I know! Last week I said that I might just maybe have a new release to share this week...well...I don't.

Not for lack of trying, I promise.

I thought I'd share a little of my writing process with you:

Apparently I am what the author world likes to call a "panster." I write my stories by the seat of my pants. I just make it up as I go.

When I start a new book, I have a basic idea like, "There's a guy and a girl and they fall in love. There will be sex. And then they'll break up over something really stupid that could be solved with honest communication, but then they'll get over themselves and live happily ever after."

And I only know that much going in because I've read a romance novel before...and because I watched a lot of Love Boat with my mom on Saturday nights before I was old enough to go out on Saturday nights-- yes. I am old enough to remember Love Boat.

And the pre-teen me who had zero real life experience with love and break ups, thought that a lot of the Love Boat scenarios were crap because they featured a lot of fake relationships and poor communication.

Fast forward to current day Roxie and not only am I now writing about couples who could avoid a lot of heartache by communicating up front-- but I've also been through enough real life love affairs to realize that it's not as obnoxiously tropey as it once seemed.

So if you've ever wondered where I get my fabulous, totally original, never-before-conceived-of romance ideas...Love Boat.

Many snacks were sacrificed in hopes of completing the new match-maker book.

See that "something something HEA?" That's the extent of my ability to outline a book. Perhaps you can see some of the flaws in my method?

Not to fear, however! There's still half a box of Chewy Chips Ahoy (which I'm pretty sure are actually made out of Play-doh) and several Rice Krispies treats left. Not pictured here: the stack of empty Diet Dr. Pepper cans to the side.

What can I say? I like to eat super healthy while I'm working on a book!

Give me a few more days and I promise I'll manage to convince Hunter and Carissa that they just need to communicate with each other (wink) and I'll have this book spit-shined and ready to share.

Meanwhile, if you're too young to remember Love Boat the internet claims it's currently streaming on Paramount+. I highly recommend going in mentally prepared for some seriously cheesy late 70s to mid-80s television greatness.

~Rox