September Book News
What's coming, what I'm reading, and more
The other day, a carton of books arrived at my door–always a pleasant event. Even better, this carton contained my author’s copies of A Wyoming Family Holiday, book 5 of my Adelaide Creek series, and the final installment. It can be odd to leave a series’ locale. In a sense it’s like moving away from friends I’ve made in the last few years. In a sense, I’ve relocated to a new community: I’m working on the first book of my new series, this one set in Colorado.
Barbara Taylor Bradford, a Publishing Pioneer
My writer friends have become used to me talking about my fascination with authors who have in some way forged a path in the writing world to such an extent, I consider them pioneers. One such author is Barbara Taylor Bradford (1933-2024). Her longevity in the publishing industry has always been remarkable. Her first novel, A Woman of Substance, came out in 1979. Today, many women, worldwide, recall the story of Emma Harte, who started life as a housemaid and ended up the head of a retail empire she created. Emma came back in subsequent books that form a long family saga, and an Emmy nominated miniseries. Many other books followed, often a series of novels that chronicle several generations of one or two families.
Why do I think of Bradford as a pioneer? For one thing, as stated in the Authors Guild Bulletin article about Bradford, “...her novels were revolutionary portraits of female ambition. Her heroines weren’t just seeking love, they were building empires, taking control of their destinies, and claiming their power…”
I wasn’t aware that Bradford served on the Authors Guild Council, first elected in 1989. According to Scott Turow, former president of the AG, Bradford was a champion of authors’ rights and the writing life, and her generosity and attitude of service to other writers marked more than 20 years of service to the AG.
Bradford also unapologetically embraced a glamorous image in an era in which a bestselling author might also be a media personality and readers were openly curious about an author’s lifestyle. An author of nonfiction as well as fiction, Bradford wrote 40 bestselling novels, a remarkable achievement in any era. Since her work was translated into many languages, she’ll be missed by readers in every corner of the world. Quite a legacy.
Books are “Busting Out All Over”
I’m not kidding. I never have to look very far to find authors releasing new books. The women whose books I’m listing below are only a sample of the authors I know from the write-ins sponsored by the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA). In many cases, I met these women when they were first plotting their stories, and going through many drafts and rounds of editing in order to produce their remarkable books. Like all authors, I sometimes wonder if readers understand all that goes into writing and publishing even one book! As I often say, we can love writing more than anything, it can be great fun and a source of joy, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t involve a lot of hard work.
Just released, this book is making quite a splash in the world of historical fiction. As the blurb states:
An historical novel inspired by the experiences of the author’s own family after the Holocaust, a sweeping saga about survival, loss, love, and the reverberating effects of war.
Carla Damron brings back Georgia Thayer, the social worker who made her first appearance in Carla’s award-winning novel, The Orchid Tattoo. Carla took on human trafficking in that book, and now Georgia Thayer doesn’t back away from another crisis in her community.
One shattered birthday party. Two teenage victims. A city drowning in fentanyl.
In early 20th-century Sicily, a talented painter, dreams of gaining admission to the Palermo Art Academy, but circumstances lead her to New York City in search of a fresh start. But what happens next isn’t at all what she expected!
A gritty story of a woman learning to survive in 20th century Gangland New York.
She thought retirement would be her happy ending. The world had other plans.
Lacey turns sixty with a retirement party–and a Norwegian cruise. But somewhere between midnight sun and morning coffee, this Type A executive, who spent decades solving problems, discovers she can't switch off that easily.
What is BookBub?
BookBub is … a few things. First and foremost, readers can sign up for free to receive notifications about sales and new releases for their favorite genres. But BookBub is more than that. A sort of online reader community, you can share reviews, browse recommendations, and sample new authors.
Follow me on BookBub to learn about new releases and special promotions.
This is a convenient tool to keep track of new books from your favorite authors!
September Notable Bookish Events
National Library Card Signup Month
Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month
6: National Read A Book Day (shouldn’t this be every day?)
8: International Literacy Day; National Ampersand Day
24: National Punctuation Day
25: National Comic Book Day
Last Week of September: Banned Books Week
Meanwhile, we can remember Agatha Christie, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Leo Tolstoy, three among many famous authors born in September, and send good wishes to the very much alive Kristin Hannah and Stephen King on their September birthdays.
Your newsy newsletters are a joy to read. I hear your warm voice beneath the words!