Clean Romances discussion

I've just finished my fifth book and it's a change of genre from historical to Speculative Fiction or as Amazon has put it Science Fiction - Metaphysical and visionary.



I'll yatter on about it another time but I just wanted to let everybody (well, perhaps a person or two) know that I now have a blog.

I expect many of you have a blog or two or more already. This is my first blogging attempt and it's here on Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
You have to scroll down half a mile.

Now I know you all have heaps to do but if you want to get to know my work better (maybe you don't but could you just pretend, please) you could take a look :o) And bit by bit you'll find out more than I should probably be telling.

Oh groan... a very kind person (xoxox) pointed out that there's a better, direct link to the sparkling new blog I've created on Goodreads. You may already have closed this post down and I wouldn't blame you, but I am trying, really I am.

https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

How do you make God laugh? I've a feeling I made him laugh a lot when I packed my bag and went to look after a puppy too young to go into kennels. I had such plans...

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Please take a look - despite the virus, various lockdowns, the US election, and the dark nights this really is a wonderful world.

Missing the puppy, I started to reflect (very dangerous) on what little Rosie taught me.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

And as the title of this post says, there's more to my blog posts than puppy ramblings. There's handy hints, jokes, wisdom in words and hopefully it won't send you to sleep.

Also, I wouldn't want you to miss out on my latest book's bargain price of 0.99 from 20th - 27th November. FREE on Kindle Unlimited



After all, if you ever get stuck for something to say, you could always lead a sparkling conversation with what lies beyond the grave. I bet no one else will start a discussion on that over Christmas dinner.

Bought a copy. Liked One Dark Night and just bought the second one, too.

Thank you! Immortality: This is Probably a Novel is very different from the Dark Moon Trilogy but it also has a delightful, wise cat in it which you might like.

I liked your profile! Made me smile.

I like a fairly wide range of novels, just not...those in which the female protagonist spends all her time shopping or in bed. Not fond of those really thick, really involved conspiracy thrillers, either. I suspect it only takes one idiot in the grand scheme to take over the universe to screw it up. And there's always one idiot involved...

Love cats. We have one who looks like the late Justice Ginsberg. Talks like her, too.

Kathleen says Talks like her, too.

giggle, giggle

It’s December and if you haven’t been given an Advent Calendar then it’s very easy to create your own version to shine out into the darkness. I’m not good at crafts so you’ll undoubtedly do better than I will. And, of course, you’ll also get a Sage Saying, a Jolly Joke and a Handy Hint if you follow this link:

https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

And there’s scintillating news on how far I’ve got with my new book. Ahem!

2021 – Surely not

We made it! We’ve got past 1984, the millennium doom mongers, and I hope you’ve avoided the virus too. 2021 might be the year for ‘all systems go’. I’m hoping for bags of energy. I’m off to a good start, I’ve published my January blog post on the first day of the month!

Here it is:

Pedalling to Pluto
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

I hope you take a look (it's short and sweet!) and say hello and happy New Year to some of our Goodreads’ Friends. (Yes, I give them capital letters.)

My best wishes to all readers, writers, illustrators and anyone else who’s passing through.

Feel good factor? Want some? Do a quick flick over to the blog:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

And please go ahead and add your ideas, the world needs you!

And to thank you, there’s a bargain at the bottom of the page:



It’s free on Kindle Unlimited or for a short time it's only 0.99 if you want to own it, or nothing at all if you don't want either of those options! Decisions, decisions...

Just got a copy. Looking forward to it, as soon as I finish revisions to my seventh.

Only just seen this, Kathleen! Mea culpa. Thank you a thousand times.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

The above link takes you to my blog with its usual sage saying, jolly joke, handy hint and bargain book and a little tale of a super cool James Bond.

Any writers struggling with finding a title for their book might want to know what “The Sea Cook” became.

For readers: This month’s bargain is

From 31st March for 7 days, 0.99 US and UK. The choices we make determine our futures. A romantic thriller mystery. If you like Poldark, you’ll probably love this too. And, of course it’s free if you’re a member of Kindle Unlimited.

Anna wrote: "Only just seen this, Kathleen! Mea culpa. Thank you a thousand times."

You're welcome. This must be synchronicity. I completed revisions on my seventh book yesterday (they took a lot longer than expected) and am now ready to read something new.

A little laugh here - I know that feeling very well and revisions always take longer than I expect.

Anna, have you by any chance ever read Gorey's Mr. Earbrass Writes a Novel? In it, Earbrass gets to the point of thinking he should just wrap the ms. in butcher's paper and drop it off the nearest bridge. I was beginning to understand the sentiment. https://www.amazon.com/Unstrung-Harp-...

I've just taken a look... lol

Writers write, some better than others. Even Charles Dickens wrote some duds though, so the Internet says. However, I am absolutely sure that my big flop is a bigger flop than Dickens’ flops.

Please rescue it - the hero’s having a hard time, they’re all out to get him and the heroine’s 12,000 miles away and being kept in the dark. Only you can save them from oblivion.



Immortality: This is Probably a Novel. You are invited into a mystery: intriguing, exciting, deadly.
0.99 in the UK and US until 5th May 2021. Free on Kindle Unlimited.

Can you guess which of Dickens’ books were flops? Take a look at my blog post for May:

https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

And you might also like to take a look at best selling author Josh Grant’s youtube video which tells you more, and you get to see a waffling woman too. He bills it as ‘the least professional talk show on the Internet’. I’ve already been told it’s funny - not quite what I was aiming for :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3CXm...

This novel is not a flop: your reviews appear to be uniformly excellent (I admit I didn't read every one) and judging by the star ratings, you're doing well. Even the switch from your usual genre didn't put readers off.

By "flop" I gather you mean it's not selling well. Unfortunately, I can give no advice on that subject, as I don't sell well, either. Do you Tweet? Advertise?

It's my understanding that for KDP published authors, it's easy and cheap to advertise on Amazon. I took an online class only to discover that if you aren't KDP, you're chopped liver and it's only marginally possible to advertise there. So you've got that advantage.

If you are advertising, consider re-doing the tagline or blurb.

Personally, I loved the blend of a blood moon, drug dealers, love, possum skins, supernatural events, and redemption.

Thank you, Kathleen. I loved your last paragraph!!!

Also, you may well be right re the blurb - I've written loads for it now and taglines galore.

One thing I would say to aspiring writers who wish to be successful is to stick to one genre! However, I write because I like to and my mind wanders into different genres and small genres too - I've told it off but it's definitely a rebel.

Today Immortality: This Is Probably a Novel is doing very well thanks to a Kindle Countdown Deal.

Thanks again, Kathleen, I really do appreciate your kind words.

You're welcome. I appreciate your novels.

But if I had one piece of advice for aspiring writers, it would be "Have someone check your work for typos, grammatical infelicities, weird punctuation, and just plain wrong words!" Actually, it's advice I frequently give on Quora in response to questions about writing, because KDP is so popular with new writers, and there's no gatekeeper.

How very true, Kathleen and how interesting that you write on Quora.

It happened by accident. I was trying to find out how long it took to sail from England to New England in the mid-eighteenth century, and an answer on Quora popped up. Somehow I got on their Digest feed. I can't resist a writing-related question.

It all helps to make life interesting! I get their Digest too but I rarely have time even to take a look but I remember how interesting it was.

I don't have time either. But there are usually a few minutes while waiting for the coffee to kick in, or after I've stopped writing for the day or when I'm between thoughts. Then I see a question like, "I have an amazing idea for a novel. How long will it take to write and how much can I make from it?" and I simply have to introduce a dose of reality.

lol. I can just imagine that!

I always thought I’d never start a blog. But I did and somewhere near the beginning I made a promise to update anyone who was kind enough to be interested as to what progress I was making with my new book. So this month’s blog post sort of keeps that promise.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

And I did answer the question – Is there a villain?
Whatever do you want a villain for? There’s a squirrel. OK, OK, yes there’s a villain.

There’s also the Sage Saying, the Handy Hint and the Jolly Joke – what more could you possibly want? A win in the lottery, even if you don’t do it? Dream on!

Here’s a book to make you dream:



is on sale for 0.99 until Wednesday 5th May. UK and US only (Amazon rule for the Kindle Countdown Deals).

A time travel romance with a dash of mystery and humour: How much does our past influence our future? Laura cannot forgive herself and risks her future to heal the heart she has broken.

How do authors think of an opening line to the first book they write? Until I wrote my first book, I don’t think I ever thought or even cared how they came up with something snappy or enlightening. But first lines of books have become famous. Think of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ or Graham Greene’s ‘Brighton Rock’. (OK, OK, I had to look that up.) Well the blog gives you one idea of how it happens. Rather embarrassing really.

Here's the safe link:
★ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Injections of Joy

We’ve heard a lot about injections lately and we’re told they’re doing a good job. There’s another injection doing a good job: something unexpectedly cheerful can feel just like an injection of joy. I won a prize! Definitely unexpected and definitely something good.

My blog gives more details. There’s also the usual sage saying, handy hint and stress reducer. And news of three of my books being reduced to as low as £0.77/$0.99 (similar prices for all markets) or a little bit more for the other three.

Hop on over to https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog... and share your idea of an injection of joy. Children? Grandchildren? Holiday? Meeting someone new and super...? Finally being able to meet in church or a restaurant or concert together again?

52 things to do once in your life - you may be surprised – they’re not quite what I expected. Take a look here:

https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

And you’ll find news of a greatly reduced PAPERBACK. If you think this world is getting stranger by the day, wait til you see what Chester had to put up with.




US$10.45 to $6.99;
£8.95 to £5.99
€8.95 to €6.99
Ca$ 12.95 to Ca$ 9.99
Au$ 17.52 to Au$13.99

These prices are a very few cents more than Amazon permits me to sell it for and they will remain until the end of October.

Please visit the blog for your Handy Hint, Sage Saying and Stress Reducer and you’ll be very welcome to leave some chatter in the comments box.

November’s blog post has something for everyone.

There’s something for readers – want to choose an Indie author for me to interview?

Something for authors – want to have a mini interview?

Something for everyone – fancy writing a drabble and posting it in the comments? Go ahead, have fun. A drabble is a very short story – exactly one hundred words, no less, no more.

You’ll find the blog here: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

And the cat’s been crying again. Ignored apparently.

I'd love for you to interview me. See https://BonnieMcCune.com
I've written clean romances, many short stories and articles, and now working on sci fi. PLease reply to email:
bfmccune@gmail.com

Hi Bonnie, thanks so much for your response. To find out more it would be best if you take a look at my blog as that is where I am picking up the names.

I hope you’ll take a look at the answers to the question “Why do you write?” Three authors have responded. It’s a bit like saying “What makes you tick?” Let’s see what goes on in their heads!

And, as the heading says, there’s a gift for you – a free world-wide gift of an ebook so long as you get to it between 5th and 9th December.

Here’s the link to the blog:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

★MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE★

And for those who don’t celebrate Christmas – I hope you will have a wonderful time as we run up to yet another new year – happy holidays!

I can never think of a resolution that I’m likely to remember beyond the first few days. Failure! But I offer you one which will make you think hard, and three which are easy peasy.

There’s also three more answers from authors to the question ‘Why do you write?’ Drop in to

https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

and see what they have to say – what drives them?

No ebooks on sale but



PAPERBACK is on Amazon in the US for $4.29 Makes a good present perhaps?

I wish you a happy and healthy new year.

February’s blog takes a look at two more authors’ reasons for writing. Writing takes up an awful lot of time so why do they do it?

There’s also a poem by a Goodreads member and it sure will make you think. Are we all sometimes guilty of this? Can we change? Does giving an orange, banana or choccie bar help? You be the judge.

I’m also asking you to share on the blog your favourite stress reducers.

The link takes you to a place to ponder and share:

https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

And what’s a ‘love that never died’? Hide in Time is a time travel romance about someone who regrets having misjudged the man she loved. Ouch!



0.99 until 2nd February in US and UK or FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Don’t you wish you could change the world?

Visit https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog... and help us do better in a troubled world.



It's reduced to 0.99 in the US and UK until 4th February.

In this book, Chester is paying a high price for attempting to improve the world he inhabits.

He has achieved his burning ambition to become an investigative reporter but what has he sacrificed in the process? And now he's become the target, will he survive to enjoy his achievement?

Off the grid in New Zealand, his quiet life is shattered when a stranger knocks on his door and takes him to the gates of Hell and back. He holds onto his sanity through the promise of returning to the one girl he has ever loved.

You are invited into this mystery: intriguing, exciting and deadly.

And it's FREE on Kindle Unlimited.

For Readers and Authors and anyone in between

Which of these four opening chapter sentences do you like best?
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

Which is your favourite opening line from any chapter of any book you have read? Please comment in the blog if you want to share.

And for authors, would you like to tell readers of the blog your favourite opening line from the first chapter of any one of your books?

As usual, there’s a bargain for readers:




One Dark Night is reduced to 0.99 in the UK & US until 6th April and, of course, it is FREE on Kindle Unlimited.

Here’s how BookBub describes it: “English Lieutenant Karl Thorsen won’t rest until he hangs smuggler Daniel Tynton for his crimes. Caught between them is Lucy Yorton, a young woman torn away from her life of privilege and thrown into a whirlpool of temptation and betrayal. Can she decide where her heart truly lies?”

The Joseph Store

Regular readers of my blog will know I like to chat about not only books but also good ideas for life. The Joseph Store is worth checking out in these difficult times. In times of inflation, it saves you money and that’s just for starters.

If you have ideas that help out in times of inflation, uncertainty and rising costs of everything except your income, please join in and leave a comment. And readers, it’s a good idea to check out the blog more than once because April’s blog received 49 comments so it’s worth seeing what others had to say.

Here it is: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...



is on sale for 0.99 in US and UK and also FREE on Kindle Unlimited until 7th May. Here’s what a Goodreads reviewer had to say about it:

What a beautifully written book. I instantly fell in love with the characters and cared about what happened to them. I loved the history, the little gems of information which sent me off to research further and the concept of the story. I found it believable even though it’s a work of imagination and fiction. Hide in Time is a must read for all those looking for a well written book in which to lose oneself. Highly recommended.

Jubilee Joy – many countries around the world are celebrating Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s 70th anniversary of service as Queen. Here’s a quotation from one of her speeches:

"On our own, we cannot end wars or wipe out injustice, but the cumulative impact of thousands of small acts of goodness can be bigger than we imagine." 25 Dec 2016

If you take a look at my blog https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog... you’ll also find a few questions about your favourite titles of my books but also, if you are an author, we’d like to know your own favourite from the books you have written and for readers we’d like to know which title of every book in the world (!) that you think is the best and why.

Also –Immortality: This Is Probably a Novel is FREE on 2nd June – and always FREE on Kindle Unlimited.

I woke up in the middle of the night to find the radio still on and a really happy song was playing. I hadn’t heard it for years but, even though I was half asleep, it made me smile. And the following day it still made me smile when I tracked it down on YouTube. It’s also brilliant to exercise to without wishing you were doing something else!

Then when you’ve finished jumping around, you can reward yourself with a flop on a comfortable chair with a whole trilogy of adventure, romance and mystery for $2.97 or £3.97 in the UK.

Take a look at the blog for further details:

https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

Does Your Life Have a Theme?

Have you ever looked back on your life and seen a theme? I doubt that most of us have. But if you have, I’d love to hear about it.

Here’s where to tell us:

https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

If you are a reader, I’d love to know what theme you feel authors never tackle. Or, tell us your favourite theme in books in general or in a single book.

If you are an author, please tell us how you arrived at the theme of one of the books you have written (no links please but do put the title).

https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

There’s also a stress reliever tip for the tough times ahead.

If you go to my Goodreads blog: www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/2... you’ll see a little more information but I thought some of you might like to know that I haven’t been twiddling my thumbs for the last couple of years, I’m actually hoping to publish soon… hope is a wonderful thing, don’t you agree?

Here’s some info on what should be published this September:

Title: Mistake in Time

Genre: Time Travel Romance

Available for sale: On Amazon Kindle and Paperback

Blurb: To keep this post shorter, the blurb is on my blog only at the moment.

Some chapter titles

Chapter One - A white sports car
Chapter Two - The old, musty case
Chapter Three - They will have no tomorrows

My first time travel romance, Hide in Time is a stand alone book and so is Mistake in Time but they share certain settings etc. This, apparently, means they are an 'anthology series'.

I hope you’ll enjoy a romp through time.

Time Travel Romance – Mistake in Time – New Release 21.9.22
As promised, at last comes the Time Travel Romance – Mistake in Time – New Release. Out in Kindle now and the paperback is sitting waiting patiently for Amazon to say 'Go!' It might even have sneaked onto Amazon already.
For 21st century career girl Liberty Taffet, the idea of making a catastrophic mistake is unthinkable. To get away from two-timing heartbreaker Dr Nicolo Nylander, she sets off to visit Regency England. She knows the secret, she’s done her research – what could possibly go wrong?
Landing in London’s Swinging Sixties pursued by two unknown men and unable to remember who she is wasn’t in the plan. Yet what fun. Until…
“The course of true love never did run smooth.” William Shakespeare

Reduced until 4th October in paperback and Kindle

Clean Time Travel Romance – Mistake in Time – New Release 21.9.22

Go to the blog for more info:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

As promised, at last comes the Time Travel Romance – Mistake in Time – New Release. Out in Kindle now and paperback.

For 21st century career girl Liberty Taffet, the idea of making a catastrophic mistake is unthinkable. To get away from two-timing heartbreaker Dr Nicolo Nylander, she sets off to visit Regency England. She knows the secret, she’s done her research – what could possibly go wrong?

Landing in London’s Swinging Sixties pursued by two unknown men and unable to remember who she is wasn’t in the plan. Yet what fun. Until…

“The course of true love never did run smooth.” William Shakespeare



Reduced until 4th October in paperback and Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.

Mistake in Time's first review:

Readers' Favorite 5 star review
"There is a wonderful romanticism about time travel. The idea of moving to a simpler period of history that we admire in order to escape the complex and messy aspects of our modern lives is a deeply appealing one. That romanticism is captured wonderfully by author Anna Faversham in her new novel which sees protagonist Liberty get so lost in the idea of escaping her life into the past that a mishap sees her sent to the wrong past entirely. The author’s prose does a marvelous job of bringing to life the feel and spirit of the 1960s, with descriptive writing that made me feel like I was walking down the streets of London. This gifted prose extends to the protagonist herself with quirks and mannerisms that made her feel fully realized and grounded in reality. Overall, Mistake In Time is a fun and exciting adventure through the ages with an engaging protagonist adventuring through a vividly realized vision of the swinging 60s. "

Phew! What a relief!

Mistake in Time

Prices are reduced until 4th October.

Also available on Kindle Unlimited – Free!

Have you ever made a mistake? Liberty made one that couldn’t be put right. In her haste to distance herself from her two-timing love-of-her-life, she sets off to go to Regency England. Simple. She knew exactly what to do to get there. What could go wrong?

Find out more on https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

“…rooted for her, as she tried to courageously navigate through her problems…”

If you fancy going on a journey that goes wrong (!) please take a look at Mistake in Time

I opened my emails at the beginning of October and got a shock. One of my oldest books had won a prize and I began to look at the dear old thing with new eyes – the eyes of the Readers’ Favorite reviewer, who is now one of my favourite people!

“One Dark Night by Anna Faversham is a very good book offering romance, danger, adventure, mystery, excitement and so much more and I found it was very hard to put down. I really was rooting for Lucy to end up with a good life for all the grief she had endured and was hoping she would pick the man I liked best. I also hoped that all the bad people would get what they deserved. Anna Faversham did a perfect job of combining all the elements into one winning story and I highly recommend One Dark Night be added to your reading list.”

I hope you will like as much as the reviewer did.

If you take a look at my blog https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog... if you wish you can also tell us how a particular choice changed your life.

https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

Blog with bargains? Yay! A blog with two bargains - more yays!

Time travel romance. If you like a romance with a little bit of mystery, a touch of humour and something of the thriller, then please grab a copy and visit another time, another place. From 31st March


Time Travel Romance: Landing in Swinging London wasn't in the plan - but it sure is fun. Pursued by both a goodie and a baddie, Liberty runs into a few problems, to say the least. Will she ever get to her coveted life in Regency England or must she settle for something completely different? From 27th March.

Both are 0.99 for 7 days and, of course, if you are a Kindle Unlimited member, they are free! Something to read during the Easter break perhaps?

What else has this blog got? There’s a very short Easter story for readers and you can tell us what your favourite genre is in the comments section. Authors really like to know who likes what!

And there’s a question for authors too.

Then there’s a completely daft ‘Random Act of Kindness’ and a couple of good ones to help this troubled world.

So here’s the link again: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...