Faking It for the Holidays releases in six weeks!
I’m excited, are you?
Scroll to see the cover and read the blurb. And don’t forget to pre-order. Pre-orders placed during October will be at 50% off the price!
Cover Reveal
Tag Archives: romance
Sam and Kaila have been best friends their whole lives. Thirteen years ago, they made a pact never to date to protect their friendship. But when their well-meaning mothers keep setting them up on terrible blind dates, they decide to fake date through the holidays. With a set of rules in place, they won’t break the pact, right?
Behind the Story: Freaking Love Part 1- Inspiration
Freaking Love is officially out in the world! You can read it here.
With Freaking Love finally out on Kindle Vella this week, I wanted to share a little behind the scenes about the inspiration for this story.
Please note: This contains spoilers for the first couple of episodes of Freaking Love. If you haven’t read it yet and want to remain spoiler-free, avert your eyes now. Otherwise, continue on.
When it started…
I’d have to look back at the date to be sure, but I’m almost positive it was early spring of 2017. There’s a possibility that it was 2016, but that seems too early in my memory.
What it started as…
This story started as a script. I’ve always loved screenwriting and it came very naturally to me because I love telling all the parts of a story. I love the idea of how you can overlay music with a scene to heighten its effects. I love all of that. What’s funny is I hate writing in the third person and it took a long time for me to find the right stylistic fit to make this into a book. When I heard about Kindle Vella, the serialized format really seemed to fit with that serialized way I thought of this story. That said, in its origins, it was actually set over two linear timelines. The past, the high school days that this story tells (though that’s now set in the present-ish time) and a present about twelve years later, exploring the family dynamics and personal relationships somewhat like Parenthood. Because of this, it was originally called Nontraditional, because it was about a group of families raising kids and many of those families and situations were nontraditional.
The inspiration…
Like with almost anything I write, the inspiration didn’t come from one specific place, but rather a compounding few things that came together and created this story in my mind. The first was that a boy I used to crush hard on and was once close friends with got engaged and I started thinking about the almost relationship we had and wondering how it would’ve gone if we’d ever actually dated. I realized it probably would’ve gone pretty badly. Then I laughed, thinking that I’d probably have ended up pregnant or something.
The next day, I was listening to Yellowcard in the car (they’re one of my favorites) and the song Ten came on, which is a (fairly sad but beautiful) song about a miscarriage. The singer reflects that that baby would’ve turned ten that year. And it got me thinking what would’ve happened if I’d gotten pregnant at seventeen. Which took me back to my previous thoughts.
Finally, for some reason or another, I decided to listen to Last Play at Shea by Billy Joel. I grew up listening to him but since my mom didn’t really like the song, I’d never heard Scenes from an Italian Restaurant before. It seemed to fit with the theme of this story that was rapidly building in my head. And so it became mostly what you see in Freaking Love today.
Final fun fact…
Because I originally wrote it in two timelines, I know plot points for these characters that happen YEARS ahead in the story, so there will probably be a time jump to early adulthood at some point.
Are you enjoying Freaking Love? Like and follow for more behind the scenes content and for lots more from me, follow me over on Instagram @bethanymonacosmith
WIP Wednesday 7/14
This week’s work in progress teaser is from a short but fun middle school chapter during which an important nickname that will be frequently heard throughout the entire series is born.
Hope you enjoyed this little snippet!
Do you have a fun or sweet nickname? Have you ever given a nickname to someone else? Let me know in the comments.
As always, like and subscribe for more teasers and behind the scenes. You can also follow me on Insta @bethanymonacosmith
Teaser Tuesday 7/13
This week you’re getting three teasers for the price of one!
These teasers are from the first three episodes of Freaking Love, which is hitting Kindle Vella this week. These three episodes will be free to read.
I’ve been working on parts of this story since 2017, so I’m crazy excited for everyone to finally be able to meet these characters and jump into their world!
I hope you enjoyed these teasers. Check back next week for more. And don’t forget to follow me over on Instagram @bethanymonacosmith for more teasers and behind the scenes fun.
Freaking Love is launching on Kindle Vella this week, so don’t forget to check it out!
Weekly Rec: The Love Interest
The Rec:
This week’s rec is The Love Interest by Kayley Loring. It’s a fun rom-com set in New York City featuring a mid-twenties wannabe author and a jaded mid-thirties bestselling author. Also, there’s a cock.
What it’s about:
Jaded NYC author Emmett is struggling to write the next book in his action-thriller series. Fiona is just starting grad school with hopes of becoming a regency romance author. Both seeking inspiration, they meet randomly at a diner in the middle of the night and spend the rest of the wee hours of the morning together before watching the sunrise and making out for a while.
But things are over before they start when Emmett unknowingly takes a job as her professor, meaning he can’t date her. In no uncertain terms, things. Are. Over. There’s just a tiny hitch: things can’t be over because they’re both totally into each other. They decide to write letters to each other in lieu of a traditional romance, but nothing is ever so simple when love is involved. Also, there’s a cock and plenty of very aroused nipples.
What I love about it:
This book is laugh-out-loud funny. The female lead is quirky and funny but strong and sure of herself. The male lead has a scar on his heart and has become a jaded, asshole New Yorker. But he’s just the right amount of asshole to make you love him, not hate him.
I loved a lot about this book. I loved the chemistry between the leads. I loved the way the love letters allowed you to get to know the characters without it feeling like too much exposition and the way they took the place of a typical date.
I loved that these characters were allowed to be mature and really fall for each other with natural challenges preventing them from being together rather than forced drama. It made their happiness feel earned and more enjoyable.
And, of course, I loved that ridiculous cock.
My favorite quote:
There are so many hilarious quotes in this book, but this one is my absolute favorite. I may not be from California but I relate to this so hard.
You’ll love it if you love:
- Rom-coms
- Relatable characters
- Swoony moments
- Awesome meet-cutes
- Romantic letters
- Love stories set in NYC
- Hard nipples
- Cock 😉
I hope you’ll check this book out and give it a read. If you already have, tell me in the comments if you liked it. It’s currently available to read for free in Kindle Unlimited or to buy for 2.99.
Check back next week for another book rec and follow me on Instagram @bethanymonacosmith for daily updates and shenanigans from me.
WIP Wednesday 7/7
This week’s work in progress teaser is from a chapter all about how much middle school sucks.
Buuuut it’s a whole lot better when you’ve got five best friends who have your back. Especially when one of them is your person, your best friend in the whole world, who happens to be a sweet, swoon-worthy boy who’d do anything for you.
Hope you enjoyed this little snippet!
As always, like and subscribe for more teasers and behind the scenes. You can also follow me on Insta @bethanymonacosmith
Teaser Tuesday 7/6
It’s another teaser Tuesday for Freaking Love
This week we’re meeting Maia’s dad, Leo.
Leo is one of my favorite parents that I’ve ever written. He’s not based on anyone in my life, but he’s a character I deeply love for many reasons.
Dad is bent over, his head between his legs. He hasn’t said anything, but he growls occasionally.
My dad is a strange combination of old school Italian and liberal hippie. He’s fifty percent businessman and fifty percent soccer hooligan. He has tattoos over at least half his body, but nowhere you’d ever see doing business with him. He’s got a hot temper but he’s extremely loving. He’d do anything for the people he cares about. He’s also extremely protective, especially of me, so I’m a little worried about how he’s going to handle this.
I hope you enjoyed this teaser. Check back next week for more. And don’t forget to follow me over on Instagram @bethanymonacosmith for more teasers and behind the scenes fun.
Freaking Love is launching on Kindle Vella in just a couple of weeks and the first three episodes are free!
WIP Wednesday 6/30
Here’s another snippet of my work in progress, Friends Like This. It’s all about the fear and uncertainty of maybe falling in love with your best friend.
This story revolves around Rae and Aaron and their four other best friends, growing up in a small town– Ida, New York. Fun fact: this story is set in the same town as Freaking Love and there’s some fun character crossovers.
Hope you enjoyed this little snippet!
Thanks for reading!
As always, like and subscribe for more teasers and behind the scenes. You can also follow me on Insta @bethanymonacosmith
Work in Progress Wednesday
For the next few weeks I’ll be posting some fun quotes from my biggest work in progress, Friends Like This, the first book in a series about a group of best friends growing up in a small town.
Of course the central arc revolves around two of the best friends and their will-they-or-won’t-they friends to lovers romance.
This story is not inspired by my life but is heavily nostalgic and inspired by where I grew up and fun I had growing up in a small town.
Friends Like This is one of my favorite things I’ve ever written. It’s set in the same town as my new Kindle Vella project, Freaking Love, and there’s some character crossover.
I decided to share some quotes from this to let you know what I’m working on and hopefully get other people as excited about this project as I am. If all goes according to plan, I want to release the first two books in the series next summer!
Hope you all enjoy!
#wipwednesday #wip #teenromance #yaromance #teenfriendship #yabooks #smalltownromance #friendstolovers #smalltownfriendship #yaauthors #yaauthorsofinstagram #romanceauthors #indieauthors #yabookstagram #romancebookstagram
The fictional boys I’ve fallen for…
We’ve established that I love love. And romance. Which means I’ve been crushing on fictional characters for as long as I can remember. Here are five that stand out in my memory…
Randy Taylor- Home Improvement
If you’ve read my about me page, you know that I was in love with Jonathan Taylor Thomas as a kid. He was my favorite ’90’s heartthrob, and because of this, I fell in love with Home Improvement and Randy Taylor, played by JTT was the first fictional character I ever remember crushing on. Now, I can’t lie, I had to go back and look up the name of this character, but at the time I was obsessed and most definitely found myself swooning over him plenty of times.
Nathan Scott- One Tree Hill
I could sing my love for One Tree Hill forever. I love this show so much. I grew up with those characters and I was a little bit in love with James Lafferty. But really I loved, loved, loved me some Nathan Scott. He was a little bit of an asshole/bad boy but had such a big heart and would do anything for the people he loved (like get caught up with a loan shark– okay I did not love every plot that happened in this show). He was sexy and sweet, he learned and grew with everything that happened to him, he was a loving husband and great dad. Needless to say, I stan Nathan Scott as the best Scott brother and I always will.
Logan Huntzberger- Gilmore Girls
Yes, I am proudly #teamLogan! I mean, don’t get me wrong I could see Rory ending up with Jess (not Dean, never Dean), but I always felt like, while Jess got her, Logan knew parts of her that no one else did. Plus as we’ve established, I have an affinity for the asshole with a good heart types and Logan definitely fits the bill. But also, he was protective of Rory, saw her brilliance but didn’t worship her, and could fit into both of her worlds easily. Plus he had that sexy, charming grin nailed.
Cooper Cartwright- Meg Cabot’s Heather Wells series
I think Cooper Cartwright may have been the first book boy I ever fell in love with (though he would not be the last). Tall, sexy body. Protective and charming. The good guy but also tough. He’s the perfect combination of sweet and caring and manly. He was the first book boy to make me swoon and his love story with the main character was the first to make me plow through a book, desperate to know when they would finally get together.
Danny fucking Diamond! – Jillian Dodd’s That Boy series
Danny is my favorite, favorite, favorite. I love him so damn much. If you aren’t familiar with Jillian Dodd’s That Boy series, go read it, please. While I love the other (very) swoonworthy boy in those books, Phillip, it’s Danny who wins my heart every single time. He checks all of my boxes. A little cocky and a touch of an asshole but with a big, big heart. He loves his friends and family and would do anything for them. Plus he’s a hot quarterback and an awesome dad. If I had to pick anyone off this list to date it would be Danny Diamond every time.
So that’s it, those are five of the fictional boys I’ve fallen for over the years and while Randy Taylor may have been my first, Danny Diamond owns my heart. Who was the first fictional character you fell in love with? Tell me in the comments and don’t forget to like and subscribe to follow along and follow my on Instagram if you want to see teasers and random thoughts from me on a regular basis!
Bethany Monaco Smith 