I’ll tell you a funny story. Authors are told they should give away a reader magnet, or a “cookie” as it’s sometimes called, to encourage readers to sign up for their newsletters. I didn’t start a newsletter for many years into my publishing adventure, but when I started this pen name, I wanted to do things the “right” way, and decided to start a newsletter and give away a free book to get readers to sign up. I wanted to give away a novella, but, as I found out, no matter how hard I tried, I can’t write short.
I have never been able to, not with all the horrible backstories that I give my characters, and I wrote My Biggest Mistake, Rescue Me, and Faking Forever, trying to write something on the shorter side that I could give away. In the end, I just accepted it and decided to give away the shortest of those books–My Biggest Mistake–which you can find on the subscribe page of this website. That’s why I have so many standalones in my backlist (besides the fact that I just like writing them). Rescue Me was supposed to be short enough for a reader magnet, but as with all my characters, Sam and Lily didn’t care what I wanted.
I published Rescue Me on September 29th, 2022, and I re-edited it last year. I’ve always liked the cover, and even though he’s been used many times on other romance book covers, I was so happy when I found the model that I chose for Sam. He fits Sam perfectly, and luckily, that man’s been around the block! He had many many many poses to choose from and I was able to redo the cover using the same model. I love that! The cover will have the same author name and title, but a different background, model pose, and title font treatment.
I can’t believe it’s been four years since I published Sam and Lily’s story, and they deserve some attention. My birthday is next month (November 28th), so look here soon for the new cover reveal and a little thank you for being the fabulous readers that you are! In the meantime, here’s the old cover and a very small peek at what the new cover will look like!
If you like Rescue Me‘s current cover and haven’t purchased the book yet, do it soon! It will be going away in the next couple of weeks. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BGT13LPR/
I hope you all are having a wonderful fall, and if you celebrate Halloween, stay safe out there!
I’ve been pretty quiet for the past few weeks, depending on where you’ve been looking for me. Last week I went to Florida with my sister and daughter and had a great time! We flew into Orlando and went to Epcot, then we drove through Alligator Alley and found a hotel room in Naples where we spent some time on the beach. After that, we finished our vacation in Key West, swimming and lying on the beach. I only burnt myself a little bit, which was a miracle because I love the sun and the heat! We drove by Ernest Hemingway’s house, but because we were either going to or from the beach, we didn’t have time to stop in and look around (and my daughter and sister wouldn’t have been interested in that anyway). Getting back to Orlando was a long and tedious drive, and when we flew into Fargo, North Dakota, on Tuesday, we were all ready to go home, sleep in our own beds, and not talk to anyone for approximately 457 days.
Here are some of the pictures I took on the trip!
The beach at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, Key WestThe beach at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, Key WestThe beach at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, Key WestA beach in Naples, Florida, at duskThe view out my plane window, Fargo, North Dakota
We came back to some cooler weather, grey clouds, and drizzle, but fall is my favorite season and I don’t mind a bit! Today is going to be perfect for all the laundry I have to get done and cleaning out my email, which for some reason has 457 new messages in it. Funny how that works!
But, I’ve been busy with book stuff too, and before I left, I finished Cold Mercy, the second book in my hockey duet. Those will be released sometime late next year, hopefully around the start of the 2027-2028 hockey season, but we’ll see how that goes. While I was sitting in a hotel room in Naples, I decided to release Bitter Love on January 26th, 2027, so for the rest of this year I’ll be getting that ready to go. I’m really excited to get back to Jesse and Jordan! Bitter Love is a small-town, second chance standalone novel I wrote in 2025 that I’m only now getting ready to publish because I published Wicked Games in May of this year and wrote my Black Ice hockey duet first. So I’m more than ready to revisit Bitter Creek, Minnesota, and give Jesse and Jordan their happily ever after! Subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss out on the cover reveal, blurb reveal, and a chance to download it for free before it goes up on Amazon–though it will be available on Kindle, in Kindle Unlimited, and paperback like my books always are.
I’ve been having a lot of fun with Reels on Instagram, and if you like that kind of content, you can follow me over there! I’ve been doing better with posting regular graphics, too, and of course, since Christmas is right around the corner, I’ll be hyping up my Christmas novel, A Heartache for Christmas, and I know you don’t want to miss that! You can follow me here: https://www.instagram.com/vaniamargenerheault/
That’s about all I have for right now. It will be nice to settle back into my regular routine of work, getting Bitter Love ready for publication, and occasionally settling in to watch something. Last night I watched The Love Hypothesis on Prime, and it was cute. It had some laugh-out-loud parts, so I would recommend it if you have two hours to spare and don’t know what to watch.
I just wanted to pop in and say thank you to everyone who downloaded my Cedar Hill Duet while it was free. I hope you’re enjoying Rick and Devyn’s and Beau and Talia’s stories as much as I enjoyed writing them!
I’ve also been experimenting with Instagram Reels lately, and I’ve been having a lot of fun! If you’d like to see book snippets, behind-the-scenes posts, and updates about my books, I’d love it if you visited me there! You can find me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/vaniamargenerheault/.
And if you’ve been thinking about diving into my King’s Crossing serial, now is a great time! For a limited time the first three books are on sale:
♥️ Book One: $0.99 ♥️ Book Two: $1.99 ♥️ Book Three: $2.99
Hi everyone! I hope you are having an amazing summer so far! ☀️
I wanted to celebrate my Cedar Hill duet’s beautiful new look, but I also wanted to say ✨thank you!✨
Your support over the years has meant more than you know, and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than by making both books FREE through July 28!
Whether you’ve been meaning to read the duet, recommend them to a friend, or if you just want the new covers, now is the perfect time to visit Cedar Hill!
If you enjoy:
❤️ Romantic suspense
🛟 Protective heroes
🔍 Twists and mystery
💕 Emotional happily-ever-afters
…I hope you’ll give Rick and Devyn and Beau and Talia a try.
I always enjoy hearing about new books, so I thought I’d share a few that have caught my eye lately. Whether you’re planning a beach day, relaxing on the patio, or hiding indoors with the air conditioning running, here are a few new releases and upcoming books from authors I’ve enjoyed and am excited to support.
Melody Loomis has been working hard on her Storm Series novels, and she just released her fifth one! If you love contemporary romance featuring natural disasters, this series is for you!
When temperatures rise, tensions flare…
Never trust a Ford—that’s what Dallas Jones was raised to believe. For decades, the Jones and Ford families have been sworn enemies, and Dallas has no intention of letting his guard down. The family ranch, their legacy, everything they’ve worked for—it’s up to him and his brother to protect it. The last thing he expects is Kenneth Ford’s daughter at his door…and the attraction to her catching him completely off guard.
Alison Ford has always had a crush on Dallas, even if she knew it could never happen. Their families’ feud complicates everything, and Dallas has never even noticed her. But when her job as an HVAC tech sends her to his ranch during a brutal heat wave, Alison finally gets to know the man she’s admired for years. The spark between them is impossible to ignore.
Dallas knows his family would never approve of him getting close to Alison. Still, she doesn’t feel like the enemy he was raised to expect. But when the Fords sabotage a business deal, suspicion gnaws at him. Dallas can’t help wondering if Alison might have had a hand in it. Already in too deep, the thought of Alison betraying him hurts worse than he imagined.
As the land grows dangerously dry, fire threatens the ranch, and mistrust threatens his heart. Dallas must decide what matters more—holding onto old grudges, or risking it all for the woman who might finally make him believe that not all Fords are the enemy.
I’m excited to read Heat Wave, but I think I’ll wait until it cools off a little bit. Here in Minnesota, we’ve been going through our own heat wave, with temperatures in the nineties every single day for the past week. But it’s definitely at the top of my TBR!
Another book I’m excited about is my friend Jennie’s paranormal romance! She’s been teasing us with blurbs and snippets all summer. August 25th can’t come soon enough!
She aches to belong somewhere, and he’s determined to forget his past. Stuck in a cabin whose dark end is approaching, they’re both in denial, and one of them has secrets. Smokies magic could save them. If only he would allow it.
When heartbroken Faye Livingstone escapes to the Smokies, she hopes to reignite her long-lost creativity and the magic she hasn’t felt in years, but she isn’t prepared for the deficit of it in her beloved cabin or for sparks to fly when reuniting with the boy she once called her hero, now the cold company exec who owns Smoking Bear Lodge, and the man against preserving it.
In denial that magic ever existed here, Ty Woodlock is trapped, and he’s determined to remain hardened, even while his childhood friend thaws his heart. As they share their souls and their art, he finds himself letting go of lifelong bitterness, but it’s only a matter of time before she learns about his company’s deal to demolish the only place either of them ever called home.
Time is running out as darkness spreads, stealing what magic remains, and when unveiling family secrets, they discover that an ancient treaty must be honored, or they’ll lose more than just the haunted cabin. With death at their doorstep, will they be able to listen to their hearts once and for all and save the mountainside?
The last book I’m thrilled to feature is a “sweet” contemporary romance by DM Simmons! 🧁 I’ve had my eye on this book for a long time and I can’t wait to read it! It will be the perfect novel to dive into after all my beach reads!
Tess never expected Brady Hawk to walk back into her life.
Once Thornbrook’s golden boy—and her best friend—Brady is now an NFL star sidelined by a shoulder injury and fighting career-threatening rumors. When the media frenzy spins out of control, his agent has the perfect solution: a fake relationship to change the narrative.
Brady needs someone he can trust. The only problem? The only person he wants is the one whose heart he broke. For Tess, agreeing to play the part should be easy. Let Brady hang out at her bakery and flash a few convincing smiles. Then he can go back to his life and Tess, hers.
But when old memories that refuse to stay buried, and a chemistry that never truly disappeared, pretending becomes harder than either of them expected. As the lines between fake and real begin to blur, Tess and Brady discover the greatest risk isn’t the cameras, the rumors, or the headlines—it’s losing each other for a second time.
I hope something here piques your interest! I know I’m looking forward to reading them!
As for me and what I’ve been doing . . . I’ve been busy writing Cold Mercy, the second book in my hockey duet. These characters have so much to say, the book is practically writing itself, which is lovely! Other than that, we’ve been having fabulous weather for Minnesota. Hot and sunny, it’s just what I need before the freezing winter sets in.
In bookish news, I’ve set up my free days for my Cedar Hill Duet (Captivated by Her and Addicted to Her) and I’ll be announcing that soon in a separate post. They’ll be free on Kindle and as always, they’re available in Kindle Unlimited and Paperback. I recently redid the covers, and I’m really happy with how they turned out! Set a reminder to check back next week!
Next month, Rescue Me will be included in a huge book blast, but I’ll remind you as the date comes nearer. We have a little while yet, but I’m excited to give Sam and Lily some love! So get ready to stuff your ereaders! You’ll have lots to choose from to get you to the end of the year! 📚 ♥️
That’s all from me today. I hope you’re having a relaxing and sunny weekend! ☀️🌸
Talk soon!
Vania
PS: None of the links posted here are affiliate links and the graphics were made without the use of AI. Thanks!
I can’t believe we’re already heading into the Fourth of July weekend. 🎉 🎆 ☀️ Summer always seems to go by faster than I want, even when I’m trying to slow down and enjoy it.
As for what I’ve been working on, I’ve spent most of May and all of June working on Frozen Assets, my hockey romance featuring Beckett and Sloane. I’m happy to say that the ending is in sight! If everything works out, I’ll be writing THE END sometime this week. 🎉
I’ve really enjoyed spending time in their hockey world, and all the research I’ve done for the past year has paid off. Beckett and Sloane have been living in my head since last summer, and now that Frozen Assets is almost finished, I’m already looking ahead to Cold Mercy, which is about Celina, who is Sloane’s sister, and Trevor, who is Beckett’s good friend. Those two have made it very clear they aren’t going to wait long for their turn.
I almost forgot to mention that earlier I teased giving away Captivated by HerandAddicted to Her to celebrate their new covers and the glow up I gave them on the inside. I still want to do that, so check back here for an announcement after the holiday!
Besides that, summer has been filled with the usual mix of work, family, errands, and trying to enjoy the nice weather whenever Minnesota decides to cooperate.
I hope you’re having a wonderful summer so far. If you’re celebrating this week, have a safe and happy Fourth of July!
It is so lovely to say that all ARC copies for Wicked Games have now been claimed, and I wanted to say thank you for the incredible support and excitement for this release! ♥️☺️
Every time I put out a new book, there’s a crazy mix of nerves and anticipation, so seeing readers eager to dive into Seth and Avery’s story means so much to me.
If you missed the ARC, Wicked Games releases May 15th on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and in paperback.
Thank you for cheering me on—I can’t wait to hear what you think!
As for what I’m going to do now . . . I’m going to take a couple weeks off to relax, do some spring cleaning around my apartment, do some admin work that has crept up on me, and get my notes together for my next two books. Last summer–time goes by so fast–I teased a hockey book, which has turned into a duet, and I am so excited to start working on them!
So things may feel quiet around here, but I’ll be busy! Bookmark this blog or sign up for updates to hear about my dark and gritty hockey duet that will be coming 2027!
It’s the first day of spring, and here in my part of Minnesota, it actually feels like it. We don’t have much snow left, and everything looks a little… dull right now. Brown grass, all the garbage the snow was hiding suddenly in plain sight, mud everywhere—it’s kind of a gloomy vibe, especially on cloudy days.
But the weather is warming up, the sun will dry everything out, and pretty soon the trees will start getting their leaves again.
I like fall best, but there’s something about a new season that feels like a fresh start. You just never know what life has in store.
I should be getting my final proof of WICKED GAMES today! 👀 I made a few small tweaks to the formatting (including a blog post and an interview!) and adjusted the cover just a bit. Once everything looks good, I’ll be ordering paperback ARC copies. 📚
I’m really excited about that since it’s something I’ve never done before. I’ll still offer ebooks like I usually do, but sending out a few paperback ARCs feels like something special. I’m so proud of how this book turned out, and I can’t wait for you all to see it.
While I’ve been waiting, I’ve been re-editing my Cedar Hill Duet. I love those characters so much, and they deserve this glow-up. New edits, new covers… yep. They deserve it.
And of course, I have a new story rattling around in my brain. Beckett and Sloane won’t leave me alone—in the best way possible. I teased their story a while back (like… last year 😅), so it’ll be nice to finally “skate” into the world of hockey. 🏒
Have a great first day of spring, and keep an eye out for WICKED GAMES ARCs soon! ♥️
I love being an author! ♥️ 📚 I love when all the pieces of a book fit together just right.
When I first saw this cover, I knew deep in my bones that it was a perfect match to Seth and Avery’s story.
Set in a small Minnesota town near a lake, the background captures the moody setting where this story takes place.
Needless to say, I love it, and I hope you do too!
Seth On a cold February afternoon, I lost my son at a ransom exchange gone wrong. My wife left me a week later. Every morning I wake up alone in a house filled with nothing but their memories, and most days I can barely get out of bed. I need to get out of the city, and I go to a small Minnesota town to grieve and come to terms with my little boy’s death and the loss of my marriage. There I meet Avery McKay, who’s in Lakehaven Falls for reasons of her own. I’m not ready to fall in love, but I do anyway. In just a few short days, she becomes my lifeline—someone who understands my grief in a way that no one else ever could. As we spend time together, Avery and I discover that my son’s kidnapping and her sister’s death are connected, and we realize the danger isn’t over. When I’m warned to stay away from her if I want to keep her alive, I do the only thing I can. I walk away from the woman I love.
Avery In a dark alley covered in snow and trash, my sister was murdered, and the police think it was a violent act of revenge. Two months later, my husband left me for another woman. I came to Lakehaven Falls to grieve and to figure out who I am now that I’m alone. What I didn’t expect was to fall in love with a man who was as damaged as I am. When the detective handling my sister’s case asks me to write a goodbye post on her gossip blog to draw out her killer, I stumble across a devastating secret that connects her to Seth’s family. The longer Seth and I look for answers, the more dangerous the truth becomes. Someone will do anything to hide what they’ve done. Loving Seth could cost me my life—but the last thing I’m going to do is let him walk away with my heart.
Wicked Games is a standalone billionaire romantic suspense with an HEA. It will be available on Kindle, in Kindle Unlimited, and Paperback May 15th, 2026.
I’ve been a little quiet in my part of the world, not even posting on social media (yikes!) and I thought I’d check in and let you all know what I’ve been working on.
The release date for Wicked Games is getting closer and I’m so excited! I want to share the cover, but I have to pace myself, so I’ll do that in a month or so. Also, I’ll be getting ARCs ready to go as well. Wicked Games is a billionaire, small-town, romantic suspense with no third-act breakup. It’s a standalone, but it’s a little longer like most of my standalones are. Unfortunately, I won’t be putting it up on Booksprout like I have in the past, so if you’ve downloaded my ARCs from there before, watch this space or my Facebook Author page for access to those advanced review copies.
I can’t keep all the details all to myself though, and maybe you can find the hints in this graphic. Can you tell where this story takes place?
I’ve also been going back and dusting off my old Cedar Hill duet. Those were the first books I published under my initials when I started my pen name, and it’s been so fun to read those over again. I’m also giving them new covers, better ones that match the stories. I’m not sure the dates those will be re-released, but I will let you know!
Besides that, it’s cold, and spring can’t come soon enough! Pim is doing well. She’s been with us for eight months, but it seems like she’s always been a part of our family. I love that she likes to sit on my lap in the mornings while I edit and drink coffee. She’s a little menace who gets lonely, but luckily there’s always someone home.
That’s all I have for this month. I hope you all are having a great start to the New Year!
