Michael Geraghty's Blog

It's been way too long since I have put anything on my website, let alone get any productive writing done. There have been lots of things going on behind the scenes and with life in general that have put me in a funk for writing for quite a while now. Thankfully, all that is beginning to change.

I have felt better about putting stuff down on the page lately, even if it hasn't been here or with a productive book. I stopped and started three projects over the last year, having a hard time getting connected to any of them. I had never been in a rut like this before, and it was getting to me mentally and making me anxious if I had lost the fun of writing. I have thrown my energies into other projects, doing some support work for those who have suffered a critical illness or spent time in the ICU, something that is very important to me. Now I am trying to find a good balance to bring myself back to the keyboard.

It hasn't all been nothing behind the scenes. If you look around the website, you will see that I have new covers for nearly all of my books now. Thanks to the great people at Scarlet Lantern Publishing, the new look has made the books look fantastic. To go along with that, The Cosantoir series and The Homestand series are both now also available internationally, with translated versions in French, Italian, German and Portuguese. You can find these versions available on Amazon now, and all the new covers are available here on my site or on Amazon in either e-book or paperback.

I also have a pretty big presence on TikTok now (my user name is mikegeraghtyauthor), and have a shop there as well. You can find me going live there a few times a week to chat about all kinds of things or just hang out and have fun. I also do lots of giveaways there, so feel free to connect with me and check it out. If you search about small-town romance writers or books, you will find me!

I also work with a PR firm now to help get my books some greater exposure on social media. Henry Roi has been a godsend and does great work with me, and we have been able to get my books into the hands of many people. If you are interested and getting onto the PR team so you can read and review my books, let me know and I can make that happen! It will also get you in on the ground floor when ARCs become available for any new books.

I plan to do a bunch of events this year and already have two lined up for the spring, with hopefully more on the way. So far, they are all local in the Orange County, NY area, but you never know if something fun will come along that I may want to take part in The picture below shows me with a local book club where they invited me to sit in on their meeting and discuss The Calm in the Storm. It was a lot of fun and I hope to do more like that in the future.

The best way to keep up with my activities is likely going to be through Substack. I did my first post on there this week and plan to post there at least once a week going forward so you can keep up with what I am working on, thinking about, and enjoying at the moment.

That's all I have for now. I promise I am working on new projects that you will see in 2025. The last two years have been a bit of a trial, but things are starting to come around now and I am feeling more like myself again, which is a good thing. Keep your eyes on this site, Substack, and my social media and you will see it all!

Hey there! I know, I know - it's been a while - again. Life since June has been tumultuous. I've had a lot happen to me personally since my previous post, so let me bring you up to speed a bit.

I went through some health issues of my own in the spring and summer, and it took me a while to straighten them out. I had some kidney and liver issues and a fling with Type 2 diabetes, and it all caused some severe soul-searching on my part. After meeting with my doctors and getting on the right program and medications, I am proud to say I am sixty pounds lighter today and moving in the best direction healthwise that I have in a long time.

The next event was not a pleasant one either. My mother had been battling dementia for the better part of a year. It was difficult to watch and go through, and I spent a lot of time in the spring and summer with her, helping out the best I could, along with my five other siblings. It meant spending much time in Charlotte, where she lived, and away from my home in New York. It was stressful for all of us, and sadly, Mom passed away in July. We all grieved together, and it has helped to bring the six of us closer together, even more so than in the past. It is a comfort to know that Mom isn't suffering anymore and is with Dad looking down on us.

There has been a lot to do to work to settle Mom's estate. Anyone who has gone through the process knows the challenges, and it is an ongoing process for the family. We continued to work through it and had a lovely memorial for Mom in September in Charlotte, where friends and family came together to honor her.

So, that brings me to where I am today. Getting back on the writing horse has been tough for me. My head has been filled with so many other things that bringing myself to sit at the computer and dedicate time to writing has been one of the furthest things from my mind. However, the last few weeks have helped to straighten me out.

I spent some quality time in Maine with good friends, that allowed me to clear my head. They have a beautiful cottage in Caratunk, Maine, called Cottage on the Kennebec, that I stayed at for four days. I sat by the fire and looked out over the river in their backyard, traversed log roads looking for moose, enjoyed the mountain views, spent fun time with their family, and had great conversations that helped me. I can't thank Kim and Mike enough for those days. I also got some alone time with my thoughts and wrote in my journal and on my computer to help get me out of my rut and give me a spark.

Upon my return from Maine, I had a good conversation with a close friend about everything. Gina owns and runs Meadow Blues Coffee in Chester, New York, one of my favorite haunts and places to write, and she is great about setting me straight and telling me exactly what she thinks, with no holds barred. Sometimes, that is just what we need to get moving, and it was for me.

She also connected me with a new bookstore in our area, The Book & Nook, in Warwick, New York. I went over to meet Candace, the owner, and she has a beautiful shop. She welcomed local artists and writers and happily took six of my books for her shelf. We also had some preliminary discussions about having events at her shop for my next book release and something involving Hudson Valley Scribes, the writers' group I am part of in the Hudson Valley.

It also brings me to my current writing. I have a lot of balls in the air right now. I am taking part in NaNoWriMo 2023 to work to get the bulk of The Eye of the Storm, Book Two in The Celtic Sisters series, underway. I know it's been a while and people want to know what happens with Cat! I hope the inspiration stays with me, and I can get this novel mostly done with some determination this month.

I also have two other projects that I am just getting underway. I have started taking classes online to learn more about horror writing and memoir writing. They are both areas that I want to explore more. I have always wanted to do something in the horror genre, and the more I learn, the more I look forward to it. I'll keep you posted as I go along with my classes from AutoCrit and Writer's Digest. I have also taken a few lessons in memoir writing. I have taken a Jane Friedman course, I am taking another with Writer's Digest, and I have read books by Mary Karr and Marion Roach Smith to get me moving in the right direction. I feel like I have a good story to tell regarding my experiences with illness, coma, rehabilitation, recovery, PTSD, and more. There is still a lot of research and work to be done on my part, but it is something I am moving forward with and have high expectations.

Okay - I think that brings you up to speed on me. I'll be posting more regularly now (really! I promise!) for accountability purposes with NaNoWriMo and so that you can all stay abreast of what's going on. The Eye of the Storm will be dedicated to my Mom, one of my biggest fans and supporters not just of my writing and book but in life. I know she's with me through all of this to help guide my journey. Hopefully, you will all stick with me as well.

Until next time!

Okay, in this case, a picture isn't worth a thousand words; instead, it's worth a $20 Amazon Gift Card! So I will run a little contest this week, leading up to my appearance at the Passaic County Book Festival on Saturday, June 10th.

The contest is pretty simple. You only have to post a picture of one of my books in your setting. How about one on the back porch, at the beach, in the hot tub, in your living room, or wherever you want! Even better is a photo of you with one of the books. Just post your photo on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and tag me (my Twitter is @AuthorGeraghty, Instagram is @mikegeraghtyauthor, and Facebook is either Mike Geraghty Author or M.Geraghty Author Page), or post the picture directly on my pages, and you are in!

All of this leads to my appearance at the Book Festival this Saturday. I will be at my table from 11 AM to 4 PM, with all my books available for purchase and signing. I am also participating in a panel discussion at 11 AM titled The Book of Love: Capturing the Essence of Romance in Novels Session I. It promises to be a lovely Saturday, so come out and say hello. Sean and Michelle will be there with me, and I think Chester is also coming along! I'll also have some new merchandise to offer to add pictures of tomorrow.

If you don't have one of my books (a picture of the ebook is okay, too!), you can pick one up from my Amazon author page, Barnes and Noble, or on my website! You can download the ebooks from Amazon and have them instantly, and three of my Lacy Hart books - Burnt, Change-Up, and After Midnight - are also available on Audible!

Don't wait too long to enter. I'll share some of the pictures I get as I go along, and you won't want to miss out!

Okay, so here it is - big announcement number one! I'll appear at the Passaic County Book Festival on June 10, 2023! The event occurs at Weasel Brook Park in Clifton, NJ, from 11 AM until 4 PM. You will find my table there so that you can come by and chat!

I'll have a selection of my books there for purchase, including my latest, The Calm in the Storm, and I will be glad to sign copies for anyone.

I will also have some freebies for you to pick up and some merchandise for sale. In addition, I'll unveil some new products you can find with different logos from my books that you can take home with you.

If all that isn't enough, I will also be part of a panel discussion that day! I will be a panelist for The Book of Love: Capturing the Essence of Romance in Novels. It is part of the first session and begins at 11 AM. You can join me, West Mitchell, Joan Ramirez, and D.V. Stone and see what we have to say about writing and romance. Janette Pardo moderates the panel, and it should be exciting and fun. I'm very excited to have this opportunity!

I also just created a new page on Facebook - M. Geraghty Author. You'll still be able to find me on my usual Facebook profile, but this page gives me a dedicated landing spot for all things writing. So feel free to check it out and follow the page as it develops. And, as promised, I started up One Dad's Kitchen today. So if you are always looking for recipes or new food, check it out or subscribe!

That's it for today. Stop in tomorrow, where I will share great new things with everyone. I have other events, the latest merchandise, writing I am working on, and more I want to share with you. See you tomorrow!

A lot has happened over the last few months that I need to catch everyone up on. I see my previous post was in February, and with all the good intentions I may have, a lot in life has certainly gotten in the way lately.

First things first, with good news. That picture to the left here is Chester, our new dog. Sadly, our dog Flash passed away last July after giving us thirteen years of joy and love. I desperately wanted a new dog but waited until the right fit came. So when I saw Chester's face and name, I knew it was him. He fits in nicely with all of us in the house.

Secondly, I had a book release in March! The Calm in the Storm came out in March and is the first in The Celtic Sisters series. It is a darker romance than I have done in the past while still taking place in the Hudson Valley. The book is available in paperback or e-book on Amazon, and you can also order it from other retailers. You can even get a signed copy from me here on this site!

I am just getting underway with book two in the series, so I still have a way to go, but you will undoubtedly have it in 2023. You may also notice a direction change in the usual style of what I have written in the past. The stories I have in mind and hope to create are darker and have more of an edge to them. In addition, the themes and characters I want to use will change as my writing grows and develops, and I believe it will help me create better books for you to enjoy.

I also have many other plans for what will come this summer. I have several public appearances lined up, one of which I'll tell you about tomorrow. I'm looking forward to those! I also plan to resurrect One Dad's Kitchen, my cooking blog that I had halted in the past. You can follow along there and check out the recipes I try at home.

And finally, there is a newsletter that is developing that you can sign up for. I've been promising this one for a while, and it is finally coming together in a way that I want so that I can share it. The newsletter will help us connect so you can learn more about my writing, what I am working on, appearances, giveaways, and more. I will also offer an exclusive to those who sign up for the newsletter, so you will get pieces of a newsletter-only story I am working on. You can subscribe to the site here, and I look forward to the newsletter soon.

Finally, I am glad to be working to get back on track. The last six months or so have been difficult for me. Health issues have cropped up with family members that have taken my time away from home, and I have also had my health scares to deal with. Thankfully, I am getting my health under control (I'm down 33 pounds now!), and things are getting better. But again, I appreciate all the love, patience, and support from family, friends, colleagues, and readers.

Okay! Prepare for tomorrow when I announce my first public event of the summer. Until then, enjoy the day before you!

Yes, I know - I haven't been around on the blog much in the last six months or so. Okay - I haven't been around at all! My apologies for that, and I am working so that I appear regularly, at least a couple of times a week, on all of my social media outlets.

2022 proved to be a busy year with the publication of Demon, book 4 in the Cosantoir series. I also did several public events along the way. It was wonderful to get out and meet some new people and some readers to find out how they liked the books I offer.

I also spent a lot of time researching and writing my next book! Yes, there is one coming, and hopefully coming soon. As I write this, the book is being edited, touches are being made on the cover, and plans are being laid for a release date. As soon as I have more information on all of that, I will be happy to share it. I can tell you that this book is different from the others I have done. It is a new series that I hope you will enjoy as much as I have writing it. Early input from beta readers has been very encouraging, so stay tuned for more.

I'm also at work on outlining the next book in that series and plotting out a couple of other ideas for new stories that are fun, exciting, romantic, and sexy. I won't say too much about them since they are in the planning stages, but I think we will have much to look forward to.

What will 2023 bring? I think it will bring lots of new adventures and ideas, fabulous stories, public events where you can come out and see me, more giveaways and contests, a greater social media presence, new merchandise, and lots more. I am very excited about what the new year will bring!

Keep your eyes peeled for more information about the next book. In the meantime, feel free to browse the website, pick up a signed book or two, or go to my Amazon author page and order a book electronically and get it right away. And if you have read any of my books, let me know your thoughts! Leave a comment here or a review on Amazon, Goodreads, Bookbub, or anywhere else, and feel free to tag me. All my social media is listed on the site, or you can email me at mikegeraghtyauthor@gmail.com.

Thanks for sticking with me, and stay tuned!

It's the last day of August, and the summer has been something of a whirlwind for me so far. It's hard to believe August is over and we're getting ready to move to fall already! I hope you have had a good summer so far. I know mine has been quite a busy one.

I took a trip to the Outer Banks with family, which is always a great time for us to get together. I also had a book release in July, when Demon came out and was well-received. Thank you all for your support and for taking the time to read the book. If you're looking to snatch up a copy, you can pick one up right here.

I also managed to squeeze in a couple of book signings this summer. The first took place at a craft festival at Keen Lake in Waymart, PA. I had a great time meeting some new people, chatting and signing books.

I also had fun doing a signing at Well Worn Books in Middletown, NY this past weekend. This fun local bookstore has a fantastic offering of new and used books that you will enjoy. They offer books online for sale, including those by local authors like myself!

Now, as summer nears a close, I have another public appearance to announce. The Village of Monroe, NY has its Cheese Festival returning this year. If you are from the area, you know the festival was long a favorite of the locals, and this year's event promises to be great with lots of live music, wine and cheese, food vendors, craft vendors, and me! Yes. I will be there as a vendor selling and signing books. Mark down September 10th on your calendar. The festival runs from 11 AM to 7 PM and takes place on and around Lakes Street in the Village of Monroe.

Make sure you stop by my booth and say hello. I'll have books for sale and signing, or I'll be happy to sign a book you already have if you would like. I may even work in a giveaway or two for people that show up. I can't wait to see you all there.

That's all I've got for now, but stay tuned for more updates here on my site. I am working on a newsletter that I hope to put together and have out shortly, and there is a new book with research underway that I can't wait to talk more about as I move along in the writing process, so you will want to be sure to keep up with the latest happenings.

Talk to you soon!

Today is the day for Demon! My latest book in the Cosantoir series focuses on Demon, aka Darryl, a character you have met in each of the previous books. This story gives you better insight to him, introduces you to a few new characters, brings around some old ones, and has all the romance, action, and spice you expect in one of my books.

You can pick up the book today for your Kindle or in paperback on Amazon today, or you can request it from your local library or bookseller and they can get it for you. Here's the link for it:

Get Demon now

Thank you again for all your support, and I'll be back around over the course of the weekend to bring you up to speed on Demon and what is coming next!

If you follow my writing, you know that small towns play a significant role in all my books. It's probably because I have lived most of my life in a small town in New York. So while Monroe has grown exponentially in the forty-plus years I have been here, you will still have areas of that small-town feel that come across to me.

In my MC series Cosantoir books, a lot of the action takes place in the village of Harriman, where I live now and a part of the town of Monroe. Harriman itself is pretty small, but it works as the ideal setting for what I want to do in my books. I use a large portion of the surrounding area in the entire series and as inspiration in my other books. You'll find locations in Chester, Greenwood Lake, Monroe, Rockland County, Westchester County, Bear Mountain State Park, Harriman State Park, and many other spots nearby. If you are from this area, the recognition helps to make the books come alive and more fun to read.

You will always find small-town business in my books to go along with the small-town aspect. Local businesses are the backbone of our culture today, and I do my best to support locals whenever possible. Not only do I try to shop and promote these places, but I use many of them in books as settings or for scenes. For example, in my upcoming book, Demon, you will find mentions of almost twenty businesses in and around the Monroe area. Some of my favorites include:

Meadow Blues Coffee, Rushing Duck Brewing , Greenery Plus Florist, Dave's Daylight Donuts , Harold's Barber Shop, and Plum House.

There are many others sprinkled throughout all the Cosantoir books that you will find if you are familiar with Monroe, Harriman, or the Hudson Valley. Part of what makes writing these books fun is discovering ways to incorporate the nearby attractions and businesses into the story.

I can promise you that you will always find my neighborhood in whatever I write in one form or another. Writing what you know is not only a great way to begin the writing process, but it can help you create a more refreshing atmosphere that connects well with the readers of your stories. So I'll keep doing it as long as it works well!

Oh, and I almost forgot, before I wrap up for the day, how about a little teaser regarding my upcoming book, Demon? So take a look and have a great day!

Good morning, everyone! Here's a quick post on a beautiful Sunday morning to let you know that the ARC copies for Demon are now available on Booksprout!

If you are unfamiliar with an ARC, it stands for Advanced Reader Copy. This is a completed copy of the book that you get electronically so that you can read it before the official launch date. You get the book for FREE and promise to provide a review for the book on Amazon and other locations.

Your feedback is an important part of the publishing process, and this is one way you get to participate and assist me.

If you would like an ARC copy, please follow this link and you can find out what you need to do:

Demon ARC Team

Please note that there are limited copies available and there is a deadline for reading and reviewing the book, so you want to move quickly to claim a copy for yourself. While this is book 4 in the series, each book does standalone so you can read it without having read any of the previous books in the series. Also note a few trigger warnings you may want to be aware of before choosing to read the book - kidnapping, murder, sexual situations, imagery and language, adult language, and violence.

Thank you again for all of your assistance, and you'll be hearing from me a lot more as we get closer to the big release day. Thanks and have a wonderful day!