Tag: Mrs. Covington’s

My Favorite Non-Crime Fiction of 2023

2023 Favorite Non-Crime
Back when I started this site, I knew the content would be largely “genre”-oriented. I’d have wagered the content would be roughly 1/3 Mystery/Detective fiction, 1/3 Urban Fantasy, and slightly less than 1/3 SFF, with “non-genre” fiction, humor, and non-fiction being enough to make my one-thirds just an approximation (honestly, if you asked me what I read regularly, that’s pretty much how I’d describe it today). Actual numbers show that’s wrong—it’s typically almost 40% Crime/Thriller Fiction, the rest of fiction is around 30% combined. This is just a long-winded way to get to these two points: because Crime Fiction takes such a big chunk of my reading, it gets its own “Favorite” list, but none of the others really garner enough numbers for their own.

When it comes to this particular list of favorites this year, it was harder than I expected. I got it down to 17 with relatively no problem. But trimming those last 7 was difficult. I waffled a bit—and considered a top 15, but I talked myself out of it and have a list of 10 favorite non-Crime Fiction Novels of 2023 that I really like. Hopefully, you will, too.

As always, re-reads don’t count—only the works that were new to me.

(in alphabetical order by author)

Chain-Gang All-StarsChain-Gang All-Stars

by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

My original post
If there’s a book I’ve recommended more frequently this year, I can’t think of it. I’ve also bought more copies of it to give away than any other. At the core, this is a satire and critique of the American culture–particularly as it relates to sports, mass entertainment, and (most importantly) the carceral system. Pitting convicted felons against each other in gladiatorial fights-to-death, selling merch featuring them, turning them into Reality TV personalities between bouts…Adjei-Brenyah holds up the worst of the US to look at.

It’s a book about death—violent death at the hands of violent people who only hope to go on so they can kill again—However, in a serious way the book is really about life. It’s a celebration of life, a call to protect it, a call to see it for what it is. It’s a reminder that “where life is precious, life is precious.” It’s impossible to read this without being moved–perhaps to action. But it’s also a visceral and exciting read that can entertain you without forcing you to think deeply about what it wants you to.

(I don’t know why I knocked it 1/2 a star at the time…I can’t think of a reason for it now, but…)

4 1/2 Stars

Partial FunctionPartial Function

by JCM Berne

My original post
This has none of the socially redeeming characteristics of the above book. But it does have wuxia-inspired magical martial arts, super-powered dinosaur-like monsters, a John Wick/Bryan Mills character if played by Michelle Yeoh, and snappy dialogue. It’s a story about a retired warrior who gets back to work so she can rescue her kidnapped daughters and the wake of destruction that follows (a mighty wake it is, too). And it’s just fun from beginning to end.

5 Stars

The Perception Of DollsThe Perception Of Dolls

by Anthony Croix, Edited by Russell Day

My original post
I did an inadequate job of describing this book and what I was blown away by in 15 paragraphs. There’s no way I’m going to manage it in the 1-2 paragraphs I give myself for this.
I’m dazzled by this book. I was hooked to an extent I’m not used to. I was captivated. I was (at least momentarily) obsessed with it. That’s worn off in the 50 weeks it’s been since I’ve finished, but it would take me no more than 5 pages of a re-read to get back to that. This is a recounting of one investigative reporter’s look into a triple homicide and attempted suicide in a home, the paranormal research that occurred in that home decades later, and the very strange (to put it mildly) things that happened to everyone involved in both of those things.

Russell Day takes you on a ride that you will find difficult to articulate (which is fine, he does a fine job of it on his own) and that will linger in the back of your mind for a long time.

5 Stars

The Hero InterviewsThe Hero Interviews

by Andi Ewington

My original post
The child and sibling of heroic adventurers, Elburn Barr, has taken a different path in life—one fit for someone with his particular set of skills (or lack thereof). He is a Loremaster—no spells, weapons, or danger for him, thank you very much. At this point in his life/career, Elburn has set out to understand what makes a hero tick—what is it that drives them, what early influences molded them, how do they keep going on? Does it vary from type to type? Are Barbarians made of different stuff from a Cleric or a Thief? What about a Ranger or a Wizard? In addition to interviewing various leading examples of each type of hero, he talks to non-heroes, too. Like a farmer whose farm was saved(?) by some heroes from a dragon, the curator of a hero museum, people who run/design dungeons, etc.

This is a novel trying to look like a series of comic episodes/scenes/lines. It takes a while to see the plotlines emerge—it really does seem to be a light-hearted look at D&D clichés, stereotypes, tropes, etc. at the beginning—but eventually, you start to see the story arcs emerging and even start to see the protagonist grow and develop. That’s something I didn’t expect to see when I started reading this because I did think it was just a series of comedic bits. It’s hard to tell if Ewington is more interested in telling a story or making his jokes—in the end he gives you enough of both that the question is academic.

4 Stars

Not PreparedNot Prepared

by Matthew Hanover

My original post
Hanover’s fourth novel is the first to have a protagonist outside of their 20s, and the added maturity pays off. While this book is at heart a Rom-Com, the romantic story takes a backseat to the love story between the girl who needs a family and a bachelor who didn’t expect one. There’s still plenty of “rom”, and a good amount of “com” of a handful of stripes (particularly when it comes to a single man being thrust into dealing with a young girl at the cusp of puberty)—but there’s a lot more, too. Told with Hanover’s trademark wit, charm, and grace—prose that moves so smoothly you don’t realize how long you’ve spent sucked into his book. The emotions are real and grounded—both positively and negatively. His depictions of anxiety really impressed me, and there are scenes that got me choked up.

4 1/2 Stars

An Inheritance of MagicAn Inheritance of Magic

by Benedict Jacka

My original post
Any fears anyone had about Jacka’s post-Alex Verus career should have been assuaged by this book. It’s an introduction to a new kind of magic, a new kind of magic society, and a protagonist who is so different from Verus that you wouldn’t guess that Jacka wrote it if you didn’t have his name all over the place. This is kind of the reverse of the Hanover book—Jacka moves on from a mature character who knows his place in the world to one who is immature, unsure of his own abilities, and a complete beginner to the magical society of England (and, presumably, the rest of the world). And Jacka nails all of it. I couldn’t believe how easily I took to this world and I anticipate getting more immersed in it.

4 1/2 Stars

Mrs. Covington'sMrs. Covington’s

by K.R.R. Lockhaven

My original post
The thing with Cozy Fantasy is that the plot comes second (if not tertiary) to things like character and atmosphere. Mrs. Covington’s shines here–it’s such a pleasant, comfy atmosphere that it trumps everything else. A treasure hunt with the staff of the friendliest bar this side of Cheers! might be the plot of this cozy fantasy novel. But the book’s core is kindness, community, optimism, and helping. Also, Nachos. Brought to you in a great fantasy world with a light and engaging voice, Mrs. Covington’s will leave you snug and content.

4 Stars

On the Savage SideOn the Savage Side

by Tiffany McDaniel

My original post
This was just a brutal read. Every time you get a glimmer of hope, a glimmer of a feeling that things might be okay for some of these characters—something snuffs it out. But there’s another source right around the corner. But there’s beauty in the darkness. And a drive to keep persevering shared by the reader and the characters. I wondered more than once why some of them kept trying—but they did. There’s a serial killer on the loose, and a good deal of the plot is about that. But this isn’t about the hunt for the killer or anything like that. It’s a novel about the women who may be his target and their fears about it. It’s also about the rest of their lives—how they got to the point where the killer might be hunting them and what might happen if they get out of there.

Like always, Tiffany McDaniels delivered a book that’s going to stay in my subconscious for a while—lurking there, making me rethink what I read from time to time. It’ll probably stay there until her next novel comes along (Betty‘s been there for a couple of years, and really only was dislodged by this one—and The Summer that Melted Everything is still there all these years later). It’s somber, it’s sober, and it’s difficult to read. But it’s so worth it in ways I cannot adequately explain. It’ll make you think. It’ll make you feel.

4 1/2 Stars

According to MarkAccording to Mark

by H. B. O’Neill
Unlike the first 8 books on this list, I haven’t written anything about this until now. The pitch I was given about the book was, “It’s about a love affair gone wrong and a guy who’s obsessed with Mark Twain who becomes a voice in his head that eventually leads to Twain pushing the fella towards suicide.” I don’t know if this makes it sound appealing to you or not. So let me say this: If Chain-Gang All-Stars is the book I’ve recommended most this year, then According to Mark is in 3rd or 4th place. Given that I read it at the end of November, that tells you how much I’ve been talking about it lately. It’s comic. It’s dark. It’s disturbing (on more levels and in more ways than I can describe). There’s a fantastic and real love story in the center of it. It’s heartbreakingly sad. If you’ve read anything like this before now, I’d be surprised (and I want to know what it is!), but you’re going to want to read this when it’s published soon.

There’s more I should say, but I’m going to do it in a longer format.

5 Stars

Guards! Guards!Guards! Guards!

by Terry Pratchett
I spent some time earlier this fall asking for recommendations to get me to give Discworld another shot—and overwhelmingly, this book was recommended to me. Everyone who did that was utterly correct. It’s one of the best mixes of story and comedy that I can recall reading and I can see after a re-read or two (which it’ll almost certainly get from me) that at least one book in this series within the Discworld series is going to end up in my pantheon of comedic greats. I’m working hard to ensure I get to the rest of these in 2024 because now that I understand what I was missing with Pratchett, I don’t want to miss out any longer.

4 1/2 Stars

UPDATE: Mrs. Covington’s: A Cozy Fantasy Novel Kickstarter

Before this Kickstarter launched I assured you that you’d be hearing a lot about this book over the next few weeks–I might as well keep going now. Yesterday, the book hit the funding goal, and is a couple of hundred past it. So, congrats to K.R.R. Lockhaven!

Now, I’m no longer trying to encourage (read: pressure) you into supporting this book for the sake of Lockhaven and his fans (like me), at this point I’m telling you to help yourself. You want this book in your life and you’ve got 6 days to do it easily (and to help him hit a stretch goal or two to make the experience better for everyone).

Last week, I blogged my thoughts on the beta version of the novel and was joined by Lockhaven for a Q&A about the book and Kickstarter campaign. If you haven’t read those yet, I encourage you to do so. Also, in case you’re not familiar with the name, I’ve said plenty of good things about Lockhaven’s previous books, and you should read those–not so much because what I’ve said is all that worth reading, but so I can point you to those books.

For those who haven’t looked into it yet, here’s the skinny on the campaign:

Check out the video:

What do you know? I’ve been pronouncing the “o” in Covington wrong…anyway.

Look into the book and then pitch in to help Lockhaven put a better version of this out there in the world. I think you’ll be glad you did. I won’t be so bold as to suggest that the publication of Mrs. Covington’s will make the world a better place, but it will brighten the day of whoever reads it. So it’ll feel like the world is a better place for a while.

Go kick that start.

Mrs Covingtons Full Wrap Cover

A Few Quick Questions about…The Mrs. Covington’s Kickstarter

I posted about the novel earlier, and now I have the wonderful opportunity to talk about the Kickstarter campaign and the novel with the author, K.R.R. Lockhaven. Lockhaven is no stranger to the readers of this blog (and I anticipate that will continue to be the case). I hope you enjoy this and decide to contribute. This is a selfish request on my part–I want this cover on my shelves. Even if you’re not that interested, kick in for my sake, will you?

Here’s another quick look at the camptaign

And now…a few quick questions about The Mrs. Covington’s Kickstarter:


I think the big question that everyone who’s read your twitter feed and/or your last two books has—and the curiosity will only grow once they’ve read this one—what’s with your fascination about the capybara?
The easy answer is that I just love them. But the deep, philosophical answer delves into how capybaras behave, and how they can be seen as examples that people might want to emulate. You may be shocked to hear this, but I’ve never actually seen a capybara in real life (yet!). But from what I can gather, they are the kindest animals on the planet. I love seeing pictures of a monkey riding a capybara’s back or a bird standing on a capybara’s head. Capybaras have a very chill vibe and seem to get along with everyone who isn’t trying to eat them. I just really dig that vibe and think it has a ton of crossover potential with the cozy fantasy genre.

You’ve talked in various places lately about cozy fantasy, but what I don’t think I’ve seen is you talk about why you wanted to write one now? Is the draw toward cozy for you as a writer different than the draw for you as a reader?
I’m currently in the middle of writing a fantasy series called The Azure Archipelago. There are two books out now, with the third to be published early next year. Those books have been described as having cozy elements, but not being cozy stories, and I totally agree with that assessment. I found while writing the series that I got the most enjoyment out of writing the cozier parts. I love writing characters getting along and being nice and supportive to each other. So, like many writers, I started formulating an idea when I probably should have put it on the backburner until the series was finished. But the idea grew and grew and forced its way to the front of my mind, so I wrote it.

I think the draw toward cozy is the same for me as a reader or a writer. There’s just something about characters being decent to each other that checks some kind of box for me.

It’s got to be quite the balancing act trying to decide what parts of contemporary “bar culture” (for lack of a better term) to import into your fantasy world, and what would be a step too far. I’m only going to mention nachos as an example because you’re using them in your pitch for the book—were there things you thought about and then rejected because it would be a step too far? Similarly, why were nachos used? I’d think part of it would be from how low-tech they are—really easy for any generic fantasy world to make. Are you just a big nacho eater in the first place? (I hope so, because I’m pretty sure you’re going to have to be in the future, they’re part of your brand now)
The Occam’s Tortilla Chip explanation is that, yes, I just like them. And if I have a brand, I’m glad it includes capybaras and nachos! But, yeah, I find that the balancing act is always difficult in my writing. I have a silly side that just doesn’t care if a fantasy world could possibly have nachos and/or karaoke, but my more serious side wants to make sure that, at the very least, the things in my books are believable. Walking that line is tough, but my editor on this project, Nathan Hall, really helped me ground the story. There were several things that he found to be a step too far in terms of silliness, but as far as innovations in a fantasy world, I stuck to just nachos and karaoke. He helped me show these things being invented organically and believably.

This is similar to my first question, but far-less-tongue-in-cheek. I know (and am relieved by it) that I wasn’t the only reader who had to look up ciguapa when you introduced the species to your Azure Archipelago series. Of all the various fantasy races out there to choose from, what about them made you want to feature them? Now that you’ve started using them, are they going to be around as much as the capybara?
Because my books are set in a very Caribbean-like world, I wanted to have a fantasy race based on Caribbean folklore. I loved the name “ciguapa,” but the actual ciguapa of folklore ended up being far from the ciguapa people you’ll see in my books. My writing often has a multiverse element to it, and originally, I wanted to have ciguapa as a misunderstood race from another world that interacted with Earth from time to time. This evolved over time until the beautiful ciguapa people I write about were born. If I ever write something that isn’t in the same world, I’ll probably leave the ciguapa behind to live in peace.

Can you take a minute to talk about the cover art for this book and the artist behind it? You’ve always had good covers in the past, but…wow. This is a giant leap forward.
The cover artist is Daniel Wekellis, who I met at my one and only book signing when he attended with his wife, Lilly from the Fiction Fans Podcast. My wife and I hung out with them that night. They gave us two bottles of wine from their little home operation that had these wonderful labels that we came to find out Daniel had made himself. I either asked him about doing cover art sometime during that night, or after they had gone home. My memory of our night out is a little fuzzy. He agreed and I couldn’t be happier with the result!

The whole point of this Q&A was to help promote the Kickstarter campaign, so we’d better talk about it a little — How’s the campaign going (especially compared to what you’d expected/hoped)? What do you want people to know about the campaign that you haven’t already said?
At the time of this interview, it’s sitting at 57% funded with 75 backers and 18 days to go (72% with 92 backers and 13 days to go when I put the last touches on this post). To tell the truth, I really didn’t know what to expect. I hoped it would be one of those Kickstarter projects that gets funded in a matter of hours, but it appears I’m going to have to grind this one out. I’m optimistic, though. In the coming weeks, it’s going to be featured on several blogs and a local newspaper, so I hope that can build a little momentum. The main thing I want people to know is that there are many different options available—from eBook to naming a capybara in the story—and that I don’t think they’ll be disappointed if they join me on this journey. I am SO thankful to the 75 backers who have joined so far and look forward to getting across the finish line with them!

Why did you decide to go with Kickstarter this time around? Are you thinking about using it in the future (or does that depend on how the next couple of weeks go?). What have you learned about crowd-funding that you wish you knew a month ago?
I’ve wanted to try a Kickstarter project for a while. I think it’s a good idea to diversify as much as possible, and running a Kickstarter seemed like a good way to put my work out there where it may not have been before. I figure if people like Mrs. Covington’s, they might be interested in my trilogy, and vice versa. When (I’m using the power of positivity) this project gets funded, I think I’ll have to strongly consider doing another one someday.

I wish I would have prepared a little better. I wish I would have fought the relentlessly positive, don’t-worry-this-will-get-funded-in-a-matter-of-days side of my brain a little harder. I didn’t reach out to book bloggers/YouTubers/podcasters (besides the people I knew really well, like you) until the campaign was 10 days in! That kind of air-headedness is probably best avoided. I also thought that the “Project We Love” label was the golden ticket to success. It turns out, unfortunately, that it isn’t. When I got that news, I was jumping up and down thinking that I had been blessed by the Kickstarter gods and that it would be smooth sailing from there on out. It’s hard to determine how much of a boost it gave me, but it didn’t catapult me to the finish line quite yet.

Thanks for your time—and I do hope to see that campaign reach the magic number so we can see Mrs. Covington out in the wild!
Thank you for this interview and the wonderful continued support you’ve shown me throughout my writing career! I really can’t express enough gratitude to you


Mrs. Covington’s by K.R.R. Lockhaven: Friends, Nachos, Friendly Rodents, and an Utter Absence of Crow Noodle Soup. What More Could You Want?

When I took part in the Cover Reveal for this novel, I warned you that I’d be talking a lot about it (and have lived up to that). I’m putting a big push in today. I’ve got this post about the book as well as a Q&A with K.R.R. Lockhaven coming up about the Kickstarter campaign and the book itself (you really need to check it out. I might have another post about the book to come today, too—but no promises, I’m running into a creative issue. Keep your eyes peeled, though.

Before I blather on a bit, let’s focus on the main thing: to get this book funded.

And now…let me blather:


Mrs. Covington'sMrs. Covington’s

by K.R.R. Lockhaven

DETAILS:
Publisher: Self
Publication Date: TBD
Format: Beta Version
Read Date: March 6-16, 2023
Kickstarter Page

First things first

I read a Beta copy of this—but a late-stage one, I think—so not a lot will have changed between what I read and what you’ll hopefully read. Still, there’s a chance that some things will have improved by the time you get to it.

What’s Mrs. Covington’s About?

This is a cozy fantasy, and as holds true for most of them, the plot could be summarized in a sentence or two. So I’m going to try to do that in a way that leaves some mystery.

Jacob is the son of one of the wealthiest businessmen in the Archipelago*, and is being pressured to join the family business, groomed to take it over, and so on. But he wants his own life. He wants something more than just carrying on his father’s work. Possibly even adventure. A life at sea perhaps?

* Yes, it takes place in the same world as the Azure Archipelago series, but it’s independent of that series and you don’t need to know anything about it to read this.

He’s dissuaded from pursuing that by someone he respects and looks for a new way to establish his own path. While doing so, he stops by a quiet pub in the city he’s visiting for a drink. While there the owner (mostly) jokingly offers to sell him the place. After thinking it over a bit, Jacob does that.

The bar is named for its resident capybara—Mrs. Covington—at sea, the capybara is supposed to bring good luck. She hasn’t seemed to do much for the pub yet, but maybe soon.

The first thing he has to do is find a way to make a profit—he offers the two employees there (a human, Tadrick, and a cigupa, Cora) full partnerships if they help him get this place in shape. Together they come up with a new business plan, redecorate, and start to devise new ways of bringing in customers (not all at once and not necessarily in that order, but I’m trying to summarize). The other thing Jacob does is befriend his neighbor, a widowed faun trying to raise two children and run a restaurant.

These four become friends and start to collaborate in a handful of ways.

When he bought Mrs. Covington’s, Jacob also received the parchment describing a local treasure hunt that belonged to the pub. People have been looking for the treasure for a while, and there’s no reason to think that Jacob and his new friends will have more success than anyone else. But like Wade Watts and his chums, they might as well try, right?

Platonic Relationships FTW

There are plenty of romantic relationships in this book, but none of them are the focus (as much as Cora’s parents try to steal focus with theirs). There’s even a nice past romance and the promise of a potential future one by the end of the book. But the relationships between the core characters are entirely platonic.

I don’t mind romantic stories or arcs—I think they’re a great way to show character, develop character, advance a plot, etc. But a good platonic friendship is one of those things that I admire more and more all the time—particularly between people who’d likely be coupled up in other books.

If the studies and stories I read hold true, friendships between adults are less and less common, and (American, at least) adults are more and more lonely and isolated. So maybe books about good friends are a new form of aspiration/fantasy? We don’t need to read books about swooning over someone we fancy anymore, just stories about falling into deep like?

Whatever lies at the root of it—I liked these friendships. All of them—the mutual support and encouragement in whatever configurations of characters were solid. Mrs. Covington’s sounds like a great place to hang out—maybe if you can’t hang out there with your own friends, reading about others doing it is a handy substitute?

Interludes

Something I should’ve mentioned in my beta feedback are the Interludes.* Three times we walk away from the story to get a glimpse of what’s going on with good old Mrs. Covington.

* Whoops. Sorry, K.R.R.! I’ll make it up to you next time.

These don’t advance the plot, give insight into the other characters, or anything like that—I’m not even sure they give insight into Mrs. Covington, because that would require a level of self-awareness that the rodent doesn’t seem to possess.

They are simply interludes. Nice, short, and quiet breaks from the novel. They’re the literary equivalent of taking a brief break to watch nature videos on Youtube or something. I’m just theorizing here, but it wouldn’t surprise me to find that they’re largely inspired by Lockhaven taking writing breaks to watch capybara videos.

I’m not sure why I used the term “quiet” there, it’s not like I’m talking about an audiobook here, but it fits. I guess it felt to me like there’s a film score playing quietly in the background (except when the band, Bilge Rat, is performing), and then the music dies for these interludes and all you get is crickets in the background or the sound of birds in the distance.

I’ve spent far more time than I originally intended to trying to describe the effect of these breaks. All I meant to say is that they’re an unexpected (unless you just read this) and thoroughly pleasant little addition to this book—and the kind of thing that most authors wouldn’t have thought to throw in.

I doubt that Lockhaven would be able to find enough of a story to justify a novella or novel along these lines. But a collection of scenes/episodes/random days in the life of the titular capybara would be something I’d jump on and probably return to often. Especially if he could get a great illustrator on board.*

* There’s your next Kickstarter, K.R.R. You’re welcome. Maybe this evens the score?

So, what did I think about Mrs. Covington’s?

I joked earlier about the plot being minimal—although it’s true. That’s not to say that the plot is inconsequential or bland. It’s a fun little story–Treasure Hunts have been a tried and true story engine since at least the time when Jason and his pals went on that cruise. And who can’t relate to a group of friends coming together to build something special? There’s enough plot to get your teeth into even while it’s not likely to be what you focus on.

I’ve made it this far and haven’t even talked about the villain of the piece. Ugh. You can tell how much importance I put on him. Think Charles Durning’s Doc Hopper from The Muppet Movie or Chris Cooper’s Tex Richman from The Muppets, or a good number of the men behind the masks in the original Scooby-Doo series. I’m not sure why I’m stuck on examples like them instead of something more highbrow, but that’s the frame of mind I’m in. He’s mean (actually, I don’t think he cares enough to be mean…maybe spiteful?), he’s power- and money-hungry, and doesn’t like anyone not acceding to his whims. He’s perfect for this story—and not that important ultimately. Yes, he’s standing in the friends’ way, so they have to do something—but he’s not as present as other obstacles.

I do have some quibbles about the timing of some of the elements. I think some of the relationships develop too quickly, and I wonder about the timeline for a couple of things. I don’t know if Lockhaven’s able to massage that a bit before the final version comes out, but I do think it needs some tweaking. That said—they’re only quibbles. I liked where every relationship went, how they developed, and so on. And all the events that happen too suddenly for my comfort? I enjoyed them all and understand why he put them where he did. So ultimately, I don’t care if that kind of thing works well because I enjoyed the results. To paraphrase Joel Hogson, “repeat to yourself, “It’s just a book, I should really just relax.”

And it’s easy to relax with this book—because it’s such a pleasant, comfy atmosphere. A treasure hunt with the staff of the friendliest bar this side of Cheers! might be the plot of this cozy fantasy novel. But the book’s core is kindness, community, optimism, and helping. Brought to you in a great fantasy world with a light and engaging voice, Mrs. Covington’s will leave you snug and content.

The book delivers on what it promises—comfort. Warm fuzzies. Kindness. Good times. It’ll brighten your day, and make the world feel like a better place for a bit.

Read it when you can. And pitch in to the Kickstarter before April 13!


4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

Mrs. Covington’s: A Cozy Fantasy Novel Kickstarter

I told you yesterday that you’d be hearing a lot about this book over the next few weeks–and I’m starting to make good on that promise now. I’ve said plenty of good things about Lockhaven’s previous books, we’ve asked each other Qs and As on our respective sites, and so on. So it’s not a huge surprise that I want to encourage you to support this Kickstarter.

I’m currently beta-reading this book (I hope to finish it tonight) and I’m doing a lousy job of taking notes for feedback, because I keep getting sucked into the story. This novel, “Set in a capybara-themed pub, this book includes a clue-based treasure hunt, found family, kindness, empathy, and nachos,” is going to charm readers–but it needs to get out into the world for that to happen. As of the moment I’m writing this, the campaign is 20% of the way to the goal–help it get a little closer.

Check out the video:

What do you know? I’ve been pronouncing the “o” in Covington wrong…anyway.

Look into the book and then pitch in to help Lockhaven put this out there in the world. I think you’ll be glad you did. I won’t be so bold as to suggest that the publication of Mrs. Covington’s will make the world a better place, but it will brighten the day of whoever reads it. So it’ll feel like the world is a better place for a while.

Go kick that start.

Mrs Covingtons Full Wrap Cover

COVER REVEAL: Mrs. Covington’s by K.R.R. Lockhaven

Mrs. Covingtong's Cover Reveal Banner

I’m very pleased to welcome the Escapist Book Tour’s Cover Reveal for K.R.R. Lockhaven’s Mrs. Covington’s to The Irresponsible Reader this morning!

You’re going to be hearing a good deal about this book over the next few weeks around here, and what better way to start than with this very spiffy cover? But first, let’s talk about things. Do not, I repeat, do not cheat and jump down to the cover below. Let the suspense build.

Book Details:

Book Title: Mrs. Covington’s by K.R.R. Lockhaven
Series: N/A, Standalone (but the world might feel familiar)
Genre: Cozy Fantasy
Intended Age Group: Adult
Length: 276 pages
Release date: Forthcoming, Kickstarter launches 3/14
Publisher: Self-published

About the Book

When Jacob Bright strikes out on his own and moves to a new island, he quite unexpectedly finds himself the owner of a failing, capybara-themed pub named Mrs. Covington’s. He quickly learns that he’s going to have to make new friends and innovate if it’s going to succeed. But when he learns that a neighboring Faun food restaurant, run by his kindhearted new friend, might have to close its doors, his priorities change. 

Years ago, a reclusive wealthy woman lived on the island, and she wrote a clue in poem form which leads to a mysterious buried treasure. The treasure may be just the thing they need to save the restaurant, but they aren’t the only people seeking it.

Mrs. Covington’s is a cozy fantasy book brimming with kindness, empathy, found family, and nachos.

Book Links

Kickstarter (Launches 3/14–hey, that’s tomorrow!)

About the Author

K.R.R. LockhavenKRR (Kyle Robert Redundant) Lockhaven started out writing humorous fantasy (hence the stupid pen name) but now finds himself being pulled in the direction of cozy fantasy.

[N.B.: “Stupid” is the verbiage supplied to me by Escapist Book Tours, and (it seems) the author. I happen to like the pen name.]

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

and now…

The Cover

Mrs. Covington's Cover

That’s a cover that’d make me stop and take a second and third look. Everything about that just pops off the screen. It’s the kind of image that begs for a full wrap-around cover, right? Like this:
Mrs. Covington's Cover Wrap Around
I’d buy a (reasonably priced) print of that one! (to see it in its full glory, click the image or here.)

Be sure to check out the website and/or Instagram page of the artist, Daniel Wekellis.



My thanks to Escapist Book Tours for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided. The opinions expressed by me are honest and my own.

Escapist Book Tours

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