CLAWING MY WAY OUT OF THE WRITING CAVE
An update from my writing corner
Aaah! My eyes, my EYES! What is this beastly bright light? Is it the sun? Oh, hello real world. It’s been a while. I swore I’d send a few newsletters a year and it’s been months so I’d best get to it.
I’ve been in my writing cave this past little while. Okay, not really a cave but I’ve been doing a multitude of writerly things I’m keen to tell you about, so here we go. Read on for my news and two fun book giveaways.
ONLY ONE SURVIVES has free bonus material and a Goodreads giveaway!
Behold, we have free digital bonus material to enhance the reading experience of my new thriller ONLY ONE SURVIVES (Jul 16). This includes a reader letter, book club questions, a rockin’ Spotify playlist, author Q&A and (drum roll, tee hee) lyrics I wrote for the six songs by The Bittersweet mentioned in the novel. I adored writing the songs so much, if you know of anyone who needs a lyricist, ask them to get in touch.
The wonderful HarperCollins team outdid themselves designing this free bonus material, and you can get your hands on it HERE. Let me know what you think.
What’s ONLY ONE SURVIVES about?
Becoming the star is easier when the rest of your band is dead…
All drummer Vienna Taylor ever wanted was to make music. If that came with fame, she’d take it—as long as her best friend, guitarist Madison Pierce, was sharing the spotlight and singing lead. And with their new all-female pop rock band gaining traction, soon everyone would hear their songs…
Except, on the way to an event, the Bittersweet’s van careens off an icy mountain road during a blizzard—leaving one member dead and another severely injured.
In order to survive the frigid night, the rest must take shelter in a nearby abandoned cabin. But Vienna’s dreams devolve into a terrifying nightmare as, one by one, her fellow band members meet a gruesome end…and Madison simply vanishes in the night.
Has Vienna’s closest friend finally decided to take center stage on her own terms?
She doesn’t want to believe it.
But guilty people run.
ONLY ONE SURVIVES is available for pre-order HERE (thank you very much if you do!). Enter the current Goodreads giveaway for a chance to win a copy HERE (US/Canada).
THE REVENGE LIST e-Book is on sale!
For a limited time, you can get your sticky mitts on THE REVENGE LIST for waaay less than a fancy cup of coffee (lasts longer, and won’t go cold!) so hurry before it’s too late. Click HERE.
I promise I’ll be eternally grateful! See - I’m already smiling.
What’s THE REVENGE LIST about?
They say life flashes before your eyes when you’re about to die. But all she could see was regret.
The people in Frankie Morgan’s life say she’s angry. Emotionally stunted. Combative. But really, who can blame her? It’s hard being nice when your clients are insufferable, your next-door neighbor is a miserable woman and the cowardly driver who killed your mother is still out living it up somewhere.
Somehow, though, she finds herself at her very first anger-management group session—drinking terrible coffee and learning all about how “forgiveness is a process.”
One that starts with a list.
Frankie is skeptical. A list of everyone who’s wronged her in some way over the years? More paper, please. Still, she makes the pointless list—with her own name in a prominent spot—and promptly forgets about it…until it goes missing. And one by one, the people she’s named start getting hurt in freak accidents, each deadlier than the last.
Could it be coincidence giving her the revenge she never dared to seek…or something more sinister?
If Frankie doesn’t find out who’s behind it all, she might be next.
Want all that and more for a bargain price? Click HERE.
THE CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN has a pub day!
My next Holly Cassidy rom-com, i.e. a “Look, Ma, no murder” book, will release on October 22! I can’t wait for you to meet Callie, Marco, and sassy cat Dazey Rocket.
What’s THE CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN 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 pre-order.
WHAT I’M READING
WHEN SHE WAS BAD by Patricia Pearson (out now)
I don’t read as much non-fiction as I should, and this book was a great reminder to pick up more of it. WHEN SHE WAS BAD is incredibly eye-opening and disturbing. It took many of my preconceptions about female violence, squished them into a ball, and threw them out of the window. Think women killers only go after the young and the weak? Only "passively" kill with poison? Can't possibly be violent unless coerced in some way by a man? Think again. Powerful and truly scary stuff.
PERIL IN PINK by Sydney Leigh (out now)
A fresh and fun cozy mystery that’s fast-paced and highly engaging until the very last word. With plenty of suspects to choose from and red herrings (or rosé herrings…?) to misdirect, you’ll not only be second guessing who’s committing the murders at the Pearl B&B, but also rooting for its hilarious, sassy owner Jess to solve the mystery before more bodies pile up. Sydney Leigh is an exciting new voice in crime fiction, and she delivers in spades!
HOME IS WHERE THE BODIES ARE by Jeneva Rose (April 30)
Secrets, lies, estranged siblings, and a decades old mystery that’s clambering its way to the surface one victim at a time—HOME IS WHERE THE BODIES ARE has it all and then some. This original, fast-paced, flawless thriller had me switching allegiances and theories about who- and whydunit as I frantically turned the pages to get to the truth. Jeneva Rose is a powerhouse of an author, an exceptionally talented author, and a fantastic person. Sign me up for whatever she writes next!
THE GIRL WHO SURVIVED by Nichole Severn (May 6)
I’ve yet to read Nichole Severn’s books, and this one sounds great.
It’s been twenty years since Leigh found the murdered body of her twelve-year-old brother, Troy. Her father was arrested for the crime, but she never accepted that he did it. Her hunt for the real killer almost cost her everything…
Now working for the FBI, Leigh is called back to New Hampshire when a series of copycat crimes are committed. Only the killer has left a very specific calling card, a plastic army figurine, the same as the one she found on Troy’s body, and carved into its base: Leigh’s name.
This case is as personal as it gets, and this time, Leigh is determined to make the right person pay. But when another child goes missing, can she dig deep into her past to find the clue she missed years ago, and put a monster behind bars for good?
THE PLUS ONE by S.C. Lalli (August 13)
Welcome to the dream destination wedding of the year, where the rich and powerful mingle as they prepare to celebrate the happy couple. But not everything is as it seems—nor is everyone who they say they are—in the opulent world of THE PLUS ONE. Dig a little under the shiny layer of luxury, and you’ll find lies, deceit, subterfuge…and then murder. This is a suspenseful, fast-paced, and atmospheric thriller that’ll have you switching allegiances, suspects, and whydunit theories. You may think twice about accepting that next destination wedding invitation!
And now…another EPIC giveaway!
In honour of Women's History Month, I've teamed up with amazing writers to bring you a HUGE, fun giveaway. You've may have heard of the March Madness basketball brackets. Now, you can play Bookish Brackets: Readers Favourite Heroines! Laura Ingalls? Nancy Drew? Vote for your favourite and be entered to win:
🎁 a Kindle Paperwhite
💰 $100 to BookShop.org
📫 (3) month Box of Books subscription box
🕯️ (2) bookish candles from Plume Goods
AND books from NY Times & USA Best Selling Authors: Aime Austin, Alison Ragsdale, Allison Winn Scotch, Amy Poeppel, Barbara Claypole White, Barbara Josselsohn, Brooke Lea Foster, Corie Adjmi, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Hannah Mary McKinnon, Heather Webb, Jacqueline Friedland, Jennifer Gold, Jill Santopolo, Jimin Han, Joy Jordan-Lake, Kaira Rouda, Kerry Lonsdale, Kerry Schafer, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Lisa Barr, Lynda Cohen Loigman, Mandy McHugh,Mary Kay Andrews, Melissa Miller, Patricia Sands, Patti Callahan Henry, Paulette Kennedy, R.S Grant, Samantha Greene Woodruff, Susie Orman Schnall, Suzanne Park
Click HERE to enter. Good luck!
The fine print:
Competition runs from March 22 - April 8, 2024 and is open to US/Canada residents. Winners will be notified directly by a third party. Chances of winning depend on the amount of entries. I’m not running or administering the giveaway so the decisions / responsibility aren’t mine.
That’s all for now. Back to my writing cave I go. I’m working on a brand-new thriller with my most twisted antagonist yet. Mua-ha-haaa. See you on the other side.
As always, thanks for reading!
Hannah Mary McKinnon / Holly Cassidy xo