2026-04-29T00:00:00-07:00

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  • B-Fest 2017

    Barnes & Noble - Dana Park 1758 South Val Vista Drive, Mesa, AZ, United States

    I'll be at the Dana Park B&N from 5 - [...]

  • YA Writing Conference

    Changing Hands Bookstore Phoenix 300 W Camelback Rd, Phoenix, AZ, United States

    Authors of young adult fiction, including severalย New York Timesย bestsellers, share [...]

  • Writing Workshop

    Southeast Regional Library - Shakespeare Room 775 N Greenfield Rd, Gilbert, AZ, United States

    Teens, do you love creative writing? Join local YA authors [...]

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If you missed the news, If You Were Here is available now wherever books are sold! ๐Ÿ”—Hardcover, audio, ebook links in my bio. Reminiscent of the Netflix television series Outer Banks, this is a mystery shrouded in history, wrapped up with a love story.โ€โ€”School Library Journal (โญstarred review) โ€œLiliโ€™s and Wrenโ€™s alternating first-person perspectives grapple thoughtfully with grief and romantic dilemmas. Sweet and insightful.โ€โ€”Kirkus Reviews โ€œ[A] sensorial grumpy-sunshine love story set on Nantucket. The teensโ€™ interest in local loreโ€”and Liliโ€™s uncanny ability to charm Wren out of his perpetual crankinessโ€”first sparks amiable companionship, then sunny romance, conveyed via lively prose. Alluring history about Nantucketโ€™s maritime roots and its bustling present-day tourist scene enliven the idyllic seaside setting.โ€โ€”Publishers Weekly โ€œThe slowly progressing romance between the two is centered in the narrative, but the topics of disability (Wren uses a wheelchair), grief, and the importance of family are also highlighted. Wrenโ€™s existing relationship with his high-school girlfriend is handled with nuance and empathy. A fun read for those who want a strong plot to go along with the smooching.โ€โ€”Booklist
๐Ÿ–๏ธIf You Were Here is officially out in the world! ๐Ÿ–๏ธ Set on the dreamy shores of Nantucket, my Gilmore Girls meets Outer Banks YA Romance is about finding love, chasing history, and rewriting the story you thought you knew. AND you can read it right now! ๐Ÿ”— shopping links in bio
๐Ÿ–๏ธ Tomorrow ๐Ÿ–๏ธ is the official release date for IF YOU WERE HERE. ๐Ÿ”— Pre-Order links in my bio. Order from @changinghands for signed copies and an exclusive bookmark!
Three days until IF YOU WERE HERE is released!!! ๐Ÿ”— Pre-Order links in my bio About the book: One summer. One grumpy local. One centuries-old mystery. Set on the dreamy shores of Nantucket, If You Were Here is a Gilmore Girls meets Outer Banks YA romance about finding love, chasing history, and rewriting the story you thought you knew. TROPES: โ›… Grumpy x Sunshine ๐Ÿ’” Forbidden Romance ๐Ÿ–๏ธ Small-Town Summer ๐Ÿงญ Historical Family Mystery ๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿฆฝ Disability Rep ๐Ÿ’ž Forced Proximity ๐Ÿ’ฌ Banter for days
Less than a week until release! ๐Ÿ”— Pre-order links in my bio About the book: One summer. One grumpy local. One centuries-old mystery. Set on the dreamy shores of Nantucket, If You Were Here is a Gilmore Girls meets Outer Banks YA romance about finding love, chasing history, and rewriting the story you thought you knew. TROPES: โ›… Grumpy x Sunshine ๐Ÿ’” Forbidden Romance ๐Ÿ–๏ธ Small-Town Summer ๐Ÿงญ Historical Family Mystery ๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿฆฝ Disability Rep ๐Ÿ’ž Forced Proximity ๐Ÿ’ฌ Banter for days
Enter for a chance to win 1 of 5 copies of If You Were Here on Goodreads! One summer. One grumpy local. One centuries-old mystery. Set on the dreamy shores of Nantucket, If You Were Here is a YA romance about finding love, chasing history, and rewriting the story you thought you knew.
๐ŸšจONE WEEK๐Ÿšจ until If You Were Here hits shelves! You do not want to miss this Gilmore Girls meets Outer Banks YA Romance If you like: โ›…ย Grumpyย x Sunshine ๐Ÿ’” Forbidden Romance ๐Ÿ–๏ธ Small-Town Summer ๐Ÿงญ Historical Family Mystery ๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿฆฝ Disability Rep ๐Ÿ’ž Forced Proximity ๐Ÿ’ฌ Banter for days Pre-order via the ๐Ÿ”— links in my bio (including how to get signed and personalized copies and the exclusive bookmark!)
Pre-Order signed & personalized copies IF YOU WERE HERE from Changing Hands Bookstore and you will receive this exclusive bookmark! ๐ŸŒŽ They ship worldwide ๐Ÿ”— Link in my bio One summer. One grumpy local. One centuries-old mystery. Set on the dreamy shores of Nantucket, If You Were Here is a Gilmore Girls meets Outer Banks YA romance about finding love, chasing history, and rewriting the story you thought you knew. TROPES: โ›… Grumpy x Sunshine ๐Ÿ’” Forbidden Romance ๐Ÿ–๏ธ Small-Town Summer ๐Ÿงญ Historical Family Mystery ๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿฆฝ Disability Rep ๐ŸŽญ Family Dynamics ๐Ÿ’ž Forced Proximity ๐Ÿ’ฌ Banter for days
๐Ÿ“œ๐Ÿ—ก๏ธHistory labeled Kezia Folger Coffin as one of the most notorious female smugglers of the Colonial era. Centuries later, her ancestor sets out to uncover the true story in IF YOU WERE HERE, my upcoming Gilmore Girls meets Outer Banks romantic YA (๐Ÿ”—link in bio). ๐˜–๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ด๐˜ถ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ. ๐˜–๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ ๐˜จ๐˜ณ๐˜ถ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฑ๐˜บ ๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ค๐˜ข๐˜ญ. ๐˜–๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ค๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ฆ๐˜ด-๐˜ฐ๐˜ญ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฎ๐˜บ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜บ. ๐˜š๐˜ฆ๐˜ต ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ฎ๐˜บ ๐˜ด๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜•๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ค๐˜ฌ๐˜ฆ๐˜ต, ๐˜๐˜ง ๐˜ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ ๐˜ž๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ข ๐˜ ๐˜ˆ ๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ค๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ฃ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ต ๐˜ง๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ท๐˜ฆ, ๐˜ค๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜บ, ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ธ๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜บ ๐˜บ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜จ๐˜ฉ๐˜ต ๐˜บ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ ๐˜ฌ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ๐˜ธ. 1. Portrait of Kezia Coffin Fanning by Tony Dumitru. In my book, Kezia Gardner is a fictional character, but she was inspired by several historical Nantucket women who shared the name Kezia, particularly Kezia Folger Coffin (1723โ€“1798) and her daughter, Kezia Fanning Coffin (1775โ€“1820). 2. In Diana Gainesโ€™s somewhat fictionalized account of her life, Nantucket Woman, Kezia is even compared to Scarlett Oโ€™Hara from Margaret Mitchellโ€™s Gone With the Wind for her cunning and determination. 3. The younger Kezia kept a diary that is now part of the Nantucket Historical Associationโ€™s collection. The diary, originally composed of fifty booklets, survives only in fragments, with both original pages and copies available for public viewing in the associationโ€™s Research Library. Most of the entries quoted in IF YOU WERE HERE are excerpts from those original booklets. 4. Kezia Folger Coffin was the cousin of Benjamin Franklin. 5. Kezia Fanning Coffin died on November 20, 1820 at the age of 62. She's buried at Prospect Hill Cemetery on Nantucket.
You can pre-order signed copies of IF YOU WERE HERE through Changing Hands Bookstore (they ship worldwide) just make sure to fill out the comment box when you check out and let me know who to sign it to.
๐Ÿ‘€ TWO WEEKS until IF YOU WERE HERE releases! Have you pre-ordered your copy? ๐Ÿ”—Links in bio 2026 Junior Library Guild Selection โญโ€œReminiscent of the Netflix television series Outer Banks, this is a mystery shrouded in history, wrapped up with a love story.โ€ โ€“School Library Journal (Starred Review) โ€œ[O]ffers both summertime romance and a historical mystery in this sensorial grumpy-sunshine love story set on Nantucket.โ€ โ€“ Publisherโ€™s Weekly โ€œLiliโ€™s and Wrenโ€™s alternating first-person perspectives grapple thoughtfully with grief and romantic dilemmasโ€ฆSweet and insightful.โ€ โ€“ Kirkus Reviews โ€œThis light, tame summer romance is a fun read for those who want a strong plot to go along with the smooching.โ€ โ€“ Booklist
๐Ÿงœโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿ˜ณCheck out some of the creepy (you've been warned) historical mermaid hoaxes that inspired the exhibits in McCleave's Mermaid Museum where Wren works in IF YOU WERE HERE, my upcoming Gilmore Girls meets Outer Banks Romantic YA (๐Ÿ”—link in bio). ๐˜–๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ด๐˜ถ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ. ๐˜–๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ ๐˜จ๐˜ณ๐˜ถ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฑ๐˜บ ๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ค๐˜ข๐˜ญ. ๐˜–๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ค๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ฆ๐˜ด-๐˜ฐ๐˜ญ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฎ๐˜บ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜บ. ๐˜š๐˜ฆ๐˜ต ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ฎ๐˜บ ๐˜ด๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜•๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ค๐˜ฌ๐˜ฆ๐˜ต, ๐˜๐˜ง ๐˜ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ ๐˜ž๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ข ๐˜ ๐˜ˆ ๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ค๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ฃ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ต ๐˜ง๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ท๐˜ฆ, ๐˜ค๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜บ, ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ธ๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜บ ๐˜บ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜จ๐˜ฉ๐˜ต ๐˜บ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ ๐˜ฌ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ๐˜ธ. 1.The "original" Fiji Mermaid was popularized by P.T. Barnum in the 1840s. 2. Another Feejee mermaid likely made by combining the torso of a monkey with the tail of a fish. 3. This mermaid skeleton is from the Horniman museum in South London. 4. This Feejee mermaid is on display at the Mead Art Museum at Amherst College. 5. Designed by artist Mille Rude, the Haraldskaer mermaid skeleton was a staged exhibit at the Danish National Museum in 2012. 6. Feejee mermaids like this one are believed to have been creations of a Japanese fisherman in the beginning of the 19th century.
*CLOSED* ๐Ÿ’“ Win a signed copy of IF YOU WERE HERE ๐Ÿ’“ If you missed my unboxing post yesterday, my finished copies are here! Which means it's time for a giveaway: To enter: ๐Ÿ’ฌ Leave a comment with a book recommendation โ˜‘๏ธ Make sure you're following me US addresses only. Giveaway ends on April 10th Gilmore Girls meets Outer Banks YA Romance Signed book YA books Grumpy x Sunshine Historical mystery Disability rep Forbidden Romance Forced Proximity Nantucket
๐Ÿ’“Win a signed copy of IF YOU WERE HERE๐Ÿ’“ If you missed my unboxing post yesterday, my finished copies have arrived so it is time for a giveaway! To enter: ๐Ÿ’ฌ Leave a comment with a book recommendation โ˜‘๏ธ Make sure you're following me Signed book YA romance YA book New release Gilmore Girls meets Outer Banks Grumpy x Sunshine Forbidden Romance Nantucket Historical mystery Disability rep
Unboxing the finished copies of IF YOU WERE HERE! ๐Ÿ”— Pre-Order via the links in my bio One summer. One grumpy local. One centuries-old mystery. Set on the dreamy shores of Nantucket, If You Were Here is a YA romance about finding love, chasing history, and rewriting the story you thought you knew. Grumpy x Sunshine Forced Proximity Forbidden Romance Historical mystery Disability rep YA Romance
We are in the final countdown! IF YOU WERE HERE hits stores this month! Have you pre-ordered it yet? ๐Ÿ”— Pre-Order links in my bio Gilmore Girls Outer Banks Grumpy Sunshine Forced Proximity YA Romance Nantucket YA Book Disability rep Mystery

ยฉ Copyright 2026 by Abigail Johnson | All Rights Reserved

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