It’s been a whirlwind of trips and events these past few months. I visited family in Switzerland, attended Toronto’s crime & mystery festival MOTIVE, my thriller ONLY ONE SURVIVES published in July, I stayed at a brilliant Cabinscape tiny house in Kawartha Lakes with fellow author Sydney Leigh, went to Eden Mills Writers Festival, delivered a plotting workshop at Toronto International Festival of Authors, headed to Whistler Writers Festival, and did a bunch of online events. Oooh, and I attended the premiere of the excellent Nicholas Cage movie Longlegs, and an “end of brat summer” Toronto International Film Festival/Elevation Pictures party. Phew!
There’s no sign of things slowing down as THE CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN, my second holiday romantic-comedy written as Holly Cassidy, published on October 22. Read on to find out about where the inspiration came from, how to make a task’n’treat Advent calendar, where I’ll be in the coming weeks, and discover the title and an exclusive teaser of my 2025 thriller.
Happy reading & hope to see you in person/online soon.
MY FIRST WHISTLER WRITERS FESTIVAL…AND MY FIRST “ATMOSPHERIC RIVER”!
It was the soggiest of weekends with rain, rain, and more rain, but I had such a fabulous time at the Whistler Writers Festival. I hadn’t been to British Columbia in 20 years and there’s no way I’ll wait that long again. A wonderful festival in a gorgeous location, with fantastic people. The above photos feature Amber Cowie, S.C. Lalli, and Tara Jean Stevens. If you get the chance to participate in this festival, please do. Thank you to the organizers, in particular Rebecca, Tatiana, and Alli, and to Alice from HarperCollins Canada, for making my attendance possible.
THE CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN is here!
It’s here, it’s here! But what’s my latest Holly Cassidy rom-com about?
She’s given up on love and Christmas…but fate has other plans.
All Callie wants for Christmas is to hibernate. She's still reeling from being dumped by her childhood sweetheart, and under no circumstances will she go home for the holidays considering her ex will be right next door with his new, perfect partner. Callie is officially in grinch mode, but her meddling sister, Anita, won’t let her give up on life, love, and Christmas quite so easily.
Anita stages a Christmas intervention for Callie with a homemade Advent calendar challenge—cheerful tasks to push Callie out of her comfort zone and into the holiday spirit, inspired by a childhood tradition. Callie reluctantly plays along, but when she comes face-to-face with a charming baker who just might be the spoonful of sugar she needs, her strict rules on love and the holidays are tested.
As they strike a deal to do the activities together, could the twenty four little doors on Callie’s Advent calendar not only open up one, but two closed-off hearts?
Click HERE to get your copy (and/or gift it for the holidays!).
What’s the story behind the story?
The inspiration for the book came from the “task’n’treat” Advent calendars I made for our sons. Each day in the run-up to Christmas, the lads would get a mini chocolate treat (syphoned off from the abundant Halloween loot) and a non-material task or treat note. A task would be things like laying the table, or helping with dinner. A treat would be choosing a movie for the family to watch, or staying up an extra 15 minutes past bedtime. They loved the calendars! They’re easy to make (I’m not crafty!) - so easy, in fact, that I put together a video. Here’s an exclusive first-look for you:
The original task’n’treat Advent calendar from 15+ years ago…
Discover more “Behind the book” videos on my Instagram and Facebook (@hannahmarymckinnon) in the coming weeks. You’ll see me making holiday ornaments, Swiss Mailänderli cookies, and sharing how to pronounce Chuchichäschtli (kitchen cupboard) in Swiss-German. Das isch doch guet!
An invitation to THE CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN launch
Please join us at A Different Drummer Books in Burlington, Ontario for a festive afternoon to celebrate the launch of THE CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN.
Get into the holiday spirit as we unveil this heart-warming tale. Participate in a fun, interactive conversation moderated by Kayleigh Platz from Romance by the Book, mingle with fellow book lovers, and enjoy light refreshments. You might even go home with a DIY Advent calendar kit (while supplies last).
Don't miss out on this special event that celebrates the magic of the holidays and the joy of reading. Mark your calendars and get ready for a merry afternoon at THE CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN book launch!
Date & Time: Saturday, November 9, 2024 from 02.00 p.m. - 04.00 p.m.
Event Address: A Different Drummer Books, 513 Locust Street, Burlington, ON L7S 1V3, Canada
I’m incredibly excited to join Shari Lapena at the Ottawa Writers Festival. Our event is scheduled for Saturday, October 26 at 5.30 pm ET at the Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa. Hosted by Lucy Van Oldenbarneveld.
November 20, 2024: Reader Seeks Romance online event. Details to follow.
December 2, 2024: Novel Neighbor online event. Details to follow.
December 6, 2024: Angel Reading Series in-person event in Toronto. Details to follow.
December 12, 2024: Niagara Parks Coast to Coast in-person event. Details to follow.
December 13, 2024: Grimsby Library Author Series in-person event.
December 14, 2024: Writers’ Community of Durham in-person writing romance workshop. Details HERE.
December 15, 2024: The Gloss Book Club meeting. Details to follow.
→ More events to follow in Kitchener and online. Find regular updates on HERE.
MY NEXT THRILLER HAS A (TENTATIVE) TITLE
The working title of my next thriller is… A KILLER MOTIVE, and is slated for publication in fall of 2025. What’s this one about? Here’s an exclusive teaser…
Be careful what you wish for because you never know who’s listening…
It was supposed to be a night of fun, until Stella Dixon’s teenage brother, Max, disappeared from a beach party she secretly took him to. No trace of Max was found, leaving his family devastated, and Stella carrying a mountain of guilt.
Six years later, Stella hosts the true crime podcast A Killer Motive. When she says on air that she’d go beyond the ends of the earth to find Max and bring whoever hurt him to justice, she has no idea that exact person savoured her every word.
A mysterious invitation to play a game arrives, with the promise that if Stella wins, she’ll get information about what happened to Max. Stella’s sure it’s a sick joke…until Max’s best friend vanishes. Now she has a cold- and a red-hot case to solve.
Desperate, alone, and unable to trust anyone, Stella’s pushed to breaking point. Because how can you beat a twisted, invisible enemy when they make all the rules?
AND FINALLY…
Goodbye summer 2024. You were great!
As always, thanks for reading!
Hannah Mary McKinnon / Holly Cassidy xo
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