Tag: indie books

Award-Winning Author, Erotic Thriller, indie books, Thrillers

RED: Where Reality Fractures – A Dark Erotic Psychological Thriller Exploring Feminine Rage

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RED is the book that took me somewhere darker than I’d ever gone before.

This is not a romance. This is a dark erotic psychological thriller rooted in feminine rage, obsession, and the slow unravelling of reality itself. It inhabits the uncomfortable space where desire, power, control, and vulnerability intersect.

“This was a good short read that had you questioning at every turn. It wasn’t what I expected, but I enjoyed that about it.”

RED contains explicit scenes that deliberately blur the lines between consent and coercion. That tension is not accidental. It is part of the story’s psychological core. Readers must check the trigger warnings before diving in. This book is intense, provocative, and not designed to be safe or soothing.

Early readers describe RED as unsettling, addictive, and mentally invasive. It plays with perception, unreliable truths, and the dangerous pull of wanting something you know you shouldn’t. It asks uncomfortable questions about agency, manipulation, and how easily control can be disguised as choice.

“My first exposure to this author and she packs a hell of a punch. I went in blind based on the cover and was so pleased I did. The twists, the backstory, the easy flow of the book that made it a quick but intense read. I was trying to figure out the plot for the first 2/3 of the book and didn’t see the end coming. Devious, vengeful, humorous and a splash of spice. Delicious.”

This story leans heavily into feminine rage. Not the loud, explosive kind, but the quiet, simmering kind that grows teeth. The kind that watches, waits, and strikes when the moment is right. RED is about power being taken, power being given away, and the cost of both.

The book was released on 31 October, and there could not have been a more fitting date. It is dark, erotic, and psychologically sharp, meant to leave you unsettled long after the final page.

Writing RED showed me that my stories do not have to live in one genre, one tone, or one emotional register. I will always write romance, but RED exists alongside it as proof that I can explore darker territory when a story demands it.

“If you like a smutty paranormal romance in a novella sizing you will like this. Interesting characters, and an unravelling of the mysterious which kept me interested.”

If you enjoy psychological thrillers with explicit content, morally grey dynamics, fractured realities, and a strong undercurrent of feminine rage, RED may be for you.

Please read the trigger warnings!
Enter with your eyes open.

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Book Release: BEDTIME STORIES FOR THE UNHINGED is here! Get ready to sin a little

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It’s official.
Bedtime Stories for the Unhinged is out in the world…and it’s filthy.

This isn’t just another erotica collection. It’s thirteen unapologetic, unfiltered, and unhinged short stories written for the ones who crave heat that doesn’t hold back.

Inside this book, you’ll find:

  • MF, MM, FF, MFM, MMF, and more
  • primal play, taboo tension, public use, and consent-forward CNC
  • messy emotions, power games, and characters who never play it safe

I didn’t write this book to be soft. I wrote it to be devoured.

Each story taps into a different flavour of desire; some twisted, some tender, some just downright filthy. You’ll meet professors who cross lines, masked strangers who don’t ask twice, high-school bullies getting humbled, and people who find themselves in places they never expected (like a kink club, a church confessional, or hunted through the woods).

Some stories will make you squirm.
Some might make you blush.
All of them will leave a mark.

“People ask me if I get turned on writing these stories. The answer is yes. That is the goal, is it not? You don’t read erotica to be scared.”

Why I wrote this

This collection came from late-night voice notes and random ideas that popped into my head. At times, I was in a writing slump, and I was trying to get myself out of it… So I just wrote down anything and everything.

I wanted to create something that felt real in its filth. Not just fantasy for fantasy’s sake, but stories that make you feel something deeper than just the heat. Because let’s be honest… sometimes we want the softness, the tension, the aching. But sometimes? We want to be wrecked.

“Ava Rouge did a fantastic job at putting these tales together for the folks that love to love a little differently.“

Where to get your copy

Bedtime Stories for the Unhinged is now available in eBook and paperback.
Grab your copy, or go all-in with the exclusive box while they last.

get your copy here

Want the full unhinged experience?

I’ve put together a very limited run of Bedtime Stories for the Unhinged book boxes, packed with signed copies, exclusive extras, and a few sinful surprises.

There is only a limited number available right now, and I’m packing each order myself as they come in, so it’s first-come, first-served.

🖤 To grab yours, head over to the SHOP tab on my site and fill out the order form.

If there’s enough demand, I’ll order more stock and update everyone when they’re available again.

“Where should I even begin with this one!! I went in completely blind and I’m so glad I did. Each chapter is its own story with its own characters. You think a bed time story would be fairy tale or as a teen with your friend a horror story but no this is purely for adults. Each chapter has its own detailed spicy scene that I absolutely loved and a small little story to go with it. This is such a good one if your in a slump or just want something sexy to read!! Ava definitely knocked it out of the park with this one!!”

Thank you to everyone who’s already been unhinged with me. And if you’re new here, welcome. You’re in for a ride.
xoxo Ava Rouge

Award-Winning Author, Book Marketing, indie author, indie books, Romance Author

INDIE BOOK MARKETING – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

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When I started writing back in 2020, I had no idea what I was getting into. All I knew was that I wanted to write the story that was brewing in my head. During the lockdowns, I was presented with more free time — aka more time to read… again. It didn’t take long for my love for literature to rekindle, not that the flame ever died… small children can just take up most of your time, but I digress.

During that time, I came across a type of literature I didn’t normally read. I was more of a thriller, religious sci-fi, epic fantasy girl — and then I fell in love with romance. The spicier kind. That’s when my characters really started to form in my mind. Fast-forward to now, I’m a romance author with multiple titles under my belt (some even recognised in the literary world), but one thing has remained the same since I started this journey… BOOK MARKETING struggles.

I don’t know how to market or promote my books to save my life. That would be fine and dandy if I were writing as a hobby. Although I appreciate every copy sold and every review I’ve received, at this point, writing really is a very expensive hobby. Like many other indie authors, I’m using the platforms that are supposed to showcase my work in the most budget-friendly way — but I haven’t cracked the code of “going viral”. Don’t get me twisted, this is not a pity post. I’m not here crying over my inadequacy or social-media illiteracy… I did and still do put in the work to understand the algorithm. But as for getting visibility — I just don’t know what to do or how to do it.

“Writing is expensive when no one sees you.”

One thing I am confident in is my stories. I’m not cocky, but I know I’ve got something good going on here… if only people would see it. And yes, I hear what seasoned authors say: “invest in Facebook ads, run Amazon ads…” but the issue? I can’t. I don’t have the budget. Not generating enough sales, page reads… revenue. Because let’s be honest — KU doesn’t always pay off, and we need to sell hundreds of eBooks just to cover the basic costs of our publishing process (no, sorry… publishing is not free, even if the platform uploads your book for free). People are also more likely to invest in physical copies only after they’ve read something of yours they already like… and with the cost of living doing what it’s doing? Yeah.

“We need to understand that we are all in this together. There’s no reader without the author, and there’s no author without the reader.”

So where does that leave us as creatives? We’re paying for everything — editors, cover design(Yes, pre-made covers are cheaper), formatting (be that software or a person) — and sometimes there’s just nothing left for anything else. So what do we do as indie authors who have depleted our finances and still haven’t cracked the code to going viral? Do we keep going and accept that our stories might only ever be read by a few (and risk not being able to afford the quality editing and art we know those stories deserve), or do we give up and live with the voices of our never-written characters?

It really is a cold world out there. I haven’t decided yet… maybe because I haven’t hit rock bottom and still have a few coins — and a bit of hope — to spare. But here’s what I do know: there are so many writers out there with incredible stories who will disappear into the ether not because they’re not talented — but because they just don’t know how to market. If that’s you… Don’t bow out just yet. Keep writing. Keep showing up, even if it feels exhausting, even if it feels like no one cares. Keep learning. Keep experimenting. Because maybe we don’t need to go viral — maybe all we need is for the right couple of readers to find us… the rest can grow from there. And who knows — that whisper could still become a roar.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this post are based on my personal experience as an independent author. I am not sponsored by — nor affiliated with — Amazon, Facebook, or any of the platforms referenced, and individual results may vary.

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Kindle Unlimited: A Game-Changer or a Profit Killer for Indie Authors in 2025?

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After long consideration, I’ve decided not to re-enrol my books in Kindle Unlimited once my 90-day term is over. This isn’t a post to criticise other authors’ choices or to say KU doesn’t work, because for many, it works brilliantly.

I’m sharing my own experiences, what I’ve noticed, and why I’ve decided to take my books in a different direction.

For those who might not be familiar, KU pays authors based on the number of pages read by subscribers. The payout is generally in the range of about $0.004 to $0.005 per page. While this setup works well for longer works, I’ve found that shorter books – like novellas, short stories, and collections – tend to earn much less under this model, even when they require the same amount of creative energy to produce.

I also recently learned more about the Page Flip feature on Kindle devices. My understanding, based on information shared by other authors and my own observations, is that pages viewed through this function might not always be counted as ‘read’ for payout purposes.

I can’t say for certain how much this affects everyone, but I personally noticed a significant drop in my page reads from June onward, and it made me start paying closer attention to how my books were being consumed through KU.

There’s no denying KU can be an incredible tool for authors who already have an established, active readership. For me, though, it’s been challenging to see a sustainable return, especially when factoring in the time and costs that go into every book.

Indie authors often have to be our own marketing specialists, cover designers, social media managers, and content creators, all while trying to maintain the creative energy to write. When the numbers don’t cover expenses, it can quickly start to feel more like an expensive hobby than a viable business.

This isn’t about discouraging anyone from joining KU; it’s about encouraging authors to make an informed choice and readers to make a mindful one. Understand the payout model, be aware of features like Page Flip, and consider whether your genre, audience, and book length will work in your favour. For some authors, it’s absolutely worth it. For others, like me, it may not be the right fit.

If you want to read my books on KU, you still can. Some of them will be taken off this month, and others will remain available until October. Whether you choose to use KU or purchase my books directly, your support means the world to me either way.

xoxo Ava

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Disclaimer: The views expressed in this post are my personal opinions and experiences as an independent author. They are not intended as factual statements about any individual, company, or service. Other authors may have different experiences. Writers are encouraged to research and form their own conclusions before making publishing decisions.