Eek... it's time for some LOVE ON THE BEACH
Whoop whoop. I'm packing up the car with my book babies and heading off on an epic family road trip to a signing on the Gold Coast of Australia!
Welcome to all my friends and fellow book devourers,
Some of you have just joined me after downloading BIKER BEAR on BookFunnel. It’s so great to have you here. I love substack because you—as a reader—get to choose how you receive my newsletter. You can have emails delivered right to your inbox, get notifications in the substack app, or even binge read all the juicy posts from the past including exclusive teasers and original short works of paranormal romance.
(Check out “Painting My Own Demise”—this month’s wild short read featuring a kiwi shifter and her two epic crushes from art school, the class flirt and their grumpy professor—here.)
Inside today’s newsletter you will find—
What in the world?! — Road trip preparations.
Bookish Bonanza — Juicy reading recs you won’t want to miss.
Golden Oldie Snippet — Mackenzie & Ryan are the ultimate power couple. Come with me on this blast from the past from PYRO, PYRO, BURNING BRIGHT.
Let’s get cracking!
WHAT IN THE WORLD…?!
We’re all going on a summer holiday.
Phew, how are we already midway through February?!
I’m spending my days madly rooting through boxes trying to find all my stock, signing gak, and awesome swag to bring along to LOVE ON THE BEACH.
It’s been an adventure moving house, heading straight into the summer holidays, and then trying to gear up to a big signing, that’s for sure!
In all our wisdom, my husband and I decided to forego the flight and embark instead on an epic road trip up to the Gold Coast. As we’re bringing the kids, we’ve planned out some fun stops along the way to places like the Big Banana Fun Park in Coffs Harbour and the Billabong Zoo Koala & Wildlife Park in Port Macquarie.
A really exciting moment last week was when one of the AirBNBs tried to shift our dates on us last minute. Not good. Luckily, we’ve found something even better now, so we’re all set.
For my book devourers downunder, are you coming to this signing? If so, then I can’t wait to see your gorgeous familiar faces at LOVE ON THE BEACH in Surfer’s Paradise! If not, don’t worry. I’ll share happy snaps in my next newsletter, on Instagram, and in my FB readers’ group — The Phoenix Inferno.
What’s your favorite mode for a signing? Do you buy waaaaay too many books on preorder then spend your whole time dashing from one place to another? Or do you prefer to spend your day taking a leisurely stroll through the aisles and seeing where the winds will take you?
Personally, when I attend a signing as a reader, I can go either way. Sometimes I get preorder fever, while others I soak up the vibes while meeting all the new-to-me authors I can find.
BOOKISH BONANZA
Before we wrap up with a juicy snippet, I want to share these book fairs with you. The first is run by a dear friend,
, with reading recommendations inspired by the season. The second features a smorgasbord of FREE paranormal romance books just begging to be devoured.
Every time you visit one of these book fairs from my newsletter it makes a big difference to my visibility as an indie author and that of my fellow talented storytellers… so thank you for taking a moment out your busy day to peruse our latest offerings.
PYRO, PYRO, BURNING BRIGHT (teaser)
I am absolutely in LOVE with how my special editions of the PHOENIX CREW turned out. To celebrate, here’s a snippet from the debut book which kicked this series off with a bang!
“I have two, Ryan,” I spat the words out. Bitterness washed over me as I tried to get him to see. God, how I wished it was different. That I was different. Because if I was, I’d climb this man and mate him in a red-hot second. But I couldn’t. Not now, when all our troubles were coming home to roost. Not when the only way out might be to destroy everything we had. “Not one. But two.”
He stilled, as if some part of him knew that what I was saying was important, vital even, to this broken puzzle between us. “Two?”
“Yeah, you know, voices in my head. You can talk to Bear, right? Well, I have two. One is a snarky bitch but, you know, sane most of the time. I named her Crazy Pyro Chick or CPC for short. She’s pretty good at sharing. But the other… she’s called Gongzilla.” I shuddered. “For good reason. She doesn’t play well with others.”
Ryan chuckled. “I know. We’ve already been introduced. Come back to me, Mac. I won’t ask again.”
“Liar. You’ll keep on asking as many times as you think it will take to get me to—” He reached out and this time I couldn’t make myself move away. A traitorous sob escaped as he slipped his arms around me from behind, rocking me gently in place. “I can’t let her out, Ryan. I can’t ever let her out again. The world won’t survive. I won’t survive.”
“Mackenzie, you’re a shifter. It’s not healthy to—”
“I asked her, Ryan. After Nero’s little trip down memory lane, I asked Gongzilla how many died in that apartment. Do you know what she told me? Zero innocents.”
“Oh, love, you’ve got to stop looking at life like you’re human,” he murmured. “You’re a shifter. Life and death is a part of who we are. We don’t have to go looking for it. But we can’t shy away from a fight that won’t stop coming.”
This was it. This was the moment I had to let him in. I forced the words out, though they cut my throat like razor blades. “I’m a monster.”
“A monster who protects what’s hers. Look at what you did tonight. You saved them. Gongzilla saved them.”
I shut my eyes. He didn’t get it. I don’t know why I was so disappointed. Of course he didn’t. He was a natural-born alpha in the prime of his life. Shifting was as natural to him as breathing. As if he could hear my thoughts, he flipped me round in his arms so fast I lost my stomach to stare intently into my eyes.
Ryan cupped my cheeks in his calloused, honest hands. “Has it ever occurred to you, Mackenzie, that some of us are given monsters because we are strong enough to ride them?”
Extract from PYRO, PYRO, BURNING BRIGHT written by Miri Stone © 2019. All Rights Reserved.
Until next time, friends and fellow book devourers, happy reading!
Oh and when you visit my table, remember to flick through the special editions of the Phoenix Crew, nab some free signed postcards and nab exclusive swag. I’ll even have a few of these limited edition “I HEART PINS” mugs to sell on the day.
With love,
M.S. xox
I can extrovert successfully at a signing for a short while but invariably my social battery does run out and I want to zone out and crash!