Our next book, “Blue Mountain Rose,” just earned a starred review!

Set in a Shakespeare festival, the novel is due to be published on the Bard’s birthday, April 23.

In a starred rave review, BlueInk Reviews has declared that Soulstice’s “Blue Mountain Rose should become a book club favorite,” calling it a “clever novel” and promising “the plot’s the thing, and there’s plenty of the standard elements—romance, secrets, intrigue—to carry readers to a satisfying conclusion.”

Soulstice co-founder and author Julie Hammonds felt grateful to see such a positive early review. “This novel tells the story of the Blue Mountain Rose Theatre Company as it prepares to produce Hamlet,” she said. “I wanted anyone interested in how theater works to be able to follow along, even if they’ve never seen or read Shakespeare’s most famous play. When I read that ‘the author includes just enough information about the play, its characters, and its famous lines to keep everyone in the loop,’ it told me that I hit my mark.”

You can read the entire BlueInk Review by clicking here.

Come to our launch events on April 23 or May 20!

Blue Mountain Rose is set in Flagstaff, Arizona, where Julie helped to create the Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival. The book’s official national launch date of April 23 will be celebrated during the grand opening of FlagShakes’s first permanent performance space, Beaver Street Theatre. At the event, Julie and three actors from FlagShakes will give a staged reading of two short scenes from the book. For details or to buy a ticket to the grand opening, visit the FlagShakes ticketing page.

Bright Side Bookshop will also be hosting Julie in conversation with the founding executive director of FlagShakes, Dawn Tucker, on May 20 at 6 p.m. That event is free. Watch Bright Side Bookshop’s website or social media for details.

Want to learn more about Blue Mountain Rose?

Visit the Blue Mountain Rose website for the latest news and follow the Blue Mountain Rose blog as Julie Hammonds answers questions from readers.