What we will be discussing: whether I feel like an artist. Whether I’ll personally allow myself to claim that title. Maybe not for the reasons you think.

I Contain Multitudes (All of Them Are Spreadsheets)

By training and profession, I’m an analyst. I define the problem. Assemble evidence. Construct alternatives, weigh against criteria, project outcomes, confront trade-offs.

This is, more or less, the entire discipline of policy analysis.

It’s also how I write romance.

Let me show you a glimpse of my organizing document for my third book. That word count you’re looking at—just under 20K—is the length of a novella. And that’s that highlighted tab. The “characters” tab has another 10K. There’s a pre-work tab. That has a “skeleton” subtab: the bulleted outline I wrote before I started outlining, and it clocks in at 4K.

I’m told this one tiny part of my process is the length of a normal person’s entire outline.

You’ll notice this document is labeled V3. There was, in fact, a V1 and a V2. There was also a V1.1, a V1.2, a V1.3, a V2.1, a V2.2—ranging from 10K to 20K words each. Also spreadsheets: tournament scoring systems, a backstory timeline, and a separate timeline of events during the book (so my copy editor’s job isn’t too awful).

Nobody Told Me Art Required a Cardigan

This is not how creativity looks in anyone’s imagination.

Creativity is a painter in a cottage by the sea, going for a walk through the woods, then spending an afternoon futzing with paints. A genius pacing a room until an idea arrives—eureka. A writer hunched over a notebook, plumbing the recesses of their soul.

Not: defining the problem and ranking your options against a weighted scorecard.

Not: a book’s worth of planning documents and spreadsheets

I Would Rather Outline Than Feel Anything, Thanks

This process might look hard, but this (for me) is the easy way. I tried it the other way—the romantic way–-exactly once. With Under the Orchard’s Spell. My second published book was much more a product of discovery, not planning. Of creativity, not analysis. It started as a setting—a pear orchard, inspired by my favorite place in the world—and the rest arrived later, while I was writing and editing.

If this sounds romantic and pleasant, let me assure you, it was not. I rewrote the book, from scratch, three times, and hated it for most of that. I had many, many days where I didn’t want the book to ever see the light of day, was convinced it should never be published, even after it was sold and there was no going back. There were (many) panic attacks.

I much prefer my outlines. Outlines make me calm.

All this, perhaps, yielded a different kind of book. One heavy on vibes. The kind that feels like drinking tea with your socked feet against a fireplace. There’s plot in there too, mystery, payoffs, grief—but the vibes are forefronted.

A Very Convenient Historical Loophole, and I’m Taking It

Here’s the thing: the idea that “real” art requires spontaneous feeling and suffering, rather than discipline and technique, is a fairly new one. It’s largely a Romantic-era invention—18th and 19th century. Before that, craftsmanship, rigor, and process—guilds, apprenticeships, formal technique—were core to what made something art, not opposed to it. The cottage-by-the-sea painter is a couple hundred years old. The guild artisan is a couple thousand.

So maybe I’m not failing to be an artist by being an analyst. Maybe I’m just working from an older model of what artistry is.

An Analyst Who Writes Novels, Reporting for Duty

Under the Orchard’s Spell was the one time discovery nearly broke me, and I don’t plan on doing that again. But I don’t think that makes it the only “real” art I’ve made. It makes it the one book where I worked in a mode I wasn’t built for.

Going forward, I’m an outliner. A planner. An analyst who writes novels, because that’s the tradition I actually belong to. If that’s not the kind of artist people picture when they hear the word, I can live with updating the picture.

🍐⭐ UNDER THE ORCHARD’S SPELL will release on October 6, 2026.

Add UNDER THE ORCHARD’S SPELL on Goodreads!

Request UNDER THE ORCHARD’S SPELL on NetGalley!

And here are the preorder links for those who are truly committed.

🚣💕 RACING HEARTS is out now!

Links to purchase from wherever you buy your books!

Hello, Goals? I Love You, Every One

But I care a lot less than I used to. And it’s been a big journey to get here. (A journey brimming with therapy. FYI, for me, writing is not therapy. Only therapy is therapy.)

Maybe let me start with how I used to feel—or even better, who I’ve always been. I’m Type A. I’m goal oriented. I like to be in control. (If you’ve read Racing Hearts and this sounds familiar, well, it is.)

So, when I’m confronted with a series of goals like:

• Finish writing a book

• Edit the book

• Write a query package

• Sign with an agent

• Get a publishing deal

I’m all in. I want to check them all off. I want the full gauntlet of rings, thank you very much.

A Completely Normal and Chill Thing to Admit Publicly

After you publish a book, though, the goals get both more numerous and more nebulous. Blurbs. Trade reviews. Best seller lists. Goodreads ratings. NetGalley reviews. And of course: sales. Sales. Sales. (Did I mention sales?)

We are awash in information and metrics on all of these many, many, many goals.

But we authors can’t control any of them. We can develop our social media presence. We can write the next book. We can write newsletters (hello, there) and beg everyone we know to buy the book.

But, all in all, there is very little we can do to “move the needle.”

Everyone will tell you this.

Knowing that never helped me.

I’ve Done A Lot of Therapy, Is What I’m Saying

So what did help? Therapy, obviously. (Also, meds.)

And? Community.

I feel you rolling your eyes! There was a time that I too would have rolled my eyes! How does “community” help? (I’d have asked myself sarcastically.) How can you possibly ignore the numbers? What about the goals??

But, somewhere along the way, I started feeling differently. It wasn’t a single moment. It still isn’t, honestly—and some days are harder than others. But in recent months, the metrics started to matter less than the people.

Reframing for My Goalie Pops

Here’s a way to think about it. I don’t think there’s much difference between getting 100 gushing messages and 1,000 or 10,000. I kinda suspect that 100 is more meaningful. In fact, I suspect that the first 10 are the most meaningful.

It’s not entirely unlike reading the reviews. But unlike reading reviews, which ethically has to be a one-way street, community is a two-way street. I get to hear about what readers loved! I get to tell them why I wrote things a certain way! I get friendship bracelets and hugs!

I get to feel like the story is ours.

Speaking of Community

Part of the reason I’m writing about all this is that my sister (Lauren) and book bestie (Hannah) convinced me I should have a street team. (Basically, a group of people dedicated to hyping my book.) It went something like this:

Little Sister: You should have a street team.

Me: No, thank you.

Little Sister: Why not?

Me: Because no one will want to be on it.

Little Sister: How about if you see instead of assuming?

Me: 😤

And then… I got dozens and dozens applications. And message after message from people who are so excited to read my book. And soon I will get to send out little envelopes of swag (I’m excitedly designing things as we speak) and ARCs to people who will be excited to get them and I will get to chat with many bookish friends in our little Discord community.

[Also, I had to admit that my little sister was right. This kind of thing is painful for us Type-A eldest siblings, so I am accepting condolences at this time.]

Anyway, if you’d like to join the community, please apply! (Applications due June 8.)

I feel quite confident it’s going to be a lot of fun. Frankly, probably more fun than selling a bajillion copies. (But, also, please buy my book??)

<3 Ann

🍐⭐ UNDER THE ORCHARD’S SPELL will release on October 6, 2026.

Add UNDER THE ORCHARD’S SPELL on Goodreads!

Request UNDER THE ORCHARD’S SPELL on NetGalley!

And here are the preorder links for those who are truly committed.

🚣💕 RACING HEARTS is out now!

Links to purchase from wherever you buy your books!

But I’ve found one universal exception. Everyone—and I mean everyone—will tell you not to read the reviews. And when I admit that I read mine? I get shock, horror, and fervent admonishments. Usually all three.

First, though, I want to be clear about something: review sites are reader spaces. I would never interact with a review unless I was invited to. There’s a bright line between reading reviews and reacting to them, and I think that line matters. (I also completely understand and respect authors who skip them entirely.)

But I enjoy (passively) reading my own. I’ve found this is especially true the early ones, which tend to be extremely thoughtful… and okay, yes, more positive. (Basically, early access can create certain expectations; once a book releases, reviews tend to get harsher.)

But… Why, Ann? Whyyyy?

I’ve thought about it a lot. Part of it is that bad reviews genuinely don’t bother me. The critical ones usually make me think “yes, fair, I get why someone would feel that way”—and the positive ones are one of the best parts of publishing a book.

But mostly it’s this: I don’t write for myself. Here’s the test—if I could guarantee my books would never be read in my lifetime, would I still write them? No. I wouldn’t. (Now, if they couldn’t be published, I’d definitely keep writing. But completely unread? No.)

For me, the joy is in the reception—in hearing how people actually experience the work. And since I can’t read my own books as a reader, reviews and feedback are the only way I get to (vicariously) experience them in that way.

This One’s Different (She’s My Baby)

Early reviews of Under the Orchard’s Spell have been such a different experience than Racing Hearts. With Racing Hearts, I went through querying and submission—a lot of rejection, a lot of feedback—and by the time it was out in the world, I had a pretty strong sense of what would land and what would be polarizing.

I don’t have that for this book. Under the Orchard’s Spell had fewer critical eyes on it and—I’ll just say it—zero rejection. So I genuinely didn’t know what to expect.

Okay, But Look What They’re Saying

I thought that my missing critical baseline make reading reviews harder.

So far, though, it’s the opposite. Reviews have made me cry (the good kind), made me think about my characters differently, and honestly helped me understand my own book better. Like these:

“I not only fell in love with this magical realism story, but my heart aches for these characters and I couldn’t put this book down. [...] It’s been a long time since a book made me feel this much.”

“I will say I actually wasn’t too sure how well the magical realism elements were going to work for me at first, but by the end of the novel it felt like everything was tied together in a really satisfying and unexpected way that made me respect what she was trying to do with it all.”

“I completely lost track of time between the pages, and it’s such a satisfying feeling I’m always hoping for when I select a new read!”

“It was a beautiful story about growing up, even as an adult in age.. we often still have to grow up and face things from our past. [...] Was a bit close to home at times with how scary adulting is and can be.”

I will probably stop reading the reviews eventually, especially as we get closer to pub date this fall. (FWIW I mostly have for Racing Hearts!) But for now, I’m genuinely enjoying them.

And I’m fully prepared to continue to get horrified looks every time I share that.

🍐⭐ UNDER THE ORCHARD’S SPELL will release on October 6, 2026.

Add UNDER THE ORCHARD’S SPELL on Goodreads!

Request UNDER THE ORCHARD’S SPELL on NetGalley!

And here are the preorder links for those who are truly committed.

🚣💕 RACING HEARTS is out now!

Links to purchase from wherever you buy your books!

Book 2 News!

Which is why it’s a little shocking to be telling you (and, frankly, myself) that it’s already time to start talking about my next book. If you don’t know, I have two books publishing in 2026. Racing Hearts was the first. The second is Under the Orchard’s Spell—a magical contemporary romance about a woman who inherits a cursed pear orchard and has to team up with the first man she ever loved to figure out why her pears are turning to crystal.

As it would turn out, publishing two books in your debut year is… a lot. I’ve heard a lot of authors I respect talking about how the one-book-per-year timeline can be intense and usually means concurrently working on three different books: one drafting, one editing, and one promoting. So two books in a year? Yeah, can confirm it’s a bit brutal.

UNDER THE ORCHARD’S SPELL Has a Cover!

Mostly, though, what it’s meant is that everything feels like it’s coming at me so fast. Oh, it’s already time for copyedits? Oh, it’s already time to review pass pages? Oh, it’s already time to reveal the cover?

To which the answers have been: yes, yes, and oh, shit already???

To slow us down a smidge, though, let me tell you about the setting before I show you the cover. I’ve written five books so far and the seeds of most of those came to me first plot or character. But this book came to me first as a setting. Specifically, Hood River, Oregon. My husband grew up there, his family owns a multi-generational pear orchard there, and it’s one of my favorite places in the world. And since being there often already feels magical, it didn’t feel like much of a leap to make that literal in a novel.

Genuinely, the pictures don’t even do it justice. But here’s an attempt:

So when we started talking about the cover, I was really hoping for something that showcased the setting in a beautiful, artistic style.

The artist, Georgie Stewart, absolutely delivered.

This cover has all the elements I wanted: fall energy, a windswept orchard, the hint of magic, a mountain in the distance, and the barn where… quite a lot happens.

And You Can Request to Read It Now!

I’m not done with telling you news on this book (please see: the theme of this post).

Under the Orchard’s Spell is now available for request on NetGalley. My publisher approves these requests, but if you are approved, you can read an e-ARC of the book now, for free.

Most authors will tell you that the early days of putting a book out for early reviews are a little terrifying. And, yep, I can confirm most authors are correct. The period when Racing Hearts first went up on review sites was probably the most anxious I felt as a debut.

This time around is slightly (??) less anxiety-inducing. It’s my second book, so I know more of what to expect. But it’s also harder because this book really stretched me as a writer. I went way out of my comfort zone on its themes and characters and putting that into the world brings its own kind of nerves.

Anyway—I won’t spiral about that here and now. I actually want to talk about this feeling of uncertainty and anxiety a bit more at some point, and how this exact theme weaves into this book. But this post has gotten long enough!

So! If you’ve made it this far: here’s my ask. If you enjoyed Racing Hearts, or if you’ve been meaning to support my work, there is a genuinely helpful (and relatively easy) way to do it: please consider requesting Under the Orchard’s Spell on NetGalley. Early requests really matter—they boost visibility, signal interest, and help the book find readers right out of the gate. It only takes a minute, and it makes a bigger difference than you might think.

Anyway, thank you for reading and your support. Looking forward to sharing more about this story soon.

💛

Ann

UNDER THE ORCHARD’S SPELL will release on October 6, 2026.

Add UNDER THE ORCHARD’S SPELL on Goodreads!

Request UNDER THE ORCHARD’S SPELL on NetGalley!

And here are the preorder links for those who are truly committed.

With the Winter Olympics taking center stage this week, I’ve been carrying around a lot of feelings about that chapter of my life. The nerves. The hope. Watching athletes stand on the edge of dreams they’ve chased for years still makes me emotional, every single time.

For a long, long time, my favorite saying was Citius, Altius, Fortius — the Olympic motto. It means: Faster, Higher, Stronger. In Racing Hearts, the main character, Kath, describes it this way: “It’s like… always strive to be better. The goal is improvement. You’re never done, but also, you’re always getting somewhere.”

As much as I tried to avoid too much direct self-insert in this book (Kath is deeply inspired by my experiences but certainly not a carbon copy of me), this line is one I absolutely could have said at some point in my life. It still resonates with me today.

But this mindset is a double edged sword, isn’t it? If your goal is improvement, you might never arrive. At the same time, you might always be arriving. At my worst moments, I feel the first version of that truth. At my best, I feel the second.

And today, I’m choosing the best version of it all.

Because today, RACING HEARTS IS OUT.

Today, I’m trying to let the goal simply be this moment.

Today, I am a published author. And that will be true for the rest of my life.

If you choose to pick up a copy of Racing Hearts, thank you for trusting me with your time, your emotions, and your shelf space. This story is deeply personal to me, shaped by my history as an Olympic hopeful. And if you’re watching the Olympics this week, crying over athlete montages like I inevitably will be, just know you’re in good company.

Before I sign off, I also have a bit of housekeeping! If you want a signed copy, I have lots of options for you!

• Come get your copy signed and personalized copy at my launch event tonight at Capital Books!

• If you can’t come to the event and you live near Sacramento, you can pick one up from Wild Sisters, Barnes and Noble in Arden Fair, or Pleasant Pheasant in Woodland.

• Or, if you live farther away and want one shipped, you can order from The Ripped Bodice. Your copy will come with a bookplate, sticker, and bookmark (while supplies last).

Thank you to everyone who has made this day so special. I’m so grateful to have you here.

—Ann

What I can tell you, though, is that I feel genuinely excited to connect with readers of Racing Hearts in real life. So much of publishing a book is anxiety-producing, which mostly comes from the pressure and stress that’s inherent in trying to exist on the internet. By contrast, I have found that connecting with people in real life—whether that’s authors or readers—is purely joyful, filling, and affirming.

So, with that in mind, I’m really excited to tell you we have three opportunities to connect IRL over the next month.

Upcoming Events

Los Altos – Sunday, February 1. First up, I’m so honored that I’ll get to be the conversation partner for Mara Williams at her launch event at A Novel Affair in Los Altos. This is the first author event in this lovely new romance bookstore and I can’t wait to gush about Mara’s sophomore book, The Epicenter of Forever (truly, friends, it’s fantastic) and to see this beautiful space in person. I hear there are only a few tickets left, so if you live in the Bay Area, snag one ASAP!

Sacramento – Tuesday, February 10. Then, I’m thrilled to be launching Racing Hearts at Capital Books in Sacramento. I’m also so excited to announce that my conversation partner is going to be the award-winning author Jessica Guerrier. Her most recent book, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, is a moving, powerful story that offers a frank rebuttal to Wine Mom culture and I can’t wait to talk with her about my book and hers. You can buy tickets to this event here!

Atlanta – February 14 & 15. A few days later, I’ll be headed to Atlanta for Love Ya’ll Romance Book Fest. I already know this is going to be a packed few days—I’m going to be on four (!) panels and doing two signings—and I truly can’t wait to meet and share a stage with so many authors who I respect and admire. (Truly, this line-up is something else and I just hope that I can somehow keep my cool in the presence of the many, many superstars in attendance.)

If you’re headed to Love Ya’ll, you can find my signing table on Saturday at 2:00 and Sunday at 1:00! Also, you can pre-order Racing Hearts from Read It Again Bookstore and select “pick up at the event” to get your copy there.

Signed Copies of Racing Hearts

If you can’t attend either the launch event in Sacramento or Love Ya’ll, I have another option for you to get a signed copy of Racing Hearts! If you order from The Ripped Bodie LA your book will come with a signed bookplate, sticker, and bookmark (while supplies last)!

Okay that’s all I’ve got for now.

Hope to see you soon!

Ann

Back when I was competing, I was a deeply superstitious athlete. (If you’ve read Racing Hearts, this might sound familiar.) They weren’t the ladder-and-black-cat kind—mine were much more specific. Before big races, among many others, I had to eat at least a bite of tiramisu and quietly sing a specific Ice Cube lyric. (“You can do it, put your back into it.” Honestly, not bad advice for a kayaker.)

I know it was irrational—there’s no universe where tiramisu affects splits—but that illusion of control felt like everything. Every athlete has their version of it: the socks they won’t wash, the playlist they can’t start without. Rituals that trick your brain into calm.

A New Superstition for Publishing

I haven’t developed many superstitions around publishing, although the conditions are similar. There’s plenty of uncertainty, the outcomes are often out of my control, and everything can feel high stakes.

That said, I do have one big one. My husband and I have decided it’s good luck to celebrate my wins. (The superstition also involves cheesecake. Apparently, I remain steadfast in my belief that desserts are the key to success.)

Like the tiramisu I used to eat before races, this one has a useful side benefit (other than deliciousness). Although it doesn’t necessarily give me a sense of control (everything still feels wildly out of my hands, especially in this particular phase of publishing), it does build gratitude. Which, I think, is something that’s just as important in a career where the highs can be fleeting.

Plus, although I wish I were the kind of person who naturally paused to appreciate big moments, I’m not. So I’m thankful I have developed this superstition where gratitude is something I have to practice, whether I feel like it or not.

The Joy of Holding My Book

With all that in mind, I recently celebrated a big milestone: for the first time ever, I held a physical copy of my book in my hands. (If you’d like to see the moment in question, it’s here.)

This particular celebration involved more champagne than dessert (a fateful mistake I’m already regretting as I write this). But it was still a joyful, silly evening and a genuinely meaningful moment of acknowledgment and reflection.

And just look at them. Aren’t they pretty?

Giveaway Time!

Which brings me to… a little celebration for you.

I’m giving away one of these beautiful advance copies of Racing Hearts to one Substack subscriber! To enter:

1. Subscribe to Off Season (that’s what you’re reading right now).
   

2. Like this post.
   

3. Leave a comment below.
   

I’ll randomly pick a winner on October 17, 2026, and reach out by email.

Please note this giveaway is only open to residents of the United States (shipping is expensive 😟).

EDITED: This giveaway is now closed!

RACING HEARTS will release on February 10, 2026.

Add RACING HEARTS on Goodreads!

Preorder now (or check your local indie)!

Before I dive in to the Racing Hearts cover story—the real reason we’re here—I want to say a quick thank you for subscribing and explain the theme of this newsletter.

Some of you know I’m a former athlete and Olympic hopeful—I was a sprint kayaker, which is so niche most people can’t even picture it (think rowing, but facing the right way). The “off season” is a cornerstone of most athletes’ lives. In kayaking, the off season (fall and winter) was for building strength, laying the foundation of cardiovascular endurance, and mentally recovering. As my old coach used to say: good athletes know how to train well, great athletes know how to rest well.

Those same seasons—the ups, and especially the downs—apply to publishing. That’s what Off Season is about: the quiet stretches before and after big moments, the reflection, rebuilding, cycle of work and rest that holds everything together.

So, with that in mind: Racing Hearts got its cover on Monday, and here’s a look at the quieter, behind-the-scenes moments behind the big reveal.

Behind the Scenes of the Racing Hearts Cover Reveal

I don’t think of myself as a visually artistic person. (Honestly, I struggle to think of myself as an artist at all—but that’s a topic for another day.) Strangely, though, I had a clear vision for the Racing Hearts cover almost from the first draft—back when I was unagented, unpublished, and barely letting myself dream that far ahead. And somehow, the final cover delivered on that dream in every possible way.

Sketches and “The Chin Tilt”

The vision that kept coming to me centered on a recurring moment in the book—one I can’t describe in detail (spoilers!), but it involves the male lead, Adrian, lifting the chin of the female lead, Kath, with his finger. (You’re welcome to guess why, but I doubt it’s for the reasons that usually come to mind.)

When my editor asked early on if I had any cover ideas, I immediately suggested “the chin tilt.” It must have struck a chord because it showed up front and center in the first sketches I saw:

I loved these sketches immediately, and when I shared them with readers who already knew about the chin tilt, their reactions were all some version of:

Which made me feel like we were on exactly the right track.

It wasn’t my idea, but these sketches also really capture the at-odds, head butting tension between Kath and Adrian that runs through most of the first half of the book. These two are opposites to the extreme—fun-loving versus control freak, chaos versus lists—and the art team suggested using the chin tilt but framing it to highlight that push-and-pull, not just the affection. A stroke of genius!

Final Cover and the Bold Colors of My Dreams

This brings me to the version with color!

Another big request of mine was to have bold colors and rich detail to make the setting feel cinematic and alive. Racing Hearts isn’t a destination romance, but many scenes unfold on or near the water—often at sunrise—and that backdrop is key. I’m also a sucker for covers that showcase their settings with striking color combos.

And I would say that the team absolutely nailed that, too:

[cue screaming]

I never would have suggested a hot pink for the sky, especially as the rest of the scene is mostly water, but it works and it’s gorgeous. I also love so many details here: that Kath’s in a unisuit, she’s exactly as muscular as I pictured her (those biceps!!), and Adrian’s expression says he’s pushing her but also a little in awe. The glowing hills, rowers in the background, the pink sunrise, the fonts—it all come together beautifully.

And, okay, I’ll admit it’s fantastic to see my name on the cover of a book, especially one with a cover this gorgeous.

RACING HEARTS, my adult romance debut, will release on February 10, 2026. If you’re in the U.S. or Canada you can preorder it, but also please check your local indie. You can also add it on Goodreads.

Stay tuned for more.