New Season, New Workspace (literal and metaphorical)

March 10, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

The mouse for the laptop where I am writing this is somewhere in the primary bedroom, but I don’t know where. If you have ever had a cat, you understand. I have reached the stage of adjusting my environment to this new shape of our family, which partly involves me turning Real Life Romance Hero’s old desk into my new analog (and Anna Log) and laptop desk, and using the accompanying bookcase into a home for journaling supplies. With the new setup, I should be able to film journal and planning content, which is both exciting and intimidating. As with anything else, I plan to make a bunch of mistakes until I figure out what I am doing in that regard.

The biggest surprise for me is that taking over RLRH’s old desk is that it helps me feel more connected to him. I was not expecting that but not complaining. I’ll take it. Since this is a curbside treasure (city dwellers, if you know, you know) I need to re-surface the surface. I would prefer not to know how it got to its present state. We do have a better desk in storage, but this is the one that is here now, and I am very much interested in using what is here now.

2026 is doing pretty well so far, life-wise, apart from the grief thing. I am working on a blog for the MelvaAndAnna site, about Melva’s brand new solo release, Angel Whisperer..

I remember first experiencing this book as Melva was writing it, in pages submitted for our long-standing critique group. I would describe this as cozy romantic suspense, which Melva does extremely well, this time with a paranormal accent. I will gobble this published version as soon as I am done with my current Kindle read.

For those keeping track, Melva released her nonfiction book, Thanks For the Memories in the end of last year, and together, we put out Drama King, our second Love By The Book title, last month. Last night, I turned in my final-final edits on the Chasing Prince Charming reissue. All we need now is cover art, formatting and uploading. Queen of Hearts is already in the second round of edits, and later this spring, or early in summer, I will be releasing A Heart Most Errant. A Heart Most Ardent is in pre-writing, which also includes poking at A Heart Most Wicked with a stick, as the two stories have slight overlap. Writing a historical series is new to me, writing a series by myself is new to me, and writing medieval is new to me, so there is a learning curve. I have to pay attention in what I am doing with these books, since they are going to affect the fourth book, A Heart Most Wild. I know very little about A Heart Most Wild, and I am okay with that.

There is also the matter of computers. RLRH had more than one laptop. I have a desktop that I named Brick, that peaked with Windows 10, and my beloved rose gold laptop with the expanded battery, so Housemate and I are getting well acquainted with the computer fixer people. Ideally, there will be one desktop and one laptop, all done. The others, I will sell, donate, or recycle. Not top of the line machines, so we are not talking huge profits here, but I am one person, and one good machine is better than a bunch that semi-function, no matter how much I can relate to them.

As of today, I am on season eight of my new TV love, Waterloo Road. There are still about nine more seasons I haven’t seen yet, the show is contracted for two more, and news just dropped that one of my favorite students turned staff members is coming back, this time as a parent, with her mini-her daughter now a student and teenager. She was the first student to come back as staff, but not the first to come back as a parent. I have already seen beloved regulars leave, their characters off to other adventures such as young marriage, university, military service, moving to another country, and even incarceration. I know other favorites, students and teachers alike, will be leaving, some to the great staff meeting in the sky, so to speak, and I know there are a few couples I would have made canon were it in my power. I have added a series tracker to my reading journal, so I can see where I am iny viewing journey. I have also adopted their favorite insult, “you colossal muppet.” Lowercase “m.”

I am also warily eyeing the list of lovely, delightful friends I need to get back to, who sent wonderful messages after RLRH’s passing. We will hit the three-month mark on the day before St. Patrick’s Day. Right now, that feels like just a fact. Closer to the day, that may change. Being more social and active on social media feels more do-able somehow. Many thanks for all who have been patient I will post later about the planning methods that are helping me get things back in order, but this feels good for now.

Art Caddies Then and Now: Curated Possibilites

March 6, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

Back in the 1980s, this right here was the pinnacle of my art supply dreams:

I don’t remember if the jar pens were acrylic or tempera, but I think acrylic. Classic crayons (with sharpener) a basic set of markers, and a basic set of watercolors. I think I went through a couple of these, and am still chasing the thrill. My father was a fine and commercial artist, so I had been borrowing his supplies since I was tall enough to reach them. His father was also a fine artist (and structural engineer) and fine artists abound on his side of the family. Since I am adopted, I don’t share their DNA, but the art love came from somewhere in my genes.

Lately, I have been turning to my art supplies and journals to help me navigate the big life changes that come with a huge change in family dynamics. With all the chaos that comes with that sort of change, I crave order even more than I usually do. The caddy came to mind easily and I suspect that memory is going to stay. I don’t have one of these caddies right now, and it seems to be among the retired products, which is fine. Crayola is still The Stuff when it comes to crayons, according to me, and while my watercolor horizons have expanded, I still like the basic Crayola watercolors for casual journaling use. As soon as my great-niece is big enough, I plan to be the auntie who shows up with cool art supplies and is happy to join her in exploring them.

In the meantime, the complete overhaul of my living area includes room to spread out my art supplies and organize them in a way that makes sense. Some supplies are staying, others are going, and yet more are moving from the “maybe someday” to “burning daylight here, let’s try them.” I like working in art journals because I don’t have to show my work to anybody. There are no expectations, and if I don’t like the result, I can gesso over it, glue pages together, or collage on top. I would say tear out a page, but I don’t do that with bound books, which are normally what I use for this purpose.

What, you might ask, is this purpose? Isn’t this a writing blog? Well, yes. Writing, reading, pens and paper, journals, planning, mental health, grief, and all that stuff. It’s a multimedia experience right now. This week, I am writing scripts to relaunch my YouTube channel, where I can blabber about the things I do with ink (and other things) and paper. That about covers things.

mood tracker and mental health journal bag

Enter the modern variation. Well, one of them. These days, I like making kits for specific purposes. Above, is my mental health journal bag. The pink book is my mood tracker, with a year’s worth of inserts. The green book is therapy notes. I like being able to pick up one thing and have all I need for that purpose with me, no looking for needed supplies. Having a limited selection of supplies helps me focus not on the things, but what I can do with the things. For me, that shifts the focus from the tools to the expression, and that carries over well to writing.

For those wondering if I have considered looking for the OG Crayola Caddy on the secondary market, I have indeed, and let’s say it’s a collector’s item. That’s okay. My chosen art supplies have evolved, and so have I, so it makes sense that my storage needs will be different. What I use isn’t as important as how I use it.

illustrated image of a redheaded woman writing in a journal as her calico cat observes. — as always, Anna

Typing With Wet Paws: February Snowstorm Edition

February 24, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

Tails up, Storm Troopers! I’m Storm, you’re awesome, and this is Typing With Wet Paws. We have had a big snowstorm here in New York (we live in a city, but not that city) which made it an especially good weekend to stay home. Normally, this would be Mama Anna’s time to blog, but she says I owe her, so I am taking this spot for now. That’s fine. I am at no loss for words.

Mama Anna has been taking care of business around here. Part of that was getting Papa’s phone ready for its next adventure. No surprise, most of the pictures were of me. Mama Anna also found a digital camera with a full memory card. She hasn’t looked at those images yet, but that’s probably mostly me as well. Right now, her plan is to get a new card and use the camera herself, probably also mostly for pictures of me. I do not blame her. They both have excellent taste in subjects for photography.

Watching Mama Anna work on stuff around here is super fun. The other day, she found some ribbons she had given Papa to choose from (for wearing something around his neck; he didn’t like chains) and that meant we got to PLAY. I smacked that ribbon. I chewed that ribbon. I showed it what-for and showed it what’s what. We are going to do that again.

Aunt Linda is doing some research on the kinds of people food she and Mama Anna might like to buy and make. They will also be donating the wrong kinds of cat food they got by mistake. One of the nice things about living in a city is that there are humans who make it possible for us to get things we don’t need to humans and kitties who do. I want to go on record that the wrong cat foods taste fine, but I am not a pate girl. Also, turkey is no bueno for my tumtum. Enough said on that.

Back when the humans lived in their first NY apartment, when Skye was the kitty, their downstairs neighbors were a troupe of steppers. That doesn’t just mean humans who walk. It means the humans perform rhythmic movements and sounds. It also means they had to practice a lot because they did that for monies and to compete with other humans who perform the same thing. By the time they moved, my human’s (okay, Skye’s then; I wasn’t born yet) had learned some of their routines.

I mention this because with Mama Anna working on her first standup set in a very long time, she is practicing it. At some point, I will probably be able to learn the whole thing. This is not a complaint, only an observation. We cats are great at recognizing patterns. I am keeping a very close eye on all the things she is doing, be it environment stuff, writing, journals, or anything else. I am also strongly interested in the food thing. Cat food has to be in there somewhere.

In Bed, Watching Waterloo Road With My Cat

February 17, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

My first Valentine’s Day as a widow sucked exactly as much as I expected it to, but I survived it. Mostly, that was by watching Waterloo Road in bed with Storm, on YouTube. There are, to the best of my knowledge, seventeen seasons of the show, with two more contracted. Think Degrassi, but in the North of England. Storm actually has started coming to get me and leading me to the laptop, where we watch, and looking first at the screen and then at me. This is her “my show is on” signal. I am to assume the cuddle position and best not think of getting up before a full episode has passed.

My plan for the day was to not leave the house, get food delivered, and be a puddle of energy, to use one of Real-Life Romance Hero’s favorite phrases. In that, the day was successful. Not going to lie, it was hard. When the whole day is about romantic love, and mine has passed, yeah, that’s not a fun time. Getting under the fuzzy blanket on top of the weighted blanket, curling up with a soft cat, and watching a British comprehensive school’s students and staff go through a wide assortment of life experiences. Safe to say I have found my newest comfort show.

Even with the real-life complications, I am still a romance author, with a new book out, at that. Which reminds me, if you’ve read and liked Drama King, please consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Speaking of Amazon, we are as of this writing #284 in fake dating (under “books”) — we have cracked the top 300. If that is not actually a thing, let me have this. I have had a sneak peek at Melva’s upcoming solo title cover (it is gorgeous) and we are working on the Chasing Prince Charming reissue, to have it out this spring. After that, A Heart Most Errant, which will be the first of my first ever planned historical series. Reviews can be as short as “I liked it,” or “good story” or “Clawed is an awesome cat and should be in every book.”

Writing and publishing is actually a super good thing to keep me occupied. I met with a writer friend in person on Monday, and made plans for virtual and in-person writing sprints in the near future. They invited me to an in-person group that does timed writings, and we discussed going together to a nearby drop-in improv night. I am very much looking forward to the next round of improv class.

Both friend and I had challenging years just past, and both want to socialize more and make writing a priority. This week, I am also trying something else I haven’t done in a long time. I did a little (very little) standup in college, and I loved it. Therapy Gal thinks I can definitely get a five-minute set from recent experiences, so I am now working on my first set in decades. Since I live in a city, there are open mic nights, so here is a new adventure.

Yesterday was the two-month mark exactly. I am glad I spent it chatting with friends, doing writer things. Storm is aware she owes blogs. She has been pretty busy sitting on me, fulfilling her purr-pose as a fuzzy tricolored nurse.

That’s about it for now. Tonight is trash night, and, since we are decluttering, we have a bunch. After I put the trash out, I will grab some leftovers and return, with Storm, to Waterloo Road, under the weighted blanket.

Bed Basket and Beyond

February 12, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

Picture it, Albany, New York, 2026. The winter was b*tt cold. A romance writer, faced with her entire life turning upside down, was desperate for something to hold her focus and bring some order to aforementioned life. She watched YouTube. A lot of YouTube. Her concentration was crap. Stationery, though, that she could do. If only there were a way she could pick up her whole journaling setup and move it to whatever room she wanted to be in at a given time.

Enter the basket. Technically a bin, but basket sounds better. It’s pink, obviously. Inside, she put her morning and evening journals, a Union Jack themed pen cup to hold selected pens and highlighters, a box of washi, and a box of crayons for funsies. English Ruler ruler (now out of date, as it does not include Charles III) zebra print scissors (to go with the Zebra brand pens) and a red cowboy boots phone stand (Pulling. Them. Off.) The glasses case lives in the basket because the basket lives next to the bed, and the space is for a water bottle or other beverage of choice. Also an ephemera pouch. It’s behind the journals. It’s clear but it’s there.

That basket is my basket and that romance writer is me. The journals are only my first thing in the morning and last thing at night journals. They are not planners or where I do any fiction writing work. Well, mostly. I can put whatever I want in those pages, and sometimes that is fiction.

Gold sun cover is an A5 slim, from Artfan, while silver moon cover is an A5 by Archer and Olive.

I didn’t plan for the sun and moon thing, but since I am focusing on using what I already have whenever possible, there they were, and it made sense. Pens in the pen cup are all from Zebra. All pens but two, which are Blen, are Sarasa Clip. Highlighters are all Mildliner, some chisel tip, some brush, some dot. There’s also the kind that is meant to mark with two colors at once, but they’re tricky. I like it when all pens in one kit are by the same maker. It feels more harmonious.

Do I have random bunches of stuff that do not go together, that I love and use? Yes. Do I also count assembling a kit of this sort as a pleasure all on its own? Also yes. I am not a person who normally goes for trends for trend’s sake, but Sophia Petrillo was way ahead of her time on the house purse thing.

Storm is doing her smack me on the elbow thing and then very pointedly leading me to the bed, so I will wrap this here. I am planning a video walkthrough of this kit and others, but for now, I must obey my feline overlord. Cat people, you understand.

Typing With Wet Paws: Unauthorized Changes Edition

February 8, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

Tails Up, Storm Troopers! I’m Storm, you’re awesome, and this is Typing With Wet Paws. It is super cold here in NY today, so the humans are having a hibernation day. I am fine with that, because it means many cuddles, scritches and belly rubs. Aunt Linda made somebody hunt pizza and bring it to us (I, of course, had cat food) and Mama Anna suggested I might think about posting. Since she asked nicely, okay.

Okay, maybe I’m a little mad. Cats are notorious for not liking change, and there are changes going on around here. The bed, for one thing. For as long as we have been here, Papa slept closest to the door, Mama Anna on the other part of the bed, and then me on top of or next to her, depending on my mood. Sometimes between the two of them. Since Papa had to go to Rainbow Bridge, this has meant Things Are Different.

I will start with the best part; my big cat bed is now on the people bed. It started out on Papa’s side, but due to structural issues with the bedframe, Mama Anna switched sides. Now she sleeps where Papa did, and my bed is on the side where she used to be. If that weren’t enough, the humans are talking to the dog dad across the hall, aka Maintenance Dude, about getting rid of the old bed, after which there is a new bed to set up, in a different location than the current bed. My big cat bed will be on Mama Anna’s bed when the new bed is here, so I guess that is okay.

In case you missed the last blog Mama Anna posted, Drama King is here, and yes, there is a cat in it. His name is Clawed (that exact spelling) and he is an orange boy, with strong opinions on sharing (he is not a fan.) He is not on the cover, but he is important. I was the sensitivity reader for cat-ness on this one, so I give it four paws up. Good job, Mama Anna and Aunt Melva. Shout out to my play cousins, Murphy and Ollie. They are boy cats, so they helped with the boy cat part.

If you read the book and liked it, consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads. That helps the authors a lot (including but not limited to purchasing more cat treats.) A review can be as easy as “I liked it,” or “good book” or “the cat was my favorite part; the next one should have a calico girl and/or tuxedo boys.” All three of us felines are hard at work helping our humans with the next books. Do you like books with pets in them? Let us know in the comments, to keep in mind for future books.

One more thing. Some humans have asked if they have to read Chasing Prince Charming before Drama King, and the answer is no. Of course the authors hope that you will, but if Drama King is your first Love by the Book story, that is okay too.

Okay, that’s it for this week, apart from another picture of me. Cat pictures are always a good thing.

How was your week?

Snowy Days and Journaling: Embrace the Indoors

January 28, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

I can describe the weather around here can be summed up in one word: snow.

This means it is perfect weather for tucking in and fully committing to the great indoors. Normally, reading would be great, but depression and grief say otherwise. Thankfully, journaling is an option. I have been watching a bunch of You Tube videos on analog bags (or, in this case, Anna Log bags, and yes, the videos will resume soon) and how to use items I already have, I am very interested in using what I have before I acquire much more.

The video that lit a fire under me on this latest endeavor was this one from Abbey in Archive on You Tube. For bonus points, she has a page about Empire State Plaza in Albany, which is a familiar sight. She includes pastel pages, which is definitely relative to my interests. Right now, I am loving Morandi colors, a dusty pastel palette and making kits for individual projects, so I can pick up one thing and take it wherever. Bedroom, kitchen, cafe, library, etc.

I am writing longhand, a lot, in different journals, on a few different projects. Melva and I will have good news on Drama King very, very soon. We have seen and approved the final cover, and the only thing left is uploading. Then we are officially indie published. A Heart Most Errant will not be far behind. This is exciting and a little scary.

Anyway, back to the particular journal at hand. I am not sticking strictly to commonplacing, as in a place to collect information, but still close enough. I have one section started to create wiki-like pages for the leads in my current projects, for easy reference, so people don’t change eye color, age, or place of origin willy nilly, as has been known to happen. This can be especially useful when collaborating.

this looks **much** brighter than it really is

The actual pagers are not this cyan in real life; more of a soft, powdery periwinkle. Ditto with the highlighter used for the bands at top and bottom. Stickers are from a kit by Cora Crea Crafts.

That’s about it for this week. Hoping to have good news about Drama King very, very soon.

Journal Writing During Family Emergencies

December 15, 2025annabowling Leave a comment

Yesterday was a gorgeous snow day in NY state. We are not in the city, but I saw plenty of such pictures from those who were, and it was everything I ever would want from a NYC snow day. I did get to see the snow from the waiting room outside where Real Life Romance Hero is staying right now. Yesterday was a good-ish day. The day before, not so much. We are still figuring out a few things. I am not using my planners much right now, as days are pretty much the same – days are for hospital, then home for dinner and sleep. Housemate is handling domestic matters.

Journals, though, I am using a lot. Hospital journal. Personal journal. Notes on writing stuff. Not notes about blogging, because I am winging it for now. This is a time for blurting. What is on my mind is on the page. We are one day at a time-ing it over here. This is my favorite time of year, and yet this year, we are outside of it. That is what it is. I am setting up for 2026, though. I like the focus. This does include writing things. The need to write is strong. Fiction the most, because that’s my big creative love. I am interested to see what my writing will do in and after this season.

Storm is definitely doing her job. When I get home from the hospital, she meets me at the door. She leads me into the bedroom, and insists I lie on the bed, so she can jump on me, loaf, and purr. I pet her. She is warm and soft. She insists that Housemate and I give her gushy food when we have our dinner. She has a new tilted food dish that is only for gushy food. She deserves all the treats and many belly rubs.

Housemate comes with me most days now. Having the company helps a lot. Yesterday, she sat next to me and crocheted, explaining her stitches and such, even though I do not myself crochet. I like the rhythm of her stitches. I tell RLRH about what is happening at home, the weather outside, share memories and inside jokes. I write in my hospital journal, notes on RLRH’s care, and thinking on paper, much like here, whatever is in my brain. I know I need and want to be reading, though my brain is not quite there yet. I haven’t listened to Christmas music; I want to, though. My usual Christmas movie re-watches — Love Actually, The Holiday, About A Boy— I have waved at from a distance. I love them, I think about them, and I can absolutely watch them at any time of the year. Same with Christmas/holiday books, foods, etc.

Family emergencies are tough. Holidays can be tough. Combine the two, and it’s something else altogether. Like I said, we are one day at time-ing the whole thing. That is good enough for now.

Typing With Wet Paws: December Update Edition

December 4, 2025annabowling Leave a comment

Tails Up, Storm Troopers! I’m Storm, you’re awesome, and this is Typing With Wet Paws. This holiday season has taken a turn nobody expected. On the night before Thanksgiving, Papa fell down some stairs and had to go to the people vet. The people vets are taking good care of him, and he should be better soon. Mama Anna goes to the people vet every day to help and spend time with him. Aunt Linda takes care of things on the home front, and I will be in charge of social media for the rest of December.

The posting schedule for December will be: lawless wasteland. There will be posts, but no promises on when or about what. Probably pictures of me. There can never be enough pictures of me. Mama Anna gives me updates on Papa when she comes home. Things are going okay, overall. Papa is in good hands, and Mama Anna is in good paws, meaning mine.

Mama Anna is not sure what we are going to do for decorating this season, because helping Papa comes first, but she does want to do something. Maybe one of those ceramic trees she tells me her mama and aunts used to have. We will see. She did get out a box of some Christmas stuff and in it was a me-sized Santa hat. Here is a fun fact: I am 100% fine with Mama Anna putting things on my head. Nobody else, though. Maybe I will let her put the Santa hat on me for a holiday picture.

Yesterday, we had lots of snow here in this part of NY. Mama Anna loves snow, and she liked being able to look out windows at the people vet and watch it fall. I watched it from Mama Anna’s office chair, pointed toward the bedroom window. Unlike Mama Anna, I have no desire to go out in it. Being barefoot by default, I do not like even the idea of putting my beans in the cold stuff.

My job, when Mama Anna gets home, is to greet her at the door and lead her to the bed, so she can tell me all about her and Papa’s day, and then we cuddle. Then I get gushy food. I also inspect the bag Mama Anna takes with her for the day. It has lots of pockets, so it is super interesting. She can get a paper book, her tablet/Kindle, and journal stuff. It could theoretically also hold a calico cat, but apparently they do not allow cats into the people vet. Hmph.

Anyway, how was your Thanksgiving?

VT State of Mind

November 11, 2025annabowling Leave a comment

I have been thinking lately about Vermont. I lived there in my freshman and sophomore years of college, and fell in love with the place. It’s been a while since I’ve been back there, and never to the actual campus (well, two of them, but I am not sure on the plural of “campus.”) In a romance novel worthy bit, that school I went to before transferring to the school where I met Real Life Romance Hero? That was RLRH’s second choice school, so if he’d gone there, we would have met anyway. That’s not what I’m thinking about, though.

What I’m thinking about is that last night, we got our first snow. I did not get to witness it, that I was hard at work on Queen of Hearts edits, or I was before Melva found the draft I was supposed to be editing, which is now the job before me. We got snow flurries again today, nothing sticking, (please play an acoustic instrumental version of Noah Khan’s “Stick Season” softy in the background here) because of a delicious nap that can only happen on a gray November day.

But Vermont. The image that comes first to mind when I think of Vermont is the first time (there were more) I stood under a streetlight as the snow poured down, my head tilted up, captivated by the beauty of the snowflakes dancing their way down to earth. Vermont was where I learned that my favorite part of prepping the daycare classroom was mixing unique shades of tempera paints for the standing easels. Vermont was where I found a small used bookstore that became my second home, where my ire that there were Traditional Regency romances but no Traditional Tudors, Traditional Medievals, or Traditional Any Other Era, first took form. Vermont is where a friend chased me across campus to put what she promised would be one of my favorite books in my hand (she was right.)

Vermont was also where I wrote my first historical romance novel, now thankfully lost to the vicissitudes of fate. I would race back to my dorm from class, turn on the electronic typewriter (dating myself, but that’s fine. I’m delightful.) stick in a fresh sheet of paper, and off I went. In time, my dormmates figured out what I was doing, and it was common enough that I had an audience as I wrote. It’s not realistic to expect people to physically stand behind me, urging me to write faster, because they are reading the lines as they appear on the paper, but I can come close. This is the interwebs, after all. I do have a blog, and two websites, and the serial format does exist.

In a broader sense, I do associate Vermont with higher education, and that makes sense. It’s been a wild ride for the past few years. I prefer to think of multiple attempts to get back up on the metaphorical horse to point to a survivor’s spirit rather than a series of failures. I have been making notes lately on things I would like to blog (and vlog) about. There’s the fact that I feel like a stranger in a strange land in many bookish spaces. Mass Market paperbacks are no longer so “mass,” as trade size seems to be more prevalent. Historical romance is going through some changes (down but not out, broken bones heal stronger, all that) and I am back in the freshman phase of being the adult new kid once again. Now go make friends. Start with others in your major (genre? I am the very model of a modern major genre?) or those in your dorm.

The more I think on it, the more it fits. Beginner’s mind. Lots of reading. Take many notes. Talk to others doing the same thing I am. Study. Find your place. Fall down five times, get up six. Apple cider donuts are delicious (another important Vermont lesson) and the right hot beverage can be a boost like no other. This isn’t the blog I planned to post today, but it is the one that feels the most genuine, so this is what you get. Turned in on time is a good thing.

Typing With Wet Nails

for the love of romance

possibly pointless blabbering