Tuesday, October 31, 2023

NEW BOOK RELEASE! CHRISTMAS WITH HER FAKE BOYFRIEND BY KIM LAW

 


Author:
Kim Law

Genre: Holiday Romance
Publisher: J-Ko Publishing
Release Date: October 31, 2023


About the Book:

She needs a date for her friend’s Christmas wedding. He has to go home—and won’t do it alone. But their fake relationship was never supposed to feel real.

Courtney and Sean share a common goal: survive the holiday season and get back to life as they know it. Courtney Maddux is a talented boudoir photographer and cherishes the life she’s built in Holly Creek. Her smothering mother, however . . . has 
other plans. The pressure to abandon her “unconventional” job and settle down to start a family weigh heavy on Courtney, as the last thing she wants is to disappoint her mom. But the wounds her mother carries serve as a cautionary tale, and opening herself to others is something Courtney simply can’t see risking.

Sean Wallace is only months into an unprecedented leap of faith. He walked away from a lucrative job, once secured with the help of his adoptive father, to become a partner in a struggling brewery. Living in a town reminiscent of his childhood, however, leaves him unable to ignore the memories always lurking in the back of his mind. And with those whispers now ever-present, the thought of returning solo for his parents’ vow renewal is out of the question.

Will Sean and Courtney’s pact to be each other’s plus-ones—no side benefits allowed—survive the holiday chaos? Or will the friendship forged from their shared scars convince them that opening their hearts might lead to a future never envisioned?

Buy Links: Amazon 


Would you like to meet Kim Law in person? Yeah, me too!! Well here's your chance! Kim Law will be one of the amazing Featured Authors at Coastal Magic Convention in February 2024 in Daytona Beach, Florida! For more information, go to www.coastalmagicconvention.com



About the Author:

As a child, award-winning author Kim Law cultivated a love for chocolate, anything purple, and creative writing. She penned her debut work, "The Gigantic Talking Raisin," in the sixth grade and got hooked on the delights of creating stories. Before settling into the writing life, however, she earned a college degree in mathematics and worked as a computer programmer. Now she's pursuing her lifelong dream of writing romance novels. She has won the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart Award and has been a finalist for the prestigious RWA RITA Award. A native of Kentucky, Kim lives with her husband and an assortment of animals in Middle Tennessee.

You can learn more at her website, www.KimLaw.com, or visit her at her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/kimlawauthor. Kim loves hearing from her readers! To sign up for Kim's newsletter, go to https://www.kimlaw.com/newsletter-sign-up/.



Monday, August 21, 2023

New Release! THE HIGHLANDER'S SECRET AVENGER by Heather McCollum

 


Author:
Heather McCollum

Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Entangled: Scandalous
Release Date: August 21, 2023


About the Book:

Drostan Macquarie, the fierce battle-hardened Highlander, was still a young lad when his father first warned him of the ancient curse on the Macquarie clan. Should any of our kin sire a bastard, the entire clan will be cursed to die out. Drostan vowed then to live his life alone, far from the reach of the curse. But on the eve of Beltane, a sizzling kiss with a mysterious lass ignites Drostan’s blood…and threatens his vow.

Amelia MacLeod is on the run, desperate to escape her past, and an abusive family. But Wolf Isle isn’t just a place to hide, it may be her only hope of redemption—if she can doom her clan’s enemy, the Macquaries. Only, she imagined her enemy would be a hideous brute, not a big, brawny, and kind-hearted Highlander like Drostan.

Because now Amelia’s discovered a way to destroy the Macquarie Clan for good—
if she can bring herself to infiltrate the clan, seduce Drostan, and bring about the Macquarie curse. Of course, she hasn’t accounted for the far-reaching consequences of her own dark past…or her traitorous desire for the Highlander she came to destroy.

Each book in the Brothers of Wolf Isle series is STANDALONE:
* The Highlander’s Unexpected Proposal
* The Highlander's Pirate Lass
* The Highlander’s Tudor Lass
* The Highlander's Secret Avenger

Buy Links: Amazon 

My Comments:

I cannot wait to read this one!  And good news to my fellow KU readers... this one is Free on Kindle Unlimited! I really like the idea that, even though it is Book #4 in the Brothers of Wolf Isle series, it can be read as a stand-alone. Nice!

And here's another bit of info... you can meet this bestselling author, Heather McCollum, in person if you are anywhere near Daytona Beach in February 2024 (and who wouldn't want to be in Daytona Beach in February?). Yes! Heather McCollum will be a Featured Author at the Coastal Magic Convention!  You can find more information about Coastal Magic at:  www.CoastalMagicConvention.com 
#CMCon24

About the Author:

Heather McCollum is an USA Today Bestselling Author of 16th and 17th century Scottish romances. Brawny Highlanders and feisty heroines are her favorites!

The rugged beauty and rich history of Great Britain captivates Ms. McCollum each time she visits. The country’s history and landscape have been a backdrop for her stories since her very first book.

When she is not dreaming up adventures and conflict for brawny Highlanders and feisty heroines, she spends her time educating women on the symptoms of Ovarian Cancer. She is a survivor and resides with her very own Highland hero and three spirited children in the wilds of suburbia on the mid-Atlantic coast.

More information about Ms. McCollum and her books can be found at www.HeatherMcCollum.com.


Wednesday, August 16, 2023

The Novel Lady Interviews AUTHOR HEATHER MCCOLLUM



I am soooo ready for the Coastal Magic Convention in Daytona Beach, Florida in February 2024! Folks, we have some awesome authors attending! One of those authors is USA Today Bestselling author Heather McCollum! And I’m so excited to be here with her today!

So grab a cup of coffee… or a glass of wine, and join us for a fun interview with this awesome bestselling author!

Scherry:  Hi Heather!  I was so excited to hear that you will be at the Coastal Magic Convention in Daytona Beach in February as one of Coastal Magic’s Featured Authors. I have to tell you that I checked out your website prior to this interview and I am in awe! And yes, I subscribe to your newsletter and I was able to gain access to the Secret Staircase! What a fabulous website! Great recipe’s too!

Heather:  Thank you so much! I’ve had a lot of fun with the website. This is the best I can get to living in a real castle. LOL!

Scherry:  For those readers who have not yet had an opportunity to check out your webpage, can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?


Heather:  
Thank you so much for having me here today! This will be my first CMCon, and I’m very excited to come down and meet you all.

 I am Heather McCollum, USA Today Bestselling author of 16th and 17th century Scottish romances full of adventure and intrigue, sprinkled with humor, history, and spice. Brawny Highlanders and fiery heroines are my favorite characters to write! 

I’m also a mom of three kids, dog-mom of one rescued geriatric golden retriever, and wife of one 6 foot 4 inch Highlander. When I’m not trying to help my kids make it through the day, baking things I see on The Great British Baking Show, or writing, I’m usually educating women on ovarian cancer (I’m a 12-year survivor). I love kilted heroes, dragonflies, watching birds, chai tea lattes, dressing in vintage costumes, and eating buttered air-popped popcorn for dinner on Friday nights.



Scherry:  Sounds like you stay super busy! You and your "quite tall" husband make a lovely couple! And that dog! Ohmygosh, that's a great picture! 

I love Scottish Historical Romance!  Of all the books you have written, which is your favorite?

Heather: 
Favorite? That’s like asking me to choose my favorite child! Actually, they are all favorites for different reasons: scenes that make me laugh, endings that make me swoon, families that I want to join.


Of the families that have tugged at my heart the most, I must pick the Sinclairs (first book is Highland Conquest) because they are the most tortured. Their grief-stricken, warlord father raised his four sons as The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Talk about messing with their heads! 



Scherry:  Okay, that series is definitely going on my TBR list!  You have a new release coming up on the 21st of this month. THE HIGHLANDER’S SECRET AVENGER will be Book #4 in your fabulous Brothers of Wolf Isle series. Can you tell us a little about it? Sort of a sneak peak?


Heather:  I love the brothers in that series too! Five Macquarie brothers who are trying to bring back their clan from the edge of extinction due to a curse placed on them a century ago. Five brothers trying to find five wives to get their clan growing once more. The idea for this series came from that wonderful old musical, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, but there are no mass abduction scenes : )

Book #4, THE HIGHLANDER’S SECRET AVENGER, starts with a mysterious lass masquerading as a lad. She’s taken on the responsibility of a stray kitten, who makes her sneeze, and her secret plan is to doom the recovering Macquarie Clan. There is humor and mistakes and forbidden love in this book.



Scherry:  That book sounds so good! Yes, another series to add to my TBR list! I hope you have some of these on hand at Coastal Magic Convention. I would love to buy a signed copy!  How do you go about doing the research for your novels?


Heather:  I go down many rabbit holes on the internet! But usually, I start with a location or clan in Scotland and research the civic, religious, and social issues going on during its history. There is so much drama and conflict in human history that I can get wrapped up in the research. If I wasn’t a fiction writer, I think I’d be a historian.

I also have a library of reference books from all different time periods. And I travel to Scotland and England on research trips when I can. My last trip was in June 2022 and covered the eastern coast of Scotland around Aberdeen. Touching 16th century castle ruins and breathing in the fresh Highland air fills my creative well more than anything else.



Scherry: 
That sounds exciting! Let me know if you ever need someone to tag along to hold your notes! LOL! 
What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever researched for one of your books?
Heather: Queen Elizabeth I was gifted with gowns and gloves, which were very important to my book The Highlander and the Queen’s Sacrifice. She was rightfully worried that someone would line her clothes with poison to be either absorbed into her skin or somehow ingested (poison in the fingertips of gloves transferring to her mouth). Although her dresses were not poisoned, Catherine de Medici, the dowager-queen of France, may have sent “perfumed” gloves that were poisoned. Catherine had an official poisoner on her royal payroll.

Scherry:  Have you ever based your book or characters on actual events or people from your own life?

Heather:  All the time! In fact, this past summer one of my friend’s dogs was sprayed by a skunk, and I’m trying to work that into one of my future books. There weren’t skunks in Scotland, but there were otters, which left a terrible musk. There truly is a bit of my life in each book I write.

Scherry:  I love that! Are you a plotter and know what’s going to happen or are you a pantser that lets your characters lead the way?

Heather:  I’m a total pantser. I try to plot with each book but end up going off the path almost immediately! The characters, and thus the plot, grow organically while I write, but I do try to have a plan, or something of a plan. Luckily my publisher has accepted after 20+ books that the synopsis I turn in for the contract doesn’t look like the book when it’s actually written.

Scherry:  What do you do when you’re not writing?  Do you have any hobbies or guilty pleasures?

Heather:  I love to bake! My favorite show is The Great British Baking Show. I make meringue box cakes, French macrons with chocolate ganache filling, boiled puddings, scones, yeasted breads, pies, and cakes with Swiss meringue buttercream. Unfortunately, I also love to eat all of it!

I also collect tea accoutrements and host tea parties, watch ice hockey (Go Carolina Hurricanes!), make crafts, and decorate my A5 planner.  


Scherry:  I understand you’ve had a few real-life ghost experiences. Ohmygosh! Can you tell us about one of those experiences. I’m totally into that kind of stuff!

Heather: 
 
I attended high school in Northern Virginia and lived in a very old house built before the American Civil War. It was definitely haunted. Footsteps, shaking plates, doors opening and closing and so forth. I have a blog post about it on my website if you’d like to read about it. https://www.heathermccollum.com/haunted-house/ 


I also encountered the “Lady in Green” of Dunnottar Castle in Stonehaven, Scotland last June. I was dressed in my own green vintage costume while touring it and found a plaque about her in the castle brewery. I suddenly felt very cold and needed to leave. My friend snapped a picture as I was fleeing. When he looked at the picture later, a hazy orb sits right over my shoulder. I’m sure that was the Lady in Green.


Scherry:  
Okay, let’s talk about costumes! You have some fabulous period costumes! Where do you get them?

Heather: I love period costumes! And I’m very fortunate that my mother sews and lives down the street from me. She makes most of my costumes: Tudor, Scottish, Regency. Victoria Vane has created two costumes for me: a 17th century English court gown and head piece, and a replica of one of Queen Elizabeth I’s ensembles. I have a video in the Bedroom of my website showing how my daughters helped to dress me in it. https://www.heathermccollum.com/bedchamber/

Scherry: That's amazing! Looks like your entire family gets into it! I love it!

So Heather, say you got arrested.  What’s the most likely reason the cops are carting you off to jail?

Heather: LOL! Probably because I went over some rope that kept me from crawling through a 16th century castle! Those stone walls beckon me to touch them.

Scherry: Let’s get serious for a moment. I understand that you are a cancer survivor. I’m sure that had to be a very difficult time in your life. Can you tell us how you discovered you had ovarian cancer? And do you have any advice for women who may be facing this same thing?


Heather: I had just turned 40yo and thought I was gaining weight because my pants were tight. I also had some pain during intercourse, thought I might be getting a UTI because of pressure I was feeling on my bladder, and I had a pinchy pain on one side of my abdomen. When I got hit with a soccer ball while playing, we thought I broke my hand. I mentioned the bloating and pain to my PA while she was checking out my wrist. That mention (along with surgery and 15 months of chemo) saved my life.

My advice is to stay connected to your body – what feels “normal” and what feels “off”. And then speak up. You are too important to the people in your life to brush off whispers of warnings. Feel free to e-mail me with any questions or if you want to discuss. I’m not a medical doctor. I’m just a middle-aged woman who faced the beast and knows how it can hide.


Scherry: That's excellent advice! I hope our readers listen. Women need to speak up. I'm so glad you did.

So Heather, what is next for you?  Other than Coastal Magic in February, do you have any other upcoming book signings, releases or works in progress?


Heather: The 5th and final book in my Sons of Sinclair series, HIGHLAND SURRENDER, releases October 24th! The first four books in the series are about 4 brothers raised as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Book 5 is about their sister, who is captured by a warrior descended from Vikings in order to control her brothers. But Hannah is no little mouse. She’s a warrior at heart and has learned from the best.

I’ve also started a new Highlander series called Brotherhood of Solway Moss about four sons from feuding clans on the Isle of Skye who are imprisoned together and form a brotherhood to survive. The first book will release next year.


Scherry: So much to look forward to! Heather, thank you so much for joining us here at The Novel Lady! 

If you would like to learn more about Bestselling Author Heather McCollum, here are a few places you can find her. 



I hope you've enjoyed this Coastal Magic Convention Featured Author Spotlight post. Heather McCollum will be one of the amazing authors we'll be hanging out with during the 12th annual reader weekend in Daytona Beach, FL, Feb 22-25,2024.

For a full list of Featured Authors, info about the weekend, and link to register to attend, visit http://www.CoastalMagicConvention.com. And be sure to watch for more Featured Author spotlights coming up here each month!  #CMCon24




Wednesday, July 26, 2023

HAPPENINGS IN MY WORLD and FUN TIMES AT SCBL2023!

As you have probably noticed, there hasn't been much posted lately here on The Novel Lady blog. However, there has been a lot happening in my world.

After the fabulous several days at Cape Canaveral, enjoying every moment of Space Coast Book Lovers 2023, family health issues took over with three hospitalizations and some long term care. But enough of that! My loved ones are doing better and I'm doing my best to get back on track, ready to read the awesome books I picked up at SCBL2023! I also have some ARC's from some of my favorite authors: Nora Roberts, Debbie Macomber, Leigh Duncan, Kristan Higgins, Alice Hoffman and new audiobooks by Jamie A. Waters! So watch for upcoming reviews!

But first, let me tell you about Space Coast Book Lovers 2023! OMG! This is one of my favorite events!

So many amazing authors! Here is their group photo!


Tere Dees Edney and her group of volunteers do such an amazing job with this book event! And it keeps getting better year after year! I've been there since the beginning and a group of us were honored this year as being their "Anchors"! We received a certificate and a little anchor charm. So sweet!!

SCBL is more than just a book signing. It's almost like a family reunion with lots of fun games and activities and bookish fun. They have Booknique adventures that include everything from painting while sipping mimosa's, Victorian tea parties, learning a new dance, or creating a fairy lantern. 

Oh! And so much more! Each one of these events is sponsored by one or more of the attending authors, which gives you additional time to get to know the authors a bit better.


Then there was Tropes & Sips where you could sign up under your favorite trope and ask questions to a panel of authors that write in that trope. And everyone leaves with a bag of treats from the authors.


We also had the opportunity to have lunch with our favorite authors. So much fun! I signed up to sit with Evelyn Lederman, an author I've know for several years. I sometimes call her the "purple" lady because she is usually wearing purple... and many of her book covers have purple. It was nice catching up with her! And lunch was great!


One of the highlights of SCBL for me for the past two years has been the "Author Feud". It's just like the TV show Family Feud, but with our authors. Master of Ceremonies is none other than the wonderfully fun, Robbie Cox. Great job Robbie!



Each year, gift baskets are raffled and the money collected is donated to SOAK Supporting Our ASD Kids, Inc. So many beautiful baskets! This year, over $11,000.00 was raised. And readers went home with some totally awesome gift baskets! Amazing!


So if you can be anywhere near the Space Coast next June, this is the place you will want to be. Don't miss out!



I'm excited to announce that I will be at #SCBL2024 next June as an ELITE VIP!!!

Who will I see there? Tickets are on sale now!!

Ticket Link: https://SCBL24.eventbrite.com

Learn more about the event by joining our Facebook Attendee Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SCBLReaders








Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Book Blitz & Giveaway - HEALING CASSIOPEIA by Charlie Daye

Healing Cassiopeia
Charlie Daye
Publication date: June 20th 2023
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

What if you lost everything you ever loved?
Cassie lost everything in a single night… Her husband, her unborn child and any hope for a happy future.

Welcome to Elvy – Land of the Fae and endless magic.
In an attempt to pull Cassie from her downward spiral, her parents take her home, to Elvy… A world of unparalleled beauty, magic and endless possibilities. But Elvy is not all it appears to be… there is trickery, deceit, a social hierarchy Cassie doesn’t understand and rules she refuses to play by.

To Love again…
When love comes calling, will Cassie fall to the pressure of Elven society or follow her heart to the happiness she thought she lost forever?

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

Cassie sat in her room staring out the window. It had been three months since her husband died and yet the melancholy that enveloped her would not let go. But it wasn’t just her husband’s death that haunted her. She was, unfortunately, hit with a double whammy that night.

She was three months into her pregnancy and she and her husband, Greg, had decided to go out and celebrate. It was the first successful pregnancy she’d had since they started trying to conceive. It had taken them nearly three years and after two miscarriages and more hormone injections than Cassie would ever want to think about, the pregnancy finally took.

“If it’s a boy, we’ll have to name him Greg Jr.,” Greg said, taking her hand.

“Oh, you think so, do you? And what if I want to name him something else?” she teased.

Bringing her hand to his lips, he kissed it, “I may be willing to negotiate… for the right price.” He winked at her.

She laughed, “Only you would use sex as a bargaining chip.”

“Hey! I never even mentioned the word sex, but if it’s on the table…” he shrugged, then grinned.

Author Bio:

Charlie Daye began writing at the tender age of thirteen. With an obsession for romance, happy endings and the supernatural she delves into your greatest fantasies and worst nightmares. She will have you laughing, crying, falling in love and getting angry. She will always give you a HEA but getting there is the journey worth taking.

Charlie Daye was born in Lynwood, California. Her greatest passions are music and writing. Her first short story was written at the age of thirteen. At the time her entire class was asked to write a short story for Halloween as part of a homework assignment. Most of the kids in the class wrote one to two page stories... Charlie wrote eight. The short story titled The Haunted House went on to win her district wide awards and was published locally. From their she began writing poetry as means of expression.

Since her writing career began she's has published several titles... The House, The Colonial, The Reservation, The Portrait, The Gypsy's Dance, Mistaken for a Call Girl, Her Last Request and Breeders. Four of which have been nominated for the 2012 RONE Award.

For updates on her books or just to spend some time in her fun and crazy world check out her webpage at charliedaye.com or find her on Facebook!

Website / Goodreads / Facebook


GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Friday, June 16, 2023

Space Coast Book Lover's 2023! Will you be there?


Space Coast Book Lovers is one of my all-time favorite book conferences here in Florida. Come join me at the 7th Annual Space Coast Book Lovers Event 2023, being held in beautiful Cape Canaveral, FL on Thursday, June 22nd - Sunday, June 25th. They will have some amazingly talented authors of all genres sure to provide you with several additions to your TBR list! Their goal is to bring you an intimate event designed to encourage one-on-one interaction with your favorite authors and to give you the opportunity to discover authors that you have not read yet.


There will be an amazing assortment of raffle baskets available from many of the authors and bloggers like me. My basket this year is "All Things Paris".

The money collected for these baskets go to a great cause.  Supporting our ASD Kids, Inc.  S.O.A.K. is an organization whose purpose is to help those diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders and related disabilities and their families.


If you aren't able to obtain tickets for the entire SCBL event, keep in mind that the book signing portion of the event is free and open to the public. There you can meet over 75 fabulous authors and purchase some awesome books. The book signing will be Saturday, June 24th from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. 

For more information, check out their website at:

 https://www.spacecoastbooklovers.com/

I hope to see you there!


Monday, June 12, 2023

Audio Book Review - THE LOST APOTHECARY by Sarah Penner

 


Author: Sarah Penner
Genre: Magical Realism, Literary Fiction
Narrator: Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony, Lauren Irwin
Release Date: March 2, 2021


About the Book:

Instant New York Times Best Seller

Named Most Anticipated of 2021 by NewsweekGood HousekeepingHello! magazine, Oprah.com, Bustle, Popsugar, Betches, Sweet July, and GoodReads!

March 2021 Indie Next Pick and Number One Library Reads Pick

"A bold, edgy, accomplished debut!" (Kate Quinn, New York Times best-selling author of The Alice Network)

A forgotten history. A secret network of women. A legacy of poison and revenge. Welcome to The Lost Apothecary....

Hidden in the depths of 18th-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious 12-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries.

Meanwhile in present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London 200 years ago, her life collides with the apothecary’s in a stunning twist of fate - and not everyone will survive.

With crackling suspense, unforgettable characters, and searing insight, The Lost Apothecary is a subversive and intoxicating debut novel of secrets, vengeance, and the remarkable ways women can save each other despite the barrier of time.


Buy Links: Amazon 

My Review:

This book has been sitting in my TBR pile for quite some time. When I noticed it was available as an audio book, I thought that now was the time! 

The story goes back and forth between the late 1700's and modern times in London.  Nella has a secret apothecary shop hidden in a back room where poisons are prepared according to the specifications of her clients, women who seek her help. Eliza is a 12-year old girl who soon becomes involved with helping Nella until she makes a terrible mistake.

Caroline is a modern day American woman who ends up in London alone. This was supposed to be a ten-year anniversary trip for her and her husband until she discovered he had been unfaithful. When Caroline discovers a small vial in the river, her curiosity is sparked and she begins an adventure discovering where the vial came from and it's history.

I found this story to be quite fascinating and it's obvious that the author did quite a bit of research. I was unable, however, to really connect with the characters, especially Caroline. She hid information from her only friend in London, a person who was trying to help in Caroline's research. And why in the world would a woman traveling alone in a different country venture out at night with nothing but a cell phone with a dying battery! 

Great story, but it loses one wine glass due to character development.


My Rating:


About the Author:

From Sarah Penner's webpage at https://www.SarahPenner.com


About Sarah Penner

I was born and raised in northeast Kansas, growing up in a small log cabin nestled deep in the woods. This picturesque retreat, where I lived until early adulthood, frames most of my early memories. 

I began writing seriously in 2015, after attending a moving lecture given by Elizabeth Gilbert. She was on tour for Big Magic, a game-changing book for creatives. Soon after her talk, I enrolled in my first online creative writing class. I haven't looked back since.

I'm an avid traveler, though my heart is stuck in London. Other favorite destinations include Thailand, Ireland, Germany, Belize, and Italy.

I graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in finance. In early 2021, after thirteen years in corporate America, I left my day job. I'm thrilled now to call myself a full-time writer. When I'm not at the keyboard, you'll likely find me in the kitchen, the yoga studio, or running outdoors in the Florida heat. 

I'm married to my best friend, Marc. We're proud residents of the Sunshine State, where we live with our "silky hair" miniature dachshund, Zoe. 




Thursday, June 1, 2023

It's June 1st!! Mark Your Calendar for Coastal Magic 2024!

 


It's June 1st -- and in the world of Coastal Magic, that means our #CMCon24 Featured Author listing has been posted, and our full weekend registration for readers is now open!!!


As a Featured Blogger at the 2024 Coastal Magic Convention, I am super excited and can't wait for February to roll around!

Dubbed the Coastal Magic "season" by our reading challenge participants, things stay active for Coastal Magic authors and attendees from June 1st through our weekend together in February. We have author spotlights from our Featured Bloggers. We have an active, engaging Reading Challenge group that showcases our authors and guides readers as they motivate each other to read (and review) at least one book from each author in our lineup. (And win prizes!!) We also have online panel discussions, chats and activities in our Facebook Authors & Attendees group, and so much more!!

This year, our theme focuses on all of the friendships we've made and seen through the years! Our "Book Besties Weekend" will shine a spotlight on our own bookish besties, the best friends in the stories we love, and our authors' writer BFFs!! We're celebrating ALL of it!!

We've also got merch!!!! The first two of our three t-shirt designs are now live. The 2024 Reading Challenge design will be revealed soon, so keep your eyes open for that one. :-) Right now -- we have a collection of items featuring our annual #CMCon24 logo and theme, and our friendship quote design...



Making plans to join us for the 2024 event, February 22-25? You can see all that's included with your registration on our page HERE, or go directly to the EventBrite ticketing page HERE



So... reader besties... that's the big news for today.
It's THE.START.OF.ALL.THE.THINGS and I'm super excited for all we have planned. Watch for more info about our evening activities, our #CMCChat online panel schedule, our reading challenge and featured blogger spotlights, and all the other ways you can be involved in Coastal Magic this summer and fall. We'd love to have you with us!!



To kick off this "season" with a win -- in the comments, let us know what your favorite thing about attending author/reader/bookish events is. Meeting new authors? Meeting favorite authors? Catching up with bookish reader friends? Discovering new books for your TBR piles? Traveling to new places?

One commenter will be randomly selected to win a print or digital copy of a book from one of our 2024 Featured Authors. This is open to readers everywhere. Winner will be selected and notified on June 10th. Coastal Magic, not the author, will be providing this prize. Good luck, everyone!!






 

The Novel Lady Published @ 2014 by Ipietoon