Thursday? I hardly know her
blah blah blah
Hi, sweets!
It’s been a rainy few week or so in my neck of the woods, and I am leaning in fully to the gorgeously gloom by staying inside and reading one of the most captivating books I’ve come across lately. It’s called Smothermoss and it’s creepy and delicious and so engrossing! I described it to a bookseller yesterday as Mexican Gothic vibes but in the 80’s and Appalachia with more poverty and less fungi (so really nothing like Mexican Gothic except for being amazing books that make my brain go bbbbrrrrrr). BUT! the personification of the natural world is a huge element in this story like MG and the cohesive roll humans can take but also the insidious way we can disrupt it. It’s weird and spooky and on the shorter side with super digestible chapters that have broken me free of a horrific reading slump. My therapist recommended this book to me at our last session and I have not been able to stop wondering what that says about me or her or what kind of fucked up shit I talked about that made her connect those dots but I’m really excited to ask her tomorrow.
Book Stuff
There are a few things going on with Well, Actually this week!
1.) The incredible Kennedy Ryan and Ginger Scott are hosting the 10th annual LiFT 4 Autism Auction filled with incredible bookish prizes up for grabs! Every penny of the auction benefits Kulture City, a national organization serving the autism community, a group of people that need our support, love, and advocacy now more than ever. I’ve donated an annotated ARC of Well, Actually and because every time I do an annotated book I vow I will never do another one so this may be the only one that will ever exist and I’ll share all the stupid memes that inspired my irreverent book hehe. Bidding ends on Sunday, April 27!
2.) Independent bookstore day is !THIS SATURDAY! (April 26th) Independent bookstores are always my favorite places to shop. There’s something about entering a space dedicated to books, the infinite adventures that sit on shelves, that makes me so giddy. Indie bookstores are an amazing way to support your local economy and gaggle of book lovers so it’s a win all around. I know some don’t have the luck of a local indie bookstore, but that doesn’t mean you can’t support! If you shop on bookshop.org and/or libro.fm you can choose an indie bookstore to support with every purchase! Also, I can’t reveal it (yet!!!) but Well, Actually has the most jaw-dropping pre-order incentive I’ve ever seen, and it will be available *exclusively* for pre-orders through two indies, Malaprops and Novel Neighbor so keep that on your radar!
3.) 50 print ARCs of Well, Actually are up for grabs in a Goodreads Giveaway! I’m also pretty sure this is the last GR giveaway for this book so make sure to enter before April 28th for your chance to win!
4.) Barnes & Noble is having their 25% off pre-order sale through 4/25 and Well, Actually is included in the roundup! Pre-orders are an amazing way to support authors—the more early sales, the more attention a book will get leading up to pub date, the more hype/sales that generates, the more books your fav authors will get to write.
I’ll be honest, it does feel counterintuitive to promote BN and indie bookstores in the same email. I am ride or die indie bookstores, and I’m so lucky to live so close to one. I will always advocate for shopping local every chance you can. That being said, books are expensive and a sale does help a lot of people afford them, and BN does help combat and compete against Amazon. Do with that what you will, and, no matter where you get them from, get yourself some books! Books are a beautiful, powerful thing. If they weren’t, politicians wouldn’t be trying to ban them and defund libraries. Exercise a small act of revolt and collect all the books they try to tell you you can’t.
The Pursuit of Whimsy
In my last blog post, I talked about my dedication to whimsy. I’ve felt a bit worn down by life these past few weeks, but one very simple and silly thing I’ve found is, any time I get stressed or overwhelmed at work, I blow some bubbles. My mom got me a giant tube of bubbles for Easter and I’m blowing through these bad boys like I have a nicotine habit I just can’t quit. It’s hard to not have a little flutter in your chest when you see bubbles floating around.
Another whimsical pursuit I’m going to incorporate into my life is stitching bright colors around holes in my clothes. I’m co-opting this from a patient, but she had the most lovely sweater with holes outlined in pinks and oranges. When I asked her about it, she told me moths had gotten to it and she it as a chance to add some color to her life.
Upcoming Events
Summer is just around the corner and that means book convention season is almost here! I have a few that I’m so excited to attend, and I hope to see you there!
A Meet (& Greet) Cute: Saturday, June 21, 2025 | Knoxville, TN
Romantically Yours Convention: August 22-23 | Orlando, FL
Romance Con: September 5-6, 2025 | Milwaukee, WI
The [Horrifying] GIF
Here’s this thing:
The End 🤡
All my love,
Mazey ❤️🧠🦷