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Kate Pearsall

@katepearsall

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(🗣like Pearse + all) Author of
BITTERSWEET IN THE HOLLOW and
LIES ON THE SERPENT’S TONGUE

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I’m absolutely thrilled to share the gorgeously haunting cover for LIES ON THE SERPENT’S TONGUE with you! I hope you love it as much as I do. We’re returning to the Hollow for Rowan’s story (and maybe more of a certain farmhand—iykyk)!

My sincerest thanks to @gorjessdesign for designing another stunning cover and to @imogen.oh for her gorgeous artwork that so beautifully captures the essence of the story, as well as the team @penguinteen

As Caball Hollow slowly recovers from a tumultuous summer, the James family must also come to terms with their own newly revealed secrets.

18-year-old Rowan James has spent her whole life harboring unpleasant truths—that’s what happens when you can smell lies on the teller’s breath—and building walls around herself to block them out. Like her younger sister, Linden, who can taste the feelings of others, Rowan has long struggled with her gift, which has taught her that everyone distorts the truth, and no one is who they seem to be. So when her old rival Hadrian Fitch shows up on her front porch—bloodied and bruised and asking for the kind of help only she can provide—her first instinct is distrust.

Except Hadrian’s attack isn’t the only strange occurrence. Now small items are disappearing, but rather than report the losses the owners act as if their missing things never existed. Rumors of a new monster prowling the Hollow begin to swirl. But how can Rowan smoke out the culprit in a town full of secrets? And worse, how can Rowan trust beautiful, solemn Hadrian when every other word he speaks has the distinct burnt smell of a lie? by @katepearsall

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3 years ago

Bittersweet in the Hollow was selected by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) for their 2024 Best Fiction for Young Adults list. According to YALSA, this list includes titles published for young adults in the past 14 months that are recommended reading for ages 12 to 18. The purpose of the annual list is to provide librarians and library workers with a resource to use for collection development and reader’s advisory purposes.

I’m so honored that Bittersweet in the Hollow was included on this incredible list and so grateful to my wonderful agent @petejknapp and the amazing team @penguinteen for all their hard work. by @katepearsall

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3 years ago

What a way to close out my debut year! I’m so honored to share that Bittersweet was selected by @kirkus_reviews as a Best Young Adult Books of 2023! by @katepearsall

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3 years ago

I’m attempting to tackle my embarrassingly large TBR pile by participating in the @booksandlala Buzzword Reading Challenge this year. The book cover prompt for January was body part (internal):

📖 AND THE RIVER DRAGS HER DOWN by @jihyunyunwrites

📖 EYES GUYS THROAT BONES by @smfowley

Both of these authors wield words like paint brushes, or maybe scalpels. Language is so beautifully and powerfully employed.

AND THE RIVER DRAGS HER DOWN deals with grief in a way both poignant and eerie. And begs the question just who is haunting whom. It’s obvious that Jihyun is a poet because the writing is stunning, but never overwrought. It definitely made me cry more than once.

I picked up a copy of EYES GUTS THROAT BONES in Dublin because I loved Sam’s YA novels and I’m determined to read more short stories. This was like a masterclass in voice. Each of the stories felt distinct yet held together with a connective tissue of grisly yearning.

What a way to start the year!

#buzzwordathon #buzzwordathon2026 by @katepearsall

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8 months ago

“June’s full moon peaks as wild strawberries blush to ripening. Emotions run high on full moon nights, and summer heat brings with it a restless energy that heightens our intuition. Beware of fiery tempers, unnecessary risks, igniting passions, and well-concealed deception.”

It’s officially Bittersweet in the Hollow season, friends! by @katepearsall

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a year ago

This Sunday, catch @katepearsall and I chatting about her newest book, Lies on the Serpent's Tongue! 🐍 The latest novel in the Caball Hollow series (I'm manifesting more because I absolutely ✨️love✨️ the vibes of both her books)!
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Set in Caball Hollow, a tiny Appalachian town of West Virginia, Lies on the Serpent's Tongue picks up about two weeks after Bittersweet in the Hollow, and follows a different sister, Rowan James, who, like all the James women, has a special power. 👀
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Kate and I talk all about her love of folklore, Mothman, and how much research went into these mysterious mountain books.
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Listen wherever you get your podcasts & find her books, which are available now, from your fave local indie 🙌
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#bookchat #bookstagram #appalachia #westvirginia #books #bookrecommendations by @katepearsall

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2 years ago

Good news! I’ve had a few people reach out to me about the stunning temporary tattoos designed by @spirit.of.salt for the Lies on Serpent’s Tongue preorder campaign. As the timeline for the campaign was very short (and over the holidays), I’m happy to announce that these gorgeous tattoos are available again! If you order a signed/personalized copy of Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue from @schulerbooks (see link in my bio), and note that you’d like a tattoo, one will be included with your order (while supplies last). So, if you were hoping to get one and missed out, now’s your chance! by @katepearsall

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2 years ago

If you attended any of the launch events, you likely heard me mention a certain scene in LIES ON THE SERPENT’S TONGUE that poured out whole in one writing session while I listened to the same song on repeat for hours. This song has a hint to which scene that was 🤫 by @katepearsall

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2 years ago

Take a peek inside the James Family Book of Mountain Wisdom and prepare to set foot back inside Caball Hollow in #LiesOnTheSerpentsTongue by @katepearsall 🐍

In this haunting companion to Bittersweet in the Hollow, a girl who can smell the lies of others uncovers the incendiary mysteries of her small Appalachian town. On shelves now! by @katepearsall

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2 years ago

I’m so excited to share the launch events for LIES ON THE SERPENT’S TONGUE! Three wonderfully talented authors will be joining me at three of my favorite independent bookstores!

If you missed out on the stunning preorder gifts, this is your chance! I should have a few extras of the exclusive temporary tattoos on hand at these events. (Please RSVP via the bookstore for the event you’ll be attending so we’ll have accurate numbers)

Will I see you there? 🐍🔥🖤 by @katepearsall

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2 years ago

It’s here! LIES ON THE SERPENT’S TONGUE is officially out in the world today!! I’m so excited for you to venture back into the Hollow and read Rowan’s story: A girl who can smell the lies of others uncovers the incendiary mysteries of her small Appalachian town. It’s yours now, my friends. I hope you love it! by @katepearsall

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2 years ago

Only one more week until Rowan’s story is out in the world! LIES ON THE SERPENT’S TONGUE releases January 7, 2025! Welcome back to the Hollow, people!! Get ready for more folklore legends prowling the Forest, more secrets revealed, and the return of a certain mysterious farmhand. And remember, when the mountain burns, only the truth remains. by @katepearsall

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2 years ago