Events

Summer of Stories Reading Challenge

/ Ev Bishop / Leave a comment

Hello and happy Summer Solstice dear readers!

It’s been a long time since I ran a summer reading challenge, so I was super excited when ideas for Summer of Stories jumped into my mind! I hope you’ll join in the fun.

You can take part completely on your own and email me your results at the end, or you can post your process on Facebook and tag me, or (my favourite option! 😁) consider joining The Cabin, my private reader group, and enjoy book lover chat, sharing the books you read for each prompt, and other fun things.

Summer of Stories will run June 21 – August 31, 2025.  I’ve even created a printable checklist for you to keep track of your reads.

Summer_of_Stories_Reading_TrackerDownload

Here are all the fun details!

🌞 Ev Bishop’s Summer of Stories Reading Challenge 🌻

Grab your favorite bevvy, curl up in your comfiest reading chair or outdoor reading space, and enjoy every leisurely, sun-warmed minute of summer reading!  

Add to the fun by chatting about progress at The Cabin or sharing about it on Facebook using #EvBishopSummerofStories

📚 How It Works

  • Choose books that match the prompts below.
  • Read in any order, at your own pace.
  • Optional: Share your progress at The Cabin or on Facebook using #EvBishopSummerofStories 

🍓 Reading Prompts (1–20)

  1. Visit River’s Sigh B & B
    Read or revisit any book in Ev Bishop’s River’s Sigh B & B series.
  1. Second Chances and Fresh Starts
    A story about starting over or returning home.
  1. Small-town Shenanigans
    Set in a cozy or quirky small town.
  1. It’s a mystery!
    But it’s not a mystery what this prompt is. Read a mystery! 
  1. Women Supporting Women
    Female friendships or multi-generational bonds shine.
  1. Heatwave Romance
    A steamy (or sweet!) romance that blooms in the summer.
  1. Family Ties and Tangled Truths
    A story with family drama, long-held secrets, or emotional healing.
  1. Ev’s Pick
    Read a stand-alone or novella by Ev Bishop that’s new to you.
  1. Bookstore, Bakery, or B&B Bonus
    A cozy business is central to the plot.
  1. Under the Stars
    Read a book entirely outdoors (all at one go or in sessions)
  1. Step into the Second Chance Shop
    Read any book Ev Bishop’s Second Chance Shop series—where preloved treasures lead to new beginnings. (If you’ve already read Something Old and Something New, record them. They count!) 
  1. Christmas in July
    Dive into a holiday-themed read—or revisit Silver Bells at River’s Sigh B & B for midyear festive magic.
  1. Loyal & True
    Read Loyal & True by Ev Bishop—a heartfelt story of healing and connection.
  1. Animal Lovers Unite! 
    A book where an animal of any kind plays a prominent role in the plot.
  1. First Love, Lasting Love
    A romance about rekindled or long-enduring love.
  1. Judge a book by its cover! 
    Pick the prettiest book you see at your favorite place to buy or borrow books and enjoy it cover to cover.
  1. Page-to-Plate
    A story that inspires you to cook or bake something delicious. 
  1. Heartbreak and Healing
    A book centered around grief, resilience, and emotional rebirth.
  1. Book You’ve Been Meaning to Read
    Finally crack open that one you’ve been putting off!
  1. Beach Buddy
    Read a book set near the lake or the ocean.

🎉 Bonus Fun

  • Create a summer-inspired bookmark or fridge magnet
  • Share your favorite quote from one of your reads
  • Make a recipe inspired by one of the books you read.
  • Post your reading nook or picnic reading spot

Achievement Tiers

Celebrate your reading with these fun rankings! 

🥉 Bronze Tier – Story Sampler

Complete 5 prompts
You’ve dipped your toes into summer reading and had some bookish adventures!

🥈 Silver Tier – Small-Town Explorer

Complete 10 prompts
You’re soaking in the stories and scenery now! Friendships, romance, and second chances are blooming all around you.

🥇 Gold Tier – Reading Hero

Complete 15 or more prompts (including at least 1 Ev Bishop book)
You’ve fully embraced the spirit of the challenge! Your heart’s been mended, your spirit recharged, and you’re practically a resident of River’s Sigh B & B.

🌟 Super Reader Bonus

Complete all 20 prompts + 2 bonus fun activities
You’re the ultimate summer story adventurer! You’ve laughed, cried, cooked, connected, and lived through every cozy chapter.

🎉 Prizes: E-mail your results, tier, and mailing address to Ev at evbishop@evbishop.com before September 5, 2025, to receive fun book lover participation prizes, plus a chance to win two signed books by Ev Bishop of your choice!

Email: evbishop@evbishop.com

Subject line: Summer of Stories Reading Challenge

I hope you’ll play and that you have a blast. Happy summer and HAPPY READING!

😊💕 Ev

See you at The Cabin!

/ Ev Bishop / Leave a comment

Ever since I was little, I’ve dreamed of having my own cabin (by a lake). Even very young, I loved the idea of “getting away from it all,” perhaps taking close friends or family with me, perhaps not . . . always having a ton of books to keep me company. When asked the age-old what-are-you-up-to-this-weekend question, I longed to be able to smile casually and say, “Oh, you know . . . heading to The Cabin.”

That dream (still not a reality, LOL), combined with e-mails from some of you earlier this year, wanting a way to connect and share life and bookish news and fun in a more frequent manner, with more back and forth interaction than newsletters allow – but who DON’T use Facebook – got me thinking. My literal cabin getaway might be a ways away . . . but nothing was stopping me from creating my own ONLINE CABIN and inviting you to all use it and enjoy it whenever you like.

So . . . let me present to you: The Cabin. A community for you, my treasured, so-appreciated readers, that’s ad-free and doesn’t infringe on your privacy or take liberties with your data and personal private information. For those of you who love other forms of Social Media, don’t worry, I’ll still have a presence on the big ones (especially Soul Sisters Book Chat). The Cabin is something for all of us, however, including those uncomfortable with (or tired of) Social Media – a safe and cheery online place for every book lover to hang out! Bookworms unite! 

What can you expect at The Cabin?

An awesome time, always! Visit The Cabin to:

  • Get exclusive content and conversations you can’t find anywhere else.
  • Meet people who share your interests who live near you, who do the same things, or who care about the same topics.
  • Swap stories, experiences, and ideas (not necessarily advice) around our shared love of books for the most part, but also about the good things in life, in general. (For example, I intuit lots of animal and pet posts, tons of odes to hot beverages, and nature-themed pictures . . . just saying! 😄)
  • Discover new-to-you authors and books to read.
  • Find a little inspiration, thought-provoking conversation, and encouragement each and every day.

Just one of the super fun things that’s happening at The Cabin right now – an easy April reading challenge. All participants will get entered in a draw at the end of the month and one lucky participant, chosen at random will win a signed paperback of one of my books – winner’s choice of which title! Fun, right? Pop over and join in the conversation and fun today!

 **Do go into your account/settings right away and set up your notifications. (I don’t know about you, but I hate getting a hundred e-mails . . . not that I think The Cabin will be that busy, LOL, but just . . . it’s way nicer and more chill and cabin-like to get a daily e-mail with any new posts, then to be notified, for example, every time someone ❤️’s something you’ve said.) Put a few details in your profile, add a picture of yourself (or something you love). Have fun with it! (And remember, The Cabin is a privately owned place, LOL – no adware, no bots taking your info, no data mining). 

I can’t live at The Cabin, unfortunately (books to write, dogs to walk, and all that 😁 ) – but I will be there a lot. And don’t worry, even when I’m not around, The Cabin will have lots to keep you busy (and help you relax) with. 

I can’t wait to visit with you there! Enjoy! 

Newsy tidbits, plus an invitation

/ Ev Bishop / 6 Comments

Okay, so it’s mid-June and I keep thinking May’s just wrapping up, LOL. Oh well, at least it’s been mostly good things keeping me busy. 🙂 In fact, I had wonderful news in May, three times over!

One of my poems (“Irregular Shapes”) received an honourable mention in the Shuswap Association of Writers’ 2016 Askew’s Foods’ Word on the Lake Writing Contest (Poetry category), and my essay “Birthing Relationships” won second place in the same contest (but in the Non-fiction category). Woot, woot! I’m so grateful to all the industrious, art-minded folk who support and nurture literary arts.

I also found out that my novel HOOKED is a 2016 RONE finalist. I’ll find out in October if it’s the grand winner, but even making the final cut has me dancing around my office with honor and delight! 🙂

Last but not least, if you live in the Terrace area and fancy an evening of reading and chat for a good cause, I urge you to come out to “Words of Welcome,” a group reading/fundraising event, at the Terrace Public Library tomorrow night (7:00 p.m., Tuesday, June 14, 2016).

Eden Robinson, Adrienne Fitzpatrick, Al Lehmann and I will each be reading a short excerpt or two from a published work or work-in-progress, and will be on hand for a question and answer period. Entry is by donation, with all proceeds going to the new families moving into Terrace from Syria. It promises to be an entertaining, thought-provoking night–and it’s for an excellent cause. Please come!

Words of Welcome_Syrian Refugee Fundraiser Reading

Cora Seton Facebook Party – woot, woot!

/ Ev Bishop / Leave a comment

In a super fun twist of fate and coincidence, my good friend and fellow author–the fabulous storyteller extraordinaire Cora Seton–and I both ended up launching new books yesterday. Happy belated book birthday to us!

22f43ff1-9e0a-4f61-8b82-b399013512f3-1Hooked by Ev Bishop

Buy them on Amazon: The Airman’s E-mail Order Bride ~ Hooked

On Kobo: The Airman’s E-mail Order Bride ~ Hooked

On B & N  ~The Airman’s E-mail Order Bride ~ Hooked

On iTunes ~ The Airman’s E-mail Order Bride ~ Hooked

To celebrate her Airman, Cora’s throwing a Facebook party and we’re all invited to attend! There will be tons of door prizes and free books, great chat with nine guest authors–Amity Lassiter, Sharon Hamilton, Kimberley Troutte, Jennifer Lowery, Anne Marsh, Lynn Raye Harris, Zoe York, and Elle James–and miscellaneous fun and games. Please come and join in the fun. Just click this link, then show up. 🙂  I’ll be in and out of the party room all day, and I’ll be co-hosting a special slot 1:00 – 1:30 PST.  Hope to see you there!

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Reading at Prince Rupert Library, Thursday, April 16, 7:00 – I hope you can come!

/ Ev Bishop / Leave a comment

I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve been invited to take part in some super fun events over the next few weeks: An author reading at the Prince Rupert Library, Spring Stirrings – a Poetry Workshop (that I’m co-facilitating with Joan Conway), and an Authors for Indie Bookstores event at Misty River Books. I’ll post full details for each in the days to come, so keep a kind eye out if you’re interested.

Kicking off the three, I’m calling for all Prince Rupert, B.C. readers and writers. The Prince Rupert Library has invited me to do a reading and question and answer session, Thursday, April 16 at 7:00 p.m. I’ll be focusing on BIGGER THINGS, but will also have copies of WEDDING BANDS on hand. It should be a fun, thought-provoking evening (and there are great door prizes, lol). I hope to meet you there!

P.S. Please like and/or share this post if you have friends or family in the Prince Rupert area–and if you have any questions, ask away. 🙂

Bigger Things Reading Poster PRINCE RUPERT

Celebrate BIGGER THINGS! (And please share. ;D)

/ Ev Bishop / 1 Comment

Well, I’m freshly back from SiWC 2014 and it feels absolutely perfect to round off my wonderful conference experience and kick start new project enthusiasm with an official launch party for BIGGER THINGS.

I’m beyond touched that Misty River Books and The Terrace Public Library are throwing this event, and hope you’ll join me tomorrow night (Wednesday, October 29) at 7:00 p.m. at the Terrace Public Library. The more the merrier! It will be fun. 🙂 Please spread the word.

Bigger Things Launch Party