I enjoy seeing flowers bloom as much as the next person. I like watching trees sprout new leaves. I love feeling the sun on my skin as the last of the snow melts away.

But what I like most about March is seeing all these new novels springing up on ChapterBuzz.

In case you didn’t know, the 10K Novel Writing Challenge is in full swing right now, and participants are hard at work on the first (or next) 10,000 words of their novels.

What that means for you is more to read! Your feedback is also appreciated on these stories, many of which are in their very early stages.

Let’s get down to business, shall we? You’re going to love this month’s issue:

Jennifer Silva Redmond isn’t holding back this time as she lays bare her five biggest pet peeves about her job as an editor. And they all revolve around one simple concept, as you’ll soon discover.

File this one under “Aww”: From Tier II Newcomer Author Marian Wood comes a very short love story that she created from a writing prompt. “It had to mention St. Valentine’s Day, a squirrel, and Toblerone,” says Marian—and sure enough, she manages to include all three in just a few short paragraphs.

And on the cover: Kaitlyn Abdou, award-winning novelist and Tier II Newcomer Author at ChapterBuzz. “I want to inspire people,” Kaitlyn told me when I interviewed her, and honestly, it’s hard not to be inspired by someone so talented, hard-working, and seemingly unfazed by all the challenges she encounters. Read about what keeps her going in her journey as a professional author.

Kaitlyn has also published the first novel in her new dark, adult fairy tale series, the Hawthorn Throne series, and has shared the first chapter with us. Here’s but a taste:

The ragged sound of his own breathing and the thrumming of his heart were the only things Noah could hear in the cool, stale, dimly lit room. No, “room” wasn’t the right word for the place they had locked him in. It wasn’t quite a dungeon but had the damp feeling of being underground—like a finished basement lit only by candlelight. It was beautiful but smelled of wet earth and fire smoke.

You can read the whole first chapter here.

Enjoy the weather, and enjoy this issue of Books & Buzz Magazine!

Happy reading,

Timothy Pike
Editor-in-chief, Books & Buzz Magazine