I'vev written closed door to about a 3, I think? (about three open door scenes per book). I read spicier stuff than I write. Since I started writing closed door books, I guess I focus more on the emotional relationship and add the smut to enhance it.

I'm not sure exactly what I'm getting into here, but I have two couples I'm drafting books for, so it should be those couples, right? There's my MF pair of hockey players (she calls him an asshole their first meeting) and the hockey player giving his childhood friend a safe place after a breakup.

On our dog walk this morning, I met a trope. Couple in their 70's, at a guess, she's using sticks to walk on a level path, he's slightly ahead of her. They both say Bonjour. He's grumpy, she's sunshine.

This was great. I used it to think about the next book I'm writing, and it helped me dig deeper into the characters. I'm a pantser, but I think this one will need less revising since I've done some of the work now.

Don't have a song yet but the vibes for the FMC will be like Confident by Demi Lovato.

Still contemporary romance, subgenre, hockey, MF

Two hockey players, so I'll need to check in the women and men's teams share an arena or not. And since sex at the arena wouldn't really be that romantic, I'll need where they live. And I believe the initial meet will be at a coach's house for a Thanksgiving for North Americans.

All of Us Murderers by @kjcharleswriter.com just hit the top of my holds, so I've got that on my reader and that's my day booked. Sorry if you wanted me for anything. #romancelandia #reading

Getting back to this after travelling. This book is the first in a series, so the supporting characters HAVE to be interesting enough for people to want to continue. It's a women's hockey series, so mostly the coach and other players. Just have to weave them in.

For the MMC, contact with his father. Phone calls, messages, memories. For FMC, since the PWHL starts later than the French league, constantly checking signings, rosters, hoping for a call. I think.

This one I'm struggling with. I'm more of an intuitive writer - I've read voraciously since I was a kid, so I don't actually know exactly how the Acts line up. Is this what leads them to make some big changes, or what they find out once they've started to change?

MMC has to reevaluate his family history with the knowledge he's been the golden child and FMC will be reevaluating hockey play based on being more of a team player. I think. I'm a pantser, so things change as I write.

The inciting incident will be when the MMC and FMC meet. She's going to tell him about his sister, which is going to change a lot of his beliefs, and she's going to see someone who puts team not individual first. Not sure they'll realize anything but attraction though. Hmmm...

With the two characters, I'm doing this twice. Hers will have to do with becoming a team player, acknowledging her dream isn't more vital than someone else's. His is related to his father - he'll have to risk losing his family to follow his own dream for his own happiness.

I write romance, so the ending will be a HFN, or HEA for the two characters. I'm pretty sure with these two he's going to be the one making the sacrifice to keep them together when their careers clash.

Been sick, so trying to catch up. I need to get a female and male hockey player in Europe together - been thinking the coach of the women's team might have a Thanksgiving for all the North Americans playing hockey in the area.

When faced with a setback, FMC could blame others, perhaps risk injury to try to reach her goal at all costs. Or she could face the uncomfortable truth that things are out of her control, and doing her best is enough, and that she's still worthy if she doesn't succeed.

For my MMC, it's family stuff that was set up in a different book. For my FMC, she's an only child, and her parents weren't rich. They sacrificed a lot for her to chase this dream, and to fail makes their sacrifice in vain. Her way to thank them for all they've done is to succeed.

MMC helps others and gets positive feedback after a lifetime of criticism from his father. He's great in the locker room, but avoids conflict. FMC pushes herself and others to succeed. May not be sympathetic to others falling short of goals, but she'll give her all every game.

FMC hasn't reached her goal yet because she's not one of those super talented hockey players that shoot to the top immediately. And that makes her anxious that she won't make it, which makes her work harder to be sure she's done all she can. So when her chance comes, she can't turn it down.

If she doesn't succeed in her goal, her parents will have wasted their time and money. She owes them. Her ex will be proven right. If he doesn't succeed, he'll have to either submit to a future he doesn't want, or stand up to his parents, and either option sounds horrible to him.

This helped clarify my MMC, but also started to make the FMC real. She wants to play in the PWHL. Her family sacrificed financially for her to play, and she had to choose between her goal and a relationship with a male hockey player. Specific, actionable, tangible, personal, achievable depends...

Number of main characters is easy - it's a regular MF romance, so two. He's from another book, but she's a blank slate. I'll need to do some research in women's hockey to fill in her character. I do know she's a good player, but not quite at the top yet.

This WIP is to back up my reason to request a visa to stay in France. So it has to be France, and it's supposed to include women hockey players. I've always written contemporary, so this is the setting I've got. But now I get to explore France and watch hockey as research!

Not really! I did come across something online that indicated North America didn't have an AHL system and players for women's hockey, so women went to Europe instead. So I transferred my women's series idea to France, to support my visa app.

I want to link this book to my Toronto Blaze hockey series, so the MMC is the brother of the FMC in the first Blaze book. This FMC will be a Canadian hockey player on a French team who gets called to play in North America. He's gotta give up hockey to follow her, but I don't know her story. Yet.

I'm a romance author, Canadian currently in France, and I need to plot the first book in the women's European hockey series that was the base for my visa to be here.

Doing a bit of promo here, since the proceeds for this one are going to World Central Kitchen. 12 short hockey romances, all set at a Halloween costume event. Authors were given tropes and costumes AFTER they agreed to sign up. #hockeyromance #charityanthology #romancelandia books2read.com/u/boxj7p

Boarding a plane back to Canada for a visit. Will probably say bonjour every time I enter a store out of habit.

I've been doing Author August 25 on IG, which is great to give you something to post about, but today's question was evil. What's the favourite thing you've written? How does one possibly choose one child over another?

In case I haven't mentioned this: geni.us/HockeyHallow... We’re celebrating with hockey romances at a costume party. Here’s the twist. Authors were assigned a trope and a costume after they agreed to participate. Will the results be frightful or delightful? Proceeds to benefit World Central Kitchen

Surprise!! The M&S story bears little relationship to what actually happened and shame on M&S for apologising before getting the full story from their own employee

Morning dog walk in Lyon. Before the heat starts…

Maybe it’s time to write a historical.

Yes, I'm just begging for attention. ;) How I ended up running a marathon, living on a sailboat and moving to France. nanreinhardt.com/author-spotl... #romancelandia #hockeyromance #whynot

So now I don't have to promo anymore, right? Right? books2read.com/u/47yzlj #romancelandia #hockeyromance

Almost done pushing this one. It's got a luthier and a backup goalie, rescue animals, and she's his coach's ex wife. Oops... #hockeyromance #romancelandia books2read.com/u/47yzlj

The worst part of the writing process - promoting my book, out on June 10. books2read.com/u/47yzlj #romancelandia #hockeyromance

I have a book coming out in a week. At least, I've moved up the date to the 10th, but Amazon is still showing the 30th, despite the fact that it also tells me I need the correct manuscript posted by the 6th. #hockeyromance #austinaces #romancelandia #enemiestolovers

Last day to get 120 Canadian romances for $.99 each! Here's where to find mine: books2read.com/u/mVY0n2 #hockeyromance #romancelandia

Allison Temple decided to start the 2-4 weekend in Canada with a sale of Canadian romance authors. (That's the Victoria Day weekend for those not familiar with the terminology.) If you'd like to support Canadian indie romance authors, check it out! #romancelandia #welovecanada

My first sale of my first self published book. If you need a distraction and like hockey romance. #romancelandia #booksale

Charlie is checking out Moulin Rouge.

We have arrived in Paris to start our living in France adventure. Jet lagged but happy to be here.

Author April asked about weird things I've researched for a book. I limited it to what I've looked up for the Halloween short story I'm drafting. Clown makeup, handcuff keys, pediatric hygenists and number of POC in the NHL. And it does all make sense in the story, I swear...

I'm also late promoting another book I edited that published 3 weeks ago (where does the time go?): PLAYOFF by @authorkimfindlay.bsky.social. NHL player male MC. Financial planner female MC. Family drama. Forbidden romance. Stands alone. #Romancelandia #Booksky 🔗 :: www.editsbykristi.com/playoff

I'm almost half way through drafting my Hockey Halloween short story and realized I need a title. And it should have the word play in it to make it follow the series. Titles are almost as bad as blurbs. #romancelandia

Today's Author April question was favourite banned book. Seeing the Hunger Games and 1984 at the top of the list gave me a pretty good idea what kind of groups want to ban those. #bannedbooks

Canadian Independent Bookstore Day is Saturday, April 26 and there's a contest to win gift certificates for independent bookshops. You need to buy a book from a Canadian indie bookstore on the 26th in order to enter. #CIBD2025 #CIBD www.indiebookstores.ca/cibd-contest/

My FMC is a luthier, which is a word not as widely understood as I thought it was. Do you know what that is?