It's a Launch!

Welcome to the world, Making Friends Can Be Murder!

June 10th has seemed really far away for a really long time, but now it’s here! My fourth novel is published! It’s my first mystery and the funniest, quirkiest book I’ve written.

There are seven women in the book, all named Sarah Jones. One of them is dead, and the other six join together to solve the murder. In honor of that number of Sarahs, here are seven reasons you should get Making Friends Can Be Murder:

1. Library Journal says, “This lighthearted cozy with a charming premise addresses deeper themes of identity, loyalty, and forgiveness. Perfect for fans of Richard Osman or TV’s Only Murders in the Building.” I mean, Richard Osman is basically the world’s biggest cozy mystery writer at present, and Only Murders has Selena Gomez. ⭐️

2. It’s not just Library Journal! Booklist compares me to bestsellers Lucy Foley and Liane Moriarty and says I make “sharp social observations” and have the “ability to plumb the depths of unexpected friendships.” Thanks, Booklist! ⭐️

3. First week sales will spark momentum and contribute to this book’s success. If I could hug you for buying it (and you were up for that), I would. ⭐️

4. I’ve never tried to write a romance before, but there’s a little romance in this book! There’s even the tamest suggestion of a sex scene. Acclaimed authors Abbi Waxman and Laura Hankin call this plot line, “a sweet romance” and “a love story worth rooting for,” respectively. ⭐️

5. I have plans to write a holiday novella with these characters, and if you read the original story, you’ll probably want this freebie, which is potentially coming in November. Because my psychic (and my friends) want me to remain sane and “out of overdrive” this week (that’s the psychic talking), I’m not allowed to start writing the novella until July, but I have a potential outline and a few pages of notes. ⭐️

6. One of my very favorite authors, Joshua Moehling of the Ben Packard series, said, “This may be West’s first mystery, but I certainly hope it won’t be her last.” The only way to make it not my last is to buy it, so my sales numbers are strong enough to garner another chance. ⭐️

7. And finally, it’s a paperback original! You can get it for 18 or 19 bucks depending on the retailer. So, you don’t have to hem and haw as much as you would for a hardcover. In fact, if you’re feeling generous, you can get one for a friend or your mom. Those people might want to take it to the beach. 🏖️

Thanks for considering!

Making Friends is out! I’ll have more to say about this in the coming days, but for now, I want you to know I’m insanely grateful for each of you that open this email and care about what I’ve written. I’d always imagined being a writer, and now writing stuff is my job. Even when that job is too hard, I know it’s a privilege to connect with people who care about it.

Thank you! And thank you for making Making Friends Can Be Murder a thing in the world. It’s only because I have readers that I get to keep writing. 💕 💕 ⭐️