As Thanksgiving approaches, I have a great deal to be thankful for in my life. I have a loving family, my health for the most part is good, and my books are doing really well on Amazon. This year, as I look back, wasn't the easiest for me. Let me count the ways. I accidently caught my kitchen on fire, my water heater flooded the back part of our house, the ATT security system guy fell through our ceiling and it had to be repaired, my Jaguar was totaled, I had gall bladder surgery, got the flu, got pneumonia. Whoa! That was a lot. I'm not here in a pity party because lots of great things came this way too. I guess what I'm trying to say, is that no matter the trials and tribulations, you will make it through. My Thanksgiving wish for each of you is to find the good around you and spread joy during this holiday season. Do something nice for someone.
Okay enough of that. I'm excited to introduce you to Renee Shelbey and her book "Stoically Yours." It is a book filled with romance that will be perfect for your holiday reading.
ABOUT THE BOOK
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If nothing else, Tabitha Merrin has always considered herself two things: mentally focused and emotionally guarded. Never before this year of her psychology internship have the two been more relevant. She just wants to keep her head down and finish the program but the two new guys in her life are making it difficult.
Mark Thomas, a handsome and intuitive musician, is trying to woo her but so is her clinical professor, who’s attractive and brilliant but not exactly available. Regardless, they both make her consider doing things she never thought she would.
For the first time in a long while, Tabitha wonders if she should drop her guard and open herself up to a relationship, but to which guy? If she takes too long to make a decision, will he still be there waiting?
It’s a fun, multicultural romance that invites you to peek behind the curtain of psychology internship, sometimes cringe at but mostly applaud the journey of self-discovery, and follow the path to boundless love.
Mark Thomas, a handsome and intuitive musician, is trying to woo her but so is her clinical professor, who’s attractive and brilliant but not exactly available. Regardless, they both make her consider doing things she never thought she would.
For the first time in a long while, Tabitha wonders if she should drop her guard and open herself up to a relationship, but to which guy? If she takes too long to make a decision, will he still be there waiting?
It’s a fun, multicultural romance that invites you to peek behind the curtain of psychology internship, sometimes cringe at but mostly applaud the journey of self-discovery, and follow the path to boundless love.
RENEE SHELBEY
Tell your readers a little about
yourself, where you grew up, where you live now, where you went to school etc.
Let them get to know the personal you.
I grew up in a small southern town, and now I live in a
different small, southern city so I'm full circle! I went to undergraduate
school at an HBCU or historically black college/university which was a great
experience. I also earned my master's and a doctorate in psychology at
different universities.
What inspired you to author this book?
I've always loved to write, even since I was a young kid. I used
to write short stories and novels when I was in middle school and high school
but got away from it when I entered college. Now I've just had time to get back
to it, and I enjoy it! I wanted to tell a story about someone going through
graduate school or an internship in psychology, sort of peel back the layers of
what you'd find there, and do it in a funny and meaningful way. Also, since I enjoy
reading and writing about romance, I thought it might be interesting to throw
that into the mix as well. In addition, I wondered if people would find it
intriguing to read about a sprinkle or two of social commentary.
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Where did you get the inspiration for
your book’s cover?
Ah, this was a struggle. I self-published, so I didn't have the
guidance of a book editor or literary agent. I've been learning as I go along,
so I first used Amazon's kindle create to generate a cover while also uploading
some available internet images. I didn't like that and found someone on Etsy
who created the 2nd cover, and then finally, I found out about Fiverr and found
a designer who could create the image I had in my head. I wanted to use a
silhouette and something more illustrated as opposed to a photograph. I tried
to convey that the book is fun and inviting. Hopefully, it does!
Who has been the most significant influence on you personally
and as a writer?
Well, I've just started back writing, and while I'm not entirely
immersed in the writing world yet, there are several romance authors that I
love. I think they write beautifully and bring authenticity to everything they
do. Those folks are Christina Lauren, Jasmine Guillory, and Piper Lawson. They
all bring something different and unique to the table but equally satisfying.
There's a whole host of other wonderful romance writers out there as well.
Finding the time to write was definitely challenging. I have a husband,
a child, and a full-time job so I have a lot going on like the rest of the
people in the world! I had to find a way to balance pursuing my passion and
book goals as well as spending time and taking care of the people I love. My
husband was super supportive though, so it was all good!
Stoically Yours is a fun and steamy romance book with
multicultural, three-dimensional characters that balance the contemporary
dating habits with the professional aspirations of an educated female
protagonist. The main character, Tabitha, is smart and driven as well as a good
therapist in her psychology internship but she makes some poor choices when it
comes to romance and relationships. She meets Mark, who's a musician and not
someone she would ever see herself with, but he pursues her, along with her clinical
professor, Dr. Reddy, who's unavailable. Tabitha has to decide who and what she
wants in a relationship, causing her to learn a lot about herself along the
journey.
My target audience is anyone over the age of 18 (because of
language and steamy scenes) who's interested in reading about a heroine who's
smart, funny, and captivating but who also makes poor choices at times and
eventually learns from them. It's also for those interested in romances with
realistic characters and situations that are sometimes messy like real life.
There's also an array of multicultural characters and contemporary themes,
which are things you may not see in many other romance novels.
I consider my most celebrated success as creating a warm, safe,
happy, and comfortable home life for my family.
I enjoy infusing contemporary, social themes into my writing in
a way that's entertaining and funny but also thought-provoking.
FOLLOW AUTHOR
Author website: http://www.reneeshelbey.com
Goodreads site: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19629428.Renee_Shelbey
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/renee.shelbey.1
Twitter: @renee_shelbey
FOLLOW AUTHOR
Author website: http://www.reneeshelbey.com
Goodreads site: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19629428.Renee_Shelbey
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/renee.shelbey.1
Twitter: @renee_shelbey
