#1 Amazon Best-Selling Author What would you do if you received a letter from your past self? Sweet Corie and fiery Scarlet were best friends. Inseparable. Sisters of the heart. Until that one life-changing night they both wish they could take back… Twenty-eight-year old Corie Harper embarks on an emotional journey after receiving a letter to herself she forgot she wrote. Although she spent a decade hiding her secrets, each page reminds her of the friendship she lost with her best friend, Scarlet, when her now-husband, Tucker, got between them. Scarlet, who hasn’t seen Corie since, blazed her own path and left the past far behind. Or so she thinks. Pregnant with a baby she’s scared to have, Scarlet must decide if she wants to continue alone or find the courage to mend her broken friendship. Can these former best friends overcome the betrayal that changed their lives? "An engaging, not-to-miss debut with characters that stayed with me long after I finished reading." - Robin Bielman, USA Today bestselling author "This fine debut novel convincingly explores the ties of love and friendship at the breaking point." - L. Gott, The Fictional 100 Book club discussion guide included. Discover the tangled friendships and deep-rooted secrets of Conejo Springs in the Friendship & Secrets series. Each book can be read as a standalone. Interview with the Author What was your inspiration to write Letters for Scarlet? When I was teaching high school English, my seniors wrote letters to themselves, which I saved and sent to them five years after graduation. I imagined the impact of a tragedy happening in that time span and increased the period to ten years so the characters could be older and more established in their lives. There are lots of great women's fiction books to choose from these days! What makes Letters for Scarlet fresh? I switch between two narrators, one in first-person-present and the other in third-person-past, to show their lives from different points of view—both their strengths and flaws. Personally, I don't like characters who are all hero or all villain. The story focuses on friendship, or rather, a loss of friendship between two former high school friends. What can you say about their relationship? As teenagers, Scarlet and Corie were incredibly close and thought they would be best friends forever. “Sisters of the heart” if you will. But with that closeness came underlying jealousy and competition that carried into their adult lives. Tragedy and betrayal exacerbated these messy emotions and left holes they're both still trying to fill. Do you have any more books planned? Yes! Although there is a sense of closure at the end of Letters for Scarlet, I left the door open to explore the characters' futures, together or separately. I also wrote Guest List, a prequel novella that takes readers on a journey of events leading up to Corie and Scarlet’s high school reunion. Is this book part of a series? Each book can be read as a standalone, but all have ties to the world of friendship and secrets rooted in Conejo Springs. What do you enjoy reading? Primarily, I love women's fiction, literary fiction, and memoir. But any time spent reading is a good time! Thanks for reading!

Letters for Scarlet

Literature & Fiction

Gardner, Julie C.

United States

Velvet Morning Press

A vignette from the Amazon best-selling author of Letters for Scarlet and Guest List. A month before my fortieth birthday, under the influence of inspiration (not to mention half a pitcher of margaritas), I concocted a specific plan—one that offered an obvious starting line, a concrete ending and clearly digestible nuggets of achievement along the way. For the next five months I'd train for a race. Not just any race. A midlife marathon. While I convinced my forty-year-old legs they could run more than three miles at a time, I would also write a memoir chronicling tales of gladness and woe. Twenty weeks of running. Twenty weeks of writing. All I needed was a new pair of shoes, a couple of notebooks and a handful of pencils, and by springtime, I'd be ticking two big items off my bucket list: completing a marathon and a book. What could be simpler? Also available when signing up for Julie's newsletter: https://bit.ly/runningwithpencils Interview with the Author In addition to this vignette from your real life, you also write fiction, including Letters for Scarlet. What was your inspiration to write that novel? When I was teaching high school English, my seniors wrote letters to themselves, which I saved and sent to them five years after graduation. I imagined the impact of a tragedy happening in that time span and increased the period to ten years so the characters could be older and more established in their lives. Guest List is a prequel novella to Letters for Scarlet. Should I read it first? Up to you! The books can be read in either order. I wrote Letters for Scarlet first, but realized there was a lot more backstory to my characters than could fit in just one book! Guest List takes us back a bit in time and delves a little deeper into some of the secondary characters from Letters for Scarlet. It’s a short read but it covers a lot of ground, particularly the different ways female friendships play out over time. There are lots of great women's fiction books to choose from these days! What makes Letters for Scarlet and Guest List fresh? I switch between narrators, sometimes employing first-person-present and sometimes third-person-past, to show my characters’ lives from different points of view—both their strengths and flaws. Personally, I don't like characters who are all hero or all villain. What do you enjoy reading? Primarily, I love women's fiction, literary fiction, and memoir. But any time spent reading is a good time!

Running with Pencils

Biographies & Memoirs

Memoirs

#1 Amazon Best-SellerThe invitations for their ten-year high school reunion have arrived. But not everyone is looking forward to the event… Corie cringes at the idea of going to the Conejo High School reunion. No longer the sweet and innocent girl her friends knew, she dreads facing them, knowing she’s hiding more secrets than she can count. Fiery Scarlet, formerly Corie’s best friend, is now a high-powered attorney who has all but left the little town of Conejo Springs behind. She’s managed to block the memories for this long… but is it time to reconsider? Renata’s self-confidence is still as low as it was in high school, despite continually working out and desperately trying not to worry about what people think of her. Will she have the courage to face the crowd of girls whose approval she never stopped seeking? And sassy Kate is organizing the whole thing, even though she graduated in the class before them. What’s up her sleeve? The high school reunion could be a smash hit or a total disaster. It all depends on who shows up. “Enticing and delightfully dramatic... Not to miss!” – Award-winning author Jennie Goutet Discover the tangled friendships and deep-rooted secrets of Conejo Springs in the Friendship & Secrets series. Each book can be read as a standalone. Interview with the Author Guest List is a prequel novella to the highly praised novel Letters for Scarlet. So should I read it first? Up to you! The books can be read in either order. I wrote Letters for Scarlet first, but realized there was a lot more backstory to my characters than could fit in just one book! Guest List takes us back a bit in time and delves a little deeper into some of the secondary characters from Letters for Scarlet. It’s a short read but it covers a lot of ground, particularly the different ways female friendships play out over time. And what was your inspiration to write Letters for Scarlet? When I was teaching high school English, my seniors wrote letters to themselves, which I saved and sent to them five years after graduation. I imagined the impact of a tragedy happening in that time span and increased the period to ten years so the characters could be older and more established in their lives. There are lots of great women's fiction stories to choose from these days! What makes Guest List and Letters for Scarlet fresh? I switch between narrators, sometimes employing first-person-present and sometimes third-person-past, to show my characters’ lives from different points of view—both their strengths and flaws. Personally, I don't like characters who are all hero or all villain. Is this book part of a series? Each book can be read as a standalone, but all have ties to the world of friendship and secrets rooted in Conejo Springs: Book 1: Guest List Book 2: Letters for Scarlet Book 3: Forgetting Ophelia What do you enjoy reading? Primarily, I love women's fiction, literary fiction, and memoir. But any time spent reading is a good time!

Guest List

Women's Fiction

Letters for Scarlet: A Novel (Secrets in the Springs)

Literary

Independently published

#1 Amazon Best-Seller The invitations for their ten-year high school reunion have arrived. But not everyone is looking forward to the event... Corie cringes at the idea of going to the Conejo High School reunion. No longer the sweet and innocent girl her friends knew, she dreads facing them, knowing she's hiding more secrets than she can count. Fiery Scarlet, formerly Corie's best friend, is now a high-powered attorney who has all but left the little town of Conejo Springs behind. She's managed to block the memories for this long... but is it time to reconsider? Renata's self-confidence is still as low as it was in high school, despite continually working out and desperately trying not to worry about what people think of her. Will she have the courage to face the crowd of girls whose approval she never stopped seeking? And sassy Kate is organizing the whole thing, even though she graduated in the class before them. What's up her sleeve? The high school reunion could be a smash hit or a total disaster. It all depends on who shows up. "Enticing and delightfully dramatic... Not to miss!" - Award-winning author Jennie Goutet Interview with the AuthorGuest List is a prequel novella to the highly praised novel Letters for Scarlet. So should I read it first? Up to you! The books can be read in either order. I wrote Letters for Scarlet first, but realized there was a lot more backstory to my characters than could fit in just one book! Guest List takes us back a bit in time and delves a little deeper into some of the secondary characters from Letters for Scarlet. It's a short read but it covers a lot of ground, particularly the different ways female friendships play out over time. And what was your inspiration to write Letters for Scarlet? When I was teaching high school English, my seniors wrote letters to themselves, which I saved and sent to them five years after graduation. I imagined the impact of a tragedy happening in that time span and increased the period to ten years so the characters could be older and more established in their lives. There are lots of great women's fiction stories to choose from these days! What makes Guest List and Letters for Scarlet fresh? I switch between narrators, sometimes employing first-person-present and sometimes third-person-past, to show my characters' lives from different points of view-both their strengths and flaws. Personally, I don't like characters who are all hero or all villain. What do you enjoy reading? Primarily, I love women's fiction, literary fiction, and memoir. But any time spent reading is a good time!

Guest List: A Novella (Secrets in the Springs)

17-year-old Lily Anderson is ready to wrap herself in a big red bow and give Zach Hewitt the greatest gift in the history of Christmas: Her. But when she pulls a pair of booties from her stocking and learns her forty-year-old mother is pregnant, Lily finds herself adrift, unsure of Zach¿s commitment.Lily hopes Zach will anchor her with promises of love. Unfortunately, his chaotic home-life makes him afraid of those three little words; and Maddie Franklin-in her Amazing Technicolor Dream Thong¿makes sure Zach can have her whenever he wants.With the help of her best friend Sarah, Lily plots to secure her place in Zach¿s heart. But after a series of awkward rejections, Lily loses faith in her dream boyfriend, in herself, even in Sarah.That¿s when Lily turns to Adam Connolly, a transfer student whose lash-y eyes and comfortable silences make her question who it is she wants and what she needs. But Adam¿s support can¿t help her the day Lily discovers her parents¿ game-changing secret.Faced with the truth, Lily must decide how to deal with her family¿s past, take hold of her own future, and accept that there are many names for love.Don¿t bother making wishes; what you get is more than enough.

Lily By Any Other Name

Children's Books

Growing Up & Facts of Life

Inkspell Publishing

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