2018: The Year in Review

Looking back on 2018, I am thrilled at what a great year it's been! As I have continued to re-focus and re-brand to writing FF romance, I have felt more and more certain that I this genre is where my heart is, and I plan to continue to write more of the same.

Serving as inspiration this year was the powerful, sensual film Disobedience, which released this summer. I was able to see it in the theater and wrote a review of it, which you can read --> here. <-- 

Simply put, I adored this film. I wouldn't be surprised to see it up for some Oscars in 2019. It's that good. I hope to see more high-quality lesbian romance films like this released in the future. I think the world's ready for more! ((Fingers crossed!))

As for my publications in the world of FF romance, this year I was so proud to publish not one, but two lesbian romance books. 

This summer, I released my second lesbian romance novel, CITY SPIRIT, COUNTRY HEART, which has gone on to be my best-selling book to date!

Then, in December, I released my very first Christmas themed story, the FF romance short "A Twist of Christmas Fate." During its first week, it made it to the Top 10 in the LGBT Kindle Short Reads category on Amazon. Another milestone I am so proud of!

But I wouldn't have had such a great year without you, my readers! Every day, I grow more grateful and appreciative of you! 

I also must mention the support of my publisher, which I am proud to work with: Painted Hearts Publishing. Their staff is so knowledgeable and talented and passionate about the business, and I feel honored to be a part of the team. (By the way, if you haven't browsed their traditional and diverse romantic offerings, I suggest you treat yourself right now and take a look! --> www.paintedheartspublishing.com <--)

As we go into 2019, I'm not planning on slowing down! In fact, I have some exciting projects in the queue, one in particular that I'm working hard on right now, and I think you're going to like it. Let's just say, I'm delving into one of my favorite worlds to bring you a whole new set of fun adventures, sexy characters, and delicious romances that are totally gonna rock!

So, friends, thanks again for your continued love and support. Stay tuned, stay in touch, and have a fabulous new year - 2019 is gonna rock! 

XoXo

Scarlett

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www.scarlettknight.org

Spotlight on "A Twist of Christmas Fate": My Personal Experience at a Santa House

In my new FF Christmas short romance, "A Twist of Christmas Fate," the main character, Kate, gets roped into playing Mrs. Claus at a holiday photo booth in the mall. While she's there, she meets Mickey, who is playing an elf. While many of the details of this story came purely from my imagination, I do have some personal experience playing a Christmas elf!

Here's the embarrassing evidence...

The location where I played an elf back in high school was a beautiful historical home, which made for a perfect real-looking Santa House, much more authentic than the usual mall setup. It was a lot of fun getting to see the joy on all the children's faces as they met Santa, some of them for the first time! Back in the day, I had dreams of being an actress, so dressing up and playing a role was easy for me. I thought it might be fun, however, to create a character who had zero experience acting. So in "A Twist of Christmas Fate," I made Kate a math teacher at a local community college, and I gave her a little bit of social anxiety to boot. She ends up playing Mrs. Claus, not because she planned on it, but more as a favor for a friend. At first she's nervous, but once she's there (especially after she meets Mickey, the gorgeous lady love interest of the tale) she really starts to enjoy the experience.

The story's available through multiple e-book retailers and is only $0.99! It's something sweet and festive to add to your lesbian romance collection. I hope you'll check it out!

BUY LINKS:


 Painted Hearts Publishing

 Amazon US

 Amazon UK

 Barnes & Noble

Smashwords










XoXo

Scarlett

*********

www.scarlettknight.org

Enjoy my work? Buy me a coffee! 

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

Special Holiday Release! "A Twist of Christmas Fate"

I'm excited to announce my new FF Christmas short, "A Twist of Christmas Fate"!


When inclement weather ruins Kate’s plans to fly out of state and spend Christmas with her family, she fears her holiday might be ruined. But out of the blue, a photographer friend calls to ask if Kate would be willing to play Mrs. Claus at the Christmas photo booth in the mall. Kate agrees to do it, and once she’s there, she meets a stunning beauty named Mickey who is playing an elf at the same booth. As sparks begin to fly between the two women, Kate realizes what she thought was bad luck might instead be a fortuitous twist of fate.


Get your copy for only $0.99!


Painted Hearts Publishing

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Nook

Smashwords

An LGBTQ Anti-Cyberbully Guide

If you have any sort of social media account, odds are, you've been harassed at some point. If you're LGBTQ and you have a social media account, you probably really know what I'm talking about. Most likely, you have not only been the recipient of unwanted attention, but you also probably have been cyberbullied in some way. According to vpnmentor.com, 73% of LGBTQ people have experienced abuse online. But you don't have to let this statistic scare you away from the fun and other positive benefits of having an online presence. 

A contact of mine pointed me to a guide that gives the basics on what you can do to protect yourself from online harassment, especially if you are LGBTQ. It also suggests a variety of support groups if you've been struggling with being bullied: --> Click Here <--

Almost every social media platform has a way of blocking people. The key is to be brave enough to do it! I remember when I started out promoting myself as an author, I put up with all sorts of unwanted attention, mostly in the form of online sexual harassment, because I was too afraid to ignore or block these people. I was worried that it would come across as rude (as if they weren't being rude in the first place) or that it would somehow negatively impact my book sales. Well, if you are an artist like myself and have this concern, let me assuage your fears.

The people out there in cyberspace who are trying to engage you in unwanted messages most likely have zero desire to purchase your product anyway. They're not online to support you; they're online to fulfill some desire they have, be it feeling powerful by bullying someone or getting off on trying to pursue someone sexually. Blocking and ignoring these people is the best thing to do because by giving them attention in an way, you are negatively affect your own state of mind. I've learned from lots of experience that the best thing to do is simply block (which the above guide can show you how to do) and refocus your attention on why you're online in the first place: to connect with people in your field, to make respectful new friends, and to share your art.


- Scarlett

www.scarlettknight.org

Thankful For You

During this month of Thanksgiving, I wanted to say thank you to...you!

Yes, you!

If you are reading this blog post, I am directing my heart-felt gratitude to you. Those of you who take the time out of your busy schedules to click on my blog posts, and those of you who go the extra step and purchase and read my novels and short stories, you make this writing thing even more fun!

So this year, my appreciation goes out to you. I send you a big hug from my warm, cozy desk in Texas to simply say THANKS!



XoXo

Scarlett

*****

COMING DECEMBER 4th, 2018!

Classic Lesbian Film Review: IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK 2

Once again I want to start out by saying thanks to my good friend Vanessa Clark for mailing me the DVD of this film. (If you want to see my review of BOUND, --> click here! <--. )

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And now for the second review in my series of 3 classic lesbian films!

If These Walls Could Talk 2 is a series of three short films that follow stories about different lesbian couples in separate decades. It is a sequel of sorts to If These Walls Could Talk, which is a series of short films about abortion. But other than the themes being "controversial," the two movies are not related in any way.

The first story in If These Walls Could Talk 2 is called "1961" and is the most heart-breaking of the three. It stars Vanessa Redgrave who is the surviving partner of her companion of 50 years.

Since the story takes place in 1961, Vanessa has virtually zero rights, from not being able to visit her partner in the hospital to not being able to inherit the home that she and her partner bought and lived in for many years. It was so painful to watch. It just broke my heart!

The second story is called "1972" and stars Michelle Williams and Chloe Sevigny. Williams's character is a strong feminist and out lesbian, and one night she and her lesbian friends decide to go to a gay bar they've never been to. There, Williams befriends Sevigny's character, a confident, lone-wolf butch lesbian sitting at the bar.

 

Williams's friends don't like the fact that Sevigny wears men's clothing. After all, being such strong feminists, they're against anything related to the patriarchy. The episode explores some political themes of the 1970s as well as themes of gender identity, and it also contains a very romantic love story. There is a pretty steamy sex scene in this one as well!

The last of the three shorts is called "2000." It takes place in modern day (although now it's almost 20 years old). Ellen Degeneres and her partner Sharon Stone are on a quest to find the right sperm donor so they can have a baby. This episode was the sweetest and funniest out of the three, and Ellen had me laughing out loud several times. After following Ellen's TV show for many years, it was certainly different to see her topless in a love scene with Sharon Stone! The two make an adorable on-screen couple, though.

All in all, this film is a must-see for fans of lesbian romance. Even though the first episode didn't have a happy ending, the other two make up for it. Each one tugged at my heartstrings in different ways. I wish Hollywood would come out with more sweet lesbian shorts like these! I'd be first in line to watch them!


XoXo

Scarlett

Classic Lesbian Film Review: BOUND

First off, I want to say a big THANK YOU to my buddy Vanessa Clark (VC) for mailing me the DVD of this film, as well as two other films which I'm planning on reviewing here on the blog. Love ya, VC!

And secondly...holy shit, what a movie!

Are you old enough to remember the clout of Siskel and Ebert, and their coveted "Two Thumbs Up"? Well, this 1996 gem garnered two thumbs up, and I am old enough to respect the thumbs, so I was automatically intersted. And I should have known that this would be more than your typical lesbian fantasy thriller due to those thumbs.

And, oh, it was...

Right off the bat, we see Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon play the most delicious "we shouldn't be doing this" lesbian couple. At first, I thought I'd stumbled upon a soft porn with Gina playing the bad-girl plumber, and Jennifer playing the wanton housewife who "lost her earring down the drain." (I had actually heard of this moment that would lead into an infamous lesbian love scene before because it's on a bunch of Top 10 Hottest Lesbian Movie Sex Scene lists... BTW--it delivers!)

But this movie is so much more than hot FF moments!

Now, don't get me wrong, I loved the love scenes. The two leading ladies have great chemistry. I could listen to Gina Gershon dirty talk in her husky, sexy voice all day. But the real story starts when we realize Jennifer's character is hooked up with a member of the mob, played by Joe Pantoliano in one of my favorite performances by him ever. You think you know his character from the get-go, but that son of a bitch is clever... That's all I'll give you on that! I don't want to give away too much of the plot because I want you to watch this movie if you haven't seen it.

But a disclaimer: this film isn't for the squeamish! It is a serious nail-biter! There were a couple of bloody scenes I simply could not watch because I was so anxious! Instead I grabbed my iPhone and played on Instagram to distract me until the scene was over. As the movie went on, the tension just mounted and mounted, and the plot thickened and thickened, and as much as I wanted to hide in my phone, I was glued to the screen. It was a movie so well done that, frankly, I am shocked I hadn't seen it before now.

After a satisfying ending, as the credits rolled, I gave a cheer when I saw that the Wachowski (then brothers - now sisters) directed it! Well, of course they did!

If you haven't seen this classic lesbian film, do yourself a favor and check it out. It made my Wednesday night way more exciting than it normally would have been, in more ways than one!

Have you seen this movie? Are there any other classic FF movies you think I should check out?

Look for more reviews coming soon!


-Scarlett


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Thanks for stopping by! Won't you consider checking out my romantic lesbian fiction at www.scarlettknight.org ??