Free Short Story if You Like Tall, Dark, and Dark…

I am ridiculously happy to have attained another milestone in my writing career…I am the “cover blurber” on another author’s new novel! This happens fairly often for New York Times bestselling authors. They are inundated with requests to comment on someone else’s book. But for the rest of us, the vast majority of authors, it’s a special occurrence. The cover blurb I wrote is for Gail Ward Olmsted‘s new legal thriller, Class Reunion, which came out October 1. Here’s the cover, and I offer a slapdash review below.

Audiobook Giveaway Winner

But before that, I want to congratulate Laura, who won a free copy of the Beautiful and Terrible Things audiobook in last month’s giveaway, and to thank all who entered. I appreciate your interest and support!

Free Short Story

If you didn’t win, don’t despair, there will be other giveaways. And today I can offer you a free short story, Inside & Out, just published in the literary journal Blydyn Square Review. Access the story in their Summer/Fall 2026 issue here. Warning: It’s dark.

The Galley Stage

And if you’re following my forthcoming novel through the publication process, I can report that the “galley” proof for Unraveling Caro Dunn is almost done. What is a galley? Picture the inside of a book, starting with the copyright page and ending with About the Author, without the front and back covers, and that’s a galley. It gets proofed carefully for weird spacing issues, any typos that were missed in the previous gazillion read-throughs, and those odd glitches computer software likes to throw into our documents to keep us on our toes.

Book Review: Class Reunion

Now on to Gail’s book! Gail Ward Olmsted is a fantastic writer who excels at creating realistic, vivid female characters. I loved her new release, Class Reunion, as much as its predecessor, Class Action (which you don’t have to read to enjoy Class Reunion, although I highly recommend them both).

Book: Class Reunion by Gail Ward Olmsted, new release (Oct. 1, 2026)

Genres: Legal Thriller technically but also strong Women’s Fiction, and Spunky Underdog Succeeds Against All Odds

Main Character: Lennon Gallagher, a young attorney who is blunt, funny, and a sucker for a corner piece of sheet cake since it has the most frosting, which makes her my kindred spirit.

Why I Liked It: Honestly, how do you NOT love a heroine who rose above a crappy childhood, built a solid career, and retains the ability to love fiercely? Lennon is probably my favorite literary lawyer.

Who Else Might Like It: Lovers of fast-paced plots with lots of humanity built in. Lennon finds herself on a rollercoaster ride of bad luck, tricky situations and moral dilemmas, with a little murder tossed in to raise the stakes. And there’s enough courtroom action to satisfy legal drama fans.

Memorable Line: “Turns out a shaky self-image is not something you automatically outgrow.”

Order it Here: Amazon or Bookshop (which supports independent bookstores).

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