Cover Reveal: Denim & Diamonds by Penelope Ward | Vi Keeland

Title: Denim & Diamonds

Authors: Penelope Ward & Vi Keeland

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Cover Design: Sommer Stein, Perfect Pear Creative

Photographer: Wander Aguiar Photography

Model: Lucas Loyola

Release Date: July 27, 2025

BLURB

When the board of directors of my company mandated that I go to a wellness facility in small-town Maine to recharge, that shouldn’t have included:

1.) Using a ladder to sneak out of the bedroom window at night and going to the local bar.

2.) Getting so drunk that the bar owner brought me upstairs to sleep it off in his bed.

3.) Waking up staring at the taxidermy moose head on said bar owner’s wall.

4.) Falling for said bar owner who was the most drop-dead gorgeous man I’ve ever seen.

But Brock Hawkins was so much more than just the hot bar owner. He owned half the town, built log cabins with his bare hands, and was apparently the most eligible man in all of Meadowbrook.

He was also a cinnamon roll despite his seemingly rock-hard exterior.

And the last man I should’ve been falling for—because my time in this small town was limited.

I had to head back to my life in New York City, one that was the complete opposite from the kind Brock lived.

He was denim. I was diamonds.

The problem was, the sexy lumberjack wasn’t the type of man who was easy to walk away from. Hell, I couldn’t even part with his plaid shirt that had become a constant fixture wrapped around my shoulders most days, let alone think about erasing him from my life.

A life with Brock, though, would have to be all or nothing.

Go big or go home.

I just didn’t realize that choosing to go big might also mean getting my heart broken when Brock’s life took a turn neither of us saw coming.

ADD TO GOODREADS

PRE-ORDER LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU / AUDIO

ALTERNATIVE COVER PAPERBACK

Sign up for Penelope & Vi's mailing list now and be the first one notified when it goes live!

SIGN UP HERE

PENELOPE WARD

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.

With millions of books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over thirty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

FACEBOOK

FACEBOOK GROUP

WEBSITE

INSTAGRAM

TIKTOK

TWITTER

GOODREADS

VI KEELAND

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

FACEBOOK

PROFILE / PAGE / GROUP

WEBSITE

INSTAGRAM

TIKTOK

TWITTER

GOODREADS

NYCC Guests, Creators, & Exhibitors so Far for 2025

 NEW YORK COMIC CON ANNOUNCES FIRST WAVE OF GUESTS, CREATORS & EXHIBITORS FOR 2025 SHOW

 

Stars from Across Pop Culture’s Biggest Franchises Including James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, Elliot Page, Simu Liu, Charlie Cox, and More are Heading to NYCC 2025

 

NORWALK, CT – June 25, 2025 – Suit up, heroes (and villains)! ReedPop, the world’s leading producer of pop culture events, today unveiled a first look at the action-packed guest lineup for New York Comic Con 2025. NYCC is returning to the Javits Center in New York City on October 9-12, 2025. 

 

Guests heading to New York Comic Con this October include James McAvoy (X-Men, Split and Glass; Atonement); Nicholas Hoult (Superman, Nosferatu, The Great); Elliot Page (X-Men, The Umbrella Academy, Juno); Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Kim's Convenience); Tatiana Maslany (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Orphan Black); Bryce Dallas Howard(Jurassic World, Argylle, The Help); cast members across Marvel television properties including Charlie Cox, Deborah Ann Woll, Mike Colter, Ming Na Wen, Clark Gregg, and Chloe Bennett; and iconic voice actors from fan-favorite series and movies like Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Little Mermaid, Demon Slayer, and more. Plus fan-favorites from the cast of Critical Role.  

 

Major comic and literary legends will also make their way to the convention, including George R.R. Martin, J. Scott Campbell, Jeph Loeb, Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Tini Howard, Gabrielle Dell'Otto, Babs Tarr, Jim Lee, Tomi Adeyemi, Jim Butcher, Matt Dinniman, Kim-Joy, Daniel Warren Johnson, and Joe Hill.  New York Comic Con also revealed the first wave of partners heading to this year’s event including Paramount +, Nickelodeon, Marvel, Funko, Loungefly, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Crunchyroll, New York Public Library, Scholastic, VIZ, New York City Tourism + Conventions, and more. 

 

Tickets, including additional Saturday badges, will go on sale to the general public for New York Comic Con 2025 today, Wednesday, June 25 at 12:00 PM ET.

 

Check out the full lineup of guests announced today atNewYorkComicCon.com. 

 

Details on Photo Ops, Autographing sessions, and panels will be revealed closer to the event. The application forpanel programming is open now through July 1.

Stay up to date on the latest New York Comic Con news atNewYorkComicCon.com and on Facebook, X, andInstagram.

About ReedPop
ReedPop is a boutique group within RX – one of the world’s leading event organizers. Launched in 2006, the group has become the number one producer of pop culture events globally and a full-service digital content provider and media company. Delivering once-in-a-lifetime fan experiences curated specifically for localized audiences, ReedPop currently features events in North America and Europe, including New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), PAX West, East, and Unplugged, Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC), Star Wars Celebration, MCM Comic Con, Eurogamer Expo (EGX), MagicCon, Florida Supercon, BookCon and more. In addition to organizing and managing events, ReedPop owns and operates the pop culture news site, Popverse, which is the exclusive home for livestreams from all of ReedPop's major comic cons. The staff at ReedPop are a fan-based group of professionals uniquely qualified to build and serve the communities with whom they share a common passion.(www.reedpop.com).  

Release Blitz: Someone Knows by Vi Keeland

Title: Someone Knows

Author: Vi Keeland

Publisher: S&S/Emily Bestler Books

Genre: Standalone Thriller

Release Date: June 17, 2025

BLURB

As a college English professor, Elizabeth looks forward to the start of each new semester teaching her creative writing seminar. At least until she reads chapter one of The Reckoning, a tale about a high school senior who has an affair with her teacher. To anyone else it would be the beginning of a great page-turner, but to Elizabeth it is the beginning of the end.

She knows this story. It’s all familiar because she lived it. The girl in the story was her best friend Jocelyn, and Elizabeth knows exactly how the story will end—with the teacher dead. Because she was the one who killed him.

Someone knows what Elizabeth did twenty years ago and her secret is about to be exposed, but who is the mystery student submitting the chapters? In an effort to find out, Elizabeth returns to her Louisiana hometown where it soon becomes clear that no matter how many years have gone by, she can’t escape her past.

GOODREADS

BOOKBUB

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON / B&N / KOBO

APPLE BOOKS / GOOGLE PLAY

BAM / BOOKSHOP

AUTHOR BIO

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria, Israel, and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

AUTHOR LINKS

FACEBOOK

PROFILE / PAGE / GROUP

WEBSITE

TIKTOK

INSTAGRAM

TWITTER

GOODREADS

This Could Be Forever by Ebony LaDelle

This Could Be Forever by Ebony LaDelle is the kind of love story that feels soft around the edges but grounded in something real. It’s sweet and romantic without trying too hard, and the connection between the two main characters, Deja and Raja, feels both instant and earned. From the moment they meet, you can sense something special is about to unfold, not just a romance, but a story about growth, purpose, and learning how to show up for someone else while still showing up for yourself.

Deja is focused on building a future in science and skincare, and Raja is chasing his dream of becoming a tattoo artist while carrying the weight of his parents’ expectations. Their worlds are very different, but they come together in a way that feels natural and full of warmth. I loved how LaDelle weaves in both Southern Black and Nepali culture, there’s care and authenticity in the way these identities are shown, and the story never feels like it’s explaining itself. It just invites you in.

What stood out most to me is how emotionally mature the relationship felt, especially for a young adult book. There’s a real sense of mutual respect and support between Deja and Raja. They ask hard questions, face real-life pressures, and still manage to hold space for each other’s dreams. Their romance moves quickly, but it works. The pacing mirrors that feeling of falling fast and hard for someone who just gets you.

This isn’t just a love story, it’s a celebration of culture, family, and the beauty of young people figuring out who they are. The supporting characters add so much heart and life to the story, and the community around them really grounds the relationship in something bigger than just two people falling in love. If you’re looking for a contemporary romance that’s full of heart and sincerity, this one is worth picking up. It’s hopeful, charming, and it left me smiling long after the last page.

Refugee by Alan Gratz (Scholastic)

 

Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5/5)

By Yara – OnceUponaTwilight.com

Refugee by Alan Gratz, published by Scholastic, is a powerful middle-grade novel that doesn’t shy away from heavy truths. It follows three young characters from different time periods and countries as they each flee their homes in search of safety. Their journeys are intense, emotional, and surprisingly connected.

What drew me to this book wasn’t just the buzz or the cover. I picked it up during our middle school Scholastic Book Fair after seeing that one of the stories follows a Cuban girl named Isabel who escapes on a boat with her family during the 1990s. That hit home. My husband fled Cuba the same way around the same time. Reading Isabel’s journey stirred up memories I’ve only heard about but could now see through a child’s eyes. And here’s the part that completely caught me off guard, one of the other characters is escaping to Cuba. That kind of full-circle storytelling really stuck with me.

Gratz also introduces us to Josef, a Jewish boy escaping Nazi Germany, and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy caught in the chaos of modern-day civil war. All three stories are gripping, but I’ll admit one of them didn’t hit quite as hard for me as the others. It’s the only reason I’m giving this 4.5 instead of a full 5 stars.

Still, Refugee is one of those rare books that educates and moves you at the same time. It’s beautifully written and incredibly important, especially for younger readers. If you’ve ever wondered what courage looks like in real life, this book shows you.

Highly recommend adding this to any school or home library.

Live Action Lilo Falls a Little Short but Stitch Still Shines!

 

Disney’s live-action take on Lilo & Stitch tries to recapture the magic of the beloved 2002 animated classic, and while it has its moments, it doesn’t quite match the heart of the original.

Let’s start with what worked: Stitch and the other alien characters looked fantastic. Their design was surprisingly believable, and I actually found myself smiling every time they popped on screen. The visual effects overall had their highs and lows, but Stitch was a win.

The soundtrack was also a strong point. The music helped carry the emotion in a way that felt familiar, and it gave the film that little spark of nostalgia.

Where things stumbled a bit for me was with the human characters. Something about their performances or maybe the way their relationships were portrayed didn’t land the same way. Midway through the movie, I lost interest to the point that I actually dozed off (granted, I was tired from packing up my classroom, but still). That lull in the middle made it clear the pacing needed a little more love.

In the end, I think the biggest challenge was trying to live up to the original. I grew up with the cartoon version, it was funny, touching, and full of charm. This version didn’t quite hit the same notes. It wasn’t bad, just… not enough.

If you’re a big Lilo & Stitch fan, you’ll want to check it out for curiosity’s sake. Just don’t expect to be completely swept away.

Ohana!

Straw Review: Heartbreak, Truth, and Taraji at Her Best

 

Now streaming on Netflix

I watched Straw last night and it shook me. I didn’t get to sleep until well after 3 a.m., and even then, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It’s been a long time since a movie hit me like this. Honestly, I thought Tyler Perry only made comedies. This changed that for me. I’ll definitely be watching more of his work now.

Straw follows Janiyah, played by Taraji P. Henson, a single mother pushed beyond her limit. She’s dealing with eviction, job loss, a child’s illness, and a healthcare system that just doesn’t care. When she walks into a bank, what starts as a desperate plea for help turns into something much bigger and more heartbreaking. By the time the truth is revealed, it’s impossible not to feel the weight of it all. I sat there in complete silence, wrecked by the ending.

Taraji’s performance is the heart of this film. She’s raw and real. Critics are calling it one of her strongest roles yet. Sherri Shepherd and Teyana Taylor add so much depth, and seeing Sinbad back on screen after recovering from a stroke made everything more emotional. His presence in that final scene hit me hard.

What I appreciated most is how real the story felt. Sure, it’s a movie, but the pain and desperation? That’s real life for a lot of people. The struggles Janiyah faces aren’t fiction. They’re happening right now to people who don’t get headlines. That’s why the film stays with you.

Some reviews called the movie over-the-top or heavy-handed. I don’t agree. When life hits this hard, it’s not going to feel neat or polished. It’s messy, and Perry doesn’t shy away from showing that.

This is not a light movie. You won’t put it on in the background while you scroll your phone. You’re going to feel it. And that’s the point.

I highly recommend watching Straw. Just don’t go into it expecting something easy. Bring tissues. And be ready to think about it long after the credits roll.