My literal kingdom for a romance novel about a romance writer who keeps their career totally disengaged from their personal life, and knows that their relationship status has zero relevance to either their writing or their readership.

On sale at Kobo books: www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/... #booksky

Listening to I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue and have to share the definition of 'Fundamentalist': What you do when you buy a Tesla.

"Trialled". Like "yeah we trialled Joyce but eventually went with Oswald Mosley, he just had better posh traitor vibes." anyway if you need me, I'm just going to be over here howling into the void.

A bargain price on one of our best mysteries of the year!

This book is fantastic, and manages to not only be thrilling but frequently hilarious. You owe it to yourself to read it!

ALL OF US MURDERERS is on cheap on Amazon today! Get your Gothic second chance romance for £/$1.99! (I have no idea how long for or if it's going to other sites, sorry.) www.amazon.co.uk/All-Us-Murde...

That peanut worm is a little too exciting for me you got anything else?

Christmas in multicultural North London: Me telling my children they cannot refer to Santa as a "fat bhenchod".

My kids are 17 and 18 but here we are.

This is a free series starter and great fun. Posh thug and hacker take down the bad guys, with sweet and hot trans m/m romance, plus social.commentary. I've just read about five in a row.

Sale news: The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles is on sale for $1.99. If you fancy some queer romance involving smugglers and noblemen this holiday season, I highly recommend it. amzn.to/4jb5IMN

'Tis The Season

I read Jay Moriarty Violates the Official Secrets Act (The Casefile of Jay Moriarty #1) by Kit Walker

The local pet shop has a range of Christmas themed catnip stocking fillers, and I don't know, it just seems kind of weird to have seasonal "Get Your Cat Absolutely Boxed" treats.

No jury would convict Rachel Reid if she set the publisher’s building on fire for this

Neither is herpes, but I’ll keep doing my work without either.

Ouch. Difficult to say "Our previous CEO was protecting a sexual predator" more explicitly than this. www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

I'm glad he's been dropped, but the senior staff involved should resign. They hid, enabled & normalised his behaviour, which targeted staff in poorly paid, very competitive entry level positions who had zero power & knew that any pushback would likely threaten their entire careers.

You know, when I was in my early 20s I wasnt allowed to do events with a specific author so he couldn't get me alone. That was thirty years ago. How lovely that publishing hasn't changed a bit.

so are we expecting news about to break?

Time for this classic! If all stories were written like science fiction: web.archive.org/web/20040929...

I think about this a lot because I read a huge amount of terrible period pulp for research (much as people read Playboy for the articles) and those wonderful little throwaway details that would help establish the period as different to our own? VERY RARELY MENTIONED.

Nothing fills me with more optimism than the major journal of publishing signing up for the "steal from authors in order to put all the book people out of work" industry.

Harlequin’s global growth in the 70s was made possible by local translators who not only converted the language but also the idioms and symbols of love into things locals would understand. This is a penny wise, pound foolish move by HC, another in a long line.

It is once again that time of year when every Books Dad gets absolutely bodied by Molesworth.

I dreamed I saw Tiny Tim last night, Alive as you or me Says I, "But Tim, you're ten years dead," "I never died," says he. "I never died," says he. And standing there as big as life And smiling with his eyes Says Tim, "What they forgot to kill Went on to organize, Went on to organize."

(if you're wondering about the frankly bleak quality of my skeeting today, be aware I'm bunking off from writing a joyful sex scene.)

On the contrary. Tiny Tim (who did NOT die) lives on yet, a wizened, hunched thing of dried skin and withered sinew, milky-eyed and toothless. His every human contact is long severed by the merciless jaws of Time that refuse only him, and he curses the name of Scrooge every night. Merry Christmas!

Always here for a reminder of when some acute and sensible critic paid to have Dryden beaten up in a dark alley. Given a time machine, I'd contribute to the fundraiser.

KJC Jr (son edition) and eight friends convening at ours before the annual rugby dinner. The lingering cloud of Teen Man Fragrance could have its own Magnus Archives episode.

"In the event that the Author is unable or unwilling to continue the series for any reason—including, but not limited to, health concerns, personal circumstances, or death—the Publisher shall retain the right to produce derivative works based on the original Work and its universe."

I absolutely love this series--detective mystery with magic, ongoing romance set in a matriarchal fantasy city, beautifully imagined. If you haven't read them, treat yourself!

#Booksky We’re releasing an omnibus tomorrow 12/15! Get all 6 Astreiant books by Melissa Scott and Lisa A. Barnett in one glorious ebook edition. Astreiant is also eligible for the Best Series Hugo this year! queenofswordspress.com/product/comp...

My daughter and friends came back from all night clubbing at 5.30 this morning, and made and ate pasta with olives. I understand as a matter of historical fact that I too once did that sort of thing with enthusiasm, but I can't summon up any sort of sense-memory of why it was a good idea.

Absolutely summarises my approach to forcibly "licensing" my copyright to LLMs.

In an effort at something good on the internet today: A thread on Mr KJC, gingerbread architect of the early 21st century. Mr KJC got his beginnings like so many gingerbread architects: with a kit house for the kids. Kind of fun but the premade pieces are dry and nasty, only technically edible.

In an effort at something good on the internet today: A thread on Mr KJC, gingerbread architect of the early 21st century. Mr KJC got his beginnings like so many gingerbread architects: with a kit house for the kids. Kind of fun but the premade pieces are dry and nasty, only technically edible.

—I’ve been asked to baptise the King of Spain’s daughter —Infanta? —No, holy water as usual. Weird thing to ask honestly

In honour of Rob Reiner, have David Moore's thread on the best sword fight in movie history and exactly how nerdy it is.

looool remember that grossly biased and leading consultation doc on AI and copyright? The heavily leaned-on preferred Govt option got 3% of the votes.

They* said it couldn't be done! But Mr Rational Amounts of Confectionery Architecture has long left the building, so I present...the Gingerbread Street. *me

I read Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs

I read Harvest Season (The Old Bridge Inn series) by Annick Trent

I read Sheepdogs by Elliot Ackerman

Last rehearsal done, waiting in the church for the Christmas carols concert to start, wondering if I can squeeze in a quick episode of Magnus Archives. It might not be exactly the right mood-setter.

Mr KJC is templating the gingerbread house. In previous years he has done a church with stained glass windows, a castle with turrets, a Tudor house with beams, a farm and a tree house. This year...he is doing a street.

Yesterday's citizenship test highlight: What is the second line of the citizen oath of allegiance? I'm pretty sure the correct British answer is: "What oath of allegiance, how incredibly embarrassing, this isn't America."

Every time I see this image I imagine someone to the right, out of shot, with a really big saw.

It's the carol concert on Saturday! 5pm at St Michael's, Mill Hill. Full choir, gorgeous carols, mince pies, you know the score. If you're in North London, drop by and get in the festive spirit!