A Very Bookish Romance & Celebration go away soon!

Have a badly lit picture of two very cute books! I just got my copy of Celebration last week, so excuse my screaming and pride for my fellow authors!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Aren’t they lovely?!

You have just five days left to grab your copy of five Valentine’s Day novellas by Sarah Holman, Abigayle Claire, J. Grace Pennington, moi, and Kellyn Roth. (And they’re all fabulous!)

Also going away soon (April 7th) (FOREVER!) is A Very Bookish Celebration, aka 28 minor holiday flash fiction pieces by 14 authors. (A couple of them are debut authors too!)

time to celebrate with A Very Bookish Celebration!

Congrats to all fourteen of the authors on the release of our anthology, A Very Bookish Celebration! There are stories for twenty-eight minor holiday including Mother’s Day, Groundhog Day, and, my personal favorite and one I wrote a story for, the first day of fall. 😉

Just for fun, here’s the first line from my story “The Summer of Pirates”.

Yes, it’s Peter Pan-inspired, and yes, I am obsessed with that book. 😉

Go ahead and grab yourself a copy of A Very Bookish Celebration while you can! And happy reading! 😍

meet our A Very Bookish Celebration authors!

With just over a week until the release of our flash fiction anthology A Very Bookish Celebration (you can add it on Goodreads now 😉 ), I thought it was high time you met all of our authors.

In no particular order, here they are!

Sarah Holman

Heaven Adore

Joshua Hoppman (I know him 😉 )

Angie Thompson

Kelsey Bryant (also our editor!)

Abigail Kay Harris

Erika Mathews

Katja H. Labonté

Jesseca Wheaton

Me! 😉

C.R. Kelchner

Storm Shultz

Abigayle Claire

Raechel Lenore

Be sure to check out and follow our authors for more updates!

the joys of Kindle Unlimited

I got a Kindle for Christmas, and it came with a free trial of Kindle Unlimited. I immediately got to reading, and I’ve discovered so many things to love about KU. 😉

1. I get to read newer indie books! Most indie books and some traditionally published books appear on KU the same day they are published and I can start reading for free immediately. I did this with Drew Taylor’s The Designated Valentine (not me refreshing the page over and over to see when the book was out, lol) and would have done it with Wish You Weren’t Here by Gracie Ruth Mitchell if I weren’t so busy at the moment.
2. It’s chock full of fantasy and romance, aka two genres I need to read more of and have been experimenting with lately.
3. I try out books I wouldn’t usually buy. Whether that’s because of my budget or content I’m unsure of, there are some books and series I wouldn’t otherwise try, but when they’re “free”… 😉 Like A Thousand Heartbeats by Kiera Cass or Just Her Luck by MJ. Padgett which are just two new favorites.
4. I know the author still gets paid for the pages I read, even if I DNF! I feel waayyyy less guilty about not finishing a book this way, so it also frees me up to branch out a little more. 😉

If you’re curious about how Kindle Unlimited works, here’s an article explaining how to borrow and return books.

I also made a Goodreads shelf of books I’ve read in KU (so far!) if you’re looking for recommendations. ;)(Just check to make sure the book is still in KU before you borrow it.)

Kindle Unlimited has truly been so much fun! The only downside? Now I have more favorite books to buy in paperback. *sighs happily*

monday mini-review #3: Hours We Regret by Chelsea Michelle

⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was a delightful, one-sitting, hold-your-breath kind of read. I highly enjoyed the sisters’ dynamic and different POVs. Also, I have strong shipping opinions. 😉 I was a little disappointed by how open-ended it was, so I’m hoping there will be a payoff in later books. It didn’t go as dark as it could have, and I highly appreciated that.

5 simply gorgeous illustrated books

There’s just something about illustrations. They bring the story closer, show us what the characters look like, and add that touch many of us have been missing since we graduated past picture books. I’m always happy when I find another illustrated chapter book, and today I thought I’d share my favorites with you. ❤

1. A Curse for Christmas by Anna Christine

This book is the COZIEST BEAN to ever exist! Look at that cute cover and image pages more inside of whimsical yet realistic illustrations. I have read this book on Kindle, but nothing compares to the paperback copy I have now. Definitely give this one a shot (and if you need more reasons, read my review here)!

2. The Herbwitch’s Apprentice by Ireen Chau (and sequel!)

Sorry to shout but LOOK AT THAT. So much expression, so much beautifulness, so much argh. (I’m not an art girlie, so I don’t really have the words to explain why this is so good. But it is.) The whole book is full of this gorgeous style plus themes of justice, friendship, and girlhood. For more, read my review here.

3. The Book of Dreams by moi

Yes, my little allegory I surprise published last year is illustrated by Paige Coffer! (For reference, she did my art for If the Stars Awaken too.) There are two “big” illustrations and smaller ones throughout. I just love how she brought everyone and everything to life. 😍

4. The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson

Did you know this iconic fantasy series is illustrated? It’s really such a fabulous, realistic style, and it enhances the reading experience so much. ❤ Plus the books are just really, really good! 😉 Read my review here.

5. Because You Saw Me by Lillian Keith

I’m a huge fan of Lillian Keith’s books and Amelia Grace’s illustrations, and their latest collaboration was even better! Atmospheric and lovely illustrations for a meaningful, beautiful story. ❤ Read my review here.

There you are! My favorite illustrated books. Do you have any you’d recommend?

all the tropes in A Very Bookish Romance

Just four days until our final A Very Bookish collection launches, and I’m here to tell you about the romance tropes in our stories. 😉 *dances happily* (Also, in case you haven’t pre-ordered yet, let me remind you the price goes up on release day, eep.)

Daisy’s Heart (inspired by Charlotte’s Web) by Abigayle Claire includes a character raising her brother and a friends-to-lovers storyline. 🙌

A String of Paper Hearts (inspired by Pride and Prejudice) by Sarah Holman has “he falls first” and a happily ever after. 😉

Southeaster Lodge (inspired by Northanger Abbey) by J. Grace Pennington is a cozy romance with forbidden secrets. 👀

The Artist of Hearthstone Cottage (inspired by The Tenant of Wildfell Hall) by Kellyn Roth is a grumpy meets sunshine story with a second chance romance. 😉

And last but not least, my story Lore in Love (inspired by Little Town on the Prairie) includes a shy girl and an outgoing boy plus many of the other tropes already listed.

Whether you’re a romance reader usually or not, I’m sure you’ll find something to love in our collection. ❤

an excerpt from Lore in Love

With just over a week left to pre-order A Very Bookish Romance (ahhhhh!!!), I thought it would be fun to share an excerpt of my novella “Lore in Love” (inspired by Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder). *rubs hands together* Prepare yourself for cuteness…

The sounds of “Cardigan” from Folklore played over the speakers as he turned on the truck, and she felt her shoulders relax.

“You like Taylor Swift too?” she asked.

Hamish nodded, his dark hair moving slightly with the motion. “Yeah, she’s cool.”

They went silent again, and he turned up the music. It was exactly a song and a half until they reached Lore’s house, but she paused as she got out of the truck. 

“Thanks for the ride.”

“For sure. Just doing my mom a favor on my lunch break.” He smiled and the corner of one eye crinkled.

“Where do you work?” Lore asked, ignoring how her cheeks heated. Hopefully he didn’t have to drive too far.

“Just up the street, at the plant nursery. You could say our jobs are similar.” His smile appeared again, and something about it made Lore reluctant to leave just yet. 

“Do you like it?”

“Yeah. I’ve always wanted to be a farmer, but you can’t do much of that in the city. So this is how I do what I love.” He shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal, but she’d caught the way his eyes lit up.

“That’s pretty cool. Thanks again.” She slid out of the seat.

“See you around, Lore.”

feast your eyes on the cover of Water Horse

I have a new cover to reveal to you all today.

And it’s gorgeous, but you don’t get to see it yet…

No, first you must know Water Horse by Katie Hanna is the first book in The Nightmare Saga. It releases March 19, 2024 from SnowRidge Press and pre-orders start today! 🙌🙌

Ready for the blurb? Yes, I know, you really want to see the cover. But you can’t yet…

“A girl on the run. A rancher with a shadowed past. An immortal bent on magical domination.

Meg O’Shea just wants to escape the nightmares that have chased her across the Atlantic. After breaking out of the Colorado State Lunatic Asylum, Meg finds refuge in marrying a local landowner… but her new husband has his own ranch-load of problems.

George Calhoun is a rancher, not a detective. When one of his cowboys is murdered, he’s thrust into an unfamiliar world of danger and deception. Throw in a failed first marriage and a new wife with plenty of secrets of her own, and George is in way over his head.

Sigurd Mahres has one goal: to rule the world through nightmares. But his key source of power has just run off to the Wild West…and gotten married. To hunt her down, Sigurd calls on a reluctant ally: a band of Irish water horses freshly arrived in the Colorado mountains.

In this deadly chess game, the winner must unlock the secrets of the new magic seeping into the Wild West… before that magic consumes them all.

If you love ancient Irish legends and rip-roaring Western adventures, you won’t want to miss Water Horse.”

Add on Goodreads // Pre-order on Amazon

Cover time! Finally…

There you go! Isn’t it gorgeous? (Savannah Jezowski of Dragon Pen Designs designed it, fyi.)

So excited for Katie!!

5 short reads to fill you with Christmas spirit

Christmastime is here! Just a couple days after Thanksgiving, we decorated our apartment with our tree, colorful lights, and little details here and there. ❤ I’ve already wrapped half the presents (the other half are on their way), and I’m eagerly waiting to read Hercule Poirot’s Christmas.

To help you get into the spirit of the season, here are five short and sweet reads I recommend. (Click on the titles to read my longer reviews. 😉 )

1. The 12 Cats of Christmas by Perry Kirkpatrick (delightful, set in the same universe as The Kitten Files)
2. At the Christmas Lodge by Rebekah Morris (really sweet, true meaning of the season)
3. The Father Christmas Confessions by Emily Ann Benedict (stunningly clever, full of heart)
4. A Curse for Christmas by Anna Christine (just the cutest)
5. My True Love Gave to Me by Karen Witmeyer (cute and creative)

Merry Christmas season! ❤