That Was Unexpected
a dog & kid situation, buy me a coffee? and a few delightful books & things
(whispered while peeking out from around a corner) hi, hello, how is it out there?
I fully expected to send this email two weeks ago, with lots of of vim and vigor. Holidays are concluded! Kids are back to school! Life is back to normal!
And then our beloved dog Romeo (introduced in this newsletter two years ago) suddenly seemed to lose all control of his limbs. It went from a small limp to us Weekend at Bernie’s-ing him through the yard for bathroom breaks.
Super scary but one trip to our vet, two trips to the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, a handful of tests like an MRI, and some steroids later, he’s starting to get better.
Though it’s not a linear process and its unclear right now if meds will be enough, Romeo appears to be returning to his precocious, goofy, darling self, other than the humility of the Mad Max-like shavings on the back of his neck, half of his chest, and on all four legs. These are due to the blood draws, the spinal tap, and hooking him up for scans; we didn’t just get weird.
Somewhere during those two weeks, my even more precocious, even goofier and even more darling son swallowed a penny. Which involved a pediatrician’s visit, a round of x-rays and some unpleasant parental duties I won’t detail.
All resolved, he’s doing great.
I expect this year is off to an unsettling start for many folks, possibly you, and particularly here in the US. I’m sending small donations to groups working to feed kids in Minnesota while I’m also ingesting a balanced diet of news and regency romance to handle (waves hand in air) whatever this is.
Speaking of donations, I’d hoped to introduce this new Buy Me a Coffee button below as a “check out the technology I mastered!” victory. Instead, it took me two days of work, accidentally charging my husband $50 on his credit card, accidentally charging him another $50, figuring out how to refund it, learning how to use Stripe properly, and finally having this lovely & well-functioning button.
So voilà! Should you wish to support my work with small amounts in $5 increments—this human is powered by coffee—you would have my most sincere gratitude. And it would indicate I wasn’t shouting into the void which might be even nicer than the actual coffee.
Great Things and then We’re Out
Sophie Irwin’s How to Lose a Lord in Ten Days is everything I could ever want in a regency romance—hilarious, smart, and it gave me secondhand cringe as she replayed the How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days embarrassment with aplomb. It’s no spice, so swoony, and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s also on Kindle Unlimited, if you partake. WINNER.
My teen has become a wizard at gel nails and she’s doing mine in exchange for nail supplies. It might be the best deal I’ve ever made. I’ve had reindeers and snowmen and polka dots and the joy I feel looking at my fingers is intense even as my typing is reminiscent of Swedish Chef baking.
I joined the Net Galley folks to early read books and already I’m approved for 3 books. Does life get better than pre-releases for free sent straight to my Kindle? No, no, it doesn’t.
And If You Need a Good Book…
a book that shows the joy and hilarity of modern-day love, with delightful, believable characters, my three modern romances and my dual POV romcom are for you. All low-spice, all high-swoon, all, though I say it myself, funny. Ideal for the Elder Millennial or Gen X lady.
That’s it, that’s all, here’s some young & handsome fellas to send you off in style.
Never forget, you are dear, you are one of a kind, and of all the readers, I appreciate you who has read to the end of this more than I can say.
Tell me of your life! Are you waist deep in snow? Are your children, like mine, now out of school for the next 48 to 342 hours? I’ll add, we have no snow or ice, none. Yet here we are, home and school-free. MAKE IT MAKE SENSE.
Take care and talk sooner (God willing and the creek don’t rise),
Emily
Your newsletters make me smile, Em. The best 💛
Sending you huge love Emily and prayers for recovery for everyone. Xx