So We’re Doing This Now

August 11, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

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

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

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

Fundraiser by Debbie Jantzen : Support Anna After Two Heartbreaking Losses

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

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

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

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

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

How about you?

Typing With Wet Paws: Domestic Tornado Update Edition

July 30, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

July 10, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How is July treating you?

Finding Joy in Vintage Romance: A Summer Read

June 10, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

Today was one of those summer days (I know, the calendar says it’s still spring, but trust me, it’s summer) where it’s hot and humid and I am especially thankful for Koolio and the fan club, as well as access to drinking water. Storm is on self care patrol and lets me know when I need to take a break. My desk is next to the window, which is not great on summer afternoons. Now that this is my room instead of sharing it, I can move that, if I want to. We will see.

Photo by Anastasia Borozdina on Pexels.com

Originally, I had planned to take pictures of some selected art journal pages, because art journaling is getting me through a lot of the life adjustments going on lately, but this was a low energy day, and a stock image is better than an unwritten blog.

Anyway, it’s summer. This is the kind of day when. as a kiddo, I would have begged my mom for a few hours at the public pool. I do not know if there is a public pool near me now. I should find out about that. The next thing that comes to mind is settling into a seasonally appropriately seasonal reading nook with fan access, cold beverage of choice, and a vintage paperback. Also with a spot for feline companion. When I was a teen, that meant the brass bed in the guest bedroom, with a box fan in the window, aimed straight at me. My current bed isn’t brass, but it is metal framed, with a swoopy headboard, so I am going to call it close enough. Tomorrow is laundry day, which means fresh, flower=sprigged sheets. I am currently reading a vintage gothic romance on my Kindle app, but I also want to dig out a vintage paperback for the full experience. If anybody ever made a way to scent Kindles like vintage books, they would make a fortune.

Speaking of vintage paperbacks, if I had known, during the Bicentennial, that it was going to be this hard to find historical romance set around (as in before, during, and after) the American Revolution were going to be so scarce when it came to America 250, I would have asked my mother and aunts to stock up, for the sake of my future well-being. They were everywhere in 1976, but I was ten, so A) I was not in a place to be buying my own books, and B) I was still a year away from the fateful day I would snatch The Kadin, by Bertrice Small, from my mother’s nightstand, and fall head over heels with historical romance.

So, where is this going? I’m not sure, but written is written, and I stand by that. Fiction writing is going well, actually. I am in uncharted waters now with Her Last First Kiss, as this is one of the parts of the book that I changed, so getting all my ducks in a row is having an effect on the daily page count, but that’s okay. Weekends are for cleanup. Weekdays are for blabbering, and, so far, that seems to be working out okay. The Chasing Prince Charming reboot has now had a look-over and tweak from both Melva and myself, so now we are closer to publication. Formatting, cover art, uploading, boom. Melva is doing the first pass over Queen of Hearts, which is going to need some tweakier tweaks, but things are going well.

Next week will be six months since Real Life Romance Hero left us. I know he’d be my biggest cheerleader, though he never read my romance novels. Some days, it feels like it just happened, and some days, it’s like it’s always been that way. Weird, but apparently par for the course. I had already planned for my next new historical to go into discovery writing, to have both male and female leads widowed and finding love for a second time, but that was long before RLRH’s passing. This one is gong to be close to home, and I am actually looking forward to that.

Writing is my happy place. I would like to be doing more reading, which I have in the past done best when I have to talk about it to other people. Would you be interested in book reviews/impressions here? Possibly on TikTok or YouTube, but I don’t see a lot of representation for vintage historical romance, and I would like to chance that.

What’s up with you guys?

June Reflections: Music, Reading, and New Beginnings

June 2, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

Welp, it’s June. Safe and happy Pride to all who celebrate. The start of a new month is as good a time as any to hop back on the blogging horse. Storm will be back on the weekend. Today, you’re with me. That’s good timing, because I am feeling more myself today than I have lately. One big sign of that is that I am listening to music again. Since it’s been a long time, that means I get loads of new music to discover. Reading is coming back as well, and, no surprise, vintage historical romance and gothics are indeed my way back to reading.

As thrilled as I am to find one of my top three historical romance, and one of my top two gothic romance authors in KU (and paperback, for those so inclined) I do have to give preference to the original cover:

This book is The Stuff when it comes to finding an Anna-worthy read. The setting is 1720 New England (I don’t think the colony is specified, so insert your favorite.) Our heroine, Adria, is not fitting in with her adoptive Puritan community. For people who spend that much time in church, they might try reading their Bible, because I don’t think they have. Adria gets in big trouble, right off the bat, and her only way out is the choice arguably worse than death — the big scary house on the cliff, Wyndspelle. There’s a job for her there, caring for an ailing woman…and that’s all Adria knows. Adria is a quick study, though, and she can tell that creepy and unknown is better than certain death, so off she goes.

I have read this book, and the whole trilogy before, and I have never read a Vandergriff I haven’t loved. It’s been a while, though, so I expect a few jump scares along the way. I have one of her other reissues, Sisters of Sorrow, a standalone gothic, preordered for the end of the month. I am pretty sure I have a paperback copy of that one in my keepers box, which is regrettably in storage. I am definitely going to need my special books around me as I embark on this new chapter of life. Real Life Romance Hero’s half-anniversary of his passing is this month.

There is also art journaling, which is a load-bearing wall in keeping me together. Some days, it’s all words. Sometimes, like above, it’s no words and an assortment of images culled from any number of sources. Right now, I am focused on using what I have more than acquiring new things. I will repurchase things that I use to completion or have passed their usefulness, but I got all of these things because I wanted to use them, so I will. Discovering things I had forgotten about or neglected feels very on brand for life in general right now, and I am very sure that some of this will spill over to fiction writing.

Right now, thanks to the critique group found through an RWA program, I need to have thirty pages of new fiction by the end of the month. That felt like a lot at first, until, surprise, I hauled out a notebook and started to break things down. If I write five days a week for the next three weeks (the last one is a cushion) that is only three blocks of ten pages. That means two pages per day, or 500 words, if you prefer. I do have a tracker in my regular calendar, so I will report on how that does when I hit my goal. Melva and I are not only proofing the Chasing Prince Charming reissue, and diving into the final-final pass of Queen of Hearts, but have been tossing about some what-ifs for a new standalone, based off a long-ago writing prompt.

That’s going to be it for today, as I need to get my pages in, so talk amongst yourselves, or better yet, say hi in the comments. What’s a vintage author you think more people should be reading?

Sketchybooks

May 26, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

Right now, the thing holding my brain together is a sketchbook. Technically more of an art journal, which I already have, but this one is different. This one is dedicated to filling as quickly as possible. I grabbed the closest notebook to me, and the closest art supplies, and went all the way through, making frames around every single page in the darned thing. No thinking at all, just frames with liquid watercolor daubers that are mostly on their way to the great supply closet in the sky. Forget concerns about paper weight. Forget asking if it would be good enough. Nope, watch sketchbook videos on YouTube and continue until every single page had a frame.

This picture is actually from a different sketchbook, but it’s mine, and the idea is the same. This was me trying out a soft pencil and blending stump. The “help” text is mostly there because it fit in the box. Still, it’s pertinent. I don’t have pictures of the sketchbook I’m talking about at present, and probably won’t until it’s all full. I am thinking maybe a flip through at a later date.

Improv session ended a couple of weeks ago, and the next one will be, I think, in August. Right in time for Real Life Romance Hero’s birthday, which I will appreciate. Next month will see the six month mark of his passing, and it’s taken me that long to figure out what I want to do for a very private memorial. It will involve some of his favorite foods and fond memories. Nothing formal, but it feels right.

Some of the lessons from improv are finding good use in my current sketchbook practice. Housemate shows me the cool tag from her new clothing item. Do I want that for my sketchbook? Yes, please. Straw wrapper from a local diner that has “biodegradable” printed on it? On the page. Random papery bits I find while I excavate the doom piles? That’ll do. No overthinking, very little thinking, and actually very few words. That both surprises me and doesn’t.

Time moves differently in grief. An hour can take forever and then three weeks can whoosh past so quickly that they knock a person off balance. I don’t make the rules. The practice of throwing images and colors and shapes on the page does things for the story part of my brain. I’m not sure how that works. I’m not sure I need to know. What I do know is that this new sketchbook lives in a hard shell case that travels with me, at home and outside. Spare minutes? Sketchbook. Waiting in line? Sketchbook. No idea what to draw? No problem. Not great at drawing? Shapes. Lines. Squiggles. Colors. Textures. Slap it down and move on along.

Do I know how this is going to carry over into writing? I do not. Am I confident that it is getting me where I need to be? Yes, I am. As with improv, blurt. Say the next obvious thing. My challenge for this sketchbook is that I have to use things I already own, preferably only things within the case, plus found objects, such as the straw wrappers and clothing tags.

That’s where I am going to leave it, because it’s late, and I have commitments in the morning. This, too, is blurting. Plopping whatever is in my head into the blog, slap a picture down and hit “post.”

What’s your next obvious thing?

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.

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?

Typing With Wet Nails

for the love of romance

miscellaneous