No Take-Backs, Only Steps Forward

[8 books from left to right: The Love Audit, August Lane, Heated Rivalry, The Long Game, India: 5,000 Years of History on the Subcontinent, Remember That Day, Son of the Morning, The Bodyguard Affair]

Read

August Lane by Regina Black

contemporary romance

Grand Central Publishing, 2025

Fool me once, shame on you.

Fool me twice...

August Lane has legitimate cause for hating Luke Randall. Maybe if she'd never loved him she could forget him, but he's coming back to their home town and she has a plan that includes making him an offer he can't refuse without exposing himself to public ruin. Will it destroy or renew them? Their struggles, failures, and victories lead them back to each other in this achingly lush, layered narrative.

The Love Audit by Lucy Eden

contemporary romance

Forever, 2025

Succession collides with a Hallmark Channel movie in this spicy tale of regrets and redemption. Jasmine and Derek are forced to work together despite their festering wounds from their shared past. A quirky town, adorable dog, and family secrets add charm and depth to their love story.

Reread

Heated Rivalry (Game Changers #2)

The Long Game (Game Changers #6) by Rachel Reid

Since reading most of the Game Changers series 5 or 6 years ago, binge-re/watching the show made me curious about the subtle differences between them. The show amplifies all of the respect, love, joy, and drama of the books, and each show modification enriches every compelling, worthwhile element.

Currently Reading

India: 5,000 Years of History on the Subcontinent by Audrey Truschke

So far it's fascinating, accessible, and really saturated with information. It'll probably take me until this summer to read all of it.

TBR

Son of the Morning by Akwaeke Emezi

Remember That Day by Mary Balogh

Works in Progress

Started another round of revisions on a completed manuscript from 2019 that was submitted and rejected twice in 2020, then revised again in 2023 but not submitted anywhere else.
Still brainstorming my anthology idea that currently has about 20k words.
My speculative project has about 30k words.
My BACissues (Book Acquisition Compulsion) continue.

Always wishing you good health, peace of mind, safety, joy & some pleasure every day

Comments

Our Poet Laureate's Memoir + More TWWBF2025 Prep

Educator, poet, short story author, mindfulness guide and now the moniker of memoirist has been added to the long list of creative accomplishments earned by Poet Laureate of The Write Women Book Fest Aressa V. Williams. She was born and raised in the vibrant community of Washington, D.C.'s Northeast neighborhood of Deanwood. Her Memoir evokes the nostalgia, challenges, victories, heartaches and joys of her life that connect with readers across generations and locations. [photo credit: H.L. Brooks; image: two paperback ARCs of In Deanwood, A Memoir by Aressa Verdell Williams arranged on a tabletop; cover art of a sepia toned two-story colonial house with four columns - two on each side of the front door] The ebook is currently available with print copies coming soon! https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-deanwood-aressa-verdell-williams/1147594007 Just under 3 weeks before day one of The Write Women Book Fest and we've finished decorating t-shirts for our aw...

DIY Marketing TWWBF2025 + the Usual BAC Issues

Six(!) days until day one of the 6th and grand finale year of The Write Women Book Fest!!! Last week was another hard one for federal workers in the DMV area along with other ongoing challenges, making it tough for a lot of people to prioritize joy. This coming weekend TWWBF2025 intends to celebrate and support talented authors, poets, creatives, and publishing industry professionals and their work, readers and literacy advocates while we also celebrate everything positive that this event has contributed to our community since 2019. [a two-image collage: right side - two posters atop the closed lid of a baby grand piano; both with "The Write Women Book Fest, 100+ authors Golden Angel, Eden Appiah-Kubi, Courtney Duke Foster, Jeaniene Frost, Maria Vale, Erin Wright, EC Poetry & Prose, July 19th QR Code thewritewomenbookfest.org, Use code FESTNEWS25 for 30% off!"; left side - an incomplete poster with "The Write Women Book Fest" and a blank sheet of paper with a g...

Tapping into Your Power

The following two books celebrate powerful characters who overcome their fears to manifest their greatness for the benefit of themselves, their loved ones and communities. So satisfying. [2 books from left to right: A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna, Direct Descendant by Tanya Huff] A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna contemporary speculative romance Berkeley, July 2025 Sera's story of navigating otherness was worth the wait. The advantages, responsibilities, and consequences of being powerful are explored with nuanced observations, humor, and compassion. Themes on distinctions between family by blood, choice, and intention weave throughout this poignant tale about paying attention and recognizing personal details as fundamental to the evolution of one's perspective on who and what are valuable. One of my favorite passages from the end of chapter nineteen: Like this was a thing that had, somehow, become...

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