KENNEBUNK, ME / ACCESS Newswire / September 23, 2026 / From: Patricia Leavy Books, Kennebunk, Maine. On September 22, Dr. Patricia Leavy released her highly anticipated novel, Sugar Sand Land. Leavy is under a massive contract with She Writes Press, distributed by Simon & Schuster, to release two novels a year through 2030, every spring and fall. She also surprises her fans by releasing additional books through her own indie publishing company, Paper Stars Press, most recently the new adult romance, Cowboy Eyes. Sugar Sand Land has been receiving buzz both for its literary merit and its messages delivered in Leavy's signature style.

The novel follows twenty-eight-year-old Emerson Blue and forty-eight-year-old Renn Walker, two celebrities with very different relationships to social media. Emerson is a self-proclaimed "living piece of art" who rose to fame as a reality star and then parlayed her celebrity into a megabucks career as an influencer. Renn is a fallen country music star who lives in seclusion after being canceled following allegations of sexual misconduct. Against all odds, a star obsessed with popularity and a recluse shunned by the world fall in love. Everyone in the public and media has an opinion and thinks they know Emerson and Renn. But in a world dominated by social media-a world that blurs the lines between what's public and private, what's real and what's illusion-do we ever really know anyone?

While written as a swoon-worthy romance suitable as a beach read, the novel has timely messages about cancel culture. It also explores the gap between appearance and reality, and how that gap is heightened in the age of Instagram images, TikTok reels, mass media stories, "influencers," and a culture driven by "scrolling." Leavy's unique skill for merging escapism with sociological insight is on full display in a book about two celebrities embroiled in scandal that is simultaneously a book about all of us in the age of social media.

Sugar Sand Land has received high praise. Award-winning author, Laurel Richardson, said, "I've never read a novel that better captures appearance versus reality in contemporary culture. Leavy gets to the essence of art, illusion, and love like no other. Sugar Sand Land is a modern masterpiece." Dr. Jessie Voigts, the founder of Wandering Educators hailed it as, "The new great American novel" and sociology professor Dr. Jessica Smartt Gullion said the novel, "Rings so true it could have been pulled from the headlines." Readers' Favorite gave it 5-stars calling it, "A love story for the ages." Literary Titan also gave it 5-stars saying, "This is a romance for readers who want both swoon and reflection" and they awarded it a Literary Titan Gold Book Award. Prior to its release the book also received the 2026 American Fiction Award for Romantic Suspense. It was also featured on Bookstr "3 Remarkable Romance Reads for Your Beach Bag."

On the day of release, it shot into Amazon's Hot New Releases in multiple categories, and within hours was the #3 New Release in Contemporary American Fiction and #5 in Rockstar Romance. It is the top ranked paid book in both categories, with only free books through Kindle Unlimited ahead, and it is continuing to climb.

When asked what she hopes readers take from Sugar Sand Land, Leavy says, "We all need to think about what to make public and what to keep private in our lives. We should never compare ourselves to people on social media. It's a highlight reel. It's like comparing your insides to someone's airbrushed outsides. Many people carry invisible scars. There can be a real disjuncture between public myth and private pain. Beyond that, it's a love story and I hope some of the love on the pages lives inside of readers too."

Dr. Patricia Leavy is a bestselling author and internationally known scholar. She is widely considered the world's most visible proponent of arts-based research which merges the arts and sciences. Leavy was formerly Associate Professor of Sociology, Founding Director of Gender Studies, and Chairperson of Sociology & Criminology at Stonehill College. She has published over 50 books, earning critical and commercial success in both nonfiction and fiction, and her work has been translated into numerous languages. Her books have earned more than 150 awards. Recently, her novel Shooting Stars Above was featured on People "10 Romance Books to Read After Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry."Leavy has received career awards from the New England Sociological Association, the American Creativity Association, the American Educational Research Association, the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, and the National Art Education Association. In 2024 the London Arts-Based Research Centre established "The Patricia Leavy Award for Arts-Based Research." In 2026 the Firebird Book Awards honored her with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Her website is https://patricialeavy.com/.

Sugar Sand Land is available here.

Review copies available to media upon request. Please direct all inquiries to Dr. Leavy's assistant, Shalen Lowell at shalenlowell@gmail.com.

SOURCE: Paper Stars Press