Keeping It Local: My First ARC, a Michigan Love Story, and a Little Bit of Pure Romance

There are a lot of firsts in life.

First day of school.

First job.

First kiss.

First time you realize that listening to an audiobook at 2x speed is completely normal and everyone else is just wasting time.

And now, I can officially add another one to my list:

My first ARC.

For my non-bookish friends—and honestly, how are we still friends?—ARC stands for Advanced Reader Copy. It means you get the opportunity to read a book before it officially makes its way out into the world.

And when I was selected as an advanced reader for Keeping It Local by Michigan author Christie Piper, I was ridiculously excited.

Because this wasn’t just getting to read a book early.

This was getting to read a book written by a Michigan author.

Set in Michigan.

Filled with the kind of places, scenery, and summertime magic that make those of us who live here tolerate February.

That felt special.

And I didn’t take the honor lightly.

There is something incredibly vulnerable about creating something and then handing it to someone else to experience. As someone who has spent a lot of time thinking about stories and the people brave enough to put them into the world, being trusted with one before everyone else gets to read it felt like a privilege.

And Christie gave us a pretty wonderful place to escape to.

Welcome to Port St. Clair

Keeping It Local takes us to Port St. Clair, a Michigan setting that will have you wondering exactly how quickly you can pack a weekend bag.

Seriously.

I wanted a bicycle.

I wanted a boat.

I wanted to wander around town.

I wanted to find somewhere near the water, sit down with a coffee and a book, and completely ignore every responsibility waiting for me at home.

Port St. Clair isn’t simply the place where the story happens. It becomes a vital part of the story.

You can feel summer there.

You can picture the water.

You can imagine those warm Michigan days when the sun stays out forever and somehow 9 p.m. sneaks up on you.

It’s Pure Michigan in the very best way.

And right in the middle of all of that scenery?

Of course, we have two people making the very reasonable decision that neither of them wants anything serious.

You know where this is going.

Nothing Serious. Sure.

One of my favorite things about romance novels is watching two perfectly intelligent adults establish rules that every reader knows are absolutely doomed.

We’re keeping this casual.

Nobody is looking for a relationship.

Nobody is catching feelings.

Against the backdrop of Port St. Clair, Keeping It Local gives us a blooming romance between two people who aren’t exactly shopping for happily-ever-after.

Sometimes the best love stories begin when neither person is looking for one.

There is something wonderfully summery about this story. It has that vacation-read feeling—the kind of book that belongs in your bag beside sunscreen, sunglasses, and the snacks you swore you weren’t going to eat before you got to the beach.

It’s light enough to escape into but romantic enough to give you exactly what you came for.

Pure Michigan. Pure Romance.

Honestly, that might be my new favorite summer genre.

But Here’s the Part I Really Love

We talk a lot about supporting local.

Shop local.

Eat local.

Visit local.

But I think sometimes we forget to add:

Read local.

There are incredibly talented writers creating stories right here in Michigan, and there is something pretty damn cool about opening a book and recognizing the spirit of home within its pages.

Supporting authors matters.

Supporting independent bookstores matters.

And getting to support both at the same time?

Even better.

That’s why I’m especially excited that Christie Piper will be visiting The Midnight Chapter in Albion on August 24 from 5–7 p.m.

If you’ve never experienced an author event at an independent bookstore, there is something wonderfully intimate about it. You aren’t just buying a book. You’re meeting the person who sat in front of a blank page and somehow created an entire world where there wasn’t one before.

You get to ask questions.

You get to talk books.

You get your copy signed.

And, perhaps most importantly, you remind an author that there are real people on the other side of all those hours spent writing, revising, editing, doubting, rewriting and finally saying:

Okay. It’s ready.

That’s worth showing up for.

My First ARC

I’ll probably always remember Keeping It Local for another reason, too.

It was my first.

My first time being trusted with someone’s story before publication.

My first time getting that little thrill of knowing I was reading something only a select group of readers had gotten their hands on yet.

And my first opportunity to say:

Hey, Michigan. One of our own wrote this.

How freaking cool is that?

So if you’re looking for something to squeeze into these last beautiful weeks of summer, grab Keeping It Local.

Then find yourself some water.

Rent the bicycle.

Take the boat ride.

Sit on the porch.

Pour the iced coffee.

And disappear into Port St. Clair for a while.

Because sometimes the perfect summer escape isn’t hundreds of miles away.

Sometimes it’s right here at home.

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