Looking Back on 2021

Well, friends, we have made it through another completely insane year. And we thought last year was nuts! Where 2020 dragged on forever at a snail pace in a horrid state limbo, 2021 brought us a different kind of chaos. And rather than drone on about politics or Covid, I'm dedicating this post to the most memorable events of 2021 in relation to my personal life and my writing, and at the end I'll share a couple of movie/book recommendations in relation to WLW.

So, without further ado, let's take a look back on 2021!

I'll begin by mentioning the loss of a dear uncle early in the year. He was an older man who had a lot of different health problems, (and his death was not due to Covid). But the loss was immense. It hit the family really hard because we'd all been isolating and not seeing one another. The last time I saw him was in the summer of 2019. The family was able to come together for a masked viewing of sorts, but we didn't get the kind of funeral that we wanted. I know we were among many families that have had to adapt to the times lately, and I'm just happy we got to gather for a few hours wearing our masks.

Another loss of note was the passing of the great modern writer Anne Rice. I'm still in shock that she's gone. Earlier this year, I wrote a blog post celebrating her 80th birthday, and in it, I talked about how much of an influence she was on me as a writer. If you're curious about that post, click --> here <--.

This year, I released Book 3 in The Neon Fishnets trilogy! Taking the Risk wraps up the series. 

I was so excited to give this one to my readers as many of them had reached out to me over the past couple of years, hoping for a story about CJ and Trish. I promised them one was on the way because I'd planned it from the very beginning, and now it's here! By the way, I also reached a writing/publishing milestone with this novel when it officially became my first book to reach 100+ Reviews on Amazon!

Another release I'd like to mention is "Pleasure of the First Mark," which was my venture into paranormal lesfic! This contemporary faerie romance is a short story, and it was kind of fun to do something different and create a more fantastical world in addition to the usual contemporary stories I write. Also, this book won August 2021 Paranormal Book of the Month over at iheartlesfic.com! 

Outside of writing, I found inspiration in watching WLW movies and reading WLW books. My favorite of these types of films that I watched this year was a foreign film called Two of Us. It is about an older lesbian couple, one of whom is still in the closet. When an accident occurs, and the closeted character has a stroke and is unable to talk, her lover of many years suddenly finds herself restricted from being able to take care of her. It's still a secret that they're together. They live in separate apartments across from one another to give the appearance that they are just friends. The story twists and turns and has a surprising ending. Both heartbreaking and heartwarming, this film gets two thumbs up for me!

I also read a book this year that isn't technically lesfic, but it's a memoir written by Cassandra Peterson, a longtime idol of mine (You may know her as Elvira). I've had this book on my radar ever since she announced she was working on it a couple of years ago. Anyway, I got it and read it, and I consider it to be in the WLW category because SHE CAME OUT OF THE CLOSET in this memoir!!! Imagine the queer community's collective glee when that happened! Sexy Elvira is a femme!! Her life story is totally wild and unbelievable, so I recommend the book to anyone who likes Elvira, Hollywood, celebrity tales, and overall wild and crazy true stories.

That about wraps up the highlights of 2021 for me! How about you? Got any favorite movies or books you'd like to recommend? Any personal experiences you'd like to share from the year? Leave them in the comments! And have a happy, healthy 2022, everyone!!

XoXo

Scarlett

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www.scarlettknight.org

'During The Storm' Release Date and Blurb!

Mark your calendars for January 14, 2022! It's the official  date that my new contemporary lesbian romance novel DURING THE STORM (Art of Love Book 1) will be available exclusively on Amazon Kindle and Kindle Unlimited!

Blurb:

A new resident of Colorado, Willow has no idea how to survive in a snowstorm. She finds out just how unprepared she is when a blizzard hits. Snow and ice trap her alone in her home, and with it come unexpected complications. The only person available to help is her neighbor Joy. Hotter than hell on the outside but with a personality colder than ice, Joy has lived in the area for years but hasn’t said one word to Willow since she moved in next door. Initially, both women refuse to reach out to one another in the blizzard, but after the neighborhood loses electricity, everything changes. Joy is no stranger to surviving winter storms, and Willow quickly realizes she has a lot to learn from her, including how to start a fire. But as the two women spend more and more time together during the storm, a different sort of flame begins burning between them.

I can't wait to share this new story with you!

XoXo

Scarlett

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www.scarlettknight.org

Coming January 2022!

 Coming January 2022, the first installment in a new contemporary WLW romance series...

This winter, get ready for the storm...

Stay tuned!!

XoXo

Scarlett

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www.scarlettknight.org

Read Cute Episode 3 "Enemies to Lovers"

 Hey All!

I wanted to write a quick post to let you know that Episode 3 of Read Cute has been posted on Lily Seabrooke's website! 

Along with several other amazing lesfic authors, I took part in a live reading of an excerpt from THE NEON FISHNETS BOOK 1: PLAYING WITH FIRE. All of the excerpts at this reading have an "enemies to lovers" theme, so if that tickles your fancy, definitely check it out. We all had so much fun doing this! Here's the link:

(Be sure to click on Episode 3 for the Enemies to Lovers reading!) 

https://www.lilyseabrooke.com/readcute

As always, thanks for stopping by!

XoXo

Scarlett

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www.scarlettknight.org

I Heart Lesfic's Paranormal Book of the Month!

 I am so happy to announce that "Pleasure of the First Mark" won for Paranormal Lesfic of the Month for August, 2021!

Thanks to everyone who voted, has read the book, and/or has written a review! Your feedback is greatly valued!

XOXO

Scarlett

*************

www.scarlettknight.org

Happy Birthday, Anne Rice!

Anne Rice turns 80 tomorrow!!! She has been publishing books longer than I have lived on this Earth, and she is still going!

She was such an inspiration to me when I was a teenage writer, still in high school, trying to figure out who the heck I was. I found her writing to be both a comfort and a tool that pushed me out of my own comfort zone, if that makes sense.

Here's a little corner on my bookshelf devoted to her books that I've collected over the years; some of them are extra special treasures because they are autographed:

Although I have sadly never met Anne in person, I did receive a reply to an email I sent her years ago. I printed and kept it, of course! 

In the email she wrote back, she told me to "Have nerve" regarding my writing. Her inspiration and personal encouragement is one of the reasons I've chosen to go against the heteronormative grain and write what I write! 

You see, Anne's been an inspiration to me in ways other writers will never top. Most people think of vampires and witches when they think of her, but many of these vampires and witches in her stories were also edgy LGBTQ characters, too, and she wasn't afraid to write them when it was still taboo to do so!

Happy Birthday, Anne!

Love,

Scarlett

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www.scarlettknight.org

Belated Bisexual Awareness Post

 Hey, all! This is a belated Bisexual Awareness Week post (Bisexual Day being on September 23rd). 

via pexels.com

I wanted to write this post to spread awareness of the reality of bisexual people by including myself into that label. If you want to be technical, I'm "pansexual," but a lot of pansexual people use the "bisexual" label as their own as well because pansexual is, for some odd reason, difficult to explain to people. (Pan, to me, means you're into the person no matter what gender identity they have, be it male, female, trans, intersex, etc.). 

But whether you want to label me as "bi" or "pan," I'm here to give a shout-out to the rainbow people who don't fit under the "straight" or "gay/lesbian" label, especially the bisexual women who choose to write lesfic because they love WLW stories and have a passion for them.

According to numerous studies, over half of LGBT people identify as Bi or Pan. (HALF!!) That's a huge number of people who identify as bisexual under our LGBT umbrella! Yet it never escapes me how much biphobia still exists, aka people who believe you are either gay or straight with no in-between. Some people think that because you're not 100% "lesbian" or "gay" you shouldn't be writing lesbian or gay stories. But I heartily disagree!

Full disclosure: I have been married to a man since 2009. He is fully aware of the fact that I am bisexual, and he completely embraces and loves my FF fiction! He is extremely LGBT friendly, perhaps in part because his mother is also bisexual. Yep, that's right, my mother-in-law has had many long-term relationships with both men and women (and is currently in a relationship with a trans man, by the way)!

I write this post for all the people who feel they are somehow not valid by being "in between." I write it for those labeling themselves as "bi" or "pan" yet have received shit for it. I'm here to say that you are valid. And whether you write MF stories, or FF stories, or MM stories, or any combinations of any of those, including those not even mentioned: you matter. Your stories matter. They are important, and they hold rank. 

I, personally, decided to stick with FF romance because it's a genre I particularly fell in love with. When I was a young bisexual teenager, and all I had access to was MF romance, I longed to find FF stories that were not readily available at the time. And now that the world of publishing has opened up to more inclusivity, I have chosen to focus primarily on lesfic because that is where my heart is as the moment, and that's all that should matter.

Live your truth, my friends. Be you. Express yourselves in the ways that you feel are right for you, from your heart.

And fuck what anyone else thinks.

Thanks for stopping by.

XoXo

Scarlett

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www.scarlettknight.org

FIRST KISSES Anthology

Today I'm happy to announce the release of a new lesfic anthology that I contributed to called FIRST KISSES!

This anthology includes a whopping 55 excerpts from 55 WLW authors. Each excerpt features a Sapphic first-kiss scene from a published novel by each author. You can download the ebook in various formats via the following link:

https://dl.bookfunnel.com/x2ggwacxlb

Here is the list of all the fantastic WLW authors included:

 

A.L. Brooks, A.L. Lester, Anne Hagan, Aurora Rey, Ava Freeman, Bryce Oakley, Cara Malone, Celeste Castro, Cheyenne Blue, Chris Zett, Cindy Rizzo, Claire Highton-Stevenson, Clare Ashton, Clare Lydon, Donna Jay, E.J. Noyes, Elizabeth Andre, Erica Lee, Faith Prize, Fiona Zedde, Harper Bliss, Jae, Jamey Moody, Jenn Matthews, Jess Lea, Johana Gaves, Kay Acker, KC Luck, KG MacGregor, Kim Pritekel, KJ, Laina Villeneuve, Lee Winter, Lily Seabrooke, Lola Keeley, Lucy Bexley, Lynn Galli, Max Ellendale, Milena McKay, Miranda MacLeod, MJ Duncan, Nikki Harmon, Patty Schramm, Quinn Ivins, Rachel Lacey, Rae D. Magdon, Scarlett Knight, Serena J. Bishop, Stephanie Shea, Susan X. Meagher, Suzie Carr, T.B. Markinson, TJ Dallas, and Violet Morley.

It's a great sample of everyone's work, so check it out! And have a great weekend!

XoXo

Scarlett

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www.scarlettknight.org

"Pleasure of the First Mark" Spotlight: The Faerie-Friendly Bookstore

I'm so thrilled that my new paranormal FF short romance "Pleasure of the First Mark" is now available for you to read! In today's behind-the-scenes blog post about the story, I wanted to focus on the bookstore that I wrote into the tale, The Attic. 

Main character, Piper, is on lunch break from a day job that really drags her down. Her boss is a total bully, and she also has to hide her true Pixie identity while at work. To get some relief from all the stress, she goes to The Attic, her favorite Faerie-friendly bookstore. 

Fun fact: I loosely based The Attic on an actual bookstore in Denton, TX, called Recycled Books! 

It's located downtown in the historic square, where there are lots of other fun places to shop, eat, and drink. Recycled Books has, of course, books, but also CDs, vinyl records, vintage video games, and more. Large aisles as well as hidden nooks and crannies are spread across three floors of what used to be an old opera house, so the building in itself is a cool thing to look at even if you're not in the mood to shop.

from yelp.com

I love this place so much that I have had a bumper sticker on my car for years advertising it. (You can pick up those for free at their front desk to help them get the word out about the store!)

Another thing that's eye-catching about The Attic is the mural on the side of the building. To me, it looks like something out of The Beatles Yellow Submarine movie. Here I am, a few years back, posing in front of it:

"Pleasure of the First Mark" is now available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited! Check it out if you're looking for your own little escape! I'm planning on turning this paranormal lesfic romance into a series if people like it, so if you read it, be sure to leave a review, send me an email (scarlettknightbooks@gmail.com) or leave a comment here on the blog! 

And as always, thanks for stopping by!

XoXo

Scarlett

*******

www.scarlettknight.org

Now Available: "Pleasure of the First Mark"!

 Now available!

Piper is a Pixie who lives her days passing as a human, but she is desperate to get away from her stressful dead-end office job and her conservative boss from hell. As she takes an extended lunch period to hang out at the local Faerie-friendly bookstore, she distracts herself from work by daydreaming about the bookstore’s manager, a reserved but sexy Dryad named Tory. But when she and Tory actually have a conversation for the first time, Piper realizes her dreams of getting to know her might be possible. Tory, however, still doesn’t know Piper’s true identity as a Fae. Could a Dryad actually fall for a Pixie? As her lunch period runs out, Piper realizes she has two choices: run back to the job she hates and play it safe, or take a chance on love.

Grab your copy on Amazon!

**BUY LINK**

XoXo

Scarlett

*************

www.scarlettknight.org

Coming Next Week: "Pleasure of the First Mark"

 Here's the short blurb of my upcoming paranormal FF short "Pleasure of the First Mark"!

Piper lives her frustrating days passing as a human in order to keep her job. But when an opportunity presents itself to get to know Tory, the sexy Dryad woman of her dreams, will she unveil her true identity to Tory or run back to her job and cater to her tyrant boss?

Coming next week! Stay tuned!

XoXo

Scarlett

**********

www.scarlettknight.org

THE NEON FISHNETS TRILOGY Now in Paperback!

 Hey, all! Just a quick announcement! THE NEON FISHNETS Trilogy is now available in paperback! So if you want to get all 3 books in the set for your bookshelf, you can! 

Thank you so much for your continued support of this story, as well as my other lesfic books! I am humbled and honored by your feedback, and I appreciate every one of you!!

-Scarlett

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www.scarlettknight.org

TAKING THE RISK Spotlight # 3: Santa Fe

 Happy Monday! In this final behind the scenes spotlight for THE NEON FISHNETS BOOK 3: TAKING THE RISK, I wanted to share some pictures of a trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico that I took in 2017. 

In the book, Santa Fe makes a small appearance as a sort of detour (you'll have to read the book to find out exactly what kind of detour *wink, wink*). I wanted to include this city in the story because it's unlike any other I have visited. It has a special vibe. So without further ado, here are some pictures of my trip! 

downtown painted columns

 

Loretto Chapel 

sculpture garden

hotel patio

double rainbow - Opera House parking lot

If you missed Spotlight # 1 --> click here <--.


If you missed Spotlight # 2 --> click here <--.

THE NEON FISHNETS BOOK 3: TAKING THE RISK is available on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and in paperback! 

Thanks for stopping by!

-Scarlett

*************

www.scarlettknight.org

TAKING THE RISK Spotlight # 2: Prada Marfa

 For the second installment of this behind-the-scenes spotlight on THE NEON FISHNETS BOOK 3: TAKING THE RISK, I take you to Prada Marfa:

photo from ballroommarfa.org

So, firstly, if you've never heard of Marfa, Texas, it is one of those gems in the state that I didn't even know existed until a few years ago. It's way out in West Texas, out in the middle of nowhere. It took me about 8 hours to drive there from Dallas. But it was so worth it! It's the coolest little artsy town I have ever seen! I had to include it as a detour for the band in Book 3.

One of the town's most famous exhibits, Prada Marfa, is actually located just outside of town. Per ballroommarfa.org: 

"Prada Marfa is a site specific, permanent land art project by artists Elmgreen & Dragset, commissioned by Art Production Fund and Ballroom Marfa. Modeled after a Prada boutique, the sculpture houses luxury goods from the famed brand’s fall 2005 collection of bags and shoes. Located on a barren stretch of highway one mile west of Valentine TX, the artwork will never function as a place of commerce, since the door is always locked." 

Art lovers have debated the meaning of the piece, and for fun, I have The Fishnets discuss it when they visit it in the book. 

If you missed TAKING THE RISK Spotlight # 1, you can find it --> here <--.

THE NEON FISHNETS BOOK 3: TAKING THE RISK is now available!

Thanks for stopping by today!

-Scarlett

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www.scarlettknight.org

TAKING THE RISK Spotlight # 1 : San Antonio Riverwalk

 In this first "Behind the Scenes" blogpost for THE NEON FISHNETS BOOK 3: TAKING THE RISK, I wanted to introduce you to the San Antonio Riverwalk!

photo from sanantonio.gov

This city is near and dear to my heart since I have family down there, and I've visited and loved it since I was a little girl. I wanted to include it in the book, so I made it one of the places that The Fishnets performed on their U.S. Tour.

After their performance in the book, CJ takes a stroll down the famed Riverwalk that the city is so known for. Rather than describe this really cool place to you, I found a YouTube video that will let you take a virtual walk - perhaps the next best thing to experiencing it in person!

THE NEON FISHNETS BOOK 3: TAKING THE RISK is now available!

Thanks for stopping by! 

- Scarlett

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www.scarlettknight.org

THE NEON FISHNETS BOOK 3: TAKING THE RISK - OUT NOW!

 Book 3 is live! 

When the famous all-female rock band The Neon Fishnets embark on a new sold-out tour, life couldn’t be more perfect for the band’s drummer and co-founder, CJ McLaughlin. Even though CJ is madly in love with her best friend and fellow Neon Fishnets co-founder, Trish Carlucci, so far, she’s been able to keep it a secret. But when she catches the lead singer’s boyfriend, who is also the band’s manager, with another woman, CJ realizes that it’s time to tell Trish not only about what she discovered, but about the romantic feelings she’s been hiding for years. But will taking the risk pay off? Or will it ruin their friendship and ultimately break up the band?

--> BUY HERE <--

Enjoy!

XoXO

- Scarlett

*************

www.scarlettknight.org

Golden Crown Live Reading!

 

XoXo

Scarlett

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www.scarlettknight.org

BREAKING THE CHAINS Is a Goldie Finalist!

I am thrilled to announce that THE NEON FISHNETS BOOK 2: BREAKING THE CHAINS is a Finalist for the Goldie Award in the New Adult Fiction category!

If you haven't read it, or Book 1 in the trilogy, you can check them out here!

THE NEON FISHNETS BOOK 1

THE NEON FISHNETS BOOK 2 ***(The Goldie Finalist!)*** 

Thanks very much to the readers and judges of this contest for this wonderful honor!  

XoXo

Scarlett

***************

www.scarlettknight.org

Enjoy my work? Buy me a coffee! 

---> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ScarlettKnight

Cover Reveal! THE NEON FISHNETS 3: TAKING THE RISK

 Got another cover reveal for you, and this one is for the final book in THE NEON FISHNETS trilogy!

Stay tuned!

XoXo

Scarlett

***************

www.scarlettknight.org

Enjoy my work? Buy me a coffee! 

---> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ScarlettKnight

Cover Reveal! "Pleasure of the First Mark"

Greetings, and Happy St. Patrick's Day! In the spirit of this magical day, I have decided that today is the right time to reveal the cover art for my upcoming paranormal FF release "Pleasure of the First Mark: A Faerie Marked Short Story."

I'm especially excited about this one because it marks my expansion from focusing on contemporary lesfic and delving into paranormal lesfic. Stay tuned for release dates and more! 

XoXo

Scarlett

*************

www.scarlettknight.org

Enjoy my work? Buy me a coffee! 

---> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ScarlettKnight

2021 Reader Appreciation Post

Here we are in January 2021, and the struggle is real! Like many of you, I've been battling with daily anxiety and existential dread. This pandemic and the chaos in politics has brought us almost constant stress for the past year. We all knew deep down that just because we switched over from 2020 to 2021 that things wouldn't immediately get fixed, but gosh, it seems like we've been riding this insane bucking bronco for too damn long! 

Like many of you, I'm fatigued as all hell and ready to get on with my life, but rather than give into the depression today, I decided to make myself think of something I was grateful for in my life. They say that appreciation helps battle the blues, so maybe we should all try to do a little more of it on the daily. 

Today, in the spirit of appreciation, I wanted to tell all my readers how much I appreciate them - and if you're one of them, how much I appreciate you!

from pexels.com

As a writer, I cannot tell you how much it makes my day to pop onto social media to see that someone has posted about reading one of my books. You didn't have to make that shout-out, but you were kind enough to do it, and I appreciate you!

Every time I see a new sale whether a book purchase or pages read on Kindle Unlimited, it totally makes my day! If you're one of those who has taken the time to click on my books and peruse its pages and even maybe read the whole damn thing, you rock!!

And for those who take the time to reach out and email me, or leave a comment on one of my posts regarding my books, and for those who sacrifice a small part of their day to write me a review, I cannot tell you how awesome that makes me feel. I appreciate you!

Readers, I mean it. You are the best. I send you my love. I send you a big virtual hug. In this crappy time when it's so easy to focus on the negative, just know that you are seen, you are noted, and you are greatly appreciated!

XoXo

Scarlett

*****

www.scarlettknight.org

Enjoy my work? Buy me a coffee! 

---> https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ScarlettKnight