Male Authors, Female Characters and the Wonders of Writing Sex

LWL Blog Banner - Widescreen (19)

I have read many social media posts and articles from women expressing shock and frustration on the ways some male authors describe female characters and sexual encounters in their writing.

Here is one example.

Yeah, the dude wrote that women’s insides are “mazes” and men “conjure up” pee.  There are far worse. This one just gave me so many giggles when I read it that I had to share. Some of my other favorites include: Continue reading “Male Authors, Female Characters and the Wonders of Writing Sex”

New Book, Publisher and Cover

LWL Blog Banner - Widescreen (18)

¸.·°¯°·.¸.-> 𝓢𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓵 𝓐𝓷𝓷𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓬𝓮𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓽<-.¸.·°¯°·.¸

Readers have been asking for it, and here it is. I am thrilled to have signed with the phenomenal indie press After Hours Publications for my soon-to-be-released AMBW Muslim romance novella. Open to Love story of Hafsah and Faheem, a Muslim couple struggling to keep their raging desire for each other from getting out of control.

Open to Love is a showcase of the diversity of love that highlights a lot about the ways American Muslims navigate things like love, courtship, sexual encounters and polygamy, lending to enrich the diversity of the romance genre.
This is a taste of love you don’t want to miss! – After Hours Publications

Continue reading “New Book, Publisher and Cover”

The Non-negotiable Writing Exchange

LWL Blog Banner - Widescreen (15)#openbook

What one thing would you give up to become a better writer?

For people dedicated to the craft, writing is an impactful part of their lives and identities. I mentioned in another post, “I acquired and honed skills to interpret and craft words, using a range of prose (and a tiny bit of poetry) to harness the resilient power of language for liberation and resistance.”

Endeavors to generate words can be powerful and empowering, making writing a tool and art form requiring commitment. 

Dedicated writers pick up their pens [or fire up their keyboards] to share their perspectives and stories. The better ones know that wordsmithing involves layers of composition, drafting, editing and revising—all of which require development. Only deluded writers think that their skillsets are fine and they don’t need to hone them. 

Two mistakes many new writers make are thinking that all writing is the same and it will not take that much work.  Continue reading “The Non-negotiable Writing Exchange”

Heroine Interview: SLBF, Toni Kent

Blush Peach Photo Birthday Instagram PostOriginal Post: Romance Lives Forever

Know the Heroine from Sweet Love, Bitter Fruit

Here are some fun questions to help us know your heroine.

It’s late, she’s bored. What does she do?

Ever since Toni married Marcus, boredom became nonexistent. They have a very full life together. If she is not helping clients at her private therapy practice, she is helping at the community center, traveling or spending couples time with Marcus. She makes sure to align their schedules so there is plenty of that. Continue reading “Heroine Interview: SLBF, Toni Kent”

Book Writing, A Numbers Game

Capture

#openbook

How many hours a day do you write? How long on average does it take you to write a book?

When I saw this week’s Open Book Blog Hop prompt, I laughed because it coincides with some realities I have had to face while participating in NaNoWriMo this month. The month-long writing challenge is meant to get writers to sit themselves down and finish a set goal during November.

Although I signed up for NaNoWriMo years ago, I had not participated. Why? That’s for another blog post. This year, someone encouraged to consider using NaNoWriMo as a tool to complete book four in the Brothers in Law romance series. Brandon and Hawwah want their story out there,  so I agreed.  I am half-way through the challenge and only have a little over 4k of my 50k goal achieved. I have been writing but not just the manuscript.

nanowrimo

Continue reading “Book Writing, A Numbers Game”

Lyndell Williams Character’s Closet: Marcus Kent #urbanromance

Mis Quince Años (18)

Original Post – Special Edition: Dress Up/Dress Down with Lyndell Williams [November 8, 2019]

Marcus Kent’s Closet

In the urban romance, Sweet Love–Bitter Fruit, Harlem lawyer, Marcus Kent wakes up each morning before the crack of dawn. He kisses his sleeping wife snuggled next to him and slips out of the bed, heading into his walk-in closet. The small room contains a spectrum of clothes reflecting the professional and personal activities filling his busy life.  Continue reading “Lyndell Williams Character’s Closet: Marcus Kent #urbanromance”

#LWLPodcast NaNoWriMo, Day One

LWL Widescreen (24)

For many writers, November means the start of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), when they dedicate time and energy to achieve set writing goals. They hit their notebooks and keyboards to pump out as many words as possible.  In this episode, blogger Maryam Jawwad talks with Lyndell about her NaNoWriMo, her first day and the benefits and drawbacks.

Subscribe:

SoundCloud-Orange-Badge  apple-podcast-logo-300x77    en_badge_web_music    Stitcher_Listen_Badge_Color_Dark_BG    listen-on-spotify-logo-1-300x124    768px-TuneIn_Logo_2018.svg    libsyn

Transcript

Continue reading “#LWLPodcast NaNoWriMo, Day One”

LWL Interview: Barbara Combs Williams, Multifaceted Writer

LWL Author Interview (3)

Okay, Layla Writes Love peeps. Let’s welcome romance author Barbara Combs Williams. She is a Georgia native, now residing in Villa Rica. She is a rising moon in the night sky. Her inspiration comes from her husband of over forty years, who once told her, “Why not just write it down if you can’t say it out loud?” Barbara has been writing it down for the past twelve years.

Barbara writes fiction novels, poetry and short stories. She published Soul Catcher, a Gothic epic set in rhymeHer novel,  The Color of Your Tears is about Jackie, a woman who has spent years raising her family and living for everyone else. Check out the blurb.

Blurb

On this particular Friday night in June, Jackie Mattock was having the big one! A major meltdown was in progress, even though she should be joyous. Even though her son was getting married tomorrow, she had lost herself; her heart, her brain was all frozen in time. She could not enjoy the present nor see a future for herself because she was locked in the past. For the last twenty-five years, she had lived a lie so terrible that she used all of her “get out of jail free” cards. Jackie is a desperate woman willing to do desperate acts to protect her secrets. She had nowhere to turn to, no one to help her. There was no one there to dry her colored tears. 

Barbara shared her perspective on writing. Continue reading “LWL Interview: Barbara Combs Williams, Multifaceted Writer”

Katara’s Cafe: Tea with Lyndell Williams

LWL Blog Banner - Widescreen (14)I had a great time visiting Katara Johnson on her show Katara’s Cafe. We talked about my new novel Sweet Love, Bitter Fruit, relationships and a bunch of great stuff.

A lot of romances center on the falling in love aspect of romance. [Marcus and Toni] are already in love. I wanted to show that even though you may have rock-solid love, there are things in life that consistently test it. They have to struggle with a lot of things. Love is not invincible; it can be tested. It can be jeopardized.

Mis Quince Años (13)

Word Aversion–Conquering Reader’s Block

LWL Blog Banner - Widescreen (13)#openbook

Have you ever gotten reader’s block?

Okay, I had no clue what the term reader’s block meant. Once again, Open Book afforded me an opportunity to explore a new area of literature. Thanks, guys.

After a few Google clicks, I got the gist of the circumstance. Reader’s block is when one finds it hard to read, sometimes even making picking up a book difficult.

Your eyes glaze over, and you can’t get past the first paragraph on the page. Or perhaps you can’t will yourself to pick up a book in the first place. – Mental Floss

The reasons for reader’s block may include layers of motivation, comprehension, time constraints and volume. Continue reading “Word Aversion–Conquering Reader’s Block”

Feeling a Character: Why Toni Kent Tore into Me

LWL Blog Banner - Widescreen (12)

Original Post: Feeling a Character: Lyndell Williams’ novel Sweet Love, Bitter Fruit 10/5/19 – Just Contemporary Romance

I am thrilled about the release of my new novel, Sweet Love, Bitter Fruit. It is the second book in the Brothers in Law Romance series and the most difficult to write.

The characters in my books face realistic issues that impact their falling and staying in love. In Sweet Love, Bitter Fruit, Toni must deal with the pain of infertility while watching her sister-in-law have baby after baby. She was successful in concealing her anguish the first time, but with a new pregnancy comes renewed pain and desire to be a mother. She needs to decide if she should stay quiet and suffer in silence or try again, something her husband, Marcus doesn’t want.

Marcus loves Toni and works hard to make her happy. Seeing her in any pain tortures him, so he decides that they just shouldn’t try to have a kid anymore. Unfortunately for him, the infertility demon doesn’t play fair. Toni vacillates emotionally; he feels helpless, and their marriage begins to fall apart. Continue reading “Feeling a Character: Why Toni Kent Tore into Me”

Weaving Stories Readers Want

LWL Blog Banner - Widescreen (1)#openbook

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

Authors frequently discuss notions of originality and fulfilling reader expectations. I have read posts all over social media and on blogs, all with writers seeking to draft texts that pristine from anything else written under the sun and that will satisfy a mass of readers worthy of their artistry. Both are exercises in futility.

Defeatist? No. A powerful storyteller resolves to the realities that neither is their story completely untold nor will it enchant every pair of eyes (ears hearing, fingertips touching) gracing it.  At the crux of any good story is the distinctive style and voice of the weaver of the tale, which is the primary way an author can create something that is theirs to share for people to connect with and respond.

Mis Quince Años (11)

Continue reading “Weaving Stories Readers Want”

Know Marcus Kent #urbanromance #contemporaryromance

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

OPEN BOOK (17)

Originally Posted on   by 

Know the Hero from Sweet Love, Bitter Fruit by Lyndell Williams @laylawriteslove #RLFblog #urbanromance #contemporaryromanceLyndell Williams, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! We’re excited to find out more about your hero…

Know the Hero from Sweet Love, Bitter Fruit

It’s late, he’s bored. What does he do?

Marcus Kent is never bored. He has an intense schedule at work. When he gets a minute, he will chill with his boys Simon, Faisal, and Quinn and then head home to his wife Toni. For Marcus, twenty-four hours is not nearly enough, so he needs to be strategic about his time so he can fulfill all of the demands on him. He’s all about getting things done with efficiency.

What kind of food would he impulse buy if hungry?

Marcus is a carnivorous alpha. Red meat is his food of choice, especially burgers. He doesn’t eat just any meat. Although he is not Muslim, he prefers halal meat, so he will stop by his favorite halal spot or another one (NYC is packed with them) to grab a quick bite.  Of course, he’ll have to go a little longer on his daily morning run but having some ground beef goodness is worth it.

Describe the kind of clothes he prefers to wear.

Marcus has a walk-in closet with a wall stacked with high-end sneakers. They are his award for working hard at the community center he directs, keeping wife, Toni happy and being there for family and friends. He sheds his business suits as soon as possible and slaps on a pair of those bad boys with some sweats and a tee-shirt to run through Harlem or have a game of basketball, completely elephant trunkin’ it.

Does he know how to fix things?

Continue reading “Know Marcus Kent #urbanromance #contemporaryromance”

#WIPWednesday -Queen of The Castle

Like a lot of authors, I have files full of book ideas and multiple works in progress. I just released book two in the Brothers in Law series, Sweet Love, Bitter Fruit, and I am preparing the first book in an AMBW Muslim romance novella series, Open to Love.

The first book in the series, Open to Love, is snuggling with editors. I am currently working on book two, a steamy romance with main characters Hafsah and Aqil. Each has reasons to be wary about entering into a relationship, but it gets harder to resist the desire firing up between them.

I hope you enjoy this excerpt from my #WIP Queen of The Castle.

queen of the castle

“Thanks for doing this, man.” Continue reading “#WIPWednesday -Queen of The Castle”

Dry Those Writer Tears: Dealing with Reviews

LWL Blog Banner - Widescreen (9)#OpenBook

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

Ah, book reviews. They can send an author’s heart soaring or sink it like a stone into a deep abyss of despair.  Because a writer is often intimately connected to their works, reviews can have a substantial impact on the creative process.

I have warned new authors to be mindful of the effects reviews have on them, particularly negative ones:

All authors get negative reviews. Reading is subjective. There will always be at least one reader who doesn’t like something about a book, and some will express it in reviews. A lot of new authors are simply not ready for people to express any level of dislike.

Mis Quince Años (13) Continue reading “Dry Those Writer Tears: Dealing with Reviews”

LWL Interview: Huma Z. Ahmed Helping Others Heal

LWL Author Interview (2).png

In her new book 37 Lessons on How to Gain from Loss: A Believer’s Journey from Trial to Triumph, spiritual coach and trainer Huma Z. Ahmed uses her expertise and personal experience with loss to offer advice to help others see their way through grief.

Huma Z. Ahmed is an Author, Certified Spiritual Self-discovery & Mindset Coach, Trainer, Inspirational Speaker, Youtuber and the initiator of Trial to Triumph movement which is all about learning “how to take your trials, losses and lacks as turning points of your life and transform them into triumphs, gains and abundance“. 

Her mission is to heal, align and lead Women from trials, losses and lacks to triumphs, gains and abundance by empowering them with Spiritually Healthy Mindsets for Success and Excellence. Her methodology involves guiding women to use their hearts, heads and hands in harmony to create everlasting happiness in their lives. Her writing like all her other work focuses on the spiritual art of allowing restrained caterpillars the freedom of being enlightened butterflies.

37 Lessons on How to Gain from Loss

Available at Amazon

Blurb

God created trials, so He could test you with your truth. You are born free, but you must learn to be free. 37 Lessons on How to Gain from Loss is my own story of remembering, realizing and reaffirming this basic human truth.

Drenched in pain, I had limped so far on the Road of Loss that I had lost my way back home. I finally approached the point of no return. However, upon setting my last step on the fall’s edge, I was thundered by yet another torment—of losing my mother. Finding myself trapped in the most turbulent flight for the next twenty-four hours, I was taxed by a tremendous choice, not between action and non-action, or belief and unbelief, but rather between choice and none at all. Would I resist or submit to my tribulation?
My story will resonate with every human being waiting to transform their tragedy into treasure.

Huma shared her thoughts on writing, productivity, good habits and writer’s block. Continue reading “LWL Interview: Huma Z. Ahmed Helping Others Heal”

LWL Excerpt: The Reluctant Alpha

Book Hooks (1)#MFRWHooks

The Reluctant Alpha

One of my first experiences publishing a story was “The Reluctant Alpha,” a paranormal contribution to the book Shades of BWWM by Love Journey. Blake has to go back to the life he didn’t want, but will he end up finding what he desires most by returning?

The Summoning

Blake’s white fur shone under the full moon. He lifted his muzzle to the autumn wind rustling through the pine trees and inhaled. Nothing. He sprinted on all fours to a large clearing, scanning the pitch. Where the hell are they? Two beacons flashed on the other side accompanied by a light dinging sound. The breeze carried the titillating scent of the person emerging from the car. He closed his eyes, filled his lungs with the wondrous essence and released a soulful howl. His heart and senses reeled. It was her.

“I’m here, come.” Her sultry tone drifted over the field and fueled his reignited passions.

Mis Quince Años (11)

Continue reading “LWL Excerpt: The Reluctant Alpha”

Sweet Love, Bitter Fruit By Lyndell Williams @laylawriteslove #RLFblog #NewRelease #urbanromance

Original Post: rlfblog.com

LWL Blog Banner - Widescreen (2)

Why did you write this book?  

I am a huge proponent of using fiction as social commentary. Novels can reflect and influence society, and many readers seek to connect to realistic characters with problems and issues reflecting the human condition. I wrote Sweet Love, Bitter Fruit to highlight how strong love is not invincible. There are times and situations that will test the strongest bond. Toni and Marcus have it all—fabulous careers, awesome Harlem apartment and the respect of their family and community—but they have to endure the trials of infertility. They are usually simpatico, but when Toni wants to go through more in vitro treatments after agreeing to give up, it threatens their love.

SLBF - FB Promo (2)What is your favorite genre to read?  

Romance, romance, and more romance. The genre offers the chance for authors to show the ways characters navigate and negotiate a foundational human emotion. Romance can be diverse, influenced by readers and the broader culture. It is truly a misunderstood genre that deserves more respect than it gets in the literary world. Love elements exist across genres, so romance is a foundational part of literature.

Click here for the full interview.

LAYLA WRITES LOVE (11)

mfrw magazine

Continue reading “Sweet Love, Bitter Fruit By Lyndell Williams @laylawriteslove #RLFblog #NewRelease #urbanromance”

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑