Z.L. Arkadie's Blog

It’s Been a While…

It’s been a long time since I gave you something new under the name Z.L. Arkadie.

But here’s what I have done—I’ve finally combined the trilogies in The Blackstone Family series into duets. Now you don’t have to read three books to get the full story. Back in the day, trilogies worked in favor of indie authors. These days? Not so much. Now, it just feels unnecessarily drawn out.

Here’s another shift—I’m done chasing stories that don’t speak to my heart.

Lately, I’ve been thinking deeply about what I really want to write as Z.L. Arkadie. Truth is, these days I read more literary and psychological fiction. When I do read romance, it’s got to be unconventional. Fifty Shades of Grey comes to mind. I only got through the first book, and when she left him at the end, I thought, Now that’s a perfect ending.

I’ve given nearly fourteen years to writing romance. But I’m not the same writer—or woman—I was when I started.

I’ve learned so much about relationships—how to explore the deeper stuff that goes beyond sex and surface chemistry. My last real-life heartbreak helped me see things more clearly—not just about him, but about me. I picked him because he was my “comfortable uncomfortable.” And he picked me because I didn’t ask him to show up emotionally. I didn’t know how to love or be loved in a relationship that was rooted in commitment, shared expectations, and mutual respect.

Yes, there’s a magical element to happily ever after. But there’s also a social one—where love becomes a decision. A choice two people make to keep showing up. To make it work, simply because they promised they would.

And that lens of realism? It’s made writing traditional romance... hard.

Still, I want to give you something. Because if you’ve stuck with me this long, then you already know what I do best—pulling you in from page one and leaving you wondering, “What did I just read?”

“Wait... was that even romance?”
LOL. You know you liked it.

Now here’s a little tea: my current roommate is my ex-boyfriend. Yep. I moved in with him to focus on switching genres—because yes, I’m still writing, just not as Z.L. Arkadie and not in romance. And surprisingly, we live together peacefully. That’s probably why I stayed with him longer than I should’ve. But man... he’s still a whole mess. LOL.

Maybe that should be the next book.

Right now, I’ve outlined a romantasy with a reverse harem vibe. But don’t expect the usual tropes. I’m not writing a story where every man is drooling over a woman’s body. That’s neither emotionally satisfying nor realistic.

Because here’s the truth: a man should love you—your soul, your mind—not just your body. Beauty is common. Depth is rare.

And yes, the reverse harem angle started as me chasing the trend (again). But in the process, I discovered a story that’s truly mine—fresh, bold, and full of potential. The first book is fully outlined, and it’s big. Too big for just one book. I won’t give anything away, but think Parched. Remember that one? I was still early in my novel-writing journey back then, and the structure got a little too artsy for its own good. This time, though? The story’s got legs and the bones to support them.

And these supernatural creatures? They’re original. Never been done before.
Because the creatures are... wait for it...

Hmm.
You’ll just have to stick around to find out.

I’m diving back in this week. And honestly, I wouldn’t mind leaning fully into romantasy. You know how my brain works—I can go way out there. And what better genre to hold that kind of creativity than romantasy?

Stay tuned.
There’s more to come.

I have decided to republish the original versions of Find Her, Keep Her, and Parched. You see, I had this habit of only validating the negative reviews, allowing them to make me change large sections of my books and write stories to avoid further criticism. Criticism is a huge flaw in my family. I realized I’m on the right track of healing that flaw in myself when I attended a gathering recently and heard criticism of all kinds. Carefully crafted criticism and overt criticism. Long story short, I have been on the path to understanding how that criticism and lack of encouragement have affected me my entire life. It’s hard to hear the positive when I’m hardwired to consume the negative and allow it to drive me. I’ve been on this neverending hamster wheel of striving to achieve but never being good enough because there will ALWAYS be negative voices. I wrote Find Her Keep Her eleven years ago. I wrote it from my heart, from my understanding of romance. Today, I have a completely different sense of romance. That damn therapy! And I mean, blackbelt therapy. Regardless, even today, most people read through the original version of Find Her Keep Her. It’s that version that gets the entire series moving. So, there’s something about it romance readers prefer. And yes, I understand a certain segment think it’s porn or whatever. And they have the right to consume it however they feel. But I also received five stars, “I couldn’t put it down.” And you know what, I will focus on the read-through and the positive, which are reflected in sales. Same with Parched. So, if you purchased or downloaded Find Her, Keep Her from a store other than Amazon, you should have access to the original version. But everybody can download it directly from my store at Z.L. Arkadie Shop. Just click or tap on the button below! Z.L. ARKADIE SHOP

So, I have finally worked out my next Z.L. Arkadie release. I have severely missed the deliciousness of plotting a good story about dark secrets, romance, and suspense. I’m also going steamy when I write sex, but not as graphic as my earlier books. The title is and will be “Bleeding Blue.”  It’s a psychological thriller about a mother and a daughter who find themselves in a world they should’ve never entered, and that world is not ready for the likes of them.  That’s all I’ll tell you for now. I hate revealing details of my story before the first draft is half-written. Just know I have been planning this story for over a year. I can also tell you that the story takes place in London and will be one standalone book.  The outline process starts tomorrow. It should be released by the end of the year or in January 2025. From this point on, a pen name will only release one quality story a year. I’m done with all those multiple releases that often required me to finish stories before they reached creative maturity.  When ‘Bleeding Blue’ is finished, it will be my best story. Zoey is a Z.L. palate cleanser. So, if I go too dark for too long, I’ll need to lighten things up with Zoey. So, we’ll see how long the darkness lasts before I’m forced back into lighthearted stories for a brief stint! LOL!  I had to discover this balance, or I think I would’ve imploded career-wise by now.  ‘Boss I Love to Loathe’ is full of warm fuzzy feelings. I’m done with those for the time being.  Until my next update, Z    

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I am thrilled to inform you that Boss I Love to Loathe is now live! This feel-good, enemies to lovers, boss romance comes with an unexpected twist: an accidental pregnancy that adds a little extra spice to the story. Thank you for your continued support. I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it. Happy reading! Get Your Copy!

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One more day until release day! Let me explain what I love so much about this snippet from the book. I think it captures my approach to storytelling so well. I attempt to write my characters as who we are. For instance, at this moment Gina is all emotion, protecting her ego but unaware that she’s doing it. She’s also surprised Sarah doesn’t see what appears to be a glaring reality to her. Her feelings for Randy drive her mad in a very subtle yet palpable way. It was fun writing a character whose emotions are as uncontained as Gina’s. You know those people who aren’t afraid to be themselves because they have the kind of parents who let them be anything? I had to craft that into Gina’s background to explain how she shows up in the world. I cannot stand consuming a story where the characters are humanely inconsistent. Everyone in this book is consistent with their background–I made sure of it. I really enjoyed writing this story–or shall I say rewriting this story. Yes, I am the only writer. There are two names on the cover but ONE WRITER. I’m telling you this so you won’t fear there being potential inconsistencies. I’m bringing my thirteen years as a storyteller to this particular book. So, it’s going to be good. However, Tabi Ryan and I wrote a book called “The Sexy Chef” many moons ago. Our names for that book were Z.L. and T.R. Now that I’m a more mature storyteller and a better writer, I wanted to do that story some justice. It had great bones, but it was an utter failure. But Tabi did a lot of the preliminary work on this new story so that I could revise it. Tab went from chapter to chapter, letting me know what I could possibly still use and what needed to go. In the end, practically the entire story had to be revised. So, because Tab had rights to that first story and read every chapter after I completed them with this story, her name was added as a collaborator. Tab even helped me work out a plot point regarding Randy’s mindset when he’s been released from the cooking competition. He’s going to be exhausted, which means he’s going to show up in the world as an exhausted person. I tried to remain true to my characters’ physical, emotional, and mental states. I think I succeeded. Anyway, that’s enough prattling on from me! LOL! I can hardly wait for you to indulge in this book. Until tomorrow! Much Love, Z Want to reserve your copy now! Click here

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Part 2 coming tomorrow!

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Just so you’re aware. You’ll be seeing two book covers until release day. I’m market testing both. Up until today, the couple has been the winner. Currently, the gorgeous man has better engagement. So, don’t be alarmed if you see these two covers. Amazon will lock in the couple cover so if you preorder on Amazon before I have a definitive answer on which works best for the marketplace, then you’ll receive the couple cover. Personally, I prefer the man.  Just look at him! You definitely want to read a story about that face! LOL! But in the end, your engagement will decide. Also, I owe you another snippet. I accidentally made one of them a page and not a post. I’ll post two snippets tomorrow. Stay tuned! Zoey

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The post Boss I Love to Loathe Snippet! 7 Days Until Release! appeared first on Romance Author Z.L. Arkadie.

I’ll start by saying the news is good. While writing Zoey’s next release, the title was “Boss I Love to Loathe.” Then, I second-guessed myself, but I decided to stick to my guns. So, that book will be released on or before May 22nd. Yes, you heard me right! ON OR BEFORE. If you purchase the preorder from me directly, you’ll be sure to get it sometime this week, possibly or at least by the weekend. That’s the kind of power I have when operating my own store. Gosh, I love it! Anyway, there’s more news. I’ve provided a sneak peek of three chapters of Boss I Love to Loathe. Zoey now also has her own FB page, which is actually kind of daunting. I mean, Facebook should really figure out how to solve its phishing problem. Every day, I’m inundated with malicious messages by accounts pretending to be them. It’s odd. I wonder if those people draw a salary to lure unsuspecting users to click on their harmful links. So, another page, more of those folks to contend with. Because they are people on the other side of attempting to harm. People are making those choices. But anyway, if you love Zoey’s books, then I invite you to follow the page. I find Zoey’s books funnier to write–sunnier to write. That’s where my headspace is these days. I’m focusing on the brighter side of life. I’ve grown so much in the last eight years. I can’t even begin to be the person who wrote my earlier books. Those days are done, so enjoy those books because I can’t write them anymore. Not only are the stories I’m telling these days different, but my writing has matured. I’ve undergone a revolution, and it shows in my writing. I have not written the same way since Once Upon An Unrequited Love. There was something about writing that book. It was transformative. Writing this book was too–Boss I Love to Loathe. I believe the book’s strength is the intimacy between all characters—the intimacy between Gina and Randy, Gina and Naomi, Gina and her parents, and Gina and the “Empty Nesters Who Lunch.” LOL! Oh, wait until you meet the empty nesters who lunch! LOL They were fun to write. Also, if you have read my books recently, and I even changed most of The Blackstone Brothers to reflect this, I don’t want to tell you what my characters look like. No colors. Skin. Eyes. Hair. No colors. You picture who you see. And actually, whenever I read a book, I never picture anybody. I also do not like it when I’m told what a character looks like, at least in the romance genre. Those kinds of details can take me out of the story for a moment, leaving me trying to forget the physical attributes. Sometimes, they can make me judgmental, too. These days, I would rather only tell you if it’s crucial to the story and the world I’m building. And, I have to be writing a genre other than romance to build physical traits into my stories. Because the stories I tell are universal. Or maybe, even more of a mindset, if that makes sense. I’m not conventional. I don’t even know how to write a conventional story. Anyway, so, if there are men on my cover, disregard what they look like. Frankly, I don’t picture anyone at all when I write my books. It’s odd, but I don’t. I mean, earlier, when I wrote the Parched series and LOVE in the USA, I pictured my ex-boyfriend in his glory days. Gosh, he was so beautiful—in every way—and he smelled good all the time. Sigh… I promise you–those days are DONE. LOL! That’s a short kind of long story. Anyway, you can visit my homepage and check out Look Inside under the SNEAK PEEKS and OTHER GOOODs tab. I give Boss I Love to Loathe at least one chili pepper. There’s no graphic sex. There’s also very little strong language. No. , I’m not religious. Yet, that kind of writing, building intimacy between characters as I build their worlds, makes me happy. Whew. It’s been ages since I wrote a blog post this long. I will also attach an image with a story snippet to this post. I’ll try to release these sorts of snippets daily until release day. I say, “Try” because I get so busy sometimes. Like right now, it’s bedtime. Nightie night! Until tomorrow! ME ZOEY LOCKE FACEBOOK PAGE

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Get your first look inside of Accidental Us by Zoey Locke with contributions by Tabi Ryan scheduled to release on May 22, 2024! I’ve provided the first two chapters for you so you can get a nice feel for the rest of the story. This book is a feel good romance ripe with your favorite tropes like: enemies to lovers, accidental pregnancy, and boss romance. The banter and connections between characters will be sure to entertain and tug at your heart strings! Some of you may remember The Sexy Professor or The Professor’s Heart written by Z.L. Arkadie and T.R. Bertrand. Well, this is that story completely reimagined and much better told. I truly hope you enjoy it! Look inside now! LOOK INSIDE

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