Category: Author’s Alley
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The House in the Cerulean Sea
(late to the party.. I know) …BUT this is one of those rare books that sneaks up on you. You open it expecting whimsical fantasy, and somewhere between a bureaucrat with a clipboard and a gnome named Talia, it gently dismantles your emotional defenses. TJ Klune takes a premise that could have gone full dystopian…
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Why I’m Writing Differently Now
Over time, it became clear who kept finding their way here. Parents who weren’t in crisis — just deeply tired. Still functioning. Still showing up. And slowly realizing that something about the way they were living was unsustainable. This piece explains why I’m choosing to write more narrowly now — and why parenting burnout deserves…
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Red Flags Are Cheaper Than Funerals
He was bookish, charming, and seemed promising—until he nearly killed me. Consider him officially off the list. Breathless is a sharp, darkly funny reminder that red flags are not decorative. Read it, laugh uncomfortably, and maybe rethink your dating standards.
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The Year-End Panic: What Indie Authors Should Actually Do Before 31/12
December has this special talent of making every indie author feel like they’re behind on life, work, deadlines, purpose, and possibly laundry. If you’re staring at your drafts, your goals list, or your TBR thinking, “I swear I had more time,” you’re absolutely not alone. I just posted a full in-depth article about the year-end…
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Building a Writing Room That Feels Like Magic Spell cast for Permission
Creating an ideal reading and writing space involves comfort, personal choice, and the elimination of distractions. It prioritizes how you feel in the space over aesthetics, emphasizing warmth, familiar scents, and boundaries against interruptions. Such a sanctuary allows for deep focus and creativity, fostering a connection to your true self.
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Writing Through Grief, Glamour, and Glitter: My December Writing Rituals
December writing is weird. One moment you’re nostalgic, the next you’re overwhelmed, then suddenly you’re crying into a mug of hot cocoa because your character said something emotional. If your creativity feels tender, tired, and glitter-covered, same. I just posted a full article about my December writing rituals — the ones that help me create…
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Holiday Romance: Discover Free Reads from Indie Authors
This Christmas, I’m choosing to shine a light on indie authors. The ones writing between jobs, kids, grief, healing, and late-night cups of tea. The ones building stories without big budgets, loud campaigns, or corporate safety nets. Over the holidays, I’ll be sharing free reads, hidden gems, and books that deserve more love than the…
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Holiday Book Sales: What Actually Moves the Needle in December (Hint: It’s Not a Snowflake Emoji)
December for indie authors is basically controlled chaos wrapped in fairy lights. Everyone else is out here pretending they live in a Hallmark movie, and we’re trying to write two sentences without collapsing into a pile of gingerbread-flavoured exhaustion. If you feel like your brain is a glittery pancake and your book sales make no…
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Author Burnout, But Make It Festive: How to Write When December Wants You Dead
December hits indie authors differently. Everyone else is out there baking gingerbread and pretending their lives look like a Christmas movie, while you and I are just trying to write three sentences without crying into a mug of lukewarm cocoa. If your brain feels like a glitter-covered pancake right now, you’re not alone. I wrote…
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How to Plot a Romance With Holiday Magic Without Turning It Into a Fruitcake
Holiday romance is magical… right up until you try to write one and suddenly everything tastes like glitter-coated fruitcake. If you’ve ever stared at your festive manuscript thinking, “Why does this read like a fever dream in a Christmas sweater?” you’re not alone. I just posted a full, in-depth guide on how to write holiday…
Sonia M. Rompoti, MSc, Bsc 