Also, Hello Kitty isn't even the best character in the Hello Kitty universe:

Not that I LIKE having a three-day headache/migraine, but the sheer RELIEF upon it finally lifting really is remarkable if you've never experienced it. 😌

There's still time to sign up for my monthly newsletter! (And even if you wait until the new year, you'll still get retroactive access to this story! But don't you want to get it ASAP, on the 31st??? 😉) #pulp #romance #romancelandia Subscribe here! lucynka-staron.beehiiv.com

It's Boxing Day! And in the spirit of role reversals, I would like to bring back this review of Cornell Woolrich's 1936 crime thriller, "Johnny On the Spot," wherein the HERO is kidnapped, and his young wife, the HEROINE, has to perform a rescue mission. It's equal parts sweet and brutal. 🖤 #pulp

Dime-store Ray Milland (and cat) for Edward Hope's "Eight and a Half Lives" (THE ILLUSTRATED LOVE MAGAZINE, October 1932). #pulp (ish) #romance

It's Boxing Day! And in the spirit of role reversals, I would like to bring back this review of Cornell Woolrich's 1936 crime thriller, "Johnny On the Spot," wherein the HERO is kidnapped, and his young wife, the HEROINE, has to perform a rescue mission. It's equal parts sweet and brutal. 🖤 #pulp

Too tired to dig up any new covers (either from my personal collection or from online), so here's last year's post. Merry Christmas! #pulp #romance #romancelandia

Too tired to dig up any new covers (either from my personal collection or from online), so here's last year's post. Merry Christmas! #pulp #romance #romancelandia

Merry Christmas to me! Beulah Poynter's MAD MARRIAGE (published 1931 in book form, but probably serialized earlier in a pulp, under a different title). #pulp #romance #romancelandia My copy is missing its dust jacket, but…

As we're now in mid-December, I would like to share this great episode from one of my absolute favorite (if now sadly defunct) podcasts, WHAT'S IN THE BASKET: A deep dive audio essay on that Christmas/class commentary classic, TRADING PLACES (1983). #film

Did you hear I now have a monthly newsletter? I do! The first official one goes out at the end of the December, and will come with an exclusive digital #pulp story, Parker Howard's "Her Friend, the Burglar," a cute little short from 1922! Sign up here: lucynka-staron.beehiiv.com

I think I FINALLY came up with a gluten-free kolaczki recipe I'm happy with. 😁😁😁

Apparently Paypal is now asking those who commissioned artists through invoices for feedback on the experience, Please never type anything, Its a trap. Just putting both yours and their accounts at risk of bans.

Signing up to my newsletter (lucynka-staron.beehiiv.com /plug) will get you a round-up of December blog posts (and more), but what about my posts from the rest of the year? Strap in, we're doing a round-up of all formal reviews and vintage articles from 2025! #pulp #booksky #romancelandia 🧵 1/

Did you hear I now have a monthly newsletter? I do! The first official one goes out at the end of the December, and will come with an exclusive digital #pulp story, Parker Howard's "Her Friend, the Burglar," a cute little short from 1922! Sign up here: lucynka-staron.beehiiv.com

ICYMI, my live-blog of Anne Mather's SMOKESCREEN wrapped up last night. It took some wild turns in the last third (calling V.C. Andrews!) that made the middle slog totally worth it. Short Goodreads review coming soon. #romance #romancelandia

ICYMI, my live-blog of Anne Mather's SMOKESCREEN wrapped up last night. It took some wild turns in the last third (calling V.C. Andrews!) that made the middle slog totally worth it. Short Goodreads review coming soon. #romance #romancelandia

My cat: MOM, YOU NEED TO GO INTO THE KITCHEN WITH ME SO I CAN EAT. Me: Okay, I'll go into the kitchen with you so you can eat. I need to get coffee, anyway. Me: *starts making coffee* My cat: MOM, YOU AREN'T *WATCHING* ME, YOU NEED TO WATCH ME!!!

My cat: MOM, YOU NEED TO GO INTO THE KITCHEN WITH ME SO I CAN EAT. Me: Okay, I'll go into the kitchen with you so you can eat. I need to get coffee, anyway. Me: *starts making coffee* My cat: MOM, YOU AREN'T *WATCHING* ME, YOU NEED TO WATCH ME!!!

Well, at least no one was ejaculating. #smallmercies #boner (From Taylor Bynum's "Spoiled Darling." THE ILLUSTRATED LOVE MAGAZINE, March 1932.)

William "Ditto" Williams, whose father owns a company that makes bathtubs, asking the real questions. (From Faith Baldwin's "Spotlight." THE ILLUSTRATED LOVE MAGAZINE, March 1932.) #pulp (ish) #romance #romancelandia

“On January 1, 2026, thousands of copyrighted works from 1930 enter the US public domain, along with sound recordings from 1925.” Includes Betty Boop, Blondie & Dagwood, and works by William Faulkner, Agatha Christie, and the Marx Brothers. [web.law.duke.edu]

As we're now in mid-December, I would like to share this great episode from one of my absolute favorite (if now sadly defunct) podcasts, WHAT'S IN THE BASKET: A deep dive audio essay on that Christmas/class commentary classic, TRADING PLACES (1983). #film

Thanks to everyone who's signed up so far! (Also, my apologies, as I will be reposting this for at least a few days. 😅) There's a cat photo in the launch post, and I'm hoping to get a #pulp novelette (about a stenographer and a burglar) into the official December post, if that's at all enticing!

Dreamt that one of Gumby's little-known abilities was that he could turn into a rocket (for extremely fast travel), but would have to IMMEDIATELY pee afterward, for whatever reason. I was just as flabbergasted and amused at watching this imaginary clip in my dream as I was at my brain upon waking.

"Fate brought them together, the way his car happened to slide into hers when he lost traction in the Schnucks parking lot." www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/a-r...

Nona's aunt looks like she's ready to commit homicide, that's what. (For Faith Baldwin's "Spotlight," from THE ILLUSTRATED LOVE MAGAZINE, March 1932.) #pulp (-ish) #romance

Thanks to everyone who's signed up so far! (Also, my apologies, as I will be reposting this for at least a few days. 😅) There's a cat photo in the launch post, and I'm hoping to get a #pulp novelette (about a stenographer and a burglar) into the official December post, if that's at all enticing!

Didn't expect to officially launch this today, but what the hell: I now have a newsletter! This will give you a monthly round-up of blog posts, En Prise Press (my public domain imprint) news, and other sundry bullshit. All delivered straight to your inbox, so you'll never miss a thing!

Found this guy in the August 1, 1922 issue of SAUCY STORIES, and ngl, I kind of love him? Artist unknown. #pulp

Happy 100th birthday, Dick Van Dyke.

ICYMI! I don't normally repost bits of my live-blogs, but this one is definitely worth it. #doubledenim #goldmedallion #whorls (From Anne Mather's SMOKESCREEN, a Harlequin Presents from 1982. #romance #romancelandia)

Didn't expect to officially launch this today, but what the hell: I now have a newsletter! This will give you a monthly round-up of blog posts, En Prise Press (my public domain imprint) news, and other sundry bullshit. All delivered straight to your inbox, so you'll never miss a thing!

Took the plunge and signed up for Beehiiv, and now I'm weighing the hassle of familiarizing myself with a new platform against just upgrading my Wordpress so I'll have access to THEIR newsletter feature, pfffft.

I'm getting to the point where I'm…getting caught up on things??? What an absolutely mysterious feeling!

ICYMI! I don't normally repost bits of my live-blogs, but this one is definitely worth it. #doubledenim #goldmedallion #whorls (From Anne Mather's SMOKESCREEN, a Harlequin Presents from 1982. #romance #romancelandia)

Huh, looks like this eBay seller has blocked me from making offers—possibly because I mildly criticized their packaging in an otherwise positive review? (A rookie error on my part, I'll admit—I probably shouldn't have said anything, as I've seen FAR worse since then. Still???)

Ellen Hogue's JULIE OF THE LAZY J, from 1932, received! Reused name alert ("Warder"), and confirmed that the author was big into mountain porn, I guess. (Though I am side-eyeing that use of the word "conquered" in the cover copy.) #pulp #romance #romancelandia #westernromance #yeehaw

IT'S HAPPENING. Official live-blog thread for Anne Mather's SMOKESCREEN, from 1982. Also, just gotta say that I honestly love the design of these old Harlequin Presents. The font of the author's name, the stylistic lowercase of the title, the image cropped in a circle—muah! #romance #romancelandia

Buckle in, we’re doing Romance 101 - Heated Rivalry edition. This is for all the folks showing their ignorance about what Heated Rivalry is doing. Note: Very little of this is my original thoughts. These things are Known.

Wow, turns out that writing a 2-to-3K-word thing is a lot easier and less time-consuming than writing an 8K-word thing, who knew?

I've had these sitting on my shelf for four months now, and I'm thinking of making SMOKESCREEN my holiday live-blog read. Y/N? #romance #romancelandia #harlequinpresents #AggressivelyMasculine #HerOwnStepson

Goodbye, my hairdryer of 20+ years; I'll miss you, but you treated me well. Time for you to finally retire to that big salon in the sky. ❤️

I've had these sitting on my shelf for four months now, and I'm thinking of making SMOKESCREEN my holiday live-blog read. Y/N? #romance #romancelandia #harlequinpresents #AggressivelyMasculine #HerOwnStepson

It took long enough to arrive, but one more book for my Beulah Poynter collection! JOAN OF THE RIVER, from 1930 (no doubt first serialized, but seemingly under another title). My copy doesn't have its dust jacket, but I was at least able to find a photo of it online. #pulp #romance #romancelandia

I enjoyed reading this exploration of the arguments against romance fiction, since it does identify a real gap in the models romance offers for happiness. I admit that, even when it offers alternatives to romantic love e.g. www.vivanco.me.uk/faith-love-h... it emphasises happiness via community.

ICYMI! It's a chonky review (perhaps my chonkiest that isn't also a blow-by-blow summary), but I think it's worth it! In many ways a very flawed book, mostly because it feels like the author had to change some things at the last minute to make it more "acceptable." #pulp #romance #romancelandia

Okay, but when Felicia realizes just who Pedro de Rosarieros is, and the word dramatically echoes around the cave they're in. 😚🤌 (SERENADE, by Ellen Hogue.)

ICYMI! It's a chonky review (perhaps my chonkiest that isn't also a blow-by-blow summary), but I think it's worth it! In many ways a very flawed book, mostly because it feels like the author had to change some things at the last minute to make it more "acceptable." #pulp #romance #romancelandia