August Newsletter! 📚
Hi there!
Sorry if you've been waiting for this newsletter with bated breath since the first of the month (when I'd normally send it), but I just returned from a week of vacation on which I did not even take my computer! WHAT A RUSH! Now back home and back to business.
The most exciting thing that's happened in the last month is that my debut novel, LOVE FROM SCRATCH, is now available for pre-order!
I also got to reveal the cover at long last, and I love it so dearly! The response to both the cover reveal and pre-orders opening up was kind of mind-boggling, and I'm so very grateful. If my mom hasn't told you yet, LFS was in fact the #1 New Release in Young Adult Romantic Comedies on Amazon for a whole weekend. What!! Wild. Thank you for being nice to me and getting excited about my book!!!!!
If you haven't pre-ordered yet, the button above will take you to a link where you can get the hardcover, eBook, or audiobook from a variety of retailers. Pre-orders are super wonderful and appreciated because they tell the publisher how much excitement there is for a book, give them an idea of how many copies to print, etc etc lots of important stuff, so thank you for supporting me/LFS this way. Feel free to tell your friends, too! ;)
What I'm Writing
Most recently, I've been deep in the drafting cave working on book two, Not Here to Stay Friends! This is my young adult romance inspired by the Bachelor franchise (+ other reality dating shows) featuring two best friends who, oops, might actually be in love. The second most exciting thing to happen in my author life recently, aside from book one pre-orders, is that I finally finished a draft of this book and sent it off to my editor! As my closest friends and fam who have to put up with my whining know, writing this book has been an entirely different experience from Love from Scratch. The idea for LFS came at me pretty fully-formed, I speed-drafted it over something bonkers like a month and a half, barely revised, submitted it to Pitch Wars, thennnn did all the heavy revision lifting under the guidance of mentors (hi, Auriane and Susan, ILY) over several months. It's the book that got me my wonderful agent, and she and I did a few more minor tweaks before going on submission with editors. Basically, by the time my editor laid eyes on Love from Scratch, it was a lovely bouquet of roses handpicked and pruned down and de-thorned (shhh I know flower stuff shhh) by a number of talented florists before being delivered to her doorstep.
Not Here to Stay Friends, on the other hand, has been a project I've messed with off and on for over a year already, during a global pandemic, losing my job, selling my first book, and various personal highs and very low lows. Getting it to be (a) a full draft that (b) I felt was ready for my editor's feedback was an amazing feeling. In plant metaphors, it's more like handing my editor a pretty weed that I uprooted from behind the Arby's dumpster that I'm ridiculously proud of anyway, for some reason. Did I describe it this way in a real email to her? Perhaps - set the expectation low, you feel me. I know there's so much work left to be done to make the book the best it can be, but I'm excited for the parts to come! I love revising and working with the feedback of someone who knows how to pull out the best of the story and cut away what's not working. I'll probably continue to say this every single newsletter lol, but I feel so lucky to get to do this book-writing thing!
If I've made you appropriately excited for my thorny lil book 2 baby, NOT HERE TO STAY FRIENDS, you can add it on Goodreads!
~where the magic happens~
I also finished decorating my office last month! Thanks to my mom and stepdad for helping me paint it the pinky-purple shade of my dreams!
What I'm Reading
A few of my recent favorite reads:
AN UNEXPECTED KIND OF LOVE by Hayden Stone - a queer adult romance with Notting Hill vibes about a grumpy London bookseller and a sunshiney American actor. This book is my talented friend's debut and it is fun, soft, and steamy! You can get your copy here!
ROCK THE BOATÂ by Beck Dorey-Stein - this is the fiction debut from the author of one of my fav Obama White House memoirs, From the Corner of the Oval. Totally different vibe here as it's about high school friends who find themselves reuniting for a summer as adults in their New England beach town, and it is such a warm, cozy read that captures the messiness of relationships, grief, and Becoming A Grown-Up. Loved it so much, and you can snag it here!
VERY SINCERELY YOURS by Kerry Winfrey - okay I guess my theme this month is Soft Books, because yet again, this is a supremely soft romance!! Kerry has become one of my favorite authors; she simply doesn't miss, and this is my fav of hers to date! It's about a children's TV show host (Mr. Rogers mixed with Jim Henson vibes, but like, young and hot, I promise it works) and a young woman who works in a toy store and feels a bit adrift after a breakup. It will make your lil heart smile and you should get a copy here!
What Else I'm Thinking About
The Olympics!!! Yes they just ended and yes they took up a majority of my last two weeks! In particular, I am still reeling from one of the best people I am lucky to have known since childhood winning a GOLD MEDAL IN FENCING?? And her husband winning a bronze??? Lee and Gerek, I don't even know if you subscribe to this newsletter, but I love you and you're my heroes. As People magazine says, couple goals.
The Bachelorette finale tonight, on which I think my heart is going to be (re-)broken after last week's episode, and actually the week before, too. RIP Greg (probably) and Michael A. KATIE DESERVES BETTER!!
The wedding I am gonna plan while my editor has my book. I can plan a whole wedding in that time, right? All I have left to organize is cake, photographer, wedding party attire, food menu, hair and makeup, dress alterations, music, invitations, rehearsal, staring into the void and contemplating the institution of marriage, etc, piece of (three-tiered with flowers on top) cake.
Thanks for reading, hanging out, being the coolest...!
Kaitlyn