FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Carolyn McBride, carolyn@carolynmcbride.com

Hypoluxo, FL, October 23, 2025—Carolyn McBride’s holiday rom-com, Santa Overboard, has been recognized as First Place Winner in Fiction – Chick Lit in the 2025 PenCraft Book Awards. The PenCraft Book Awards winners, selected from a diverse pool of talented writers in both traditional and independent publishing, represent exceptional creativity and literary excellence.

Since 2017, the PenCraft Book Awards have been conducting literary competitions to foster an appreciation for storytelling and serious writing. This year’s competition was daunting, with 1,350 book entries to compete against, showcasing an impressive array of talent across numerous genres. Each entry brought something unique to the table, making the judging process both challenging and exhilarating.

In Santa Overboard, the lighthearted sequel to The Cicada Spring, Katie, an empty nester, is embracing her new life in a charming riverfront town. With her devoted friends, the Beach Bonfire Babes, a budding romance with a swoon-worthy scientist, and her college-age daughter baking up holiday traditions in their cozy river house, the season promises to make up for past struggles.

As captain of the town’s Christmas boat parade, Katie can’t wait to ferry Santa to the dock on her new boat. But when plans go off course and Santa takes an unexpected dip, Katie and her trusty crew navigate the stormy seas of midlife in the best way they know how—with their favorite foods, a cocktail or two, and a dash of holiday magic. Brimming with laughter, the natural beauty of the Potomac Shores, and yummy holiday recipes, Santa Overboard is a quick read that delivers the perfect Christmas gift: a second chance at a forever love.

Santa Overboard is the second book in the Potomac Shores series. Santa Overboard: A Potomac Shores Holiday, by Carolyn McBride, is available everywhere books are sold online in paperback (ISBN: 979-8-9902958-2-7, ebook (ISBN: 979-8-9902958-3-4), and audiobook (Retail ISBN: 979-8-875170720).