Introducing the delightful cover for Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl by P.A. Cornell, out February 3, 2026! We’re so thrilled to partner with cover artist Kim Herbst again for this charming novelette.

About Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl

Just beneath the hovercar lanes, in a Toronto very much like ours, sits an unassuming diner called Rocket Ray’s. There, Shoeshine Boy spots the girl of his dreams—if his dreams ever got that good. No stranger to men, Cigarette Girl isn’t easily impressed, but something about Shoeshine Boy tells her this one just might be worth her time.
 
Over steaming cups of coffee, they dream of a life just out of reach. Good-hearted Shoeshine Boy just wants to give his girl the moon, even if that means risking everything. Cigarette Girl, a grifter used to looking out for number one, finds her priorities shifting as her heart soars like the rockets in the sky.
 
When a well-dressed stranger enters the picture, he presents them with opportunities that put their love to the test. Will Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl make each other’s dreams come true, or lose each other in the process?

Artist Kim Herbst

Learn more about cover artist Kim Herbst in our dedicated post for her. She has crafted a stunning cover for this moving book!

Here is the full wrap for the paperback novelette:

Title font and back cover layout by Dash Creative.

Interior Illustrations by Ahmed Raafat

We are so pleased that artist Ahmed Raafat has made some fun illustrations for this book! See this dedicated post featuring Ahmed and his work.

Preorder Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl Now!

This is P.A. Cornell’s’ first standalone work with Stars and Sabers Publishing, Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl is now up for preorder. Order from your favorite booksellers! Find links, updated regularly, and learn more on the book’s dedicated page. We are so excited for you to read this lovely book just in time for Valentine’s Day. The launch date is February 3, 2026.