Wow. Time flies by so fast. With bittersweet memories, I’m now saying goodbye to May. The month of May is important because last year, in this month, I published my first contemporary romance novel, Catching Lily. Believe it or not, I’m still into this indie publishing thing for a year now. So far, I’ve published six books—including a novella. This genre is highly competitive and I didn’t expect to survive this far. But, I did.

I love writing romance, especially the emotional part between the hero and heroine. Having a graduate background in psychology helps as I am banking on all the courses I’ve learned from, such as personality and attachment in developmental psychology. Maslow’s psychosocial development is one of my favorite references to understand my characters’ behavior.

Next Door Temptation is my newly released novel to mark my first full year in publishing. And today I’m already editing my next one. Shielding Eva, which is expected to be released this fall.

I’ve learned so much as an author and indie publisher. Romance has the most voracious readers, and I’m one of them. If I’m not writing, I’m reading romance novels five to ten a month. The decision to write romance, though, didn’t come just because this genre has the largest numbers of readers and audience, but I’ve been an avid reader since I was a teen. I know what I want to see happen in a plot and I know what type of story I love to read. So it’s only natural to write what I love to read. Before I share my book with others, I must love the story first. I’m the biggest fan of my own novels.

For me, being a successful romance author means I have to be a savvy marketer. And this is where I want to pay attention as I continue to write and publish. Marketing my own books take a huge chunk of time. Time I don’t have because I’m busy writing.

So, my plan for the second year is to market my books. I know this isn’t easy with the romance market now flooded and oversaturated. I’m working hard to reach readers who’re looking to read stories like mine. I strive to write an entertaining and inspiring story for all romance readers who crave a happy ending.

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