That’s a Wrap—The B Word in Stores Today!

About three years ago, I sat in a coffee shop with my good friend and fellow author Angelina Lopez. We were talking about the always-challenging state of publishing. She was celebrating the well-deserved success of her Filthy Rich series. I was questioning what my next writing steps would be. At the time, I was frustrated that no stories were “speaking” to me. Nothing was demanding my attention. No story seemed worth the time it would take to write. But then…

Then COVID happened.

Like most of us, I was stunned for the first few months of the pandemic. I couldn’t imagine writing, much less writing love stories, with happy endings. I was too worried for friends and family and absolute strangers. I was too frustrated by supply shortages. I was too frightened for the future.

But we humans are infinitely adaptable. And one morning, when I woke up to yet another day of lockdown, I realized that I could tell a story—a love story, even, with a guaranteed happy ending. I started writing The C Word, and the Love in 2020 Series was born.

It hasn’t been easy. (Pandemic life, or writing, but I’ll stick to writing here…)

Some readers were afraid to embrace a romance set during a pandemic. Some readers were scared off by my saucy titles. Amazon refused to let me advertise the second book, The F Word, because my title might corrupt minors. Even today’s launch of The B Word is experiencing hiccups because Amazon won’t let readers leave reviews.

But I love my pandemic heroines and heroes. I love their indomitable spirit as they find paths through coronachaos. I love their determination as they build positive lives out of frightening surroundings. I love their willingness to take risks and enjoy rewards when the world around them seems more stressful than ever.

The B Word is the last of the Love in 2020 Series. It starts at the beginning of the pandemic and ends with the introduction of vaccines. Standing completely on its own, it closes the arcs of its main characters, reaching out with a friendly gesture toward some of the heroes and heroines from earlier books.

Here’s the back-of-the-book blurb:

 

But Liam Thomas, the reluctant mayor of Black Duck, is determined to see Emily fail. The calm, reserved mountain man has a town to protect from invading corporate interests.

 

Emily is a fish out of water in small town Black Duck. Liam is equally at odds with life in big city Washington, DC. But opposites attract—and THIS attraction burns hotter than Emily and Liam’s arguments over who should own the town.

 

How can these star-crossed lovers remain true to themselves and the people who depend on them when they can’t even agree on what to eat for dinner?