Happy endings and happily ever afters for all consenting adults!    ["40 + MORE..." with "and" handwritten across the center of the plus sign]  Struck Speechless by Tati Richardson  The Blessings series by (Ms) Beverly Jenkins  Hot Flash Hookups series by Marika Ray & Sylvie Stewart  Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn  After Happily Ever by Jennifer Safrey  A Fire at Romanticon by H.L  Brooks (my The Bitchy Quill podcast co-host and partner in bookish adventures)  an upcoming PNR release from Bea Paige  > honorable mention Chocolate Chip City by Be Steadwell, a youngster who writes real grown  An idea suggested during a chat with the founder of The Feminine Rebellion has me brainstorming ways to support fun fiction, particularly romance, written by* and about grown women/femme-identifying/non-binary/gender neutral people.  Please share your 40+/and More... authors and titles in the comments!   Halle Be...

Themes on s trategy, intention, and a willingness to work hard and smart run throughout both of these very different books.  [cover art for "The Creative Entrepreneur, Starting and Thriving in Your Own Small Business" by Gladys Stocks showing the silhouette of a person in profile who's holding a paint brush over a paint palette; colorful brush strokes and a zig-zagged arrow pointing up in the background]  The Creative Entrepreneur: Starting and Thriving in Your Own Small Business by Gladys Stocks  contemporary non-fiction  Book Butler Publishing Company, 2026  Ten chapters that blend aspirational theory with practical strategies and end with a "Creative Reflection" exercise that prompts deep contemplation of a person's interests, motives, concerns, vulnerabilities, and strengths, in addition to options. They move from the general to the specific, then conclude with a focus on the personalized.  from chapter 1:  But the truth is, your creativity is your...

In real life the harsh truths of war compete with the majestic images and inspiring words of the successful Artemis II mission. The following fiction reads examine the complicated nature of humans on Earth.  [3 books from left to right: The Charmed Library, Hearts on the Fly, Husband of the Year]  The Charmed Library by Jennifer Moorman wasn't available for renewal due to being requested by a whole lot of other patrons (yay for this author!) so I'll try again. The speculative supernatural premise is very intriguing.  Hearts on the Fly by Toni Shiloh  Christian contemporary romance  Bethany House Publishers, February 2026  Val and Jabari struggle with unexpected circumstances that challenge them to reconsider the purpose of their lives. Personal and professional connections make things messy.   Husband of the Year (Teachers in Love #4) by M.A. Wardell  contemporary romance  Forever, 2025  Olan and Marvin each believe they've found their f...

This photo cover art on the original mass market paperback edition is my personal favorite, at least until/if they release a Heated Rivalry show cast Hollanov version. (Respect to the talented artist who's crafted the illustrated covers.)  ["Rachel Reid, The Long Game" mass market paperback edition with two shirtless, muscular men in jeans, standing at an angle one in front of the other; the man in back embracing the man in front]   Recent public comments from people who've read (in any and all formats) The Long Game by Rachel Reid and feel annoyed, disappointed, frustrated with Shane inspired this post.  ****(mostly vague) SPOILERS**** Until the death of his father and breaking free of his brother, Ilya has been in a constant mindset of fight, flight or freeze for most of the nearly three decades of his life. Once he's disconnected from his toxic family dynamic, firmly established in his loving relationship with Shane, welcomed and embraced by Yuna and David, and...

Sometimes people enjoy poking at each other until they start kissing.    [trade paperback books Restore Me and And Now, Back to You to left of a bookstack from top to bottom of Husband of the Year, Hearts on the Fly atop 5 books with only the bottom page edges showing; a white heart-shaped mug decorated with small red hearts next to a small pot of leafy green plants]  Restore Me (New Haven #1) by J.L. Seegars  contemporary romance  Bloom Books, January 2026  Sloane and Dominic have history and secrets that cause friction. Biting remarks and resentment eventually lead to confrontation and consequences.  It's a poignant don't-stop-until-the-end read rooted in family, friendship, and community.  And Now, Back to You (Heartstrings #2) by B.K. Borison  contemporary romance  Berkley, February 2026  Delilah and Jackson have a lot of issues. Annoying each other helps them work through some of them while they stumble into love. Their B'more ...

As a lifelong user of the Oxford comma, adverbs, and other syntactic queues that often generate suspicion of undisclosed, unethical usage of Artificial Intelligence resources, recent events involving indie authors who are being accused of such behavior has me feeling a lot of different emotions at once.  The verified issue regarding uncredited and unpaid for imagery for cover art has me thinking, "Conduct your due diligence and pay artists for their creative labor!"  Then there are the murkier contradictory issues of who gets penalized and cancelled for using Artificial Intelligence and who doesn't. Last year an all-non-human publishing venture was celebrated when it received an initial investment of multiple millions of dollars. As a published indie and traditional author my email inbox is filled with offers for ways to use technology to "streamline" my writing process and "accelerate" my productivity.  If I were a traditionally published author under...