It’s here! It’s here! And I could not be happier. One of my favorite novels I’ve ever written, A HAPPIER LIFE, is out in paperback TODAY. This novel was inspired by a real mystery in my own family, an abandoned house I was one of the first people to go into after it had been empty for nearly five decades, my real-life town of Beaufort, NC, and, of course, my dog, Salt, who now graces the cover! Is he the cutest or what?
So, obviously, Salt and I had to recreate the cover with some help from Will!
(I know we’re facing the other way, but that shadow was totally hiding Salt!)
It is available from your local, independent bookstore, Bookshop.org, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and everywhere books are sold!
A Little More About the Book!
“New York Times bestselling author and southern sensation Kristy Woodson Harvey” (Good Morning America) presents a touching novel about eternal love and the places we call home.
The historic houses in the seaside town of Beaufort, North Carolina, have held the secrets of their inhabitants for centuries. One of the most enduring refuses to be washed away by the tide: What happened to Rebecca and Townsend Saint James on that fateful night of their disappearance in 1976?
Now, the granddaughter they never knew, Keaton Smith, is desperate for a fresh start. So when her mother needs someone to put her childhood home in Beaufort on the market, she jumps at the chance to head south. But the moment she steps foot inside the abandoned house, which has been closed for nearly fifty years, she wonders if she’s bitten off more than she can chew. Wading through the detritus of her grandparents’ lives, Keaton finds herself enchanted by their southern traditions—and their great, big love. As she gets to know her charming next-door neighbor, his precocious ten-year-old son, and a flock of endearingly feisty town busybodies, Keaton begins to wonder if the stories she has been told about her grandparents are true.
Keaton’s grandmother, Rebecca “Becks” Saint James’s annual summer suppers are the stuff of legend, and locals and out-of-towners alike clamor for an invitation to her stunning historic home. But, in the summer of 1976, she’s struggling behind the facade of the woman who can do it all—and facing a problem that even she can’t solve.
As Keaton and Becks face new challenges and chapters, they are connected through time by the house on Sunset Lane, which has protected the secrets, hopes, and dreams of their family for generations.
“The novel to read this year” (Annabel Monaghan) explores the power of family, the boundless nature of love, and the idea that discovering where we came from just might lead us to A Happier Life.
A Spring Break Pause!
Last week was my son’s Spring Break, and we took the most fun trip with some of our best friends. And you probably aren’t even going to believe this… But it was the first time in the almost TEN YEARS since I became an author that I actually took the time to slow down, relax, and really, really tried to unplug. So, no, I wasn’t 100% perfect about the unplugging, but I didn’t pull out my laptop even once, and I was very intentional about being on my phone as little as possible—unless it was for pictures, of course, because you have to have the memories, right?
I came back feeling refreshed and ready for allll the tour events coming up. And, my friends, there are a lot, beginning this week where you can help me…
Celebrate a Decade of Being an Author!
I know. How crazy is that? My debut, DEAR CAROLINA, released on May 5, 2015. So, of course, I’ll be doing a little touring to celebrate a decade. I will be in Bermuda Run, NC, Charlotte, NC with my friend Joy Callaway and South Park Magazine, then, Tuesday, I head to Vero Beach, FL, Palm Beach, FL, and cap it off with a fun Mother’s Day Tea with my pal Mary Kay Andrews in Milton, GA! For more information, feel free to check out my full tour dates! But the info on this first little run of events is below!
May 3, 2025 | Bermuda Run, NC | 11:00 AM
Mocksville Women’s Club Fundraiser
Bermuda Run Country Club
324 Bermuda Run Dr
Bermuda Run, NC 27006
To purchase a ticket, contact Paulette Agha, call or text 336.287.4762 or pagha2m@gmail.com
May 5, 2025 | Charlotte, NC
Mint Museum Randolph
2730 Randolph Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28207
GET TICKETS
May 6, 2025 | Vero Beach, FL | 5:00 PM
The Vero Beach Book Center
392 21st Street
(Miracle Mile)
Vero Beach, FL 32960
GET TICKETS
May 7, 2025 | Palm Beach, FL, LIVE AND VIRTUAL OPTIONS
Society of the Four Arts
100 Four Arts Plaza
Palm Beach, FL 33480
GET TICKETS
May 8, 2025 | Milton, GA | 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Mother’s Day Tea with Kristy Woodson Harvey & Mary Kay Andrews
Rooftop at Crabapple Market
12630 Crabapple Road
Milton, GA 30004
GET TICKETS
Did You Know We’re Less than ONE MONTH from BEACH HOUSE RULES?
I just received 13 big, gorgeous boxes of the new hardback to sign for Nantucket Books! You can still ordered signed preorders with that adorable, exclusive acrylic bookmark from Nantucket Books. OR, of course, you can preorder from anywhere books or sold, or grab your copy on tour. I would be so grateful if you did!
Thanks for being a part of my very first Substack. I’m so excited about this new format and so, so happy you’re here! xoxo and Happy Reading!
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