With Great Trepidation....

Me with the original fourteenth quilt.

I have decided to self-publish my novel The Fourteenth Quilt which I wrote two years ago. Since it has a Christmas theme in part of it, I will wait until later in the year.

I also plan to contribute a contemporary romance novelette-sized story to a "sweet and clean" summer compilation. Because it is contemporary, not historical, I will submit it under my real name, not my pen name.

These two decisions prompt me to decide it is time to reactivate my Robyn Echols Books blog.

I have also decided to offer guest blog posts to a few authors. I know I have certainly appreciated those bloggers who have allowed me the opportunity to feature my written work on their blogs.

The rub is, some of the writers out there are great people and write terrific stories, but their values are not always the same as mine. My work can delve into some gritty topics. But when the dust settles, I do write stories that advocate the values of honesty, loyalty, truthfulness and just plain treating others right. On the moral front, my values advocate traditional families, sexual abstinence before marriage and fidelity after marriage.

I write romance, and I write about an occasional passionate kiss. Unlike some "sweet" authors to use the rule of thumb of keeping the sex behind closed doors, I support romances that take the addition step of promoting that a couple in love wait until after marriage to fully express that physical intimacy. I look for books where the romantic attraction between the hero and heroine is based primarily on an emotional yearning for a closer relationship and a recognition of a kindred spirit destined to become a best friend and beloved partner.

Of course, many fiction writers do not agree with me. Some may even be offended by my stance. I choose to not be offended by the sincere beliefs of others that differ from mine. But, that does not mean I am willing to promote those beliefs that differ from the values I choose to advocate.

So, it is with great trepidation that I take this step of offering a limited number of guest blog posts featuring other authors. I will be screening them in an effort to see that their featured work is compatible with the standards I choose to advocate. We'll see how it goes.

I'm calling the feature "Wednesday Wonders." There is nothing profound about that title. It just strikes me as being "catchy."

I have already lined up a few guests for April and May.  The earliest I would start publishing guest blogs would be sometime in March.

This post announces my intention. My next task is to put together the guidelines I expect of the works that are featured on this blog so that there is a minimum of misunderstandings and bad feelings.