I am so excited to bring in another guest blogger this week. I love showcasing superfans as much as I love showcasing the authors they love. And this week, Anna Blakely SuperFan Janis Huber is bringing all the wonderful words about one of her favorite authors.

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I was in the middle of reading Anna Blakely’s latest book, CADE, when Michelle messaged me to ask if I would write the intro for this week’s Author Spotlight.  

    Uh - Yah!!!     

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Read more of Janis’s praise for Anna Blakely and her Q&A this week in our Spotlight Blog Post

Call it kismet, dumb luck, or right place right time, but whatever force of nature brought Wren Charles into my life has my eternal gratitude. And trust me when I tell you, the real force of nature is Wren herself.

Mere weeks after I said I was never taking another cold-call client, I got a submission form on my website from a brand new author, and something said I needed to take this call. It was a simple note: “Saw Michelle Fewer’s name on an acknowledgements page, wondered if this site provides editing services for a first time novelist  Thank you.”

I responded to her request and came to find out she saw my name in No Easy Dare by Samantha Christy. At that point, I knew we had to connect. 

And the rest, as they say, is history. And very much the present too, as I’m getting ready to dive into edits on Wren’s fifth novel.

I have loved watching her take words from ideas to published novels. Being part of that process has truly been incredible. And her Q&A made me smile knowing where it all started, seeing where she is now, and knowing there are so many more amazing things to come from and for Wren.

I am so excited to share this week’s spotlight Q&A from Susan Stoker with an introduction by Julie Collier. You’ll understand why I asked Julie the minute you dive in. I truly enjoyed everything about this installment, and can’t wait to see both Susan and Julie at CCR in 3 weeks.

Her intro on her Facebook page reads: “Readeur. Writeur. Loveur. Nappeur. Painteur. Cancer killeur. Hot AF.” And I cannot think of anything more perfect for Suanne Laqueur. I’m going to add to that description of my birthday buddy (yes, we share a birthday, but I can just about guarantee her celebrations are way cooleur than mine): listeneur, supporteur, and boredom killeur.

I first met Suanne when she attended Charm City Romanticon 2023. She was a complete mystery to me. Recommended by one of my favorite authors (A.M. Johnson), I was intrigued by her writing, added her to my TBR immediately, and watched new readers rave about her stories. As my life was chaos, her books remained on my TBR for longer than I care to admit. Because I am kicking myself on a daily basis for not jumping into her stories sooner. And, no, I am not kidding about the daily kicking. Because once I dove in to An Exaltation of Larks, I was obsessed.

I truly enjoyed reading Suanne’s Q&A. It’s a little snippet into her life as an author. But what I’m really looking forward to is seeing Suanne at CCR this year. We recently read Larks for an online bookclub and Suanne and narrator Darren Eliker joined us for a Zoom discussion after. And after that amazing experience, my fangirling is primed for hugs and major emotional chaos.

Stella has this really beautiful energy about her. Her smile is contagious, her humor trending toward sarcastic and industry-appropriate inappropriate. And she’s not only willing to dive in and be a sounding board, but she’s a seriously solution-focused human. She’s generous with her time and her ideas, but also a wonderful ear when you need to shake a fist at the world.

And she’s an incredible author. Not just of steamy, sassy, kinky romance, but of the most unbelievably amazing blurbs ever! She also brings all the Daddy energy to the pages. With dominant heroes, seriously steamy spice and kink, and beautifully bratty heroines, there is something in her books for everyone. And her covers! Holy cow, the hotness!

I cannot wait to see Stella at Charm City Romanticon and loved reading her Q&A answers. What a great way to get to know even more about someone I already adore.

Some authors’ books stick with you forever. And I have been so lucky to find sooo many of these authors in my journey through Romancelandia. Samantha Cole is one of them. I remember diving into her Trident Security series and being instantly hooked. Can I tell you how I found her books? Nope. Mentalpause is a thing, y’all. But I can tell you once I found her I binged the hell out of everything she’s written. And then continued to dive into every new release as they came out. 

But Samantha is also so much more than a memorable author. She’s a solid voice of experience and knowledge in the Romancelandia community. And she’s honestly one of the reasons Charm City Romanticon is the event it is.

I get to see and hug Samantha at CCR2025 in just over a month. And believe me, I am truly counting down the days.

Until then, I loved reading her Spotlight Q&A responses. And I hope they bring you some great insight into Samantha and her books as well.

I am not gonna lie, the fangirling I do over Samantha Christy is pretty epic. She made me cry right off the bat (definitely a good sign), and she made me fall in love with her characters even when I wanted to throttle them (also a very good sign). But what I loved most was how freaking real her characters and their situations were. They were heartbreaking and deep and left me shattered, but Samantha always put my heart back together, even better than it was before. Because what her characters go through to get their HEAs is extraordinary.

Not only am I a huge fangirl, but getting to know Samantha through her books, her group, and messages back and forth about her stories and characters brought home what a beautiful heart she has and how much she loves her readers and the Romancelandia industry.  And I can confirm, she is very down-to-earth and super easy to talk to.

I loved reading her Q&A and learning even more about her and her journey as an author. I cannot wait to see her at Charm City Romanticon 2025, hug her again, and spend time with her. 

It’s no secret Samantha Brentmoor is one of my top go-to narrators when I’m choosing a book to listen to. Her performances bring a deeper level of immersion to the stories and the characters. So I tend to listen to her a lot. It’s gotten to the point that oftentimes when I’m editing, certain characters naturally speak to me in her voice. There I am, following along, and then I realize I recognize that voice in my head. And it ain’t mine. Oh, hey, Samantha.

And as much as I love and respect Samantha as a narrator, I love and respect her even more as an advocate within the industry. Both Samantha and Rose Dioro have been very vocal about why they do what they do and why they share their insights on the industry through social media and their Rosemoor Roundtable Podcast.  

I guess what I’m trying to say is that Samantha is an extraordinarily talented narrator, and an incredibly dedicated human. I count myself very lucky to have her on our Charm City Romanticon narrator team.

And I loved diving into her Q&A, learning more about her, and can’t wait to see her at CCR this year and learn even more.

So often for me, finding the right audiobook is all about finding the right narrators. And one voice I know I can count on every time is Rose Dioro. Rose does so much more than just read me a story. She infuses a performance quality that brings the characters to life. 

And not only do I absolutely love listening to Rose’s narrations, I love how involved she is in the romance novel and audiobook community. Her engagement with listeners online and at events, discussing everything from upcoming projects to equity in the workplace, shows just how invested she is.

I loved reading Rose’s Q&A, especially learning about how she got started narrating. I always find it fascinating how people find their way to the industry. And I added some wonderful titles to my TBL thanks to her recommendations. I bet you will too.

It’s no secret I am an unabashed fangirl for all things romance. But when it comes to audiobooks, I definitely fangirl hard. I absolutely have favorite narrators, and favorite books they’ve narrated. And there is absolutely zero question that Rob Brinkmann aka Robert Hatchet is one of my absolute faves. And to be honest, he was a favorite before I even listened to one of his narrations.

I know, I’m weird. But hear me out. I first met Rob at Indies Invade Philly. The warmth and excitement surrounding him was undeniable and quite honestly so incredibly contagious. His smile instantly set us at ease, and he genuinely seemed just as excited to be there as we were. We had a chance to chat for several minutes and can I just tell y’all, not only is Rob easy to chat with and hilarious, he is one of the best huggers ever! And if you know me, you know that’s a high honor in my world.

If you’re not familiar with Rob’s work, I highly encourage you to listen to everything you can. He’s so incredibly versatile, he truly brings every character he narrates to life.

And for more info on his narrating life, his Q&A is a great place to start.

I am an unabashed, unapologetic fangirl. When I meet someone I admire, I always want them to know how much I value them and the joy their stories have brought me. I am also an incredible introvert when it comes to actually doing that in person. And when I first met Riley Edwards, I was 100% prepared to turtle a little and be generally in awe, say something completely stupid because I couldn’t get my brain to function, and thank you profusely for attending our little event.

And then she walked into our planning meeting at CCR2024 wearing a shirt that said, “I’m just here for Susy,” and everything changed. It was the most amazing introduction to such an incredibly genuine, wonderfully down-to-earth human ever. Because while we were all there to celebrate her, she showed up to celebrate one of her superfans. And it spoke volumes!

We already knew Riley’s books were full of larger-than-life, edge-of-your-seat action with intense alpha male characters, strong female characters, and steamy, heart-stopping romance. Now we knew Riley was also one of us. A fangirl. With a fantastic sense of humor, a smile that lit up a room, and hugs that made you feel seen 

I can’t wait to see her again this year, and I’m grateful again that she gave us a little insight into her writing in her Q&A.

Origin stories are one of my favorite things ever. And narrator PJ Freebourn has a pretty cool one. I mean, being voluntold to do something that turns into a career is pretty wonderful. And Paige and PJ have turned that initial experience into a pretty spectacular working partnership.

Since I first met PJ, I’ve had the chance to add several of his audiobook titles to my TBL. I love the energy he infuses into his characters. And he is definitely another narrator I gravitate to because he’s not only talented, but he’s a really wonderful human and I love supporting him and his career.

I learned so much more about him from his Q&A, and I cannot wait to see him again at Charm City Romanticon this April!

I was a fan of Patricia Eddy long before I read anything by her.

I dove into her stories with Storm of Sin on audiobook and she pulled me back into that paranormal romance lair I'd loved and left (not because I didn't like it anymore, but because I'd discovered contemporary and romantic suspense). And I was hooked on those characters. Then I dove into her protector romance short stories. And was hooked even more. In fact, once I dove into her stories, I found an appreciation and joy for her work on an entirely new level. 

Patricia's backlist is as eclectic and beautiful as she is. Dipping into multiple subgenres, she really has so much to offer any and every romance reader. Want a standalone? She's got them. Interconnected extended series? Yep, that too. Full-length novels, short stories, and audiobooks? Check, check, and check.  And they're all wonderfully deep with serious heart and beautiful sensuality. 

Want the skinny from Patricia? All the fun details these Q&A blogs have brought us about so many incredible humans? I won't keep you from that.

Dive in here.

I will never get tired of author origin stories. How and why someone chooses to take the stories from their brain and get them into the minds of others fascinates me!

And then you have authors who not only write their own stories, but collaborate with others to write even more wonderful tales. And with that decision comes its own unique origin story, process, and reason. Gracie York is a cowriting duo of Jenni Bara and AJ Ranney. Each romance authors in their own right, they have this lovely collaboration that has resulted in multiple delicious romcom novellas that bring the heat and the heart within a haven of humor and hijinks.

Their Q&A gives some wonderful insights into them as individuals as well as their collaboration as Gracie York.

I originally published the blog post below in March of 2023, as we were getting ready for our very first Charm City Romanticon (CCR). ** some information in the blog post below has been updated to reflect the current timeline.

This past weekend (Dec 2024) I promoted to 4th degree black belt at WKD K4G. People often ask me why I train. Why a woman nearing 40 stepped on the mat as a white belt nearly 14 years ago and decided to try a karate class. Why I continue to train and teach in my 50s.

It's actually one of the questions Sensei Monique Washington Jones asks every student at every test. And my answer has definitely changed over the years.

On Saturday, in addition to earning my 4th degree black belt, I watched 21 other young women ranging in age from 7 to 15 years old, and everything from white belts to a brand new black belt, advance in rank. They are my why.

Because representation matters. Because female martial artists are significantly outnumbered by their male counterparts. Because I am dedicated to being on the mat with them as long as I am physically able. To help & guide them along their journey. To provide them with the tools and encouragement to keep going.

This journey has not been easy. It's not always fun. It's not always convenient. But it's always worth it. They are worth it.

I am worth it.

And as we prepare for a new year, another CCR, and even more promotions to 4th degree (3 of our security squad will be promoting to join me at the rank within the next 6 months), I wanted to highlight this amazing karate school, the women who are part of it, and how it is woven through every element of my life—including my bookish life.

As a side note: We are offering a practical self defense workshop Sunday, April 6, 2025 taught by members of our all-female security squad. You can find details for that in the event Facebook group: Charm City Romanticon Attendees

I honestly cannot go long without listening to a book. It’s a different experience for me than reading an ebook or a paperback. It’s immersive and soul-filling. And I have so many narrators I love listening to and authors I love reading that it’s given me an endless source of stories in my ears. It also gives my eyes that needed screen break from editing while still allowing me to sink into my favorite stories.

Sometimes I find audiobooks because I like the author, but recently I’ve been finding audiobooks by searching for my favorite narrators. That’s pretty much the case with Paige Reisenfeld. I love her narration, and have added so many books from her catalog to my tbl (to be listened-to). I actually met Paige at a book event before I listened to her, and started listening to her books because I adore her as a person. Now that I know I adore her narrations as well, I actively seek her audiobooks out.

There is absolutely no greater joy for me than watching a brand new author hit her stride and take off on an incredible journey to bring their stories to readers. And these Q&As have been so freaking rich in information and joy, I’m loving how they’re bringing me even deeper into the author’s lives and love of words. I first met MK online through mutual reader groups, then got to meet her in person when she attended Charm City Romanticon 2024 as a reader. She instantly struck me as beautiful, bright ball of sunshine. Always smiling, and so eager to interact with everyone. Now, I’ve learned even more about MK from her spotlight, and I cannot wait to see her again at CCR2025, this time as a signing author!

This week’s spotlight author has a very close connection to someone I have come to know very well. Rochelle Paige has been an attending author at Charm City Romanticon since the start. She’s been a wonderful friend as well as resource for me and so many other authors. When I started putting together this Q&A for Mindy Paige, I knew instantly I was going to reach out to Rochelle again. Because her connection to Mindy goes beyond events and pages in a book.

I hope you enjoy Rochelle’s intro to Mindy and Mindy’s Q&A as much as I do.

I cannot wait to see Rochelle at CCR2025 and am so excited Mindy will be joining us as a signing author as well.

I will continue to say this because I believe it is so incredibly valid: Voices matter. And when an author or producer is casting an audiobook, it often goes beyond choosing a popular voice. Sometimes it’s about finding a great match to a character based on the specific character’s identity.

When her Painted Daisies novel Sweet Memory was scheduled for audiobook recording, LJ Evans reached out to Podium Audio, requesting a narrator whose cultural background and ethnicity matched her character’s. Podium reached out to Michelle H Lee, a Korean-American voice actor from Maryland. Best decision ever! Paisley’s words in Michelle’s voice made an impact, and it is evident throughout the entire story.

Meeting Michelle at CCR was a fantastic experience. She is so kind and so freaking genuine. And when she agreed to come back for 2025, I absolutely did a happy fangirl dance. With the addition of a dedicated narrator panel and audiobook workshop as part of the event, I am even more excited to learn more about her.

When an author I love tells me I have to meet an author friend of theirs and that I would love the author’s books, I have a tendency to listen and react.  And when Kathryn Nolan told me Mel Walker needed to part of Charm City Romanticon, and I need to add his entire backlist to my tbr, you bet your butt I responded immediately. It’s one of the most amazing thing about this community—authors supporting authors with genuine care, affection, and enthusiasm.

I always love reading the Q&A answers to see where my common connections come in with the authors, because there is always something. And right at the beginning, Mel captured my heart.

And based on my interactions with Mel so far, I absolutely cannot wait to meet him at Charm City Romanticon 2025. I can’t wait to hear what readers have to say about the books Mel writes that they love.