August is here already, and I don’t know about the rest of you, but it feels like this summer is flying by! Of course, I am not a man made for the heat, much preferring the cooler seasons, so I suppose summer slipping away is a good thing. The fact that I’ve written so many novels that take place is summer is odd, now that I think about it. Regardless, summer trying to sneak out the back door means that autumn is on its way. If you’ve followed me on social media for any length of time, you know that autumn is my favorite season–and I lovingly refer to it as “Spooky Season.” Crisp days, cold nights, blustery weather, sweaters, hot beverages, hearty meals, root vegetables, pumpkins, Halloween, evenings with popcorn and blankets in front of the T.V.–it’s what I look forward to the rest of the year. So, it’s safe to say that I’m a very excited guy right now! I hope you’re all excited for the coming months as well.
Speaking of which, I promised that we would have plenty to talk about this month–especially since there wasn’t a newsletter last month. While I may not have as many details as you’d like in this newsletter, there is definitely plenty to discuss. And I will do my best to give as many details as possible while writing about the news I have for you. So, without further ado…
Let’s do this!
I’ve been teasing the upcoming release of two books in particular – GHOST IN THE CUPBOARD (SILAS ERIE PARANORMAL COZY #1) and BANG BANG HE SHOT HER DOWN (HEAD ROCK HARBOR MYSTERY #4). Today, I’m happy to announce that I have a GENEREAL idea of when these books will drop. And you’ll be happy to know…both are in 2025!
GHOST IN THE CUPBOARD is going to have a Halloween-time release date, and BANG BANG HE SHOT HER DOWN will have a release date between Thanksgiving and Christmas (between November 28th and December 25th) for my non-American and/or non-Christian readers.
In the meantime, click on the books above or any of the underlined links to go to the specific pages for the books. Obviously, the next newsletter will have specific dates and more information for all of you frothing at the gash to read them!
The other day, I was ruminating on how many books I’ve managed to release since I published my first novella, JUST A DUMB SURFER DUDE (not in publication at this time), back in 2018. Although many of the books were started well before 2018, I’ve managed to publish a lot in 7 years. However, it also occurred to me that I’ve abandoned nearly as many projects as I’ve completed. HA! To illustrate this fact, I thought I’d share a little gallery of book covers of abandoned projects. Just to annoy my readers (but you know it’s out of love)…
Some of these ended up being too personal to release, some I didn’t release because I moved away from certain genres, and one (CULT – notice I had two versions for the cover and couldn’t decide?) I didn’t release because my developmental editor told me that it would get me into trouble. HA! He was right. It was a book that would start fights I did not want to participate in. Of course, I should probably make it clear that the name and the pictures might make it look like I was implying being LGBTQIA+ is akin to being in a cult. That wasn’t what the book was about, so save your emails, brothers and sisters and other siblings of the alphabet mafia. It was a funny book, though. In my opinion…
Anyway, if you wonder why sometimes there’s a lapse in my publising schedule, it’s probably because a project that ends up never seeing the light of day was getting written…and ultimately abandoned. So time was lost. And here we are…
New Reader Corner
For those of you who are new around here, and looking to jump into the Chase Connor pool of books, it really depends on what you love to read. However, A SURPLUS OF LIGHT, is my most reviewed and, arguably, most popular book to date. It has a bit of a cult following (which is the best I could say about any of my books, seeing as I’m a small potatoes author), and takes place in one of those aforementioned summers. If you enjoy lyrical prose, coming-of-age tales, gay male and bi male representation, friendship that transcends all odds, and a story that spans years–all in around 35k words, this is the book for you! It’s available in paperback, ebook, audiobook (Brian Lore Evans did a wonderful job!), and also in Spanish.
Below are a few media recommendations for all of you. I recently read these books and watched this movie and loved them! Check ’em out!
WHEN GOD WAS A RABBIT by Sarah Winman – Sarah Winman was introduced to me with her novel TIN MAN—which I also adored. There’s something about the way she writes, her subjects, and the evocative scenes she creates, that makes me fall in love with every book of hers that I get my hands on. In WHEN GOD WAS A RABBIT, we follow and learn about the beginnings, misfortunes, fortunes, struggles, secrets, and desires of a family from Essex as they move up in the world. From Essex, to Cornwall, to New York, this novel takes the reader on a decades long journey to discover the uniqueness of family and self. I absolutely loved this one!
BOTTOMS – my husband and I watched this the other night on a whim. We were wanting to knock something off of our “To Watch List,” and this had been on the list for over a year. We went into it expecting absolutely nothing…and we were pleasantly surprised. Honestly, this movie should not work. It’s stupid. Ridiculous. Absurd. But it’s the funniest thing I”ve seen in a long time. Two lesbian teens, essentially, start a fight club as an after school club to impress girls and get laid. However, they find themselves teaching themselves and their new friends self defense and end up saving the football team from a rival team. Sooooooo stupid. Sooooooooo good. I can’t recommend this enough!
KNIFE by Salman Rushdie – was a deeply moving account of the attempted assassination of Salman Rushdie in August of 2022 due to a fatwa that was put on his head by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, after he published THE SATANIC VERSES back in the late 80s. Rushdie, for me, has been an author that I know many people struggle to enjoy–but how his words make me feel cannot be explained. His retelling of his attack, recovery, and closure(?) was something all readers and writers who value the freedom of speech and expression should read or listen to as soon as they can. THE SATANIC VERSES is also one of the most gorgeous and heartbreaking books ever written, as well. At least in my opinion.
Were you aware that every book in my catalog is now back on Kindle Unlimited? If I’ve written it, it’s a book that’s included with Kindle Unlimited. If you have a subscription, you can read any of my books for no additional cost! All I ask is that you leave a review like you would with a book you purchased and read. Throw ya’ boy a bone!
Until next time, make sure you’re following me everywhere you can for all the latest Chase Connor Books news and nonsense!
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