Newsletter Image Loading Issues: We’re Working on It!
Aug. 29th, 2025 07:35 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
smartbitches_feed
Thank you to everyone who emailed me to let me know that the images in our SBTB Daily email newsletter weren’t loading this week!
Those were some very bare newsletters. YIKES.
I’m honestly baffled and we’re working on it.
This post is both to let y’all know, and also to test the newsletter images in tomorrow’s edition.
I have to add another image to this post so I’m typing more words – scintillating behind the scenes content here, huh?
So here are some things I’m really enjoying, and please feel free to rec yours in the comments:
- Big Freedia has a gospel album and it’s INCREDIBLE. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, you might remember hearing Big Freedia on Break My Soul by Beyonce, and Raising Hell by Kesha. Big Freedia’s gospel album, Pressing Onward, was released earlier this month and I heard an interview on The Sam Sanders Show from 8/8 while catching up on podcasts this week.
- Speaking of The Sam Sanders Show, the 8/22 episode about friendship in pop culture with Lindy West and Meagan Hatcher-Mays of the podcast “Text Me Back” is a banger right from the top. I rewound (skipped backwards?) twice to re-listen to things they said.
- I started The Thursday Murder Club adaptation on Netflix last night, and am watching it like a series even though it’s a movie. Better for my brain and bedtime, honestly. So far I’m extremely charmed by the nonstop “Hey! It’s Every British Actor Ever and Then Some!” casting, and the visible budget that was spent on this show. It is Well Funded in every respect, and I love what the set designers and production are doing with color to add nuance to the characters.
- I’m working on a theory that weed-infused seltzers are 38% more burp-inducing than regular-degular seltzers. Research continues into this important matter.
- Oh and a most jubilant Happy Great British Bake Off premiere week, y’all!
I’m going to be pinning this post to keep it at the top for RSS purposes so I can test what’s going on over the next few days. Thank you for your understanding and your help!
RSS is so annoying sometimes.
New Worlds Theory Post: The Worldbuilding On-Ramp
Aug. 29th, 2025 05:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
swan_tower(originally posted at Swan Tower: https://is.gd/7LsNqj)
Historical Romance, a Mystery, & More
Aug. 29th, 2025 03:30 pmsmartbitches_feedThe Lake House
The Lake House by Kate Morton is $1.99! This book has all sorts of elements: historical fiction, Gothic mystery, and a family saga. Elyse gave this book a B:
The Lake House had some issues–there is A LOT going on here, tons of threads to keep track of–but it totally sucked me in. Once the novel gets its momentum, it barrels at you like a freight train. Historical fiction and mystery fans might want to put this on hold at the local library, at least while it’s still in hardcover.
From the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Secret Keeper and The Distant Hours, an intricately plotted, spellbinding new novel of heartstopping suspense and uncovered secrets.
Living on her family’s idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, innocent, and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories. But the mysteries she pens are no match for the one her family is about to endure…
One midsummer’s eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, eleven-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. What follows is a tragedy that tears the family apart in ways they never imagined.
Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long successful career as an author. Theo’s case has never been solved, though Alice still harbors a suspicion as to the culprit. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather’s house in Cornwall. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old estate—now crumbling and covered with vines, clearly abandoned long ago. Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone…yet more present than ever.
A lush, atmospheric tale of intertwined destinies, this latest novel from a masterful storyteller is an enthralling, thoroughly satisfying read.
Dare to Be a Duchess
Dare to Be a Duchess by Sapna Bhog is 99c at Amazon and $3.99 elsewhere! This is book one in The Elusive Lords series. I must say that blue dress is gorgeous on her.
He’s a powerful duke. She’s his uncle’s ward. They have forever been at war, until one night, one masquerade, and one kiss…
Lara Ramsay is no stranger to scandal. As the orphaned daughter of a British colonel and his beloved Indian wife, whispers follow her everywhere. Not even the protection of the formidable Duke of Wolverton, a man she can’t stand, keeps the gossips at bay.
The audacious Lara has driven Tristan Wentworth, The Duke of Wolverton, to distraction since the day his uncle took her in—and he’s quite certain doing so is her favorite pastime. After catching her and his younger sister at a salacious masquerade, he’s had enough scandal and issues a marriage ultimatum: find a husband within six months, or one will be chosen for her.
Unfortunately, no one in the ton appeals to her. Except, perhaps, the duke himself. The battle of wills has only just begun, and when Lara kisses him, their fate is sealed.
Sometimes even the most proper duke needs to break the rules to win the heart of the woman he loves…
The Gentleman’s Gambit
The Gentleman’s Gambit by Evie Dunmore is $1.99 and a Kindle Daily Deal! Lara DNFed this one. The comments were mostly split in terms of agreeing with Lara versus having a book hangover after finishing this one.
Bookish suffragist Catriona Campbell is busy: An ailing estate, academic writer’s block, a tense time for England’s women’s rights campaign–the last thing she needs is to be stuck playing host to her father’s distractingly attractive young colleague.
Deeply introverted Catriona lives for her work at Oxford and her fight for women’s suffrage. She dreams of romance, too, but since all her attempts at love have ended badly, she now keeps her desires firmly locked inside her head–until she climbs out of a Scottish loch after a good swim and finds herself rather exposed to her new colleague.
Elias Khoury has wheedled his way into Professor Campbell’s circle under false pretenses: he did not come to Oxford to classify ancient artefacts, he is determined to take them back to his homeland in the Middle East. Winning Catriona’s favor could be the key to his success. Unfortunately, seducing the coolly intense lady scholar quickly becomes a mission in itself and his well-laid plans are in danger of derailing…
Forced into close proximity in Oxford’s hallowed halls, two very different people have to face the fact that they might just be a perfect match. Soon, a risky new game begins that asks Catriona one more time to put her heart and wildest dreams at stake.
Force of Nature
Force of Nature by Jane Harper is $2.99 and a Kindle Daily Deal! This may have been the only Harper mystery we haven’t featured on sale, so get this one if you’ve been waiting. It’s the second book in the Aaron Falk series, though it works fine as a self-contained story.
Five women reluctantly pick up their backpacks and start walking along a muddy track.
Only four come out on the other side.
The hike through the rugged Giralang Ranges is meant to take the office colleagues out of their air-conditioned comfort zone and encourage teamwork and resilience. At least, that’s what the corporate retreat website advertises.
Federal Police investigator Aaron Falk has a keen interest in the whereabouts of the missing hiker, Alice Russell. Because Alice knew secrets, about the company she worked for and the people she worked with.
The four returning women tell Falk a tale of fear, violence and fractured trust during their days in the remote Australian bushland. And as Falk delves into the disappearance of Alice, he begins to suspect some dangers ran far deeper than anyone knew.
Friday roadkill report
Aug. 29th, 2025 11:32 amjhetleyNo geese at the cemetery pond, either time I passed it.
Not much new in the floral department. Japanese knotweed starting to bloom, another invasive weed. More asters, both small and midsized white. A few of the pale lavender. And still another variety of goldenrod.
Got out on the bike, up to the golf course and over to the bog and home. More wind than I would have liked, but no rain yet. Did not die.
15.38 miles, 1:28:21
You really know how to dance
Aug. 29th, 2025 11:09 amrolanniWhat went before ONE: All righty, then.
Agway run completed. I did not buy plants. Yay, me. I did buy monofilament string -- aka fishing line -- so I can hang the ball I made at Corning in a sunny window where it belongs, instead of skulking on my bookshelf.
Hit the Hannaford, picked up my prescriptions, bought Fancy Feast Gravy Lover's Pate, which is the preferred of the moment. Took the returnables to the redemption center. Caused consternation. Gassed up the car, so I don't have to do it on Saturday. Apparently the Rusty Lantern/Irving at Webb Road isn't supplying a means for its customers to clean off their windshields anymore, so I'll be looking for a new gas station. Shame; that one's really convenient.
What else? Oh, performed one's duty to the cats, and took a walk.
It is now what time? Yes? Yes, you, right there in front. Ex -- yes, say again, please for the guy in the back row who's asleep?
It's lunch time!
And then? It's time to go to work.
poof
What went before TWO: I remember coming in to Albany more than a decade ago from an exceptionally long and fraught train trip which involved the train actually running out of food (long story; bad trip; it was years ago, and man did I learn to hate CSX), and Steve pulled us into the Cracker Barrel because we needed something to eat. I remember looking at the menu, then looking at Steve and saying, "There's no food here." "There's chicken soup," he said. "We'll both have chicken soup, then we can go get some real food." This was the first and only time I was in a Cracker Barrel.
Ah, memories...
Patched up what I wrote yesterday and put it in its rightful place within the WIP, which now weighs just about 65,420 words. Tomorrow, I need to sit down and plot out the next section, even though my brain wants to write the cool! action! scene! over there. I've gotta figure out how they got there, first, Brain. Gimme a break, hey?
Anyhow, knocking off early tonight to, yanno, hang away my clothes, write a couple of checks, and see if I can brainstorm not one, but two! titles. Brainstorms are considerably less fun with only one brain, in case that was a question anybody had.
So! Everybody stay safe; I'll see you tomorrow.
Friday. Cloudy and cool. Thunderstorms are on the menu.
Last night at bedtime, I made it a point to find Rookie, who often spends the night on the box on Steve's desk, and carry him with me to the bed, thinking that I would once again introduce this as an option. I put him down, and he lay exactly where and how I'd put him until I'd gotten under the covers, turned out the light, settled on my pillow and drifted off. When I drifted out, about two hours later, he had relocated to my other side, tunneled between my arm and my side, and was snoring. Also, Tali had taken over the prized spot on my ankle. I went back to sleep and woke up at 7, much refreshed.
Today cutting off cat toes is on my menu, and I managed to grab Rook as he was terrorizing his sister. I put him on my lap and began to clip his claws and he was So Good. He made no complaint, or any attempt to play Disappearing Leg, and started to purr when I flipped him over on is back to amputate his back toes. When we were finished, he just -- stayed, purring his silly, puffy purr, until Tali walked by and then of course he had to jump down to see what she was doing.
I have finished my first cup of tea. Trooper has had a can of Fancy Feast. Breakfast will be something to do with the peach I bought yesterday, and when I took the stoopid sticky tag off, the skin tore. Lunch will be ... something.
Towels are in the washer. In addition to the cutting of cat toes, the to-do list includes one's duty to the cats, a walk, and plotting.
What's on your to-do list for Friday?
Today's blog post brought to you by The Romantics, "What I like about you"
Below, a picture of one of the Agway store cats, and a picture of Tali, who is apparently taking a covert ops course from the Rivers of London foxes.
Books read in 2025
Aug. 29th, 2025 09:37 amrolanni45 Outfoxing Fate, Zoe Chant/Murphy Lawless (Virtue Shifters)(e)
44 Atonement Sky, Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling Trinity #9) (e)
43 Stone and Sky, Ben Aaronovitch (Rivers of London #10) (e)
42 Regency Buck, Georgette Heyer (re-re-re-&c-read)
41 I Dare, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (Liaden Universe #7) (page proofs)
40 To Hive and to Hold, Amy Crook (The Future of Magic #1) (e)
39 These Old Shades, Georgette Heyer, narrated by Sarah Nichols (re-re-re-&c-read, 1st time audio)
38 Faking it (Dempsey Family #2), Jennifer Crusie, narrated by Aasne Vigesaa (re-re-re-&c-read, 1st time audio)
37 Copper Script, K.J. Charles (e)
36 The Masqueraders, Georgette Heyer, narrated by Eleanor Yates (re-re-re-&c-read; 1st time audio)
35 Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language: Hereditary Deafness on Martha's Vineyard, Nora Ellen Groce (e)
34 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Winifred Watson, narrated by Frances McDormand (re-re-re-&c-read; 1st time audio)
33 The Wings upon Her Back, Samantha Mills (e)
32 Death on the Green (Dublin Driver #2), Catie Murphy (e)
31 The Elusive Earl (Bad Heir Days #3), Grace Burrowes (e)
30 The Mysterious Marquess (Bad Heir Days #2), Grace Burrowes (e)
29 Who Will Remember (Sebastian St. Cyr #20), C.S. Harris (e)
28 The Teller of Small Fortunes, Julie Leong (e)
27 Check and Mate, Ali Hazelwood (e)
26 The Dangerous Duke (Bad Heir Days #1), Grace Burrowes (e)
25 Night's Master (Flat Earth #1) (re-read), Tanith Lee (e)
24 The Honey Pot Plot (Rocky Start #3), Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer (e)
23 Very Nice Funerals (Rocky Start #2), Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer (e)
22 The Orb of Cairado, Katherine Addison (e)
21 The Tomb of Dragons, (The Cemeteries of Amalo Trilogy, Book 3), Katherine Addison (e)
20 A Gentleman of Sinister Schemes (Lord Julian #8), Grace Burrowes (e)
19 The Thirteen Clocks (re-re-re-&c read), James Thurber (e)
18 A Gentleman Under the Mistletoe (Lord Julian #7), Grace Burrowes (e)
17 All Conditions Red (Murderbot Diaries #1) (re-re-re-&c read) (audio 1st time)
16 Destiny's Way (Doomed Earth #2), Jack Campbell (e)
15 The Sign of the Dragon, Mary Soon Lee
14 A Gentleman of Unreliable Honor (Lord Julian #6), Grace Burrowes (e)
13 Market Forces in Gretna Green (#7 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
12 Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent, Judi Dench with Brendan O'Hea (e)
11 Code Yellow in Gretna Green (#6 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
10 Seeing Red in Gretna Green (#5 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
9 House Party in Gretna Green (#4 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)*
8 Ties that Bond in Gretna Green (#3 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
7 Painting the Blues in Gretna Green (#2 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
6 Midlife in Gretna Green (#1 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
5 The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison (Author), Kyle McCarley (Narrator) re-re-re&c-read (audio)
4 The House in the Cerulean Sea, TJ Klune (e)
3 A Gentleman in Search of a Wife (Lord Julian #5) Grace Burrowes (e)
2 A Gentleman in Pursuit of the Truth (Lord Julian #4) Grace Burrowes (e)
1 A Gentleman in Challenging Circumstances (Lord Julian #3) Grace Burrowes (e)
_____
*Note: The list has been corrected. I did not realize that the Gretna Green novella was part of the main path, rather than a pleasant discursion, and my numbering was off. All fixed now.
Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei
Aug. 29th, 2025 08:56 amjames_davis_nicoll
Two sisters quest up a climate-change-and-blight ravaged coast and across the seas to find their missing sister.
Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei
Isolated life
Aug. 29th, 2025 06:51 amjhetleyProblematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood
Aug. 29th, 2025 08:00 amsmartbitches_feed
Problematic Summer Romance is a friends-to-lovers romance/brother’s best friend romance, but it utilizes those tropes without any masculine over-protectiveness, which I appreciated. It’s also a romance that’s light on external conflict, but heavy on emotional growth, which was perfect for me.
Maya Killgore’s parents died when she was barely a teenager, leaving her to be raised by her overwhelmed brother (about fifteen years her senior). Said brother has an extremely lucrative biotech start up with his two friends. When Maya is away at college she has a bad breakup and calls her brother only to connect to one of his friend/partners Conor Harkness. Conor is nearby and comes to Maya’s emotional aid and it starts a friendship between the two that will last for three years.
This friendship involves emotionally vulnerable phone conversations into the wee hours of the night and some form of digital communication every single day. Then when Maya confronts Conor with the fact that she’s falling for him, he cuts contact completely citing their age difference (again about fifteen years) and the power dynamic as being too problematic for them to have a romantic relationship or even continue their friendship.
When the book opens, Maya’s brother is getting married in Sicily and she and Connor will both be attending the wedding, putting them in close proximity for a week. Maya is still in love with Conor and determined to make him see that a relationship with her could work.
First of all, I really liked how the book handled the age gap and the brother’s best friend trope. A lot of books would have the conflict surrounding the brother being over-protective and their relationship being forbidden. That never made sense to me since it implies the brother can’t trust the best friend (in which case why are you friends?) It also infantilizes the sister.
The fact that everyone here is treated as an adult with agency was really refreshing.
There’s not a lot of external conflict, but there is angst. All of the angst belongs to Conor. He grew up with a shitty, wealthy father who treated relationships like transactions. Said father also had a second marriage to a woman younger than his own children.
Conor feels like he’ll be following his father’s footsteps by dating a younger woman, and since his father taught him that all relationships are about power and money, he considers the fact that he’s wealthy to mean that he’s also in a more powerful, and therefore predatory position. (FWIW Maya’s brother is also wealthy and she has access to his money so that’s a moot point).
The book is condensed to the week of the wedding, plus some flashbacks.
I think a week is a short enough time span that Conor’s emotional journey makes sense. Had this book spanned years it would have felt like he couldn’t get over himself, but the shorter timespan made it work.
Connor’s emotional journey felt genuine–he’s got a lot of shitty family stuff to unpack. It wasn’t just a “I’m a bad guy and I’m bad for you.” He had real work to do.
It would have been nice for Maya to have a little more growth versus just waiting for Connor to pull his head out of his butt.
…but honestly I’m in a mental place where I don’t need a ton of conflict right now. There are also some wedding shenanigans to lighten up the book since Conor’s navel gazing can get kinda dark, so that helped level out the narrative.
Problematic Summer Romance takes some fun romance tropes but presents them without toxicity, treating its main characters like adults who can make their own decisions. I loved Connor’s journey and would have liked more from Maya, but overall it worked for me.
682. Pivoting Between Historical and Contemporary Romance with Valerie Bowman
Aug. 29th, 2025 06:00 amsmartbitches_feed
Please join us as we puzzle through the reasons why historical romance isn’t as popular, and what led to the pivot that so many authors are making. Plus Valerie shares the differences and similarities in writing contemporary and historical romance, and what question she gets the most from historical romance readers.
Listen to the podcast →
Read the transcript →
Here are the books we discuss in this podcast:
You can find Valerie Bowman at her website, ValerieBowmanBooks.com.
And you can listen to her in Episode 586. Saying Yes to the Dress with Valerie Bowman.
…
Thank you to HelloFresh for sponsoring this week’s episode. Visit HelloFresh.com/SARAH10FM to get 10 free meals and a free item for life!
Music: Purple-planet.com
If you like the podcast, you can subscribe to our feed, or find us at iTunes. You can also find us on Stitcher, and Spotify, too. We also have a cool page for the podcast on iTunes.
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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.
Thanks for listening!
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Support for this episode comes from Head Witch in Charge, the latest witchy romcom from USA Today bestselling author Avery Flynn, where two witches with a very tangled history are forced to team up on a road trip, one that might spell disaster for both of them.
“It’s the curse of every family’s heir to be the responsible one.”
My family being the most powerful family in all of Witchingdom doesn’t eliminate that fact, it only makes it worse—and that’s why I, Leona Amber Sherwood, never do the unexpected. Except for that one time I did.
Believe me, I have rued the day that I got married in a midnight ceremony under a full moon to Erik Svensen, the heir to my family’s deepest, bitterest enemies, and now, he won’t agree to a divorce unless we return an ancient spell book to his family’s secured facility.
But on our road trip to return the book, I learn more about Erik as we encounter trolls, nymphs, satyrs, and more. The longer we work together, the more I’m convinced that he might not be the evil trickster I assumed he was. Any more time together will leave me even more enchanted with my husband and that’s the last thing I want. And if I keep telling myself that, maybe I’ll start to believe it.
In the words of Lisa L on Netgalley, “Buckle up, witches – this book slays.”
And there are goodies and swag and coupons!
Several romance bookstores in the UK, Canada, and the US will have signed swag goodie bags for anyone who orders Head Witch in Charge while supplies last. Many offer online ordering, too! See the list and place your order at AveryFlynn.com.
Plus, Bookshop.org is offering a 15% discount to anyone who orders Head Witch in Charge and uses the code LOVEBOOKSELLERS.
Remember to subscribe to our podcast feed, find us on iTunes or on Stitcher.
Retirement Cruise: Olives, Hop On Buses, and Our Favorite City
Aug. 28th, 2025 07:18 pmstevenpiziks After Istanbul, we powered back down the Dardanelles to Katakolon, Greece. Here, Darwin and I actually went on a shore excursion. (!) We boarded a bus that wound its way through the Greek countryside until we arrived at an olive orchard. For the foodie in me, it was pretty cool. The orchard clearly gets a chunk of its income from tourists, because they had a spiffy presentation on how olive oil is made and how olives are preserved and such. I learned what "cold press" meant (I've seen it but never understood it) and why it makes better olive oil. They also had an on-site restaurant. It was outdoors but shaded under a canopy. We had a number of dishes made with olives and olive oil, and they were delicious. The orchard also makes wine, and each table got a bottle. Even Darwin, an aggressive non-drinker, tried a sip!
I got the chance to walk through an olive grove. I've been teaching Greek mythology for decades and I've told many times the story of how Athena created olive trees as a gift to Athens, but I'd never walked through an olive grove, and I really wanted to. The day was hot and sunny and dry. I wandered among the trees. Olive trees can live for hundreds, even thousands, of years, and continue giving fruit all that time. The oldest tree on the farm is about 2,000 years old. Many of the other trees are two or three hundred years old. I liked walking among them. I wanted to buy some olive oil and some nifty-looking amphorae painted with naked Olympic athletes, but they'd be tricky to get home intact, so I didn't.
Next stop: Kerkira, Corfu another major tourist port. When we pulled into port and docked, our cabin had a gorgeous mountain view. Less than an hour later, another cruise ship arrived and docked. In doing so, it slid right between us and the mountain view. It was a real SIMPSONS moment. The family goes on a cruise and stands on their balcony admiring the fantastic view, until with a great honk, another cruise ship zips in front of them to block it. Homer: D'oh!
We didn't do a shore excursion--Corfu is easy to explore on your own. We walked a long, long, LONG way down the dock, through the port authority, and out into the town itself. Then it was more walking to the hop on/hop off bus. I snagged tickets and Darwin and I waited patiently in the long but swift line. We both had our sun-blocking umbrellas, and thank heavens--the line was in full-bore sun.
I love hop on/hop off buses. You get a little tour of the city and if something catches your fancy, you can hop off the bus, look around, and hop on the next one. They're a wonderful invention, and whoever came up with them should be commended. Darwin and I took advantage and saw many interesting things around Corfu, including two enormous forts that go back centuries. We hopped off at the halfway point and explored Corfu's restaurant/shopping zone. It was the usual jewelry and clothing and souvenirs, almost all of them geared toward women. Don't men buy anything? Apparently not in Corfu.
We ate lunch at a delightful restaurant with outdoor seating under another canopy. We both had gyros, and they were extremely good. The atmosphere was lovely--a fine summer day, slight breeze, shade, quiet voices of conversation around us. Like I said: lovely.
The next day (today) we were at Korčula, Croatia. Darwin and I were very much looking forward to this stop. We visited Korčula on our very first cruise two years ago and fell in love with the place. I wondered if it might not live up to our memories, but it absolutely did. The little alleys that lead from the bay up to St. Marco's square were just as charming and intriguing as ever. We went up and down all of them. We explored areas that we hadn't seen last time, including several little chapels. One of them, which wasn't much bigger than a decent-sized dining room, had several tombstones set into the floor with Latin inscriptions. I was able to read them with a translator app, and they dated back to the 1600s. I also saw what appeared to be a stone plaque high up on one wall. It was heavily inscribed in Latin. The translator revealed it was a ossuary! It had the bones of an important church official in it, but the translator couldn't pick out a lot of details. They were from the 1700s. I wondered what he'd done to warrant his bones being put in such a place.
We also climbed St. Marco's bell tower. You pay five Euros and enter an extremely narrow, extremely tight spiral stone staircase. There's barely room for one person. Two people absolutely can't pass each other, but the ticket taker doesn't do anything to direct traffic. He just lets things happen. This creates a certain amount of negotiation among the visitors. You can't be shy! I called out, "Is anyone coming down?" and got a "Yes!" So I waited until a small group of people emerged. I shouted, "We're coming up!" and started climbing. About halfway up the tower, the staircase opens out into a wider stair that's open down the middle so you can see to the bottom of the tower. There are little niches with windows where you can check the stunning view of the city and ocean or get out of the way of someone traveling in the other direction. There's a catwalk directly under the bell that creates a platform to stand on. People, lots of people, were milling about, negotiating good-naturedly with each other about the stairs. Darwin made it all the way to the catwalk before his acrophobia became too much for him, and he had to go back down. But he made it much farther than anticipated, so go him!
At the top of the tower, you can slip into an extremely narrow balcony that runs around the top floor of the tower, affording a splendid view of orange-tiled roofs, winding alleys, blue ocean, and hazy mountains in all direction. I took my fill and was heading down ("I'm coming down! Is anyone coming up?") when the bell started ringing. I checked my watch. It was noon. Drat! If I'd noticed the time, I would've stayed up top for the event. But I got to hear the bells echoing down the teeny spiral staircase, so that was cool.
Darwin and I next went to lunch. The last time we were in Korčula, we ate at a restaurant on the bay at the top of an ancient sweeping outdoor staircase that's right on the strait. We loved the view, we loved the food, we loved the location, and we wanted to eat there again because it was one of our fondest memories. When we arrived, the table we'd sat at before was vacant! We were able to sit in the same place as before, and it was just as delightful. I had risotto, and Darwin had a beef pasta dish served to us by a Very Handsome Waiter. We enjoyed everything about it and decided we'll come back yet again one day.
The last time we were in Korčula, I noticed the teeny little beach down by the docks. (The cruise ship was anchored some distance off-shore because the docks can't handle a vessel that large.) The ocean was clear and pretty and I wanted to swim in it, but I hadn't brought a suit and there wasn't enough time to get mine from the ship. This time, I remembered the beach and wore my swimsuit as underwear. I also brought a beach towel in my backpack. So when we arrived at the dock, I was set! Darwin didn't want to swim, so he took a moment's rest on a shaded stone bench while I climbed out of my outer clothes and strolled down to the beach.
The beach itself was ... well, awful. I hadn't noticed before that there's no sand. It's all tiny pebbles. You sink into them up to your ankles, and it's more than a little painful to walk on. The water was clear as blue glass like before, but the bottom was all rocks. Ow ow ow ow! But there was one patch of water that had no rocks, and I crunched toward it across the pebbles, wincing as I went. At last, I waded into the water and plunged in. After that, it was very nice. The water was the perfect swimming temperature, and I can actually float in salt water. It was calm and relaxing and I was thinking, "I'm finally swimming in Korčula!"
When I'd had enough, I crunched my way back to Darwin to redress, and we took a tender back to the ship. It was a fine visit!
Darwin and I make half-serious noises about moving to Korčula one day, perhaps when he retires. The climate and the scenery and the food and the cities are enchanting. It would be easy enough to do from a legal standpoint, since I'm an EU citizen and can live in any EU country indefinitely. So can Darwin, since he's my spouse. We'd be eligible for Croatia's universal health care, too. We've looked at some housing options, and we could definitely afford to buy an apartment, or even a small house.
Maybe we will. We'll see.
Contemporary Romance, Highlanders, & More
Aug. 28th, 2025 03:30 pmsmartbitches_feedEmily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries
RECOMMENDED: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett is $1.99! We had a guest squee review of this one:
Chilling, packed with lore, and a slow burn, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett is the type of book I’ve been looking for. Their adventure from faerie field research to two professors running like hell from a faerie nightmare kept me on the edge of my seat.
A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love in the start of a heartwarming and enchanting new fantasy series.
Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world’s first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party–or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, Shadow, and the Fair Folk to other people.
So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily’s research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.
But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones–the most elusive of all faeries–lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she’ll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all–her own heart.
The Chief
RECOMMENDED: The Chief by Monica McCarty is $1.99! Elyse read this one and gave it an A-:
I’ve been devouring Monica McCarty’s Highland Guard series this summer like a madwoman. They are sexy and smart and wonderfully, wonderfully Old Skooly, but without all the rape and violet eyes.
AN ELITE FIGHTING FORCE UNLIKE THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN . . .
Scouring the darkest corners of the Highlands and Western Isles, Robert the Bruce handpicks ten warriors to help him in his quest to free Scotland from English rule. They are the best of the best, chosen for their superior skills in each discipline of warfare. And to lead his secret Highland Guard, Bruce chooses the greatest warrior of all.
The ultimate Highland warlord and a swordsman without equal, Tor MacLeod has no intention of being drawn into Scotland’s war against the English. Dedicated to his clan, the fiercely independent chief answers to no one—especially not to his alluring new bride, bartered to him in a bid to secure his command of the deadliest fighting force the world has ever seen. The treacherous chit who made her way to Tor’s bed may have won his hand, but she will never claim his heart.
Although her husband’s reputation is as fierce as his manner, Christina Fraser believes that something softer hides beneath his brutal shell. But the only warmth she feels is in their bed, in glorious moments of white-hot desire that disappear with the dawn. When Christina’s reckless bid to win her husband’s love goes awry and thrusts them into danger on the eve of war, Tor will face his ultimate battle: to save his wife and to open his heart—before it’s too late.
When in Rome
When in Rome by Sarah Adams is $1.99! This is a small town contemporary romance between a pop star and a baker. It’s also the first book in the Rome, Kentucky series.
Amelia Rose, known as Rae Rose to her adoring fans, is burned-out from years of maintaining her “princess of pop” image. Inspired by her favorite Audrey Hepburn film, Roman Holiday, she drives off in the middle of the night for a break in Rome . . . Rome, Kentucky, that is.
When Noah Walker finds Amelia on his front lawn in her broken-down car, he makes it clear he doesn’t have the time or patience for celebrity problems. He’s too busy running the pie shop his grandmother left him and reminding his nosy but lovable neighbors to mind their own damn business. Despite his better judgment, he lets her stay in his guest room—but only until her car is fixed—then she’s on her own.
Then Noah starts to see a different side of Rae Rose—she’s Amelia: kindhearted and goofy, yet lonely from years in the public eye. He can’t help but get close to her. Soon she’ll have to return to her glamorous life on tour, but until then, Noah will show Amelia all the charming small-town experiences she’s been missing, and she’ll help him open his heart to more.
Amelia can’t resist falling for the cozy town and her grumpy tour guide, but even Audrey had to leave Rome eventually.
Spin the Dawn
Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim is $1.99! This YA fantasy was featured on Cover Awe and was marketed as Mulan meets Project Runway. Which HELLO!
Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping YA fantasy about a young girl who poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars.
Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There’s just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.
Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia’s task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise.
And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor’s reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.
Steeped in Chinese culture, sizzling with forbidden romance, and shimmering with magic, this young adult fantasy is pitch-perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas or Renée Ahdieh.
Sinking in
Aug. 28th, 2025 08:25 amrolanniWhat went before: Slow getting started, but once I got going, I managed to pull a couple words out of the keyboard.
+/-1050 new words, bringing the WIP to +/-65,200.
Everybody stay safe; I'll see you tomorrow.
Thursday. Sunny and cool. Weatherbeans calling for the higher 70s-in-F this afternoon. At the moment, it's too cool to open the windows.
This morning, I need to go out to collect an extension of the new prescription, which needs to be Tapered Off, who knew? And also to Agway for a couple of things, including fishing line.
I see, otherwheres, that KJ Charles is being victimized by someone who can't read reporting to Amazon numerous "errors" in Copper Script (which is good -- read it). These are, as it turns out British spelling, British sentence structure, British slang, and in a couple of cases Actual Words that said Arbiter of Error didn't recognized and couldn't be arsed to look up.
I grew up reading British novels in their native Britishness, back before US Publishing decreed that Americans were too stupid to accommodate a few extra "u"s and whatnot. Welp, US Publishing has got what it wanted, with a helping of "If I don't recognize a word, it must be a typo, because I know All The Words."
My reading of British literature reflects in my own writing, and I have once or twice had to gently inform people that, no, that is an ACTUAL WORD, GET A DAMNED DICTIONARY, WHY NOT? Ahem. And I really despair of us as a people. OTOH, ignorant people are easier to control, and we're into control, this episode, so there's a win for the bullies and the cheats.
deep breath
I said upstream that you ought to read Copper Script -- that is, of course, if Amazon hasn't pulled it for having too many errors, because Amazon has been known to do this. And, yanno, Ms Charles doesn't have anything better to do except go through an already-published book, fixing errors that aren't wrong, so it can go back into the catalog and start earning again.
I know some folks think they're dong Good Things by "reporting" errors and typos to Amazon. Trust me -- they're not. As I mentioned, oh, maybe this time last week? There are no perfect books. There are errors and typos in all books. Mostly, they don't hurt anybody (I'm not talking errors like "half my book is a scifi adventure and the other half is a cookbook" or "my book is 400 blank pages" or things of that nature). Certainly, they're not worth pulling the creator away from her new project, and pissing her off, too.
I want more books from KJ Charles, and? Abusing authors isn't the way to get more books.
Really, I ought to start a list.
Anyhow! Having ranted and perhaps educated -- Good morning! How's your day shaping up?
Here, have a picture of Rook inna sink:
