I’m thrilled to finally share a little about my next release—the second book in the Shakespeare Sisters series!
If you read The Most Dearest, you’ll remember that story introduced the lively, complicated Bard family and the sisters who share both a surname and a flair for drama. Now it’s Miranda’s turn to step into the spotlight, and she’s not about to fade quietly into the wings.
Why Shakespeare, you ask?
Because I’m a Shakespeare nerd through and through. I studied his works in college, every sonnet, every tragedy, every witty aside, and while that particular major hasn’t exactly proved “useful” in the traditional career sense, it has fed my imagination for years. Shakespeare understood people. He captured betrayal, greed, jealousy, and passion with such timeless precision that even four hundred years later, we still see ourselves in his stories.
So when the idea for this series came to me, I knew I wanted to weave that love of Shakespeare into something fresh and modern. The Shakespeare Sisters books aren’t retellings, but they borrow the spirit of his themes: families, flaws, redemption, and the beautiful mess of human emotion. Each sister embodies a little piece of that chaos, and Miranda, in particular, has always been one of my favorites to write.
What to expect from Miranda’s story
If The Most Dearest had a touch of heartbreak and mischief, this new book brings a lighter, more empowering tone. This isn’t the story of a woman crying into her pillow, waiting for life to change. Miranda has her vulnerable moments (who doesn’t?) but she’s not one to wallow. She’s a woman who picks herself up, dusts off the past, and starts taking charge of her future.
You’ll see her face mistakes, miscommunications, and a few chaotic consequences (because, let’s be honest, this is Miranda we’re talking about), but what shines through is her resilience. She learns that gratitude, while beautiful, can sometimes get messy, especially when your attempts to thank someone lead to disasters bigger than any prank war could cause.
Yes, you read that right: no prank wars this time, though Cordy tries her pitiful best! Miranda is maturing … sort of. She’s still impulsive, still funny, still armed with that Bard-family blend of heart and chaos, but this book shows another side of her, one that’s learning what real strength looks like. It’s a journey of self-awareness, second chances, and the courage to rewrite your story when life doesn’t follow the script.
Revisiting familiar faces
One of the joys of writing a series is getting to revisit characters who feel like old friends. Fans of The Most Dearest will recognize familiar names popping up in Miranda’s world. The Bard family—loud, loyal, and occasionally exasperating—is back, and we’ll dig a little deeper into what makes them tick. Family dinners, quiet confessions, teasing banter … those scenes were some of my favorites to write.
You’ll also see how the sisters’ relationships continue to evolve. They’re bound by love and history, but they’re all at different crossroads in their lives. Miranda’s choices ripple through those connections, hinting at what’s to come for Juliet, whose story is already taking shape in my notebook (yes, she’s next, and I already know a few things that will surprise you!).
A lighter heart, a little chaos, and a lot of love
If I had to describe this book in one sentence, I’d say: it’s about rediscovering joy after disappointment. Miranda’s world isn’t perfect. She faces challenges that would make anyone flinch, but she refuses to let bitterness define her. Instead, she finds humor, friendship, and even love in unexpected places.
The tone is lighter, the humor sharper, and the emotional payoff satisfying in that “close the book with a smile” kind of way. Writing it was a breath of fresh air after the heavier emotional beats of The Most Dearest. I laughed out loud more than once while drafting certain scenes, and I hope readers will, too.
This story reminded me why I love writing romance and women’s fiction in the first place, because even when life feels tangled, stories can show us the way back to hope.
Behind the scenes: writing Miranda
Every book teaches you something new as a writer. With this one, I learned to trust joy—to let the story be fun, messy, and imperfect. Miranda surprised me constantly. I’d plan a quiet moment, and she’d turn it into comedy. I’d outline a smooth interaction, and she’d trip over her own good intentions. She’s one of those characters who refuses to stay neatly inside the lines, and honestly, that’s what makes her feel so alive.
When I finished the last chapter, I had that bittersweet feeling of saying goodbye. The mix of pride and sadness that comes from sending a character out into the world. But I didn’t stay in that mood for long. Almost immediately, Juliet started whispering her story to me, and let’s just say her path is going to be very different from her sisters’.
(Yes, I’m already scribbling ideas and dialogue for her — writers never really stop daydreaming, do we?)
The joy of sharing stories
Writing this book reminded me why I started writing in the first place: to explore human connection, to laugh at our imperfections, and to find meaning in the small, tangled moments that make life interesting. Miranda’s story is about resilience, family, and the surprising places gratitude can take us.
I can’t wait for readers to meet her again (stronger, wiser, still wonderfully flawed) and to fall a little bit in love with the Bard family all over again.
So here’s to Miranda, to the Shakespeare sisters, and to every reader who’s ever found themselves in the pages of a story. Thank you for coming along for the ride. And stay tuned, because Juliet is waiting in the wings.
