Samantha Hastings

THE INVENTION OF SOPHIE CARTER   is   coming out July 14,  2020 from Swoon Reads / Macmillan 1851. Bounced from one begrudging relative to another their whole lives, orphaned identical twins Sophie and Mariah Carter have always relied on each other for love and support, even though the sisters couldn't be more different. Brash Sophie wants to be an inventor, and demure Mariah wants to be an artist. Both long to visit London for the summer—Sophie to see the Queen’s Great Exhibition and Mariah to study the world’s finest collection of paintings. But when their cantankerous aunt answers their letter pleading for a place to stay, she insists she only has time and room to spare for one of them. So, Mariah and Sophie hatch a clever scheme: They will travel to London together and take turns playing the part of "Sophie". At first the plan runs like clockwork. But as the girls avoid getting caught by increasingly narrow margins and two handsome gentlemen...

Still looking for a unique gift for the special someone in your life? Consider giving them a book box subscription (literally a gift that keeps giving). My husband got me a subscription to LitJoy Crate and it has been so much fun getting bookish items. Here are two boxes worth of fun:

Do you like to color? One of my besties gave me an adult coloring book a few years ago for Christmas and I discovered that I loved coloring still.  Download these coloring pages for FREE!  When you're done, please tag me on Social Media so that I can see your amazing colored pencil skills.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads   Amazon  Target  Walmart Barnes & Noble IndieBound Booksamillion I hope you have a wonderful holiday season! Love, Samantha

When I'm writing a book I always wonder what the cover will look like. The Invention of Sophie Carter  is the story of twin sisters set in 1851 who have been tossed from one reluctant relative to another. When only Sophie is invited to London to visit her aunt, Lady Bentley, both girls decide to go masquerading as the same person. Sophie is an accomplished clock-worker and is determined to become an inventor. Mariah wants to be an artist. On their individual paths to self discovery, they are more than a few hiccups, including a pair of suitors who think they're both in love with "Sophie Carter." This gorgeous cover highlights the two sisters! Sophie's love of clocks is subtly hinted at in the scroll-work. I hope you love my cover as much as I do!  Read the full scoop on  SwoonReads Add it to your Goodreads TBR today!

A ROYAL CHRISTMAS QUANDARY is a funny YA historical romance set in a castle with missing princes, parlor games, and mistaken identities.  Add it to your Goodreads TBR list now!

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My friend Sofiya Pasternack's wonderful middle grade fantasy, Anya and the Dragon is now out! To celebrate her launch party, Tiana and I wore matching T-shirts. My Review:  Full of wit, warmth, and adventure, this heartwarming fantasy is a must read! What I loved 🖤🖤🖤: 1. Anya is only 13, but she’s strong and fearless. She’ll do anything to save her family. 2. Ivan comes from an entire family of Ivan’s (so many charming scenes) and is a smart and loyal friend. His family moves to town to capture the dragon for the Tsar. 3. The family dynamics. Babulya (grandma) with her forbidden magic and Dyedka (grandpa) with his animal magic. Her hardworking mama and her father who is away to fight for the Tsar. 4. The fantasy creatures! From their house spirit, domovoi, to the rusalka, to the scary dragon. 5. Anya is Jewish and I loved learning more about her culture. She’s mistreated in the village because of her religion and I think it’s important for children and adults to r...

Enter here !!! Grab my book on  Amazon  for this amazing price! I don't know how much longer it will last! " Refreshing  ... Lucinda, a young Victorian woman with a modern sensibility well ahead of her time, has plenty of pluck and determination. Hastings' breezy prose and crafty plotting will leave readers racing to uncover her own last installment." ― BookPage "This book was so lovely! Lucinda’s spunky personality mixed with her independent nature made her  one of my favorite female MCs  ... If you love historical romance than you’ll definitely love this one!" ― The Clever Reader "I was blown away by the  wonderful feminist themes  throughout this book, and Hastings delivered them with such a witty punch. Lucinda is the type of heroine girls need to read about! ...  This book was everything I’d hoped it would be and then some. " ― YA and Wine

My book is on sale for more than half off on Amazon ! I stumbled across this amazing price ($8.77) by chance, so I don't know how long it will last. If you haven't bought my book yet, you won't find a better price!

I'm delighted to share that THE LAST WORD is a 2019 Whitney Awards Nominee! What is a Whitney Award? It's an award for excellence in novels written by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  When will I find out if you won? In February 2020, the finalists in each category will be announced and members of the Storymakers Guild will vote for the winner. The winner will be announced at their annual gala in May.  Want to know more? Check out the Whitney Awards website for more information about the awards and discover the titles of past winners. 

 What a lovely group of people! I am so grateful for the friends, family, and even a few fans (I didn't know I had those) who came to support me at The King's English Bookshop in SLC. They were gracious enough to wear the fascinators and pearl earrings that I made. Fancy Nancy would have approved.   I was in conversation with Mackenzi Lee and we had a great time talking about Victorian underwear and my book, The Last Word. The best part of my writer's journey has been the friends that I've made.  The Novel 19s group  (Authors debuting this year: Addie Thorley, me, Erin Stewart, Tiana Smith, Crystal Pasternack, RuthAnne Snow, and Crystal Smith) There's so many amazing authors in Utah and they are the kindest people you'll ever meet. And sometimes silly, Summer and I are lifting a leg. I'm not sure why. (More amazing local authors: Emily R. King, Tricia Levenseller, me, Kathryn Purdie, and Summer Spence)  It was a wonderful night an...

Can you guess these classic titles by their last lines? "Tomorrow, I’ll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day." "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.” "Oh, my girls, however long you may live, I never can wish you a greater happiness than this." "I lingered round them, under that benign sky; watched the moths fluttering among the heath, and hare-bells; listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass; and wondered how anyone could ever imagine unquiet slumbers, for the sleepers in that quiet earth." "'God's in his heaven, all’s right with the world,' whispered Anne softly." “But, in spite of these deficiencies, the wishes, the hopes, the confidence, the predictions of the small band of true friends who witnessed the ceremony, were fully answered in the perfect happiness of the union.”  “But t...

"So what do you do at a book launch?" my mom asked me. In case you've never been to a book launch either, I'll tell you. A book launch is really a party for the book. Who doesn't love a party, right? All parties are a little different, but some things you can expect at a book launch:  The author to talk about and/or read from their book Q & A with the audience Book signings at the end  And more...Stick out your pinkies, friends, we're going full out Tea Party style at my book launch for, The Last Word .  First things, first. What's a tea party without a fascinator? I made a ton of these cute little hair accessories so you can feel just like Kate Middleton (Prince William not included). Come early and pick your favorite to put in your hair! I also made pearl earrings for all of you too. I only wish that I could feed you delicious tea party treats, but the bookstore didn't think that was a very good idea by all of their new ...

On my front porch this morning I found a package. Inside there was a beautifully wrapped book from my editor, Emily Settle. I eagerly unwrapped the package and held my finished book for the first time. It's gorgeous! Katie Klimowicz did an amazing job designing both the exterior and the interior of my book.  Dreams do come true. Mine did, only today.  THE LAST WORD

THE LAST WORD comes out in less than two months, but if you'd like to snag an early copy for free, enter the 25 book #giveaway on  Goodreads May the odds be ever in your favor!

I'm thrilled to share that The Last Word is a Junior Library Guild Selection! In case you don't know, The Junior Library Guild is a book subscription box for libraries. Which means that my book is going to libraries all over the United States. I was a Teen Librarian for 7 years and I love libraries. I am so grateful that no matter how much money you have, you can always have free access to fictional books and information. So, if The Last Word  comes to your library, please check it out! 

On Saturday, I headed to the King's English bookstore in Salt Lake City for Rosalyn Eves book launch of WINTER WAR AWAKENING. It's the third book in the BLOOD ROSE REBELLION trilogy. It's a historical fantasy set during the 19th century. Rosalyn Eves was a delightful presenter and shared some of the oddest folktales she came across in her research. Including, a mother who was slicing off her thighs to feed her children (yeesh). Her next book is a historical fiction title set in the American West during an eclipse. Another fascinating research tidbit she found was how to make the color green: you dyed the cloth first in indigo and then in urine (she assured us that urine is sterile). So excited to read the final book of her trilogy!

Can you guess these Victorian books by their opposite titles? Happy Hovel East and West Endseptember She's Unsure If She Is Wrong Breezy Lows The Student Small Possibilities Husbands and Sons How We Died Then An Easter Lament Find the answers in my April newsletter.

Want to read my book three months BEFORE it’s published? Sign up for my quarterly newsletter for a chance to win an ARC (advanced readers copy) of THE LAST WORD. Sign up here:  http://www.samanthahastings. com/p/newsletter.html For additional entries you can: Follow @SamanthaHastingsAuthor on Instagram #repost on Instagram Add THE LAST WORD to your Goodreads “To Be Read” list (tell me in the comments and I’ll believe you):  https://bit.ly/2zSmEDD Share this post on Facebook @AuthorSamanthaHastings Follow @HastingSamantha on Twitter Retweet this post on Twitter Up to 7 entries per person. #giveaway ends 3/31/19.

BLOODLEAF by Crystal Smith is a dark and amazing retelling of the Goose Girl fairy-tale.  Check out my full review on  Goodreads . Her launch party at the King's English Bookstore in SLC was so much fun! And I got to attend it with two of my other favorite authors: Erin Stewart and Tiana Smith.   Crystal is so talented! Not only does she write incredibly fantasy, she also created her own artwork for this poster, bookmark, and the concept for her cover.  If you're looking for a new favorite series, look no further!

(Me, Tricia Levenseller, Tiana Smith, and McKelle George) Tricia's Warrior of the Wild  is a Viking-like fantasy tale with one tough heroine who is tasked with the impossible: to kill a god.  For her launch, Tricia was decked in full Viking regalia and even had an ax just like the one on the front of her book cover. She's also the amazing author of a piratey duology called: Daughter of the Pirate King . If you are looking for strong female heroines, look no further! (Charlie Holmberg and me) I've been a big fan of Charlie Holmberg since her first book, The Paper Magician , came out. Her newest book is the first in the Numina Trilogy called Smoke & Summons.   She described it as fidget spinners meets Pokemon. Roan has a device that allows him to immortal for one minute every 24 hours. And Sandis is a vessel for monsters from another plane. It is a fast-paced, heart-pumping read with one wicked twist at the end. I can't wait to read the sequel!...

I was lucky enough to celebrate the publication of two of my friend's books in January at the King's English bookshop. Tiana Smith's charming mixed-up match-making YA rom com, MATCH ME IF YOU CAN . And RuthAnne Snow's contemporary YA novel about four friends going to prom together after one attempted suicide, WHEN THE TRUTH UNRAVELS .  Everyone in these pictures are authors who have a book debuting this year. To learn more about my fabulous friends check out the Utah Novel 19s Website

The Last Word Book Group Questions  (Google doc) 1.        Which character do you think got The Last Word in the book and why? 2.        Why do you think Lucinda Leavitt is obsessed with the serialized story, She Knew She Was Right; and in particular, Eurydice Emerson’s choice between her two suitors? Why is the power of choice so important to Lucinda? 3.        Who is your favorite character and why? 4.        Lucinda Leavitt and Persephone Merritt are fast friends. How are they similar to each other? How are they different? And how do they help each other? 5.        David Randall asks Lucinda Leavitt whether she would like to live in London or in the country. Which setting would you choose and why? What was your favorite setting in the book? 6.        Lucinda Leavitt compares herself to...