Or, why is Casey so HOT??? Cross-posted to Substack. At Writers on the River this weekend, people would come up to me and ask me
To say I am obsessed with my new book (that I just finished!!!) would be an understatement. I told my bestie/booth b*tch/emotional support extrovert the other day that Not a Strong Enough Word is the book I wish I had the emotional bandwidth to write while I was writing The Write Place. I hid for a while within the safety of the lighthearted rom-com genre, but now that I’ve busted out into more emotional territory, I kind of wonder if I’ll be able to go back.
Shortly after I finished Love Out Loud, I was launched rather forcefully into the election and holiday season. I released two lighthearted novellas and finished up a third all while spreading the joy of the season. EVERYTHING WAS HAPPY, OKAY?
Except, I wasn’t.
So, in other words, I guess a soft man is one who has feelings. Who listens. And who is cool with his partner having a job?
This sounds fine to me? I don’t know… what am I missing?
Well, a lot, apparently. Because where there is a hot take, there’s another one to counter it just around the corner. People who are “against soft men” say these traits make them, essentially, too feminine.
To which I say… so what’s wrong with being feminine?
I have so many things to celebrate. I am so fortunate, and I am truly so, so happy. But I can’t let this weekend pass without acknowledging something really huge and sad. It’s not my typical post today, but… I don’t know. I’m feeling called to write about this, and who am I to argue with that?
TW for discussions of pregnancy loss on this one. If you’re feeling vulnerable about that, skip this one. Or scroll past to the Updates section.
Listen. I cannot spell “Millennial” with any consistency. There are entirely too many Ls and Ns, and I kind of feel like half of them are unnecessary? I did a quick search for this post to double check the spelling, and I *think* I caught them all in Common Grounds, but it’s a word that haunts me. A lot. As a Millennial, you’d think I’d know how to spell it (but, as an English teacher, you’d also think I’d know how to spell “plagiarism.” I struggle with that one, too).
Alas, it is a sticky word for me.
I’m not really sure why I felt you all needed to know that. But thank you for joining me in my Millennial misery. Don’t go anywhere, though! There’s more to this Millennial love-fest today, because we’re talking about writing (and reading) older characters.
It’s a late coffee break today, readers. It’s the last day of school! This week has been kind of messy, so I honestly forgot what day it was yesterday. And all of a sudden it’s Friday, and I hadn’t scheduled a newsletter.
But, better late than never, right? Since it’s the last day of school and I am releasing a book in less than two weeks, I thought it would be fitting to talk a bit about saying goodbye. (Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere.)
Plus an art reveal, sign-ups for a cover reveal, and buddy reads. Cross-posted on Substack. Common Grounds has been written, edited, formatted, edited again (and
*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
Coffee, espresso, and the rabbit holes of research As a reminder, you can always get my newsletter on my website, also. There is a strong