Writing Wednesdays: Student Collaboration Inspired by Bluewater Billionaires

My seventh graders love to write stories. This year I’ve asked them to always have a writing piece they’re working on. Sometimes this might be directed by me, like writing a book review blog post. In other instances we don’t have a writing piece they are assigned, so they’re welcome to write anything they want. Here is where I find them pairing up and collaborating on a story together. I’m fascinated by it.

When I was in middle school, or even today, if you told me I had to pair up with a friend and create a fiction story for the two of us to work on, my anxiety would have approached the extreme. It is no secret to those who know me that I have a small issue with control. Having a writing partner where we’re working on the same document sounds like a version of hell on earth in my brain. That held true until I read the first book(s) in a new romance series this weekend.

This is not a series for my students, but for me. The Bluewater Billionaires is a series coming out from several of my favorite authors. 

• Book One: The Price of Scandal by Lucy Score
• Book Two: The Mogul and the Muscle by Claire Kingsley 
• Book Three: Wild Open Hearts by Kathryn Nolan 
• Book Four: Crazy For Loving You by Pippa Grant

Books one and two are out now. I read them, fascinated. See, there is a female lead for each book. All four are introduced in the first book because they are a core group of friends. So far, one book takes place after the next. As I read, I found myself falling in love with the characters and marveling at how the authors crafted these stories.

After reading for a day, I reached out to one of the authors, Claire Kingsley. How did they create this world together, but write their own stories? Claire explained that the four of them came up with the concept together - what the world looked like, who was in it, etc. They each created their own main characters and the storyline for their own book. They had a spreadsheet that kept track of all of the info on the characters that was shared among the four authors. And early drafts were read by the group for consistency. 

I love the possibilities of student writers trying this out. Right now my students love pairing up and trying to write a story together. That collaboration is fun, but what if this could be more? What if they could create the world and some main characters together, but then each write their own stories that build off the other’s? That could be powerful.

What do you think? Have your writers tried anything like this? What successes have you had with kids writing together? What pitfalls? And, of course, if you’re looking for some great books to read just for you, try the Bluewater Billionaires series out. It is a lot of fun. Then go check out all of the books by these amazing authors. You will be glad you did.

Bookstore Romance Day - Reading Recommendations

Today is Bookstore Romance Day, something independent bookstores are celebrating across our country. To celebrate today, I wrote a post for our local independent bookstore, Hartfield Book Co., about the reasons to read romance books. You can check it out HERE. 

As a teacher, I tell my students that I will honor anything they want to read. Graphic novels for days? You bet. Reread a favorite book or series, absolutely that counts as reading. Below their level, above their level? Why not? I am not here to shame any reader, I simply want them to read. I want them to fall in love with books the way I have. Will that happen for every single kid, every single year? Nope, but I still try. 

Imagine my surprise when I dove back into reading romance books in the summer of 2017 and recommended them to friends. There were many comments about reading “those books” or raised eyebrows. Not cool, friends. Not cool. 

I am willing to shout it from the rooftops, I love romance books. I love the fact that one of the defining characteristics of a romance book is that there is a happily ever after for the main characters. I love that when I’m stressed, these books help me feel better. I love that I read books that celebrate and empower women. I love the supportive community that is the romance writing community. And above all, I love that these books have inspired me to chase a long ago childhood dream of writing my own book. 

With a crazy amount of new books flooding the market everyday, it’s intimidating to try and find books to read. My number one way of finding new romance novels is talking to friends who read the genre. Also, I follow authors I love on social media and they often sing the praises of new books that are similar to theirs. In honor of Bookstore Romance Day, I’ve attempted to do the impossible and tried to come up with a top ten list of romance book recommendations below. Really, I cheated, because I only listed each author once, allowinng me to squeeze in a lot more recommendations. But truly, go read any books by that author and you won’t be disappointed. 

Here we go...

*****

10. Kristen Ashley - Breathe

I had to begin with this book because this was what got me back into romance. I googled “librarian romance book” and this came up. Reading it, I realized it was the middle of a series. I went back and read the first four. Then I realized Kristen had written over forty books and I bought them all. Seriously. The Rock Chicks is one of my favorite series of all time. It would be fabulous on Netflix. Bounty in The Colorado Mountain series is one of my favorite books of all time. The male lead of that book, Deke, makes me think of Jason Momoa. Ahhhh. So yes, read Breathe, or any of Ashley’s book. You’ll be glad you did.

9. Robyn Carr - Virgin River

I have no idea how I found the Virgin River series. I know a friend told me about Carr’s Thunder Point series, which I loved, but somehow I made my way over to Virgin River. The series has been optioned for a Netflix series, which would be amazing. What I loved about this was that while there is a couple at the core of each book, other storylines overlap from book to book. I’m a sucker for a small town romance, which is obvious from many of my favorites, and this twenty book series melts my heart. 

8. Melonie Johnson - Getting Hot with the Scot

Let’s celebrate this Illinois author, Melonie Johnson! Melonie had my dream come true, she had a publisher pick up a three book series for her first published books. Getting Hot with the Scott is the first of a three book (for now) series about five college friends who, in this book, head to Europe on a trip five years after college vacation. I’ve read all three books and am praying the publisher options the next two ASAP.

7. Abby Jimenez - The Friend Zone

This is Abby’s first book. She’s actually more well known for her baking ability after competing on Cupcake Wars, or the three bakeries she owns called Nadia’s Cakes. In The Friend Zone, the main character of Kristen is planning to get a hysterectomy, even though she’s only twenty-nine, due to a medical condition. She meets Josh and is immediately attracted to him, but puts him in the friend zone since she won’t be able to have a family. This book took me from hilarious laughter to the ugly cry, and back. I cannot wait to read the next in the series in 2020.

6. Penny Reid - Neanderthal Seeks Human

I had a really difficult time picking a Penny Reid book. The woman is amazing and I’ll read anything she writes. Her Winston Brothers series is likely one of my all time favorite series, but I think you need to start with the Knitting in the City series, of which this is the first book, because it feeds into the Winston Brothers with book five of this series crossing over to be like a prequel to that series. Penny’s books are smart, quirky, full of love, and wickedly funny. Check them out. 

5. Kate Canterbary - Underneath it All

Not sure how I found Kate’s books, but I love them. I wrote about Kate’s book, Before Girl, HERE. Kate also let me pick her brain about writing HERE. Underneath it All is the first book in her Walsh series, Note, she also has anthologies for the series packaged that you can read about the brothers in The Walsh Brothers, and the sisters in The Walsh Sisters. When I read the series originally, I read each book on its own in the order it was published. I love Kate’s characters because the Walsh siblings are blunt, have overcome a lot, make me laugh, and her books are steamy. She is also a riot on her own. Highly recommend! 

4. Melanie Shawn - Teasing Destiny

It really doesn’t matter which book I put up here, I love everything these ladies write. (Melanie and Shawn are sisters that put their names together to create one author.) They have so many different series, but read one and you’ll likely encounter some of their characters from another series in little cameo roles. I love that. While their Hope Falls series is one of my favorites, I picked Teasing Destiny, the first book in the Wishing Well, Texas series, because I began running again after being inspired by some of the female heroines in this series. Who knew that romance books could make you want to exercise again just by reading about other characters who loved to run? One thing I would caution you, these ladies are writing so much that their website is often not up to date. So, for example, the website lists this series as having three books, there are actually eight released so far.

3. Sally Thorne - The Hating Game

A friend gifted this book to me when she heard I was diving back into the genre a few summers ago. It is the perfect enemies-to-lovers story. The idea that this was Sally’s first book is mind boggling to me. I haven’t read her second book yet, but I can’t wait to read it or see the movie adaption of this book. The book revolves around the relationship between Lucy and Joshua, forced to share an office and compete for a job. Whomever wins will be the other’s boss. They’ve never gotten along, but now there is a lot more on the line. Excellent writing. 

 

2. Casey McQuiston - Red, White, and Royal Blue

I read this book on vacation this summer and fell in love with the characters. Alex is the first son of the President. Prince Henry is his nemesis from England. After a misunderstanding while across the pond threatens to blow up into a social media nightmare for both countries, a fake friendship between the two men is created to smooth these rough Atlantic waters. Alex and Henry realize they each understand the unique position the other is in and romance begins to blossom. This is unbelievably Casey’s first book and I cannot wait to read more.

1. Lucy Score and Claire Kingsley - The Bootleg Springs series

I wrote an entire blog post about my love of this series a few weeks back. You can find it HERE. Luckily for you fine folks, the final book in the series, Highball Rush, is out now so you won’t be tortured with a wait like I have been. The first book in the series was Whiskey Chaser. That being said, I’ve read everything Lucy and Claire have written - together and separately. To give you a starting point, try Rock Bottom Girl by Lucy or the Miles Family series from Claire. SOOOO AMAZING.

*****

See? I totally cheated. Far more than ten books, but it’s a start. My list has a bias, of course. I read contemporary romance almost exclusively. There are amazing books out there in historical fiction - Courtney Milan, Beverly Jenkins, Sarah Maclean, Alyssa Cole. There are fantasy books, paranormal romances, crime/ thrillers, and more. But if you need a recommendation in contemporary, I’m your girl. 

How about you? Do you have a romance suggestion for me? If so, please share! And romance or not, pick up a great book from an independent book store this week if you can. Places like Hartfield Book Co. are vital parts of their community and I love everything they represent. 

Romance Book Review - Bootleg Springs Series

Well, it’s been awhile. This summer has been crazy busy, but also deliciously unscheduled for the most part. I’ve spent my warm Illinois summer days furiously typing away at book two in the romance series I’m writing and just finished it a few days ago. Before diving into revisions of book one and two, or even working on the upcoming school year, I have a bit more writing to do. I owe our indie bookstore owner a blog post for something fun in August and I need to write a post to run on my blog for the same day. 

While I sat down to write those posts, I got distracted, as usual. I’ve been rereading a book series over the past few days in anticipation of the release of the sixth and final book on July 24th. When I began reading book one, I found myself taking screenshots of pages to send my friend, Karen, who was going to reread them as well. I hadn’t remembered just how funny this series is. In case you are in the mood for a laugh out loud romance series set around a family living in small-town West Virginia, let me introduce you to Bootleg Springs.

This series is unlike anything I can remember that I’ve read. It is written by two of my favorite authors, Lucy Score and Claire Kingsley. They take turns, alternating books, which is a concept I'm absolutely going to talk to my students about in the fall. I think that would be a fun way for them to write with a friend. Sometimes they try to write in the same document at the same time, which just ends up being a mess.

In Bootleg Springs book one, Whiskey Chaser, we are introduced to Scarlett Bodine. Scarlett is the one girl in a crew of Bodine brothers. She is tough, no-nonsense, loyal, and hilarious. Scarlett’s world takes a new path when Devlin moves into his grandmother’s house next door. He’s hiding out from a bit of a political mess he’s found himself in as a State Senator.

What follows is a story filled with humor, quirky characters, everything good and bad that comes with small towns, and some steamy scenes. And that’s just the first book. In the next four (so far), I’ve fallen more and more in love with the Bodine family and their little town of Bootleg Springs. 

The other thing about this series that I’m fascinated by is that it doesn’t unfold like the majority of contemporary romance series. Like most series that I read, each book has another couple at the forefront, the other characters still in the background so that you don’t really let them go. Unlike anything else I read, there is another storyline that is told over the course of the series. 

Callie Kendall was a teen that visited Bootleg Springs in the summer with her family. Twelve years before the series begins, she turns up missing, never to be found again. Through the course of the first five books, more information comes to light about the circumstances around her disappearance. 

In just a few days with the release of Highball Rush we will finally know what happened to Callie and I cannot wait. I have so many theories of what happened to Callie, of what will happen in book six to Gibson, I wish I could speed up summer just for a moment. Then, of course, it needs to slow back down. Check out Bootleg Springs if you’re in the market for a fabulous read. Let me know what you think and regardless of what you pick up, happy reading. 

Before Girl by Kate Canterbary - Book Review

Being honest upfront here, I'm a huge Kate Canterbary fan. I have two friends who read a lot of romance books with me. We live in three different states, so we have a voice message thread on Voxer where we discuss what we're reading and what we recommend to each other. I'm not sure how we found Kate Canterbary, but I'm so glad we did.

The first book I read from Kate was in her Walsh series, Underneath it All. This group of six siblings cracked me up. They lived in Boston, came from an abusive father, and a mother who died all too soon. Despite their hard upbringing, or perhaps because of it, they formed close-knit bonds. They each have their own issues to overcome, as each book shows, but their love, humor, and fondness for some foul language won me over from the start. 

I flew through the eight books in the Walsh series, then read Costal Elite, which has loose ties to the Walsh family. After that I journeyed into the destination of Talbott's Cove and read Fresh Catch and Hard Pressed. Looking around, I realized I was done, Kate hadn't written any more books. I lamented to my friends on Voxer and tried to appease myself by reading her Instagram feed daily. It was there that I saw a new book on the horizon, Before Girl. To say I was excited was an understatement.

Reading the blurbs for Before Girl, my excitement grew. Our male main character was my beloved Cal Hartshorn from the Walsh series. He was a heart surgeon, a former Army Ranger, that worked at the hospital with Nick and Alex. In the Walsh series there had been some ribbing of Cal and how he was in love from afar with a girl he'd seen running in the park. Stella, our female main character, is that girl. I loved Cal's bumbling ways, his kind heart, his loyalty... I was obsessed with Stella in this book. She is confident, not a size two, and funny as hell. She works at a sports publicity firm and has no issue ordering famous athletes around and getting them back on track. Add to that her amazing family, and I was hooked. 

Kate's books are a departure from my reading of middle grade and young adult books for my classroom. These, and other romance books, I read just for me. They make me laugh, they make me cry, and they remind me that strong women can rule the world. I am beyond grateful that my friends and I found Kate's books and I can't wait to read more.

Writing Wednesday this week will feature an interview with Kate, I'm grateful to her for agreeing to be on here. If you'd like to check Kate out ahead of time, here are some links to where you can find her online. Enjoy! 

Instagram →  https://www.instagram.com/katecanterbary/

Twitter →  https://twitter.com/kcanterbary

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/kcanterbary/ 

Website →  http://www.katecanterbary.com

Books and Main → https://bookandmainbites.com/katecanterbary 
(Register for free on the site to read extras from here, including scenes from the Magnolia Chronicles, which will be a book this year. YAY!)

Amazon → https://www.amazon.com/Kate-Canterbary/e/B00OBYI288/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1