LUCY IN THE WILD

GOOD NEWS

• A fitness influencer has adopted a carpenter bee that cannot fly.

• This young man is living the very definition of “and the crowd goes wild.” 😂

• The Clemson University baseball team takes a break during each game in the fourth inning to thank military veterans.

• Scientists at the Australian National University are giving singing lessons to a critically endangered bird.

Audio Dan note: Per the regulations detailed in paragraph 6, subsection 9 of the newsletter code of conduct, if Lucy forgets to send me an end note, I will pick something funny or embarrassing out of our text messages and provide it without context:

Wise. We’ve only just gotten out of jail after our last sibling crime spree!

The bookstore event was lively and I worked up quite the appetite for dinner with the book and audiobook publisher teams. I ate a LOT of fish on this trip. Like a LOT.

Day Two kicked off with an interview for social media followed by lunch with one of my Finnish translators, Heidi. Then it was off to the Books and Bubbles event hosted by Essi Hellén.

I was thrilled to meet one of my BRAs (Lucy Score’s Binge Readers Anonymous) at the event AND my lovely Estonian publishing team who brought me presents!

After the signing, I got to snack on some delicious bookish-themed treats and spend time with a group of absolutely amazing Finnish BookTok influencers. We played my writing playlist on Spotify and made a few hilarious videos together.

Then it was off to dinner with the publishing team, Inari, and Swedish author Katarina Widholm.

At dinner, I ate more amazing fish (and seasonal asparagus) and spent twenty minutes blabbering about my excitement that Gummerus will be publishing the Finnish translation of Dungeon Crawler Carl (Have you guys read this yet? It’s funny Hunger Games and the audiobook is incredible)!

With all my book work complete, Day Three was a day of sightseeing. Editor Leena secured a time slot for me at the gorgeous sea-front Loyly, a sauna and restaurant with breathtaking views of the Baltic Sea. I went for the full experience and sauna-ed (very hot), then took a dip in the sea (very cold).

I wish I had photographic proof of this, but my phone literally would have melted in the sauna, so you’re just going to have to trust me.

We had an incredible time, and I’m so grateful for all the places books have taken me. Finland is definitely going to the top of our Visit Again list!

Xoxo
Lucy

LIFT 4 AUTISM AUCTION

I’m auctioning off some goodies again this year in support of LiFT 4 Autism, which benefits Kulture City, a national organization service the autism community.

The winner of my auction will receive signed paperback copies of Story of My Life, Mistakes Were Made, and a digital ARC of Just One More Chapter, one month before its release on March 9th, 2027!

The auction ends on May 3rd at 5 PM EST, so you’ll want to act fast!

MY LIFT 4 AUTISM AUCTION

UK TOUR

I’m coming back to the UK, and this time I’m bringing friends! Liz Tomforde, Meghan Quinn, and I will be entertaining readers at four tour stops this June.

JUNE 8TH - LONDON EVENT DETAILS

JUNE 9TH - BATH EVENT DETAILS

JUNE 11TH - MANCHESTER EVENT DETAILS

JUNE 12TH - EDIBURGH EVENT DETAILS

LUCY IN THE WILD

GOOD NEWS

• Ashley Anderson, from Tallahassee, Florida, became a single mother of three siblings who were at risk of being split up in foster care.

• With the help of his daughters, a Ketchikan, Alaska, police officer signs off for the last time after a 27-year career serving the community. 😭

• A 13-year-old Boy Scout from Texas is awarded one of the highest honors after saving the life of a Scout leader on a rafting trip.

• A seal from the New England Aquarium loves rubber duckies. 😂

We returned home, and now I am in full hermit hibernation mode to finish the first draft of Riley Thorn 5!

Okay, one other super exciting thing happened to me this week. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any photographic evidence of it. I was sitting on the deck having breakfast (Brekkie on the deckie is a tradition started by Cleo the cat that I still continue in her memory). I was just minding my own business, staring off into the woods, when I heard a loud buzzing. “That’s a damn big bee,” I thought to myself 0.5 seconds before A HUMMINGBIRD LANDED ON MY FOOT (which was encased in a bright pinkish-orange running shoe that must have looked like a flower).

I don’t know exactly what a hummingbird landing on you symbolizes, but I’m going to say it was pure, explosive joy because that’s what I felt.

On that note, I must leave you because Mr. Lucy and I are heading to Finland for some events with Finnish booklovers, and I could not be more excited! Helsinki, here we come!

Xoxo
Lucy

LUCY IN THE WILD

GOOD NEWS

• Colleen Ferguson, from Kent, England, owes her life to her dog’s unusual habit.

• A school bus driver from Georgia saved a family after noticing their house was on fire early in the morning.

• A bronze statue was unveiled in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where strangers formed a human chain to rescue a drowning dog in 2016. 🥰

• James Prigioni of The Gardening Channel on YouTube documented his success with growing tomato plants from a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder.

Next week’s newsletter is going to be whatever the Finnish word for “awesome” is! Mahtava. I looked it up.

That’s right! Story Lake 3—now officially known as Just One More Chapter—releases March 9, 2027. It’s Levi’s story and I think you’ll be very happy with how the series ends! Especially since Laura gets her own story within a story. WINK!

The print preorders are up on all retailers and you can preorder from your favorite indie stores. The digital ebook preorder will be up soon!

AND BY SOON I MEAN RIGHT NOW (PREORDER)

Why, you might ask, is Story Lake 3 done and coming out in March but Riley Thorn 5 is not done and coming out this November? The answer is simple. I am a crazy author with a dream of working my way back to releasing two books a year. Which will be amazing because I’m bursting at the seams with stories and I know you guys can handle another new book a year!

Anyway, Riley Thorn 5 is a Christmas book so my options were to put my nose to the ol’ grindstone and write my face off now or wait until Christmas 2027 to release it. Thankfully, Bloom Books’ production team did not hurl insults and curses my way—even though they were totally warranted. They said, “Let’s do this!”

So if you see me online doing what looks to be anything other than writing, or if you run into me out in the real world, I’d very much appreciate it if you could sidle up to me and say, “Shouldn’t you be writing?”

Xoxo
Lucy

FINLAND EVENT

I’m SO EXCITED to be visiting Finland this month for Books & Bubbles with authors Katarina Widholm and Moa Herngren, hosted by Essi Hellén and Inari Fernández! Finland has been at the top of my Must Visit List for years now, especially since they keep winning the title of Happiest Country in the World!

I hope Helsinki is ready for my excessive enthusiasm.

The event is organized by Finnish publisher Gummerus Kustannus and will take place April 25th at Tokoinranta, Eläintarhantie 12, 00530 Helsinki, which is a gorgeous building inside the park.

The day will include book sales, live music, author conversations, and every ticket includes a glass of sparkling wine (with or without alcohol)!

FINLAND EVENT DETAILS AND TICKETS

LUCY IN THE WILD

GOOD NEWS

• Gloria Vargas, a waitress from Florida, has provided over 270,000 meals and essential support to the homeless through her family-run nonprofit, Care in Action USA.

• Kids from the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity painted pebbles for the penguins at the zoo.

• A man from Ireland decided to visit the “Friendly black cat” location marked on Google Maps and wasn’t disappointed. 😂

• After 40 years, Great Lakes otters have become a conservation success story in parts of the US and Canada.

Wedding plans are moving along. We have the essentials in place, including an ice cream trailer for the reception, a Mr. Lucy must!

LUCY (AND MEGHAN AND LIZ) IN THE UK

JUNE 8TH - LONDON EVENT DETAILS

JUNE 9TH - BATH EVENT DETAILS

JUNE 11TH - MANCHESTER EVENT DETAILS

JUNE 12TH - EDINBURGH EVENT DETAILS

LUCY ON THE PODCASTS

I got to revisit my favorite publishing podcast, the SPA Girls, for my third time as a guest. I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting these lovely ladies in person in New Zealand last year. So if you’d like to watch or hear several authors including me nerd out over being authors, I think you’ll enjoy this conversation!

LUCY AND THE SPA GIRLS

LUCY IN THE WILD

GOOD NEWS

• A teen from England has raised thousands of dollars for charity by recycling aluminum cans.

• A group of movers and a security guard were able to help police rescue a missing 2-year-old.

• A mother was ready with a hug for a soldier who was alone after finishing basic training.

• Eugene, a baby giraffe born in January at the Toledo Zoo, has been giving the internet something to smile about with his hairdo.

“Not a creature was stirring because they were allll dead,” Mrs. Penny said with satisfaction. She blew on her controller like it was a recently fired pistol.

Riley Thorn 5 - Coming November 2026 (if I meet my deadlines).

Don’t feel bad if you thought we were already married. Most of our family thought we were too!

How does a romance novelist get engaged? Obviously in the most over-the-top grand gesture finale possible, right?

Not exactly.

Mr. Lucy and I started discussing the possibility of wedded bliss at the end of last year. (What can I say? It’s been a busy sixteen years. It takes us a while to get around to things.) We decided we were never going to be less busy or more ready. And since it wasn’t going to be a surprise to me we figured it would be fun to shock the heck out of our families.

We made a well-organized, multi-tiered plan of attack for the surprise announcement which would act as the “official” engagement. And then, as plans go, it all went to crap.

Illnesses (mostly mine). Children’s sport schedules (not mine). Parental hospital stays (everyone is fine now).

The ring was done. Just knowing that jeweler’s box with the sparkly final product was somewhere in our house was driving me bonkers. We finally were able to get everyone to commit to a “casual, no-reason” family lunch the following weekend. In the meantime, to take our minds off of the extreme anticipation we jaunted off to the beach for a short trip.

Mr. Lucy brought the ring.

Let me tell you it was some Edgar Allen Poe Tell-Tale Heart stuff going on for me. I could hear the ring’s heartbeat. I knew it wanted to be let out of the box before it suffocated!

So I did what I always do when I’m very, very excited. I heckled.

Me: You know what I could go for for dinner?
Mr. Lucy: What?
Me: An engagement ring.

Imagine about seventeen dozen of these hilariously adorable statements happening in the span of twenty-four hours. It’s no wonder he cracked.

It was 7 p.m. We were in grungy, comfy clothes. I didn’t have my nails done. My bangs looked as if I’d styled them with vegetable oil and a leaf blower. I was sitting on my knees on the bed peppering Mr. Lucy with my “show me the ring” greatest hits.

“That’s it. You asked one too many times. It’s happening now,” he said.

And that’s how I got Mr. Lucy to threaten me with an engagement ring.

He opened the box. I made a noise somewhere between a joyful screech and a wheezing accordion. I still had bronchitis at this point. So I think he asked if I would marry him and I think I said yes. But really all I remember for sure is the sparkle, the laughter, the jumping on the bed… also the wheezing.

Then Mr. Lucy hit me with, “But it’s not official until we tell the family.”

*record scratch*

New fiancé says what now?

You guys, he made me wait an entire week. I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone or take any pictures or wear the ring out of the house. Somehow, in true Lucy-written-hero fashion, Mr. Lucy managed to both thrill and torture me.

I survived the week. Barely. But announcing the news to our families was a gratifying experience. We started with a quick visit to the hospital to tell Papa Lucy, who gave us his blessing.

Then it was off to spread the screamy joy to everyone else.

In telling the rest of the Score family, Mom screamed, Madison burst into tears, sis-in-law Amber didn’t believe us, Dan announced he thought we were already married, and nephew Ollie tried to introduce me to his complete dinosaur collection.

Mr. Lucy’s family were equally excited but there were no dinosaurs involved.

So we are officially entering our wedding planner era! It’s going to be an exciting year!

Xoxo
Lucy

UK TOUR

I’m coming back to the UK and this time I’m bringing friends! Liz Tomforde, Meghan Quinn, and I will be entertaining readers at four tour stops this June. Tickets go on sale April 1^st. I don’t know if April Fool’s Day is a thing in the UK but I promise you this isn’t a prank!

💖 Monday, 8 June: Waterstones Emmanuel Centre, London
💖 Tuesday, 9 June: Mr. B’s Emporium, Bath
💖 Thursday, 11 June: Simply Books, Manchester
💖 Friday, 12 June: Book Lovers Bookshop, Edinburgh

SCAM ALERT

It has come to my attention that smelly scammers are once again trying to infiltrate my happy little writer world. This time, instead of creating fake social media profiles pretending to be me, they are creating Gmail addresses and cold emailing fellow authors.

It appears as though the fake Lucys, through dialogue I would never use, are attempting to con authors into “paying” for marketing services and advice.

Here’s how to tell the real deal (me) from the smelly scammers:

1. I’m NEVER going to cold email you from a Gmail account.

2. I am NEVER going to offer to introduce you to anyone who will ask you for money.

3. I will never use a semicolon in any communication. I don’t like or understand them.

4. I also don’t put book titles between underscores.

These yahoos emailed Nora Freaking Roberts pretending to be me and offered to teach her how to market her books.

Here are the email addresses the scammers are reportedly using:

lucyscore51@gmail.com
lucyscorecontact@gmail.com
lucyscore.contact@gmail.com
authorlucyscore@gmail.com
lucyscorebestsellingauthor@gmail.com
authorlucyscore.bestselling@gmail.com
lucyscore.book@gmail.com
storycollective.author@gmail.com
betsymrocha@gmail.com

Now I’m not saying you should go out and report all these email addresses to Gmail as fraudulent or forward all your junk mail to them like I’ve been doing. I just want you to be aware of the danger and avoid it. If you do receive an email from “me” (again, it would not be from a Gmail address) reach out through the contact form on my website and my team will be able to tell you if it’s me me.

LUCY IN THE WILD

GOOD NEWS

• A dog that was abandoned at the Las Vegas airport gets adopted by one of the officers who saved him.

• A 70-year-old roll of film has been found and developed and the internet is trying to find the people from the pictures.

• Monopoly is celebrating its 90th anniversary, here are some tips from the Monopoly world champion (for ruining family game night). 😂

• This father-daughter game shows the differences between two lives.

  ---

  I’ve officially started Riley Thorn 5 and am aiming for a November 2026 release!

MISTAKES WERE MADE - KINDLE UNLIMITED

MISTAKES WERE MADE - EBOOK

MISTAKES WERE MADE - AUDIOBOOK

MISTAKES WERE MADE - PAPERBACK

Scroll on for EVEN MORE excitement…

Xoxo
Lucy

FRONT PAGE NEWS

USA Today books reporter Clare Mulroy and photographer Nathanial Gary followed me for an entire year for the making of Mistakes Were Made, a behind-the-scenes look at everything that goes into the writing and publishing of a book.

The article is available digitally with vlogs, a video tour of my office, and a cool family tree graphic of Team Lucy and Bloom Books. It ALSO appeared on the front page above the fold (as a journalism major from 1,000 years ago that’s wildly exciting!). Mr. Lucy and I went to two gas stations and a grocery store to buy a bunch of copies!

Check out the amazing article!

USA TODAY ARTICLE

RELEASE WEEK FESTIVITIES

What a delightful whirlwind! Mr. Lucy and I packed our bags and hit the road.

We visited Barnes & Noble Union Square in Manhattan with author pal Xio Axelrod, who was her usual cool girl self (she also showed me the secret entrance to the bookstore and I got to ride in a freight elevator).

Then it was on to Under the Cover in Kansas City, Missouri, where I got to meet the delightfully spicy Sierra Simone (shoutout to her author bestie Julie Murphy, who stopped by to say hi).

Finally, we paid a visit to In Bloom Bookery in Temecula, California, with the one and only Meghan Quinn, who made the whole evening a party for all. It just so happened to be In Bloom Bookery’s 1-year anniversary. They actually opened their doors with a release party for Story of My Life, so we celebrated this full circle moment together extra hard!

I can’t thank all of the tour coordinators, bookstores, booksellers, volunteers, conversation partners, and readers enough for making this the best tour yet. For a more entertaining breakdown of our cross-country shenanigans, please check out my posts on Instagram and Facebook.

MY FACEBOOK

MY INSTAGRAM

FRIENDS & FICTION PODCAST

I was so happy to sit down with the lovely hosts of Friends & Fiction podcast, Mary Kay Andrews and Kristy Woodson Harvey, to talk all things Mistakes Were Made. It was such a fun, deep, interesting conversation!

You can watch the whole shebang on YouTube!

FRIENDS & FICTION PODCAST

LUCY IN THE WILD

GOOD NEWS

• What started as a simple chair volleyball game with the Belton High School girls’ volleyball team developed into a unique relationship between the seniors and students.

• A 13-year-old from Belgium is the first person to have beaten DIPG, a highly aggressive brain tumor.

• A photographer shares the snow art he found in Brooklyn after a heavy snowstorm.

• A mother-and-daughter team finds what may be the largest coral colony ever recorded.

After Temecula, Mr. Lucy and I popped up to LA for… reasons that I’m waiting for permission to share. Here is a no-context photo that won’t give any good hints.

It was so much fun to go back to Story Lake and see how much has changed since our last visit there. Zoey’s heroine journey was a little bit personal and therapeutic for me, and Gage definitely borrowed a few traits from Mr. Lucy along the way!

Mistakes Were Made is Available to Read in:

MISTAKES WERE MADE - KINDLE UNLIMITED

MISTAKES WERE MADE - EBOOK

MISTAKES WERE MADE - AUDIOBOOK

MISTAKES WERE MADE - PAPERBACK

I’ll see you on the other side! Happy reading, my friends!

Xoxo,
Lucy

LUCY ON THE AIR

I sat down with Olivia Ponton for her Booked and Busy podcast. We talked all things books and boys!

LUCY ON THE BOOKED AND BUSY PODCAST

LUCY IN THE WILD

GOOD NEWS

• High school students from the swim team organized a fundraising swim-fest to benefit their beloved school custodian. 🥰 (Thanks to reader Melinda for sharing)

• Family members organized an impromptu car show for their grandfather, a classic car enthusiast, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

• An anonymous donor donated $3.6M in gold bars to the city of Osaka, Japan, to help with water pipe repairs.

• A woman recruited a crowd of strangers to welcome her friend home. 😂

My book tour has officially kicked off! I can’t wait to see everyone this week! Transcontinental hugs coming your way in New York City, Kansas City, and Temecula!

I stormed up the stairs to the second floor and had just raised my fist to pound on Zoey’s door when I heard a loud moan coming from inside. She was either hurt or having sex. And I didn’t want to walk in on one of those situations.

I paused and listened. “I’m going to die like this,” I heard her say before there was another thump.

I rapped my knuckles on the door. “Zoey? You okay?”

There was a pause and then a morose, “No.”

“Do you need help?”

There was another long pause. “Yes. Please.”

There was a note of hysteria in her voice that had my adrenaline pumping. “What’s wrong? Open the door.”

“You’re about to see something you’re not ready for,” she warned.

If she let a bald eagle into her apartment, I was going to be fucking pissed.

“I think I can handle it,” I assured her.

Her laugh was humorless. “We’ll see.”

“Let me in, Zoey.”

“Ugh. Fine. It’s unlocked.”

I pushed open the door. “We need to have a conversation about locking—”

The rest of the sentence, along with my breath, abandoned me. The blood flow to my brain made an abrupt U-turn and headed straight to my cock.

Zoey stood in the middle of the living room with her arms suspended over her head. Her curls were exploding out of a high ponytail. Her cheeks were flushed. Something that looked suspiciously like a sports bra was rolled up and banded tightly above her breasts. Her bare breasts.

“Fuck,” I breathed.

“My sentiments exactly. A little help here? I feel like I’m being strangled by an anaconda, and I’m not proud to admit it, but I’m really starting to panic.”

Pep and Frank Bishop had raised good men if not full-time gentlemen, but the pivot to avert my gaze and close the door was at least three seconds slower than it should have been.

“What do you need?” I asked the door as visions of her perfect breasts seared themselves into my brain permanently.

“I need you to make me a sandwich. What the hell do you think I need? Get me out of this thing before I die!” she screeched.

Mistakes Were Made hits stores and Kindles and ears Tuesday! Last chance to preorder the hilarity!

TREAT YO SELF TO A PREORDER

Xoxo
Lucy

THE WORKS UK EXCLUSIVE

Check out these GORGEOUS exclusive editions of Story of My Life and Mistakes Were Made for The Works! Available March 10!

LUCY IN THE WILD

[Image Description: Olivia S. found the Greek language Story of My Life in the Athens airport.]

[Image Description: Nikki H. shares the Lucy collection at the Rockefeller Center Barnes & Noble in NYC.]

GOOD NEWS

• Volunteering as a dog walker in 2023 turned into a beautiful friendship. 🥰

• A 13-year-old swam for hours in rough seas to save his family.

• Two lifelong Detroit Lions fans got a special surprise after they spoke with a stranger at the Super Bowl.

• This daughter keeps her father’s tradition alive after he has passed on. 😭

Because one wasn’t enough, here’s another tiny sneak peek at Mistakes Were Made…

“You may now entertain me… with your penis. And no, I’m not embarrassed that I said that because none of this is real.”

“I’ll be second-hand embarrassed for you.”

• Ebook?

• KindleUnlimited?

• Audiobook narrated by Lila Winters and Sebastian York?

• Super cute paperback?

• Library copy?

More importantly, have you chosen your reading snacks yet? Speaking of snacks, it snowed again here in Pennsylvania, so I’m back to feeding the deer and the birds like a Disney princess in training!

This is me braving the cold and the snow to spread deer noms.

And this is one minute after going back inside.

Xoxo
Lucy

UK PREORDER FUN

The finished copies of Mistakes Were Made (all three editions) and Story of My Life with the adorable new illustrated covers have landed at my UK publisher’s office! I can’t wait to get my hands on them!

You can preorder your copies from several shops in the link below.

(RESPECTFULLY) GIMME GIMME GIMME!

US IN-PERSON FUN

My tour stops in New York City and Temecula, CA, are almost sold out. But I’d love to see you in Kansas City, MO, on Thursday, March 12!

KC’s romance bookstore Under the Cover will be hosting me and queen of steam Sierra Simone at the Kansas City Convention Center! Your ticket includes a hand signed copy of Mistakes Were Made, access to our sweet and spicy conversation, and then we can hug it out in the photo line!

I also plan to sign a whole bunch of books for Under the Cover which you can purchase at the event!

Bring your book buddies and come spend the evening with me!

KANSAS CITY EVENT DETAILS

LUCY IN THE WILD

GOOD NEWS

• Shoppers will wait 30-40 minutes just to check out in Michael Masterangelo’s line at this Georgia Publix store. 🥰

• A woman is reunited with her prosthesis 10 months after losing it in the North Sea.

• Tianna Graham went viral on TikTok after her car got frozen in ice after a water main break in Philadelphia. Carvana stepped in and gave Tianna a new car.

• A US Army soldier carried a stranger’s toddler through the airport so she could make her flight.

I believe I’ve mentioned before that I’m a rock and crystal nerd. I recently stumbled across my special stash of Petoskey rocks my brother and I collected from a freezing cold lake in Michigan on the same trip that inspired me to write Forever Never.

I put the rocks in a vase with some water so they could pretend they were back in a lake and look how pretty they are!

CANADA PREORDER

Okay, back to me and my artistic creations… While I wait impatiently for Heated Rivalry’s Canada fleece to officially release, check out Indigo’s preorder special for Mistakes Were Made. Thank you, Canada, for being so awesome!

HOPELESS ROMANTIC BOOKS (TORONTO, ON)

SLOW BURN BOOKS (CALGARY, AB)

US INDIE FESTIVITIES

I wish I could be everywhere to celebrate the release of Mistakes Were Made with you. But even though I can’t, you can still celebrate! These indie bookstores are hosting special launch parties for readers. I won’t be in attendance at the following festivities but you’ll be able to get SIGNED copies of Mistakes Were Made as well as other special goodies plus you get to hang out in a fun indie bookstore! RSVP today and show your indie bookstore love!

California
Wild Sisters Book Company

Florida
Citrus and Sage Bookshop
ERRA Books

Georgia
Eagle Eye Book Shop
The Book Tavern

Iowa
HEA Book Boutique
Shelf Love DSM

Illinois
Anderson’s Bookshop
Beyond the Book, A Literary Experience
The Last Chapter Bookshop

Indiana
Fables and Fairy Tales

Kansas
Monarch Books & Gifts

Kentucky
Joseph-Beth Booksellers

Maine
The Briar Patch

Michigan
Pages & Grapes

Missouri
Read & Rooted

New Hampshire
Gibson’s Bookstore

New York
A Book Place
Lit Actually Romance Bookshop

Ohio
Joseph-Beth Booksellers

Oklahoma
Love Stories

Pennsylvania
The Laurel & Leaf Bookshop
Tia Book Cellar

Texas
Katy Budget Books
The Plot Twist

INDIE LAUNCH PARTY DETAILS

LUCY IN THE WILD

GOOD NEWS

• Neighbors and a delivery driver act quickly to save a 101-year-old woman from a house fire in California.

• The actor Michael Sheen has been buying and forgiving people’s debt.

• People are waiting in line for hours to have a terrible portrait drawn. 😂

• Loganair had a special guest on one of their flights after the traveler had been pushed off course due to the weather.

NEW READ

Can Jill Shalvis do any wrong on the pages of a small-town, swoony romance? No, no she cannot. Free Falling is a gosh darn delight chock full of renovation porn, forced workplace proximity, and all the messy family drama.

FREE FALLING AVAILABLE NOW

US TOUR TICKETS

I’d love to see you on tour! New York and Temecula are almost sold out, so treat yo’self while the tickets are hot (and available)!

3/10 New York City
Barnes & Noble Union Square
With Xio Axelrod
Event Details

3/12 Kansas City, MO
Under the Cover at The Grand Ballroom, Kansas City Convention Center
With Sierra Simone
Event Details

3/14 Temecula, CA
In Bloom Bookery at Temecula Valley High School
With Meghan Quinn
Event Details

UK KINDLE MONTHLY DEAL

Story of My Life (with its new cover from the delightful Hodder Books) is on sale in the UK Kindle store for only 99p for the month of February! Dive into small town lake life with an inspiration-less romance novelist, a crabby contractor, and a semi-domesticated raccoon.

STORY OF MY LIFE ON AMAZON UK FOR 99p

LUCY IN THE WILD

GOOD NEWS

• A man acts quickly to save two toddlers who wandered into a busy highway unsupervised.

• For the last twenty-five years, the Hershey Bears hockey team collected almost 650,000 stuffed animals for donation.

• David Dominguez travels across Texas to share stories of farmers’ market vendors.

• This family put up a large rope swing for the neighbors to enjoy. 😍

So I tried the new OliPop Shirley Temple flavor and I was supposed to save some for my niece and nephew, who are Shirley Temple connoisseurs (that word is unnecessarily hard to spell). But I didn’t. I drank it all and now I’m on my second order of it. Will it last long enough for Adam and Abbie to visit again? No. It will not.

1. I am not an inspiring sick person who bravely soldiers on. I am a hot, whiny mess who collapses in heaps of dirty laundry (that I am wearing).

2. My 1980s rub-some-dirt-on-it upbringing is not serving me when it comes to getting better.

After a brief birthday (thank you for all the birthday wishes!) getaway where I languished on a different couch, Mr. Lucy told me I had to go to the doctor. So off I went with my pockets stuffed full of cough drops and tissues. Diagnosis: bronchitis and a sinus infection. Whomp whomp.

On the bright side, this means I can’t be sick forever AND I won’t be sick for the release of Mistakes Were Made next month! So when I hug you at one of the book tour stops, I won’t be infecting you with anything but a love of good books! You’re welcome!

Xoxo
Lucy

LUCY IN THE WILD

GOOD NEWS

• A seven-year-old girl from Chicago is being celebrated for acting quickly, calling 911 after her dad fell down the stairs.

• A couple from Virginia celebrated their 70th anniversary by having the wedding they were never able to have.

• A lottery winner from Canada spreads joy by buying groceries for strangers.

• A 100-year-old veteran was finally awarded a campaign medal for his actions during the D-Day landings.

  ---

  My assistant Tammy made a joke about there being no good office gossip around the water cooler since she works from home. So I told her I heard a rumor that I was starting an emu breeding program. For the rest of the day, I was bombarded with messages, emails, and in-person visits from the rest of the members of Team Lucy requesting updates on my new venture. And then this arrived in the mail…

  

1. I’m still sick and whiny, but January 30^th is my birthday, so I plan to be magically cured then.

2. U.S. Indie Bookstore Launch Parties: I won’t be in attendance, but these amazing stores are putting together some fun events for you! Show them some love!

3. UK and ANZ readers can preorder Mistakes Were Made and Story of My Life with the new illustrated covers from several cool indie bookshops.

4. I have three book tour stops in March with some incredible conversation partners, but tickets are going fast! I hope to see you in New York, Kansas City, or Temecula!

5. It snowed!

Xoxo
Lucy

US INDIE BOOKSTORE PARTIES

Want to celebrate the release of Mistakes Were Made AND support an indie bookstore at the same time? Preorder your copy from one of these magnificent stores and celebrate with fellow readers at an authorless launch party!

I won’t be in attendance at these parties, but SIGNED copies of Mistakes Were Made (the deluxe edition with the disco ball edges) will be!

Check out the link below because some of the bookstores ship internationally!

US INDIE BOOKSTORE LAUNCH PARTY INFO

UK ANZ INDIE PREORDERS

UK, Australian, and New Zealand readers can preorder Mistakes Were Made AND the new cover design of Story of My Life (Book 1) from five amazing indie bookshops. Readers who order copies of both will receive three die-cut stickers and a special keyring!

UK ANZ INDIE BOOKSTORE PREORDER INFO

OTHER STORES TO SUPPORT

Tropes & Trifles, Minneapolis, Minnesota’s first romance bookstore, isn’t hosting a launch party, but you can show your support for the city and its small businesses by preordering Mistakes Were Made or any other book you’re excited about from them!

TROPES & TRIFLES - MINNEAPOLIS, MN

As always, Cupboard Maker Books in Enola, Pennsylvania, is handling personalized signed preorders of Mistakes Were Made. They also have a few sets of the Knockemout special hardback editions left that you can have signed!

CUPBOARD MAKER BOOKS - ENOLA, PA

TOUR TICKETS

I won’t be at any of the authorless launch parties because I’ll be on the road in the U.S. Tickets are going fast, so gather your book buddies (or show up solo and make some new ones) and I’ll see you in person!

CHECK MY EVENTS PAGE FOR DETAILS

LUCY IN THE WILD

GOOD NEWS

• A school custodian spends his Thanksgiving break transforming the school he works at.

• Siblings in Ashland, Ohio, save a school bus driver with their quick thinking.

• A doorman from New York City spends his free time helping the less fortunate.

• Students from Charlotte, North Carolina, surprised their favorite teacher with a thoughtful gift.

BARNES & NOBLE EXCLUSIVE

Includes the disco ball edges, title foil, and custom Story Lake Lodge artwork.

BARNES & NOBLE EXLUSIVE PREORDER

WALMART EXCLUSIVE

Includes blue sprayed edges, Goose the eagle on the inside front cover, and custom artwork of Gage’s barn house.

WALMART EXLUSIVE PAPERBACK PREORDER

LUCY IN THE WILD

GOOD NEWS

• Lifelong friends share the same birthday card for 81 years in a row. 🥰

• Twenty years after receiving support from her high school, Sonia Lewis gives back to the senior class with her own support.

• A short video of neighbors being neighbors during the holidays.

• Researchers in Norway have been working on the development of an exoskeleton arm to help stroke victims.

MISTAKES WERE MADE TOUR

Tuesday, March 10, New York, NY
In conversation with one of my all-time favorite bestseller pals, Xio Axelrod.

• Location on-site event: 33 E 17th St, New York, NY 10003

NYC EVENT & TICKET INFO

Thursday, March 12, Kansas City, MO
In conversation with the incomparable steam queen Sierra Simone.

• Location off-site venue: Kansas City Convention Center; 1550 Wyandotte St, Kansas City, MO 64108

KANSAS CITY EVENT & TICKET INFO

Saturday, March 14, Temecula, CA
In conversation with the romcom queen herself, Meghan Quinn.

• Location off-site venue: Temecula Valley High School; 31555 Rancho Vista Road, Temecula, CA 92592

TEMECULA, CA EVENT & TICKET INFO

LUCY IN THE WILD

GOOD NEWS

• Coworkers at the First Watch restaurant in Naples, FL, decided to donate the budget from their holiday party to one of the staff members who is adopting a child. 🥰

• A Secret Santa is spreading cheer and helping families in need in Eastern Idaho. Additional bonus story!

• An Alabama man helps spread love in a unique way.

• Ok, I think I might want to live in this neighborhood. 😂

• Eating tacos

• Reading books and avoiding people

• Burying self under multiple fuzzy blankets with only a face hole so you can continue watching TV

• Reading my entire backlist before Mistakes Were Made comes out

• Creating a fashionable capsule wardrobe out of one pair of sweatpants, a grease-stained hoodie, Croc slippers, and four pairs of taco socks

• Hoarding pretty rocks

• Eating additional tacos

• Watching the Eras Tour docuseries, specifically Episode 5, right around the 40-minute mark to see the dark blur that is me, Mr. Lucy, my sis-in-law, and my niece.

I’m in the post-holiday, pre-book launch sweet spot right now and enjoying every second of it. It’s too cold and dark for socializing in Pennsylvania, so I’m getting a lot of work done during the day and a lot of laziness done in the evenings.

Next on my agenda will be to refresh my memory on Mistakes Were Made before it comes out March 10! Here’s a little gem of an insult to whet your whistle!

“It’s not that I don’t like you. I just don’t enjoy spending time with you.”

Xoxo
Lucy

BLUE MOON

It’s official! The entire Blue Moon series has been released in paperback by Bloom Books with its new covers. Where It All Began joined its book siblings on store shelves right before Christmas.

WARNING IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THIS BOOK YET: This book is one of Mr. Lucy’s top two favorites of all my books. (Apparently, he likes to be emotionally devastated.) But I digress. WIAB is the story of John and Phoebe, the parents of the first three heroes in the Blue Moon series. This book is their love story, and as we know from the rest of the series, John is… okay… I’m just going to say it. John’s dead. He dies. He has shuffled off this mortal coil.

Why would I write a story where the hero dies? Don’t blame me! You turn that accusatory finger right around because the blame for this lovely, emotional, devastating, funny, hopeful story belongs entirely to readers who kept demanding John and Phoebe’s story. I didn’t want to write it. I had no intention of writing it. But then I started dabbling and ended up writing the damn book.

Now that we’ve cleared that up, it’s actually really good and you should read it… If you can handle the feels. Enjoy the whole series in Kindle Unlimited and audiobook too!

GRAB WHERE IT ALL BEGAN ON AMAZON

LUCY IN THE WILD

GOOD NEWS

• Restaurant employees save a 78-year-old man’s life after noticing he hadn’t come in for his usual meal. (Thanks to Tammy for sharing.)

• Volunteer grandmothers are staffing street-side “Grandma Stands” to offer wisdom and a listening ear.

• Firefighters dressed as superheroes rappelled down the side of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to bring Christmas cheer and gifts to pediatric cancer patients.

• A Navy veteran was able to regain custody of his two-year-old daughter after a nonprofit provided him with a tiny home.

LUCY IN THE WILD

GOOD NEWS

• A bald eagle at the World Bird Sanctuary in St. Louis, Missouri, has been given a foster baby after it had been found taking care of a rock.

• A man rescued a two-week-old stray kitten that found him while out for a walk. 😍

• Ben Saunders cleaned the overgrown garden and raised money for a veteran from the UK.

• A hockey family has been selling merch to raise money for children of veterans who play hockey.

Xoxo
Lucy

LUCY IN THE WILD

GOOD NEWS

• A school custodian has been working long enough to see his daughter, once a student, become a teacher at the school where he works. 😍

• One hundred musicians organize a flash mob to perform "Carol of the Bells" in Paris.

• A diver in Indonesia negotiates with an octopus to have it trade its plastic cup for a real shell.

• Your weekly reminder that showing up matters.

I'm all caught up on the Taylor Swift Eras Tour docuseries (because I ignored my writing in favor of watching the last two episodes when they dropped). Imagine my dolphin squeal of joy when I realized how heavily Episode 5 featured the Toronto tour date that I was able to attend. I didn't see me or my family in the crowd footage, but watching Taylor get choked up on stage after playing Marjorie made me feel like we were all together again experiencing something beautiful.

DID SOMEONE SAY BOOKS AND BOOZE?

When you put a bunch of book lovers in a room with a books and booze exchange, eventually I’m going to crash your party. I heard rumors of a book club Christmas party happening in my area and according to my GPS calculations, I had just enough time to swing by and see if any of my books were in the exchange (One! It was Forever Never!).

Here’s a video of the party, including my surprise entrance. I hope that you get to walk into a room and have people scream (with joy) at least once!

NEW BOOK NEW LOOK

Hodder Books is giving Story Lake a fresh new look in time for the release of Mistakes Were Made in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.

This version is available for preorder now!

And because we love indie bookshops, we’ve got a special “late night” indie edition of Mistakes Were Made!

Readers who preorder from the following indie stores will receive three special stickers. One for each of the Bishop brothers!

PRE-ORDER AT BOOK LOVERS BOOKSHOP

PRE-ORDER AT INK & EMBER

PRE-ORDER AT HEA ROMANCE BOOKSHOP

PRE-ORDER AT OF BOOKS AND LOVE

PRE-ORDER AT LITERARY LANE BOOKSHOP

Story of My Life will also be getting a fresh new look to match, so keep an eye out!

LUCY IN THE WILD

GOOD NEWS

• A school bus driver is being celebrated after she saved a four-year-old from Lake Owasso in Minnesota.

• The Little Pardners Rodeo was created for children with special needs to enjoy a day of cowboy/cowgirl activities.

• John Oliver auctioned off his original Bob Ross painting, raising $1.5M for public broadcasting.

• Rare footage shows emperor penguin chicks taking a giant first leap into the ocean.