Sometimes you have an idea so grand, it simply cannot live in just a few pages. Hence why author Jim C. Hines decided to tell a longer tale than the one he originally created with his newest novel, Kitemaster. Come along in his Big Idea through the whirlwind it took to get here.
JIM C. HINES:
Kites are really damn cool.
That was my big, exciting revelation twenty-plus years ago that eventually led to Kitemaster.
It started while I was reading a Zelazny novel. I don’t remember the title and I couldn’t tell you the plot, but it included a reference to fighting kites. I’d never heard of fighting kites before. I remember my fascination at learning people would coat part of their kite lines in ground glass and glue and fly them forth to battle other kites, trying to cut each other’s lines.
Learning more about fighting kites led to me writing a short story called “Gift of the Kites,” about a child who fights to save his grandfather by battling Death’s kite. But that was just the start.
Historically, kites have been used for pulling carts and wagons, for fishing, even to lift soldiers into the air to better observe the enemy. We’ve used them for everything from scientific research to pulling kitesurfers across the water. The world’s longest kite was more than 6000 meters in length (a dragon kite flown at the 2015 International Kite Flying Festival above Chongqing City, China).
I developed a character, Nial, who could control kites and the wind. Then I built a world for her, one where the winds never stop, where giant ribbonlike serpents fly among the clouds and the stars themselves flow with the wind and kitemasters pilot kite-and-sail-powered ships through the sky.
I wrote another short story, this one called “Kitemaster.” But the short story was too, well, short.
Remember that kernel of “Oh, cool!” that began with fighting kites? That was the heart of my worldbuilding as I developed “Kitemaster” into a novel-length work. I wanted more wonder and amazement. I wanted cliffsides that created neverending music as the air rushed past the cave mouths. I wanted spirit kites carrying the dead to the stars. I wanted—
Well, I can’t spoil all the surprises.
The resulting book, Kitemaster, has its share of trouble and darkness. Nial is a widow trying to find a path forward. Her friends Xao and Vikaan carry trauma of their own. Like most worlds, theirs has its share of cruel and unpleasant people.
But there’s also joy and wonder. I loved writing the scene where Nial first goes up on a kiteship. The circumstances aren’t exactly ideal, but that can’t stop Nial’s excitement as they race away from the ground, as she feels the wind’s growing power flowing around and through her…
Amidst all of this is the quieter wonder of Nial reconnecting with the world and with her newfound friends. The trust and love she builds with them are as powerful as anything in this world of magic and endless wind.
That’s where Kitemaster came from: love and wonder and excitement and really cool kites.
It’s our last release week for May and then onto to June. How are we already in June?!
We’re capping off the month with a few contemporaries, a romantic suspense, historical romance, and some superheroes.
What new releases are on your list this week? Drop ’em in the comments!
All Superheroes Need PR
Author: Elizabeth Stephens Released: May 27, 2025 by Montlake Genre:Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Series: Supers in the City #1
He’s a villain looking for a hero rebrand. She’s the marketing genius who can make it happen in this fantastical romantic comedy by the author of the Beasts of Gatamora series.
Over two decades ago, forty-eight young, gifted superheroes fell to Earth and were eventually marketed as opposing heroes and villains. Now, one exceptionally gruff bad guy is looking to hop teams. Hello, PR director Vanessa Theriot.
His real name is Roland Casteel a.k.a. the Pyro. First, swap that with the less incinerating the Wyvern. Next, put him in spandex to highlight that near-godlike body. Finally, give that hero in training a heroine—if Vanessa will play the part in a pretend romance guaranteed to make the city swoon. She’s game. As shy as Vanessa is, it’s her job to be Roland’s very own Lois Lane. Who knew that fake dating would change their worlds?
But falling head over heels for real makes for a dangerous shift in the narrative. A monstrous supervillain is bringing out Roland’s bad side again. This time, it’s to save a woman who, against all the odds, is becoming the human love of his superhero life.
Amanda: I was shocked when the trend of superhero romances never took off, so I’m always interested when I see one pop up.
Author: Alexis Daria Released: May 27, 2025 by Avon Genre:Contemporary Romance, Romance Series: Primas of Power #3
From the international bestselling author of You Had Me at Hola and A Lot Like Adiós comes a steamy love story of a divorced schoolteacher who discovers that her perfect no-strings fling is anything but…
No strings
After Ava Rodriguez’s now-ex-husband declares he wants to “follow his dreams”—which no longer include her—she’s left questioning everything she thought she wanted. So when a handsome hotelier flirts with her, Ava vows to stop overthinking and embrace the opportunity for an epic one-night-stand complete with a penthouse suite, rooftop pool, and buckets of champagne.
No feelings
Roman Vasquez’s sole focus is the empire he built from the ground up. He lives and dies by his schedule, but the gorgeous stranger grimacing into her cocktail glass inspires him to change his plans for the evening. At first, it’s easy for Roman to agree to Ava’s rules: no strings, no feelings. But one night isn’t enough, and the more they meet, the more he wants.
No falling in love
Roman is the perfect fling, until Ava sees him at her cousin’s engagement party—as the groom’s best man, no less! Suddenly, maintaining her boundaries becomes a lot more complicated as she tries to hide the truth of their relationship from her family. However, Roman isn’t content being her dirty little secret, and he doesn’t just want more, he wants everything. With her future uncertain and her family pressuring her from all sides, Ava will have to decide if love is worth the risk—again.
The #1 New York Times-bestselling author presents a new novel about an injured cop who must fight to bring down a pair of twisted killers…
Natural Resources police officer, Sloan Cooper, and her partner had just taken down three men preying on hikers in the Western Maryland mountains. Driving back, she pulled in at a convenience store—and walked right into a robbery in progress. One gunshot from a jittery thief was about to change her world.
After being shocked back to life on the operating table, she has a long recovery ahead, so she moves back to her parents’ peaceful house in Heron’s Rest. As for the boyfriend who dumped her via text while she was in the hospital, good riddance.
She may be down, but she’s not out. So when a woman vanishes, leaving her car behind in a supermarket parking lot, Sloan searches online for similar cases. She finds them, spread across three states. Men and women, old and young—the missing seem to have nothing in common. And the abductions keep happening.
Luckily, the new man in her life shares her passion for solving this mystery. But it will take every ounce of endurance to get to the dark heart of this bizarre case—and she’s willing to risk her life again if that’s what it takes to stop the horror.
Nora Roberts as a new romantic suspense dropping today.
Author: Jenny Holiday Released: May 27, 2025 by Kensington Books Genre:Historical: European, Romance Series: Earls Trip #2
Ted Lasso meets Bridgerton for a 19th century spin on The Hangover in USA Today bestselling author Jenny Holiday’s laugh-out-loud bromantic comedy featuring three Regency-era Earls on their annual trip—ride-or-die buddies offering one another unconditional support in everything from Lady problems to family woes—especially when this trip is crashed by one earl’s pen pal. The complicated fallout from his alter ego being exposed may just be the most challenging problem the boys have to solve yet!
From the author of CANADIAN BOYFRIEND, the perfect romp for fans of Evie Dunmore, India Holton, Virginia Heath, Manda Collins, and Suzanne Allain!
An annual earls’ trip should provide an escape from a gentleman’s cares, but in this refreshingly modern Regency-era series, three handsome BFFs find that wherever they go, romantic complications follow . . .
When not writing, poet Edward Astley, Viscount Featherfinch, spends his time fending off the young ladies of the ton—and some of its young men—and avoiding his cruel father. As heir to the earldom, Edward knows he must marry someday. Alas, he is already hopelessly in love with someone. Hopeless because not only is Miss Julianna Evans not a member of the aristocracy, she is employed. She is a magazine editor—the only one to publish his work. Also, in all their years of increasingly personal correspondence, they’ve never met.
Also, she thinks he’s a woman. Named Euphemia.
Julianna is baffled. How can her soul mate not want to meet? Could it be that Euphemia is not the simple country girl she claims to be? Perhaps she’s wealthy. After all, she’s never cashed any of the bank drafts Julianna has sent. Perhaps Euphemia simply doesn’t want rank to come between them. Well, no more. Having extracted the details of a trip Euphemia is planning, Julianna squanders her meager savings and surprises her at the scene.
He is very, very surprised. As is she.
Now the two will have to decide what is true, what is not, and whether the truest thing of all—love—just might be worth an earldom . . .
Elyse: The first book in this series was so, so good.
Author: Ali Hazelwood Released: May 27, 2025 by Berkley Genre:Contemporary Romance, Romance Series: Not in Love #2
What is wrong meets what feels right in this romance set in Italy by the New York Times bestselling author of Deep End.
Maya Killgore is twenty-three and still in the process of figuring out her life.
Conor Harkness is thirty-eight, and Maya cannot stop thinking about him.
It’s such a cliché, it almost makes her heart implode: older man and younger woman; successful biotech guy and struggling grad student; brother’s best friend and the girl he never even knew existed. As Conor loves to remind her, the power dynamic is too imbalanced. Any relationship between them would be problematic in too many ways to count, and Maya should just get over him. After all, he has made it clear that he wants her gone from his life.
But not everything is as it seems—and clichés sometimes become plot twists.
When Maya’s brother decides to get married in Taormina, she and Conor end up stuck together in a romantic Sicilian villa for over a week. There, on the beautiful Ionian coast, between ancient ruins, delicious foods, and natural caves, Maya realizes that Conor might be hiding something from her. And as the destination wedding begins to erupt out of control, she decides that a summer fling might be just what she needs—even if it’s a problematic one.
Ali Hazelwood second book in the Not in Love series features an age gap romance.
I hope you’re observing it in the manner you believe is the most appropriate for you. For some it’s quiet contemplation, and for others it’s grilling hot dogs, and for some it’s both. And if you’re not in the US, it may just be Monday. Among other things I spend the day thinking about the freedoms and ideals those whom the day commemorates fought for, and how to make sure those freedoms and ideals continue to survive in the current day. Would be a shame to lose them now. Let’s all try not to do that.
First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison is $1.99! This is first in a new series and came out in February. I loved the colors of this cover so much that I made it the palette for my home office.
Aiden Valentine has a secret: he’s fallen out of love with love. And as the host of Baltimore’s romance hotline, that’s a bit of a problem. But when a young girl calls in to the station asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, thrusting Aiden and Heartstrings into the limelight.
Lucie Stone thought she was doing just fine. She has a good job; an incredible family; and a smart, slightly devious kid. But when all of Baltimore is suddenly scrutinizing her love life—or lack thereof—she begins to question if she’s as happy as she thought. Maybe a little more romance wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
Everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending…even the handsome, temperamental man calling the shots. But when sparks start to fly behind the scenes, Lucie must make the final call between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.
Sylvia’s Second Act by Hillary Yablon is $1.99 and a KDD! This features a heroine who is starting over at sixty-three and it looks very fun! Shana was reading it in a previous Whatcha Reading.
Her husband’s cheating on her. She hates Boca. Sylvia is mad and she isn’t going to take it anymore. She’s moving back north, to the city of her dreams—with her best friend, Evie, in tow. Think a screwball comedy featuring a sophisticated Thelma and Louise with martinis in hand . . .
When sixty-three-year-old Sylvia finds her husband in bed with the floozy of their Boca retirement community, she’s shocked and furious . . . at first. By the time her head stops spinning, Sylvia realizes that actually, this isn’t what she wants anymore anyway.
So she enlists her best friend, the glamorous older widow Evie, to join her in setting up a new life in Manhattan. Sylvia’s ex-husband may have lost her life savings, but Sylvia and Evie are scrappy and determined, unopposed to pawning jewelry and roughing it in tiny apartments. And before long, Sylvia signs on to revive her decades-old wedding planning business with a former professional rival. Sylvia has a lot to prove, and beneath it all, she can’t help but wonder: Will she ever be able to get back into the dating game?
Sylvia doesn’t want to be twenty-five or thirty again. Her age gives her wisdom, experience, and perspective. A career, sex, fun, and a new romance—her entire second act is stretched out in front of her, beckoning to her. It’s her time, and watch out, world, Sylvia is coming!
Unlearning Shame by Dr. Devon Price is $1.99 and a KDD! This book came out last February and we’ve enjoyed several of Dr. Price’s books in the past. Did any of you pick this one up?
Learn to identify—and combat—Systemic Shame, the feeling of self-hatred and disempowerment that comes from living in a society that blames individuals for systemic problems, with this invaluable resource from the social psychologist and author of Unmasking Autism .
Systemic Shame is the socially engineered self-loathing that says we are solely to blame for our circumstances. It tells us that poverty is remedied by hard-working people pulling themselves up by their bootstraps, that marginalized people are personally responsible for solving the problem of their own oppression, and that massive global crises like climate change can be solved with individual action. Feeling overwhelmed? That’s your problem, too. The more we try and ultimately fail to live up to impossible societal standards of moral goodness, the more shame we feel—and the more we retreat into isolation and despair.
Social psychologist Dr. Devon Price knows firsthand the destructive effects of Systemic Shame; he experienced shame and self-hatred as he grappled with his transgender identity, feeling as if his suffering was caused by his own actions rather than systems like cissexism. And it doesn’t just end with internal feelings of anguish. It causes us to judge other people the same way we fear being judged, which blocks us from seeking out the acceptance and support we need and discourages us from trying to improve our communities and our relationships.
In Unlearning Shame , Dr. Price explores how we can deal with those hard emotions more effectively, tackling the societal shame we’ve absorbed and directed at ourselves. He introduces the antidote to Systemic expansive recognition, an awareness of one’s position in the larger social world and the knowledge that our battles are only won when they are shared. He provides a suite of exercises and resources designed to combat Systemic Shame on a personal, interpersonal, and global level through rebuilding trust in yourself, in others, and in our shared future.
By offering a roadmap to healing and a toolkit of actionable items, Unlearning Shame helps us reject hopelessness and achieve sustainable change and personal growth.
Stroke of Midnight by Olivia Drake is $2.99! This is our third KDD and right now, the deal only looks valid at Amazon. This is the second book in the Cinderella Sisterhood series and features a second chance romance.
He’s no Prince Charming. She doesn’t have a pumpkin coach. Sometimes love is nothing like a fairy tale; it’s even better…
It’s Never Too Late
The infamous Laura Falkner has returned to London society in disguise. Determined to clear her father’s name, she becomes a companion to elderly Lady Josephine—only to learn the woman’s nephew is none other than Alexander Ross, the devilish Earl of Copley, the man Laura once loved with all her heart. The same man who’d accused her father of theft and forced them to flee England.
To Fall Head Over Heels In Love
Alex has never forgotten Laura—or forgiven himself for letting her go. Today, Laura is as lovely—and stubborn—as ever, and her attempts at crime-solving are putting her in danger. The only way Alex can keep her safe is to marry her. But how can this notorious rake convince Laura that his heart is true…before the clock strikes twelve?
Elyse: The moment you realize it wasn’t just a fart.
Sarah: That’s what the rose is for. She might need a few more for poo-pourri purposes.
(Also, hand to heaven, if you have to share a bathroom, especially while traveling, Poo-Pourri works REALLY well.)
Elyse: I hope that’s a typo.
Sarah: $10 says the title came first and the book was built around it.
Elyse: Did a 12 year old boy come up with it?
I’m all for a good double entendres but lord.
Maya: So is the pitch she’s a grieving widow and he has priapism?
Sarah: If it lasts longer than three chapters, please call your doctor.
From PamG: It’s definitely not the original nor illustrated, but it’s all kindsa ugly. Looks like a gruesome assemblage of body parts in a puddle of blood. It’s pretty repellent to me.
Sarah: Are they melting? Too close to the space heater? Sunbathing on a volcano that woke up? What on earth?
Amanda: Is Before Girl like a timeframe indicator like BC and AD?
Sarah: Judging by the cover, it marks the start of catastrophic global warming.
From Leslie: Misdirected Mae? And why is the guy dead? At least, his torso is dead. Maybe what is in his pants (or in the mailbox) is not dead. Hard to say.
Sarah: I can’t believe I’m typing these words, but: the mailbox penis is not subtle.
Amanda: I thought that was a stack of maxi pads at first.
Tara: My first thought was “dick in a (mail)box.”
Sarah: If step one is to cut a hole in the (mail)box, and step two is to put your dick in that (mail)box, is step three a visit from the postmaster general?
If you want to have a little extra fun, be a little more yourself, and be part of keeping the site open for everyone in the future, we can’t wait to see you in our new subscription-based section with exclusive content and events.
Everything you’re used to seeing at the Hot Pink Palace that is Smart Bitches Trashy Books will remain free as always, because we remain committed to fostering community among brilliant readers who love romance.
Wow, we are quickly closing in on 100 of these! I can hardly believe it.
This time, I have an even split of fiction and non-fiction. All are quite different from one another.
Have you received any good book recs lately? Share them in the comments!
Dopamine Decor
I’ve followed Kate Rose Morgan on IG for some time and she is my largest inspiration for how I’m decorating my office. If you’re a maximalist, like myself, or want to find more ways to add playfulness to your decor, this one is out on Tuesday!
Embrace colorful, maximalist style and create the home that makes you happy with Dopamine Decor, a lushly photographed ode to joyful interiors from design expert and social media star Kate Rose Morgan.
Find your color confidence with Dopamine Decor, an aspirational yet practical guide to vibrant, maximalist style. Throughout this playful, joy-filled book, design expert and proud color lover Kate Rose Morgan (@kate_rose_morgan) teaches readers of all kinds how to channel the aesthetic that makes them happy, to create the homes of their dreams. Inside you’ll find:
• Guidelines for finding your comfort color and design vision.
• Ways to connect with your “inner child” as you hone your aesthetic and find joy.
• Practical guidance on paint, DIY projects, and achieving balance.
• Tips for both homeowners and renters on how to brighten up any space.
• Budget-friendly ideas for introducing playfulness into your home.
• Inspirational images from dozens of colorful homes around the world.
• Personal stories from Kate’s own colorful home transformation.
If you love a good audiobooks, this recommendation is for you. The narrators are John Cho and Phillipa Soo.
One mysterious mansion. Two rival journalists. Three weeks to uncover the story—and love—of a lifetime.
Obituary writer Nadine Barbault doesn’t mind being called “Lady Death.” It suits the ice queen persona she’s cultivated to survive the fast-paced Toronto Herald. So when Nadine learns that famous (and reclusive) author Dot Voline has died, she doesn’t hesitate to run the obituary…only to discover that Dot is very much alive.
Nadine’s screw-up has brought Wesley Chen of the rival Spear no end of joy—she’s been a thorn in his extremely ambitious side for years. But the renewed interest in Dot also surfaced chatter about a mysterious past scandal. Intrigued, Wes goes to the source to learn more—only to discover Nadine had the exact same idea…and the infuriating woman isn’t willing to respect dibs. Typical.
At first, Dot refuses to speak to either of the squabbling pair, but then they receive an unusual request—work together, and Dot will share everything. The offer seems too good to be true…and of course, it in a bitter twist of irony, Dot dies for real before she can finish recounting her story. Not all is lost, however. The estate’s executor allows Wes and Nadine access to Dot’s sprawling wonderland of a mansion for three weeks to find their answer. That’s three weeks of working together…three weeks of endless sweltering in tight spaces…three weeks of learning there could be something more between them than a desire to win at any cost.
And maybe, just maybe, under the rubble of all those could-have-beens they’ll uncover more than the secret of Dot Voline’s long-ago scandal—and Lady Dearth will finally embrace what she’s wanted from life all along.
I think Gothic horror is one of my favorite strains. (My favorite is The Family Plot by Cherie Priest, by the way.) If you want a short, fever dream of a Gothic horror, put this one on your list.
Come meet The Liar, The Secret Keeper, The Crybaby, and the rest.
Nine children travel with their families to their Grandfather’s vacation property, where strange things begin to eyes blink from the bottom up, mushrooms ooze blood, people’s faces don’t hang right anymore—except they do, once you look more closely. Transformations warp the children’s sense of time and place, the very land itself seeming to encroach upon them.
As The Liar watches the children succumb one by one to an unknown fate, she must make sense of absent stars in the night sky, vials of amber liquid that taste of milk, a funny little rope tied in knots. She’s faced with a join or resist, only the choice is not so simple.
Set in The Grandfather’s Lake House as he continues to extend his property lines and told in the eerie we of the children, Root Rot explores predatory family dynamics, the boundaries of bodies and home, and how individuals choose to participate in or push back against structures that would harm them.
I feel like Buffy was a pivotal show to some of the Bitchery. This is about two women who ran a very popular Buffypodcast and how the show helped them navigate their public divorce.
A memoir reflecting on the lessons learned from watching and podcasting about Buffy, from the hosts of the hit podcast Buffering the Vampire Slayer.
Kristin and Jenny’s marriage started with an to further their relationship, Kristin must watch Jenny’s favorite show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. With the terms set, they began a journey that has led them through seven seasons of the beloved genre show, a podcast rewatching the series with their newly minted community of queer “Scoobies,” unexpected fame, and a divorce. Through it all, their love for Buffy and their commitment to their community held them together against the odds.
Slayers, Every One of Us is the story of how two queer women navigated divorce on a very public level and managed to stay in each other’s lives through it all. While chock full of Buffy content for true fans, it’s ultimately a memoir of queer love and chosen family. It’s a heartwarming story for anyone who’s experienced heartbreak, and a roadmap for staying close with your ex.
I resent that you woke me up for this. On a Saturday.
Totally fair. Go ahead and ask your questions.
Ugh, fine. First: Have you, in fact, written thirteen novels in ten years?
I have not!
So much for Mister “oh, I never miss a deadline” over here.
Two things here: One, I do actually only rarely miss a deadline, and then for good reason, and also usually only by a couple of weeks at most, so there, and two, my release schedule is primarily dictated by Tor, my publisher, so if I didn’t write 13 books in ten years, it’s mostly because Tor decided that schedule was not actually what they wanted.
So how many books have you written in those ten years?
For Tor? I’ve written eight: The Collapsing Empire, Head On, The Consuming Fire, The Last Emperox, The Kaiju Preservation Society, Starter Villain, When the Moon Hits Your Eye, and The Shattering Peace, which comes out in September. Outside of that I’ve written four novellas, a bunch of short stories, some which have been made into two published collections, and two collections of essays. Plus four screenplays for Love, Death + Robots. So I would say I haven’t exactly been slacking.
I mean, I guess.
Thank you.
Why didn’t Tor want all thirteen of those books within ten years?
That timeframe was partially built on the idea that three of the novels I wrote would be young adult novels. Putting out those novels would run on a parallel track, because the YA market is not the same as the adult SF/F market, so we could release them on a schedule not too far off from by main releases and not worry about them cannibalizing sales. But then I didn’t end up writing the YA books.
Why not?
For a combination of reasons. One, in the ten years since the contract was signed the dynamic of the YA market has changed considerably, and yes, that is a euphemism, and two, the adult science fiction I was releasing was doing really well in terms of sales and market presence. So the question came down to, do we want to spend the time/effort to try to crack a wildly-changing market, or keep building sales and audience in the market we’re already strong in? Guess which we picked.
What’s going to happen to the YA books on the contract?
As a matter of the contract, we’ll convert those books from YA to adult books, so I will still owe the three books, I’ll just write them for the adult market, and put them in the adult market release cycle. The YA books I was planning to write weren’t science fiction novels, so I’ll come up with new ideas for those novels. Which is fine. Coming up with ideas has never been a problem for me.
As for the ideas I came up with for the YA books, a number of things could happen with them. I could pitch them as film/TV ideas — and in fact one of them had already been optioned for a TV series a few years ago, I “sold it in the room” a while back, but it didn’t pan out in development — or I could retool them and write them as novellas, or I could hand them off to another writer to build out, or whatever. There are options. They just won’t be YA novels from me at this point.
Even at a “one novel a year” schedule, you’re still slightly behind, you know.
Maybe. On the other hand I can’t complain. For example, I didn’t have a novel come out in 2024 because, as it happened, the one day Tor had open on its schedule for a book from me was Election Day in the United States, and oh boy we didn’t want to put a book out that day. We bumped When the Moon Hits Your Eye to March 2025 instead. That turned out to be a pretty smart maneuver, not just in avoiding election nonsense, but because the previous book, Starter Villain, has had some really strong legs, and we were able to promote the paperback release in October, putting the book back into bestseller lists for weeks at the end of the year, and into the holiday season.
The long-term contract isn’t just about “a book a year, every year” even if, on average, that’s the goal. It’s also about having the long-term flexibility to map out the best course for all the books we have to work with. Sometimes, as in the case with Starter Villain, that means letting them have a little extra time in the spotlight. The schedule is a guideline, not a rule.
That sounds like something a slacker would say.
Well, I’ll have two books out in 2025, if that’s really important to you. And another in 2026. And so on, for a while.
So your “ten-year” contract looks like it will take fifteen years at least.
That’s about right.
And everyone’s just okay with this lackadaisical schedule.
It seems so. One, as I’ve mentioned before, it’s not like Tor or I am losing money with this release schedule; we ran the numbers a while back and this contract’s been in the black for everyone involved for years now. Or to put it another way, hey, remember last year, when I got a ten-book extension to the already existing contract?
Yes, I do, you woke me up for that one, too.
Sorry.
No you’re not.
Anyway, my point in mentioning that is that we’ve done well enough on the first contract that we’re pretty sure Tor’s already in the black for what they’ll owe me for the extension.
So they got you for cheap, is what you’re saying.
That’s not what I’m saying.
Discount Scalzi.
No.
Half-Price Hugo Winner.
No.
By Grabthar’s Hammer, what a savings.
Stop that.
I promise nothing.
Fine. They’re not getting me for cheap, I assure you. I will be buying whatever questionable guitar I like for some time to come. What they are getting, and by design, is a pretty safe bet. I sell decently out of the gate and extremely well in the backlist and it’s all set up so none of us is reliant on a single book being “make or break” for the whole enterprise. There’s flexibility and margin, and in publishing, that’s a rare thing indeed. It’s a contract designed to weather storms, and these days, that’s an extremely good thing.
You’re talking about the whole “The US is currently run by a dickhead working very hard to destroy its economy and global standing” thing, aren’t you.
Not just about that, but certainly about that too, yes. I sell a lot of work to foreign markets and the current administration making the country look bad isn’t a great thing for any US-based author. It means I have to think about what and how I write — for example, whether I write books that take place in the US, as Starter Villain and (largely) When the Moon Hits Your Eye do. It may be that for the next four years at least, I spend more time in space, and in futures where the current administrative fuckery will be less of a drag on my potential sales. We will see what happens! The nice thing, however, is that we — me and Tor — can plan and prepare as well as anyone can for what the (immediate) future brings.
Hey, a decade ago, weren’t there a bunch of dudes who were furious about your deal, or arguing you could have done better for yourself, or that you should have self-published, or whatever?
There were!
Man, what even happened to them?
I suspect at least some of them are asking themselves the same question. In a general sense, it’s possible that they should have spent more time focusing on their own careers and work, and less time focusing on the careers and work of other people.
If you could go back in time to 2015, would you sign the same contract again?
Pretty much? I understand this sort of contract is not for everyone; not everyone wants to know what they’re doing professionally, and who with, for a decade or more, or wants the pressure of being on the hook for multiple unwritten books. But as for me, back then, I was pretty sure in a decade I would still want to be writing novels, and I would want to be doing it with people and a publisher who were all in for my work. Turns out, I nailed that prediction pretty well. And from a financial and career point of view I can’t say that it hasn’t benefitted me tremendously.
Now, to be clear, other writers have sold more than me, or gotten bigger advances than I have, or have won more awards than me, in the ten years since that contract made the news. But I’ve sold enough, been paid enough, and have been awarded enough to make me happy and then some. I’m happy with the work I’ve done in this last decade. I’m happy with how it’s been received. I’m happy with where I am with my career and life. Much of that is because of this contract. So, yeah, I would do it again. I kind of did, last year, when I signed that ten-book extension.
With that extension you’ll be writing until 2040 or so.
Barring death or significant brain injury, yes, probably.
What will you do then?
I’ll be 70 then. I have no idea what 70-year-old me will want, except possibly a nap. Ask me then.
Do I have to?
I mean, you’re my fictional interlocutor, you literally have no other function, so, yeah, probably.
Welcome back to Whatcha Reading! Here’s how we’re wrapping up May:
Elyse: I just started This Monster of Mine. The author said the hero was inspired by Ben Barnes as the Darkling so …
Claudia: I’m struggling with the new Susanna Kearsley book, The King’s Messenger. ( A | BN | K | AB ) It’s told from the perspectives of multiple characters and to me it just feels jarring, like I don’t get to know any of them.
Amanda: What a coincidence, I picked up This Monster of Mine this week!
Tara: I just finished Dream a Little Dream by Melissa Brayden. ( A | BN | K | AB ) I want someone to make a mini series out of it now, because it has nighttime soap opera vibes.
Sarah: I was thinking about nighttime soaps this weekend. Dallas was my first really “grown up” show.
Carrie: I’m reading The God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim. ( A | BN | K | AB ) I’m loving it but also finding it slow going and I’m not sure why.
Sarah: I am reading A Soul to Keep by Opal Reyne. ( A | BN ) I think it was #1 in a category on Amazon that made me laugh — yes, “Magic romance.” Y’all, when Beyond Heaving Bosoms was released we were #1 in “movements and periods,” which meant that I’m forever charmed by the ?! bestseller tags.
Amanda: Very surprised you’re reading that one lol
Sarah: This has been a curious reading experience. The Duskwalkers are like Leshens from Witcher and before that, mythology, and the whole “we eat people and absorb their humanity” is intriguing and also has some gaping plot holes. It also has some of the most clumsy, cumbersome sentences I’ve ever read.
“Her smile was haunting when he raised his head, knowing that she meant inside and not just how he had.”
At this point I’m reading to figure out how they get to the telegraphed ending: aside from schtupping and mundanity, there isn’t a lot of plot.
And I have learned that a few readers online think it is very heavily inspired by the anime/manga Ancient Magus Bride. I’m going to have to read that, too, huh? All in the name of “what is the monster type that would most interest me should I wish to embark upon monster romance.” I went with Leshen and look what happened, y’all.
Shana: Weirdly, I just put This Monster of Mine on hold at the library yesterday. Clearly this book is having a moment.
I’m reading Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb. ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) I don’t usually like memoirs but this feel more like eavesdropping on a series of therapy sessions
Sarah: I listened to that book! It very much felt like I was listening in on things I wasn’t meant to hear.
Kiki: I bought The Poppy War Trilogy by R. F. Kuang in audiobook on super-duper discount over a year ago and just started listening. I’m liking it so far, but I also know myself and know my odds of actually finishing a large fantasy series are…slim. Not a reflection necessarily of the book, just of my brain (and my love of an audiobook deal, seriously, the complete series was $6.00)
Sarah: That is a GOOD PRICE.
Kiki: For 60 hours of audiobook!
Sarah: HOLY CRAP.
Where are you going, Jupiter?
Kiki: Oh I’m one of those people who is always listening to something. Walking anywhere, cooking, cleaning, etc. and honestly a fair amount of my job can be done while listening to something too which helps.
Sarah: Same here. 60 hours my gosh. That’s a lot of chorin’.
Just in time for Memorial Day, a hefty stack of New Books and ARCs that have come to the Scalzi Compound! What here would you like to have for your long weekend reading? Share in the comments!
A Demon’s Guide to Wooing a Witch by Sarah Hawley is $1.99! This is book two in the Glimmer Falls series, which didn’t work for me as I prefer my paranormal romances to be a little darker. The heroine is a gym rat witch and the hero is a snarky demon with amnesia.
Calladia Cunnington curses the day she met Astaroth the demon, but when he shows up memoryless, why does she find him so helpless . . . and sort of hot?
Calladia Cunnington knows she’s rough around the edges, despite being the heir to one of small-town Glimmer Falls’ founding witch families. While her gym obsession is a great outlet for her anxieties and anger, her hot temper still gets the best of her and manifests in bar brawls. When Calladia saves someone from a demon attack one night, though, she’s happy to put her magic and rage to good use . . . until she realizes the man she saved is none other than Astaroth, the ruthless demon who orchestrated a soul bargain on her best friend.
Astaroth is a legendary soul bargainer and one of the nine members of the demon high council—except he can’t remember any of this. Suffering from amnesia after being banished to the mortal plane, Astaroth doesn’t know why a demon named Moloch is after him, nor why the muscular, angry, hot-in-a-terrifying-way witch who saved him hates him so much.
Unable to leave anyone in such a vulnerable state—even the most despicable demon—Calladia grudgingly decides to help him. (Besides, punching an amnesiac would be in poor taste.) The two set out on an uneasy road trip to find the witch who might be able to restore Astaroth’s memory so they can learn how to defeat Moloch. Calladia vows that once Astaroth is cured, she’ll kick his ass, but the more time she spends with the snarky yet utterly charming demon, the more she realizes she likes this new, improved Astaroth . . . and maybe she doesn’t want him to recover his memories, after all.
The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem is $2.99 and a Kindle Daily Deal! This is book one in The Scorched Throne series. I heard about this one through a reading newsletter one of my friends sends out. She isn’t a big romance reader, but had great things to say about this fantasy romance.
Ten years ago, the kingdom of Jasad burned. Its magic outlawed; its royal family murdered down to the last child. At least, that’s what Sylvia wants people to believe.
The lost Heir of Jasad, Sylvia never wants to be found. She can’t think about how Nizahl’s armies laid waste to her kingdom and continue to hunt its people—not if she wants to stay alive. But when Arin, the Nizahl Heir, tracks a group of Jasadi rebels to her village, staying one step ahead of death gets trickier.
In a moment of anger Sylvia’s magic is exposed, capturing Arin’s attention. Now, to save her life, Sylvia will have to make a deal with her greatest enemy. If she helps him lure the rebels, she’ll escape persecution.
A deadly game begins. Sylvia can’t let Arin discover her identity even as hatred shifts into something more. Soon, Sylvia will have to choose between the life she wants and the one she left behind. The scorched kingdom is rising, and it needs a queen.
In this Egyptian-inspired debut fantasy, a fugitive queen strikes a deadly bargain with her greatest enemy and finds herself embroiled in a complex game that could resurrect her scorched kingdom or leave it in ashes forever.
The Wraith King by Juliette Cross is 99c at Amazon! I mentioned this on Get Rec’d because I was certainly suckered in by a Goodreads ad. I’ve also had good experiences with Cross’s books in the past.
A brutal, bloody war against the ruthless Wraith King has cost the light fae more than innocent lives. Una Hartstone, Princess of Issos, learns the price the Wraith King demands to end the war once and for all. Her. In exchange for the safety of her people, she agrees to give her life—and her body—to her greatest enemy.
Gollaya Verbane is determined to fulfill his destiny and his god’s prophecy. When his seer points to the Princess of Issos as the key to the rise of the dark fae, he demands her submission. But when she finally yields, he realizes Una is much more to him than a priceless weapon.
A mystery that has haunted Una for years awakens when she is abducted and dragged back to Näkt Mir. The palace hides many dark secrets…and at least one traitor. A traitor determined to take King Goll’s throne—and all he possesses. What he doesn’t know is that Una’s magick is more powerful than he can imagine, and that Goll will burn the whole world to save her.
The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran is $3.99! We always get lots of comments when we feature a Duran title; many are hoping she’ll return to writing someday. If you need hope, I found a Reddit thread that mentioned Duran had updated her “About” page in the last couple years and makes references to finishing a manuscript. Sarah reviewed it back in 2008 and gave it a B-:
Julian was tortured and noble, and though he didn’t change so much as come to own himself and the power at his disposal in both of the cultures that shaped him, his journey was fascinating. Julian was marvelous, and did things I wished heroes in other historical novels would do, including beating the ever living shit out of someone who truly deserved it, and being vindicated for doing so. YUM.
In a debut romance as passionate and sweeping as the British Empire, Meredith Duran paints a powerful picture of an aristocrat torn between two worlds, an heiress who dares to risk everything…and the love born in fire and darkness that nearly destroys them.
From exotic sandstone palaces…
Sick of tragedy, done with rebellion, Emmaline Martin vows to settle quietly into British Indian society. But when the pillars of privilege topple, her fiancé’s betrayal leaves Emma no choice. She must turn for help to the one man whom she should not trust, but cannot resist: Julian Sinclair, the dangerous and dazzling heir to the Duke of Auburn.
To the marble halls of London…
In London, they toast Sinclair with champagne. In India, they call him a traitor. Cynical and impatient with both worlds, Julian has never imagined that the place he might belong is in the embrace of a woman with a reluctant laugh and haunted eyes. But in a time of terrible darkness, he and Emma will discover that love itself can be perilous — and that a single decision can alter one’s life forever.
Destiny follows wherever you run.
A lifetime of grief later, in a cold London spring, Emma and Julian must finally confront the truth: no matter how hard one tries to deny it, some pasts cannot be disowned…and some passions never die.
At my age, I have started to have more and more friends decide to start families. Settle down, get married, have kids, the works. So many of my peers and even close friends are choosing this path, and it’s been hard for me to think of ways to support them through this journey of theirs. Sometimes I feel disconnected to my friends because of it, since I just can’t relate at all to what they’re going through, but at the end of the day I still want to be there for them and be a good friend. But I couldn’t figure out how.
About a month ago, I was scrolling on Tik Tok, and this video from Mad About Food popped up (click on it if it doesn’t show up for you or if the window here is wonky):
meal prep for a new mom I dropped this food off to a friend who recently had her first baby because there is nothing better when you’re a new parent than someone else cooking for you. Full recipes at the link in my bio! meal prep breakfast sandwiches stuffed shells with meat oatmeal chocolate chip cookies apple cider vinaigrette
Meal prep for a new mom. It was genius! How had I not thought of that? Food is basically my love language. I should’ve realized sooner that making food for my friends was the answer I had been searching for. It’s helpful, practical, and something I can do to help that doesn’t involve dirty diapers!
The menu seemed simple enough: breakfast sandwiches, stuffed shells, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. All of that seemed pretty cheap, easy to make, and convenient to have on hand to bake whenever they were ready. So let’s talk about if it actually was, in fact, cheap and easy.
Step one was gathering ingredients for everything. I had to assess how much I had on hand already, and what I needed to go buy. The recipes themselves are pretty simplistic. There’s nothing you wouldn’t be able to find at the store, and no special expensive ingredients or anything like that.
For the breakfast sandwiches, I needed to go buy all the ingredients. The breakfast sandwiches required a dozen eggs, but the cookies also required eggs, so I bought an 18-count of eggs. She uses bacon in the video, but I opted for Canadian bacon so I didn’t have to actually cook any bacon.
First, you blend up a dozen eggs with a container of cottage cheese and bake it. I thought that was a strange mixture of ingredients, but it baked up so nicely and came out perfect! Once the eggs cooled and I cut the sheet of baked eggs into twelve squares, assembling the breakfast sandwiches was so easy. Just split the English muffin, put a square of egg on it, top it with Canadian bacon and a slice of cheddar cheese (I used Sargento), and that’s really it.
Like she does in the video, I individually wrapped each one in foil and put each one in its own freezer sandwich size Ziploc bag.
Let’s talk dishes. I used a mixing bowl and an immersion blender, a 13×9 baking dish, a knife, and a baking sheet. Not bad!
For the stuffed shells, I did in fact need to go buy every single ingredient. The recipe contains a lot of common pantry items though that you might have regularly, like the pasta and the marinara, and I’m sure some of you have a log of ground beef as a regular grocery you buy. I will say normally I have Italian seasoning but I had just ran out last week so I needed a new bottle.
Anyways, the stuffed shells were not too complicated. You cook the meat, and you mix the meat with the ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella. I did this in a stand mixer, but you can totally do it by hand if you want. You cook the shells, you wait for them to cool, and then ya stuff ’em. Top the shells with sauce and more mozzarella and bada bing bada boom, stuffed shells. Easy peasy! Do not bake it after you assemble it, whoever you’re gifting it to will just throw it in the oven when they’re ready to have it!
The dishes count on the stuffed shells was considerably higher than the breakfast sandwiches. I used a pan and spatula to cook the meat, the stand mixer bowl and attachment, a pot to boil the pasta, a strainer, several measuring cups and measuring spoons, and a spoon to scoop the filling with.
Finally, for the cookies, I can’t believe I’m saying this but I had every ingredient on hand! Please, hold your applause until the end. Though, my brown sugar was sadly rock hard, so I bought a new bag of light brown sugar. Other than that, I didn’t have to buy anything for the cookies.
The cookies were second nature to me, as cookies are my favorite thing to make and I do it semi-regularly. Plus, when making cookies, the stand mixer is your best friend. So, it was no trouble mixing the butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and dry ingredients, and folding in the chocolate chips. It was quick and easy and honestly the biggest issue I faced was spilling some oats all over the counter.
In the instructions she says to chill the dough before rolling it into balls, and usually I’m tempted to skip this step because I’m impatient, but I actually listened. And thank goodness I did because even after that hour chilling, when I was rolling the dough into balls it was definitely like, very heat sensitive. I don’t know if my hands were just hot as heck for some reason or what but I almost had to put it all back in the fridge because the balls were just becoming hot messes.
But, I managed to make all the balls and instead of baking them, you just freeze the balled dough. Then the person you’re gifting them to can bake as many as they want at a time. They could just take two balls out and bake up one or two cookies, or they could put the whole tray in at once. Very convenient.
Dishes for cookies were the usual suspects, the stand mixer bowl and attachment, various measuring cups and measuring spoons, a rubber spatula, nothing too wild.
I bought everything at Kroger, and after buying the ingredients as well as disposable trays like in the video, plus some Ziploc bags and aluminum foil to cover stuff with, my total was a little less than a hundred dollars. And the time I spent actually preparing the food was probably about five hours, six if you count the time it took to do dishes and clean up. Admittedly I am sort of slow when it comes to cooking, though. Things that take “only thirty minutes” will take me double that time, if not more.
So, it took like a full afternoon and a decent chunk of change for ingredients, but honestly I think it’s worth it and I’m just happy I found something that I can contribute to a friend who is going through something as monumental as becoming a parent. My friend was so happy to receive the food, and that made me happy in return! It was a great feeling, and I can’t wait to do it all again for my other pregnant friends. I have a lot of those right now, it seems.
Do you make freezer meals often (this was my first time)? Do you like Canadian bacon? Let me know in the comments, and have a great day!
There’s a lot of things I could write about Another Simple Favor. I could write about whether or not Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively get along with each other! I could write about our current societal obsession with True Crime! I could write about how the conversation about mommy vlogging has changed since 2018! I could write about stereotypes about Italians – we aren’t all in the mob! Some of us are freelance writers!
But I’m not going to write about any of those things because those things require thought and this is very much not a movie to which you should apply any thought whatsoever. This is a movie that you watch saying, “Oh, so pretty!” It is very pretty, it is very fun, and it does not have a single thought in its perfectly coiffed head.
A Simple Favor came out in 2018 and it’s one of my favorite movies. Although it’s gloriously trashy and ridiculous, it does have a thought in its head – several, in fact. For me, what makes the movie have staying power is Stephanie’s character arc. Stephanie is played by Anna Kendrick and is a widowed stay-at-mom who is trying to build a business as a vlogger. She becomes friends with Emily, played by Blake Lively, and as toxic and horrible as Emily clearly is, she still gives Stephanie some excellent advice. The mutual fascination between Emily and Stephanie, and the push-pull between Stephanie seeing Emily as empowering versus pure undiluted poison, is utter magic.
As someone who is very similar to Stephanie in terms of social anxiety, I still get a thrill every time Emily says, “Stop saying you’re sorry. It’s a fucked up female habit. You don’t have to apologize for anything, ever.”
Well I mean – “ever” is a strong statement, one that is made by a narcissistic alcoholic murderer, so maybe we want to soften that advice just a tad, but my God, I love that movie so much.
If you haven’t seen A Simple Favor then not only should you see it before you watch Another Simple Favor, but you should see it before you read the rest of this review because the entire review is a spoiler for the first movie.
“To not getting poisoned!” Stephanie chirps.
Another Simple Favor begins several years after the ending of the first film. Stephanie has written a book about Emily, who appears at one of her book tour talks. Emily has been released from prison early and wants Stephanie to be her maid-of-honor at her wedding to Dante Versano, her extremely wealthy fiance, on the island of Capri. Emily has also invited her ex-husband, Sean (Henry Golding, dripping with drunken bitterness). Dante’s mother, who hates Emily, arranges for a surprise visit from Emily’s dotty mom (Elizabeth Perkins), and Aunt Linda (Allison Janney, gleefully chewing scenery).
If you aren’t getting married in white latex does it even count?
So there’s a lot of personalities on the island and they all have amazing clothes. At one point Emily wears a hat that is bigger than her entire body. I want to live in it, like a fashionable tent. Stephanie has also levelled up fashion-wise since the first movie. At one point she wears pajamas that match the wallpaper in her very fancy suite which is certainly some kind of a thing. I don’t know who was in charge of Anna Kendrick’s hair on set but they deserve an Oscar – nay – a Nobel Prize.
This movie is often very funny – can we get Anna Kendrick high on truth serum at least once in everything she appears in from now on, please? Sometimes it’s wonderfully weird. It’s convolutedly clever. But honestly, it’s mostly pretty. The clothes are either wonderfully pretty or wonderfully outrageous. The hotel where most scenes take place – pretty. The outdoor meals with floral centerpieces and candles and what have you – pretty. People – pretty. Island – beautiful, of course.
I’m obsessed with Stephanie’s dress and Emily’s hat
The big problem with this movie is a lack of emotional stakes. No one goes through a character arc – Emily does somewhat but not very much. End-of-movie Emily and start of movie Emily are pretty much the same person. Stephanie doesn’t change at all. They are super fun to watch, but no moment of murder and mayhem is as thrilling as the one in the first movie in which Emily spills gin on the floor and says to Stephanie, who reflexively reaches to wipe it up, “Don’t you dare touch that washcloth.”
A lot of the movie is kind of a grab bag of stuff. Inept FBI agent? Slows the movie down, and just why? I will believe the most deranged things on offer in this movie but I don’t believe that the character who is supposed to be an FBI agent is an FBI agent (admittedly, no one else does, either). On the other hand, we have Allison Janney as…well I can’t even say except that I love her, and we have a gorgeous angry mafia boss mother-in-law, who doesn’t love that?
I’m not sorry that I watched Another Simple Favor. I enjoyed it! I had a great time! But I doubt that it will become a movie I go back to again and again – unless I just want to have pretty things in the background while I do other stuff, which is a pleasure that can’t be over-rated.
What did you think of today's episode? Got ideas? Suggestions? You can talk to us on the blog entries for the podcast or talk to us on Facebook if that's where you hang out online. You can email us at sbjpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave us a message at our Google voice number: 201-371-3272. Please don't forget to give us a name and where you're calling from so we can work your message into an upcoming podcast.
The world can be a dark and scary place. It would be foolish not to acknowledge this, but to author Christy Climenhage, it’s also important to acknowledge the ways in which we all keep on keepin’ on in the trying times. Follow along in the Big Idea for her debut novel, The Midnight Project, and see how the world is ending, and yet still going.
CHRISTY CLIMENHAGE:
There are lots of themes underlying my debut sci-fi thriller, The Midnight Project: genetic engineering gone wrong, man-made ecological collapse, what it means to be human, what exactly is wrong with late-stage capitalism and the commodification of science. But for me, the Big Idea behind my book lies in the resilience of the two main characters who just keep going as everything collapses around them. The book asks: how do we live a good and meaningful life in a crumbling world? How do we muddle through the pre-apocalypse?
I’m slightly appalled by how familiar this fictional dystopian world feels – powerful billionaires, dying pollinators, corporate greed, off-the-charts scientific possibilities but everything is spiraling into disaster. These days (today, I mean), I can read about ultra-rich men with a messianic complex who want to save humanity while carelessly destroying the environment, or mining companies that want to strip the ocean floor before even bothering to map its ecosystems. Philip K. Dick and Octavia Butler would weep. J.R.R. Tolkien would be mightily pissed off at the companies stealing words from his realms to name their businesses.
I suppose the world of The Midnight Project is rooted in reality as well as fiction. I wrote it and re-wrote it during the darkest part of the covid-19 pandemic when we were all just getting up and getting on with it. The bad news “out-there,” until it encroached on “in-here.” The work piling up even while the stores closed, the hospitals filled and everyone stayed home. The kids still in school, online, then in-person, with the rules changing every five minutes to try to keep them safe. No enrichment, no entertainment, just everyone hiding under their rock, trying to get by, putting food on the table, getting the laundry done. I suppose it’s typical of late-stage capitalism that even as the world was crashing down, everyone still needed their paycheque to cover groceries.
Of course, when I talk about today’s world in pre-apocalyptic terms, I’m not being prescient. I’m recognizing the fear and anxiety that underlays much of what is happening in the world right now. And the feeling of powerlessness that might make a person desperate enough to attempt to create an oceanic hybrid human just to feel they could make a difference. In Frankenstein, the monster’s creator is motivated by a dark ambition to create life and then is horrified at the result. In The Midnight Project, Raina is motivated by money and ambition but also wants to salvage something good out of the circumstances she finds herself in. In her heart, she is motivated by a desire for redemption.
In the midst of cataclysmic problems around the world that just keep piling up, our two genetic engineer heroes see an opportunity to do some good in the world, or at least try to prevent someone else from doing worse. It’s not much, but it’s within their control, and their abilities.
Going back to the today’s reality for a second, I think it’s normal to wonder how to live a meaningful life in our current circumstances too—how to lead a life filled with hope, ambition and purpose. And I can’t deny how much I relate to the two main characters of The Midnight Project, Raina and Cedric, just getting up and going to work every day, in spite of everything barreling toward them. So, according to the story, and my own experience, how does one muddle through the pre-apocalypse? Let’s take a lesson from our plucky heroes.
First, Raina and Cedric hold onto their comforting routines. They drink coffee together every morning out of the same mugs, watch the Holo-News and compartmentalize their lives. Then they turn to the hard work of inventing deep-sea human hybrids. The big bad world out there, the safe world inside their laboratory. They keep tabs, they know what’s happening in the outside world, but they hold it at bay and get on with the things they need to do to get by. They ignore some things. As Raina says, “They were trying times and I only wanted to try in certain ways.” They get up, they go to work, they keep solving their problems. One step at a time. One foot in front of the other. With perseverance. With persistence. With, occasionally, steely-eyed determination.
Second, at the heart of everything, Cedric and Raina hold fast to meaningful relationships, even if they’re isolated and cut off. Even if those relationships are themselves imperfect. They cling to comfort and each other and keep drinking their coffee to the bitter end (bitter, get it? Because it’s coffee).
And finally, through it all, they try to do just a little good in the world, even when it feels like the world is too big and too far gone to make much of a difference. As Cedric says, “We cannot fix the world. But in this tiny corner of it, perhaps we can control our own destiny, at least for a while.” This little bit of agency and momentum is the way they light a candle against the darkness. This is the way they cleave to hope in the pre-apocalypse.
And maybe there’s something in that for our trying times too.
I really enjoyed this book. There’s a lot of dark, snarky humor, and snarky humor is my very favorite kind. The satire of corporate culture is as hilarious as it is horrifying. The horror is very, very horrifying with body horror, your basic supernatural beings, and just oodles of Lovecraftian cosmic horror. Not enough trigger warnings in the world, people.
Bestselling authors Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey have teamed up to deliver a dark new story with magic, monsters, and mayhem, perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Joe Hill.
Julie Crews is a coked-up, burnt-out thirty-something who packs a lot of magic into her small body. She’s been trying to establish herself in the NYC magic scene, and she’ll work the most gruesome gigs to claw her way to the top.
Julie is desperate for a quick career boost to break the dead-end grind, but her pleas draw the attention of an eldritch god who is hungry for revenge. Her power grab sets off a deadly chain of events that puts her closest friends – and the entire world – directly in the path of annihilation.
The first explosive adventure in the Carrion City Duology, The Dead Take the A Train fuses Khaw’s cosmic horror and Kadrey’s gritty fantasy into a full-throttle thrill ride straight into New York’s magical underbelly.
Holding the Reins by Paisley Hope is $1.99! Honestly, what a perfect name for a contemporary western. This is book one in a series and seems full of tropes.
In this steamy cowboy romance, a woman returns to her family’s ranch after a broken engagement and finds herself falling for her brother’s best friend—the first novel in the Silver Pines Ranch series.
Take a deep breath and let go of the reins.
Cecilia “CeCe” Ashby is finally escaping the toxic relationship that has consumed her entire adult life. She’s returning to her hometown of Laurel Creek, Kentucky, and to her family’s equestrian ranch, unsure of what the future holds.
Nash Carter, the newly retired superstar of the Dallas Stars, is Laurel Creek’s hometown hero, local business owner, and notorious bachelor. He’s also the unofficial fourth sibling in the Ashby clan. It’s been years since his days of tormenting CeCe with her older brothers Wade and Cole. So, when CeCe needs a job, he feels drawn to help her.
Nash can’t seem to take his eyes off of his best friend’s sister, and it seems she’s been staring right back, not without animosity left over from his childish teasing back in the day. Despite their initial reluctance, the fire between them ignites and it isn’t long before they jump into the flames.
Secrets of an Accidental Duchess by Jennifer Haymore is 99c! This is book two in the Donovan Sisters series, though I think it can operate fine on its own. Have you read any of Haymore’s books?
With her pale hair and slim figure, Olivia Donovan looks as fragile as fine china, and has been treated as such by her sisters ever since a childhood bout with malaria. But beneath her delicate facade, Olivia guards a bold, independent spirit and the kind of passionate desires proper young ladies must never confess…
It was a reckless wager, and one Max couldn’t resist: seduce the alluring Olivia or forfeit part of his fortune. Yet the wild, soon-to-be Duke never imagined he’d fall in love with this innocent beauty. Nor could he have guessed that a dangerously unpredictable rival would set out to destroy them both. Now, Max must beat a Madman at his own twisted game-or forever lose the only woman to have ever won his heart.
Ten Rules for Marrying a Duke by Michelle McLean is $1.49 at Amazon! It’s showing up as $3.99 elsewhere. This is a standalone historical romance with a marriage of convenience.
Bookish Arabella Bromley never gave a fig for society’s rules—until her sister ran off with a man below her station. Now Arabella is desperate to restore her family’s ruined reputation to favor amongst the ton. She’ll have to marry quickly and well. But in order to carry off her plan, Arabella needs a duke… and she has just the rakish fellow in mind.
The Duke of Whittsley has an ungentlemanly tendency to disregard the rules. Unfortunately, a sense of mischief doesn’t excuse a high-ranking noble from family duty—especially where it concerns producing a son. And that’s where he can’t quite resist Arabella’s distinctly outrageous plan: if he saves her family, she’ll give him an heir.
Now the deal’s been struck. They have one year to achieve their goals and ten iron-clad rules to keep them on track. Like long, scorching kisses and ensuring they’re both exquisitely satisfied. And the only thing that could ruin their plan is the one thing they never planned on: love.
Not a plumbing emergency, thankfully, but we need to replace some things, and as it happens the (multiple) plumbers needed to replace these items all had today available, so: Plumbingpalooza! The backing up of computers is coincidentally timed, but, you know, today is as good a day as any. While I’m dealing with that, here are some photos of flowers from the house and Camp Krissy. Enjoy!
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Welcome back to Whatcha Reading! Here’s how we’re wrapping up May:
At my age, I have started to have more and more friends decide to start families. Settle down, get married, have kids, the works. So many of my peers and even close friends are choosing this path, and it’s been hard for me to think of ways to support them through this journey of theirs. Sometimes I feel disconnected to my friends because of it, since I just can’t relate at all to what they’re going through, but at the end of the day I still want to be there for them and be a good friend. But I couldn’t figure out how.
meal prep for a new mom 
meal prep breakfast sandwiches 
stuffed shells with meat 
oatmeal chocolate chip cookies 
apple cider vinaigrette 
