Our discussion of BETWEEN TWO FIRES featuring Christopher Buehlman himself is next Wednesday!

here’s the link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83208780010?pwd=Cr45KvR9XEJ0yXZYaIK1ptfajvdvZb.1

see you next week 🫡

Ed and Will

September Book Club Pick: Until the Clock Strikes Midnight

August is almost over, which means it is time to prepare for diving into our September book club pick, which is Until the Clock Strikes Midnight by Alechia Dow–a queer YA fantasy romance that remixes the classic fairytale formula!

Darling is the most talented—and unusual—Guardian to get a chance at winning the coveted once-in-a-generation Mortal Outcome Council mentorship. Getting the spot would mean having the opportunity to shape the future happiness of all mortal realms—if she succeeds at her first assignment, Lucy Addlesberg. Darling thinks it’ll be an easy razzle-dazzle job… until she actually meets Lucy. Her life is a complete mess, from her failing bookshop in her downtrodden village to her doomed flirtation with the princess of Lumina. But if there’s one thing Darling’s good at, it’s a makeover.

Calamity is the most talented—and arrogant—Misfortune of his class. It’s his job to save mortals from their own terrible decisions made in the pursuit of the mythical "Happily Ever After." When Calam is granted a shot at the Mortal Outcome Council mentorship, he thinks his dreams are finally coming true. But first, he must pass the test. It should be easy—Lucy Addlesberg has been unfortunate for years. All he has to do is continue her string of bad luck so she can finally come to terms with reality and settle for a safer, more logical path in life. Yet when he arrives, he finds that Lucy has a Guardian assigned to her too—a chipper overachiever who is as colorful as the magic pouring from her glittery wand.

To thwart each other, Darling and Calam insert themselves into Lucy’s life posing as a betrothed couple. As they try to guide her down what they each see as the best path for her, they start questioning their roles and ultimately what they truly want for themselves... and if those feelings of loathing they have for each other might actually be something more like love.

Casual discussion will take place all month long on Discord in the #until-the-clock-strikes-midnight channel. Usually, our live wrap up discussions will be the last Thursday of the month, however, I am going to be in Bosnia on a pilgrimage during that date this month, so I am tentatively pushing UTCSM wrap up to Thursday, October 1st, at 6pm pacific/9pm eastern. I say tentatively because that is the second day of school for me and as a new admit to my major, I don’t know what my orientation/welcome week commitments will be, so it may get pushed to October 8th, but hopefully not!

If you’re intending to purchase a copy of this book, you can purchase through Bookshop.org by clicking the tagged book on this post–I receive a 10% commission for that book and any other book you purchase after clicking that link, and some of your money will also go to Bookshop’s indie bookstore fund, supporting independent bookstores across the US! There are also a couple copies available on Pango, including a very reasonably priced FaeCrate edition that is simply gorgeous. If you’re a Western Washingtonian, the Seattle Public Library has several dozen audiobook copies currently available (also! Fun fact! You can get a free SPL card online in most Western Washington counties! I know for sure King, Kitsap, Snohomish, Island, and Pierce, but others as well).

October Voting Options

Voting for our September selection is currently live over on our Discord in #voting-and-announcements! As always, I like to land on our books around a month in advance to allow for library waits, shipping time, and extra reading time if you want to start early. The wrap up discussion for this one will be back to our standard last-Thursday-of-the-month, aka October 29 at 6pm pacific. This book will also be our last book club read of 2026! We’’ll be taking November & December off, because the holidays are always chaotic, not to mention I prep and then run Disability December, will be prepping Read Disabled 2027, end of year wrapped content, and finals! But we’ll be back in 2027 and better than ever :)

With that out of the way, let’s get to our October Voting Options!

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones

Genre: YA fantasy

Representation: chronic pain (lived experience)

In Rynn’s town, the dead don’t stay dead. When the risen corpses known as Bone Houses begin to attack with a ferocity that threatens her home and family, Rynn must team up with Ellis, a traveling mapmaker, to journey into the mountains to find the source of the curse and destroy 

A Little Less Broken by Mariam Schembari

Genre: memoir

Representation: autism (lived experience)

One woman’s decades-long journey to a diagnosis of autism, and the barriers that keep too many neurodivergent people from knowing their true selves.

Accidental Demons by Clare Edge

Genre: middle grade fantasy

Representation: type 1 diabetes (lived experience)

When a young witch keeps accidentally summoning demons every time she has to check her blood sugar, she and her sister devise a plan: summon a special demon to monitor her blood sugar like a service dog! But when the summoning goes awry, they realize they may have bit off more than they can chew.

Extracurricular by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Genre: romance

Representation: PTSD, anxiety (lived experience)

When Ramona leaves the pop-star spotlight behind and enrolls in college at 26, the last things he expects is A-plus chemistry with her recently divorced psychology professor, but when a crisis brings them closer outside of class, they begin a tentative friendship amid an undeniable attraction.

Triptych by Karen Slaughter (Will Trent #1)

Genre: mystery/thriller, crime fiction

Representation: dyslexia

In the city of Atlanta, women are dying—at the hands of a killer who signs his work with a single, chilling act of mutilation. As the police engage in a frenzied chase to catch the killer, but Will Trent, a loser ex-con who stumbled onto the killer’s way may just hold the key to breaking the case wide open.

https://youtu.be/a1dxeHziRjQ

Hey Everyone!

I have my first long form video on YouTube! You can only view it if you have this link, it's not public, so just for you guys. I'm learning how to film and edit with an actual camera here, so....yikes lol. But I think it came out pretty good!

I will be making these monthly for the tier, if you have any suggestions or questions or want to be involved let me know!

Jen

Thank you to Harper Voyager, and HarperAudio for the ARC/ALC. Here is my genuine review: 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

🌶️🌶️? (One scene, not terribly graphic but still open door) 

Audra has two conflicting prophecies and her decision will have major ramifications. 

I enjoyed the story that focused heavily on dark academia, classes, “trials”, magic struggles, etc. It is not heavy on romantic elements, really doesn’t get there until the end. 

I think this book would be great for those who love a dark academia, fae, magic systems, chosen one, conflicting prophecies/destinies, demon/underworld, and not everything is at it seems. This is a dual narration (not a duet), so while you get two POVs, you mainly only get Audra’s. 

However, and it PAINS me to say this as someone who fell in LOVE with the cover, helped with the cover reveal and looked forward to the release — this book didn’t do it for me. 

I loved the author’s previous work (Lore of the Wilds and Lore of the Tides) but this fell flat for me. While I appreciate the beginning of the story, it’s like her “previous” life / backstory doesn’t matter as the story went on.

There was a TON of inner dialogue that made me feel like the pace of the novel was very slow and dragged along. While I appreciate going on Audra’s journey, I failed to be wholly captivated. 

The romantic element seems lackluster to me. I do NOT need smut to enjoy romance, so that’s not the problem, I feel as if their “attraction” happened so late in the book that it didn’t get much attention to be fleshed out (Read: I was not given enough interactions to be invested or believe in this unconventional romance). 

I almost DNF’d but after seeing SO MANY people enjoy the advanced copy, and from encouragement from friends, I decided to press through. Unfortunately, by 50% I really wasn’t interested and I never gained a spark back as I completed the book (no seriously, this pains me more than you know to say this but I have to be honest and probably be the odd person out).

I do STRONGLY encourage those who are interested to pick up this book ASAP. I think I am an anomaly in my thoughts. Many of my mutuals were OBSESSED and absolutely GAGGED at the end (I was not). 

Thank you Harper Voyager, Analeigh Sbrana (and NetGalley platform) for allowing me to read this advance copy. I appreciate it and will still recommend this book to the right reader. 

What happens when you combine science fiction, the American West, corporate power, super-soldiers, and a heroine who refuses to apologize for taking up space?

You get Cash and Gravity.

We sat down with author Perrin Pring to talk about the inspiration behind her genre-bending sci-fi western thriller, the real-life adventures that influence her writing, the evolution of Chevy Cole, the role of hope in dystopian fiction, and what it took to finally reach traditional publication after 17 years of querying.

Perrin's answers are honest, funny, thoughtful, and full of fascinating insight into the creative process behind Cash and Gravity.

So settle in, grab your favorite reading drink, and let's get into the conversation.

🎙️ Meet Perrin Pring

Before we dive into the questions, here's the elevator pitch:

Sci-fi. Western. Thriller.

Cash and Gravity follows Chevy Cole as she becomes caught in a dangerous corporate race that could determine humanity's future.

But this isn't simply a story about technology and corporations. It's also a story about hope, resilience, identity, morality, adventure, and what happens when women and everyone else are allowed to take up space.

🚀 The Conversation

1. For readers discovering your work for the first time, how would you pitch Cash and Gravity in just three words?

Perrin Pring:

“Ha, well I would probably say, sci-fi, western, thriller.”

Short, sweet, and somehow incredibly effective. 🤠🚀

2. Cash and Gravity blends science fiction, western elements, and high-stakes adventure. What first sparked the idea for this unique genre-bending story?

Perrin Pring:

“My husband and I were driving across the country right when Star Link was launching. It was September of 2020, and we had been living in remote areas where it was very hard to get reliable internet.”

During the drive, Perrin and her husband started talking about what it would mean if private corporations outpaced the government when it came to scientific advancement.

That conversation gave her the premise for Cash and Gravity but she knew a premise wasn't enough.

As they drove through Nevada, they began brainstorming characters who could inhabit that world.

“When the conversation ended, I thought, I could actually write that, and so I did, which I think surprised my husband since it had just been a fun way to pass some of the time on our multi day drive.”

And just like that, a cross-country road trip helped spark a novel.

3. Chevy Cole finds herself caught in a dangerous corporate race that could determine humanity's future. What can readers look forward to most when they meet her?

Perrin Pring:

Chevy evolved significantly throughout the drafting process, but one thing remained important: she gets to live her life on her own terms.

“The societal expectations of what a woman should or should not be doing don’t phase Chevy.”

Perrin emphasizes that the book isn't about explicitly discussing gender roles. Instead, it's about a woman doing stuff and letting readers draw their own conclusions.

And then there's Chevy's physicality.

Perrin reveals that one of the most surprising reactions she's received from readers involves Chevy being 6'2" and 225 pounds.

As Perrin points out, readers readily accept a pocket-sized fusion device capable of powering a spaceship but a large, physically imposing woman apparently requires more discussion.

Her takeaway?

“If we, as a society, are fine with envisioning technology that can change us, but not a world where women get to take up space, we probably need more sci-fi with women taking up more space.”

We couldn't agree more.

🎶 4. If Cash and Gravity had an official musical soundtrack or theme song to capture its gritty vibe, what would be the first track?

Perrin Pring:

When Cash and Gravity debuted, Perrin was listening to:

🎵 “Good Girls” — Josie Edwards
🎵 “Running with the Wolves” — AURORA

So those would be the starting points for the official Cash and Gravity soundtrack.

And honestly, that combination tells us quite a bit about the vibe we're getting into.

🌲 5. Your background is incredibly adventurous, from world-class kayaking to working as a park ranger. Have any of those real-life adventures directly inspired scenes, characters, or ideas in your fiction?

Perrin Pring:

Absolutely.

Perrin believes her hands-on outdoor experience translates directly into her ability to write action thrillers.

“I would rather learn from experience than spend hours researching something, which is probably why I don’t dare write historical fiction!”

Her outdoor experience gives her a foundation for writing action, movement, risk, and survival without relying entirely on research.

And considering how much adventure is packed into Cash and Gravity, that experience clearly comes in handy.

🥾 6. If you had to swap lives for a week with one of your characters, who would it be and do you think they'd survive a day in your boots as a park ranger?

Perrin Pring:

“I mean, I would love to get to be Chevy for a week. And she’d be fine as a park ranger, probably better than me.”

We're pretty sure Chevy would handle the job just fine.

Although we're now wondering what happens when you put a super-tough sci-fi heroine in charge of a group of tourists who ignored every park warning sign.

🚙 7. If you could take one character from Cash and Gravity on a real-world road trip through the American West, who would you choose and why?

Perrin Pring:

Dolon.

Why?

Because he knows all the weird hidey-holes and off-the-map places worth exploring.

And perhaps most importantly:

“He’s also probably the best driver out of everyone in the book, which is key when you are road tripping with someone.”

Best driver + secret locations + American West?

Sounds like a solid road-trip companion to us.

📱 8. If one of your characters could take over your social media accounts for a day, who would create the most absolute chaos?

Perrin Pring:

Again, Dolon.

But not because he'd post something outrageous.

Because he hates technology.

“He would do none of it, and I’d come back to a backlog, and probably a mess of things he touched and messed up.”

Honestly, that's somehow even more chaotic than an unhinged character taking over Instagram.

✍️ 9. What is a favorite writing snack, drink, or ritual that absolutely must be present to help you get words on the page?

Perrin Pring:

Interestingly, Perrin doesn't have one specific snack or drink that she absolutely needs.

Instead, she says time is the most important ingredient.

She's most creative when she has a large, uninterrupted block of time ahead of her.

Her least favorite writing interruption?

Having someone make plans in the middle of a day off.

“I want to wake up and just have nothing but unscheduled time to write.”

She can write without that uninterrupted time, but those long stretches are when she gets the most done.

🐈 And then there are the cats.

Perrin writes at home and has a cat bed on her desk.

Apparently, her cats have decided they're part of the writing team.

Sometimes they'll even run into her office when she's not planning to write, look at her, and jump into the bed.

Basically, the cats have appointed themselves writing supervisors.

🕯️ The candle ritual

Perrin also recently started incorporating candles into her writing sessions.

There's something about triggering her sense of smell while writing that helps her creative brain focus.

“When I have a candle going, my brain focuses in a way I can’t totally explain.”

Cats + candles + uninterrupted writing time?

We're listening.

📚 10. If you could spend a day browsing a bookstore with any author from history, who would you choose and why?

Perrin Pring:

“Maybe Octavia Butler? It’d be cool to see 2026 reading choices through her eyes.”

We would absolutely love to be a fly on the wall for that bookstore trip.

🛋️ 11. What does your perfect reading nook look like?

Perrin Pring:

The essentials?

🐈 Cats
🕯️ Candles
☁️ Soft things
📖 The ability to both sit up and lie down while reading
🌲 Wood paneling

Basically, a cozy little literary retreat with plenty of feline supervision.

🏢 12. The world of Cash and Gravity imagines six mega-corporations and their privatized armies replacing traditional government power. What fascinated you about exploring that kind of cutthroat, corporate future?

Perrin Pring:

Perrin began writing Cash and Gravity in 2020, during a period when the world felt particularly chaotic.

The book sold in 2025, which she says also felt meaningful.

While the story is often categorized as dystopian, Perrin doesn't particularly enjoy reading dystopian fiction herself because she finds it bleak and hopeless.

Instead, she wanted to create something different.

“I wanted to write a scary near-future world with hope because that is what I was looking for.”

At its heart, Cash and Gravity is about characters living in a difficult world while still being hopeful and doing their best.

Perrin wrote the story partly as a way to imagine a positive path forward during a period of massive, frightening change.

🏜️ 13. The American West plays a massive role in Cash and Gravity. How important is physical geography and environment when you're world-building?

Perrin Pring:

Very.

In fact, Perrin says she doesn't think she can not write about the West.

She's from the American West and has spent much of her career working there as a park ranger.

“Setting is everything to me.”

She says the West is simply part of her at this point, and it naturally finds its way into her writing.

⚔️ 14. You introduce a fascinating twist on military tropes with Launch Tech marines and female super-soldiers known as Aces. Without giving away spoilers, what was the inspiration behind this specific hierarchy and the mystery of a male Ace?

Perrin Pring:

Perrin has spent much of her career as one of the few women working in a very male-dominated field.

That experience influenced her interest in expectations surrounding gender and strength.

But she didn't want the message to be too obvious.

Instead, she flipped the traditional image of the super-soldier.

What if the truly badass super-soldiers were the smallest women?

That creates a complete reversal of the conventional focus on size and brute strength.

Then, as the Ace character evolved, Perrin found another opportunity to subvert expectations:

A small man in an elite group of fighters where, against all odds, he's the male Ace.

🎬 15. If Cash and Gravity were adapted for film or television, what is the number one thing you'd hope audiences would say afterward?

Perrin Pring:

Simply:

That it was fun.

Perrin wrote Cash and Gravity to be a page-turning escape.

She believes there is often a premium placed on literary fiction, with the assumption that literary books are more serious or important than genre fiction.

But she sees enormous value in escape especially now.

“Finding escape and hope is critical.”

If Cash and Gravity ever makes it to the screen, she hopes audiences walk away feeling like they had a fun, exciting escape from whatever was weighing them down.

🦸 16. What qualities make a flawed hero feel authentic, relatable, and human to you?

Perrin Pring:

Perrin loves a hero who is flawed but humble.

The difference between a flawed hero and a villain, in her view, comes down to the ability to recognize mistakes.

Everyone messes up.

But when a character can eventually recognize their mistake and admit it, that's when they become a hero.

“That’s what makes the character a hero as opposed to a villain.”

🧠 17. Why do you think speculative fiction is the perfect sandbox for testing human morality?

Perrin Pring:

Perrin compares science fiction to horror.

Horror allows us to safely experience fear.

Science fiction allows us to safely explore morality.

Speculative fiction can take real-world issues and remove them from the immediate political and emotional environment we're accustomed to.

Instead, readers encounter those issues in an entirely different society with different politics and different circumstances.

Perrin points to topics such as:

• Immigration

• Women's rights

• Climate change

• Other major social issues

When readers encounter those subjects in a fictional society, they aren't necessarily responding to the same immediate emotional triggers they experience when reading the news.

That distance can give us room to think.

“This lets you consider things in a new way.”

And that's one of the things speculative fiction does particularly well.

🏔️ 18. How has spending so much time in wild, untamed places influenced your creative imagination?

Perrin Pring:

For Perrin, the answer comes down to risk.

Doing difficult things outdoors, in places where actions have real consequences, gives her access to feelings she can't necessarily reach while sitting safely at home with her cats and candles.

She acknowledges that great writing can absolutely come from quiet offices and deep thinking.

But because she writes action-based thrillers, real-life experience with danger and risk mitigation helps her understand what those experiences feel like.

That knowledge then translates into:

Character mindsets.
Action sequences.
The emotional experience of risk.

👀 19. As both a park ranger and a writer, do you find similarities between observing nature and observing human behavior?

Perrin Pring:

Very much so.

Perrin once worked in one of the busiest parks in the country.

At one scenic overlook, she found herself watching the people more than the spectacular landscape.

And what she saw was extraordinary.

People experiencing the best and worst moments of their lives could occupy the same space.

She witnessed people contemplating suicide while a bride and groom nearby took wedding photographs.

Families took holiday-card photos beside people holding urns of ashes.

And during quiet moments alone at the overlook, Perrin sometimes felt like an explorer herself.

She describes her job as a park ranger, but also as a job of observation.

Those observations don't necessarily appear directly on the page as park-ranger stories.

Instead, they live somewhere in her subconscious until they eventually re-emerge in her fiction often in an entirely different sci-fi setting.

🎥 20. You have a background in both creative writing and screenwriting. When envisioning a massive action sequence, does your brain naturally view it through a cinematic lens?

Perrin Pring:

Probably but there's a history behind that.

Perrin began screenwriting in graduate school, where her professors identified her as talented at it.

She had never written a screenplay before 2021, and by 2022, she had one under contract.

Her manuscript writing journey began much earlier, when she was a child.

She also grew up going to Sunday movies with her family and watching plenty of blockbusters.

She suspects those movies influenced her from a young age and eventually translated into the way she approaches her manuscripts.

Then, when she discovered screenwriting, it felt natural.

“When I finally found screenwriting, I just made my way home.”

🌌 21. When creating a brand-new universe, do you start with characters, setting, technology, or something else?

Perrin Pring:

Most of Perrin's speculative fiction begins with the classic:

“What if...?”

For Cash and Gravity, the question was essentially:

What if corporations replaced governments when it came to scientific advancement?

But Perrin learned an important lesson from an essay by Orson Scott Card:

A premise isn't the same thing as a story.

The premise provides the what if.

The story comes from the characters and their conflict.

For Cash and Gravity, that meant building Chevy's struggles and conflicts around the premise.

“Cash and Gravity is a story because of Chevy’s conflict and struggles. It is not a story because I had a premise.”

That's a fascinating distinction for anyone who has ever had a great book idea but struggled to turn that idea into an actual story.

📖 22. As a reader, what books or authors helped shape your initial love of science fiction and storytelling?

Perrin Pring:

Perrin didn't begin seriously reading science fiction until her early twenties.

Before that, she was introduced to the genre through screen entertainment.

Her influences included:

⭐ The original Star Wars trilogy
⭐ Stargate
⭐ Firefly
⭐ Star Trek

Once she began reading science fiction, she dove into the classics.

But while she appreciated their importance to the genre, she often found that they lacked BIPOC and women characters with meaningful agency.

Then she discovered Octavia Butler's Kindred.

That experience made her want more.

Perrin says one of the things she loves about today's publishing landscape is the greater variety of voices and stories available to readers.

She still values the classics, but she didn't always feel represented in them.

That experience helped shape the kinds of stories she wanted to write:

Stories where all sorts of people get to do all sorts of things.

✍️ 23. What is the best or most unusual piece of writing advice that has stayed with you?

Perrin Pring:

When Perrin was in her early twenties, she met a man who insisted that the only way to be a writer was to wake up and immediately start writing.

No washing your face.

No eating.

No bathroom break.

Just write.

His dramatic explanation actually left Perrin wondering whether she could truly be a writer because she certainly wasn't prepared to sacrifice breakfast for the craft.

Years later, experience gave her a much healthier perspective.

She believes there are really only two things you need to do to be a “real” writer:

Read.

Write.

That's it.

You don't have to do either one constantly.

Life happens.

There will be periods when you're too busy, too emotionally exhausted, or simply unable to write.

But when you're capable, if you're reading and writing, you're a writer.

“It’s really not more complicated than that.”

Of course, your goals can make the journey more complicated.

Finishing a manuscript, finding an agent, and traditionally publishing are all different goals.

But regardless of the goal, Perrin's definition remains wonderfully simple.

If you're reading and writing when you're able, you're a writer.

🎉 24. What has surprised you the most about your publishing journey so far?

Perrin Pring:

Pretty much everything.

Especially since getting her agent.

But the most recent surprise has been the response to Cash and Gravity.

Perrin admits she expected people to hate the book not because she had any evidence that they would, but because she shares the same vulnerabilities as many creative people.

So receiving messages from readers saying they loved the book has been:

Surreal. Wonderful. And completely surprising.

🏆 25. Looking back at your evolution as a writer, what accomplishment are you most proud of?

Perrin Pring:

Sticking with it.

Perrin queried agents for 17 years.

Seventeen years is a long time to repeatedly experience rejection.

There were also periods when life made writing impossible.

But she always returned to it.

She kept writing.

She kept querying.

And she kept trying to become traditionally published.

Now that she's reached that goal, it's something she's immensely proud of.

And honestly, we think there's something incredibly inspiring about that kind of persistence.

👊 26. If readers could know just one thing before picking up Cash and Gravity, what would you want it to be?

Perrin Pring:

“This is a story where a woman gets to punch some people in the face as part of her day job.”

So...

If that sounds like your kind of energy?

You might want to pick up Cash and Gravity. 😂

🚀 27. What exciting projects, upcoming releases, or next adventures can readers look forward to?

Perrin Pring:

Good news for anyone who isn't ready to leave this world behind.

Perrin recently turned in Book 2 of Cash and Gravity.

So if you love Cash and Gravity...

The story isn't finished yet.

💭 Our Favorite Takeaways

There were so many moments in this conversation that stuck with us, but a few really stood out.

🌟 Write the story, not just the premise.

A great “what if?” can start a novel, but characters and conflict are what turn an idea into a story.

🌟 Let women take up space.

Chevy's physical presence and the reaction to it raises a fascinating question about what readers are willing to accept as “realistic.”

🌟 Genre fiction matters.

Entertainment, escape, hope, and fun aren't lesser goals.

Sometimes readers need a story that gives them a break from the world.

🌟 Experience can become creative fuel.

Perrin's years working outdoors don't simply provide interesting anecdotes. They inform the way she understands danger, risk, observation, and action.

🌟 Persistence matters.

Seventeen years of querying is an incredible reminder that rejection doesn't necessarily mean the story isn't worth telling.

🌟 You don't have to earn the title “writer.”

Read.

Write.

Keep coming back to it.

📚 About Cash and Gravity

Cash and Gravity is a science fiction western thriller centered on Chevy Cole and a dangerous corporate future where private corporations have gained enormous power over scientific advancement.

With action, adventure, speculative technology, the American West, corporate intrigue, and a heroine who refuses to fit neatly into expectations, the book offers readers a fast-paced escape while still giving us plenty to think about.

🔗 Find Perrin Pring & Cash and Gravity

🌐 Author Website

P² Books / Perrin Pring

📚 Author Page

Perrin Pring at Simon & Schuster

📱 Substack

@perrinpringauthor

📸 Instagram

@perrinpringauthor

🛍️ Where to Find Cash and Gravity

Readers can find Cash and Gravity through:

• Amazon

• Barnes & Noble

• Target

• Independent bookstores

• Other major booksellers

💬 Book Club Discussion Questions

Ready to take the conversation beyond the interview?

Here are a few questions to discuss with your book club:

1. Perrin describes Cash and Gravity as a sci-fi western thriller. Which element of that combination stood out most to you?

2. What did you think about Chevy's physical description and the expectations surrounding female heroes?

3. How did the American West influence your experience of the story?

4. Would you want to live in the world Perrin created? Why or why not?

5. Perrin says speculative fiction allows readers to examine real-world issues from a safer distance. Did Cash and Gravity make you think differently about any real-world issue?

6. What do you think makes Chevy a compelling hero?

7. Which character would you trust most on a road trip through the American West?

8. Which character would you absolutely not trust with your social media accounts?

9. Perrin says a hero becomes a hero when they can recognize and admit their mistakes. Do you agree?

10. What did you think of the balance between action, world-building, and character development?

11. If you could see Cash and Gravity adapted for film or television, who would you cast as Chevy?

12. What are your thoughts on Perrin's definition of a writer: someone who reads and writes when they're able?

❤️ A Huge Thank You to Perrin Pring

Thank you to Perrin Pring for joining us for such a thoughtful, funny, and fascinating Book Club Conversation.

From cross-country road trips and park ranger adventures to cats supervising writing sessions, speculative fiction, world-building, gender expectations, writing advice, and the long road to publication, we loved getting to know the person behind Cash and Gravity.

And we're definitely keeping an eye out for Book 2!

📣 Keep the Conversation Going

Have you read Cash and Gravity yet?

What question from our conversation would you most want to discuss with your book club?

Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know!

And if you haven't picked up Cash and Gravity yet, consider this your sign. 🚀📚

Sci-fi. Western. Thriller.

What more could a bookish adventurer ask for?

What happens when science fiction meets the American West, corporate power, and a heroine who isn't interested in being told how much space she should take up?

In Cash and Gravity, author Perrin Pring takes readers into a high-stakes near-future where six mega-corporations and their privatized armies have reshaped society and introduces us to Chevy Cole, a woman navigating a dangerous corporate race that could determine humanity's future.

🎙️ Book Club Conversation with Perrin Pring

1. For readers discovering your work for the first time, how would you pitch Cash and Gravity in just three words?

Perrin Pring:
“Ha, well I would probably say, sci-fi, western, thriller.”

And honestly? We couldn't have said it better ourselves. 🤠🚀🔫

2. What first sparked the idea for this unique genre-bending story?

Perrin Pring:
“My husband and I were driving across the country right when Star Link was launching. It was September of 2020, and we had been living in remote areas where it was very hard to get reliable internet. On one of the days of our drive we had this conversation about what it would mean if private corporations outpaced the government in terms of science.

“And in that moment, I realized, I had a science fiction premise. But, I knew I didn’t have a story.

“So, while we drove across the beautiful, but lonely and austere, state of Nevada, we brainstormed characters who could live in this premise. When the conversation ended, I thought, I could actually write that, and so I did.”

Sometimes the best book ideas really do start with a long drive and a “what if?” conversation.

3. What can readers look forward to most when they meet Chevy Cole?

Perrin Pring:
“Chevy really evolved over the drafts of this book, but I’ve been told again and again that readers love that she just gets to live her life as she intends it. The societal expectations of what a woman should or should not be doing don’t phase Chevy.

“But to be clear, this isn’t a book that ruminates on gender roles. It’s just about a woman doing stuff, and the reader is left to ruminate because Chevy certainly isn’t going to!

“Interestingly, the number one critical thing people message me about is Chevy’s size. This isn’t a spoiler as it happens on page 6, but people are fine with the fact that I invented a mobile fusion device that fits in a pocket and can power a spaceship. But people are up in arms that I wrote a woman who is 6’2” and weighs 225. People have a lot of strong feelings on that.

“I think this highlights why sci-fi is so important. If we, as a society, are fine with envisioning technology that can change us, but not a world where women get to take up space, we probably need more sci-fi with women taking up more space.”

We have a feeling Chevy is going to be one of those characters book clubs have a lot to say about.

4. If Cash and Gravity had an official musical soundtrack or theme song, what would be the first track?

Perrin Pring:
“You know, right when Cash and Gravity debuted I was listening to ‘Good Girls’ by Josie Edwards and ‘Running with the Wolves’ by AURORA, so I think we’d start there.”

🎶 Consider this your official Cash and Gravity playlist starter.

5. Have your real-life adventures from world-class kayaking to working as a park ranger directly inspired your fiction?

Perrin Pring:
“I think the hands-on experience I’ve gotten doing things in the outdoors translates to being able to write an action thriller. I would rather learn from experience than spend hours researching something, which is probably why I don’t dare write historical fiction!

“I’m always impressed with those who really love research, but all those skills I’ve learned are the reason I write what I write.”

Her answer makes perfect sense when you consider the action-packed nature of Cash and Gravity. Sometimes the best research is getting out there and doing the thing.

6. If you could swap lives with one of your characters for a week, who would it be and would they survive a day in your boots as a park ranger?

Perrin Pring:
“I mean, I would love to get to be Chevy for a week. And she’d be fine as a park ranger, probably better than me.”

We love a character-author role reversal. And we're definitely curious about what Chevy's park ranger era would look like. 🌲

7. If you could take one character from Cash and Gravity on a real-world road trip through the American West, who would you choose?

Perrin Pring:
“Oh, probably Dolon. He would know all the weird hidey-holes and off the map places to check out. He’s also probably the best driver out of everyone in the book, which is key when you are road tripping with someone.”

A knowledgeable navigator, secret locations, and the best driver? Dolon sounds like the obvious road-trip choice.

8. If one of your characters could take over your social media accounts for a day, who would create the most absolute chaos?

Perrin Pring:
“Again, Dolon. He hates technology. He would do none of it, and I’d come back to a backlog, and probably a mess of things he touched and messed up.”

Honestly, handing your social media accounts to someone who hates technology sounds like a guaranteed disaster. 😂

✨ Want More? Join The First Editions!

That's just the beginning of our conversation with Perrin Pring!

In the full Book Club Conversation, we dive much deeper into Cash and Gravity, including:

📖 Perrin's ideal writing environment and the cats who insist on joining her writing sessions
🕯️ Her love of candles as part of her creative process
📚 The author she'd choose for a bookstore day
🌲 Why the American West is such an essential part of her storytelling
⚔️ The inspiration behind the book's female super-soldiers and the mysterious male Ace
🎬 What she'd want audiences to experience if Cash and Gravity became a movie or television series
🧠 Why science fiction is such a powerful way to explore morality and real-world issues
✍️ The writing advice that changed her perspective on what it means to be a real writer
🚀 Her journey through 17 years of querying
💫 What's next for Cash and Gravity including Book 2!

Want to read the entire interview?

👉 Join The First Editions, our paid membership, for access to the full Book Club Conversation and all of our exclusive book club content, resources, and author conversations.

🔗 Find Perrin Pring & Cash and Gravity

🌐 Author Website:
psquaredbooks.com

📚 Perrin Pring at Simon & Schuster:
Simon & Schuster — Perrin Pring

📱 Substack: @perrinpringauthor
📸 Instagram: @perrinpringauthor

Cash and Gravity is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, independent bookstores, and wherever you love to find your next read.

💬 Book Club Question

If you could take one fictional character on a road trip through the American West, who would you choose and where would you go first?

Hi there Dark Travelers, hope you are all having a great week of reading and life! Bindery recently launched their merch site, and just giving you all heads up that, if interested, as paid members you all get 30% off Bindery Merch now through September 1. If you want to grab some merch from a great bookish company and publisher, use the code BINDERYINSIDER for 30% off!

Also, just so everyone is in the know, you all have picked a book for me to read in September. I'll be reading Road of Bones: The Ashen Series, Book 1 by Demi Winter! This is my first real foray into romantasy, so I'm excited to give it a try. If you want to read along, make sure you're over on Discord. If you're not on Discord and want to be, comment below and I'll send you the invite link.

Happy reading!

Bob

Hi everyone! Hard to believe, but it is time to vote for our Q4 Book Club picks! For those of you who are new around here, we pick our books out quarterly to give people time to find the books and prepare their reading plans. We are now selecting our books for October - December 2026.

If you are just here on Bindery and not on our Discord server, we take proposals on Discord. Everyone has a week to post suggestions, react, and comment. I then whittle them down based on the following:

• Popularity: How many emojis/comments did a book get.

• Content of comments - does it seem like the group is interested, have a large number read or not, etc.

• Ensuring a diversity of reads, authors, book/story types, and sizes.

• Last but not least, my interest is the tiebreaker when things are close.

We had 40 submissions for this quarter, and so many amazing books to choose from! We had 6 clear top choices, 1 that was pretty clearly next in line, and then 4 ties that I whittled down to 3 for a total of 10 book to vote on.

This poll will close in one week, and the final choices will be announced September 4. You may select up to 3 choices! And don't forget, if you are looking for more beyond the book club, consider upgrading to the paid tier where paid member's get to choose a book to read with me each month, or check out our many buddy reads we have going at all times over on Discord!

Happy voting!

Okay, I know I was going to do a post about line edits, BUT I just opened up ARCs for Twisted Tales to Tell in the Night: A Yuletide Horror Anthology… and you know what that means if you’re reading this level.

You get early access! 🎄🔪

If you’d like an ARC, email us at info@deathbytbrbooks.com and we’ll send you both the ePub and PDF.

I am so excited to finally share this anthology with you, and I hope you enjoy reading it now and then again during Creepmas.

Thank you so much for supporting Death by TBR Books and supporting me as both an author and editor. It means so much to be able to share these books with you first. 🖤

I'll definitely do a line edits post next time!

Well, hello, my dears!

In case you haven't seen it on Instagram yet, Bindery now has merch! Four items are currently available for purchase at https://bindery-books.myshopify.com/, and they are ready for you to collect. (I can personally attest to the quality of that water bottle. It holds just over 20 ounces, which hits my perfect sweet spot between too small and ginormous.)

And, OH BY THE WAY, just as a big "thank you" for being a paid subscriber, there's a marvelous 30% discount from today through Tuesday! Pop in the code BINDERYINSIDER at checkout to knock a little off your goodies, and enjoy some new swag.

With the 30% discount, these are the prices...

$24.50 for the water bottle (again, I do recommend)

$21 for the denim baseball cap (adorable)

$28 for the crewneck sweatshirt (I plan to grab one of these, too)

$14 for the coffee mug (let me check to see how much room I can make in the cabinet...)

Come back and comment what you've picked, and again, THANK YOU MILLIONS for supporting my Bindery. I'm so happy you're here. <3

In this episode, Jordy talks to Lana Harper and Jilly Gagnon about their upcoming novel, Cards on the Table. This is a witchy, atmospheric mystery that explores family, self-trust, and the power we discover within ourselves. Today, we’ll be diving into what it means to claim your power, trust your instincts, embrace who you are, and push back against the voices, both internal and external, that make you doubt yourself. 

Listen on Apple Podcasts // Spotify // Deezer // Pocket Casts

Support and follow our hosts!

Follow Jordy: Instagram // Pagebound.co
Follow Lana: Instagram // website 
Follow Jilly: Instagram // website  

This episode was edited and produced by Renee Powers on the ancestral land of the Dakota people.

Original music by Amarissa

Does anyone else get the urge to say, "Collaborators, MOUNT UP?!" Every time you see the word collaborator? No? Just me? Okay. Well, anyway!

As promised, if you have read the Trans Joy Thursday newsletter (I would encourage you to read it, because we all need a little joy, especially this week), you know you should be expecting some discount news for the new launch of the Bindery merch shop!

Without further ado, here's what we've been cookin':

SO, YOU AS PAID SUBSCRIBERS (thank you) are getting an exclusive, limited time only (From today, 8/27 - Tuesday, 9/1) coupon of 30% discount off your entire order as a way of celebrating with us, and also, a thank you for supporting me. Shipping, for now, is only available in the United States. The code to use at checkout is: BINDERYINSIDER

As an aside, I will be bringing you your exclusive newsletters every Tuesday beginning Tuesday, September 1. That way (aside form today, my apologies, but also yay coupons) your e-mail and notifications won't be bombarded too many times in a day from me.

Thank you all for being here. I appreciate you! See you Sunday for the beginning of September's newsletters.

With all my gratitude and trans joy,

Sawyer Cole

Hello And Happy Trans Joy Thursday!

Let me preface this newsletter with a deep understanding of the collective grief we are all experiencing right now - from Dolly Parton, to Tim Curry, to the recent news of Peter Cullen today... to our own grief within ourselves, including me with my loss of my Memaw, I see you. Please be gentle with yourselves as you navigate these unexpected feelings. Each person that passed, was part of my generational upbringing - a core memory each one of them attached to - as I'm sure they were the same for many of you. There's no right or wrong way to process or grieve. Honor yourself, and honor those you grieve.

With that being said, I'd like to proceed with today's Trans Joy Thursday, because while sadness may linger, we can hold both joy and sadness simultaneously, and I don't want (you included) to be swallowed by the heaviness of this week.

We'll start with BINDERY. Bindery just dropped a merch shop, and I got an exclusive sneak peak - and Y'ALL - everything is adorable, and I just need one of each. I DID manage to get this crewneck:

Y'all! It's sooooo cozy! However, I know @Carmen posted her water bottle and being jealous of the crewneck, but I'm kinda jealous of her water bottle. lol. Looks like I really WILL have to be buying a few more items. Curious about the shop? Check it out here. If you are a PAID subscriber on the Collaborator tier, be on the look out for an additional exclusive newsletter coming today with how you can score a (limited time) discount. Here's what's in the shop for a quick glance:

I need them all!

Now that we have goodies secured, let's talk about what has brought me joy this week! I just received a PR box for Sonido Reyes' upcoming book To Our Untamed Core, and OMG. I'm obsessed! I cannot wait until this weekend when I have time to crack that beautiful book open and immerse myself in that story. I did share the contents of the box in my discord (available to every subscriber) if you're nosey like I am and want to see what all was sent!

I also received a care package from a very dear friend today for not only me, but my whole family, and it just made me weepy eyed. (I also had grief therapy this morning, so it truly did not take much as is.) The thoughtfulness of the people who I surround myself with is unmatched. I'm truly reminded over and over again that although my circle is small, the love and care is mighty. And THAT brings me immense joy.

A few other miscellaneous things that have brought me joy this week:

• It's my 3 day weekend off work,

• I just bought a 4 pack of fidgets that I love so far,

• I have been steadily working on my personal curriculum for next year,

• My kids start school Monday (let every parent say, "AMEN."

AND, I almost forgot! For those that may have missed it on social media: I shared that I commissioned an artist that creates art like the art in Heartstopper series (my favorite and most reread series to date) to recreate me, but with my top surgery scars - as it is difficult to find art prints, or anything really, that match my particular scars - and I just received the print this week! To say I wept (see a theme this week?) would be an understatement. He was just a joy to work with. His name is Richard Alrick (@itsrichardalrick handle) on Instagram. Please go give him a follow and support his art journey. Here is the piece I had created for me:

It's so beautiful! And so full of trans joy! I want to get it printed to live in my office!

I hope you all find pockets of joy, too. Small ways, big ways, and all the ways in between. I hope you are taking good care of yourselves the best you can.

I will see you all Sunday for September's newsletter (I know, it's August 30th, but still.)

With all my trans joy,

Sawyer Cole

Vote for the September book of the month down below....

Happy Thursday, mis internet amigxs!

If you missed the social media announcement, Bindery merch is here and it is cute AF!

You have a SUPER SECRET 30% off discount code at the bottom of this message.

Just look at my water bottle (although I've seen a few people model the sweatshirt and I kind of want it now!).

30% off code lasts through September first, so pick up your items SOON!

CODE IS: BINDERYINSIDER

Shipping available only for US customers at this time.

If you're picking something up, let me know in the comments!

xo,

Carmen

This is a throwback post from 2025. My life has truly done a 180 (and hopefully it can do another 180 lol) since attending this event, but I still wanted to post and highlight this super fun conference!

The American Booksellers Association is the governing body for bookstores in America. But throughout the country there are small regional organizations. Where I live falls under NAIBA, or the New Atlantic Independent Book Association. Every year there's a conference and this year I was able to go! I had joined NAIBA because I'm hopefully and currently in the beginning stages of trying to open my own bookstore. Going to the conference, along with all of the other conferences I've been to, have allowed me to network and learn from other bookstore owners and booksellers of creative and unique things they're doing.

Before I get into how amazing the conference was, the conference hotel was where parts of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was filmed. The elevators were used for the elevator scene in the movie. You know I fangirled hard.

Okay, back to the conference!

During the conference, I also attended themed panels of various genres. Publishers positioned some of their frontlist authors to meet booksellers. The authors below: Constance Lombardo, Chloe Gong, Daniel Nayeri, and Audrey Barbakoff. The Itty Bitty Betty Blob is so cute.

The Keynote Lunch had all of the attendees. The theme was Heroes on the Front Lines of Book Banning. I enjoyed hearing from publishing professionals, authors and student activists.

First up was Philomena Polefroene, associate director of American Booksellers for Free Expression.

Silas House, multi-published author, spoke about his experience with book bans and how it has impacted his work and community.

Angie Thomas and Nic Stone spoke about joy and their upcoming work. Both authors have been subjected to so many bans and challenges over the years. Book bans have real negative impacts on authors and the students and youth they are trying to reach. Books are mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors, and too many have had their own experiences questioned because of the content of the challenged books.

I’ve read Vanessa Riley’s stories for years. While walking around I saw her and immediately introduced myself. Where am I looking????

She gave me this super cool character card for her upcoming release.

I went to the exhibit hall where you can interact with various publishers and hear more about their upcoming list of books. I had to take a picture of the Narnia display. I enjoyed the books when I was small, but the 2005 movie and Prince Caspian will always be a favorite.

Publishers always host various parties during bookseller conferences and one the group of us went to centered all around romance! Which I loved. There were delicious snacks.

Romance authors across many genres were present. Publishers had finished copies and ARCs of upcoming releases. An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole is one of my most anticipated books for 2026.

I absolutely loved meeting Iman Hariri-Kia, author of Female Fantasy. I also loved the book. It’s a love letter to romance and fan fiction. I haven’t mentioned this enough but I love booksellers and authors and events that mash the two together.

That night was the NAIBA, or New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association Awards Dinner.

You’ve been here long enough to know I always take pictures of food, particularly desserts.

Jason Reynolds received the NAIBA Legacy Award in YA for his novel, Twenty-Four Seconds From Now. We listened to him be in conversation with Hannah Oliver Depp. The two talked about Reynolds’ career and everything in-between.

I took a loot photo of some of my books I’d acquired or brought with me. Hearing that Tiffany D. Jackson would be attending meant I lugged her books to Georgia. It was so cool to get them signed!

On the final morning of the conference, the breakfast was speed dating with authors.

Booksellers stayed put while authors pitched their books before moving onto the next table.

After breakfast we piled into the minivan full of our books and started the drive back to Pennsylvania. Not before stopping at Buc-ee’s. I can’t put into words how much fun New Voices New Rooms was. Being able to interact with such a varied range of booksellers and publishers and authors was great. It gave me so many ideas for the hopeful bookstore I’d love to open.