Sunshine, Grit, and a Story that Won’t Let Go - July Newsletter 2026
- Tanya Madsen
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
🌞Hello Friends,
July has arrived in a rush of sunshine, late nights, and the kind of busy that makes the days blur. I’m neck‑deep in creating book merch for upcoming fairs—mugs, bookmarks, keychains, stickers, annotation cards—a whole world of Somewhere Aching in physical form. It’s chaotic, but it’s also a joy.
I’m also finalizing Book Four of The Somewhere Aching Series, A Karma to Kill For, set to release in September 2026. This one has taken me into dark, uncharted territory. It turns out that carrying out an international abduction is… complicated. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been buried in fact‑checking everything from border control practices to time zones. Realism matters to me. I want the danger to feel real, the emotions to feel earned, and the heartbreak to feel unforgettable.
When I first wrote A Daughter to Die For, I thought it was a standalone HEA. How wrong I was. This story had deeper roots, darker shadows, and more to say. The Somewhere Aching Series blends true‑crime grit with psychological drama and slow‑burn romance. Longing, pain, obsession, redemption. If you enjoy stories that take you down unusual paths and pull you into unforgettable relationships, you might just be one of my readers.
ℹ️ For more on the series, check out the book trailers linked below.
📚 Links to Amazon, Kobo, and B&N are all available here.
🍑 Blog Highlight: “Peaches”
I write a weekly blog to keep myself grounded and to give my social media a theme each
week. In June, during a quiet Friday break at work, a short story spilled out of me. It became one of my favorite posts of the month. You can read it here: “Peaches.” Feel free to leave comments and follow me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest for regular updates.
🛍️ Shop Update
In June, I opened my Shopify store for books and handcrafted merch. This is where I go deep—quote stickers, annotation cards, character art, and even my e‑books (available for $3.99). If you love the Somewhere Aching universe, you might enjoy my astrology companion e‑book, which explores synastry, fate, and the emotional architecture behind my characters’
relationships.
💔 Closing Words - July Newsletter
A Karma to Kill For is going to be heartbreaking, in the best way. I believe fiction should devastate and heal at the same time. For a story to truly stay with you, it must be brave enough to break your heart and tender enough to mend it.
My books are inspired by the classics that shaped me: Jane Eyre, Ivanhoe, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Timeless themes of obsession, sacrifice, and redemption run through The Somewhere Aching Series, and Book Four dives deeper than ever.
Next month I will introduce you further to the characters and open up pre-sales for book four. In the meantime, enjoy this summer month, friends. Make time for sunshine, lemonade, cherry pie, and if you’re craving a getaway but can’t leave town, choose an adventure of the heart instead.
My books are here.
—Tanya
📖 Excerpt from A Daughter to Die For
Book One of The Somewhere Aching Series - Chapter 10 - Nicolas
“How would he get away with this? He just abducted a woman on the side of the road like some highway serial killer. What was he thinking? But he had to. There were times in life when you had to go for it. This was more than a compulsion. It was fate.”
✨New to the Series? Feel free to check out the book trailers.
Stay close to the story. If you want more writing reflections, behind‑the‑scenes notes, early book news, and the quiet thoughts I don’t share anywhere else, join my weekly newsletter. It’s where the real conversations happen — honest, unfiltered, and straight from my writing desk to your inbox.
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