Another book 4 teaser...

Hello my babies,

I am IN IT with book four and let me tell you, I am fucking CRUSHING IT. 💪💪💪

How did that sound? Confident? Self-assured? Well, it was ALL LIES! 😅 Just kidding! (Kinda.)

While I did have an epic last few days of getting words on the page (I wrote over 12k in 4 days which is a LOT for me!), I still don't have everything figured out. And guess what I hate? That. The uncertainty is the literal worst. Like, excuse me? Life? I ordered a perfectly executed plan over here! *insert huffy breath*

I think I need to accept that I'm, at least to some degree, a "discovery writer" which I think is just a fancy way to say you figure it out as you go. Now, I definitely don't sit down and write just anything and see what happens (extreme "pantser") or feel like my characters are running the show and I lack any control, BUT I do write (and think!) non-linearly and it can feel a little like assembling the aircraft mid-flight.

But that's okay, because by this stage of my writing career, I know the process will eventually result in a coherent and connected story. That end-point is still the same whether you're someone who meticulously outlines every little thing in sequential order or someone who, y'know, starts writing a scene they know they want to write, then the flavor and dialogue and details evolve and sometimes bring in delightful surprises and connections.

Book 4 deets!? 💖

Speaking of... I want to tell you a little about book four, because there have been some lovely ways to interweave this one with my other books -- not all of which were planned. See? ✨Discovery!✨

So here are some little fun facts (WHO DOESN'T LOVE A FUN FACT?) about my current WIP:

• we'll see all the other MCs from previous books (Jude & Olena, Ada & Jesse, and Miles & Caroline) and some previous side characters like Wyatt & Sam, the younger Nicolosi (Gloria's grandson, who works with Gus), and Teddy (the one who showed Olena how to use the excavator). There will probably be others I haven't written just yet too!
• the gal who showed Jude & Olena the ropes at the axe-throwing place will make a reappearance working with the FMC in book 4. (Her name is Drea!)
• book 4 overlaps in timing a bit with Sweet Caroline (probably no surprise if you remember how things were set up at the end of SC), which means we will see Miles in his sad boi era at the beginning. (But don't worry, Lumpy is ON IT!)

All of this is still with a heavy disclaimer that the book is currently a ✨DRAFT✨ and I reserve the right to change ALL THE THINGSSSSS, but it's still fun to share a little more than I have been. I want to share literally everything all the time, so please admire my restraint.

Book 4 TEASER!!?? 😱

HECK YES! Here's a snippet I wanted to share, because y'all deserve a solid sneak peek for being such wonderful humans. So here's Gus acting a fool, for your enjoyment: 😅

I hope you loved this little sneak peek! These two have been so much fun to write!

Onto some book recs...

Books Books Books!

I have two romances for you today, including Cristina Santos' newest, and she is an absolute GEM of a human being so please go show her some love!

Cristina Santos: Down Home​

Blurb:

Peter Darcy thought he left "Elizabeth" behind in Halifax. Three unforgettable nights together—first names only, no strings, no future—and then he went back to Toronto and the finance job that was slowly killing him. But when a panic attack lands him on medical leave, he escapes to his cottage in Balsam Bay to figure out who he is when he's not working eighty-hour weeks.

Billie doesn't do second chances. She's spent years rebuilding her father’s construction company and proving herself in an industry that didn't want her. Love doesn't last—her parents' ugly divorce taught her that. The last thing she needs is complications with a client.

Except she shows up to his house covered in mud and realizes her client "Darcy" is actually Peter. The guy from Halifax. The one she hasn't stopped thinking about for weeks.

Now they're working together on a town project, and pretending that weekend never happened isn't an option. Darcy's all in from day one—he doesn't know how to do anything halfway. But Billie's spent her whole life protecting herself from heartbreak, and falling for a guy who’s leaving? That's the kind of risk that could destroy her.

She doesn't believe love lasts.

He has to choose between the life he built and the one he wants.

Izabela Kamila: The Summer for Us​

Blurb:

He’s the grumpy small town local, and she’s the summer tourist winning over the whole town. What happens when he finally lets his guard down and opposites attract?

Juliette Campbell might’ve won the hit reality dating show Paradise Love, but it came at the cost of an embarrassing breakup splashed across social media. Needing a quiet getaway, Jules packs her car and makes the drive from Chicago to a small town in northern Wisconsin where she’s rented a cabin for the summer. The sun, lake, and fresh air will be just what she needs to get her life and career back on track. Jules intends for Golden Falls to be a pit stop, but she quickly grows attached to the town and its residents. Well, except for one person.

Wesley Richards is a quiet, closed-off, no nonsense kind of guy. He wants nothing to do with Juliette, whatever she’s running from, or those damn sundresses she’s always wearing. He does his best to avoid his new neighbor, but that’s tough to do when she’s everywhere—dancing at his bar, tanning in her bikini, and making friends with everyone in town. But once they get past the not-so-great first (and second) impression Wes made, he realizes just how much he needs the confident, sassy brunette in his life.

But with the summer months flying by, Juliette and Wesley are running out of time. Will their sizzling romance stand the heat? Or will their love fizzle out once summer ends?

The Summer for Us is a small town, dislike to love, opposites attract romance. It’s the first in a series of interconnected standalones taking place in northern Wisconsin during a different season. Be prepared for banter, tension, and spice that will make you blush!

💛💛💛💛💛

Here's where you can find my work:

May your book boyfriend do whatever you want him to with that whipped cream... 😏

xo,

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