Happy Summer!
Seasons of Romantasy: Summer is officially out in the world!
The best part about summer is the plants.
In early summer, everything is vibrant and blooms viciously. It isn’t until later in the season that the pavement basically turns into an overlarge griddle and the grasshoppers come out to play and terrorize innocent gardeners; at that point, I don’t venture outside until October. In fact, I generally tell people my favorite part of summer is fall.
But if I’m honest, early summer isn’t so bad. Early summer is for fresh berries and ice cream and tomatoes ripening on the vine. I am enjoying this season thoroughly right now because this my first real break from school since 2023. Last summer, I had a scholarship and used it to take a summer class.
As of this month, I have officially graduated with my associate’s degree from North Seattle College! Now that I’m temporarily finished with school, I have some yard projects in mind, a few camping trips on the agenda, three writers conferences to attend, and a whole lot of writing projects that I seriously need to get going on. In September, I’ll begin my journey pursuing a bachelor's degree in creative writing at Central Washington University.
Another thing I have planned is my first-ever Instagram giveaway! To celebrate the release of the Seasons of Romantasy: Summer anthology, I’m teaming up with the other authors for a giveaway. The giveaway will start later today, Friday, June 20th, and will run for a week. We will have THREE winners. Two winners will receive a paperback copy of the anthology, and one grand prize winner will receive the book as well as a 50 pack of various sunflower stickers (as a nod to the book cover), a cute castle notebook, and a sword letter opener. Feel free to enter the contest and help spread the word! (Please note: contest is open to US and international entries; international recipients will receive an ebook rather than a physical copy).
Writing Update
Since the Seasons of Romantasy: Summer anthology was released earlier this month, I am officially a published author! As you may know, my Celtic cottagecore-flavored short story, “Blackthorn and Holly,” appears in the anthology and is available at last for your reading pleasure should you decide to pick up a copy (please note that I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase using this link). Proceeds for the anthology go to Ronald McDonald House Charities.
“Blackthorn and Holly” was based on the lore from my upcoming YA dark forest fantasy novel, Betwixt. Chronologically, the events of “Blackthorn and Holly” occur centuries before Betwixt, but the short story was inspired by the legend in the novel and not the other way around. Since both stories take place in the same universe, they have some things in common; for example, the Irish phrase, “Síocháin leat” (pronounced she-ukh-awn lat), is used as a greeting in both stories.
Fun fact: the legend of “Blackthorn and Holly” actually appears in Betwixt, although it is not mentioned by name.
While we’re on the topic of stories, I have a new project I’m excited to tell you about! But first, some context:
I had the idea to write a story with an older woman as a protagonist. Oftentimes, I find that books with women protagonists feature women who are young, able-bodied, and attractive. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I firmly believe in writing to reflect the real, colorful, diverse world we live in.
I was inspired by Hayao Miyazaki and the wonderful, charming older characters he creates who are just as interesting as the younger characters we see in pop culture, so I really wanted to replicate that. I think that in our culture, we often treat old age with fear and avoidance rather than honoring it as we should. To grow old is to have lived, and I think that’s beautiful and pretty miraculous myself.
Project Lupine (just a placeholder name) will be a full-length standalone novel about ageism, finding one’s voice, and joy and beauty as a form of resistance. There will be both cottagecore and dystopian elements—and of course, there will be magic! Think Howl’s Moving Castle meets Miss Rumphius. (If you haven’t read the beautiful children’s picture book Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney, you should!) Project Lupine is still in the plotting stages, but I’m hoping to start drafting ASAP and have it done before I start my bachelor’s program this fall.
This month’s reads:
Seasons of Romantasy: Summer
The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky
Wings of Starlight by Allison Saft
How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them by Jason F. Stanley
In the Hour of Crows by Dana Elmendorf
Beauty Reborn by Elizabeth Lowham
Casters and Crowns by Elizabeth Lowham
Plant lore:
Large-leaved lupine, Lupinus polyphyllus
In lieu of my upcoming novel project, I thought it appropriate to feature the large-leaved lupine in my quarterly newsletter.
Large-leaved lupines grow tall with leaves that spread out in a fan-shaped pattern and roots that dig deep into the soil. The flowers are a bright purple-blue color, but they can also be pink or even white. Pollinators such as butterflies and hummingbirds are attracted to the fragrant blooms.
Generally, large-leaved lupines prefer cooler climates and wetter soil conditions, but they are adaptable and can happily tolerate hotter, drier summers. Lupines typically bloom from mid-spring to mid-summer. Since lupines are legumes, they are therefore nitrogen fixers, lending vital nutrients to the soil for other plants and crops. They can also be used for erosion control due to their deep root system.
According to the USDA, the Kwakiutl eat the roots of large-leaved lupines. The Thompson tribes of British Columbia use the plant medicinally for both humans and livestock animals, and the Salishan make tonics with it. Finally, large-leaved lupines are used in ceremonies and dances by the Kashaya Pomo.
Sources:
“Bigleaf Lupine.” United States Department of Agriculture, https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_lupo2.pdf. Accessed 19 June 2025.
What about you? What’s your favorite part of summer? Leave a comment or reply to this email and let me know!
Thanks for reading!
Kimberly