Holy guacamole, I cannot believe it's already July! Farah's Familiars goes to my editor for copy edits later this month, and I am both so nervous and incredibly excited to release this book into the world in August. HUGE shoutout to my beta and ARC readers - you are my best and biggest cheerleaders, and I appreciate you so much!

What's next?

I have so many ideas for the inhabitants of Ferndell, but before I can get to any spin-offs, I obviously have to finish Farah and Rune's story in book 2. 😉 I'm going with "Rune's Relics" for now as a sequel title: tell me what you think!

I'm particularly excited to write Rune's story because they, like me, have lived a life that rewarded being useful and punished seeking anything for themself. Book 1 sees Farah learn how to love herself, and accept the love of others, by way of Ambrewsia Cafe; in book 2, it'll be Rune's turn to learn a similar lesson, and the journey they experience is just as personal to me as Farah's.

Upcoming Events

I can't provide details quite yet, but I am working on planning a book signing during launch weekend! Stay tuned and keep an eye on my Instagram for the deets. 👀

Farah's Familiars releases on August 28th in ebook and paperback. Ebook preorders are currently live on multiple platforms! ARC reviews are already coming in, and I have to say it has given me so much joy to see others embracing my quirky little characters and their cozy world. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Life Stuff

For those who don't know, in addition to my writing, I also work full time and am pursuing my MBA! I just wrapped up the first of my summer classes this week, and boy howdy, this is not for the weak. Especially with the heat wave this week. I'm glad to be done with this one.

My cats, Lillie and Dash, help me get through the hot days. They are both very special kitties, Lillie with hind-limb paresis (walks like she's drunk) and Dash with radial agenesis (no forearm bones). I like to joke that they complete each other, each with one fully functional pair of legs. They may not be photogenic in the traditional sense, but they sure are cute.

Recent Reads

I've been busy this summer, so I've read less than I would have liked. But I did absolutely inhale Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews. Now, horror is not usually my thing, so I was surprised to find myself drawn to this book...but the hints of an ace-allo romance pulled me in. Once I started, I couldn't put it down, and I felt like I was losing my mind the entire time. Highly recommend! (I also recommend a cozy chaser afterwards if you're a wimp like me!)

I also have somehow gotten sucked into the Dungeon Crawler Carl universe by Matt Dinniman this last month, and I'm surprised at how much I'm enjoying this LitRPG series! I'm listening via audiobook, and Jeff Hays absolutely knocks it out of the park. I'm close to the end of book 2 and am itching to get my hands on book 3.

Another recent favorite of mine has been Her Lovely Champion by Mariah Rae Birch. The Sapphic Lady Knights series is a set of interconnected standalones that feature various women knights and the women with whom they in love--usually on accident, and with plenty of mishaps along the way. I read this during a camping trip in May, and it was a perfect fireside read.

That's it for now. I plan to send these newsletters roughly once a month, but only if I have something to say. I've never been much of a blogger, so we'll see how it goes! Thanks for coming along with me for the ride--I'm so excited to share it with you.

With all the warmth in my hearth and heart,

Holland E. Armeta