From the Desk of Ashleigh Stevens: The Next Phase

Ashleigh's YA Reads Ashleigh's Romance Reads Ashleigh's Whodunits
This week's newsletter contains the following features:
(Feel free to skip ahead to what you want to read)

What's new with Ashleigh?

Hartfield Chronicles

Free Books

Other Books on Sale

Ashleigh's Reading Challenge

Upcoming Events

Join My Newsletters

What's new with Ashleigh?

I know I've been talking about the Inkfort Press Publishing Derby a lot, but I am still really excited about it. First of all, I finished my first draft! This was a big accomplishment for me, because this year I was distracted by the next book in Hartfield Chronicles as well as a lot of family commitments. But the first draft is done.

So what's next?

Several things. As far as the derby, I entered the book in the beta phase. It is one of the many (at last count, I think it was 40 submissions) books available for readers to request to read. Some books are shorter (about 40-100 book pages) while others are longer (250+ book pages) with many falling somewhere in the middle. While I can't tell you where mine falls, I will say the first drafted ended up being a little shorter than I expected, though not by much.

If you are interested in reading some of these derby books, perhaps finding a new author to follow (maybe even figure out which book is mine), there are a couple of ways to participate.

Beta Readers

Since are are just starting the beta phase, you can sign up to be a beta reader. Betas are asked to read through the story and provide feedback in a shorter amount of time in order to give the authors time to make changes before publication.

ARC Readers

If you're not sure you have time to beta read, you are welcome to join the ARC teams. These readers will receive a free copy of the book around September 1st in exchange for an honest review. Ideally, you will be able to review the book and provide your feedback on publication day (September 25th). However, your reviews will be welcome no matter when you post them, even if it's after the derby ends.

Now that my first draft is done, I have a few options of what to do next. One is to sit here biting my fingernails waiting to see what my readers think. However, I think I can be a little more productive. I have several stories calling for my attention. When I first sat down to plan what to write for this derby cover, I planned for it to be three stories: the book, a prequel reader magnet, and a full-length sequel. So one project is to continue working on that project.

It's also time to resume my Choose Your Own Path stories. Do you remember those? I've decided to create a separate newsletter for those. Now, by now you've probably noticed today is Wednesday, not Friday. I have learned that Fridays are not a great day for me and Thursdays, the day I usually write my newsletters, aren't much better. So I will be sending my newsletters on Wednesdays for the rest of the year to see if that is any better. This week, I am sending my regular newsletters. Next week, I will send the Choose Your Own Path stories. Since it's been so long, I'll be sending a recap for all of us (myself included) who may have forgotten the story, as well as a new scene with new choices. Moving forward, the story will continue every other week, alternating with the newsletter.

Hartfield Chronicles

Hartfield Chronicles is taking a break!

But stay tuned!
New episodes are coming soon!

Hartfield Chronicles follows the lives of Melinda, Pat, and their friends as they navigate their way through boarding school life. Each episode features two stories, one from Melinda's point of view and one from Pat's, along with an excerpt from Melinda's writing journal. New episodes are published every Wednesday.

Season 6 starts Wednesday, August 16th!

For Hartfield students, Spring Break means two weeks away from campus. Pat has so many plans: earning his pilot's certificate, the Hollywood premiere of Tomodachi, auditioning for a new movie, and spending time with the friends in L.A. that he hasn't seen in months. Melinda's only plan, however, involves being bored for two weeks at home. After an adventurous night babysitting, however, her parents have a surprise for her: she can join her friends in L.A.

Melinda can't wait. There are so many things she wants to see. But most of all, she's looking forward to seeing who Walter and Pat become when they become Wally and Patrick McGregor.

But L.A. isn't exactly the experience Melinda expects. Between Hollywood parties, Pat's ex-girlfriends, crazy fans, and paparazzi around every corner, Melinda questions whether she would be better off back in Connecticut.

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As a thank you, you will receive access to bonus chapters from the Hartfield Chronicles.

Can't wait for the next season?

Hammerheads can read new episodes now!

Membership benefits:

Read new episodes 4 weeks in advance
Receive new episodes directly in your inbox
Access to new bonus chapters every season
Each month you are a member, $1 is added to your club credit. This credit can be used to purchase e-books and signed paperbacks at the Ashleigh Stevens Bookstore. Credits never expire.

Free Books

Lay Me Down
An emotional, heartfelt story with a surprise twist.

Before she can learn to live, she has to learn to love.

Kylee's life is shrouded in mystery. She's not allowed to leave the house. She can't answer the phone. She's forbidden to talk to the neighbors.

So of course when Price moves in next door, she makes it a point to meet him.

The strength of his friendship surprises her, but not as much as the shocking discovery he makes.

Suddenly, everything makes sense. And nothing does.

Billionaire's Nanny Fake Marriage
A Grumpy Boss Enemies to Lovers Romance

Nanny Rule Number One: Don’t get involved with the boss, regardless of his stunning good looks and wealth!!

Jackson Thornfield didn’t think anyone was good enough to be Nanny to his daughter, Lily.

I plan to keep my distance and stay professional. That is easier said than done.

With his gorgeous blue eyes and smoking-hot body, he makes me tingle all over.

I attempt to resist him, but we find ourselves crossing all the lines until I surrender to him.

Then his daughter needs a mother and he wants us to pretend to be married.

Can I pretend and keep my heart safe, and what about Lily?

Never Forget
A Heart Pounding Psychological Thriller

Revenge is a dish best served….

Decades of past sins are exposed, and vengeance strikes back in the most unlikely way.

Mega oil company, Wellish Petroleum sees suspicious movement in their back account, and Veteran Detective Frank Hummel is called in to crack the case.

However, all is not what it seems, and Frank discovers corruption at the highest level. The missing funds take Frank on a wild goose chase that ends in a moral dilemma.

This at the edge of your seat thriller will leave you guessing until the very end.

Would you like some free books in exchange for an honest review?

Want more free books? Check out these giveaways!

Do you have Kindle Unlimited? These books are free for you!

Cozy Mystery Beach Reads - Ends 8/3 - Mystery

Other Books on Sale

Bedtime Stories for kids
A Book about Emotions And Feelings

This book is especially great for traveling, waiting rooms, and listening at home.

Free Gift inside book
cute bedtime stories for kids
Excellent for beginning and early listeners
Cute short stories that are great for quick bedtime stories
Your child will be entertained for hours!

Second Chance Lovers
Secret Baby Romance

It’s hard to forget your first love when you have...
…A matching tattoo.

…A secret baby.

…A heart shattered in a million pieces by the hottest foreigner you ever met.

Josh and I shared a lot during our short time together in Brazil, but our paths split in opposite directions. He brought his big ego and mysterious blue eyes back to the USA to revert to his reckless playboy life. I became a mom to a baby he had no idea we made together.

Ten years later, our paths crossed again in Boston.

To my surprise, my job assignment sent me right to his father’s law firm.

Our sizzling attraction leads to “just one more night” and what I thought would be a magic date turns out to be a nightmare after he finds out he has a nine-year-old daughter.

I run back to Brazil, but he follows me to where we first met to claim his girls.

That trip changes everything in our lives. This is our second and probably last chance, and I don’t want him to leave again...

Familiar Troubles
A Crystal Beach Paranormal Cozy Mystery

CRYSTAL BEACH MAGIC MYSTERY SERIES COLLECTION (Books 1-5)

From Amazon #1 Best-Selling Author comes a bewitchingly fun paranormal cozy murder mystery that will keep you spellbound. If you love quirky witches, talking cats, enchanting beach towns, ghosts, fun magic, mystery, and suspense, Familiar Troubles is your next binge-read.

Magic in this witch’s family has a name: Trouble.
Meet Sidney Grace: Quirky journalist, Hesitant witch, Professional butterfingers.
Her grandmother believes Sidney’s talent for communicating with the dead makes her the most powerful witch in the family, but Sidney just wants to make it through the day without getting fired.

A young writer living in Boston, Sidney is far from the small wacky town of Crystal Beach, Florida, where her spell-happy grandmother retired. She is perfectly happy with her career, her four cats, and the fact that she hasn’t been on a date in… well, years. All is well until her estranged mother informs Sidney that her grandmother has been arrested for murdering a resident at her retirement community.

Sidney road-trips to Florida to discover that her grandmother has no alibi, her grandfather isn’t as dead as she thought he was, and one of her cats can speak. To make matters worse, the handsome Officer Reece is tough on criminals and even tougher on witches. Who cooked up the deadly scone? And why are residents at Shifting Sands suddenly disappearing?

Now, Sidney must embrace her own magical talents to prove her grandmother’s innocence and stop the killer bent on destroying anyone who gets in the way.

Read Familiar Troubles, A Crystal Beach Magic Mystery Series, for a bewitchingly fun paranormal cozy mystery with charming characters that will keep you spellbound!
Books included in this series collection: