I can’t believe it’s already August. Not just because summer is winding down, but because we’re officially two months away from the release of my first age-gap romance.

Last year, when I decided to finally explore this trope in my writing, a few things sparked the inspiration. One was an old idea I had to write about a couple who owned one of the most popular Black-owned luxury hotels: The Braxton Hotel. If you’ve read my Love, Hate & Revenge series, the name might sound familiar. The Braxton had always been in the background, and I’d wanted to give it its own spotlight.

That story never fully came together… but pieces of it made their way into my age-gap romance.

The real moment everything clicked into place, though?

After I rewatched the movie Soul Food.

Teri Joseph Deserved Better. Period.

I first watched Soul Food when I was around twelve. I saw it again as a teenager. Even then (at twelve then again as a teenager) something about how they treated Teri—the eldest daughter—bothered me. But when I watched it again last year as an adult? I was pissed.

I’m on my—I don’t even know what number—read through of My Only, and at this point, I’m reading more for pleasure than looking for things to add or change. I’m obsessed with all aspects of this story, sincerely, and to me, that’s a very good sign.

Every so often, I’ll come across a book I’ve written that makes me say, If no one likes it, I know I love it. And that’s enough.  

My Only is another one of those books. I’m confident it’ll be loved, but even if it wasn’t, my love will be enough. Everyone else’s love? That’s just extra. And it’s all because of these two.

Ayla and Hassani.

These two have officially secured their place at the top of my favorite couples list. They have. Their vulnerability with each other, their journey through forever… my goodness.  

While My First, My Last followed the theme of a track and field race, My Only follows the theme of architecture—from the blueprint to the forever home. And like My First, My Last, I really did something with this spinoff, and especially with these characters. It all happened in steps.

Steps to Building Hassani Franklin  

Step 1 – Patience  

Step 2 – Determination 

Step 3 – Emotional Security  

Step 4 – Vision  

Step 5 – Boundless Hope

Last year, when I was mapping out my calendar of stories to work on, this one, the one I’m about to tell you about, landed on the list. A little bullet under “future projects.” But then I started writing My Only, and once I was deep in Ayla and Hassani’s world, one of my favorite couples had such a tight grip on me, I genuinely wasn’t sure I had another story in me. 

When I say My Only is one of those books that makes you want to cancel everything just to get to the end, I’m not being dramatic. I canceled quite a few things just to land that plane, because their happily ever after? It was earned. And I wasn’t about to delay it… not even for me.  

But this post isn’t about Ayla and Hassani. (Although… one of the main characters from this story is linked to Hassani. But more on that much later 😉.)

Right now, I want to tell you about the story that brought me back to my laptop to start writing another book… my very first age-gap romance that pairs an older woman with a younger man. And my gawd, the sparks between them? Instantaneous. The second they’re on the same page… whew.

But okay, let’s back it up a little because of course, I have to give context. Walk with me…

The original spark for this story came from a series I wanted to work on that was tied to my  Love, Hate & Revenge series. The series would have been centered on a specific setting, The Braxton Hotel, which made its first appearance in Part 1 of the LHR series. I wanted to build something out from there. But many stories later, that original premise lost some of its shine for me.

Still, I knew I wasn’t done exploring the idea of a Black luxury hospitality empire. I just needed to find a new angle. And that curiosity led me straight to Arielle St. James—the poised, pressurized hotel heiress—and Micah Black, her rooftop lounge’s brand-new bartender.

Their story is a novella, but it feels like more. The kind of story where the characters started talking before they even had names. I came this close to pushing everything else aside to write it last year. But I’ve learned to trust the process. Patience really is a virtue.

And you’ll need a little of it too, because this story—How to Lose Control in 42 Days—isn’t dropping until autumn. On my birthday, actually. A full-circle kind of release.

I’ve got so much more to share about these two. But for now, here’s what I can give you:

✨ Temporary cover below (official cover reveal coming in September)  

Synopsis:

The final Sample Sunday for the Love is Cure series and only 4 more days before Sloth is released. Check out a sample from the final installment in the series.

📌Please note – this story is still unpublished, so text is subject to change. 

Simeon King is a character I’ve been eager to dive into. He embodies diligence—the kind of diligence that we often overlook but is at the core of everything we love in a main male character. Simeon’s dedication, whether it’s in getting the girl, being the best for her, or pushing through life’s challenges, is his foundation. In Sloth, his growth might not be as significant as Eryn’s, but his diligence shines in every chapter. His greatest struggle? Trying to distract himself from the lingering pain of losing Eryn, the love of his life.

 The Power of Distraction

One of the things that will stand out about Simeon is that he’s more than just a sports agent—he’s a businessman through and through. But his relentless drive isn’t just about ambition; it’s a tool he uses to avoid confronting his unresolved feelings for Eryn. Early in Sloth, Simeon says something in his first chapter that he walks back later, a clear indication that he’s been lying to himself. In truth, he’s been holding his breath, waiting to exhale in Eryn’s presence once again.

Simeon throws himself into projects, taking on nearly impossible feats just to feel the rush of excitement that Eryn once brought into his life. From his career to his social life, everything he does serves one purpose: to distract himself from the void left by her absence. Though he’s passionate about his work, there’s always the sense that something is missing—his heart is still waiting for Eryn.

A new serialized series is coming to Brookelynite Daily in September, and if you read When Luke Met Juliette or When Life Gives You Sunsets, you already know who it is. It’s called When Love Just Happens, and this spinoff serialized romance follows Esme Bennett, the good friend of Juliette and Clarke, who finds herself falling in love when she least expects it.

What to expect:

✔️Single Parent Romance

✔️Unlikely Match

✔️Opposites Attract

✔️Forced Proximity

Synopsis:

When Eryn made her debut in Gluttony, dodging her brother’s questions about her ex and her disdain for their hometown, New York City, readers immediately wanted to know more about Everett’s elusive baby sister. Eryn is a character who fascinated me from the start. I’ve never dealt with a character who hated my hometown with such passion, especially someone who lived there for most of her life. That made her a character I couldn’t wait to explore.

 Why Eryn Hates New York: A Deep-Seated Resentment

Eryn hates New York. There’s no way around it, and she doesn’t keep it a secret. She goes into great detail about why she hates it and even takes us back to the day that hate began. Her loathing of NYC is a major part of why she didn’t return after leaving almost a decade before her story in Sloth begins. Eryn has always been drawn to the idea of moving to California, especially during her last year of college when she realized her dream agency was out west. But her need to stay in California and never set foot in New York’s concrete jungle again creates a significant obstacle for her. Beyond the memories the city holds, it’s also where she experienced many firsts—falling in love and experiencing heartbreak. The place she’s vowed never to return to is the very place she must revisit to heal and move beyond the pains of her past. Writing her return to the place she hates and capturing her thoughts on the city I love so much was a challenge I embraced.

A Writer’s Dilemma: Loving New York While Writing Against It

A second chance romance is a story that brings exes back together, giving them another shot at a love once lost. This theme is central in Sloth, the seventh book in the Love is Cure, Vol. 1 – Vices & Virtues series. In life and in Sloth, one of the key elements of second chances in love is forgiveness. For the main characters, unresolved feelings and past mistakes make forgiveness crucial to their second chance. Their love is one neither has been able to let go of, leaving a void in their hearts that has persisted through their twenties and most of their thirties. Despite living seemingly decent lives, no matter how many people they date, their hearts have always wanted each other.

I’m thrilled to share that the media kit for Sloth, the final installment of the Love Is Cure, Vol. 1 – Vices & Virtues series, is now available! Whether you’re a blogger, reviewer, or simply curious about the story behind this book, the media kit is your one-stop resource for all things Sloth.

Inside, you’ll find:

– A detailed synopsis of Sloth

– Insights into the characters and themes

– Exclusive interview topics and questions

– High-resolution images of the book cover and author photo

– And so much more!

My book world is growing, and with that growth, the connections are becoming more and more apparent. I believe in the idea of six degrees of separation – “the idea that all people are six connections or fewer away from each other.” Nothing makes this clearer than the Love is Cure, Vol. 1 – Vices & Virtues series.

With the seventh book soon to be released, it’s time to draw the connections you’ve seen if you’ve been reading the stories in the order they have been released.

Some of the connections will seem unfamiliar, especially if they involve Eryn or Simeon, characters from Sloth. Those connections will be made clear once Sloth is released on September 19th. To reveal them now would be giving spoilers, and I simply won’t!

Character Connection Map

When I came up with the concept of pairing vices with their virtues, it was something I was excited to get started on. Opposites attracting offers so much material and opportunities for organic conflict to arise. It’s a romance writer’s catnip. At least it’s my catnip lol. 

I’m five books into the Love is Cure, Vol. 1 – Vices & Virtues series which is all about opposites attracting along with a few other tropes but pairing the vices with virtues is the core of this series, and soon it will have a new addition. 

Wrath, book six in the series, takes a very realistic approach to opposites attract. As with all the other vices and virtues, at the end of the stories, the virtues assist the characters who are self-sabotaging under their vices to reform, and they both get the bonus of love out of the deal. 

Wrath follows the same path when paired with patience. 

My new music reality show romance, One Mic, is set for release this Friday (3/29) and I’ve got the cast photos for you ❤️🎤. 

Unknown fact… character names are the very last thing I choose when outlining a story. Sometimes the name changes while the story is being written. A lot of times, I’ll just use whatever name seems like it would fit the story at the time of writing. That’s why a lot of my side characters have similar names in different projects 🙈 something I realize whenever I reread a story.

I’ve become more mindful of this naughty habit. By looking up names and purposefully not selecting names that sound like I’ve used them before in any of my 30+ projects, I’ve avoided this mistake. Names are still the least of my concern with a story unless the name contributes to the story in some way. Or I purposefully select the name. And that happened when I named my FMC Lauryn James’ name in my upcoming story, Wrath. 

I can’t believe I’m writing a blog post about the sixth book in a series I created 🥰. 

*Silent scream*

It feels like only yesterday I was announcing Pride’s (book one) release date. And now here we are five books later, and only one book (after Wrath is released) away from completing this series. 

Insane! 

I am so happy to share details about Wrath. There’s so much to discuss and so much ground to cover. I wanted to take a different approach with Wrath because this story differs from other books in my catalog. 

I’ve mentioned one character from Wrath, Lauryn, although she wasn’t mentioned by name. The mention was in a passage that appears in Envy (book four) in my Love is Cure, Vol. 1 – Vices & Virtues series. 

At first, Wrath was a story I dreaded telling, but over time, after developing the characters and finding another reason (albeit heartbreaking) to write this story, Wrath has easily become one of my favorite stories to tell in the series. 

The Concept

My next book release When Luke Met Juliette will go live next week, April 7^th! I’m so excited for you all to read this book. I was standing in my kitchen waiting for my coffee to finish brewing when I thought to myself, “I wonder what number book When Luke Met Juliette will be?”

I’ve stopped counting after Last Comes Love, it feels. Ever since then, I’ve I’d checked in on the number, but I rarely remember what number I was up to. 

#35.

We’re officially at story number #35, making it a milestone for me. And if there was a story that should serve as a milestone on my self-publishing journey is HAS to be When Luke Met Juliette.

When Luke Met Juliette is a culmination of everything I’ve learned about storytelling and what I discovered on my own just doing it. I am sincerely in love with this story and the breadth of these characters and their character arcs. 

There’s so much I want to say about this story but I want for some of you to read it first so I can talk with you and not atyou lol. 

With that said, there are some quick facts I can share about When Luke Met Juliette that I think you’d find interesting. Some of these will be facts you’ve heard me mention before, other facts you expect from my stories, but here they are anyway. 

4 Quick Facts about When Luke Met Juliette.