Tuesday, April 30, 2024

New Release! Blackbird by Kay Bratt ~ My Thoughts #Blackbird @kaybratt

Congrats Kay
on the recent release of
Blackbird!

Blackbird by Kay Bratt
Saga Fiction, 240 pages
Published April 26, 2024 by Red Thread Publishing Group 

In the small town of Hart's Ridge, a recent tragedy leaves the tight-knit community still reeling. In the highly anticipated ninth installment of the Hart's Ridge small-town mystery series, Blackbird, Deputy Taylor Gray finds herself supporting a colleague through a painful journey of letting go.

Meanwhile, a young woman and her children must flee from her abusive ex-partner, seeking refuge and safety. Deputy Gray becomes entangled in their plight, blurring the lines between duty and personal conviction.

Blackbird masterfully intertwines these dual plot lines, exploring the complexities of small-town life and the resilience of its residents. Brace yourself for an exhilarating journey to the heart of Hart's Ridge—a ride that promises to captivate readers until the final, unforgettable page.


My thoughts about Blackbird ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First lines—"Life is strange. One day you're  going along, and everything is fineor at least your definition of fine at the time, minus the usual challenges that just being human throws at youand then suddenly it's upside down and the only friend you have is a blackbird."

Blackbird is book #9 in the exciting Hart's Ridge series by Kay Bratt. Honestly, I love everything that Kay writes but this series is the cream of the crop... and she just keeps writing more. Yay for us!

This book takes us into the lives of multiple people and cases. Just like real life, situations don't fall in a straight line, and stories overlap. Kay is a master of intertwining story-lines to keep the reader on our toes and to peak our interest. So much good, and so much evil in her stories.

I'm not sure what I can say about this series that I haven't already said. I love it and each book is better than the one before it. They are addictive and just make me want more. I love this family and their community and have come to think of them as friends. 

The Hart's Ridge Series is absolutely amazing and I highly recommend it. Book #10 is scheduled to be released in July and I can't wait!

I received an ARC of Blackbird from the author and this is my honest opinion.

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Read my thoughts about book 1, Hart's Ridge here,
book 2, Lucy in the Sky here,
book #3 In My Life here,
book #4, Borrowed Time here
book #5, Instant Karma here
book #6 Nobody Told Me here,
book #7, Hello Goodbye here,
book #8, Starting Over here.


Book #10 Hello Little Girl is expected to be released on July 29, 2024!

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About the author


Kay Bratt; Writer, Rescuer, Wanderer

As a writer, Kay used writing to help her navigate a tumultuous childhood, followed by a decade of abuse as an adult. After working her way through the hard years, Kay emerged a survivor and a pursuer of peace--and finally found the courage to share her stories. She is the author of more than a dozen full length books, with ten of those published by Lake Union Publishing. Kay writes women's fiction and historical fiction, and her books have fueled many exciting book club discussions. Her works have been translated into German, Korean, Chinese, Czechoslovakian, and Estonian.

As a rescuer, Kay currently focuses her efforts on animal rescue and is the Director of Advocacy for Yorkie Rescue of the Carolinas. As a child advocate, she spent a number of years volunteering in a Chinese orphanage, as well as provided assistance for several nonprofit organizations that support children in China, including An Orphan's Wish (AOW), Pearl River Outreach, and Love Without Boundaries. In the USA, she actively served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for abused and neglected children in Georgia, and spear-headed numerous outreach programs for underprivileged children in the South Carolina area.

As a wanderer, Kay has lived in nearly three dozen different homes, on two continents and in states from coast to coast in the USA. She's traveled to Mexico, Thailand, Malaysia, China, Philippines, Central America, Bahamas, and Australia. Currently she and her soulmate of more than 25 years enjoy life in their forever home on the banks of Lake Hartwell in Georgia, USA.

Kay has been described as southern, spicy, and a little sassy. Social media forces her to overshare and you don't want to miss some of the antics that goes on with her and the Bratt Pack. 

Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and then buckle up and enjoy the ride. You can find a full list of her published works at www.kaybratt.com -- To be notified when new books are released, please sign up for my monthly email newsletter at www.kaybratt.com ~ Goodreads

Connect with Kay


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Release Day! Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack ~ My Thoughts @CEMcKenzie1 @MinotaurBooks #EveryTimeIGoOnVacationSomeoneDies

Happy Release Day!

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack
Cozy Mystery, Humorous Fiction, 344 pages
Published April 30, 2024 by Minotaur Books

Ten days, eight suspects, six cities, five authors, three bodies . . . one trip to die for.

All that bestselling author Eleanor Dash wants is to get through her book tour in Italy and kill off her main character, Connor Smith, in the next in her Vacation Mysteries series―is that too much to ask?

Clearly, because when an attempt is made on the real Connor’s life―the handsome but infuriating con man she got mixed up with ten years ago and now can't get out of her life―Eleanor’s enlisted to help solve the case.

Contending with literary rivals, rabid fans, a stalker―and even her ex, Oliver, who turns up unexpectedly―theories are bandied about, and rivalries, rifts, and broken hearts are revealed. But who’s really trying to get away with murder?

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is the irresistible and hilarious series debut from Catherine Mack, introducing bestselling fictional author Eleanor Dash on her Italian book tour that turns into a real-life murder mystery, as her life starts to imitate the world in her books.

  

My thoughts about Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First line—"Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. I want to commit a homicide."

I knew from the very first line that I was going to enjoy this story and this character. Eleanor Dash and her cast of book tour group attendees turned out to be a hoot. The BookFace Ladies? Hilarious, but maybe with an agenda?

It's not all fun and games though, as suspicious things start to happen, and people start to die. As Eleanor tries to solve the myriad of crimes around her—because why not, she writes mysteries for a living—the predicaments she finds herself in made me laugh. But seriously, who is behind all the bad stuff that is happening?

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is the first book in a brand new series by Catherine Mack, a pseudonym for one of my favorite, must-read authors. I love everything she writes and I'm excited that she is branching out and taking on this new series. I can't wait to see what other situations Eleanor gets herself into. 

I highly recommend Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies for lots of laughs and escapism. You won't regret picking this one up!

I received a copy of Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion of the book.

About the author


Catherine Mack (she/her) is the pseudonym for Catherine McKenzie, the USA Today and Globe & Mail bestselling author of over a dozen novels. Her books are approaching two million copies sold worldwide and have been translated into multiple languages including French, German, Portuguese, and Polish. Television rights to Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies and its forthcoming sequels sold in a major auction to Fox TV for development into a series, with Mack writing the pilot script. 

A dual Canadian and US citizen, she splits her time between Canada and various warmer locations in the US. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Catherine


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Monday, April 29, 2024

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? April 29, 2024 #IMWAYR

        

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are! 

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Okay, the last time I posted one of these was April 1st. Since then, I was on a road trip of over two weeks. I did some reading (though not as much as I wanted to) and very little blogging. So this is pretty much what I've read and listened to for the whole month of April. Whew!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a good week. 
Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading

Summers at the Saint
by Mary Kay Andrews
eARC from NetGalley
Pub date ~ May 7

Daughter of a Promise
by Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg
print from publisher
Published ~ April 2024

What I recently finished

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies
by Catherine Mack
eARC from NetGalley
Pub date - April 30

Blackbird
by Kay Bratt
eARC from author
Published April 2024

The School of Essential Ingredients
by Erica Bauermeister
print from my collection for a challenge
Published January 2009

When Happily Ever After Fails: A Novel
by Courtney Deane
print ARC from publisher
Published April 9, 2024
Read my thoughts here

Fallen Grace
by Sadeqa Johnson
audio-book from my collection
Published February 2024

The Other Side of the Road
by Andrea Bartz
audio-book from my collection
Published March 2024

The Ghost Writer
by Loreth Anne White
audio-book from my collection
Published March 2024

What I am going to read next

Chloe Baker's Lost Date
by Katie Wicks
eARC from NetGalley
Pub date ~ May 7

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Saturday, April 27, 2024

This OR That #Giveaway № 146! Lots of Books! Lots of Winners!


I have been pretty much absent from here for most of the month of April. On the 5th of April, Hubs and I left on a road trip for the Phoenix AZ area. We drove down there and back. We have family in that area and we wanted to take our time and see the countryside. All told, we were in 9 different states. We got back on the 21st and I have been trying to play 'catch up' ever since. The 22nd was my birthday (a BIG one this year!) so I've pretty much been celebrating all week, and it'll go into next week as well.

I took my computer with me, but honestly, I think I only logged in one time. Needless to say, The Book Bag was neglected! And I didn't get any giveaways posted. Sorry folks! To make up for that—hopefully—I'm posting a big one today. I'm going to make ALL of the books I've posted to date available for this giveaway and at the end of two weeks, I'll pick multiple (4 or 5 maybe?) winners to pick their choice from the list. Sound good?

Okay, let's get to it!

I have sooooo many books!

The This or That Giveaway! feature that I post every Saturday is a way for me to cull my collection and to share some of the many books I have. I get to clear off some of my shelves to make room for more books and give someone else the chance to enjoy these treasures.

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Here is the link to my Goodreads shelf with the books the winners can pick from. There are over 20 books on the shelf so hopefully you'll be able to find one that interests you. (ARCs are noted)


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Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Release Day! Songbird's Second Chance by Ashley Farley ~ My Thoughts #SongbirdsSecondChance @AshleyWFarley

Happy Release Day!

Congrats Ashley
on release today of
Songbird's Second Chance!

Songbird's Second Chance by Ashley Farley
Southern Fiction, Sister Fiction, 295 pages
Published April 16, 2024 by AHF Publishing

Thirty years ago, Savannah’s child was taken from her shortly after giving birth. The next day, she ran away to the Pacific Northwest where she’s been living ever since. But her circumstances have changed. The tavern where she bartends is closing and her landlord is selling the house she rents. Now seems like the right time to go home to South Carolina, but does she have the courage to face her past?

Upon her mother’s death, while searching for funeral instructions, Harper comes across a sealed envelope containing a worn scrap of yellow flannel, an address in a small town she’s never heard of, and her adoption papers. Everything about her life suddenly makes sense, including why she and her mother were so very different. Determined to find her birth mother, Harper embarks on a journey of discovery to the South Carolina Lowcountry.


My thoughts about Songbird's Second Chance ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First lines—"I feel all eyes boring into me, watching me, waiting for me to make a wrong move. I'm an imposter, a wedding crasher, the newcomer in a small town, where everyone knows everyone else."

This series just keeps getting better and better! I've become more and more invested in all of the characters lives with each new story. And I want more!

I love this whole series and this installment takes us into the world of Savannah, who fled the family home thirty years ago, taking her secrets with her. Can she go home and make things right? And maybe, just maybe, she'll find what she's been searching for all those years. 

Harper's life spins out of control when she finds unexplained items in her late mother's things. Searching for answers, she heads to South Carolina to see if she can connect with possible family members she didn't even know she had. 

Be prepared to devote some time to this book when you sit down to read it because you are not going to want to stop once you start. This book is amazing, with its wonderful characters and all of the family drama and emotions going on. I highly recommend Songbird's Second Chance!

I received a copy of Songbird's Second Chance from the author and this is my honest opinion.


Read my thoughts about Long Journey Home here.
Read my thoughts about Echoes of the Past here.


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About the author

Ashley Farley

Ashley Farley writes books about women for women. Her characters are mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives facing real-life issues. Her bestselling Sweeney Sisters series has touched the lives of many.

Ashley is a wife and mother of two young adult children. While she's lived in Richmond, Virginia for the past 21 years, a piece of her heart remains in the salty marshes of the South Carolina Lowcountry, where she still calls home. Through the eyes of her characters, she captures the moss-draped trees, delectable cuisine, and kindhearted folk with lazy drawls that make the area so unique. For more information, visit www.ashleyfarley.com ~ Goodreads

Connect with Ashley


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Release Day! Burner by Mike Trigg ~ Spotlight #Giveaway #Burner @mike_trigg @GoSparkPress

Happy Release Day!

Congratulation Mike
on the release today of
Burner!

Burner by Mike Trigg
Technothriller, 356 pages
Published April 16, 2024 by SparkPress

What if your social media addiction jeopardized the person you love?

Inspired by the explosive events of our polarized political climate, Burner is an all-too plausible contemporary thriller that examines the social and personal consequences of the lost sense of identity, trust, and truth itself that characterizes our technology-obsessed culture.

Shane Stoller has just been arrested for domestic terrorism, accused of being the mastermind behind the online profile Burner_911—the anonymous leader of a massive populist movement. Chloe Corbin has just been abducted by Burner_911’s followers in a lawless uprising on the streets of San Francisco, targeted as the socialite daughter of a tech billionaire. What nobody knows is that Shane and Chloe are secretly in love despite coming from opposite worlds. Plagued with regret but unable to communicate with his followers from prison, Shane tries desperately to find a way to save Chloe from the forces he has unleashed. From her own captivity, Chloe becomes more sympathetic to Burner_911’s cause—and transitions from victim to conspirator in an effort to free herself and exonerate Shane.

Part tragic love story, part mind-bending psychological thriller, Burner dives headfirst into the modern zeitgeist of politically motivated disinformation, toxic internet subcultures, and our continuing need for belonging, purpose, and love in an age of distorted online personas.

  

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About the author


Mike Trigg was born in Kentucky and raised in Wisconsin. He earned a BA from Northwestern University and an MBA from University of California, Berkeley. Prior to becoming an author, he was an executive, founder, and investor in dozens of technology start-up companies for over twenty-five years. 

His first novel, Bit Flip, was released in August 2022 to critical acclaim, lauded by the San Francisco Chronicle as a “twisty, acerbic corporate thriller.” His work has been featured in Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus, and Literary Hub. He has been a contributor to TechCrunch, Entrepreneur, and Fast Company, and frequently posts on his author site, www.miketrigg.com. 

Trigg lives in in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and two sons.

Connect with Mike


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Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Coming Soon! Burner by Mike Trigg ~ Spotlight #Giveaway #Burner @mike_trigg @GoSparkPress

Burner by Mike Trigg
Technothriller, 356 pages
Published April 16, 2024 by SparkPress

What if your social media addiction jeopardized the person you love?

Inspired by the explosive events of our polarized political climate, Burner is an all-too plausible contemporary thriller that examines the social and personal consequences of the lost sense of identity, trust, and truth itself that characterizes our technology-obsessed culture.

Shane Stoller has just been arrested for domestic terrorism, accused of being the mastermind behind the online profile Burner_911—the anonymous leader of a massive populist movement. Chloe Corbin has just been abducted by Burner_911’s followers in a lawless uprising on the streets of San Francisco, targeted as the socialite daughter of a tech billionaire. What nobody knows is that Shane and Chloe are secretly in love despite coming from opposite worlds. Plagued with regret but unable to communicate with his followers from prison, Shane tries desperately to find a way to save Chloe from the forces he has unleashed. From her own captivity, Chloe becomes more sympathetic to Burner_911’s cause—and transitions from victim to conspirator in an effort to free herself and exonerate Shane.

Part tragic love story, part mind-bending psychological thriller, Burner dives headfirst into the modern zeitgeist of politically motivated disinformation, toxic internet subcultures, and our continuing need for belonging, purpose, and love in an age of distorted online personas.

  

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About the author


Mike Trigg was born in Kentucky and raised in Wisconsin. He earned a BA from Northwestern University and an MBA from University of California, Berkeley. Prior to becoming an author, he was an executive, founder, and investor in dozens of technology start-up companies for over twenty-five years. 

His first novel, Bit Flip, was released in August 2022 to critical acclaim, lauded by the San Francisco Chronicle as a “twisty, acerbic corporate thriller.” His work has been featured in Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus, and Literary Hub. He has been a contributor to TechCrunch, Entrepreneur, and Fast Company, and frequently posts on his author site, www.miketrigg.com. 

Trigg lives in in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and two sons.

Connect with Mike


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Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Release Day! When Happily Ever After Fails by Courtney Deane ~ My Thoughts and an Interview #WhenHappilyEverAfterFails @GoSparkPress

Happy Release Day!


Congratulations Courtney
on the release today of
When Happily Ever After Fails!

When Happily Ever After Fails by Courtney Deane
Rom-Com, Chicklit, 304 pages
Published April 9, 2024 by SparkPress

For anyone who has ever felt “dead-ended” in life, work, and love, Courtney Deane has penned a delightfully funny debut rom-com that proves all tragedies can be rewritten, and happiness can bloom where you least expect it: When Happily Ever After Fails (SparkPress, April 9, 2024). 

Abigail Gardner’s life is circling the drain. Her parents are dead, her “like a brother” BFF is in love with her, and her career as an art teacher has been squashed by an unfortunate viral incident involving sophomores and Spanx. But just as that whirlpool feels poised to suck her under, she’s granted a second chance: she lands a teaching job at Excelsior Primm, one of Philadelphia’s oldest and most prestigious preparatory academies. Only problem is, instead of teaching art she’ll be stuck teaching her least favorite subject — literature — and her least favorite theme: tragedy.

Tired of being stuck in her own tragic tale, Abigail starts rewriting every sad ending she can get her hands on, in and out of the classroom. To her surprise, her life soon begins to resemble the fairy tales she adores—great job, hot guy, a career gaining recognition. But when an unexpected plot twist threatens to derail her happy ending, Abigail starts to realize why these outcomes are so hard to come by. 

    

My thoughts about When Happily Ever After Fails ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First lines—"This commute was not as easy as Abigail Gardner thought. Well, she never thought it would be easy, exactly."

Be prepared to be totally entertained and humored when you start When Happily Ever After Fails. From the start, Abigail's life takes a turn that made me feel sorry for her, while also smiling at everything that seemed to be going wrong in her life. Is that bad that I was enjoying her misfortune? 

Abigail lands a new teaching job after a mishap at her previous school. Hilarious! But it is not the job she was expecting, or wanted. But in true Abigail fashion, she makes the best of it and turns it into the best job for her. 

I enjoyed the relationships she developed with her students, as well as with her co-workers. Some of them were a hoot. And her BFF's? Gotta love them as well. I especially loved how she took familiar tragic endings we read in literature and remade them into something more, and maybe better, all while trying to remake her own love story and tragic life. 

When Happily Ever After is a delightful, debut rom-com which I devoured. It was such a fun read and I look forward to more books by Courtney Deane. 

I received a copy of When Happily Ever After Fails  from SparkPoint and this is my honest opinion.

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An Interview with
Courtney Deane

First, can you briefly introduce us to the characters we meet in When Happily Ever After Fails?

Of course! We’ve got Abigail, the lovable, fallible protagonist who is dead set on righting (and writing) wrongs and ensuring everyone gets a positive outcome. You’ve got to love her for it. She tries!

Then there’s Quinn, the not-as-lovable, but-we-love-him-because-he-loves-her BFF who is Abigail’s No. 1 fan. Yes, he’s head over heels for her and just waiting for the day when she realizes it, too.

And no one could forget about Mathilda. She’s our “tell it like it is” North Star, who doesn’t mince words. She’s got advice for everyone but herself! Abigail’s second BFF is funny and factual with the right amount of spunk.

Lastly, we have Nate. Abigail can’t figure out if this fellow teacher is initially a friend or foe, but his presence and advice is solid enough for her to keep him around and find out.

Why did you choose your title? What happens “when happily ever after fails?”

Honestly, I took the inspiration from a Don Henley song I’ve always loved, The End of the Innocence. This song always reminded me of my family’s situation, particularly the line “let me take a long last look before we say goodbye.” Part of the song’s chorus is “But happily ever after fails.” I don’t love the “but,” because HEA doesn’t always fail permanently; it just changes. It morphs – as do our expectations of life – as we collect different experiences and encounter various situations. So, our notion of happily ever after will likely fail and falter at some point  (thus, the “when”), but we can recover, pick ourselves back up and continue working toward a modified version of whatever “happily ever after” is for us. 

Fun sidenote: There’s a few Easter egg references to this inspo in the book!

You started writing this book after your mom passed away. How did the writing process impact your grief process, and vice versa? And how did both evolve as time went on?

I would love to slap an Abigail-style happy ending on this and say writing the book allowed me to work through the grief process and – wow – I’m GREAT now! It wouldn’t be true. I think it was a nice thought and an admirable effort to try to get some resolution on these two pivotal deaths through writing. 

While I didn’t necessarily get the “resolution” I was looking for, writing this novel DID help me express some of my thoughts and feelings on the grief process, my parents’ loss and how many well-meaning individuals can actually make the situation worse. I very much hope that comes through in the book. 

This might not be the answer anyone’s looking for, but what truly helped me move on from these deaths and this situation was having a family of my own. I don’t say that in an advice-driven, “go out and find you a man and have a baby” way, but chasing my dream and my happily ever after of starting my own family did make a huge impact. Suddenly, phrases like “mom” and “dad” weren’t dirty words anymore. And they were words that were back in my vocabulary. You have no idea how foreign those phrases seemed for a very long time!

Now, having a child certainly brings up my parents in different ways, especially where grandparents are concerned, so this issue isn’t entirely put to bed, but THAT is what has truly brought me closure.

What did you enjoy most about writing When Happily Ever After Fails? What did you find the most challenging?

I loved most everything about it! This was so much fun. I loved developing the characters and losing myself in their world. As I wrote, I would find that I wasn’t sitting on my mom’s former bed with my laptop, but was IN Abigail’s apartment as her and Quinn blasted the Beatles, etc. 

This being my first foray into fiction, I found the opening to be the most challenging. I wrote and rewrote and consulted, then rewrote again and again. I’m very happy with the final result, but, man, did we go through a lot of changes! I learned a ton about the book-writing process, and have made sure this next book has the opening it deserves from the get go!

Rom-coms have always been wildly popular. What are you bringing to this genre as a writer?

I’d like to think I’m bringing a fresh spin – though I’m sure every author would like to think that! I appreciate that tropes and formulas exist for a reason, but I’m not a fan of predictability or sticking to “what works.” Yes, this is a rom-com and some of the expected elements are there, but I believe this book has a modern, unique take on these traditions. Because, as we know, happily ever after IS possible…but it may look different than you pictured! ;)

Do you see yourself in any of the characters?

It would be weird if I didn’t say Abigail, right? LOL. There are certainly elements of myself in Abigail, though we are two VERY different people. Like Abigail, my father died of ALS and my mother kind of didn’t recover after his death and failed to take care of herself, which was ultimately her demise. Many (okay, all) of Abigail’s thoughts and perspectives on the subjects of death and parents are from my own experience, but the way she processes them is different from my own. 

In thinking about this, though, I guess I kind of did what Abigail did in that I went out and wrote a book hoping that would give this situation a “happily ever after.” That’s not all that different from Abigail changing a play’s ending in the hopes of dodging tragedy for herself and her class. Interesting…

What is your favorite romance movie of all time, and why?

I’m kind of an irreverent person (if we’re not laughing, what’s the point?), so I lean toward the love stories that have some heart AND humor. On that note, you can’t beat Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Always Be My Maybe, and Chasing Amy.

Stories that tug at you and make you feel the longing really resonate with me as well. With that in mind, I love The Notebook and the Before trilogy (Before Sunrise/Sunset/Midnight). 

Finally, you have to hand it to Love Actually for capturing so many different types of loves – and bonus points that not every plot has a happy ending! 

What do you hope readers take away from When Happily Ever After Fails

Two things. 

One, I hope it gives them a glimpse into what grief and survival can look like for someone who has seemingly “lost it all” (or, at least, a BIG part of who they were and how we identify - our families). 

Two, I really wrote this book for anyone who’s ever felt alone in a crowded room. Your grief, feelings, and circumstances don’t have to reflect mine to understand what it’s like to feel marooned on an island where no one else is around and help doesn’t seem like it can be found. Please, please know that THESE are the people I wrote this book for. 

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Advanced Praise

“An entertaining read that will keep you turning pages. The reader is taken on a ride with Abigail as she grows into herself and finds her voice. Deane makes it easy to root for Abigail along with the other quirky characters who have distinct and interesting personalities. When Happily Ever After Fails is a fun debut.”— Leslie A. Rasmussen, award-winning author of After Happily Ever After and The Stories We Cannot Tell

“Courtney Deane offers up a radiant debut in When Happily Ever After Fails. Whip-smart and relatable, Abigail's search for her own happy ending will have you on the edge of your pool chair. An absolute must read this Spring!”— Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke, authors of Forever Hold Your Peace

About the author


Courtney Deane has been a writer and pursuer of happily-ever-afters since she can remember. As a full-time freelance writer, her days are spent working for print, digital, and broadcast entities, as well as for a variety of PR and marketing clients. 


She continues her craft by dedicating some space each day to work on her fiction books. After both of her parents died, Deane worked to turn those tragedies into something beautiful—an effort that inspired her debut novel, When Happily Ever After Fails


She holds bachelor’s degrees in English and sociology from UC Irvine and a master’s in journalism from USC. Deane lives in San Diego, California, with her husband, daughter, and rescue dog—her very own happily-ever-after. Learn more on her website at http://www.courtneydeane.com/


Connect with Courtney

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