*Let me just start by saying I am aware that the term “girls” is infantilizing, and gender-specific. I fully know that I have readers of all genders, and that those who identify as women are, in fact, grown. I went for the catchy alliteration. I’m sorry. I love you all.

That said, grumpy women, specifically get a bad rap. So this one, truly, is for the grumpy women out there. The patriarchy tells you to smile more and be softer. I say lean in to those hard edges.

My hazelnut syrup hasn’t arrived yet, and I’m pouting about it. It’s scheduled to get here by Sunday, and I hope it does. I’m craving a hazelnut coffee beverage. (I can’t really say latte because lord knows I’m not making actual lattes over here. I’m just making coffee and pouring in some milk with a pump or two of flavor.)

But, sitting here writing this thing, I’m looking around at my beverage goblin trio of drinks. I have sparkling water, still water, and tea. (*gasp* I know, but I write these things at night, so I’m not really drinking coffee.) It would seem I am physically incapable of drinking a beverage out of a vessel that doesn’t have some kind of snarky saying on it. My Stanley has a sticker on it that says “You’ll die without me you idiot.” My sparkling water is in a cup that says “Tears of my one-star reviewers.” My tea is in a mug that says “Read books and fight the patriarchy.” And I have countless other mugs and cups with stickers or sayings on them. When I select which beverages to line up and in which cup or mug, I am careful to pick ones that represent my mantra for the day. And that’s what it is, right? A mantra. A manifestation. A silent prayer to the universe to give me whatever strength and hydration I need to get the job done, whatever the job may be. So I’m curious if you have a favorite mug or cup with a saying on it. Let me know!

I know, I know, I know. I’ve written about grumpy women before. They just call to me, okay? I guess I’ve written three books now that have female main characters who toe the grumpy line, and I just love them so much.

When I first saw Jenny (The Write Time) described as a grump, I thought, Hmm. Is she? She was certainly not grumpy in The Write Place, but when we found out more about her backstory, it was easy to see how she tried to be optimistic, but she just kept getting a bunch of punches thrown her way. We all know Ben is a total simp for her. And his joy eventually becomes hers.

Katie (The Write Choice) describes herself as grumpy. I believe the word she actually uses is “grouchy,” but same thing. And sure, next to ray-of-sunshine Brandon, she is. But who can blame her? She grew up without a lot of money. Her parents had to work all the time, and died very young. She didn’t have a ton of adult role models, and slipped into some pretty serious substance abuse. Sure, her babies and her husband made her happy for a while, but the stress of life caught up with her eventually, and she had to figure some stuff out before she could feel happy again.

And, on top of this, my next female main character (No, you don’t know her name yet. No, I probably won’t casually drop her name in this newsletter.) has major black cat energy. She’s stuck in a rut, writing happy lifestyle pieces for a local web magazine. She hates it. She’d much rather be writing something serious and “important.” My next male main character (probably won’t drop his name later on either) is an unfailing optimist.

I almost, almost didn’t finish Common Grounds for this reason. Three grumpy women and sunshine men in a row? Ugh, amirite? Can Allie, like, branch out or something?

Yes, I can. I’ll have you know that my next two couples are going to be completely, wildly different than all these. But there’s just something about the grumpy girls that calls to me.

First off—and you know this if you’ve been around for a while—I’m a grump. I mean, I think I have more layers than this, but I do tend to see the negative in a lot of situations. In my defense, a lot of situations right now are negative. And yet, that’s kind of my point. Women aren’t born grumpy; we’re made grumpy. How anyone maintains a sunshine personality that’s more than just an outward façade in this day and age is beyond me.

I love showing this in my female characters. They’re not just randomly grumpy. In fact, I wouldn’t necessarily call them grumpy at all (more on this later). They’re hardened by the circumstances life has thrown at them. For Jenny, it was her mother treating her like nothing was ever good enough, an emotionally abusive ex, and the death of a close friend. For Katie, it was her upbringing, her slowly deteriorating marriage, and her isolation. For Emery (*ahem*), it’s being laid off from a job she loved, getting divorced, and her parents’ rejection all in a short span of time.

Secondly, grumpy women are only deemed grumpy because the patriarchy says women should behave a certain way. We all know how women are asked (lol jk, told) to smile all the time. When we don’t, we’re seen as grumpy, bitchy, unlikeable, or are told they rub people the wrong way. (True story. Happened to me. A lot.) Are my leading ladies grumpy? Am I truly grumpy? I honestly would say no. They (we) have reasonable reactions to the scenarios they’ve (we’ve) been put through. And when you put us next to a sunshine man who has had the privilege of never once being told he should smile more, we look angry by comparison.

The grumpy/sunshine trope where the guy is the grump is a popular one. And, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love it. To be able to watch him soften for her is *chef’s kiss.* But my ladies don’t soften for their men. They learn to trust that their men aren’t going to try to fundamentally change them. Ben, Brandon, and Trevor (*AHEM*) love their grumpy girls for who they are. They actually love the prickly side of these women. Sure, they enjoy the smiles more because they’re fewer and farther between. A hard-fought battle is always more rewarding. But they don’t want or expect the women they love to change themselves. They let them be. And that, my friends, is the best kind of love story. No one needs to be fixed. They’re simply loved for who they are.

So, I write these stories for the grumpy girls, so you can feel seen. There are people out there who love you just the way you are. Who will never tell you to smile. You deserve a happily ever after, too, and it’s my mission to give it to you.

Common Grounds came back from its first round of editing, and when I tell you I cried at Megan’s feedback… y’all, I bawled like a baby. She loved it. My betas loved it. Everyone loves it so far, and I know you will, too. We’re aiming for a cover reveal in about a month, and then a release in early June. Stay tuned for ARC sign-ups, because those will come fast.

Megan also finished recording The Write Time audiobook! I’m so stoked for you to hear Jenny and Ben’s story! I’ll be sure to send out a special newsletter for information about the audiobook version, because I know you’ll love it.

I have so many other amazing things on the horizon, but I can’t talk about them just yet. But you can trust me when I say you’re going to want to keep reading these emails for more information!

Have I started reading House of Flame and Shadow yet like I said I was going to last week?

No.

Have I finished One Last Job like I said I was going to last week?

Also no.

BUT I did finish a beta read of Hannah Bird’s next release, The Cost of Forgetting You. It is phenomenal, even in its first draft form. You are all going to want this one on your radar, for sure.

And, the amazing Lorissa Padilla is releasing ‘Til I Reach You soon! You’ll want to snag this emotional read (and some tissues) as soon as you can. It is gorgeous!

That’s all I have for now! I hope you enjoyed this take on grumpy girls, and check out my Instagram tomorrow for a little giveaway you can enter if you were paying attention during today’s newsletter. 😉 I hope you have a great week! May your books and your coffee be steamy.