Posted by Carrie S

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/02/tarot-after-dark-taking-flight-with-the-crow-tarot/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=165719

This piece of literary mayhem is exclusive to Smart Bitches After Dark, but fret not. If you'd like to join, we'd love to have you!

Have a look at our membership options, and come join the fun!

If you want to have a little extra fun, be a little more yourself, and be part of keeping the site open for everyone in the future, we can’t wait to see you in our new subscription-based section with exclusive content and events.

Everything you’re used to seeing at the Hot Pink Palace that is Smart Bitches Trashy Books will remain free as always, because we remain committed to fostering community among brilliant readers who love romance.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/02/tarot-after-dark-taking-flight-with-the-crow-tarot/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=165719

cereta

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

goodbyebird

+ Doing poorly at getting enough sleep. I hereby decree that if I go straight in the shower and then straight to bed after work for the remainder of the trip, I get to order a batch of the damaged chocolates from Jentene På Tunet the next time the offer comes up + one new tarot deck (or just the oversized Buffy one? idk).

+ We did get two more days of orcas last week. Day one was just a solo boisterous youngling aggressively darting after the net, but the next day? The biggest pod yet! And best of all: after the net was up on deck they slowly glided alongside the ship, letting me observe them from the deck under water (which was crystal clear that day). I stood outside until all feeling left my hands and snot was running freely. ( Read more... )

+ Comics! My brain is so cooked, the only reading I've attempted was the physical trade of Batman: Secret Files that I picked up for a song during the New Year's sale. Made it half-way through the first story before my brain went "no thanks, I'm full". And I know The Gardener is in there! Brain tired. Sucks.

Know what doesn't suck? Poison Ivy still has an ongoing written by G Willow Wilson and Harley is in it as well and it is beauuutifull. Vol 2 of Absolute Wonder Woman is dropping in a few days. Meanwhile THIS HERE is Diana showing up in Absolute Batman (the writing is excellent, but THE LOOK woohee).
Absolute WW built like a truck

I'm waiting for it to be collected, but Harley & Ivy is bringing so much cuteness. Lookit!
Harley & Ivy variant cover by Jasmine Putri; they're both in front of a full body mirror, trying on each other's outfit and clearly having a good time.

Harley & Ivy variant cover by Jasmine Putri; they're both in front of a full body mirror, trying on each other's outfit and clearly having a good time.

+ I really wanna whine about work but I'm not gonna. Big sigh though.

+ hrrmm I need to cut my nails.

Current Music: Lord Huron - Is There Anybody Out There?

lucy_roman posting in

small_fandoms

( You're about to view content that a community administrator has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

smartbitches_feed

Posted by Lara

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/copper-script-by-kj-charles/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=reviews&p=166081

B-

Copper Script

by KJ Charles
May 29, 2025 · KJC Books
Historical: European

I’m a big KJ Charles fan so it was inevitable that I would read this book one day. I read it this weekend and I had a great time, with a couple caveats.

Aaron is a police detective in London in the 1920s. He is told about a graphologist, Joel, who can decipher people’s personalities from their handwriting with impossible accuracy. Aaron is sure that Joel is a charlatan or a con artist of some description and becomes obsessed with working out how Joel does what he does. The first 50% is taken up by this. Initially this put me off my stride as I thought the mystery plot would kick in sooner but it doesn’t: that comes later.

We find out early on that Joel has a ‘criminal’ history – he did two months in prison for an ‘indecent proposal’. While he doesn’t advertise his queerness to the general public, there is something about Aaron that provokes Joel into flirting at Aaron quite a bit. Aaron is tightly buttoned up and doesn’t flirt back. He wouldn’t dare – he’s a policeman. This builds some quite lovely tension between the two. There is an intensity to their connection that’s a lot of fun to read.

Joel has a limb difference – his left hand was shot during WW1 and he lost the hand. His feelings about his prosthetic are complicated. The sex scenes adapt to Joel’s limb difference and Aaron’s responses show a deep acceptance of Joel as he is.

As with all KJ Charles novels, the historical detail is rich and makes for a very immersive experience as a reader. For example, the discussions of how WW1 veterans were treated at the time made me consider the England of that time in a different light.

The mystery plot kicks in at around 60% but things stagnate almost immediately. Because it happens so late in the book, I won’t take you through it here, but I will say that there are no clues, no movement in solving the mystery until one of the characters takes decisive action around 80% in. So the pacing is a bit off. Once that decisive action is taken, the plot accelerates significantly.

For a romance novel, Joel and Aaron don’t spend a huge amount of time together before professing their love for one another. I get that given their circumstances (and the mystery plot) that it’s tricky to get that time together and stay safe, but the romance felt a bit rushed to me. It is possible that this might be a “me” problem as I recently read a trilogy by KJ Charles in which the romance arc takes three books to reach fruition. So perhaps it is quick in comparison only. Nevertheless, it is something that my mind snagged on while reading.

Do I recommend this book? Absolutely I do. It is good, but it doesn’t reach the heights of KJ Charles’ other books. The mystery brought the story momentum to a lull, and I wanted more than the limited time Joel and Aaron spent together, but Charles’ writing is always compelling, particularly in the way the characters move around in a world with such deep and specific contextual details. I probably sound a bit disappointed, and I am, but I don’t want that to stand in the way of you picking up this book.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/copper-script-by-kj-charles/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=reviews&p=166081

nanila posting in

awesomeers

It's challenge time!

Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.

Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished! Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!

Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.

Go!

pattrose

11. Would you consider yourself superstitious?

Sometimes. I believe in karma, fate and kismet. If you do something crappy, you might as well prepare yourself for fate stepping in. It will come back to you. It’s just a little warning. 😁
And I also believe that if you try out for a better job, you can’t mention to anyone. If you do you just jinxed yourself. So, as you can tell I am superstitious.

How about you?

ride_4ever

Thank you kindly to the following fen who sent me postal mail in January: a letter from

oldtoadwoman, a handmade needlepoint card from

smallhobbit, and handmade "the god of feathers" art from

mific. I am blessed to be the recipient of these lovely words and crafts and arts. <3

Current Mood: blessed
Current Location: near the lake they call Michigan

pattrose

When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up and why?

I wanted to work for the Peace Corps. That’s all I could think about in High School. I didn’t realize it was like camping, which I don’t do. I realized I don’t like roughing it in the wild. Hubby and I got married very young and started our family. So, instead of PC, I got a job at obgyn office and loved it. I was disappointed in myself for a few years. But I learned to live with my decision. 😁

Every year hubby would ask me if I wanted to go camping. I gave him a look that said ‘I’ll kill you first’. The look always made him laugh. I would even laugh afterwards. When we were in our 50s, we rented a very nice travel trailer. It was okay but still don’t want to camp.

ride_4ever

No deadline, no stress, multifandom prompt table challenge for creating fanworks in the Soulmates trope. If you are into this trope...or want to get into this trope...check out the 5 Soulmates Challenge. This link will take you to all the info and FAQs about how the prompts and the claims work for this challenge.

Current Mood: soulful
Current Location: near the lake they call Michigan

but_can_i_be_trusted posting in

100words

Title: 'Made Of'
Fandom: Original Fiction
Rating: G
Notes: Crossposted to

ficlet_zone

( Made Of )

mific

So many WIPs - I never used to read the damn things, but HR has corrupted me! The advantage of having several WIPs on the go is that something updates every day, often more than one. The main downside is remembering which plot or AU storyline the WIP is about. I often reread the last chapter, esp. if it's a few days since the fic updated.

I know where to draw the line by magneticwave (wrote the great AU where Shane's a surgeon). It's a new WIP (10,000 word 1st chapter) and is really excellent, with a mature 26 y.o. Shane with a trick knee who's in the Metros with 22 y.o. hotshot Ilya. Lots of hockey detail, great writing & characterisations, a closeted oblivious Shane, and Ilya on the prowl.

My two other main fave WIPs are Basingstoke's Lovers, or English is a damn funny language which continues to be brilliant, and Glittercity's Never Been Bitten, the vampire AU with interesting power dynamics (rich obsessive club owner vampire Shane who's nervous of the ingenuity and aggression of humans and Ilya, the chaotic bartender who's trying to seduce him.)

I've also been charging through all CorvidCordelia's works.

I read Half Agony, Half Hope a while back - it's a longfic based on the premise that Ilya gets traded to Montreal about 3 years after Shane breaks it off after the tuna melts hookup, so they're now on the same team. A great mix of angst, drama, lust, and of course, the requisite happy ending!

Careful Fear and Dead Devotion is another longfic, a complete AU in which Shane and Ilya are young actors looking for a break who are cast as Finn and Dane in the TV series "Ember and Ice". It uses the Quinn audio-erotic story as the plot of the drama they're starring in, so if the mention of Ember and Ice as a "fandom" put you off, don't be - no knowledge is needed of E&I and the inherent ludicrousness of that work doesn't intrude. Scott and Kip are the showrunners! It's kind of analogous to Hudson and Connor in HR, without being in any way RPF. It's a great story, and I loved it.

And Walking Through Windows a fork in the road AU where Ilya fucks up the Tampa All Stars reconciliation (after Shane accepts he's gay), and they then only see each other on the ice when their teams play, for ten years. Which is inherently very sad, but the story starts then, when they're both recently retired and Ilya learns that Shane's about to marry a man. You can imagine what happens, and I was unsure if I'd like it as I dislike partner betrayal, but CorvidCordelia is a bloody good writer and absolutely sold it to me, with a wonderful story that I couldn't put down (gave myself eyestrain again, damn it!)

torachan

1. After much back and forth about it, it's finally settled that I will be going up north to help the new store for a few days, and the dates are set (next Wednesday through Friday). I would prefer not to go at all but I'm glad it's at least sorted, and I am curious to see the new store.

2. We went down to DCA for dinner tonight and had some very tasty lunar new year foods.

3. It's been fairly cool all day today and by the time we got home from Disney it was really windy and cold. It's supposed to tonight and maybe a little tomorrow. Hopefully it's all just overnight and not anything that will interfere with going out of the house tomorrow.

4. Jasper!

olivermoss

I am possibly done with PDXWLF. I ventured out to a specific spot tonight because I recognized the address and was confident they'd deliver. I'll do a photo post... actually right now:

The CD clad house. Yeah, I know this intersection. I know it would be worth the trip.

I went out early, thinking to grab a burrito and then meander/photowalk a mile to two towards it. Burrito, portable food, right? Yeah, the lady who made mine was maybe new and needed to wrap it in multiple layers of foil for it to hold together, and she blamed me for it being a mess because I didn't order rice in it. So, I basically wound up walking around eating a pile of food and soaked tortilla in a make-shift tin foil bowl. It was okay. (Honestly, I shouldn't have paid for for that mess, but there was only one place I could get food along my planned route. I just really need to stop relying on being able to grab food while out and about, it keeps going sideways.)

torachan

We went down to DCA for dinner tonight. There's an after-hours event on the Disneyland side (Sweethearts Night) but that didn't seem to affect crowds at DCA at all, at least not as early as we were there.

( Read more... )

innitmarvelous_og posting in

fan_flashworks

Stock images

Terminator 2: Judgement Day

Current Mood: tired

chocolatefrogs posting in

ships20in20

( Congratulations )

Current Music: Shania Twain 0 Any Man Of Mine

cornerofmadness

It started out well. Students showed up, did what they're meant to and meeting a prospective student went well.

and then the day fell off a cliff. I was insanely busy.

then I can't find the agars I need to my research students. And when I finally did I don't have the budget for this. sigh.

Then the roof started leaking. Everywhere. I mean everywhere. every lab. every classroom. people who building flat roofs in a snowy area should have their balls kicked repeatedly

My building has issues before this. Got an email. We need a list of what needs fixed in your lab. by tomorrow. well thanksI

Then the online stuff stopped working again just like last year

Then I was reminded my first thought today was I wish I was retired or at least I never did my sabbatical because it was a taste of retirement

Came home. everything is now ice because it was 60 and all the snow is gone but the ice was too thick for that. Looking forward to my death tomorrow

I haven't been wearing my contacts lately because I can't see to read any more and since I read a lot all day it's not worth the reading glasses headaches. Had them in today. Was doing great. Took them out around 7 without a half hour my eye was beet red and I haven't been able to keep it open for nearly 4 hours. I have NO idea what happened. The contact came out easily. it feels more like it rolled up under my eyelid. Flushed it with both my steroid drops and saline but nope. Going to bed early and hope this heals up overnight. Do not want pink eye. Do not want to go to urgent care tomorrow.

Was going to do a cool writing meme but since it feels like someone is removing my eyeball with sandpaper

Current Mood: uncomfortable
Current Music: Graham Norton Show

olivermoss

I am hoping this is going to be recorded and available online, I assume it will be, but am hoping to confirm. Wow, that is going to be a conversation. This is a very often discussed book about the problems of hockey culture. Picking her to interview him is really interesting. (In my experience 'in conversation with' means the second person is basically doing an interview, and has been picked for being someone very well informed/related to a topic as opposed to being picked for interviewing skills)

lovelytomeetyou posting in

halfamoon

Day 10 - Acting the Fool

Title: In ignorance, there was bliss (or so she thought)
Fandom: Fleabag
Characters: Claire centered
Rating: T
Summary: Claire wishes she were like her sister. She does whatever the fuck she pleases. Whenever she wants. Whoever she so chooses. And god if Claire doesn’t loathe her for that.

Story in ao3

Profile

kingstoken

January 2026

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30	31

Page Summary

smartbitches_feed - Tarot After Dark: Taking Flight with the Crow Tarot
cereta - Oh, yeah
goodbyebird - I'm resorting to bribery.
lucy_roman in small_fandoms - Drabblethon: Inspector George Gently: The thrill of the chase
smartbitches_feed - Copper Script by KJ Charles
nanila in awesomeers - Just One Thing (11 February 2026)
pattrose - 2026 Not quite 365 questions meme February.
ride_4ever - Fannish Fifty Challenge 2026: Post # 7: Postal Mail from Fen
pattrose - 2026 60 question meme.
ride_4ever - Fannish Fifty Challenge 2026: Post # 6: No-Stress "5 Soulmates" Prompt Table Challenge
but_can_i_be_trusted in 100words - [Challenge #481: Roar] Original Fiction: 'Made Of'
mific - Some gripping HR fics I've read lately, and WIP madness
torachan - Daily Happiness
olivermoss - (no subject)
torachan - 2026 Disneyland Trip #10 (2/10/26)
innitmarvelous_og in fan_flashworks - Icons for Melt: Stock and Terminator 2
chocolatefrogs in ships20in20 - Round 04 Awards
cornerofmadness - Days that make you want to cry
olivermoss - (no subject)
lovelytomeetyou in halfamoon - DAY 10 - FIC - FLEABAG - CLAIRE

Style Credit

Base style: Ciel by carisma_sensei
Theme: Altair by dancing_serpent

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags

Page generated Feb. 11th, 2026 09:21 am

kingstoken

Network

Tarot After Dark: Taking Flight with the Crow Tarot

Oh, yeah

I'm resorting to bribery.

Drabblethon: Inspector George Gently: The thrill of the chase

Copper Script by KJ Charles

B-

Copper Script

Just One Thing (11 February 2026)

2026 Not quite 365 questions meme February.

Fannish Fifty Challenge 2026: Post # 7: Postal Mail from Fen

2026 60 question meme.

Fannish Fifty Challenge 2026: Post # 6: No-Stress "5 Soulmates" Prompt Table Challenge

[Challenge #481: Roar] Original Fiction: 'Made Of'

Some gripping HR fics I've read lately, and WIP madness

Daily Happiness

(no subject)

2026 Disneyland Trip #10 (2/10/26)

Icons for Melt: Stock and Terminator 2

Round 04 Awards

Days that make you want to cry

(no subject)

DAY 10 - FIC - FLEABAG - CLAIRE

Profile

January 2026

Links

Most Popular Tags

Page Summary

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags