Genre:
Historical Romance, Romantasy, Humor
Website:
SharonKayne.com
Blog: Citizen Kayne Strikes Again
Social Media:
Bio
I knew I was a writer when I was six years old, even though my spelling was atrocious. Over the years I have improved my spelling while working in journalism—as a freelancer, TV news producer, and award-winning humor columnist and managing editor for an alternative weekly magazine. I also worked in theatre (behind the scenes), and my dialog and lyrics have been performed on stage and in night clubs. After several years in journalism (which pays poorly) and theatre (which pays not at all), I decided to go where the money was: the world of nonprofits. I was the communications director for a nonprofit advocacy organization for eighteen years, during which time I wrote hundreds of op-eds and blogs, most of which were published under other people’s names. I wrote more press releases than should be required from a mere mortal. Still, I’d have happily kept to my non-fiction/persuasive genre, but I was given the opportunity to take a three-month sabbatical in 2022. Though I was keen to laze about the house and read novels written by other people, I had this nagging sense that I should accomplish something: My first novel was born. Having been a life-long devotee of romance in all its forms (literature, film, song, and stage), that’s, naturally, what I wrote. I’ve also had an interest in history—particularly as it relates to women’s clothing and rights (or lack thereof)—so I wrote a historic romance with feminist undertones. My heroines are strong, and my heroes are wonderfully empathetic. As if having been bitten by a novel bug, I wrote several more manuscripts in fairly quick succession. I almost immediately found that the writing of the novel is so much easier than the selling of the novel. After a long and unsuccessful hunt for an agent, I turned to self-publishing. I have a BA in Theatre from Arizona State University. I live in New Mexico with my husband and our two cats. My books are available via Amazon as eBooks, Kindle Unlimited and paperback, and through your local library by request (as eBooks). I write a humor blog, “Citizen Kayne Strikes Again,” about the perils of self-publishing and other life trials.
Books
Title: Variations on a Romance
Published: December 2025
Genre: Historical Romance
Lily doesn’t know her husband Peter at all anymore. Literally.
Just eight months into her marriage, a horse-riding accident has left Lily with partial amnesia—she has no recollection of the past two years, which includes all of the time she’d known Peter.
Lily is no shrinking violet, but immediately after the accident she only wants to go home to her parents, rather than stay with the stranger who claims to be her husband and lives on a cattle ranch in the middle of nowhere.
But her parents insist that her place is with the man she married, even if he is an enigma to her now. Her only clue to her lost feelings for him is the thrumming she gets at her core every time he touches her.
Lily wants desperately to fall in love with Peter again, and that need becomes even more crucial when she discovers she’s carrying his child—even though she can’t remember the act that planted it within her.
Peter is a quiet man, and courting Lily was difficult enough the first time. But he’ll do whatever it takes to win her heart again. Running his ranch can’t just stop for a second courtship, though, and when he loses one of his cattle to a wolf attack, Peter finds he has other matters—and dangers—to face.
Is love as ethereal as a piece of half-remembered music or is it made of sturdier stuff?
This spicy, slow-burn, second-chance historical romance is set in 1898 Colorado against the backdrop of the rugged West. It explores themes such as grief, need, and responsibility. Inspired by a true story.
Available for Sale
Title: The Green Silk Gown
Published: August 2025
Genre: Historical Romance
Emily’s father expects obedience. And that means marrying the man he’s chosen for her. But Jonathan is coarse, over-confident, and controlling. And he doesn’t love her any more than she loves him.
Emily, who works in her family’s flower shop, is as hopeful as she is resilient. She decides to get to know two interesting customers: Edmund, a handsome artist who asks her to sit for his next portrait, and a suffragist who invites her to a meeting. As Emily begins to forge a close and romantic friendship with the portrait painter and hears new perspectives from the suffragist about the rights she is denied, she becomes determined to take charge of her life.
Then angry threats, an unspoken ultimatum, and a shocking sexual assault force Emily to make an unthinkable escape. With no choice but to make her own way in the world, Emily finds more autonomy than she’s ever known. While she is safe, her new life is not what she would have wished for herself.
When she is given a new option, Emily must discover if she has the courage to eschew social expectations and set her own terms for her future.
Sometimes, the darkest, most daunting path is the one that leads to the brightest possibilities.
“I loved the intrigue, longing, and tension between the two main characters. …there’s an important journey of resilience and reclaiming of power that ultimately triumphs.”
This spicy second-chance historical romance, which touches on themes such as society’s expectations, self-determination, and women’s rights, is set in San Francisco in the late 19th century. Book club discussion prompts included.
Available for Sale
Title: This Restless Sea
Published: May 2025
Genre: Historical Romance
Kate could learn to love her new job as a schoolmarm. If she could learn to tolerate her new boss.
Thomas, a stone-cold widower, is condescending. He’s also the father of two of her students. And he suspects she has ulterior motives for coming to town.
But Kate’s determination—not just to be a schoolmarm but a published poet—is as endless as the restless sea of prairie grass around her.
Vicious small-town gossip, a drunken beau bent on assault, and a tornado twist their lives together.
Then Thomas begins to realize that Kate’s stubbornness is strength. Her intransigence is independent.
But love is the last battle Kate ever imagines she’ll have to fight.
Can Kate trade determined independence for unimaginable fulfillment? You can choose your own path, but life may still blow you off course.
“The romance is a slow, subtle burn—but the tension between the characters keeps the pages swiftly turning. By the time I reached the conclusion, I was smiling from ear to ear.”
This clean/sweet/proper enemies-to-lovers romance, which touches on themes such as self-determination, grief, and women’s rights, is set in the American West in the late 19th century. Book club discussion prompts included.
Available for Sale
Awards:
- First Place (brochure), National Federation of Press Women, 2008
- Best New Song (lyrics), New Mexico Music Association, 2005
- Third Place (personal column, humorous), National Federation of Press Women, 2004
- First Place (personal column, humorous), New Mexico Press Women, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000
- First Place (personality profile), New Mexico Press Women, 2004
- First Place (section edited by entrant), New Mexico Press Women, 2002
- First Place (single page edited by entrant), New Mexico Press Women, 2002, 2001
Affiliations:
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)
Blogs & Essays:
“When You and a Porn Star have the Same Name” ♦ Citizen Kayne Strikes Again, Dec. 7, 2025
“Next Year’s Halloween Costume Will Make a Statement” ♦ Citizen Kayne Strikes Again, Nov. 30, 2025
“Following the Amazon Algorithm” ♦ Citizen Kayne Strikes Again, Nov. 23, 2025
“Sending Your Baby Into the World” ♦ Citizen Kayne Strikes Again, Nov. 16, 2025
“My Maiden Blog Post: Welcome to My World (Ether Edition)” ♦ Citizen Kayne Strikes Again, Nov. 9, 2025