Hi chickadee,
Ugh where to begin?
Fun stuff: Well, Actually is 25% off over at Barnes & Noble until 2/7! That pretty much means if you buy four copies you get a whole ass copy free or something like that (is girl math still a thing?) Also! There’s an ARC giveaway for Well, Actually happening over on goodreads!


Upcoming Events
To all my North Carolina friends: Want to sip some bubbly and giggle about romance books while also supporting a local library on Galentine’s Day?? Then join me and Alissa DeRogatis on February 13th at The Bottle Factory in Monroe, NC for a panel and some fun! I am so excited for this event, and so thankful to Union County Library for inviting me! You can get tickets here.
Now on to the emotional ramblings:
I am, to put it lightly, extremely stressed. Who isn’t, ya know? Times are weird and uncomfortable and so much is happening all at once and it’s hard to feel grounded. On top of that, I took a huge, life-altering risk this past weekend and I am, quite frankly, scared shitless. I hate to be vague and bold, but it’s required of me at this point but I need to at least touch on it because I’M NOT GOOD AT KEEPING SECRETS AND I’M ALSO REALLY OVERWHELMED AHHHHH. As my stepdad reminded me in a text, fortune favors the bold and I’m hoping that adage applies to unprecedented times. But I also realized, as terrifying as this risk is, it might be one of the best and most profound ways I can serve my community and make a difference, and that is definitely a risk worth taking. I’ll share more when I can, but gentle, hopeful thoughts are very much appreciated at the moment 💖
What I’m Drinking
I love tonic water. Specifically, diet tonic water. I love the burn, I love the bitterness, I love drinking it by the liter. Like, when Hurricane Helene hit and we didn’t have internet or cellular or running water, the thing that broke me down crying was the realization that I did not have access to a crisp ass drink of tonic water. (I’m chronically online enough that I feel the need to clarify that it was the reality of the disaster that actually made me break down, but my autistic brain harped on the tonic water of it all as the easiest thing to be upset about etc etc.)
I also love a yummy ass gin and tonic. I’ve cut back my alcohol intake the past six months or so, but I need to scream about how delicious Ritual Zero-Proof Gin is. It’s spirit free and hits so hard. I am earning for summer where the sun is up until 7pm and it’s hot and humid and I can sit on my balcony and chug five of these and not wake up with a headache. Have you found any spirit free drinks or brands that are a must try?
What I’m Listening to
So, as I’ve alluded to in all of the chaos above, I’m very overstimulated. My brain feels like a waterlogged sponge that’s been sitting in a smelly kitchen sink for a week. I’m having trouble focusing on reading at the moment, and any spare time I have I’ve been putting toward Well, Actually pass pages (which I just turned in wooohooooo) but my brain is so full and I talk to so many people in a day listening to music has gotten to be a little too much too.
In my spotify search for a dark academia instrumental playlist, I stumbled upon Takénobu a cellist and composer who’s scores make my brain go brrrrr and my nervous system go ahhhhhh. I hope his music can bring you some comfort too!
The [Horrifying] GIF
Here’s this thing:
The End 🤡
All my love,
Mazey ❤️🧠🦷