With all the different social media platforms popping up to offset the Twitter dumpster fire, I let my own website crash and burn. I just forget about it. I also forget about Facebook so this isn't the only one. 

2022 was a year of hardships. My sweet, wonderful, caring mom passed away less than a month ago. I spent the last two months of her life by her side. My dad and sister had to drag me away and send me home to sleep in my own bed. We were so close. I told her she was my favorite person in the world and I loved her more than anyone. When I was a teenager, we butted heads, but I don't think you really start appreciating the sacrifices your parents make/made for you until you're an adult. Just know she was lovely and so many people loved her. It's been a devastating loss.

Because of her passing, I stepped away from writing for a few months. I plan to pick it back up December 1. It doesn't mean it'll be good, but if I don't stay on some kind of schedule, I'll keep pushing it out and I don't want to lose the momentum.

The good thing about writing is that there's always something coming out. I have a book Catch that drops January 1st, and a novella Cherish that lands May 1. Dreamer is the one I stopped writing but will pick that back up so hopefully it'll be released in the fall. The one thing I can say about my books is that they are all different. I don't always fall back on a specific trope or writing style. I have a football story, an age-gap story, and a story with a twists. Twists are always fun. I didn't realize how much until I wrote Shameless. Then I was hooked.

So as we slide into the holiday season, a gentle reminder to be softer to people. We don't always know what's going on in their lives. Not everyone knew about my mom and all the cancers she had. I had to be the strong on during her illness and now I'm broken and I'm afraid that the littlest thing will shatter me. And I'm not the only one. So many people suffer in silence and put on a happy face for show. 

Let's finish out the year strong. Thanks for listening.

xo - Kris

At some point, the world will return to some sort of normalcy. I know the doctors and experts are saying probably not BUT the last massive pandemic - 1918 - people made it through and hugging and kissing and partying was normal again. I have hope and faith that we'll get there again. Hopefully, by fall. 

I'm working on so many things right now and I love every single thing. I'm writing Always, I'm doing a podcast, and I'm working on my Patreon page and of course, working my day job. Staying busy during a pandemic is the best idea. Also, I got an electric bike so I'm now in a girl gang with 3 other electric bike riders and I haven't had this much fun since 2019. The weather is changing so I'm able to get outside and ride, walk, and breathe fresh air that won't freeze my lungs if I'm out in it for more than 5 minutes. 

I hope everyone is staying healthy - physically and mentally. I'm still in a very small circle and waiting for my parents to get their second shots. I'll still be careful, but I can breathe a sigh of relief that even if they catch it after the vaccine, their symptoms hopefully won't be as horrific as what we've heard on the news the last year. I don't wish COVID on anyone - except all the Republicans who don't think it exists or refuse to wear a mask, etc. But that's a story for Twitter.

I won't have a new book out until June, so I'm just hanging out and writing when I can. I'm editing as I'm writing which usually doesn't happen so when I finish, it won't be a mad rush to edit the entire manuscript. Stages. I'm learning about stages.

So, I wrote this super long bummer of a blog that summed up my 2020 thus far AND it accidentally got deleted. My own fault. I created a duplicate website by mistake (apparently you can do that with a single button) and put the blog over on the duplicated site. When I couldn't "publish" it, tech support realized I duplicated my website, and deleted it with the new blog so it's gone.

Basically my blog went like this...

2020 blows. I struggled with a lot of personal issues AND the added bonus of dealing with a pandemic and book deadlines and working a full time job. My mom's kidneys are failing so after the holidays, she'll start dialysis. I offered up a kidney but she won't take it. I told her I could take it back when she's done with it, but she doesn't want to take a kidney from somebody she knows. We'll see. That's a battle for after the holidays. My father had surgery 2x for skin cancer. The first resulted in 66 staples in his head. The second surgery was on his forehead and I told him to tell his doctor not to give him a scar like Harry Potter (FU JK Rowling) and instead, it resembles the Taj Mahal. Phew! That was close. Now they are treating the melanoma on his face with an acid-like wash that he'll have to do for two months. Here's a PSA: Wear sunscreen. My dad played golf his entire life with very little sunscreen and he's suffering for it now. 

Surprisingly, and possibly because of the election outcome and the fact that we might have a vaccine for COVID19 sooner than later, I'm in a better place now even though the world feels like it's imploding. I'm probably right, but I think I'm going to at least get a few more books out. I've written/edited 3 books since the pandemic started and it hasn't been easy AT ALL. The crushing weight of my anxiety had me question and second guess every word on the page, but with the help of my incredible editor, Ash, we got it done. Home (out now) is the floofiest floofy book I've ever written and I needed it. I needed the sweetness and the comfort of that story to get through the heaviness of muddling through a pandemic and the massive changes we all faced (and still face). Scent was a hot mess that required more edits than any of my previous books (besides Jolt) and I'm very happy with the final product. It's the 4th in the sensory series and I think my readers will enjoy it as much as the others. I also finished Brit Ryder's full length erotica romance Not Guilty and I took the extra month my editor gave me and came up with an ending 4 days before it was due. I don't know how that one will turn out, but I'm sure with Ash at the helm, it will be entertaining if nothing else. I mean, it's Shameless told from the other MC's perspective. It's before, during, and after Shameless so it's meatier, sexier, and has a kick to it.

I've been binge-watching all the shows, eating all the leftover Halloween candy, and shucking a lot of my responsibilities because this is the new me. You know what the new me found? A passion for politics. 2020 is such a turning point in USA history and I wonder if people really understand the magnitude of this election. It truly is everything. 2020 might be shittiest of shitty years, but it's a turning point for this country and I'm proud to be a part of it. A part of the change. And I'm just getting started. 

​So I wrote a book about a woman who wins the lottery. It really got me thinking. What would you do if you won 42 million dollars? After taxes and depending on where you live, you’re looking at anywhere from 18 to 28 million dollars CASH. I put myself in Serena’s shoes. How would my life change? How would my relationships be affected? I love my character. She’s a survivor of an abusive upbringing and she had to come to terms with her past in order to move on. She wasn’t great at relationships because she didn’t think she was good enough, so I introduced her to Gabrielle, her polar opposite, to see how she would react. It’s a story I really enjoyed writing because everyone deserves love and her story was amazing to see unfold. She’s deeper than most of my characters (deep like Lily), and also very hesitant at life. Watching her come out of her shell was incredible because she’s so full of layers and I looked forward to peeling them back to get to her heart.
 
2020 starts off with Temptation. It’s a book I wrote to cleanse my mind and my heart after writing such emotional books (Against All Odds, Listen, and Falling). I kind of fell in love with Brook Wellington. Powerful, strong, smart, beautiful, rich, and an ice queen. Meow! I was scared to write this story because it’s about a nanny who falls in love with her employer and I had to make it deep enough that would keep the readers invested, and still keep it somewhat light. It’s always dangerous when you are writing about children, but having dated women with children, I have enough experience to make the situation believable. Noah’s a great kid and I can’t wait for you all to meet him. My MC, Cassie Miller, had to grow up fast and fell into the best situation for her. There’s love and loss and so many tropes - I can’t keep up.
 
I can’t tell you how much I enjoy losing myself in my stories. I have always been a die-hard reader. I learned to read when I was four and we didn’t have TV so I literally only had books to entertain myself. When we finally did get TV, I saw a movie with Carrie Fisher and John Ritter (Leave Yesterday Behind) and right then and there I knew I was going to be a writer. I would go to bed early and think of their relationship and how I would have made things different for them. I was obsessed about this movie and would think about it constantly. I’m sure if I watched it today I would be like ‘wtf? it’s not even that good’ – but at the time, it was everything to me. It solidified me as a romantic, a wannabe writer, and a champion of love.
 
As 2019 rolls to an end, I wanted to leave it with a cute feel good story so I wrote a novella called Tinsel that’s out December 1st. It’s about a lost kitten who finds her forever home and manages to make two women connect and fall in love. There are so many things in this world that keep two people apart, so it’s always nice to write about the happily ever after. I will always write about true love, happy pets, and hopefully will make you laugh along the way.

Much to my delight, Breakthrough won a Goldie for Contemporary Romance - Short. I didn't prepare a speech because I truly thought Against All Odds would win; not Breakthrough. And I was going to hand the mic to M. Ullrich who would say great things about the book and the experience. I would whisper 'thank you' on my way off stage. 

When they called my name, I legit laughed. I was shocked. I collected my award and followed Lynn Ames and Karin Kallmaker who won awards before me by winging it up there without a speech. Big mistake. I completely forgot to mention my editor. THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN THE PROCESS! Ashley is the reason my books sound good. 100% trust.

I'm on a thread with two new writers and we talk about editing and writing and one of my new friends is skeptical of her editor. I told her you have to trust. Yes, this is your baby. You wrote 80,000 words, carefully, precisely, and they mean the world to you. But your editor has been around forever (a very popular name in lesfic) and she knows ALL THE THINGS. That's the best advice I can give because it's a joint effort. Your editor is your best friend when you write a book. She is there for you, night and day. My editor makes me call her so we can discuss things - not through texting or emails. Is it necessary? No, but it gives me the warm fuzzies and I like hearing her voice and her praise (even her ass kicking through the phone helps). 

Back to GCLS.

Summary: It was A LOT of fun.

I landed at the airport and rushed into the bathroom to change from my hoodie and Converse high tops to a nice shirt and flats.The rule is you are always *on* even when you travel. This bathroom had two stalls and was completely away from the rest of the world. The blouse was new - never worn it - and when I put it on, I didn't realize it had a giant gap where everyone could see my cleavage. It was horrible! I pulled it up so that the gap was higher up on my body and figured that would work for now. I was stressed because I needed to get to the carousel to collect my luggage (bad experiences in the past of lost/stolen suitcases). I figured I could work through my wardrobe malfunction in the cab on the way to the hotel. I opened up the stall and BAM! Who's there in front of me? Cindy Rizzo. I grabbed and hugged her and apologized for my wardrobe malfunction. Even she was uncomfortable. We laughed and slipped into conversation immediately. She and her wife Jenny invited me into their cab and we got caught up on our writing, our lives, our loves. 

I attended a lot of sessions this year. I met new writers, new readers, and hung out with several of them. I love seeing young faces in our group because I know lesfic will continue and still be important long after I am gone. Every single one of us is important in the writing world - whether we write it, read it, review it, or have dreams of being published one day. We watched a film on lesbian writers who made a difference in lesfic in the 20th century. I got choked up three times during that film. It's important to remember where we came from, who the trailblazers were for us, and what's to come in the future. Never forget the past. It was a very rocky beginning for lesfic and it wasn't that long ago. I'm thankful and fortunate to arrive on the scene when I did because there was already a large group of writers and readers ready for more. More books, more stories, more love. 

I loved this year's conference. Not just because I won an award (that was truly the icing on the cake), but because I branched out and met really nice, supportive people. Now I have to figure out how I'm going to divide my time for next year's conferences. I only have so much vacation I can take per year and the conferences are growing - ClexaCon, GCLS, Women's Week, Romance GenreCon, RWA. Ack! I need to sell more books so I can write full time and go to all of the conferences. They are too important to miss.

Summary:  It was fantastic. If you haven't been to a GCLS conference, you should go. 

Tomorrow I leave for the Con.

If you haven't been and you are an avid reader or a writer of lesfic, you need to be at this Con. GCLS encompasses all of the publishing houses, and tons of indie writers. One of my favorite things about it is that I get to see all of my friends - BSB or other - and it's the best time.

Panels cover hot topics, writers read from their latest books or WIPs, and you can hang out and talk to anyone. It's very friendly and I have the best time. You will, too.

Last year it was in Vegas. A lot has happened since then. I've met some really sweet readers and new writers and I'm excited to be a part of their growth within our community. Turns out, with 5 years' experience under my belt, I'm now a veteran. I remember my first GCLS. I couldn't have felt more a part of something than I did when I became a member. You will have all the good feels, too. 

Lesson #1:
Talk to everybody. We all have name tags, and for the most part, we're just as shy as you are.

Lesson #2
Attend some of the panels & readings. You might have never heard of some readers before and if you meet them or hear them read, you'll end up with more reading material. I promise.

Lesson #3
Get involved. Make yourself available. The quickest way is to volunteer for GCLS. They always need help - including CHECKING IN authors and readers at the Con. How cool would it be to meet your favorite writer right there as you hand them their check in materials?!?!? I fan girled so hard my first GCLS ... and I still do.

Lesson #4
Bid on the silent auction materials. It's to raise money for GCLS - so a great cause. Plus if I don't have anybody bidding on my basket o' goodies, I'm going to be distraught. We don't want that!

Lesson #5
Buy us things. Just kidding! Buy our books. We'll have our latest books available tor sale and we'll sign them for you. There's a signing on Saturday afternoon, but I won't be there for it. So if you want my signature, please find me Wed-Sat morning.

Lesson #6
HAVE A GOOD TIME! That's the most important thing. You'll leave the Con with a phone full of numbers and love in your heart. I felt like I finally belong to something. i found my people at GCLS and I've been so happy. I have friends all over the world now because of GCLS - some I text with daily. 

Don't forget to find me and say hi. I appreciate it when readers work up the nerve to introduce themselves to me. We're in this together!!

I couldn't have been more excited to attend a conference!

ClexaCon - EVERYTHING was there - books, Wynonna Earp cast & Earpers, fans, cool short films, art - so many things. I usually get excited a few days before I head out. Much to my chagrin, I woke up Wednesday with a horrific sore throat and congestion. I caught a cold. A crappy spring cold. I was ready for some Vegas debauchery and I knew that it would be limited until I got better.

My ears were wrecked from the flight to Vegas, but I pushed through the pain and hung out with my author buddies, because I love them and I have FOMO. Why go through all the trouble to attend something and then be sick in the hotel room? There were a few afternoons I had to chill out, but I really didn't want to miss anything.

Falling sold out in a matter of hours. Listen by the end of Friday. I didn't bring enough copies of either book. I'll know better for next year. What a great feeling! I met some fantastic readers and hung out with them outside of the conference. It's always fun getting to know somebody on a more personal level. 

Vegas is a fun town. There's wonderful food everywhere and gambling. I had a "gambling wife" I sneaked away with under the guise of buying coffee or alcohol for the room, but we really went to the tables. So much fun! Even when we got caught, nobody cared because it was just a great time. I want to do the whole thing over now that I'm healthy and can appreciate it more. 

Elle Spencer said it best... "ClexaCon, you sexy mother fucker. I miss you. Until next year."

It was a blast!

I'm finishing up Listen right now. I think it's going to be a perfect winter's read February 1. 

I'm excited about this one. Say it with me. Flawed character. Flawed. Beautifully perfectly imperfect. This is about a woman who goes through the motions of life, but isn't really living. She meets somebody who manages to slip through her (I almost said cracks here and thought better)... walls. 

My editor said it was *melancholy* but in a good way. For those who know I write fluffy floof, this will be a change from my norm. Still a good ending, and damn it! I teared up at the end. This happens all of the time. When I know I've nailed an epilogue, I cry. Forget Me Not? Bawled. Against All Odds? Tears. Falling? Sobbed. Listen? Choked up. 

So I'm excited to hear from you all and your thoughts on this book. I hope you will embrace it with the love and respect that you have the rest of my books. You will understand me a lot better after this as it covers a topic a lot of us have and deal with every day. 

Only a few more months! Trust me. I'm as excited as you are. :) 

Yipee! The schedule is out for PTown!  Please be sure to stop by, especially at the Brown Bag Chat - which was a total hit last year and I'm excited and fortunate to be a part of another one this year. M Ullrich, Maggie & I have a great hour planned and we hope you can attend.

Prizes & gossip. You can't beat that!  

Wednesday October 10th
Brown Bag Author Chat 
with M. Ullrich and Maggie Cummings
* Discussing Against All Odds
11:30 - 12:30 pm
Gabriel's 
102 Bradford St, Provincetown, MA 02657

Thursday, October 11th
Author Q&A
Love Letters, Writing Romance
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. 
Provincetown Library

Thursday, October 11th
Hold Your Breath - Moderating Panel
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Gabriel's 
102 Bradford St, Provincetown, MA 02657

Saturday, October 13th
Author Q&A
Your Name on the Cover: Publishing with BSB
10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Provincetown Library