Happy New Year, Readers!
Do you make New Year’s resolutions? In addition to a raft of other resolutions, I’ll be finishing my fifth novel this year. My desk is strewn with research books and my idea board is overflowing with character arcs. Set at an elite boarding school for girls in Tucson in the mid-1930s (now Hacienda Del Sol), look for The Desert School for Girls sometime in 2026!
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THE IRISH GIRL
What a launch! We’ve sold through two printings of The Irish Girl already, with offers for an audiobook through Tantor narrated by Irish actress Aoife McMahon and a German translation through editor Manuela Schneider at EK-2 Publishing in Duisburg, Germany. I’m also honored that the book has been chosen as a subscription book of the month pick from Bethany Books in Delaware, with more than 400 readers.
A big shout out to all the bookstores that hosted me this past month for signing events:
- Seaport Books in La Conner, Washington
- Darvill’s Books in Eastsound, Washington
- Watermark Books in Anacortes, Washington
- Village Books in Bellingham, Washington
- Griffin Bay Books in Friday Harbor, Washington
Look for the audiobook this spring and the German translation this summer. And, if you haven’t already, get your copy of The Irish Girl at your local bookstore or online. I am open to in person and online book club events, too, so get your reservation in early as I only do 12 events per year.
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Upcoming Events
I plan to be at Tucson Festival of Books again this year in March and also at the inaugural Arizona Authors Book Festival in Phoenix in April. Check my website for details.
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Holiday Gift Books
I received a huge stack of new books for the holidays and am looking forward to a great year of reading!
- The Women, by Kristin Hannah
- The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon
- The Wildes, by Louis Bayard
- The Country of the Pointed Firs, Sarah Orne Jewett
- Hollow Out the Dark, by James Wade
- North Woods, by Daniel Mason
- All the Broken Places, by John Boyne
- Tell Me Everything, by Elizabeth Strout
- The Briar Club, by Kate Quinn
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Contest
While the rest of the country is snowbound, I’m jealous! I love a good snowstorm, especially if I’m cozied up with a great book.
To win a $25 gift card to your favorite bookstore, tell me what books you’re reading this month. ENTER HERE. I’ll alert a winner by random draw by the end of the month.
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In Closing
I’ve enjoyed writing a monthly newsletter for the past eight years and am going to take a break. Follow me on Instagram at https://instagram.com/ashleysweeneyauthor or check my website for news at https://ashleysweeneyauthor.com.
Let me leave you with this:
Everyone has something they’re facing, and often it’s invisible: grief, ill health, loss, heartache, uncertainty, estrangement, change. A kind word or note or touch can be so appreciated. And, best of all, it’s free! So I challenge you, when you’re frustrated or short-tempered or overtired (or even outraged), think before you act. And choose kindness above all.
Wishing you all a wonderful 2025 and Happy Reading!
Ashley