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Katya J. Rivers | Romance author

@katya.jrivers

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✨ Writer of slow-burn love stories & men who yearn
👩🏼‍💻 Composing Mr Hollywood | debut novel in dev edits
💫 Follow for exclusive story teasers ↓

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✨ One very private Hollywood actor + one music composer determined to escape the aristocratic life she was born into = two people who should never fall for each other (but still do!) 💕✨

Set against the sun-soaked backdrop of California, Composing Mr Hollywood is a debut contemporary romance novel full of stolen glances, impossible choices, slow-burning tension and lots of yearning. 🎬🎶🌴

I think you’ll want to meet Jack and Eileen if you love your romance with Hollywood glamour and deeply conflicted main characters. 🥹💗

✨ TROPE & STORY DETAILS ✨

🎶 Music composer x Hollywood actor
🔥 Slow burn + mutual yearning
🚫 Forbidden romance
🌴 California setting
💗 Chronic illness rep
📖 1st person POV
👑 FMC who escapes a toxic aristocratic family
🎁 2 bonus chapters at the end!

✨ BLURB ✨

Eileen Pellier changed her name to escape the past, but she never expected her future to begin on a movie set.

After years of being controlled by her family, she’s finally done. With a new last name and a one-way ticket to sunny Los Angeles, she’s ready for a fresh start - and landing her dream job composing music for an indie film feels like the perfect beginning.

It’s everything she’s worked for - until she’s thrown into close collaboration with Jack Golding, an A-list actor who’s as magnetic off-screen as he is on it. He’s Hollywood royalty: deep blue eyes, unfairly attractive forearms, and a voice that’s far too distracting. Keeping her distance was the plan… however, the director has other ideas.

When the cameras stop rolling, Eileen will have to decide: is she ready to stop playing it safe, and take the lead in her own story?

If this sounds like your kind of romance, save this post for your TBR and follow me for more snippets, character reveals, behind-the-scenes content and updates on my debut novel! 💕

🎨 Character art by @artbysoniagx Pastel pink and yellow split-design graphic featuring the illustrated male and female protagonists of a contemporary romance novel standing opposite each other and looking into each other’s eyes. Their names appear beside their respective character illustrations. Text reads: “THE VERY PRIVATE HOLLYWOOD ACTOR | THE GIRL HE’D RISK HIS REPUTATION FOR.” The design has a soft, romantic, contemporary aesthetic. by @katya.jrivers

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2 months ago

✨Calling all romance readers and slow-burn lovers!✨

If you love:

💕 flirty banter
☀️ endless California summer vibes
✨ music composer x Hollywood actor romance
💕 a book boyfriend you won’t recover from
✨ Hollywood glitz & glam

Then my debut novel might just become your next obsession. 🥰

Let me know in the comments - which trope has you hooked already? 👇🏼 Carousel image featuring scrapbook-style Polaroids and dried flower accents. Each slide reveals a teaser from the debut romance novel: flirty banter, California summer aesthetic, composer x actor romance, swoon-worthy book boyfriend, and glamorous Hollywood vibes. Romantic and visually dreamy mood throughout. taken in Hollywood - Los Angeles by @katya.jrivers

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a year ago

✨ If my debut novel, “Composing Mr Hollywood,” was a moodboard — this is what it would look like!

If these are your vibes too, make sure to check it out once it’s released. 🥰💕

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#debutauthor #amwritingromance #romancewriters #authorsofinstagram #writerscommunity by @katya.jrivers

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a year ago

It’s mad to think that one year ago, I was celebrating finishing the first draft of my debut contemporary romance novel, “Composing Mr Hollywood.” ✨

Fast-forward to now… and I’m shortly going to be working through developmental edits on draft #5. 🥹 ✍️ eek!

Dev edits are definitely a stage of the writing process that seems equal parts exciting, overwhelming and incredibly rewarding.

For the 5th draft, I’m giving myself three months to work through the feedback from my editor (@scarlettink_editing ), re-think the bigger-picture elements of the story and strengthen the manuscript before moving towards the next stage of my journey: querying (!!). Or indie publishing - I honestly haven’t decided yet.

I’ve also been learning to accept that developmental editing isn’t about making a manuscript “perfect”. It’s about being willing to look at the story with fresh eyes and asking: what can I do to make this book the best version of itself, for myself and the readers? How do I do these beloved characters ✨JUSTICE✨?

In this post, I’m sharing a little behind-the-scenes of how I’m approaching dev edits as a debut author - including my editing tracker, the tools and resources I’m using, and why I decided to work with a professional editor (tagged above).

After spending so long inside this story, seeing how far both the manuscript and I, as a debut author, have come was something I really needed, and I’m feeling incredibly proud already for getting to this stage of the journey. 💕

Slowly but surely, this book is becoming the story I always hoped - and knew! - it could be. 🥹📖

If you’re also writing, editing or preparing to query a novel, comment below and tell me - what stage are you at right now? I’d love to know and chat about it. 💬

And if you’re a reader following along for my debut journey, thank you for being here. I can’t wait for you to meet “Composing Mr Hollywood” soon. 🤍 Text-based title slide reading “How I’m Approaching Dev Edits as a Debut Author”. The post introduces a debut contemporary romance author’s approach to developmental editing. by @katya.jrivers

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6 days ago

✨ STARTER PACK - COMPOSING MR HOLLYWOOD ✨

If you’re new here, hi! 👋🏼 Composing Mr Hollywood is my debut contemporary romance novel - and if you love steamy romance, slow burns, forbidden love and Hollywood settings, you might want to stick around. 💕

✨ Here’s what to expect:

🎶 music composer chasing her big break in Hollywood (against all odds)
🥂 wine-fuelled best-friend rants at the beach
🔥 dance rehearsals that get very steamy
☀️ California summer

📖 At the centre of it all is Eileen Pellier, an aspiring music composer who navigates the glittering world of sunny Los Angeles while trying very hard not to fall for Jack Golding, the magnetic Hollywood actor her controlling family would definitely disapprove of.

Feel free to tell me in the comments - which item from the starter pack has you the most intrigued? 👇🏼

And if this sounds like your kind of romance, send this to a friend, save this post for your TBR and follow along for more content! 💕

// Character art by @artbysoniagx | post inspired by @hannahbrohm Instagram carousel promoting Composing Mr Hollywood, a debut contemporary romance novel set in sunny Los Angeles.

Slide 1: A pastel-coloured graphic featuring the Composing Mr Hollywood front cover as the backdrop, with the two main characters, Eileen and Jack, and the heading “Composing Mr Hollywood Starter Pack.” by @katya.jrivers

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a month ago

✨ COVER ART REVEAL ✨

My debut romance novel, “Composing Mr Hollywood,” finally has cover & character art! I’m so excited to share it with you.😍

Credit to the wonderfully talented @artbysoniagx 💕

This book means more to me than I could ever put into words—it’s the start of my journey as a romance author, and I’m so grateful to have you here for it. If you love original love stories with emotional depth and unforgettable characters, this one’s for you 🥹💖

And now… back to the line editing cave I go! I’ve given myself until the end of February to finish, so it’s entirely possible that future posts are going to be put on hold for a little while yet, as I get the edits done.

But please tell me in the comments below what you think of the cover art, and follow for more updates about the book ahead of its release! 💖

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[🏷️ debut romance author, cover reveal, bookstagram, romance readers, new release, indie author, authorgram, book community, book lovers, upcoming romance, book cover art, first book, writing journey] Carousel showing the cover reveal of a debut romance novel. Slide one announces the cover reveal and credits the artist. Slide two displays the full illustrated book cover. Slide three shows the book title and its upcoming release date. by @katya.jrivers

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9 months ago

✨ AUTHOR UPDATE ✨

Earlier this month, I finished Draft 4 of my debut contemporary romance novel, “Composing Mr Hollywood,” after some truly lovely Beta reader feedback (which meant the world to me!) 🥹

After getting a bit burnt out, I’ve come back to this project and realised that there’s still more work to do, and so I’m heading back to refine the voice in a few places, to make every chapter feel truly mine.

I’ll be working on Draft 4.1 between now and the end of the summer, before diving into developmental edits (hopefully around autumn 🍂) with the lovely @scarlettink_editing

Thank you for being here with me, even when I’m not posting a lot - it really means everything 🤍

And if you’re new here, if you enjoy teasers and behind-the-scenes writing content, feel free to follow along!

[🏷️ debut novel, contemporary romance, writing journey, editing process, beta reader, author, work in progress, WIP] Three-slide Instagram carousel in soft neutral tones. Slide 1 reads ‘Author update – Draft 4.1 pending’. Slide 2 contains a message from the author explaining a return to the manuscript to refine voice consistency after positive beta reader feedback. Slide 3 shares gratitude for followers and outlines the next step of developmental edits. The tone is warm, personal, and reflective.” by @katya.jrivers

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6 months ago

I’ve been a little quiet since December… and that’s because this book deserved my full attention. 🤍

While I wasn’t posting, I was deep in Draft 3 of my debut contemporary romance, “Composing Mr Hollywood” - pouring everything into these characters, this love story, and the emotional journey at its heart.

And now? Draft 3 is officially DONE. 🙌🏼

Next up: working through my editor’s feedback and stepping into more revisions in Draft 4.✨

This story means more to me than I can put into words. It’s about love, growth, vulnerability, and the kind of connection that changes you. I wanted to give it the time, care, and focus it deserves, even if that meant going quiet on here for a while. I’ll continue posting less as I focus on Draft 4. 💕

If you’re new here: I’m a debut romance author sharing the behind-the-scenes of writing, editing, and publishing my first novel. 📚

And if you’ve been here for a while, thank you for sticking around!

Author friends, tell me in the comments: what stage of the process are you in right now?

If you love slow-burn contemporary romance, follow along - this story is just getting started. 🤍✨ The post represents finishing Draft 3 of a debut contemporary romance novel and preparing for the editing and revision process. by @katya.jrivers

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2 months ago

✨ When the love story you’re writing refuses to let you go✨

Honestly… the characters from my debut novel, “Composing Mr Hollywood,” are still whispering in my ear. Even as I’m on an official 2-week break from the manuscript before diving into line edits at the end of November! 👩🏼‍💻

If you’ve been here a while, you’ll already know my DEEP love for an aesthetic moodboard. And for all the new followers, welcome! I’m so glad you’re here and thank you, thank you, thank you for taking a chance on this debut author. 🥹

💕 I truly hope you’ll fall for these characters as much as I have, and enjoy these tiny microtrope hints in the meantime!

❔ I’d love to know - what story has stayed with you recently, long after you finished reading it? Tell me in the comments below!

[🏷️ romance author • contemporary romance • debut author • bookstagram • authorgram • writing community • romance readers • WIP • line edits • moodboard • aesthetic • character-driven romance] A collage of soft pastel-themed Polaroid-style images. They show a young woman with long hair in warm lighting, palm trees against a pink-purple sky, a modern cliffside home overlooking the ocean at sunset, a close-up of the same woman resting, a neon-lit photo of her in a red dress, more palm trees, two Oscar-style statuettes on a table, and a man in a short-sleeved knit shirt. Handwritten captions reference a fictional romance between Eileen and Jack. The aesthetic is dreamy, romantic, and coastal. by @katya.jrivers

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10 months ago

✨ Happy 1st December! ✨

Just popping on here to share a quick update: I’ve officially entered the 3rd draft, aka the LINE EDIT stage of my debut novel! Between that, a little Winter Wonderland holiday, and Christmas, I won’t be posting (as many) new teasers for the next few weeks.

Line edits are such a long (and honestly intense!) process, and I really want to give them my full attention so that my debut can be the very best it can be. 2 chapters in, and I’m already so in love with how the new version reads, which is a great encouragement to keep going! 💕

BUT… stay tuned, because the cover / character art reveal is still happening later this month!! 🎉

Until then, I hope your December is filled with zero stress and ALL the magic. ❄️✨ by @katya.jrivers

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10 months ago

✨ BLURB REVEAL ✨

EILEEN PELLIER CHANGED HER NAME TO ESCAPE THE PAST, BUT SHE NEVER EXPECTED HER FUTURE TO BEGIN ON A MOVIE SET.

After years of being controlled by her family, she’s finally done. With a new last name and a one-way ticket to sunny Los Angeles, she’s ready for a fresh start—and landing her dream job composing music for an indie film feels like the perfect beginning.

It’s everything she’s worked for—until she’s thrown into close collaboration with Jack Golding, an A-list actor who’s as magnetic off-screen as he is on it. He’s Hollywood royalty: deep blue eyes, unfairly attractive forearms, and a voice that’s far too distracting. Keeping her distance was the plan . . . however, the director has other ideas.

BUT WHEN THE CAMERAS STOP ROLLING, EILEEN WILL HAVE TO DECIDE: IS SHE READY TO STOP PLAYING IT SAFE, AND TAKE THE LEAD IN HER OWN STORY?

💫

COMPOSING MR HOLLYWOOD - coming soon!

✨ music composer x Hollywood actor
💕 fresh start in sunny LA
✨ slow-burn tension
💕 she teaches him how to dance
✨ he teaches her how to drive
💕 magnetic chemistry
✨ FMC dreams of breaking free from her controlling aristocratic family
💕 chronic illness rep (endometriosis)
✨ lots of spice and mutual yearning
💕 behind-the-scenes Hollywood vibes
✨ themes of healing, freedom and finding your own voice

❔ Comment below and tell me - are you hooked already?
💫 Don’t forget to follow along for updates, excerpts and cover reveal! Soft pink background with floral and notebook collage elements. Large text reads: “The blurb is here! Ready to meet the story?” An arrow points downward. by @katya.jrivers

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