Wednesday 13 June 2029

Dee J Writes...

Ola!

Welcome to 'Love @ First Write' - a blog for all books Romance!

Once upon a time, a girl wanted to write about falling in love. Growing up, she loved to read about a man falling head over heels in love with his woman, that always resulted in happily ever after. Soon, she decided to write her own versions of happily ever after and started penning them on a blog. Over several years, she found that readers, who later turned very good friends, devoured her stories. That's when she thought - why not write a book? Thus began Dee J's venture into sweet romance!

Indie Romance Cafe is the place where DJ talks about her books - past and future! You can also check out this space for some reviews of books that DJ liked, her reading list, and some exciting news from the Indie Romance world.

Bookmark this page to enjoy the updates....

Thursday 15 October 2020

Book Spotlight - Serenading Reagan: A Lucky Strike Lovers Novel

 


BLURB

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A sexy rock star and a sassy redhead is a recipe for perfect chemistry…
Reagan Grant has been attracted to Chase McCormick ever since she first saw him perform at The Lucky Strike. The tattooed musician is the star of all her fantasies, but when fantasy becomes reality, she panics. After all, sexy guitarists like him don’t normally go for voluptuous, wannabe bakery owners… Do they?

When Chase moved to Portland, he vowed to keep his demons and past mistakes hidden. He never let anyone get too close to figure out who he really was. It’s a lonely life to live, and now Chase is done trying to keep away from the curvy siren who haunts his dreams and makes his heart race. Reagan could be the missing piece to complete his new life away from the spotlight, and he won’t stop until he’s broken through every wall she’s built around her heart.

But Chase can’t keep running from his past, and when his secrets are revealed, he’ll have to get Reagan to believe that the man he is now, needs her more than ever.

Add this book to your TBR

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Julia Jarrett is a busy mother of two boys, a happy wife to her real-life book boyfriend, and the owner of a rescue dog from Guatemala who moonlights as a therapy dog. She has a passion for writing contemporary romance novels that are full of relatable heroines, and the men who fall in love with them.

Her debut series, The Lucky Strike Lovers Quartet, will be available in 2020, and she has many other projects underway.

If you’re looking for Julia, she’s probably sitting in a comfy chair somewhere, drinking tea and dreaming of a sunny vacation. Or just click on the social media links below.

You can stalk her @
      


Grab Your Copy From

Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.in

Thursday 1 October 2020

My Favorite Romance Tropes

If you've read romance, by now you must know that there are 'tropes' that readers and writers often discuss. So, what is a trope when it comes to romance? A trope is nothing but a plot or a character trait that's commonly used, so much so, that it becomes the norm. Still don't get it? How about friends-to-lovers? Second-chance? Ah! Now it sounds familiar, isn't it? This post is a listing of some of my favorite tropes and some books that I've written and/or books written by other authors that I enjoyed in each of my favorite tropes. Let's jump in!

1. Friends-to-lovers - Without a doubt, this has to be one of my most favorite tropes. Although I exclusively wrote Falling For My Best Friend where the protagonists literally grow up together, all my books invariably have an element of friends-to-lovers. Given that we are living in an age of insta-love and wham-bam-thank you mam, there's something so beautiful in falling in love with your best friend, and I shamelessly lap up every single book that I can lay my hands on, in this category. Some recent reads that captured my heart in this trope are Stealing My Best Friend by Summer Brookes and The Tycoon's Baby Revelation by Elizabeth Lennox.

2. Arranged Marriage/Marriage-of-Convenience - Who does not like the protagonists being forced to get married to each other only to realize later that they do, actually, love each other? Dreamy sigh! This trope is literally the dream-come-true for most romantics, and I am certainly no exception. That's why my book Bound By the Marriage Contract was begging to be written where the wrong twin gets married to her sister's boss in a marriage of convenience. Of course, what follows is anything but convenient ;). If you want to check out some awesome reads under the arranged marriage scenario, see Marriage of Convenience by Katy Kaylee and The Kiss Thief by L J Shen.

3. Bodyguard Romance - I can already imagine the gleeful clapping by excited readers for this trope. Yes, we love strong, silent, brooding alpha giants whose life ambition is to protect the love of their lives. What's not to love about the usually-silent protector going all out for his not-so-damsel-in-distress. Hey, sometimes the bratty women need some protection too :). In some cases, the badass bodyguard is our heroine!!!! So, yeah, I experimented with the bodyguard trope in my book Guarded by Mr Handsome, where the brooding bodyguard protects his secret love. Bonus, this is also a second-chance romance. If you haven't done so already, check out these amazing reads as well: The Bodyguard by Ruchi Singh and The Hitman's Obsession by Jagger Cole.

4. Curvy Woman/BBW - I'm not sure if curvy woman can exactly be classified as a trope, but I'm going to go ahead and list this here anyway! Yes, body positivity matters, and every body type and shape is beautiful. After all, beauty does lie in the eye of the beholder. Far from being fat shamed and making men and women feel only a certain type of body is desirable, the BBW or curvy woman trope has taken the world by storm. Of course, the dad bod syndrome has also become quite popular ;). Championing for body positivity, I've tried to explore the psyche and the insecurities of a big girl and her discovery of herself in my book Wooed by Mr Charming. When it comes to recos, there are loads and loads of amazing books out there :). I'll leave the link to the pages of some authors who predominantly etch big, beautiful characters: Nichole Rose, Cameron Hart, and Megan Wade.

5. Age Gap Romance - Alas, another favorite of mine. Usually, I prefer the man to be the older one in the age-gap romance. If you're someone who is tired of dating a man-child, you'll know why this trope is swoon-worthy. Someone who can take charge and be hot at the same time? The alpha offering endless TLC? Yes, please :D. I haven't (yet) written in this trope, but something is for sure cooking! Meanwhile, here are some recos - Torn by Carian Cole and Stalking His Claim by Lucy Darling.

That's about it for now. Hope you're all safe during this pandemic. Take care, and happy reading! 

Tuesday 15 September 2020

Book Spotlight: The Ramyeon Girl by Nethra A.






One afternoon, Lee Jung-Su, a star at the peak of his career meets Meena at a ramyeon shop, and thenceforth things take a turn. He gradually grows to like her, but encounters racism first-hand as he falls for the Indian girl. Celebrities don't have it easy, especially not in South Korea. His fresh approach towards acting and the consequences of his relationship with Meena changes his perspectives of black and white, of good and bad, of reality and fantasy.

It would be great if you can add this book to your TBR






Based in Bangalore, Nethra is a post-graduate in Business Administration from Christ University Institute of Management and is a graduate in Computer Science & Engineering from University Visvesvarya College of Engineering-Bangalore. She is a voracious reader and a fiction writer, who puts quality writing over everything else. Her interest in good stories and writing made her start Fablery Mediaworks, a media house and a publisher of novellas and graphic novels.


You can stalk her @
      

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Tuesday 1 September 2020

Book Spotlight: Say You Love Me by E.R. Whyte

 


Blurb

Eighteen-year-old Gunner Ford is a hopeless romantic. After his best friend’s older sister kissed him on a dare five years ago, he lost his heart to her completely. But when his friends take him to a strip club to celebrate his birthday, his dreams evaporate as he sees his perfect woman performing onstage.


Shiloh Brookings believes that family comes first. So when her teacher’s salary won’t cover her brother’s medical bills, she takes a second gig as an exotic dancer to pay off his debt. But her worst fear is realized when she spots a senior from her high school sitting in the crowd.
Determined to help her, Gunner renews their friendship while he secretly longs for the off-limits apple of his eye. And as Shiloh draws dangerously closer to Gunner, a stalker dogs her every move and threatens much more than her employment.
Will this student-teacher connection result in a deadly lesson?

Buy Now


About The Author

E.R. Whyte is a simple girl at heart. She lives on a farm in Virginia and spends her time raising her family of five, catering to two cats, and indulging her reading and writing habits. She loves being alone, bananas foster, and Pepsi.

Whyte worked as a high school English teacher for around a decade before she decided she really wanted more time to devote to her family and other fun stuff. Now she writes, homeschools her youngest, and spends entirely too much time on the computer.



Saturday 1 August 2020

Book Spotlight: Mita's Dilemna by Sudesna Ghosh

 


Blurb

Newly single and fresh into a great job, Mita isn’t looking for a relationship. There’s her sweet, good looking colleague who reminds her of someone she’d rather forget. And then there’s the temptation of no strings attached pleasure. She is a woman trying to figure out what she wants and she’s in no hurry -- until a furry little creature comes into her life, forcing her to make a choice.

It’s sexy. It’s cute. It’s heart-warming.

A romantic comedy with heart set in Kolkata, India.

 

Excerpt

Mita tried not to ogle him. His wet white shirt and facial hair reminded her of Shah Rukh Khan dancing in the rain in Dilwale. He came in and threw off his shoes. His shirt followed. Now she was admiring his strong abdomen and his broad chest. A perfect toasty brown.

“Will you stop staring and get me a towel?” He sounded annoyed. 

Mita got him one and pointed him in the direction of the bathroom. Surely, he couldn't take his jeans off in her living room. She shouted after him, “I was not staring at you!” 

Facing her with a seductive look, he replied, “That's okay. You can stare.” 

She rolled her eyes, letting him go inside for a hot shower. She had turned on the geyser for herself but she wasn't that wet so she could wait. Ruchi called to check if she'd reached home safely.

She told her that she was fine, adding, “Suraj is staying over tonight.” 

Her friend got excited, asking her if this was wise considering they were colleagues and that he looked like her ex. Mita promised her she’d go straight to bed. Alone. Suraj could sleep on the divan. It was cozy. 

He came out wearing the towel around his waist. 

Grinning, he asked, “Do you have anything I could wear for the night?”

 

About the Author

Sudesna (Sue) Ghosh is an author based in Kolkata, India. She’s a graduate of University of Rochester (USA) and an ex features journalist. Her short stories and feature articles have appeared in major newspapers and magazines across India. Since 2017, she has published around 20 kindle books for both children and adults. Along with being a full-time reader and writer, Sue does what she can for stray animals and loves to spend time with her rescue cats.

 

Twitter: @sudesna_ghosh

Instagram: @sudesna_meow

 

 


Wednesday 15 July 2020

Dia & Ashwin - A new Avatar!


Hello my dear readers and friends,

For all those who have been following my work since the beginning, y'all must be aware of my first book that came out about three years back. That book that I'd written out of a whimsical fantasy, not really worrying about language, structure, or prose. It was my first step into this publishing world, (at that time) when I didn't know writing would become such an integral part of my life.

Cut to three years and six books later, I know I have a lot to be grateful for - my writing, my books, my editor, my wonderful cover designer, and definitely my wonderful, amazing readers who have been a part of this ongoing journey.  A huge thank you to every one of you!

Coming to Dia and Aswhin - these two were this cute, little couple whose story I had attempted as a novice. But recently, after the pandemic situation, when I sat down to do some serious re-branding with my covers and also re-read my older books, I realized their story had to be retold. It didn't do justice to who they were, or who I am (as a writer. Thus emerged 'Bound by the Marriage Contract'. It's the story of Dia, a nerdy, introverted romance writer who is most often lost in her own little world. When her twin sister literally vanishes from their one life day, Dia goes out to search for her missing twin, unintentionally playing switcheroo with her twin. What she didn't anticipate was to fall head over heels for her sister's boss. What would he do if he found out about her deception?

Ashwin Kumar was also known as stuffy suits. Getting up at the same time every day and following the same routine every day, he wasn't a man who looked forward to surprises, especially of the bad kind. Life definitely throws him a loop when he finds out about Dia masquerading as his EA Anita. And then comes their marriage of convenience. Although he doesn't want to stay married for long, Ashwin couldn't get over the pull to his inconvenient, hot wife (in-name only).

How will two different people as Dia and Ashwin stay married? Will opposites attract indeed? And what about the missing sister? Will they find her?

If you're ready for another roller-coaster ride, check out this marriage-of-convenience romance that's available in Kindle Unlimited.

As always, stay safe! This too shall pass.

 

Lots of love

DJ