Road Blocks & an Announcement

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An Announcement

Last month, I blogged about having to scramble to pick a new pen name after the reader-tested and selected name was snagged out from under me.  Cue the gnashing of teeth and tearing of hair.  I was upset because I had every intention of using the pen name for a series of new novels that I had pitched to a publisher.  And when that publisher came back with an offer, I was elated… until I tried to acquire the domain name. And then I discovered that my carefully vetted pen name had been taken while I dithered around. However, we managed to select a new pen name—Sirena Corbeau—and now I get to make the announcement that 2026 will be magical year!

New Publisher

Varus Publishing and I, writing as Sirena Corbeau, will be releasing four new paranormal romances in 2026.  Varus Publishing is an imprint focusing on uplifting and championing romance authors and I’m excited to be able to bring a new world, series, and characters to life with them. This is the first time I’ve written in the romance genre with a strictly romance publisher and I am excited to learn from their experience.

About the Series

In this sizzling paranormal romance series, each book delivers a stand-alone, binge-worthy romance sparked by the meddling of Dante Montanari, a 400-year-old dragon shifter. Dante Montanari has a knack for bringing things together—supernatural deals, magical items, and even fated mates. The wealthy dragon barely cares for human laws, but he’s as protective of his employees as he is of his hoard. With pulse-pounding danger, passionate fated love, and a touch of dragon-forged magic, each book is perfect for readers who crave strong heroines, magnetic heroes, and happily-ever-afters that burn brighter than fire. Expect Book 1, Heart’s Curse, in March of 2026!

HEART’S CURSE – Lucas Kane is a talented telekinetic and ruthless casino boss looking to move up in the Montanari organization. Charlotte “Charlie” Auvray is a witch with no magic who believes she has nothing to offer. But when a curse drives the newest Montanari property, The Lucky Heart Hotel & Casino, into bloody chaos, Lucas realizes Charlie may be the only one who can stop the madness. What happens in Vegas might break the curse—and his heart.

Heart’s Curse will be followed by Forged in Flame, Curselocked, and Swamp of Shadows. Each book will expand this fantastic new world where humans and magical creatures mix, and bump into the problems of our modern world.

Interested in Paranormal Romance?

But if you want some paranormal romance now, now, now, please check out my existing Supernaturals series!  https://bethanymaines.com/supernaturals/

Noir at the Bar November

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A Romantic Craft

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Cooking Up Death!

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Love, Lefse, & Murder blurb for the Cooking Up Death Anthology with book coverCongratulations to all my fellow authors in the Cooking Up Death Anthology!

Cooking Up Death from Camden Park Press features sixteen tales of wonderfully food-centered murder and mayhem.  With toxic treats and lethal luncheons, each amateur sleuth must hunt down the murderer.  And each mystery is presented with an accompanying (non-deadly, we swear) recipe.

Featuring stories by John M Floyd, Annie Reed, Lauryn Christopher, Alan Orloff, Bethany Maines, Abigail Leigh Reed, Debra Henry, S.B. Watson, Wayland Smith, Sally Milliken, Jena Rey, Susan Madon, Melissa Behrend, Sheila Dene’ Lawrence, Mary Birk, and Kirlagh James. Edited by Lyn Worthen.

My story, Love, Lefse, & Murder, was inspired by a Nordic bakery in Poulsbo, WA, and my many trips to the delightful tourist towns on the coast of Washington. I love cozy mysteries, and I can’t wait to dive into the entire collection, which includes recipes for not only clam chowder, but also Chinese dumplings and Oreo truffles.  And I hope everyone will enjoy my tale of small town murder, marketing, and museums, as well as my lingonberry jam recipe.

Love, Lefse, & Murder

When Ryden Johanssen moved to Dune Park, Washington, to open his Scandinavian bakery, he never thought he’d end up as suspect number one in the Mayor’s murder. Now, Ryden is making friends and enemies as he investigates the death and attempts to clear his name AND the reputation of his beloved lefse.

BUY NOW (all retailers): books2read.com/CookingUpDeath

BUY NOW (Amazon): https://amzn.to/4orgLDo

See more anthologies from Bethany: bethanymaines.com/catalog/anthologies/

 

Deja Brew & the Pumpkin Spice Romance

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This October is set to be a busy time for me with three (3!!) anthologies being published.  With 12 Knights of Christmas, Cooking Up Death, and the Pumpkin Spice Romance, I have been kept busy with marketing and all of the pre-release items that go into these ventures.  It has been exciting to work with editors and other authors to see these anthologies come to life.  However, I think that in my next forays into submitting short stories, I may pay slightly more attention to publication dates.  I just didn’t think that all of the stories I submitted for October anthologies would get accepted!

The Pumpkin Spice Romance

I’m particularly excited to share this anthology with such fantastic stories and authors!  I’m also excited for our online release party on October 25th.  The Caffeinated Romance Readers Group is a romance readers group on Facebook that focuses on clean romance books.  During the “party,” I’ll be giving away some free e-books and the other authors will also be sharing some prizes as well.  Join the group if you want to win some prizes on release day!

ORDER THE PUMPKIN SPICE ROMANCE NOW

JOIN the GROUP

Deja Brew – Bethany Maines – Sometimes love needs a splash of pumpkin spice magic. Even with the ability to glimpse the future five minutes ahead, chaotic coffee shop owner Maddie Scott can’t stop herself from soaking a grumpy (and gorgeous) new customer, Felix Faraday, in pumpkin spice. But as sparks fly and supernatural secrets brew, it’ll take more than magic to keep this romance from boiling over.

Pumpkin Spice Joy Ride – K. Harris Tully – Toy store manager Carrie Smith needs a boyfriend, a Thanksgiving side dish and a hundred thousand dollars (not necessarily in that order). When ex-high school crush Buck “Bad Boy” Buchetti shows up with a shipment of the hottest toy of the season, Carrie jumps at the chance to save her store. There’s just one catch to this ’90s nostalgia second chance romance: Carrie may have to join the mob.

There’s Pumpkin Between Us – Kathryn LeBlanc – Running her family’s pumpkin farm keeps Autumn Piper too busy for love—especially when her old flame shows up unannounced. Graham Oakley never planned to return to Hayden, Vermont, or face the fiery redhead he left behind. Amid small-town charm, crisp autumn nights, and one mischievous goat, second chances take root. There’s Pumpkin Between Us is a cozy, small-town, second-chance romance filled with laughter, farm life, slow-burn chemistry, and the irresistible magic of falling in love.

Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Love – Birdie Song – She was still his favourite human, after all these years: When Leonie walks out on a failed marriage, she never imagines running into Hayden, that shifter boy from school now all grown up and running his own café. Old feelings rekindle as fast as ever, but is Leonie still that human kid who couldn’t stand up to her paranoid parents? Hayden hopes not, even though he’ll love her all the same.

Picture of Love – Virginia’dele Smith – Scarlett St. James has a chip on her shoulder and a camera in her hand, and that’s all she needs…until a fabulous job sends her to picturesque Green Hills. There she’s tasked with producing the annual Pumpkin Spice Festival. With little time to work, Scarlett accepts help wherever she finds it. Enter Noah Ford. The affable — albeit hot — small-town assistant is so much more than Scarlett bargained for. Can she trust the feelings he incites? Or is his instalove too good to be true?

>ORDER THE PUMPKIN SPICE ROMANCE NOW<

Pen Names & Projects

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A New Pen Name for a New Project

As some of you may remember from earlier in the year, I was on a writing and submitting spree. Novella’s, short stories, writing contests—I was on a writing rampage! And with some spicier romance novellas in the collection, I asked for your help picking a pen name, so that I could differentiate between the standard spicy and the extra peppers brand.

And you came through!

Readers Helping Writers

There was a poll.  Everyone responded and the pen name Vivienne Cross was selected as the winner!  I was excited to start using it, but decided to hold off on doing any prep work until I had set on my branding strategy and had the right release to go with it.

Well, welcome to fall! Welcome to new contracts. Welcome to having the work I’ve been doing pay off.  And now… welcome to wishing I had done some additional work on the pen name.

It was the 21st of September

In September, I went to acquire the domain name (for reasons I won’t discuss until next month) for Vivienne Cross and found that it was not available.  Suspicious.  I typed in the web address and, low and behold, it was being firmly occupied by someone who had put out a new book in August of this year.  Complete face palm.  While I had done my due diligence to see if anyone was using the name when I came up with it, there is nothing I can do about someone grabbing the name before me.

Inventing the Skateboard

Once my father said he invented the skateboard.  And I know you’re thinking… No, he didn’t.  But yes, he came up with the idea of putting his rollerskate wheels on a plank all on his own.  And so did at least three other people out there in the 1950s.  So, while I could be deeply suspicious that this author stole it from me, I have to admit that my own experience suggests otherwise. Every time I’ve tried to come up with a pen name, I’ve had at least three names that I considered genuine winners only to find that someone is already using it.

Forward Momentum

But I still need a pen name!

So I went back to the list and while I liked the runner up I found that I was no longer willing to take any of the secondary names. So I went back to the drawing board and worked with my business partner and another writer to workshop a new pen name.

The Criteria

We quickly established some guidelines for what I wanted to achieve with the name and assessed which names had ranked higher in the poll to find names in a similar style.

  • Must not be in use by another author
  • Preferably uses a last name that hits earlier in the alphabet for higher billing in anthologies
  • Must resonate with the paranormal romance and fantasy genres
  • Brings main character energy

With those boundaries in mind, we developed our list, did some research and settled on (drum roll please)…

Author Banner for Sirena Corbeau, the pen name of Bethany Maines

Sirena is a name originating from the mythical sirens and Corbeau means crow in French. I liked the symbolism and I liked the sound of the name.  And yes, I threw myself on acquiring the domain name without delay. Thank you all for your help in selecting a name and I wish our efforts had not been in vain! But hopefully now we can all enjoy Sirena Corbeau and her future novels.

Exit Inspiration

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The Inspiration Behind Emergency Exit

The opening of Emergency Exit, book 3 of the Valkyrie Brothers series, was actually the first scene I wrote in the series.  Ash Valkyrie sneaks into the building (because… reasons) via the service elevator and due to the loud vent system Harper Smoak has a misunderstanding about which party the elevator is heading for and… the hijinks and the plot ensue from there. The Valkyrie Brothers trilogy is a laugh-packed series of connected romantic mysteries starring the Valkyrie Brothers—Rowan, Forest, and Ash—as they struggle to find love AND stay alive in Seattle.

So I had the perfect set up for my characters! But then the scene sat there.  And sat there.  I would open it up periodically, re-read it and think… that is a great opening! Too bad I had no plot to go with it.  And then finally, finally, finally another elevator-based idea snuck into my head. What if the couple in the Smith Tower elevator weren’t the only ones to meet in an elevator?  And thus the premise for the Valkyrie Brothers began. But the series started and now ends with the Smith Tower.

What makes the Smith Tower Memorable?

Completed in 1914, the 38-story, the Smith Tower was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River until the completion of the Kansas City Power & Light Building in 1931. It remained the tallest building on the U.S. West Coast until the Space Needle overtook it in 1962. It was owned by the wealthy industrialist Lyman Cornelius Smith, and construction was completed by his family after his death in 1910.  It was designated as Seattle Landmark in 1984 and has faced a variety of economic misfortunes from careless owners, to low tenancy and a foreclosure sale in 2012.

But aside from being old, what’s it got that’s cool?  Architectural style for miles.  From the tower being clad in distinctive white terra cotta and a pyramid top to the tower that has an apartment inside, the building is an Art Deco beauty. But the real show-stopper was the Chinese Room.

Tucked on the 35th floor of the Smith Tower, the Chinese Room was reportedly a gift from China’s Empress Dowager Cixi, complete with a carved teak ceiling, blackwood furniture, and silk paintings, and even a famous Wishing Chair said to bring good luck in love. It opened alongside the tower in 1914, delighting visitors who would ride the original hand-operated Otis elevator to soak in the views—and the décor. Although the room was closed in 2014, much of its ornate charm—like the ceiling and chair—was preserved in a new speak-easy style bar space.

I’m sorry, did you say hand-operated elevators?

That’s right. The building was one of the last on the West Coast to employ elevator operators. It wasn’t until 2017 that the elevators were automated (and OK, renovated for seismic safety).  The elevators have lattice like scissor gates that allowed riders to see the floors as they go by and they have kept those, but now they operate with the press of a boring button, rather than by a gentleman turning a lever to the correct floor.

How did the Smith Tower Inspire Emergency Exit?

My business partner and I worked an event at the Smith Tower in early 2014, which means that we were one of the last people to see the original Chinese Room in all its splendor and ride up all those floors with the uniform-clad elevator operator.  And for years, I thought that it seemed like such a fabulous location that it needed to be commemorated in story and song.  But I can’t sing and I don’t write music, so fiction is what I’m bringing to the table.  And when it came time to write about the Smith Tower, I made the choice to fudge the timeline a bit.  I wanted to bring back the Chinese Room and elevator operators in all their splendor and inconvenience.  And I did!  So if you want to learn more about Ash, Harper, and the Smith Tower, check out Emergency Exit!

Emergency Exit, Release Date: 9/22

One bad ex. One fake relationship. Sometimes the only way out is the Emergency Exit.

When a misunderstanding lands new-to-town Harper Smoak at the wrong event with gorgeous tech investor Asher Valkyrie, she hopes she’ll be able to sneak out without embarrassment. But when she fends off his manipulative ex, Emma, by pretending to be his girlfriend Ash offers Harper $10,000 to continue the role and bolster his image while he works on a high-profile Pentagon project. Hesitant, but struggling with a debt she never asked for, Harper agrees. However, the faux-relationship quickly sends real sparks flying, and what began as simple arrangement quickly becomes something more. But while Harper and Ash draw closer, navigating Ash’s secrets, judgmental social circle, and Emma’s interference, test their growing bond. And when Ash’s enemies target Harper, Ash knows that he has one chance to make things right or Harper will be making an emergency exit.

Book Book Pre-Order Now!

Publishing Updates!

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Plotting a Murder

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Plotting all the Plots

Recently, I came across a call for a short story anthology focused on murder mysteries that took place in the workplace. However, the stipulation was that the death be dependent on that working situation. As a graphic designer, unless I accidentally stab my business partner to death with my college-era bone folder because she kerned too tightly, I don’t foresee a lot of work-related deaths in my future. So I had to look further afield, or at least into other fields of work, for my murderous plotting.

But having eyed my business partner for death once, I decided that she could be a useful resource – not as a dead body (she was relieved to hear this), but as a contact point for her brother, who works for a railroad. After all, with so much big machinery, a railroad seems a viable location for dangerous deaths.  Now, who to kill and how?

As we took our lunch break on a nearby beach, we discussed the whys and wherefores of offing someone.  I believe we frightened an older couple with a Yorkie.  Saying, “yes, but who should we kill?” is probably not the conversation they were expecting to overhear.  Once we had come up with a viable reason to kill someone, we needed a how.

Don’t Put Plotting on Your Brother’s Work Phone

But we also needed to figure out how to ask her brother, because as it turns out, his work provides his phone.  Which means that, should there be a problem, his tech support can view his messages. Plotting a murder over text is probably not something he would appreciate having on record.  So my business partner accepted the mission to discover how to kill someone at the railroad.  She performed this clandestine operation with the simple application of… a phone call. Fortunately, her brother, once he understood the assignment, was more than happy to share a myriad of ways to off a co-worker.  And whew! did he have some doozies!

So… How does it happen?

I can’t tell you that! However, I must admit that I had not even realized that death in this manner was a thing that could happen.  I was expecting “run over by a train” not baked from… nope, nope, nope, not spilling the manner of death.  I’ll keep it close to the vest until I’ve got a story to go with it.

But if you want something funny and dangerous to read sooner than that, you can check out…

Emergency Exit

Release Date: 9/22

Tech investor Asher Valkyrie hired Harper Smoak to be his fake girlfriend for stress-free social events, but the faux-relationship quickly sends real sparks flying. What began as a simple arrangement soon turns into a high-stakes game of love and survival when Ash’s lies begin to unravel.

PRE ORDER: https://amzn.to/3XEL9id

LEARN MORE: bethanymaines.com/valkyrie-brothers

The Publishing Game

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What Are We Publishing?

Publishing is always a bit of a game, but sometimes I feel more like I’m racking up publishing “points.” This year, I’ve found myself with some unexpectedly free writing time. I wrapped up writing the series I was working on (the Valkyrie Brothers) and I didn’t have a next grand project to launch into. Which meant I found myself surfing around the author communities and checking out open submission calls. Short stories are always a unique challenge, but for some reason there have been some what I would call “long-short story” openings.  Usually short stories are under 5,000 words, but these were running 8 or 9 thousand words and then there were some novella openings at 15,000 – 20,000 words.  Which was when I decided to give myself carpal tunnel syndrome and to rack up as many publishing points as possible.

Short Stories

Short stories usually publish in magazines and anthologies and are often snapshots of a moment. Compressing an entire plot into a short story is almost impossible.  Respect to the writer’s who can accomplish it, but my view of short stories are that they are their own format and have their own rhythm and conventions.

Mid-Length

But mid-length stories?  Hmmm… This was a new challenge for me.  At 8-9k words that seemed like enough room to get an entire plot in.  So I went back to my plotting systems, worked on some outlines, and then did math. I know that doesn’t sound natural for a writer, but once I knew how many scenes/chapters I had, I could divide by the total allowed word count and figure out my allowed words per scene.  And then I could see how badly I was blowing past that word count.

Novellas

I used the same formula for the 15-20k word novellas as I did for the mid-length stories and was happy with the increased word count. The finished products seemed a bit “naked” in that I felt like if I wanted them to be full length novels they should have more description. However, even with the length requirements and fast pacing I still felt like I had a complete story and I was happy with the results.

For this experiment the openings were in spicier romance novels, which is not my usual readership.  Since I didn’t want to ambush any of my readers with extra spicy content, I decided to submit the stories with a pen name and I asked readers for help picking what to use. The results are now in and Vivienne Cross was the clear winner.

The results of a poll for a pen name for publishing spicier romance novellas

So What’s Next?

Here’s a quick run down of stories that are in the works (or have been published already).

  • Front Desk Staff – Short Story – This crime short found a home in Midnight Schemers & Daydream Believers and will be out June 18 – BUY NOW: https://amzn.to/3FGfkzF
  • Carol of the Bells – Mid-Length – This Hallmark-style small town romance will be in the 12 Knights of Christmas anthology and will be out in October.
  • Love, Lefse, & Murder – Mid-Length – This Cozy Culinary Mystery is on submission and was sent off with a lingonberry jam recipe.  Fingers crossed, but if it doesn’t go to the anthology I’ll still be sure to share the recipe with all of you!
  • Bound by Desire – Novella – This incubus romance is on submission to the publisher and I’m hopeful that this sex positive tale will find a home, but it will definitely be a Vivienne Cross story.
  • Forged in Flame – Novella – Also with a publisher, this dragon shifter romance has got all the tropes and takes place in Hawaii.  It’s possible I just wanted to go to the beach when I wrote it, but it’s another Vivienne Cross novella.
  • Savage Hope – Novella – I was going to submit this story about a girl on the run from her necromancer stepdad, but I ended up loving it too much.  So I’m keeping it and will be adding it to my Supernatural series.  It’s got horror story vibes, motorcycles, and an army of undead roadkill.  One of the most fun things I’ve written recently.
  • Deja Brew – Novella – A paranormal (but clean) romance, this one features a coffee shop owner who sees the future, but only a few minutes ahead.  I’m still writing this one, and the girl just found out that the guy used to work for the corporate coffee chain that wants to buy out her store! Wish them (and me) luck.
  • And of course (and most important) … Emergency Exit – Novel – Release date: 9/22/25 – Book 3 of the Valkyrie Brothers series. Tech investor Asher Valkyrie hired Harper Smoak to be his fake girlfriend for stress-free social events, but the faux-relationship quickly sends real sparks flying. What began as a simple arrangement soon turns into a high-stakes game of love and survival when Ash’s lies begin to unravel. – PREORDER NOW: https://amzn.to/43ZKsT6

If all goes well, then between 2025 – 2026 then I should have 5-6 additional publishing credits beyond my usual novels.  And yes, that seems like a lot to me too.  But if I’m going to get all the publishing points and play the game, then I’m going to play to win.  I’ll keep everyone posted on how things go!