Hello, Goodreads Friends,

Today is my favorite holiday of the whole year—Academy awards day. I once dreamt that I won an Oscar—for best viewer! I gave a speech and everything. Movies are a great love of mine, almost as a great a love as books, and I like nothing more than to eat popcorn and watch the acceptance speeches and critique all the dresses and cry along with the actors. It’s my Super Bowl.

It has been an exciting winter so far. My partner and I went to Iceland, which was incredible—the landscape was like nothing I have ever seen, and I was so inspired by the way that Icelanders accept—and take advantage of—nature, instead of trying to conquer it (or ignore it all together.) I now have a pretty decent skyr (Icelandic yogurt) obsession, a new appreciation of licorice, and a deep longing to bathe in a hot spring everyday. The weather didn’t allow us to see the northern lights (one of the inspirations for our trip) but that just means we have an excuse to go back.

I turned in the last of the edits to my new novel, The Late Bloomers' Club at the end of January, and I am getting very excited for the launch! It comes out on July 17th. While it isn’t a sequel to The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living, it does take place back in Guthrie, Vermont, and, since Guthrie is a small town, of course there had to be a few cameos! It was such a pleasure to return to my little fictional town, and to get to know new characters. My main character, Nora Huckleberry, is the owner of the Miss Guthrie diner. I hope you love her as much as I do—she feels like a dear friend to me now.

If you are a blogger, a librarian, or a press-type person, and would like to read an advance copy, The Late Bloomers’ Club is available for request at Netgalley and Edelweiss! Here are the links:
https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/boo...
https://www.edelweiss.plus/#catalogID...

If you think you might like to read The Late Bloomers’ Club, it would mean the world to me to have you shelve it on your TBR shelf here on Goodreads. Shelving books on Goodreads, requesting books at your library, and rating and writing reviews are all free ways you can help authors get the word out, and I think I can speak for all writers when I say we really appreciate your support! And I’ll be sure to let you know when my publisher is offering ARC giveaways—that should be happening soon.

Here in the northeast, I have spotted blooming witch hazel, snow drops and fuzzy pussy willows all in the past week. Spring is coming, my friends. I cannot wait to get my hands into the dirt of my community garden plot.

May we all enjoy these last cozy weeks indoors with our books and movies, before the lure of warm weather brings us all back into the light.

Warmly,
Louise