LACIE’S SECRETS News!

Friday, February 18th, 2022

Publishers Weekly released their review for Lacie’s Secrets

Kate Williams, the protagonist of this riveting thriller from Sorkin and Holmqvist (The Woman in the Park), travels from her Connecticut home to Villa Magda, her family’s Maine home where she spent summers until her sister, Lacie, disappeared there almost 20 years earlier. Accompanying Kate are her husband and their teenage son. Kate’s visit brings back vivid memories of how the media coverage at the time painted Kate as the jealous older sister. Then strange things start to happen, including a former gardener breaking into her room to warn her away from the house. To complicate matters, her son discovers a blog accusing Kate of being complicit in Lacie’s disappearance. When Kate discovers a body in the pool after an alcohol-fueled night, she fears Villa Magda’s tragic history is repeating itself. The stakes rise as Kate becomes convinced that the same person responsible for Lacie’s disappearance had something to do with the recent death. The authors keep the suspense high as they slowly dole out the mansion’s sinister secrets. Fans of gothic novels will be pleased. Agent: Jane Wesman, Jane Wesman Public Relations. (Apr.)

To read the review on Publishers Weekly, click here.

To learn more about Lacie’s Secrets, click here.

To learn more about Teresa Sorkin, click here.

To learn more about Tullan Holmqvist, click here.

Books x Bastille

Friday, February 18th, 2022

Dearest Readers,

Let me set the scene: It’s 2013–the sun is shining, you’re wearing way too many layered t-shirts, and “Pompeii” by Bastille is blasting on the radio for the fourth time that hour.

No? Just me?

Luckily for all of us, “Pompeii” did not follow in the tradition of one-hit wonders and was just the first of many great hits released by the English pop rock band. Their latest album, Give Me the Future, released a couple weeks ago and includes their most recent hit, “Shut Off the Lights.”

Now, what does any of this have to do with books?

A lot, actually! Not only does Give Me the Future explore Bastille’s own musings on technology, reality, and how the two interact, it’s also chock-full of references to some exceptional science fiction books! The books (and my musings on them) can be found below!

1984 by George Orwell

Perhaps the most famous of the referenced books, 1984 paints a dystopian future in which government is totalitarian and surveillance is omnipresent. It follows Winston Smith, a lowly worker employed to rewrite historical documents who desperately wishes to overthrow the government. Orwell wrote 1984 as a warning against propaganda, regimentation, and the erasure of history, and many terms used in the book, most notably “Big Brother,” have become a part of our regular lexicon.

Island by Aldous Huxley

Writing in direct contrast to his own novel Brave New World, Aldous Huxley crafts the idea of the ultimate utopia in his book Island. In Island, Englishman Will Farnaby deliberately wrecks his ship in order to gain entry to the Kingdom of Pala, located on an island between Sumatra and the Andaman Islands. The society he finds there is utopic, with a culture that blends western science and eastern Buddhism, values multifaceted education, and believes the key to overcoming suffering and death is to live wholly in the moment.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

Philip K. Dick’s novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, also known by its revised title Blade Runner, is an exploration of morality and what it actually means to be human. The book follows Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter assigned to “retire” androids who have escaped from Mars and fled to Earth. In his hunt for the androids, Deckard comes to learn that the androids are almost entirely indistinguishable from organic human beings and that both have been killed in the process.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

In addition to Island, we have another reference to a Huxley work, this time to his work of dystopian fiction, Brave New World. This story examines a future in which humans are engineered in artificial wombs and later sorted into predetermined castes based on their intelligence and work. Natural-born humans are viewed as “savages” and live in exile on reservations around the world.

Total Recall by Piers Anthony

Based on the story, “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale,” by Philip K. Dick, Total Recall blurs the line between dreams and reality. When Douglas Quail, the novel’s protagonist, is having a fake memory installed, he discovers that the nightmares he’s been having of covert missions on Mars are his true memories that have been repressed by his employers. His life is completely overturned and he is left to question all that he believed to be true.

These are but a few of the incredible books that make the science fiction genre so compelling. If you’re wanting sci-fi that’s a touch more recent and/or diverse, I highly recommend checking out the works of Ursula K. Le Guin, Octavia Butler, Becky Chambers, and Nnedi Okorafor, to name a few.

Happy Reading!

Judy Beaulume

Hello from a Beaufort Intern!

Friday, February 11th, 2022

Hello everyone! Beaufort’s fourth spring intern checking in!

A little about me…

I was born and raised in West Michigan, where a love for snow is required and yearning for warmth is nearly always present. I have three younger siblings, one sister and two brothers, and incredibly supportive parents who have always encouraged me to pursue my dreams! In December of 2021, I graduated from Grand Valley State University with a B.S. in Political Science, and I am now, with great excitement, on a journey to establish a career in publishing!

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had an extreme passion for books. My happy place has always been curled up in my bed devouring a compelling novel. However, up until recently, I thought that my love for reading couldn’t be turned into a career, but instead, would forever remain a beloved hobby. I was set on a career in politics, but through multiple experiences, I realized that the political world isn’t where I’m meant to be. This realization sent me back to the theoretical career drawing board, and here I am now, eagerly exploring the publishing industry!

As far as books go, some of my favorites are Twilight by Stephenie Meyer; Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert; and It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover. I am a sucker for a story that makes you laugh, cry, and, most importantly, feel like you are living the lives of its characters. I want to bring more books like that into the world, which is why I am so excited and thankful that I get to learn about the book publishing process through my internship!

I can’t wait to see what these next few months at Beaufort hold, and I am eager to share my journey with you!

Until next time,

Beaulla Swan

Greetings!

Friday, February 4th, 2022

Hello there!

Another Beaufort intern here, under the nom-de-plume Catherine Beaushaw because Wuthering Heights is an exceptional classic that holds such a warm place in my heart.

I can’t even begin to describe how excited I am to be interning at Beaufort this semester. Everyone here is so incredibly sweet, which makes complete sense because book people are simply the best. As for me, I’m a UCLA grad with a B.A. in Sociology currently living in sunny San Diego with my lovely cat and little poodle. When I’m not reading, you can find me rollerblading down the Mission Beach boardwalk or heading for a run along Sunset Cliffs. (I’m so grateful I got to grow up here!)

It’s been my dream to break into book publishing for some time now. I’ve always been an avid reader, and I find such joy in discovering those books that truly speak to your heart. It’s why I want to be a part of the process of finding pieces that connect to other readers in that special way as well. I was working my way into the industry back in 2019, but my path took a little detour when the pandemic hit. Graduating into 2020 was, without a doubt, extremely tough. I had to put my dream of working with books to the side and focus on finding ways to support myself during that super crazy year.

I was convinced I needed to give up on book publishing, but after a recent visit back to New York City, I felt inspired and decided to give my dream another shot. Lo and behold, I was given the amazing opportunity to intern at Beaufort Books. It’s my dream to eventually make the move from here in San Diego (although a gorgeous place to be) back to New York City to be amongst its neverending energy and all the fellow book lovers. Have you ever seen all the people reading books on the subway? I hope the NYC subway system continues to have absolutely terrible WiFi–that way, I’ll keep seeing people passing the time with a great book. Because reading is what connects us, brings us joy, and inspires change.

I’m excited and incredibly hopeful for what the next couple of months have in store.

Catherine Beaushaw

New Year, Same Pandemic

Friday, February 4th, 2022

Hello everyone!

My name is Beau Weasley, I am just one of Beaufort’s four new interns for the Spring! If you couldn’t already tell, I am a wildly huge Harry Potter fan. I’m a die-hard Ravenclaw (contrary to the name), and–although I’m reluctant to admit it–my patronus is a Salmon. I like to think it means I’m trustworthy, charismatic, a leader… Or it’s just a fish. Who’s to say? My graduation present to myself when I graduate is actually going to be a Harry Potter-inspired tattoo (I have 8 already).

With that, I’m currently in my last year of graduate school, receiving my Master’s degree in Book Publishing this June! I graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in English and a minor in Film Production in May of 2020 (Yikes, I know.), and made the move to Oregon that September. I strongly do not recommend moving to a different state in the middle of a global pandemic–BUT! It was totally worth it. Starting in a new city, almost entirely isolated was a whole new ballgame I wasn’t completely ready for, but grad school was.

When I was sixteen, one of my high school teachers asked what I wanted to major in in college. I quickly responded, “English, probably, but I have no idea what I would do with that.” Her answer changed my life. Literally.

“What about something with book publishing?”

And that was my plan from that moment on. When I was studying abroad in Manchester, England my sophomore year of undergrad, I read a book that featured a main character who got her master’s in Book Publishing. I was so overwhelmed with excitement and passion because I had no idea that was even an option and did all the research I could to find out more.

Now, I’m in Oregon, and my plans are coming to an end, or, rather, being caught up with. My dream is to head east for a change and end up working for a bigger publishing company in New York, but real plans? Guess we’ll see.

Happy to have you here, and to be able to share my thoughts along the way!

Beau Weasley

Salutations!

Thursday, February 3rd, 2022

Dear Readers,

Hello and Happy Lunar New Year! Judy BEAUlume here—one of Beaufort Books’ newest interns and an insatiable bibliophile!

A little about me: I’m originally from Dallas, Texas where I grew up with my wonderful parents, one younger brother, and many, many pets! Through the years, my family has had lizards, turtles, a cockatiel, a cat, a tarantula (rescued from our swimming pool), and many, many wonderful dogs. My love of reading started very young (thank you Mom!) and some of my favorite childhood series included Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins, Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan, and Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett!

Nowadays, I live in NYC where I work at a bookstore, intern with Beaufort Books, and read as many books on the subway as I possibly can! Some of my favorite authors include TJ Klune, Erin Morgenstern, Casey McQuiston, and Neil Gaiman. I’m currently finishing up the Poppy War Trilogy by R. F. Kuang which I highly recommend to anyone who loves history, fantasy, or Avatar the Last Airbender.

When I’m not reading, I also love watching animated movies/tv shows, doodling, listening to fictional podcasts (if you haven’t listened to The Magnus Archives, you absolutely should!), and taking dance classes! I strongly dislike asparagus, white chocolate, and when people don’t use the Oxford comma. I look forward to sharing all things Beaufort Books with you!

Until next time!

Judy BEAUlume

ANCHORED News!

Thursday, February 3rd, 2022

A great review from Kirkus Review is in for Anchored

Crim reflects on his successful career as a journalist and his perennial struggles with his religious faith.
Crim grew up in Hamilton, Ohio, dreaming of becoming a preacher and following in his father’s footsteps. By the age of 16, he was an evangelist holding crowds in rapt attention, and he was an ordained a minister before he turned 18. He was also plagued by doubts about his faith, reservations that waged within him like an “intellectual war.” He discovered early on that his experience performing, as well as the fact that he “blessed with a good set of pipes,” could translate into a career on the radio. He got his start as a DJ at KLCN in Blytheville, Missouri. Eventually, he branched out into television, landed a job at ABC, and shared an office with Ted Koppel. The author became a notable anchorman in Detroit, a post he would hold for nearly two decades, all while continuing to host popular syndicated radio shows. Notably, Crim was the inspiration for Will Ferrell’s now iconic character, Ron Burgundy. The author candidly discusses not only his impressive professional career, but also his personal life, including his marriage. He furnishes a thoughtful assessment of the ways American journalism has changed, undermined by a “drift toward sensationalism” that has resulted in a diminishment in the public’s trust. Crim’s perch is a rare one—he’s experienced the industry from top to bottom and has witnessed its transformations from the inside. Moreover, Crim’s discussion of his religious faith is admirably forthcoming as well as thoughtful: “The fast-paced, competitive life of television news kept me moving, but I couldn’t outrun my anxieties about God. Sometimes in church, and sometimes in the quiet dark of a restless night, the questions would surface and trouble me.” While the remembrance runs a touch long—it’s overloaded with granular detail—it nonetheless provides an astute peek into the world of American journalism.
A fascinating recollection, edifying and entertaining.

To learn more about Anchored, click here.

To learn more about Mort Crim, click here.

Beaufort Books Newsletter | January 2022

Tuesday, January 18th, 2022

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Your monthly digest of everything Beaufort Books.

Happy 2022, dear readers!

We hope everyone had a safe and relaxing holiday break! We’re getting ready for a busy spring publishing season, but we wanted to check in with a brief update on what’s happening here at Beaufort.

FORTHCOMING TITLES

LACIE’S SECRETS
By Teresa Sorkin and Tullan Holmqvist
Pub Date: April 12, 2022

When her estranged mother dies, Kate Williams is forced to return to her family’s summer home in Maine, where her younger sister Lacie was last seen 18 years ago. But not long after she arrives, inexplicable incidents and suspicious visitors begin to torment Kate, and she realizes the house might be holding more secrets than she can handle. Lacie’s Secrets is an exciting and cinematic psychological thriller with surprising twists that will keep the reader guessing until the very last page.

Preorder Lacie’s Secrets

FEVER
By Janet Gilsdorf
Pub Date: April 26, 2022

In 1984, in the small Brazilian village of Promissão, a young child begins to fuss, her eyes turning pink and her skin flushed with heat. Four days later, she’s dead. Sidonie Royal, an accomplished scientist, arrives in Promissão to investigate and hopefully cure this insidious new disease, triggering a scientific race that spans two continents and becomes increasingly defined by personal stakes. Set against the backdrop of the early days of the AIDS epidemic, Fever is a captivating and timely novel about one woman’s challenge to prove herself.

Preorder Fever

CURRENTLY READING AND OUR 2022 READING GOALS

Did you set a reading goal for 2022? If so, what is it? I did! I picked 52 books again. That has been my goal for the last few years and I find it just challenging enough!

What are you currently reading? The Housewives: The Real Story Behind the Real Housewives (audiobook version) by Brian Moylan. I am going to try and read/listen to books that are a bit more fun this year! I am going to lean in hard on the guilty pleasure-type titles. And this was the perfect way to start that.

What do you like about it so far? I love all the different versions of Bravo’s The Real Housewives so it was fun to get some history and insider information on the shows.

Current rating: 5 out of 5

Did you set a reading goal for 2022? If so, what is it? I’m aiming for 75 books again, like last year. I’m already several books behind though, so that might change!

What are you currently reading? Broken (in the best possible way) by Jenny Lawson. This book was recommended to me by Megan, and I’m really enjoying the author’s narration in the audiobook!

What do you like about it so far? I love Lawson’s quirky sense of humor and the levity she brings to serious conversations about her mental health.

Current rating: 4 out of 5

Beaufort Books is an independent publisher based in New York City. Beaufort publishes a mix of non-fiction and fiction titles, with about 15–20 new titles each year. Since 2007, we’ve published four New York Times bestsellers.

Congratulations to our Shelf Unbound Award winners!

Friday, December 17th, 2021

The 2021 Shelf Unbound Best Indie Book Awards were announced earlier this month, and we were thrilled to learn that four of our titles were honored in this year’s competition!

Longlisted

The following two books were part of a list of 10 longlisted books:

The Image

Steven Faulkner’s The Image is a profound and compelling collection of linked short stories about faith, hope, belonging, and the search for meaning within a holy land.

Click here to learn more about The Image.

Whereabouts Unknown

Spanning decades and continents, Whereabouts Unknown links two unlikely characters—Beth and Jim—who may just have what the other one is looking for. Insightful, captivating, and timeless, Whereabouts Unknown is about the bonds of family—the family we’re born with and the one we create.

Click here to learn more about Whereabouts Unknown.

Notable 100

Two of our titles were honored as part of Shelf Unbound’s Notable 100 list:

A Few Words About Words

Spawned from the widely-circulated and beloved newsletter of the same name, Joe Diorio’s A Few Words About Words blends quick-witted anecdotes from more than 30 years of newsletter entries that highlight the common, uncommon, and surprising grammar mistakes most English speakers make. The result is a digestible, all-encompassing look at English grammar.

Click here to learn more about A Few Words About Words.

Anchored

Mort Crim has reported on major conflicts around the world for more than four decades and was a major inspiration for Will Ferrell’s performance in the movie Anchorman. Crim’s memoir takes readers behind the camera to show what life was like when the local anchorman was as revered as the professional athlete, and just as overpaid.

Click here to learn more about Anchored.

Beaufort Books Newsletter | December 2021

Thursday, December 16th, 2021

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Your monthly digest of everything Beaufort Books.

Hello, readers!

We’re wrapping up another wonderful year here at Beaufort, and we hope you’re enjoying this time of year as much as we are! Before we take some time off to celebrate with our loved ones, we want to wish you a joyful holiday season and share our final update of the year. We’ll see you in 2022!

SHOUT-OUT TO OUR AWARD WINNERS

Beaufort Books had four titles honored in the 2021 Shelf Unbound Best Indie Book Awards!

Out of ten books longlisted, two were Beaufort titles: Whereabouts Unknown by Richard Probert, and The Image by Steven Faulkner.

Two others were honored as Notable 100 books: A Few Words About Words by Joe Diorio, and Anchored by Mort Crim.

Join us in congratulating these wonderful authors!

JUST ANNOUNCED

We’re so excited to introduce one of our spring 2022 titles: Fever by Janet Gilsdorf.

About Fever: In 1984, in the small Brazilian village of Promissão, a young child begins to fuss, her eyes turning pink and her skin flushed with heat. Four days later, she’s dead. Sidonie Royal, an accomplished physician and scientist, arrives in the small Brazilian village of Promissão to investigate and hopefully cure this insidious new disease. With several young children already dead, and more getting sick by the day, the stakes cannot get any higher.

As Sid relentlessly pursues an explanation for the disease, the village’s physician calls in the Global Health Agency, triggering a scientific race that spans two continents and becomes increasingly defined by personal stakes. Set against the backdrop of the early days of the AIDS epidemic, Fever is about finding courage in the face of the unknown, the lasting power of community, and one woman’s challenge to prove herself.

Janet Gilsdorf is a Professor Emeritus of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan and is the author of Continual Raving: A History of Meningitis and the People Who Conquered It (2019).

Preorder Fever before it’s released on April 26, 2022!

Preorder from Barnes & Noble

Preorder from Indiebound

Preorder from Amazon

OUR 2021 READING GOALS

We’re doing something a little different this month! Instead of giving an update on what we’re currently reading, we decided to do a final check-in on our annual reading goal.

Do you set a yearly reading goal? I do! It started a few years ago when I noticed that I wasn’t reading for fun as much as I used to. So I use Goodreads to set and track my goal. Every year I set my reading goal to 52 books; which seems fair since that is one book a week. I do not count submissions; only fully published books.

Did you meet your goal? If not, how far along are you? I am a little behind schedule right now. I have read 46 books so far. I count audio books; and normally at this point of the year I also read/listen to a lot of short stories; so I can make my goal!

What were some of your favorite books you read this year? That is a tough question. Most of my list is Agatha Christie titles (I am making my way through all her published works); but there are three non-Agatha Christie books that stand out. The Thursday Murder Club (loved the mystery and amazing characters); The Last Equation of Isaac Severy (amazing mystery and the writing was lovely), and Long Way Down (I listened to the audio which was narrated by the author. This isn’t a feel good book; but it was powerful and left you thinking about the story long after it was finished).

Do you set a yearly reading goal? Yes, I first set a reading goal in 2020 to push myself to read more. I got a late start in 2020 so I set my goal to 40 books, and I finished 52 books (not counting the submissions read for Beaufort). This year, I felt more ambitious and set my goal for 75.

Did you meet your goal? If not, how far along are you? I did! I’m currently at 124 books for the year, and I may shoot for a few more by January 1.

What were some of your favorite books you read this year? Where do I even begin? To mention just a few: Lisa Kleypas’s Wallflowers series, Sarah MacLean’s Rules of Scoundrels series, almost anything written by Julia Quinn, The Very Nice Box by Eve Gleichman and Laura Blackett, and of course, The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune (AKA—the book I can’t and won’t shut up about).

Do you set a yearly reading goal? I did not set a reading goal this year because I like to take my time when reading! I believe I read about 30 books this year, which I think is a good amount.

What were some of your favorite books you read this year? Some of my favorite books include: Girl One by Sara Flannery Murphy, The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, and I’m currently reading (and loving) Dune by Frank Herbert.

FORTHCOMING TITLES

WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN
By Richard Probert
Pub Date: February 15, 2022

After 18-year-old Beth’s parents die in a tragic car accident, she sets out to find the only living family member she has left. But as she travels across the U.S., she learns her parents were hiding more than they let on. Spanning decades and continents, Whereabouts Unknown links two unlikely characters who may just have what the other is looking for.

Preorder Whereabouts Unknown

BEAUFORT WISHES YOU A HAPPY HOLIDAY

Beaufort Books Newsletter | November 2021

Wednesday, November 17th, 2021

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Your monthly digest of everything Beaufort Books.

Hello, readers!

Happy (almost) Thanksgiving! 🦃🥧 We always like to take a moment around the holidays to remind everyone how grateful we are for our authors, interns, colleagues, and of course you, our readers! We had a great 2021 and are thankful that you chose to join us this year. Don’t forget to tweet us @beaufortbooks and let us know what you’re thankful for this holiday season!

And don’t forget to visit your local independent bookstore now and start your Christmas shopping early. With supply chain and delayed shipping issues, it’s best to order books for your friends and family now to make sure they arrive by Christmas!

JUST ANNOUNCED

The second novel from writing duo Teresa Sorkin and Tullan Holmqvist is almost here!

Set on a remote estate along the coast of Maine, Lacie’s Secret’s is a psychological thriller that pays homage to classics like Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and The Shining by Stephen King.

E.G. Scott, international bestselling author of In Case of Emergency, says of Lacie’s Secrets: “Sorkin and Holmqvist take a slew of intriguing ingredients—long-buried family secrets, the sometimes-fragile subjectivity of memory, a seemingly idyllic setting that masks a steady undercurrent of dread—whip them into a heady, suspenseful concoction and top it all off with an absolute wallop of an ending!”

Click one of the links below to preorder the book before it’s released on April 12, 2022!

Preorder from Barnes & Noble

Preorder from Indiebound

Preorder from Amazon

FORTHCOMING TITLES

THROWING BEARS FOR GEORGE
By J.F. Riordan
Pub Date: Summer 2022

The fifth book in J.F. Riordan’s award-winning North of the Tension Line series will be released in summer of 2022. Throwing Bears for George once again follows Washington Island’s beloved cast of characters.

Preorder Throwing Bears for George

WHAT WE’RE READING

Forgotten in Death
By J.D. Robb

Forgotten in Death is the newest book in J.D. Robb’s In Death series. It is nice to read a book in a long running series (this is book 53). When reading a series like this, it is like hanging out with friends and catching up with their lives. Except in this case we also get to watch murder cases be solved! Sometimes I figure out the mystery too soon in these books, however this one kept me guessing until almost the very end of the book!

Rating: 5/5 stars

Lore Olympus: Volume One
By Rachel Smythe

Lore Olympus: Volume One is the first installment in Rachel Smythe’s incredibly popular Webtoon comic by the same name. This book includes the first 25 episodes from the comic, and there are already plans to release Volume Two next summer. The creator describes it as “a modern-day deconstruction of the classic Greek myth” of Hades and Persephone. This is one of the only graphic novels I’ve read, and because it’s the perfect mix of being visually stunning while drawing the reader in with a fresh take on a classic legend, I think it holds wide appeal for everyone.

Rating: 5/5 stars

OVER ON THE ‘GRAM

Boston in the Fall

Friday, October 8th, 2021

Dear readers,

I’m writing to tell you about my favorite things to do in and around Boston this autumn season! The trees are just starting to lose their green, and I am beyond excited for everything to turn red and yellow. Starting with what I like to do in the city, the Boston Common and Public Garden are my favorite places to lose track of time, staring at the beautiful scenery. Swans gather around the roots of trees, waddling through the fallen leaves. As it gets colder, the waterfowl migrate for winter and the pond in the Public Garden slowly freezes over, soon becoming the perfect place to play ice hockey.

____

I like taking photos with my friends in the Boston Common especially because the lines of trees create a wall of warm colors. Though we try to get that quintessential autumn picture (leaves caught in midair, big smiles on our faces), the photos often turn out blurry and awkward. Still, walking through the Common is a wonderful experience. Leaves gather in large piles, and it makes me feel like a little kid to stomp through them. I tried to throw myself into a pile of leaves once, but they aren’t as soft a landing pad as one would think…

_____

Just outside of Boston, I’ve made it a tradition to go apple picking with friends. Honey Pot Hill Orchards in Stow, MA has so many varieties of apples, varieties I didn’t even know existed. At the entrance, you pay for a basket to fill up with your hand-picked apples, fresh off the tree.

Amazingly, Honey Pot Hill Orchards has been a family-run business since 1926. They have a schedule for the best times of year that certain apples are ripe and ready-to-pick. Other fruits are also grown on the farm, like blueberries, peaches, and plums.

You can take a hayride across the grounds and visit their farm animals. The chickens, pigs, goats, and even mini ponies seem to enjoy running around their pens. At the specialty store, you can also buy treats made on-site, like apple cider and pumpkin pie, filled donuts and fruit jellies. My friends and I shared a big bag of warm apple cider donuts, and they were amazing. Apple picking is definitely my favorite thing to do in the autumn.

_____

Salem, MA is famous for the Salem Witch Trials. Beginning in 1962, several local women were accused of witchcraft. Salem gets extremely popular in October. The haunted aspect of the town makes it the perfect place to celebrate Halloween. If you go, don’t be afraid to dress up for the occasion. Witches, warlocks, and other magical creatures roam freely through Salem during the fall.

The Salem Witch Museum is an incredible experience. Not only can you look around at the museum’s displays, you can sit in for a storytelling session about the history of the Witch Trials. During this storytelling session, I walked into a pitch black theatre and sat in the center of the room for the best viewing. I won’t spoil the show, but the narration and acting were definitely unlike anything I’ve seen before.

____

Fall activities, in and around Boston, are part of what makes this season so magical. I think autumn is the best time to visit Boston because of the atmosphere. The beautiful red trees. The refreshing chill. The delicious fall foods like apple cider and pumpkin pie and butternut squash soup.

When the chillier seasons come around, it’s so cozy to curl up with a good book, a cup of hot chocolate in hand as the leaves fall in waves of red, orange, and yellow outside.

Sincerely,

Edgar Allan Beau

My Fave Places in Boston

Wednesday, September 15th, 2021

Dear readers,

I’m the new intern for Beaufort Books! It’s really nice to meet you. I am currently a creative writing student in Boston, the birthplace of a certain author who wrote timeless works like The Raven and The Tell-Tale Heart. This is why I’ve gone with the pen name Edgar Allan Beau.

I want to show you my favorite places around Boston, so that if you ever visit this historic city, you know exactly where to go.

Boston Public Garden

Charles River Esplanade

Arnold Arboretum

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Edgar Allan Poe Statue

*Photo Credit: J. Nathan Matias on flickr*

It’s cool to think of Poe as a writer, and to think of Poe as a symbol of the city where I’m currently learning to become a writer. If this blogpost makes me famous, I hope that I could get a cool statue to memorialize me one day.

All the best,

Edgar Allan Beau

RED DECEPTION News!

Monday, September 13th, 2021

Red Deception Reviewed by Midwest Book Review

Synopsis: When terrorists bomb bridges across the country and threaten the Hoover Dam, the vulnerability of America’s infrastructure becomes a matter of national security. But Dan Reilly, a former Army intelligence officer, predicted the attacks in a secret State Department report written years earlier — a virtual blueprint for disaster, somehow leaked and now in the hands of foreign operatives.

With Washington distracted by domestic crises, Russian President Nicolai Gorshkov sends troops to the borders of Ukraine and Latvia, ready to reclaim what he feels is Russia’s rightful territory. Tensions in Europe threaten to boil over as a besieged American president balances multiple crises that threaten to upend the geopolitical order. With the US at the mercy of an egomaniacal leader, and reporters and covert agents on his tail, Reilly may be the one man who can connect the dots before an even bigger catastrophe unfolds.

Critique: The second volume in the second book in authors Gary Grossman and Ed Fuller’s the Red Hotel series, “Red Deception” is another deftly crafted suspense thriller/action adventure novel from first page to last — and unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense/Espionage/Terrorism fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that “Red Deception” is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.49).

To read the full review, click here.

To learn more about Red Deception, click here.

To learn more about Gary Grossman and Ed Fuller, click here and here, respectively.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT WORDS News!

Monday, August 16th, 2021

Joe Diorio interviewed on Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb

Joe Diorio is the author of the new book A Few Words About Words: A Common-Sense Look at Writing and Grammar.

Q: What inspired you to write A Few Words About Words?

A: The book traces its roots to a compilation of my monthly email newsletter of the same name. Each issue is only about 700 words or so. I had been writing the newsletter on and off for nearly 30 years and figured I may have enough material for a book.

More important, though, is that I wanted to reach a broader audience (The newsletter had a readership of about 5,000 at the time; it’s up to about 7,000 now. You can subscribe at my website – Joe Diorio Writer, editor. – Words on paper. That’s me. (joedioriowritereditor.com)) and I thought having a book could create opportunities to share a message to a bigger audience.

In my case the message is that yes, I’m bad at English grammar, but with work and perseverance I – and anyone for that matter – can become proficient. I decided to inject humor into the book to make it unique.

There seem to be plenty of books about overcoming educational deficiencies. Tara Westover’s Educated comes immediately to mind, and I don’t want to replicate that. I wanted to create something that tells readers that yes, writing can be hard sometimes. But writing can also be fun.

To read the rest of the interview, click here.

To learn more about A Few Words About Words, click here.

To learn more about Joe Diorio, click here.

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