A Birding with Benefits epilogue!
(also if you're in Tucson, come birding with me!)
Hello friends, new and old!
I wrote a BIRDING WITH BENEFITS bonus scene and I love it so much! I’m so excited to send it out to you all!
True story: I had no desire until now to write an epilogue for this book. I loved being in the world of these characters, but I felt really complete with where the story ended.
Then last week I was reading some of my bad reviews out loud to my husband while having a laugh. I don't know why, but I just love the 2 star reviews. They are so passionate! But then my youngest kid started crying because "people are so mean", so I read him some 5 stars as an antidote. One of them said "I would kill for an epilogue", and for the first time in 9 months, I wanted to dive back into John and Celeste's world.
In a very early iteration of the book, Celeste takes her students on a field trip and John happens to be their birding guide. This was the scene where they first met and had a connection, and though it and so many other scenes ended up with the shavings on the floor of John's woodshop, I was inspired to repurpose it for an epilogue. It meant going through my old manuscript from 2021 and meeting them then, then pulling them into the different world I'd created for them more recently. But the spirit of the scene--about passing on the thrill of discovery, and about appreciating the birds as our neighbors--is still there.
But don't worry, it's not all birding! There's a sweet morning between our lovebirds, and maybe even possibly the exchange of some very special words they don't actually get to say in the book.
And you can read it right here!
Thank you deeply to all of the readers who continue to find me and let me know how this book has brought you a sliver of happiness. It's your words that have kept John and Celeste alive in my heart. It was so fun to spend some time with them, and I hope you enjoy reading this extra scene as much as I enjoyed writing it. ❤️
(Also, I got an idea from someone that inspired a little Birding with Benefits prequel, where we see our favorite snail scientist Chris setting up John and Celeste for the Bird Binge. I’ve started writing that (in Chris’s point of view!), and it’s been a lot of fun. I’ll be sure to send it out if it comes to anything!)
A special note for Tucson folks:
I’m putting together a team for the Tucson Bird Alliance birdathon! This is not an intense contest like in my book (though the birdathon did inspire the Bird Binge!), it’s a casual fundraiser where teams bird as they like and raise money for a good cause. If you’re interested in joining our team, let me know!
If you’re reading this Friday, head on over to my Instagram to enter a Giveaway to win a signed copy of Birding with Benefits and a signed copy of a brand new release by a friend of mine. The Trouble with Anna is a really fun and sexy regency romp (thing Bridgerton!) starring a bad-ass lady who loves horse racing and the duty-bound Lord she’s supposed to marry
Okay, friends! Here is the link to that bonus scene one more time:
BONUS SCENE RIGHT HERE!
The link will be sent out to all new Dubbstack subscribers, so spread the word!
As always, keep your heads up and foster resilience. Remember that joy is resistance, and that community is strength. <3
With love,
Sarah
Oh I want a chance to go birding with my new binocs