T.K. Rapp's Blog

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If you haven’t had a chance to read The Stand In yet, now is the time. My latest novel is currently on sale for only $0.99 and you can get your copy HERE. Read the story that readers are calling, “charming,” “delightful,” “a sweet romcom,” and “a fun and sweet read.”

And just in case you prefer to listen to stories, The Stand In is available is audiobook, narrated by CJ Bloom and Corvin King – you can get your copy HERE.

I hope you enjoy Becca and Evan’s story! Be sure to stay tuned because there is more to come!! Until then…

XO
~T

Listening to “Feeling Good Again” by Robert Earl Keen

Two years ago (I think) I was asked to contribute a short story to the Bookworm Box’s One More Step Anthology. I had no plans to expand the story, but I immediately fell in love with Becca and Evan…knowing there was more to tell. But as it happened, writer’s block hit me. HARD!

It was a labor of love and determination to get going on the story again, but once I got going, it was like riding a bike. (Except I fail miserably at riding bikes…my balance is crap!) Earlier this year, I released The Stand In, the extended version on my short story which was titled Opening Up.

Several months ago, I reached out to Erin Spencer with One Night Stand Studios to discuss audiobooks. I knew that it would be an investment in my work and dream, but it would be worth it. Here we are, months later and I have to say that I could not be more pleased with the finished product. They did a wonderful job producing the audiobook.

Narrated by the lovely CJ Bloom as “Becca” and the charming Corvin King as “Evan,” The Stand In is a meet-cute-meets-fake-boyfriend love story. With a handful of equally wonderful side characters, The Stand In is a perfect light weekend read/listen. I truly hope you give it a listen and let me know in the comments what you think!

In the meantime, I’ll been working on my next book, which I hope to release in the fall. Happy Reading (Listening!)

The Stand In, is now available on Audible and iBooks! I’m so excited for you to listen to this one.

That can be a depressing topic! But not all lasts or ends are bad, right? I’ve come to accept, though not always gracefully, the lasts in my life are simply a beginning to what comes next. And though I don’t always know what that looks like, if I trust in God, it usually turns out more beautiful than I expected.

However, m aybe that’s why I love writing, because I can “control” the narrative and the “lasts” in my books (so long as the characters don’t have something else planned!)

I always tell my daughters that I was put on this earth to be a mom to them. In my heart of hearts, I know that was the job He had planned for me and it was one that I was both eager and terrified to take on. Seriously, terror rounded every corner for me as a young mom. Age and experience didn’t help alleviate those fears, either.

For 20 years, I was a stay at home mom, first a foremost. It was the job that never stopped and the one that I relished. Looking back on that time, it was truly the best years of my life.

Now, during that time, I was also able to work from home. First as a website designer (with novice skills at best), then as a portrait editor and album designer. Eventually I became a photographer, then spent a brief stint as an SEO copyrighter, finally becoming a self-published author and home remodeler.

Are you still here? Did I lose you, yet?

Yes, there were numerous things I was able to try, but the mom hat was the most important to me.

Like most parents, I was thrilled to experience the “firsts.” The first time our babies crawled. The first time they walked, talked, and slept through the night (not necessarily in that order). Then there was the first day of school. (Man! Was that a heartbreaker!!) Watching that tiny little girl suddenly be a “big” girl to take on a full day away from momma. And then to add salt to the wound, the youngest started two years later, leaving momma alone all day long.

But, as life does, it goes on at a speed that we don’t really comprehend. It isn’t until we reach some other milestone that we think, “damn, how did we get here?!”

One day, I turned around and they were grown. No longer were they “needing” momma to tuck them in, because those independent teenagers were taking the stage to do solos, they were attending dances, going to football games, playing sports and driving.

Who can forget the driving?! Probably the scariest time in this momma’s life because I was watching her drive – without me, and praying to God that she made it safely to her destination.

It was an exciting time for them and I marveled as they maneuvered their young lives and all that was coming next. It was time for the lasts. The oldest would be graduating and had been accepted to college.

**Oops. Nope! Covid! “No lasts for you 2020!”**

Prom? – Sorry! No-go. But you can come back next year! (Gross! No!)
Popshow? – Okay, but it will be virtual. Enjoy!
Senior Walkthrough? – Oops! How about a drive-by parade!
Graduation? – Sure, but it will be a month late and only 4 people can attend.

It was a strange time, for sure. I mourned that my girl didn’t get those lasts, but she and her friends handled it with such grace. Then again, what choice did they have?

And yet, here we are four years later and our 2020 seniors are finally getting their lasts. College graduations are beginning and they are getting to say goodbye to their peers, standing in front of family and friends who get to witness the culmination of their hard work as they take the next big step into the real world.

I’m in awe of their resilience and so happy to finally get to see these young people get the lasts, they have earned and deserve.

XO

~T

What in the hell is that??

According to Harlequin Ever After, “Closed door romance means that while the couple may have sex in the book, it is either not portrayed on the page, or in some definitions has a fairly minimal portrayal compared to the steamier side of the romance genre.”

Over the years, I have read some reviews of my books where readers are disappointed with the lack of sex. I get it…if you’re looking for a steamy read and then end up with a “fade-to-black” book, it can be frustrating. And in that case, I might not be the author for you – and that’s okay. I respect what everyone chooses to read and/or write. There’s a place for everyone in this industry.

I tried writing something steamy. Once. It was the most awkward, clunky, cringy thing I had written. It was after this, I abandoned the idea of writing sex scenes and decided to embrace what felt right to me. As a result, I get the occasional message or review lamenting the lack of sex in my books.

As I’ve gotten older, I have become more comfortable, not only in my writing abilities, but in what I share through my writing. I’m fascinated by relationships – romantic and platonic – and that’s what I find joy in writing.

Recently, Molly McAdams (now Molly Barlowe) released a statement that she would no longer be writing detailed sex scenes and would be transitioning to fade-to-black or “closed-door” scenes. We connected and decided to create a group for authors who write “closed-door” scenes and the readers who enjoy reading these types of stories. Want to join? Click HERE

Before I end this post, I feel the need to say this loud and clear:

I do NOT have a problem with authors who write sex scenes, nor do I have a problem reading books that contain them!!

Like most readers, I enjoy a variety of books, genres, etc. My reading pattern is all over the place and truly depends on what is recommended to me by friends and readers.

Currently on my TBR:
The Women by Kristen Hannah
My Lucky Charm by Courtney Walsh
Unstoppable Love by Stacey Lynn
The Problem with Players by Brittainy C. Cherry
The Woods are Waiting by Katherine Greene

Leave me a comment and share what you’re reading right now!! Always looking for recommendations!

XO
~T

When the pandemic happened, I thought to myself, “okay, now with all of this time to myself, I will finally get to sit down and write another book.”

It sounded great…I mean, why wouldn’t I? What else was I going to be doing? There was nowhere to go, no one to go see, no stores to shop in, because we were stuck at home. So of course writing was the first thing that came to mind.

But that didn’t translate to paper (or computer) at all.

My oldest daughter’s senior year was interrupted, as so many others experienced. She didn’t get her senior prom, her final choral popshow, and while her graduation happened, but it was delayed and no one was allowed to attend except her immediate family. And then she went off to college where she, along with all the other freshman that year, experienced the weirdest college year ever.

I was experiencing my oldest flying the nest and I thought, “Okay. She’s off at school…NOW I can write!”

But wait!! I now had a freshman in college AND a junior in high school. There were quarantines, covid scares, masked musical performances, masked college performances, and all the other crazy things that happened that year. Those sort of, we’ll call them “distractions,” don’t make for inspiring writing sessions. (At least not for me).

***What you read above were all the excuses that I used to justify WHY I wasn’t writing. The longer away, the harder it was to get back into the practice of writing. VERY hard.***

Then I was approached by Colleen Hoover’s the Bookworm Box to include a short story in their One More Step Anthology. It was an amazing opportunity and I would be a fool not to TRY to get out of my writing slump. And the prompt was simple: the story had to start with the sentence, “One More Step would mean certain death.” From there, each contributing author was allowed to take their story in any direction imaginable.

I’m not going to lie…it proved to be a difficult ask for me. It seemed simple enough, but it was an exercise of patience, creativity, and more patience to come up with something. But once I started, it felt so good to flex that writing muscle again. I wasn’t sure anyone would read my little short story, so imagine my surprise when readers reached out to ask “where’s the rest of the story?”

In fact, I was signing at Book Bonanza in 2022, when I was approached by so many asking when I would have it completed. I had some of the story plotted out, but hadn’t sat down to actually work on it. (The story of my professional life!) The manuscript was staring at me each time I opened my computer while I scanned whatever gossip site, Facebook, and news agency – you know…anything to avoid actually working!

Truly, I thought it would never be finished, until my daughter became my boss. (I’m only partly joking!!) She sat me down, took notes, and then made a schedule – which included texts, bribes, and whatever else it took to motivate me to write.

And now, if you have read this far…thank you!! When I completed The Stand In, I immediately started working on the next story. I don’t know what comes after that, but my prayer is that it’s more writing. And maybe even some reading.

XO
~T

I need to keep myself honest, so I’ve decided to post weekly about what I’m working on. Perhaps it will help keep me motivated to keep going.

The Stand In was a story that I actually started about 4 years ago as a short story. I knew that I wanted to expand it, but it was going to take some time. I picked it up here and there, set deadlines, lined up edits, covers, etc., and then pushed it all back.

Now that it’s finished, the writing bug is in full force. If you haven’t read the story yet, there will be no spoilers here. But I. can share this…Lou is getting is own story. I am already in love with it because I loved Lou from the moment he appeared in the book. He is pieces of 4 of the wonderful men in my life and that makes him even more special. And his wife Ginnie, she is a combination of 3 very special women in my life.

No, it’s not a true story – nor really based on one, but inspiration has been drawn from real events.

This book doesn’t have a title right now – but as soon as it does, I will be sharing. For now, I’ll share a picture of this cutie, because…why not?

That’s a random post title, isn’t it? I agree, it is…until you learn that 4 years, 9 months and 16 days is how long it’s been since I’ve published a book. But who’s counting, right?

Me. I’m counting.

Publishing has always been the worst part of this writing life for me because it is so intimidating. This is when I toss my little story into the world to let it soar or crash on its own. This is when I open myself up to both the accolades AND criticisms of my work. This is when I have to push forward in order to keep doing what I love.

I’ve been writing for 11 years now. In that 11 years, I have published 10 books and 2 short stories in anthologies. I wish it would get easier, but I suppose if it was easy, it would mean I was doing something wrong.

Writing is the fun part. Meeting the characters, watching them become “people” and seeing everything in my mind is really sort of cool. Okay, it’s very cool! I love the entire process of writing – except those times when I’m in the middle of my manuscript and I begin to doubt EVERYTHING about the direction everything is going – but then I love it again. I don’t even mind the critiques and edits that go with the job because that feedback helps so much.

So here I am, 4 years, 9 months, and 16 days after my last novel, doing it again. Putting The Stand In out into the world feeling both excited and anxious about it. Will people like it? Will people buy it? Will they read the next book? Will they go back and read the others?

These are the questions that plague my mind, but I can’t marinate on them too long because I have another story to write. So here I go, back to the computer and writing. Good luck out there to my newest baby – I hope you soar!

XO

~T

2020 is over and it felt like THE longest year ever.

I don’t think there is anything I can say about 2020 that hasn’t been said before, but I’ll try anyway. How do you give meaning to something that has been as crazy as 2020?

You could probably ask ten people what the year was like for them and you’ll likely get ten different answers. So, for me, 2020 will always be remembered as a year filled with so much confusion, sadness, fear, anger, and ultimately hope. 

It’s strange to think at this time last year, my birthday was nearing, but I wasn’t worried about that because I was too consumed with the fact that my high school senior was having a bunch of “lasts.” Soon I would have to say goodbye to my baby (because she will always be my baby) and everything would be different.

Different. Yep. I had no idea what I (or any of us) was in for. I thought her graduating from high school and leaving for college would be all I would contend with for 2020.

IF ONLY!

As I prepared for typical motherly changes…I (and the rest of humanity) were hit with a global pandemic that has, to date, killed over 1.8 million people worldwide per Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. 1.8 MILLION!! The devastation of this virus seems unending. What initially felt like the premise to a horror movie turned out to be our reality.

Not that you’re unaware, but to recap, this virus has alienated families, created an economic crisis, and taken loved ones away.

It has changed the way we live our daily lives. I don’t think I’ve ever washed my hands as much as I do now. Nor have I ever been as jumpy when I hear a cough or a sneeze a mile away. It’s crazy!

Our children have had to learn virtually while parents transitioned from offices to working from home AND becoming teacher/counselor/playmate. Teachers have been asked to do the nearly impossible task of educating remotely with little support from the government. Businesses began operating via Zoom calls and email while families relied on FaceTime just to see each other. Empty churches started offering services via YouTube and Facebook for the faithful and essential workers stepped up to help make things easier for the rest of us.

Over the last 9-ish months, social media has become even more of a staple than it already was. (Honestly, I’d already feared for our youth’s reliance on SM, and yet THIS is THE way to communicate and avoid getting sick.) 

So while the world turned upside down, something else happened…I hope we found the silver lining. I don’t mean that to sound cavalier or patronizing. I know that MANY have lost loved ones to this virus. It hurts my heart to know that I have commented on numerous posts with the words, “I’m so sorry for your loss.” I have been fortunate that no one close to me has lost their life to this, but I know a lot of friends who have, and that is sad.

We have taken advantage of what the pandemic brought to our life. In my home, we operated at a slower pace. My husband has been working from home since March. Our daughters finished their 2019-2020 school year online. My oldest and my niece both graduated high school. I got to spend so much time with my kids who will soon be out of our house – time I would not have gotten otherwise. Prior to the pandemic, my husband would spend weeks out of the month traveling for work. Instead, we transformed (and by transformed, I mean we moved a twin bed) the guest bedroom into his home office so he could get some work done.

I (selfishly) got to have uninterrupted time with my husband and daughters. The four of us got to play games and work on the house while we adopted a new normal. We shopped, watched movies, tried new recipes, laughed, cried, and everything in between. We created memories that I will carry with me forever.

I saw more of my sister, brother in law, niece and nephew than I’ve seen in probably the last two years. We went to the lake together, the kids hiked, sang, played games…I mean, it was a blessing. These kids became closer than they ever have been. My sister and I made charcuterie trays (okay okay…she did…I just ate them), we watched movies, we floated in the water, we drank, we talked more meaningfully than we have in years.

The way we celebrate major holidays has been different, but leave it to my mom and dad to make it a really special day. Our Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings were spent outdoors on beautiful days where the ten of us enjoyed our time and thankful for the chance to spend some time together. They have a huge covered patio where we sit socially distanced near a fire and visit without a timer telling us it’s time to go. It is my getaway and it’s only 20 minutes from home. We visit my grandfather who loves to sit under his magnolia and while we talk about anything.

My family has been become closer – even when we’ve been pushed apart for safety reasons because of this virus. I am so thankful God gave me the chance to slow down and take stock of what means most to me. My family is my rock. I love them so much.

I’m in awe of the heroes – heroes who have always been there – who have sacrificed themselves to help others. I am thankful for these individuals who show up and sacrifice time with their own families to take care of those who are sick. I’m sorry that some people refuse to do the simple things like wearing a mask or limiting gathering sizes while the frontline workers work so hard – but that’s not what this is about.

I don’t want to end 2020 on a pessimistic note, I want to find the good. So thank you to those in the medical community who have spent tireless days and nights to help others. Thank you to the teachers who have had to work against insane constraints to teach our kids during a strange time. Thank you to the essential workers who have gone to work and stocked shelves, serving others, and done it with a smile in your eyes (because I can’t see your face…but your eyes are smiling). Thank you to those who are doing their part to see this awful time come to and end.

I have hope that this year, we will be celebrating a successful end to this crisis and that we (all of us) will find that we are better to each other.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

XO
~T

*End It on This – No Doubt…because I love it

I’m sitting here waiting for my weekend to begin…which should happen in about thirty minutes when the family arrives. I’ve really neglected this blog and a couple of weeks ago, I was trying to figure out – WHY?

The easy answer? I lack anything to say.

The real answer? I’ve been too lazy to come up with something.

Then it occurred to me that the time I loved this blog most was when I was interviewing others and sharing them with you – whoever it is that’s reading this. So…I’m posting now to say that you should stay tuned. In the coming weeks and months, I plan to share some amazing people: authors, students, professionals, SAHMs, and anyone else who wants to let me (us) in.

If you have suggestions of people I should reach out to, comment below. I’ll be back very soon!!

XO
T

*Listening to The Beatles…because…of course!