All About Covered Hearts

A young woman lit with neon squiggles of orange and red light is wearing a glittery jacket. She is holding a microphone above her mouth. In the background are charred pages of musical staves. Text reads, A Coin of Love Romance, Covered Heart, Karin Kallmaker Goldie and Lammy Award Winner

The Coin of Love Series: Women discover the magic they need to find the love they deserve.

Devi Raven is the only surviving member of Amnesia, and her punk diva days are twenty years behind her. With her music locked down into a deep, dark place, she’s surviving on name recognition as a celebrity chef.

The news that Amnesia’s one generation-changing hit is being covered is welcome for the cash it’ll bring. Just another bit of business from her previous life. Until she discovers that the artist covering “Empty Graveyards” is another bubblegum and candy hearts clone cranked out of the pop music machine. Who happens to be sitting in her restaurant.

Lauren Barlow personally booked a table for eight at Amnesia’s Garden in the hopes of meeting one of her all-time idols. She’s thrilled to find that Devi is as devastating in person as she is in photographs, and that she can’t seem to stop staring at Lauren.

This story was inspired when I first heard Malia’s cover of “Smells like Teen Spirit” during the opening credits of Black Widow. The ethereal, understated cover track holds all the echoes meant by the original Curt Cobain creation, especially because “load up on guns and bring your friends” speaks to events in the movie all too well.

But what if it had been remixed with a synthetic vibraharp and a 4:4 time kick drum? Same What If when Disturbed covered “The Sound of Silence” and Johnny Cash covered “Hurt.” Fortunately, in both cases, Paul Simon and Trent Reznor were around to say that the new covers were nothing short of spectacular, and that these new renditions now “owned” their song.

So I asked myself, what if you had somehow created one perfect legacy in an otherwise disastrous career, and now fear that one perfect song has been taken over by people with synthetic souls?

Meet Devi Raven and Lauren Barlow.

Knight of Nights – Rachel Lacey at The Lesbian Review
The ending is wonderful and filled my heart with hope and love.
Velvet in Venice at the Lesbian Review
A tiny touch of magic makes everything better, even an already perfect romance.
Reader Comments about Velvet in Venice
Really want to visit Venice after reading this novella. Love the way Karin sets up her storyline. Great mixture of music, art, food, and a ...
Goodreads Reviews for Knight of Nights
This story is unique, full of magic and adventure, love and nature and spirituality.
Knight of Nights at Lou Morgan’s Reviews
The way Kirstine and Skyra build a life together without any blueprint or social safety net is nothing short of inspirational.