March 31, 2021
Happy Wednesday Book Lovers,
Today is the last day of the Indie Author Guest Writer Series. We are finishing off this incredible series strong with romance author, Kristen Granata.
Kristen Granata is a teacher by day, and an author by night. Known for writing emotional contemporary and new adult romance, she loves creating realistic, flawed characters who struggle through the darkest parts of life and come out stronger on the other side. Kristen is a self-proclaimed “bitter cynic trapped in a hopeless romantic’s body.” Her characters pack a sarcastic punch, make you laugh, make you think, make you ugly cry – and they will always live happily ever after. If you’re a lover of moving, inspirational reads, Kristen’s your girl.
Kristen published her first book, Collision, in March of 2018. Since then, eight more books have been born. With over 8,000 loyal followers on Instagram, this romance writing diva is one to follow. Granata’s page is filled with family life, hysterical videos and all things books and reading. One thing that I truly admire about Kristen is how she openly shares her mental health struggles with depression and anxiety with her Instagram following. Her message is a beacon of hope to anyone who is suffering: You are not alone. She delicately weaves this theme into her writing, and demonstrates the ability of love to heal trauma.
When she’s not teaching or writing, Kristen is reading, Instagramming, indulging in her messy love affair with popcorn, and annoying her wife and step-daughters by incessantly singing along to The Greatest Showman soundtrack.
Who else is as obsessed as I am?
I hope you enjoy her letter to Mr. H. Her book recommendation is awesome and she is also paying tribute to one of our previous guest writers. Enjoy Sweet friends!
Happy Reading!
Kelly
P.S. Be sure to check out Kristen Granata on all of her bookish adventures RIGHT HERE!
Dear Mr. Hemingway,
Being that I suffer from depression, it’s no surprise I immediately fell in love with this book I’m about to recommend to you. I think you’d enjoy it, and I wonder if you’d be able to relate to anything Emery Reed goes through. As you know personally, depression takes control of our thoughts, our actions, and our lives. And it takes Emery on a road trip—one he doesn’t plan on coming back from.
I’ve read On the Way to You, by Kandi Steiner many times since I first read it in 2019. It was recommended to me by a friend, and it was the first Kandi Steiner book I’d read. Her writing is beautiful, like poetry, and every sentence wrapped around my heart. I’ve read every one of her books since then, but this one always stands out as different from the rest.
Cooper is an old soul in a young woman’s body. She’s experienced her share of heartache and tragedy, but it doesn’t bring her down. Something is missing from her life though, and she gets into a beautiful stranger’s car when he asks her to join him on his road trip. Sure, it’s dangerous. Sure, it isn’t smart. But our hearts connect us with certain people we need before our minds realize what’s happening, and Cooper was drawn to Emery that day for a reason.
It’s a heartbreakingly beautiful story watching Cooper as she “comes of age” in a sort of way—you’d no doubt love the adventure she goes on—and watching Emery struggle with a decision no one should ever have to. I especially love how Cooper snoops through his journal, and we get to see some of the real raw darkness that’s inside of Emery. I cried my eyes out when she finds him on the edge of that literal cliff at the end of their trip, and I know you’d be moved to tears if you could read it too.
“There was a war raging inside that head of his tonight, and only he could see it. Only he could fight.”
I’ve dedicated my own writing to bringing awareness to mental health. All nine of my books have serious topics weaved into their love stories. My mission is to help people who are suffering. To help them know that they’re not alone. And to show them that there’s a warrior inside them, if only they’d dig deep and let her out. There’s hope at the end of the dark tunnel of depression. I only wish you’d have found it.
Sincerely,
Kristen Granata
P.S. My very first book, Collision, follows a woman named Merritt who’s reeling from her father’s suicide. It’s a contemporary romance that showcases how we can find hope and love after tragedy. If you’re into emotional love stories that make you cry, then this book is a must-read!
