ART ART ART
(I'm a little excited about this)
One of the horrible fun parts of being an author is that you’re usually keeping secrets for quite some time before you’re allowed to reveal them. Take, for example, character art. I’m a planner. Always have been, probably always will be. (I have three artists already booked for my 2027 release!) Which means that I’ve had THIS art ready to go since November. BUT. Other things had to happen first! Cover reveals! Netgalley! Goodreads giveaway!
NOW IT IS TIME. Almost. I mean. You’re free to scroll on past my rambling if you want and get to THE ART and then come on back up here if you like. But first I’m going to tell you a little about this moment and the story behind it.
If you’re new around here, Chase Me If You Can was inspired by my own storm chasing adventures. I’m not winning any contests (I’m not even entering them TBH!) but over the years on the plains, my romance writer heart just kept thinking, wouldn’t it be fun to write a book set in this world? I’ve always been a sucker for a road trip romance, and storm chasing is basically road trip + tornadoes.
The plot of the book is a product of my imagination. While there are annual photography contests (my chaser friend Lauren Baca recently won one!) the one I wrote into the book doesn’t exist. There ARE however little moments from my own adventures that have made it into the pages in one way or another. The scene that resulted in the character art I’m sharing today is one of them!
I wrote in my acknowledgements that I’d apologize for the pieces of my brother in this book, but we both know I’d be lying. We can consider this Exhibit A for why I’m not at all sorry.
We’d been on the road all day. Impressive storms? Not so much. Incredible double rainbow and mammatus clouds? Yes and yes. Bathrooms breaks? Not really.
Much like Sloane in the scene in CMIYC, I was busy taking photos and not really paying attention to what my brother was up to. I mean. This scene? Way more interesting than anything he had to say, tbh.
For those of you with brothers, it will come as no surprise that mine announced, loudly, he was off to water the ditch. What’s not obvious from the photo above is that “the ditch” was a pretty steep drop, and thanks to slow moving storms and torrential rain, full of mud. I don’t remember what I said exactly. I think it was something to the effect of “try not to fall in” - famous last words. (My brother and I share the clumsy AF gene.)
Now, this is a romance novel, so obviously the scene goes down quite a bit differently between Wes and Sloane than it did in real life, but I think we can all agree that my brother’s suffering was worth it — it gave us this magical moment:
The artist is the incredibly talented Julia JM (who also did the cover art!) and I couldn’t be any happier with how it came out! Details to come on where to order, but if you’re looking to get your hands on a copy, it will be included with pre-order incentives as a vellum insert.
Reading…
I just finished Alys Murray’s A LITTLE BUZZED the other day and it was such a good time. Women in STEM but make it spicy. I found the FMC, Scout, highly relatable (it’s possible I know a thing or two about being awkward AF), and it’s definitely a fantastic example of an idiots to lovers setup (positive!). It’s out today (Feb 17) and if you’re into the 90s romcom vibe but make it a (raunchy) book, this one is for you!
I also recently read Stephanie Archer’s The Wild Card and oh my god I cried my eyes out. Stephanie’s hockey series is one of my absolute favorites. The whole cast is so well done. Every book in the series feels unique, with characters who are layered, flawed, and such a joy to read. I’ve been waiting for Coach Ward and Jordan’s book for what feels like ages, and it’s a big ask for any author to live up to reader expectations years in the making. Friends, Stephanie Archer KILLED IT. I loved everything about this book. Sexy. Sweet. A perfect capstone on a thoroughly enjoyable series. If you haven’t given her a try, please do yourself a favor and correct that ASAP.
Soooo obsessed!
Okay but he's hot, I can't wait for it