 Romance That Moves You... With our grand opening in Fall 2011, we are an independent publisher that pays royalties and does not charge fees to authors.
Our primary goal at Inspired Romance Novels is to provide readers with books that inspire—healing, hope, and happiness. Books that will make you laugh, make you cry, make you sigh.
This may, or may not, include a Christian message throughout a story. While we certainly embrace such themes, it is not necessary to publish with us. Our focus is on the emotional journey of characters and of course, the love story.
Inspired Romance Novels is owned by Joan Alley. Prior to opening Inspired Romance Novels, Joan spent eight years in the romance publishing field as both an author and editor. Personal growth "inspired" Joan to step away from her established career and seek a new path. Her wealth of experience backs her newfound dedication to promote stories that focus on the heart and soul of true love.
www.inspiredromancenovels.com
Featured releases
Available now!
You never quite know how love will find you...
Peeing. There's a little boy peeing on his aunt's front porch and Buck Washington, Sheriff of Hope Springs, Alaska, couldn't be more shocked. That is, until the kid's mother silences Buck's steadfast parental advice—with the hose.
Edie Matthews instantly regrets the reckless move. On the run from her abusive husband, Edie has kidnapped her stepson, determined to protect the child from the man she is confident murdered his first wife.
Avoiding Buck is best, but then the infuriating man exacts revenge—with a water gun. Soon, her new neighbor isn't just asking questions, he's asking Edie on a date.
Can Edie dare to love again? To trust in a man...and her new identity? Or will her secrets come back to bite them both?
Read an excerpt | Buy it today!
Available now!
She's worth more to me dead than alive...
Devastated to learn her fiancé is nothing more than a con artist after her inheritance, Hope Pearson is seeking refuge at the Circle C ranch when her brakes give out, sending her careening into a gully and Caleb McBryde's life.
Though her lines don't appear cut, the ex Texas Ranger finds the circumstances surrounding her crash landing in Serenity Cove, Texas highly suspicious. For calamity seems to shadow the woman… One might say she's an Accident Waiting to Happen.
Read an excerpt | Buy it today!
Coming soon!
The stud-muffin headed in the direction of Claire Water's newly opened chocolate shop is none other than the doctor she once dated–and he's rattling the skeletons in her closet every step of the way.
For Claire has a secret—a six-year old, blonde-haired, blue-eyed little girl of a secret—and Burke Harlow has questions. Lots of them, the kind that poke too deep and hit hard too hard, for those pesky old feelings between them aren't finished yet. Not by a secret baby mile…
Read an excerpt | Buy it today!
An Interview with Joan Alley, owner of Inspired Romance Novels
By Holly Hewson for The Romance Studio
HH: Thank you for talking to us at TRS. Please tell us how Inspired Romance Novels got its start. JA: Thank you for having me! As Inspired's owner, I've been involved in the romance writing field for some number of years, having published with several popular ePublishers as well as a couple of larger print publishers. Trouble was, I just wasn't happy. When the "hot romance" train chugged by years ago, I'd hopped on and found "success." But I wasn't writing the stories that called to me. I simply producing what made money and that quickly wore on me. I yearned for something more fulfilling and over time realized God wanted something more for me too. Long story short, I quit. Decided no amount of money was worth the emptiness inside when writing and I was going to do something about it.
Meanwhile, throughout those years, the idea for Inspired Romance Novels weaved in and out of my thoughts, growing, expanding, and eventually taking over. Part of the reason I started writing hot romances was my desperate need to be published -- I felt I'd no other option -- so there is nothing I look forward to more than offering new authors a chance and helping them grow in their talents.
Whereas in past years, both publishers and authors alike felt obligated to produce sexier in order to reach readers online, the recent success of the Kindle, Nook, etc, better equips us to reach broader audiences. There are many sweet and inspirational romance readers out there hungry for emotional, compelling love stories—sans the extreme physical aspect—and I will be one happy, fulfilled woman if I can help connect authors of such stories with readers.
HH: What sorts of books will readers find there? JA: Inspired's tagline is "Romance that moves you..." and that pretty much says it all. We publish sweet and inspirational titles of all lengths, providing readers with heartwarming romances -- whether they jerk a tear, poke a laugh, or jolt a shiver of fear.
HH: Is Inspired Romance Novels open to submissions? JA: Absolutely! I am actively looking to acquire new manuscripts and encourage authors to send in their material. Inspired provides authors with a generous 50% royalty rate and author friendly contract.
HH: What sorts of stories are you looking for? JA: Inspired happily consider the following genres: contemporary, historical (all eras), inspirational and Christian titles, holiday, romantic suspense, supernatural, and apocalyptic/futuristic. Manuscripts should be over 20K.
Right now I am receiving a lot of romantic suspense and while I will always welcome this popular genre, I'm really hoping to see more historical and holiday titles come my way. I have a real soft spot for sweet regencies as well as gritty westerns!
I am also looking for short novellas for our themed Escapes line. Escapes are 10-20K and designed to give the reader a brief "escape" into a book. They should pack an emotional and gripping punch and leave the reader feeling satisfied. Our current themes are:
* Weathering the Storm -- Hurricanes, tornadooes, earthquakes. Blizzards, wildfires, tsunamis. Power outages and flooding. Disasters can bring out the worst in people, but more often, the very best! Strangers helping strangers. Communities coming together. True generosity and arms of comfort in times of need. Titles should feature new loves -- or old ones -- coming together in the midst of tragedy. We want strong characters facing grave peril and life-changing events. Be unique! Preferably your title will reflect the catastrophe your characters face.
*Seasons -- The crisp delight of picking pumpkins, a family gaathered around the table to carve the turkey, holidays full of laughter and cheer. Whether your characters are venturing home for a long over-due visit or jetting off on a summer getaway, give us conflict, passion, and the magic of your holiday setting!
HH: In what formats are your books available? JA: At the time of this interview, I am currently working hard to make our titles available in html, pdf, epub, lit, and Mobi formats directly through our website. Readers can expect this positive change to take effect before the New Year, but hopefully much sooner. At present, our titles can be found for sale on Amazon.com, Amazon.UK, and through Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, Apple, Sony, Kobo and Diesel. I believe distribution through as many outlets as possible is key and will be charging forward with plans to list our titles through other sellers in upcoming months.
HH: Where can readers find Inspired Romance Novels on the web? JA: Readers can find Inspired at www.inspiredromancenovels.com. We can also be followed on Twitter at InspiredPub and on Facebook. To join our newsletter, simply send a blank email to newsletter@inspiredromancenovels.com. Or, to join our chat group, please visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/inspiredromancenovels/.
Our newsletter will start going out in January.
HH: Do you have any special events coming up? JA: With our recent Kick Off! Writing Contest, I've been reading lots of submissions and we look forward to releasing a steady stream of titles come the New Year, when we also hope to celebrate our new authors with some chats and contests!
One of our upcoming releases that I'm very excited about is Marked in Mexico by Kim McMahill, an edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense about the kidnapping of a senator's daughter in the jungles of Mexico, her escape with an ex Army Ranger, and the bond the two form while fleeing the deadly manhunt that ensues. I was hard pressed to put the manuscript down! Kim has a true talent for writing dangerous adventure.
Readers should stay tuned by joining our newsletter!
HH: What's a day in the life of the publisher at Inspired Romance Novels like? JA: In short, busy! I eat a quick breakfast and deliver my daughter to school first thing in the morning, then hop right on the computer and get busy. Most days, dismissal time rolls around and I realize I'm still in sweats and I've yet to shower or eat lunch! I adore every second I get to read new submissions and help other authors by editing and promoting their work. Unfortunately, skipping meals isn't much benefit to weight loss when you're just sitting at the computer all day! If only reading burned more calories...sigh!
If I've requested your full, chances are your manuscript has been printed and regulated to the bathroom. There nothing I enjoy more than a long soak in a hot, bubbly tub with a good book, so if your book passes my "tub test", you're in!
HH: What are your goals for your publishing company? JA: My focus is on providing quality stories for our readers and quality attention for our authors. I don't want to the type of ePublisher to mass produce titles to push profit lines. Inspired may only publish one or two titles a month initially, but lots of effort will be placed into them. Think of Inspired as an elite club. If an author gets in, I want to take care of them and help them grow!
Over the next several months I hope to grow our author list, hire additional staff, and increase distribution. This includes getting our books for sale directly through our website as well as through other venues. I particularly want to build our Escapes line as this will provide readers with an inexpensive way to sample new authors.
HH: What else would you like to tell readers about your company? JA: Inspired won't be overcharging! Readers today don't want to pay as much for an eBook as a print title and research shows better priced eBooks just plain sell better. I believe our lower prices will benefit both the reader's pocketbook and the authors.
I am founding this company on a strong belief in integrity, quality, and principle. Inspired's customers and authors will always come first. If anyone ever has a question, suggestion, or complaint, I encourage them to email me at contact@inspiredromancenovels.com.
As part of Inspired's commitment to ethical standards, the company will be giving a charitable donation twice yearly. The current goal is to purchase a pig for family in the Caribbean in time for Easter. I will also be encouraging our authors to also give back and plan to eventually note any such generosity on our website.
I'd like to thank everyone for taking the time to read this interview. I hope readers and authors alike will give Inspired a chance and learn to count on us for quality entertainment at a fair price!
HH: Thank you!
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