Karin Kallmaker

Biography

Karin Kallmaker's novels span lesbian romance, lesbian erotica and lesbian science-fiction/fantasy. More than five dozen short stories have appeared in anthologies and standalone collections. Her writing career began with the venerable Naiad Press, continues with Bella Books and includes more than two dozen novels in print. In 2008, she joined Bella Books as the press's first Editorial Director. When she isn't writing books she is thinking about books.

In previous lives, Karin worked as a non-profit accountant for a senior housing association and a low-income housing lender, and had a brief stint as a document processor on an oil refinery. She is the mother of two teenagers and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her partner. She is descended from Lady Godiva, a fact which she will tell anyone who will listen,and she likes her chocolate real and her iPod loud.
Lambda Literary Awards
Winner, three Lambda Literary Awards for The Kiss that Counted and Maybe Next Time in Lesbian Romance and In Deep Waters 2 in Lesbian Erotica, with multiple additional shortlist nods for Lesbian Romance, Lesbian Erotica and LGBT Science-Fiction Fantasy works.
GCLS Goldie Awards
Winner of the Ann Bannon Popular Choice Award for The Kiss that Counted, the 2011 Trailblazer Award, with another six awards won for Frosting on the Cake 2: Second Helpings, Above Temptation, Just Like That and Sugar in Lesbian Romance and 18th & Castro and In Deep Waters 1 for Lesbian Erotica, along with numerous finalists.
Bookmarks
Richards LaBonte - Kallmaker transcends cliche with vivid characterization, logical plotting, and plenty of deep research...
Friends and Family
Her characters are so real you can't help but picture them in your mind...
Lambda Book Report
Carol LeMasters - The best romances don't simply evade issues; they offer us another way of dealing with them. After all, the issues with which these women struggle--homophobia, mortality, barriers of age and class--are ones we all encounter. More than enjoyable diversions, they can offer humorous insights into how we conduct relationships and truths we can take with us into "real life." Situations may be cliché but not the authors' treatment of them, and no matter how far-fetched the circumstances, the characters' emotional experiences ring true.

Where to find Karin Kallmaker online

Where to buy in print

Books

Night Vision
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 59,150. Language: English. Published: December 27, 2023 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian, Fiction » Romance » Sci-fi
Julian is having nightmares. Every night. All night. In spite of her long history as a loner, she turns to a support group for women with sleep disorders. She learns that the other lesbians in the group—and only the lesbians—are having similar nightmares.
Touchwood 30th Anniversary Edition
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 78,300. Language: English. Published: February 9, 2022 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » Romance » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian
Fleeing the ruins of her life and relationship, Rayann Germaine rents a room from bookstore owner Louisa Thatcher. Decades older, Louisa offers shelter and work—and eventually passion that takes them both by surprise.
Simply the Best
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 123,860. Language: English. Published: February 3, 2022 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » Romance » Contemporary, Fiction » Romance » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian
Alice's only great love is science, but a lapse in judgment has exiled the New York journalist to the glitzy Gallerias of Beverly Hills. Pepper can’t believe she’s moved up from grunt intern to personal assistant for Helene Jolie. Expecting nothing but games from the girl that Helene has assigned to keep an eye on her, Alice is fully prepared to resist any and all of California’s charms.
Fantasy: Untrue Stories of Lesbian Passion
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 99,090. Language: English. Published: March 23, 2021 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian, Fiction » Anthologies » Erotica Anthologies
Take an erotic journey through some of the greatest bedtime stories never told. Explore the limitless pleasures of lesbian sensuality and experience the sizzling secrets that turn friends into lovers…and straight women into straight-to-bed women.
18th & Castro
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 49,510. Language: English. Published: March 10, 2021 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian, Fiction » Erotica » Romance
Take a romantic, erotic journey with Karin Kallmaker in this follow-up to the smash bestseller, All the Wrong Places. The award-winning Undisputed Mistress of Lesbian Romance demonstrates once again why “Mistress” is fitting as she invites, seduces and delights lesbians worldwide with her signature-brand of romantic erotica. Note that this is a Bella After Dark lesbian erotica title.
Because I Said So
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 71,810. Language: English. Published: January 23, 2020 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian, Fiction » Romance » Contemporary
Kesa Sapiro had to grow up fast. With her parents gone and a little sister to protect, Kesa has spent over a decade of her life trying to keep a roof over their heads. She’s learned the hard way that love is a luxury and that the price is way too high. When her sister Josie announces she wants to marry a boy she’s known for less than a month, Kesa immediately forbids it.
My Lady Lipstick
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 77,740. Language: English. Published: November 25, 2018 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian, Fiction » Romance » Contemporary
My Lady Lipstick is high stakes on a merry-go-round of lies—it’s all fun and games until somebody loses her heart.
Christabel
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 62,730. Language: English. Published: August 17, 2017 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian, Fiction » Romance » Fantasy
This revised and augmented edition of Karin Kallmaker's gothic lesbian romance tale of two captive souls will move and inspire a new generation of readers. Originally published in 1998 under the pen name of Laura Adams, this imaginative and passionate story is sure to please new and old fans alike.
Frosting on the Cake 2: Second Helpings
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 64,680. Language: English. Published: April 21, 2017 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian, Fiction » Romance » General
Second helpings—you know you want some. Feast on a literary dessert buffet of short stories featuring the beloved characters who took your breath away and stole your heart.
Frosting on the Cake
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 69,820. Language: English. Published: April 21, 2017 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian, Fiction » Romance » General
Kallmaker whips up in Frosting on the Cake. It's a baker's dozen of goodies featuring the characters that readers all over the world already know and love.
In Every Port
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 53,540. Language: English. Published: April 21, 2017 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian, Fiction » Romance » General
Jessica has it all. An expensive condo in the city of dreams, San Francisco. A high-powered, prestigious career as a management consultant that takes her all over the country... to passionate Roberta in Chicago, to delicious Marilyn in San Antonio... To all those cities and all those willing women Jessica has recorded in her well-used little black book. Then she meets Cat.
Captain of Industry
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 91,860. Language: English. Published: March 24, 2017 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian, Fiction » Romance » Contemporary
The world is at Jennifer Lamont’s feet—right where she wants it. Suzanne Mason has built the enviable life she was always told smart geeks could never have. Expert combatants in the games of life know there can only be one winner. Regardless of the scorching attraction between them, the game of love is no different, is it?
One Degree of Separation
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 63,210. Language: English. Published: March 17, 2017 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian, Fiction » Romance » General
Big city girl in a small town—Liddy Peel has culture shock. Marian Pardoo, Reference Librarian for the Iowa City Public Library, would be happy if the woman she's loved for years wasn't already married. Annoyed by the thoughtless out-of-town Liddy, she isn't prepared for the seething passion that erupts when Liddy careens into her meticulously controlled life.
Touchwood
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 70,990. Language: English. Published: March 17, 2017 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian, Fiction » Romance » General
Twenty-nine-year-old Rayann Germaine, betrayed by her lover, flees in grief and rage. She meets book store owner Louisa Thatcher, a woman many years her senior, who offers shelter and work... and soon, passion, and a loving place in her life.
Car Pool
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 63,470. Language: English. Published: September 12, 2016 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian, Fiction » Romance » General
When Shay and Anthea begin carpooling together, they find that first impressions of each other don’t bode well, and second impressions don’t improve their chemistry much. But when Shay uncovers alarming test results in her work — information that could cost both of them their jobs — Anthea is the only person she trusts for advice. Can two very different women find common ground?
Painted Moon
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 53,300. Language: English. Published: August 18, 2016 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian, Fiction » Romance » Contemporary
One of Karin Kallmaker's most popular romances, Painted Moon has achieved the status of a timeless lesbian romance classic.
Maybe Next Time
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 81,650. Language: English. Published: August 18, 2016 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian, Fiction » Romance » Contemporary
Karin Kallmaker's searing novel of innocent first love and dangerous seduction joins an unparalleled string of critically-acclaimed bestsellers that earned her the title of Undisputed Mistress of Lesbian Romance.
Just Like That
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 64,230. Language: English. Published: August 18, 2016 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian, Fiction » Romance » Contemporary
Karin Kallmaker's lesbian retelling of Pride and Prejudice pits first impressions against last chances in this lush wine country story.
Unforgettable
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 71,680. Language: English. Published: August 18, 2016 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian, Fiction » Romance » Contemporary
From Karin Kallmaker's unmistakable pen comes this unforgettable lesbian romance of looking back and moving on, set to a sultry jazz ballad.
Wild Things
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 59,560. Language: English. Published: July 6, 2016 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian, Fiction » Romance » General
Openly lesbian and running for Senator, Sydney can only succeed if she can live down her wild past. That means no liaisons, especially with the achingly alluring woman on her brother's arm who looks at her with confusion—and desire.
Love by the Numbers
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 95,270. Language: English. Published: June 21, 2016 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian, Fiction » Romance » Contemporary
It’s hate at first sight in this love adventure from the author of Above Temptation, Roller Coaster and dozens of other best-selling, award-winning novels.
All the Wrong Places
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 55,410. Language: English. Published: June 3, 2016 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian, Fiction » Romance » Erotic
Karin Kallmaker's first Bella After Dark full-length novel is so hot you'll need sunglasses to read it!
Warming Trend
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 87,100. Language: English. Published: May 31, 2016 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian, Fiction » Romance » Contemporary
In this romantic story of the icy north, Karin Kallmaker explores the passion that can melt even a frozen heart.
Stepping Stone
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 79,270. Language: English. Published: May 30, 2016 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian, Fiction » Romance » Contemporary
Lights, camera and action are the backdrop for this lesbian romance novel of taking chances by Golden Crown and Lambda Literary award-winning author Karin Kallmaker.
The Kiss that Counted
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 83,770. Language: English. Published: May 6, 2016 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian, Fiction » Romance » Contemporary
Golden Crown and Lambda Literary award-winning author Karin Kallmaker's tale of two women, two outlooks and two futures trying to become one adds to her long list of best-selling and critically acclaimed lesbian romance novels.
Embrace in Motion
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 61,100. Language: English. Published: February 11, 2016 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian
Sarah MacNeil is about to put her heart in the hands of a beautiful woman who could be her salvation...or her ruin! Surfing high on the wave of lesbian chic, author/screenwriter Melissa Hartley is deliciously dangerous. Blinded by the glow of Melissa's white-hot sensuality, is Sarah setting herself up for a total meltdown?
Finders Keepers
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 81,600. Language: English. Published: February 11, 2016 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian
As one of the founders of the successful, high-tech "soul-mate matching service" Finders Keepers, Marissa knows from experience that vacation romances are nothing short of hopeless. When the tall, dark and beautiful Linda Bartok sweeps her off her feet, Marissa yields to the magic of moonlit walks on the beach and longed-for whispers of passion. Is it just a vacation romance?
Above Temptation
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 82,560. Language: English. Published: February 11, 2016 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian
For Kip Barrett, a secret commission from CEO Tamara Sterling shows that she's respected for her integrity and intelligence as a fraud investigator. As Kip gets closer to discovering an internal embezzler, her clandestine meetings with Tamara grow more frequent. She needs to wrap up her findings before anyone—including her emerging prime suspect Tamara Sterling—realizes Kip is not above temptation
Paperback Romance
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 59,990. Language: English. Published: January 29, 2016 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian
Literary agent Alison has been in love with her favorite author-client for years but Carolyn only sees Alison as a close, loyal friend. While touring Europe to hear the world's great orchestras, Carolyn falls for a brilliant young conductor. Meanwhile, Alison has found her own consolation. But does sweet, passionate Samantha have any chance of winning Alison's affections away from Carolyn?
Making Up for Lost Time
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 52,910. Language: English. Published: January 29, 2016 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian
When three love-starved lesbians decide to make up for lost time, the recipe is romance. Master Chef Jamie Onassis has used every penny she has to buy a beautiful country inn and turn into a five-star restaurant. Home and garden expert Valkyrie Valentine is a rising star among the do-it-yourself set. Reporter Sheila Thintowski is determined to interview Val—up-close and extremely personally.
Roller Coaster
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 102,880. Language: English. Published: October 30, 2015 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » Romance » Contemporary
Two very different reasons brought Laura Izmani and Helen Baynor to the Beach Boardwalk for a symbolic ride on the biggest wooden roller coaster on the west coast. They part strangers, but only after sharing an experience that shifted both of their lives onto new tracks. Their first roller coaster ride together may turn out to be only a prelude...
Substitute for Love
Price: $9.99 USD. Words: 87,880. Language: English. Published: October 2, 2015 by Bella Books. Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Lesbian, Fiction » Romance » Contemporary
Like most women in dead-end relationships, Holly Markham was used to finding substitutes for love. Like chocolate. Fun times with good friends. Throwing herself into her work as a mathematician. But throwing herself into the arms of a leather-clad stranger was never on her list. But even when she does exactly that, she's stunned when the other woman tells her there can be no repeats.