Isabelle Drake

It’s still hot, pumpkin spice season may be on the horizon, but you have summer weekends left. Let’s craft one properly. Lets' do this quiz and make it happen. Pick your answer in each set and add up the points  You arrive at: 7 a.m., before another soul 11, like a civilized person 4 p.m., for the good light After dark You set up: Up by the dunes or in the middle of some trees, away from everyone Right at the water or wherever the best view is Wherever the umbrella or camp chair already is Wherever you can see everything that’s happening In the bag: Your laptop, which you swear you won’t open A paperback you’ll actually finish Three magazines you won’t Sunscreen, cash, and nothing else In your glass: A cold beer, no ceremony A thermos nobody gets to ask about Something frozen and ridiculous Whatever gets handed to you Your company: No one, gloriously One person who doesn’t need entertaining The whole loud crowd Someone you met an hour ago At sunset you’re: Asleep under a towel or b...

Hello August! July was a quiet month for me. I spent most of the time reading, finishing a story, working on a new series, and doing some academic research. Does that sound quiet? LOL. I mean quiet in the sense that I was at my desk, on the porch reading and writing, or in the yard pulling weeds. I   wanted to have some time to take time, relax, and kick back before August hits and the academic year, the holidays, and everything that comes with those events happens. Being busy is good; rest is good too. August will be a different story. I have a research trip planned early in the month, middle of the month will be the start of the academic year, toward the end of the month I have a trip and a writers' weekend is planned somewhere in there, too. Here are a couple things I always want to do every summer but have not yet done--long bike ride, outdoor concert, farmers' market, flea market, fish market... Just kidding about the fish market. Well, maybe not???   Hit here for t...

 hit here for June newsletter Books, This N’ That, and a cocktail Sassy, classy, and a bit smart-assy You want cocktails. I have them. There’s a new one every month in my newsletter, shaken together with book news and more good stuff. Sign me up

My book of the month, Rock and Roll Fantasy , was fun to write because, as the title indicates, its a fantasy. I had a good time creating one girl's daydream as she imagined what could happen if she accidently got on the wrong boat and two rock stars--one she just happened to have a long time crush on--also happened to be on the boat. More about the book in my May newsletter: Hit here for the May newsletter One wrong boat. Two rock stars. Rock & Roll Fantasy A ferry ride with her favorite band — including the one she’s crushed on for years — sends her life in a whole new direction. Get Rock & Roll Fantasy

  Hit here for the April newsletter. In 2008, I headed off to LA for my first “big” signing. I was writing for Ellora’s Cave and the signing was part of BookExpoAmerica. The book expo was huge, filled with (maybe) hundreds of publishers that were there showing off the books they currently had available and the books to be published in the upcoming year. The idea was to connect with booksellers and other book distributers in order to get the books—old fashioned paper books—on the shelves—old fashioned actual shelves—in the stores—old fashioned brick and mortar stores. At the time I was new to publishing. The posts I wrote about the trip were among the very first posts I published on my blog. The first photo in the block below is of me at the Friends coffee shop while on a studio tour.  I was, obviously, excited to be in LA, signing books and being part of the sparkling excitement that is LA and the buzzing excitement that was BEA. BEA doesn’t exist any longer. COVID, no need to...

  hit here for the February newsletter Who goes to Spanish language immersion classes on a vacation? I do! I did! In Puerto Rico a couple weeks ago. I stayed in an AirBB with a fantastic view of the Atlantic Ocean (see photo of view!), attended classes every morning (see photo of the homework done on the balcony!), and did some sightseeing (or not) every afternoon (see photo of me walking on the street).  Studying Spanish is something I've been wanting to do ever since the "lock down" during "Covid Times." It happened while I was watching a movie that had sections of dialogue in Spanish and I noticed, thanks to some trips to Central American and a semester in college, I understood parts of it. I wanted to understand more. Obviously, it took me a while to make my dream happen, but yep - I did it. My plans now: continue practicing with my Duolingo app.

  Hit here to read the August newsletter

Hit here for the December newsletter and the cookie recipe 

 Hit here for the November newsletter.

Isabelle Drake was born in 2005, the year I (Melissa Ford Lucken) published my first erotic romance, Everglades Wildfire, with Venus Press. She, I, published several titles with Venus Press before moving on the publish with the now infamous Ellora's Cave. For those more recently delivered to this romance book scene, Ellora's Cave was the first big publisher of erotic romance.  Being an EC author was, despite quick and sad the way things ended, great. Big parties, big promotions, and truly great readers. I learned a lot writing erotic romance. One thing I learned about my writer self is that I like writing what "they" tell me I can't. If someone adds to that message that I shouldn't write something....that doubles the likelihood that I will be writing it.

 Hit here for the August Newsletter

Funny story or not, its what happened. Hit here for the July newsletter . Books, This N’ That, and a cocktail Sassy, classy, and a bit smart-assy photo: A Lily Love Affair You want cocktails. I have them. There’s a new one every month in my newsletter, shaken together with book news and more good stuff. Sign me up

June will start off with my first event of the summer, the Farmington Author & Book Festival book signing on Saturday, June 3 in Farmington Michigan. This will be my first time attending this festival. I hear its huge, so I'm planning to arrive early...so I don't get lost. You are are in the metro Detroit area, come find us. The address is 33430 Grand River Avenue, Farmington, Michigan. Hit here for the June newsletter

  May newsletter out now For me, May is the end of the academic year and the start of summer. I usually spend my summer catching up on projects and starting new ones. This summer follows that pattern. My first focus will be assembling the pieces selected for this year's edition of the Washington Square Review, my college's literary journal. As the editor, it’s my task to arrange the selected pieces (stories, essays, and poems) and work with the formatter and cover designer to get the issue all put together. In addition to that work, I recently began hosting episodes of Washington Square On Air, a radio show/podcast on which I interview authors whose work is published in the journal. Its a new role for me, and I've found that I really like asking questions and learning about other authors' writing processes. My first episode aired a couple weeks ago. I interview an author from California.  Check it out if you like: Washington Square On Air . Being on the other side o...

hit here for the April newsletter  

  hit  here for the March newsleter

  Hit here for the February Newsletter

  hit here for the January newsletter Last spring and over the early part of the summer, I wrote the third book in my Tribe of the Undead series . The task was both exciting and intimidating. I've never written a book 3 before. (!!) I wanted to produce a story that would satisfy readers, of course. The story needed to continue on from the end of book 2, of course. The story needed to be similar in tone and vibe to books 1 and 2 but also different. Some of what I wanted to accomplish with the first 2 books had already been achieved. One of the main character's story had concluded yet the other main character's story had not. This sounds simple now, but it took me a while to 'get' that. In the beginning of the project, I did what I usually do, simply started writing. I created a new main character and wrote several chapters. Then, also as usual, I got stuck. This is where I understood that writing a 3rd book in a series, while challenging, also has perks. Many element...

 Hit here for the December newsletter.

 Hit here for the November newsletter. A couple weekends ago, my friends invited me over, just to hang out and maybe have some wine. I arrived, with no makeup, hair not done, and a hoodie. It was a gorgeous fall day... They asked if I wanted to join them outside to snap a few photos; I declined, saying I'd been at my desk all day and didn't feel "picture-y." Well, you can see that attitude didn't last long . We stayed outside until the sun went down and our teeth were chatting from the cool night air. We plan to do it again after the first big snowfall, so stand by. Hopefully, those photos will show up here in a couple months. My book of the month is a Christmas story , but do not worry. I'm not rushing through autumn. I just want ya'll to be ready when the holiday mood strikes. I plan to spend November getting in a couple more long walks, joining in on the National Novel Writing Month excitement, and trying out some new baking recipes.  I hope you all hav...