March means spring is just a few weeks away!

Hello from my wintry corner of the world. It's Marianne Thomas, aka, Mary-Kate Thomas, the pen name under which I write the Castlewood High Tales, a retold sweet romance series.

We've had several snowy days here after a few winters of minimal to no snow at all. While the weather has definitely affected the daily lives of my family, it has created some lovely landscapes around us, like the photo above.

Read on for a link to a free short story I just finished, what I've been reading, and links to books and stories by other indie authors that might just be the thing to add to your Kindle reading list to make it through these last few weeks of winter.  

Castlewood High Origin Story

The Ugly Truth

Because I enjoyed writing Pumpkin Run so much, I wanted to write a little more about one of the major characters, Tammy Norwell, the mean stepmother. The Ugly Truth is a short story about the origins of Tammy Norwell. True to form, I used another classic fairy tale - The Ugly Duckling - as the inspiration for this story. It's totally free for you to download and enjoy - and I hope you do! Click here to download The Ugly Truth. 

Castlewood High Tales, Book 2

Team Peabrain

I've been hard at work on the next book in the Castlewood High Tales series, Team Peabrain, a modern sweet romance retelling of the classic fairy tale, The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Andersen. Team Peabrain releases on April 15. 2021, but you can click on the cover image below to read the book description on Amazon, and you can even preorder while you're there, too. 

Books, Books, Books!

Lots of snow here in my corner of the world over the month of February meant more time at home watching the flurries fly outside my windows. And it meant more time to read some new books.

Here are a few I've finished recently...no spoilers, I promise.

1. After Alice Fell by Kim Taylor Blakemore. This was an Amazon Prime Reading find that I read fairly quickly. Set in post-Civil War era New England, it's a family suspense story that captivated me.

2. In An Instant by Suzanne Redfearn. Oh, did I love this story! Between the narrator's perspective and the unflinching look at how each character faces a life-altering tragedy, this book has all the feels.    

3. Sole Survivor by Dean Koontz. It's been a while since I read a novel by Dean Koontz, but his storytelling is masterful. This one, though written almost fifteen years ago, still rings true with Koontz's look at science vs. faith, good vs. evil.  

I like to pop into Goodreads for book recommendations and to leave reviews of what I'm reading. If you're on Goodreads, let's connect!

March GLADNESS with Free Books!

Looking for some great reads? Check out these free books and find some fiction to fill your Kindle and feed your spirit.  

Click on the books below to learn more and download your free copies.

Sweet & Clean Fairytale Retellings is a KINDLE UNLIMITED group promotion. Click on the banner to see all books included that are FREE to read in Kindle Unlimited. Ends March 1, 2021!

All Fiction March is a totally FREE giveaway group promotion. CLick on the banner below to see all books included that you can read for FREE. Ends March 31, 2021!