Liberty States Fiction Writers

LSF Writers Member Mickey Flagg is thrilled to share that she has signed a contract with Stardust Romance, a subsidiary of Hydra Publications, for a low-heat contemporary romance entitled MATTERS OF THE HEART. It should be a 2027 release.

And her novel, COME THE BLOOD MOON NIGHT, has won the Penmasters Global Award for Literary Excellence in the category of Magical Realism.

To learn more about Mickey and her books, please visit https://mfl aggauthor.com/.

Congratulations to LSF Writers Member Maria K. Alexander on the release of CATCH ME WHEN I FALL, Book 3, in the Pelican Bay series. Here's a little teaser for it!

Natalie O’Connell has a plan: launch the soap shop business with her sister, keep her fourteen-year-old son out of trouble, and avoid anything that feels like forever. It’s a solid plan — until her son gets busted for vandalism and the arresting officer turns out to be the man she’s been sleeping with.

Officer Ethan Hunter knows something about second chances, having left his former recklessness behind for a badge and a commitment to serving Pelican Bay. Letting Liam O’Connell off after several warnings is no longer an option. Walking away from Natalie isn’t either.

Now Ethan’s caught between reaching a boy who reminds him of himself, and convincing a commitment-phobic woman that what started as casual has become anything but. And Natalie must decide whether risking her heart is worth losing the first man who’s ever made her want to try.

Bio: Maria K. Alexander is an award-winning contemporary romance author of the Tangled Hearts and Pelican Bay series. She writes about smart, sassy women and the tortured, sexy men who aren’t afraid to go head-to-head with them. Together, they’ll overcome tragedy and fears on their journey to falling in love. Her heartfelt stories have strong connections with family and friends, and often involve tantalizing foods and laugh-out-loud moments. When not writing, she reads, bakes, plays pickleball, bikes, visits the beach, and watches romantic comedies. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and juggles a full-time job.

You can keep in touch with Maria at http://mariakalexander.com. While you are there, check out her backlist, along with pre-ordering
CATCH ME WHEN I FALL.

The Interest Form for the 12th Annual A Day or Two of Wine, Romance, and More is now live! If you're an author interested in participating in New Jersey's largest winery reader event, please fill out the form at https://www.libertystatesfictionwriters.com/a-day-or-two-of-wine-romance-and-more/.

Congratulations to LSF Writers Member L.R. Weltmann on their new release! Here is a blurb for THE QUEST FOR THE REAPER'S LYRE!
𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞.
𝐀 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭.
𝐀 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭.
Vivi’s world shatters when the portals plaguing the kingdoms of Isyend kidnap her pseudobrother. In the midst of her grief, an opportunity emerges she can’t pass up: an offer to join the secret team of princesses investigating the portals. Vivi jumps headfirst into the search, only to be met with suspicion as soon as she walks in the door. The five princesses might be the most dysfunctional team Vivi has ever met, but they’re still her best bet to find the Reaper’s Lyre, an almighty magical artifact that vanished a thousand years ago. It’s the only thing powerful enough to stop the mastermind behind the devastating portals, if the princesses can find it.
Vivi fights to prove herself to this stubborn team while uncovering secret after secret. Betrayal lurks around every corner and loyalties are tested, but nothing will stop Vivi from rescuing her brother. Even if she has to go against the princesses to do it.
Bio: L. R. Weltmann is a young adult fantasy writer specializing in found family and epic adventures. She’s the author of the Epoch of Dragons series, The Wingomia Guide series, and THE QUEST FOR THE REAPER’S LYRE. Some of her biggest inspirations include Eragon, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Percy Jackson. She worked as a Barnes and Noble bookseller for a few years and currently works as an admin assistant for her local library. When she’s not writing, she can usually be found playing with a dog somewhere.
Order:
Barnes and Noble: https://www.
barnesandnoble.com/w/the-quest-for-thereapers-lyre-l-r-weltmann/1150271643?e an=9781962607063
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/QuestReapers-Lyre-L-Weltmann/dp/1962607062
To learn more about L. R. Weltmann and her books, visit: https://www.lrweltmann.com/.
Follow L. R. Weltmann on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Threads: .

Congratulations to LSF Writers Member and NY Times and USA Today Bestseller Caridad Pineiro, whose latest releases, COLD CASE K-9 and BURIED TRUTHS, both hit the Publishers Weekly Mass Market Paperback bestseller lists. To learn more about Caridad, please visit www.caridad.com.

Congratulations to LSF Writers Member Tina Gabrielle on her upcoming release. Here is a teaser for her historical romance:
A marriage of convenience, opposites attract Regency romance!

Ruining her reputation…
Is harder than she thinks!

Nora Magarian attends a house party with one goal—ruin her reputation. The aspiring scientist doesn’t need a husband. Certainly not the strict older baron she’s betrothed to. So, when the opportunity for scandal knocks, Nora enters the bedroom of a notorious rake. Until she’s discovered…in the wrong man’s bed!

Bluestocking Nora is not the countess that Devon Hawkley, the Earl of Ralston, needs. Still, propriety demands he propose, and he’s intrigued by his bold seductress. It’s an engagement neither wanted, but could their unexpected connection mean this is the best mistake they’ve ever made?

Pre-order your copy today at https://amzn.to/4a6mGZm.

LSF Writers MemberJoseph Smalley (writing as Rusty Arbo) is happy to report his short story, “Wayward Son,” was published in an online journal called The Rush Magazine. It is a microfiction story about a prehistoric child abandoned by his mother during a time of extreme drought, who is ultimately rescued by beings of an unfathomable origin. It’s a prequel to his middle-grade novel. Visit https://www.therushmagazine.com/post/wayward-son today, and travel to another time and place. Rusty Arbo lives in Middlesex County, where he works in IT. His writing often blends intimate emotional perspectives with speculative or near-future elements. He spends his free time with his family and observing animals’ facial expressions, wondering what they might be thinking. His Instagram is .

LSF Writers Member Mary Kennedy introduces new authors to readers through her Fresh Fiction mystery column. In May, Mary featured Karen Rose Smith and her Daisy’s Tea Garden Mysteries and Tomes and Tea Mysteries. Brew yourself a cup of your favorite tea (or beverage of choice) and settle in. Visit https://blog.freshfiction.com/mary-kennedy-karen-rose-smith-and-the-daisys-tea-garden-mysteries-and-the-tomes-and-tea-mysteries/ today, and you’ll be privy to a delightful interview with Ms. Smith! To learn more about Mary and her books, visit: https://www.marykennedy.net/.

Join LSF Writers Member and Vice President Samantha Ann at the 2nd Anniversary Celebration of indie bookstore The Novel Realm. Samantha will have her bestselling K-pop and K-drama-inspired books, as well as TRAVELER, her merman romantasy at the signing. The Novel Realm is located at 2885 Route 206, Building 2, Columbus, NJ.

LSF Writers Member Suzanne Trauth’s psychological suspense THE FIRST TO DIE won the Suspense and Best Literary Merit categories for the 2026 Firebird Book Awards. To learn more about Suzanne and her books, visit: https://suzannetrauth.com/.