A word of advice from your local chapter of Hesitant Mediums:

It is highly advisable that when one encounters a spirit to not give it too much attention, lest he, she, or they suddenly realize that one has the ability to commune. One will never have a moment's rest, for the spirits gossip madly, and are forever looking for a new bit of fun to interrupt their rather mundane routines.

Dear Reader,

I can't believe my first book, Catching the Rose, celebrates its 20th birthday this year! This was the culmination of 6 years of work, and part of my... ahem... high school senior thesis. I treated myself to a special dust jacket to celebrate, and might put it for sale in my shop if the stars align. I'm understandably self-conscious about this book because I wrote it when I was 17, but that's also why it holds a special place in my heart. Don't Brad and Ronnie look beautiful? 🥰

Biggest news though! I finished the first clean draft of A Spirited Engagement! 🥳

I'm halfway through my ProWritingAid edits, and then I will book an editor. Rough draft chapters are releasing weekly at the Cozy Coterie. Patrons of the Cozy Coterie can react to paragraphs using emoji on their browsers or by commenting in the Ream app.

This was perfect timing because (and you're seeing it here first) I've also finalized the eBook and paperback cover art for A Spirited Engagement. It's very important to me that Tessa's silhouette reflects her mixed heritage, so it took a couple tries until really nailing it. I'm pleased as punch with this version, and can't wait to work on the hardcover edition.

The dedication for the book right now reads: "Dedicated to the mixed chicks who wanted more for Kendra in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but also loved Jane Austen. This one is definitely for you."

I've also described this book as, "It's Just Like Heaven vibes meets a Black Buffy in 1880s England fighting ghosts, with a touch of Practical Magic plus a Sailor Moon love-wins-all battle at the end."

So. If you're into all that, or even understand half of those references, you're probably going to love this book as much as I do. 

In other reader news, if you're trying to break your dependence on Amazon, Kobo recently expanded Kobo Plus, aka the other Kindle Unlimited, to the USA and UK. Whereas Amazon requires a Kindle Unlimited and Audible subscription, for $10 USD monthly you can read unlimited audio and eBooks on Kobo Plus. My books are now free to read on the Kobo Plus platform.

That's it for this month's ruminations.

Let me know what you think about the new cover!

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