February 2026
In this month’s newsletter, scroll down to find:
- Podcast: Author Nook with Sienna Wells
- Captain’s Log: Hot and Cold (not unlike Katy Perry)
- Review Corner
Author Nook
Welcome to my Author Nook, a monthly podcast I created where I chat with authors about their upcoming releases and we nerd out over their literary brain children. Find it on Spotify here, and Youtube here.
As you know, I release episodes once a month with no set date so the best way to stay in the loop is to follow and subscribe on either Youtube or Spotify. Also, if you want to read ahead, here is the lineup for the next few months.
March
A Dagger of Lightning by Meredith Lyons
April
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
– literary chat with poet and playwright, Ash Caton
To start this year off with some sparkles, I had the absolute honour to sit with the master of the Medieval and Renaissance manuscript, author, and antiquarian bookseller, Sienna Wells! So pour yourself a cup of tea and get cozy as we start season five off with a chat about Medieval Manuscripts: the how to and who’s who. Delight in the magic as we delve into the secrets of the past and explore how these treasures were created, what we know about the people who read them, and some bonkers fun facts involving lichen, birthing girdles, and more!
I am currently creating my 2026 calendar and have some slots available, so if you’re an author or bibliophile who would like to appear on an episode please jump over to my Contact page and send along: your name, the title of your book, or topic of interest, and your favourite thing that you can’t wait to share with me.
Captain’s Log
San Pancho
Ringing in the New Year in San Pancho was magical. The beaches, the food, the wildlife (note, seeing a Blue Footed Booby in the wild is just as magical as you would think it would be if not moreso – how are their feet SO blue?!), and the company made for a series of unforgettable events.
I doubt you need my wee blog to inform you of the horrors currently happening in Mexico, so I won’t go into it, but I did want to say this: the world is full of such life, such vibrancy, such kindness. The locals were absolute gems (and forgave my *very* patchy Spanish) and the evils that are currently causing such harm are not a reflection of the true essence of the place and its people. I’ll be sending my thoughts and prayers their way and hope the villains meet justice, and the victims get justice.
Frozen Wonderland
I think this segment is for me more than anyone… as the winter drags on I must remind myself that it is, indeed, magical, mystical, and whimsical (rather than bloody cold and blimmin freezing).
Review Corner
Reviews are so helpful in getting word of Contest of Queens, Queen’s Catacombs , and Queendom Come out there. If you have time, and if you’ve read the book, I would be eternally grateful if you could leave a star rating and/or a written review on Goodreads or Amazon.
Thank you to all the wonderful people who have left a star rating or review!
x live magically
featured image: https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2024/04/an-800-year-old-tiny-book-of-hours/
Jordan H. Bartlett 