by SantanaBlair | Jun 23, 2020 | Blog, Updates
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With the release of this brand new and sparkly SECOND EDITION of TWICE UPON A TIME – the Original Crew is officially back together!
You may know him as Jayson’s little brother, but you’re about to get to know Jayden for real in this SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE…
BLURB:
Once upon a time, in a small village, there lived a young prince who fell in love with the fairest maiden…
Four years ago, Jayden Williams did what he felt he had to do to chase his basketball dreams, leaving Paradise Cove and his high school best friend and love behind. Now, he’s back home, coming face-to-beer with the girl he never should have let go of.
Natalie Velas has spent the last four years in New York, nursing her wounded heart. When the death of her grandfather brings her back to Paradise Cove, she’s in over her head in figuring out her new path, only to have the very boy she never wanted to see again show up and act like he never broke her.
On the court, Jayden is known for making some of the riskiest shots under pressure, and he’s determined to take the most precarious shot ever: winning back his princess.
What he doesn’t expect is the tower of impenetrable walls Natalie’s built around her heart.
Jayden’s made promises before.
But they were just pretty words.
Will Natalie’s prince be able to prove love comes twice upon a time?
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by SantanaBlair | May 19, 2020 | Blog, Updates
On Sale Now!
And She Called Him Romeo
**Second Edition**
The return to the Cove starts now…
It has the power to consume, to hurt, to heal.
Love has the power to change everything.
In the game of basketball, Jayson Williams knows how to win. When it comes to matters of the heart, he’s way out of his league. But that doesn’t stop him from going after what he wants, and he wants her. The moment he laid eyes on Brooke, he knew she had to be his. No matter what it took, he was going to win the heart of Brooke Thomas.
Brooke is a master at playing defense, especially where Jayson’s attempts to win her over are concerned. Since moving to Paradise Cove, she’s kept her circle small and her focus on her art. Her vision of the future isn’t clear, but she does know she shouldn’t be on anyone’s radar, especially anyone like Jayson.
When Jayson’s presence seems to be unavoidable, Brooke doesn’t know which way to turn. No attempts at shoving him away persuade him past his one pursuit, and the more time Brooke spends with Jayson, the more he becomes important to her in ways she could have never imagined.
Jayson is everything Brooke’s ever wanted.
Brooke is everything Jayson’s vowed to be good enough for.
When push comes to pull, the strength of their bond will be tested, and only one question remains:
Is their relationship the forever kind worth fighting for?
by SantanaBlair | May 10, 2020 | Blog, Updates
Something you may not know about me… I was raised by a single mother. My dad died a month before my 5th birthday and as a result I’ve only remember what it was like to have HER- my supermom. She raised three kids on her own and now that I’m an adult I know there must have been stress, heartache, and moments of “How am I going to ______?” but she made sure I never knew it.
Obviously, my having such a strong example of both womanhood and motherhood gave me an impressive blueprint to follow as a mom to my three. And to this day the best compliment I’ve ever received was my own mother telling me that I am such a great mother.
These qualities I’ve both observed and attempted to emulate have of course stained some of characters as well. Strong and reliable mothers (and Mother figures) often make their way into my stories.
Jisela (And She Called Him Romeo; Twice Upon a Time)
Evelyn (And She Called Him Romeo)
Ms. Annie (After Ever)
Kelly (Dear Summer)
Regina (Sticks & Stones)
Leticia (Sticks & Stones)
… just to name a few.
And I’m sure the pattern will continue because… Moms.
The title goes so far beyond those three letters.
I hope you all celebrate the strong women in your life today and every day.
Moms- may you be celebrated and recognized for the love and effort you put into this often underappreciated job. The sleepless nights and exhaustive days. The bedside care and boo-boo kisses. The personal chef and taxi services you provide. Oh and the maid services… *whew*
Our job description goes on and on… but so does the importance.
May your day be filled with love and recognition
by SantanaBlair | May 1, 2020 | Blog, Updates
As you know, And She Called Him Romeo has been through a massive overhaul and update and is being rereleased…
I’m so excited to finally announce that Jayson and Brooke will be reader/bookshelf ready on MAY 19, 2020.
Our Paradise Cove OGs are back and better than ever.
But that’s not all!
I’ve got the first look at the all new blurb to share as well AND a new teaser!
Without further ado…
And She Called Him Romeo (Paradise Cove #1)
SECOND EDITION Blurb
Love.
It has the power to consume, to hurt, to heal.
Love has the power to change everything.
In the game of basketball, Jayson Williams knows how to win. When it comes to matters of the heart, he’s way out of his league. But that doesn’t stop him from going after what he wants, and he wants her. The moment he laid eyes on Brooke, he knew she had to be his. No matter what it took, he was going to win the heart of Brooke Thomas.
Brooke is a master at playing defense, especially where Jayson’s attempts to win her over are concerned. Since moving to Paradise Cove, she’s kept her circle small and her focus on her art. Her vision of the future isn’t clear, but she does know she shouldn’t be on anyone’s radar, especially anyone like Jayson.
When Jayson’s presence seems to be unavoidable, Brooke doesn’t know which way to turn. No attempts at shoving him away persuade him past his one pursuit, and the more time Brooke spends with Jayson, the more he becomes important to her in ways she could have never imagined.
Jayson is everything Brooke’s ever wanted.
Brooke is everything Jayson’s vowed to be good enough for.
When push comes to pull, the strength of their bond will be tested, and only one question remains:
Is their relationship the forever kind worth fighting for?
by SantanaBlair | Apr 14, 2020 | Blog
If you’ve been following me on Instagram for the last month or so, you may have heard the news about some of my original books being re-released next month. Of course, that means I’ve been spending a lot of time with the original crew (or the OC of PC as I like to call them). Obviously, my trip down memory lane with these characters has my mind traveling back to the reasons I wrote the stories to begin with.
There are probably two of my characters that really capture a lot of who I am and reveal it in the things they do, the things they say, and the thoughts only the readers are privy to… and Brooke is one of them.
If you’ve been a reader of mine for a while, you might be familiar with how Jayson and Brooke (And She Called Him Romeo) came to be. But something I’ve never talked about in depth was why the story came to be. On the surface, the story could easily be checked off as a popular guy/outsider girl trope of romance, but the truth hits a little deeper and a lot closer to my heart.
I wrote the first version of ASCHR back when I was sixteen years old and a junior in high school. It was a story I never imagined sharing with anyone. As most other teenagers were, I was busy getting lost in the throes of first love… an experience that would end up shaping a lot of my self confidence in not the best of ways at the time.
Brooke’s feelings of disbelief at being seen by a guy like Jayson. Yep, that’s sixteen year old me all over it.
Those rough teen years of first love groomed me to think of myself as the plan B girl, the safety net aka old reliable that was always good for an ego boost.
And the creation of Jayson, was definitely the dream.
Most readers run back to me enthralled that Jayson’s heart is what it is. There’s something special about him being looked at as a typical jock, but then taking away all the ego and having him deal with an unrequited crush on a girl who thinks she’d never be on his radar.
And believe it or not, there’s a lot of me in his character as well.
It’s a story that has so many moving parts to it and yet, when I reread it, I find teenage me in all the cracks and crevices.
That’s also the reason why it’s always my favorite. Yeah, it opened up a whole new world of characters for me. But it did something far more important, it gave me an outlet for every single one of my feelings… and all the dreams of happily-ever-after.
The updated and revised version of And She Called Him Romeo will be republished
May 2020.
Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter to get the first notification of the official release date
by SantanaBlair | Nov 25, 2019 | Playlists
Sticks & Stones Playlist
Here is my playlist for Sticks & Stones. Some of these songs I listened as I wrote, others I heard and immediately thought of Eli and Darcie. I love all of them but the ones that are in bold shout some of E & D ‘s special moments/connections to me.
Happy Listening!
Saturday Nights – Khalid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esh8mNoPxGE
Young Dumb & Broke – Khalid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPfJnp1guPc
No Diggity – Blackstreet (feat. Dr. Dre & Queen Pen) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KL9mRus19o
You – Lloyd (feat. Lil Wayne) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfoD2ILKEYk
Boyfriend – Ariana Grande & Social House https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SRxBTtspYM
Talk – Khalid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1Pl8CzNzCw
Outta My Head – Khalid (feat. John Mayer) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZ3K9E8Cvbg
Paradise – Khalid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-w00qQ5r0E
Nice For What – Drake https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9BwWKXjVaI
Eastside – Benny Blanco, Halsey, Khalid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFof8aaUvGY
Alone – Halsey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEkImgh–PE
Breathin – Ariana Grande https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BYr1br2Ee4
Into You – Ariana Grande https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ekZEVeXwek
Better – Khalid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkOF8UiB7u8
Call You Mine – The Chainsmokers & Bebe Rexha https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvC8XWPNnC4
Yellow – Coldplay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKNxeF4KMsY
Speechless – Dan + Shay (feat. Tori Kelly) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnfPsCgy9pI
Lovely – Billie Eilish & Khalid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1Pl8CzNzCw
All I Want Is You – Miguel (feat. J. Cole) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7PVhQPaFNY
I’ll Be Good For You – *NSYNC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMiTF9umCzQ
