I didn’t like 1989 when it came out in 2014. I only listened to the songs they played on the radio (Blank Space and Shake It Off). I didn’t listen to the album as a whole until much, much later.
I hated that Taylor Swift had moved away from country, a genre I had grown up listening to, and into pop. For so long, I refused to listen simply because it was something different than what she’d put out previously.
While 1989 still isn’t my favorite TS album, it does have some of my favorite songs. I still haven't decided whether I’m going to start with the vault tracks when I listen tonight or if I’ll read You Are In Love—my all-time favorite Taylor Swift song. We’ll see.
Either way, I’m very excited about this re-record (more so than I expected to be.) Tell me, what song are you looking forward to hearing the most?
I’m writing book 3 and still celebrating the release of book 2!
It’s been 3 weeks since the release of The Rules of Mistletoe, and honestly, I’m still riding a bit of a high. While I’m slowing down on my Instagram posts (back to 2-3 a week), I’m writing more and I’ve constantly been thinking about stories and romance and why we need them.
The world has been so, so heavy lately (maybe always). My heart hurts for all of the innocent people who are dying or being cut off from the resources they need to survive. I’m learning and doing what I can to help—educating myself, donating where I can—and I’m still writing.
Because even in the darkest of times, I think it is the art and the stories and the creatives that can bring a little bit of hope to the world.
I’ve been working on book 3 (official writing update/progress below) for the past couple of months now. This draft and story are not at all going the way I expected back in 2021 when I first started jotting down ideas for Annie and Sam’s story. From the beginning, I knew that Annie’s story would be one of a survivor of abuse finding love.
What I didn’t realize was how tender, lovely, and romantic this story was going to be to write. How healing it would be for Annie, but also for me.
I used to write a lot on the internet about my own story. Over a decade ago I was in a relationship where I was emotionally abused and manipulated for over a year and was assaulted in that time as well. While Annie’s story is not mine, writing about her finding love and watching her see that she is worthy of love and kindness has been healing to my own heart.
October is generally hard for me. There are anniversary dates that always trigger my anxiety, but this year, my anxiety has been mild. Yeah, this could be due to the anti-anxiety meds, but I also think that writing this story about healing and hope has also helped my heart heal.
Obviously, I’ll still be talking about The Rules of Mistletoe, especially as the holiday season approaches. But I’m bursting with excitement to share more about book 3—Annie and Sam’s story—because it is so near and dear to my heart, and I hope that someday soon it can be a book that brings healing and hope to you as well.
And, for some fun, an Annie and Sam mood board (and a Holly and Drew because we’re still in their season!):
and for fun, Tally and Noah
Writing Progress 👩🏻💻
Patreon Novella - 11,356 words - I’m almost done with the first draft! I’ll be finishing it up this week and diving into edits. All the details will be out in November!
Annie + Sam’s Book - 29,289 words -Still obsessed with this story (see above) and I’ve just about reached the midway point of this book. Already, this first draft is longer than my other first drafts (at least, it’s going to be I think). I’ve always been an underwriter with first drafts (the first draft of The Rules of Mistletoe was under 50k, by a lot). But this story is different, and I’m growing as a writer. I was *hoping* to finish the first draft by the end of October, but I don’t think that will happen. Which is okay, but I will finish it in November if I want to hit all of my deadlines.
Currently 💕
📖 Reading - I just read Off The Hook by Julie Olivia. I LOVED IT SO MUCH! If you like spicy books (7-8 on the RCRS) and books with Peter Pan vibes, you’ll love this one! I also just read When The Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer which isn’t my usual genre (historical with Christian themes) but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.
📺 Watching - Still re-watching White Collar, I’ve made it to season 3 and I can’t remember anything that’s happening, which has made this re-watch incredibly fun! I also watched several episodes from Bridgerton season 1 last night, it’s so good!
🎧 Listening - Taylor Swift discography to prep for 1989 (Taylor’s Version), maybe someday I’ll listen to an audiobook again.
🎶 On my playlist - I don’t generally share my book playlists until after my books are out. But if you want to listen to the mostly Taylor Swift-filled writing playlist that I’ve been listening to while writing Annie and Sam’s book, you can listen here. (Annie is a Swiftie too, so these all just make sense)
Easy Links For You 🔗
🎄 Read it now in paperback, ebook, or free on Kindle Unlimited: The Rules of Mistletoe
💕 Read The Luck of Finding You on Kindle Unlimited!
📖 Read We Can Call It Even on Patreon - complete e-book ready to download right after you join!
👚 Bookish Merch - Use NEWSLETTER10 for 10% off
Have a great week!