Blue sky and green trees behind Rainbow Progress, Dublin City, California State, and United States Flags snapping in the wind

The Best Kind of Surprises and Pride in ALL of Our Books

Karin Kallmaker Cowboys and Kisses 0 Comments

I am continually, delightfully surprised by the reader love for Cowboys and Kisses. As always, I’m never quite sure what aspect of any story will form the magic connection with readers. I usually think I know, and I am often wrong. With this particular story, it might be that the two women might have actually existed in some frontier town, and lived happy lives together.

One reader said it was a “love story that sticks to your bones.” Another said “what I did not anticipate was that I would be so moved by how she illuminated the realities that most women endured during the time period.” I’ve always tried to have verisimilitude in my stories and it looks like I succeeded with this one!

And then a Lovely Surprise

After the wonderful, thoughtful reviews, and enough sales to merit doing a paperback edition (with an audio edition in the works), it was a cherry on top for Cowboys and Kisses to be voted historical romance of the month by followers at I Heart SapphFic. (Check out their reading challenge!)

I took this photo with its shiny certificate and some tiny books to represent the books that Darlin’ craved and ended up writing for herself.

Cowboys and Kisses with certificate for I Heart SapphFic Historical Romance book of the month

Got a Pride Reading List?

It’s LGBTQ+ Pride month so the rainbow is flying high and influencers are making up lists of books to read for Pride. #Sapphic and #Lesbian writer Twitter continues to remind all who will listen that small press and indie authors have been publishing books about women that adore everything about women for decades. I encourage everyone to include some of them in their summer reading plans.

Is There a Name for a Group of Links? A Landing of Links? Hmm.

Books that celebrate sapphistry are easy to find – check out:

These are just six out of dozens of small and micro presses where our stories have always mattered and continue to matter. It’s always Pride at our community’s small presses. (Want to see a much longer list?)

That big bookseller (starts with A, ends with mazon) hosts a slew of authors who independently manage to get their work out there all year round. (Milena McKay, A Whisper of Solace, asked me 20 questions. Click here for the answers.) I know how much work independent publishing takes since several of my shorter fiction works (like Cowboys and Kisses) are independently released, and that makes me extra appreciative of all the work my publisher does.

There’s also the I Heart SapphFic Pride Collection, with a sunny, rainbow-love drenched romance for every color of the rainbow. So, so pretty, don’t you think?

I Heart SapphFic Pride Collection of 8 books with rainbow flag colors

However you celebrate Pride, Do it Proud!

Pride is widely celebrated where I live. Most civic buildings have flags flying, like the picture I took that’s at the top of the page. I do love where I live!

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