Katie's News and Reviews
February 6, 2024
Remnant Cover Reveal and Publication Date
February greetings from cold Jersey City!
I am thrilled to offer here to my newsletter subscribers both the cover reveal and the publication date for Remnant, my historical novel about the sister and daughter of Olaudah Equiano.
How do you like the cover designed by Wipf and Stock Publishers? I like the shades of green and the tone of loss, longing, and brokenness. The image could represent the Atlantic Ocean and the Middle Passage, Olu's forced trip to America. Or it could be the Ashley River in South Carolina, Olu's escape route. The endorsement excerpt lets readers know what the book is about.
The release date is April 24! I'm hoping to have an event at my college that day. The release is 13 days after the birthday of one of my main characters, Joanna Vassa. Remnant will be available for sale on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes and Noble, and the publisher's website, Wipf and Stock.
Book Recommendations
The new year has begun well with some wonderful books! I discovered a new writer whom I really love--Kate Morton. She is Australian and the two books I have read by her so far this year are Homecoming and The Clockmaker's Daughter. Both books have dual storylines and cover two time periods. Both books include a house that is so central to the story it acts as a character. As Kate Morton explains on her website, "I love stories in which the house is more than a setting, becoming a character in its own right."
The Clockmaker's Daughter is set in the mid-19th century in Birchwood Manor, beside the Thames River. Many characters are introduced, and my only complaint is that I want the rest of all their stories -- some are left unfinished. Her juxtaposition of characters with their own sections of the book reminds me of some of Maeve Binchy's books, like The Scarlet Feather and Quentins (also great reads). After a murder is committed at the manor, the list of possible culprits grows, but the ending might surprise you.
Homecoming also features a home as a character. Set in South Australia, Morton describes a sublime setting with a house surrounded by gardens, in the middle of the arid plains. After a mother and three of her four children are found dead, the police scramble to find their killer and come to an unsatisfying conclusion. The two storylines intertwine beautifully and the relationships of the characters will surprise you. The ending shocked me! You will enjoy this book.
Jane Austen News
February is Loveuary on the Hallmark Channel! Every Saturday at 8:00 pm the Hallmark Channel will feature an Austen-inspired movie. The movie this past Saturday, Paging Mr. Darcy, had me laughing out loud. The writer attended a JASNA conference, one I also attended in Victoria, BC, in 2022. She nailed the JASNA culture! See this article on screenwriter Reina Hardy. An adaptation of Sense and Sensibility with an all-Black cast is set for February 24th. Check out more information here.
Thanks for reading my newsletter. You can reach me at katie.sweeting@gmail.com, or the Contact page here on my website. I welcome comments and suggestions.