Writing (exciting) updates from J.A. Forde

Plus swoony book recs and details about going to Scotland with me in 2027!

I can’t believe we are already more than halfway through March! And I can’t believe that I finally get to share that my next full-length novel is officially with beta readers!

ICYMI I have been working on expanding the short story (Afterglow) that I wrote as part of the Heartstrings & Haunts anthology that published last summer. And as of yesterday I finished its second draft and sent it off to be read by its first round of early readers. I hope you enjoyed that little teaser!

This book has been a bit of a struggle. Some books seem to come so easily, others take more ‘work’ to get right. This one was harder, but I’m so happy with where it is now and I am really excited to see it in your hands later this year!

In other writing news… I announced the title for my next short story that will be in the Sweet Confessions Anthology that will be releasing this summer!

If you want to see more of the vibes for this story check out my instagram post!

ALSO, I’m writing a little Christmas novella, that if I can get it done in time, I hope to have in your hands in time for the holidays so don’t forget to leave space on your TBR for it! More on that to come!

A quick reminder! I am going to Scotland next summer (JUNE 2027) and touring around locations that mean a lot to me and that inspired On the Ferry to Skye. I’d love for you to join me, so make sure to check out this link for all the deets!

Now to tide you over until I can put another book in your hands, here’s some books to check out!

For the Win by Katie Van Brunt ~ ARC sign-ups open now (or preorder today)

She wants a summer fling.

He doesn’t think he’s worthy of more.

Claire Connelly’s life was on track—until it wasn’t. Ambitious, driven, and ready to conquer Manhattan as a family physician, she never saw the catastrophe coming. Now she’s jobless and adrift. When an opportunity in Upstate New York offers her a break from reality, she quickly accepts. And when a proposition comes next, she’s ready for a distraction. A fling. Nothing more.

Asher Greer isn’t looking for anything. Five years after losing his wife, he’s a single dad trying to keep his family summer camp afloat. The camp is thriving, but Asher’s heart? Not so much. When he hires a new doctor, the last thing he expects is to feel alive again. But in her presence, he awakens.

What begins as friendship soon turns into undeniable chemistry. Sparks fly, but Asher can’t shake his belief that he’s not worthy of love or Claire’s brilliant, delightful heart.

Could taking a chance on love be just what the doctor ordered?

Packed with laugh-out-loud humor, witty banter, and a whole lot of spice, For the Win is a hopeful story about love after loss and finding beauty in the broken.

Hat Trick Holidate by Kristin Lee ~ FREE through 3/22!

I’m eight years into my professional hockey career when I come face to face with my one-night stand from my rookie season. Her auburn hair and full body makes me crave a second helping. Hell, maybe even a five course meal.

But right now, I have a daughter that was dropped off at my door. She won’t speak to me and I have no idea how to raise a child, much less a girl.

So, as much as I want to tell the ruby haired vixen that I remember who she is and that night is never far from my mind, I can’t.

When I ask the ruby haired vixen to be my daughter’s nanny, will I be able to resist the temptation in front of me? Holding back has never been my forte. When I want something–I want it all.

And all I want is her.

Save Me by K.P. Haven ~ Coming April 7th, preorder today!

Echelon Vanguard bought her.
He refuses to let them keep her.

Thea
When you’re five, and people ask what you want to be when you grow up, the answers are simple.
Princess. Doctor. Astronaut.
When you’re twenty-one—when you’re expected to know—the answer doesn’t come so easily.
I drift through community college, unsure of my path, but everything changes when my father chooses money over my future.
I’m sold to a secret society in Chicago, where they trade power as easily as people. Except there’s one man who doesn’t fit.
Slade DuPont doesn’t speak, but he watches everything.
Watches me.
He isn’t cruel. He isn’t careless. And sometimes, it feels like he’s trapped here too.
His fixation fractures into something deeper. Something dangerous.
He may be the only one who can save me.

Slade
My life’s been carved out for me since I was young. Narrowed down to a single path. Congress.
Take up the DuPont mantle.
I was meant to inherit a political future—one I fully intended to control.
Instead, I step straight into Echelon Vanguard, a society built on the backs of the rich and powerful. Businessmen. Politicians. Former organized-crime figures. All bound by secrecy and leverage.
My grandfather’s voice replaces my own, until I barely remember I ever had one.
Until her.
Thea Harmon disrupts every calculated move I’ve made to undermine him. My discipline turns into obsession, and when EV tightens its grip, loyalty becomes suffocation.
She’s been sold into a world designed to break her. All I want is to save her.