Over the past few weeks, I've been asked a couple of times to talk to folks about the benefits of reading as a form of wellness and self-care. When I started doing a bit of research about it, I actually found out that there are scientific studies to support that cozy feeling that you get when you're curled up with a good book... with real statistics and everything!

You know what else makes you literally feel better? Music? See, there is a reason why I include playlists with all of my books!

Anyway, click through the gallery of my nifty graphics to check out the stats. And as always, happy reading! 

Tonight I'll be hanging out in the Diamond Mine with Diem's Diamonds! Join me tonight at 9P EST for what should be a cool Zoom chat with some of the coolest readers around!  Cheers to the end of 2020!!

​Link to join: ​bit.ly/DiemsDiamonds

The Love Below  audiobook + box set is available now! The audiobook is narrated by the super-duper, incredibly talented Jakobi Diem + Wesleigh Siobhan. They narrated The Prototype Series as well, and they were so, SO good. 

As for the box set, it’s free in KU! It includes all four previously published Glimpses (Bam+Cassie, Devin+Willow, Travis+Kennedy, and Zay+Jersey) PLUS an additional story focused on The Prototype’s manager — Jay Little.

We first met calm and collected Jay Little back in Finding Kennedy, and he’s been in every book since, so I’m excited for you all to read his short story, which will be exclusive to this box set, and not part of the audio collection.

About Jay:
Jay Little knows what he wants. As the even-tempered manager of The Prototype, and founder of a successful indie label, Jay’s level-headed nature has always played to his advantage. The only person who’s ever been able to knock him off-balance is the label’s publicist, and his longtime friend, Sasha Baptiste. After Jay’s self-control is put to the test one night, Sasha and Jay have to decide what they really mean to each other. Friends? Lovers? Or somewhere in-between?

If you’re not familiar, The Love Below is a collection of short stories focused on the four Prototype couples following the events in their individual full-length books: Happiness In Jersey, Finding Kennedy, Keeping Willow, and Loving Cassie. We get to see what the band has been up to after the release of their debut album, and how they’re navigating the ups and downs of married life. I wrote The Love Below Glimpse Collection for folks who already are familiar with, and dig The Prototype, so if you haven’t read that series, you won’t really understand what’s happening in this collection.
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** It’s highly recommended that you read The Prototype Series in its entirety before you check out the Glimpse Series.
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Merry Christmas!

So, I wrote a cute + sexy short about one of my favorite couples, Lean and Trevor Carmichael from Blind Expectations. If you're subscribed to my newsletter then you already received a link to download it for free.  If not, you can still grab it here on my site! Happy holidays + happy reading! 

Interested in downloading a bunch of free books this holiday season? I’m taking part in a pretty cool promo right now. Just hit the download link below and ba-zam- you’ll have a collection of FREE books to choose from some best-selling authors, including a chance to download my book The Night Before for FREE.
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Welp, today is election day, and if you've been following the news cycle, or you know, just living in 2020, you're aware of how incredibly important this election is.

At any rate, you can download this FREEBIE to help you through the voting line, or afterward, to take your mind off the election for a few hours. 

Wishing you peace + love. 

I've been wanting to write something about #indieromance for a while, and I'm glad it finally came together. Honestly, there's a lot more story to tell here- at least 3 more strong angles that could be explored... hopefully, those stories will be explored in depth at some point. Anyway, it was fun working on this, and of course, getting to talk to so many writers whose work I admire. 

Check out the story if you're inclined: ​https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/books/a34047527/indie-romance-is-big-business-why-arent-we-hearing-about-it/

I wanted to drop in and let you know about your chance to win 45 FREE BOOKS by some pretty dope Black authors, including me!. Woot-woot! The contest ends on Sept. 23. ​

I'm only part-way through Vanity Fair's special issue but this is well done so far.

Ta-Nehisi Coates still refusing to pass around empty words of hope because his pragmatism prevents him from doing so, Killer Mike explaining (again) why he spoke in Atlanta- the complexity of his decision to do that, and how it felt to see that police precinct burn in Minneapolis (we share the same sentiment), Al Sharpton convening with the Floyd family before they buried him, and talking about how a call from Obama on the day of his funeral allowed them to "exhale" if only for a few minutes, and Amy Sherald's breathtaking art. I mean, really. Her work, man. Jacqueline Woodson is featured here too, though I haven't yet read her contribution. Anyway. You can read the issue for free online.

Fitting it drops on the day we're talking about Jacob Blake being shot seven times in the back by police, while his children were psychologically tortured as they watched and pleaded and screamed from the backseat of his car. Reminder: Philando Castile was also shot in front of his girlfriend's 4 year-old-daughter. When you dehumanize a group of people, their children also become expendable. 

Got to talk #blackromance, #blackbooks, #blackwomen, #protectingblackwomen, and #jacintahowardbooks with Sistah Girls Book Club for #blackindieauthorday. A lot of #hashtags but it was so much fun talking to Lissa Marie, who is dope and awesome. Love Sistah Girls.

Check it if you have a second. You have to join the group to see the interview. Don't worry, the group is dope and full of book recs, Q&As, topic discussions and lots of fun stuff: ​https://www.facebook.com/LissaMarieS1/videos/10223705605216392/?query=jacinta%20&epa=SEARCH_BOX