So the big news is that Romancing the Vote–a charity auction to support voting rights–is back, babes!
I have two items up for bid. First, an annotated advanced reader copy of You, Me, & the Conspiracy. It’s sitting next to me as I write this post, and you can check it out here. I’ve filled it with notes, explanations, digressions, playlists, coded messages, and also CLUES. Yes, I’ve provided all the things I thought you might look up while you read, so you can investigate the trail of the conspiracy along with Jess and Cal. It is precisely the way I wish everyone could experience the book, if only my publisher would agree. And if you win, you’ll get to read the book FOUR MONTHS EARLY.
The second item is a group project: a gorgeous special edition of Diana Wynne Jones’s romantic fantasy novel Howl’s Moving Castle crusted with marginalia by Rose Lerner, Lish McBride, Sarah Wendell, Alexandra Vasti, Candy Tan, Olivia Waite, and, um, me. You can get a sneak peek here, but you should know the pictures don’t do the book justice. I had it about halfway through its travels, and the comments, jokes, questions, discussions, and annotations are CHARMING. This one will likely go for a lot, and it will be worth every penny.
You can peruse everything that’s on offer here. The auction will run from the morning of July 1 until 7 p.m. CST on July 5, 2026. If you haven’t been around greater romancelandia for one of these, it’s wild. I always enjoy seeing how many times I can be outbid, but I can’t get frustrated because it’s all in the name of saving democracy.
In non-auction news, there is a Goodreads giveaway for You, Me, & the Conspiracy, which you can enter here. And if you are a book reviewer or industry insider, you can request the book on Netgalley here. I really do avoid Goodreads and Netgalley, so it’s a sign of my adoration for you that I went to both those sites–hands over my eyes–to grab the links for you.
Beyond promo, I’ve been writing. And writing and writing and writing. Indeed, I just passed 61,000 words on the follow-up book to You, Me, & the Conspiracy. I can’t say much more except that I’m loving this couple and their journey. They have a totally different vibe from Jess and Cal and the mystery they’re uncovering involves another historical moment, and so I’m having a wonderful time with them.
I’ve also been working on the preorder bonus for You, Me, & the Conspiracy. Can you say Christmas-themed epilogue? Cue the screaming!
So please, please, please consider preordering the book in ebook, print, or audio–those numbers truly matter to my publisher–and save your proof of purchase. I should have more details soon.
Emma Barry 