Paulette Kennedy

Always an honor to be included on Ashley Hasty, hastybooklist.com

Thank you, Ashley!

Book Mail: A Roundup of the Book Mail I Received Last Week - https://www.hastybooklist.com/blog/weekly-bookstack-book-mail-roundup-november-13

I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died by Amanda Flower
Hunt on Dark Waters by Katee Robert
10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall
Karma Under Fire by Love Hudson Maggio
The Magic All Around by Jennifer Moorman
The Devil and Mrs. Davenport by Paulette Kennedy
Happy AF by Beth Romero
Something About Her by Clementine Taylor
A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone
Belonging by Jill Fordyce
The Prophetess by Evonne Marzouk
Begin Again by Helly Acton
A Step Past Darkness by Vera Kurian
A Christmas to Remember by Beverly Jenkins
The Star and the Strange Moon by Constance Sayers
Baseball and Belonging by Ryan Lavarnway

ANNOUNCEMENT🍂 I’m pleased to announce my upcoming fourth novel (4th! I can hardly believe it) THE LAST LIGHT OF AUTUMN, coming your way in 2025 from Lake Union Publishing, about a woman who becomes her great-aunt’s caregiver in 1920s Arkansas and discovers more than a few family secrets in a house haunted by the subjects of her aunt’s otherworldly paintings. This is my book about what it’s *really* like to be a full-time caregiver—all the blessings and challenges. About dementia and mental health. It’s about the beauty of growing older, having respect for our elders, and valuing the things they have to teach us. It’s a book about loss, love, and second chances. It’s a book about life.

If you’ve been wondering where I’ve been lately, this is what has been keeping me busy! I’ve been teasing you with this news for weeks, and I’m so grateful for your support as well as the support of my agent, Jill Marr, my editor Danielle Marshall and former editor Erin Adair-Hodges, who helped this book make it through acquisitions, my critique partner Thuy M. Nguyen and the entire crew at SDLA, especially our rights agent, Andrea Cavallaro.

None of this would be possible without the support of my friends, family, and publishing team—but especially not without the support of my readers. I’m very excited to bring another book into the world. Now, back to drafting! Because books don’t write themselves 🤓
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Do you love books about books? I know I do! THE ECHO OF OLD BOOKS by Barbara Davis, brings cozy atmosphere, mystery, romance, and a touch of magic. I loved this book—the dual timelines were masterfully plotted and I truly savored Barbara’s beautiful writing throughout. It’s the perfect read for fall.

Buy link: https://tinyurl.com/ycxfdnu7

About the book:

Rare-book dealer Ashlyn Greer’s affinity for books extends beyond the intoxicating scent of old paper, ink, and leather. She can feel the echoes of the books’ previous owners—an emotional fingerprint only she can read. When Ashlyn discovers a pair of beautifully bound volumes that appear to have never been published, her gift quickly becomes an obsession. Not only is each inscribed with a startling incrimination, but the authors, Hemi and Belle, tell conflicting sides of a tragic romance.

With no trace of how these mysterious books came into the world, Ashlyn is caught up in a decades-old literary mystery, beckoned by two hearts in ruins, whoever they were, wherever they are. Determined to learn the truth behind the doomed lovers’ tale, she reads on, following a trail of broken promises and seemingly unforgivable betrayals. The more Ashlyn learns about Hemi and Belle, the nearer she comes to bringing closure to their love story—and to the unfinished chapters of her own life.
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Several authors I know are releasing books this week—and can we all agree that this is a tough week to launch a book? But in the hardest times, I have often found my greatest solace in the pages of a book. Books are a refuge and a comfort.

These authors all deserve to have their work celebrated. So please show them some love and support.

WHAT YOU DO TO ME by Rochelle B. Weinstein

From the bestselling author of This Is Not How It Ends comes a moving novel of two unfinished love stories and the music and lyrics that bring them together. WHAT YOU DO TO ME is the story of a love song and of the triumph of the heart over the greatest of odds. Even for those who have written off love forever.

Buy link: https://tinyurl.com/3fhrc4zx

LET THE DEAD BURY THE DEAD by Allison Epstein

An urgent, immersive alternate history set in an imperial Russia on the brink of disaster, following a surprising cast of characters seeking a better future as Saint Petersburg struggles in the wake of Napoleon’s failed invasion. (I’m reading this one now…and it is STUNNING. Plus, there’s a very cunning owl. That’s all I’ll say—for now)

Buy link: https://tinyurl.com/36zm93e7

COMING TOGETHER by Karen Heenan

In the final novel in Heenan’s trilogy set during the Great Depression, sisters Ava and Claire discover that love and family can transcend blood and that true courage is not measured in action, but in the heart. Every marriage is different. And family is more than blood.

Buy Link: https://tinyurl.com/3bftsuhk

TOMORROW AND TOMORROW by Lauren Emily Whalen and Lillah Lawson

When Duff O’Brien moves to Hiawassee, Georgia after a traumatic experience in her Michigan hometown, she’s looking to finish high school with her head down and work at her beloved granny’s barbeque joint. Enter classmate Marian “Mac” Shepherd: ambitious, rough around the edges, and devoted to Duff immediately. The two best friends pick up instruments and along with their new pal, recently-disgraced golden girl Quincy Banks, form The Scottish Play, the hardest-rocking all-female band North Georgia has ever seen. This imaginative, modern pastiche of MacBeth about friendship, betrayal, and ambition will delight fans of Daisy Jones and the Six.

Buy Link: https://tinyurl.com/2rp2tr5w

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Today!! Come join us over on Blue Sky Book Chat for this fun 5 question interview with bestselling author Sara Goodman Confino and have a chance to win two books!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/BlueSkyBookChat

This Saturday, over on Blue Sky Book Chat we'll be introducing our new series of 5 Question interviews with award-winning authors, which includes the chance to win a signed paperback from the hosting author and her guest!

Up first, we'll be hosting my dear friend and multi-bestselling author Sara Goodman Confino, whose latest novel, DON'T FORGET TO WRITE, features a vivacious young woman named Marilyn, who after getting caught making out with the rabbi's son, gets shipped off to her matchmaking great-aunt during the summer of 1960...and discovers a freedom she never knew existed.

Find out more about Sara and her funny, poignant, and heartfelt novels centering Jewish characters and Jewish joy this Saturday and join us for more 5 Question interviews in the weeks to come!

Here's the link to Blue Sky Book Chat: https://www.facebook.com/groups/198251587219461

This quote encapsulates everything I’m feeling and puts it into better words than I ever could about what is happening in Israel. I’ve tried very hard to not center myself, or be performative, but I also realize silence is complicity.

To my Jewish friends: I see you. I hear you. I care. There’s never an excuse for hate or terrorism.
💙🙏🏻💙

Wishing a very happy 1st Anniversary to Christine Nolfi and A BRIGHTER FLAME, a She Reads Best book club pick.

A poignant novel about family secrets, healing, and the hope of second chances. This novel is a perfect addition to your fall TBR!

For a limited time, A Brighter Flame is $2.49 in the Kindle Store and FREE for Prime members.

Download your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09RK5VJLX
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Another great read for fall! I love how Eden created a modern, diverse pastiche of Pride and Prejudice, set on a university campus. THE BENNET WOMEN is such a wonderful, feel-good read. The paperback and the ebook are both on sale right now!

Buy link: The Bennet Women https://a.co/d/hT5vf1L

It’s the first of the month and that means it’s Amazon First Reads time again. I have a GREAT recommendation for you this month!

I had the pleasure of reading THE VILLAGE HEALER’S BOOK OF CURES by Jennifer Sherman Roberts, Writer earlier this year for an endorsement, and if you love historical fiction about women healers living on the fringes of society (who were often unfairly accused of witchcraft) you need this book!

About the novel: In seventeenth-century England, a female healer enflames the fury of a witchfinder in this propulsive novel about murder, revenge, and the dangerous power of knowledge.

Mary Fawcett refines the healing recipes she’s inherited from generations of women before her―an uncanny and moral calling to empathize with the sick. When witchfinder Matthew Hopkins arrives in her small village, stoking the fires of hate, he sees not healing but the devil at work. Mary’s benevolent skills have now cast her and her young brother under suspicion of witchery.

Soon, the husband of one of Mary’s patients is found murdered, his body carved with strange symbols. For Hopkins, it’s further evidence of dark arts. When the whispering village turns against her, Mary dares to trust a stranger: an enigmatic alchemist, scarred body and soul, who knows the dead man’s secrets.

As Hopkins’s fervor escalates, Mary must outsmart the devil himself to save her life and the lives of those she loves. Unfolding the true potential of her gifts could make Mary a more empowered adversary than a witchfinder ever feared.

If you enjoyed THE WITCH OF TIN MOUNTAIN, you will love this book!

Here’s the link (also posted in the first comment): https://a.co/d/f5rIM93

Lots of great witchy content coming your way this Spooky Season™️ from She Wore Black Podcast 🖤

October will be a MONTH OF WITCHES on the show! Historical fiction, retellings, romcoms, historical fantasy, etc...Stay tuned for the range of witchy chats!

One of the real-life stories from the Ozarks I based THE WITCH OF TIN MOUNTAIN on.

When we hear the phrase 'witch trial', our thoughts are not usually drawn to the Ozarks. Isn't that something that happened in old Europe, and old New England? Well, yes, but the Ozarks was not immune from such matters. Stories of practicing witches in the Ozarks appear in newspapers at least as early as 1839. Often, these stories centered around granny women in the hills; women who provided useful healing services, and according to some, who also practiced witchcraft that was not as favored by their neighbors. Tales and whispered gossip is one thing, but in 1858 or 1859, it appears that things took a more serious turn near Alpena, Arkansas in Carroll County (now a part of Boone County). The events read more like the Salem, Massachusetts Witch Trials of 1692 than the Ozarks on the eve of the Civil War.

The events were relayed, by Ralph R. Rea, who was an attorney, Postmaster at Harrison, Arkansas, Author and President of the Boone County Historical Society in his book : "Boone County and Its People," published in 1955. An elderly, partially blind woman who lived on Lick Branch had been tried by her church on charges of witchcraft, found guilty and excommunicated. Women on the edge of society, have often been the target of such accusations over the centuries.

Here is what Mr. Rea said when Vance Randolph, noted Ozarks folklorist and anthropologist inquired about the matter:

"I got the story from my grandfather, George W. Rea. Old Mrs. Inman was blind in one eye. She lived on Lick Branch, just east of Alpena, Arkansas. In 1858 or 1859 a young woman named Gaddy made a formal complaint to the church authorities, accusing Grandma Inman of witchcraft. A trial was held in the Primitive Baptist Church at what is now called the Dunkard Community, south of Alpena... The testimony was that the accused had come to the complainant's house at night, saddled and bridled her, and rode her for miles over the hills and valleys of Carroll County.... The jury found Mrs. Inman guilty of witchcraft, and expelled her from the church. Grandfather always said that he was present at the trial, but took no part in it."

Sometimes, the tales we assume only affected people far away can be found closer to home than we think, and can raise that prick of unease at the back of our neck that comes from the realization that Grandma Inman could have been just about anyone, maybe even us.

Source: "A Witch Trial in Carroll County". Vance Randolph. The Arkansas Historical Quarterly. Vol. 16. No. 1. Spring 1957.

Photo. Credit, Margaret Bourke-White. Women in Lansdale, Arkansas.

©️ Dark Ozarks, 2023

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I’ve been on a bit of a thriller/suspense kick these last few months. I’ve been devouring them like candy! LIE BY THE POOL by Susan Walter is one of the best thrillers I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. Not only is it a fast paced page-turner, but Susan’s writing is beautiful—with a literary, cinematic quality. She captures Beverly Hills and Los Angeles in a way that only an author who lives here can.

About the book:

A desperate woman. An irresistible invitation. An escalating nightmare of secrets, lies, and murder.

Bree’s new home is luxurious and private, with a fancy Beverly Hills address. What a shame it’s not hers. Widowed, penniless, living in her car, and out of options, she’s climbed the fence and crashed in the pool house. All she wants is a good night’s sleep. But when Sophie, the absentee owner, finds her, she gets a whole lot more.

Sophie invites Bree back for a party. When it winds down, Bree can’t resist sneaking upstairs to sleep in a real bed. But the next morning, she wakes to find Sophie’s dead body floating in the pool. As the resident vagabond, she’s both the only witness and the prime murder suspect.

Bree knows she shouldn’t run, but her husband’s death was mysterious, too. If she’s going to clear her name, she’s going to have to work fast. Because the killer is still out there, and she’s next.

You have to read this book. It’s incredible!

Buy it here: https://tinyurl.com/4ssva9ny

THE DEVIL AND MRS. DAVENPORT is my homage to mid-century Gothic horror—where domestic claustrophobia, nosy neighbors, and the subtly monstrous qualities of suburban life in the 1950s emerges. When a shy young wife and mother begins hearing and seeing the dead, her entire sense of identity and reality is turned upside down.

You can learn more about the book and pre-order here:

Bookshop: https://tinyurl.com/yw2nhu9f

Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/4yz3d9dv

She Wore Black Podcast is my favorite gothic, horror, and mystery podcast. I really enjoyed this episode on Vintage Gothic Romance with Grady Hendrix. Agatha is such a wonderful host! Check out the backlist of episodes for more great topics and guest authors—including yours truly.

NEW EPISODE! Today I chat with Grady Hendrix about “Women Running from Houses,” which he wrote about in his nonfiction book about vintage horror novels from the 1970s and 80s, called “Paperbacks from Hell.” I hope you enjoy this chat as much as I did!

🎉NEW BOOK ALERT!🎉 Congratulations to my friend Susan Walter and her latest thriller, LIE BY THE POOL, which I had the honor of blurbing. You can see my endorsement in the graphic below, and buy this riveting novel of domestic suspense here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lie-Pool-Novel-Susan-Walter-ebook/dp/B0BG61W3Y3

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/lie-by-the-pool-susan-walter/19146466?ean=9781662505102

Good morning! I wanted to drop by and let you know that my debut gothic romance, PARTING THE VEIL is on sale for $2.49 all this month, and is also available in Prime Reading for free right now! Time to load those kindles for Spooky Season!

Buy link: https://a.co/d/0goON91

Wanted to drop by and tell you all about another great book out now! HER OWN HAPPINESS by Eden Appiah-Kubi is a beautiful, life-affirming novel about identity, renewal, and having grace with oneself as well as others. Readers will see themselves in Maya’s inward and outward journey of self-discovery, and celebrate all of her wins along the way!

Buy links:
Bookshop - https://bookshop.org/p/books
Amazon - http://tinyurl.com/4mn7x966

I loved Ant and Maya’s friendship and I enjoyed seeing both asexual and pansexual representation in this novel. There are so many different kinds of love, and it’s nice to see examples of that in media.

I also enjoyed the regional call-outs and the references to the pandemic and the aftereffects of lockdown. Maya and Ant’s worries and their masking—both literal and figurative—were all too recognizable and relatable. Still, the pandemic isn’t the main focus of this book, just an aspect that helps explain some of the choices Maya and Ant make. This is a great, feel-good read that also makes you think and will have you rooting for the characters!

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A short teaser from my upcoming novel, THE DEVIL and MRS. DAVENPORT, about a woman under pressure—from the living and the dead—out this March from Lake Union (Amazon Publishing)

Pre-orders now available!

Bookshop: https://tinyurl.com/44cnr8x7
Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/5fp5dw3p

I had such a great time at the San Diego Union-Tribune Festival of Books this past weekend! (yes—it still happened on Saturday, despite the impending storm—we had lovely weather that day!)

I loved meeting readers, being interviewed on the Me, My Shadow and I panel with fellow authors Marisa Crane and Kiersten White, and spending time with my agent, Jill Marr, and my critique partner, Thuy Nguyen, who took this photo of me at the signing tent!

Happy One-Year Bookiversary to Patricia Sands and THE SECRETS WE HIDE, a sweeping story rich in atmosphere and emotion about a veteran navigating his changing family dynamics upon his return from Vietnam. Told with compassion and empathy, this is a dynamic tale of second chances, the resilience of family, and abiding, steadfast love.

Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-We-Hide-Patricia-Sands-ebook/dp/B0B625R8VP?ref_=ast_author_dp
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Look at this!! Love seeing library features for The Witch of Tin Mountain! And in JoCo, no less, where my in-laws used to live!

"It can't get any darker than midnight."

Nancy Bilyeau's new novel of historical suspense will take you to New York City in 1923 and a nightclub filled with rare orchids, exciting music, and the finest cocktails, food and decor--but as young Italian-American widow Zia De Luca learns, it all comes at a high price, one beyond money.

I had the chance to read this brilliantly paced and plotted mystery early, and I fell completely in love with the detailed, immersive atmosphere Nancy created in this novel. It's filled with all the Jazz Age elements you can imagine--the fashion, the darkly glamorous underworld of speakeasies and illicit bootlegging, and a bookish, whip-smart heroine you can't help but love!

Buy it from your favorite bookseller, or order here:

https://geni.us/TheOrchidHourNB

"This is a novel redolent with sensuality, intrigue, and suspense. If you like Agatha Christie, you will love The Orchid Hour." -- Paulette Kennedy, author of Parting the Veil and The Witch of Tin Mountain

Looking for a great read? Check out CRAZY TO LEAVE YOU by Marilyn Simon Rothstein Author. I’m new to Marilyn’s writing, but wow! This book had so much resonance for me. As someone who has faced family criticism for my weight struggles, I could sympathize with Lauren’s plight and I was rooting for her from beginning to end! Rothstein’s incisive wit and smart humor give this book its wings.

About the book: Forty-one years old, the last of her friends to marry, and down to a size 12, Lauren Leo is in her gown and about to tie the knot. There’s just one thing missing: the groom. With one blindsiding text, Lauren is unceremoniously dumped at the altar.

In the aftermath, her mother is an endless well of unsolicited advice (Stay on your diet and freeze your eggs). Her sisters only add to the Great Humiliation: one is planted on Lauren’s couch while the other is too perfect.

Picking her heart up off the floor, Lauren turns to her work in advertising as she gathers courage to move on and plan her next step. She should know by now that nothing in life goes according to plan. What lies ahead is the road to self-acceptance and at long last feeling worthy. With a new way to measure love and success, Lauren chucks her scale―and finds a second chance in the most unexpected place.

Buy it here: https://a.co/d/giqmek5

🎉COVER REVEAL! 🎉I’m beyond excited to present the cover for my next release, THE DEVIL AND MRS. DAVENPORT, coming March 2024 from Lake Union Publishing and now available for pre-order, wherever you buy books.

Huge thanks to my agent Jill Marr and my editor Erin Adair-Hodges for all your support and guidance!

Buy Links:
Amazon - https://a.co/d/8PDPO0b
Bookshop - https://bit.ly/3rSeTLu

Cover design: Kimberly Glyder Design

About the book:

The bestselling author of The Witch of Tin Mountain and Parting the Veil mines the subtle horrors of 1950s America in a gripping novel about a woman under pressure—from the living and the dead.

The first day of autumn brought the fever, and with the fever came the voices.

Missouri, 1955. Loretta Davenport has led an isolated life as a young mother and a wife to Pete, an ambitious assistant professor at a Bible college. They’re the picture of domestic tranquility—until a local girl is murdered and Loretta begins receiving messages from beyond. Pete dismisses them as delusions of a fevered female imagination. Loretta knows they’re real—and frightening.

Defying Pete’s demands, Loretta finds an encouraging supporter in parapsychologist Dr. Curtis Hansen. He sees a woman with a rare gift, more blessing than curse. With Dr. Hansen’s help, Loretta’s life opens up to an empowering new purpose. But for Pete, the God-fearing image he’s worked so hard to cultivate is under threat. No longer in control of his dutiful wife, he sees the Devil at work.

As Loretta’s powers grow stronger and the pleading spirits beckon, Pete is determined to deliver his wife from evil. To solve the mysteries of the dead, Loretta must first save herself.

So excited for this conference! Hope to *see* you there!

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/RegisterNHC

Don’t forget to register for ! Come join us for a virtual weekend of engaging workshops, discussion, and networking. For those attending, tell us where you’re from! We can’t wait to meet you at the conference.

Follow the link to register: https://tinyurl.com/RegisterNHC

Be watching this page tomorrow! I’ll be revealing my cover for THE DEVIL AND MRS. DAVENPORT bright and early!

So excited to showcase the brilliant work of Kimberly Glyder Design. She captured the mood and aesthetic of the book perfectly.

So many great books launching today! I love a good thriller anytime, but especially in the summer! Georgina Cross, Author is one of the best suspense authors out there, and her latest release, ONE NIGHT is out now and available wherever books are sold! Or you can buy it here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/one-night-georgina-cross/18387978?ean=9780593496893

Happy Release Day to my friend Aimie K. Runyan and her latest novel, A BAKERY IN PARIS. Available wherever books are sold or you can buy it here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-bakery-in-paris-aimie-k-runyan/19045267?ean=9780063247710

I had the opportunity to read A Bakery in Paris early and it is such an immersive Parisian experience that I could almost smell the glorious pastries Micheline and Lisette create at Le Bijou! This book made me crave French bread and pastries in the best way. As a matter of fact, as I’m writing this, I’m having breakfast on the outdoor patio at Le Pain Quotidien and wishing I was in Paris!

Today, I wanted to share the latest release by friend and fellow Blue Sky Book Chat author Bette Lee Crosby. BEYOND BETRAYAL: A CHILLING TALE OF BETRAYAL, SELF-DOUBT, AND A FRIENDSHIP WITH THE POWER TO CHANGE A LIFE.

Get an autographed copy here: https://betteleecrosby.com/shop/

When Susan Robertson buried her husband, she thought that would be the worst day of her life. She was wrong. Before there is time to grieve, she starts to discover the secrets he left behind. A hidden key. Another woman. A baby on the way.

Review quotes:

“This is a very positive novel about later-in-life realities, and the chance for self-renewal. Bette Lee Crosby has written an entertaining story and given us a gift.” – Goodreads, Lynne S.

“Bette’s books always touch my heart and this one definitely did just that. Filled with emotional moments, this awesome story grabbed my attention from the very first page and took me on a heartbreaking journey as we followed Susan learning to live with herself after the sudden loss of her husband.” – Suzanne, UK Reviewer

“Crosby discusses the importance of friendship, second chances, family, emotional support, self-worth, love, and hope. I loved everything about this novel.” – Linda’s Book Obsession