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June 2024

Hey there,

Perth is getting COLD ⛈ Rain has bucketed down for most of the week with a weird chill that feels chillier than the temperature readings suggest. I’ve been in 7°C (44.6°F) weather that felt warmer than the 13°C (55.4°F) moments we’ve had lately. Solace has come in the form of blankets, hot drinks from a freshly cleaned* kettle, and a pointless game called Tiny Shop on iOS.

Gaming is not my most productive trait, but it’s an easy way to break the inertia of a long day spent concentrating on writing and running a business. Do you get that too — difficulty switching off after several unbroken hours of focus? How do you get your head out of “the zone” and back into the real world?

Anyway, I’m working on establishing some good switch on/switch off habits for when The Guy from the Wedding comes back from my beta readers. Which should be real soon! If all goes according to plan, the cover art and release date shall be confirmed in August, which sounds like ages away, but I know it’ll come around before we know it. Stay tuned!

A book I’ve enjoyed lately is Falling for my Office Grump, a small-town “hotel restoration” romance by Callie More. Oddly, it wasn’t the romance or loved-up vibes that got me, but just one little moment between the MC and LI that reminded me what I love most about sweet and cosy stories. I don’t just read to escape, but also to reconnect, and it can be so re-centering to see mundane elements of the real world reflected in fiction.

* Little tip for cleaning a kettle: If you live in an area with hard water, pour 1 part vinegar with 1–2 parts water into your kettle, and bring to a boil. The acidity of the vinegar will dissolve the crusty remnants inside the kettle. Science magic! ✨

Peace,

Birdie 🐦

From friends and around the way

Dreamers in Cheshire Bay by H.M. Shander
Everything was perfect until Mia discovered the real reason Zachary moved to her utopia. The last thing she wanted was to declare war, but no one would change Cheshire Bay.

Christmas Cookies & Coworkers by Hope August
Eve insists on matching her coworker with someone who’d be perfect for him. But, there's a problem. Seeing him with someone does strange things to her heart.

Summer Hearts without the Steam
A closed-door romance book fair. Ends 30 June.

Cozy Mystery & Clean Romance
Free clean cozies and romance books giveaway. Ends 30 June.

Sweet Summer Nights
Heartwarming & wholesome romance book fair. Ends 30 June.

June Romance: Sweet & Spicy Books
Sweep-you-off-your feet titles in a mixed sweet & steamy book fair. Ends 30 June.

You might enjoy this too:

A thoughtful op-ed by Oliver Keens via The Independent:

Just as people might want to stabilise after a period of riding the highs and lows of drunkenness and hangovers, so someone going “boysober” might want to purge themselves of the bad aspects of dating: being at the mercy of someone’s mood swings or experiencing the stomach-flipping roller-coaster of receiving puppy-like attention one minute and ghostly indifference the next.

Read the rest: The ‘boysober’ movement should prompt men in their twenties to take a long, hard look in the mirror

By the way, reviews are a huge help to small-time indie authors. Both good reviews and bad ones help readers hone in on the books and authors they resonate with. If you’ve enjoyed one of my books, I’d love it if you would leave me a review or star rating on BookBub, StoryGraph or Goodreads.

The Guy from the Wedding – BookBub – StoryGraph – Goodreads

The Guy from the Internet – BookBub – StoryGraph – Goodreads

The Guy from the Library – BookBub – StoryGraph – Goodreads

The Guy from the Park – BookBub – StoryGraph – Goodreads

The Guy from the Flower Shop – BookBub – StoryGraph – Goodreads

Well, that’s it for now! Subscribe to my newsletter if you’d rather get these updates with pictures, sent to your email inbox. You’ll also get a little thank you gift for signing up.