Happy Fourth of July Eve.

I don’t think I’m in the minority when I say the 250^th anniversary of our great American experiment is not hitting with the joy and fervor it deserves. I was 20 in 1976 and the celebration of our 200^th birthday was met with all the genuine patriotism, fanfare, and love our little hearts could pump out. A red, white, and blue, flag waving, year-long party. Tall ships in Boston Harbor. Hour long fireworks displays. Politics raged on but didn’t dampen our collective spirits.

But here we are, in 2026, a nation divided. I read a newsletter today by artist Danielle Coke Balfour (Oh Happy Dani) that included her timely illustration:

I think MLK’s quote is especially relevant today. The rights we have been guaranteed in writing are in jeopardy and we simply want “what you said on paper” to be upheld and honored for all Americans. It’s that simple.

I hope my fellow US citizens have an enjoyable day of appreciation for the country we are meant to be.

Writing

Of course, I found something else to check in The Bonus Grave before I start the line edits… I wanted to make sure I’d added enough backstory for Sugar, my main character. I went through the manuscript and notated all the information I included through four revisions – by the time you get to that many revisions, you have no idea what you added, changed or didn’t change – and now I just have to go over those notes. I promise, next week I’ll be reporting on the progress of the LINE EDITS!!! LOL!

Sisters in Crime is currently running their Summer Scrawl, a writing program for the month of July. I’m not organized enough at this point to declare an actual project to track through the month, but I am planning to participate in some of their write-ins – hour long writing sprints on Zoom. They sponsor 5 or 6 a day, so there’s plenty of opportunity to sit down and get some work done with my mystery peeps.  We shall see!

Reading

I’m always reading a paper book and an ebook on my phone at all times. Once in a while, both books will feature similar elements central to the stories. This week, The Summer Share’s female main character has been traveling in a VW van for five years, making her living posting about her adventures. In Jenny James is Not a Disaster, the FMC takes an unexpected journey in a motorhome and begins a successful online blog. And dogs figure heavily in each book (Dude, a Harlequin great dane, in The Summer Share and Betty, a dachshund, in Jenny James).

Why I read them: I love both authors – Jenn McKinlay (TSS) and Debbie Johnson (JJINAD). They always have main characters who, if they’re not strong already, become strong as the story puts them through the tortures of life.

Plot:

The Summer Share: Hannah and Simon think they’ve inherited a cottage from their respective grandfathers but in reality, they’ve only inherited half each, with the stipulation that they spend two months there before deciding what to do with the property. Naturally, one wants to sell, the other doesn’t. Both co-owners have their reasons but despite the friction this causes, sparks fly.

Jenny James is Not a Disaster: I sometimes find it difficult to make my characters miserable but Debbie Johnson does not shy away from complicating her characters lives. Within the first chapter, Jenny loses her job and car, then her cottage literally falls into the sea! When given the chance to grab her 18-year-old son, Charlie, and the few meager possessions she has left in the world and travel around England in the motorhome of handsome yet troubled neighbor, Luke, well, who wouldn’t say a resounding YES to that?

What I liked: The vulnerability of the four main characters of these books, revealed slowly throughout the stories, deal with family drama, frustrations, and heartbreak. Jenny James was particularly tough to read – my mother went no contact with her family for a number of years when I was young – and seeing Jenny navigate her situation resulted in quite an emotional journey. But these books showcase many joyful moments as well, with casts of lovely characters, both two and four legged – the birth of baby turtles in the Outer Banks (TSS), wild swimming and talking under the stars (JJINAD) – among the various traumas and discoveries of love.

Both books are highly recommended summer reads, whether you prefer a sunny beach chair or a recliner in air conditioning.

Streaming/Watching

You’ll need to break out the Kleenex for this one!

Voicemails for Isabelle refers to messages that Jill sends to her recently deceased sister, Izzy. Meant only to ease her own grief, they end up being received by Wes on his new work phone in Austin, Texas. Intrigued by Jill’s outsized personality, Wes engineers a meeting in San Francisco, where she’s working for an arrogant chef. They hit it off but of course Wes’s manipulation of the situation hovers over the couple, like a guillotine blade. Meanwhile, Jill is dealing with her unsatisfying job and Wes faces his own complicated feelings about commitment. When the poop finally hits the fan, both Jill and Wes need to take leaps of faith.

Parts of this story are so heartbreakingly emotional! But other parts are absolutely joyous. Zoey Deutch, the daughter of Lea Thompson, plays Jill with such humor and humanity. I realized she was also the lead in Something from Tiffany’s, one of my top rom-com picks for Best Chemistry – I often find chick flicks fun but zero on the chemistry scale. I don’t know if it’s her as an actress or just the quality movies she gets cast in, but Voicemails for Isabelle also had lovers with immense chemistry. The peripheral characters, particularly her parents and his close friends, added to the overall comfy feel of this film. Highly recommended!

Be kind to yourselves and each other. Till next week!