LOS ANGELES, JUNE 2025 – American Book Fest announces THE BLUE IRIS as winner of the 2025 INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARD (IBA) in the General Fiction category. This is the book’s fifth award.
In this episode of the multi-award winning podcast 2 Lives with Laurel Morales, Rachel explains how her writing community encouraged her to open up about the one thing she never spoke about–and how, much like the characters in her novel, long-awaited healing sprouted from the process.
“You can’t ignore your uncomfortable truths forever, so you might as well figure out how to get good with them.”
Rachel reflects on the risk inherent in growth, the overlap between fear and progress, and the role of found family in helping her defy the odds in Marta Lane’s Interview With A Dreamchaser.
NEW YORK CITY, October 2024 – THE BLUE IRIS is named a Distinguished Favorite for General Fiction in the 2024 NYC Big Book Awards.
“Start small, whatever you can manage. And don’t apologize for it.”
In this interview for Author Brenda K. Massman’s series Originality: Conversations About Books And Art With Innovative Indies, Rachel and Brenda discuss the road less travelled, unconventional definitions of “success,” and advice for pursuing a creative life.
THE BLUE IRIS Awarded 2nd Place in PenCraft’s Annual Book Competition.
After winning PenCraft’s Spring Best Book Award earlier this year, judges have voted THE BLUE IRIS second place winner for General Fiction in their annual competition.
Now In Audiobook
THE BLUE IRIS celebrated its first birthday with a brand-new AUDIOBOOK edition! The variegated cast of characters are brilliantly performed by Jeannie Sheneman and GM Hakim, inviting readers to experience this one-of-a-kind flower market like never before. Available on Amazon, Apple Books and Audible. (Canadian links here)
Indigo Locations Welcome Rachel
Rachel attended Indigo’s Hillcrest location in Richmond Hill and Chapters location in Newmarket for two great afternoons of signing copies and meeting wonderful book people!
Now on Substack
Fellow creators, join Rachel’s Substack for The Launch Diaries, a series of reflections, lessons, real talk and confessions from her debut author journey.
102.7 CHOP FM’s Writers for Readers
Rachel was invited in-studio to Newmarket’s 102.7 CHOP FM for the October edition of their Writers for Readers segment.
“You will never have enough time. But I’m living proof of what’s possible when you make space for that thing that makes time disappear altogether.”
Rachel joined a stellar lineup of keynote speakers at the sold-out Aurora Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Women’s Summit, discussing how THE BLUE IRIS became her personal miracle in the wake of disturbing medical results, inspiring the relentless 6-year journey to its publication. View a short clip here.
THE BLUE IRIS is a PenCraft Spring ’24 Best Book
“The PenCraft Seasonal Book Awards recognizes books of remarkable literary quality, artistic excellence, and popularity with readers.”
“Write the story that keeps you up at night and kicks you out of bed in the morning. Then, be absolutely relentless about getting it right.”
Check out Rachel’s interview in the February 12, 2024 issue of Publisher’s Weekly! Subscription required. (A similar version can be accessed without paywall via BookLife here.)
“Rachel’s journey is one that is truly inspiring and the love that her fans have for her first book is incredible.”
It was a full house (including the mayor!) at a recent Meet The Author event in Aurora, Ontario. Rachel spoke about her wild journey to publication, answered awesome questions, and gave away great prizes! Check out Neighbour Aurora’s recap on Facebook or in Neighbour Paper.
“Where there’s peonies, there’s peonies.”
Following her win of Reader Views Reviewers’ Choice Award for The Blue Iris, Rachel shares her “cartoon fry pan moment” and the truth about peonies you never knew you needed with Inside Scoop Live. Listen here.
THE BLUE IRIS placed 2nd in the 2024 Feathered Quill Book Awards, Adult Fiction Category.
Congratulations to all winners and finalists!
“A year ago I was at my kitchen table in a cold sweat just discussing the possibility. Now, I say yes without hesitation.”
SheDoesTheCity catches up with Rachel one year later to reflect on how publishing her personal essay changed her life, and to learn more about The Blue Iris. Read the interview here.
“You might get beat up. Someone might steal your snack. But we’ll talk about it later and cry together.”
Rachel and Teri M. Brown discuss sending their first book-babies into the world and share many laughs on the surreality of writing fiction on this episode of Online for Authors.
“Setting the dream aside now was the rational thing to do.”
Rachel’s inspiring essay, “Did You Come This Far To Only Come This Far?,” about persevering over the long haul, has been featured in Women Writers, Women(‘s) Books.
“I reached out to see if Rachel would talk to me about how in the heck she pulled this off.”
Rachel and Kim Lozano, Editor and Writing Coach, discussed writing from many points of view in Kim’s popular blog and newsletter for writers. Read the interview.
THE BLUE IRIS has won the 2023 Reader Views Reviewer’s Choice Award! Read what they had to say about the book.
“You’re free to dream up anything you want, but it always ends up being the one thing you need.”
Rachel talks about developing complex characters, the courage and faith required to share art, and making space for her writing in Issue 32 of Superstition Review.
“This Is Us meets Ted Lasso meets The Language Of Flowers”
Shail Rajan has rapid-fire questions about the “choose your own adventure” aspect of being an author, overcoming writer’s block, and unearthing the small-town feel within a big city setting in this fun video segment of 3 Minutes with the Author.
“Stone debuts a gorgeous literary novel”
THE BLUE IRIS is named a BookLife Editor’s Pick, with the full review selected to appear in the October 2023 issue of Publisher’s Weekly!
“The world will tell you to move on, try something else.” Rachel shares advice for aspiring writers and what she’d do differently if she were to publish a debut novel all over again in this interview with Author Jill Hannah Anderson .
Rachel dives into the inner workings of drafting (and redrafting . . . and redrafting) an ensemble piece in the wake of secondary characters who kept getting louder in this edition of Five on A Friday with Kathleen Basi.
In the days leading up to the launch of her debut novel, Rachel sits down with The Auroran to reflect on her biggest hope for her readers, and how a simple creative writing prompt six years ago combined with a determination NOT to write a novel led to The Blue Iris.
(Online version here)
In this jampacked 13-minute episode of Author Express, Rachel chats with award-winning musical composer and fellow author Kathleen Basi about growing up in Toronto, her first day in a jail (you read that right), and the behind-the-scenes of a flower market that customers would never believe.
Rachel talks with BookView Review about her creative process, the winding road to published author, and the personal health miracle unearthed by The Blue Iris.
Rachel reveals the long-hidden backstory behind her bold career switch at 36 with SheDoesTheCity in “I Quit Bay Street to Be A Writer — It Healed Me.”
“Summer Queen,” a heartfelt tribute from a daughter of divorce in lyric essay form, places first in the 2022 OBOA Writing Contest, the theme of which was “Family.”
“Thank My Lucky Scars,” an intensely personal piece that almost never was, in the Heroes issue of literary journal for health-related stories Please See Me.
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Rachel Stone 