Extra! Extra!

My rating for 2025 so far? One out of five stars. Mainly because this year has, to date, meant I’ve been under the weather off and on since just before the calendar changed. I’m talking cough, cold, headaches, and unrelenting fatigue. Which isn’t conducive to writing. And which means this post is shorter than usual. On the plus side, though, it includes a couple of big announcements. Let’s get to them!

Asleep/Awake

My first chapbook, Asleep/Awake, published by Stripes Literary Magazine, is available now. I’m happy to offer this small collection of poems as a gift to my readers. Reviews encouraged and appreciated!

Every download and every review helps my visibility as an author. Thank you for your support!

And if you’re inspired to share this chapbook with someone who might enjoy it, please do.

Paris, Revisted

🚨 Cover reveal!! 🚨

Paris is the City of Love, so it was kind of perfect unveiling the beautiful new cover for Provenance Unknown on Valentine’s Day, right? 💋

Say “oui” to a story about local history, archives, family secrets, an old French diary, a charming but infuriating Frenchman, and fun and frivolity in Paris! Coming March 18 from She Rises Studios.

Les Bouquinistes

The Girls of Montmartre, by Crowell Sexton

This story comes with a story.

A few months ago, someone reached out to me about my October blog post (“Cheers”) which included a section on local artist Sophie Pemberton (1869-1959) and her painting, “Rejection.” We connected over art—specifically the Parisian scene from the mid-1800s to about 1900—and we’ve been corresponding ever since. (I love this development so much.)

His father, Crowell Sexton, wrote The Girls of Montmartre after retiring in the 1980s, and it shares profiles of women artists and models working in Montmartre in the last half of the 19th century. I was sent a copy and honestly couldn’t put it down, devouring it in only two days.

Now you can enjoy it, too, thanks to my new virtual friend. I’m excited to share this with my fellow Paris/art/history fans. If after you’ve read it you’d like to share your thoughts, feel free to send them to me via my Contact page and I will forward them on.

I learned a lot from this book! I hope you love it as much as I did.

Fingers crossed I’ll be back to my wordy ways in March. As always, thanks for reading. Merci!

Sonia