July 2026

Greek Mythology, writing contests and queer YA Romance

Hello Passion Seekers! Hope you’re having a good summer.

This month I found myself being Harriet the Spy and doing some detective work on a fellow Heart Award contestant, and accidentally talked myself into submitting to contests again.

Romance Slam Jam was a huge highlight of my month. I have never felt more like an author, and I was not prepared for the impact it would have on me.

Keep reading to get all the details.

Below the Garden

I just want to say thank you again to everyone who has been reading Below the Garden. It’s been a real pleasure putting this out here on this platform and sharing it with y’all. Your likes and comments mean the world to me. Thank you to everyone who’s been sharing it.

Thanks to Lizzy’s suggestion, I have been promoting the story by piggybacking on the success of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey (which, if you haven’t seen yet, please go; it’s very good). Fun Fact: there are similar references in both works. Light SPOILERS (though I don’t know how you spoil a 3,000-year-old text ¯\_(ツ)_/¯). While you don’t see Hades in the movie, he is mentioned, and so is the city of Pylos. Who knew Christopher Nolan and I were on the same wavelength? #JustTwoCreatives.

Normally, I would put a teaser in the newsletter for the next chapter, but I am still working on edits for Chapter 3. The main reason is that I went from unemployed and writing all day to gainfully employed. And while this has been great for my savings account, it means less time for writing.

This chapter is a big one. It’s the first big turning point for Kore’s character. We’ve seen her accept her lot in life, but now she has to make a choice that will change the course of her future, and I want to make sure I get it right for you.

Stay tuned for Chapter 3’s drop in the next few weeks.

Plot Twist: I’m doing Contests Again

So remember how I said I wouldn’t be entering any more contests? Well, I changed my mind (I’m just a girl).

Why did I change my mind, you ask? Being selected as a finalist for a Heart Award did. I am always curious (aka nosy) about the work of the finalists in the contests I enter, and I love supporting fellow writers. So, while looking up another finalist, I discovered that she entered the same contests I did last year. But she won or was a finalist in all of them.

That made me stop and think. Based on the feedback I got from last year’s contests, I made edits to the opening chapter(s) of Hoyden and the Duke. And this revised version was selected for the Heart Award. So something is clearly working, and I need to trust that along with my skills.

I took a leap of faith and entered a first page contest. So my new plan is to submit my updated pages for the remaining open contests on my 2026 list. And try my hand in 2027 as well.

Wish me luck!

Romance Slam Jam

Diverse Writers and Readers International (DWRI) held the annual Romance Slam Jam Conference earlier in July. It was 3 jam-packed days filled with some of the best information and community building. There were sessions on crafting the perfect pitch for agents and editors. Along with a free pitching template that I plan to use for the next rewrite of my query letter.

I learned the importance of copyright (I think after all the AI lawsuits, people are also learning the importance of copyrighting your work).

But for me, the best moment was Cliffhanger night, where one page of your story is read by a professional voice actor. Hearing Below the Garden read professionally is truly one of the best highlights of the conference and has now become a core memory. I’ve read the words hundreds of times, but hearing Kore and Hades come to life sent me into the stratosphere. There may or may not have been tears involved.

And we got really good suggestions on how to get over writing mental blocks. One tip that I have been using is to create a routine around writing so your brain knows to transition. The host, a licensed psychologist who works with high-achieving creatives, suggested that after work, you change your clothes or light a specific candle, as smell is one of the strongest triggers for a mental switch.

I have a set of lights around my computer that I turn on only when I’m writing. It keeps me from turning on the harsh overhead lighting in my apartment, but it also creates a sense of whimsy that is helpful for writing about mythical beings.

Let me know in the comments what you do for your own writing setup.

Heartstopper Forever premiered on Netflix July 17th, and it gave me all the feels. If you haven’t watched Heartstopper, please stop and go watch now. It’s three seasons, but you can get through it super fast. Here’s a quick catch-up: Nick and Charlie are two British teens who fall in love while Nick has his own queer awakening. (I guess I have a thing for quiet brunette gays and their funny bisexual boyfriends).

This story finds Nick in his final year of high school and Charlie entering his junior year. If you’ve read the books, it’s the adaptation of Osman’s book, Nick and Charlie. The specter of Nick heading off to college and Charlie’s mental health issues is the ghost haunting their relationship.

!SPOILERS AHEAD!

Charlie has fears about how he and Nick will manage with Nick going off to Uni in Leeds, about 4 hours from their fictional Kent town. Nick has similar apprehensions, but unfortunately neither of them talks about it. Leading to an unwanted breakup. While Nick and Charlie are teens, their problems around communication are universal for any age. On Threads, I even mention how Heartstopper Forever is the emotional appetizer for Season 2 of Heated Rivalry.

One thing I love about Heartstopper is the way it portrays young love and how it matures over time. And how two young people can grow alongside each other. And it was great to see Charlie and Nick finally confront their own insecurities and fears and finally speak to one another honestly and vulnerably. And decide to continue dating while Charlie finished his last year of high school and Nick started his freshman year at Uni. It was a perfect send-off for my two beautiful boys.

Always and Forever by Beverly Jenkins

What can I say about this book? It’s classic Beverly Jenkins. Grace Atwood is determined to lead a caravan of potential brides out west. She has no plans to marry herself, but when this opportunity presents itself, she is determined not to let these women down, even when the initial man meant to lead them is no longer able to. Instead, she tries to convince Jackson Blake by accidentally falling into bed with him! Jackson and Grace’s antagonistic flirting as they help coach the women and lead them across the plains made me laugh and swoon. And the women of the caravan are convinced, along with the reader, that there is definitely more than annoyance simmering under these fights. I can’t recommend this book enough, and it is a wonderful company at the beach or by the pool.

Fanfiction

Okay, I have read some really good Heated Rivalry fanfiction to recommend. Let’s go!

drawn in by strange_ghost

In this one, jock Shane and taciturn art student Ilya fall in love. The Halloween costumes in this alone is worth the read. But when you have writing like this:

Oh. Oh. Shane kept his gaze steady on Ilya’s, not daring to let his eyes wander where they very badly wanted to go.

And then Ilya winked.

Here lies Shane Hollander; a very inexperienced gay who happened upon the hottest man on the planet far too early in his journey and perished before he could even taste a dick.

No. He resolved to live. He could do this. He was Shane fucking Hollander.

How can you resist? The prose is funny, and the tension is sharp. Read it for the humor, stay for the smut.

Summit Position by Xoarnitehle

In my time as an HR fanfic connoisseur, I have officially identified Niche Profession Alternative Universe as one of my favorite genres. And this one serves it up in spades. In one corner we have Park Ranger/Search and Rescue Specialist Shane Hollander, and in the other corner, we have Olympic Gold Medalist downhill skier-turned-extreme-sports skier Ilya Rozanov. Ilya has plans to ski down a dangerous mountain, and Shane is asked to be the SAR lead on his run, and they immediately butt heads. Passion seekers, can you believe that these two end up snowed in completely alone, together? And with only one sleeping bag rated for -0 degree weather? What are our boys to do? I suggest you read on to find out.

It’s the end of July, and that only means one thing: the 2026-2027 figure skating season has begun! This week is the Lake Placid Ice Dance International. Next year I’m going to be better at planning to make sure I attend! But I’m so happy Ice Dance is back. While this is one of the first International Competitions, the full season is slowly ramping up. But it’s a great preview of up-and-coming Junior and Senior teams. Next month, the Junior Grand Prix starts, and then we are really off to the races. Please follow The Nice Capades if you want to get some great Figure Skating Commentary.

YAGA

Yes, Hudson Williams is in it. But the trailer alone sold me on the murder mystery with a maybe-supernatural edge. It’s based on a well-reviewed, minimalist stage play in which actors juggle multiple roles. I just started reading it, and I’m curious how that translates to screen.

Also, let me know if you pick up the play. Would love to talk with more people about it.

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Thank you, as always, for reading and sharing this thing I love making. If there’s one person in your life currently stuck in a reading slump, or one person who just watched The Odyssey and is interested in a mythic romance, forward this to them. Or a Heated Rivalry fan into fanfics. That’s genuinely the best way to help this grow.