Jen Robyn's Blog

This is a message especially for new writers starting out, to hopefully give them courage...

When I first starting writing, I did so simply for the love of creating stories that I would enjoy reading. Maybe one of the most important things to have for a foundation as a writer.

At some point, a friend asked to see some stories I'd written, and I hesitantly agreed, not knowing what she would say. I was pleasantly surprised that she liked the stories and wanted to read more. It is nice to know when other people appreciate what you have to say.

Writing for friends, family, and even a creative writing class is SO much different than choosing to share your words with the world.

When you publish a novel, you have to be brave going into a venture like this.

Realize up front that some people will like your stories and some won't.

Remember, one way or the other, your writing voice IS important. What may not mean much to one person, may mean a great deal to someone else.

And that is what you focus on.

Reaching out to those who will appreciate what you have to say.

Even when the going gets tough, be brave and share your words with the world. It will be worth it.

I love a good steamy romance novel as much as many other readers, so when I wrote my first Romance Fantasy novel "The Knight of Her Dreams," I definitely wanted there to be some good love scenes in it.

And there is such a range of variety when it comes to Romance novels, between mild romance, steamy romance, and VERY explicit romance... Wow!

With my characters, I decided to create a steamy romance, where yes there are plenty of hot love scenes. Yet at the same time, there are other places where it's left to the reader's imagination.

Because everyone has their own comfort level when reading a romance, and it was important to me to find a good balance.

I hope my readers enjoy reading them, and as always, I welcome comments to hear what you think.

Vive la romance!

If there's one thing I'm learning about being a self-published author, it's that there is no set roadmap, and there can be unexpected surprises along the way.

I had just completed a Free Promotion for my first novel "The Knight of Her Dreams," which did earn many downloads, yet I had no idea what to do next.

I had signed up with Goodreads not long ago to see what it was all about, yet my book was not listed at the time.

After the Free Promotion a few days later, a Google search revealed that it WAS now being listed on Goodreads. Not only that, but several people were reading it. I was pleasantly surprised!

So now I have an unexpected Author page, and a Blog as well! Thank you, Goodreads!