#judith | intro .

[nitrozem]

Judith Hayes

Judith’s childhood ended when the bombs dropped. Having learned how to survive and shoot from her father, Ellis, she can handle many things thrown her way. After her father’s death, she intends to honor his last request, survive and thrive.

[endless-oc-creations]

Mimi's Mini Plot Bunnies

Name: Judith May

Title: TBD

Fandom: Road House(1989)

Faceclaim: Sandra Bullock

Love Interest: John Dalton

Pinterest Board: Link

Summary: Judith May is a small-town girl born in Jasper, Missouri. As a teenager, she ran away to live in the big city. But, years later Judith returned to her hometown, trying to pick up the pieces of her life that ended up being shattered by the struggle she faced over the years. When Judith came back, her Uncle Emmett opened up his farm to her and she helped her around the farm while bartending for Frank Tilghman at his club, the Double Deuce.

Working nights there is hard and sometimes unbearable from all the chaos that goes on, but Judith just does what she can and puts her head down to get through the night in one piece. One day a man named James Dalton came into the town and her Uncle Emmett was letting him stay in their sparse barn.

Then later that night at work, Judith sees him at the club and finds out that her boss Frank hired him to take over security at the club, giving him full authority over the club's operations. As Judith gets closer to Dalton, she finds out that there is more to the stoic and cool-headed man.

The two end up falling in love, something that Judith said she would never do again, but the couple soon finds trouble when the crime lord, Brad Wesley, doesn’t like the changes Dalton is doing to his town.

Judith finds herself, Dalton, and everyone she cares about in danger, but Dalton promises to protect her no matter what.

💕 Everything Taglist: @bravelittleflower​ @sunlitscribe​​​ @eddysocs​​ @raith-way​​ @waterloou​​​ @decennia​​ @hiddenqveendom​ @aaronhotchstuff​ @foxesandmagic​ @nejires-hado  @asirensrage​​​​  @lucys-chen @arrthurpendragon @daughter-of-melpomene @thatmagickjuju @ginevrastilinski @ginger-grimm @oneirataxia-girl💕

[kryiixo]

Johnnie's Family

Johnnie Summers (he/him)

Kamden‘s favorite child

Doesn’t know he has two sisters from Judith’s affair

Had all his kids as a teen

Cheated with his best friend during teen years

Unfortunately Judith’s twin

Maya Summers (she/her)

MAGIC!!!

Drug dealer turned housewife

Eliza Summers (she/her)

Happy accident

Wants to own her own yoga studio

Talks to ghost

Athena Summers (she/her)

Hopeless Romantic

Wants to be an actress like her estranged grandmother

Jerry Summers (he/him)

MORE MAGIC!!!

Natural born blonde.

Aspiring Chef

[gh0s1y]

my most prominent autistic trait is being asked to make an apple pie from scratch and starting with the big bang

[princesskuragina]

BESTIE

I just finished Harrow the Ninth and you are the only person I know that's read it so HI YEAH I'M SCREAMING WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS???

I will be acquiring Nona the Ninth as soon as physically possible but also THE TUMBLR REFERENCE HELLO????

I'm taking this ask as my sign to finally get back to writing my locked tomb essay !! but I have lots and lots of thoughts you'd have to narrow it down. HTN is my favorite of the trilogy I think because it appeals to my stylistic and character tastes so well. Right now I've been thinking a lot about bodies and body-sharing/swapping in the locked tomb but I can't go TOO far into that thesis bc I won't spoil Nona—just know that it gets even more insane. In any case I blog about TLT mostly over on @ofcasterlyrock (it's mostly ianthe fanart)

[featherskies]

Look who just woke up- is that KATIE DOUGLAS? No, I must have been mistaken, that’s JUDITH GRIMES from THE WALKING DEAD. I heard she is 18 and stuck here just like everyone else. Even in the 20’s, they still give off a WORN COMBAT BOOTS STOMPING THROUGH PUDDLES, A HIDDEN TEDDY BEAR SHOVED INTO THE CORNER OF A BEDROOM, A PASSED DOWN HAT FROM A FAMILY LEGACY impression. They’re known to be quite HONEST, but have a tendency to be SELF-DESTRUCTIVE on their bad days.

Gender/Pronouns : 

Judith is a cis-female and her pronouns are she/her.

How long have they been in Sydney : 

Judith has been in Sydney for 5 years, but has been passed around the city her entire life. 

Which suburb do they live in? 

She doesn’t have a permanent place to call her own, she is usually crashing on some bad influences friends couches, or she’s staying with her uncle daryl, but she doesn’t have a physical place that is hers.

Personality description : 

Judith puts on a super tough exterior. She is a strong believer that if you don’t let people in that they can’t leave you, that they can’t die, that they can’t turn their back on you. So, in the end, she has never let a single person in. There are a few who are exposed to a more kind, a more sweet version of Judith but it is very few and far between and her trust is very easily broken, so even one moment can ruin an entire relationship.

She is also very street smart. She knows how to survive on her own because that was always how it was supposed to be. She was ALWAYS supposed to be on her own. But she knows how to survive. Way back when she was back home, the smarts had always been about living off the land, using the limited supplies that she had to her advantage. Here? Her street smarts are coming into the ability to avoid and stand up for herself against any of the other... unkind folks in Sydney.

Memories of their real life :

Judith’s favorite joke is that she really has very little memories of her real life. She wished she could remember her full life, her family. More family than just her mother and the found family she had found as she got older... or she supposed had found her. But the memories she did have of back home, truthfully made her miss it more than she ever imagined. The last thing she remembers from home is being at the commonwealth with her little brother... she remembers feeling true peace for the very first time... before nothing but hurt and pain here. 

What was their fake life like : 

tbd after plotting but looking for:

-foster siblings who she may have only known for a little period of time before being moved to another foster home

-bad influences who let her crash on their couch whenever she’s not with her uncle

Theme Song

1.angel with a shotgun by the cab 2.golden by harry styles 3.see you again by wiz khalifa 

Quote:

“ you’re gonna lose people in your life. and realize that no matter how much time you spent with them or how much you appreciate them and told them so, it will never seem like it was enough ”

[the-name-stealer]

hello!!! Intro time!!!

Hi!!! Call me anything.

I steal names!

If you want your names removed, reblog/send ask/ privately message me! I answer anons so it’s hard to sort through who is okay with it.

Give me your name. Or someone else’s. I’m not picky.

names I’ve stolen: (will tag if they have blogs+who gave it to me if it was someone else)

Noah 1

bugg 2

Oakley :3

Rebekah (from @biggesthuskersimp589)4

Willow (^^)5

Lewis (^^^)6

Olivia(^^^^)7

all of @river-nonbinary-billcipherfan nicknames! 8

Samah! ( @that-0ne-sam)9

Bill Cipher! ( @billcipher-rpblog)10

Maryland! ( @maryland-officially)11

Hawaii! ( @hawaii-official)12

Lep! ( @leprechaun-stealerofgold)13

Squeaky! ( @postalignments)14

James! ( @more-trans-beans) 15

Pyramid Steve! (From @billcipher-rpblog, taken from @i-amsteve)16

Khriz! (From @the-lunacy-system taken from @khrizantema9869)17

Kaitlyn! ( @literal-trans-beans)18

buck! (By @17ghostsinatrenchcoat)19

Alivia! (^^)20

Cataclysm, Nibiru, Roav, 7-3, Ælr, nobaru! ( @planet-of-cataclysm)26

Holden! ( @hadoom) 27

quinn, ruin, yuri, and nikolai! ( @throat0fdelusion)31

penny, Margret, Samantha, Emu, and Warren! ( @pennyroyald)36

silver & milky! ( @official-milky-way)38

anon (anon) 39

PSR J0437-4715 & 1rxs. ( @1rxs-offical) 41

Rian (taken permanently from @river-nonbinary-billcipherfan) 42

neon! ( @neoninglitchen) 43

Katelyn ( @katiewolf) 44

banana, mango, grape, orange, melon, and lemon ( @fruit-tree-system) 50

Monaco ( @officially-monaco)51

peachy ( @importantpeachfury) 52

Colorado ( @colorado-real)53

Oregon ( @oregon-officially)54

North Carolina ( @the-fr-north-carolina-totally)55

Michigan ( @michagan-the-state)56

Violet ( @violetthediamondsblog)57

Vitreous ( @vitreous-official)58

faye! ( @f4y3w00d5)59

Misa! ( @minimuppetmisa)60

nɒʜɈƎ/γnnɒɔƧ ( @₴₵₳₦₦Ɏ₴-฿₳₵₭) 62

Liechtenstein ( @offical-liechtenstein)63

Jalapeño ( @floatingcamel23)64

Logan (permanently taken from @pennyroyald) 65

Rachel Roth ( @half-a-goat)66

Dubois (anon) 67

unknown entity of darkness ( @unknown-entity-tm) 68

Rose/Róża, Minty, Kali, Noodle, & Thing. ( from @blog-of-some-dummies given by @pennyroyald) 73

In-n-out burger ( @in-n-out-burger-official) 74

Diafain (anon) 75

🐍💍 (anon) 76

Tori Simons (anon)77

Felhair de Ziaman ( @pennyroyald) 78

Britain ( @real-british-empire) 79

Carl Fredrick Wilhelm Johannes Maximillian Napoleon Zeus von Neumann the Amazing the Great the Protector of Domestic Tranquillity, ForMemRS. (Anon) 80

Zero ( @z3r0th3h3r0) 81

Tereza (permanently taken from anon) 82

marsh,syll,silk , mallow, mochi, pastel, lucid, Celes, Limetta, maria, Felix, theo, Axel, alex, aqua, nova, aster, caelus, Doku, Aurous, ann, lucas, luca, lucean, jack, phi, ray, peace, alba, chaos, tart, cake, Led, Charlie, Lamba, Xeno! (Anon) 118

Snow ( @sn0w-o) 119

Fiona, Talia, Mable, Boa, Egg, Clise, Pancake, Hypnos, Elysia, Seraphina, Agnes, Marceline, Claire, Noelle, butterscotch, frigg, soup, strawberry, marsia, beate, makoto, sock, bug, Florian, bea, Rosalina, marinella, Finka, nada, Yuri, sky, Olivia, fischl, cinnamon, amity, Ada, Lenora, Aida, Romy, Lys, Eliana, Cherie, océane, Esther, marcille, Astrid, Clara, Lacey, flowers, natsuki, sayori, Petra, Aphrodite, hatsune, crimson, viola, Jenny, juniper, Annie, marie,Tina, kanaya, Callie, Bonnie, Velma, Phoebe, Sabrina, Tori, Natalie, Kim, love, Corey, Courtney, misty, Yasmin, Laika, Tabitha, primrose, Beatrice, circe, johnette, temmie, gumi, himiko, Anne, nessa, Sonia, akane, Diane, Miku, merlin, adagia, miyu, aradia, Illya, azure, maya, Mira, marina, Andromeda, Alya, Stella, celestia, Celeste, nova, Lyra, hope, April, pearl, amber, violet, Kirra, clover, iris, calliope, blossom, Millie, tulip, Bibi, amy, Reyna, ambrosia, page, Leah, Charlie, Lilith, ellsee, maki, edeustus, ellie, Samantha, Amelia, Tiffany, Alyssa, Luna, caoimhe, Judith, Natalie, kumatora, aurelie, Kate, moon, nerisse, serenity, Lara, Sarina, Vanessa, Monica, cherry, Helena, Sophia, tiki, luzia, Laura, Juliette, aurora, corrin, annette, Hilda, madalena, Anna, ivy, Cynthia, byleth, caeda, Alexandrea, chell, Maria, mia, Katie, Veronica, Susie, comet, Jessica, eve, Eva, vivisection, heather, Donna, winona, guinivere, Roxanne, Lillian, Octavia, étolie, Marnie, Gaia, daisy, desura, amnesia, sunny, clementine, bocchi, Cara, Agatha, Evelyn, angèle, Louisa, Camila, roseline, louane, Averie, Melina, Lena, minthe, Emma, acorn, Cassandra, bread, willow, raven, kali, Sappho, harmony, mango, Hellan, Katelyn, aria, Elyse, Marnie, blanche, frasie, Freya, Charlotte, amandine,  Vivian, Sylvia, Sarah, Jane, Ashley, Mongolia, Alice, Sydney, pikachu, Michelle, Gowan, Madeline, Ellen, Marissa, Lana, Lilly, Ella, rose, may, Ramona, melody. ( @bitch-with-some-4000-names) 363

Tera , elfilin , carol, taranza ( @tmhj) 367)

ash ( @i-give-worms) 368

Jayne bishop ( @thegreatgeodo) 369

Josie & Scarlett ( @knight-real) 371

sir A. Goetia. ( @pennyroyald) 372

swiper ( @mronion) 373

grammarly ( @unofficially-grammarly) 374

Walmart ( @walmart-the-official)375

Whataburger ( @whataburger-possibly-official) 376

Vemödalen ( @no-such-thing-as-originality) 377

Sydney (Anon) 378

roselyn (anon) 379

Saioa (anon) 380

hygiea 10 ( @hygiea-official)381

Alex, Allen, Asher, Caelus, Calxe, Dalisay, Ennui, Fae, Joy, Kai, Li, Liit, Loe, Mia, Nemo, Nihil, Noël, Oakley, Pelex, Sasha, Somnus, Tama, Ramasses, Rin, Rowan, Willow, Zephyr, Zora ( @joyliit) 401

Alexandria (taken permanently from ^^)402

James/jamie and Martin/marty ( @throat0fdelusion) 404

Caesar & Charlie ( @caesars-crazed-ramblings) 406

Cosmo or Nyx! ( @spacecatdraws) 408

Africa ( @pennyroyald) 409

choccy milk, shortcake, cakepop, mossy ( @analog-autistic) 413

Michael (anon)414

Sally (anon) 415

blue (anon)416

William Shakespeare (<-never heard of the guy/j) ( @shakespeare-official-account) 417

Haejin Min ( @the-name-gifter) 418

fae ( @the-name-asker) 419

vee ( @urlocaldisaster) 420 (hehe)

Dr. Graves ( @the-gimmick-scp-researcher) 421

Zeus (anon) 422

Copi-Copi, Elemento, Adjetivo, Mente en Blanco, Chaucha, Yo Soy, Calugoso, Duquesa, Reina, Coliforme, Tepo-Tepo, Yo no Fui, Fierro Malo, Palmerita, Neumatex, Cortachurro, Etcétera, Maletín, Duque, Guasón, Jefe, Moneda, Cucky, Pelusa, Tía, Legui, Reality, Chester, Chu, Ro, Playita, Palmera, Señor, Re Frito, Pescado, Chamuyo, Calendario, James Bond, Rata, Cabeza de Chaya, Neumático, Repetido, Añico, Rucia, Gonzo, Chino, Cortéz, Albertito, Also, Cabecita, Bigote and Mutante (anon)

jaiden and blook ( @blookdoeswhatever, @jaidentheautisticwurm) 424

jaya (anon)425

425

6/50 states

Items:

frog

worms x3

an Olive Garden I guess???

(Ooc: ^^the blog persona)

(Ooc: the blog persona (not mod) is pansexual, pangender, and demisexual! They like sewing and stealing names.)

(if you see me put your name on my main no you didn’t

my main is @buggz-owlz)

names that are given to us will be under #name giver

and names we steal will be under #name stealer

all asks will be under #name stealer questions

colors are just random colors we associate with the name given.

that’s all for now! Bye!

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️Reveling in Richonne - TOWL

#61: The Happy Ending (1.06)

The Grimes family is reunited.😭🙌🏽

That's it. That's the intro. 😋 Because we just gotta dive right in and break this super rewarding and moving Grimes family reunion all the way down. It's everything. 🥹...

First off - The way we WIN.

After so many years, we really got to witness our babies get their happily ever after with their babies. They won. We won. 🎉😭

And the biggest reason I say we win is because something that we love lives. Richonne's story has been able to live to its fullest potential and in the most captivating and fulfilling way. From the iconic start in TWD to this impactful conclusion in TOWL. 🙌🏽

When working on these TOWL revelings, I tried to have the majority of them written and ready before I even started sharing the posts in July to ensure I’d deliver on my promise and follow through to the end. These final Grimes Family reunion posts are the only ones I put off writing for a while because, as far as we know, this is it. 🥲 The last page we get to see of Richonne’s beautiful years-long story. The last new Richonne scenes to break down and revel in. 

Since TOWL was announced as a 6-episode miniseries, I’m currently approaching this final scene as the official conclusion of Richonne's story. I know Andy, Danai, and Scott haven't outright said they're never reprising these roles, and the more I hear their answers to the questions about a return, a part of me thinks they know they're coming back in some capacity, be it a cameo or more, and already have an existing contract perhaps, which is why they can't 'spoil' anything by confirming or denying a return.

The way I view it - if Richonne makes another appearance, I'm absolutely seated and celebratory. And if they don't, I'm absolutely satisfied and grateful for what we got. As the gift that keeps on giving, they've already given us over 10 years of golden Richonne content, and this Grimes Family 2.0 reunion put a lovely bow on top of this gift. 💝 It was truly a beautiful and fitting conclusion to their story. And most of all I want the Grimes Family to get to live happily and at peace together, so I'm more than elated with how Richonne's story comes to a close here. 😇

So, as the broadcast announces “A historic day to begin a new chapter for the Republic” - which of course Rick and Michonne Grimes would be the ones capable of bringing about a fresh, historic, and thriving new chapter for a whole city of thousands - we see a glimpse of Judith sitting beside her walkie. And then I love hearing Michonne on the other end say, “Shoto, it’s Daito.” 🥹

Ahhhhhhh the Grimes family reunion was happening! 🥳🥳🥳 And I'm so glad it's with the original actors too. 😭🙌🏽

I remember there was a period when some were a bit worried that Richonne wouldn't reunite with their kids in TOWL. For me, I felt so sure it was gonna happen because that was the only way Michonne and Rick would feel their mission was successful. And I love how it gets confirmed that they’ll be seeing the kids as soon as we see this walkie-talkie moment. 

...Even tho for some of us, the Grimes family reunion was basically confirmed a little earlier, when a certain two illustrious actors filmed a trip down memory lane in Senoia, Georgia. 🤭

Our lovely captains have a sweet little exchange during that great memory lane special that clued me in on what to expect. There's a part where Danai is talking about Judith and RJ and how she loved seeing Judith with the mini sword on her back. Then, as others also picked up on, Danai said something to Andy about how now Cailey has nearly outgrown the sword, and she seemed to think Andy could co-sign that she has. And that had my extra self’s ears perking up. 😋

Because Andy had been having to work double time to recall some TWD scenes he was actually a part of during this trip down memory lane - so I said to myself - Self, it is highly unlikely that he knows if Cailey, who he never had scenes with, is now outgrowing the sword…unless he’s already filmed a scene with her wearing the sword. 😏

gif cred: @nerd4music

So yeah, after that I was no longer even 1% unsure if Richonne would have their family reunion. It was happening. 💯 And the way it happened is Love personified. 👏🏽💗

It had to be such a euphoric moment for Judith to finally, after over a year, hear her mom on the other end of that walkie that she said she'd always keep with her. And it had to be euphoric for Michonne to no longer get static but finally get her baby girl on the other end. 🥹

I remember it was emotional watching Michonne and Judith's final walkie-talkie conversation in TWD, especially knowing they'd eventually fall out of range. And so it was a great feeling to see their walkies finally make a connection again.

I like the way it’s shot with the walkie on the steps and Rick’s holster and gun on Judith’s hip. Again, Michonne summed it up perfectly when she said Judith is her and Rick. And it’s sweet seeing Judith immediately grab the walkie when she hears her mom’s voice. 

Also knowing Michonne was able to reach Judith on the walkie, I think this would definitely imply that Rick was able to talk to or at least hear Judith before they see each other in person. I’d be so curious what that very first exchange over the walkies was like between Michonne, Judith, and Rick. I'd imagine it was quite emotional for Rick to hear Judith's voice on the other end for the first time. 🥲

So then there’s the return of Rick’s battle-tested cowboy boots as he steps off the helicopter. And I really like the way it’s shot as we just see his feet first and then Michonne’s feet join him. It feels like yet another way to illustrate and celebrate that Rick is no longer alone. The love of his life found him and now they really will be by each other's side for pretty much all things going forward. 

gif cred: @taiturner

As TV's greatest husband and wife step off the helicopter, we get to see Rick and Michonne more fully and I adore that they’re holding hands. 🥰 They always look so married. And as has been established, holding hands is one of Richonne's favorite things.

And then you know we gotta take a moment for Michonne’s outfit 🔥🔥🔥. Cutest outfit she’s ever worn. 👏🏽 I LOVE it. 🤩

gif cred: @alwaysthequietones

It’s great how they chose something that feels both fresh but also so true to Michonne for her final outfit and it just feels like she’s again getting to return to herself through the clothing. A fashion It Girl, through and through. 💅🏽

Michonne stayed proving an apocalypse does not have to stop you from stylishly color-coordinating and accessorizing. And I love the cowrie shells being back in her hair too. One of the last times she wore cowrie shells - a symbol of fertility - RJ arrived shortly after. So of course seeing the shells in this finale had my Richonne baby fever activated. 😋 It’s also great she got her katana back as well. That sword will always find its way back to its Mama Michonne. 👌🏽

And I of course also love that Michonne and Rick are wearing matching colors. A signature Richonne thing to the end. 😌 And Rick and Michonne matching in that tan color is great because the color scheme is giving "Must've been something else then." 😊

Then, I think it’s such a touching and well-acted moment when, before we even see the kids, we can tell that Richonne has spotted their kids from the way they react. 😭

Something about the way Michonne holds Rick's hand and then runs to her babies just feels like such a wife and mother and it’s so sweet. Like if you showed this running clip out of context to someone unfamiliar with the show, I feel they'd immediately be able to tell that who Michonne and Rick are running to is their children.

I love how Michonne drops her bag and just immediately runs to the kids. And then it’s precious that Rick sees his children for the first time and drops his bag as he eagerly runs to them as well. Goodness, this whole thing is just heartwarming x10, I can’t. 🫠

gif cred: @nat111love

And it gets extra heartwarming when we see Judith and RJ for the first time, sprinting to their parents with the biggest smiles on their faces. 😭😭😭 Richonne's babies are here. 🥹

gif cred: @alwaysthequietones

The way I rejoiced seeing the adorable Grimes kids running the first time I watched. 🙌🏽 I love seeing how ecstatic they are and the way Judith looks back at her little brother as they run. A true big sister. And of course, I adore that Judith is wearing the sword like her mom and her gun in her holster like her dad and that RJ is wearing his dad's signature Sherriff hat and dressed like little Carl. It’s all so perfect. 🥹

And for me, watching this scene would be the hardest Try Not To Tear Up challenge yet, because the way Judith and RJ smile and run into Michonne’s arms, and the three embrace - My heart bursts. 😭❤️‍🩹

gif cred: @riickgrimes

They all hold so tightly to each other and it’s precious. For a long while, the only Grimes family Judith and RJ had been used to was just the three of them. So it’s really sweet that the three of them have a moment to reunite after missing each other for so long. RJ's smile and Judith's face when she hugs her mom always makes me want to cry. 

gif cred: @nat111love

(Side note: There are people out there who ignorantly discredit and downplay Judith and Michonne’s mother/daughter relationship and that will forever be foolish to me (though sadly not surprising 😪). Judith has only ever known life with Michonne, and Michonne has been raising Judith since before she could walk. Their mom/daughter status cannot be denied. Interestingly, Judith is the one Grimes kid who has only ever known life with both Rick and Michonne. Carl was old enough to recall when Michonne entered his life. RJ is old enough to recall when Rick entered his life. But Judith doesn’t recall when either entered her life because her parents have been raising her since she was in diapers. They’re the only mom and dad she’s ever recognized. Yes, Judith knows Michonne didn’t birth her but that’s not the only qualification one needs to be a mom. In every other way, Michonne has been Judith’s mom for as long as she can remember. So when Judith looks at Michonne it’s clear she sees her mom, not 'the woman who looks after her', not her 'play mom' - her mom. 👌🏽)

I love that Michonne gets her own moment to reunite with her kids and that they let that moment breathe. Michonne is the anchor to this reunion as they all look to her as the connecting piece of this family right now. It’s realistic for the kids to take their time greeting Michonne because that’s the only parent they really know.

And just like Rick and Michonne had to do a lot of sacrificing on this journey, so did Judith and RJ.

These kids sacrificed valuable time with their mom so that she could go bring their dad back home. So I love that they get to have a moment of being just so elated to be back in their mom’s arms.

Rick stands in the back of the shot, as he anxiously awaits greeting his kids. I know Rick appreciated seeing this moment between the three and immediately seeing that his kids love and view Michonne just as highly as he does. He got yet another reminder that he chose the perfect woman to be the mother of his kids seeing the way his babies beamed and ran in Michonne's arms. 😊

gif cred: @riickgrimes

And then it is again so precious when Michonne and the kids look at each other and whisper "Hi" and just again have these joyous smiles on their faces.

gif cred: @riickgrimes

RJ’s quiet little ‘hi,’ 🥹 Michonne asking how they’re doing and acknowledging they’ve got so big since she last saw them, 🥹 the way they can’t help but smile and laugh, 🥹 and then when Michonne and Judith put their heads together. 🥹 I love every second.

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Michonne finally gets to hold the two who fueled her to keep going even in the moments during this TOWL journey where it felt like all was lost. She was not going to let her kids down and she was going to ensure she made it back to them.And Judith and RJ knew their mom would make it back to them too, no matter how long it took. 

I also love seeing Michonne’s M bracelet in the shot. Again, she really came back adorned with gifts from her husband because Rick loves her the way a cherished wife should be loved. And of all the gifts Rick has given Michonne, we know she cherishes most the gift of their children. 💛

gif cred: @riickgrimes

It really is beautiful how we went from Michonne telling Carl one kid was enough for her to her now having four kids (…and counting possibly). And I love the way it's visible how Michonne's soul just lights up so brightly as she holds her kids in her arms.

So as the three embrace, Rick stands back and watches his beautiful family. And the way Rick is looking at them, it’s clear this is all so surreal for him.

It makes sense that Rick would hang back for the reunion as Michonne has a moment with their kids. It reminds me of how on Carl’s last day, Rick approached it like he understood Michonne and Carl needed their time together as a mother and son because he knew he was losing his son and Michonne was too. Also, it's evident during this reunion that Rick wants to be mindful of whatever contact Judith and RJ want with him.

So Judith gives one more smile over at her brother and mom, as Michonne adorably lifts up RJ’s hat and embraces her baby boy, who is not such a baby anymore, saying, “Hi there.”

And then Judith turns to Rick with a smile. As they look at each other, Judith becomes emotional and starts to cry. She walks to Rick and finally, after all this time, gets to embrace her dad. 🥹

gif cred: @twdfranchise

Y’all, there is a reason I put off writing these reunion posts for so long. 😭 This entire scene between these four makes me emotional for so many reasons.

I think it’s so sweet that Rick is letting his kids set the tone for how they want to interact with him in this scene. You know if it were up to him, he’d probably be bawling and pulling them into an embrace, but he also knows that he’s in some ways a stranger to them now. So the thoughtful way Andy plays it, I love that it’s clear Rick wants to let the kids decide what they’re comfortable with. And the second Rick knows they want to hug him, he so tenderly and lovingly hugs them back. 🥹

gif cred: @twdfranchise

The way he hugs Judith, you see how layered this moment is for Rick because he’s so happy to be back with his daughter and also sad to see just how much he’s missed as she’s done a lot of growing up in his absence.

Plus, during his time with the CRM, Rick had to devastatingly accept that he may never see Judith again and even tried to convince himself that maybe she'd be safer if he didn't come home to her and protected her from afar. I feel like hugging Judith right now, Rick probably feels so overcome with emotion knowing that he's actually getting to hold his daughter after thinking he'd never get this chance again.

Hearing Judith cry as she hugs him and seeing the fatherly way Rick holds her head and tries to hold it together while clearly feeling so many emotions. I cannot. ❤️‍🩹 My heart is moved during each part of this Grimes family reunion. 

While still hugging him, Judith emotionally says, “I knew it, Dad. I knew you were still out there.” It’s so sweet that this is the first thing she says and that Rick gets to hear that Judith never lost her hope that Rick was alive.

gif cred: @twdfranchise

While Rick came close to ending it a few times during his years away, he managed to stay another day and then another after that and another after that, and I like to think that day by day he was somehow subconsciously being fueled by his wife and kids belief in him. They believed he was still out there and that energy helped keep him here long enough to now be back with them again.

I also love how no one ever came and took Rick’s place in his family’s life because these three Grimes were always believing Rick was still out there. Judith held onto this faith that her dad was alive even when the odds of Rick being alive seemed low. It feels like Michonne modeled that example to her of continuing to believe. And their belief was worth the wait. 🥹

And then Judith looks up at Rick and says, "I just never wanted you to feel alone.” It moves me so much that while Rick was afar hoping Judith was okay, he now gets to know that his daughter had been hoping he was okay too. 🥲

gif cred: @twdfranchise

As a big sister myself, I just gotta say Cailey plays the big sister role so well. Especially when you’re the family-oriented and responsible big sister, you always just want to make sure everyone is okay. Your younger siblings, your parents, aunts, uncles, everybody. And I love that Judith’s big thing was wanting to be sure her dad never felt alone. That’s so caring. 😭

I also feel like her saying this is her reiterating why she encouraged her mom to go after Rick. On the walkies in Michonne's last full TWD episode, Judith told Michonne, "What if he's trying to come home too, but no one will help?" And she was spot on with that prediction. In TOWL ep 3, Rick even verbalized to Michonne that he had asked for help, but he didn't get it.

So even though it made Judith really sad to be away from her mom, she knew Rick might be alone and in need of Michonne's help even more. Never wanting her dad to feel alone was among the many reasons Judith urged Michonne to go get him.

And another thing that's poetic to me is that Judith is such a pivotal character in getting Rick and Michonne to meet the way they did. Had Glenn and Maggie not gone out to the store to get Judith's formula, Michonne wouldn't have run into them and brought the formula to the prison for her future daughter. Also, even the very night Rick and Michonne became an official romantic couple in 6.10, their couch moment began with smiling over Judith on the baby monitor.

Since she was born, Judith has helped ensure her dad didn't feel alone because her very existence played a part in Rick finding his ultimate life partner and soulmate, Michonne.

So next, Rick says his first words to Judith in years when he looks at her and says, “I thought I was..."

I like that he's honest about how he did think he was alone at first. There definitely was a time when Rick was confronted with the depths of loneliness within the CRM.

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Rick continues, "Then I realized..." and I love that he looks over at Michonne as he says this. And the way Michonne holds RJ while smiling at Rick and Judith interacting again for the first time in years. 🥲

All those years in TWD, Michonne saw how much Rick loved Judith, and so it clearly means a lot to her to see Rick face to face with their daughter again. Rick and Michonne both just seem so present and grateful for this moment as parents.

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Rick looks over at Michonne, knowing how instrumental his wife was in both his daughter being who she is today and in helping him realize what he says next - "I wasn’t.” 🥹

It’s really nice to see that Rick realized he was never alone because he always had his family.

When Rick tells Judith that he realized he wasn’t alone, Judith gets to hear Rick essentially say he realized her own little mantra that she wrote on her family drawing, “My family is always with me.”

Judith and Rick both know the sadness of losing your loved ones' memory, but I’m so glad they now have each other back to affirm that while the memory can seem lost, it can always be found again.

gif cred: @andremichaux

Also the way Rick says this line with such a tender tone and tears in his eyes and then he looks at Judith with a smile and blinks probably still trying to comprehend that this little lady in front of him is the daughter he last saw as a toddler. 😭

gif cred: @alwaysthequietones

And then Judith cries again as she leans in and hugs Rick and I’m a puddle of tears inside. Like when you think about how hard Rick fought for his daughter all those years on TWD, it’s just so special to now see him get to hold her and already get a glimpse of the great loving person she’s turned out to be.

I know Judith is about to feel so loved and protected by this great dad, and I love thinking about how they’ll now get to reestablish their bond and just have the best father-daughter relationship. 

It hit me that years ago, we got to see the very first time both Rick and Michonne ever held baby Judith and how it was a big moment for both of them. While she stirred up painful memories from their past, Judith was also this little bundle of hope for the future in their arms.

And then in this TOWL finale, we beautifully got to see Rick and Michonne hold Judith in their embrace one more time. 🥹

Michonne reuniting with her son and daughter and Rick reuniting with his baby girl were such golden TOWL moments.

With these touching exchanges, the Grimes Family reunions had all occurred. And now it was time for the big Grimes Family introduction. It was time for Rick to finally meet Rick. 😭

So we gotta bring it on home now and talk about the special, heartfelt, and rewarding final moment of The Ones Who Live. 🥰👌🏽

[seyvia]

gameplay/concept/banner by @jonquilyst

character drawings by me, @seyvia

Find all these amazing characters below! Cheer on your favorites as they take on @jonquilyst challenges in! TOTAL, DRAMA, SIMS!🎭

(LINK) to the first post incase you missed it!

note: I drew them based off of their intro posts as they were posted, so if your thinking "why is my little bean wearing that?" it's because that's how you showed them.🤷‍♀️These are purely my impressions of your sims in TD style, it's completely fine if you feel like your sim would look different. ...I do hope you like them tho♡~(๑•́ ₃ •̀๑)

ASHLEE SCHAEFER (she/her) by @shmoodlet - A rap artist who always wants to be the center of attention

BRODY SHERMAN (he/him) by @aniraklova - A football captain who loves to party and cause mischief

COFFEE BEAN (she/her) by @riverofjazzsims - A gloomy and introverted polyglot who was entered into the competition by her twin sister so she can have more typical teenager experiences

LIANA MORRIS (she/her) by @bloomingkyras - An introverted computer whiz who chose to compete in TDS so she wouldn't have to go to her grandparents' house

DREW PINTO (she/they) by @witheringscreations - A talented track athlete who wants to make friendships outside of those she trains with

ENZO ESPINOZA (he/him) by @seyvia - A handsome model who wants to prove to his brothers that he's the most exceptional sibling

FLO HARPER (she/her) by @akitasimblr - A nosy "rebel" (she only dresses the part) who secretly loves to bake

PAULINA CALLAWAY (she/her) by @cowplant-ate-my-sim - A cheerful girl who signed up for TDS so she could have a free vacation

HANS SOMME (he/him) by @ethicaltreatmentofcowplants - A physically gifted, socially inept snob who doesn't think TDS will be that hard

NEAL WARD (he/him) by @nakasumi-sims - Son of famous actor Judith Ward. Judith signed him up for TDS2 so he could be occupied while she's filming overseas

TAKASHI ABBOTTSFORD (he/him) by @stargazer-sims - A friendly and talkative boy who thinks he'd be good at TDS due to growing up in a large chaotic family

TONI STROUD (she/her) by @simsinfinitylt - A creative and imaginative thespian who is determined to make a name for herself

TRISTAN BACHMAN (he/him) by @micrathene-w - A snarky academic genius who accidentally arrived at TDS when he was meant to go to his academic decathlon meet

WILLABELLE LOWES (she/her) by @invisiblequeen - An overachiever who is confident she'll win TDS

🎵 I WANNA BE, I WANNA BE, I WANNA BE FAMOUS! 🎵☆*: .o(≧▽≦)o｡.:*☆

[inkroseinc]

We'd like to officially announce Suzie Rai as our voice for Judith Hovern!

Check out her voice in this clip from our game's intro cutscene!

Wishlist our Mystery Adventure game on Steam here:

[yourstrulysims]

Part III of Hillary’s Intro ♥️

I touched on Hillary being a Criminal Defense Attorney in the first part of Hillary’s intro.

She loves her career. It’s always been her dream to be a lawyer just like her dad growing up. She loves everything about law and justice. She has defended some really big names in the industry for only being 27 years old. From Judith Ward’s son to Nina Caliente her criminal representation record and wins are huge!

But as of recent, she has a run in with someone from her past. Her very first client after graduating law school.

Nate Rowland.

Nate was only 19 at the time of his arrest and conviction for theft and robbery of the Landgraabs. He’s apart of this notorious mob gang in evergreen harbor called the VMI. He has a family. Wife Vic and daughter Essie (he now has another daughter) .

Nate was Hillary’s first client post grad and she wanted to do everything she could to prove she was fit to be in this career. She worked her butt off for Nate. She felt bad that this young boy with a family was being faced with 15 years of prison. She did outstanding work and got his time reduced to only 2.5 years.

However, Nate didn’t want to serve time at all and thought Hillary was going to get him completely off the hook. When he was convicted he didn’t take that too well and let’s just say everything ended in Hillary never wanting to see him again. But he’s recently reached out to Hillary.

[sweaterkittensahoy]

Code Talker by Chester Nez is about his work as one of the creators and users of the Navajo code in the Pacific theater in WWII. I really enjoyed this. Judith Schiess Avila, his co-author, talks in the intro about how she tried to take his oral tapes and turn them into the book, and she ended up basically just writing it as he told it. Which, given the oral tradition of the Navajo and how it is literally one of the reasons the code was unbreakable, just makes perfect sense.

Chester details his life before the military, including boarding school (god, it was awful) and witnessing a livestock massacre by the US government during the Depression. He also talks about leaving the Marines and being treated as second-class because he was Navajo, which reflects the stories of other BIPOC veterans who have shared their experiences.

This was, by accident, the first book I've read that is set in the Pacific theater, and I'm really glad it was the first. Chester was part of several major battles over a handful of islands, but as the concentration is on his work as a code talker, I didn't get lost in the details of battle movements.

It's very interesting to read a book by a front line soldier who wasn't actively fighting. He and his partner were relaying messages and working literally non-stop (no R&R over several campaigns because they didn't have back up code talkers to take over) to keep the men moving and fighting. It's a fascinating standpoint to have.

It was also interesting to see how his Navajo beliefs always stayed with him and how he relied on them when things were tough. I really appreciate the way he shared details of ceremonies and traditions so that the reasons for them are understood.

Really good. Highly recommend. Funnily enough, late in the book, there is a single quote from Eugene Sledge (from a book he wrote; they did not know each other), and I burst out laughing.

[tgirljessilina]

New intro post (Got tired of updating the old one)

I've been updating the same pinned post for way too long and I'm bored of it, so I'm just making a new one.

Name's Judith! You can still call me Jess if you remember that pseudonym, I don't care rofl. Still a Jessilina fangirl even now but honestly I'm a bigger fan of Jessilee (Shame that they both stopped performing :{ ) I don't think I'll ever stop liking either of them, even though its been years now.

I've been on this hellsite since 2012 and I unfortunately have no plans to leave.

I've got two Pokemon now! Good Ol' Perseus the corviknight's still here, but now I've got a Solrock too! Their name's Hylia.

// ooc under the cut

All blinkies above were made on blinkies.cafe! Go check it out! (And userboxes were made by @/teamskullgruntno12 :])

Hello! @act11as here again with uh. The blog that I was not planning to make! Yeah, oops!

My rotomblr hub account is @battle-subway-aftershow!

OOC posts will be green tagged as #ooc and #moth's yapping to avoid confusion, and all triggers will be tagged as #[word] tw for convenience!

The main "gimmick" of this blog is that it's not someone's new account, but instead an account that's been around for over 10 years. Feel free to pretend to be an old follower/mutual/etc, that's part of the fun!

Mod's a minor, muse is an adult. don't be weird, or die by my blade (get mocked relentlessly)

Boundaries/Guidelines:

*ALMOST ANY kind of Pokemon Irl blog can interact! Eeby deebies, sapient pokemon, evil teams, whatever! Judith will probably humor you! She's used to rotomblr weirdness.

*Self-Insert fallers, please do not interact. I personally cannot handle these kinds of blogs. Self-insert ocs are fine, but the idea of a real person on rotomblr being isekaid into Pokémon is not.

In-Character anon hate is fine! I have the right to not answer everything however, so don't expect your ask to get answered.

I dunno just don't be a dick? That's all I really have to say lmao- of course being mean ic is fine but just like, don't go too far yknow?

Organizational tags:

[name] the [pokemon] - Easy way to find posts about one of Judith's pokemon!

Judie rambles - General posting tag

From the archive - Will likely be used in the future! Since I can't create a 10+ year long posting history, "old posts" will be under this tag!

Extras:

Mystery Gifts are open! Feel free to send stuff to Judith, she loves it (and will try to send things back if its off of anon!)

Pelipper Mail, un-mail, and Malice are off! Feel free to ask her why, she definitely has a few words about it.

Musharna mail, (sending dreams) and Musharna malice (sending nightmares) are always on! Go ahead if you want to, this is really fun!

Magic anons are off, unless specified otherwise (will likely stay off forever)

[moonstream-05]

WHAT THE FUCK THAT EPIS0DE WAS AMAZING BUT HAD ME CRYING AND SCREAMING AHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAGA

Spoilers undercut whilst I scream about it probably

- Jadis can die!!!! Rick pacing back and forth in anger was so well done

- Michonne was perfect as per usual and then the parallels of her talking to judith whilst dping consignee shit the same that Rick did to her beautiful

- Rick not being there and the letter about leaving without me had me crying for real

- Rick telling Jadis, that she left??? Rick thinking that it worked is just baffling to me? But I get it???

- Rick then being like if you loved me you would have left? Michonne slap him (I love him a lot but needs some sense knocking into him? I MEAJ COME ON RICK YOU KNOW MICHONNE???)

- Thorne trying to kill Michonne multiple times 1st time was hoping Rick would shoot her tbh and 2nd time was scared that Rick was gonna get shot in process but he was so smart for that!!!

- NEW RICK AND MICHONNE KISSING THEME OMG I LOVE IT

- Rick breaking up with Michonne had me crying??? Like I know you don't want this Rick and Michonne can see through you too!!!

- MICHONNE IS SUCH A QUEEN FOR PULLING RICK OFF THE HELICOPTER I SCARED MY POOR DOG SCREAMING FROM THAT

- THEY ARE GONNA MAKE IT OUT OF THIS THEY CAN DO ANYTHING TOGETHER!!!! JUDITH AND RJ THEY'RE COMING!!!

- So excited for next week, will Michonne reveal RJ now that they are out? Because they are technically out now!

- Also Idk whether it's just my imagination but was there an underlying menacing beat under the intro this week?

HOPE EVERYONE HAD THE SAME EMOTIONAL REACTIONS BC JFC I LOVE THEM

[mermaidsirennikita]

Hi! Do you by chance have any kind of reading list for newbies to romance who want good examples of common tropes & an understanding of how the genre has evolved over time? Or recs for iconic titles and pioneer authors in the genre? I know Nora Roberts and Danielle Steele are everywhere but are they really the best place to start?

I can offer some recs/guidance! My word definitely isn't gospel and I have my blind spots—I try to read diversely, but I can always do better and am a white, cis, physically abled woman.

Soooo in terms of Nora and Danielle, I'd say yes to trying Nora, no to her necessarily being the best START, and personally I don't care for Danielle's books. But that's a pure taste issue, and the big thing is that the vast majority of Nora's books are romance (more recently, she's been published some dystopia/fantasy-bent stuff with romantic subplots while still publishing romance, I believe, and she's been publishing her In Death series, which is romantic suspense with some sci-fi elements, for years as J.D. Robb) whereas a lot of Danielle's books aren't. The first Danielle Steel book I ever read as a kid was pitched as a romance. It wasn't, and I hated it.

Nora is very good, but I do think she can be a bit overwhelming for new readers just because she's been through so many eras. She also has a very distinct voice, and you're either gonna be into it or you aren't. Nora writes a lot of trilogies, which will sometimes offer standalones and sometimes reeeeally read as interconnected series that happen to focus more on one of three couples per book (while the other couples still stay on as strong supporting characters). See my favorite books I've read by her, the Circle Trilogy. It's paranormal romance with a strong fantasy element. While each book centers one of of three couples, the books must be read in order and all feed into this overarching "save the day" storyline.

But to cut to the chase... Here are some books that can offer you an intro "sampler".

Iconique Classiques

A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught. This medieval romance is enemies to lovers where they're LEGIT enemies to lovers, with a delightfully complicated heroine. It's a great example of Judith McNaught, who is a foundational author, and despite being written in the 80s (with all that entails) it holds up really well.

The Bride by Julie Garwood. Another foundational medieval with a "oh, this is 80s but it hjolds up" vibe. Arranged marriage with a classic medieval setup: the Border Marriage! (Scotland x England marriage for political purposes.) Alec Kincaid is an EXTREMELY influential hero, and this is just such a fun book.

Indigo by Beverly Jenkins. Beverly Jenkins isn't by any means the only author who's written historical romances about Black characters, but she's perhaps the most influential and probably the historical romance novelist wh does the most research in general. Her writing is gorgeous, and this book focused on a practical heroine who ends up in over her head after she nurses an infamously rakish Underground Railroad conductor back to health is just so romantic.

A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux. This is a really interesting romance, again very 80s but still good (imo). It focuses on a heroine in the 80s who goes to a church to cry wishing for a knight in shining armor after being abandoned by her douchey fiance. Then a literal medieval knight literally time travels right before her eyes. And he's also a douche lol. But a hot one!

Johanna Lindsey is also a very influential author in the genre, but a lot of her big CLASSICS are more noncon-leaning. A big one is Prisoner of My Desire, in which the heroine is forced to rape the hero in order to get pregnant (he later does the same to her in revenge... and then they fall in love). Kathleen E. Woodiwiss's The Flame and the Flower also features the hero raping the heroine, and it's also a classic. I won't get into it on a request post, but if you want to explore the genre more academically~ and are okay with reading noncon, I'd encourage checking out these and/or McNaught's Whitney, My Love. They're good books, imo, but the reality is that consent issues are a part of the genre's history, and that books with consent issues did and DO appeal to many romance readers for reasons that I think relate to the genre's appeal in a big way.

Kiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Susan Elizabeth Phillips did a lot to work towards the contemporary romcoms of today, except her books are often a lot more romantic and a lot funnier. This one is also generally WILD with a super dickish alpha hero who takes the heroine (who was forced to marry him by her dad) on a jaunt around the country with a TRAVELING CIRCUS. It's crazy. It's extremely fun. It's WILD.

To Love a Dark Lord by Anne Stuart. This is another historical, and to me it shows a lot of the early seeds of dark romance. You have a shady hero, a deal with the devil, and high stakes throughout. Stuart writes the biggest assholes for heroes, but this one is on the softer side for her.

Contemporary

Reel by Kennedy Ryan. Kennedy is one of the best in the biz! This book focuses on a famous director who falls for the up and coming actress he's chosen to star in his passion project. But she has a secret that could come between them. It also has a unique quality in that it goes back and forth between their story and the movie "script", which tells its own love story.

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert. The first in Hibbert's funny, feelings-y, and hot Brown Sisters trilogy. Showcases a heroine with chronic pain who decides to get a life (as the title suggests) witht he help of her hot neighbor.

Lush Money by Angelina M. Lopez. A super unique billionaire romance with a Latina heroine who is in fact the billionaire, making a very unique deal with a prince in need...

How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang. A successful author sets out to have her books adapted into a TV show, only to find out that one of the writers on the show is a man who was pulled into her sister's suicide when they were teens. (Basically: her sister jumped in front of his car, it was by no means his fault but the heroine and her parents hated him for it.) They can't resist their chemistry as adults, and begin a short-term no-strings thing that obviously... is a lot more. SUPER emotional, super hot, would recommend 100000%. READ THIS OVER EMILY HENRY. IMO.

Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid. A great way to try sports romance, and a particular niche of sports romance called hockey romance, and a particular niche of hockey romance called GAY hockey romance. One of the only hockey romances I'm into, about a pair of longtime rivals who've secretly had a FWB situationship for years and are clearly in love but can't handle admitting it. SO. GOOD.

Chef's Choice by T.J. Alexander. A classic fake dating setup with a lot of cooking when a down on her luck woman agrees to pretend to date the French heir to a famous cooking family while he takes on a cooking... challenge...? To lock in his inheritance. A book with a trans hero and a trans heroine, rare (unfortunately) in romance.

Managed by Kristen Callihan. This is a great example of a rockstar romance, albeit one that focuses more on the manager of the band who's sooo uptight, and the social media girl/photographer he can't live without.

Lead by Kylie Scott. And if you want a rockstar romance that's about, well, the rockstar side... Here's a book about a recovering addict frontman whose world is turned upside down when his hard-ass assistant/sober living companion/unintentional best friend quits her job (because she just realized that somehow she's fallen in love with him).

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. A woman on the spectrum who's convinced that she's bad in bed (and wants to get married to please her family) hires a sex worker to get her out of her funk. Definitely recommend!

Historical

Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas. This is the prequel to Kleypas's Wallflowers series. By and large, I generally recommend trying to read older editions of Lisa's earlier books—she's been making a lot of edits since 2015ish that I don't... love.... I haven't heard of any edits being made to this one, though, and she's one of the greatest historical romance authors of all time. This is a dual romance, with a second chance/revenge interclass romance as the main story, with an age gap sort of redemption romance in the second story. Both are excellent.

Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt. Hoyt's entire Maiden Lane series is sooo good, but if you're going to read one book by her, go for the one with the virgin vigilante hero who finds love with a jaded society widow.

The Duke Gets Even by Joanna Shupe. This is a standalone that's even better when you read the prior books in its series first. However, I think it's a great sendup of historical romance tropes—you get a rakish heroine, a hero who likes some rough sex (giving AND receiving bites and bruises) and a lot of HIGH OCTANE EMOTION with a feminist streak.

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall. A friends to lovers romance between a PTSD-ridden duke and a woman who, unbeknownst to him, is his best friend from before the war, who faked her death after the Battle of Waterloo in order to live as her true self. A rare historical romance with a trans heroine.

The Dragon and The Pearl by Jeannie Lin. A cat and mouse villain/kidnapping romance set in Tang Dynasty China. Super tense in the best possible way.

An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera. A sapphic romance set in 1800s Paris, with one heroine being forced to show the other the secrets of the lesbian art community as a part of a business deal.

Princess by Gaelen Foley. To me, this is a great example of CAMPY 90s bodice ripper vibes in the best possible way. A bodyguard! A princess! An age gap! It can't be! She lactates when he sucks on her tits (she's a virgin).

The Mistress Experience by Scarlett Peckham. A sex work-positive romance with a shy hero and a bold heroine, a super modern and exciting look at historicals.

Devil's Bride by Stephanie Laurens. This is one I would definitely recommend to see a throwback—it's a great example of the campy historicals focused on one big family, with a solid dose of humor. And I mean... you kind of need to read a book with a hero named Devil.

Unmasked by the Marquess by Cat Sebastian. A super lovely friends to lovers romance with a nonbinary protagonist. It definitely broke new ground in historical romance.

Waking Up with the Duke by Lorraine Heath. Lorraine is one of the best historical romance writers in the game and is known for turning bonkers plots (in this case, local man agrees to impregnate his impotent best friend's wife) into suuuuuuper emotional love stories. A must-read.

Paranormal Romance

Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh. A really interesting, influential shifter romance with a heroine who's literally incapable of feeling emotion... falling for a hero who's a literal panther shifter that feels ALL the emotion.

A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole. A CLASSIC paranormal romance and the first full-length installment of Immortals After Dark, the best PNR series I've ever read. Very classic hyper alpha werewolf book, with the "feminine but headstrong" heroine type Kresley's so good at. I would also make your way to Lothaire, which is later in the series but probably the BEST vampire romance novel I've ever read. A true example of a villain romance, which can be hard to find.

Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison. Another Big Alpha romance with mating bond stuff, this time featuring a dragon shifter who hunts the heroine down after she steals from him.

Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. Nascosta. Not MY favorite book, but it's cute, and if you want an example of the modern "soft monster" romance, this... is it. (Run, Run Rabbit is my Nascosta of choice, but it's definitely a darker bite and feels a bit less "monster romance" to me as the leads are werewolves. To me, a monster should be less... humanoid.)

Bride by Ali Hazelwood. I really liked this, but I also think it's good to read to see the contrast between currently lite paranormals and paranormals from the height of the early 2000s wave. Plus, it's a tradpub book with knotting, which... shows how far we've come lmao

Moonglow by Kristen Callihan. Another KCallihan, but she writes across so many subgenres! This one I'm recommending to illustrate a particular niche we don't get enough of—historical paranormals. A werewolf/witch book set in Victorian London? And he's a Scottish rake? HELL YEAH.

A Long Time Dead by Samara Breger. A recent release that offers more gothic approach, with a romance between sapphic vampires spanning centuries. You can totally see an Interview with the Vampire call and response thing going on, but as a true romance novel with more explicit queerness (referring to the Interview book, not the show).

Erotic Romance

Priest by Sierra Simone. Good for dipping your toes into the Sierra Simone waters, a very classic "taboo" (but the taboo is religious, so it's light for a lot of people) romance between a Catholic priest and a woman seeking to unburden herself. With unique usages for holy oils. For Simone, I'll also recommend..............

The New Camelot Trilogy. This is for people who are ready to expand a bit and explore poly romance—I personally don't think anyone writes poly as well as Simone. An MMF triad retelling of the King Arthur myth, with the president, vice president, and first lady in a tangled, semi-dark-but-more-emotionally-speaking-not-violently-speaking triangle. Her writing is MAGNIFIQUE.

Praise by Sara Cate. Sara Cate is hit or miss for me, but this one is a great way to try her out while getting a good example of a "sex club" romance. The heroine ends up in a light D/s relationship with her ex-boyfriend's dad, with a good bit of praise involved. ;)

The Master by Kresley Cole. Another author who has to be featured multiple times due to her expansiveness. This one is a Russian mafia book that involves some truuuuuuly interesting... devices. But also, a lot of heart, as Kresley Cole is so good at making everything work. An interesting contrast to Lothaire, which I maintain is the paranormal version of this book in a lot of ways.

Mafia Mistress by Mila Finelli. A great example of an Italian mafia romance, with a massive age gap and some daddy stuff. I will also say—it does end on a cliffhanger and you need to read Mafia Darling to get the full story. Mafia Madman is actually my favorite in this series and is about a different couple, but they're ALL super good.

His Valet by S.M. LaViolette. A historical erotic romance with boss/employee stuff, secret identity stuff, a great grovel, and a nonbinary protagonist. Gorgeously written, daring, and a must.

Preferential Treatment by Heather Guerre. A billionaire romance that critiques the very concept of billionaires, and a great example of a soft femdom romance.

Act Your Age by Eve Dangerfield. An interesting and again self-analytical daddy age gap romance.

Fantasy Romance

A Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla Vane. An amazing barbarian-type romance with a big fantasy world and a ton of heat and swoony passion. A must!

The Witch Collector by Charissa Weaks. I just think this series is everything people tell you ACOTAR is, and I would absolutely recommend for multiple great romances (m/f and m/m), complex characters, and amazing dynamics throughout.

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco. This kicks off Maniscalco's Kingdom of the Wicked series, with witchcraft, demons, and more. This series began with a YA tone (the heroine was never underage, though) but in the second book Maniscalco transitioned to a fully adult sphere (and content...). You could also begin with the "adult from the start" spinoff Throne of the Fallen, it's up to you.

The Wisteria Society for Lady Scoundrels by India Holton. A whimsical and super romantic book kicking off a series with thieves, flying pirates, witches, and a ton of humor with a historical romance bent.

The Winter King by C.L. Wilson. Another high fantasy type romance with a conquering winter king marrying a summer princess in a true-making arrangement. Ice sculptures, war, and enemies to lovers goodness ensues.

Aaaand I don't read a lot of alien/sci-fi romance, but I'd definitely say that everyone should give Ruby Dixon's Ice Planet Barbarians series a try for the culture! Barbarian's Mate is my favorite, but Barbarian Alien might be a good place for newbies to start.

[bharv]

ooooh say more about biblical art... i am fascinated by the premise of that one but know very little about the subject!

So I am very much a novice in this area but the lead of that story, Margaret, is not - she is studying for an MPhil in Theogy with a specific interest in shifting symbolism in key women in the bible in the changing societal roles of artists in the 16th and into the 17th century.

What I do know is that for a while the patronage of artists and their success was entirely bound to the church. Most successful European artists would develop their masterpiece on attachment to a significant church or monastery, often with noble patronage, for the right to be seen as an artist (if you want an excellent intro to this concept please play Pentiment, it’s so rad) and therefore most paintings were depictions of religious settings. Religious paintings also allowed artists to portray things that might otherwise be seen as taboo my hiding it in the more salacious stories from the Old Testament.

One of my favourite artists is Gentileschi, who poured her own personal traumas and rage into her work. Her depictions of Jael, Judith, and Salome are visceral and powerful and full of anger, reflecting her own feelings towards the patriarchal powers that punished her. She took figures who were often symbols of trusting in God’s will or the wanton destruction of women’s desire and made them wildly passionate and violent and real.

Anyway. As I said, I’m no expert, but I am enjoying writing a woman of faith who is reckoning with that draw to the power of paintings like that, who bonds with a person who wants to place her on display and sees her as much as a symbol of something as the patrons of those paintings.