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Author Samantha Picaro @samanthapwrites.bsky.social · 2d

Tropes in Hot Chocolate and Holiday Mishaps:
Forced proximity (platonic)
Small town
Movie lover and blogger
“Grinch”
Loner
Autistic and aroace rep
Holiday festivities gone wrong
Actress
Family

Preorder

Light blue snowflake and lights background. In center is the book cover of Hot Chocolate and Holiday Mishaps. Surrounding it are the tropes listed in this post in black text

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Author Samantha Picaro @samanthapwrites.bsky.social · 3d

It's Banned Books Week. fiction or nonfiction. There are three fiction books about characters challenging book bans i recommend:
Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller (adult)
This Book Won't Burn by Samira Ahmed (YA)
Banned Together (YA anthology)

#bannedBooksWeek

White and red gradient background. Black text at top reads Books about Books Bans. Beneath are book covers for the 3 books listed on this post and underneath each one is their genre in black text.

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Author Samantha Picaro @samanthapwrites.bsky.social · 8d

Bianca reminds me to breathe and rubs my back. “I’m here for you. We’ve got this. We Conti women can get through anything

Author Samantha Picaro @samanthapwrites.bsky.social · 8d

Quote from Hot Chocolate and Holiday Mishaps
“I can’t believe I agreed to watch Robin. I don’t know what I’m doing. She’ll walk all over me! Or she’ll sneak off and I’ll get blamed if something happens to her.” I breathe heavily while squeezing a pillow.
Continued in commenr

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Author Samantha Picaro @samanthapwrites.bsky.social · 9d

Hot Chocolate and Holiday Mishaps follows a girl, Ellie, as she makes she an actress, Robin, doesn't get into trouble while participating in her small town's events. The main character plays an elf and the actress plays Mrs. Claus, and it might be their most unpredictable, uncomfortable event

White background. Green and red striped borders on top and bottom. Black text reads holiday activity gone wrong in upcoming book at top. At bottom black text reads the protagonists play Mrs Claus and an elf at a mall. There are images of a red throne, an uh-oh emoji wearing a Santa hat, and a child throwing a tantrum.

Author Samantha Picaro @samanthapwrites.bsky.social · 10d

My book may be a holiday book but that does not mean it only includes cheer. Hot Chocolate and Holiday Mishaps addresses topics including mental health and emotional trauma, and shows how both main characters grow and start to heal

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Author Samantha Picaro @samanthapwrites.bsky.social · 15d

Like my other young adult books, Hot Chocolate and Holiday Mishaps starts each chapter in a unique way. Each chapter begins with a holiday tradition. For example, one chapter states a holiday tradition of "snowballs" and another states a tradition of "decorating cookies."

Light purplish blue background. Black text reads chapter beginnings. Each chapter in my upcoming book begins with one of the main character’s holiday traditions. Below are two examples from two chapters. Beneath the black text is the book cover for Hot Chocolate and Holiday Moshaps to the left. To the right is a white box containing black text saying snowballs and cookie decorating. Next to each tradition is a round Christmas ornament. At bottom of post are mounds of snow.

Author Samantha Picaro @samanthapwrites.bsky.social · 18d

Book recs: covers that are orange like the fall leaves:

One Last Show by Tari Riley (YA)
Find Her by Ginger Reno (MG Mystery)
Once Upon a Quinceañera by Monica Gomez-Hira (YA Romance)
Stargazing by Jen Wang (MG Graphic Novel)
Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin (Adult Mystery)

Light orange background. Black text at top reads Orange like the leaves books. There are 5 book covers for each of the books listed in the body of the post. Beneath each one is their genre written in black text

Author Samantha Picaro @samanthapwrites.bsky.social · 22d

“That’s why people think cozy living rooms and family time when they think hot chocolate. I drink it when I have a bad day, even in spring and summer.”

Author Samantha Picaro @samanthapwrites.bsky.social · 22d

Quote from Hot Chocolate and Holiday Mishaps
“Hot chocolate brings comfort, not just to me but the world. Hot chocolate is a symbol of comfort and love. It’s what moms or close family members offer when someone is sad and it’s one of the things people look forward to in winter (continued in comment

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Author Samantha Picaro @samanthapwrites.bsky.social · 25d

Season of the Bruja by Aaron Duran (artist is Sara Soler) (YA Graphic Novel, Fantasy)
Aniana del Mar Jumps In by Jasminne Mendez (Middle Grade Verse)
Running by Natalia Sylvester (YA)
With Love, Echo Park by Laura Taylor Namey (YA)
Halfway to Somewhere by Jose Pimienta (Middle Grade Graphic Novel)

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Author Samantha Picaro @samanthapwrites.bsky.social · 25d

It's Latine Heritage Month. In the comments are some books I highly recommend any time of the year

Orange ombré background. Black text read Latine Heritage Book Recs. Below are 5 covers of the books I listed in this post. Beneath each one is the genre I described for each book

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Author Samantha Picaro @samanthapwrites.bsky.social · 28d

Last day for ARC signups for Hot Chocolate and Holiday Mishaps! Registration closes tonight at 10:00 PM Eastern.

Form is in my LinkTree

#arcSignup #bookARC #hotChocolateAndHolidayMishaps #ARCreaders

Author Samantha Picaro @samanthapwrites.bsky.social · Sep 8

ARC signups are open for my teen holiday novel Hot Chocolate and Holiday Mishaps! Sign up using the form in my LinkTree! I plan to send the ARCs out on Sunday, September 14, so grab your spot because that's soon! Signups end Friday

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Author Samantha Picaro @samanthapwrites.bsky.social · Sep 5

Behold the cover for Hot Chocolate and Holiday Mishaps, a teen holiday novel following a review blogger helping an actress improve public opinion of her through events in her small town.
Book releases November 3

#coverReveal #bookCover #indieAuthor #indieBook #hotChocolateAndHolidayMishaps

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Author Samantha Picaro @samanthapwrites.bsky.social · Sep 5

Middle Grade Book Spotlight: Sugar and Spite by Gail D. Villanueva.
Jolina seeks revenge on her bully Claudine by using a forbidden potion from her arbularyo training. Now Claudine wants to be best friends. Jolina takes advantage to get revenge. The friendship becomes real

Image: light blue background. Top text reads Middle Grade Spotlight. To the left of this text is a spellbook and to the right is the shape of Philippines. Beneath that is the book cover for Sugar and Spite by Gail D. Villanueva on top of a graphic of a stack of books and a round rug. Black text surrounding the book contains the tropes listed in this post

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Author Samantha Picaro @samanthapwrites.bsky.social · Sep 4

Check this out and check out Paperbacks and Frybread! @paperbacksfrybread.bsky.social

givebutter.com/Zqqo6K

Help Launch NC’s First Indigenous Mobile Bookstore

Representation belongs on every shelf, in every town. Let’s take it there.

givebutter.com

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Reposted by Author Samantha Picaro

American Library Association @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social · Sep 2

NEWS: A House of Representatives Subcommittee just voted to continue library funding in next year's federal budget. This is thanks to YOUR hard work as library advocates.

The fight to #FundLibraries isn't over yet. Stay tuned for more ways to take action for libraries. #ForOurLibraries

You made your voice heard for libraries. The House listened. A House of Representatives Subcommittee just voted to continue library funding in next year's federal budget.
The fight to #FundLibraries isn't over yet, but this good news is thanks to your hard work.
Stay tuned for more ways to take action for libraries. Show up for our libraries. American Library Associaiton.

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Author Samantha Picaro @samanthapwrites.bsky.social · Aug 28

Summer is almost over and the holiday season is almost upon us. If you are looking for a holiday YA book, then Hot Chocolate and Holiday Mishaps releases November 3. Beloved holiday tropes include:
Small town
Holiday festivities
"Grinch" trope
City person goes to small town (secondary character)

Red background. White text at top reading holiday tropes in upcoming book. Beneath that are four white banners, each with a Christmas present on the left. Red text in each white banner contains a trope listed in this post

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Author Samantha Picaro @samanthapwrites.bsky.social · Aug 18

Middle Grade Book Spotlight: Speak Up by Rebecca Burgess. An autistic girl is bullied, is secretly a popular singer online. She enters contest to finally sing in person. Highlights:
Singer
Challenges neurotypical standards
Friendship
Secret identity
Bullied, stands up for herself
Bully atones

light violet background. Top of page contains text reading Middle Grade Spotlight. There are graphics of music notes and the stay quiet emoji. In center of entire graphic is the book cover for Speak Up on top of a graphic of a pedestal on top of a round rug. Surrounding this are text containing the highlights I noted in this post

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Author Samantha Picaro @samanthapwrites.bsky.social · Aug 14

Want an exclusive look at the first chapter of my first holiday novel "Hot Chocolate and Holiday Mishaps?" Subscribe to my author newsletter at www.samanthapicarowrites.com, which you can also find in my LinkTree. The next newsletter containing this first chapter will be sent out on August 28

Author Samantha Picaro @samanthapwrites.bsky.social · Aug 10

I’m open to author interviews especially to discuss my upcoming holiday book! Message me or email me if interested in interviewing me

Author Samantha Picaro @samanthapwrites.bsky.social · Aug 9

Thank you so much!

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Author Samantha Picaro @samanthapwrites.bsky.social · Aug 9

Summers not over just yet if you’re still looking for summer books that shine with summer sun and the hearts of the main characters. Take a chance on Limitless Roads Cafe #books #bookSky

My hand holds a paperback copy of Limitless roads Cafe. Background consists of pool deck, water, and pink float

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Author Samantha Picaro @samanthapwrites.bsky.social · Aug 8

Book that deserves more attention: Riley Weaver Needs a Date to the Gaybutante Ball by Jason June. A podcaster teen makes a bet with a femme-hating bully to find a masc date to the Gaybutante Ball or else drop out of the organization that can launch his career. #books #bookSky

Stage with lights at the top and a light bulb cinema sign containing the words Book that deserves more attention. There is the cover of the book Riley Weaver Needs a Date to the Gaybutante Ball that sits on a graphic of a podium. Surrounding this are pieces of black text against bright white backgrounds that contain the highlights I listed in this post

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