The constant flood of AI author spam emails is getting very old, but one of mine today contained the wonderfully odd phrase "A partner hires a loophole" today, so... the proofreading industry still has some life in it, methinks.

BRIDGERTON AND PHILOSOPHY is out now! Available at all the usual retailers. 22 chapters connecting the show (and books) to philosophical concepts and problems. Loads of quotes and Easter eggs, a fun read (I promise)! #romancelandia #Bridgerton #Netflix #Booksky #Romancebooksky

@jodimca.bsky.social did this about academic tenure and the broken job market here: www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/An-Aca...

as a romance reader, I hold Two (or more) Freaks Fuck It Up Bigtime as the ideal but I think sometimes as a romance writer, I am pulling my punches and my characters are insufficiently angry with each other

Falling in love shouldn't necessarily make the protagonists better people. It should change them - might make them *more*, heighten or make them more comfortable with parts of themselves - but romantic love is not some kind of moral cure.

Stoked to see @jamesfolta.com in @literaryhub.bsky.social talking up a dataset on int'l bestsellers built by @sdileonardi.bsky.social + @beccacohen.bsky.social (I helped). See who the world reads! One nit: Folta sez "Sinykin is a great follow on Bluesky"—LIES lithub.com/find-your-ne...

...and one about whether Wuthering Heights is a romance novel. (Spoilers: no.)

In a (vain, probably) attempt to combat the flood of romance-illiterate Valentine's Day thinkpieces, I wrote two of my own this year - one with @profromance.bsky.social about romance adaptations...

In a (vain, probably) attempt to combat the flood of romance-illiterate Valentine's Day thinkpieces, I wrote two of my own this year - one with @profromance.bsky.social about romance adaptations...

Our third anniversary trail celebrates Australian romance, compiled by Ashleigh Lowry! As always, this is a taste not a best of. The slides, by Monica Clayton, highlight @keshewrites.bsky.social, Colleen McCullough, and Toni Jordan, but check out the full list at: www.austlit.edu.au/25th-anniver...

In @aunz.theconversation.com today, @profromance.bsky.social and I have a piece about adapting romance to the screen. What makes a good adaptation?

Also thiiiiis

This is a terrific article about respecting the romance genre, particularly relevant at the moment given all those stupid valentine's day articles highlighting "best of" lists that are mostly not romances.

More and more romance adaptations are starting to appear – but what makes the translation from page to screen really sing?

As everyone knows, publishing trends are *never* cyclical and historical certainly won't come roaring back any time soon when, eg, the romantasy bubble bursts...

More and more romance adaptations are starting to appear – but what makes the translation from page to screen really sing?

Heathcliff sneeringly rejected the idea he was ‘a hero of romance’ – though the new film claims Wuthering Heights as the greatest love story of all time. Is it?

In @aunz.theconversation.com today, @profromance.bsky.social and I have a piece about adapting romance to the screen. What makes a good adaptation?

by me

With the new movie about to come out, I wrote about whether Wuthering Heights is a) a romance or b) romantic for @aunz.theconversation.com .

[circle of love] Nora Roberts: ok ladies we've got a new storyteller here tonight Roberts: everyone say hi to Coral hart Coral Hart: oh that's not my real name Hart: i have to keep my real name secret because readers hate anything its associated with Roberts:

The #1 rule about paying someone to teach you how to make money writing books is don't pay them if they won't even tell you what books they wrote that are making all the money.

Your #Bridgerton friends are back for season 7 (!!) of What Would Danbury Do? . With special guest host @jodimca.bsky.social, we waltz with episode one of season four of Bridgerton, Benedict, Sophie and the lady in silver. On all your favourite podcast providers or bridgertonpod.com #wwddpod

“We’re heading into, within the next five years, a real reduction in the capacities to sustain a creative and cultural workforce … There will be an enormous decline in the amount of creative and artistic activity in Australia.”

people who say that all creative endeavor can be replaced with AI probably need to reckon with the fact that all televised sports events with human athletes could easily be replicated by high-definition computer-animated simulations….and yet we don’t do this and no one seems to want to.

I am also going to win, because I'm never going to wake up in the morning, stare into the empty eyes of the thing in the mirror, and realise I traded my soul and my children's world to make a small profit off slop.

Good morning to everyone who writes their own goddamn romance novels, using their messy human brain, because that’s where the good shit comes in and we all know it

I don't have much to add to what has already been said about this piece (AI grifts are bad!! romance is about the human!! I hate this!!), but there's one detail I got stuck on - ironically, not an AI one. Sex in a wine fermentation tank??? What are we doing??? www.nytimes.com/2026/02/08/b...

I have yet to see any evidence that there is a market for AI-generated books outside of people being tricked into thinking they are not AI-generated books. AKA, it is a project of scamming and deceiving people, and really should be treated as fraud

Wait, THIS is young Anton Chekhov? This? Good lord. Let that gun go off, daddy

What a dire timeline right now - even in romance. I'm going to write words about Harlequin killing the Historical line (a threat for the last decade) and now it's been announced that All About Romance, a 30-year old website is shutting down allaboutromance.com/its-been-a-g... #Romancelandia

Loved guesting on this episode with my very clever pals @katydidinoz.bsky.social and @snarkywench.bsky.social !

Opening Threads and reading the conversations about literature & publishing:

Clearly it’s time to appoint a permanent officer in the government to look over all the festival programs. Some fellow in a centralised office where all the art can be submitted beforehand, to make sure it’s socially cohesive. Some kind of Chief Approver, if you like www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...

Publishing expert @alicektg.bsky.social takes the pulse of Australia's literary festivals & their challenges – cancellations, culture wars, climate change and new hate speech laws – as Adelaide announces Constellations: Not Writers Week. @aunz.theconversation.com theconversation.com/what-is-the-...

Reading @jodimca.bsky.social's An Academic Affair (finally!) and only only 30% in, but so far shoutout to the realistic depection of the rental market in Aus and the love for A Marvellous Light (and many other wonderful books!). It's been a delight so far!

What Would Danbury Do returns *this Friday*, but here's a sneak peek with special guest host @jodimca.bsky.social and your regular hosts @snarkywench.bsky.social and @katydidinoz.bsky.social Follow us on your favourite podcast app for all your #bridgerton needs 💙

I am in @therumpus.net today talking about how Heated Rivalry is connected to both chirping in Letterkenny and Shoresy, and also Pride and Prejudice and Austen film adaptations: therumpus.net/2026/02/02/m...

I just finished An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister. I read it in less than 2 days, because I couldn't put it down! I can't remember the last time I read such a riveting contemporary romance. As a bonus, Anne of the Island is my favorite, and the Lewis and Tolkein references endeared me further.

Hey, guess what? Smart Bitches is 21 years old today! 🍾🥂 So we're giving away custom champagne flutes because obviously. Happy anniversary to us!

The start of 2026 in JPRS is marked by the publication of Amy Burge's (@dramyburge.bsky.social) Editor's Note for Volume 14 ✨. Follow the link to read our Executive Editor's review of last year's publications: doi.org/10.70138/ZFX... #RomanceResearch

A reminder in time for the Hugo nomination deadline! I know 2025 was a BANGER year for novellas but I'm incredibly proud of this one, and would love to see it on the ballot 🔥👻

I hate this. I hate that scholars and teachers are supposed to be digital fraud experts. I hate that this part of their job description is becoming larger and larger. I hate the widening distrust. I hate a culture that aggressively devalues the curiosity and humility required for ongoing learning.

Don't be a scab.

Hi are you one of the most successful writers in the world? We would like to take all of your skills, commoditise them, and thereby remove your unique voice for twice the pay you could make at Trader Joe’s.

Wuthering Heights, but in their Australian accents

I've had approximately infinity AI slop author scam emails all desperate to tell me how witty and emotional and moving my books are and how their 1000/3000/9000 dedicated readers will love it (for a small fee), so this latest one feels pretty uniquely lazy

Excited to let folks know my edited book BRIDGERTON AND PHILOSOPHY (Wiley Blackwell) is out soon. 22 essays taking a philosophical look at the Netflix show and books. www.wiley.com/en-us/Bridge...

🌟 DID YOU KNOW? 🌟 The Steph Bowe Prize for Young Writers will be judged on a completed #LoveOzYA manuscript, a 1-page synopsis and a 500-word statement about how winning the Prize will further the entrant’s career. The Prize opens this Sunday, 1 February 2026. www.stephboweprize.com