Jamie Beck's Blog, page 3

Attention Bloggers Who Enjoy Multigenerational Women’s Fiction!

I’m really excited about my September release, TRUTH OF THE MATTER, which is available now to bloggers for request on NetGalley.

Starting over means looking back for a mother and daughter on the road to reinventing themselves in a moving novel about family secrets and second chances by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jamie Beck.

Seventeen years ago, two pink stripes on a pregnancy test changed Anne Sullivan’s life. She abandoned her artistic ambitions, married her college sweetheart before graduation, and—like the mother she lost in childhood—devoted herself to her family. To say she didn’t see the divorce coming is an understatement. Now, eager to distance herself from her ex and his lover, she moves with her troubled daughter, Katy, to the quaint bayside town of Potomac Point, where she spent her childhood summers.

But her fresh start stalls when the contractor renovating her grandparents’ old house discovers a vintage recipe box containing hints about her beloved grandmother’s hidden past. Despite the need to move forward, Anne is drawn into exploring the mysterious clues about the woman she’s always trusted. Gram’s dementia is making that harder, and the stakes intensify when Katy’s anxieties take an alarming turn. Amid the turmoil, uncovered secrets shatter past beliefs, forcing each woman to confront her deepest fears in order to save herself.

***

As with many of my books, I chose a frank, breezy style which I hope is both engaging and entertaining. In truth, I struggled while writing this one because, as a mother who walked away from a legal career to stay at home and raise my kids, I wanted to accurately portray both sides of the stay-at-home-mom coin—the privilege and blessing of being at home every day raising your kids, as well as the pitfalls of easily turning into someone you no longer recognize outside of your role as wife and mother—without being trite. I also wanted to commiserate with all mothers who too often attempt to be the “perfect” mom while simultaneously feeling that they are messing it all up. We’ve all been there, and it helps to know you aren’t alone! Finally, anxiety disorders among teens are on the rise, so putting a bit of a spotlight on that—to the extent it might help even one person—seemed important. I hope my research and work has done this subject justice. And while this is a women’s fiction novel centered around the growth of three generations of women, Anne does end up with a new love interest, and I think you will end up adoring the guy.

I am beyond grateful to bestselling author Barbara O’Neal (When We Believed in Mermaids) for offering a beautiful cover quote (“This is [a] sharp and graceful tale of mothers and daughters, secrets and tangled family histories. Jamie Beck brings her clear-eyed prose style and smart characterizations to the story of a mother and daughter doing their best—and often failing—to make their way to a new life after a divorce. A thoughtful, moving book from a writer stepping into the fullness of her talents.”). The book also earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly, which said, in part, “Beck spins a poignant, multigenerational coming-of-age tale as these three women navigate their identities, dreams, and love lives. Complex and introspective, this is by turns heart-wrenching and infectiously hopeful.”

If any of this interests you, I hope you have good luck with your request for an early copy. For the non-bloggers out there, I hope you will consider shelving TRUTH OF THE MATTER on your “Want to Read” shelf. Enjoy your summer and please stay healthy!

XO

Jamie

Women’s Fiction Day Giveaway!

June 8th is Women’s Fiction Day, which is something to celebrate! I love stories about women’s journeys–whether as friends, sisters, daughters, mothers, and wives. To celebrate, I’m giving away a signed copy of my new release, IF YOU MUST KNOW, a sisters story in which oil-and-water sisters not only learn to trust each other, but also learn to trust in themselves. For a chance to win the book, follow me on GOODREADS and reply to this post there. I’ll pick a winner from those commenters on the 9th of June.

Here’s the back jacket copy:

Sisters Amanda Foster and Erin Turner have little in common except the childhood bedroom they once shared and the certainty each feels that her way of life is best. Amanda follows the rules—at the school where she works; in her community; and as a picture-perfect daughter, wife, and mother-to-be. Erin follows her heart—in love and otherwise—living a bohemian lifestyle on a shoestring budget and honoring her late father’s memory with a passion for music and her fledgling bath-products business.

The sisters are content leading separate but happy lives in their hometown of Potomac Point until everything is upended by lies that force them to confront unsettling truths about their family, themselves, and each other. For sisters as different as these two, building trust doesn’t come easily—especially with one secret still between them—but it may be the only way to save their family.

Also, if you’re looking for other great romantic women’s fiction novels, check out these recent and upcoming releases:  Sonali Dev’s Recipe for Persuasion, Priscilla Oliveras’s Island Affair, Kwana Jackson’s Real Men Knit, Tracy Brogan’s The New Normal, Kristan Higgins’s Always the Last to Know, and Barbara O’Neal’s The Lost Girls of Devon.

XO-

Jamie

Free for Amazon Prime Members This Month

Exciting news! My June release is one of the Amazon First Reads books this month, which means that, if you’re a Prime member, you can choose to download it for free right now. If you aren’t a Prime member, you can pick it up for $1.99 through the First Reads program, too. I had such fun writing this sisters story. It’s something of an escapist beach book, so consider it a really cheap mini-vacation to the Chesapeake Bay area. Enjoy!

“Beck expertly captures the bickering between sisters, the pain of regret, and the thorny path to forgiveness. With well-realized secondary characters…and believable surprises peppered throughout, Beck’s emotional tale rings true.” —Publishers Weekly

“[Beck’s] heartwarming novel explores the sisterly bond with a touch of romance and mystery.” —Booklist

“In perfect prose, Jamie Beck weaves a story of two sisters at odds, relationships in peril, and lives turned upside down. A testament to the strength of family—and the beauty of forgiveness—If You Must Know is a summer read with staying power and a poignant reminder that what we need most will always find its way back to us.” —Kristy Woodson Harvey, bestselling author of Slightly South of Simple

XO-

Jamie

Coping with Covid-19

For many of us, Covid-19 is one of the most extreme and concerning things we’ve faced in our lifetime. Even those of us who are healthy and financially secure are facing the ill-effects of isolation and the stress caused by uncertainty. For those who don’t subscribe to my newsletter, I’m reiterating some of my ideas for making the most of your time at home:

Food Scarcity/Struggles. I realize not everyone can relax right now. Some are worried about basics like food. Check out this Food Lifeline Service for help.
Childcare Needs When You Can’t Work From Home.  If your kids are home from school now but you must still go to work, here is a link to tell you all your employment rights during Covid-19 restrictions.
Reading. If you are at home all day and night, now is the time to tackle your “To Be Read” pile (or add to it). To help, I’ve got a bunch of books on sale this month (see photo above).
Learn a language or hobby. There are no shortage of “lessons” on YouTube, so pick something you’ve always wanted to learn (drawing, knitting, a new language ) and get cracking. Who knows what you might accomplish in two or more weeks!
NetFlix. I love dark TV shows, Jason Bateman, and Laura Linney, so I’m thrilled that Season 3 of Ozark begins on March 27th. Until then, there are so many great series and documentaries on NetFlix (the husband and I are watching the McMillions documentary now–about the big swindle in the McDonald’s Monopoly game).
Cookbooks. Now is a great time to dust off the old cookbooks and take your time preparing new and creative recipes. If your kids are old enough to help, get them involved and teach them an invaluable skill.
Spring Cleaning! This is what my mom is doing. I’m not quite motivated yet, but who knows what I might do in a week.
Adult Coloring. Order some awesome coloring books and crayons or pencils from Amazon and enjoy this meditative activity, which is sure to help reduce your anxiety.
Pull out the games. Boggle, Scrabble, Apples-to-Apples, or poker, anyone? After dinner, gather the family around and play some of your favorites. Bonus: It gets everyone off their screens!

We’ve also found using Facetime (or Skype or Zoom) so you can see your friends when you talk to them is helping a lot. Good luck staying sane and healthy!

xo,

Jamie B

Attention Bloggers and Book Reviewers!

Just a quick note to let folks know that advance review copies of my summer release, IF YOU MUST KNOW, are now available on NetGalley!

This book is special to me because it’s my first foray into writing mainstream fiction. When I decided to pivot away from romance, my goal was to craft something entertaining and a bit escapist while also maintaining some heart. Like most of my previous books, this one involves a complicated family. But while many family stories trade in material secrets or substantial betrayals, I’ve chosen to explore the ways common sibling rivalries and petty jealousies affect family dynamics and individuals’ perceptions–of themselves and of one another.

I drew inspiration for elements of this sister story’s plot from two sources: my mother’s best friend, who, at 74 years old, sold her house and now sails the East Coast and Caribbean year-round on her trawler; and the many stories my best friend’s husband, a forensic accountant, has told us throughout the years. For the bit of whimsy needed to lighten up the fictional family’s grieving of their fallen patriarch, I turned to my mother-in-law, a medium, to thread in the possibility of this trio of women communicating with the dead. My research took me everywhere from speaking with multiple law enforcement professionals to learning to make homemade sugar scrubs, so I had a lot of fun while writing this novel. I hope that joy bleeds through and adds to your reading experience.

In the end, I want the message most people take away from the story to be that our attitudes toward others often determine their attitudes toward us.

I hope you enjoy it!

 

Life turns upside down for two sisters in Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jamie Beck’s emotional novel about how secrets and differences can break—or bind—a family.

Sisters Amanda Foster and Erin Turner have little in common except the childhood bedroom they once shared and the certainty each feels that her way of life is best. Amanda follows the rules—at the school where she works; in her community; and as a picture-perfect daughter, wife, and mother-to-be. Erin follows her heart—in love and otherwise—living a bohemian lifestyle on a shoestring budget and honoring her late father’s memory with a passion for music and her fledgling bath-products business.

The sisters are content leading separate but happy lives in their hometown of Potomac Point until everything is upended by lies that force them to confront unsettling truths about their family, themselves, and each other. For sisters as different as these two, building trust doesn’t come easily—especially with one secret still between them—but it may be the only way to save their family.

 

 

Sneak Peek for Subscribers!

Friends, I’m super-excited about my next release, IF YOU MUST KNOW.

It’s a tale of two sisters that involves a little mystery, a little romance, a medium, and a dog! In other words, it’s engaging and entertaining—a perfect escapist story for the beach. If you want a peek at the first chapter NOW, subscribe to my newsletter. And if you’d like to be notified when it releases, add it to your Goodreads “Want to Read” shelf today!

I hope you enjoy reading this one as much as I enjoyed writing it.

xo,

Jamie

#pinkspines campaign

As you know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.

What you might not know is that the heroine in my September release, THE WONDER OF NOW, is a breast cancer survivor. As such, I’ve joined forces with BookSparks to raise money for The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and to surprise a few patients with gifts.

To learn more, go HERE to nominate your warrior, buy #TheWonderOfNow (BookSparks will donate 20% of profits for each verified purchase), and share your #pinkspines2019 on social media.

Although I’ve not faced this illness myself, I’ve had friends and family members who’ve awed me with their strength and courage in that fight. I also know that raising money for research is the least of what I (or anyone) can do to help patients. If you have someone in your life who is dealing with cancer, remember all the little things that can make their life easier–a grocery run, an offer to do laundry, endless hugs, and a safe space to cry when that is needed. And if you are a patient looking for advice and solace, you might also want to check out M.K. Meredith’s book, Not Your Usual Boob, which she describes as the book she wished she could’ve read when dealing with her diagnosis (and as “A little informative, a little sarcastic, a little funny—I hope—and a lot real.”).

xo-

Jamie

The post #pinkspines campaign appeared first on Jamie Beck | Wall Street Journal Best-Selling Author.

Some “backstory” on my new release!

Although I originally wrote this post for a release-week blog tour set up by my publisher, I think it deserves to be posted on my own blog, too–so enjoy!

Throughout my career, I’ve loved the challenge of redeeming a character that might be hard to like, much less love. In Peyton, I took on a particular challenge, because most of my readers are women, and most women don’t forgive a friend who betrays them for a man. This setup made redeeming Peyton a singular challenge and begs two questions: who is Peyton, and why should you care about what happens to her?

Peyton Prescott is part of a legendary literary family owing to her great-grandfather’s prolific career as a celebrated novelist. The casual observer would say she’s grown up in a mansion by the sea and enjoyed every privilege (wealth, beauty, wit). But life in Arcadia House wasn’t as picture-perfect as her family would have the public believe, and emotionally distant parents didn’t exactly model warmth or instill a sense of deep love and acceptance. She spent her twenties living out of suitcases and blogging about her travels, then had the misfortune of falling for her childhood friend’s boyfriend, who dumped that friend for Peyton…until she got diagnosed with breast cancer, at which point he dumped her, too.

Facing her mortality alone forced her to take a hard look at her life and her choices, spurring a sincere desire to become a better person, and to make amends with the friend she betrayed. Although she gets diagnosed in the first book in this series, and begins to make amends in the second, this final book is when all the threads come together. She and her famed-photographer brother recorded her journey from diagnosis through her final surgeries, collaborating on a memoir that is about to release (the proceeds of which will be donated to cancer research). Of course, at this point in time she’s more interested in moving on with her life than with reliving the experience with cancer and sharing those intimacies in public forums. Her attitude puts her in direct opposition to the publicist, Mitch, who is counting on her becoming his fledgling company’s big hit.

Despite Peyton’s flaws, of which she is well-aware, she also has strengths that draw people to her. She’s self-deprecating, witty, brave, beautiful, and empathetic. She now also has a heightened appreciation for living in the moment and not taking any day for granted—something the goal-oriented Mitch must learn to do. Although he has very good reasons for being disciplined and focused on his ambitions, he is instantly drawn to her energetic spirit and zest for life.

I confess that I struggled while writing this book, but it ended up becoming my favorite to date. Not just because I loved rising to the challenge I’d set up, but also because Peyton’s musings, fears, and hopes go to the heart of what connects us all, and because I think I gave her the perfect man to help her complete her much-needed personal growth arc. But you can be the judge!

10% of release week and preorder proceeds will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, so pick it up today at AMAZON or BARNES & NOBLE!

XO-

Jamie

The post Some “backstory” on my new release! appeared first on Jamie Beck | Wall Street Journal Best-Selling Author.

Something New!

To this point in my career, I’ve been what’s known as a traditionally published author. This means I secured a literary agent (a super one, at that!) and then she secured publishing contracts for my work. Each book has gone through my publisher’s editorial team. Each cover has been designed by an art department. Publicity and marketing plans have been arranged by teams of experts. I’ve liked that. I work well with a team and am very comfortable having many sets of eyes on my projects.

However, I’ve also been curious about the other side of the business–the self-publishing side. Those folks have complete control over everything from the content to the cover to the marketing of their books. I didn’t have the courage to try it on my own, but when my Fiction From the Heart author-pals asked if I wanted to contribute to a self-published anthology, I found my chance!

And, ta-da, one year later we have ONCE UPON A WEDDING (a Fiction From the Heart anthology of second-chance wedding-themed novellas). I’m super excited to share this with my readers starting JUNE 11th. You should recognize many of the names of contributing authors (in alphabetical order: Tracy Brogan, Sonali Dev, K.M. Jackson, Donna Kauffman, Sally Kilpatrick, Falguni Kothari, Priscilla Oliveras, Hope Ramsay, Barbara Samuel, and Liz Talley). I adore each of these ladies and can wholeheartedly recommend each of their novellas (and other work). And here’s the BONUS: for a limited time, the entire anthology is only $.99! (There is a print version that is more, but for nearly 800 pages, we had to price it high enough to cover our costs).

It’s available on Kindle, iBooks, Nook, and KOBO, so I hope you’ll pick it up this week.

XO

Jamie

The post Something New! appeared first on Jamie Beck | Wall Street Journal Best-Selling Author.

When I Was Brave–A Thanksgiving Past

Thanksgiving has long been my favorite holiday because there is nothing better than sitting down to a fabulous meal with my favorite people. This year, our family enjoyed a quiet holiday with only my mother and brother at our table (typically we are all in Pennsylvania with the extended family). Despite missing the chaotic party atmosphere I grew up with, I enjoyed the relaxed holiday. I also noticed my kids doing what I used to do as a teen during the holiday–namely, juggling their time with family, friends, and love interests. Watching them made me remember how much braver I was about love back then, too. How so, and what the heck does that have to do with Thanksgiving, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you…

When I was in tenth grade, I nursed a massive crush on a senior named Robbie (a soccer player with blond curls and great legs). We ran in the same circles, but it was basically a one-sided “affair”–me with my heart on my sleeve, him always kind, but not really “into” me. Before he left for college, I wrote him a love song (of the unrequited type). It wasn’t very good, but I didn’t know it at the time, so I had a friend give it to him the day before he left for his freshman year of college. Just thinking about that bold move can still make me blush! And for those of you who’ve read Worth the Wait, you might recognize the similarity between this and Vivi’s note to David.