A LONG-Overdue Update: Traitor, new artwork, a Facebook party, and signed books for Christmas!

My friends!! I apologize that it's been WAY too long since I've posted an update. I don't need to tell you that 2020 has been an hard, exhausting year in so many ways. I've enjoyed having my kids home more often in recent months, but virtual learning and now homeschooling have definitely drained a lot of my creative energy. And during the turbulence of the election, I found it much better for my mental health to spend minimal time on my computer.

But although I've been quiet here and on social media and haven't been writing as much as usual, some exciting things have been happening behind the scenes! First of all, Traitor is coming!!! I'm so grateful for all your patience as I worked through the challenges of the sequel to Common, but I'm so happy with the results and I hope you find it well worth the wait! I don't have an official release date to share yet, but it's looking like it will be published in spring of 2021 - I can't wait!! In the meantime, be on the lookout for a cover reveal sometime after the holidays. 😁

In other news, as a Christmas present to myself this year, I commissioned artwork of Leah and Prince Raphael from Common! It's been a fun process, and I got to see the finished result last week! EEEEEEP! You guys, it is just SO gorgeous! All you Leah and Rafe fans are going to absolutely swoon - I'm so excited to show it to you! The big reveal will take place during the Virtual Winter BookFest Facebook party coming up this weekend! My time slot will be Friday, December 4th, from 4:00 to 5:00 pm CST. I hope to can stop by! Here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/events/768905057020026. The whole weekend will be filled with amazing authors, games, giveaways, and, of course, tons of books! See you there!

My last piece of news is that I'm offering signed books for Christmas again this year! With some fun additions! Not only can you order a signed copy of Common, Encircled, or Mythical Doorways, but as an alternative, you can purchase one of my books from a retailer of your choice and fill out the form to receive a signed bookplate! And EVERY ORDER, whether of a book or signed bookplate, WILL COME WITH A PRINT OF THE NEW ARTWORK!!!!! If you're ordering a book for a friend or family member but also want an art print for yourself, let me know at the bottom of the form and I'll do what I can to make it happen. 😊 Here's the order form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdo4mYVSTAY1XpjLMECA9vR8dW5lBW60RODNz6rDfQi-PSNHw/viewform?usp=sf_link. I would be absolutely honored to be a part of your Christmas gift-giving this year!

I wish you all a very healthy, happy holiday season!

A long-overdue ACFW Conference recap

Hello friends!! It's been a while (again...)! I apologize for my long absence, but I at least have a good excuse - I've been writing! More on that in a bit, first I'll start with the promised recap from the ACFW Conference now that I've had over a month to process :)

The conference was amazing!! San Antonio is apparently still very hot in late September, but most of the event was indoors, anyway, and I did enjoy my excursions out onto the beautiful River Walk. The conference itself had wonderful content, from practical tips on writing and marketing to inspiring sessions about the spiritual aspects of being a Christian writer and staying positive and focused on what's important. It was exciting and humbling to have a "Finalist" ribbon on my name badge (in case you missed it, Common was named as a finalist in the Young Adult category of the ACFW Carol Awards!!! Eeeeeek!), and although Common didn't win, being surrounded by so many amazingly talented authors was a powerful reminder of just what an honor it was to be among such company. And I couldn't be more excited for the winners!! God is doing incredible things in my life and the lives of so many fellow authors, which is awesome to see.

I'd been so torn about going (I had to leave my 4-month-old baby home, after all!), but this conference was so steeped in knowledge, wisdom, and prayer, which was exactly what I needed! After spending a fun day touring San Antonio with my lovely aunt, I came home feeling reinvigorated and ready to write! In the month since I've been back, I've finally hit my stride with Traitor, Book Two in my Tales of the Mystics series, and have already doubled my manuscript's word count! If I can keep up this momentum, I'm hoping to have my first draft completed by the end of the year - yay!! I SO appreciate everyone's patience as this story has slowly come together in the midst of life's many interruptions.

I hope you're all having a great Fall, I'm hoping to post again soon with even more exciting updates!

I'm back...with SO MUCH NEWS!!!

It's been way too long since I've posted an update! I've only taken a few months away, but SO MUCH has happened during that time! Hopefully I can remember it all for this post, otherwise I guess I'll be posting again very soon :)

First, I had a baby! Yay!!!! My husband and I welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world at the end of May, and we are thrilled to report that both Baby and I have recovered very well. We are so in love with our newest family member and are adjusting well to being a family of five. God is so good!

Second, remember when I announced that Common was named a finalist in the 2019 Excellence in Editing Awards? Well...WE WON!!!! EEEEEEEEEEK! So many people were involved in the production of the beautiful book I get to put my name on, and I'm so very grateful to each and every one - including all the readers who hold Leah and Rafe dear to their hearts :) A huge thanks and congratulations to Michele Israel Harper, my fabulous editor! She gets at least as much credit as I do for polishing Common into its shiny published form. It's thrilling and a little daunting to now officially call myself an award-winning author!

Third - speaking of awards, Common is also a finalist in the ACFW Carol Awards!!!! EEEEEEEEEK again! I most definitely cried in the grocery store when I got the call, then again when I saw the video announcing the finalists. My book is being listed among the very best in the industry, and I am in absolute awe. This is an award I've been hearing about ever since I joined ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), and it is an absolute dream come true to have my book in the running for such an honor. So much squealing and happy dancing over here!!

Most recently, despite the added challenges of having a new baby at home, I'm registered for the ACFW conference this September!! I've always hoped to attend the ACFW national conference at least once, and ever since I received the news about the Carol Awards, I've been trying to figure out a way to make it happen. Now that I'm officially going, I'm a bundle of nerves and excitement and so many other emotions. San Antonio, here I come! You know, in a few months... :)

Thanks for bearing with me through all the updates, friends! Stay tuned for more updates coming soon! (I'll try to stay more on top of things so future updates aren't quite so long!)

More awards news, and an upcoming hiatus...

Eeeeeek!! You guys, the Christian Editor Connection announced last week that Common is one of four finalists for their 2019 Excellence in Editing Award! YAY!!!! I'm thrilled beyond words to have my book recognized for such an honor, though most of the credit goes to my amazing editor at Love2ReadLove2Write Publishing, Michele Israel Harper, who works SO hard for her authors, plus is an incredible source of support and encouragement. The winner will be announced next month!

Also, did you hear Common made the Top 20 for the Alliance Award?? The Alliance Award is a readers' choice award sponsored by Realm Makers, my all-time favorite writers' conference :) I still squeal every time I see my name listed among so many of my favorite fantasy authors! *insert happy dance here* The voting period is already past (it seems I missed posting about it in the midst of all the Encircled release excitement), but I'm so grateful to everyone who nominated Common to make it a semi-finalist and to everyone who took the time to vote! Your enthusiasm for my story truly means the world to me!

And in other, non-writing-related news, I'm about to have a baby! My due date is less than two weeks away (eep!), so we've made it to the final waiting stage. Which feels so fast and so slow all at the same time! So unless I have really big news to share, I don't expect to be posting any updates over the summer as we settle into a new norm and endure the sleep deprivation that comes with having a newborn. Everything seems to be going well up to this point, but prayers are definitely appreciated as baby's arrival approaches!

(For the record, this picture was taken a month ago - I'm quite a bit larger now!) Have a wonderful summer, everyone! I look forward to being back in the fall, hopefully with news of huge progress on Traitor (Tales of the Mystics, Book Two)!

A Winner, A Release Date, and Blog Tour Signups!

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who helped me celebrate Common's first birthday last month! I so appreciated all your love and creativity! And I'm excited to announce we have a giveaway winner! Congratulations to...Jebraun Clifford! I'll be in touch about mailing your prize :)

Here's a picture of me and Leah baking cookies to mark the end of the Common birthday celebration!

In other news, I have tons of updates about Encircled, my critique group's collection of fairy tale retellings! We've set a release date of April 16th, which is only a month away! Eeeeeeek! We'll be revealing the gorgeous cover on March 20th - if you'd like to get a sneak peek at the cover and help us share it with the world, you can sign up to be a part of our cover reveal HERE. And, we're in the midst of planning the Encircled Blog Tour, which will run from April 8th through April 17th! If you're interested in participating, you can find the signup form HERE. *Both forms include an opportunity to be an advance reviewer of Encircled!*

I hope everyone is having a fabulous March, I'll be back next week with the Encircled cover reveal!!


P.S. Please consider voting for Common in the Christian Indie Awards if you haven't yet (it's in the Young Adult category), you can find the ballot HERE. Common is also eligible for the Alliance Award this year, a readers' choice award run through my favorite writing conference, Realm Makers :) Stop by HERE and nominate your three favorite fantasy / science fiction books that released in 2018! If Common happens to be one of them (YAY!!), it's ISBN-13 you'll need for the nomination is 978-1943788279. Thank you!!!

Happy Birthday, Common!!! (Plus TWO giveaways!)

Today is Common's first birthday!!! It's hard to believe my little story has been out in the world for a whole year already - and what a year it's been! As incredible as it was to see my words turned into a gorgeous book, the prospect of releasing it into the public was more than a little daunting. But I've been amazed over and over again by how readers are connecting with Leah and Rafe, showing incredible enthusiasm for Common and future books to come. THANK YOU!!!

So, what better way to celebrate Common's birthday than with a giveaway?? Since Common was inspired by Cinderella, I just had to snatch up this beautiful wooden "Have courage & be kind" sign when I saw it on Etsy! And I can't wait to share it with one of you!! Here's how you enter: show how YOU are celebrating Common's birthday! That's it! It can take whatever form you want - a fun picture of your book, having a special birthday treat, sharing about the giveaway, posting your review of Common, etc. I'm excited to see what you come up with! Just make sure to tag me and use the hashtag #HappyBirthdayCommon so I can count your entry! (Posting on multiple social media platforms counts as multiple entries. 🙂) The giveaway will close at 11:59 pm CST on February 28th, 2019. Depending on shipping costs, if the winner lives outside the U.S., she may instead receive an equivalent Etsy giftcard. Good luck!

But I mentioned TWO giveaways, didn't I? Just in time for Common's birthday, my writer friend Deborah O'Carroll is having a giveaway for a signed paperback of Common! You can find out the details of the giveaway (plus the sweetest review 💙) HERE or by clicking on the picture below.

Thanks in advance for celebrating with me and all your Tales of the Mystics friends!!

Awards News!

Hi friends! I hope everyone is staying warm in the crazy winter weather we're having in so many areas of the world! After three days of cancellations last week and a delay on Monday, I'm trying to gear up for more predicted snow tomorrow. Is it spring yet?? :)

But as I wait for things outside to thaw, I have some exciting news in my writing life! I am thrilled beyond belief to announce that Common was included on the INSPY longlist for Debut Fiction!!! Eeeeeeeek!! Books have to be nominated by readers in order to be considered, so I have all of YOU to thank for this honor and I'm so incredibly grateful. I'm both awed and humbled to see my little story alongside books by so many authors I look up to and admire. THANK YOU!!!

I'm also excited to share that Common is on the ballot for the Christian Indie Awards! I would SO appreciate it (to the point of sending lots of virtual hugs and chocolate!) if you would consider stopping by to give Common your vote. The voting form is here - you'll find Common in the Young Adult category. Once again, THANK YOU!!! My readers are amazing, and I want you all to know that I don't take that for granted! In fact, stay tuned next week because I'm planning a giveaway to celebrate Common's birthday on February 14th - I'll see you then!

2018 in Review - What a Year!

Sorry it's been so long, friends! I haven't had a lot of book-related updates in recent months, but I'm hoping that will change in the near future! In the meantime, I wanted to take a moment to reflect back on what an AMAZING year 2018 was.

In February, I published my debut novel!! Even almost a year later, that fact still blows my mind. Since it's release, Common has reached so many readers and even won third place in the CWRC Reader's Choice Literary Lighthouse Awards! In March, I saw my first publication of a short story, "Threshold," in Mythical Doorways by the Fellowship of Fantasy. Readers' strong responses to that story have touched me more than I can express, with words like "This story is quite remarkable. It's a poignant, moving coming-of-age tale with a fantasy twist." and "The feels!!! This story was SO good, and that ending was SO worth every minute of not knowing which decision Heidi would make!" You guys sure know how to make an author grin. :)

Lately I've been incredibly excited and encouraged that many bloggers are making their lists of favorite books from 2018, and Common has come up multiple times!!! Eeeek! You can find it on:

-Katy Huth Jones' "The 10 Best Books I Read in 2018,"

-Jenelle Schmidt's "15 Best Books of 2018," AND

-Deborah O'Carroll's "End-of-Year Book Freakout Tag 2018!"


Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has taken the time to read one or both of my stories - your encouragement and support make all the ups and downs of the writing journey so worthwhile! Hopefully there will be many more stories to come!

Last, I have a little favor to ask. The INSPY awards are now open, and I would love for Common to be a contender! But books have to be nominated by readers, and the more nominations a book receives, the more likely it is to make it onto the longlist. Here's the link: https://inspys.com/?page_id=1183, and here's the information you need:

Title: Common

Author: Lucking, Laurie

Publisher: click "Other," then type in Love2ReadLove2Write Publishing

Category: Speculative Fiction (it also qualifies for "Debut Novel," but their YA category doesn't include fantasy so it doesn't fit there)

Publication Month: February 2018

13 digit ISBN #: 9781943788279


A HUGE thank you in advance!!! I hope everyone's new year is off to a great start, I can't wait to see what 2019 will hold for all of us!

Reader Appreciation Giveaway!

The summer is flying by, and it's high time I posted an update! It starts with good news, then moves on to even better news!!

Common is in the running for a Lighthouse Literary Award! YAY!!! But I need YOUR help! Voting is open throughout the month of August, and I would be so very honored if you would consider stopping by and casting your vote! (It includes a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card!) I've included voting details below.


Now, for the even better news. My readers are AWESOME. It's just a fact. You guys have been incredible when it comes to sharing about my books, leaving reviews, inviting me to visit your blogs, voting for Common in contests, etc., and I'm so unbelievably grateful. So I wanted to put together a little giveaway that celebrates YOU!

Here's how my Reader Appreciation Giveaway works. You get to claim an entry for every:

1) story of mine you've read (so if you've read both Common and "Threshold," you get 2 entries, and remember that reviews are very much appreciated!!);

2) contest in which you've voted for Common (there are currently 3 places you can vote, each contest page is linked in the descriptions below)

• Literary Lighthouse Awards - click on "Vote for your favorite book!" in their Rafflecopter and then make your selection (hopefully Common, but there are a lot of other great books on the list, too!);

• Kindle Book Review Readers Choice Awards - vote by typing Common as a comment to the post (make sure to also enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win a Kindle Fire!);

• Swoony Awards - vote on Goodreads (Common is currently #51 on the list, but hopefully it will be higher soon!) or here if you're not on Goodreads; AND

3) social media platform on which you share about this giveaway (make sure to tag me in your post so I can count your entry!)

Submit your entries by commenting here or anywhere I post about the giveaway on social media. Make sure to tell me how many entries you get! Haven't had a chance to read Common or Mythical Doorways yet? No worries, there's still time! The giveaway will stay open until 11:59 pm CST on Friday, August 31st.

The best part? The amazing prize!! One randomly chosen winner will receive this gorgeous circlet from the Enchanted Jewelry Shop - you even get to choose your gem color! (This giveaway is open internationally - if the seller isn't able to ship to your location, I'll send you an Etsy giftcard for the equivalent amount instead.) PLUS, for every 20 entries, we'll do a bonus giveaway for a $5 Amazon giftcard!

So get reading, reviewing, voting, and sharing!! And THANK YOU!!!!!

Five Stars from Readers' Favorite!! Plus some Mythical Doorways fun :)

You guys!! I heard earlier this week that Common had received a review from Readers' Favorite, and it got FIVE STARS!!! Eeeeek! The review was so detailed and sweet, I may have gotten a bit teary-eyed while I read it :) You can find the full review here, but I'll share a few lines: "The entire reading process was a magical journey in itself. Readers will find it difficult to stop reading, just as I did. Common makes you want to go on and on until you realize you have reached the end of the story. It just has that kind of magical pull." Can you see why I'm grinning over here?? 

I also had a few more guest posts over the past few weeks! I stopped by Linda B. Davis's blog to share about my life before I became an author, the process of publishing Common, and what I'm up to now - find it here. Then I had an opportunity to visit Toni Shiloh's blog to chat about the joys and challenges of writing companion novels, which you can find here.

In other exciting news, the Mythical Doorways anthology releases in just over a week! Yay!!! I've been reading the other stories this week, and there are some great characters and worlds in this book, and a fantastic variety! You can now find it on Goodreads, and it's available for pre-order on Amazon!

We also have some fun events coming up to celebrate! The Fellowship of Fantasy is hosting a writing contest for short pieces inspired by the Mythical Doorways theme. Submissions are open until March 26th, winners will be chosen by popular vote, and the prizes are sets of amazing fantasy books!!! (One prize will be awarded for the 15 and under category, the other for the 16+ age group.) Find all the details here, and then get writing! In addition, there will be a blog tour from March 27th through 29th hosted by the lovely Laura A. Grace at Unicorn Quester, and a Facebook party on the evening of March 29th! Last, Fellowship of Fantasy is partnering with Deep Magic E-Zine for a very special giveaway! Using the Rafflecopter below, you can enter to win the Spring edition of their quarterly publication featuring wonderful, clean fantasy fiction. Find out more here: http://deepmagic.co/giveaway-fun/.


About Deep Magic E-zine
The name Deep Magic pays homage to C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. Deep Magic is a quarterly e-zine dedicated to creating a safe place for minds to wander in the worlds and universe of SFF. We want all who visit to feel welcome and confident that they will encounter professionally written fiction of the highest quality that is safe for all to read.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Three Guest Posts, Two Signings, and a Release Date for Threshold!

Common has been out in the world for almost a month already! A huge THANK YOU to everyone who helped make the release a huge success!! The blog tour and Facebook release party were so much fun, and not only was Common back-ordered for several days, but it was also the "#1 New Release in Teen & Young Adult Christian Fantasy" on at least 5 different days! Yay!!!

Even after the official blog tour ended, I had the opportunity to visit several additional blogs. First, I posted as part of Catherine Castle's Wednesday Writers series about putting twists on classic tales, which you can find here. Next, I visited the Castle Gate Press blog to share about incorporating religion into fantasy settings - check it out here! And just this week, I had the opportunity to do an interview on Ginger Solomon's blog, where I shared about what I like to read, how I come up with character names, and an excerpt from Common! Find it here.

I also have my first official author events coming up soon! On Saturday, March 10th, I'll be selling and signing copies of Common at the Half Price Books in Coon Rapids, Minnesota from 2:00 to 4:00 pm (for more details, check out the Facebook event). Several weeks later, on Saturday, April 7th, I'll be near Madison, Wisconsin signing books from 9:00 to 11:00 am at M.N.M.'s CoffeeHouse (find the Facebook event here). I hope you can make it to one of these or a future event!

Lastly, the Mythical Doorways anthology, which will include my short story, "Threshold," has an official release date of March 27th! We'll be having a mini blog tour from March 27th to 29th to celebrate, plus a Facebook party on March 29th and a mythical doorways-inspired writing contest (submissions open on March 5th, find out more here)! 

Stay tuned for more updates later this month!

Happy Release Day to Common!!!!

You. Guys.

The day is finally here!!! The day I've been dreaming of for ages and yet hardly dared to dream of at all...it's TODAY. Today, my debut novel releases! A gorgeous book with 291 carefully formatted pages that has MY NAME ON THE COVER!!!! (You knew this post was going to involve a lot of exclamation points, right?)

I have been in love with books and stories since I was a little girl. Many years later, as a college student, I didn't sell back my books as so many of my classmates did, because I couldn't bear to part with them. Even the ones I didn't like! I've always just had this strange reverence toward books, the need to cherish them.

But the idea of creating my own book? That was too much to hope for.

I remember so clearly the day I wrote the first scene of my first manuscript. I'd done some soul-searching while pushing my newborn around in his stroller on a beautiful fall day, and come out of it with the crazy idea to write a book. I even had a story idea - something I'd imagined years before but never thought to write down. After my son fell asleep, I opened my laptop, stared at a blank Microsoft Word document for a few minutes, and then started typing. It was so much fun! Way more fun than my memories of grade school creative writing assignments.

But then my husband came home. I'm in the habit of telling my poor husband EVERYTHING at the end of each day. So part of me really wanted to tell him about my writing, and yet...part of me really didn't. I confessed at dinner, waiting in trepidation for the laughter or scorn. Not because my husband is that kind of guy, but because I felt I deserved that kind of reaction. Instead, he nodded and said something along the lines of "Cool. That sounds great." And that inner spark that had been lit grew a little bigger. Because maybe I wasn't crazy or unworthy to write a book after all.

That was over five years ago, and I've learned and grown so much along this writing journey. It hasn't all been as fun as that first moment, but it's been one of the most challenging and rewarding ventures of my entire life. In some ways today feels like a culmination of all that dreaming and hard work, in others just a major stepping stone, because I have so many more stories I can't wait to tell, and I hope this will be just the first book of many!

Thank you so much for coming on this journey with me, I'm beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to share Common with you!

So excited, in fact, that I decided we need to celebrate with a giveaway!! I am SO GRATEFUL to everyone who preordered Common or is considering purchasing it - THANK YOU! And now that the books are starting to arrive, I want to see you all hanging out with Leah! So here's how the giveaway works. To enter, post a picture of yourself with your copy of Common, either a paperback or on your e-reader, or a picture of Common outside or somewhere around your house - feel free to get creative! Then post it on Facebook, Twitter, and / or Instagram, and make sure to tag me so I can count your entry! If you haven't ordered Common yet, don't worry! I'm keeping the giveaway open until 11:59 pm CST on Wednesday, February 28th, so you have 2 whole weeks to post your pictures! You can purchase your copy here. (***UPDATE: I initially said the giveaway would close on February 21st, but you guys have ordered so many copies of Common that it's on backorder! Yay!!! So to give people who order over the next few days time to take and post their pictures, I'm extending the entry deadline to February 28th.***)

I suppose you'd like to know what I'm planning to give away... :) The randomly chosen winner will receive the $10 Amazon giftcard bookmark and gorgeous handmade mason jar luminary pictured below!! So start snapping those pictures - I can't wait to see what you come up with! (The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only - I'm so sorry to my friends outside the U.S., the shipping is just too hard!)

Also, the Common Blog Tour is still underway! We've had so many fun posts so far, sharing everything from my writing process to a character interview to visuals from the world of Common. So make sure to check out all the posts from the past week and a half, and stay tuned for a few more fun posts to wrap up the tour. I'll list all the blog tour stops below, but first I have to mention that the release celebration continues with a Facebook party TOMORROW, February 15th, from 8:00 to 10:00 pm CST. It's going to be a great opportunity to hang out with fun people, chat about amazing books, and enter for a chance to win even more giveaway prizes! I hope to see you there!!! You can RSVP and see some sneak peeks here.

As promised, here's the full list of blog tour posts. Thanks again for stopping by to celebrate with me today!!!!

Monday, February 5th, Review of Common, Pam Halter, www.pamhalter.com
Monday, February 5th, Interview with Laurie Lucking, Taylor Bennett, www.taylor–bennett.com
Tuesday, February 6th, Visual Post, Nancy Moors, www.antrimcycle.com
Tuesday, February 6th, Behind-the-Scenes Feature, Rae E, www.anewlookonbooks.com
Wednesday, February 7th, Visual Post, J.M. Hackman, www.jmhackman.com
Wednesday, February 7th, Guest Post: Author’s Journey, Kristen Stieffel, www.newauthors.wordpress.com
Thursday, February 8th, Guest Post, Laura A. Grace, www.unicornquester.com
Friday, February 9th, Interview with Laurie Lucking, Jebraun Clifford, www.quillsandinkblotts.wordpress.com/
Friday, February 9th, Review of Common, Erica Hogan, www.booksaholic.wordpress.com/
Saturday, February 10th, Top 3 Post, Laurie Lucking, www.landsuncharted.com
Sunday, February 11th, Behind-the-Scenes Feature: Laurie’s Writing Process, Liv Fisher, www.livkfisher.blogspot.com/
Sunday, February 11th, Review of Common, Jebraun Clifford, www.jebraunclifford.com/
Monday, February 12th, Character Interview, Brenda Anderson, www.brendaandersonbooks.com
Monday, February 12th, Visual Post, Jannette Fuller, www.jannettefuller.com/blog
Tuesday, February 13th, Interview with Laurie Lucking, KaLyn Cummins, www.authorkacummins.com
Wednesday, February 14th, Release-Day Feature, Laurie Lucking, www.laurielucking.com (Release Day)
Thursday, February 15th, Facebook Party Feature, Michele Israel Harper, www.micheleisraelharper.com (Facebook Launch Party)
Friday, February 16th, Review of Common, Cathrine Bonham, www.dolphin18cb.wordpress.com

Release Date, plus a Blog Tour and Facebook Party!

Happy New Year, everyone! My January has started off with a bang with new book release preparations practically every day. And Common has a release date!!! It will be available February 14th - just a month away! I laughed when I saw the news because I should've seen it coming! We announced the signing of my publishing contract on Valentine's Day last year, plus at its heart, Common is definitely a love story :)

And we have big plans to celebrate next month! There will be a blog tour from February 5th to February 16th, which will feature everything from book reviews to interviews and guest posts. I'll make sure to share the full schedule once I have it! The grand finale will be a Facebook party the evening of Thursday, February 15th, from 8:00 to 10:00 CST. All you have to do is click on the event link (which I'll include below) and enjoy chatting with fellow readers by commenting on posts, many of which will include giveaways! We worked on the giveaway list earlier today and believe me, you want to be there to enter! So prepare to get comfy, grab your favorite warm beverage, and spend the evening of February 15th hanging out with us! You can find the party here.

My last news for now is that I did an interview as part of Christen Krumm's #RealLifeWriter series, which was a blast! She asked some really fun questions, plus it includes the chance to enter a giveaway for the e-book of your choice from Love2ReadLove2Write Publishing! Check it out here.

Keep an eye out for more updates over the coming weeks...Common is almost here!!!

Common has a cover!!!

Sorry I've been quiet lately, there's been a lot happening behind the scenes, including edits for Common and working on two new short stories. But I have a feeling I'll have a lot more updates over the coming months! My publisher announced their 2018 schedule earlier this week, and Common is officially scheduled to release in February!! Eeeep!

Following that exciting news, we got to reveal the gorgeous cover for Common this past Friday! My cover designer, Sara Helwe Digital Arts, did a phenomenal job, and I've been absolutely blown away by everyone's support and enthusiasm for my book! Thank you!!

AND, I discovered this morning that my book is already up on Goodreads! You can find it (and mark it as Want to Read, if you're so inclined!) here.

Oh, did you want to see the cover? If you want all the fun details, check out this blog post. But I'll also include it here for your viewing pleasure - just scroll down :)





Wait for it...







Almost there...







Here it is! Isn't it beautiful?? I can't wait to hold it in my hands in just a few months!