Monthly Archives

November 2025

Thoughts

Gifts you can feel good about giving

November 18, 2025

This holiday season arrives as the world feels a bit different. More than ever before, every dollar spent seems to represent a stance. So, rather than just “Adding to Cart,” I’m doing more research and being more thoughtful about what I put under the Christmas tree. If you’d like to do the same, here are four ideas for things you can give and feel good about.

BOOKS! Always, Books!

As a self-published author, of course, I’m going to start with what I know (and treasure). But also, what’s better than opening a new book? The right story, given to someone when they need it most, is the gift that keeps on giving. Books are beautiful. They’re the best! They make us feel and laugh and think. 

But it’s not just about buying the book. It’s also about where you buy the book. Barnes and Noble is a great retailer, with admirable local and national sponsorships. I also often recommend Bookshop.org. Every bookshop.org purchase financially supports independent bookstores. (One caveat: be sure to check out the details about their e-books, which don’t work with Kindle e-readers. They require a special app. Otherwise, all green lights.) 

Book recommendations: 

Forget raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens … Book recommendations are one of my absolute favorite things! If you have someone on your list, and you’re stumped for a title, message me! 

Money for Good 

Everyone cares about something. Find out what that is and make a donation in your loved one’s honor. Some organizations may even send you a gift as a token of appreciation for your generosity. 

Here are some I’ve donated to for others: 

I like to print a receipt of the donation and put it in a box with pretty tissue paper. 

Gifts That Go Further  

Some gifts make the recipient smile while also kicking back funds to worthy causes. Check out: 

Made With Love 

I am an Etsy addict. I love the unique, original offerings, but there’s also something that feels really good about receiving the finished product in the mail with a handwritten note from the artist, thanking me for my business. I enjoy a good local arts and craft fair for the same reason. 

Here are a few adorable ideas made by the hands of a small Etsy shop owner: 

Crochet water bottle carrier

Birthflower Suncatcher

Floral Felt Bookmark

Sloth Socks

Owl Salt Lamp

Bonus Ideas!

For the lightning round, I always feel good giving gifts that encourage my friends and family to get outside. From trekking poles and warm, moisture-wicking clothes to rock tumblers and seashell catchers, these are the items that help them delve into the mysteries and miraculous discoveries waiting out in the dirt, sand and forests. 

Uncategorized

4 reasons Blazin’ by Courtney Leach should be your next Book Club pick

November 13, 2025


If your book club is on the hunt for a story that’s funny, heartfelt and full of conversation-worthy moments, my book, BLAZIN’ by Courtney Leach, delivers. This women’s fiction novel follows four best friends who take their midlife crises to the mountains of Georgia to section hike the Appalachian Trail. What starts as an adventure quickly becomes a reckoning, with nature, their bodies and each other.

Here are four reasons BLAZIN’ deserves a spot as your next book club pick:

1. The characters (and their struggles) are deeply relatable

Women in their 30s, 40s and 50s will see themselves reflected in the six unforgettable women at the heart of BLAZIN’. They’re overworked, underappreciated and constantly pulled in a million directions—by work, family and the relentless pace of life.

Each is navigating the quiet ache of feeling invisible, the fear that youth and time are slipping away, and the nagging question: Is this it?

Whether you’re a mother, a caretaker, a professional or a woman who’s simply tired of giving so much of herself to everyone else, BLAZIN’ captures what it means to lose your spark, and what it takes to reignite it.

2. It sparks thought-provoking conversation

The best book club books don’t just entertain, they make you talk, think and sometimes even disagree. The women in BLAZIN’ are real and flawed. They have long, layered histories with one another. Their love, resentment, loyalty and frustration are all tangled up in ways that feel incredibly real.

Each reader is bound to identify with a different character or choice, making BLAZIN’ a perfect catalyst for deep, honest discussions about friendship, identity, aging and what we owe ourselves versus what we owe others.


3. It’s a page-turning adventure

If Wild, Big Little Lies and Five-Star Weekend had a love child, it would be BLAZIN’. This book blends humor, heart and high-stakes adventure as the friends tackle unpredictable weather, physical injuries and emotional truths on the Appalachian Trail.

The mountains test them, but they also heal them. The story is full of sharp dialogue, touching moments and vivid wilderness scenes that make you feel like you’re right there, sweating, laughing and climbing beside them.

It’s the kind of book that keeps you turning pages late into the night, and then texting your friends to ask: “Are you at this part yet?”

4. You can support an indie author

We tend to see the same traditionally published books promoted on social media and in our feeds—and that’s awesome—but there’s something special about discovering a fresh voice outside the mainstream.

By choosing BLAZIN’ for your book club, you’re supporting an independent author who brings a new, authentic perspective to women’s fiction. It’s fun to find a story that hasn’t been overhyped, to read something that feels fresh, grounded and crafted with heart.

While I’m located in northern Indiana, it would be my absolute joy to join your book club via video chat or, if it’s close enough, in person, to offer my perspective on the characters, dialogue and twists and turns of BLAZIN’. You can contact me through my author site or social media. 

Ready to bring BLAZIN’ to your Book Club?

BLAZIN’ by Courtney Leach is currently available in ebook and paperback, through Amazon and barnesandnoble.com. 

Perfect for fans of: Elin Hilderbrand, Cheryl Strayed, Liane Moriarty and Katherine Center
Setting: The Midwest, the mountains of Georgia, along the Appalachian Trail
Themes: Friendship, midlife reinvention, resilience, self-discovery, divorce, marriage, motherhood