Author Spotlight: Avery Maxwell, Ultimate Chaos Coordinator
Sometimes I find new authors through other authors, which is really cool, and also the case with Avery Maxwell. Only problem is, I don’t remember who the other author was. Aaack! I remember Avery popped into another author’s group in June of 2021 giving away an ARC (advanced review/reader copy) of One Little Heartbreak (OLH), a bridge novella connecting her Broken Hearts series to her at-the-time upcoming Westbrooks: Family Ties series. I was really new to ARC reading, and was pretty much entering every ARC giveaway because, hey, free book. I was stretching my reviewer wings, so it seemed like a good idea. And I was developing awful FOMO when it came to new books and being “in the know” before the book was released into the wild on the Zon.
Well, it turns out entering that ARC giveaway was a really good idea, because I won that ARC copy, and that “little” win turned into something pretty freaking spectacular.
I fell in love with OLH, and it’s hero Seth, instantly. And I fell in love with Avery’s writing style. Then I realized I was missing something because this was not her first book, and there were characters and references I desperately wanted to know better. So I backtracked before the next book in “Seth’s” series came out and binged the pheck out of Avery’s first 4 books. And I mean I hardcore binged. I read them back to back to back to back.
I also joined Avery’s Luv Club FB group. I couldn’t get enough of her characters. And honestly, I couldn’t get enough of the people in her group. I connected instantly with Avery and her readers. And started posting about her everywhere. I mean, honestly, her books are amazing! And everyone needed to know this! Deep characters, solid storylines, all the emotions, off the charts steam… And seriously, grab the tissues for Preston’s story, because, damn! I haven’t cried that much over a fictional character since Frodo died the first time.
Something that really drew me into Avery’s books is her strong focus on found family. The first four books brought that beautifully to light with the relationship between close friends Dex, Trevor, Preston, and Loki. The Westbrook family motto, Welcome to the Chaos, rang deeply with my own found family connections. And then Seth got pulled into the chaos. And even as the Family Ties series focuses on the other Westbrook brothers, that theme is bolstered and expanded with the heroines. Oh, and many of the heroines are blood relatives, who become found family, joining them even more tightly together. And yes, it all works! None of the relationships read as contrived. They’re organic. And I credit a lot of that to Avery’s willingness to listen to her characters. Which for someone outside the bookworld may seem like a strange concept. But when an author tells me their characters are talking to them, and sending them down specific paths and detours, that’s the book I read. Because it’s authentic. And choatic. And truly wonderful. Avery is a literary Chaos Coordinator. It’s so cool.
As time went on and I got deeper and deeper into Avery’s books and FB group, I started looking for more ways to hype this newer author. Because she was very much a new author at that point. Honestly, by most standards she still is. But don’t tell her writing that, because she writes like someone who’s been in the business for a decade. (Her first novel Cross My Heart was originally published 6/15/2020. It was republished recently with updated editing, so the publication date in Amazon is misleading. You can read more about that in my blog post “Rewrite, Reread, Relive).
I joined her Street Team. And then I asked what exactly a Street Team was. I think it was the start of my true Hype Girl status. And I learned a lot! Avery’s PA- Rhon- she knows things. And she helped me learn things. And yes, that relates back to Avery as a writer because she has surrounded herself with people who get the value of connections between a writer and their readers.
Speaking of that connection, one of the things I value most about Avery is her transparency and authenticity. And how it shows through in her interactions with her readers as well as in her characters. I’m no stranger to bullies and bullying, hell I lived through a nightmare of it through middle and high school. And apparently Avery is no stranger to it either. Which really sucks. And her willingness to face it head on, talk about it, and fight it helped me feel validated in what I felt going through that hell. Here was this beautiful, bright, talented, successful author and she was dealing with shit nobody should ever have to deal with. And she was right there, on social media, talking about it. Being open, honest, and candid about how it made her feel. And how it affected her personally and professionally. That took a lot of guts to do. Confronting that kind of chaos is rough, even more so when you’re dealing with it in a very public space.
You know the joke about not being mean to an author because they’ll make you a villain in their story and kill you off? Avery put them in a book dedication. And it is marvelous and glorious, and I tear up and feel seen every time I read it. (insert pic of dedication)
So, here’s me, Spotlighting (aka hyping) one of my favorite authors on the planet. Avery is one of the authors who made it clear to me that being an indie romance author is about so much more than the words on the page. It’s about the connections you feel to the person behind the words. It’s about the connections you feel to the other readers who found solace and joy in that author’s words and characters. It’s about feeling part of a community that comes together to celebrate amazing books and the people who write them.
Oh, yeah! And here’s a pic of me and Avery at Indies Invade Philly, November 2021. I had to go back to get this photo because the first time I went through her line I forgot. Because I was a little starstruck. I’ll see Avery again at Shameless in November of this year, and I’m sure I’ll fangirl pretty hard again, but having had this year to get to know Avery, I have a feeling it will be more friend reunion than fangirl hysteria. And how freaking cool is that?
Just the facts:
First book I read by Avery: One Little Heartbreak
What I love most about her books: found family, interconnected plots with emotion depth, side characters that scream unique awesomeness, serious steam #oceankitchencloset
Fave book by Avery: Saving His Heart
Fave character: Colton Westbrook (aka Peter Pan)- One Little Kiss
Fave cover: One Little Kiss
You can get all of her books on Amazon. Other than OLH, they’re all on Kindle Unlimited, too.
I definitely recommend reading Avery’s books in order starting with Cross My Heart.
You can find Avery on social media here:
Avery’s Facebook groups:
Main Facebook reader group: (Avery’s Luv Club)
Spoiler room: Avery Maxwell’s Steam Scene
