Scott De Buitléir

Update: As of Monday, April 20, the paperback edition of Forgiving Jake is now available to order from Amazon via its American, British, Canadian, and Australian markets.

We are all trying to maintain a version of normality while we stay at home to slow down the spread of COVID-19, a pandemic which has made the world look and feel like some near-future science fiction novel. However, one of the easiest ways to relax and forget the world is to read, and I’m currently splitting my time between a few books for whenever I get a free moment between the day job and home renovations.

Considering our collective need for a temporary escape from reality, I have already taken part in Smashword‘s Author Gives Back ebook sale, where I’ve made the digital editions of my three previously released books – Fás | Growth, The Irish Outlander, and Yesterdates – completely free to download until April 20, but I’d now like to announce a new release for you!

Forgiving Jake is a novella (short novel) which I’ve been working on for a while. It’s the story of Sarah, a young woman who is left waiting for her boyfriend on their arranged date night, but when she receives two different phone calls while she waits, her life changes forever. Unable to mend her broken heart, Sarah’s mother decides to surprise her with a flight to visit family, and only then does Sarah begin to learn how to move on with her life.

This new release will be available in paperback from May, however, considering current circumstances, I’ve made the decision to push forward the publication of the ebook edition of Forgiving Jake to Saturday, April 4. The normal ebook price of the novella is $4.99, however I’ll be announcing a special “new release” coupon to use at the checkout this weekend: Keep an eye out on my Twitter profile for updates.

As a writer, this has been a wonderful new project for me to write. While I love expressing myself in poetry, and my other have been different kinds of reflection on real life experiences, this is my first major work of fiction. The main character in Forgiving Jake, Sarah, became a real character in my mind, and I came to know her emotions, motivations, and aspirations, just as one would come to know in a new friend. I sincerely hope you enjoy this novella, and if you do, please tell others what you think by reviewing it on Goodreads or social media. I’ll be using the hashtag #ForgivingJake to talk about the new book on social media, and I’d love for you to join in the conversation.

I’ll make another announcement once the paperback edition of the novella is available, but for now, I sincerely hope the ebook release of Forgiving Jake will be a welcome distraction from any real-life worries you may currently be going through, and that you’ll enjoy reading it.

Until then, stay safe and healthy, look after yourself, and thanks for reading.

Scott