What are YOU reading? West Coast shenanigans and bookstore mania, ARC signups and Fan the Flames!
Published 28 days ago • 2 min read
From Bellingham, WA to the Oregon Coast
Hi Friends!
What a fantastic vacation visiting my old stomping grounds. My nephew is attending Western Washington University (Go Vikings!) in Bellingham, so we went to visit, having lunch at an old eatery and visiting friends at Village Books and Paper Dreams in Fairhaven. Gorged myself on seafood in Lincoln City, OR, and stayed up all night playing cards with the sisters. 💖💖💖
Discussing his use of racial stereotypes in Huckleberry Finn.
Classic Seafood Boil at The Chinook Winds Grill in Lincoln City, OR
I spent time with dear friends I hadn't seen in many years. Nothing feels more full circle than having breakfast with teachers from days gone by. In a previous email, I mentioned having breakfast with my English teacher. She surprised me by calling up Mrs. Taylor, my History teacher. These women were fundamental to my high school career, and it felt so good to reconnect.
The recent strife in the United States has taught me never to waste a moment when reaching out to reconnect, always keep an ear open for an old friend, and keep my arms open for a hug because even if I don't need it, someone else may.
Book News
Shattered Melody is still coming along, and the characters are still giving me heartburn. Happy to say there is another The Write Spice anthology coming this summer! I'm feeling inspired about a little rockstar romance short story set on the beach.
Did you get your exclusive 🎁🎁🎁 PRESENT 🎁🎁🎁just for my newsletter subscribers?!? Yes, it's not Christmas, but I have a great short story, If Christmas Is You, FREE for download. It's never too late for Christmas presents. Download here.
Fast cars, Fast women, and all the booze I can drink. That's what being the front man for Dirty Affliction will get you. There's only one problem with that. Everyone wants a piece of you in return. What happens when there are no more pieces to give? My name is Levi Cross, and this is my story.
Autographed Copies
Get your autographed copies of Spicy Secrets and Spicy Holidays, the premium anthologies from The Write Spice, signed by all contributing authors. $16.99 + shipping
Esmé Laurent is about to trade control for chaos—and maybe love. Esmé thrives on order. Her Paris art gallery is her world—carefully curated, immaculately run, and entirely hers. But her structured life takes a sharp turn when Matteo Romano arrives. Her new assistant is everything she isn’t—playful, spontaneous, a little younger, and brimming with Italian charm. Mentoring Matteo for six months is the price of securing a game-changing investment in her gallery. She expects a challenge. She doesn’t expect Matteo himself—a golden-retriever sweetheart who upends her perfectly organised life and makes her wonder if a bit of chaos might be precisely what she needs. From snowy escapes in the Italian Alps to art-filled days in Paris, their unlikely partnership sparks more than just professional growth. Matteo is learning the ropes, but Esmé? She’s discovering a whole new side of herself—one willing to risk her heart for an adventure she never saw coming. With her reputation on the line, will she fight to keep her world intact, or will Matteo unravel her in the most irresistible way?
