Fugs & Pieces, October 17, 2025
Oct. 17th, 2025 07:00 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
go_fug_yourself_feedSecrets! Cybertrucks! Cheese! And more.
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go_fug_yourself_feedVictoria’s Secret’s Runway Show Is Hardly Revolutionary
Oct. 17th, 2025 06:00 pmgo_fug_yourself_feedIt's just like...every one you've EVER seen.
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Folks Did, In Fact, Want “Nobody Wants This”
Oct. 17th, 2025 05:00 pmgo_fug_yourself_feedSeason 2 premieres in a week.
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Julia Fox Wore Something Calm and Low-Key
Oct. 17th, 2025 04:00 pmgo_fug_yourself_feedPer usual.
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Oh Boy, Here Comes Kim Kardashian’s TV Show
Oct. 17th, 2025 03:00 pmgo_fug_yourself_feedThanks, Ryan Murphy.
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F/F Romance, Friends to Lovers, & More
Oct. 17th, 2025 03:30 pmsmartbitches_feedBe Mine Forever
Be Mine Forever by Kennedy Ryan is $1.99 This is book three in the Bennet series. Ryan’s books are superb, with strong emotions and complex characters. Did any of you pick this up last time it was on sale?
From the bestselling author of Queen Move, a mysterious artist’s dark past stands in the way of a second chance at love in this sizzling suburban romance.
Can a secret crush . . .
Jo Walsh has loved Cameron Mitchell for as long as she can remember. Whether front and center in her life or on the periphery, the tall, brooding artist has made his presence seductively and irresistibly known. But whenever they start to get close, Cam pulls away. Jo’s tired of keeping her feelings in a box Cam is afraid to open. If he wants her, he’ll have to prove it. And if he doesn’t, Jo will need to know the real reason why . . .
. . . become the love of a lifetime?
How do you walk away from your soul mate? Cam wishes he knew. No matter how far he runs from Jo, he can’t resist looking back at the silver eyes that seem to see right through him. But as well as Jo thinks she understands Cam, the dark truth about his past is something she shouldn’t have to handle. Cam’s sure that setting Jo free is the right thing to do. Too bad his heart has other ideas . . .
Baking Me Crazy
Baking Me Crazy by Karla Sorensen is $2.49 at Amazon! This is book one in the Love at First Sight series and it features a friends to lovers romance. Have you read this one?
I’m Levi Buchanan, and until five years ago, I thought the legend of my family’s curse was a load of crazy, Southern nonsense.
No curse can make you fall in love at first sight. No curse can force a true, deep, passionate, all-consuming love that will haunt you all the days of your life.
Then I met Jocelyn Abernathy and I realized how completely wrong I was.
The problem is, Jocelyn guards her feelings like well-armed soldier. She’s the most beautiful, stubborn, infuriating woman I’ve ever met. Every time she talks, I want to kiss the living daylights out of her. But I can’t.
Because when we met, she didn’t need true love. She needed a best friend. And that’s what I’ve been to her… for five years.
But when Jocelyn meets a handsome stranger her first day working at Donner Bakery and she lets him buy her a dill pickle cupcake, I realize with ominous regret that I may have missed my window with my best friend.
If I can’t get her to see past our friendship, my new curse may be to watch the love of my life move on with someone else.
Wake Up, Nat & Darcy
Wake Up, Nat & Darcy by Kate Cochrane is 99c! This is a f/f romance and came out last November. Shana picked this one for Hide Your Wallet.
Ex-lovers. Ex-rivals. New cohosts. Oh, puck.
Cut from the US women’s hockey team right before her third chance at gold, Natalie Carpenter is scrambling for a plan that’ll help her avoid moving back home. The answer: a guest-hosting gig on Wake Up, USA’s winter games coverage. Her cohost: Darcy LaCroix, Nat’s ex-girlfriend, one-time college teammate turned adversary.
Since leaving Team Canada, Darcy has worked hard to make a name in broadcasting. If her big break requires sharing screen time with the former cocky freshman who turned her world upside down, so be it. At this point, there’s nothing between them except history.
But audiences disagree. #PuckingHotties is trending hard, and Nat and Darcy agree to lean into it—for ratings, obviously. It’s not like Nat can forget the way Darcy broke her heart or their bitter team rivalry.
Between working, traveling together and that irresistible spark, it’s getting hard to separate what’s real and what’s for the camera. Because somewhere underneath everything that went wrong is the sneaking suspicion that nothing will ever feel quite this right again.
All of Us Villains
All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and C.L. Herman is $2.99! This was mentioned in a previous Get Rec’d. Foody and Herman make a great writing duo and I believe they have a new or upcoming fantasy romance release.
After the publication of a salacious tell-all book, the remote city of Ilvernath is thrust into worldwide spotlight. Tourists, protesters, and reporters flock to its spellshops and ruins to witness an ancient curse unfold: every generation, seven families name a champion among them to compete in a tournament to the death. The winner awards their family exclusive control over the city’s high magick supply, the most powerful resource in the world.
In the past, the villainous Lowes have won nearly every tournament, and their champion is prepared to continue his family’s reign. But this year, thanks to the influence of their newfound notoriety, each of the champions has a means to win. Or better yet–a chance to rewrite their story.
But this is a story that must be penned in blood.
Kristen Stewart Lands in London
Oct. 17th, 2025 02:00 pmgo_fug_yourself_feed....still in Chanel, of course. Now. Forever. Chanel.
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689. RT Rewind: May 2016 Ads & Features
Oct. 17th, 2025 06:00 amsmartbitches_feed
We’re going back to May 2016 to look at the Ads & Features in Romantic Times magazine. The kilts are kilting and the abs are ab-ing, and we’ve got some questions.
- How do we feel about the terms “book boyfriend” and “pre-con”?
- How much of the 2016 conference depended on Twitter to announce pop up signings and special limited time events?
- And do you remember how important Twitter was to a conference?
- How many different ways are there to photograph a very muscled shirtless man? I think we’re going to see all of them.
So hop into the time machine, we’ve got the snacks, and we’re off to May 2016.
Patreon folks, you have an extended cut of this episode, available through the app or through your private feed.
Listen to the podcast →Read the transcript →
Here are the books we discuss in this podcast:
We also mentioned Elyse’s review of Imagines, complete with Amanda’s specialty Photoshop.
Visual aids? But of course!
“His job is chin.”
The 2016 Men of Romance.
We were particularly charmed by Michael Foster, bottom right, who is wearing a big black puffy blouse unbuttoned but still tucked in (YEAH), and holding a big sword while standing in front of a major wind machine. Also, Vikkas Bhardwaj’s picture looks like his head was added afterward and it’s uncanny.
She’s ripping his clothes off! That’s pretty cool.
This is the centerfold image, or part of it. We spent a lot of time with this image: the hat. The jeans. The striped socks (is this Anita Blake!?). The giant rifle with scope and the even more giant bullets around her waist. Look, she’s even got a flask in her back pocket for when she’s done.
WTF?
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Write Every Day: Day 17
Oct. 17th, 2025 04:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
china_shop"Because in the age of likes and follows, we have confused the reward of creating with the reward of being praised for creating, and why wouldn’t we? Our culture has never celebrated aspiring. Our culture celebrates markers of success. You meet a writer at a party. Oh, have you ever been published? When we could ask: what are the stories that inspire you? What is the story you most want to tell? We have to rewire the way we talk about art, the way we think about artists. The job of the artist is not to skip to the good part. The job of the artist is to make art when no one gives a damn, when no one likes or follows, when we are not being comforted by compliments and praise."
– Leigh Bardugo, via TedX
My day 17: I added 617 words to my flashfic. The story is supposed to be a little missing scene about time travel. Perhaps inevitably, given one of the characters is a deposed king, politics has reared its head, so it's still going. Oops! Not to worry, I still have plenty of time to finish it.
I also slightly tweaked a gift fic. I was thinking about the question of how to portray emotional beats/responses, showing without telling. In tandem with that, I started wondering if my POV characters have been tending too cerebral lately. Do you prefer characters to think through the implications of things or just to gut-reaction? (Does it depend on the character?) How do you express emotional beats? Are your descriptions primarily physiological (pulse, breath, etc) or something else? Do you have a technique for conveying feelings as they arise, or is this just something you do instinctively?
As well as writing, I went with Andrew (partner) to our favourite outdoor cafe (which is being forced to close down in a few months, oh no!) and sat in the blustery northwesterly, then did grocery shopping. This evening our friend is coming over for the last two episodes of Kdrama Low Life, and I'm making enchiladas.
The tally
Day 16:
china_shop, badly_knitted, trobadora, sylvanwitchWhen you check in, please say what day(s) you’re checking in for. You can join in or take a break at any time; you’re always welcome back. And please let me know if I’ve missed you.
Your Afternoon Chat: What Do You Craft?
Oct. 16th, 2025 07:00 pmgo_fug_yourself_feedPlease share with the class!
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Here’s Another Zuhair Murad Bridal Collection!
Oct. 16th, 2025 06:00 pmgo_fug_yourself_feedThe ACTUAL current one.
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Jeremy Allen White Shook It Up a Tiny Little Bit
Oct. 16th, 2025 05:00 pmgo_fug_yourself_feedJust a little.
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Victoria’s Secret Tries to Make Their Fashion Show Happen Again
Oct. 16th, 2025 04:00 pmgo_fug_yourself_feedBut did anyone legit show up to watch? Surprisingly: Yes!
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Fala Chen and Colin Farrell Have Been Looking Hot Together
Oct. 16th, 2025 03:00 pmgo_fug_yourself_feedPromoting The Ballad of a Small Player.
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The Diplomat Is Finally Back For Another Eight Episodes
Oct. 16th, 2025 02:00 pmgo_fug_yourself_feedWOOHOO.
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Fairy Godmothers, Small Town Romance, & More
Oct. 16th, 2025 03:30 pmsmartbitches_feedWhen We Chased the Light
When We Chased The Light by Emily Bleeker is $2.49! We had a guest review of this one by Lisa that ran over the summer. She gave it a B grade, where she notes that while a solid piece of fiction, it’s actually a continuation of a character introduced in a separate book. To me, this is so bizarre of the publisher, because there’s no mention that it’s part of a connected series on Goodreads or on retail sites.
A Hollywood legend. A legacy of secrets. An epic and emotional novel about forgiveness, fame, family, and truly unconditional love by the bestselling author of When We Were Enemies.
Christie’s auction house, Beverly Hills. The effects of Hollywood icon Vivian Snow are up for bid. In the collection is a set of hand-drawn postcards spanning six decades. The sender is Antonio Trombello, a soldier, POW, priest, and Vivian’s confidant. Each postcard sheds new light on a deeply private woman the public only thinks it knows.
It’s World War II. Vivian is a USO showgirl traveling the world when her husband goes AWOL, disappears, and is presumed dead. Facing increasing suspicion, she leans on her dear friend Father Trombello for support. He’s her confessor, her savior, the elusive love of her life, and when it comes to her husband’s death, the keeper of Vivian’s secrets.
As Vivian rises from canteen dream girl to starlet to bona fide legend, she navigates the highs and lows of Hollywood, new romances, and tumultuous family relationships—all in the shadow of her past and the guilt, unmet longing, and buried truths that could still upend the lives of everyone she loves.
The Golden Age of Magic
The Golden Age of Magic by Luanne G. Smith is $2.49 at Amazon! This is book one in a series that blends 1920 Hollywood, magic, and mystery. I’m super curious about a secret sisterhood of fairy godmothers.
Against the backdrop of 1920s Hollywood, a young fairy godmother on a mission is embroiled in malicious magic, mystery, and murder in a thrilling historical fantasy by the bestselling author of The Vine Witch.
Celeste is about to become one of the thirteen Fées Gardiennes, a centuries-old sisterhood of fairy godmothers. To be granted full status, she must usher her first protégé onto their path of destiny. Where better to find a starry-eyed ward than in the land of magic and illusion called Hollywood?
It’s 1927. The moviemaking business is booming when Celeste befriends a young studio seamstress whose dreams outshine everyone else’s. Rose is talented and underappreciated and could use some enchanted intervention in her life. Plans proceed swimmingly, and Celeste even catches the eye of a handsome producer. But after a series of unexplained accidents on the studio lot stir up rumors of a curse, Celeste fears the trouble is more personal―the spiteful meddling of a fellow Gardienne out to thwart Celeste’s success.
But the sabotage turns sinister when a starlet is murdered and it’s Rose who stands accused. As vengeance, dark magic, and betrayal wreak havoc, Celeste must come into her full power to save her innocent protégé and secure her own future in a cherished, ancient, and now threatened sisterhood.
Bourbon Harmony
Bourbon Harmony by Walker Rose is $2.99 at Amazon! This is the fourth book in the small town Boubon Canyon series. We’ve featured other books in the series on sale, in case you were hoping to collect them all.
When my car breaks down miles from my cabin, I’m rescued by none other than Rhys Kinkade, the man who broke my heart years ago, and his two adorable little girls.
Fifteen years ago, I was eighteen and Nashville bound. Rhys ditched our plans to leave Bourbon Canyon together. I thought he’d follow; he knew he wouldn’t. Now, I’m one album shy of headlining my own world tour and the words have dried up. Too much betrayal. Not enough fresh mountain air. So I came home.
After Rhys plucks me off the side of the road in the middle of a thunderstorm, he takes me to his house. The now divorced single dad isn’t the boy I once loved. He’s grumpy, for one. He stress-bakes the best muffins. And he shuttles me to the cabin as soon as the weather clears.
Rhys finally relents about letting me teach his kids how to play guitar, and I end up spending more time at his house. Which leads to a kiss in his shop. Which fires up my muse and the words pour out. One more kiss and I’m four songs deep into my new album.
With Rhys as inspiration, I can live my dream. But when it’s time to go, that’ll be the end of us. He’s not leaving his home, and he’s convinced I’m better off without him. If I can’t figure why he’s set on being alone, I’m going to return to the stage by myself. The biggest love of my life will be nothing but a bourbon harmony.
Fans of Devney Perry, Elsie Silver, Melanie Harlow, and Laura Pavlov will love Bourbon Promises.
You Between the Lines
You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon is $2.99! This is a standalone contemporary romances with former crushes, poetry, and rivals to lovers. However, people seemed really mixed on the heroine and her actions.
“A brilliant, poignant love story perfect for fans of Emily Henry. With vibrant characters, You Between the Lines is a master class in the art of the romance novel.”
—Peyton Corinne, author of Unsteady
A former sorority girl starts a prestigious poetry MFA program only to discover that one of her classmates is her high school crush-turned-nemesis—and he can’t stop writing about her.
No one’s more surprised than Leigh when a prestigious MFA program in North Carolina accepts her. A former sorority girl, Leigh’s the first to admit she knows more about the lyrics of Taylor Swift than T.S. Eliot, and she’s never been able to shake the “all-style-no-substance” feedback her high school crush made in their poetry workshop. Leigh’s insecurities become all too real when Will, that same high school crush-turned-nemesis, shows up at orientation. And now, he’s William, exactly the kind of writer Leigh hates, complete with his pretentious sweater vests and tattered Moleskine. Leigh’s determined to prove herself—and William—wrong by landing the program’s highly-coveted fellowship. But Will’s dead-set on proving himself too, and in a small cohort, they can’t keep apart for long.
When Will submits an intimate poem (that’s maybe, probably, definitely about Leigh) to workshop, they’re both forced to realize there’s more to the other than what’s on the page. And what’s between the lines may be even more interesting.
And Then There Was The One by Martha Waters
Oct. 16th, 2025 07:00 amsmartbitches_feed
Georgie Radcliffe finds herself acting as an amateur sleuth because she a) pays attention and b) is a keen horticulturalist. She lives at Radcliffe Hall in Buncombe-upon-Wooly, a small village in the Cotswolds in the 1930s. In that tiny village, there have been four murders, three of which she solved through her horticultural knowledge.
So far you’re thinking that this is about as cosy as cosy mysteries get, and you wouldn’t be wrong, but there are three critical distinctions.
- There is a bite of acid because Georgie is curmudgeonly.
- It’s a self-aware cosy mystery with touches of meta critique of the genre, including murder tourists – more on those later.
- There’s a freshness to it due in no small part to the fact that homosexuality is accepted with not an ounce of homophobia in sight amongst the characters.
Georgie is sure that the council chairman has been murdered (this would be murder number 5 within the space of a year) but his death is ruled as due to natural causes. Frustrated by the local police’s lack of interest, she contacts a famous detective based in London. Only, the detective sends his secretary, Sebastian Fletcher-Ford, who on the surface is a glossy thoroughbred of a man. With his perfect jumpers, crisp trousers, shiny shoes and general air of handsome flirtation, he is the opposite of the serious detective that Georgie had sought out.
Georgie is a lovable grump and I’m such a sucker for a woman grump. She has made herself indispensable to her family and the village and put her own dreams on a dusty shelf. This status quo is shaken up not by the murders, but by one Sebastian Fletcher-Ford. For the first third of the book, Georgie is scathing in her takedowns of the flirtatious Sebastian. Things begin to change during a single memorable conversation. From that point on, the reluctant warmth and interest from Georgie is delicious. She bends ever so slightly towards him while he openly beams at her. To quote the murder tourists, this is the romantic subplot and it’s lovely.
The main plot is the mystery of who killed the council chairman. This is a mostly well-plotted part of the tale. There are clear clues that lead you to the murder. Not that the story is predictable. There are red herrings and a few twists. I would describe the mystery plot as satisfying, if a little saggy in the middle when not a huge amount happens.
About those murder tourists. They have been drawn to the village by the crime spree. They’re avid devotees of murder mystery novels who visit notable sites where murders took place, and visit the murder exhibition hosted in the village hall. It’s a lot. They form part of the meta critique of the genre – both novel and true crime. Critically, this angle is not patronising nor does it seek to shame true crime aficionados. It’s a kind-hearted takedown of the genre.
There is a great cast of side characters: Georgie’s dramatic sister, slightly ditzy dad, her reporter friend Arthur, her one friend in the local police force, and the characters who make up the victims, suspects and witnesses in the mystery plot. I really really enjoyed my time with them all.
I had a good experience with this book. Yes, there are flaws (like that saggy middle I mentioned), but it was an enjoyable week of early morning reading. Give this book a go.
The Rec League: Indie and Self-Pubbed Historical Romances
Oct. 16th, 2025 06:00 amsmartbitches_feed
This Rec Leagues comes from Lara!
I’m launching a little project to find really excellent regency and Victorian romances that are self or indie pubbed.
It’s a favourite subgenre of mine but it feels like fewer and fewer are being published. So I’m looking for other sources.
All suggestions welcome!
Sarah: Christi Caldwell writes some lush and sometimes over the top historicals. Mimi Matthews and Alice Coldbreath for sure. According to readers on Reddit, Alice Coldbreath is superb at pining.
Kiki: Alice Coldbreath does have Victorian romances! Her Prizefighter series is Victorian and is often recommended for folks who want non-nobility histrom!
Sarah: Erica Ridley for sure.
Amanda: Erica has a LONG backlist of indie/self pub releases.
There’s Meara Platt, though I want to say her romances are closed door? And Mia Vincy. She was super popular a few years ago and I think won a RITA. Not sure what she’s up to now.
What authors would you recommend? Let us know in the comments!
Write Every Day: Day 16
Oct. 16th, 2025 04:35 pmchina_shopWelcome to Write Every Day! I'm china_shop, and I'll be your host for October Part 2! (Much, much thanks to cornerofmadness for sharing the month with me. ♥)
For the regulars who have been doing this a while and just want the details: I'm on NZDT (UTC+13), and I plan to post between 4pm and 6pm local time, which should line up pretty well withcornerofmadness's posts. Please comment on the most recent post, and specify what day(s) you're checking in for.
( For everyone else: what is Write Every Day and how does it work? )
I go to London Writer's Salon Antipodean Writers' Hour on weekdays, and that usually starts off with an encouraging/inspirational quote. Here's one someone shared a while back.
My goals and check-in
This morning I wrote 1,028 words of flashfic for the current "Brilliant" round of![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fan_flashworks. I'll finish it tomorrow, and then... has anyone seen Bon Appétit, Your Majesty who'd be willing to beta? :-)
Writing goals for the rest of month include not stuffing up my arms, so this afternoon I walked along a local mountain-bike trail, through the trees, then met up with my partner for hot drinks and chocolate brownie by the sea. The weather has been cold, wet and windy lately, but yesterday and today the sun finally came out. Yay!
Other goals for the next 16 days: finish my flashfic, finish a treat I started forguardian_wishlist, sign up for Yuletide, and write something for the next (amnesty) round at fan_flashworks. Other than that, I'll see where the spirit takes me.
How about you? Did you write today?
china_shop, and I'll be your host for October Part 2! (Much, much thanks to cornerofmadness for sharing the month with me. ♥)For the regulars who have been doing this a while and just want the details: I'm on NZDT (UTC+13), and I plan to post between 4pm and 6pm local time, which should line up pretty well with
cornerofmadness's posts. Please comment on the most recent post, and specify what day(s) you're checking in for.( For everyone else: what is Write Every Day and how does it work? )
I go to London Writer's Salon Antipodean Writers' Hour on weekdays, and that usually starts off with an encouraging/inspirational quote. Here's one someone shared a while back.
"When you go mountain climbing, the first thing you’re told is not to look at the peak, but to keep your eyes on the ground as you climb. You just keep climbing patiently one step at a time. If you keep looking at the top, you’ll get frustrated.
"I think writing is similar. You need to get used to the task of writing. You must make an effort to learn to regard it not as something painful, but as routine."
–Akira Kurosawa, via The Script Lab
My goals and check-in
This morning I wrote 1,028 words of flashfic for the current "Brilliant" round of
fan_flashworks. I'll finish it tomorrow, and then... has anyone seen Bon Appétit, Your Majesty who'd be willing to beta? :-)Writing goals for the rest of month include not stuffing up my arms, so this afternoon I walked along a local mountain-bike trail, through the trees, then met up with my partner for hot drinks and chocolate brownie by the sea. The weather has been cold, wet and windy lately, but yesterday and today the sun finally came out. Yay!
Other goals for the next 16 days: finish my flashfic, finish a treat I started for
guardian_wishlist, sign up for Yuletide, and write something for the next (amnesty) round at fan_flashworks. Other than that, I'll see where the spirit takes me.How about you? Did you write today?