News & Newsworthy
Meet Brenda at the 2026 California State Fair!
Meet Brenda (including the Bookstream) and other local writers, discover diverse genres, and purchase signed books at the California Authors Booth at the State Fair. Located in the air-conditioned Building A/B at Cal Expo (1600 Exposition Blvd, Sacramento), the booth is open daily from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
2026 California State Fair
July 17 – August 2, 2026
Sacramento, CA
July’s Brenda Novak Book Box
This box will contain an autographed copy (via bookplate since she lives in Canada) of our July book group read—a debut title called THE BOOK TOUR by Emily Ohanjanians, who used to be my editor (or you can substitute for one of my books)! It will also contain an autographed hardcover of SINGLE GIRLS by New York Times bestselling author John Searles (richly informed by his first-hand experience of Helen Gurley Brown when he worked with her for twenty years at Cosmopolitan Magazine)! So we have a rare double feature—and we’re having a Cosmo party with John via Zoom on July 30th to enjoy the other items in this box. We’ll make the Leisuremann’s single-serve Cosmopolitan cocktail or mocktail rimmed with the Collins Cosmopolitan Rimming Sugar (4 oz tub) and your choice of garnish using one of the four stainless steel cocktail picks, take the Cosmo quiz and more! This box will also include three sheets of bookish stickers and a surprise item!
Listen to Meet Me in Italy
Free Lemon Bag Charm
We have good news! We ordered more of the darling lemon bag charms we’ve been including as our appreciation gift, so all copies of MEET ME IN ITALY purchased through our store will be autographed and continue to come with the darling FREE lemon bag charm (while supplies last) we are including to show our appreciation:
We sold out of the beachy MEET ME IN ITALY straw bags, but we’ve also reordered those! They won’t come in until June 1st, but if you missed getting one, you can order now and we’ll ship as soon as they arrive.
Now Available in KU: Pieces of Perfect
In One Perfect Summer, three women who had never met—and seemed to share nothing but a DNA match—discovered they were sisters. Their search to uncover how and why brought them together and transformed strangers into family.
Now, in Pieces of Perfect, those bonds are tested, deepened, and celebrated as they continue to explore what it truly means to belong.
Pieces of Perfect is now exclusively available from Amazon. You can read it for free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription.
For the richest reading experience, be sure to enjoy One Perfect Summer first—available in print, audio, and digital formats.
MEET ME IN ITALY — Read an Excerpt
Read the first two chapters of MEET ME IN ITALY today!
2026 Book Tracker
Get our 2026 Book Tracker that has 264 pages to record your reads (500 books), write reviews (222 reviews), create a book wishlist, make notes and utilize a monthly/weekly planner with a beautiful cover design by In Every Line Illustrations! Plus, you’ll get the 2026 challenge card and matching bookmark. It’s a great way to catalogue your year of reading! You also have the option to add on bookish stickers and gel pens!
Snow Baby Audiobook
Revisit this heartfelt romance — Coming December 30 in Audio!
Chantel Miller is on her way to repair her complicated relationship with her sister, Stacy, but she gets caught in an unexpected snowstorm. When Dillon Broderick finds and rescues Chantel, they survive the storm by keeping each other warm, creating a special bond in the intimacy of that night.
But when Chantel finally reaches her sister and learns that Dillon is the man Stacy loves, her heart sinks. Chantel knows she must put her sister above her attraction for this stranger. But when an unexpected pregnancy comes into the picture as a result of their heated adventure, Chantel must decide what secrets are worth keeping.
Pre-Order Today!
Amazon | Apple Audiobooks
Audible | B&N Nook Audiobook
Google Play | Kobo
Libro.fm
Cover reveal for MEET ME IN ITALY
Of all the books I’ve written, this is the cover I was most eager to see—and my publisher did not disappoint. Isn’t the cover for MEET ME IN ITALY spectacular?
Last year, when we went for Alexa and Vinny’s wedding, we spent nearly a month in Italy—much of it on the Amalfi Coast—and I completely fell in love. The book is set in Praiano; I even included the very villa we stayed in. The view from San Gennaro Cathedral (Chiesa di San Gennaro), which sits in the heart of the village square in Vettica Maggiore, inspired the cover.