Today, we are excited to share this Book Blitz celebrating the new release of Safe in Sound, a Blue Spruce Hills novella, by Ania Ray. To celebrate this new release, we have a sneak peek with an exclusive excerpt AND a blitz-wide giveaway to share! So... Be sure to check it out and grab your copy NOW!
Genre:
Adult
Contemporary
Holiday Romance
Series:
Blue Spruce Hills, #4
Publish Date:
October 29, 2026
Synopsis:
She’s “happy,” but someone might say she’s “settled.” What happens when the life that makes you feel safe is also the one keeping you small?
Thirty-four-year-old piano teacher Riley O’Connor believes her chance to become a world-class musician has sailed. She’s content-ish with her life in Blue Spruce Hills, a quaint mountain town that is safe, quiet, and predictable. Instead of performing on stages, she teaches the neighborhood kids, hangs out with her best friend Clara, reads books surrounded by her houseplants, and rehearses like she’s about to be called to join the London Philharmonic.
Though she’d be too scared to go. Grammy called her ’Fraidy Cat, after all.
When what Riley thinks is a break-in turns out to be a dog who won’t leave, she’s thrust into a series of events that challenge her to confront her anxiety. First, the social kind: the veterinarian is incredibly handsome. And kind. And grieving his wife. And looking for someone to give his son piano lessons.
She agrees.
Suddenly, Riley is on a winter hike with a man where bears, snakes, and fatal injury are possibilities. And when an opportunity arises to accompany renowned violist Albi Drechsler, the dream she’d long ago decided was out of reach is suddenly within it. To get what she wants, she must prove that fear doesn’t have the final word. But could she actually leave the safety of Blue Spruce Hills?
Safe in Sound is a story about overcoming fears, leaning into friendship, and trusting that even when the night feels darkest, love can hold you through. If you miss your loved ones a little extra during the holidays, you’ll love this redemptive story that proves those we miss most can still find a way to make us courageous.
***FREE on Kindle Unlimited***
*Excerpt*
“Shall we begin?” Nathan asks.
And so I follow this practical stranger onto a trail with very dead leaves surrounding us—hopefully not foreshadowing—–and trees that are very much in hibernation mode. There’s a woodpecker somewhere in the distance, and the steady crunch, crunch, crunch of Simon and Max ahead of us.
I’m right back in that awful place of not knowing what to say. But maybe I don’t need to say anything? What is hiking etiquette? Is it quiet like golf? I’ve done neither, so I’m truly outside my expertise here.
Instead, I stare at Nathan’s back as I match his steps. I appreciate the way the tight blue thermal hugs his muscles. I didn’t know he had muscles. Prior to today they were cozied up by a sweater or hidden by a white coat. But, no, they’re there, and hello, hills and valleys I’d like to sink my fingertips into.
My fingers are strong. I bet massaging him would feel so… good. For both of us.
Mary and Martha, my mind is in the gutter.
I’m on a hike with my piano student. Keep it innocent, O’Connor!
But just look at the way that thermal is tucked into his green hiking pants… The hiking boots give him an entirely different persona from work or his home. It’s like with each step, his shoulders drop a little more. He’s having a conversation with Simon and—
A loud crunch to my left nearly knocks me out of my boots.
“What in the—”
More crunching and scurrying, moving so quickly I don’t even know what could be on its way to ruin my day, but I’m sure that whatever it is is about to.
I run into Nathan’s back. He whips around, his hands instinctually hugging my arms.
“Riley! What’s wrong?” The worry in his eyes whips any out of mine.
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Blue Spruce Hills series:
(covers link to Goodreads)
***FREE on Kindle Unlimited***
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**About the Author**
Ania Ray is an author of women's fiction that dives into the raw, transformative journeys of complex female characters. Her books force each protagonist to confront the worst of herself before she evolves into the hero of her own story.
The Cromwell Rules trilogy features interconnected standalones, so readers can enjoy each book individually or follow Lily Cromwell's entire arc from start to finish. In The Cromwell Rules and Breaking the Rules, Ania explores how boundaries can feel stifling or nonexistent, and how we each must find our sweet spot of self-respect.
When Ania is not writing, she leads Quill & Cup, a writing community that helps authors finish the stories that matter to them. Outside of writing, Ania is a wife, a mom to a toddler who'd live outdoors is she could, and a tea lover (Cinnamon Apple Spice is her favorite).
If you love reading novels with relatable, complex characters and emotionally gripping stories, you're in the right place.
Stay connected with Ania Ray
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***The Giveaway***
Giveaway Open Internationally
- ends November 5, 2026
Note: Not Responsible for Lost & Damaged Prizes in Your Mail Box
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