Hollywood saw a beautiful woman. Hedy Lamarr was also an inventor whose wartime work helped point the way toward modern wireless communications. Her history is far more fascinating than the movie-star image suggests.
The Most Beautiful Woman in the World Was Bored Read More »
Why have some older posts disappeared while others suddenly have new illustrations? It turns out that maintaining a website that has existed since 1999 is very different today than it was twenty-five years ago. From changing copyright expectations to AI-powered search and the surprising discovery that images can become “musty,” here’s why the archive is getting a thorough spring clean.
Why Many Older Posts Have Disappeared Read More »
Gone With the Wind turns ninety tomorrow, yet it still feels astonishingly modern. I first encountered the novel—not the famous film—as a teenager borrowing it from my high school library, and it has stayed with me ever since. Looking back at it through the eyes of a novelist, I think I’ve finally figured out why Margaret Mitchell’s epic continues to captivate readers after all these decades.
Gone With the Wind at Ninety: Why It Still Feels Modern Read More »
History remembers Cleopatra. It should remember Zenobia. While Rome staggered through one of the most chaotic periods in its history, the Queen of Palmyra seized the opportunity to build an empire of her own. Through military brilliance, political savvy, and a masterful understanding of reputation, she conquered vast territories and came astonishingly close to permanently splitting the Roman Empire. For a brief moment, the outcome of history was genuinely uncertain.
Zenobia: The Queen Who Took On Rome and Almost Won Read More »
Before NASA trusted electronic computers, they trusted Katherine Johnson. Hidden Figures introduced millions to the brilliant mathematician whose calculations helped send astronauts into orbit and eventually to the moon. But the real story is even more astonishing than the movie. From quietly defying segregation to becoming the woman John Glenn personally trusted with his life, Katherine Johnson’s career reveals how history often overlooks the people doing its most essential work.
Katherine Johnson: The Math Genius Hidden Figures Couldn’t Fully Contain Read More »
What happens when a ten-year anniversary edition becomes something more? While revisiting the Kiss Across Time series for a special collector release, Tracy Cooper-Posey found herself reflecting not just on the books, but on time itself, storytelling, survival, and the strange roads that lead writers to create the stories readers love. Kiss Across Memories is part memoir, part publishing notebook, and part behind-the-scenes look at one of Tracy’s longest-running series.
EVEN MORE TIME KISSED MOMENTS Is Here! Read More »
Vampires are supposed to be timeless—but what happens when fashion isn’t? From immortal bad hair days to the evolution of vampire fiction itself, this post revisits an old idea with fresh eyes…and proves that no matter what publishers say, readers will never fall out of love with a good vampire.
The Problem With Immortal Hair (And Why Vampires Refuse to Die) Read More »
Fantasy author Danielle L. Jensen recently pushed back against the “romantasy” label, arguing that it reduces complex fantasy novels to “there was kissing, therefore clearly dragons are optional.” She is not alone. Fantasy romance has always demanded that writers master two genres at once: not just the emotional arc of a romance, but also worldbuilding, magic, politics, danger and impossible choices. So why has a catchy nickname managed to make the genre sound smaller, sillier and less serious than it really is?
“Romantasy” Is Not a Dirty Word. But It Is the Wrong One. Read More »
I’ve stopped collecting books for the person I imagine I might become someday. No one can read everything anymore—not with thousands of new books appearing every day and old books never truly disappearing. So I’m changing the way I build my library: only the books I want to read now, or very soon. No more guilt-inducing digital hoards. Just books that are actually mine because I’ve read them.
The Books I’m Actually Going to Read Read More »
Most people think reading ebooks on a phone is impossible: the screen is too small, there isn’t enough text, and you have to keep swiping. But once you discover the trick that makes page-turning effortless, phone reading becomes not just easy, but addictive. Here’s why your entire library belongs in your pocket.
Why Reading Ebooks on Your Phone Is Better Than You Think Read More »