I self-published my first novel in 2011 and over the past decade I have managed the production of eight novels and a dozen novellas, including content strategy, scheduling and coordinating promotions, working with editors, and developing an author brand strategy. From 2012 to 2015 I worked with UK publishing house Totally Entwined Group and had two novellas (stories under 20,00 words each) and one full-length (65,000 word) novel published digitally and in print. During my time as an author with TEG, I worked with editors, cover artists, and developed a PR strategy with the company’s in-house marketing team to help get my stories in front of readers, including a guest feature on USA Today’s romance novel blog.
Although I had nothing but great experiences with my publisher, ultimately, my entrepreneurial spirit led me to pivot and commit to being a 100% self-published author. In 2016 I shifted to publishing under a pen name for some stories. Ariel Storm is my sassy alter-ego, where I get to write contemporary steamy romance.
Two generations. Two love stories intertwined…
What if a piece of furniture could change your life? Antique store owner Samantha Phillips embarks on a quest to find the answer to that question after she stumbles upon a beautiful, weathered wooden trunk. Samantha immediately falls in love with the antiquity when the old, battered wardrobe ends up in her possession. Lodged inside the lining of the footlocker is a stack of old love letters and a gold locket that holds a picture of a handsome young man.
Curiosity gets the better of Samantha and she reads the passionate correspondence one by one, and learns about the love between working class William Hayes and high-society Maggie Flannery. But when Samantha comes to the end of the letters, it is unclear whether William and Maggie end up together. Driven by a force she can’t fully explain, Samantha contacts the former owner of the trunk, hoping for answers about the young couple.
When she reaches out to Maggie’s great-nephew, Bryan Donovan, he is reluctant to share his aunt’s past with a stranger, at least at first. Together, Bryan and Samantha learn the love story of William and Maggie, while discovering their own feelings for each other. Set in historic St. Charles, Missouri, the story of two star-crossed lovers from the 1920s unfolds through a series of letters and an old diary.
Find it on Amazon, Smashwords, and all other digital retailers.
Imagine a bar where the wait staff dress up like their favorite comic book characters, where drinks are served in chemical beakers, where patrons can play a round of Dungeons and Dragons or other table-top role-playing games.
Picture how fun it would be to hang with friends in big booths and play video games while sipping on an awesome craft beer. Imagine watching people in a glass enclosed room acting out dramas from their favorite live action role playing story lines. Imagine there’s a space for the folks who want to enjoy a drink while perusing their favorite comic books.
All of that and more await the patrons of the city of Cascade Falls, Washington’s newest watering hole, the ultra-hip, geek-themed bar called Nerdvana.
Talk Nerdy to Me is a series set around the romances that blossom between sexy, geeky heroes and sassy, smart heroines who meet in the geek-themed bar.
Book one Nerdy Words and book two Nerdy Thoughts out now. Book three Nerdy Deeds, out now. Book four, Nerdy Minds, out in 2023.
Amanda Bretz 