Fellow Book People,

I am writing this well past the deadline I was supposed to have this written by. Normally I rely on those final two or three days of the month – you know, the “future me will handle it” days – but February, in all its audacity, simply deletes them.

Yes, I know. It’s only short by two or three days. But I need those days. Emotionally. Professionally. Spiritually.

February has been unhinged (in the best way) at Grim.

Earlier this month we celebrated the launch of Steffanie Holmes’ A Grave Mistake, book two in The Nevermore Murder Club and Smutty Book Coven series – and honestly, what a night. I could have chatted for hours with all of you about books, authors, and all the delicious chaos they drag you into.

We were treated to three wildly different performances – including my first-ever pole performance and drag show – and let me just say, if that’s the bar now, my expectations have been permanently recalibrated. Steff was an absolute dream to work with, and I’m already mentally plotting future chaos together.

After everything wrapped up, I went to dinner with two local legends, Cat Sirota and TR Sherring. Dinner ran long. The wine ran freely. The hangover arrived with vengeance.

Hangovers in your thirties are not whimsical. They are not cheeky. They are a full-body audit of your life choices. And parenting the next day with one feels borderline unethical.

Speaking of TR Sherring – we are officially one month out from her debut book launch and release party for A Tale of Cursed Tides, and tickets are already over halfway sold after just over a week.

If you’re even vaguely considering coming, this is your cue. Book the ticket. Now. They're FREE, and the ticket includes food and a bar tab! More details below.

TR came into Grim HQ last week and we filmed what I lovingly titled Mermaids & Margaritas. The first video will be hitting your feeds very soon. We filmed for… many hours. Whether Matthew has edited that footage kindly remains to be seen.

You may need to wait to see how the mermaids turned out — but I encourage you to manage expectations now. Art is not my gift. In fact, no form of arts and crafts has ever looked at me and thought, “Yes. She is the chosen one.”

As if that wasn’t enough socialising for one month, I also joined the incredible ladies from thepodcast A Little Bit Lit earlier this week. Fun fact: I went to school with both of them. Sam and I played sport together, worked retail together back when we were baby adults, and have known each other (and each other’s families) for years.

Last year we reconnected and had that surreal moment of realising how books somehow turned into businesses, podcasts, and this slightly chaotic bookish existence we now call work. What was meant to be a casual catch-up turned into a “why is it nearly 10pm and we are still talking?” situation. An absolute blast of a conversation. I hope I get to join them again.

The podcast is live as of today: check it out here. Hopefully you like it!

Now. We need to discuss my reading life.

You may remember I started the year riding a glorious wave of five-star reads. I was unstoppable. Blessed. Favoured by the book gods.

They have since humbled me. I am officially in a slump.

Nothing is hitting like J Bree’s Butcher of the Bay or the Hannaford Prep series. No audiobook is gripping me the way Matthew Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl did. I am 10% away from finishing my current series and staring into the terrifying void of “what next?”

So please. I am asking respectfully and desperately.

Send five-star recommendations. I need something that hooks hard and fast. Saucy. Dangerous. Slightly unhinged. I want to cancel plans because of it.

Otherwise, life continues in Grim-land. The birds are fed. The books are arriving at an alarming (and mildly concerning) rate. And March is almost here — which means we head away for our BIGGEST EVENT YET: A Romantic Adventure, NZ's biggest romance book signing event in Christchurch! 

Am I nervous? Absolutely not. Am I completely in control? Of course. Am I internally spiralling while pretending I’m not? Irrelevant.

Tequila will be the second thing I pack. The books will be first.

Behind the Pages | Bookish Updates