I’m sure you’ve noticed that things look a little different around here!
For the longest time, I’ve been trying to figure out a way to combine my blog and my bookstore. Moving to Shopify turned out to be the answer to all my woes. The move went smoothly, aside from one problem… my domain. For whatever reason, Squarespace has refused to migrate my old domain (which I’ve had since 2009!) to Shopify, so the new web address is tashalharrisonbooks/.com. So update where necessary!
Now, what did I get up to this month…
October was another busy travel month! The kid and I went down to Orlando for Halloween Horror Nights, which was a blast. We agreed that Deadman’s Pier and The Horrors of Blumhouse were the best. Blumhouse was a twofer with Freaky and The Black Phone, which neither of us had watched. Anyway, both of us were genuinely scared in that house! And Deadman’s Pier was just really creative.
My second trip of the month was a solo trip to Savannah. Friends, this trip was an absolute delight. I always feel very at home whenever I visit cities/towns near the coast, and this trip was no different. Savannah was quiet and slow and full of lovely courtyards and cemeteries that I walked through and sat in for hours. As I stated on Twitter, a time was had, and I can’t wait to go back.
What I’m writing:
I can’t lie, my writing desk is pretty crowded right now! I’m not complaining, but my goodness, I’m looking forward to taking a rest.
First up is my novella for the Current Anthology, edited by Katrina Jackson and myself. This anthology’s proceeds will be toward Jackson, Mississippi, charities helping people affected by the water crisis there. You can get more info at currentantho.com.
My story is an erotic novella about a widow rediscovering herself after four years of mourning. She receives a letter from her husband on what would have been their tenth wedding anniversary. I have no idea why I wrote this heartwrenching story instead of something short, sweet, and bouncy. Here’s the blurb:
The Love That Remains:
Grief changes you and no one is more aware of that inescapable fact than Carlotta Mercier.
It’s been three years since her husband, John Paul, passed, but moving on feels impossible. She feels like a shell of the woman she once was, but what else is there? Better to just lose herself in work. Better to fill her days to the brim so she doesn’t have time to wallow. Never mind that she’s so lonely for his company that she’d rather be alone if she can’t have him. Never care that she’s so starved for his touch that her dreams of him border on hallucinations. Never watch because her heart will always be broken after losing the soul mate she waited most of her life to meet. How can anyone move on from that?
Apparently, John Paul knows.
In a letter written the year before he passed, Carlotta’s husband, who loved celebrating his wife and the day they married, guides her through a tenth-anniversary trip he planned before he got sick. A trip that will take her to his hometown of New Orleans where she will finally get to know the man he was before he left that city. Will this trip down memory lane help Carlotta discover who she is now that he’s gone? Can a young man who idolized her husband introduce her to the woman born from the love that remains?
This is EROTICA. THERE’S NO HEA.
- widow
- OWYM
- vacation fling
The first installment of Time & Tequila went up on Patreon, and we met Indigo Raymond. This week you will finally get Marcelo Santiago’s POV. You can start reading his character study and the first chapter of Time & Tequila on Patreon.
What I read:
I’m still rereading The Vampire Chronicles while I enjoy the new AMC series. The books are all still intriguing and enjoyable, but my god, Lestat is insufferable. Anne Rice put him through all manner of primarily self-inflicted foolishness that he never seems to learn from. He begins and ends every book in the same exact place—zero growth. But I imagine that’s the lure of the Brat Prince and is the thing that kept us reading, no doubt. I’m now reading The Vampire Armand. I remember nothing about this book! The book after this, Merrick, is my third favorite of the series behind The Tale of The Body Theif and Memnoch The Devil — both of which I listened to while walking around Savannah.
I also read Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes. I’ve always been a fan of her writing, and I’m thankful that Aviva reminded me of that when she slid into my DMs. Ninth Ward is book one of The Louisiana Girls series and tells the story of 12-year-old Lanesha, who was born with a caul and could see and hear spirits! I loved this story though it was a bit sad and full of grief. I’ll definitely read the others in the series this month.
What’s next:
I will be participating in several events next year! The first of which will be One Love Reunion in Charleston, South Carolina. Charleston is one of my favorite cities – a portal city. So I can’t wait to visit and meet readers there! Check out their website to see who else will be there!
The second event I’ll be attending is Krewe of Lit in New Orleans. If you’ve been paying attention at all, you know how much I love that city. So, of course, I jumped on the opportunity to participate in this amazing event!
Of course, I’ll keep you updated on these releases and events as things develop!
And now we’re all caught up!
xo,
Tasha