Wordfest presents Joss Richard

Tuesday, March 31 @ 7 pm $30
Memorial Park Library, 2nd Floor

Come and knock on our door! Wordfest can’t wait to showcase Canada Reads contender Joss Richard in a special ’70s-themed solo experience. Not only has Joss conquered bestseller lists with her debut romance novel It’s Different This Time, the Daytime Emmy Award-winning TV producer is the creator of the Three’s Company, Too! rewatch podcast.

So put on your favourite Mrs. Roper-inspired caftan, belted mini, short short, or slim-fit bell bottoms and join us as we celebrate Joss and all her obsessions. You can even help us celebrate the poetry of Suzanne Somers, who played the iconic Chrissy Snow.

The conversation, hosted by Global TV’s Joelle Tomlinson, includes special cocktails by Calgary’s Wild Folk, an audience Q&A, and book signing. Want to be first in the signing line? You can preorder copies of It’s Different This Time here from our partners at Slow Burn Books.

HOST

Joelle Tomlinson

WHAT TO EXPECT

Custom cocktails from Wild Folk
Lively Conversation
Libations Bar, with non-alcoholic options
Audience Q&A
Interactive Poetry Karaoke
Book Signing

PRE-ORDER BOOKS

Slow Burn Books

PLACE A HOLD

Calgary Public Library

SHOW DURATION

75 minutes. No intermission

PUBLISHER

Penguin Random House Canada

Joss Richard

Joss Richard is an editorial & social director who’s worked at companies such as Hello Sunshine and Reese’s Book Club, The Walt Disney Company, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Netflix, and Paramount. She’s also the creator and host of Three’s Company, Too: A Rewatch Podcast and has been formally recognized with a Daytime Emmy Award. Born in Toronto to Filipino immigrant parents, Richard currently lives and works in Los Angeles. It’s Different This Time is her debut novel.

It’s Different This Time

It’s Different This Time is the rich, decadent romance of the year we’ve been waiting for.” –Sarah Adams, New York Times bestselling author of the Rome, Kentucky Series

A twist of fate forces two former roommates to move back into their beloved New York City brownstone where they must confront the events that led to their estrangement—and the unresolved feelings lingering between them.

Reeling from the cancellation of her hit TV show, June Wood has nothing left to lose when a mysterious email lures her back to the New York City brownstone she once called home before she moved to Los Angeles. Thanks to a clause in the former owner’s will, she and her old roommate, Adam Harper, now own the multi-million-dollar property—or at least they will in a month, once all the paperwork is signed.

Four weeks, then June can return to her life in LA and forget about New York City and everything she left behind. Sure, the fact that June and Adam are estranged and haven’t even spoken in five years, and that their friendship didn’t exactly end on good terms might complicate matters, but this is an opportunity of a lifetime.

As the autumn leaves fall around them, through shared meals and late-night conversations, old wounds and long-buried sparks resurface, and it becomes strikingly clear: June and Adam have unfinished business. Confronted with the consequences of their choices years before, they must now navigate the minefield of their past the best way they know how: together. Second chances are always a risk, but maybe, if they get it right and are finally honest with each other and with themselves, it could be different this time.

HOST

Joelle Tomlinson

WHAT TO EXPECT

Custom cocktails from Wild Folk
Lively Conversation
Libations Bar, with non-alcoholic options
Audience Q&A
Interactive Poetry Karaoke
Book Signing

PRE-ORDER BOOKS

Slow Burn Books

PLACE A HOLD

Calgary Public Library

SHOW DURATION

75 minutes. No intermission

PUBLISHER

Penguin Random House Canada

Joelle Tomlinson

Joelle Tomlinson is a journalist, emcee, and speaker known for her warmth, authenticity, and ability to connect with audiences. Over the past 15 years, she’s built a trusted voice in Western Canada—from reporting in Saskatoon to anchoring CTV Morning Live Calgary and now co-hosting and weather forecasting on Global News.

As one of the youngest Black female anchors in Canadian morning television history, Tomlinson has broken barriers while amplifying underrepresented voices. She’s spoken on stages across North America, bringing clarity and purpose to panels, conferences, and live events. She shares her own story with honesty—growing up in open adoption, navigating grief after losing her brother to the opioid crisis, and finding resilience through running, nature, and community. Whether behind a news desk or on stage, she believes real connection can spark lasting change.

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