RESCHEDULED for October – keep an eye out in the next few months’ Newsletters for more information about dates/times/tickets. This is a ticketed event and crowns and Queen attire is strongly recommended! For more information, click here.
Indie Author Market with Slow Burn Books August 24th, 2025
Come check out the Indie Author Market hosted by Slow Burn Books – support local authors and discover new reads! Get your tickets here.
French translation of Queen’s Catacombs worldwide release: November 26th, 2025
Welcome to my Author Nook, a monthly podcast I created where I chat with authors about their upcoming releases and we nerd out over their literary brain children. Find it on Spotify here, and Youtube here.
As you know, I release episodes once a month with no set date so the best way to stay in the loop is to follow and subscribe on either Youtube or Spotify. Also, if you want to read ahead, here is the lineup for the next few months.
This month I am joined by Zoe Allison, author of The Wedding Engagement and The Ex-Mas Holiday to talk about The Wedding Engagement. So pour yourself a cup of tea and get ready to chat yearning, slow burn build-ups, and how to empower your leading lady.
Planning a wedding is so romantic . . . except when it’s not yours, and you’re planning it with the guy you’re secretly crushing on.
Scottish schoolteacher Liv Holland has a secret. She’s been carrying a torch for Arran Adebayo, her brother’s best friend, for years. A blind date gone wrong cements in Liv’s mind that Arran has no romantic interest in her whatsoever. But then, with her brother set to marry her own best friend, she and Arran are enlisted to help plan the festivities… After being left at the altar by his ex, single father Arran is having trouble managing his growing feelings towards the woman who is both his best friend’s sister and his son’s Liv. Then his mind is blown when fate thrusts them together for an unexpected blind date, but he messes up his chance to tell her how he feels. As the big day approaches and Liv and Arran’s connection intensifies, their chemistry chafes against their checkered romantic histories. Risking everything for love could mean losing each other forever . . . or being the next ones to find their happy ever after.
Do you want to know what’s cooler than watching fireworks on the ground? Watching them from the sky. If you’ve read my series, you’ll know that fireworks make for an unexpected trial by fire for the contestants in the Contest of Queens, and I’ve always had a soft spot for their drama and beauty. Well, seeing them from above was indescribable. Unfortunately, it didn’t make for the best photography…
Bragg Creek Book Store Gem
Second hand book stores are my kryptonite, and I was out in Bragg Creek for the weekend when I stumbled upon The Best Little Wordhouse in the West – but there was nothing little about it! Already it feels like you’ve stepped back in time because the whole block is done up with Old West facades, but inside there were rows and stacks of so many beautiful books! Definitely check it out if you’re in the area.
Review Corner
Reviews are so helpful in getting word of Contest of Queens, Queen’s Catacombs , and Queendom Comeout there. If you have time, and if you’ve read the book, I would be eternally grateful if you could leave a star rating and/or a written review on Goodreads or Amazon.
Thank you to all the wonderful people who have left a star rating or review!
Welcome to March’s newsletter. If you showed up by accident but want to receive monthly content, please subscribe below:
In this month’s newsletter, scroll down to find:
Queendom Come Release
Author Panels
Review Corner
Queendom Come Release
What a whirlwind! There have been so many wonderful events and moments leading up to Queendom Come’s release and I can’t thank all those involved enough for how magical it’s all been. If you missed any of the updates on Instagram, I’ll include the main moments of joy below, and to summarize:
March 8: Banff Public Library partnered with the Whyte Museum book shop for a pre-release party on International Women’s Day! We chatted all things Frean, I shared a sneak peek reading, we drew the winners of the Colouring Contest, and attendees were able to purchase their copies a few days before the rest of the world!
Pre-order events were held at Slow Burn books in Calgary, Four Points Books in Invermere, Whyte Museum Bookshop in Banff, and Cafe Books in Canmore.
March 11th. Release day was a dream. I went to the Banff Springs Hotel (read: local castle) with Mum to celebrate at the spa, then met with some near and dear friends to clink many a glass of bubbly throughout the day.
March 15th was a friends and family celebration at home. We wore crowns, ate and drank the most delicious spread, had speeches, and I think I may have pulled a muscle in my cheeks from smiling so wide for so long.
March 22nd I attended an author signing event at Cafe Books in Canmore and we sold out of our copies! It was such a blast having an afternoon chatting with people about the series and fantasy in general.
Here are some of my favourite pictures from the 15th ❤
For a limited time, I’m sending these exclusive art prints to anyone who has purchased a copy of Queendom Come along with a signed book plate. To claim these goodies, please jump over to my Contact page and fill out the form.
Author Panels
March was a month of Author Panels, and it was such a treat to rub elbows with such incredible authors! (as if my TBR pile needed to get any bigger!) Each panel was filmed, so feel free to watch at your leisure below.
Review Corner
Reviews are so helpful in getting word of Contest of Queens, Queen’s Catacombs , and Queendom Comeout there. If you have time, and if you’ve read the book, I would be eternally grateful if you could leave a star rating and/or a written review on Goodreads or Amazon.
Thank you to all the wonderful people who have left a star rating and review! Check out my favourites for Queendom Come so far ❤
I guess it’s been a while since we did one of these so I thought I’d loop you in. I have two books coming out and one in the works.
The French edition of Contest of Queens (Le Tournoi des Reines) published by Lux et Nox is set to release October 19, 2024 in paperback and ebook. Click here for more information.
Queendom Come, the finale in the Frean Chronicles trilogy is set to release March 11, 2025. Click here for more information.
Mysteriously titled Pirate Novel. Manuscript is complete and I’m in the process of pitching it to publishers.
Author Nook: Putting the Gen Z in Regency with Aamna Qureshi
Welcome to my Author Nook, a monthly podcast I created where I chat with authors about their upcoming releases and we nerd out over their literary brain children. Find it on Spotify here, and Youtube here.
Welcome to this month’s Author Nook! I am joined by the lovely Aamna Qureshi, author of If I Loved You Less, a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma with a Pakistani twist. So pour yourself a cup of chai and clear your dance card, because we’re going to be talking about retellings, regency, romance, and recipes!
Find out more information about Aamna and her other works here: Website: www.aamnaqureshi.com Instagram: @aamna_qureshi Twitter: @aamnaqureshi_
If I Loved You Less
A joyful romantic comedy retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma!
I know what you’re thinking: poor little rich girl, she has everything, what else could she possibly need? Well, I’m looking for the great love of my life, thank you very much.
For Long Island native Humaira Mirza, it’s always been about love – and she has the matchmaking track record to prove it. Having successfully found ‘the one’ for both her aunt and her sister, the twenty-three-year-old is ready to claim a bit of romance for herself.
The perfect candidate? The gorgeous Rizwan Ali. But as Humaira employs her unique skills to obtain the perfect match with Rizwan, she’s forced to endure the disapproval of family friend Fawad Sheikh who she’s known forever. Fawad and Humaira have long traded barbs but as her romantic meddling leads to unintentional misadventures, she realises something shocking – is she starting to care what Fawad thinks?
The heart and backbone of Contest of Queens is the amazing cast of women who shore up Jacs as she strives to save the Queendom. I have a good imagination, but could never dream up this wonderful group of gals who inspired them. Once a year we (try) to get together for an epic adventure and this year we leaned more into the relaxation side of things and stayed in little barrel cabins on the Sunshine Coast in BC. It was an absolute dream. We sailed, swam, saunaed, hiked, ate delicious food and drank many bottles of rose… all in all, it was one heck of a trip and I’m so fortunate to know these ladies.
Inland Popping
Probably had the best Canada day long weekend to date traveling through Golden to Nelson, BC. We went golfing in Golden and I didn’t do half bad, went ziplining, luging, and see-sawing, and the drive! The drive was stunning. It involved a ferry crossing (which, the only thing that can make a road trip better is to start floating), and so many beautiful waterfalls.
I’d never been to Nelson before and that was a treat and a half. It has a wee streetcar that runs along the water front and the conductor is kind enough to let you ring the bell (if you’re 8years or younger). I would also highly recommend the cocktail bar: The Black Cauldron, it’s got some serious magic vibes and their concoctions were so fun – some even came out in a smoke bowl.
Review Corner
Reviews are so helpful in getting word of Contest of Queens and Queen’s Catacombsout there. If you have time, and if you’ve read the book, I would be eternally grateful if you could leave a star rating and/or a written review on Goodreads or Amazon.
Thank you to all the wonderful people who have left a star rating or review!
Queen’s Catacombs won a silver IPPY award in the Best Series: Fiction category. That’s the second silver IPPY this series has won, and the first award won by Queen’s Catacombs! I am ecstatic! Over the moon! And so mumma-bear proud of this series!
Author Nook: Building the Underdog with Brielle D. Porter and Madison Lawson
Welcome to my Author Nook, a monthly podcast I created where I chat with authors about their upcoming releases and we nerd out over their literary brain children. Find it on Spotify here, and Youtube here.
This month I am joined today by not one, but two fantastic authors: Madison Lawson, author of The Registration and The Registration Rewritten; and Brielle D. Porter, author of Jester. Today we talk all about building the underdog, how to write a believable down-trodden character, how to make the rules of a new world work, and the true meaning of family. So bring your trust issues and settle in to add a few wolves to your lone wolf pack.
Jester
What happens in Oasis, stays in Oasis.
Lisette’s father killed the King. His execution leaves Lisette alone, disgraced, and without the magic he intended to pass on to her. In Oasis, that’s a problem. Glutted with enchanted performers, Oasis is a sin city where courtiers pay in gold to drink, gamble, and above all, be entertained. To survive on its competitive streets, Lisette peddles paltry illusions in place of magic.
Desperate to prove herself, Lisette enters into a deadly competition to be chosen as the highest-ranked magician in the world, the Queen’s Jester. But her rival, the irritatingly handsome Luc, possesses the one thing Lisette does not— real magic. Lisette will do anything to win, but when evidence implicating the Queen in her husband’s murder surfaces, Lisette must choose between redeeming her family name, or seizing the fame she’s hungered for her entire life.
The Registration
You can’t outrun the Registration.
Imagine it’s legal to commit one murder in your lifetime⎯if you Register the victim and accomplish the kill within fourteen days. So when Lynell Mize stands in line to Register the man who abused her as a child, she’s shocked to hear a stranger Register her to be killed. Why would anyone who doesn’t know her squander his one legal murder on her? Desperate to survive the next two weeks, she must find out who wants to kill her⎯and why.
Easier said than done as Lynell soon discovers that multiple strangers have used their Registration on her. Along the way, she reunites with her estranged husband who is determined to dig up a past Lynell prefers to keep buried. With only days left to live, Lynell fights to uncover the truth and survive a destiny not of her choosing.
The Registration Rewritten
When your greatest enemy is your best chance of survival.
Still bearing wounds from barely surviving the Registration, Lynell struggles to fill her new role as the heir and leader of the very system that aimed to kill her. She must convince the Registration committee and the country’s oligarchs that she can fill her uncle’s shoes, while simultaneously proving to the country’s largest rebel group that she is nothing like her uncle—ruthless and greedy . When Sawyer, the leader of the Resurrection, reaches out with proof that they are both on the hitlist of powerful people who wish to destroy the rebels and take over the Registration, the two women form an uneasy alliance.
With mere days until the committee announces a policy change that will increase the Registration’s lethal power, Lynell and Sawyer must find out who wants them dead—and all signs point to someone close.
Critical Hit: Campaign Complete
It’s out! It’s over! What bittersweet news for the world. If you’re new here, allow me to explain, I was fortunate enough to be a part of a four episode Dungeons and Dragons podcast with our incredible MC Smitherman, Alexander James (The Woodkin), Elijah Menchaca (The Glintchasers Series), and Jessica Homami as we play our leading lads and ladies and fight to restore our worlds and be the heroes we wrote about!
It was honestly an absolute blast, I’m so excited that the final episode is out because it’s a goodie! Here is a sneak peek at my favourite moment:
Here are the Spotify links if you’d prefer to listen to the adventure. All episodes as well as audiobooks and exclusive author interviews can be found on CamCat Unwrapped’s channel.
I absolutely adore my kayak, the HMS Flounder, and have been chomping at the bit to get her out on the open waterways once again. I think the stars all decided to align for my first paddle as it was the most surreal/stunning/special trips of my life. I went out to Two Jack lake and discovered that the ice sheets were still floating around. The next two hours were spent in exploration bliss as I navigated the water maze between these giant sheets of ice and realized that the wind kept changing their position so where once was an exit now became a dead end and at one point I had to hack my way through the ice.
It was made extra special when I realized the ice was made up of thin spears that broke apart into these long crystals at the slightest touch. Talk about Elsa’s paradise! It was such a magical day.
I’ve mentioned before than my favourite scenes to write in the Frean Chronicles are the flights with the Griffins- maybe it’s no coincidence that each book includes a weightless, gravity defying scene. There’s something about being level with the clouds, seeing how small we all are from above, and how vast and beautiful this world really is.
My dad has been flying since before I was born, so maybe it’s just in my veins, but whatever it is, any chance I get to dance among the clouds is one I’ll take. Especially with the world’s best pilot at the helm.
Readying for a Swoon
If you’re anyone with a pulse and a love of carriage rides, you were awaiting the Bridgerton season 3 release like I was. While it could never top the Queen Charlotte season, it had just the right amount of fan-fluttering moments to appease this gentle reader. I would highly recommend a high-tea viewing party for when the second half drops in June as it made the experience quite charming, filled the room with gasps and giggles, and involved much debriefing.
Review Corner
Reviews are so helpful in getting word of Contest of Queens and Queen’s Catacombsout there. If you have time, and if you’ve read the book, I would be eternally grateful if you could leave a star rating and/or a written review on Goodreads or Amazon.
Thank you to all the wonderful people who have left a star rating or review!
Check out this stunning review! I am so so blown away!
Interview with Roma Cordon, author of Bewitching a Highlander
My Thoughts
I was interviewed by Roma Cordon
I was interviewed by Madison Lawson
Contest of Queens Review Spotlight
Contest of Queens BOOKBUB FEATURE
This is so exciting! Until the end of June, Bookbub is featuring the Contest of Queens ebook for $0.99! Even if you’ve been curious about my novel, now would be the time to get a copy of your own 🙂
Romance in a Dangerous Time: an interview with Roma Cordon
This month I had the pleasure of interviewing Roma Cordon, author of Bewitching a Highlander. Read on for more insider info on characters, chemistry, writing a romance to bewitch your audience, and a sneak peek at the rest of the series (still to come!).
Tell me a little about yourself.
I was introduced to romance novels in my teenage years and instantly became a voracious reader. In the 1990s, I came to New York where I earned my undergraduate and graduate degrees. After taking a writing course with Anne Rice, in the early 2000s, I dived into the world of writing. Bewitching A Highlander will be my debut novel. I also write for the blog on romacordon.com.
What is “Bewitching a Highlander” about?
Bewitching A Highlander is a Historical / Fantasy romance, set in Scotland in 1747. It’s the story of Breena and Egan. Breena is a 24-year-old healer, hiding her neuroses and witchcraft, she sets out to rescue her father from an enemy clan, the Campbells.
While among the enemy, she learns about her family’s dark witchery past, and catches the eye of a debonair future Clan chief, named Egan Dunbar when he saves her from being manhandled by a bad-tempered Campbell guard.
Egan Dunbar is itching for revenge against the Campbell clan. He disobeys his father to help Breena, because he must settle an old debt, also, he is not only enchanted by her, but he cannot seem to keep his eyes or lips off her.
And to save Brenna from the Campbells, even though he knows she is full of secrets, Egan will risk everything, including disobeying his father for the first time in his life and inciting a clan war.
But the question is, can Breena trust Egan with the secrets of her family’s dark past, thereby putting her life and her family’s lives at risk.
What was your inspiration for this novel?
This story was inspired by a couple of trips to the Highlands of Scotland with my husband. I fell in love with the culture, the food and the country’s history.
There’s also something unexplainable, intangible, and inspiring in the air in Scotland, especially on the Isle of Skye that makes one think of fairies, witches, and forest nymphs. The witches part got me into reading up on the actual history of the witchcraft laws in Scotland. In Scotland in 1563 a Witchcraft Act was passed, making witchcraft a capital offense. Before this law was repealed in 1736, 4,000 to 6,000 people were tried for witchcraft and more than 1,500 were executed by strangulation or burning in Scotland. In Europe at large, where similar laws existed, approximately 50,000 people were executed for witchcraft. It was out of statistics such as these, that Breena’s paranoia, in Bewitching A Highlander, was born.
What kind of research was involved to make readers feel immersed in the Highlands?
Research is a fun part of the process of writing. For this book I travelled to Scotland and visited places like the Isle of Skye, Dunvegan Castle, Eilean Donan Castle, the Isle of Harris/Lewis, etc. I spoke to tour guides and shop owners. I consulted with spell craft reference writings by Scott Cunningham, Ann-Marie Gallagher, Marion Weinstein, etc. For period costumes I found Milla Davenport’s The Book of Costumes helpful and for architecture Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill’s Classic Georgian Style’s book was a wonderful source of information. Plus, it goes without saying, where would we writers be without Wikipedia, Google, and Pinterest.
Which character do you relate to most? Why?
Breena, the main character, is terrified of being burnt alive at the stake for her witchcraft. Because in her world, this happens to witches. She is also terrified the Campbells will find out what she is up to, searching for and freeing her imprisoned father. She is pretending to be someone she is not. If the Campbells find out what she is up to, they will kill or imprison her.
But even though she is terrified, she still searches for her father, and she still practices witchcraft.
I would never do it. I would never be as bold as my characters. If there was a chance my actions could lead me to being burnt alive at the stake, the answer seems clear to me, I wouldn’t do it!
But, on the other hand, the daily paranoia that Breena feels is something I can relate to. Daily things make me paranoid, like paper cuts and dust bunnies. Terrible things!
Which character or scene was the most fun to write?
The scenes between Egan and Breena were fun to write because it adds tension to the story. Breena and Egan are both strong characters who lead eventful, exciting, and dangerous lives. Their coming together was romantic and even explosive at times. Their character arcs were also gratifying to put down on paper since it added depth to the story.
What advice would you give aspiring romance authors who hope to capture a hot and steamy relationship between their own characters?
Don’t do it. Keep your day job. But if you must, only your love of the craft and your passion for writing will get you through it. It’s not for the faint of heart. And if you have what it takes, you will work your tail off, you will get through it and you will excel. And it will be worth it.
When writing steamer scenes, what helps engage a reader’s attention? What do you try to avoid?
The steamy scenes have to, in a way, be guided by the characters themselves. Their personalities and instincts come through in these scenes. These are vulnerable moments, and they strip the characters bare, metaphorically speaking. In my opinion, to engage readers, you have to cover the main five senses in these scenes. And I try to avoid insensitive lines or words, that may turn off readers.
What’s next on the horizon for you?
As Book I in the Scottish Highlander Warriors series is now completed, I am focused on the other two. Book II’s manuscript is with the Beta Readers, and after another edit by me it goes to a line/copy Editor. I am in the plotting stages for Book III at the moment.
Book II: What happens when an unstoppable British army captain, Slade MacLean, who is out for revenge and retribution encounters an immovable lass named Phoebe Dunbar (The sister of Egan Dunbar from Book I)? Raging and tumultuous fireworks. These two will have to survive each other first if they want to bring down common enemies.
Book III: When Conner Drummond was last in the Highlands, he fought the Redcoats at the Battle of Culloden. Now that he’s back, he’s in for a different kind of battle. One that involves a Hellfire witch by the name of Rowan MacNeil.
Reviews are so helpful in getting word of Contest of Queens out there. If you have time, and if you’ve read the book, I would be eternally grateful if you could leave a star rating and/or a written review on Goodreads or Amazon.
“This tale is a thought-provoking fantasy novel, a story you can fall into and not come for air for hours. I read it in two days. It was that good. Contest of Queens is one of those gems that needs to be found by more people. Strong world-building, good history, and robust feminist approach to societal economics. I am on the edge of my seat for the next installment in this story.”
Jordan H. Bartlett 