Steve A
@stegan.bsky.social
Part time school librarian, archivist-for-hire, romance novel historian, freelance writer about romance history. He/Him. Blog: romancehistory.com Podcast: blackromancehistory.com
This leads nowhere good.
January 3, 2026 at 1:26 PM
This leads nowhere good.
I’ve always seen my place in romance communities as conditional, what with my cishetness, so it’s always a little anxiousmaking to see people in the community vehemently argue against things I agree with. It’s a good test for my healing from people pleasing, I think!
January 3, 2026 at 2:36 AM
I’ve always seen my place in romance communities as conditional, what with my cishetness, so it’s always a little anxiousmaking to see people in the community vehemently argue against things I agree with. It’s a good test for my healing from people pleasing, I think!
Muskox are weird lookin.
January 3, 2026 at 1:40 AM
Muskox are weird lookin.
This is a really thoughtful critique that extends to readers as much as viewers, but so many who need to hear it won’t listen. Fandom as it is practiced now from music to reading to politics is toxic, full stop.
The female fans who led the charge in making the gay hockey romance a hit are also the ones policing its subjects.
Do women love "Heated Rivalry" too much?
The female fans who led the charge in making the gay hockey romance a hit are also the ones policing its subjects.
www.salon.com
January 2, 2026 at 7:12 PM
This is a really thoughtful critique that extends to readers as much as viewers, but so many who need to hear it won’t listen. Fandom as it is practiced now from music to reading to politics is toxic, full stop.
I resolve that from now on, instead of getting mad at shitty takes I will reply with some variation of “6 7” since that seems to make so many old people really mad.
January 2, 2026 at 6:09 PM
I resolve that from now on, instead of getting mad at shitty takes I will reply with some variation of “6 7” since that seems to make so many old people really mad.
This and the replies under it are an amazing example of how badly Americans hate both children and educators. You want children to take standardized tests every month and be able to fight off an armed school mate, but also be able to do everything their great grandparents did. Adults are exhausting.
It's 2026.
Things many American school kids probably don't know how to do:
* Dial a rotary telephone
* Tell time from an analog clock
* Read or write cursive
* Decipher Roman numerals
* Navigate with a paper map or use a compass
* Balance a checkbook
(Please add more below)
Things many American school kids probably don't know how to do:
* Dial a rotary telephone
* Tell time from an analog clock
* Read or write cursive
* Decipher Roman numerals
* Navigate with a paper map or use a compass
* Balance a checkbook
(Please add more below)
January 2, 2026 at 5:25 PM
This and the replies under it are an amazing example of how badly Americans hate both children and educators. You want children to take standardized tests every month and be able to fight off an armed school mate, but also be able to do everything their great grandparents did. Adults are exhausting.
This new year, always remember kids:
Pillage before you burn.
I know it seems like common sense, but you get all excited and the torches are right there and it’s so tempting. But remember why you’re out there. Booty.
Pillage before you burn.
I know it seems like common sense, but you get all excited and the torches are right there and it’s so tempting. But remember why you’re out there. Booty.
January 1, 2026 at 2:37 PM
This new year, always remember kids:
Pillage before you burn.
I know it seems like common sense, but you get all excited and the torches are right there and it’s so tempting. But remember why you’re out there. Booty.
Pillage before you burn.
I know it seems like common sense, but you get all excited and the torches are right there and it’s so tempting. But remember why you’re out there. Booty.
Sloan headlining a Canadian countdown show? Yes please! www.youtube.com/live/uV2RR_Y...
F-it! we'll do it live, we're doing it live! Countdown to 2026..
YouTube video by The Strombo Show / House of Strombo
www.youtube.com
January 1, 2026 at 2:52 AM
Sloan headlining a Canadian countdown show? Yes please! www.youtube.com/live/uV2RR_Y...
Reposted by Steve A
snakes leave behind whole skins. all manner of flying creatures, not just butterflies, do them one better, whole new selves from wriggling worms. rocks into gems. mystics die to the flesh to be reborn in the spirit. rebirth is the rule, not the stray exception, if we can grasp it
December 31, 2025 at 11:21 PM
snakes leave behind whole skins. all manner of flying creatures, not just butterflies, do them one better, whole new selves from wriggling worms. rocks into gems. mystics die to the flesh to be reborn in the spirit. rebirth is the rule, not the stray exception, if we can grasp it
The great thing is you can play this both before and after midnight. youtu.be/H7fBFtif9H4?...
the Mountain Goats - This Year (Official Video)
YouTube video by the Mountain Goats
youtu.be
December 31, 2025 at 10:14 PM
The great thing is you can play this both before and after midnight. youtu.be/H7fBFtif9H4?...
The fact that everyone can find their favorite music video on YouTube maybe says something about why mtv has faded to black.
December 31, 2025 at 7:58 PM
The fact that everyone can find their favorite music video on YouTube maybe says something about why mtv has faded to black.
I managed 18 books this year (not counting several dozen storytime read alouds!) which is more than usual for me, but the bulk of it was this project, which was interesting!
Okay, here’s my plan. I’ve not read a lot of La Nora, so I’m going to try and score as many squares as possible on the @smartbitches.bsky.social bingo card with Nora Roberts books. As many old categories as possible, too. This feels really doable.
Me: maybe I’ll do one of the romance reading bingos this year!
Also me: Here are ten parameters I can set myself to make it far too complicated to even start!
Also me: Here are ten parameters I can set myself to make it far too complicated to even start!
December 31, 2025 at 6:42 PM
I managed 18 books this year (not counting several dozen storytime read alouds!) which is more than usual for me, but the bulk of it was this project, which was interesting!
That many billionaires just 500 miles from Caracas? I dunno, that feels weird.
December 31, 2025 at 6:17 PM
That many billionaires just 500 miles from Caracas? I dunno, that feels weird.
There were a fair number of tributes to McGinnis online, but it felt important to talk about his romance work, which others glossed over.
And the other was a remembrance of prolific cover artist Robert McGinnis, who died earlier this year, for @smartbitches.bsky.social: smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/04/robe...
Robert McGinnis: 1926-2025 | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
smartbitchestrashybooks.com
December 31, 2025 at 12:12 AM
There were a fair number of tributes to McGinnis online, but it felt important to talk about his romance work, which others glossed over.
Reposted by Steve A
Be the change you want to see, so here it is: The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics is a sapphic historical where a widow sponsors a young lady astronomer’s translation project. Over science and embroidery and a bisexual awakening, they fall in love! www.harpercollins.com/products/the...
The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics
As Lucy Muchelney watches her ex-lover’s sham of a wedding, she wishes herself anywhere else. It isn’t until she finds a letter from the Countess of Moth, l...
www.harpercollins.com
December 30, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Be the change you want to see, so here it is: The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics is a sapphic historical where a widow sponsors a young lady astronomer’s translation project. Over science and embroidery and a bisexual awakening, they fall in love! www.harpercollins.com/products/the...
I only wrote a few things this year, for better or worse. One won’t come out until next year, but there were two I really enjoyed doing that you can read now. First was this award-nominated piece for @zocalopublicsquare.bsky.social : www.zocalopublicsquare.org/romance-genr...
Happily Ever After Is for Everyone | Essay
The romance genre has a single set-in-stone rule: The main characters of the story will end up happily in a relationship. The HEA (Happily Ever After) or the HFN (Happy for Now) is the expectation of ...
www.zocalopublicsquare.org
December 30, 2025 at 8:06 PM
I only wrote a few things this year, for better or worse. One won’t come out until next year, but there were two I really enjoyed doing that you can read now. First was this award-nominated piece for @zocalopublicsquare.bsky.social : www.zocalopublicsquare.org/romance-genr...
Furikake and old bay on this boxed mac and cheese just to feel something.
December 30, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Furikake and old bay on this boxed mac and cheese just to feel something.
Reposted by Steve A
no, that was pre Twitter migration, we don’t call them skeets now. style guide says they’re called ejaculating into a spoon. so for example you don’t say “did you see that guy’s skeet” you say “did you see where that guy ejaculated into a spoon on Bluesky”
December 30, 2025 at 1:10 PM
no, that was pre Twitter migration, we don’t call them skeets now. style guide says they’re called ejaculating into a spoon. so for example you don’t say “did you see that guy’s skeet” you say “did you see where that guy ejaculated into a spoon on Bluesky”
I had a teaching dream last night. Argh.
December 30, 2025 at 2:02 PM
I had a teaching dream last night. Argh.
Reposted by Steve A
An Extraordinary Union deserves to blow the fuck up, and yes I'm biased but also I'm still right
Extremely happy to see An Extraordinary Union on this list, that series is a masterpiece and does not get its just amount of attention
First titles posted!
December 30, 2025 at 12:48 AM
An Extraordinary Union deserves to blow the fuck up, and yes I'm biased but also I'm still right
Drew Bledsoe came to the Days Inn I worked at (near Foxboro Stadium) to sign a bunch of stuff in the meeting room. He was very tall.
Right folks. Feeling rather down at the moment so bringing back an oldie
Please Quote this with your most minor celebrity interaction
Please Quote this with your most minor celebrity interaction
December 29, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Drew Bledsoe came to the Days Inn I worked at (near Foxboro Stadium) to sign a bunch of stuff in the meeting room. He was very tall.
This frustrates me so much. There were teams across government trying to do just this! I’ve worked with them! I’m married to one of them! Yes it was slow but it was happening! But it was literally the first work stopped by DOGE and it’ll take ages to bring it back online.
TreasuryDirect has to be the most user-unfriendly financial site on the internet. Maybe DOGE could have fixed that instead of firing civil servants and depriving Africans of the medicine they need to live.
December 29, 2025 at 3:05 PM
This frustrates me so much. There were teams across government trying to do just this! I’ve worked with them! I’m married to one of them! Yes it was slow but it was happening! But it was literally the first work stopped by DOGE and it’ll take ages to bring it back online.
Reposted by Steve A
Not long to go! The first episode of All-In: Chesham United is almost here.
We’re all very proud of this and would love you to watch it. Sign up here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUP_...
We’re all very proud of this and would love you to watch it. Sign up here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUP_...
Why Does Alex Horne Love This Place? | All In: Chesham United | EP1
YouTube video by All In: Chesham United
www.youtube.com
December 28, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Not long to go! The first episode of All-In: Chesham United is almost here.
We’re all very proud of this and would love you to watch it. Sign up here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUP_...
We’re all very proud of this and would love you to watch it. Sign up here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUP_...
This is genuinely apropos of nothing, just a thought that occurred to me, but a gentle reminder that body positivity in cishet romance should apply to male characters too!
December 29, 2025 at 1:55 AM
This is genuinely apropos of nothing, just a thought that occurred to me, but a gentle reminder that body positivity in cishet romance should apply to male characters too!
Reposted by Steve A
Anyway here is the most successful promo I've ever done for a book.
YOU DO NOT NEED AI.
YOU DO NOT NEED AI.
FOUND IT
December 28, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Anyway here is the most successful promo I've ever done for a book.
YOU DO NOT NEED AI.
YOU DO NOT NEED AI.