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What is Clean Romance?
Today I decided to write about the clean romance genre of books. Sure, I write it and I love reading it, but I wanted to dive a little deeper. For example, what defines clean romance? How is it different from traditional romance? And why do readers love it? What are some favorite tropes and who are some popular romance authors that readers love? Let's find out.
Coming Soon: Finding Home Again (Steele Family Saga Book 3)
Coming Soon: Finding Home Again (Stele Family Saga Book 3)
Read the Prologue: Belonging Season (Steele Family Saga Book 2)
Looking for a great read? This is the prologue from Belonging Season, the second book in the Steele Family Saga series.
Read the Prologue: Someone to Catch My Teardrops (Steele Family Saga Book 1)
This is the prologue for the first book in the Steele Family Saga series, Someone to Catch My Teardrops.
Before Us: The First Three Chapters.
Read the love story of the matriarch and patriarch of the Steele Family, Haven and Sterling in Before Us, your free gift when you sign up for my newsletter.
What is the History of Clean Romance Stories?
Today I wanted to dive into the history of clean romance stories. Where did they originate? How does clean romance set itself apart? How have cultural shifts impacted the genre? What role do publishers play in clean romance? Who are some of the top clean romance authors? How does clean romance intersect with other genres? And what is the future of clean romance?
Read the First Pages of Brock's Bad Temper (And The Time Machine)
His sister, Brenda, was the kindness queen. The total opposite of Brock, always nice and never mean. She was good to her friends and always helpful to her teachers. Sometimes on Sundays, she would take baked goods to their preacher. Even though she loved him, Brock was really a pest. Once in a while, his sourpuss attitude would put her friendships to the test. They would get so tired of him. For crying out loud, would he give it a rest? She would just shrug her shoulders and take it in stride. Together they would smile and roll their eyes, then decide where to play, indoors or outside.
One day at recess, Brock was being so mean, stomping and snorting and causing a scene. Brenda went over to put her own words to the test.
"Brock Edward Bean, stop being so mean! It's not all about you. You won't always get your way. If you keep this up, you may get a black eye someday. Everyone is tired of your stomping and snorting and causing a scene. Eventually, you'll wind up in the bad temper time machine!" she yelled at him.
"Bad temper time machine?! What is that? What do you mean?!" he shot back.
"Don't kid yourself because it happened to me. I used to get red in the face and have a temper streak. But one night I was in my room, putting on my pajamas. Suddenly I looked up and my heart went bananas. I wasn't in my closet anymore. I was in a cabin, standing on the hardwood floor. Then I got a whooping with a switch before I went out the door. I ran and ran, I screamed and I cried. Then suddenly in our home I was back inside."
"That could never happen. It will never happen to me," he shot back.
"Well, when we go home tonight, you'll have to wait and see," she said, turning around and walking away.
Read the First Pages of My Miles and Me
Bright read with chrome trim, shining, my five horse motor hummed with perfect timing. I had rubber bumpers, special attachments, and extra long cord with headlights glowing to show the way. All these features would lead anyone to say, "Creeper the sweeper, without a second thought, is the most super deluxe sweeper ever to be bought!"
Without a doubt, my family's pride and joy. Then one day, suddenly, there appeared "Miles", a brand new baby boy! No one knew then that someday we'd be the bestest of friends, my Miles and. me.
The months flew by, but oh, what a fright! For all Miles would do was scream and cry each time they brought me into sight. No one knew then that someday we'd be the bestest of friends, my Miles and me.
My whirling, twirling, siren sound, little knew I, made Miles's poor little heart go pound. No one knew then, that one day we'd be, the bestest of friends, my Miles and me.
When Miles finally grew used to me and my sounds, so grateful was everyone else around. Each week, his curiosity brought him nearer and nearer. Soon he gave me a poke and a pat-even a push or two.
Next came hugs, playful kisses-even stickers on me he glued! No one knew then that someday we'd be the bestest of friends, my Miles and me.
Read the First Pages of Don't Eat Your Boogers (You'll Turn Green)
Goober McGee had a habit. Some kids chewed their fingernails, other kids stretched out their clothes.
Goober ate his boogers. It wasn’t like he enjoyed it, but most of the time he didn’t have a tissue. So what was he supposed to do? He never dreamed it would become such an issue until one day….
“Ew! Don’t eat your boogers, you’ll turn green!” his older brother, Sludge, said to him one day. Goober was reading a book on the couch and Sludge came in to watch some television.
“No, I won’t! Mrs. Cherokee has never said anything in science class about that kind of stuff. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, I do because it happened to me once.I had the same bad habit, and I eventually turned green. My whole body turned green.” he said.
“I still think you’re pulling my leg,” Goober said.
“Just keep it up and you’ll see what happens,” Sludge said, walking into the kitchen. Goober popped another crusty one in his mouth and started another chapter. Not long after, it was time to go to bed.
The next morning, Goober woke up and looked in the mirror. He still had the same coloring as yesterday. He looked at himself all over before he got dressed and couldn’t find a speck of green.
Sludge was ridiculous. Goober raced downstairs for a breakfast of blueberry waffles before he headed off to school.
Goober loved school. His favorite classes were English and science. He loved playing with his friends outside and trading food in the lunchroom. And all through the day he ate his boogers. In homeroom, in math class,on the playground and in the bathroom.
The warning Sludge gave him kept ringing in his head, but he couldn’t stop. Some of his other friends did it so it really wasn’t that big a deal. It’s not like he was cheating on his homework or putting a whoopee cushion in the teacher’s chair. Sludge was just being over dramatic. Wasn’t he?
The next morning, Goober woke up and looked in the mirror again. He couldn’t believe what he saw. He was a booger yellow shade of green-everywhere.
“Aaaaaaaauuuuuuuugh! Sludge!” he screamed.
“What?!” Sludge called, running down the hall and sliding into Goober’s room.
“Oh, no Goober. Do you believe me now?” he asked.
“Yes!” he cried, panicked. “But what do I do now? How do I fix it?”
“You’re going to have to go to the doctor. Let’s go show Mom and Dad.” Sludge said, turning on his heel and heading downstairs.
Goober quickly threw on his clothes and ran after him. Once they saw him, his Mom made a call to the doctor’s office. Not long after, they left.