Category Archives: Claire O’Farrell

It’s Time for More Fortitude

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Fortitude is ready to be back in the wild.
The new edition (fresh cover and formatting) of my first published novel releases
March 5th by Bienvenue Press. While it did go through a round of line edits, no major changes were made. If you’re new to my books, now is a great time to order the digital copy as it’s on sale for $0.99. It will be on Kindle Unlimited and paperback ordering will be available soon.

Fortitude is a coming-of-age Southern Gothic tale set against the backdrop of the Spanish-American War. Main character Claire O’Farrell is a first generation Irish-American from Dauphin Island, Alabama, and her best friend, Loretta Davis, is a Creole who lives in Mobile. Together, they volunteer as nurses in the Buffalo Soldiers’ camp in the Tampa Bay area. In the days leading up to departure for Cuba, more soldiers lost their lives in the Florida camps from disease and race riots than would die in battle. Dark days are recounted in this historical novel that earned ranking on the “Best Books” list for kids (grades 5th-10th) from Grateful American Foundation in 2017.

Also out in the world this month is Mardi Gras Pieces: A Collection of Short Stories, an anthology compiled by Mobile Writers’ Guild. The Kindle version is released, paperback soon to follow. “Masked Flaws”, a prequel short story to The Possession Chronicles, is included.

Told through the point-of-view of Edmund Easton, “Masked Flaws” takes place the winter before Perilous Confessions (December 1903-January 1904.) Want the backstory of Edmund joining Mystics of Dardenne and their infamous masquerade of 1904 that is hinted about in the first book? Read it in this one-of-a-kind collection by local Mobile area writers. Proceeds go to Mobile Writers’ Guild to help sponsor programming and literary outreach–like the Mobile Literary Festival that is happening on March 16, 2019. I hope to see you there.

 

Hometown Heroes Release Day

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It’s release day for this collection of romantic shorts. Find Hometown Heroes: A Christmas Anthology by Bienvenue Press in ebook and print.


I’m happy to share “Courtship and Courage” with you as part of the transitioning of my historical works to Bienvenue Press. This all new short continues the story of Claire O’Farrell and Joe Walker from Fortitude. If you’re new to my writing, these two characters will make appearances in The Possession Chronicles, so you’ll want to catch up with them.

While Fortitude (and my other publications to date) have been primarily targeted for teens, “Courtship and Courage” is my bridge into writing for an adult audience.
Since it’s the first story in the book, the “Look inside” option on Amazon allows you to read the first several scenes, so enjoy!

As always, I’m open for questions and would love to hear from you after you read it.

 

Winter Wonderland

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There is an epic level of awesomeness happening in my life right now, but where to begin? The basics—and I will expound on all of these things in my December newsletter next week, so if you haven’t yet, subscribe!

I’m traveling and experiencing new things such as wintry weather in the Pocono Mountains. Cold and ice are much more glamorous on the big screen than in reality. But I do prefer autumn/winter clothes to summer, so that’s a plus.

 A week from today marks the newest release for my literary collection (which is doubling in the next two months.) “Courtship and Courage”, a Fortitude short story is included in Hometown Heroes: A Christmas Anthology published by Bienvenue Press—my new home for my historical fiction projects. Proceeds from the sales go to Cajun Navy Relief. I wrote the story specifically for this charity project as a stepping stone from Fortitude (written for teens, though adult readers have also enjoyed it) to The Possession Chronicles (my forthcoming series for adult readers.) And, yes, Claire and Joe make the transition to my series as well. You haven’t seen the last of them.

 Here’s the synopsis of “Courtship and Courage”: Witnessing the race riots before the soldiers left for Cuba during the summer of 1898 didn’t stop Claire O’Farrell from opening her heart, but it prevented her from wanting to share it. The stormy Mobile Bay winter proves the right catalyst for Joe Walker to prove his devotion to the woman he loves, though Claire is determined her choices have made her unworthy.

Read it for as little as ninety-nine cents and help others rescue and relieve the stress natural disasters cause along the Gulf Coast.

And the third item I want to share—shout about actually—is the cover reveal for Perilous Confessions, book one in The Possession Chronicles. Newsletter subscribers will be the first to see it in less than a week. (Another reason to join the list! I email only once a month during the first week with the best highlights and information about my literary news, including what I’m reading.) The day after the newsletter, I’ll share the image on social media and update my website, etc. with the gorgeous, Gothic cover.

Three years after the release of my first book and there’s a plethora of activity in my literary life and lots more to come—like three new novels in 2019, for one thing. (Another hint: if you don’t have it yet and want this edition of Fortitude in your collection, buy it soon. As I write this, the Kindle version is free.)

More next week in my newsletter (it’s separate from this blog, so you need to join on there too), but you can find me on multiple sites on the web in the meantime. Find all my links on my contact page.

Publishing News

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This winter is going to be full of new releases from me. First up, on December 4, is Hometown Heroes, a Christmas Anthology compiled by Bienvenue Press—publisher of my forthcoming series, The Possession Chronicles.

Here’s the overview:

Community. Courage. Compassion.

Hometown Heroes brings you five Christmas romances that celebrate everyday heroes.

From paranormal to contemporary to historical there’s something here to fill everyone with the spirit of the season.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Cajun Navy Relief, an organization dedicated to helping neighbors in distress.

 

You can add it to your Goodreads list here.

“Courtship and Courage” is my short story addition to the anthology. Picking up the winter after Fortitude takes place, questions from readers of my historical coming-of-age tale who wondered what happened to Claire O’Farrell and Joe Walker after the book ended are answered in this new adventure. Reading Fortitude first isn’t necessary, but it will make it more enjoyable. And you haven’t seen the last of these Dauphin Islanders. The Possession Chronicles series touches on their lives in 1906 and beyond. There’s no time like the present to introduce yourself to them.

 

 

 

A Cool Breeze

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The weather’s going to change, right? We’re closing in on autumn but the humidity of summer is clinging to ninety-degree temperatures like it’s still August in Mobile, Alabama. Here’s something to cool you down: Christmas.

If you subscribe to my monthly newsletter (you don’t? Remedy that right now by signing up here), you may have heard that I wrote two short stories this summer for submissions to a couple different anthologies. I’m happy to report that “Courtship and Courage” has been accepted into Bienvenue Press’s Hometown Heroes Charity Christmas anthology to benefit America’s Cajun Navy. Release dates/buying options will be forthcoming.

If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to read Fortitude. “Courtship and Courage” begins the December after the book ends. While written as a novel for teens, it has proven to be a coming-of-age story that readers enjoy into adulthood. Fortitude holds rank as a “Best Books” for kids (grades 5th-10th) from Grateful American Foundation with only twenty-two other historical novels and non-fiction titles. You can read it free in Kindle Unlimited, purchase the ebook for $1.99, or buy a paperback through your favorite bookseller.

And for those who have read it and always wanted a bit more about Claire O’Farrell, here’s the next stepping stone. Yes, that means you haven’t seen the last of her. Stay tuned for more.