Weekend in New England (not the song)

June 10, 2025annabowling Leave a comment

First of all, the song is a longtime favorite. It’s also how I usually note visits to my friend, Mary, who lives in CT with her awesome family. I did not take people pictures this time, because we were busy having some fun.

First stop was Jerry’s Artarama, which is basically an art supply playground. They always stock my favorite sketchbooks, which I use for my nighttime journaling.

Pink and teal books are pocket size. The yellow pad is for alcohol markers. I have a few of those but haven’t done much with them. Since I am resolving to use things I have, that means alcohol markers as well. Disaster may well ensue. \

The store was having a Liquitex paint event, where anybody could try out their new plant based paints and mediums (not sponsored, but super fun) Later this week, I will put this on a teeny easel because I actually do like it. The red blob may need some glitter. Thankfully, I have some. The Liquitex rep was friendly and chatty. I have some acrylics that I haven’t used in a while, but I think it might be time to play around with them, too.

After that, it was off to The Book Barn, an outdoor used book store. We usually go to Romance Barn after the main location, an indoor location focused on romance, but didn’t have time. Mary and Mr. Mary had a puppy at home who had already been a very good girl and needed to go out. Oh well. Guess we’ll have to visit again. Which will also mean stopping by an Irish pub for bangers and mash.

Part of this visit was a very belated exchange of Christmas gifts. One of mine was this B6 size journal (my favorite size for morning journaling.) My friends know me well. Cover has skull doodles, pages are nice and substantial. Best guess is 100 or maybe 120 gsm? Ivory, lined, and so smooth I want to pet them.

Hotel was okay, though the breakfast area was something out of a sitcom. Flow was not one of its strengths, but the room itself was nice and comfy. Drive home was super easy (mostly for me, as I am Passenger Princess with a travel pillow) only to get one block from our building and find that we were not yet done. We live on the parade route, and this was Pride weekend, so parking was not an option for a few hours yet. I don’t know who was performing around noon, but the music sounded fun. We went out to lunch and ran some errands, then hauled our tired selves home and collapsed. Storm has almost forgiven me for leaving her for an entire twenty-four=hour period. (she stayed home with Real Life Romance Hero)

That’s about it for the weekend that was. I am mostly unpacked now. Part of my homework for Melva’s and my mini-group was to write one page of fiction. Melva is a college professor and former high school teacher, so she does not mess around when she gives homework. Funny thing, as soon as I buckled into the passenger seat for the trip down, a scene popped into my head. The characters are, for the moment, named Bob and Jane, from an exercise I include in one of my workshops (“Fun With Bob and Jane,” wherein the male character is named Bob and the female, Jane, for the exercise, no matter what their names actually are.) and I can only give a shrug for plot or setting (I think this is new) but it discusses the Welsh word, hiraeth.

We’ll see where it goes from there. How was your weekend?

Typing With Wet Paws: Koolio in the House Edition

June 6, 2025annabowling Leave a comment

Tails up, Storm Troopers! I’m Storm, you’re awesome, and this is Typing With Wet Paws. As the title might suggest, we have our air conditioning on, and it feels awesome. I have been unusually talkative lately. Papa and Mama Anna think I want to make sure they are okay because it is summer weather now, and Aunt Linda thinks I am reacting to the air pressure. The weather report says it will be me-ing soon and that does things to the atmosphere.

Mama Anna was curious to see if I would accept clothes. The answer is yes.

Mama Anna tells me that tomorrow’s trip will be the last one of the summer, as she and Aunt Linda are going to see Aunt Mary again tomorrow. That is why I am posting today. They will be back on Sunday, so only gone for one night, but that is still too long for my liking. I get to spend the weekend with Papa. He may work on the new headboard. You will all be glad to hear it is unanimous that I will be allowed to scratch it if I want (it’s distressed already.)

Now that we have the proper inside temperature, and nobody is sweating to death, the humans will be better able to function. I still get the open window in Aunt Linda’s room, so that’s good. Having air conditioning means that it is much easier to function. The humans had been stubborn and insisted that fans were enough, but Papa ended up at the vet last year, and then they broke down, got Koolio, and, well, Mama Anna hauled out her weighted blanket last night. She had her feet sticking out. Best of both worlds.

Last week, Aunt Linda put a lot of her extra yarn in storage. She still has more to put away, and all of the humans need to switch their winter and summer clothes. Seems like a lot of work. I just shed. Much more efficient. We also have new summer sheets, which I will have to inspect when the humans make the bed next. That whole bit about “remove cat” being every other step in instructions for changing sheets with a cat around is funny because it’s true.

the white thing is a t-shirt, so I will shed on that and not on Mama Anna’s pink chair.

Warmer weather means more daytime naps for everybody, and then more activity when it is dark and cool. I could have told them that. With Mama Anna’s desk in front of a window, that puts her in direct sun during the day. Thankfully, she can take paper and pen to the soft office, or her laptop, for that matter, and go back to the desk at night. In case I didn’t mention it earlier, Mama Anna got a whole big box of tiny bubble wands and keeps one at her desk. She says blowing soap bubbles is good for calming down when she has anxiety. I am not sure about them. I gave them my best Halloween Kitty posture, but they don’t seem to do any harm, so maybe they will be fun to bat with my paws, as was suggested. These are the regular soap kind. Mama Anna needs to try the catnip kind. I will probably like those.

What does your weekend look like?

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?

Mermay

May 5, 2025annabowling Leave a comment

The only reason I am on time with this post is because my printer is running out of ink. quashing my plan of printing stickers. May as well get on to the next task. Storm is well aware that she owes a blog post, and will be subjected to an additional photo session in order to make that happen. For now, we will go forward.

At the start of a new month, I like to pick a theme for my planners and sometimes journals. Novel notebooks are a different story (pun intended) because they don’t depend on real life timeframes, and have their own, especially the historicals. Some months are easy: January is New Year, February is Valentine’s Day, etc. May? Mother’s Day is tricky, so that’s a no for themes. Housemate’s birthday is in May. I have given her the option to choose an element for the planner deco, and her only request was “cool colors.” That fits well with the theme many in the planner community follow: Mermay.

I like mermaids. I have always liked mermaids. I do have mermaid themed/coded supplies already, which fits well with my resolve to use what I have. In therapy terms, let’s act as if it’s safe to use our stuff. We can stay where we are. There will be more stuff. This may seem like a no-brainer, but trust me, this is something I need to do consciously at the moment.

Keeping to a theme for planning/journaling helps me to be more creative, because I know what I have to work with for this particular venture. That’s also another reason I am diving fully into my novel notebooks, which, surprising no=one, I am blundering into in my usual blindfolded in the forest with buckets on my feet method. As long as it gets me where I need to go, that’s fine.

A while back, I posted about things they don’t tell you about writing while homeless. I am not linking it, but it’s easy enough to find if you’re really curious. Right now, I feel like I am currently learning things nobody told me about writing while no longer homeless. We just renewed our lease. We’re good. I have a new desk, new computer, will soon be receiving new printer ink. I have papers, I have pens, I have tons of cyber-storage. What’s in the way? Isolation and crippling doubt. Thankfully, I have a good support system, so onward I go.

This would probably be an appropriate place to make some sort of comparison between my own journey back to my writer self and Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid. Disney’s animated version was fun. I haven’t seen the live action remake, but the original text, that’s a classic. I would have preferred to have an HEA ending, but that’s what retellings are for, aren’t they? I am not saying never to a mermaid romance.

What are you doing to celebrate or lean into May?

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.

Indie Publishing Insights: My Journey with _A Heart Most Errant_

March 26, 2025annabowling Leave a comment

We are having a blabbery blog today. My first real appointment with the therapist who will be known as Therapy Dude is tomorrow. Still a couple of hoops to jump through for the last leg of indie publishing A Heart Most Errant and looking into the extra bits involved in indie publishing for collaborators. Have to admit, these are not my tip-top favorite parts of the writing life. Even so, I am excited to get my stories out there again.

Right now, my focus is on creating a reference book for A Heart Most Ardent, because keeping all that stuff in my head is not reliable. As usual, I am wading in, splashing around in the shallows and seeing what works out. I did have some character sheets that I had looked at in the past, but instead of searching a couple of flash drives for them, I am making my own. I don’t see many resources especially for historical romance, so it may be fun to create a few. This will also be useful as part of a series bible for the wider story world, and I will definitely need a small section for the people, places and things from A Heart Most Errant, where it all began.

Part of what I want to include is a vision board, which I have never properly done, but I am a dab hand at what I call Idea Soup, which is basically the same thing, though not limited to images. Sounds, smells, tastes, other works that remind me of what I am creating, etc. Do I have a plan for this? Not at the moment. I’ll figure it out as I go and then try that as a template for the next bit.

In an only semi-related note, I purchased a mystery bundle from Archer and Olive. Some groovy 60s/70s themed washi in the small white box, and then the vegan leather field closure sketchbook with blank kraft pages. I love Archer and Olive. I love Kraft pages. The wrap closure, however, is most likely not for me. I may give it some time and see if we warm to each other. I am thinking about removing the flap and tie, and rounding the corners of the pages. It is mine now, so there are options. Selling and trading are also options, but we will see. I’ll know what I need to know when I need to know it. This is not the story notebook; that one is disc bound so I can move pages around as needed.

Normally, this is where I would be wrapping up the post, but my brain is soup. Instead, I’ll get nosy and ask what kinds of notebooks are your favorites, if you use them. Hopefully, I will have more brain by the next post. The bar is l ow. 😛

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?

Typing With Wet Nails

for the love of romance

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