iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

The revisions are finished - and for the first time in years, I did them in only one color (but only because my nice turquoise gel pen is running out of ink, and my other turquoise pen isn't writing as nicely).

A picture of Sandy's desk with two character portraits of her main characters, Maius - the sunshiny military doctor - and Caomh - the grumpy red-haired gladiator. The print-out of the manuscript of Saturnalia Gifts is lying over the portraits and you can see handwritten notes in red among the text.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

It's my 10-year caravan-iversary with Miss Hetty!!!

A sunny picture of the back of a small caravan with a small sun shade. The caravan is overshadowed by a tree on its right, and there is a hedge on the left, including a blooming pink rhododendron bush. A comfy camping chair invites you to sit down in the shade and enjoy the day. The photo is overlaid by text which says, "Happy gotcha day!"

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Do you like grumpy / sunshine and are you looking for a nice weekend read? Then check out my historical romance The Gladiator's Passion, currently on sale for USD 2.99! (Also includes grumpy cat and very smol dog.) buy.bookfunnel.com/wwxh5o1y9h

Book trope image for Sandra Schwab's m/m romance The Gladiator's Passion: In the middle is the book cover which depicts a young man with red hair and freckles, wearing very few clothes. The cover is surrounded by text: HEA, Roman antiquity, seduction via board game, kissing against doors, grumpy / sunshine, It's just sex, right?!

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Today's #FridayFling prompt is "temple", and I thought I'd give you another snippet from the WIP. Enjoy! 😊 #HistoricalRomance #MMRomance

The image shows a snippet of text from Sandra's Saturnalia Gifts:

Maius turned towards the small Temple of the Matrones, the local mother deities. He gave the old priestess who welcomed him a jug of honeyed wine as an offering to the goddesses, then stood with his head bowed, sending a prayer to the trinity. I beg of you, grant me wisdom in this case.

Unbidden, the sight of Caomh’s face after he had given him the ring intruded on his thoughts. The memory was enough to make his stomach cramp.

Biting his lip, he added, And please, give me tact and patience to weather whatever might come.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Are you a subscriber of my newsletter? Then check out your inbox! A new mail went out today - with Miss Hetty pictures! 😊

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

When you're trying to have an earnest conversation with your cat, but she is more interested in hogging the bed... 😂 For today's #FridayFling, a snippet from my WIP. Yes, we're back in Roman antiquity!!! 😊

A teaser image with text: With a sigh, Maius put the gladiator figurine back on the shelf, then turned to the bed. “Gift giving is not easy when your lover is as prickly as a hedgehog,” he told his cat. - “Rrrreh,” Mafdet said, rolling from one side to the other.

Below the text is a line drawing of the head of a grumpy-looking cat.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

When you're melting in a heatwave (with temperatures well beyond 40°C / 104°F and no A/C), but your story is set in the middle of an icy cold winter... #WeekendSnippets

On a background of dark wood stands a little Roman-style oil lamp. This background is overlaid by text which reads: Winter brought icy rain to Traiana, and bitingly cold winds whistled through the streets of the city. Why, even the River Rhenus was covered by sheets of ice that drifted languidly along the water, filling the air with ominous crackling and a deep, grating sound.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

The Gladiator's Passion is on sale for USD 2.99 for the summer! If you like historical romances with unusual settings, grumpy / sunshine, moody cats, and itty-bitty dogs, then this book is for you! 😊 buy.bookfunnel.com/qzyg52t44f

Promo image for Gladiator's Passion with the cover image in the middle. It shows a young, freckled man with red hair and something that resembles gladiatorial armor. To the left of the cover is a list with tropes: Roman antiquity, a grumpy gladiator, a sunshiny military doctor, seduction via boardgame, it's just sex, right? Right?!?!?, passionate kissing against doors. To the right of the cover is a snippet from a Kobo review: "The author's research draws you into her stories, then her wonderful characters and storylines completely steal your heat."

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

Who's got her newsletter back up and running? THIS WOMAN RIGHT HERE! WHEEEE!!!!! If you are a subscriber, check your inbox! 😊 Next up: Getting my sign-up links functioning again. 💪🏻

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

On the bright side: Once I manage to get my newsletter back up, I'll have a little goodie to share with my subscribers... 😊

Teaser image for Passion of a Winter Morning, showing the book cover and a teaser quote from the story. The book cover shows a young man with blond hair and spectacles against a wintry background. The teaser text reads: John wanted Alfie's lips back on his skin, even though they were driving him out of his mind with lust. Especially because they were driving him out of his mind with lust. He was determined to goad his oak tree into kissing him some more. The sensation of that delightful man seducing him... He wanted more of it, the snow and the cold be damned.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

These people are just beyond ridiculous. I've just left this comment:

Screenshot of Sandy's comment on the Deccaclassics Instagram post: Oh. So you've now deleted the slide where you posted the wrong portrait for Fanny Hensel AND deleted all the critical comments, too? This is not the way to handle something like this.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

Die Caption wurde inzwischen angepasst und durch einen Hinweis in Klammern ergänzt, aber ohne dass diese Anpassung als solche kenntlich gemacht wurde.

Screenshot einer Teil der ZDF heute Caption auf IG: "Landes gab es Luftalarm, um vor anfliegenden Raketen und Geschossen zu warnen. Sirenen heulten im Großraum Tel Aviv, in Jerusalem, in Samaria (Israels Bezeichnung für einen Teil des besetzten Westjordanlands) und im Negev, wie die Nachrichtenseite Ynet berichtete. Auch aus dem Norden Israels wurde Luftalarm gemeldet."
Die Anpassung "(Israels Bezeichnung für einen Teil des besetzten Westjordanlands)" ist im Screenshot gelb hervorgehoben.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

I mean, look how cute this thing is!!! (You might have to click on the pic to see the whole stick)

A picture of the top part of a wooden walking stick. The top bit is shaped like a marmot.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

I had a little meltdown last night, so this morning I told myself that enough is enough and who cares if my flat is a mess?, and then sat down and did some writerly stuff for the first time in.... I don't know how many weeks. VERY satisfying!!!

A bird's eye view of the first page of the print-out of Sandy's story Passion of a Winter Morning. Two pages are printed on one sheet of paper, and the margins have been filled with handwritten notes and corrections in red. The red pen lies to the left of the manuscript, and a tall mug with black tea stands on the manuscript itself. On the mug is an illustration of a sitting pink cat.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

#FridayFling - When you are trying to convince your cat that your are TOTALLY not going to the city to meet your lover. No, absolutely not! From my #HistoricalRomance The Gladiator's Passion, in which a kind-hearted military doctor meets a prickly gladiator (and also acquires a very grumpy cat).

Teaser image for The Gladiator's Passion with a text box, the cover image (showing a young red-haired man wearing gladiatorial armor of sorts), and an illustration of the head of a grumpy cat in one corner. The quote in the text box reads: This time, Maius managed to stay away for only one week. “It’s not that I want to see the gladiator again,” he told his cat. Absentmindedly, he rubbed over the half-healed scratch she had left on this back of his hand. Again. “I also have things to discuss with Philyssam.” Mafdet blinked and didn’t look convinced. Ye Gods, he couldn’t even convice a cat! “Questions to ask about the scroll he lent me last week,” Maius said firmly.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

And doing research onsite? BLISS!!! (Especially if there is good food!)

A picture of the main gate of the Saalburg, a reconstructed Roman auxiliary fort. In the foreground is a stone on which sits a rubber duckie dressed like a Roman centurion.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

And I love my primary resources (especially my Victorian magazines!!!)

An open volume of Punch, the Victorian magazine, resting on a large book pillow.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

I love the research books I use for the background research for my stories.

The picture shows a close-up of one of Sandy's bookshelves, with a very fat book about the Colonia Ulpia Traiana sticking out of the neat row of books. On the cover of the book is a map of the Roman city, with the amphitheatre clearly recognizable in the right bottom corner.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

I sometimes put together maps of the houses and gardens in my stories:

A bird's eye view of Sandy's desk with a Shire Library book about garden buildings. Most of the book is covered by a sheet of paper which shows a handdrawn map of a country estate with a house in the middle and the gardens full of garden follies.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

Today, my parents brought my new doggie brother home - and I spent the afternoon and evening dashing after him, alternating between wiping up pee where he has marked his new home (he hasn't been castrated) and consoling him when he was crying.

A little brown and white doggie stands on grass, looking up at the camera.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

My Mom just sent me this picture - the doggie brother is on his way home!!!! Wheeee!

Picture taken in the backseat of a car. You can see a person's jeans-clad leg with the hem of a red sweater. A brown and white doggie with plushy ears is resting his head on the knee.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

A preview of the doggie cuteness to come. 😊

A little brown and white doggie with floppy ears lies snuggled up among blankets and small pillows

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 11/01/2026

@vidao.bsky.social @growlycub.bsky.social I hope you two are well! 🧡 I'm afraid I won't be able to make it to the watch-along today because we're busy with some last-minute stuff to prepare for the arrival of our new doggie.

A little brown and caramel-colored doggie is held on the arm of a woman clad in a black winter coat, with a snowy street in the background. The doggie has very big eyes, and his tongue sticks out a little bit.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

Thank you so much for checking in on me. 🧡 Apart from having had a menstruation related bloodbath accident at the office today, I'm not too bad: I'm tentatively optimistic that my energy levels are getting better. Yay! 😊 And my parents will get a new doggie in about 10 days' time, so that's exciting

Picture shows a small, cute caramel-colored doggie with longish hair on the arm of a woman who wears a black winter coat. The street in the background is covered with snow.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

Oh, and I tend to pick up all kinds of different crafts along the way. At the moment, I'm dipping my toes into pink eraser art.

Picture of a small sketchbook. On the open page, a koi pond scene has been printed in three rectangles, with water lily leaves and several koi fish.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 26/12/2025

My new doggie brother (he will come and live with my parents in late January)

Picture shows an extremely cute small doggie with light brown and white fur and slightly floppy ears.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

My Friday lunch-break art: eraser stamps with pens. I'm really happy with how it turned out. 😊

The picture shows a small open notebook lying on a white table. On the open page is a picture of a koi pond. The picture consists of three panels, each of them with dark blue water, water lilies, and some koi fish.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

#RomancePianists A couple of days ago I started to work on Drei Nüsse für Aschenbrödel by Karel Svoboda! It's the theme song of a Czech / German TV adaptation of Cinderella from 1973. Here in Germany, the film has become a cult Christmas classic.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

#RomancePianists - Something energetic for Wednesday: Robert Schumann, "Kleiner Morgenwanderer" from Album für die Jugend (Album for the Youth). Enjoy! #ClassicalMusic #PianoMusic #RobertSchumann

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

My desk when I arrived at the office this morning. 😊

An office desk with a keyboard and a monitor and some office knick-knack. Keyboard and desk are covered with golden confetti and streamers, and over the desk, there's felt bunting with the words "Happy birthday". On the desk, there are also two little figurines of temple dancers, wearing red and golden clothes and each of them carrying a chocolate bar.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

"Oh my gosh, she even decorated the foam kisses!!!" 😁

Picture shows a plate with small foam kisses on a kitchen counter. The foam kisses come in three colors: dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, and some of them have little sugary spiders stuck to them, and several of the white foam kisses have little black eyes and look like mini ghosts.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

The little ghost who haunts the back window of the house.

A sugar figure of a ghost stuck to an orange window. You can just see half of another grinning chocolate pumpkin.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

I've just noticed that I haven't yet posted pics of the Halloweeny birthday cakes I took to the office today. How remiss of me! Let's start with the loaf cake!

Loaf cake on a blue cake plate on a kitchen counter. The cake is covered in a dark chocolate glaze with Halloweeny sprinkles - think little pumpkins, bats, golden dots, and purple sugar balls - and plastered against one end of the cake is a little ghost made from sugar. Three chocolate figures on toothsticks are sticking in the cake: two orange pumpkins and a black cat.

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 19/10/2025

Finished decorations of the early birthday cake. Tried out some new Halloween-themed sprinkles with itty bitty pumpkins and itty bitty bats. LOVE them!

Bird's-eye view of the finished round cake glazed with dark chocolate and sprinkles in black, orange, purple, and gold around the rim. It sits on a crumpled sheet of parchment paper splashed with chocolate glaze

Close-up of the edge of the cake with two pumpkin sprinkles and little golden dots, and sugary balls in light purple

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 12/10/2025

#JoyScrolling An arrangement of the Chinese folk song "Running Horse Mountain" played on my Michelsonne #ToyPiano

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 31/08/2025

And thirdly, Morning Song by Huang Huwei, which I'm starting in the wrong key 🥳

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 31/08/2025

Mel Bonis, Gai Printemps (I'll probably play this one)

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Sandra Schwab @scribblingsandy.bsky.social · 31/08/2025

When you're trying to decide which piece to play at the weekly Zoom concert thingie, but your fingers are all over the place today... 😭 Schumann, Kleiner Morgenwanderer

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