Happy Holidays etc. etc. PLUS A LITTLE NEWS 👀

The Grump Whisperer

        December 21, 2023

Happy Winter Solstice! I know many people dislike winter, but I LOVE it. I can't stand hot weather, and living in the Philadelphia area, well... It is truly disgusting around here during the summer months. I grew up in Boston and snow days were a common and beloved experience, and I probably associate winter with spontaneous days off and snowball fights. Of course, again, living in the Philadelphia area, well... It's been a long time since we've seen significant snowfall. Which is why the above picture is from several years ago.

But a winter-loving girl can dream, right? Maybe this is the winter!

I hope you have a restful, joyous, snug and cozy holiday season, whatever holiday you observe this time of year.

What is this.... BOOK NEWS??

It's been a looooooooong time coming, but there is the slightest, tiniest bit of news about my next book! Some of you may remember my excitement that I've been given the chance to write my dream—horse girl books but with love and sex in them!—for Harlequin's new imprint, Afterglow Books. Afterglow's first books will be published in January 2024, so definitely check them out!

My own book, which I have been creatively calling HORSE BOOK for lo these many, many months?

HORSE BOOK finally has a publication date and a title!!

The Grump Whisperer will be available in both e-book and paperback in November 2024. I am SO excited about the title, and another tiny bit of news: I have seen a preliminary cover design with MY OWN EYES! Stay tuned for that and pre-order info in the new year. Meanwhile, if you really want to do me a favor, you can add The Grump Whisperer to your Goodreads.

Here's the official book description:

Keep calm and ride on…

For fans of Elsie Silver and Hannah Grace comes a charmingly engaging story about tumbling down, falling in love and getting back into the saddle when it counts…

Horse barn manager Bronwen Jones is just about at her wit’s end. The barn is under new ownership, and things are going downhill fast. Now the situation is dire: bills are unpaid, they’re low on feed and hay, and the mountain of manure is the stuff of nightmares.

Which is when he arrives. Former show jumper Ian Kingston is an absolutely gorgeous wreck of a man with a deep scowl. He had the career she always dreamed of—until his most recent injury destroyed any hope of professional riding. Ian wants nothing to do with Bronwen, the responsibilities for horses or anything that reminds him of what he’s lost.

Only, Bronwen isn’t about to let their resident Mr. Rochester off easy. Not when there are horses that need tending. And when a glorious but skittish stallion arrives, Bronwen and Ian are forced to work together—even as attraction crackles between them. Both must face the pile of crap that’s keeping them from moving forward…and the outcome may be the greatest ride of their lives.

What I've been reading

Folks, I know I don't need to tell you this, but there are a LOT of great books out there. Here's a few recent reads that I've particularly loved:

Lucky Bounce by Cait Nary (out Jan. 2024)

At First Spite by Olivia Dade (out Feb. 2024)

We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian

Shucked by Kate Canterbary

Delay of Game by Ari Baran

As is tradition, here's a cute pet picture as a reward for reading this whole entire newsletter! This is my extremely sweet and mild mannered cat, Gus, by all appearances plotting world domination.

All the best,

Katy

Mailing address:

Katy James

P.O. Box 2121

Haddonfield, NJ 08033

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