Find answers to commonly asked questions about my books, podcast, and merch.
The Books
Where do I start?
My universe starts with Ms. Fortune. This is a prequel novella to the Accidental Lovers series and leads into a serial trilogy (meaning 3 books about the same couple that need to be read in order). Many of my future series planned and ongoing stem from characters and places in this series. And right now, Ms. Fortune is free when you sign up for my newsletter.
What is the reading order of Y. M. Nelson’s books?
Current reading order is:
Accidental Lovers
1. Ms. Fortune
2. The Accidental Swipe
3. The Accidental Proposal
4. The On Purpose Wedding
“Star Date” and Secret Second Chances are standalone books in a new series: Nerds in Love. You can read it whenever you like! However, Secret Second Chances is based off the first short story series I ever wrote, so you can read it first!
As books get added this order will be updated.
Do I need to read each series in order?
For the Accidental Lovers series — yes, Book 2 picks up where Book 1 ends. Secret Second Chances is a standalone novella and “Star Date” is a standalone story in the Nerds in Love series. All stories in that series can be read in any order.
How spicy are Y. M. Nelson’s books?
On Nerdy Romantics Podcast, I give a heat level to books from 1-5 chili peppers. Mine are coming in at around a 3. I usually have a few sex scenes in each novel, maybe 1-2 in each short story or novella, and they are open door scenes. However, I don’t use overly graphic language, detailed physical description, or a lot of slang terms. If there is cursing, it’s usually mild (like current prime time TV).
Are there content/trigger warnings?
Yes — every book has a QR code and link inside at the beginning that lists content warnings and triggers. These are also on each book’s page here. Reader comfort is one of my concerns. Full warnings are listed at https://ymnelson.com/trigger-warnings by series.
How many books are in each series, and are more coming?
The Accidental Lovers series currently has three books (Ms. Fortune, The Accidental Swipe, and The Accidental Proposal), with a fourth planned. The Nerds in Love series begins with “Star Date,” then Secret Second Chances, with more to follow. And even more series are planned. Subscribe to my newsletter for announcements on new releases before anyone else hears about them.
Can I get a signed copy?
Yes signed copied are available to be shipped from Park Road Books in Charlotte, NC. I am also looking into having them on my website for purchase direct very soon. Subscribe to the newsletter to be the first to get a signed copy direct from my merch store.
What book formats are available?
All main titles are or will be available in both eBook and print. As I get more books out there, I hope to do audio, if readers request it. Subscribe to the newsletter to be first to hear when new formats drop.
Are these books part of a shared universe? Do characters cross over?
Yes. Characters from the Accidental Lovers series, the Nerds in Love series, and other planned series exist in the same world and some may appear in each other’s books. This will go for any of my strictly romantic women’s fiction books, as well. You don’t need to read multiple series to follow any single story, but readers who have read across series will catch fun nods and cameos.
Where can I buy the books if I want to support indie bookstores?
Bookshop.org is the recommended option if you want to buy online — it’s an online retailer that distributes a portion of every sale to independent bookstores. My books are available there in paperback and now in eBook, and links are on each book page.
My specific local indie bookstores that I recommend (also may be on Bookshop.org) are
Park Road Books in Charlotte;
Main Street Books in Davidson, NC;
Trope Bookshop in Charlotte;
Cleary’s Bookstore in Mt. Holly; and
Shelves Bookstore in Charlotte (Black Woman-owned).
Nerdy Romantic Culture and Representation
It means the heroines look like real women — plus-size, near mid-life, Black women who are fully realized characters, not sidekicks or makeover projects. The heroes are attracted to them exactly as they are. Nobody loses weight to get the guy. Nobody apologizes for being in their 40s. The mission behind every book: women deserve to be loved and adored no matter their age, size, weight, or ability.
I explain this in depth in my mini series “Who Gets an HEA?” on Nerdy Romantics Podcast. You can also read my article on this which has recommendations on some inclusive romances I love.
She’s actually anything but typical, but most of the time, she’s a Black woman. She’s usually in her late 30s/early 40s to mid-50s, and she’s rarely led her life in the typical way of school-marriage-kids. She’s smart, often funny, and occasionally her own worst enemy when it comes to love. She probably reminds you of someone you know — maybe yourself.
Most of the time, no. I love a good beta hero—loyal and protective of his woman. Many of my heroes are also cinnamon roll types: they are in touch with their feelings, they feel them, and they tell you about it. I don’t rule out alphas, in fact I may have one planned. But I love guys who respect women and adore and value them.
My books are written for anyone who wants to see herself in a romance — and yes, that very much includes Black women, who are chronically underrepresented as complex, loved, desired heroines in mainstream romance. You can relate if you believe in love. I’m a Black woman writing from lived experience, so yes, some of my books will show those struggles, but I don’t dwell on racial or female trauma, or any trauma. The stories center Black FMCs without making race the tragedy of the plot.
HEA is an acronym for “Happily Ever After” where the couple in a romance end up living happily ever after. Some romances end in a “HFN” or “Happy For Now” which is an acceptable romance ending.
All books classified as genre romance/category romance must have an HEA or an HFN. This is why Romeo and Juliet is not a romance (because they die at the end).
This is what’s called a genre convention: like for instance, books in the murder mystery genre have to have a dead body/a murder.
The Free Book and Newsletter
12. What is Ms. Fortune exactly?
Ms. Fortune is a romantic drama novellete prequel. It tells the story of Fortune Edwards before she meets her HEA Jason Reed in The Accidental Swipe, Book 1 of the Accidental Lovers series.
How do I actually receive the free book?
After you confirm your subscription, you’ll get an email with a link to download Ms. Fortune. It’s delivered via BookFunnel, so you can send it straight to your Kindle, Kobo, or any reading app, even your own app — or download it as an EPUB . The whole process takes under five minutes.
What will I get after I subscribe? What’s the newsletter about?
I send out a newsletter twice a month— no flooding your inbox. When I have a new release, you may get more emails close to the launch. My newsletters have first looks at new covers and release dates, nerdy and romance recs, show notes from the Nerdy Romantics Podcast, and subscriber-only giveaways. It’s a real newsletter written by a real person, not an automated AI blast.
Can I unsubscribe if it’s not for me?
Absolutely — anytime, with one click, no explanation needed. The goal is a community of readers who actually want to be there. You’ll keep Ms. Fortune regardless of whether you stay subscribed.
Nerdy Romantics Podcast
Nerdy Romantics Podcast combines romance and nerd pop culture book, TV, and movie recs and reviews. While some podcasts focus solely on either romance or nerdy topics like sci-fi and superheroes, or they either review books or TV and movies, I combine it all, creating a safe space for listeners who are fans of all the things. I bring my own perspective as a romance author and a superhero and Star Trek fan to the discussions.
Not at all. The podcast covers romance broadly — new releases, tropes, popular movies, TV adaptations — and is a great entry point to the Nerdy Romantic culture/universe even before you’ve read a single book.
I also talk nerd pop culture: sci-fi, superhero, and some fantasy TV and movies. But you don’t need to love those or have a catalog knowledge of those to appreciate the podcast or connect with the books.
Many listeners find the books through the podcast, and many readers discover the podcast after loving the books.
Y. M. Nelson – General
I’m based in Charlotte, NC in the US. Currently, I’m working up to in-person events, but I haven’t done many yet. Most of my events are virtual, and more of these are coming in the near future. Subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on social media (especially IG and YouTube) to hear about my upcoming events.
Yes! Use the Media Link on my Author page to reach out. Book club conversations (virtual or in-person) are especially welcome. Book club discussion questions are in the works for The Accidental Lovers series books. Just ask me for them if they aren’t posted on the book’s page.
I am currently moving my Facebook Group to Patreon. You can join there for free to get started finding other Nerdy Romantics! Also take the poll while you’re there to help me give you what you want in the community.
Yes. Yes. Yes! Reviews are mainly for your fellow readers; they help them understand what they’re getting into when they read a book, so the reader can make an informed purchase.
So why do I care? Well this is how it works. If you love a book, a great review gives it more visibility, which leads to more people reading it, and more revenue for the author so I can write more books without worrying if the electricity bill will get paid this month (or adding on a 5th job, which takes time away from my writing the next book you’ll love). Reader reviews are the second most powerful thing a fan can do to support an indie author (outside of buying the book or requesting it from your library).
Even a star rating helps, especially on big platforms like Amazon and Goodreads. But a sentence or two with that? Golden.
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