But if you spoil House of Flame and Shadow for me, we’re gonna have words.

I have a confession to make. I have not yet started reading House of Flame and Shadow. I know. I KNOW. It has been out for, what, a little over month? The first two Crescent City books are maybe my favorite fantasy books of all time. But here we are. It’s March 1, and I just bought it the other day. I haven’t read one single word.

“How do you do it?” you might ask. “Aren’t you worried about spoilers?”

Well… yes. But also not really. And I’ll explain it all in a bit. But first…

It went from 70 degrees to under 30 in less that 24 hours this week. Keep in mind, also, that this was all happening when it was still February. My brain, body, and coffee order are confused. I had busted out the iced coffee for a while there, and it was glorious, but then I went back to hot coffee to warm myself up. And now I don’t even know what’s going on.

To be fair, the hot coffee is way better for me than the iced coffee. I feel like I can keep hot coffee to a reasonable amount and time of day. I make my cold brew coffees huge, and I find myself sipping them until at least lunch time. Considering my concerted effort to drink more water, this is less than ideal. But, maybe, since I add water to my cold brew concentrate, it evens out in the end? Maybe?

But I did order a new flavor syrup. Hazelnut! How did I not have this before? I don’t know. Hazelnut lattes are the GOAT, and you can’t convince me otherwise. Will they show up in a certain coffee-related book coming out soon? Maybe. (Yes.) Is that a spoiler? I don’t think so.

BUT SPEAKING OF SPOILERS…

(I am pretty proud of that segue.)

Sometimes I feel like I’m the only person in the world who doesn’t care about them. In fact, there are times when I actively seek them out. Couple in a series is taking too long to get together? I need to know what book it happens in. I have a feeling one of my favorite characters is going to die? I must confirm so I can emotionally prepare myself. Author hasn’t included content warnings and I have a feeling my one and only trigger is in this book? I need to know everything about it to find out if I can keep reading. (Which is just protecting my mental health, but even if the entire book is spoiled in my search for a summary to find the trigger, I’ll often keep reading.)

“How?” “Why?” “Don’t you want to be surprised?!” Well, sure. Maybe. Kind of? But plot points are not the only thing to enjoy about a book. I’d actually go as far as to argue that plot points aren’t even the most interesting thing about books in general.

I fully admit that this might be easy for me to say. I’m an author of primarily character-driven love stories. I read high-stakes, plot-dependent books like fantasy and literary fiction, and I am not a fan of thrillers, where I imagine spoilers could ruin the whole thing because… well, the whole thing is plot. Regardless, for me, the best part of reading is watching how the author gets from one plot point to the next. I’ve always been more interested in the craft of writing than anything else.

This could be a job hazard, both for being a literature teacher and a writer. As a writer, I usually know the entire plot of my books before I start writing. (I say usually because we all know those characters have minds of their own.) As a literature teacher, I often re-read books. And every time I re-read them, I love them even more. Sure, there’s the gratification of the first read. The surprise element is fun if it’s there. But a re-read just hits different. You already know what’s going to happen, so the stakes are low. It becomes a comfort read, no matter how intense. But, more than that, you’re free of the plot. You can focus on other things, like Easter eggs, smaller details, symbolism, little delightful turns of phrase you didn’t notice before. That, to me, is the fun part of reading.

I also love the stuff in between the major plot points. The how of the book, not the what. This is probably also why I hate fantasy novels that rely on magic too much. I need the in between to be way more satisfying than that.

So why do I care so much about House of Flame and Shadow spoilers? I don’t, really. But I’ve avoided them for so long, that now it’s a game. How fast can I scroll past character art? How many accounts can I avoid because I know they’re posting spoilery art and memes? But I’m starting it today (I SWEAR), so I won’t have to play the game much longer.

Common Grounds is with my editor! I am so freaking in love with this book, y’all. I cried when I typed THE END, and then I cried again after re-reading it for self editing. I love all my books, truly, but this one might be my favorite. It’s funny to think that I started it as an exercise to get my mind off of The Write Choice when it got difficult, but the more I wrote and re-read and wrote again, the more I absolutely fell in love with it.

It’s a standalone. It exists in the same world as Leade Park, but is not interconnected with them. My beta readers have told me that the tone of it is really different, too. Lighter, in a way. Funnier. But with no less heart than you’ve come to expect. I absolutely cannot wait to share more about this gorgeous book with you! Stay tuned for more info, coming soon!

I finally, FINALLY started One Last Job by Anise Starre. Y’all. It is AMAZING. You know I love me a blonde man, and rivals-to-lovers workplace romance is a favorite of mine. And some forced proximity! And he buys her food. The writing is top-notch. The banter is great. I can’t wait to finish it, but I’m already sure it’s going to be a favorite.

That’s it for now! Thanks for hanging out and having a coffee with me. I hope your March is starting off on the right foot, and you have some fun, spring reading planned!