Fate has been generous enough to grant me the privilege of face-to-face encounters with a few of my absolute favorite, most respected authors. My goofy geek outs are all on me.  [a 3 in. x 5 in. index card with a heart-shaped inset with 8 authors' names handprinted: Octavia Butler, Jasmine Guillory, Lesley Penelope, (Ms.) Beverly Jenkins, Xio Axelrod, Marita Golden, Nora Roberts, Nikki Giovanni; white tissue paper covered in small gold hearts as backdrop]  Octavia Butler at a Book Con in Chicago 2003 or 2004: Just seeing her from a distance made me too teary-eyed and tongue-twisted to approach her table. She and her work enrich/ed my life and inspired me to write and to publish.     Jasmine Guillory at the Javitz Center in 2015 or 2016: After a lively discussion in which she was one a few panelists, we shared a moment of appreciation for the dad (RIP John Mahoney) in Say Anything (even as my eyes watered with the overwhelming emotions of being within touching cl...

Reading about bumpy, grumpy, dangerous, funny paths to love    [2 trade paperback books, from left to right: The Re-Do List with a German Shepherd sitting on a porch step above a woman and a man seated on the step below while in a kissing clinch; A Ghastly Catastrophe with the silhouette of a man and woman dancing]  The Re-Do List by Denise Williams  contemporary romance  Fundamental themes of Alice Walker's The Same River Twice rendered in poignant romance fiction  A Ghastly Catastrophe (Veronica Speedwell #10) by Deanna Raybourn  historical mystery with romance  Tempting fate, betting against the odds, and a lovers' joyous romp (with a winky nod to this author's first beloved series?)  Better Than a Duke by Suzanne Enoch  historical romance  beleaguered adults + incorrigible children = love that's worth the effort  [Better Than a Duke trade paperback with a man wearing 19th-century attire]  Continuing BAC Issues (Book Ac...

So many books and not enough time to read all of them even while choosing sleep-deprivation and creative interpretations of soft deadlines for works in progress to squeeze in just a few more minutes and pages.  [5 upright books, from left to right: The Librarians, Most Eligible, The Book Tour, Enemies to Lovers, Skate It Till You Make It; a bookstack of 9 books, from top to bottom: After Hours at Dooryard Books, Dom Com, Behind Closed Doors, Accidentally Married to a Werewolf, Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies, and 4 books showing only the outer page edges, all 14 books arranged on a padded piano bench]  Skate It Till You Make It by Rufaro Faith Mazarura  contemporary romance  February 2026  Regrets and crossroads, Olympic Village edition  Enemies to Lovers by Alisha Rai  contemporary romance  Avon, April 2026  Generational shadiness, redemption, and new possibilities  The Book Tour by Emily Ohanjanians  contemporary romance  D...

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...