YA Recommendations For Pride Month or Any Month

June 19, 2025annabowling Leave a comment

Back in 2013, I picked up Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, because I was intrigued by the concept of the protagonist being a fanfic writer. I have ficced a few things in my day, so wanted to see how this would play out in an actual novel. Not only did I end up liking the book (and more by Rowell) but that started on me reading YA novels for the first time since I was a young adult myself. There is a bit of time in between those two things.

From there, I read more Rowell and beyond that, more YA. A lot of that has had LGBTQ+ flavor, be it the writer, protagonists, supporting characters, or all of the above. I’ve been wanting to make a post with YA recommendations for a while now (also classic historical romance, but that’s another story (pun intended.) Since we are in Pride month, I figure that’s a good place to start. I can definitely recommend other YA in the future. Believe it or not, there are quite a few YA novels that use fandoms as a large part of the plot, and you know I grab those as soon as I see them.

Whittling this down to five choices has been hard. I do have a larger list, which I can post later. For now, if I could only take five such books to a desert island, these would be the ones, in no particular order.

Told out of chronological order, we get to piece together the events that led up to Nathan, aka Nate, being violently attacked by his best friend, Cam. Heartfelt, angsty, taking an unflinching look at the intersectionality of Christianity and queerness (Nate is both) and what a battlefield adolescence can be for a lot of people. I also highly recommend Mr. Smedley’s other novel, Tonight ,We Rule the World (unrelated) A list of trigger warnings for both books can be found on the author’s site here.

*History is All You Left Me* — Adam Silvera

For this one, I will let my Goodreads review do all the talking:

In some alternate universe, I am still reading this book. In some alternate universe, Griffin and Theo and Jackson and Wade are together, in some configuration, as the complete squad. Heck, Jackson could pull in Annika and Veronika, though the gals are supporting characters, but that’s how relationships go sometimes.

Griffin and Theo and Wade were best friends, until Griffin and Theo came out to each other, at the same time. Griffin and Theo dated until Theo left for college on the opposite coast, but still figured they’d be endgame…until Theo met Jackson. Still, they were young, they had time to find their way back to each other…until Theo drowned, sending both Griffin and Wade spinning out of control, and toward each other. Griffin and Jackson should hate each other, but they both love (present tense) Theo, so that’s something, isn’t it?

It is something, but exactly what it is would be telling, and that’s not even counting the important part of the puzzle Wade has been holding onto all this time.

Emotional, engaging, and utterly filled with raw emotion, this book is a touching tale of friendship, first love, grief, and the new normal

My original Goodreads review:

This is one of the most raw, affecting, and poignant descriptions of grief I have read in a long time. I will likely write a proper review later, but I did read this book in one sitting. Quick read, and an extremely effective one, stark and cold as a lonely winter, but full of the warmth that comes from friendship and memory, with the sparkle of new beginnings.

I don’t want to think about this book right now, as I want to feel it a while longer. It’s one of those books, an unexpected treat wrapped around the nothingness and crushing weight of loss, the madness that comes in its wake, and the promise of a new normal.

I have indeed thought more about this book but have not written a proper review, but OOF. Our protagonist, Marin, left California with the clothes on her back to go to college on the East Coast. Now it’s Christmas break, and Marin is not going home. She is not going to her roommate’s home. She is staying in the dorm, the only student doing so, her only human companionship a visit from her best friend, Mabel, which means facing everything that made her flee like her life was on fire. To be fair, it kind of was. Nina LaCour wraps this all up in achingly beautiful prose. Be prepared for gut punches and a happy cry at the end.

Dual timelines. Two queer women, sixty years apart, and the pulp novels that tie them together. Once again, I need to write a fuller review, but here’s this for now:

Better review coming later, as I want to hold onto the feeling of having read this book for a while before sharing my impressions, but I knew I had to read it as soon as I first saw the title. Modern day Abby discovers the world of 1950s lesbian pulp fiction, and sets off on a quest to not only write her own novel in the genre, but discover what happened to the author of her favorite pulp novel, who disappeared after only one release. That alone makes for an interesting storyline, but when Robin Talley adds the second point of view, that of the abovementioned author, and that author’s own entrée into the world of the pulps, and weaves in the novels both women write, what we get is a nuanced story on a greater scale.

This book has a lot of what I love best about historical fiction with romantic elements. There may not always be a happily ever after for the couples involved (especially f/f couples in the 1950s) but there is love, and the history directly impacts the relationships of all couples, in both timelines. Though I don’t know much about this area of history, the story, and characters, spurred me to research and learn more about the era and people that created this branch of pulp fiction. That research led me to pick up on some of the Easter eggs (I am sure there are more) sprinkled throughout, referencing real life components of the genre and its time.

Update: Yep. Buying my own copy to annotate. Talley gets it right about the impact a genre can have on a writer.

*How They Met and Other Stories* — David Levithan

This feels like cheating, as it’s not a novel but a short story collection, but if I could have only one Levithan, it would be this one. Very, very, very short review on this one, which I will let stand, as my advice is to go in blind.

I am head over heels in love with the way David Levithan uses language and how he taps into the raw, bleeding hearts of young lovers. Some of these loves turn out well, some don’t, and every point in between, but this is an unforgettable collection that will stay with you long after your first read.

My favorite story in this collection is “Breaking and Entering.” I don’t think I have healed fully yet from that one, and I can identify with both characters.

~*~

Five books is, of course, only scratching the surface. Keen observers will notice this list skews heavily toward emotional and angsty, though that is not at all the only option for YA, or even for the authors listed here.

What are you reading these days?

Babies and Puppies and Shortbread, Oh My

May 21, 2025annabowling Leave a comment

Most of the travel fog has cleared by now, and there is still one more summer trip on the horizon, at the end of the first week of June. This past weekend’s trip was a lot happier than the one before, as this was for a baby shower, thanks to my delightful nephew and his wonderful wife with a baby on the way. The event was lovely, the company divine, and we are on a sugar high from the baked goods sent home by both grandmothers-to-be.

I can vouch for the deliciousness of this cake, only one of the many treats available for guests. The real treat, though, was friends I see far too seldom.

me (glasses) with Mary, aka paternal grandmother to be

The juxtaposition of the end of life and its beginning is not lost on me. Not only do I have the best shortbread ever (this kiddo is going to have only the best baked goods) but I got to see sonogram pictures, including a very clear full frontal face. I already have the best-looking great-nibling on the Eastern Seaboard. I am already planning on being that aunt who gives art supplies at the first opportunity and slips kiddo inappropriate books somewhere around the junior high level.

Speaking of books, I am waiting on one thing that is not under my control and then I can move on to another thing that is semi under my control and then I can deal with the uploading and actual publishing. For those who think independent publishing is as easy as pressing a button, it isn’t. There are parts of me that do wish we were in the days before the midlist cull of the mid-nineties, when there were more traditional publishers and Romantic Times magazine was on every newsstand. (Today, it would be an app, I am sure) but until we invent time travel for real, the market that exists now is the one where I can do my thing.

The cover for A Heart Most Errant is done, paid for, finalized, and gorgeous. The only thing keeping me from sharing it now is that I don’t want to do so until I have a firm publication date. As I have said many times, soon. I know that once I hit my stride with A Heart Most Ardent, things will start running more smoothly. The longer away, the longer the walk back, unfortunately so, but I know where home is, so I have that going for me. Also, I met a puppy!

My canine fur niece, Skye, not to be confused with my feline fur niece, Skye (like Storm, I will say Dog Skye or Cat Skye) Dog Skye is six months old and soft and bouncy and has big brown eyes and let me rub her belly within minutes of meeting her. If you ever need to get back in touch with what enthusiasm feels like, I highly recommend meeting a puppy.

How was your weekend?

Yes, I May

May 1, 2025annabowling Leave a comment

Welp, here we are at the start of another month. It’s the bridge between spring and summer, Since we have several colleges in our area, there is a definite shift in the community when the “kids” go home from the summer. The local small business ice cream stand is open (Haven’t gone yet, but will) and we will soon be summoning Coolio, our portable air conditioner, from his winter home (housemate’s closet.) Clothing-wise, we are on the cusp of dress season. I am loving the big screen on my desktop computer. Being able to see what I am doing is kind of a new thing.

Though I am an ambassador for the extremely talented Eryka Peskin, this is not a post she asked for, but one that I hope she likes. I am currently in her Celebration Circle group, which is, as Eryka would say, amazeballs. I like the challenge of finding things to celebrate, whether on a given topic, or freestyle, and I find that creeping over into other areas of life.

I am not going to lie: starting over as many times as I have (or perceive myself as having done) sucks because nobody wants things like serious illness, homelessness, injuries, deaths in the family, etc. At the same time, it’s awesome, because I am coming at t his, this time, with more experience, more wisdom, and, at times, more spite because that Bad Thing is not going to end me. Not only am I going to do the thing but do it twice and take pictures.

Didn’t mean to post sleeping Storm, but who doesn’t love a kitty picture?

Storm is pretty chill about coming into the new season, which is par for the course. She does have a few things to say about the new desk setup, as her usual sproing lands her on my keyboard. There is still some space for her on the desk, but at the moment, she seems best pleased to watch from the bed. She is getting used to the kitty sling. It’s one of her favorite beds at the moment. We haven’t tried putting her in it yet, but so far, so good.

One of the perks of this kind of experience (mine, not Storm’s) is that I have a wide experience on what doesn’t work for me. Lots of trial and error. Some successes. Some serendipitous discoveries. Some flying into the mist, as the late great Jo Beverley would say. Before I know it, I will be pulling the trigger on my first independent publication. (Though I did write for and publish fanzines beck in the day.) Then after that, Melva and I do the same thing with the second two Love By the Book books. I am writing my first planned historical romance series, on book two of four now, which is definitely a learning experience.

What I am getting at here is this: yes, I may. Yes, I may make mistakes. Yes, I may try something different. Yes, I may start something new. Yes, I may pick up where I left off involuntarily and make it through to the end. Yes, I may put a blog post up a couple of days late. The world will not end. We are all human here.

A Writer and Her Desks: A Love Story

April 22, 2025annabowling Leave a comment

From time to time, Facebook asks me if I would like to remember certain images. This past week, they suggested this one:

This one hit me hard. Not only because I am still, and ever will be, salty over what the powers that be did to the couple pictured above. I will put my fingers in my ears and loudly “la-la-la” until whoever is discussing the season three finale or anything after that. Nope, nope, didn’t happen. Abbie and Crane are happily ever after-ing and I will take no questions.

The other reason is the desk. This desk and I have a history. Literally. It’s older than I am. I have drooled over it since I was two. Before that, I drooled on it. This is a secretary desk, with a writing surface that doubles as a door I can close on the day’s work. while the screen is in the way of most of them, there are cubbyholes. Oh so many cubbyholes. Places for papers and stickers and sticky notes and all sorts of stationery related objects. There are drawers beneath the surface and a cabinet below that. At first, I used the top shelf as a bookshelf, and later moved the monitor up there so I could get at the cubbyholes.

This desk is now in our storage unit, where we put it during that first move. I still miss it. I will bust it out one day. At the same time, I love the desk I put together with my own two hands and a little help from my friends (cue Beatles.) I am grateful I have it now. Ideally, I would have both, in an office big enough for the two of them. The current desk would be for my desktop and the secretary would be for planning and journalling and all things longhand.

Some of the things on it, I have, and some that I also have in storage. The journal on the desktop is by Paperblanks, That particular book is in — you guessed it— storage, but I have other journals in that brand, and my EDC planner, in pocket size. I am not sure which mugs survived the moves, but I have different pen storage options now. My gargoyle pencil cup is once again in service, accompanied by new friends like a Plague Doctor plushie and an ever-growing calico plushie army. I also learned what Delfonics pouches are, and, I would hope, a lot more about writing.

The purpose of my desk is the same; to write books, to blog, and also make pixel art (okay, that’s new) but it feels different. It’s been a while since I felt like Writer Anna, or like Writer Anna had a proper place to do her/my thing. I do, though. It’s weird. I should know a better word for that, but I don’t. At least not right now, which is fine.

Back in the before-before-before times, when we still lived in the Old Country, I remember sitting in a Panera, trying not to cry in public because I had finished A Heart Most Errant, then called Ravenwood. I’d spent all that time with John and Aline, and there they were, happy. Home. Not quite “finished,’ as they will be happily-ever-after-in on page in the rest of the Ravenwood (series) books, my first planned historical series. Now, I am getting them ready to be my first independently published novella. Will I cry when Richard and Cecilia reach their HEA? Probably. Will I also be exited to pivot to Guy and Katherine’s story? Very much so, and the same when it is time for Juliana’s (Cecilia’s daughter) story, with a hero who will most likely be named Maximilian. How did I come up with that name? He told me, and it’s historically plausible. That’s how it works.

It’s also how my relationship with my desks works. We’ve grown together. There will likely be a desk tour in the near future. I have shelves and drawers and fairy lights. I also have a 3-D printed rose gold skull that was originally a yarn bowl (I don’t knit, but Housemate does; it was a gift from her) but is now home to a calico plushie.

What’s on your desk?

Organizing Your Writing Space and Genre for Better Creativity

April 8, 2025annabowling Leave a comment

Right now, we have a big, heavy box of lumber and metal things waiting on our third floor landing. Monday, there will be a new-to-me desktop computer on my desk. This all means that the bedroom/office is in chaos, but the sort of chaos that leads to more organization. Today, that resulted in me sorting out a big canvas bag with all my everyday journaling stuff in it. Being able to pick up One Thing and move around the apartment (I have a single journal set aside for coffee shop/park journaling) a lot easier, and have set up the necessities for any journaling, plotting or actual writing that make take place in the soft office.

Photo by Viktoria Alipatova on Pexels.com

Going forward, I will be focusing on taking more pictures myself and using them to help tell the stories of life and other things (like actual stories) but stock art is a lifesaver at times like this. I have felt, previously, that there was some “right” way to share and better to err on the side of reticence, but I cancelled my subscription to that. If you’re here, it’s because you’re interested in what I have to say (or are lost, in which case, welcome)

Do I know exactly what I am doing here now that I am a big girl with her own domain? Not even close, so I will do what I do best: splash around in the shallows until I figure out where the good swimming is and then head in that direction, fueled by a meticulous plan. At this point, A Heart Most Ardent is in that magpie stage, gathering shiny bits of this and that. Today I got to the stage of “hmm, these new pages do not fit on the small discs anymore (I am using a discbound system for this) and I now need to migrate things to classic or expander discs. For the most part, I want to use what I already have on hand. More of a shop my stash instead of no-buy, but I got this stuff because I wanted it, so now is the time to put it to use.

That does indeed mean even the good stuff. My book is worth the good stuff. This story is worth the good stuff. This is the first time I have started a planned series (or first and a half, considering that Melva Michaelian and I have done a lot of planning for our Love by the Book series (more on that coming soon to MelvaandAnna.com) of co-written contemporary romances. The actual publication of A Heart Most Errant creeps ever closer. John and Aline, the leads in their book, will be supporting cast going forward, so I’ll want to have their information on hand. Earlier today. I watched a video on YouTube about romantasy and its difference from Romantic Fantasy and Fantasy Romance, which resonates greatly.

This does not mean I am taking on a third subgenre, but it also doesn’t mean I won’t ever. We’ll see. The reason the video resonated was because I have long said the difference between a Romantic Historical and Historical Romance is thus:

Historical Romance: The war is over! I love you!
Romantic Historical: I love you! The war is over!

With that definition, I do fall under Historical Romance, but I do like Romantic Historical. Historical Romance must have a happy ending, while Romantic Historical can. Either way. thinking of following some of the flavor of fantasy worldbuilding for the historical world (just everyday life for them) feels intriguing, so I might nose around in that area.

This is the part where I feel I have blabbered long enough and also have heard about a thing called “dinner” that would be beneficial for all.

Blabberblog

April 1, 2025annabowling Leave a comment

Blabbery blog for today, because 1) it’s April First, and I am too tired to come up with anything appropriate (plus :gestures at world: Who can top that for insanity?) and 2) the parts of my brain that are not begging for sleep are concentrated on The New Book. Also 3) I will be upgrading to a paid version of this page, which will mean more storage space, my own domain name, so no need to have WordPress in my addy, etc.

Pictures will come later, but I am rather proud of myself for finishing an entire three months of daily schedule pages (acutally six, since the three I just finished were a refill pack.) I am now on the extras from an undated pack, and after that, I can either switch to a different design, or recreate the current design in my own style (probably doing that) either in Canva or right on the page with ruler and stencils. Even odds on which one I will pick.

Seasonal pouch updates. I am a pouch dragon. I like having a notebook for a specific purpose, in a pouch that has all the stuff I will need for it, with it, so that if I need to grab and go elsewhere, boom, there it is, and I don’t have to go looking for the right pen or a sticky note, eraser, etc. If I can decorate it for the season, that’s a plus. I have had my pink medium Delfonics pouch above for a while now, utterly love it, and have a mustard version that lives in my reading nook. The one above lives on my desk. I got a small black one for my everyday carry, and figured I could use black all year round. but (thanks to Housemate) a small pink version should be landing on my stoop sometime today.

Pink for spring/summer, and then black for fall/winter feels right for me. I am now a very happy collector of tac pins and pinback buttons and will hang a lobster claw charm on anything that moves slower than I do. I am a maximalist. I want stuff I love around me, preferably using multiple senses, and somewhere in the personalization, I connect better. Is that going to work for everyone? No. Do I feel bad about it anymore? No. I used to. What was wrong with me that i couldn’t be…not me? Ummm, yeah. Nothing.

The latest iteration of my desk has a small shelf on top of my planner crate, that Michaels terms “Regencycore” (not seeing it, but okay) — Carved roses at the top, flower print on the back “wall” and it flat out makes me happy to look for it. Also to have one place I can reach out and grab washi, index cards, or punches.

Storm says hi, and is aware she owes a blog

Storm has sproinged herself onto my desk, demanding cuddles so that makes for a natural break. Happy April. Hope you are well or soon will be; no fooling about that.

Typing With Wet Paws: Sproing Forward Edition

March 11, 2025annabowling Leave a comment

Tails up. Storm Troopers! I’m Storm, you’re awesome, and this is Typing With Wet Paws. This is also the time of year when humans move time around. I don’t know why they do that, and before anybody asks, it does not affect my mealtimes, because I ask my humans for food when I am hungry, so there is no fixed mealtime, at least not for me.

Me, asking Papa for the treats in his top drawer.

Anyway, this is the time of year when Papa’s and Mama Anna’s seasonal depressions pass each other in the hall while his is punching out and hers is punching in. Mama Anna does not like daylight savings time, or longer days, and her allergies have turned on, and this are kind of chaotic around here from time to time. Turning seasons over, winter into spring, means not only the time changes, but the humans have to turn over seasonal clothing, and, for Mama Anna, turning over her stationery/journal/planner stuff. Basically, I get to investigate a lot of sutff.

Mama Anna is officially back in Writing A Book mode. A historical romance novel, to be exact, or maybe a novella. She is in the discovery draft stage, which appears to be kind of fun. She sometimes calls this her “magpie stage,” where she collects random things that feel like her story and get them all in one place, creating “idea soup.” I am not entirely sure what is going on at this point, and sometimes, neither does she, but she seems fairly happy about it, so I guess it’s fine.

Papa and Aunt Linda love springtime. This does not always work in my favor.

She likes picking me up. I do not always want to be picked up. I am more of a belly rub girl. To be fair, Aunt Linda does give really good belly rubs. Actually, everybody here is good at belly rubs. That worked out super well. I did the math. There are three people with two hands each, and twenty-four hours in a day, so that is…let’s see…four hours per hand. I think that is more than reasonable. Not even that much once the windows are open and I want window time.

How is daylight savings time going for you?

Finding Camaraderie at Writer Conferences

March 6, 2025annabowling Leave a comment

Welp, it’s March. Not quite winter, not quite spring. Time for my and Real-Life Romance Hero’s seasonal depressions to pass each other on the way in (mine) and out (his.) In the before times, it has meant Conference Season, the time of year when Melva and I would make the trip to the New England RWA chapter’s annual conference. The trip there was a four-hour deal; two hours in Housemate’s car to meet up with Melva a couple of states over, and then two more hours in the Melvamobile to get to the actual conference. We always have a great time on these trips, to and from, shooting ideas back and forth. We are only half joking when we talk about renting an RV and driving cross country until we have a first draft.

I adore everything about conference season. Even packing for the occasion means I get to give special attention to clothes, shoes, makeup, etc (things I love anyway) and it never hurts to include non-perishable safe foods because I have food allergies and aversions. If it turns out that I can’t eat at dinner (it’s happened) I know there’s food in the room. I love getting the tote bag at registration, stuffed with swag, which I must immediately inspect. Bookmarks, stickers, postcards, pens (Hannah Howell’s purple pens are a highly prized commodity, and the only promo pen I have tracked down to find the nakey version in the wild – Pentel RSVP.) Sometimes there will be sweet snacks, and maybe even books. There will be more of the above at multiple places throughout the weekend.

Mealtimes mean a book on one’s seat and swag on the table. Usually a raffle for the centerpiece. If you have read Chasing Prince Charming, there really was a lollipop centerpiece. This is where “so, what do you write?” is a standard icebreaker. Be aware you may be asking this of a Big Name, but they will usually be gracious. This is where a simple answer to “what’s your favorite book?” means the asker will command the person sitting next to you to switch seats with them, because you have the same favorite book, or when one’s seatmate whips out their Kindle to show that they are in fact reading your latest release right now. That is a fabulous feeling, and one I can very well get used to as a regular event.

If five years between siblings in birth order means the new kid is also a firstborn, and five years between releases means being a new author again, what does five years between conferences mean? I’m assuming it means the whole thing being new again, at least in part. No doubt, there will be changes. Many of the RWA chapters, including the NERWA, have disbanded, so conferences may be run by different groups, though still dedicated to romance.

I don’t think Romantasy was a word back then in the before times. Then again, Romantica maybe still was a word. Possibly. I am not sure. Been a while since I have heard that term. There’s e-books, indie books, Bridgerton made it to Netflix. Dark Romance is a thing. The world is basically on fire, so we absolutely need romance novels to get us through. (As readers of other genres need theirs; to each, thankfully, their own.) We don’t have Romantic Times anymore, but we do have Book Tok and Book Tube. It’s always changing.

Since I am still a member of the RWA, I do get their monthly newsletter and it does list upcoming conferences. I live in NY now, not CT, so there are probably other gatherings closer to me that I could consider. I miss the camaraderie, the support, and the talking of shop. I even miss the pitch sessions (get an agent or editor to be your captive audience for a full eight minutes) and definitely the book fair. I miss the workshops the most, not only as an attendee, but, a few times now, as a co-presenter. I miss hanging out in the hotel lobby with writer friends I only see when we gather like this, far past the hour that we should. I miss the breakfasts most out of all the meals, because I am an extroverted morning person, and I love breakfast. Give me a bottomless source of tea, and it is extroverted morning person Christmas. Stay in an entire hotel full of people who love to do what I love to do? Sign. Me. Up. Right. Now.

There is probably some virtual version of this, which I would be happy to do from home in my comfy robe with my own bottomless supply of tea. There is nothing stopping me from setting up video chats with other writer friends (seriously, Last Call Girls, DM me.) and commune thusly.

I can see I am rambling here, and there is a School Spirits season finale waiting for me, so I need to get to that. Have you ever been to a writers’ or readers’ conference? Would you like to go? Are you watching School Spirits? Yap at me in the comments, so we can discuss. I’ll even put a book on your chair.

Typing With Wet Paws: Relentless Reading and Overstuffed Doppelganger Edition

March 2, 2025annabowling Leave a comment

Tails up, Storm troopers. I’m Storm, you’re awesome, and this is Typing With Wet Paws. It’s cold and wintry mix-y here in NY state. Mama Anna was draggy today because sleep deprivation (not my fault) and cranky because desk chair wanted to be a Tilt-a-Whirl instead. I also claim no hand (paw?) in that, even though I sproinged out of it multiple times per day until it was finally unable to support a human.

That’s moot now, because Mama Anna got a new chair that is better constructed. I have not had a chance to sit or sleep in it yet, but Mama Anna seems to like it fine. Having a good chair will go a long way in doing stuff in this new month and beyond. The start of a new month is when Mama Anna turns her planners, journals, and pouches over to the new theme/season. That will probably be part of what she will be covering in the next week. Right now, she likes the idea of tying things to the way March used to be in the Before times, when she and Aunt Melva would go to conferences. I have been told that there is not a cat track at these things, so I have mixed feelings about that.

Also new around here is the latest in the ever growing army of Calico stuffed animals. This new one does not have a name yet but I don’t think we look anything alike. Well, except for the calico-ness. I am long and lean, and this new kid is pretty round. Her splootches aren’t even that visible from this angle.

*Relentless,* by Bertrice Small and Thomas Small

Mama Anna is also excited about her reading progress this year. The book above, the first Bertrice Small title in a decade, is part of that reason. It’s not a historical romance, but part biography, with early poetry, fiction, and a never-before-seen novella set in the world of romance publishing. Click on the link above to read her five-star review.

So far, Mama Anna is almost one-third of the way to her reading goal for 2025, which is twenty-five books. She’s currently reading two novels; one on audio and one on e=book, so she has room for a paper book. As long as she has one hand free to rub my belly, I am fine with that. Her reading is going super well this year, which is good for everybody.

I, of course, was on hand/paw to watch Mama Anna and Aunt Linda put together the new chair. It came in a huge box, which I found super interesting. I was really good and did not try to play with the hardware from the chair, even though it was extremely tempting. Not to worry, though. I am always up to find interesting new toys around the house.

What’s going on with you guys?

Reading Progress, TV Hangovers, and Other Stories

February 26, 2025annabowling Leave a comment

Two days away from March, and I am certain that I did not sign off on this. For many years, March meant conference season. I think it always will, though through various events, finding romance writer conferences is not as easy as it was before. I do plan on getting back on that particular horse. Most likely, when I do, everything will snap back into place and I’ll wonder why I waited so long, blah blah blah.

Anyway. March. March is that place between winter and spring. In like a lion, out like a lamb, or the other way around. We’ll see soon enough.

Knock me over with a feather, because I am ahead of schedule on my reading goal for this year. Last night, I jumped on the release of Relentless, by Bertrice Small and Thomas Small, as soon as I knew it was out, and devoured it in one sitting. Not a novel, not historical romance, but part biography, part memoir, part poetry, short stories, and a never before published novella. I did not make a dent in my sleep debt last night, but I have no regrets. Dare I say I even feel encouraged that I can get myself back on that horse and keep moving forward.

This week, I set the goal that I have to write actual English words in manuscript format for A Heart Most Ardent, the second novella in my Ravenwood series. Only a couple more boxes to tick before I can release A Heart Most Errant, so definitely time to be writing-writing the next one. Her Last First Kiss has also been tapping me on the shoulder and looking at me over whatever document it is currently reading. This means I am going to be hopping from medieval to Georgian to contemporary times, and I am looking forward to it.

Melva has finished her edits on Drama King, plus a couple of additions. I can’t want to get eyes on that, and then we start the process on that one. The world of indie publishing couldn’t be more different from the traditional publishing world of the first wave of historical romance. If I had some holodeck time (TNG Trekker, yep) I likely would have a program where I was an up-and-coming author in the 70s/80s/early 90s in the historical romance realm. A weekend on Fantasy Island would also suffice, although things would go completely pear-shaped on that one, so maybe not. I am nothing if not genre-savvy.

The TV hangover from Z Nation continues. Then again, there is a release date in sight for Dead City, season two, and new School Spirits tomorrow, plus Yellowjackets on Friday. Do I sound like a cranky old lady when I reminisce about fixed seasons for television? Maybe? Do I care? No. Do I continue to sail my favorite ships (relationships) even if they are not canon and the property is now decades old? Abso-fluffing-lutely. No standout ships for Z Nation, oddly enough, though I am delighted that the actors who played Sarge and 10k got married in real life. Oh wait, Citizen Z and Kaya. Also, Warren got three romances, so there is kissing.

That’s enough of a ramble for today. March means a return to a more consistent blogging schedule, so I am taking advantage of the wiggle room I have left. Time to wrestle with the printer, which likes to tell me it’s offline when it isn’t, but I am not above unplugging it and restarting the laptop to get it back in line. Also time to pop in the earbuds and listen to an audiobook while carrying out domestic warrior queen duties, because I am all about filling the well and keeping it filled.

What’s filling your well this week?

Typing With Wet Nails

for the love of romance

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