Today’s post is sponsored by B.E. Bang and Furever Enchanted, out on the 24th!
How to get rich quick: Adopt a dog that literally poops gold.
Following a series of burglaries in her peaceful Tempe, Arizona community, an anxious, socially isolated introvert decides to adopt a dog from a nearby shelter. Zuri always wanted a dog and now seems as good of time as any to make that dream a reality.
Things don’t go according to plan. Not long after adopting her new dog, Zuri discovers the dog magically poops gold coins. In theory, that sounds great. In reality, her dog is wasting away and days away from death.
With the help of a hot veterinarian and an opinionated shelter employee, it’s up to Zuri to figure out how to disenchant her chow chow Gigi before it’s too late.
Dive into a charming and cozy debut novel filled with magic, a hint of romance, and found family.
The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy at All by Sumiko Arai, trans. by Ajani Oloye
Fashionable and upbeat high schooler Aya falls head over heels for an employee at a local CD shop. He’s got an air of mystery about him, always dressed well, and has impeccable taste in music. Little does she know—this supposedly male employee is actually her female classmate Mitsuki! Mitsuki generally keeps to herself, but since her seat is right next to Aya’s, she can’t help but be extremely aware of the other’s crush. Revealing the truth is out of the question—but perhaps getting closer to Aya wouldn’t be so bad…
Today on the site I’m delighted to welcome back Paul Michael Winters to reveal the cover of The Haunting Between Us, a coming-of-age ghost story releasing from Maelstrom Press on January 7th, 2025! Here’s the story:
Sixteen-year-old Cameron Walsh can’t believe the boy of his dreams just moved into the house of his nightmares.
He dreads the haunted Victorian mansion across the street, where the ghost of the White Lady roams the halls. When he sees her through the bay window, his ghost-hunting friend Abby wants to investigate. But then the new owners pull up, and Cameron is captivated by the brooding, handsome boy moving in. He longs for a boyfriend, but years of bullying have shattered his self-esteem.
Sixteen-year-old Hugo Cruz and his father flip old houses, moving often, fleeing from the grief at the loss of Hugo’s mother. They unknowingly move into the most haunted house in Port Townsend, Washington. From day one, Hugo encounters shadows that move by themselves, locked doors without keys, and hidden rooms. He hides the mysteries from his superstitious father, not wanting to uproot their lives.
When the White Lady becomes impossible to ignore, Hugo turns to Cameron to help uncover the house’s dark history. They soon form a bond that goes beyond friendship, but as their feelings deepen, the White Lady’s wrath intensifies. Entangled in a web of sinister secrets, they risk not only their love but their very existence.
And here’s the appropriately haunting cover, designed by Valerie Gomez and illustrated by Marcella Bolivar!
Paul Michael Winters is a lifelong creative writer whose life is filled with queer joy. His passion is to spread that joy through storytelling and writing books where you might not typically see queer characters. He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his husband and two tuxedo kitties. Find him online at pmwinters.com and follow him on social media at @pmwintersauthor.
Today on the site I’m delighted to reveal the cover of All’s Fair in Love and Field Hockey by Kit Rosewater, an f/f YA sports Romance releasing from Delacorte Romance on May 6, 2025! Here’s the story:
A high school field hockey star must choose between her love of the game and her new, distractingly beautiful rival in this queer YA romance perfect for fans of She Drives Me Crazy and Cleat Cute!
Evelyn was raised to see field hockey as war.
Before she could write her own name, her family’s legacy on the field was already spelled out. Every step Evelyn takes toward glory is within a footprint her mother left behind. And no step matters more than this next one, with Evelyn about to lead her varsity team into their final battle season. Evelyn is beyond ready to score the Nationals title and win the critical scholarship to her mom’s alma mater that comes with it.
This year, she’s out for blood, and nothing can stand in her way…
…except for Rosa Alvarez, the highly talented new recruit on her biggest rival’s team.
After a humiliating homecoming game and follow-up prank leave the two enemies in a stalemate, they grudgingly strike a deal to help each other overcome their weaknesses on the field. But the more time Evelyn spends with Rosa, the more she finds herself casting her hardened armor aside, until she begins to wonder what life might be like if she left the battlefield behind and fought for love instead.
And here’s the gorgeous cover, illustrated by Sarah Maxwell and designed by Angela Carlino and Liz Dresner!
Kit Rosewater lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with her partner and two small children who are bent on destroying the universe. She is the author of Books 1-3 in The Derby Daredevils, an illustrated middle grade series out through Abrams. Her debut YA romcom, All’s Fair in Love and Field Hockey, comes out in Spring 2025 through Delacorte Romance. Kit has been a high school theater and English teacher, a bookseller, a Children’s Literature academic, and a creative writing instructor for adults. Catch her online at kitrosewater.com and @savethekitrosewater.
Ary Mossheart has done the impossible: The terrarium is shattered, and her people are free. When the folk of Terra are welcomed in by the fairies of Siltshore, an abundant treetop village filled with light, food, and peace, Ary promises herself that her days of saving people are over. It’s time to be normal. Live the life her gran would have wanted; the one she never got back in Terra.
But when fairies begin to disappear one by one and it becomes clear that Siltshore is not as safe as it seems, Ary Owl, and Briar will be pulled down dangerous paths as they try to unravel the strange magics of their new world—and the truth about the one they left behind. To save her new home, Ary will have to step into the role of hero once more.
Except this time, if she fails, there will be no new world to escape to.
Today on the site I’m delighted to welcome Georgia K. Boone, author of I’ll Be Gone for Christmas, to celebrate National Coming Out Day! Here’s a little more about the book, which just released this week from Avon Books:
Bee Tyler needs a break. In the bustling San Francisco tech community, no one ever seems to stand still—especially her perfect sister and business partner, Beth. So when her best friend suggests a getaway on the wildly popular house-swap app, Vacate, Bee decides a countryside retreat might be exactly what she needs.
Clover Mills has had a year. Between losing her mother and making the complicated decision to leave her fiancé, sticking around the idyllic Christmas obsessed town of Salem, Ohio, just doesn’t feel right. So when she hears about Vacate, she jumps at the chance to spend the holidays in the unfamiliar city of San Francisco.
Soon enough, Bee is living in Clover’s cozy Salem cottage, and Clover is living in Bee’s sleek San Francisco apartment. As Clover can’t seem to stop running into Bee’s frustratingly gorgeous sister, Beth, and Bee finds herself spending more and more time with Clover’s ultra charming ex-fiancé, Knox, the two women realize that this Christmas they may find just what they were looking for and more…
Today on the site I’m thrilled to reveal the cover of Backhanded Compliments by Katie Chandler, a speculative Sapphic tennis romance releasing June 10, 2025 from Atria Books! Here’s the story:
A steamy debut sapphic sports romance with a light speculative twist, in the vein of One Last Stop and Expiration Dates, in which bitter tennis rivals Juliette Ricci and Luca Kacic realize they are soulmates when the marks on their wrists fill in with each other’s names after shaking hands at the end of an intense Australian Open match.
Juliette Ricci wants one thing: to be the best women’s tennis player in the world. She’s worked nonstop with her strict father (and coach) to prepare for the Australian Open, her big chance to catapult up in the rankings. Unfortunately, she’ll be playing “Lucky Luca,” an aloof player whose unorthodox style and popularity are deeply irritating to Juliette. Fans are living for the drama after watching them trade sly insults in their individual press conferences for months. Their first ever match together is the most anticipated of the season, but Juliette refuses to let her nerves—or Luca’s annoyingly perfect abs—get the best of her.
International tennis star Luca Kacic is primed to take the number one spot, but what she really wants is to find her person. When she shakes hands with Juliette after an agonizing match and sees her rival’s name filled in on her wrist, it feels like a cruel cosmic joke. Juliette is a spoiled, arrogant brat who wants absolutely nothing to do with Luca or the idea of a soulmate.
Luca and Juliette are drawn back together for a charity match and forced to face their intense feelings. Despite their personal and professional clashes, the two grow closer after late-night massages and one too many shots of limoncello in gorgeous Naples. Their chemistry is tangible, but Luca’s anxiety tells her that Juliette is just messing with her head to throw Luca off her game, and Juliette can’t understand why Luca is so hot and cold. With the pressure of the world scrutinizing their every move, Juliette and Luca will have to decide what’s more important—being together or being number one.
And here’s the ace of a cover, designed by Kelli McAdams and illustrated by Liza Rusalskaya!
Katie Chandler is a fantasy and romance author with a love of genre-blending. She graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Creative Writing and Literature in 2021. You can usually find Katie writing with her yellow lab, Blue, on her feet, making sure she stays warm and that she takes regular breaks to give him treats. When not writing, Katie spends her time watching tennis, chasing her thieving chocolate lab, Bear, who thinks her socks are his chew toys, and wondering where her glasses are. (They’re nestled in her hair.) Follow her on Instagram @author.katie.chandler.
How to get rich quick: Adopt a dog that literally poops gold.
Fashionable and upbeat high schooler Aya falls head over heels for an employee at a local CD shop. He’s got an air of mystery about him, always dressed well, and has impeccable taste in music. Little does she know—this supposedly male employee is actually her female classmate Mitsuki! Mitsuki generally keeps to herself, but since her seat is right next to Aya’s, she can’t help but be extremely aware of the other’s crush. Revealing the truth is out of the question—but perhaps getting closer to Aya wouldn’t be so bad…
Kit Rosewater lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with her partner and two small children who are bent on destroying the universe. She is the author of Books 1-3 in The Derby Daredevils, an illustrated middle grade series out through Abrams. Her debut YA romcom, All’s Fair in Love and Field Hockey, comes out in Spring 2025 through Delacorte Romance. Kit has been a high school theater and English teacher, a bookseller, a Children’s Literature academic, and a creative writing instructor for adults. Catch her online at kitrosewater.com and @savethekitrosewater.
Something rots within the wood…
Bee Tyler needs a break. In the bustling San Francisco tech community, no one ever seems to stand still—especially her perfect sister and business partner, Beth. So when her best friend suggests a getaway on the wildly popular house-swap app, Vacate, Bee decides a countryside retreat might be exactly what she needs.
