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It's probably cliché for a romance author to say I'm in love with love, but it's so true, y'all! I've been addicted to the idea of romance since I was a five-year-old being given my first ever paper-cup bracelet from the cute kid on the bus. So it shouldn't be a surprise that I not only write romance, but I read a ton of it. Which is why today I wanted to share my #top10romancetropes with y'all. These are the tropes I live for, the ones I will drop anything (okay, probably not chocolate, tea or my child) to pick up and read.

Ready???

10. Second Chance Romance

You knew it was coming! I write it, I read it, I hunt down real-life stories of people who fell back in love... Add on a First-Love element, and hoo-ey!

I. Am. There. For. It!

9. Enemies to Lovers

They hated one another, but then.... *sexy growls* they found out how thin that line between hate and love really is.

There is a caveat to my love for this trope, though. I don't do bully romance (ignoring my addiction to Dramione... and Snamione... fanfiction. I just can't explain that.) Bully's aren't hot. I don't care how good that six-pack is, or how bad his home life is. If he or she is a bully, they're a bust in my book.

8. Sci-Fi

I'll be honest with y'all, I can't decide if Sci-Fi Romance is a trope or a sub-genre... either way I love it. And not just because of those big, blue ice-planet aliens everyone's talking about (although I am here for that!). Sci-Fi romance makes this list because it is incredibly nuanced. Even if you're just looking for some "blue daba dee daba die", there's always going to be an element of adventure and surprise because... well, those big blue guys live in the big blue universe* and that's our #lastfrontier.

7. Secret Baby/Accidental Pregnancy

Let me clarify that I only love these tropes when they aren't intertwined with the "Magic-Super-Sperm/Suddenly-Cured-Infertility" stuff. My husband and I have a zero percent chance of getting pregnant, and nothing sucks more than reading a great romance novel only to stumble into the ever-popular "my flu wound up being a fetus!" plot. No. No it didn't. I saw it a mile away, when you told Mr. Man you couldn't get pregnant so he could ride the hanky-panky train without a latex ticket.

No. I hate that trope and it needs a trigger warning. #Iwillfightyou Which is one of the reasons Tofu Cowboy is still my favorite romance where infertility plays a role.

But...

I do love a good one-night-stand turned accidental pregnancy or a surprise baby romance. It's babies, ya'll! I love babies. Yeah, not the puking, shitting, infant stuff so much, but babies are soft and cuddly and bring out all the warm, gooey feelings I usually make gagging noises over. So if you chuck a baby into a romance novel, and that baby isn't born because the infertile land wound up bearing low-hanging fruit, I will eat it up.

6. Romantic Suspense

Another trope/sub-genre quandry, Romantic Suspense makes the list because when it is done well, it is oh-so-damn-good! Who doesn't love a side of murder, mystery, and danger with their romance? And I know damsels are so eighteen-hundreds and whatever, but I still love it when they're rescued. #allthefeels

5. Marriage of Convenience

They married so he could inherit the money, or so she could keep the family farm, but over time their marriage became less about convenience and more about love! This is a sub-set of my #1 trope, so you know it had to make the list. I swoon every time!

4. Fated Mates

Don't judge me. I like the simplicity of two people being meant for one another. Tell me you haven't dreamt of meeting your soul mate? *looks over my glasses at you*

3. Opposites Attract

If you are looking for Enemies to lovers, but accidentally stroll down the wrong aisle in your local bookstore, you'll stumble across #3 on my list! I am a sucker for opposites attract romances, y'all. Is there anything more real than two polar opposites having to find a middle ground? It's like that Diamond Rio song, "Meet in the Middle", only better because it's in a book!

City human meets mountain person? Yes!

Rough-around-the-edges meets Bun-and-Stockings-Uptight? Muah!

Corporate powerhouse gets dismantled by local-shopkeeper? Give me more, give me more!

If I were a labradoodle, I'd be lapping this trope up like water after a long run!

2. Low/No-Angst

Y'all, I love me a good, short, Evie Mitchell romance. There's hot sex, minimal angst and I can read that thing in one cup of tea! Some days I just need to read a romance with little to no angst leading up to that happily-ever-after.

I know literary snobs get their bookshelves all mussed up because they think true romance has to follow a certain story arch or have a certain amount of drama/conflict, but I disagree. One of the best reasons to read is to escape reality, and I don't know if you've looked around recently, but reality is going through an emo phase right now. So I'll take my short, sweet, sexy, low-conflict romances over that shit any day!

1. Stuck Together/Forced Proximity

If you didn't see this one coming, you may not understand the entire premise behind the Inn at Halfpoint series. I adore this trope so much, I'm literally writing multiple books about it. And that's just in one series... y'all have no idea what else I'm working on. *wink*

I can't explain why two people forced into close proximity and winding up falling in love because of it makes me so damn happy, but it does. And it always has. I think some of the first romance novels I ever read utilized this trope, and it intrigued me even when I was fourteen and thought sex involved two people getting naked and lying next to one another. (Not my parents' fault, I literally forged my way out of every health class until I was sixteen and had to go to one in order to graduate.)

What are some of your favorite romance tropes? Are they on this list? If so, drop a comment with your top romance novel rec for that trope! I'm always looking for great, new reads!

*I'm pretty sure the universe isn't technically blue and some science-folk are probably freaking out about that misinformation. So, sorry if I got that wrong. But the sentence needed a blue universe, not some long, difficult-to-describe diatribe on how light-waves from distant stars impact the color of the universe, making it ever-changing, etc. etc... Technically the universe is more beige nowadays... and that's just a little boring.

We aren't going to talk about the past couple weeks. Let's just agree that they were utter garbage (aka a shit-show, literally) and that things are getting better, okay?

Okay! So, instead of talking about my diaper bag injury, and CK's hospital visit (he's okay, we fired the gastro and got a new one), let's talk about something so totally girly you'll be double-checking the URL to make sure this is Celia's page. It is. But this is kind of exciting news. And it doesn't make me want to take down doctors or assimilate with the Borg.

So, what's my big-a news? I got my hairs did!

Now, I know y'all aren't as excited about this as I am. And that's okay. Because for me, going to a salon is incredibly anxiety-inducing. Yeah, the A-word... I don't think of myself as a very anxious person, but something about going to a salon to have a virtual stranger ask me how I want my hair done when I don't even understand the lingo brings out the worst of my social anxiety. Plus, what do I do? Am I supposed to talk to them? Sit there and pretend I'm a statue? Share my life story and ask for advice like they're a cheap therapist???

Add on the pandemic, and I haven't stepped foot in a salon in over a year! Note, I didn't say I hadn't had my hair cut in over a year. My husband is actually pretty good with the clippers, and he helped keep the fluff at bay a couple times.

But y'all, as much as I hate feeling anxious and going to salons (almost as much as gastroenterologists who refuse to listen to you #notbitter), this time was so relaxing! Maybe it's because I'm a stay-at-home mom now and can go in the middle of the day when practically no one else is there. Or maybe it's because with a mask hiding half my face I don't feel like I need to be aware of my expressions as much. Who knows?

All I know is I am so glad to have my head buzzed again! After the shit-show of 2020, this was a big act of self care. It also felt like a fresh start and made me feel cute. Or it did until I saw how big my nose looks in these pictures, lol. Would you believe it's the smallest honker in my family?

What's something you've done to give yourself a fresh start this year? Got any self-care tips to get me through the next six to twenty weeks while I gather courage for another trip to the salon?

It is finally time. The second novella in the Halfpoint Sweet Romance series is ready for reading! Even better, it will launch on Valentine's Day for only $0.99. Don't miss this chance to get the anticipated follow-up to The Reunion at Halfpoint at 1/3 the cost! Check out the details below!

Sweet with Heat

Tanya Meeker did her best to stay away from Halfpoint, Colorado after graduation. She never liked the town her father whisked her away to when she was fifteen. And the residents of Halfpoint felt the same about her. Nostalgia may have brought Tanya back for her 20th class reunion, but it was the threat of losing everything that had her staying.

When the wrong contractor shows up to help her renovate her father's cabin, Tanya will be confronted with the past she has tried so hard to forget. Callister Bleil may be just another Halfpoint good ol' boy, but he is her only chance at finishing the renovation on time. Setting aside their differences to get the reno completed in just six weeks, the pair have no idea their time together may also demolish that fine line between love and hate.

But will a twenty-two year old secret, and the rumors surrounding it, cost Tanya everything?

Available on Amazon, Feb 14, 2021

Do you follow my reader's group on Facebook? If so, you may be looking for one of these:

Thirteen months ago, I was thrust into the world of stay-at-home momhood. We left Colorado for China in December of 2019 as a couple, and came home in January of 2020 as a family of three. While I initially intended to return to my job as receptionist and writer at our local church, it soon became clear that wasn't going to be a viable option. CK needed a stay-at-home parent, and it was simultaneously the hardest and easiest decision ever to become that parent for him.

CK and I did everything together. Eating, drinking, peeing... he was there with me. Jeff and I even chose to co-sleep with him to help the attachment process, so CK was there, his little head on my neck, his fingers pulling on my eyelids, asking for food at two-freaking-thirty in the morning.

I probably don't have to tell you how much I value the two-and-a-half hours of alone time every Monday through Thursday when CK goes to preschool. While we no longer co-sleep (God bless the safety tent we have for his bed), CK is still with me from dawn until dusk, every day. Watching Pink Fong videos on his tablet, acting out the Kung Fu Panda series, all the usual kid stuff. So when my darling, wonderful husband said he would take CK to his gastroenterology appointment by himself, I may or may not have offered to perform any sexual act he could ever imagine in exchange for twenty-five hours of absolute and utter solitude (not including the dogs)!

Well, today is the day. Kiddo and Jeff are off to Children's Hospital in Denver to meet yet another specialist who will become a part of our team. I stayed up way too late last night, woke up way too early today, and cannot wait to take a long, hot shower in absolute and utter silence without worrying about the safety of my child, dogs, or house while I do so. I've already finished one and a half books on my reading list for this week, have a head start on a new secret project I plan on launching by the end of the month, and have drank my body weight in tea.

Solitude, y'all, is really nice. But I'd be lying if I didn't say I miss my little buddy. Tonight they'll be home, hopefully with some answers from the gastroenterologist. I'll get sticky, little boy snuggles, show my husband my gratitude, and go to bed knowing that tomorrow my new normal will return. CK will wake up and it will be him and me making the most of another day until Daddy gets home.

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I'm not quite sure where the past two months have gone. Somewhere between a family crisis (no worries, it worked out fine), the holidays, and a Hashimoto's flare, I lost eight whole weeks. Like, haven't read a single book in all that time.

I know. It hurts me, too. My poor Kindle Unlimited membership is just sitting there, waiting for me to use and abuse it...

But with a new joie de vivre, and some updated medications to support my little butterfly gland, I am gearing up to jump back into it this week with four amazing books! Y'all have to know I don't just read romance and craft books all the time, so I'm going to start sharing everything I read: from Christian non-fiction to steamy space erotica and basically everything in between. And heck, I'd love to know what you're reading, too. I'm always looking for a new book or author to obsess over.

Speaking of obsessing... you probably noticed the author of the first book linked above is my favorite romance author, Mae Harden. I may be her friend, but I assure you I was a fangirl first. And I've been waiting to devour this little novella of hers since she mentioned she was writing it. I'm thinking a bath, some candles, and a little bubbly would go well with this book... but let's be honest, I'm probably going to devour it sitting in my office chair pretending to be working on my next book.

Next on the list is a book on Sensory Processing Disorder. My son, CK, has been officially diagnosed with SPD (although we knew he had it) and I need to start upping my game and learning more about how I can support him with this. It's been a hot minute since I read a good parenting/therapy/SN book, and I've had this one in my must-read pile for too long.

The love of my life, my husband Jeff, is a wonderful man with a good sense of humor and a thing for cuddling me while I cook. But he would be the first to tell you that when it comes to body language, he can be a little dense. I personally think he's better at it than he thinks he is, but book 3 for this week is one he recommended to me. Seeing how I write romance and need to branch away from arching eyebrows and smoldering gazes, I figured a little book on body language would be a lot of fun.

And last, but certainly not least, a craft book. I have a couple big ideas for some series of short romance reads, and this little e-book seemed like the perfect place to start. As a huge fan of Evie Mitchell (and yes, I wait until she releases a few books and then devour them in a single week/day/sitting) and a lover of reading a whole book in one sitting, I have been itching to toss my hat into the ring and try writing some shorts. I'm hard at work getting TRTH up (finally) and digging into ASI so I can get started on these new projects by mid-year, so keep an eye out for more teasers.

While I hope to dig into a couple more books this week, including Kismet in the Sky and Blue Parakeet, these four are my main priority.

Share your reading list for the week in the comments! Are you on a romance kick, or is another genre catching your interest?

As always, friends, stay Notty!

At the beginning of February, the business world was hit with the surprise announcement of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' plan to step down from his role as CEO of the internet superstore. While news outlets speculated on the impact this would have on the market, the company assured the world of their confidence in future CEO, Andy Jassy. As it turns out, the announcement didn't rock as many boats as some media outlets expected.

Andy Jassy has been at the helm of Amazon Web Services for five years, but as the leader in the cloud services market. But he has been with Amazon since the nineties (and let's not discuss how long ago that was), and many

speculated he was being groomed to eventually

take over as CEO. Bezos will remain with the

company as executive chairman.

There hasn't been a lot of buzz about the leadership change in the book world. Alongside a record-setting financial year, it is unlikely the new leadership will have immediate effects on the Kindle platform because of Amazon's origins as a bookstore. At the end of 2020, the company announced thousands of authors made over $50,000 in royalties through Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), with over one thousand earning above $100,000. This bodes well for the future of these platforms, though the book world should be on alert for change as Jassy settles into his new leadership role later this year.

The future CEO's immediate problem will be navigating anti-trust violations claims made against the company in the midst of the pandemic. Sen. Bernie Sanders led the charge against the internet juggernaut, and concerns over the Big 4 Tech companies (Apple, Amazon, Google and Facebook) having illegal monopoly power are a high priority for politicians on both sides of the fence.

I have the privilege of being a regular contributor on an amazing little blog called the Romance Writer's Support League. This blog started from a little writer's group on Facebook run by the ever-talented Mae Harden. Who also happens to be my book bestie and writes the hottest darn sex scenes ever.

From that group, and the tenacity of a certain Delilah Hall, the RWSL blog was launched. Our goal is that anyone, with any level of interest in writing, can go to the blog and find out more about the craft and business of being a romance author. More than that, they'll get real perspectives from real authors, all of whom are at different parts of their author journey. If you have even an iota of interest in writing romance, you need to dash over there and subscribe ASAP.

Personally, I launched my Trauma-Informed writing series on the RWSL Blog, as well as a series of posts on the Business of Writing. In the most recent BoW post, I shared my tips on finding and using Book Promotion Sites, and how to collect the data necessary to determine which ones work best for you. You can check out that post here. I hope if you're an author, you find the information in that post very helpful. But even if you're a reader, it might be interesting to have a peek behind the curtain and see what those free and discounted book newsletters and sites look like from the author seat.

Because I contribute to the RWSL blog, and write here, I don't have a lot of time to hunt down new book-ish blogs. If you have a favorite book-ish blog you think I'd like, share the link, and why you love it, in the comments!

Until next time, stay Notty!