I’ve been diving head first into the authorpreneur part of self publishing (believe me, there is A LOT to learn!) and I’ve read some fantastic resources of late. It’s caused me to think about my brand when the question was put to me…
What am I promising to you, dear reader, when you pick up a book by Miri Stone?
Here’s what I’ve come up with so far. You can count on me for…
- MAGIC – Every story I’ve ever loved has had some form of magic or fantasy in play and my writing is no different! I truly can’t write a straight up non-magical-world to save my life… Lucky for us both, eh? My imagination is stuffed full of fantastical ‘what if’s’ that get thrown in as my story brain goes to work. I’m sure my muse is part Fae. She’s tricky and quite ruthless when the story calls for it but always in service of the greater good. She’s also powerful and magnificent AF.
That brings me to my next point…
- SWEARING & STEAM – I’m no wall flower and neither are my characters. My books are R18 for a reason. While I’m not writing erotica, I’m also not shy of a little bit (or quite a lot) of action on the page when the story calls for it… Both as a reader and as a writer. I love straight up pairings (of all varieties), menages and, yes, reverse harems (because why choose?!) So be prepared for adult content and high levels of swoon-worthy tension, colorful language, lashings of steam and adventurous love-making. And, yes, my characters will push each other’s boundaries but always with love.
The next one’s a little controversial (to some) but probably not to you if you read the sorts of books I love to read and write…
- I PROMISE HFN’S, NOT HEA’s!!! Shock, horror, gasp! I’m a romance author who doesn’t write HEA’s, how does that even work?! While I don’t believe there’s ever a point in life where it all becomes smooth sailing, I do believe in two (or more) people coming together to forge an unbreakable unit of love and strength which will give them the room to grow and battle life’s hardships together (and with whom they can experience moments of true joy and connection, too.) So in all of my books (or, in some cases, by the end of my longer series) I PROMISE HFN’s (Happily For Now’s.) I also promise to write stories about rich and satisfying characters who will EARN their slice of happiness. So yes, by the time we say goodbye, they will get their HFN (and believe me, after what I put them through, they will deserve it.) My hope is that by that point you will have gotten to know them well enough to trust that they will be able to face the grit of life with the people they love at their side!
The next are not so shocking so you can take a breather…
- SETTING – I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say many of my books will either be set in the Pacific North West (coz I’ve fallen in love with this corner of the world), or New Zealand (because I love my homeland) or in fantastical lands. Regardless, setting will always be a huge part of my stories.
- PLENTY OF ACTION, ADVENTURE & CONFLICT – Yup, I’m not gonna let my characters off easy. I’ll be throwing everything I possibly can at them in service of their inner growth. You have been warned!
And last but certainly not least…
- FATED MATES – I believe in fate, in soulmates, in the idea that two (or more) people are made to be together. So when you get lost in the pages of one of my books, you are going to experience strong friendships, romantic partnerships, and family dynamics. It’s how I’m wired. But, as I’ve said before, just because I believe people can be meant for each other, that doesn’t mean they get a free pass. We have to keep striving to be deserving of the love and trust given to us by our loved ones. Our lives are an ever-evolving work in progress and I carry that belief into my writing.
With love,
M.S.
All the gorgeous images used in this post were found on the UNSPLASH community. Please go and show the photographers and contributors your love.
