• In Which I Remind You That I Have a Book Signing This Saturday

    Online flyer advertising author signing event. Most of the info is presented in a large maroon box. On the left in large pink letters: Signing event. Below that in smaller lettering: Meet + greet. On the upper right is a black and white headshot of the author with the caption Fantasy & Science Fiction Writer. The author has gray hair, glasses, and is smiling. Above the author photo is the store’s name, The Book Lounge. On the lower right is an image of the cover of the book Handsome and Hideous. Two tropes, written in cursive font and with arrows curving from them and pointing to the book cover, are noted: “Beauty & the Beast vibes” and “Prince x Sorceress.” On the lower right is “Maria Fox” in white lettering. Below the author’s name the event information is listed: Saturday, 08.22.2026, 12:00PM-3:00PM, Non-ticketed event. Below the main maroon box is a white space with the following text: Maria Fox: Author Signing! Saturday, August 22, 2026 at 12:00 PM, 631 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, Florida, 33701.

    St. Pete friends, just a reminder I’ll be signing books at The Book Lounge on Saturday, August 22, from noon to 3! Please stop by and say hello, grab a coffee or a glass of wine, and enjoy one of St. Pete’s awesome independent bookstores!

    Interior of bookstore. An entire wall is taken up with bookshelves, each eight shelves high, painted a deep red. The bookshelves are filled with books. Over each section is painted in white cursive letters the genre stocked below: Romantic Comedy, Historical Fiction, Dark Romance, and so on. A middle section of the bookshelves with a table in front of it offer board games, gifts, and other book-adjacent merchandise. There is a customer browsing the shelves. The ceiling is white in a bold sculptural geometrical pattern. The floor is large black and white squares. A large glass chandelier hangs near the left edge of the image. Paper hearts of red and pink dangle on ribbons attached to the ceiling. In the lower part of the picture comfortable green couches and chairs, a pair of upholstered cream ottomans, and a dark coffee table can be seen. At the very bottom of the image one can see a partial image of someone seated, reading a book with a glass of white wine on the table before them. The whole store is filled with sunlight coming from the out-of-shot window on the left.

    Inside The Book Lounge, facing a wall of books

    Interior of bookstore, facing the back of the store. The floor is tiled in large black and white squares. On the left edge of the image is a black wall, further to the right is a doorway with a sign above it that reads, More Books This Way. Over that sign is a standard Exit sign. Through the doorway one can glimpse more bookshelves filled with books and a rack of pink shirts, presumably store merch. At the very back wall is a picture of a woman or woman-shaped fantasy creature. To the right of the doorway extends the coffee and wine bar. The back wall and cabinets are pink. Yellow racks holding flowers and wine bottles are up high on the pink wall. On the black-topped counter are coffee makers and coffee mugs. A woman with dark hair wearing a black shirt and blue jeans is turned away from the viewer, making a coffee at one of the machines. To the right of her are more coffee-making items and a stainless-steel sink. In front of the counter, the woman, and the sink is a display case of pastries and a cash register. Menus are displayed on top of the case. The wall all the way to the left is yellow and has several framed print and image items. The effect is cheerful, welcoming, and friendly.

    Get yourself a coffee or some wine…and wander through the door that promises More Books This Way

    Storefront of The Book Lounge. Red façade with a large sign over the door in white and gold with the name of the store. Two large front windows on either side of a glass door, all with black trim. In the window on the left are four shelves displayed fancily wrapped books, facing out. The bottom shelf holds a display of unwrapped books. The window on the right displays unwrapped books, face out. Both windows have Valentine’s Day decorations. The door has the street number, the business hours, and an “open” sign displayed. Just outside the door, in front of both windows, are large pots with flowers and shrubs. The sun is shining.

    I hope to see you there!

  • In Which I Vote

    Close-up of an “I Voted” sticker. The sticker is a glossy white oval with an American flag depicted on it on the left. On the right of the sticker in blue is written, I Voted. I took the picture seated in the car on a sunny day while wearing the sticker, so the blue of my shirt is bright in the sun. The sticker is in a rectangle of shadow, so appears against a darker blue. The gloss of the sticker catches the sunlight and makes small hazy rainbows.

    Our primary and local elections are not getting the national coverage accorded to some states, but we in Florida are voting!

  • In Which a Local Author Invites You to an Event

    Online flyer advertising author signing event. Most of the info is presented in a large maroon box. On the left in large pink letters: Signing event. Below that in smaller lettering: Meet + greet. On the upper right is a black and white headshot of the author with the caption Fantasy & Science Fiction Writer. The author has gray hair, glasses, and is smiling. Above the author photo is the store’s name, The Book Lounge. On the lower right is an image of the cover of the book Handsome and Hideous. Two tropes, written in cursive font and with arrows curving from them and pointing to the book cover, are noted: “Beauty & the Beast vibes” and “Prince x Sorceress.” On the lower right is “Maria Fox” in white lettering. Below the author’s name the event information is listed: Saturday, 08.22.2026, 12:00PM-3:00PM, Non-ticketed event. Below the main maroon box is a white space with the following text: Maria Fox: Author Signing! Saturday, August 22, 2026 at 12:00 PM, 631 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, Florida, 33701.

    I’m thrilled to be signing books at The Book Lounge on Central Avenue in St. Pete on Saturday, August 22, from noon to 3! Please stop by and say hello, grab a coffee or a glass of wine, and enjoy the fantastic book selection and the comfy seating.

    Interior of bookstore. An entire wall is taken up with bookshelves, each eight shelves high, painted a deep red. The bookshelves are filled with books. Over each section is painted in white cursive letters the genre stocked below: Romantic Comedy, Historical Fiction, Dark Romance, and so on. A middle section of the bookshelves with a table in front of it offer board games, gifts, and other book-adjacent merchandise. There is a customer browsing the shelves. The ceiling is white in a bold sculptural geometrical pattern. The floor is large black and white squares. A large glass chandelier hangs near the left edge of the image. Paper hearts of red and pink dangle on ribbons attached to the ceiling. In the lower part of the picture comfortable green couches and chairs, a pair of upholstered cream ottomans, and a dark coffee table can be seen. At the very bottom of the image one can see a partial image of someone seated, reading a book with a glass of white wine on the table before them. The whole store is filled with sunlight coming from the out-of-shot window on the left.

    As you can see, The Book Lounge is a delightful space. We are fortunate in to have it among several wonderful independent bookstores in the Tampa Bay area.

    Storefront of The Book Lounge. Red façade with a large sign over the door in white and gold with the name of the store. Two large front windows on either side of a glass door, all with black trim. In the window on the left are four shelves displayed fancily wrapped books, facing out. The bottom shelf holds a display of unwrapped books. The window on the right displays unwrapped books, face out. Both windows have Valentine’s Day decorations. The door has the street number, the business hours, and an “open” sign displayed. Just outside the door, in front of both windows, are large pots with flowers and shrubs. The sun is shining.

    Hope to see you there!

  • In Which I Revel in Moonlight, Ponder Road Signs, and Paddle into the Sunset

    In the foreground, two conifers, one on the left with a leafy vine clinging to its lower half. The branches of the trees, almost in silhouette, create a frame for the full moon rising over a hill and its reflection in the water below. The sky is still fairly light, as is the water. The moon and its reflection are golden.

    We took so many pictures of the brilliant full moon as it rose above the hill and cast its light across the water. My photography skills did not capture the scene’s beauty but it’s one of my favorite memories of our time in the San Juan Islands (Washington State) last month.

    Image of two street signs against a backdrop cloudy skies and green trees. The far trees are conifers, the nearer tree leafy. On a plain white wooden post two signs are affixed, pointing in the same direction, to the left. The top one, a green street sign, reads: Olga Cemetery Road. The bottom, in amber yellow, reads: Dead End.

    This pair of signs caused us to pause. Deliberate juxtaposition? Serendipitous?

    Kayaking at sunset. The sun is still pretty high, so the sky overhead is blue with thin clouds that are just starting to turn gold on the right middle edge of the image. Beneath the blue sky jutting from the left is a rocky cliff crowned with conifers. In the center of the image is a yellow kayak, with the two of us, both resting our paddles. On the left the water is dark, almost a dark glassy green. To the right of our prow the water catches the sunlight and its rippling texture can be seen. A bright red paddle of another kayaker pokes up from the bottom edge of the image.

    This is during the first half of our sunset kayaking excursion, so we’re kayaking into the setting sun, which made our eyes burn a bit! Still, it was amazing being out on the water, seeing pigeon guillemots, kingfishers, swallows, seals, sea otters, jellyfish…the weather was gorgeous, too.

  • In Which I Have Crocheted a Blanket

    : Blue and cream crochet blanket arranged in an artful spill over a putty-colored fabric couch. The blanket is made up of hexagonal abstractly floral motifs in cream, beige, and several shades of blue. Each motif is outlined in beige. A simple pattern in blue edges the whole blanket.

    I realized I haven’t posted about crochet for a while! I finished a big project this summer, Janie Crow’s Delft Blanket in the original blue and cream colorway. Very happy with how it turned out!

    Close-up photo of a blue and cream crocheted blanket arranged on a putty-colored fabric couch. The blanket is made up of hexagonal abstractly floral motifs in cream, beige, and several shades of blue. Each motif is outlined in beige. A simple pattern in blue edges the whole blanket. The close-up shows a few motifs at the edge of the blanket.

    Her projects hit the sweet spot of fun and challenging for me. I always learn something new and I enjoy watching the motifs take shape round by round. Even though there was one motif pattern, the three different color arrangements provided interest.

    Photo showing entire blue and cream crocheted blanket from above as it is pinned and drying on interlocked blocking mats (one does not see the mats except for at the edges of the photo). The blanket is made up of hexagonal abstractly floral motifs in cream, beige, and several shades of blue. Each motif is outlined in beige. A simple pattern in blue edges the whole blanket. There are five horizontal rows of motifs, each row containing either seven whole motifs or six whole and two half motifs.

  • In Which I Will Be the Author at a Signing Event

    : Online flyer advertising author signing event. Most of the info is presented in a large maroon box. On the left in large pink letters: Signing event. Below that in smaller lettering: Meet + greet. On the upper right is a black and white headshot of the author with the caption Fantasy & Science Fiction Writer. The author has gray hair, glasses, and is smiling. Above the author photo is the store’s name, The Book Lounge. On the lower right is an image of the cover of the book Handsome and Hideous. Two tropes, written in cursive font and with arrows curving from them and pointing to the book cover, are noted: “Beauty & the Beast vibes” and “Prince x Sorceress.” On the lower right is “Maria Fox” in white lettering. Below the author’s name the event information is listed: Saturday, 08.22.2026, 12:00PM-3:00PM, Non-ticketed event. Below the main maroon box is a white space with the following text: Maria Fox: Author Signing! Saturday, August 22, 2026 at 12:00 PM, 631 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, Florida, 33701.

    Hello, Tampa Bay area readers! Step out of the heat and into a cool bookstore on August 22. I’ll be signing copies of Handsome and Hideous at The Book Lounge on Central Avenue from noon to 3 pm.

    Image features the book cover on the left and copy in red on the right on a light gray background. At the bottom and top of the image are centered decorative elements in red. The title and author’s name on the book cover for Handsome and Hideous by Maria Fox are in silver, as are the decorative motifs in the corners. The main color is dark blue with pinpoint white stars. There is a crumbling octagonal tower in the background, circled by flying ravens. Over that image is a tattered red rose attached to black thorns. Red-letter copy reads, “A sorceress banished at birth…A prince desperate to save his dying mother…A stealthy enemy determined to destroy them both…Breaking the curse may be the easy part.”

    The Book Lounge not only has a lot of great books, but also offers coffee, wine, pastries, games, and comfy seating to help you enjoy all the other things!

    Hope to see you there!

    Storefront of The Book Lounge. Red façade with a large sign over the door in white and gold with the name of the store. Two large front windows on either side of a glass door, all with black trim. In the window on the left are four shelves displayed fancily wrapped books, facing out. The bottom shelf holds a display of unwrapped books. The window on the right displays unwrapped books, face out. Both windows have Valentine’s Day decorations. The door has the street number, the business hours, and an “open” sign displayed. Just outside the door, in front of both windows, are large pots with flowers and shrubs. The sun is shining.

  • In Which I Remember Fondly a Snowy Day

    View of a snowy residential street. To the right are visible a couple of older two-story houses with hedges in front. Straight ahead is a tree in the front yard of one house and the sidewalk leading into the distance. On the other side of the sidewalk is a row of trees lining the street. The sky is overcast. Some phone or electrical wires swoop across the photo.

    I don’t know about you, but the weather where I am has been hot, humid, and generally oppressive. So I’m cooling off (at least mentally) by looking at some photos that I took in January when visiting family in Connecticut. Maybe this snowy-cool picture can help you cool down, too, if you are also experiencing a hot summer!

  • In Which Handsome and Hideous Celebrates Its Paperback Book Birthday

    The paperback edition set among foliage. Both the small green leaves of the shrub and the cover of the book are sun-dappled. The central image is the book cover for Handsome and Hideous by Maria Fox. The main color is dark blue with pinpoint white stars. There is a crumbling octagonal tower in the background, circled by flying ravens. Over that image is a tattered red rose attached to black thorns. The title and author’s name are in silver, as are the decorative motifs in the corners.

    It seems incredible that it’s been a year since Handsome and Hideous first appeared in paperback! Since then, it’s appeared on the shelf at my public library, it’s stocked at my local bookstore, The Book Lounge, and it will soon be stocked at my local used bookstore, The Book Rescuers.

    Big shout out to independent bookstores who support local and indie authors! Big shout out to libraries for making stories and resources available to all! Big shout out to readers who try out less well-known authors! You are all part of making writers’ dreams come true.

    Happy print birthday, Handsome and Hideous.

    Handsome and Hideous is available from the usual vendors (including independent stores) in both e-book and paperback.

  • In Which I Visit My Friendly Neighborhood Used Bookstore

    Interior of a used bookstore. The photo is taken to see down a series of windows that have been made in the parallel rows of shelving, giving the impression of a tunnel. Books fill the all the shelves in every row. In the very last, farthest, and apparently smallest window, one can see the back wall, also with book-filled shelves. Over the window nearest the viewer are large white letters with blue polka dots spelling out READ. In the foreground. on the sill of this nearest window, are a few coffee table books.

    The Book Rescuers is a huge used bookstore with miles of shelving, places to sit and read or chat, work for sale by local artists and crafters, vinyl records, movies on VHS (!) and DVD/BluRay, and more. I love stopping by and wandering for a bit among the shelves. The vibe is chill, the books are many, and the chairs are comfy. There’s nothing like a good bookstore to make a community feel like home.

  • In Which Handsome and Hideous Celebrates a Book Birthday

    Image features the book cover on the left and copy in red on the right on a light gray background. At the bottom and top of the image are centered decorative elements in red. The title and author’s name on the book cover for Handsome and Hideous by Maria Fox are in silver, as are the decorative motifs in the corners. The main color is dark blue with pinpoint white stars. There is a crumbling octagonal tower in the background, circled by flying ravens. Over that image is a tattered red rose attached to black thorns. Red-letter copy reads, “A sorceress banished at birth…A prince desperate to save his dying mother…A stealthy enemy determined to destroy them both…Breaking the curse may be the easy part.”

    Real Life has been keeping me pretty busy this year, but I couldn’t let the anniversary of the first public appearance of Handsome and Hideous slip by unmarked. On this date a year ago, I pressed the “publish” button, half exhilarated and half terrified.

    Handsome and Hideous was out in the world at last!

    It was thrilling to go to the various e-book vendors’ sites and look up Handsome and Hideous and see it pop up. It’s still pretty delightful.

    In the past twelve months, H&H has joined the collection of my local public library. It’s available globally in both e-book and paperback, and currently sits on the shelf at The Book Lounge bookstore. Readers have been kind enough to let me know they’ve enjoyed it.

    Happy birthday, Handsome and Hideous! May you continue to find readers for years to come!

    (Naturally, I will note the book birthday of the print edition in a couple of months. Why pass up an excuse for celebration?)

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