Today is #ThrowbackThursday and I wanted to give you a glimpse of my first books that I published when I decided to write under my initials.

I grew up reading Nora Roberts, a fact that I’ve shared on this page before, so I was very familiar with her writing. I also grew up reading lots of Harlequin Desires and Temptations, Susan Mallery, Robin Carr, and Jennifer Crusie. (Bet Me is still one of my most favorite books ever! https://www.amazon.com/Bet-Me-Jennifer…/dp/B000FC1A8O ) As a reader, you don’t really think about what point of view or tense books are written in, you just pick up books based on if you’re read the author before, if you like the cover and blurb, or off a friend’s/family member’s recommendation.

That changes when you decide to write your own books, and not only that, what the market wants. I started writing in third person past because that’s what I grew up reading and that’s what a lot of my writer friends who are around my age also say. But, if you read as much as you write, you begin to notice a shift in what’s being published and not only that, but what’s 𝘱𝘰𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳. Because as a writer, not only do you want to write “the book of your heart” you want people to want to read it.

So while I loved writing in third person, in 2020 I decided to start writing first person present, as that’s what a lot of romance authors were writing.

I went around and around for a while because writing third person and first person is different and I didn’t know if I would be good at it. I started small, a short story that I actually give away as an easter egg, and then I felt comfortable enough to write a book. That book was actually the first book of my King’s Crossing series, 𝑪𝒓𝒖𝒆𝒍 𝑭𝒂𝒕𝒆, but that series wasn’t the first I published.

During the pandemic I wrote quite a few books then went back and edited them to publish.

Writing 𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑯𝒆𝒓 was fun. I did a lot of research on constructions sites, trying to figure out a way that would hurt Rick to the point he would never be the same but that wouldn’t actually kill him. I also wanted to add a mystery to his accident, one that Devyn, a reporter he meets during a blizzard, has the tenacity to solve.

It was supposed to be a standalone, but that never works out well for me, and it turned into a duet and the second book features Rick’s business partner Beau and Devyn’s sister Talia. 𝑨𝒅𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝑯𝒆𝒓 has a fun easter egg inside it no one has found, at least, as far a I can tell. But I’m still proud of myself for thinking of it and it makes a great way to use that short story because I wouldn’t have had a use for it otherwise.

So this Throwback Thursday I’m featuring my Cedar Hill Duet, the first books I published when I changed to writing first person present.

If you want to read them, they are available on Kindle, in Kindle Unlimited, and Paperback.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1PV65WD