A Library Request Can Change Everything
Libraries + Readers = Magic
Cross-posted on Substack.
I visited Kansas City this week, and it was a blast! I was actually there because my husband came for a training for school, but I was able to visit Under the Cover KC for an amazing conversation with Kara McDowell (author of The Write Off—you should check it out!) Under the Cover KC is the absolute cutest romance bookstore. It’s huge! Everywhere you look, there are books and selfie stations and seating areas. Their event stage was perfect. I had such a good time there!
And because I was in Kansas city alongside a bunch of coworkers… Well, now they all know I write romance books. But I really am the luckiest girl in the world—they all think it’s really cool and everyone has been super supportive.
Kansas City was amazing. I had a lot of time on my own because my husband was in training (and the kids are with their grandparents), so I did some exploring. One of the best places I went? The Kansas City Central Library. So today, we’re going to talk about libraries!
But first…
Kansas City is apparently known for it’s coffee scene. I had no idea! We didn’t have a ton of time to venture out for coffee, but the coffee in the hotel was amazing. All three mornings I was here, I had an iced oatmilk latte and maybe the best almond croissants I’ve ever had. (I’m getting ready to hang out with Jillian Meadows next week. I had to.) I was able to grab my coffee and croissant and set up at the desk in our hotel room with an incredible view of downtown and write. It really was a dream!
Libraries really are some of the most important spaces in society. And they’re not just for books! Over the years, we’ve used our local library for so many things, and I know we’ve barely even scratched the surface of the services they provide.
I’m such a fan of libraries that, when I published The Write Place, I emailed them asking if they’d consider acquiring a copy for circulation. I remember being on my way to pick up my oldest from school and seeing an email pop up from them. I pulled over just outside of the school to read it, and I cried. Because not only were they purchasing one copy, the purchased two. And they have all of Leade Park and Common Grounds, and they are all regularly checked out.
In Not on the Same Page, Trina is also a fan of libraries. When she was younger, her mother used to take her there for children’s programming because she didn’t have money for much else, and libraries became a safe space for her throughout her childhood living with her aunt after her mother was incarcerated. Libraries are powerful that way—they are for everyone, and they welcome everyone.
So on my last full day in Kansas City, I decided to check out the Central Library. (After signing a copy of Not a Strong Enough Word in Barnes & Noble in Country Club Plaza—go grab it!!!) The building is GORGEOUS. I walked around for a while, just taking in the beautiful architecture and some of the really cool displays.
And you’ll never guess what I found!
I had no idea The Write Place made it all the way to the Kansas City Public Library. As you can see from my face, I was so excited to find it there. My original babies!! How cool is that?
But it got me thinking…I do regularly see The Write Place in public libraries. The rest of my books? Not so much. So I have a call to action for you today. Go to your local library’s website and fill out a request or send an email requesting they buy Not a Strong Enough Word and Not on the Same Page. It would mean so much to me (and Trina) to have these books in circulation for new readers to discover and fall in love with them. Requesting your favorite authors’ books at your local library is one of the best ways to support but the author AND the library. And it would mean the world to me to see my babies in the library at next city I visit.
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!
I have a bunch of events coming up, and I’d love to meet you at one of them! Grab tickets now, because spots are limited.
July 26 – In conversation with Gabbie Hanks for Nasty Little Secrets
Partners in Crime Bookstore in Chicago, IL
July 30 – Q&A and Signing for Not a Strong Enough Word
In conversation with Jillian Meadows
Love and Other Books in Ferndale, MI
August 2026
August 4 – Pages & Pours panel discussion
Doc’s on the Fox in Waterford, WI
August 8 – In conversation with Francesca Cocci for Have a Great Summer
The Last Chapter in Chicago, IL
August 15 – Anderson’s After Dark
Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville, IL
August 18 – Release Party/Q&A and signing for Not on the Same Page
In conversation with Eliza MacArthur
Love’s Sweet Arrow in Tinley Park, IL
August 20 – Q&A and signing for Not on the Same Page
In conversation with Melonie Johnson
Barnes & Noble in Oakbrook, IL
August 22 – Q&A and signing for Not on the Same Page
The Atlas Collective in Moline, IL
August 24 – Bedazzling Not on the Same Page
The Well Red Damsel in Wauwatosa, WI
August 25 – Virtual Q&A event for readers who preorder Not on the Same Page
With exclusive character art, a bookplate, and stickers mailed to you!
In conversation with Hannah Bird
I am particularly excited about this one because I am literally obsessed with Eliza’s Elements of Pining series. I dove into this one on release day and I am absolutely devouring it! A shifter and a succubus? Say less. This book needs to be on your TBR!
If you request my books at your local library, drop a comment below and let me know! I know I keep saying it, but it really would mean so much to me. And Trina.
Happy reading,
