Lately I have been busy as hell with many things. Some of that has been reading, but a lot of it has been other stuff that is taking up more of my brain space than normal. With that in mind, I want to try writing instead of making videos for a while. Frankly, I have no interest in being on camera right now and I don't think I'd be the most compelling screen presence in this headspace, so might as well let my fingers do the talking for now.

Item #1: Some books that I have finished recently

Bindery (a wonderful indie publisher) sent me a big ol' box of books several months ago. This box contains their entire fall lineup of releases and is truly some of the coolest book mail I have ever received. Within the confines of that ox includes A Complement of Scoundrels by S.V. Lockwood. I liked it!

If you're into Mistborn or any other heist type fantasy book, you'll probably get some enjoyment out of this one. The general premise involves a group of magical misfits seeking revenge on their former master after a job gone bad. I didn't think the book was perfect, but the characters were fun to follow and it didn't feel like the book overstayed its welcome. There isn't any obvious sequel bait at the end of the book, but I could see myself picking up a second book in this series were it to happen. It is very readable, even if the prose isn't life changing. The way I'm writing about this makes it seem like I have more bad things to say about it than good things, but I promise you that it is a fun time.

I also finished the first book in the sequel series to Mistborn - The Alloy of Law. Same world, but a big jump in time forward. Think early Industrial Revolution. Lots off guns but with all the metal magic stuff. Honestly, I dug it a lot! It felt like Brandon Sanderson but at a much more appropriate page count. It also (according to him) serves almost as a prequel to the intended trilogy that follows. It felt brief and breezy and I had a lot of fun.

Item #2: What I am currently reading

I watched a documentary focused on the Colorado river recently. That has catapulted me back into my interest in the environment and sustainability. I borrowed a book on Libby called Under a White Sky by Elizabeth Kolbert which has been fascinating. She wrotea book called The Sixth Extinction. This book serves as a follow up to that, covering current environmental remediation efforts in a number of different places. So far it has covered people in the upper midwest dealing with an invasive Chinese carp population, and the city of New Orleans sinking into the fucking ground. Me and wifey intend to move overseas at some point, and since I already work in conservation, I'd like to get myself up to speed on current issues a little more, so this book has been great for that. It's also relatively short. Highly recommend.

I am also reading the second Mistborn sequel book, Shadows of Self. Not much to say there. Just more Mistborn. I like it when the metal guys go brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-

I have a couple other Bindery books on my TBR that I need to get to soon, including What Feeds Below by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne and Strange Lights by Mira H. Gonzalez. I also have an ARC of the Legends and Lates short stories collection, Tales from the Territory by Travis Baldree. Those books are a grand old time so looking forward to that.

Item #3: Reading should be fun!

As a reviewer on a semi-professional level (I do get paid a wee smidge of money for my opinions every now and then), it can sometimes be a battle with myself to just read what sounds good opposed to reading for obligation's sake. There are plenty of trendy books that I could read in order to chase views and attention, but dammit! I just want to read my Murakami books! Leave me alone!

(side note - my wife is finally reading 1Q84 and is enjoying it!)

I have about 4 ARCs left that I have active obligations for. My HOPE is that I can get through those without requesting anything else and then just be a free elf for a while. The pile of books in our apartment has grown at an irresponsible rate in the past nine months, and boy do I have some reading to do. I cannot stress to you how much more fun it is to read when you're not on a schedule. I must retreat to the woods of my mind where it is safe and I have as much Crystal Light as I want!

Item #4: Movies

If you're not following me on Letterboxd, you can do so by clicking here.

Some recent flicks I thought were exceptional include Yi Yi (holy fucking shit that movie was amazing), Tony, Blue Heron, and SPIDAMAN.

Item #5: Buy a thing!

If you're so inclined, you can support the channel (and me as a person) by buying something from my Etsy store of from my Bandcamp page. Links are below. Go nuts!

ETSY

BANDCAMP

ANYWAY!

That's about it for today. Thanks as always for your attention to these matters. Stay safe out there. Watch your sodium!

Shawn

I'm a stay at home mom. I haven't acknowledged that in any of my previous posts on here or on social media really. At the end of my maternity leave in March, when my final decision was due, I felt bone deep certainty about my choice. That doesn't mean I feel comfortable explaining it to other people, though. 

When I'm trying to be succinct (which I rarely succeed at), I explain that this decision makes financial and logistical sense to my family. And it does. And also, I believe I could not invest in writing the way I want to if I were a working mom, at least not with the 9 to 5 I had. Do my writing aspirations make financial and logistical sense for my family? No, but they matter to me and, fortunately, to my partner. 

I'm still figuring out what being a stay at home mom looks like for me. I'm formulating the job description, trying to nail down the duties and expectations. None of my friends are stay at home mom writers, but I've met some over the years. When I think of writers I admire who are also stay at home mothers, I think of Karen Joy Fowler, whom I saw speak at the Community of Writers in 2018. She shared that when she first had her writing published, she was advised by another writer friend not to say she was a homemaker when attending professional events. 

"Why?" Fowler remembered asking, "I'm proud to be a homemaker." 

Her friend replied, "Well, it's just that your house isn't that clean…"

As I write this, I am acutely aware of how dirty my house is. Dusty. Cluttered. Stained. Clean dishes haven't been put away. Cardboard boxes are piling up in the corner of my kitchen. All the bed sheets need washing. Dog and cat hair gather in every corner. They're not dust bunnies. They're dust clots. Dust tumbleweeds. 

When my husband went back to work and I started to spend more time at home alone with our newborn, I became acutely aware of how rapidly dust accumulated in our place. Sure, we have two long-haired dogs and a long-haired cat, but still, dust regenerated at a rate that I felt warranted scientific study. Something had to be done.

My husband and I don't want to follow the traditional model where I take on all of the domestic labor. However, because I'm home all the time, it only seems fair I take on more of the domestic labor than I did before when we were both working 9 to 5s. I decided I should defeat the dust. I started with dusting once a week. Not enough. Twice a week? Nope. Increasing the frequency of my cleaning did not reduce how often I noticed mess. In fact, the opposite seemed true. I'd do a lap with a dust mop and by the time I was done, I would catch sight of more dust whispering out from under the couch. More crumbs scattered under the kitchen table. Like they snuck out when I had my back turned. I told my husband I was beginning to suspect I needed to clean every room every day. 

Then, I remembered this quote:

“I've seen women insist on cleaning everything in the house before they could sit down to write... and you know it's a funny thing about housecleaning... it never comes to an end. Perfect way to stop a woman. A woman must be careful to not allow over-responsibility (or over-respectability) to steal her necessary creative rests, riffs, and raptures. She simply must put her foot down and say no to half of what she believes she "should" be doing. Art is not meant to be created in stolen moments only.”

― Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype

When is a house clean enough? When it's spotless? When it looks like nobody lives in the house? This is an effective strategy to devalue housework, isn't it? To say that if the result is not perfect, it's worthless. It might as well not have been done. As though the cleaning person's effort comes with no cost and therefore can be redone and redone until it meets impossible standards. 

Wait, I thought as I pondered this, why does this reasoning feel so familiar?

In the first year of my MFA program, my professor Goldberry Long led a class focused on the revision process. Quickly I surmised that her ultimate goal was to help each of us discover and fortify our own writing process – or, in simpler terms, to get us writing and keep us writing. She introduced a system that she swore by. She broke her daily writing goals into three categories: Must Do, May Do, Wish Do. 

MUST DO

an extremely achievable writing goal. A writing goal you know you can accomplish every day, no matter what happens.

MAY DO 

a writing goal you can achieve on a pretty good day. You would like to do this every day, but if you have a tough day, you may not get to it.

WISH DO

a writing goal you can achieve on an ideal day – no plans or distractions. Just you and the blank page. 

In teaching us this system, Goldberry's biggest obstacle was not the May Dos or the Wish Dos. No, instead, she spent most of the class begging us to drastically reduce our Must Do goals. 

One of us would suggest, "Write a page a day!" 

She'd respond, "Too big. Go smaller. It should be something so minuscule, you'll be shocked if you can't do it. Write a single sentence! Go into the document and change one thing — even if it’s a comma!”

She explained that the point of this system was to prevent us from giving up. And the most common reason writers gave up was because they set unrealistic goals for themselves, became discouraged when they didn't meet these goals, and then allowed this discouragement to bloom into defeat. 

The most important thing I took from grad school was a pathological avoidance of perfectionism. Elizabeth Gilbert put it best when she recommended becoming "a deeply disciplined half-ass" in Big Magic. Have I been guilty of sending prose out into the world when it was too nascent and unpolished? Absolutely. But I rather have made this mistake than have never sent out anything. I've witnessed perfectionism thwart the most talented writers I've ever met. It is that serious.

Last year, I wrote a novel while working my 9 to 5. I did it by writing at least 1,000 words a day. Most days, the words I wrote were ghastly. But I kept going because my goal was 1,000 words a day. Not 1,000 good words a day. (I literally don’t think I could do 1,000 good words a day…)

I also kept going because sometimes, every week or so, there was a day where I felt like I was onto something. I resigned to this exchange: If I tolerated enough days of slogging through mediocrity, I would receive a day where I was pleased with what came out on the page. 

So I'm applying this approach to cleaning. The goal is not spotlessness. The goal is to just run the dust mop along the ground. Turn on the vacuum and take it on a tour of the room. So there's some dust left behind. That doesn’t mean I didn’t clean. That doesn't mean I failed. Because there’s no winning in cleaning. I’ll never clean so well I won’t need to clean again in a couple days (read: hours). 

Just like I’ll never write something so perfect, I’ll never need to write again. 

Just like I’ll never mother so perfectly that I won’t need to mother anymore. 

My therapist often reminds me of Donald Winnicott's philosophy about the "good-enough mother." I hold this idea like a rosary in my darkest moments.

Pinterest presented me with this meme the other day.

I tried to be like "haha" and scroll on, but the meme caught in my throat. Unfortunately, you will see me dead before you see me hopeless. I've got a little ember of maybe tomorrow will be better in my heart that can't be stamped out.

In the second year of my MFA program, I taught two creative writing workshops for undergrads. Like Goldberry, the most important lesson I wanted to impart was: figure out how to start writing and never stop. I told them that before they turned in their workshop submissions, they should hold up the pages up and say, "This is not me. This is just something I wrote yesterday. I can always write something new and better." 

Maybe that's what I love about mothering, writing, cleaning. They keep the promise of tomorrow crackling inside me. Maybe tomorrow I'll defeat the dust. Maybe tomorrow my house will be clean. 

Hey y'all,

As a perk of being a paid subscriber, you can get 30% off the brand new Bindery merch! My hat just came in and it is so comfy. Use code BINDERYINSIDER for 30% off from 8/27-9/1.

XoXo,

Rae

What a week, y'all! To say that this past week kicked my butt is an understatement. Work was absolutely bananas, but I still found time to publish a fun new episode of Let's Go to the Library (after multiple attempts I might add) and finish two AH-MAZING books. Plus, I'm still riding high on the big boost Carly's (@thepastelbookshelf) collaboration gave to my Booktube channel: over 700 new subs there in just a week!

Before I jump into the books, I just want to share something that's weighing heavy on me this morning. Last night while at a work event I learned that someone I once worked with (and care about) was diagnosed with cancer. She's near my age with a husband and teenager, just getting started on a promising new career path (thus why we no longer work together), with the world at her fingertips. I'm devastated for her. It has me thinking alot about loss, life, death, and meaning. Live your life, my friends. Every single second of it. Fill it full of things and people and activities you care about, fiercely.

Ok, onto the books! I told you I finished two amazing books this week, and I wasn't lying. I posted a video earlier this week (linked below) predicting both to be 5⭐️ reads, and I wasn't wrong.

Meet Me in the Garden by Nina LaCour is a f'ing masterpiece, y'all. It's not only profoundly beautiful, but it's truly a looking glass right into the heart of Creole culture and The Great Migration. Race relations, colorism, queer vs straight, love vs loss: this book has EVERYTHING, plus so much more. It's written in a stream-of-consciousness style with very poetic prose. It might not be for everyone, but it was for me. (5⭐️s, eyes or audio, get your hands on this one)

The Witches of Cambridge may not be as historically compelling, but, man, did it pack a BIG punch. Full of dark vs light magic, female friendship and betrayal, and the oh-so-beautiful storytelling style Hoffman is known for, this one was absolute perfection. Any true Hoffman lover will absolutely fall hard for Ava, Lauren, Jamie, Lionel, and Jack. Though I wouldn't suggest starting with this book if you are new to Hoffman, I definitely think it a must-read if you've read and enjoyed any of her work before. (5⭐️s, better with your eyes)

I've now moved on to The Pirate Queen, my second most-anticipated read of September new releases, and, boy, it is DELIVERING! I've mostly been listening to this one while running errands and doing chores, but I do plan to pick up my ebook copy just to get a sense for the reading experience vs listening. Many people have shared they preferred reading rather than listening, mostly because of the structure. But I beg to differ. The audiobook is full of all the rich brogue and melodious Irish dialect, and it seems like that might be missing from the printed book. I'm thoroughly engrossed and emphatically optimistic about it! Will I finish by the end of the month? Maybe!

Lastly, I tried listening to The News from Dublin but quickly moved on to The Pirate Queen. Though I didn't listen to much, I got the sense it's more of a cerebral read, something that doesn't always work for me on audio. I will go back to it as part of my current NetGalley project (more on that later).

Sadly, I haven't yet picked up my copy of The Shadow of the Wind since reading the first few pages earlier this month. I promised myself I wouldn't skip another BBFL book club book (skipped June), but I am not sure I can squeeze it in before the end of the month. I still plan to read it, just maybe not right away. I do, however, have plans to start our September read, The Hacienda, right away!

Hoping this week will not be as crazy at work, but not holding my breath. I don't know if I'll get all my September new release content up before September 1, but you can bet on a brand new newsletter in your inbox that morning. If you're not signed up to my email list, be sure and sign up now (double opt-in required)!

ICYMI

• 5⭐️ Book Predictions (that actually came true)

• Let's Go to the Library Ep 2: Books about Teachers

• A complete list of books with Teachers as Main Characters

• A love letter to Lady Tremaine

• His & Hers Nonfiction, but make it about music

Hear it Here First

I'm headed to the library this week in search of my next Let's Go to the Library read. Next episodes prompt is A Book Set in the 1930s, and I plan to have some fun with this one, so stay tuned.

As I said, September new release alerts will be live on Youtube and IG/TT sometime this week, just not sure I can pull it off by Tuesday. First I have to record them. 😜

I have a few extra copies of HIGHLY sought after ARCs to give away this week. Watch Facebook and Instagram for an announcement!

Hoping to record and maybe edit a tell-all YT video about a big shift in my reading that I have been dying to share.

Currently recording a vlog detailing my weekend on lockdown, aka my phone is Brick'd.

Have an amazing week, y'all!

Happy reading ❤️

xoxo

c

Here's where you can submit your video ideas! Feel free to also spit ball/brainstorm in the comments or the dedicated channel on our Discord :)

Info:

✨ Based on my filming schedule there may be months where I feel I am unable to make whatever video wins and will try to do something very similar or choose the runner up idea. You can always nominate that video for a future month. Really hope that doesn't happen though!

🏹 Some ideas include: tier ranking (insert theme here), giving a list of recommendations based on a theme, reacting to a certain book, a reading challenge.

Submit ideas here!

Welcome to the first book club voting session!

Below is your nomination form. You can add multiple entries but just be responsible with that power please ;)

I will be tallying the vote in a few days (I'll give a last call reminder before I close it!)

Submit your books here!

Hello friends!

I know that the title of this newsletter is September Shenanigans, and it's only August 30th, but with there being two more days of August left, I wanted to begin bringing a little awareness to some very important causes for the month of September. Each Sunday of the week in September, I will highlight an awareness that is highlighted for the month of September. (This is not an exhaustive list, just some causes that are very near and dear to my heart.) My hope in doing this is to create awareness yes, but also highlight books, small businesses, statistics, etc., that fit within that particular week.

Before I get started, though, today is also a very important day, as it is National Grief Awareness Day. And as many of you are aware, I am in the thick of grief with the passing of my Memaw in June. So, I just wanted to highlight today for us grievers - I see you and every day feels like National Grief Awareness Day when you've lost someone. I found this graphic, and it just made me pause. I hope you are diligently taking care of yourself if you are also in the thick of grief, too:

I hope you are taking good are of yourselves if you can relate. Many warm and healing thoughts are sent your way.

Onward.

For the first week of September, I will be highlighting National Recovery Month. This cause is important to me, because the staggering statistics, which we'll get to in a few, are far greater within the LGBTQIA+ community than their heterosexual counterparts. And working in the mental health field myself, there's such a stigma attached to addiction, and even in recovery - one that I want to help dismantle:

National Recovery Month is broken into different themes for each week, which are as follows for 2026:

1. Week 1( Sep. 1-4) Recovery Happens Together

2. Week 2( Sep 7-11) Reducing Stigma Through Storytelling

3. Week 3(Sep 14-18) Healing And Wellbeing In Recovery

4. Week 4(Sep 21-25) Multiple Pathways To Recovery

5. Week 5(Sep 28-30) Youth And Family In Recovery For The Future

Within each week, there are toolkits to bring awareness to each theme, to be found here. That link will bring you directly to the Substance Abuse And Mental Health Service Administration website. An excellent resource for substance use, addiction, recovery and mental health struggles.

Statistically speaking, as far as the LGBTQIA+ community goes, let's break it down to see how we as the LGBTQIA+ population face discrimination through many factors - healthcare, family, school, etc. - and how these things directly affect us and our mental wellbeing:

• Approximately 11.7-12% of U.S. adults in recovery are LGB+

• Approximately 20-30% of LGBTQIA+ adults face substance abuse challenges (in direct comparison to 9% of the general population)

• Queer and trans youth are 54% higher than their heterosexual counterparts to using at least 1 substance recently

• LGB adults in recovery report fewer years in sobriety, decreased rates of employment, higher histories of arrests or opioid-related primary use.

• LGBTQIA+ are more than 2x more likely to use illicit drugs

• 20-25% of LGBTQIA+ population have moderate to severe dependency on alcohol (compared to 5-10% of general population)

• 41-42% of LGBTQIA+ population have used marijuana in the past year (compared to 19% of general population)

• 6.7% misuse opioids (compared to 3.6% of general population)

• LGBTQIA+ youth are approximately 190% (Yes that's 190) higher to struggle with substance abuse than their heterosexual peers

• 11% of LGBTQIA+ youth report daily or weekly substance use

Y'all... I could go on and on and on. The statistics speak for themselves. When we as a community, as individuals, are not met with love, compassion, grace, acceptance.. we struggle. And I have been one of those statistics. My 20s were... out of control. I came out and had no support system. Now can you imagine the intersectionalities of the LGBTQIA+ youth/adults? The statistics no doubt worsen.

How can we change this? By showing up for our community members - by meeting them where they are at. By extending grace and understanding. We can't solve every problem, but we can help those in our families, in our community - in the shelters that home the unhoused. We can show them we are there for them - both in small ways and big ways.

This month means so much to me because I come from a long line of alcoholism and addiction. I know we each have our own stories, but I hope you spend some time on the SAMHSA website after this newsletter. It's truly a great tool for education, receiving help, and promoting recovery!

With that being said, before we go for the day, I wanted to remind you that Thursday, September 3rd, we will be in conversation with Dr. Kiki Fehling from 6-7pm CST. (I will do my best to record it for playback.)

I will share the zoom information below, please remember not to share the link with anyone as it is just for you folx as subscribers. I hope to see y'all there, as I am so excited to speak with Dr. Kiki Fehling about her most recent release!

I hope to seek you all there! Here's the link information:

Sawyer Cole (They/Them) is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Beyond The Rainbow w/ Dr. Kiki Fehling
Time: Sep 3, 2026 06:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87427355509?pwd=vHpopdnC1FwYIVUG2a7wK12srzEbkg.1

Meeting chat link
https://us06web.zoom.us/launch/jc/87427355509

Meeting ID: 874 2735 5509
Passcode: 199263

One tap mobile
+19292056099,,87427355509#,,,,*199263# US (New York)
+13017158592,,87427355509#,,,,*199263# US (Washington DC)

Join by SIP
• 87427355509@zoomcrc.com

Join instructions
https://us06web.zoom.us/meetings/87427355509/invitations?signature=D241nY9_JoIllZfzE6jT0nTDsW2YcGJuxhdD9KWOwK8

There's also an event reminder on the discord, should you need to set that, as well! Hope to see you all then!

With all my trans joy,

Sawyer Cole

The Sunday Prescription

One reading topic, one week of plans, and plenty of books administered weekly for chronic readers.

Symptoms: How long do you let an author cook?

Happy Sunday friends! Hope everyone is having a great week. Where I am, the weather is starting to cool down, and yesterday was a nice enough day that I was able to go outside and finish our August Dark Traveler pick a book, King Sorrow by Joe Hill. More to come on this book in particular, but this book got me thinking about how long I will let an author work with a promise of a great finish, versus what's my trigger for a DNF.

King Sorrow is a chonker of a book, clocking in at almost 900 pages, and is split into 5 books and an epilogue. For me, those first two books reminded me of stuff like The Tommyknockers - you could tell there's a great story in there, it's just hiding amongst all the periphery the author is spending time in. Another great example of this was The Fifth Season by NK Jemison - the first half of that book felt like a possible bridge to nowhere. And yet, with all three of these examples, there was something there. For King Sorrow, our characters were not likable, yet flawed and interesting. King Sorrow wasn't showing up much, but the seeds were being planted for something great. And then we hit book 3, and things just took off! The rest of it was flat out phenomenal, and insanely readable. I can see why people might drop out in those first two books, but for me I could see something was brewing.

Now, contrast this with books that I choose to DNF. For me, if I get 25-30% into a book, and have yet to find anything redeemable, or anything that I'm enjoying, I'm done then. In my experience, I can't recall a book were I didn't like anything for that first quarter and wound up being a positive experience for me. So I think for me, that is my trigger - can I find something redeemable? Something that feels interesting, or mysterious, or some element that I'm enjoying? If I can, than I let the author cook and see where it goes. If I can't, then I drop it.

So how about you - what's your trigger for DNFing a book versus continuing on? Or what's the last book you remember starting out slow for you, but then finishing with a bang?

The Rx: What I'm Reading and Doing

So lots of cool stuff is going on. As we head into fall, my day to day life is settling back into a normal routine, which is always a nice change. We have some great book club stuff going on:

• For September's main book club, we have Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman coming up. I have the discussion section all set up on Discord for anyone who wants to get the jump early!

• For September's Fable book club, we're going to be reading Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai. This sounds stunning!

• Our monthly reading challenge is to Read the Opposite. This can be a genre or author you don't normally read, a type of book you don't normally read - basically read something that is outside of your norm and pushes your reading boundaries a bit!

• Last but not least, if you have not yet and want to, don't forget to vote in our Q4 book club poll!

In terms of reading, I am finishing up the Jasad Heir today or tomorrow. I have been playing around with when I read our book club picks, and I think long term I will do them more at the start of the month. This one has been interesting so far, some ups and downs, but some interesting discussion in the Discord. After that, I have two ARCs to read, then I'll be jumping in to Between Two Fires and Dust Child, as well as our September Dark travelers pick a book, Road of Bones. For the September challenge, I'll be doing James by Percival Everett.

Hobby wise, I'll be leaning back into woodworking. I have a desk to finish, as well as some built ins in the house that I want done by November, and woodworking means leaning a bit more into audiobooks. With the weather cooling down, I'll be back on my mountain bike a bit more as well, and looking forward to spending time outside. I am considering grabbing the Lego Rivendell se t as well now that mines Tirith is behind me, and I'm working on a Lord of the Rings puzzle as well.

If you are not on our Discord server, you should consider hanging out! I do exclusive giveaways there, and I have some really exciting ones planned for the next few months! I don't really do giveaways on IG/TT because I like to reward you all in our community, so be on the look out for those. And speaking of Discord, Bindery, and content ideas, I am working on a new membership tier for 2027 that is going to include a quarterly book box! More to come, but if you have any thoughts or ideas, let me know.

Hope you all have a great week of reading and life, and I'll see you next week!

Want More In-Depth Access?

If you enjoy getting into the details with me about reading, then consider upgrading to The Dark Travelers tier! My Dark Travelers get an exclusive Discord role and channels, a weekly deep dive reading update video, early access to YouTube videos, and each month they get to pick a book for me to read. This can be a book they want to read with me, or something they want me to try for them. It's super fun and a great tight knit group that I really enjoy talking books with, and I'd love to have you part of it!

Hey hey Sickos, we've got book club announcements and an upcoming deadline, let's talk about 'em!

SEPTEMBER BOOK CLUB WINNERS

As noted previously, I went full dictator for the Fiction Sickos Book Club and decided that we will be reading East of Eden by John Steinbeck! With the Netflix adaptation coming soon I figure there's no better reason to finally take this sucker down. Plus, one-by-one I've seen our community read this and everybody seems to go head-over-heels bonkers for it.

The History Sickos Book Club did what they do and tied the vote, so I had to bring in special reinforcements for a tiebreaker. My orange homie Bob picked Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs by Camilla Townsend. This will be a re-read for me and I highly recommend it! It will be good to go over it again as there's some elements that apply to our publishing imprint's second release, Grave of Petals.

The Discord forums for these discussions unlock at the Sicko and above tiers.

SICKO SOCIETY BOXES 2 & 3!

The second quarterly book boxes for the Sicko Society ship next week! To get in on the third quarterly box that ships in December, you'll need to be at the Sicko Society membership tier by 9/1/26. If you've missed prior communication on this, let me explain what all this is again. Sometimes I suck an egg at communicating exactly how this works because I've got the smooth brain, so hopefully this clears up any confusion that I, myself, have caused.

We are only a few weeks away from releasing our publishing imprint's first book, A Complement of Scoundrels by S.V. Lockwood! To celebrate, earlier this year Bindery launched our own Kist Reads, Sicko Society book box.

Sicko Society is for readers who want to go deeper than recommendations and become part of the inner circle supporting my creative work and the Kist Reads publishing mission. It combines everything from my previous tiers with a quarterly book box, exclusive extras, and a deeper way to back bold, tastemaker-led publishing.

This year’s theme is Year of the Scoundrel: a curated journey through fantasy’s most iconic liars, thieves, con artists, criminals, and criminally charming masterminds. Across four quarterly shipments, you’ll receive handpicked heist and/or scoundrel-centric novels, plus my personal commentary.

By joining Sicko Society, you:

• Support the mission of Kist Reads imprint

• Help fund the discovery, championing, and success of bold new authors

• Back ambitious editorial projects and tastemaker-led storytelling

• Get a community-driven, premium reading experience in return

Every Sicko Society member receives:

• ALL perks from previous membership tiers including advance e-books + exclusive advance print copies of original Kist Reads books, tour name in the "Thank You" page of to-be-published books

• A quarterly curated fantasy novel each quarter

• Exclusive notes and commentary from me

• Priority access to future perks and benefits

$25/month, billed monthly. Limited availability. Cancel anytime. Physical benefits unlock after 90 days. Shipping available to U.S. residents only.

Sicko Society is for readers who want to go deeper than recommendations. It’s for the people who:

• Trust my taste

• Love villain-coded characters and/or a good ol' heist vibe

• Want to support the publishing mission I’m building

• And want to be part of the inner circle shaping what comes next

FAQ’s

Does Sicko Society include perks from lower tiers?

Yes. Sicko Society includes ALL perks from previous membership tiers, plus premium physical benefits and exclusives.

How much does it cost?

$25/month.

When do physical perks start?

Physical benefits unlock after 90 days of active membership.

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes, cancel before the next billing deadline to avoid future charges.

Can I join mid-year?

Yes, as long as you join before the cutoff date for each shipment.

Is shipping international?

Shipping is currently available to U.S. residents only. (I'm hoping this changes soon as we have wonderful folk from all over the world here and I would love to be able to include them. From a business perspective it's just not feasible right now but I promise you we will continue to revisit this)

Is this a limited program?

Yes, this is a limited pilot with capped spots while we test demand and fulfillment.

What books are planned?

• The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (sent Q1)

• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

• The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick

• A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab (sending Q2)

Welcome, First Editions! ✨

We're taking you behind the pages for an exclusive, full-length Book Club Conversation with romance author Emberly Wyndham, the author behind stories filled with cozy romantasy, paranormal romance, magical academies, vampires, shifters, contemporary romance, and plenty of heart and spice.

From the magical halls of Coven Crest Academy to contemporary rock-star romance, Emberly's books are all about connection, character-driven romance, found family, magical worlds, and the feeling of finding your person.

In this exclusive conversation, Emberly talks about the inspiration behind her stories, her approach to interconnected standalone romances, the creation of Coven Crest Academy, her writing routine, the authors who influenced her, independent publishing, and what's coming next.

So grab your favorite cozy drink, settle into your reading nook, and let's get to know the author behind the magic. 🕯️📚✨

🎙️ Meet Emberly Wyndham

If you had to describe Emberly's books in three words, there's a pretty good chance you'll want to add them to your TBR immediately:

Heartfelt. Emotional. Spicy. 🌶️💕

Her stories explore romance across a wide variety of settings and genres, from magical academies and paranormal worlds to contemporary romance.

And as you'll discover throughout this conversation, one thing remains constant:

Connection.

💕 The Romance Behind the Stories

1. For readers discovering your books for the first time, how would you describe your stories in three words?

Emberly Wyndham:

“Heartfelt, emotional, and spicy!”

We think that pretty much says it all. 💕🌶️

2. Your books span cozy romantasy, paranormal romance, magical academies, vampires, shifters, and contemporary romance. What is it about romance that keeps you coming back to it as a writer?

Emberly Wyndham:

“I wrote other genres for years, and after a multiyear writing hiatus, I decided to try writing romance, and I fell completely in love with it.”

Emberly has always loved stories about connection and finding your person.

Romance gives her the opportunity to explore those stories of connection against whatever backdrop inspires her at the time.

That might be:

🧙‍♀️ A magical academy
🎭 A historical ballroom
🎤 A stage under flashing lights

She describes romance as a beautiful combination of familiarity and adventure.

The romance structure gives her a foundation, while the larger genre umbrella allows her to explore completely different worlds.

“The possibilities feel endless!”

🧛‍♀️ Welcome to Coven Crest Academy

3. A Witch and Her Vampire is the newest installment in the Coven Crest Academy series. What can readers look forward to in Maeve and Severin's story?

Emberly Wyndham:

Emberly says she absolutely loved writing this final book in her Coven Crest Academy series.

Maeve and Severin's story explores:

• Self-control

• Freedom

• Choice

• Empowerment

All of those themes are layered into the magical setting of Coven Crest Academy alongside the beloved group of witches and readers can expect more spice than in the previous books.

4. Coven Crest Academy is home to witches, dragons, vampires, orcs, and minotaurs. What inspired you to build a world where so many magical beings coexist?

Emberly Wyndham:

The world developed organically.

The setting of Coven Crest Academy first began taking shape in Emberly's Season of the Witch series, which follows Aurora Silvermoon, a witch who has recently graduated from the academy.

After writing that series, Emberly wanted to explore the place Aurora had told readers about.

And from that desire came the world of Coven Crest Academy and all of its wonderful monsters.

“The world of CCA and all its wonderful monsters was born.”

5. Many readers are drawn to cozy fantasy right now. What do you think makes cozy romantasy such a comforting genre?

Emberly Wyndham:

For Emberly, cozy romantasy combines the magical and romantic elements readers crave with the comforting feeling of being wrapped in a warm blanket.

Sometimes readers simply want to know they're about to experience a story that feels:

✨ Soft
✨ Comforting
✨ Safe

Cozy romantasy gives readers somewhere to rest between darker or more epic reads.

And we think that's part of the magic of the genre: not every book needs to emotionally destroy you.

Sometimes you just need a little magic, romance, and comfort.

6. Just for fun: If you could spend a day at Coven Crest Academy, which magical class would you most want to attend?

Emberly Wyndham:

Because Emberly loves cooking and gardening, she'd choose either:

🧁 Professor Sage's Magical Baking Class

or

🌿 Professor Fleur's Magical Flora Class

Her verdict?

“They would both be a great time!”

We're already imagining the snacks.

💫 The Magic of Interconnected Standalones

7. Looking back at the Coven Crest Academy series so far, what has been the most rewarding part of writing interconnected standalone romances?

Emberly Wyndham:

One of Emberly's favorite parts of writing interconnected standalones is that every character gets their own committed story while the larger world continues to develop.

Readers can enjoy a complete romance while also getting little pieces of information about couples from previous books and future couples still to come.

“It’s such a fun storytelling style!”

It's the perfect setup for readers who love getting to revisit familiar characters while falling for someone new.

8. Each book features a different magical pairing. How do you keep every romance feeling fresh while still making the series feel connected?

Emberly Wyndham:

Emberly loves exploring different:

✨ Tropes
✨ Themes
✨ Character archetypes

Those differences allow every romantic pairing to feel distinct while still maintaining the cohesion of the overall series.

🖤 Maeve, Severin & the Question of Control

9. Maeve is known for her control and ambition, while Severin has spent centuries relying on discipline. What drew you to exploring those themes in A Witch and Her Vampire?

Emberly Wyndham:

Emberly became interested in the idea because so many people struggle with control.

Having control over yourself like Severin's discipline can be beneficial.

But trying to control your circumstances too much can lead to:

• Negative outcomes

• Frustration

• Anger

Those ideas became an important part of Maeve and Severin's story.

For Emberly, sometimes you have to let go of fear and the need for control in order to fully live.

🥰 Book Boyfriends & Magical Monsters

10. Readers love a good book boyfriend. What qualities do you think make a romantic hero unforgettable?

Emberly Wyndham:

This is a difficult question because readers all have different preferences when it comes to their favorite MMCs.

Emberly enjoys writing many different character archetypes.

For her, however, what makes an MMC unforgettable is authenticity.

A memorable hero should behave in ways that are true to his:

• Character

• Wounds

• Wants

And he should experience satisfying character growth throughout his story.

Whether he's:

🐂 A gentle minotaur
🎸 A broody rock star

Emberly loves writing and reading heroes who feel authentic.

11. From dragons and vampires to minotaurs and orcs, do you have a favorite magical or mythical creature to write about?

Emberly Wyndham:

Nope!

She loves all the creatures she's introduced into her magical world and already has ideas for plenty more.

Including...

🐻 A cozy bear shifter MMC.

We'll just leave that right here.

🔥 Where Do Her Stories Begin?

12. Your stories often balance emotional connection with magical settings. Which tends to come first when you're creating a new book: the romance, the characters, or the world itself?

Emberly Wyndham:

For Coven Crest Academy, the world already had some development because Emberly had started building it while writing Season of the Witch.

And readers will apparently see this world again in future series.

But typically?

Characters and their dynamic come first.

For Lyra and Carin, Emberly wanted to explore the contrast between:

🔥 Fire and earth
🔥 Something that burns quickly
🌱 Something that grows slowly

With Maeve and Severin, she wanted to explore the push and pull between:

Control. Desire. Longing. Restraint.

So for Emberly, characters and themes come first, and the rest of the story develops around them.

🏡 Cottagecore, Found Family & Cozy Magic

13. The Season of the Witch series embraces cottagecore charm, found family, and cozy magic. What inspired your love of those themes?

Emberly Wyndham:

These themes grew from Emberly's own love of:

🌿 Whimsy
🌿 Slow living
🌿 A simpler life

She loves the idea of growing your own delicious food, enjoying a warm drink beside a crackling fire, and creating a life that feels comforting and intentional.

She wanted Season of the Witch to have an old-soul kind of comfort.

And there's a fun real-life bonus:

Because of these books, Emberly learned to bake sourdough.

She says it's been a tricky skill to learn but she's grateful Aurora inspired her to try.

🎸 From Magical Worlds to Rock Stars

14. Many readers enjoy both your fantasy romances and your contemporary romance Little Monster. How does your writing process differ between magical worlds and modern settings?

Emberly Wyndham:

Emberly describes her contemporary books as a bit of a break from her fantasy worlds.

They're a great reset.

Contemporary books also tend to move faster through:

• Writing

• Editing

• Publishing

Fantasy requires more moving parts because each book involves developing the world, setting, and magic systems.

Contemporary romance still requires research, but generally moves faster than fantasy development.

And there's exciting news:

🎸 After Midnight, Emberly's next contemporary rock-star romance, was scheduled to release on August 25.

She says she flew through the first draft, and writing it was a refreshing change of pace after completing all four books in the Coven Crest Academy series.

❤️ The Emotional Heart of Romance

15. Your books are known for having plenty of heart alongside the romance. What emotional experience do you hope readers walk away with after finishing one of your stories?

Emberly Wyndham:

Emberly hopes readers walk away feeling like they experienced something genuine and authentic.

While she enjoys reading OTT alpha heroes and badass heroines, she tends to write characters and romances with more subtlety.

Her stories draw from experiences that she believes many readers can relate to.

She wants readers to feel like these characters could be real people experiencing real struggles.

Most importantly, she hopes readers find camaraderie and connection with them.

🌲 The Independent Author Journey

16. As an independent author, what has been one of the biggest lessons you've learned on your publishing journey?

Emberly Wyndham:

There has been a lot to learn.

But one of the biggest lessons has been the importance of staying in her own lane and holding onto appreciation and gratitude.

It's easy to fall into a “more, more, more” mindset when you're watching other authors achieve incredible things.

But every author has their own journey.

Emberly says she's trying to approach hers more like:

🌲 A whimsical walk through the woods

rather than

🏁 A race toward an imaginary finish line.

She doesn't know what she'll discover along the way.

But she's always excited to see what's waiting around the next bend.

🏔️ Nature as Creative Inspiration

17. Your author bio mentions living in the Colorado mountains with rescued animals. Has nature ever inspired a setting, character, or magical element in your books?

Emberly Wyndham:

Absolutely.

When she's feeling stuck, frustrated, or uninspired, a hike at the nearby national park can completely reinvigorate her creativity.

Sometimes it isn't even something dramatic.

It can be as simple as:

🦗 Hearing grasshoppers in summer
❄️ Watching falling snow glitter in winter

Those small moments can help her feel creatively renewed.

✍️ Inside Emberly's Writing Routine

18. What does a typical writing day look like for you when you're deep into drafting a new novel?

Emberly Wyndham:

Emberly writes five to seven days a week.

Her typical writing window is:

⏰ 7–9 a.m.

She writes before beginning her other work for the day.

When drafting a new novel, she sets a daily word-count target, usually between:

1,000–2,000 words.

That goal helps keep her on track for preorders and upcoming releases.

If she doesn't reach her word count during the week, she uses weekends to catch up.

That strict routine has been instrumental in helping her maintain a consistent release schedule while also working a full-time job.

📝 Plotter or Pantser?

19. Are you an outliner who plans every detail, or do your characters sometimes surprise you along the way?

Emberly Wyndham:

Both!

She outlines extensively before beginning a book.

But the outline always changes as she writes.

Sometimes her characters take her in directions that are completely unexpected and wonderful.

So even with a detailed plan, there's still room for the story to surprise its author.

📖 Writing Advice That Changed Everything

20. What is one piece of writing advice that has stayed with you throughout your career?

Emberly Wyndham:

There's a piece of advice Emberly received years ago that didn't make sense to her at first.

The basic idea:

Every chapter, paragraph, sentence, and word needs a purpose.

Everything should build on what came before it.

She found this advice incredibly intimidating when she first heard it because she didn't know how to put it into practice.

But after writing almost twenty books, she says she's finally figured it out.

And it has made a huge difference in her storytelling.

📱 Which Character Would Destroy Her Social Media?

21. If one of your characters could take over your social media for a day, who would cause the most chaos?

Emberly Wyndham:

Without question:

Lyra from A Witch and Her Minotaur.

Lyra has a serious penchant for chaos.

And then there's her rat companion:

🐀 Juniper

Emberly can only imagine the shenanigans the two of them would get up to.

We're not saying you should hand Lyra the Instagram password...

But we're also not saying you shouldn't.

📚 The Books That Shaped Emberly's Storytelling

22. Readers love hearing about favorites. What are a few books or authors that have influenced your writing journey?

Emberly Wyndham:

Many of Emberly's biggest influences came from the YA heyday she experienced while growing up.

Some of the authors and books that helped get her excited about storytelling include:

🧛‍♀️ Stephanie Meyer — Twilight

🏙️ Veronica Roth — Divergent

🌲 Maggie Stiefvater — The Raven Boys & The Scorpio Races

✨ Laini Taylor — Daughter of Smoke and Bone

When she was younger, Emberly would read books by her favorite authors and wonder:

“How will I ever be able to write like my favorite authors?”

Eventually, she realized something much more important:

She doesn't have to write like them. She just has to write like herself.

And those authors remain influential because they helped make her excited about storytelling in the first place.

🏰 Welcome to Coven Crest Academy

23. If Coven Crest Academy were real, which character would you trust to show a new student around campus?

Emberly Wyndham:

Definitely Poppy.

Even though Poppy is shy, she knows all the classrooms and secret rooms on campus.

She could even show a new student through the Whim, a semisentient hedge maze where Poppy likes to sit and study.

Emberly thinks she'd be the perfect person for the job.

And honestly, we'd trust Poppy with the tour too.

🔮 What's Next for Emberly Wyndham?

24. What exciting projects, upcoming releases, or magical surprises can readers look forward to next?

Emberly Wyndham:

For readers who enjoy contemporary romance featuring cinnamon-roll heroes and black-cat heroines, Emberly's upcoming release After Midnight is one to watch.

And for her fantasy readers?

There's a brand-new series in the works.

But this time, it's going to be:

A lot less cozy.

A lot more stabby.

Of course, Emberly assures us it'll be stabby in a fun way.

She hopes to have Book 1 of the new series released in early 2027.

So fantasy readers, keep your eyes open. 👀🗡️✨

💭 Our Favorite Takeaways

After getting this much insight into Emberly's writing life, there are plenty of things we could talk about but these stood out most to us.

💕 Romance is about connection.

No matter whether the setting is a magical academy, historical ballroom, or concert stage, Emberly keeps coming back to stories about finding your person.

✨ Characters come first.

Her stories often begin with characters and themes before the larger world develops around them.

🧸 Cozy romantasy can be a place to rest.

Not every reading experience needs to be emotionally brutal. Sometimes readers need something soft, safe, and comforting.

🌲 Stay in your own lane.

Comparing your journey to everyone else's can make writing feel like a race. Emberly's “whimsical walk through the woods” philosophy is a wonderful reminder to appreciate your own path.

✍️ Every word should matter.

After almost twenty books, Emberly has learned how powerful it can be to make every chapter, paragraph, sentence, and word serve a purpose.

📝 Planning doesn't mean losing spontaneity.

Even extensive outlines can change when characters surprise you.

💫 You don't have to write like your favorite authors.

You just have to write like you.

📚 About Emberly Wyndham

Emberly Wyndham writes romance across multiple genres and settings, including:

• Cozy romantasy

• Paranormal romance

• Contemporary romance

• Magical academy romance

• Vampire romance

• Shifter romance

Her stories are filled with emotional connection, magical worlds, found family, romance, and spice.

The Coven Crest Academy world features witches, dragons, vampires, orcs, minotaurs, and other magical beings.

Her newest Coven Crest Academy installment, A Witch and Her Vampire, brings Maeve and Severin's story and the series to its conclusion.

🔗 Find Emberly Wyndham

🌐 Website & Newsletter

Emberly Wyndham's Substack

Emberly says her newsletter is the best way to keep up with new releases and to find out when a big sale is happening.

📸 Instagram

Follow Emberly Wyndham on Instagram

🛍️ Find Her Books

Shop Emberly Wyndham's Books on Amazon

💬 First Editions Discussion Corner

Now that you've read the full conversation, let's talk!

1. Which of Emberly's three words heartfelt, emotional, or spicy best describes the kind of romance you love to read?

2. Which magical creature would you most want to see get its own romance in the Coven Crest Academy world?

3. Would you rather attend Professor Sage's magical baking class or Professor Fleur's magical flora class?

4. What do you think makes an unforgettable book boyfriend?

5. Do you prefer interconnected standalone romances or a single continuous romance across multiple books?

6. Which character would you trust to show you around Coven Crest Academy?

7. Would you willingly enter the Whim, the semisentient hedge maze?

8. What do you think makes cozy romantasy such a comforting reading experience?

9. Do you agree with Emberly's philosophy of treating an author's career as a “whimsical walk through the woods” rather than a race?

10. Which of Emberly's upcoming projects are you most excited about: After Midnight or the new, less-cozy-and-more-stabby fantasy series?

11. Which of the authors Emberly mentioned Stephanie Meyer, Veronica Roth, Maggie Stiefvater, or Laini Taylor had the biggest influence on your own reading life?

12. If you could bring one character from Emberly's books into the real world for a day, who would you choose?

❤️ A Special Thank You to Emberly Wyndham

A huge thank you to Emberly Wyndham for taking the time to sit down with The Page Ladies for this Book Club Conversation and giving our First Editions community such a wonderful look behind the scenes.

We loved learning about the evolution of Coven Crest Academy, Emberly's approach to romance and world-building, her writing routine, her publishing journey, her inspirations, and the stories still waiting around the next bend.

And now we're very curious about that less cozy, more stabby fantasy series. 👀🗡️

Until then...

We'll be over here waiting for our invitation to magical baking class. 🧁✨

Happy reading, First Editions! 💕📚

What do you get when you combine cozy romantasy, paranormal romance, magical academies, vampires, shifters, and plenty of spice? Stories that are heartfelt, emotional, and impossible to resist. ✨🌶️

For this Book Club Conversation, we're chatting with Emberly Wyndham, author of the Coven Crest Academy series and A Witch and Her Vampire, about romance, magical worlds, interconnected standalone romances, cozy fantasy, and the characters who make her stories so much fun to escape into.

Whether you're already a fan of Emberly's books or discovering her work for the first time, this conversation offers a fun peek behind the pages!

Ready to get magical? Let's dive in. 🧙‍♀️📖

🎙️ Book Club Conversation with Emberly Wyndham

1. For readers discovering your books for the first time, how would you describe your stories in three words?

Emberly Wyndham:
“Heartfelt, emotional, and spicy!”

Honestly, that's a pretty irresistible combination for romance readers. 💕🌶️

2. Your books span cozy romantasy, paranormal romance, magical academies, vampires, shifters, and contemporary romance. What is it about romance that keeps you coming back to it as a writer?

Emberly Wyndham:

“I wrote other genres for years, and after a multiyear writing hiatus, I decided to try writing romance, and I fell completely in love with it.”

Emberly has always loved stories about connection and finding your person, and romance gives her the freedom to explore those themes against virtually any backdrop.

Whether that backdrop is:

✨ A magical academy
✨ A historical ballroom
✨ A stage under flashing lights

The romance structure provides a familiar foundation while allowing her to adventure into completely different worlds.

“The possibilities feel endless!”

And that's part of what makes romance such a wonderfully flexible genre for both writers and readers.

3. A Witch and Her Vampire is the newest installment in the Coven Crest Academy series. What can readers look forward to in Maeve and Severin's story?

Emberly Wyndham:

Emberly says she absolutely loved writing this final book in the Coven Crest Academy series.

For Maeve and Severin, readers can expect themes of:

🖤 Self-control
✨ Freedom
💫 Choice
🔥 Empowerment

All of that comes alongside the beloved group of witches, the magical academy setting, and more spice than the previous books.

If you've been following the series, Maeve and Severin's story sounds like quite the finale!

4. Coven Crest Academy is home to witches, dragons, vampires, orcs, and minotaurs. What inspired you to build a world where so many magical beings coexist?

Emberly Wyndham:

The world of Coven Crest Academy developed naturally as Emberly wrote.

The setting originally began taking shape in her Season of the Witch series, which follows Aurora Silvermoon, a witch who has recently graduated from Coven Crest Academy.

After writing that series, Emberly wanted the opportunity to actually explore the academy Aurora had told readers about.

And that's where the world of Coven Crest Academy and all its wonderful monsters was born. 🧙‍♀️🐉🧛‍♀️

5. Many readers are drawn to cozy fantasy right now. What do you think makes cozy romantasy such a comforting genre?

Emberly Wyndham:

For Emberly, cozy romantasy combines two things readers are craving:

The romantasy elements we can't get enough of
+
The feeling of being wrapped in a warm blanket.

Sometimes readers don't want to spend their evening emotionally devastated.

Sometimes you want a story that feels:

☕ Soft
🧸 Comforting
💗 Safe
✨ Magical

Emberly describes cozy romantasy as a place where readers can rest between darker or more epic reads.

And honestly? We understand the assignment.

6. Just for fun: If you could spend a day at Coven Crest Academy, which magical class would you most want to attend?

Emberly Wyndham:

This one was easy!

Because Emberly loves cooking and gardening, she'd choose either:

🧁 Professor Sage's Magical Baking Class

or

🌿 Professor Fleur's Magical Flora Class

And we're pretty sure we'd be fighting for a seat in that baking class.

7. Looking back at the Coven Crest Academy series so far, what has been the most rewarding part of writing interconnected standalone romances?

Emberly Wyndham:

One of Emberly's favorite things about interconnected standalones is being able to give each character their own committed love story while continuing to build on the books that came before.

Readers get a complete romance for each couple while also receiving little glimpses and pieces of information about previous couples and even couples who will appear later.

“It’s such a fun storytelling style!”

For readers who love interconnected series, that sounds like the perfect balance between getting a fresh story and returning to a familiar world.

8. Each book features a different magical pairing. How do you keep every romance feeling fresh while still making the series feel connected?

Emberly Wyndham:

Emberly loves exploring different:

✨ Tropes
✨ Themes
✨ Character archetypes

Those differences help each romantic pairing feel unique while still maintaining the overall cohesion of the series.

It's a great way to give readers something new with every installment without losing the magic that makes the Coven Crest Academy world feel like home.

🔮 Want to Read the Full Interview?

This is just the beginning!

Our full Book Club Conversation with Emberly Wyndham goes even deeper into her writing, her characters, her magical worlds, and the creative process behind her books.

💜 Want to read the complete interview?

Join The First Editions, our paid membership, to unlock the full Book Club Conversation and get access to even more exclusive book club content and resources.

If you love romantasy, cozy fantasy, paranormal romance, magical academies, vampires, shifters, interconnected romances, and spicy love stories, you won't want to miss the rest of this conversation!

📚 About Emberly Wyndham

Emberly Wyndham writes heartfelt, emotional, and spicy romance across multiple subgenres, including cozy romantasy, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, and magical academy romance.

Her Coven Crest Academy series brings together witches, vampires, dragons, orcs, minotaurs, and plenty of magical romance in a world designed for readers who want their fantasy with a healthy dose of heart and spice.

A Witch and Her Vampire is the newest installment and final book in the Coven Crest Academy series.

🔗 Find Emberly Wyndham Online

🌐 Website & Newsletter

Emberly Wyndham's Substack

Emberly says signing up for her newsletter is the best way to stay up-to-date on new releases and learn when she's running a big sale.

📸 Instagram

Follow Emberly Wyndham on Instagram

🛍️ Find Her Books

Shop Emberly Wyndham's Books on Amazon

💬 Book Club Conversation Question

If you could spend one day at Coven Crest Academy, which magical class would you take: Magical Baking, Magical Flora, or something else entirely? 🧁🌿✨

And if you could choose one magical being to be your roommate, would you pick a witch, vampire, dragon, or something else?

Tell us below! 👇📚

❤️ Thank You, Emberly!

A huge thank you to Emberly Wyndham for joining us for this Book Club Conversation and giving our community a peek behind the magic of her stories.

We loved learning more about her approach to romance, the evolution of Coven Crest Academy, and what makes cozy romantasy such a comforting escape.

Now excuse us while we go find a cozy blanket, light a candle, and add some magical romance to our TBR. ✨📚🌶️

Well here’s some f*ckery as a bookseller I never thought I’d have to think about. Thanks to an excellent article by Hana Lee Goldin (aka Card Catalog on Substack), thought I better check in with Biblio to see what their policy was on trying to stop Anthropic and other AI entities from buying my books and destroying them. The answer was not great. Their initial response is to stop “bulk purchases” on my account, but they don’t define what that means. Just a heads up to other sellers out there to beware of emails requesting large purchases of your most obscure books. Protect them. 

Guess not everyone knows this is happening...disgusting. Shades of Fahrenheit 451 and Rollerball. Probably not an issue for the new Bindery offerings, but for anyone who would like to maintain literary history, best keep an eye out.

The latest sapphic book discourse is being treated like another fight over labels. Some authors argue a book should qualify as sapphic when a queer woman appears in it, even when a man occupies the central romantic relationship. Under this logic, an FFM or FFMM romance belongs under the sapphic label without clear disclosure of the men involved. A love triangle between two women and one man also qualifies, even when the woman chooses the man at the end.

This argument mistakes a character’s identity for a story’s center.

A bisexual woman does not stop being sapphic when she dates or loves a man. Her identity doesn’t change according to her partner. But a relationship between a woman and a man is not a sapphic relationship. A story centered on their romance does not become a sapphic romance because the woman has loved women, wants women, or identifies as bisexual.

Both statements need to remain true at once.

Sapphic is an umbrella. The word includes lesbians, bisexual and pansexual women, queer women, and some nonbinary people whose identities and relationships fit under it. Sapphic is not interchangeable with lesbian. Sapphic also doesn’t mean any story where a woman experiences attraction to another woman at some point.

The umbrella should stay wide. The center still needs to remain clear.

The question isn’t whether a bisexual woman belongs in the sapphic community. She does. The question is whether the book centers sapphic desire, intimacy, or partnership in a meaningful and sustained way. Who receives the emotional development? Which relationship drives the plot? What does the marketing promise? Which love story reaches the ending? Those answers tell readers what kind of book they are buying.

Why the label matters

A label shapes attention. Attention shapes sales, reviews, awards, recommendation lists, bookstore placement, and which authors receive another contract.

Publishing doesn’t distribute those opportunities equally. The 2023 Diversity Baseline Survey found 72.5% of workers across U.S. publishing, review journals, and literary agencies identified as white. Only 5.3% identified as Black. The Authors Guild’s 2023 income survey found full-time Black authors earned a median of $2,412 from their books in 2022. White authors earned a median of $10,985. White respondents were also 36% more likely than Black respondents to be traditionally published.

Those numbers give this label dispute material stakes.

The conversation of who is and isn’t sapphic is also happening in mostly white spaces; let's start there. When whiteness already controls most publishing decisions, we need to examine who receives space inside a category built around marginalized love stories. If “sapphic” becomes a loose marketing word for any book containing a queer woman, stories centered on men gain access to sapphic shelves, lists, subscription boxes, awards, and reader communities.

Meanwhile, books centering two Black women still fight to be treated as romantic, desirable, and broadly marketable. The barriers rise higher for dark-skinned, fat, disabled, trans, working-class, and masculine-presenting Black women. Their stories face pressure to prove an audience exists. A male-centered book with a white, conventionally attractive bisexual heroine enters the same limited category and receives the benefit of familiarity. The industry gets queer visibility without giving up men as the assumed romantic center.

This is where white supremacy and heteropatriarchy reinforce each other.

Whiteness receives the greatest chance of being treated as universal. Black sapphic desire gets treated as niche. Conventional femininity becomes the easiest form of queerness to sell. Men remain central, even inside a category readers seek out because they want stories where men are not the romantic destination.

Then the industry points to a few visible queer women and calls the category inclusive.

Presence is not power

GLAAD counted 85 Black characters among 489 LGBTQ characters in television programming from June 2024 through May 2025. Black characters made up 17% of the total, a drop of ten characters and two percentage points from the prior study.

A character count still does not answer the questions readers need answered. Whose love story drives the plot? Who receives tenderness, interiority, and sexual agency? Who gets desired without becoming a lesson for someone else? Who reaches the ending alive and loved?

Publishing statistics present the same problem. The presence of queer women does not tell us whether a book centers queer women’s relationships. A bisexual heroine does not turn every relationship she enters into a sapphic one. Treating her identity as a shortcut around accurate marketing reduces bisexuality to a label publishers pull out when useful.

An FFM or FFMM romance needs honest language

An FFM or FFMM relationship involving queer women contains sapphic attraction. The women in the relationship might share a sapphic bond. The characters might belong to the sapphic community. None of this makes “sapphic romance” an adequate standalone label for a story where a man participates in the central relationship.

Readers need language such as bisexual polyamorous romance, mixed-gender queer romance, FFM romance, or FFMM romance. Authors should state the relationship structure in the marketing. Readers then get to choose the story they want with accurate information.

This is not a purity test. This is genre clarity.

A reader seeking an FFM romance deserves to find one. A bisexual reader seeking a story about a woman loving people of more than one gender deserves to find one. A lesbian or sapphic reader seeking a romance centered only on women and nonbinary people deserves to find one too.

Hiding the man from the description because “sapphic” attracts a particular audience treats sapphic readership as a market to access, rather than a community whose expectations matter. It also reproduces an old heteropatriarchal assumption. Even in a space named for desire outside men, men still receive entry without announcement.

If a man belongs to the central romantic unit, say so.

When the love triangle ends with a man

A queer love triangle between two women and one man might explore bisexual identity, compulsory heterosexuality, grief, confusion, or desire. Such a story has value. It might be bisexual women’s fiction, queer fiction, or a mixed-gender romance. The right description depends on the plot and ending.

But when the central character chooses the man, marketing the book as a sapphic romance creates a false promise. The woman remains sapphic and the ending doesn’t make her straight. But it is not a sapphic relationship if the romance delivered to the reader is still a woman-and-man romance.

This distinction matters because queer women have spent generations watching attraction between women framed as temporary, immature, experimental, fetishized, tragic, or less substantial than a relationship with a man. A sapphic label followed by a man-centered ending repeats this pattern inside the category meant to resist it.

Readers are not objecting to bisexual women. They are objecting to a marketing promise where sapphic desire becomes the detour and a man becomes the destination.

Why this is lesbophobic

Calling a man-centered romance sapphic asks lesbians and other readers who seek stories beyond men to accept male centrality everywhere. Their request for accurate labeling gets recast as exclusion, jealousy, or biphobia. This framing treats a boundary around a story category as hostility toward a human identity.

Lesbians already live under the demand to leave space for men. Culture treats lesbian desire as negotiable and lesbian boundaries as cruel. The number of times in my life that a man has said “are you sure?” or “if you change your mind.” The belief that every category must include men carries the same demand into books. A label built around women and nonbinary people loving one another loses meaning once male-centered romances claim equal ownership of it.

Saying so does not turn sapphic into a synonym for lesbian. It protects a shared category where lesbians, bisexual women, pansexual women, queer women, and some nonbinary people find stories centered on love and desire beyond men. Also though I do not feel it needs to be stated, I will say that because trans women are women, I don’t feel the need to make a distinction between cisgender and transgender women in this article.

Why this also erases bisexuality

Bi-erasure often works by assigning a bisexual person a new identity based on a current partner. A bisexual woman dating a man gets called straight. A bisexual woman dating a woman gets called lesbian. Both readings erase her full identity.

Mislabeling books creates a related distortion. It collapses the difference between who a bisexual woman is and what kind of relationship a story centers. The heroine becomes a marketing device. Her bisexuality gets stretched across every romantic configuration until words such as sapphic, queer, bisexual, and mixed-gender stop communicating distinct information.

Accurate labeling respects bisexuality because it names bisexual experience directly. “Bisexual women’s fiction” is not a lesser category. “Mixed-gender romance with a bisexual heroine” is not an insult. “Queer FFM romance” tells readers more than “sapphic” ever would. Clear language gives bisexual stories their own shape rather than forcing them to borrow a label whose central promise differs from the story being sold.

A bisexual woman in a relationship with a man still belongs in sapphic community. Her relationship with him is not sapphic. Refusing to confuse those truths is not bi-erasure. Confusing them leaves bisexuality less visible and less understood.

Keep the umbrella wide and the center clear

Sapphic should remain broad enough to hold the range of people who live, love, and identify beneath it. Trans women belong. Bisexual and pansexual women belong. Black women belong. Disabled women belong. Nonbinary people with a relationship to the term belong. He/him lesbians belong, and trans men who identify as sapphic belong. No one needs to narrow sapphic into another word for lesbian.

The category still needs a center, though.

For a book marketed as sapphic, sapphic desire or relationship should drive the emotional arc. The story should give this relationship sustained development and meaningful page time. The marketing should disclose a man’s role when he belongs to the central romantic structure. If the heroine ends with a man, the label should prepare readers for the romance the book delivers.

This standard does not police identity. It asks publishers and authors to describe their books honestly.

Book labels direct money and attention. In an industry where white workers hold most gatekeeping roles and Black authors earn far less from their books, loose labels do not produce neutral outcomes. They allow the stories closest to whiteness and heterosexual convention to occupy more space while Black sapphic love stays underfunded, underpromoted, and treated as narrow.

Sapphic means something. Protecting its meaning protects bisexual inclusion, lesbian boundaries, reader consent, and the marginalized love stories the category exists to center.

Sources

• GLAAD, “Representation of Black LGBTQ Characters,” Where We Are on TV 2024–2025: https://glaad.org/whereweareontv24/representation-of-black-characters/

• Authors Guild, “Key Takeaways from 2023 Author Income Survey”: https://authorsguild.org/news/key-takeaways-from-2023-author-income-survey/

• Publishing Perspectives, “Diversity in US Publishing: The New Lee & Low Report”: https://publishingperspectives.com/2024/02/diversity-in-us-publishing-the-new-lee-low-report/

• GLAAD, “Erasure of Bisexuality”: https://glaad.org/bisexual/bierasure/

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