Embracing Change: My Journey to a Fresh Start

July 1, 2025annabowling Leave a comment

Happy Canada Day to all who celebrate. June was an interesting month, so let’s call this a fresh start. Right now, my desk area, and most of the apartment, for that matter, looks like the middle of a hurricane, which means I am organizing stuff both physical and otherwise.

I can attribute part of this to the marvelous Eryka Peskin and her Reclaiming Your Dreams and Desires workshop, which is a-ma-zing, and I will be sharing some of my personal experiences with that in future entries here. She recommends starting a new journal for her workshops, and as a stationery dragon, I am waaay ahead of her on that front. Combine that with my current excitement over back to school season and other matters, and I have plenty of material for future journal posts.

As of last week, The Wild Rose Press has returned rights to Chasing Prince Charming, the first book in my Love By the Book contemporary romance series with Melva Michaelian, to us, the authors. If you haven’t yet grabbed your copy (hi, new folx) you will have about ninety days (more like eighty-three?) to get it from current sources. This does not mean the end of the story, of the collaboration, as Melva and I are going indie with the trilogy and beyond, so CPC will be available again, with hopefully a bonus epilogue. Our time with TWRP was lovely and hopefully, we can work with them again in the future. I will go into more details on Melvaandanna.com, because I find this new adventure actually exciting. We have many more ideas for couples in this story world to get their unique HEAs.

Then there are the historicals. I have had the rights back to My Outcast Heart and Orphans in the Storm for quite a while now, and they are in queue. I am most excited about getting my ducks in a row for A Heart Most Ardent (still dealing with red tape on the release of A Heart Most Errant) and finally, finally bringing Her Last First Kiss to fruition. There is new stuff brewing, and I love that feeling.

Storm will also be back at regular blogging this week, with lots of pictures and lots to say. I did not act quickly enough yesterday to capture her grand feat of turning my office chair so that she could sleep in it, not only directly in the sunbeam but directly in Koolio’s path. She’s a smart one.

Reading is coming back. I am still early chapters into Lace, by Shirley Conran, and am already super invested. I can already tell this is going into the idea soup already populated by The Wilds, Yellowjackets, and other similar shows, with a historical romance twist. I’m thinking gently-bred girls from some far-flung location, sent by ship to a fancy school in London, but a shipwreck delays things for a while. Better get an inbox started for that. I need to focus on the current projects first.

Gaming-wise, I am in love with the idea of a Sims 4 Forever Save. I may babble about that some here, possibly following one of my families. I think it has a lot to teach me about continuing story worlds. I still normally think in standalones, but this is a series market at the moment, so I want to find out how *I* do story worlds these days.

What’s going on with you?

Watercolors and Me: a Love Story

May 28, 2025annabowling Leave a comment

Lately, I have fallen in love with watercolors. I’m not sure how it happened. Maybe it was part of my resolve to use my stash, but however it happened, I’m in and in deep. Do I know a lot about watercolors? No. Am I especially good at them? Also no. At the moment, I am mostly at the stage of figuring out how it all works, swatching paints, making pretty blobs, and watching endless YouTube videos on palettes and brushes and what sorts of pens work with the medium.

Right now, I am mostly planning on adding watercolors to my journal arsenal. There’s something almost meditative in plopping the colors on the paper and mushing them around. I even like when I flood the page too much for a wet on wet and paint goes places I didn’t intend. This reminds me strongly of writing. It’s alchemical, especially since I serendipitously found out that a book I wanted to read was included in my Spotify plan, so now I can listen to voices read me a story full of emotion and angst and hope, splash colors around and then boom, the next lines for a scene I’d been stuck on slipped in under the fence.

Apparently, I have found something that helps me get where I want to go. Therapy Dude will probably have something to say about that. Probably good things. My educated guess is that being in that space where I am new. where I don’t know all the rules, bypasses the perfectionist in me who, like a character in one of Melva’s and my upcoming books would say, you can’t fail if you don’t play. Technically correct, but not good for the long term.

At the moment, I am filling this journal with things like this. Squares, circles, rectangles. Squiggles on some pages, one turned into a worm or snake (could go either way) and then using the result at the base for more journaling in whatever form feels right at the time. Hopefully about the current WIPs, but we will see. In any case, it needs to be that raw and genuine and focused, but not pressured. Unless that’s pressure. In any case (augh, I said that already) the end product probably won’t look very much like it does at this stage, but I most likely will go back through it, several times, getting something new from it each time.

Sometimes a swatch is just a swatch. Sometimes it is a stepping stone to getting back in the groove. Last night, I put together a small watercolor kit, with a travel palette, water brush, mister bottle, and tiny pad of watercolor paper. I can take it anywhere. I don’t know that I plan on making “real” art (but isn’t all art real?) or sharing it at all, but I do know I want to do it more, and the more I paint, the more stories I want to tell. I call that success.

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.

Relentless, by Bertrice Small and Thomas Small

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?

Zombie Shows, Historical Fiction, and The Road Ahead

February 12, 2025annabowling Leave a comment

Well, it’s February. Normally, this is the month that even voices that don’t normally talk about romance novels, talk about romance novels. This year, the world is kind of….:sucks in deep breath: which is a sign that we need romance novels now more than ever. I am definitely up for doing my part. “But, Anna,” you ask, “where do the zombies come in?” Usually through the door. Sorry, sorry, I could not resist, but I do have a real reason.

Z Nation is my current watch, more than a lighter and funnier version of The Walking Dead (the absolute tippity top of zombie shows, IMO) or at least that’s my takeaway from midway through the first of five seasons, where I am now. I watched both seasons of the prequel show, Black Summer, which had a much more serious tone, and originally passed on this show because I wasn’t sure the jokes would jibe with the zombie apocalypse, but that vanished as soon as I saw multiple zombies taken out by the Liberty Bell (yes, that one) and I am now fully on board. Yes, I checked the wiki, and the dog is okay.

What’s better than zombies? British zombies, or as they are called in this series, Partially Deceased Syndrome Sufferers. In short, they found a cure, and the former infected are sent back to their homes, medicated and ready to mingle…if society is ready for them, which they often are not. Our protagonist, Kieran, even finds the opposition in his own home, as his sister is part of the Human Volunteer Force, dedicated to getting rid of the, well, you know. This time we are in a small rural village in the north of England. The second season hangs on a cliffhanger (with two romances in the balance) but I used my writer powers to decided what happened if I were in charge, so the ending in my head is satisfactory.

Anna. Zombies, and how they relate to romance writing? I’m getting there. The idea for what would eventually be the first of my Ravenwood series, A Heart Most Errant, came from the cover of the dearly departed Romantic Times magazine, which advertised, in two separate articles, medieval romance and post-apocalyptic romance. My brain immediately wanted to marry the two, and what says “historical end of the world” more than a deadly disease that slapped Europe upside the head three times in twenty years? Plus, there was a flood the year after the last plague ended, so we are talking giant paradigm shifts here.

I would check the spine of this book to see if it was marketed as historical romance or historical fiction, but I don’t have a physical copy, so I am going on my own impression and say it’s straddling the divide. I am fine with that. Early Federal period, starting in Westchester, NY, about two generations removed from the people in the first book of the duology, and Our Heroine is now in search of her hubby who went to the frontier to recover from economic ruin. I’m optimistic that she’ll find him, and that’s enough to keep me going.

Anna. There. Were. No. Zom. Bies. In. That. Book.

Okay, okay, I know. I’m getting there. If I had to pick a favorite horror creature, right now, it would be zombies. Not only do I relate to shambling in a stupor looking for sustenance (I call that morning) but the idea of an antagonist that Keeps On Coming is one I can easily comprehend. Also, watching Our Heroes put them down does have a certain measure of catharsis to it. Protagonists who have to fight their way through opposition that keeps coming and can’t be reasoned with or even communicated with (unless one is Murphy from Z Nation) that’s something I can get behind. Our protagonists do what they have to do to survive, make it to the next day, and protect the ones they love.

Right now, for Richard and Cecilia, the hero and heroine of Ravenwood #2, A Heart Most Ardent, that means marrying a total stranger. Richard’s remote country estate survived the plague fairly well, but he did lose his first wife, leaving no children. Cecilia also lost her husband to the plague, as well as her son, and now must plan a future for herself and her young daughter. How do two people go from not knowing the other exists, to marriage, and then to love? Well, that’s the story, isn’t it? All of my favorite zombie tales have total strangers coming together in unusual circumstances, to make a strong found family, so this fits right in with that.

While I’m doing this, Melva is giving Drama King a final once-over, so we can start the indie pub process with that as well. Picture an out of work British actor wallowing in his great failure, and an aggressively optimistic literary agent who is dedicated to advocating for true creative talent. Melvn and I have had great fun writing this successor to Chasing Prince Charming, and can’t wait to introduce you all to Kelly and Jack.

Which brings me to the other bit of news; there are going to be some changes to the blog. Not only will I be bringing MelvaandAnna.com over here so all my writing related content is all in one place, but I am also starting on my very first ambassadorship in social media, with abundance coach, photographer and all around awesome human being, Eryka Peskin. I’ve taken several of her programs as well as one on one calls and highly recommend her offerings, so I am excited to have a platform to spread the word. Oh, and she is not a zombie.

What’s going on in your world?

Monthly Reset and The Delicate Question

May 29, 2023annabowling Leave a comment

Hey there, hi there, ho there, Neighborinos. What does it say when my cat has her intro down pat while I’m still trying stuff out? Trick question; doesn’t matter. What does matter is the planning and the writing, not always in that order.

Ever since I stumbled upon the idea of a weekly and monthly reset (not yet up to the point of a yearly reset, but it will come) I slid straight into it like a custom-made shoe. Then again, maybe I have, since this is the first year in a long time that I have been in a wire bound planner. Well, one of my planners, I am also in a traveler’s notebook for my everyday carry (EDC) setup, and no worries about my disc bound stuff; that’s moved over to other duties. Plus ring binders, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

I like the fresh start of a new month or week, even day, as the thirst for a morning routine (initiated by abovementioned cat, so “feed cat” is the first thing on that list) rises fast and urgent. What are we doing right now? This concerns everybody’s schedules Our household is three adult humans and one calico cat. The humans all have their own household duties and areas of expertise. Meal planning, for instance, is shared between myself and Real-Life Romance Hero, because I am the planner, and he is the foodie. Housemate is in charge of getting the groceries, while I make the list. She’s happy to eat pretty much anything, and since we live in a city, “delivery” counts as a food group.

This weekend, Housemate and I will hie ourselves off to another region for the pursuit of art and craft supplies, hopefully with some in person face time with friends who live there. Sorry, burglars, RLRH will be home, and Storm has a sitter who will be stopping by as needed. Knowing that my daily journal/planner stuff is all in one tote, ready to go to a different room, outside, or on the road, knocks a lot of uncertainty out of the picture, and I like that,

That seems like a good place to pop over to “the delicate question.” If you are a gentle reader, do not Google it Seriously, seriously, do not Google it. Also do not click on the link above, because it will tell you. If, however, you are like the kind of historical romance writer who has a stuffed Plague Doctor, baby raven, and multiple plush bats, once won a Blackbeard’s flag t-shirt from The History Channel’s once upon a time pirate trivia contest, and counts among her prized possessions a transcript of the trial of Anne Bonney (and Mary Read and Calico Jack Rackham) then you may also want to watch the video that got my mind spinning. Again, gentle readers, this is not for you.

For me, though, it’s aha. Yes. Going to tuck this one right into the notebook for the pirate trilogy. Not only the bones (hah) of the um, thing, but avenues of research, some ideas on how this might fill a plot hole (eh, more of a divot, really) and noticing only halfway through a personal calzone that I am one hundred percent not bothered by this rabbit hole (I must note that I am listening to a video essay on Yellowjackets while writing this, so the rabbit mention makes me hmmmm.) This includes jotting down names of people I know on the interwebs and IRL who might have access to umm… :shifty eyes: special information, and a reminder to self that Beau Crusoe, by Carla Kelly, is extremely affordable on Kindle, and long overdue for a reread. Well, gentle readers might prefer a different Kelly book.

What are you up to this week?

What a Yellow Light Means

September 20, 2022annabowling Leave a comment

For reference, the yellow light mentioned above refers to this clip from the classic sitcom, Taxi.

Jim, the seated man in the blue jacket, needs to get a valid driver’s license for his job as a (you guessed it) taxi driver. This, along with other things, is hard for him as he’s had a rough life. The people standing nearby at the table are his friends, ready to help him if he needs it. (He will.)

This scene is genius, not only because it has Christopher Lloyd and Jeff Conaway 9but that is a recipe for entertainment all on its own) but because it’s a gorgeous example of friendship in action. Bobby (Conaway’s character) might be irritated that he’s not making himself understood, but he’s going to help Jim even so. Jim in turn, shows patience and consideration in giving Bobby what he (Jim) thinks he (Bobby) actually needs. In short, genius.

Small personal detour for a minute. My dad would have been one hundred years old this year. We had our ups and downs, but this clip brings up one of the top tier memories. Even when my dad’s Alzheimer’s was advanced, he could remember this bit word for word. He still found it hilarious. I’m not sure why I’m thinking about it today, apart from that being one potent piece of art.

Originally, I had meant to write about stationery today (well, Thursday actually but I have come to the conclusion that Thursdays do not work as well as I had expected they would.) and I will (thanks me, for remembering that bright sunlight like right now is perfect for photographing the planner and/or journal spreads; we’ll do that next.) How is the blogging going to sort out going forward? Your guess is as good as mine, but I do no I want to keep doing it. Maybe a monthly newsletter? Twice monthly? I’d love to keep it to a weekly basis. Storm’s blogging schedule remains unchanged. You know cats and routines.

Today was a family day, and my part of it was largely adulting, juggling schedules and moving plans around, etc. This included a pharmacy run, which included checking on a couple of things and updating our address in their records. Normally, this is anxiety-making. This time, though, I got aa pharmacist who was fun. There was banter. We commiserated over the inability to remember a number if not looking at it, and that yes there is such a thing as Seasonal Affective Disorder put in backwards (meh on spring, hate summer, fall and winter equal whee, superpowers, awesomeness.) I rewarded myself with Zero Sugar Twizzlers, and then came straight home so I could knock “blog for crying out loud” off my to do list. (I didn’t put the for crying out loud part on the actual list, but I was thinking it. Not in those exact words.)

Right now, I am sitting at my desk, by an open window. A cool breeze blows on my skin. I am wearing a thin tank top and floaty trousers that I think are verging on the too big to wear when in responsible human mode (on purpose, yay me) but have a sweatshirt at the ready, because I will need it before too long. Probably when running trash after dinner. This will probably be a fend for yourself night, dinner wise, because what I want to do most is…write. Also read, but this feeling of wanting to put writing first, and having the ability to do so…I am holding onto that.

Rainy Afternoon Rambles

April 14, 2022annabowling Leave a comment

Raining off and on over here, as best I can tell. Today was the day when my new sleep medication figured out what it was supposed to do, so let’s say I am very well rested today. I hear birdsong and the sound of wheels on wet pavement, and a quick look outside tells me it has indeed rained. It’s been a hot while since I blogged. That happens sometimes. The best way to get back into it is to jump in there and start blabbering, so here we are.

Okay. First of all, I am still not ready for Kate and Toy’s split on This is Us. They are one of my ships. These things take time Shoot, it took me what, a couple of years to watch the Highlander TV series finale. Either the right time will roll around or it won’t. Either way, there is always fanfic if it turns out that’s what I need. I do plan to watch the rest of the farewell season, but don’t necessarily need a front row seat for everything. Has anybody else had an experience like that with a beloved series, book or TV?

Second, I am pretty much listening to “Don’t Tell Anyone,” by Semler, on repeat:

“I want to know your story like I wrote the page” — them’s powerful words for a writer. Also “Don’t tell them that I swore this wouldn’t be my life.” Also, the tune is as catchy as a cold at a daycare center. I mean that in the very best way.

Wait, wait, wait, did I just hear thunder? Because I think I just heard thunder. Thunderstorms are my number one favorite spring/summer weather. I am absolutely here for it if so.

Oh man oh man oh man, this book. This hit me in the feels and my history loving heart. I was but a wee princess in Westchester County, NY during the Bicentennial, so a historical romance set in that era and place is one thousand percent going to catch my attention. Also, it was part of the giant birthday haul from my friend, Mary, who knows me and my historical romance reading tastes. For those who only know the modern flavor of historical romance, I might shelve this in historical fiction with romantic elements, and it works very well that way too. I don’t recall any on page snugglies, but our heroine, Nabby, must choose between two dashing men, one Patriot, one Loyalist, during a freaking revolution. More of that, please. I want to make there be more of that.

A young adult female Sim, with long blue hair and tattoos, stands in front of a white wall and wooden door, pointing to something out o frame.

Then there’s Sims. Sims, for me, is the current-day equivalent of my first-grade teacher noting that my schoolwork was MUCH better if I brought dolls to play with during free play time. I never thought I would get as into it as I am, not only playing the game, but creating my own Sims, with tons of custom content, mods, and even learning how to make my own custom content. Not sure how that is going to turn out, but I am looking forward to finding out. It seems to be doing well for my writing, so a-Simming I will go. Picture editing is next, because I love taking screenshots. Does anybody have any experiences with Lightroom? I’ve been curious. I’m already down the ReShade rabbit hole. May as well go all in on the visuals, though the next step does seem to mean ponying up for photo editing software. I’d use it, though, soooo….we shall see.

One more thing. There is now a window open, and there is fresh air coming through that window onto my skin as I sit here in a white t-shirt stolen from Real Life Romance Hero’s stash. Yep. It’s spring.

Strange Connections

March 17, 2022annabowling Leave a comment

First of all, I may possibly have Irish blood. I think. My birth mother’s last name could be of English or Irish origin, so we can be fairly sure it’s some sort of British Isles or thereabouts in my bio-ancestry. This has very little to do with today’s blog, except for the fact that A) it’s a starting point for me to blabber, B) I remember being at the house of MJK, well, she was nine, like me, so it was her parents’ home. It was a Victorian house with three stories and a wraparound porch and a triple (or quadruple?) garage that used to be a stable. They still called it the barn. No horses, only cars and a lawnmower, I remember being disappointed about that, even though we were in the middle of a lovely town in Westchester County.

MJK and I went to CCD together (after school religious classes for Catholic kids in public school) The Catholic school was closer to the K family’s house than to mine, so there were times Mama MJK would pick us both up and my mom would come get me from there. Also, my mom and Mama MJK got along well, so they probably considered it convenient that their kids got along, too. As for MJK’s little brother, SK, eh, he was a couple years younger, an energetic lad. All of this comes to mind because I was there on March 17th that year, and we thought it was absolutely hysterical that the weather for the St. Patrick’s Day parade in NYC (I have a lot of initials in this post) did not fit with the season as we saw it. Snow. I remember seeing women holding some sort of banner, in shiny green leotards and I am going to guess pantyhose/nude tights.

We must have seen it on TV or in the newspaper, and I want to say it was the Big Thing for that afternoon. It’s funny the things that stay with us. Right now, I am reading The Woman Behind the Attic, by Andrew Neiderman (aka the VC Andrews ghostwrite. for the last few decades)

While I can’t say I am a fan of the ghostwritten books, the true Andrews canon has a special place in my heart. I remember it being passed around the halls of my school when the books first came out, and even though Foxworth Hall from the Dollenganger series (Jacobean mansion) or Whitefern, from My Sweet Audrina, probably have extremely little with the house I lived in when MJK and I went to CCD together, my brain insists on slotting rooms from that house into those stories. The attic ofr the Flowers in the Attic fame, will always first call to mind my father’s art studio which was also my playroom, and not an attic at all, but the window that looked out on the woods beyond somehow melded with the window on the cover of the book. Don’t ask me how this happens. I don’t make the rules.

For Whitefern, I will need to reread Audrina to remember what the house looked like, but the stairs, on which Important Things Happen will always be the L-shaped stairs from the second story of my childhood home (where the studio/playroom was.) I have no idea how my brain connected those things, as I was several years out of that house when I read those books, but it’s in there, and in there deep. like the memory f being in that kitchen on that day, and the sting of witch hazel on my scraped knee (not the same day, I don’t think, but that same room) or the fun memory games MJK’s dad would incorporate into her birthday parties. The staircase going up all three stories also inserted itself in my reading of Diana Gabaldon’s comments in her Outlander companion, about here being an hombre at the door.

Long story short, writer’s minds are messy places. Aladdin’s caves. There’s also the fact that one of my research rabbit holes is rebooted or spun-off TV shows and their lore. Who knows where that will end up? Wherever it is, I look forward to the journey.

How about you?

The Monkee Lestat

December 16, 2021annabowling Leave a comment

Earlier this week, I found out, on the same day, of the passing of two big influences on my creativity. I found out about Anne Rice first, during my morning Facebook browse, and then, a little later, Mike Nesmith of The Monkees. Both of those hit me, but in different ways.

I first discovered Anne Rice when I stumbled upon Interview With the Vampire, movie version, maybe a half hour in, on a random FB browse. I sat there rapt until the end, immediately sought out the book, then The Vampire Lestat, and hunted down more information on Anne Rice, who had created them. Of course Interview was about grief, and man oh man did she nail it. Not so much the vampire part, surprisingly, but her historical atmosphere so real that it dripped with the Old New Orleans feel. I was actually more of a Louis gal than a Lestat one, but that’s okay. What stuck with me most wasn’t the actual vampires, but the feelings that came along with it. I don’t remember when I wandered away from the franchise. Maybe before Egypt came fully into play, and maybe I will one day go back and read it all.

What I absolutely had to know was the author’s relationship with the Lestat character. I remember reading in some nonficiton book or article or even paper (yes, I tracked down an academic paper) where the author knew the exact moment Lestast left her, and I could see it, feel it, along with her. I also remember reading at a later date of the moment when Lestat came back, and I felt that, too. It’s a special relationship between author and character.

And then (hey hey) there’s the Monkees. We were born the same year (me and the group, that is; the original people were young adults.) All I knew at the time I discovered them in the early 70’s, when their TV show was in reruns, was they were silly and funny and I liked their music. I wasn’t sure where their parents were until I figured out they were adults and performing was their job. Oh, like The Partridge Family, but adults. Okay. Once again (or really before, since I found The Monkees before Lestat and company) I was more of a Davy gal than a Mike one, but I can say that Michael Nesmith was an amazing songwriter, and I have fond memories of watching his special, “Television Parts” which only addressed Monkee-dom with “I was a Monkee. This is my hat,” and then on with the show. I can respect that.

When the Monkees reunion in the 80s happened, I was in ult, and while disappointed that Mike wasn’t going to be part of it, I also understood. As a newly minted adult myself, he wanted to do other things. Cool. I still love Pool It, the Micky/Davy/Peter comeback album. They still had it. The earlier losses of Davy Jones and Peter Tork also hit me. I appreciate all of their work and am thankful for the legacies they left. I watched a clip from one of their last performances, attached to an official statement from Micky Dolenz, possibly their last time performing “Me and Magdalena,” which I adore, from their first release after Davy’s passing.

Maybe it was even the last time Mike and Micky performed it. This was advertised as The Monkees Farewell Tour, the Micky and Mike show. Micky described Mike as “frail” near the end, and yes, I saw it. I also saw what Micky said about Mike insisting on doing the tour, no matter what anyone else said. Micky carried more of the load than usual there, but Mike gave it all he could, and it showed. I can one thousand percent respect that.

There’s definitely part of both of their works in the writing I have done and am doing and will do. Just remembering for right now, thankful for what they gave us in more ways than they knew.

What celebrity’s work would you like to celebrate this week?

Pre-Thanksgiving Rambles

November 24, 2021annabowling Leave a comment

This morning, for my weekly chat with bud Mary, I turned my folding desk around, so that my back was not to an off-white wall, but the rustic bookcase festooned with white fairy lights. Note to self: get more fairy lights. I had every intention of writing a “real” blog post (what is a real blog post, anyway?) but then after an extremely good chat that ended with online ornament shopping and discussion of the big epic novels/miniseries of the 1970s, aka high drama, it hit me that we are on Thanksgiving Eve, which means it’s basically a holiay, and I do need to set up my Christmas planner, because the day after Thanksgiving, is Black Friday, and it’s go, go, GO into Holiday Mode.

We do have our tree to put up. This year, beyond the basic colored balls, we have a gorgeous Tudor rose ornament from Mary, and that means it is high time to have some more personalized ornaments on the tree. Cats, writing instruments, that sort of stuff. Can’t go into that unprepared and still face myself in the morning. Which will be Thanksgiving morning.

This year, we are going with a theme of “we tired,” and will be ordering in or getting takeout like the city dwellers we are. Pajamas all day if possible, relaxing, getting current on streaming backlog, reading, and hitting the ground running for full on holiday mode. I will be armed with lists, more lists, and lists of lists. No, I am not kidding on that one. I can take organization to meticulous levels when I have a mind to, and when I am all hopped up on visions of sugarplums and all that other good stuff, well, think of the logical outcome. All of that means that putting thought into a “real” post is not on my agenda.

One of the things I am list-ing is a somewhat loose TBR for the coming year, though I may not wait that long to get started. It all depends on what the library has in store. When I fell down the rabbit hole of V. C. Andrews analysis videos, I glommed hard on to the high drama factor, and what captures high drama than those big 70s epics I mentioned earlier? I was a bit young for those the first time around, but getting a taste for them now, so sprinkling them through the coming year might be something to add to my plans for 2022. Reading high drama fuels writing high drama and I do love my high drama. I know, big surprise on that one.

Anyway, the lure of a pillow fort and hand-knit afghan is calling, with a Kindle full of books, and a paperback Christmas historical romance anthology right there on the nightstand. I have a cuddly kitty and a plentiful tea supply. Also, my brain wants, very very strongly, to go back into fiction mode, and that pillow fort would put me verrrry near a lot of my pens. If you’ve been here longer than five minutes, you know all about me and pens. (Did I mention that I have started to see holiday pen gift sets popping up in stores? Have to say PaperMate is stepping it up this year.

What’s on tap for your holiday?)

Typing With Wet Nails

for the love of romance

Inspiration