I know I have talked about this before, but I also know that in the age of social media, things get so easily lost. So it doesn’t surprise me that the question I get asked most often at signings and events is “Does Not a Strong Enough Word” have a playlist?
The answer, my friends, is an emphatic, “Yes!”
But first…
A few weeks ago, I bought myself a milk frother. And not one of those handheld kinds—one that heats the milk and froths it. I held off buying one for a long time because it would be yet another thing on the counter…until I realized what’s one more thing on the counter? (My counters are…full. My kitchen is not Instagrammable.) While I don’t think whatever I am making could be considered an actual latte because I’m using coffee and not espresso, it is DAMN TASTY and it makes me super happy.
Look, with gas prices skyrocketing, I’m going to need to continue to make my latte-adjacent drinks at home.
When I was doing in-person events for Not a Strong Enough Word last summer, the number one question I got asked was whether or not there was a book playlist. When I told everyone there was (all my books have playlists!) and that they could access it on my website with the QR code on the bookmarks I was handing out, those bookmarks were the first thing to go. And everyone grabbing one said they were excited to listen to the playlist.
I went to college in the early aughts, so I am a fan of a good mixtape. Yes, tape. Making a mixtape was a tactile thing that took time and care in a way that burning a CD didn’t. If you made a mixtape for someone, it meant something. So I’ve always enjoyed curated music to go along with other art, like books. And my books always have playlists you can find on my website.
Sometimes, I will make a whole soundtrack for one of my books, but Not a Strong Enough Word was such a vibe while I was writing it that I ended up just sharing the entire writing playlist. 2 hours and 15 minutes worth of angsty, inspirational music for your listening pleasure. The perfect way to immerse yourself in the book. I know it was for me while I was writing, and I revisited it recently, too. Still full of bangers.
So, with only TWO MONTHS TO GO until the Not a Strong Enough Word re-release (have you preordered yet?), here is the playlist! I hope it fits the vibe.
Like the songs? Consider preordering the book!
Not a Strong Enough Word - June 2, 2026 * Not on the Same Page - August 18, 2026 * Not the Way it Ends - November 10, 2026
Preorder now to get the limited edition sprayed edges and goodies from your favorite indie bookstore!
Enter to win an ebook on Goodreads!
We are well into the third act of Not the Way it Ends! I wasn’t able to get much writing done this week because my kids were off and we weren’t, so our routines were off. Not to mention that first week back after a break is always a bit of a shock no matter how long you were off. But it’s the weekend, and I have so many ideas. Namely…how I can make the burn EVEN SLOWER. You’re welcome.
Look out for an announcement about my upcoming signings on Monday! I have a PACKED schedule this summer, with dates being added all the time. I hope to meet you!
Sadie Wells is a workaholic.
As the youth outreach coordinator for the most popular team in the NHL, she knows her job is important, and she’s always on top of her game. But when Sadie’s boss finds her in the middle of a burnout-induced panic attack, he forces her to take a leave. With nowhere to turn outside of her trusty comfort crosswords, Sadie returns home with one goal in mind–figure out her future.
Max O’Reilly is a little lost.
He thought by twenty-eight he’d have the life he always dreamed of. But when too many injuries forced him to walk away from his goal of going pro, the life he expected changed forever. Now, Max is simply going through the motions–covering up his inner turmoil by being the fun-loving guy everyone expects. That is, until a new job opportunity and a quirky love interest blow into town, causing Max to re-evaluate his options.
When Sadie is given the key to figuring out her future, Max unknowingly helps decipher her first clue. What ensues after is a spell-binding journey that requires them to work together–two is better than one, after all. But will Sadie put together the connection between her future and each new word discovered? Or will Max choose a new path for his career before she has the chance?
Visit Mage Hollow for a charmed summer rom-com where words are the key and finding your future is as simple as solving a puzzle.
A COUNTRY SINGER. A HOCKEY PLAYER
SIX MONTHS TO NOT FALL IN LOVE.
Country singer Summer Starling went from Nashville unknown to national attention thanks to her appearance on a reality dating show. Now she has one shot, six months in Chicago with a legendary producer. One album that could launch her career. A simple plan: work, write, sing, repeat.
Her new roommate – the six-foot-something NHL captain she slept with on her first night in town – is exactly the kind of distraction she didn’t account for.
Miles King doesn’t do relationships. He keeps his focus on hockey and his life carefully controlled. But Summer is sunshine and chaos in cowboy boots, and she’s making him want things he’d stopped believing in. Things like forever. Things he can’t have with someone who’s halfway out the door.
When resisting her becomes harder than the inevitable goodbye, he gives in. Just until she leaves. He didn’t expect her good luck texts to become the difference between winning and losing. Or for her laugh to become his favorite sound.
By the time he realizes temporary will never be enough, the album wraps and Summer’s career takes off. She’s leaving. He can’t ask her to stay.
But what happens when the person you’re supposed to set free becomes the one your heart won’t let go of?
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