Treading Figurative Water

September 28, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

Today, I set myself a goal of working nine to five (still on fumes of Dolly Parton Day on September 25th) this time, focused on decluttering. The Too Much Stuff is strong. This is going to be another one of those life circumstances posts, so Gentle Readers, here is a kitty picture and we will connect again later.

Okay. Yeah. This was another one of Those Days. Most of them are, truth be told. I do not recommend complex grief, with financial stress, decluttering, and all that comes with all of the above. The way I’m doing things right now is nine AM to five PM are work hours. If that is not bank/post office/outside of house, then it is getting stuff the HECK out of my apartment. I am done with it. Over. Finito. There is very little sentiment attached to Things at this moment. I am looking into estate liquidators to take care of storage units because I hit a wall of DONE. Not in danger, just done. I can’t do this all by myself, and that seems to have been the option. It’s too much for one person, and I am only one visually impaired, grieving, fed-up person with limited resources and those need to go toward building the life I will have going forward.

The reason I am blogging the way I am is not for pity or attention, but the fact that it’s the way I best process what is going on in my head. I need to focus on finding a day job to take care of Storm and myself, so that I can give my evenings and weekends to writing fiction and creating content. Those things are my passion and my joy, and I need both of those things. Bank is looking into the online fraud issues, which may or may not resolve. I don’t want to talk too much about that here, but it’s a whole other adventure. Real Life Romance Hero or Housemate would have handled it were they here, but if they were here, I would not have been dealing with this. Funny how that works.

What I am going for in posts like these is honesty. As a writer, tapping into emotional truth is important, especially because the books I write are all about emotion and relationship. If I can turn this crud into art, I will consider that a win. I am working on standup bits based on the experience of grief, especially grief upon grief upon grief, because if I can laugh about it, I can live with it. Case in point, today. I am looking through available jobs that I am qualified to do (surprisingly, being a family caregiver and freelance writer/editor do have marketable skills, though the whole CV thing still confuses and at times terrifies me) while resting my foot that most likely has plantar fasciitis, a thing I can get checked as soon as the new insurance kicks in at the start of October. What is the first job that comes up? Dog walker. Right now, I will be happy with just ‘walker.’ Getting paid to walk dogs would be amazing, once that becomes possible. I do live near a park.

Today, I got quite a bit done. I would love to sell every single thing I am jettisoning from the house, but I am gun shy after the whole FB Marketplace fiasco, and I am tired. Just tired. I want the energy I have to go to things related to moving forward. From nine to five, that means taking care of whatever business the day might hold. After that, it is for creating and filling my well. Weekends are the same. Today’s blog entry is mostly because A) I still had time left in the workday and B) I want to take away some of the stigma around talking about grief and its accoutrements. About being angry at RLRH and Housemate for leaving me to take care of all of this without them. About how angry I am that my favorite season is here, and it’s not better than it was last year, when RLRH was sick. It’s worse. I’m alone. I don’t want to have to go through a whole other year before I can think about taking pleasure in my favorite season. About the low energy meals – peanut butter toast; beef brats and chunks of cheese, for when my body needs nutrition and my brain is just done. About going into my second consecutive holiday season from hell, a milestone birthday I would rather skip. About the burning need to create that hasn’t diminished, and in fact is getting brighter. Even when the world of publishing is a completely different animal than it was when I first set out on that path.

So that’s it for today. Possibly this week, though I am committing only to blogging right now, no specific schedule. Future topics will be less dark, I promise. Life does come with good surprises as well as catastrophic ones. New releases are on the horizon. I will talk about things other than grief and mental health, but that is where I am today. Today, that is what I have to give. Tomorrow will be something else, because, apparently, I am indestructible.

Stuff

September 21, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

I don’t know if this is because today is the last day of summer. I don’t know if it’s because of Yom Kippur (I am not Jewish, but I respect the tradition) I don’t know if it’s because I need to seriously wrap up some of Housemate’s things, or whatever the case may be, but I have too much stuff. It’s five pm now, and that means I have permission to knock off from running in circles and smashing my head into the wall trying to be SuperAnna, clearing out Housemate’s stuff on my own, visually impaired, and undermedicated, with transportation issues. Add in my close call with some online selling fraud (shout out to Bank of America for having none of that, thank you very much) and I am spent. Pardon the pun.

Going into month two after Housemate’s death, and getting closer to year one after Real Life Romance Hero’s, one can imagine things get complicated. No matter what the reason was, when I got up this morning, my entire being went into Enough mode. I am over the clutter. I am, no disrespect intended, over cleaning up dead people’s messes. I want things sorted, literally and figuratively and I want to get on with my life. Writing is a huge part of that. Maybe the biggest. Right now, I am preheating the oven to find out if I have correctly interpreted the right way to bake Italian sausage patties, because I actually kind of like cooking for myself, and tonight, I feel like a strange combination of sausage from the latest grocery run, cheese from the plate my kind neighbor made me after the end of summer neighbor dinner a bunch of us had in their backyard on Saturday evening, and then we’ll see what else I want. Maybe stick the whole thing on toast and call it a night. I do have fresh-ish pasta and some Alfredo sauce, but that’s what tomorrow is for, possibly.

Right now, I am putting some sort of order into the writing area of my room. Still odd to say my room and not “our” room, but since I share it with Storm, maybe “our” is still appropriate. I have yet to entirely figure out the laundry situation, but the call of my favorite buffalo plaid sheets is strong, and it is a very pleasant stroll to the laundromat, with laundry not in a basket but in a rolling suitcase. I will probably acquire a cart at some point. I do have a birthday next month.

One of the things I am doing is getting my writing project notebooks together, one book per project, and making the bookshelf next to my desk Writing Central. Melva, my contemporary co-writer is currently out of the country for a very happy trip, and when she gets back, we are in the final stretches of bringing Queen of Hearts to all of you. Finding stock art with both leads blond/e is a lot more difficult than we expected, but we are not changing anybody. They look the way they look and that’s that. Once that book is out, time to launch A Heart Most Errant, (finally!) and then I am in the happy position of Next Books. We need to decide on our next contemporary romance. My next historical will of course be A Heart Most Ardent, and I am hard at work on Her Last First Kiss, meaning I will be inhabiting the medieval and Georgian ages at the same time. Melva’s current solo project, I will let her divulge, but I fell hard in love with that book while she wrote it in writing sprints in a group we both attended and am delighted that it will come to fruition in the coming year.

There is also the pure therapy of returning to a college love, standup comedy. Right now, I am keeping an eye out for open mics, working on my first set in decades (ouch) and honestly loving it. I am trying some stuff out on TikTok at @anna_log_writes. I fully embrace my belly flop era and carry over the lesson from improv class that we celebrate failure. I am not sure what else I want to put here, which again, is a lesson from improv. When I don’t know what to put here, I start with that and go for the next most obvious thing.

For me, at 6:36 PM on the last night of summer, that means I want dead people stuff gone. Yes, making money off it is ideal. At the same time, my peace of mind is priceless. I cannot afford the worry and emotional baggage, so I will be looking into offloading some of the liquidation. Estate sellers, take the stuff, take your cut, donate what doesn’t sell, cut me a check and we’re done. I need to focus on my life now. That will include remote work, preferably freelance writing or adjacent, but I am open to other things as well. A roommate will help feed my extrovert need for socialization and halve the bills, and make one heck of a more comfortable situation for me in which to create. I want clear floor, clean surfaces, and absolutely zero piles.

Furniture I’ve carted through moves, or more realistically waved at in storage and thought “someday,” I am now less attached to, and very happy to turn into cash or pass along to somebody who doesn’t have any. I am ready for space and peace and long autumn evenings with my cat and my stories. I want to make myself dinner, a meal that I want, wash my dishes right away, put them away and tuck in for an evening around the metaphorical fire. Maybe find an online tabletop roleplaying group. I’ve wanted to try that for a while. Now, I can.

First, though, I need to make space. Selling on FB Marketplace is an education. As is finding out that Housemate’s gift of HP Instant Ink shipments ran out exactly when I need to print prepaid mailing labels, so huzzah for the public library. Only not today, because Yom Kippur. That is a very appropriate day to reflect on things past and how I would like the future to go. There are surprises.

One of my newly met neighbors asked if I might like to turn Housemate’s old room into an office or studio. I like that idea, but I like the roommate idea more, and my current room is big enough to serve multiple purposes. I do need to bring Storm’s cat tree into our room, since she’s not that interested in hanging out in a room with no humans in it. She’d rather be with me. Maintenance Dude, who is my across the hall neighbor, suggested introducing Storm to his two Chihuahua mixes, through baby gates, in our respective apartments. As in them in their apartment, Storm in ours, maybe even in her adventure cave, gates up, so they can see and smell each other but not make contact. We will see.

For now, I have an Italian sausage patty to investigate. This will either be delicious or proof that while I was raised by Italians, we share no genetic material. Maybe I will try an Irish sausage next time.

Apparently, I am indestructible.

Time of the Season

August 31, 2026August 31, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

Welp, today is the last day of August. Tomorrow starts the first month completely without Housemate. I got through the first Real Life Romance Hero birthday without the man himself, and I am thankful it was spent with Housemate’s family, even though A) they didn’t know it was RLRH’s birthday, and B) we were in the frenzy of paperwork that comes with what happens after a loved one passes. I am still running in circles connecting Housemate’s Family with property management. We are trying to follow the law and want to give PM money. Can we do that, please?

Right now, I am in determination mode. I am fried. I need time to grieve, not only Housemate, but I was still working through RLRH’s loss, and then all of this got dumped in my lap. There are too many things to do for me to do them all on my own, as I am one grieving, anxious, depressed, visually impaired person with PTSD and CPTSD. I am also a superfirstborn, aka only child, so I am used to the “fine, I’ll do it myself” mindset. The next big day on the calendar is my birthday in October, which has a zero in it, ad to say that I did not expect to be spending that day alone is perhaps the biggest understatement in this post. Not even going to touch the more universal holidays, because I cannot deal with that right now.

Facebook Marketplace has been a complete bust. Three inquiries, three ghosts. Once I get my new bank card (physical copy) I will shift into online selling, largely in destashing groups on FB. I want storage unit two empty by October, and hopefully carry the first one for the winter and then deal with it in spring. I need to generate income. Right now, that has to be liquidating stuff, because there is So Much Stuff that getting rid of it is a full time job. There is furniture in them thar storage units. I haven’t even had a chance to go through RLRH’s stuff. I am overwhelmed and exhausted and excited about taking care of these practicalities because I want to write fiction. I need to write fiction. With digital and indie publishing, getting my stories out in the world is both easier and harder than I could have imagined only a few years ago. I would still love to publish traditionally again, especially with one of the big publishers. I am okay if that does not happen and I am okay if it does. I am a writer either way.

I am already looking forward to the next iteration of improv class. I made it to two out of the four sessions for this round, and learning that I was not the only person in class using improv to deal with grief was actually encouraging. I am delving into a personal curriculum (yes, it involves romance novels) and have a strong desire to pick the journals and notebooks that I am actively using right now, and putting the rest of them (that I am keeping) away for when it is their turn. This is not a hoard, it is more like a wine cellar, that comes with a risk of paper cuts.

Thanks much for reading this far. If you’re so inclined, the Go Fund Me is still open and seventy percent of the way to goal. Every single donation helps. If we meet goal within two weeks, I will be doing a cover reveal for A Heart Most Errant (spoiler: it’s gorgeous) on that page before it’s available anywhere else.

Seeing as how that was my whimsical way to round out a heavy emotional dump (and yes, I was holding back) that is also my signal to bring this entry to a close. Writing is still my best thing and favorite thing, so I will be writing a lot. Stay tuned.

Casualties

August 25, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

Well, we have a site down. MelvaandAnna.com has fallen through the cracks, and is no longer active. That’s fine. Melva and I are looking at this as a chance to start fresh, and in time to release Queen of Hearts, Heather and Rob’s story in the Love by the Book series. This is our friends to lovers story, with single mom Heather, Rob, the best friend who has been in love with her for as long as he can remember, a kid, a dog (full of other, smaller dogs) and maaaaybe glimpses of future protagonists for future books. Also holidays, as this book covers back to school, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Phew. I absolutely do need a win right about now, and Melva and I love this story bunches, so that certainly counts.

Once I take care of a couple more things, I will get to launch my first independent historical romance, A Heart Most Errant. That’s a great carrot on the stick as I slog through the far less appealing things of setting up this new version of life. Many metric tons of thanks to all who have donated to or shared the link to the Go Fund Me, headed by the lovely and talented Debbie Jantzen VanSchaick. We are currently seventy percent of the way to goal. If we reach goal within two weeks, I will do a cover reveal on the GFM page for contributors to see first. Storm and I appreciate everything, be in contributions, shares, prayers, good wishes, or whatever it is you do. We’ll take it all.

I did not sit down to write this post with any real plan, other than to mention that MelvaandAnna.com is about to start its new incarnation. Melva and I each have our own individual pages, so we are not unrepresented. I’m still disappointed that we did fall through the cracks like this, but these things do happen. That this should happen now, in the middle of So Many Losses and changes, that they seem to be the norm these days, does not get past me unnoticed.

These days, I have set my taking care of business hours to the traditional nine to five, Monday through Friday. The rest of the time is taking care of myself, because good gracious, do I need it. The big focus on the apartment right now is to Get Stuff Out. I am selling what I can, donating what I can’t, and then the rest gets dumped. I don’t love filling landfills, but I am one person. Some local friends have offered help, which I greatly appreciate. My longer term goal is to clear out the second storage unit by October first, so I can turn in the keys (actually take back my lock) and be done with it. Ideally, I will be able to carry the other unit for the time being, to give myself some breathing room and deal with it over the winter. There is a lot going on right now, in many different locales, and I am but one person.

For the apartment, I plan to clear out Housemate’s room and then seek a roommate from among the local population. I definitely need more people around me on a daily basis, because otherwise, I must sing the song of the lonely extrovert, and nobody wants that. Today’s focus is trash, because it is trash day. If I can throw it out, I am throwing it out. I am talking obvious refuse. If it can be sold or donated, or recycled, I would prefer to do that. Friends near or far, virtually hanging with me via video chat while I declutter, is a great way to help, because companionship makes everything better.

That’s about it for right now. I have to make phone calls I don’t want to make, and it is okay to do it scared. Afterward, I get to work on some journal pages, because that is always good for my central nervous system. How is your week going?

Embracing Challenges: Lessons from Improv and Life

August 22, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

Today, I went to improv class. I was the first one there, before even the director. I had missed the first two classes of the session. When the director asked me how I was doing, I told him. He listened. When we did our red/yellow/green thing before beginning the actual class, which is when we let our fellow actors know if there is anything off-limits, be it physical work or subject matter, etc, I answered honestly. I should have been wearing my knee brace, but wasn’t, and I put a hard “no” on jokes about death, because I have had two significant losses in recent months. Since there were some new to me people, I also mentioned that I am visually impaired, and if my scene partner does something subtle with their expressions, I may not catch it. Other people had their own things to keep in mind, and we were able to proceed, knowing who can do what.

As suspected, improv class was exactly what I needed, and I told the director after class. The route there and back is very walkable with today’s weather, moderate UV exposure and temperature still August-y but bearable. When I got back home, I fell sound asleep. Storm head bonked me and wanted cuddles. I almost tapped this out on my FB page while I flopped with Storm in front of the fan, but I had to get up and feed her anyway, so to the keyboard I came.

I cannot thank everyone enough for the help with the Go Fund Me. We are over sixty percent of the way to our goal. Storm and I appreciate every single donation and share, and all of the prayers and good wishes. Before improv, I worked on something that always works for me, which is making lists. Nothing happens on the weekend, so this coming week, I get to coordinate with property management about the apartment. NY state property laws look like they may indeed be working in my favor, but don’t quote me yet. There is a displaced homemaker’s resource here in Albany, which I will be investigating, and there are a million things to do about transportation, liquidating one storage unit, taking over another, and, once I get the apartment stuff confirmed, beginning the roommate search.

There is yarn. Oh so much yarn. Stationery to de-stash as well, and then content to create with what I am keeping. I am learning many new things about all of the above, and beyond. Melva and I are now on the search for stock images for the Queen of Hearts cover artist. Finding couples where both man and woman are blond/e is harder than it looks, but we will find something and the artist will do something and we will love it. I am ever closer to launching A Heart Most Errant. That means Melva and I will need to figure out the next contemporary romance we want to write, and I need to get cracking on my second medieval, A Heart Most Ardent, which has both leads widowed when the book begins…which I had known long before Real Life Romance Hero passed.

The apartment looks very much in flux. I need to get the yarn all in one place, listings for the yarn and yarn accessories in one place. Rethink the current FB marketplace listings, because they are not hitting their targets as of yet. Maybe offering shipping is the magic key. There are donations to make, of clothing, books, other things. I am learning to ask for help, learning to say that I am learning new things. Tonight, because night is nearly here, is for dinner and Sims and maybe reading, because I haven’t read anything (other than forms and legal things and websites about forms and legal things) since Housemate passed. That has to change. Maybe just a few pages. That’s a good start.

So. How do we wind this all up? I am not sure about that, and that feels appropriate, so I will let that be that. How are you doing?

Building a New Normal After Loss

August 19, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

This is an Anna post, but this picture of Storm conveys my mood better than I ever could:

I do not count the days since Housemate passed, because there is only one, and it is a big blur. Housemate’s brother and niece have been up here from Southern State, and we have been navigating the minefield of paperwork and permissions and all that stuff together. We may be in the final stretches of what we can do for now, including finding out whether I have to move or not, and then when all of that is settled, they need to go home.

Living alone does not appeal to me. I am a big old extrovert. Having family and friends close by, as in within my living space is a need. If I am staying, I will be looking for a roommate, which is more stress that could lead to less stress, and there is the process of building a new normal. I hate building a new normal. I have done it too many times. I’m good at it. That is not the problem. Doing it is the problem. I liked the normal I had…well, without the sick family members and the clutter and the usual mental load that came hardwired in me right out of the box.

The Go Fund Me a dear friend set up is teasingly close to halfway, so if you are inclined, share and contribute if you can. Definitely take care of yourself first. There really are no words to say thank you enough, not only for monetary help but all of the kind words as well. They do more good than you will ever know.

Days right now are largely focused around paperwork and permissions and forms and numbers and authorizations and doing a lot more research into probate law than I had expected. Please, please, please, if you don’t have a will, make one. It’s a way to show love to those closest to you. I will be doing that myself when things settle. Sometimes it feels like I want to say if they settle, but they will, as they always do. I am in “in this moment” mode, which is helping. Do one thing at a time, and when 5pm hits, I have done all I can do.

Last night, after Housemate’s family left for the night, I was jumpy. I didn’t want them to go. How am I going to be alone? I grabbed my keys and walked a couple of blocks to CVS for a cold drink. I almost got a snack, but my brain was fried, and picking out snacks was not something for which I had any reserves. Baby steps, at this point. I came home. I sketched out how I wanted to clear off the kitchen table, which became a dumping ground when everything was in “drop everything else, this is an emergency mode.” Some of that stuff had been from when I spent the entire day at the hospital with Rheuben.

This in between period, whatever it is, and whatever is on the other side, is going to be interesting. I have enough time to ramble here before I go off adulting for the day. I am staying hydrated. I have food. but eating is meh. I am getting some sleep. Not enough but some. Still in survival mode. That has a job to do, and I am going to let it.

I don’t know how I want to wrap this together, so I will start off with that. If all goes well, I may be able to take myself to improv class on Saturday, which would be an amazing dose of healing. One step at a time and all those good things. I am still not sure how to wrap this, so I will finish with that as well, and hop to the next obvious thing, which is see you soon.

Secondary Losses

August 15, 2026August 15, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

Latest entry in the trauma conga line that is my life these days. Today is Real Life Romance Hero’s first birthday since he passed. Tomorrow will be eight months since he passed. The day after that, we need to do court stuff to start Housemate’s estate. We, meaning I, as Housemate’s family live in TN, have to clear out the storage units, and I am not sure about the apartment. It’s a lot.

I am actually okay-ish today. I am wearing RLRH’s favorite shirt, and spent the day making TikToks while sorting through Housemate’s stuff, and drinking tea. If I don’t hear from Housemate’s family by five today, I will consider myself off the clock as it were and turn to taking care of me. Maybe a walk and grab myself a treat to celebrate that I got to spend the rest of RLRH’s life with him.

Tomorrow is another day. Thank you, Scarlett O’Hara. As always, writing helps me through the shark infested dumpster fire that is right now. Last night, I gave myself permission to go all out, no holding back, verbal vomit from the backside. Gentle readers, this is your chance to slip out and come back for a gentler post. There will be some. I don’t know when, but there will be some.

TRIGGER WARNING: grief, anxiety, caregiving, housing insecurity.

Here are some of the things we don’t think about when grief curb stomps us for the third time in eight months:

My best friend died…after my best friend died. This friend was also my roommate, also the lease holder, also the one who said not to worry in the first year after losing the live of my life; she’d take care of me. Instead, I took care of her. As in bottle feeding her meal replacement shakes and changing her diapers, sleeping in the same bed so I would never be far when she needed me. Now she’s gone. Her family and I started the paperwork to settle her small estate. I think my soul left my body when I asked about where on the list of debts I should put my friend’s rent, and the clerk said, “She isn’t paying rent now, is she?” I will have to talk to management about that. The floor dropped. I wasn’t wearing my leg brace because things are wait wait wait GO. I could have used the extra support.

With every entry I made, I felt another part of my life and identity ripped away. The phone plan. Internet at home instead of public WiFi. Amazon, and with it Prime Video and Kindle Unlimited. Netflix. The storage units. I felt that devastation again because I can’t be in more than one place at one time. They are a jumble. Most of these things will need too be sold (best case) or donated, or junked (worst case.) My completed journals. Furniture I have loved all my life, hoping for a permanent place in a someday-house. Art supplies. Rheuben’s things. Stuffed animals we both loved. My special favorite author books. Research books. Mementos of a life I would give anything to have back. The me who lived that life and wanted to keep on living it. Gonegonegonegonegone.

The last time I had to be separated from an animal I need for emotional support, I nearly didn’t make it. I am going to need an ESA letter for Storm. I know a trusted friend stands ready to foster if need be, but to take her from me as well? Please don’t. That is all I can say right now. I don’t want to lose the happy home my family and I shared after the then-worst year of our lives. We had each other. We had a pact. We would stay together, and that included Storm. Now it’s her and me and no car, little certainty. I can’t be everywhere. I can’t carry everything. I am writing this at my lowest, because writing is my happy place. It’s getting Book of Job-ish around here. I remember being in Linda’s room, on her last day, noticing my fingers on both hands were covered in the blisters of dyshidrotic eczema. I already have the atopic kind. If you don’t know what those look like, don’t do an image search. My brain is fhtyyt (cat had paw on tablet screen, but she put it better than I can.) I wish I had a positive way to wrap this all together, but I don’t. I have honesty and bewilderment and pain. I want to be the one taken care of, the one who doesn’t have to do anything but rest. That would be the best thing.

For those so inclined, a kind friend set up a Go Fund Me, to help ease the transition:

Fundraiser by Debbie Jantzen : Support Anna After Two Heartbreaking Losses

So We’re Doing This Now

August 11, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

Hey, all. :deep breath: Okay. This is going to be a heavier post, so if my gentle readers want to catch me on a day with more kitty pics and book recs, that’s fine. The rest of you, here we go:

Those who have been here for a while know that this has been A Year for me already, with Rheuben passing right before Christmas. Thankfully, I had our awesome Housemate, Linda Hart, to walk this road with me. Those who have read Storm’s latest post, already knew Linda had fallen (literally and figuratively) with a sudden illness that was, unfortunately, terminal. She passed last week, peacefully. It was my privilege to care for her when she was unable to care for herself, as she has cared for me in my grief. To say I am in shock is an understatement. Her family is here from out of state, and we are figuring out the way forward together. I don’t know exactly what the future holds. We are taking that step by step. My preference would be to stay in this apartment with a roommate, though relocating is also on the table. One day at a time over here.

A dear friend of mine, for whom I have done freelance editing work, has set up a GoFundMe. For those able to donate, that would be lovely, and please do consider sharing. You can find that here:

Fundraiser by Debbie Jantzen : Support Anna After Two Heartbreaking Losses

Debbie is a sweetheart, as well as a wonderful and imaginative writer, and I look forward to working with her again. Once I get practicalities sorted out and my head on straight, I will be looking for remote work, including but not limited to more freelance editing, which I really and truly love, as well as content creation and of course writing fiction. Melva Michaelian and I put the finishing touches on the third installment in the Love By the Book series, Queen of Hearts, which will be out oh so soon. We need to make sure the cover art captures the spirit of Rob and Heather’s romance. This one is a friends to lovers story, with a Christmas finale that we absolutely love.

If you want to read the series in order, the first two are:

All Love by the Book stories are involved in the world of romance writing, reading and publishing, and Melva and I are gearing up to start what will be Love by the Book number four. I am also so, so, so excited to present my first indie historical romance novel, A Heart Most Errant, the first in the Ravenwood Saga, aka my first dive into a planned historical series. This one is medieval, set right after the plague wiped out half of Europe over a twenty-year period. I am sitting on the cover reveal until closer to release, but as soon as I put out the domestic fires, I have started discovery drafting the second book, which will be A Heart Most Ardent. Interestingly enough, both leads in that book are widowed, from marriages that were not awful. There is also a long, long, long overdue standalone Georgian historical in the works. Writing truly is my happy place, and when the world is chaos, I need all the happy I can get. That does include posting.

Storm is the best nurse/therapist ever, and my friends, near and far, are wonderful. Our church is amazing, as is my therapist. Over the next few weeks, I will be helping Linda’s family sort out what needs sorting, including dispatching two storage units, and figuring out what happens with the apartment. Getting an ESA letter for Storm. My content will be reflecting that, as well as the usual topics. Sometimes, I am ok. Other times, it’s rough. Lots of lists. Lots of journaling. Two big losses in under eight months is A Lot. Adding in the stuff I was already talking to my therapist about, and dial that stuff upward.

Let’s wind this up for now. I am up and only sometimes crying. Sometimes cussing. Sometimes praying, frequently writing. Going through difficult stuff, yes, but still here.

How about you?

Typing With Wet Paws: Domestic Tornado Update Edition

July 30, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

Tails up, Storm Troopers. I’m Storm, you’re awesome, and this is Typing With Wet Paws. If you’ve been following us here for a while, you probably noticed we haven’t been posting lately. Mama Anna is pretty busy at the moment, so she gave me the go ahead to talk about it. First of all, meet Jennifer:

Jennifer is currently chilling with Aunt Linda at the people vet, because that’s where Aunt Linda is going to be for a little while. Cats are not allowed in hospitals (rude) but plush ones are, so Jennifer is watching Aunt Linda and reporting back to me. If you’re wondering why her name is Jennifer, it’s because Mama Anna had a dream where I had kittens. One was a mini me calico girl. Mama Anna was super surprised that I had kittens, but I told her it was okay; we only had to keep Jennifer. Why Jennifer? I liked the name. So, this is Jennifer.

Mama Anna is kind of frazzled right now, because there are things to handle at the people vet and at home. Some of that involves getting things we have too much of to people who don’t have enough/any, which is kind of hard to do since Mama Anna does not drive (apparently visually impaired people should not be operating motor vehicles. Go figure.) So, she’s still here, and actually still writing, but there is a LOT going on and she is learning new things and missing Papa, and it’s kind of a lot.

We are safe and housed, and fed, so nobody worry about that. Some of our friends from the old country have already been over to help, which Mama Anna and I greatly appreciate. Aunt Mary and Uncle Brian (with Skye puppy!) were here on Sunday. Aunt Melva was here yesterday, and they talked writing stuff in between all of the practical things they did. There is a lot more room in Aunt Linda’s room, and that means I get to explore new things in the same familiar place. That’s kind of the cat dream, actually, so I am not complaining, but I will be happy when Aunt Linda comes home. The people vet is taking good care of her. Jennifer will be reporting in on a regular basis until she and Aunt Linda are home.

In the meantime, Mama Anna will be more present on social media as she can. DMs, comments and emails are always welcome. Local people, she wouldn’t hate a visit (nor would Aunt Linda) or help with local errands. Aunt Linda comes from a long line of tough old birds, so we figure this will get sorted and she’ll be back home when the people vet says okay. Mama Anna is shy about asking for help, but calico cats are not known for shyness.

We are also coming up on August. Papa’s birthday is on the fifteenth, which will be the first birthday of his since he went to Rainbow Bridge, and then the day after, the sixteenth, is eight months since he went. We will probably be in a blanket fort that weekend, which is okay. Life be like that sometime. I am reminding Mama Anna that sleep is important self care.

Okay, that’s everything that was in my notes, so I am going to go keep an eye on Mama Anna and guard the house when she visits Aunt Linda. So far, I have kept 100% of threats away, so that’s pretty good. How’s July been treating you?

illustrated image of a redheaded woman writing in a journal as her calico cat observes. — Headbonx! — *Storm*

July 10, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

Welp, we are one quarter of the way through July. I did not expect to be gone so long. It’s definitely summer here in New York state, and I am once again handling some caregiving duties, which should hopefully do the trick soon. Melva and I have some very good news as soon as I have the go-ahead, and we are both hard at work on joint and solo projects.

Today is more temperate than it has been, so I am able to drag myself out of the bog and post. This is definitely a low hanging fruit day. Sometimes, figuring out what that low hanging fruit is can be a whole thing on its own. For me, when in doubt, A) blabber, and B) journal (which is kind of blabbering, but private blabbering and I get to play with art supplies.)

I have wanted a custom watercolor palette for far longer than I care to reveal, so this is a win. My colors, picked by me, squeezed from teeny tubes, into teeny squares in a teeny box. I do have a way to go when it comes to neatness, but this is a watercolor palette, so that doesn’t count. I made this so that I could take my chosen colors on the road, and fiddle with the paints at odd moments out in the wild. When I am next out in the wild, I will give it a spin. For now, caregiving. I could play around with it her, but I have regular palettes and I want this to be for the road crew.

I gobbled an audiobook this week, Where Lost Girls Go, by Kody Keplinger. I won’t say much, as it’s best to go into this taut thriller blind, but we have our narrators, one before her captivity and one after, by one of the best crafted villains I have read in some time. What will a victim of narcissistic abuse do to keep what they have been taught is normal? I think I want to pick up a historical romance next.

Speaking of which, I also finished The Last Lady B, by Eloisa James. If you love James and want something a little different, grab this one. First person, gothic overtones, a delightful supporting cast, and maybe…ghosts?

I am staying hydrated, because summer and certain medications are not besties, so this is a good time to stay inside, drink water, and do book related things, both consuming and creating. Journaling fits here as well, both words and images. Usually with something in my earbuds. I have listened to two audiobooks in a row, and having a full book is a lot less labor intensive than having to find You Tube videos or podcasts when the current one finishes.

Storm is very much on the case when it comes to making sure I rest/she gets cuddles. Sometimes, she helps me watch videos. Usually of the journaling variety, or people reading Reddit threads. Fan edits for favorite ships from favorite shows are also a big part of my viewing. I am fumbling my way back to listening to music, which is something that has always gone with my best writing. I consider that a good sign.

How is July treating you?

Typing With Wet Nails

for the love of romance

Author: annabowling