Happy Canada Day to all who celebrate. June was an interesting month, so let’s call this a fresh start. Right now, my desk area, and most of the apartment, for that matter, looks like the middle of a hurricane, which means I am organizing stuff both physical and otherwise.
I can attribute part of this to the marvelous Eryka Peskin and her Reclaiming Your Dreams and Desires workshop, which is a-ma-zing, and I will be sharing some of my personal experiences with that in future entries here. She recommends starting a new journal for her workshops, and as a stationery dragon, I am waaay ahead of her on that front. Combine that with my current excitement over back to school season and other matters, and I have plenty of material for future journal posts.
As of last week, The Wild Rose Press has returned rights to Chasing Prince Charming, the first book in my Love By the Book contemporary romance series with Melva Michaelian, to us, the authors. If you haven’t yet grabbed your copy (hi, new folx) you will have about ninety days (more like eighty-three?) to get it from current sources. This does not mean the end of the story, of the collaboration, as Melva and I are going indie with the trilogy and beyond, so CPC will be available again, with hopefully a bonus epilogue. Our time with TWRP was lovely and hopefully, we can work with them again in the future. I will go into more details on Melvaandanna.com, because I find this new adventure actually exciting. We have many more ideas for couples in this story world to get their unique HEAs.
Not the Storm referenced above. Hmph.
Then there are the historicals. I have had the rights back to My Outcast Heart and Orphans in the Storm for quite a while now, and they are in queue. I am most excited about getting my ducks in a row for A Heart Most Ardent (still dealing with red tape on the release of A Heart Most Errant) and finally, finally bringing Her Last First Kiss to fruition. There is new stuff brewing, and I love that feeling.
Storm will also be back at regular blogging this week, with lots of pictures and lots to say. I did not act quickly enough yesterday to capture her grand feat of turning my office chair so that she could sleep in it, not only directly in the sunbeam but directly in Koolio’s path. She’s a smart one.
Reading is coming back. I am still early chapters into Lace, by Shirley Conran, and am already super invested. I can already tell this is going into the idea soup already populated by The Wilds, Yellowjackets, and other similar shows, with a historical romance twist. I’m thinking gently-bred girls from some far-flung location, sent by ship to a fancy school in London, but a shipwreck delays things for a while. Better get an inbox started for that. I need to focus on the current projects first.
Gaming-wise, I am in love with the idea of a Sims 4 Forever Save. I may babble about that some here, possibly following one of my families. I think it has a lot to teach me about continuing story worlds. I still normally think in standalones, but this is a series market at the moment, so I want to find out how *I* do story worlds these days.
Back in 2013, I picked up Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, because I was intrigued by the concept of the protagonist being a fanfic writer. I have ficced a few things in my day, so wanted to see how this would play out in an actual novel. Not only did I end up liking the book (and more by Rowell) but that started on me reading YA novels for the first time since I was a young adult myself. There is a bit of time in between those two things.
From there, I read more Rowell and beyond that, more YA. A lot of that has had LGBTQ+ flavor, be it the writer, protagonists, supporting characters, or all of the above. I’ve been wanting to make a post with YA recommendations for a while now (also classic historical romance, but that’s another story (pun intended.) Since we are in Pride month, I figure that’s a good place to start. I can definitely recommend other YA in the future. Believe it or not, there are quite a few YA novels that use fandoms as a large part of the plot, and you know I grab those as soon as I see them.
Whittling this down to five choices has been hard. I do have a larger list, which I can post later. For now, if I could only take five such books to a desert island, these would be the ones, in no particular order.
Told out of chronological order, we get to piece together the events that led up to Nathan, aka Nate, being violently attacked by his best friend, Cam. Heartfelt, angsty, taking an unflinching look at the intersectionality of Christianity and queerness (Nate is both) and what a battlefield adolescence can be for a lot of people. I also highly recommend Mr. Smedley’s other novel, Tonight ,We Rule the World (unrelated) A list of trigger warnings for both books can be found on the author’s site here.
For this one, I will let my Goodreads review do all the talking:
In some alternate universe, I am still reading this book. In some alternate universe, Griffin and Theo and Jackson and Wade are together, in some configuration, as the complete squad. Heck, Jackson could pull in Annika and Veronika, though the gals are supporting characters, but that’s how relationships go sometimes.
Griffin and Theo and Wade were best friends, until Griffin and Theo came out to each other, at the same time. Griffin and Theo dated until Theo left for college on the opposite coast, but still figured they’d be endgame…until Theo met Jackson. Still, they were young, they had time to find their way back to each other…until Theo drowned, sending both Griffin and Wade spinning out of control, and toward each other. Griffin and Jackson should hate each other, but they both love (present tense) Theo, so that’s something, isn’t it?
It is something, but exactly what it is would be telling, and that’s not even counting the important part of the puzzle Wade has been holding onto all this time.
Emotional, engaging, and utterly filled with raw emotion, this book is a touching tale of friendship, first love, grief, and the new normal
This is one of the most raw, affecting, and poignant descriptions of grief I have read in a long time. I will likely write a proper review later, but I did read this book in one sitting. Quick read, and an extremely effective one, stark and cold as a lonely winter, but full of the warmth that comes from friendship and memory, with the sparkle of new beginnings.
I don’t want to think about this book right now, as I want to feel it a while longer. It’s one of those books, an unexpected treat wrapped around the nothingness and crushing weight of loss, the madness that comes in its wake, and the promise of a new normal.
I have indeed thought more about this book but have not written a proper review, but OOF. Our protagonist, Marin, left California with the clothes on her back to go to college on the East Coast. Now it’s Christmas break, and Marin is not going home. She is not going to her roommate’s home. She is staying in the dorm, the only student doing so, her only human companionship a visit from her best friend, Mabel, which means facing everything that made her flee like her life was on fire. To be fair, it kind of was. Nina LaCour wraps this all up in achingly beautiful prose. Be prepared for gut punches and a happy cry at the end.
Dual timelines. Two queer women, sixty years apart, and the pulp novels that tie them together. Once again, I need to write a fuller review, but here’s this for now:
Better review coming later, as I want to hold onto the feeling of having read this book for a while before sharing my impressions, but I knew I had to read it as soon as I first saw the title. Modern day Abby discovers the world of 1950s lesbian pulp fiction, and sets off on a quest to not only write her own novel in the genre, but discover what happened to the author of her favorite pulp novel, who disappeared after only one release. That alone makes for an interesting storyline, but when Robin Talley adds the second point of view, that of the abovementioned author, and that author’s own entrée into the world of the pulps, and weaves in the novels both women write, what we get is a nuanced story on a greater scale.
This book has a lot of what I love best about historical fiction with romantic elements. There may not always be a happily ever after for the couples involved (especially f/f couples in the 1950s) but there is love, and the history directly impacts the relationships of all couples, in both timelines. Though I don’t know much about this area of history, the story, and characters, spurred me to research and learn more about the era and people that created this branch of pulp fiction. That research led me to pick up on some of the Easter eggs (I am sure there are more) sprinkled throughout, referencing real life components of the genre and its time.
Update: Yep. Buying my own copy to annotate. Talley gets it right about the impact a genre can have on a writer.
This feels like cheating, as it’s not a novel but a short story collection, but if I could have only one Levithan, it would be this one. Very, very, very short review on this one, which I will let stand, as my advice is to go in blind.
I am head over heels in love with the way David Levithan uses language and how he taps into the raw, bleeding hearts of young lovers. Some of these loves turn out well, some don’t, and every point in between, but this is an unforgettable collection that will stay with you long after your first read.
My favorite story in this collection is “Breaking and Entering.” I don’t think I have healed fully yet from that one, and I can identify with both characters.
~*~
Five books is, of course, only scratching the surface. Keen observers will notice this list skews heavily toward emotional and angsty, though that is not at all the only option for YA, or even for the authors listed here.
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.
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.
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.
March writing planner before the pen
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.
Two days away from March, and I am certain that I did not sign off on this. For many years, March meant conference season. I think it always will, though through various events, finding romance writer conferences is not as easy as it was before. I do plan on getting back on that particular horse. Most likely, when I do, everything will snap back into place and I’ll wonder why I waited so long, blah blah blah.
Anyway. March. March is that place between winter and spring. In like a lion, out like a lamb, or the other way around. We’ll see soon enough.
Knock me over with a feather, because I am ahead of schedule on my reading goal for this year. Last night, I jumped on the release of Relentless, by Bertrice Small and Thomas Small, as soon as I knew it was out, and devoured it in one sitting. Not a novel, not historical romance, but part biography, part memoir, part poetry, short stories, and a never before published novella. I did not make a dent in my sleep debt last night, but I have no regrets. Dare I say I even feel encouraged that I can get myself back on that horse and keep moving forward.
This week, I set the goal that I have to write actual English words in manuscript format for A Heart Most Ardent, the second novella in my Ravenwood series. Only a couple more boxes to tick before I can release A Heart Most Errant, so definitely time to be writing-writing the next one. Her Last First Kiss has also been tapping me on the shoulder and looking at me over whatever document it is currently reading. This means I am going to be hopping from medieval to Georgian to contemporary times, and I am looking forward to it.
Melva has finished her edits on Drama King, plus a couple of additions. I can’t want to get eyes on that, and then we start the process on that one. The world of indie publishing couldn’t be more different from the traditional publishing world of the first wave of historical romance. If I had some holodeck time (TNG Trekker, yep) I likely would have a program where I was an up-and-coming author in the 70s/80s/early 90s in the historical romance realm. A weekend on Fantasy Island would also suffice, although things would go completely pear-shaped on that one, so maybe not. I am nothing if not genre-savvy.
The TV hangover from Z Nation continues. Then again, there is a release date in sight for Dead City, season two, and new School Spirits tomorrow, plus Yellowjackets on Friday. Do I sound like a cranky old lady when I reminisce about fixed seasons for television? Maybe? Do I care? No. Do I continue to sail my favorite ships (relationships) even if they are not canon and the property is now decades old? Abso-fluffing-lutely. No standout ships for Z Nation, oddly enough, though I am delighted that the actors who played Sarge and 10k got married in real life. Oh wait, Citizen Z and Kaya. Also, Warren got three romances, so there is kissing.
That’s enough of a ramble for today. March means a return to a more consistent blogging schedule, so I am taking advantage of the wiggle room I have left. Time to wrestle with the printer, which likes to tell me it’s offline when it isn’t, but I am not above unplugging it and restarting the laptop to get it back in line. Also time to pop in the earbuds and listen to an audiobook while carrying out domestic warrior queen duties, because I am all about filling the well and keeping it filled.
The world is pretty much on fire, CA literally so, and here I am, blabbering about romance novels, pretty paper things, and cats. Also mental health, because :gestures to world in general: Yeah. Anyway, hi.
Right now, I am knee deep research for my Ravenwood medieval series of historical romances. I will soon have a release date for A Heart Most Errant, so cover reveal will be soon. It’s gorgeous and I love it. I am now working on the framework for the second story, A Heart Most Ardent, and concurrently the third story, A Heart Most Wicked, because they happen mostly at the same time. The characters are talking to me, and boy are they chatty. Also, Edward III had eleven kids, and was succeeded by his grandson. That doesn’t directly affect my people, but I do need to know how that happened, because I am curious.
On the contemporary front, Melva and I are plotting our way to getting Drama King ready for a 2025 release. This week, I am looking at one scene where that book’s couple begin the dance, so to speak (metaphorical dance; nobody is actually dancing.) Melva is giving the ms as a whole one more pass as a reader, which is an interesting venture, and then we can get that underway.
My Ravenwood plans had originally been three novellas and then an omnibus with bonus short story, but what if that fourth story was another novella (or full length novel) to showcase the daughter of the heroine from A Heart Most Ardent. Both leads in that book are widowed already before marrying each other, and the heroine comes complete with a mini-her. What would her life be like when she is an adult? Where would the first three couples be by that time? (Still happily together, of course, but beyond that?)
Besides researching history, plotting romance novels and hands on publishing experience, I am back to regular reading, thanks in part to finally hitting a reading journal that works for me. I am hoping to set up a similar notebook for TV and movies. Right now, I’m excited for the second season of School Spirits, and am torn between bingeing the final three episodes of In the Flesh and making them last. Both series deal with young adults and the afterlife, so hmmm.
Also, there are Sims. I love Sims. Sims as a whole is having a big 25th anniversary celebration. I am currently playing Sims 3, though I also want to get back to both Sims 2 and Sims 4, so that may be impetus to start looking for a better gaming setup. I do find it interesting that what I do for fun is basically the same thing as writing in a lot of ways, but I am okay with that.
Storm’s Christmas tree is now the family tree, in the kitchen, so it is bottle brush tree for the desk. It rests on a decorative box that holds m y photo printing paper. I am feeling a lot better these days, though not one hundred percent. It’s the week before Christmas. I am not sure how that happened. No, actually, I do. I was sick for the two weeks I thought I would have, and I am salty about that. Nevertheless, I put my fairy lights up around my desk (more difficult when I don’t have a hutch, but it works.) I have another set that may go up around my reading nook.
Last night, I finished my re-read of We Are Okay, by Nina LaCour, which means I have met my Goodreads goal for 2024. It was hard going for a while there. I do wish it had been a higher number, but when I think how hard I fought to get to twenty-five books, that’s a good reframe and I am proud of myself. Fun fact, Marin, the protagonist of WAO, also found it difficult to read fiction after dealing with loss and depression. I felt seen there.
I count this as a Christmas book
Now the thing is to pick out a next paper book to read. That task still feels big. I don’t know what my 2025 goal will be, but 25 does feel like an appropriate number. A link to my year in books (so far) if anyone is interested in that, is here. I have a notebook packed with large sticky notes, to guide my future reading. More of a wine cellar inventory than a TBR though it is that as well.
Writing-wise, I am looking forward to the new year. The first quarter will see my first independent historical romance release. Do I wish this were a traditional publishing venture? Eh. It would be nice. I am also genre-savvy enough to know that this isn’t the best time for medievals in the trad pub world, though the readership for such is strong. I am also a new author yet again, as in new to indie publishing, new to medievals, and it’s been a while since my last release. As an indie author, I need to do all of the jobs normally left to the pros. It’s also exciting to try something new, and I do like having the final say in my decisions. We will see how that sorts out.
In the meantime, this is the week before Christmas. Housemate and I made the final round of online orders. I have some letters to write. Tomorrow is final day of in=person shopping. Real Life Romance Hero will be cooking for Christmas. We are doing stockings for the first time in years, which means buying a cat-scaled stocking for Storm’s use. No snow at the moment, but we have some days yet. I love the holiday notebook I set up to hold not only practical plans but diary entries on various holiday things; memories, preferences, observations, etc. I may want to do that for other holidays. We will see. In one week, we will be in the tucked-between week, my favorite week of the year, and then the new year comes, bringing all of the new planners and journals, always a huge event for the planner and journal community.
That’s about enough for today. I have laundry to put away, and family will be home in a matter of minutes. It feels good to have a blog entry written on the day I planned, rather than drawing an arrow to the day after. Hopefully there will be more of that this year.
Right now, there is a possible cover for A Heart Most Errant sitting in my in-box. Am I writing this blog to postpone actually looking at it because it is exciting but scary? Yes. Absolutely. Wil it be okay? Also yes. It is an intermittently blustery day here in NY’s capitol region. There is a cat (Storm) on my desk, formatting and uploading forms sitting in my hard drive, and have hauled our grocery delivery upstairs and put it away. The only thing left on my schedule today is publishing prep and this blog.
My birthday was last week, and it went really well. Many expressions of love both in person and online. I had lunch out with Housemate, received some lovely stationery gifts, and Real Life Romance Hero got me both a glass dip pen (yes, with ink) and a gorgeous hourglass with black sand, perfect for timing breaks when using a Pomodoro inspired schedule.
the current setup
Keeping nothing but the necessities on my desk is working well. Cup is for tea. Today it’s vanilla chai. The new addition is an unfinished wooden crate turned desktop bookshelf for my most used planners and notebooks. Though I love the A5 rings format, I am mostly in disc bound right now, because folding them in half makes it a lot easier to prop open the particular page and refer to it as needed. Right now, this is the lineup for planners and notebooks:
??? Love the cover but still need to decide on fillings and purpose.
I am planning some Anna Log videos to go through the above and my favorite pen pouches and the like. I find what works best for me is when I can pick up everything I need for whatever project, so if I need to pick up and take my show on the road, it’s one thing, and I don’t have to reach or search for anything.
Now that I am effectively my own (and my and Melva’s) publisher, there is a learning curve and a lot more work, which means it’s an excellent thing I am good at organization. It’s fun. Taking something from chaos to order, it’s not that different from taking a bunch of wild squirrels of ideas and snippets of scenes and turning it into a kickline of chorus dancers. Maybe that’s not the best analogy, but I am sticking with it.
One of the things on the forms is the name of the series. While Melva and I plotted out the ongoing Love by the Book contemporary series together, this is the first time I have intentionally set out to write connected historical romances. I had decided that all stories in this series will follow the pattern of A Heart Most _______. Picking “errant” for the first blank-filler was easy, as the hero is a knight errant. After that, though? :blink blink blink: Ummm….
Now, I have settled on “Ardent” and “Wicked” for the next two , which do capture the spirit of the respective stories. The plan is to put all three together in an omnibus, with a bonus short story, probably holiday themed, when they are all out, which will be another project altogether. All together, they are the Ravenwood series. Trust me, it’s better than “Heart Most” series or “Medieval Hearts” because I am new at this series naming thing. Right now, I am looking at what is on my plate at this moment, which is The Forms. Organization is essential for me to keep track of this sort of thing. I know what I need to do and when I need to do it. One thing at a time, not DO ALL OF THE THINGS RIGHT THE HECK NOW.
Yeah. Long story short (hah, pun unintended) I am entering new territory here. Do I know what I am doing? Ehh, sometimes. That’s okay. Everything anybody is good at, they did for the first time once. This, for publishing, is mine.
Indie pubbed writers, share your wisdom. Readers of indie pubbed romance, what are your favorite aspects/pet peeves? Drop them in the comments for possible discussion in future posts.
We are currently calling the lobster, “Thermidor,” though we are fairly certain that is only his surname and his first and middle names will be taken from an appropriate eighteenth-century military source. I needed a starting point for this very blabbery blog, and the lobster pillow was as good a place as any. For those who are interested in acquiring any of his siblings, they come from the Mart of Walls, in the seasonal section when we found each other, so they have likely skittered over to clearance if they are still in the stores.
Apologies for the radio silence, though I would be the first to tell someone else not to apologize, but eh. It is what it is. Storm and I both plan to be more active on here (unless there is a sunbeam, in which case, she will nap in it.) She does have her birthday (observed) to recount, among other things, and there has been no history in the entire interwebs, as far as I know, where cat pictures were a deterrent.
Regular readers know by now how this sort of entry goes: Anna blabbers for a random amount of time and checks “blog” off her list, then feels better. Fair enough. Things have been relatively snow-free here in NYS, which was not what I had requested, but apparently, I am not in charge of weather. Go figure. Still putting in a request for cool and rainy summer in advance, just in case. I watched the series premiere of The Ones Who Live, the newest entry in The Walking Dead franchise, and I am already wanting to classify it as a romance first. That’s an interesting lens, and one I am wholeheartedly behind, because, well, Rick and Michonne. ‘Nuff said. Also, I am here for the cities and the lore and the whole darned franchise. I love how the whole thing is framed around Rick and Michonne’s bond and determination to get back to each other. I will be watching this one for sure. Also the dream sequences are lovely, a quiet reflection of the chaos of their everyday world. I will have stuff to say about this show.
Reading is still a sludge at times, but that’s a me thing, not a book thing. One step (page) at a time, like anything else. I did start a tentative Goodreads goal of forty books for this year. So far, I am four books in, and will be updating my progress here. Besides a reread of Eleanor and Park, by Rainbow Rowell, I am also re-reading Rapture, by Rosamund Royal, who is also Valerie Sherwood, who is also Jeanne Hines, who, besides epic historical romances, wrote gothics in the 60s and 70s. I’m not sure if the reviews are going to post here as well as on Goodreads, but I do intend to talk more about the books I’m reading because that’s an extrovert thing, and a me thing. Talking about X is vital to my thinking process.
Which comes to writing. Melva and I are going full steam ahead on finding the best path to bring Drama King and Queen of Hearts to readers in the coming year. The special talking people vet thinks Camp NaNo is a great idea, so I will be doing that. The question now is, shoot for a new novella and punt that out into the world before the Hypercritical Gremlins get a peek at it, or focus on something already in the works? The one thing I know for sure is that it will be historical romance. I have time before I need to know if I am prepping or pantsing the whole thing. Doesn’t have to be perfect; just has to be written. I may need to make a sign for that.
Hello, all. Happy Valentine’s Day, or it’s Wednesday, depending on any number of things. Feeling very rusty about blogging at the moment, but there is no time like the present to jump back into the swing of things, so hi.
Above, we have my current everyday carry of planning whatnot. I like being able to pick up one thing (or two) and go, especially since I am still using a backpack and knee brace. Technically, I could fit the contents of the leather cover inside the Delfonics pouch, but I like it this way, with my cover, and a small box of ephemera inside the pouch. There’s something special about pen and paper that have a quicker route to the place where my brain keeps fiction, specifically the kind I create myself.
Valentine’s Day is an interesting one for romance writers. It’s the big romantic love day. People who do not normally engage with the romance genre might be tempted to try one in honor of the holiday (yay, welcome, grab a book and stay a while) and hopefully find something they like. It’s also when other people sometimes detract from the romance genre without engaging with it. Okay I don’t have time for that right now. I love the romance genre and have ever since I stole The Kadin by Bertrice Small from my mother’s nightstand when I was eleven. Right then, I knew I had found what I wanted to read and write for the rest of my life. So far, so good.
Sometimes, there are pauses. This latest one seems big and it seems long and it seems oddly misplaced, as things are pretty stable. That’s…curious. Once again, okay. It is what it is. One foot in front of the other from where I actually am, and at some point, I’ll be back on track. Right now, I am fewer than one hundred pages away from the end of a vintage historical romance I have wanted to read for literally decades. Yes, it is worth the wait. Also, Roger de Mortimer was not a nice man. (Stuff like this is one reason I love medievals.) I am eyeing Camp NaNo in April (it is April, right? Anybody want to make a cabin?)
This is feeling babbly, so I will wrap, after a mention of how Valentine’s Day is always interesting around here, as Real Life Romance Hero is in the restaurant business, which means the big date holiday means he is working. We will celebrate later. I kind of like it that way. Storm, of course, will get her due amount of attention, a wee sniff of the nip, and, fingers (and paws) crossed, her own entry by the end of the week.
Typing With Wet Nails 