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Hi ,
I suspect it's not just cats that don't like change!
My cat used to slide round the living room door, take a couple of paces along the hearth, and then leap up sideways, without looking, onto his favourite chair. Then came the day that the chair had been taken away to be reupholstered... My cat was in mid air when he realised and, although he landed safely, the look on his face had to be seen to be believed!
Our world seems to be full of change at the moment, much of it bad. So I'm taking this opportunity to remind you to look after yourself. Take a break and relax; I find I cope much better after a little self care and I hope you will too.
You may have noticed that this newsletter is either very late for January, or early for February! I apologise for missing January, but life rather got away from me. February is going to be pretty busy too, so watch out for the next newsletter late in March. I'm making some other changes too, both in my social media, and in the content of these newsletters; you can find out more below.
If you're getting this newsletter for the first time, thank you for joining me. I send a newsletter around the middle of each month and in this issue you'll find:
- Changes - Social Media
- Changes - Newsletter Content
- What I've Been Reading - ideas
- Featured Merchandise - All T-Shirts!
- A Book Shopping Spree giveaway
- Your Subscriber Freebies - and if you've read Strand of Faith, drop me a line and let me know what you thought.
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I don't know about you, but I don't like the way the big social media places like Meta (Facebook, Instagram, and Threads) and Twitter are going, particularly the lack of moderation and fact checking, and their abandonment of diversity, equality, and inclusion. If you follow me on X (previously Twitter) you'll know that I haven't been active there for a long time. By the time you read this, I shall have stopped being active on Facebook too.
You can still follow me on Amazon, Goodreads, and Bookbub (links at the bottom of this newsletter) but I don't post on any of those. If you do follow me on Amazon, they should give you updates when I have a new book out. And of course this newsletter will keep you updated!
The main place that I will be active is Bookstodon, a Mastondon server which is part of the Fediverse, and I'd really encourage you to move there too. You join a specific server - it's worth picking one that aligns with your personal interests - but you can follow, or be followed, by people from any of the other servers. I've never seen any paid ads, and you see posts in chronological order, not what some algorithim decides you should see. If you'd like to find out more, try this link.
I'm an author and an avid reader so I've joined Bookstodon.com - if you'd like to follow me here's an invite. If you're already part of the Fediverse, my handle is @Jessami@bookstodon.com.
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First of all, the things that aren't changing! Your subscriber freebies are still available, and the prequel novella, Trader's Child, is still exclusive to newsletter subscribers. There'll still be a featured item or items that are discounted at my shop every month. You'll still get sneak peeks at my WIP, and behind the scene extras about my characters. And I'll still let you know about good competitions that I come across.
So what is changing? First of all, this newsletter may not be out every month. That'll be my aim, but I'm trying to prioritise my writing, so I may not acheive a monthly newsletter.
Secondly, there are a lot of books out there, many very good, some very bad. Instead of free giveaways, I am only going to share books that I have read, and that I think you will enjoy. Some of them may be free, some may not. I don't guarantee that there will be a free book every time. I intend to share a couple of books in every newsletter and I do guarantee they will be ones I have read and enjoyed.
If there is something you have enjoyed that you think others will also enjoy, let me know and I'll have a read! And this time's recommendations are below:
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She’s sixty years old and destined to save the world … just as soon as she finds her reading glasses.
That's what I liked about this one - an older main character dealing with all the effects of ageing as well as having to save the world! It is £3.49, and the first book in a five book series, but so worth it!
Divorce has already turned Claire Emerson’s tidy, predictable life upside down. So when her sixtieth birthday brings a cranky gargoyle, an annoyingly sexy wolf shifter, and an unknown magical calling, she thinks she's losing the only thing she has left: her sanity.
Because menopausal grandmothers with creaky hips don’t just randomly discover they’re next in a long line of powerful women protecting the world from dark Mages. Until those Mages attack.
But when Claire tries to fight back, her brand new magic proves to be as unpredictable as her hot flashes...
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A glorious, funny, occasionally slightly violent love story which asks us to examine - and re-examine - the meaning of legacy, family, and love.
This one is a standalone, at £5.49, and it's definitely darker than I normally read, but I loved it. The sub title reads "a cozy fantasy as sweet as love and as dark as night" and that pretty much sums it up. And there's a great twist in the tale!
Shesheshen has made a fatal mistake for a monster: she's fallen in love. She's a shapeshifter, perfectly content to stay as an amorphous lump in her swamp unless impolite monster hunters invade. Then, she meets warm-hearted Homily, who mistakes Shesheshen for a human like her.
But just as Shesheshen is about to confess her true identity, Homily reveals she's hunting the shapeshifting monster that supposedly cursed her family. Shesheshen didn't curse anyone, but to give them both a chance at happiness, she must figure out why Homily's family thinks she did - while surviving her toxic in-laws long enough to build a life with the woman she loves.
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So, after two fantasy recommendations, this one is sweet contemporary romance. Yes, it's a little late for a Christmas story (because that's when I read it!) but it's a nice, easy read for any time of year. And at £2.99 it's not expensive either.
Sophie used to adore everything about Christmas. Hot chocolate and velvet bows, fairy lights and mince pies. Until the December her fiancé jilted her.
Since then, Sophie opened Sunnyside Hotel, a quaint guesthouse nestled deep in the Cumbrian countryside.
And, though it might be winter at Sunnyside, it’s never Christmas. Marketing her hotel to those who wish to avoid the festivities, Sophie is busy preparing for a season full of joy and laughter, but without the tinsel and mistletoe. Yet, as she finds herself growing closer to her gorgeous neighbour, Brody, her heart begins to melt. Will this Christmas bring the touch of magic Sophie needs to give love another chance?
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All our t-shirts are marked down from £20 to £17 for the whole of January.
We only use natural materials in our products, with no harsh
chemicals, and they're made from certified organic cotton and printed
on demand in the UK, in a renewable energy-powered factory. Your order will be packed with care and delivered in our snazzy marine print paper packaging.
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You could win a book shopping spree worth $250 for Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or iTunes! Just think how many books that would buy! The competition is open until the end of June - enter now so you don't miss out.
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If you haven't got your free copy of Trader's Child grab it now.
It's a short story that's a prequel to my Choices and Consequences series, free exclusively to all newsletter subscribers - only available as an ebook.
And don't miss out on your free copy of Strand of Faith either.
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I'll be back next month - look out for a newsletter around the middle of the month. In the meantime, take care, and happy reading.
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If you're ready to move on to the rest of the Choices and Consequences series, grab them here.
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Thread of Hope
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What if your secrets are so dangerous they could destroy the one you love?
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Weave of Love
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What if the choice you have to make has devastating consequences for others?
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Cloth of Grace
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How do you choose between what you ought to do and the only thing you really want?
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The Collection
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All four books in one convenient place - and a discounted price!
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