Wicked Ink Publishing Falls Head Over Heels Again for Waverly O'Brian's “The Art of Intention” in a New Three-Book Deal
We are thrilled to announce that contemporary romance author Waverly O'Brian is continuing her journey with Wicked Ink Publishing in a brand-new three-book deal, beginning with her next heartfelt romance, The Art of Intention, releasing in July 2027.
After first joining us with The Deskmate Dilemma, Waverly introduced readers to her signature blend of humour, heart, relatable characters, and slow-burn romance. Now, we're incredibly excited to continue that publishing partnership with three more novels that will bring even more of Waverly's warm and emotionally engaging contemporary romance to readers.
The first book under the new deal, The Art of Intention, takes readers far from the office setting of The Deskmate Dilemmaand onto the windswept coast of Ireland for a story about unexpected detours, rediscovering forgotten dreams, finding your people, and falling in love when life refuses to follow the plan.
At the centre of the story is Iris, a woman who has spent years building the stable, picture-perfect future she believes she's supposed to want. But when an opportunity to attend an artist residency in Ireland gives her the chance to reconnect with the creative ambitions she left behind, Iris takes a rare leap into the unknown.
It doesn't exactly go according to plan.
What should have been a carefully organized creative escape quickly becomes something entirely unexpected, leaving Iris to navigate a foreign country alongside new friends, rediscover her passion for art, and reconsider some of the choices that have shaped her life. Along the way, a charming Irishman named Conor gives her one more reason to wonder whether the future she has waiting at home is really where she belongs.
With its Irish setting, artistic heart, found-family friendships, slow-burn chemistry, and warm sense of humour, The Art of Intention offers a new kind of love story from Waverly while retaining the emotional warmth that sits at the heart of her writing.
The novel is also particularly fitting for an author whose own life has long been shaped by creativity. Based in Alberta, Canada, Waverly holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts and embraces creativity in countless forms, from writing and painting to crocheting and baking. That passion takes on a special significance in The Art of Intention, where creativity isn't simply a backdrop to the romance, but an important part of Iris's journey toward figuring out who she is and what she truly wants.
This three-book agreement marks an exciting new chapter in our relationship with Waverly. Watching The Deskmate Dilemma develop from manuscript to published novel has made us all the more excited about what comes next, and we're delighted to be continuing that journey together for another three books.
While we're not ready to reveal everything Waverly has planned just yet, readers can expect plenty more of what makes her contemporary romances so much fun to fall into: relatable characters, heartfelt relationships, humour, chemistry, unexpected turns, and love stories about people finding the courage to take a chance on something more.
First up is The Art of Intention, arriving July 2027, where one disastrous trip might lead to something far more beautiful than Iris ever intended.
The residency was a disaster. The detour might just be her masterpiece.
Stay tuned for more news about The Art of Intention, including its official release date, cover reveal, preorder information, and future announcements about the other books included in Waverly O'Brian's new three-book deal with Wicked Ink Publishing.
The residency was a disaster. The detour might just be her masterpiece.
Iris has always been good at sticking to the plan. Be the perfect girlfriend. Build a stable life. Wait patiently for the ring, the mortgage, and the happily ever after she’s certain is coming. But when the proposal she’s expecting doesn’t happen, an acceptance to an artist residency on the coast of Ireland offers her something she hasn’t allowed herself to want in years: a chance to choose her art, and maybe even herself.
There’s just one problem. The residency is a scam. Stranded in Ireland with two other hopeful artists and nowhere to stay, Iris’s dream getaway seems over before it begins. Then they meet Conor, a warmhearted local renovating his family’s bed and breakfast, who offers them empty rooms in exchange for helping around the property and filling its walls with their art. Suddenly, Iris’s disaster starts looking a lot more like an adventure.
Between windswept coastlines, crumbling abbeys, new friendships, and picking up a paintbrush again, Iris begins rediscovering the woman she was before she became so focused on being everything everyone else wanted. And the more time she spends with Conor, the harder it becomes to ignore how easy it feels to be herself around him. There’s just one complication: Iris still has a boyfriend waiting for her back home.
As friendship with Conor turns into something neither of them planned, Iris must decide whether to return to the safe, carefully constructed life she already knows or take a chance on the dreams, people, and unexpected love that have made her feel more alive than she has in years.
The Art of Intention is a sweet and heartfelt contemporary romance filled with slow-burn chemistry, found family, Irish adventures, and the messy magic of starting over. Because sometimes the best things in life begin when everything goes completely off plan.
