Welcome to the Viola Shipman Heirloom Newsletter!
Cover reveal for my new novel, THE PAGE TURNER (out April 8!), PLUS introducing our brand new Viola fall fashion line, autumn mugs & autumn-scented candles (cozy sweatshirts, hoodies, & more)!
SPRING 2024 ISSUE
News from Viola!
HAPPY FALL, Y’ALL!
I hope you enjoyed a wonderful summer, and that your fall is off to a fabulous start. After publishing two books a year for the past two years, I took a mini mental and physical health break this summer. I needed some extra time not only to write my new novel, THE PAGE TURNER, which is publishing April 8, but also simply to be at home. The past few summers, I’ve been on the road about ninety percent of the time, and I rarely had a weekend to recharge, regroup and just enjoy the beautiful weather and my gorgeous hometown of Saugatuck-Douglas, Michigan. This summer, I was able to boat, beach, BBQ, swim, laugh, see friends and family, bake, read and — most of all — write a new book that allowed me to spread my wings. It was glorious. I now feel recharged and ready for all that 2025 will bring! It is going to be a busy, exciting and “page turning” year. Which leads me to …
DRUM ROLL, PLEASE! COVER REVEAL FOR MY NEW NOVEL, THE PAGE TURNER!
Here is the cover!
And here is the animated cover! Click to play & listen to the fabulous musical accompaniment!
I am beyond thrilled to FINALLY reveal the cover for my brand new novel, THE PAGE TURNER, which will publish April 8 and is available for preorder NOW!
First, the cover: As you can see, this is a different look than my previous novels, and I couldn’t be more excited about this beautiful new direction which perfectly captures the book’s characters and soul.
This is a novel about how we too often judge a book – and a person – by its cover. I wanted this cover to convey judgment. And what that does to us, as humans, souls, writers and readers. Moreover, it’s a book about façade, and I wanted it to be stylish. THE PAGE TURNER is also a story about a story, and I wanted the cover to tell one as well.
For many years, I’ve wanted to write a story that remains “very Viola” but also expands my wings as a novelist. This is that book. (And so is my 2026 novel, for that matter!)
Moreover, this cover pays tribute to the most important Christmas gift of my childhood, one I received from my working poor Grandma Shipman: A Selectric typewriter that not only showed her belief in my dream but also started me on my writing journey.
See little me?! See the connection to the cover?!
THE PAGE TURNER is a novel about so many things: Sisterhood. Family judgment and expectations. Wealth. Gender. Misogyny. Gen X vs. Gen Z. The challenges of being an author and publisher today. What is wrong and right with publishing. Pen names (why women have been forced to choose them over the years, and why I chose one). Literary critics. Genre shaming. And - quite simply - why we read and how books change us and – quite often – save our lives. They did mine.
I was a different kid growing up. My working poor grandma who never finished high school used to pluck "women's" novels from the racks at the grocery store, or from the local library, and bring stacks to our old log cabin where I spent summers with my grandparents. We had nothing there but fishing poles, books, inner-tubes and each other. We read to each other. She taught me to dream. The stories we read showed me there was a world beyond the small one in which I lived. The stories she shared of her life and struggles, her hopes and dreams, and the books we read together about good, strong women attempting to find love and their place in an often cruel world changed me and stayed with me forever. This changed my life and inspired me to write. This book champions this, my grandmother and those stories.
WHAT IS THE PAGE TURNER ABOUT?
The Page Turner is about a young romance writer who makes a discovery that throws her elitist family into chaos in this sharp, witty and entirely delightful family drama for fans of Elinor Lipman and Jennifer Weiner.
Emma Page grew up the black sheep in a bookish household, raised to believe that fine literature is the only worthy type of fiction. Her parents, self-proclaimed “serious” authors who run their own vanity press, The Mighty Pages, mingle in highbrow social circles that look down on anything too popular or mainstream, while her sister, Jess, is a powerful social media influencer whose stylish reviews can make or break a novel.
Hiding her own romance manuscript from her disapproving parents, Emma finds inspiration at the family cottage among the “fluff” they despise: the juicy summer romances that belonged to her late grandmother. But a chance discovery unearthed from her Gigi’s belongings reveals a secret that has the power to ruin her parents’ business and destroy their reputation in the industry—a secret that has already fallen into the hands of an unscrupulous publishing insider with a grudge to settle. Now Emma must decide—as much as she’s dreamed of the day when her parents are forced to confront their own egos, can she really just sit back and watch The Mighty Pages be exposed and their legacy destroyed?
Whisking you from the wealthy enclaves of the Hamptons to the sparkling shores of Lake Michigan, The Page Turner is a delectable glimpse inside the world of publishing and Viola Shipman’s most glittering achievement yet!
PREORDER NOW! PRETTY PLEASE! (AND SAVE YOUR RECEIPT FOR FUTURE GIVEAWAYS!)
WEBSITE (One-stop shopping!)
PAPERBACK
(Just click below on the bookseller below to order your copy now!)
Bookshop (it will link to your closest indie bookstore)
eBOOK
AUDIOBOOK
OUR NEW AUTUMN GIFT LINE IS OUT! FALL CANDLES & COZY CLOTHING + ADORABLE MUGS! (Our holiday gifts are coming Nov. 1!)
I'm thrilled to announce that our new fall clothing and candle line is available NOW! Ships anywhere!
CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO SHOP FOR COZY CLOTHING & CUTE MUGS! (All feature Viola Shipman in the design!)
https://viola-creations-by-tomkat.printify.me/products
CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO SHOP FALL CANDLES!
https://urban-vine.com/collections/viola-shipman-s-tea-time
COZY CLOTHING!
So many readers have asked when we were going to launch a clothing line, and - with a fashion expert who is part of our Viola team - we finally have. And what better time than fall, y'all, which makes me want to slip into a sweatshirt or hoodie, drink a cup of hot coffee or apple cider (out of our new mugs!), make chili, bake some apple crisp, light a candle, carve pumpkins and watch football. Which is why this is the perfect time to announce our BRAND NEW Viola clothing line (Viola Creations by TomKat), all featuring quotes and themes from my books as well as the name "Viola Shipman," which is cleverly incorporated into each design! This is only our fall line, and we are currently hard at work on holiday merchandise and a line featuring my books!
We have:
* HOODIES!
* CREW-NECK SWEATSHIRTS!
* LONG-SLEEVE TEES
* MUGS!
Featuring the following quotes:
* FALL WISHES & APPLE CIDER KISSES
* FALL FAMILY FOOD
* FALL FAMILY FOOD FRIENDS
In a variety of colors & designs (pick the one you love the most!)
* Colors include white, black, sport grey, navy, forest green, sand, dark grey heather, athletic heather, black heather, ash and charcoal
* Sizes range from small to 5XL
* High-quality fabric (sweatshirts are my all-time favorite brand, Gildan, with art designed by Kat, a Viola team member)
CUTE MUGS!
* Mugs are 15 oz. (check out the pink color for FALL WISHES & APPLE CIDER KISSES ... sooo pretty!)
CANDLES!
Autumn scents: Maple Bourbon Vanilla (Fall, Food & Family candle) & Apple cider (Fall Wishes & Apple Cider Kisses candle)
Burn time is 45-50 hours, and burning directions and scent name is on the bottom label of each candle. Candles are made of soy/coconut wax, all cotton wicks, no dyes and high quality fragrances. Container is 10 oz. glass that can either be recycled or reused as a vase, candy dish, etc. Candles are $23.99.
Again, to shop & buy Viola fall fashion, click on Viola Creations by TomKat!
To shop for autumn candles, click on Urban Vine!
I hope you love it all, and here’s to a cozy Fall!
UPCOMING EVENTS, BOOK TOUR + WINE & WORDS WITH WADE!
Come see me, Detroit area readers, on Monday, October 21!
I have one upcoming speaking engagement on Monday, October 21, at 6:30 p.m. EST at the Farmington Community Library. This is my only speaking engagement in Michigan the rest of this year. The event is FREE! But registration is required!
Click the link below to register and attend or watch online!
https://farmingtoncommunity.librarycalendar.com/event/evening-viola-shipman-25206
BONUS: This program will also be presented virtually on Zoom! Register at the link below to receive the Zoom meeting link.
I am currently planning my book tour for The Page Turner. In April, I am tentatively planning to launch the tour in Texas, and also visit stores and readers across Florida, North and South Carolina, Georgia and up the East Coast. I will be touring Michigan in June, July and August. Please visit the Appearances Page on my Viola Shipman website to see where I’m headed!
And please join me every Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. EST for …
… my weekly literary happy hour where I interview bestselling authors and publishing insiders, host holiday parties and seasonal cooking and craft shows, give you tours of my homes and the settings behind my books, and talk about inspiration and overcoming fear in your life.
Just head to the Viola Shipman Facebook page — CLICK HERE! — to watch the show AND if you’re not currently following Viola on Facebook, please do! We’ve created a community of kindness and wonderful readers! Until next time …
FALL WISHES & APPLE CIDER KISSES!
Gorgeous cover! I was lucky to get a netgalley ARC from your publisher. Will start it soon.