What Do You Wish?

Romance isn’t just about the grand moments—it’s the details that make a story unforgettable.

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Tell me…what do you wish more romance stories included?

Introducing the Red Valley Ravens Journal — For Fans Who Love Hockey, Romance, and Happily Ever Afters

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If you’ve ever turned the last page of one of my Red Valley Ravens hockey romances and wished you could stay in that world just a little longer… this is for you. ❤️

I’m thrilled to introduce the Red Valley Ravens Journal — a brand-new lined notebook inspired by the team you know and love from my hockey romance series!

This journal is designed especially for readers, writers, and dreamers who can’t get enough of love on and off the ice. Featuring the official Red Valley Ravens logo on a sleek matte cover, it’s the perfect place to jot down your own stories, goals, or everyday thoughts.

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✨ What’s Inside:

• 120 lined pages for journaling, story ideas, or reflections

• 6x9 size that’s easy to carry anywhere — from coffee shop writing sessions to game nights

• Matte cover with the Red Valley Ravens emblem you’ve come to recognize from my books

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💕 For Readers, Writers, and Fans Alike

Whether you’re:

• Keeping a reading log of all your favorite hockey romances

• Writing your own swoon-worthy stories

• Or just capturing your daily goals and gratitude

…the Red Valley Ravens Journal is the perfect companion.

And yes, it makes a fantastic gift for your bookish best friend or fellow sports romance lover.

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🏒 Why I Created It

The Red Valley Ravens have become such a special part of my writing journey — and yours, too. I wanted to create something tangible that lets you bring a little piece of that world into your everyday life.

Every time you open this journal, I hope it reminds you that courage, heart, and love always belong — on and off the ice.

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📘 Get Yours Today

👉 You can grab the Red Valley Ravens Journal now on Amazon!

Thank you for cheering on the Ravens — and for being part of the amazing community of readers who make these stories come alive. 💕

Cozy Journals for Daydreamers

Note: This page contains affiliate links, which help to pay for this site. If you make a purchase using one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting Rachelle Vaughn!

👋 Hello, friends!

I just wanted to share with you some beautiful journals that would make great gifts for the writers, journalers, and daydreamers on your shopping list...

You can shop the entire collection on Amazon!

Author Interview

Good morning and Happy Sunday!

I came across this author interview I did for Smashwords years ago and I thought I'd share it here on the blog...

What's the story behind your latest book?

In PURE ICE, Landon Turner puts everyone else first and has dedicated his life to caring for his quadriplegic brother and working his butt off at his full-time job. There’s nothing glamorous about his existence, but all that might change when he meets a woman who makes him realize how much he’s sacrificed. And then he gets the opportunity of a lifetime—to try out for his hometown city’s pro hockey team. Landon doesn’t know if happily-ever-after exists, but in a city like Red Valley, anything can happen…

What is your favorite part of the Red Valley Ravens Series?

I love that the books are stand-alone and the possibilities for storylines are virtually endless—as long as the main character is a hockey player! The series has featured massage therapists, an aspiring veterinarian, a hair stylist, an optometrist, a fashion designer, and even an ornithologist. Doing research for these books is a blast!

If you were stranded on a desert island which of your characters do you want by your side?

As much as I love Colton and Avery from ISLAND ICE, they are amateurs when it comes to wilderness survival. I’d probably choose Nataliya from HOCKEY GODS. She isn’t afraid of anything and is the type of woman who could find water, build shelter, and hunt for food with no problem at all. She’d have some great stories to tell to keep me entertained, too.

If you could be best friends with one of your characters, who would it be?

I would be besties with Emily from UNDERNEATH IT ALL. She is strong and courageous, and I value those qualities. And I’d get to hang out at O’Leary House where there would be endless inspiration and we could enjoy some of Aunt Maureen’s home cooking together! Plus, Emily has a really hot brother!

What inspired you to write your first book?

I have always been an avid reader and wanted to be a writer ever since a young age. Life got in the way of my aspirations for a while and then I got back into reading again. It was actually after reading LEAVING NORMAL by Stef An Holm that I thought, “Hey, I can write a book, too! I’m finally ready!” My first obstacle was the hero’s occupation. I knew he had to be wealthy enough to afford a Corvette and a nice house. Then the lightbulb came on and I decided he would make a perfect hockey player. And so, HOME ICE and the Red Valley Ravens series was born.

What is your favorite book that you wrote?

HOME ICE will always hold a special place in my heart because it was my first book, but I think MAMA'S INK is my favorite overall. I really love Sadie and Jared’s emotional story and the colorful characters in Mama’s tattoo shop. Reading the epilogue still brings tears to my eyes to this day.

Which other authors have most influenced or inspired your writing?

Nora Roberts is inspirational not only from her impressive body of work, but because of her compelling characters and amazing attention to detail. The descriptiveness in her novels puts the reader right there with the characters. No matter the subject, Nora writes about it as if she’s lived and breathed it herself.

What is it about the romance genre that has satisfied your passion for writing this long?

I think most young girls secretly dream that their prince will someday ride in and sweep them off their feet. In the romance genre, I love how you can take two people from different or similar worlds, smash them together and see what happens. The possibilities for love are endless!

Many romance novels tend to have an obstacle that keeps the lovers apart. How do you know when you've let the tension build enough, that it's time to resolve the issue and let the pair get together?

Sometimes I wish I could just let them be together from the beginning, but then there wouldn’t be much of a story! Only when the character has resolved or made peace with their own issues can they really be freed to give in to love and devote themselves to another person. Unfortunately, not everyone is smart (and lucky!) in love.

Do you have any advice to share with authors who've never written romance, but are considering it?

It may sound cliché, but write what’s in your heart. If you really believe in something, whether it be a concept, subject or character, put your whole heart and soul into it. Sure, you might feel vulnerable and a bit exposed, but you can go to sleep at night knowing you gave it your all no matter what anyone else says about it.

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Word of the Day

I'm on a mission to expand my vocabulary, one word at a time!

Today's word is sonorous.

Have you ever used it???

Adorability in Spades

Ready for the word of the day?

What comes to mind when you think of the word "adorability"?

For me, it's anything that makes me feel all giddy inside... 😊

She gazed in wonderment at the midday sky...

1 : a cause of or occasion for wonder

2 : astonishment, surprise

3 : curiosity about something

When is the last time you felt pure, joyous wonderment?

I feel wonderment every time I look up at the sky. Whether it is filled with puffy clouds bouncing their way along, clear blue as far as the eye can see, or pitch black with a blanket of sparkling stars, the sky is a constant wonderment in my life.

2023 Year in Review

As I look forward to what the new year brings, I'm also taking a look back at the last twelve months to remind myself of everything that has happened, both good and, in this year's case, not so good.

A great deal has been accomplished on the administrative side of the world of Rachelle Vaughn. All 21 of my books and 7 short stories were meticulously re-edited, re-formatted with new writing software, and re-uploaded. Then, to ensure that every book was as bedazzled and sparkleicious as can be, new covers were made for the entire Red Valley Ravens series (after the team got a shiny new name, of course!), the Thorne Creek books, Submersed, and Hockey Gods. And, if that wasn't enough, I separated all of my books by genre and created 3 new pennames to keep everything neat and tidy and less confusing for readers. Oh, and I almost forgot! For the first time, all of my books and short stories are available on Google Play.

Somehow, during all of that non-writing-related work, I managed to finish and publish Saving Hockeyville, the first of a new cozy small-town series where the sport of hockey is celebrated all year long. I'm already knee-deep in the sequel and can't wait to share it with you next year!

Personally, I've kept my self-care regime intact by practicing yoga every morning, keeping up my regular workouts, and have even added an at-home weekly spa night with hubby where we slather our faces with yummy-smelling peel-off masks and soak our feet while watching British gardening shows on TV. Like I've been saying all along, it's the little things that make a big difference in life. I'm also giving myself a big ole pat on the back for maintaining my 95-pound weight loss for an entire year. It was scary at first, but like anything else, it got a little easier with time.

Having that self-care routine in place has been crucial now more than ever after having to say goodbye to my writing partner and 14-year-old fur baby in September. She was such a huge part of my life that her absence has been intensely difficult. After diving into the main characters' grief in Saving Hockeyville, I had no idea I'd be confronted with it head-on in my own life so soon after writing it. Removing "she lives with her sassy calico cat" from my author bio hurt like hell.

We all know that "life is short" and regularly use the saying as justification for a lot of things. But seriously, LIFE IS FREAKIN' SHORT. Don't waste it by worrying about the things that don't matter or the things you can't change. And don't waste another moment hating yourself or wishing you could transform yourself for the better. Do the things, make the changes, start making friends with yourself. You're never going to have everything completely figured out, but at least try to enjoy the journey because we don't know how long it's going to last.

As for my goals for next year...well, I'm hoping to enjoy a little less formatting and a lot more writing. There are many more Hockeyville books to write, as well as the third book in the Thorne Creek series, two more books in the Tattooed by Love series, a Hitman Trilogy I've been kickin' around for nearly a decade, another Ravens book or three, several Christmas romances, and plenty of other books for my new alter ego pennames in other genres--Hockey Gods sequel anyone? I'm going to do myself a favor and stay away from Pinterest for a while because my book idea folder is bursting at the seams! Thinking up new ideas is waaaay easier than getting down to the nitty-gritty and stringing 80,000 words together. Time to put the nose to the grindstone and finally finish what I've started.

On the personal side of things, I'm going to continue settling into my "new normal" after reinventing myself (and my wardrobe!) after the weight loss, maybe dabble in meditation to supplement my yoga practice, and try not to freeze like the proverbial deer in the headlights when the going gets tough but immerse myself in my writing instead. There are too many books I need to write before this crazy carousel ride is over.

Phew! That was somewhat cathartic, I have to say. Now that everything is aired out and ready for action, I think I'm ready to give 2024 a whirl. Whaddya say? More of the good stuff and less of the negativity? Yeah, that sounds pretty good to me too...

Yours through thick and thin,

Rachelle

Newfandangled Technology

I have officially gone paperless!

Gone are the days of writing my novels out longhand and then typing the pages into my PC later. (I wrote 21 books this way, you guys!) The transition took me all of last year, but now that I'm writing everything directly into my laptop, it feels FANTASTIC and liberating and so much easier and less time consuming. YAY, I've finally entered the 21st century! 👏👏👏

Who else out there does things old-school and/or has taken a while to get on board with a new way of doing things?