Two years ago, I attended a book event in which Ellery Queen Mystery and Asimov Science Fiction short story magazines were in my swag bag. I wondered why there weren’t any romance magazines.
I mentioned this to the romance writers on my weekly Write with Harte Zoom, and somehow, out of that, I ended up starting an anthology publishing company, Tender & Tempting Tales.
In our first year, we published two book anthologies, Moonlight & Margaritas and Midnight, Mischief, & Mistletoe. However, they weren’t magazines.
We determined we could publish more frequently with narrower themes if we included a zine. Once we had hashed out the details (e.g., 3 to 4 issues a year, 7,000 words or fewer per story, etc.), editor Rachel Young agreed to head the first edition, Paws and Peril, which reflects her love of romantic suspense and dogs.
And now, here it is. Our first zine issue, Paws & Peril, with three stories, each having danger, a dog, and an HEA.
From danger and passion in the Great Smoky Mountains, on the trail of a cold-blooded murder…
To a love story between a woman with mysterious visions and a man escaped from terrible experiments…
To a marooned starfighter pilot in mortal peril on a frozen moon, with an alien stranger her only hope.
Also featuring news, articles, and featurettes from editor Rachel Young, managing editor Jenna Harte, and copy editor T.A. Leederman!
To celebrate, the editors and authors got together on Illicit Liaisons, the official Tender & Tempting Tales podcast, to talk about romantic suspense, the inspiration behind the stories, the challenges of writing romantic suspense involving a dog, and more.
If you love getting a peek behind the curtain, hearing authors talk craft, inspiration, and a little chaos, this episode is for you.
Grab Your Copy
If you’re in the mood for something fast-paced, emotional, and just a little bit dangerous…
You can get Paws & Peril here! It’s available in both ebook and print.
One Last Thing…
If you read Paws & Peril, we’d love to know:
Which story was your favorite?
Which “dog” did you love most?
Drop a comment to let us know!
(If you’re an author and would like to write for Tender & Tempting Tales anthologies or zines, check out our submission calls and guidelines.)
Paws & Peril Podcast Show Notes
This week, we celebrate the release of Paws & Peril, a romance zine with stories, articles, games, and more, around romantic suspense that includes a dog in the plot.
We discuss romantic suspense and why dogs make a perfect side character, and more.
Hosts this week include zine editor Rachel Young; zine copyeditor, social media manager, and author-contributor Tara Leederman; author Marissa Marinello; and managing editor and author-contributor Jenna Harte.
LINKS TO PAWS & PERIL
Paws & Peril (in KU)
Rachel Young - Lead Editor and contributor
Marissa Marinello - Author
T.A. Leederman - Copyeditor, Social Media Manager, contributor, author
Jenna Harte - Managing Editor, contributor, author
TENDER & TEMPTING TALES
Tender and Tempting Tales Substack: Subscribe and get a FREE story!
Tender and Tempting Tales on Instagram
ILLICIT LIAISONS PRODUCED & HOSTED BY
T.A. Leederman on Substack
Jenna Harte’s website
Outline and Shownotes: T.A. Leederman
Editing: Jenna Harte
