March 2026
Happy March! Are you currently experiencing fool’s spring? I know we are in the northeast. One day it’s 70°F, and a few days later it’s 25°F! So, while I deal with these wild fluctuations, let’s get into this month’s newsletter.
Meet Cute
I am currently in my learning era as a writer. Back in January, I participated in the Writers Deep Dive Virtual Retreat from The Sh*t No One Tells You About Writing team. Writing is such a lonely endeavor. Being in a room (even a virtual one) with other writers who understand the hopes and frustrations of publishing and the importance of proper word choice really fills my cup.
The presentations from industry professionals were super enlightening. Learning about what the market wants. Think lots of crossovers:
Speculative romance
Horror romance
Thriller rom-com
You get the idea, and how best to position your book for agents: Be hyper specific, having a unique vision is better than a generic, shallow story.
This month, I took CeCe Lyra’s course on Interiority and Psychological Acuity , and I have learned so much from her and my fellow classmates. I’m still trying to take it all in and create worksheets and reference docs for myself while I edit. In the lead-up to the class, people spoke so highly of the day she critiques students’ work in progress, and I have to agree. Having her go through and show how what we’ve learned can be applied is invaluable. I’ve been re-reading my favorite romances looking for interiority and psychological acuity, and now I can spot it. I’m feeling really good about future edits and making my stories sparkle.
Under the Covers
I’ve been working on a short story that is a mix of The Thomas Crown Affair and The Lincoln Lawyer (maybe? - why are comps so hard?!) for a submission due April 1st. I’ve had the idea for this story for a while. It’s a cat-and-mouse game between a cybercriminal and the FBI agent tasked with tracking them down. Crimes are being committed, but who is morally right, the Cybercriminal or the FBI agent? What happens when you meet the one person who makes you question everything you ever believed to be true?
I’m thinking I might expand upon it and release it next year. My hope is to release a serialized novella or short story here every year; fingers crossed, I can do it.
Once the submission is completed, then it’s back to edits for my spicy Hades and Persephone retelling, which will be released here on this very special Substack in June 2026. I cannot wait to share it with y’all. I really love mythology, and Hades and Persephone have always been among my favorites. And I’m glad I finally decided to write the story idea that’s been sitting on my Story Ideas list. I have been working on social media artwork for it. Here is a sneak peek of one of my ideas:
Stay tuned to my Instagram and BlueSky to see the final product.
Romancelandia
Bridgerton
So I am slowly coming out of my Heated Rivalry-induced psychosis and finally watched Season 4 of Bridgerton. And I have to say I really enjoyed watching an anxious Asian and their chaotic bisexual lover fall in love at a cottage (ba dum tss). Seriously, though, the season was a slow burn, but it did suck me in. Something that I have realized lately, and I see it in my own writing, is that as a major Romance fan, I want the meet-cute and romance to happen fast. I don’t need a major buildup for each character at first; give me the backstory after they’ve met in some capacity. I would like to know what you like!
But back to Bridgerton. Season 4 was better than Season 3 (justice for Penelope!) for sure. I will be honest, back in Season 1, I wasn’t sure about Benedict as a love interest. But I can now see that casting had the vision. I love Benedict’s growth from an aimless, spoiled gentleman to someone who stands up for what he wants and protects the woman he loves. Sophie was a great female lead whom I rooted for and wanted to see triumph over her evil stepmother. And the issues keeping them apart made sense, and I loved how they overcame them. I’m even prouder that Benedict was willing to leave society to be with Sophie, because her love was stronger than what the ton thought. So I’m still a Bridgerton fan, count me in for Season 5.
Pride and Prejudice Netflix
If you aren’t aware, Netflix is currently making a new Pride and Prejudice miniseries.
Some of my favorite actors are in it (Emma Corrin, Jack Lowden, and Oliva Coleman). And I can’t be more excited. I am a Jane Austen evangelist, so I’m here for any remake (except that godawful Netflix Persuasion - justice for Anne!). I know there are constant fights about 1995 vs 2005, and I have to say I love my children equally. I hope that if this one is successful, we will get more adaptations. I just want someone to take Persuasion seriously and give Anne her due (Watch the 2007 version with Sally Hawkins and Rupert Penry Jones). Also, I wouldn’t be mad at a new Sense and Sensibility. I know the Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Ang Lee one is great. Again, I love all my children, but it’s been 30 years, don’t you want to see the Dashwoods?
Reads that Ruined My Sleep
A Chance at Love by Beverly Jenkins
My girl Loreli Winters is back in this one. I loved her in Always and Forever and was happy to see her get her own story. This one turns the historical romance maiden trope on its head. Loreli is an experienced woman with a man with little sexual experience. I love how that works between Loreli and Jake. The found-family aspect with Jake and his nieces, whom he’s caring for, warmed my heart. But the people of the Kansas town provide lots of comedic relief. And Loreli’s ex throwing a wrench into her romance plans is what kept me turning the page late into the night.
Purchase here (Affiliate Link)
If you haven’t noticed, I changed the title of this subsection from Books to Reads. That’s because I read fanfiction, some works that are so good I want to share them with you. So here’s my first rec (Yes, it’s from the Heated Rivalry fandom. This hyperfixation is NOT going away).
Change Your Win Conditions by Vee (Vera_DragonMuse)
It’s works like these that make me love fanfiction. Beautiful writing and emotions that break your heart and tape them back together. In this work, Shane and Ilya never reconcile after the Tuna Melt Meltdown because Ilya sustains a career-ending injury (not a spoiler, it’s in the description) before the 2017 All-Star Game. Ilya is a coach for the Centaurs, and Shane is drafted to the team. The emotional depth of these two knuckleheads kept me up late at night to find out if they will finally let their walls down and be together. Vee weaves the past and present together, moving the plot forward while staying true to the characters. I’m not a fanfic purist; I enjoy the occasional crack fic. But I do appreciate taking canon facts about characters and seeing them react in new situations or circumstances. And the work is spiritually connected to the Shane and Ilya that I love.
I have a little treat for you readers: You can shop the list of Books that Ruined My Sleep over on Bookshop.org. You can Take 15% OFF these select titles when you enter BSO15 at checkout. The code is valid until April 1, 2026. Discount is off list prices, and excludes Ebooks
Bookshop.org is a better way to buy books online. Every purchase on Bookshop.org supports local, independent bookstores. I love using Bookshop.org, and I support my favorite local bookstore, Possible Futures. Happy reading!
Non-Romance Things
Music
Harry Styles’ new album Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally
This album has been on repeat for me since it came out on March 6th. Aperture, American Girls, Coming Up Roses, and Dance All the Time are my favorites. Harry’s music is pure joy; it’s been keeping me afloat emotionally during these times.
Kacey Musgraves new single Dry Spell
The country queen of innuendo is back! I have been listening to this song when I take breaks from Harry. So cheeky and fun!
Video Edits
So…I have been making Heated Rivalry video edits. You can find them on my Instagram, linked below. Hope you like them! (Instagram embeds are not working. If anyone has a fix, please let me know.)
Benson Boone “Mystical Magical”
Roscoe Dash and Waka Flocka Flame “No Hands”
That’s all, Passion Seekers. Please share this post with your fellow readers. Let me know how the weather is in your part of the world and what you’re currently reading.
I agree that the last Persuasion was blasphemy, and while I love Olivia Coleman, it's made me nervous about Netflix's next Austen attempt. My favorite version of Persuasion is the 1995 version.
Anything by Beverly Jenkins will be a good time. Thank you for the rec! I haven't spent a lot of time in the Austinverse, but I need to. There are so many wonder fanfics and adaptations.