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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 8h

I didn't follow the prompt at all this week, friends.

As rational as Bree was most of the time, she wished her practicality
extended to love. But she’d never gotten in over her head, never let any
stomach butterflies lead her astray, because when she’d been fourteen,
she and Sam had been laughing together in the sad excuse for a park
near his grandma’s house when she’d known: I will love you and only you
forever. It didn’t help that her next thought had been, Nooooooo. It didn’t
help that she was a deeply rational person who didn’t believe in fate or
destiny. Nothing had ever been as sure to her as the moment when she’dlooked into Sam’s too-skinny face and known that she loved him. Next to that, everything else felt incompletely sketched. Sam had that effect on things, soaking up all the light. Like a black hole.

Which was unfair—she knew she was being unfair—but she did
resent him as well as love him.

Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

I really do appreciate bits where the characters are just so steamed to be attracted to each other: that is my jam. #FridayFling

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Today's #FridayFling prompt word is "world," and Cal isn't lusting here. Nope, not at all.

"Hmm." Jess leaned closer to the painting, examining it again.
Her intense focus, the way she was biting her lower lip as she concentrated--it wasn't the worst look in the world, at least if preppy assistant professors were your type.
Thank God Cal wasn't susceptible to that at all.

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I just so happen to have this on my shelves

A paperback of Profiles in Courage, compiled by JFK. The colors and fonts match perfectly

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

So I just grabbed another copy of Flowers from the Storm (can you have enough?), and these both have 1992 on the copyright page. Does anyone know what the deal is?

Two copies of Laura Kinsale's Flowers from the Storm. The copy on the left features a white guy with long hair whose shirt is falling off. He's also holding a bouquet of wildflowers. The copy on the right features a tree whose branches arch over a country house in the distance. They have very different vibes

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Today's #FridayFling prompt was "grounds," and I'm fudging a bit and going with ground so that I can give you the opening of Bold Moves.

The doorman wasn’t impressed. “You gotta understand, lots of guys show up here looking for Scarlett. She’s one of those femmes fatales.” Jaime Croft was familiar with Scarlett Arbuthnot’s power. Seventeen years ago, back in their hometown of Musgrove, Virginia, she’d felled Jaime with a look. It had been like something out of a rom-com she would’ve mocked. But unlike in the movies, when she’d had him in her thrall, she’d ground his heart to bits. Look, heartbreak was bad enough, but most of the time, you could lick your wounds and forget. Forgetting hadn’t been an option here.

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

well, I had a few examples of today's #FridayFling prompt word, lol

Her shriek merely ricocheted around her body,
making friends with the fear and the acceptance that were
already there.
This was how she was going to die.

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

For today's #FridayFling, you get a passage with "bloom," and not the prompt word for this week, which is actually "flower."

Those were all champagne problems, of course. Her belly
was full, and her bank account could carry her for months,
and she was going to salvage her career. But each time the
universe said no, another pillar of her identity cracked, until
only ruins remained.
Who were you if the seeds you’d spent your life planting
never bloomed?

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Today's #FridayFling prompt word was "disaster," and I'm excited to have a selection that involves a single sentence from You, Me, & the Conspiracy.

Following wherever poetry led seemed like a recipe for disaster.

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

So today's @FridayFling prompt was "present," and you get a tiny snippet of the book I wrote this summer, the book I'm calling Conspiracy 2.

But the stories that we tell ourselves, the ones that guide us through the wilderness and mold our personalities, aren’t always rational. They’re myths.

Sitting in this dark living room with Grant, drinking champagne and floating in a moment that wasn’t the past and wasn’t the present and that might hint at a future she could reach for if she was brave enough, Sylvie realized where one of her central foundational beliefs about herself had come from, and how it had led her wrong.

#FridayFling

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Are you free on Saturday for an hour? Do you want to come hang out with Olivia Dade, Liana De la Rosa, and me? Of course do you!!

Pictures of Olivia Dade, Liana de la Rosa, and Emma Barry, along with the covers of their books: World's Okayest Oracle Reluctantly Seeks Demon, Mutual Discord, and You, Me, & the Conspiracy. The text reads:

Come chat with us!
Saturday, August 22
2 p.m. ET
Love's Sweet Arrow's YouTube Live

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

It’s Stuff Your Kindle day! Just visit RomanceBookworms.com, and take a gander of what’s on offer. I’ve made The One You Hate–the third book in my Political Persuasions series–free for the next few days. So if you’ve never read that one, you can grab it at the ideal price: nothing.

The graphic shows an ereader and several artful splotches of paint. The text reads:

Stuff Your Kindle Day!

Check out over 1,300 free e-books now! RomanceBookworms.com. One day only: August 10, 2026

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

If you're having trouble picturing what Jess found, no worries! I actually made it, and there's a picture. And this isn't a spoiler; it's from the first scene in the book, which was also the first scene I wrote and was the seed out of which I grew the entire thing.

a photo of an 18 by 18 hand-drawn grid filled with letters. it's leaning against a copy of You, Me, & the Conspiracy

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

I once again knew exactly what passage from You, Me, & the Conspiracy I was going to use.

Jess carefully rotated the paper. Some of the letters were
at 90-degree angles, others at 180 degrees, to the rest. It
looked—intentional. Not like lettering practice or scribbles.
She lifted the paper up to the light, and the pattern of the
mold it had been handmade on glowed. Laid paper.
After considering the scrap from every angle, every side
down, Jess turned it over, and on the back, in faint pencil,
were the words Ortu Solis.

#FridayFling

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

and here's the key paragraph. the third finding in particular validates our assumptions, I think

In this paper, we leverage a novel new survey to gain insight into the reasons why voters who otherwise participate might sit out primary contests. In doing so, we test three distinct theories that have been used to explain turnout but, to our knowledge, have never been empirically evaluated in the context of primary elections: the calculus of voting in these contests, the social norms associated with participation, and the willingness to defer to those who know more or care more about the races. First, we posit that, in comparison to general elections for seats in the House of Representatives, U.S. citizens view the stakes as lower and the participatory costs as higher in primary elections for those same seats, which reduces the inclination to turn out. Second, we assert that the social norms associated with voting are weaker in primary contests, meaning that it is more socially acceptable to abstain. Additionally, many voters maintain restrictive expectations about who should participate in intra-party contests that they do not hold for inter-party contests. Third, given the greater informational burdens associated with primary contests, some voters may be more willing to defer to others who they think know or care more about the race. Together, these theories may explain at least part of the drop-off in participation from general to primary elections.

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

so I knew *exactly* which passage I was going to use. this is kind of the inciting incident for the entire book, so not really a spoiler

But when she turned another page, Jess discovered a
piece of scrap paper covered with gibberish characters.
It wasn’t as if a chill went down her spine. There was no
golden light or angel choirs. Nothing changed in the room
at all.
But something changed in Jess. It was like pushing your
hand through the back of the wardrobe and feeling snow.
Interesting.

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

These pictures don't do it justice. This tomato garden was magic

Some of the tomatoes with the Loire Valley in the distance

A bed of dirt being prepared for more tomatoes

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Yup, I'm sure your sons loved the 69 scene, AI bot

Emma, I have to tell you, my sons read your book Funny Guy and they are completely entertained by it!

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

I live near the border of Virginia and North Carolina, and we're currently getting the wildfire smoke haze.

Large trees with the sun visible through them. It appears to be foggy, but the dog is actually smoke

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Today's #FridayFling prompt was jaw, so let's take a moment to appreciate Cal's (through Jess). If you're ever stuck in a mini Winnebago along with a historian you don't know on the trail of a murderous conspiracy, I do hope he'll have a great jawline.

He didn’t look up when she came
in, which gave her a second to admire the fall of his brown
hair across his forehead, the way his forearms flexed as he
worked, and the stubble that was becoming a beard along his
jawline. He’d decided to forgo shaving to add to his disguise,
and it was working for her.
Everything about him worked for her.
#FridayFling

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

I finally got to wear my new earrings from @peculiarityshop.bsky.social, and they're amazing.

Emma, a white woman with long brown hair, wearing a great pair of turquoise earrings

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

This is more spoiler-y than what I usually post...but it's from one of my favorite scenes in the book.

"Jess and I are not together." One fake make-out session and one accidental ass groping did not a relationship make.

Ellis gave Cal a skeptical look. "Are you sure?"

"That's not something I'd be confused about."

#FridayFling

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

I laughed so hard. The book scammers are getting **lazy.**

Screenshot of an email that reads:

Hello,

Your transformational memoir and self-development book, About Your Book and Yourself, has successfully completed our quarterly editorial evaluation at Bookish Corner. Following our review, your work has been selected for a featured spotlight on KALW FM.

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

It's good to have someone to shout at, lol. You'll enjoy this: the middle of the house is load bearing, and so we have side by side staircases that can't be combined into one

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Me, this morning: the fall should be really manageable. I should have much better balance than I did last year. Fate, hearing my hubris:

Jason Momoa sneaking up on Henry Cavill on the red carpet with the seeming intent of tackling him.

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Today's #FridayFling prompt is concern. I had an appropriate passage for that...

What Cal felt when he looked at Jess, her attention out the
window on the dark garage, worrying her lip between her
teeth and trying so hard to keep it together, was sympathy
and concern. Just concern.

#FridayFling

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Quote with a fictional band that is not Spinal Tap

A screenshot of the Wonders--plus their manager--from That Thing You Do!

they're wearing suits over white turtlenecks, it's very 60s, and standing on a record that reads, "Playtone." there's a blue curtain behind them.

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Six months from now, guess what's coming out? In case I hadn't mentioned it lately, YOU, ME, & THE CONSPIRACY will drop on November 10, 2026.

The number 6 with the cover for You, Me, & the Conspiracy in it (this features a white man and a white woman walking through a library holding a map and gazing at each other). Below that, text reads, "You, Me, & the Conspiracy releases on November 10, 2026. Available for preorder now."

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

If you like small town romance with summer vibes + chickens, you want Chick Magnet. Or you know, go hog wild and get all three. The audiobooks are also INCREDIBLE, and I highly recommend adding those on too.

The cover of Chick Magnet by Emma Barry. it features a good looking white man who forgot his shirt. there are two chickens over his shoulder. the flags on the side read backyard chickens, a vet who f*cks, neighbors to lovers, and summer vibes. the text on the bottom reads $1.99 until May 31.

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

If you like friends to lovers with a metric ton of pining, you want Funny Guy.

The cover of Funny Guy by Emma Barry, which features a good look white man sitting in front of a microphone with the skyline of New York City behind him. the flags on the side read childhood BFFs, he's a chaos Muppet, she's an order Muppet, and on tiny NYC apartment. the text on the bottom of the image reads $1.99 until May 31.

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

I have some books on sale this month!! In May, North American readers can get the eBooks of Bold Moves, Funny Guy, and Chick Magnet on sale at the 'zon. If you like angsty, high heat second chance romance, you want Bold Moves.

the cover of Bold Moves by Emma Barry, which features a chess board. the king and queen pieces are casting the shadows of a man and a woman. on the side are flags that read writing with your ex, small-town homecoming, she's a grandmaster, and finding peace with the past. on the bottom of the image, it reads, $2.49 until May 31.

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Yeah, I totally believe that Book of the Month uses Gmail.

a screenshot of an email address. The display name is Book Of the Month, and the email address is bookofdmonth@gmail.com. sure.

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Today's #FridayFling is march, but I'm going to guess that @jessiemihalik.com wasn't planning on an Amy March allusion.

The problems that Jess had struggled with a week ago, the grading and the research and the worries about tenure, seemed silly and ephemeral. She'd been Amy March, worrying about how she would pay for pickled limes. #FridayFling

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

Today's #FridayFling prompt is whisper. I can assure you that Cal is correct here, and in YOU, ME, & THE CONSPIRACY, treasure does turn out to be forever.

"If I really wanted to prove my theory, that's what I'd need to find. Documents can be faked, and rumors whispered into being. But treasure is forever."

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

If you're in North America, you can get the eBook of Bad Reputation for just $1.99 this month on the 'zon!!

For a sweet himbo actor looking for a career reset and a high school drama teacher turned intimacy coordinator on the set of a steamy historical romance show, falling in love would ruin everything. On sale for $1.99 until April 30, Bad Reputation by Emma Barry.

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

it's that time again: the B&N members only preorder sale!!

An ereader, a phone with an audiobook, and a paperback, all displaying the cover of You, Me, & the Conspiracy by Emma Barry. The book cover has a white couple walking through a library holding a map. the light pouring around them is vaguely in the shape of Washington's silhouette.

the text below reads B&N members only sale, March 24 - 26 get 25% off with the code PREORDER25.

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

For today's #FridayFling, a snippet from You, Me, & the Conspiracy in which Cal is definitely not fascinated by Jess. Not even a little bit.

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

the turnout rates for midterms and local elections are SO depressing. this chart fascinates me, though!

a chart showing voter turnout rates over time (from 1789 through 2020), for both presidential and midterm elections. rates are sub 40% from the beginning to about 1840. then they spike into the 80% range. they drop after 1900 and stabilize in the 40 - 60% range today.

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Uh-huh. A human absolutely wrote this.

the first paragraph of an email that was definitely written by a human: i hope this message finds you well and that your writing and creative projects continue to flourish. my name is zara grace thompson, and i am reaching out on behalf of the boxall 1001 books before you die reading community—an active, engaged group of over 3,000 readers who are passionate about exploring meaningful, thought-provoking, and entertaining stories. our members are dedicated readers who enjoy discussing plot developments, analyzing character motivations, and reflecting on the larger themes and messages within a book, creating a vibrant environment for genuine engagement.

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

this bit doesn't have the word peasant in it, but it's about FEELING like a peasant.

“Anyhow, I mean, I guess I liked those summers on the Cape and the trips to Killington. Except there’s a kind of belonging where, if you don’t have it, you never will. And my extended ‘family’ made it clear that I never would.”

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 01/03/2026

So I have an early 20th century edition of Byron, and I took a photo of a long footnote re the letters publication history. I wonder if you could find the 1830 Byron biography online (Project Gutenberg?) and see what's in it

Copyright page for the best of Byron, edited by Richard Ashley Rice, 1933

The footnote about the letters. It says that a large part of the Byron correspondence was published in the life and works published in 1830

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Emma Barry @authoremmabarry.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Y'all, I have been waiting impatiently for a week to share this cover with you. And at long last, I can reveal the gorgeous cover for You, Me, and the Conspiracy to the world.

On a field of stars are the words cover reveal and the book cover for You, Me, and the Conspiracy by Emma Barry. It features library shelves on either side of a couple. There's a white woman with brown hair holding a map. Next to her is a white man with a leather messenger bag. They're looking at each other adoringly. The light pouring around them resembles the silhouette of George Washington.

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