Heidi McCahan’s new southern women’s fiction novel releases June 27, 2023.
How gorgeous is this cover?! Such a thrill (and a dream come true) to share it with all of you. The first images ever pinned to Heidi’s mood board for this novel included photos of an Alabama lake, as well as a house with a porch facing a lake at sunset. So it’s exciting to see how the early brainstorming sessions influenced the final outcome. Shout out to the team at Love Inspired for designing this incredible cover.
What is a trade paperback southern women’s fiction novel?
Heidi McCahan’s first mass market paperback was published by Love Inspired in 2018. She has since written several more, including her new Home to Hearts Bay series. A mass market paperback is usually around two hundred pages. These category romance books are thinner than trade paperback and often distributed to Barnes & Noble, big box stores and regional grocery chains such as Fred Meyer.
A trade paperback is longer, anywhere between 350 to 400 pages. When Love Inspired announced their expansion into the inspirational trade paperback market in 2021, they anticipated publishing novels in a variety of genres such as historical fiction, romantic suspense, Amish and contemporary women’s fiction. For a complete list of current and upcoming releases for these extended-length Love Inspired novels please click here.
One Southern Summer is Heidi McCahan’s first southern women’s fiction novel. It is set in the fictional community of Camellia, Alabama and features three characters’ points of view. The genre expectations for women’s fiction are a focus on protagonists’ relationships and their character arc/growth as the novel progresses. Yes, there’s romance, but it isn’t the central crux of the story. One Southern Summer examines the theme of forgiveness.
What is One Southern Summer about?
It’s her second-chance summer…if she’s ready for it—in this warm and utterly irresistible Southern small-town novel.
When Avery Lansing Crawford left her hometown of Camellia, Alabama, she was the darling of the town. A beauty queen. Now she’s come back a disgraced and divorced mom who’s lost almost everything—her home, her husband, even her design TV show—all while the public watched. And if the humiliation wasn’t bad enough, Avery and her two small children are moving in with her mama…just in time to give everyone in Camellia something to talk about.
And oh, they’re talkin’. Especially when Avery reignites her old friendship with Cole Whitaker, who’s offered Avery the chance to do something real: a redesign project that would help survivors of human trafficking. It could kick-start both her career and her confidence—not to mention offer a chance to spend more time with Cole.
With three generations of strong Southern women around the family dinner table, coming home to Camellia might just be the perfect fresh start. Even if Avery is the topic of salacious gossip over sweet tea and her grandmother won’t stop interfering in her love life. But the bonds of family and the promise of second chances just might lead to a future that looks nothing like she expected.
Is this book part of a series?
One Southern Summer is a stand alone southern women’s fiction novel. Heidi is working on a follow-up project but there aren’t any additional details to share at this time.
How can I read an advance copy?
The best way to be considered for Heidi’s book launch teams is to sign up for her newsletter. Sneak peeks, launch team opportunities and exclusive giveaways are always offered to active newsletter subscribers first. UpLit Reads will also be handling some of the marketing and publicity for One Southern Summer’s release.
When can I pre-order One Southern Summer?
Right now! One Southern Summer is available for pre-order from all major online retailers including Amazon. The official release date is June 27, 2023. Once you’ve pre-ordered your copy, be sure to claim the exclusive pre-order bonuses here.
