Quinn Coleman

Here I was thinking I’d posted something when I published The Brother Project in March.

Apparently…

I did not.
Was the last time I sent out a newsletter really in December? Yikes on bikes.

Have I updated my website? Oh, sure. I made an events page all fancy and everything.

Did I actually share anything when I, y’know, published a book? Neope.

Wellll let’s try this again, shall we?

To say that keeping up with a newsletter has felt like a rock hanging off my neck is an understatement.
Let me be clear, it’s not a small rock.
Think boulder-sized.
A mountain, on occasion.

Why keeping up with a newsletter feels like such a pain, I’m not sure.
If it’s because I feel like I’m yelling into a void–I do that enough on Threads (have y’all been on Threads? It’s addictive.)
Or if it feels like an uphill battle–I do that enough with writing my books.

But I aim to do better.

How?
By attaching some accountability to it.

And also by like, not trying to make the newest inspirational newsletter blog whatever (seriously, for the longest time I felt like I had to have something GOOD in a newsletter; I thought I was the next Jon Acuff.)

But honestly, I have to remember. This is my newsletter. For my books.
Which means I can put what I want in it.
HA!

So first order of business.

Yes, I published another book–YAY!

Here’s what people are saying about The Brother Project:

once i got into the story i could not put it down. hunter is such a lovable character, like the way i wanted to hug his so tightly and just let him know how loved he is, that he matters. he had me sobbing multiple times in this story.

taron is so open and while he has his own demons he makes everyone around know he’s there for them. the care and kindness he brings was just heartwarming.

this family the story shows is just a big warm hug. the love, the care, the kindness, the understanding, just everything about every single person was a piece of the whole that just fit perfectly together.

the way this story is so important but also it can connect to so many people.

As an educator, there’s nothing more heartbreaking than seeing a kid whose grownups can’t or won’t love them the way they deserve to be loved. The fact that Coleman captures this gutwrenching reality so accurately is what makes me hold this book particularly dear. Hunter’s struggle to come to terms with the depths of his own trauma and his journey toward trusting the kindness of those who seek to protect him will leave you wanting to give this kid the mother of all hugs. The way that his siblings-at-heart get tangled up in red tape in their attempts to help, will make you want to smash some furniture. The way that they make room in their lives for a kid whose soul is clearly wounded, despite the fact that it inconveniences and challenges them, will make you wish you knew them in real life.

The Brother Project is the third iteration in ‘The Masc Narrative’ series that somehow manages to be the best and most engaging yet. It brings together the cast of the first two books to further these characters stories and dynamics while continuing to explore the ever-ongoing journey of trauma recovery and the importance of real human connection and communication in it.
It’s often a concern (for me at least) when new characters are brought in mid-series, but in this case, I grew very quickly attached to Hunter and his addition worked well to further existing character arcs rather than hinder them. Additionally, the sub-plots with Russel/Jay and with the CPS office are amazing, and the found family is to die for.
I’m so grateful to this story and it’s messaging, it’s very sweet and well executed. This book, (and the series at large) is an excellent read for anyone interested in contemporary family and romance stories that focus on the joys but also struggles of being a teenager/young adult in a complex and often unfair world. The topics may be heavy at times, but it’s explored compassionately and honestly.

There’s a lot more lovely things, and yes I teared up both when I first read the reviews, and as I was pulling bits of them to post here.

Books I and II in this series were super important; we laid out the land for these characters to be introduced, see them struggle and triumph and grow.

But Book III introduced more. We see them building futures, progressing, growing up and becoming.

Book IV is going to be even more of that. It feels like we’ve hit the top of a rollercoaster, and now that ground has been formed, we get to go even higher off the foundation.

So fun. Seriously, not sarcasm, I can’t wait.

Now, back to the newsletter and what I plan to do with it…

I have a few books that I’ve been working on in my queue, and one of my favorite things to do with unedited, unpublished books, is post them online. Honestly, I think it’s how many of the Masc Narrative picked up traction–especially book IV–and how Starts with a Match and What About After got some attention before publication.

The books I’ll be posting up are incomplete, but I think by posting 2 chapters a week, and having a newsletter bi-monthly about said chapters, will keep me on top of talking about my work.

Because as many authors will tell you…writing is one thing.

Marketing is a whoooole other beast. Regardless, I want to do better with my newsletter, treating it like the author I am, and that means AT LEAST posting something when I publish a book–good grief, the bar is low.

The books I’ll be posting online chapter by chapter include…

well…

you’ll have to find out as I post them.

(See what I did there? It’s a way of procrastinating a decision by pretending it was all in your plan to appear aloof and mysterious and cliff-hangery).