what should go here?
Welcome to “nothing but good times ahead” — a slight rebrand of my previous newsletter, “the SA essay.” The new name comes from my favorite romance book, Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie, and is a bit of a personal mantra as well. Whether you’ve been around awhile or are a new subscriber, I appreciate you being here!
Along with the new name, I was wondering if maybe I should change up the format, too? In the past this is where I wrote a brief essay on some topic—trains, writing, mental health, etc. But now that we aren’t married to the essay for the newsletter’s title to make sense, I’ve decided to pose it to you, my lovely readers: what would you enjoy most from me? I’d love for you to answer this poll or reply to this email with your thoughts.
Looking forward to hearing what you all think! I’m honored to be in your inbox, and I want to make sure opening up this newsletter always feels worth your time.
book stuff
There is a lot of exciting book stuff going on and even more to come, but here are a few highlights for now:
Mrs. Nash’s Ashes is out in large print on July 26, and it’s very cute!
And look at this gorgeous cover created by the immensely talented Fernanda Nia for the Brazilian version of MNA, Não era pra ser uma história de amor, being published this fall! It is so perfect and I’m absolutely obsessed. Definitely getting it as a poster for my office. (Preorder links to come.)
One of my critique partners and dearest friends, Amber Roberts, has her own debut romcom, Text Appeal, releasing in a few weeks and we are celebrating with an Instagram Live event at 8pm on August 8. Mark your calendars to come hang out with us—rumor has it there will be giveaways!
what we’re reading at our house
me - Architects of an American Landscape by Hugh Howard
H - Babel by R.F. Kuang; Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
me & H together - The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
h - This Beach is Loud! by Samantha Cotterill
what i’m listening to
On repeat because I’m so excited to see them live tomorrow…
(“The Storm in You” - Ruen Brothers)
you should check out
Okay, I know this recommendation is coming about half a century late, but: The Bob Newhart Show. The banter is top notch, and while not every joke holds up perfectly in this day and age, it’s overall still so much fun. Also, Bob and Emily might just be one of the best representations of a healthy and respectful relationship I’ve seen on TV (so far, at least—I admit I’m only about half a season in, maybe it goes off the rails at some point). The romance, comedy, and cultural studies parts of my brain are all having a blast.
Until next time! Thanks for reading, and take care, friends! xSA