Claire MacLachlan
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clairecommemoi.bsky.social
Claire MacLachlan
@clairecommemoi.bsky.social
74 followers 83 following 11 posts
Writer, lawyer, 🫡 emoji overuser

#AmQuerying A BOYFRIEND, IF YOU CAN KEEP HIM. Think Ali Hazelwood x National Treasure 2

Writing: BROADCAST BABY. Think Fangirl Down x The Morning Show.
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clairecommemoi.bsky.social
Claire MacLachlan @clairecommemoi.bsky.social · 10d
A BOYFRIEND, IF YOU CAN KEEP HIM is what you’d get if Ali Hazelwood turned National Treasure 2 into a romance novel.

⚔️Smithsonian x Library of Congress feud
📜Secret alliance
💃Rivals-to-lovers
📚Hunt for Jefferson’s lost library
🧠Mental health rep
#questpit #Q #A #R
Alt-text: Background: shelves full of old-fashioned books. Text: A BOYFRIEND, IF YOU CAN KEEP HIM: A Contemporary Romance Background: shelves full of old-fashioned books. Text: After losing out on her dream job as a research librarian at the Library of Congress, Kathleen Gallagher is done chasing things. Not jobs, not boyfriends, not Beyoncé tickets. So when her meddling mentor lands her a consulting job hunting the missing volumes from the Library of Congress’s original collection, Kathleen takes the gig only to avoid disappointing him yet again. Never mind his hints that this might be her ticket out of self-imposed exile at a boring industry job in Chicago; Kathleen plans to work just hard enough to prove that the books are lost for good. Across the National Mall at the Library of Congress’s archival arch-rival, Smithsonian historian Dr. Grant Ordoñez vows to find the missing books first. As the eldest son of a mixed-status immigrant family, Grant is used to playing catch-up. He’s confident he can outpace an entitled librarian who doesn’t even have a PhD and seems immune to the concept of actual work. But when Grant’s interference forces Kathleen to actually do her job, banter between the stacks and late nights together at the National Archives lead to a romance better than the revenge Grant was chasing. Meanwhile, Kathleen confronts the life she could have had if she hadn’t given up on her dream job—and her growing feelings for the wry, loyal historian who shows her. With each book found bringing Kathleen’s contract in D.C. closer to an end, Kathleen must decide if leaving her comfortable exile for a second shot at her dream is worth risking another humiliating failure and whether opening her heart to Grant is worth the risk he could break it. Background: shelves full of old-fashioned books. Text: I’m halfway across the room when Grant speaks again. “Hey Kathleen, how tall are you?” “Five foot six,” I say automatically. Then I stop and turn around. “Wait, why? How tall are you?” “Five-eleven,” he says. “If you were actually five-eleven, you’d round up to six feet,” I challenge. “That’s small-minded of you.” He lowers his laptop screen. There’s a smile playing around his mouth. “I prefer to play the long game and round down to five-ten. Make the other five-elevens sweat a little.” I laugh. “That’s surprisingly diabolical. And you still haven’t answered my question.” Grant looks pointedly at the books in my arms and thumbs something into his phone. “I just want to be sure I’m giving the U.S. Marshals an accurate description of the midnight book thief.” “Oh my god, it’s not even six o’clock in the evening.” He peers around the desk hutch at me. “‘But wearing high heels, so… five foot nine?”
Reposted by Claire MacLachlan
propublica.org
1/ ProPublica collected handwritten letters in mid-January from children held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center, the same facility where 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos was taken.

Hundreds of kids are still detained.

We’ll let the children’s words speak for themselves. 🧵
February 9, 2026 at 12:25 PM
Reposted by Claire MacLachlan
thetattooedprof.bsky.social
OK "god bless america" and then naming every country in the americas from south to north is absolute king shit
February 9, 2026 at 1:33 AM
Reposted by Claire MacLachlan
clairecommemoi.bsky.social
FANGIRL DOWN X THE MORNING SHOW

While querying, my current WIP is an adult rom-com called BROADCAST BABY about a scheming TV producer and a washed up football star-turned-commentator who team up to boost their network's ratings by starting a brand-new college football rivalry. #questpit #W #A #R
January 31, 2026 at 5:48 PM
Reposted by Claire MacLachlan
dallasrosebooks.bsky.social
Now #amquerying: LEARNING FOR YOU, the teaching/karaoke romance of my heart 💜

YOU BETWEEN THE LINES x KATHERINE CENTER

When budget cuts threaten her district, new teacher Jules must compete with her annoying(ly handsome) rival to keep her dream job—and avoid falling for him.

#QuestPit #A #R
Agent pitch guide title slide: LEARNING FOR YOU, Adult Contemporary Romance Pitch blurb: Due to impending budget cuts, high school teacher Jules Clark's dream job is already in jeopardy before it's even started. With each department set to get rid of one new hire, Jules must compete with the annoying(ly handsome) former lawyer, Adrian Pierce, to keep her place. Where she finds herself in over her head, he seems to breeze through it all. He also pops up everywhere, from heated encounters in the copy room to a tension-filled work karaoke league, culminating in an assignment to collaborate on a joint teaching unit. As they spend more time together, Jules finds she and Adrian have a lot in common...including a simmering attraction that becomes impossible to ignore. With one job and two of them, Jules worries their growing chemistry can only lead to resentment. Though she lets Adrian in, old fears of not being good enough consume her as the deadline looms closer. If she lets selt-doubt take over, Jules could lose everything-not only her career, but also the love that's right in front of her. Tropes and Vibes: Golden retriever love interest Workplace rivals to lovers Karaoke league shenanigans Complicated family dynamics Forced proximity/collaboration Strong female friendship With the academic setting and workplace rivalry seen in YOU BETWEEN THE LINES, ONE ON ONE, and THE MAKEUP TEST Hazy yellow moodboard with images of teaching, karaoke, books, and rumpled bedsheets 😏
January 31, 2026 at 8:23 PM
Reposted by Claire MacLachlan
morgan-writes.bsky.social
A new RomCom for fans of FUNNY STORY and NEXT TO YOU.

Featuring:
💙 Kira Larson as the newly single emotional wreck
💙 Xavier Herrera as her ex's broody neighbor
💙 Lots of shenanigans as the lines between casual hookups, friends, or maybe a bit more start to blur

#Questpit #R #A #Q
January 31, 2026 at 10:02 PM
Reposted by Claire MacLachlan
rsheridan92.bsky.social
THE SLOW BURN (80k words)

She’s an event planner up for a promotion. He’s a firefighter and her dad is his chief. They’re planning the fire dept’s holiday gala and agree to a no-strings fling 👀🚒🎄

Small town
Holiday romance
Found family
MMC in uniform
Slow burn

#amquerying #questpit #a #r #q
A moodboard for The Slow Burn, featuring side profiles of a man and woman individually and together, as well as atmospheric images including a Christmas tree farm, an event tablescape, a Christmas tree, and sparks from a fire.
January 31, 2026 at 9:02 PM
Reposted by Claire MacLachlan
clairecommemoi.bsky.social
Here’s some free advice from a Washington insider: behave yourself at that office happy hour. You never know what a Capitol Spill reporter might overhear… #questpit #Q #A #R
Background: shelves full of old-fashioned books Text: Out-of-Context quotes from A Boyfriend, If You Can Keep Him: a contemporary romance Background: shelves full of old-fashioned books Text: Grant scoffs. “She was born at LA General, in a hospital sandwiched between a freeway and a McDonald’s! How much more American can you get?” “A megachurch across the street?” I suggest. Background: shelves full of old-fashioned books Text: “I’d want to die from something peaceful. Like when you’re really happy, and you sometimes think that if you were to die right there, that wouldn’t be so bad?” Stacy takes a contemplative sip of soup. “Yeah. When was the last time you felt like that?” My thoughts immediately jump to Grant, and I’m grateful Stacy can’t see the flush creeping up my neck. “Um, I don’t remember.” Stacy laughs. “Yeah, I’d want to die during sex, too. It’d be inconvenient for my partner, but what would I care? I’d be dead.” I’m disappointed when he starts walking in the same direction as me. “Aren’t you going back to your castle? Where’s your palanquin?” “Damned palanquin thieves cut through my lock again.” Grant’s voice is dry, but his eyes spark behind his glasses. “Serves you right for buying a cheap palanquin lock.”
January 31, 2026 at 4:59 PM
Reposted by Claire MacLachlan
clairecommemoi.bsky.social
A BOYFRIEND, IF YOU CAN KEEP HIM is what you’d get if Ali Hazelwood turned National Treasure 2 into a romance novel.

⚔️Smithsonian x Library of Congress feud
📜Secret alliance
💃Rivals-to-lovers
📚Hunt for Jefferson’s lost library
🧠Mental health rep
#questpit #Q #A #R
Alt-text: Background: shelves full of old-fashioned books. Text: A BOYFRIEND, IF YOU CAN KEEP HIM: A Contemporary Romance Background: shelves full of old-fashioned books. Text: After losing out on her dream job as a research librarian at the Library of Congress, Kathleen Gallagher is done chasing things. Not jobs, not boyfriends, not Beyoncé tickets. So when her meddling mentor lands her a consulting job hunting the missing volumes from the Library of Congress’s original collection, Kathleen takes the gig only to avoid disappointing him yet again. Never mind his hints that this might be her ticket out of self-imposed exile at a boring industry job in Chicago; Kathleen plans to work just hard enough to prove that the books are lost for good. Across the National Mall at the Library of Congress’s archival arch-rival, Smithsonian historian Dr. Grant Ordoñez vows to find the missing books first. As the eldest son of a mixed-status immigrant family, Grant is used to playing catch-up. He’s confident he can outpace an entitled librarian who doesn’t even have a PhD and seems immune to the concept of actual work. But when Grant’s interference forces Kathleen to actually do her job, banter between the stacks and late nights together at the National Archives lead to a romance better than the revenge Grant was chasing. Meanwhile, Kathleen confronts the life she could have had if she hadn’t given up on her dream job—and her growing feelings for the wry, loyal historian who shows her. With each book found bringing Kathleen’s contract in D.C. closer to an end, Kathleen must decide if leaving her comfortable exile for a second shot at her dream is worth risking another humiliating failure and whether opening her heart to Grant is worth the risk he could break it. Background: shelves full of old-fashioned books. Text: I’m halfway across the room when Grant speaks again. “Hey Kathleen, how tall are you?” “Five foot six,” I say automatically. Then I stop and turn around. “Wait, why? How tall are you?” “Five-eleven,” he says. “If you were actually five-eleven, you’d round up to six feet,” I challenge. “That’s small-minded of you.” He lowers his laptop screen. There’s a smile playing around his mouth. “I prefer to play the long game and round down to five-ten. Make the other five-elevens sweat a little.” I laugh. “That’s surprisingly diabolical. And you still haven’t answered my question.” Grant looks pointedly at the books in my arms and thumbs something into his phone. “I just want to be sure I’m giving the U.S. Marshals an accurate description of the midnight book thief.” “Oh my god, it’s not even six o’clock in the evening.” He peers around the desk hutch at me. “‘But wearing high heels, so… five foot nine?”
January 31, 2026 at 2:26 PM
Reposted by Claire MacLachlan
thecrumpet.bsky.social
MY LAST INNOCENT YEAR x GREEN DOT

SURFACE TENSION: The problem with studying intelligent women who make bad choices? You start to see yourself scribbled all over the syllabus. Jenny’s entanglement with her English professor isn’t fiction, but she’s starting to wish it was. #U #W #A #questpit
A collage of photos: a young woman in repose with her eyes closed, in half-profile, sun reflecting on her face; a man’s hand pushing an elevator button; John Singer Sargent’s “Portrait of Madame X,” a painting of a young woman in a sleeveless black dress; a black and white photo of a man embracing a woman from behind, in front of what looks like hotel room window sheers; red and white dahlia flowers on a black background; looking over the shoulder of a person reading a manuscript; a black and white photo taken from the vantage of a woman looking down at her black high heels; a view down a hallway where doorways are visible on the walls; a collection of botanical books open to pages with flowers; a black and white photo of a hotel bed, with an open book, a room service plate, and what looks like recent signs of intimacy; a colorful row of books on a shelf; the title of the WIP “Surface Tension” is superimposed in a central rectangle.
January 31, 2026 at 6:07 PM
clairecommemoi.bsky.social
FANGIRL DOWN X THE MORNING SHOW

While querying, my current WIP is an adult rom-com called BROADCAST BABY about a scheming TV producer and a washed up football star-turned-commentator who team up to boost their network's ratings by starting a brand-new college football rivalry. #questpit #W #A #R
January 31, 2026 at 5:48 PM
Reposted by Claire MacLachlan
hopeengel.com
Emerson's tired of being single. But as he enters junior year of college, is he finally ready to bend his disciplined ways and do the work to overcome what's been holding him back from finding love?

AT YOUR PACE is an 87,000 word new adult contemporary romance. #Q #R #NA #QuestPit
images of a classroom, latina young woman with brown curly hair and closed eyes, a baseball on a field, a bookshelf, a close up of a young white male with green eyes, a study group, a couple holding hands, a university brick building, and a neutral toned bed on an orange background, tropes listed include classmates to lovers, puerto rican FMC, college baseball player MMC, he falls first, and cozy autumn vibes
January 31, 2026 at 4:19 PM
clairecommemoi.bsky.social
Here’s some free advice from a Washington insider: behave yourself at that office happy hour. You never know what a Capitol Spill reporter might overhear… #questpit #Q #A #R
Background: shelves full of old-fashioned books Text: Out-of-Context quotes from A Boyfriend, If You Can Keep Him: a contemporary romance Background: shelves full of old-fashioned books Text: Grant scoffs. “She was born at LA General, in a hospital sandwiched between a freeway and a McDonald’s! How much more American can you get?” “A megachurch across the street?” I suggest. Background: shelves full of old-fashioned books Text: “I’d want to die from something peaceful. Like when you’re really happy, and you sometimes think that if you were to die right there, that wouldn’t be so bad?” Stacy takes a contemplative sip of soup. “Yeah. When was the last time you felt like that?” My thoughts immediately jump to Grant, and I’m grateful Stacy can’t see the flush creeping up my neck. “Um, I don’t remember.” Stacy laughs. “Yeah, I’d want to die during sex, too. It’d be inconvenient for my partner, but what would I care? I’d be dead.” I’m disappointed when he starts walking in the same direction as me. “Aren’t you going back to your castle? Where’s your palanquin?” “Damned palanquin thieves cut through my lock again.” Grant’s voice is dry, but his eyes spark behind his glasses. “Serves you right for buying a cheap palanquin lock.”
January 31, 2026 at 4:59 PM
Reposted by Claire MacLachlan
thecrumpet.bsky.social
ALL FOURS x THE WEDDING PEOPLE

THIS ENDS NOW: Lainey can orchestrate perfect days but can't stay put in a marriage, no matter how good the man. Only one way to quit bolting: face the cunning ex who taught her love is a disappearing trick—and who still has his hooks in her. #A #U #Q #WF #QuestPit
A collage of photos: row 1 (l-r): the interior of Yale University’s Sterling Memorial Library, showing a Gothic cathedral-like entrance; a classic red Vermont farmhouse in winter, covered in snow, nestled among bare trees; a woman silhouetted against a frosted window, while sunlight spills through the window; row 2 (l-r): two hands reaching for each other in low lighting against a black background; a dark-haired woman floating face upwards in water, surrounded by white flowers, her eyes open; Spilled glass candle with wax still aflame, flickering against a black backdrop; row 3 (l-r): Sunlight streaming through a quiet pine forest, illuminating a narrow dirt path; black and white photo of a person gripping the back of another person’s head from behind ; a man’s hand clasping a woman’s hand showing her wedding ring, with a snow-covered fir tree in the background; row 4 (l-r): three antique keys on twine; dark green leaves, covered in dew; the title of the novel, “This Ends Now” written on a scrap of spiral-bound lined notepaper.
January 31, 2026 at 1:18 PM
Reposted by Claire MacLachlan
blairespencer.bsky.social
FLEABAG x ROMANTIC COMEDY

Hennie's in freefall when she inherits a London flat from the father she never knew - and gains a downstairs neighbor, Everett, who’s about to be caught in her chaos. Too bad they make questionable choices. Sex tends to complicate things.

#Questpit #A #R #Q
WRITING HENNIE mood board: snapshots of different London locations over the Union Jack and New Jersey state flag
January 31, 2026 at 3:12 PM
Reposted by Claire MacLachlan
maggiesbooks.bsky.social
Ten years ago, fallout from tragedy broke them apart. When reunited at the cottage for a wedding, she tries to resist the temptation of reigniting their flame, but he’s the one who can’t be trusted, and nostalgia might not be worth another heartbreak. #questpit #a #r #q
summer winter moodboard None of This Was Real ✶ QUERYING ✶ adult contemporary romance ✶ 2 timelines ✶ forced proximity ✶ second chance romance ✶ emotional
January 31, 2026 at 5:02 AM
Reposted by Claire MacLachlan
emiliayoung.bsky.social
#Editors THE THINGS WE RUN FOR ( #OnSubmission 2026!)

Emma Bridge ran to find a safe home, but the town she picked is anything but. When she gets wrapped up in a cold case that threatens her siblings, who can she turn to while keeping her secrets safe?

#QuestPit #YA #MY #R
#AG #OS #OWN #LGBT
Editor’s Guide To: The Things We Run For YA Drama Mystery with Romance 94k Words Represented by Amanda Wooden at SBR Media 4/13/1996 Run. What a powerful instinct. Emma Bridge had wanted nothing more than to be with her two siblings in a home that felt safe, but those wishes never came true. With nothing left to lose, Emma runs away from the spotlight of the Hills to a small town across the country, but this new home is anything but the safety she’d been after. The weight of the world has fallen on her shoulders, and she can’t carry it alone. But with her old name in every police station and her new name on every tongue in town, she’s not sure who she can trust to help carry the burden. What we know: -Runaway in Hiding -Fake Identity (turned real identity) -Mental Health Rep -Genderfluid and Pan Rep -Found Family -90s Small-Town Nostalgia At the bottom, the name Emma Bridge is crossed out and replaced with Peyton Freys 6/23/1996 “The Hills have Eyes” There’s a collage of pictures. Picture one is of two people, one sitting on the counter with the other in front of them. Picture two is go a small-town street with snowy homes to either side. Picture three shows a row of high school desks. Picture four shows a box of police evidence. Picture five shows a group of kids sitting behind an abandoned building. Picture six shows someone flipping off a police car. Picture seven shows a paper with the words “Child Custody Hearing” printed on it. The last picture shows a boy sitting at a school desk, writing something into a notebook. In the bottom right, it says Going on submission in 2026
January 31, 2026 at 5:00 AM
Reposted by Claire MacLachlan
emiliayoung.bsky.social
MARK OF A MAGPIE is #OnSubmission! 🐦‍⬛📖

When a small-town thief crosses paths with the kingdom’s big-shot assassin, an unlikely partnership is born; but can their goals align before their egos and secrets land them both a spot on the gallows?

#QuestPit #YA #A #F #RF
#OS #DIS #EditorsGuide #Editors
Editor's Guide To MARK OF A MAGPIE Crossover Romantic Fantasy 118k Words Text is on a piece of parchment. Behind the parchment are blue seas and gold flower outlines. Blurb One for Sorrow, Two for Joy, Three for a Girl, Four for a Boy… Ryn is a small-town thief who has a knack for being overconfident in her abilities, but by day she’s a beloved tavern girl with the liver of steel that carries her reputation. On her most daring break-in yet, she runs face first into the kingdom’s last living assassin, Seven, and he’s just offered her the opportunity of a century: a ticket of attendance to the King’s upcoming courtship gathering. It’s a partnership she’d be a fool to take up, but with her family scattered across the sea after the draft, a fool is what she’ll need to be to find them. Five for Silver, Six for Gold… Seven is set on his own plans, however much they interfere with hers, and they won’t be the only ones in attendance with hidden agendas. Once whispers of the past begin to resurface and nobles begin dying around them, it’s survival of the cunning and silver-tongued. The castle is under lockdown, and all bets for the crown are placed on their capture. Seven for a Secret, Never to Be Told. Text is on a piece of parchment. Behind the parchment are blue seas and gold flower outlines. Tropes and Themes - Thief x Assassin - Mental Health Rep - Identity vs Duty - Class Difference - Forced Proximity - Secret Code - Morally Gray - Women's Wrongs - Unlikely Allies to Lovers Comps: Throne of Glass's castle-setting murder mystery and theme of "who you are versus what you have to do" meets the banter-heavy dialogue, strong female protagonist, and nautical setting of Daughter of the Pirate King. Text is on a piece of parchment. Beside the text are two headshot drawings: one of a girl with brown hair pulled back by braids, and the other of a black-haired boy with a worried expression. Behind the parchment are blue seas and gold flower outlines. The Atmosphere: There is a collage of pictures on a parchment paper. Picture one is of a boy crouched down with his head covered as a fire burns in the background. Picture two is of two hands tied to a pole on the beach. Picture three shows a person wrapping up the wounded hand of another. Picture four shows an old piece of parchment with unreadable script. Picture five is of an island with a castle and small village surrounding it. Picture six is of a girl on the run with a dagger in hand. Picture seven shows a bottle of alcohol. Picture eight has a medieval alleyway. And picture eight shows a ship's crew enjoying a sunset. There is text below the collage that says: ON SUBMISSION NOW! Represented by Amanda Wooden at SBR Media, contact information available on my website! Behind the parchment, with gold flower outlines surrounding it.
January 31, 2026 at 5:01 AM
Reposted by Claire MacLachlan
bvbodegom.bsky.social
THE LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA × BEST SERVED COLD × THE BUTCHER BOY

When a Court Jester snaps and brutally murders the tyrant king, he must perform and slay his way out of a kingdom in chaos, hunted by loyalists, hailed by rebels, while his sanity slips and fractures.

#QuestPit #A #F #DF #H #W
Book cover for "Mark of the Jester" by B. van Bodegom (author of Dad Bodies). Dark fantasy novel. Features a split jester mask in black and white halves with a red smile on the white half. 'The' runs vertically down the center, with decorative silhouettes of roses framing the mask. High-contrast graphic design in black, white, and red.
January 31, 2026 at 8:35 AM
Reposted by Claire MacLachlan
bvbodegom.bsky.social
CABIN IN THE WOODS × JOHN DIES AT THE END

When their detective friend is murdered at their annual gaming retreat, 5 dads must rely on years of #TTRPG experience—and puns—to solve the crime before they're all killed off like NPCs in a badly written supernatural campaign.

#QuestPit #A #H #MY #Q
The image, made with free non-AI stock pictures, shows a horror-comedy novel cover titled "DAD BODIES." The top of the cover reads "THE GAME JUST TOOK A DAD TURN" with "DAD" in a different color. The background features a haunted house with multiple towers and illuminated windows against a dark backdrop. At the center is a 20-sided die (D20) used in tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons, with visible numbers including 1, 7, 13, and 19. The die is surrounded by red blood splatter effects. At the bottom of the cover are six men with expressions of terror and shock. One man is wearing a white shirt over his head. These men are the dads referenced in the title.
January 31, 2026 at 8:21 AM
Reposted by Claire MacLachlan
aryazare.bsky.social
A DEVOTION SO RUINOUS is a 90K adult fantasy following Soraya, a young woman tormented by a jinn, a dictator, and her first love, as she fights for freedom

🏳️‍🌈 LGBT characters
🧠 Mental Health Rep
🌍 Middle Eastern Setting
✨ Gods Based Magic System
❤️ Lovers To Enemies
#️⃣ Own Voices

#QuestPit #Q #F #A
January 31, 2026 at 11:31 AM
Reposted by Claire MacLachlan
msdyliacco.bsky.social
She sees love as a balance sheet.
He gets paid to read romance novels out loud.
Dating isn’t working for either of them, so what are best friends to do?
Start a podcast to figure out what they’re doing wrong, of course.

#questpit #W #A #R
January 31, 2026 at 2:08 PM
Reposted by Claire MacLachlan
samanthalebans.bsky.social
An #agentsguide to my contemporary romance, DEFINITELY NOT A BUCKET LIST featuring:

🚗Tension-filled road trip
💉Illness rep
🌄Coastal Canadian landscape
⛴️Boat ride in costume
📝(Not) a bucket list

#questpit #Q #A #R
January 31, 2026 at 12:36 PM
clairecommemoi.bsky.social
A BOYFRIEND, IF YOU CAN KEEP HIM is what you’d get if Ali Hazelwood turned National Treasure 2 into a romance novel.

⚔️Smithsonian x Library of Congress feud
📜Secret alliance
💃Rivals-to-lovers
📚Hunt for Jefferson’s lost library
🧠Mental health rep
#questpit #Q #A #R
Alt-text: Background: shelves full of old-fashioned books. Text: A BOYFRIEND, IF YOU CAN KEEP HIM: A Contemporary Romance Background: shelves full of old-fashioned books. Text: After losing out on her dream job as a research librarian at the Library of Congress, Kathleen Gallagher is done chasing things. Not jobs, not boyfriends, not Beyoncé tickets. So when her meddling mentor lands her a consulting job hunting the missing volumes from the Library of Congress’s original collection, Kathleen takes the gig only to avoid disappointing him yet again. Never mind his hints that this might be her ticket out of self-imposed exile at a boring industry job in Chicago; Kathleen plans to work just hard enough to prove that the books are lost for good. Across the National Mall at the Library of Congress’s archival arch-rival, Smithsonian historian Dr. Grant Ordoñez vows to find the missing books first. As the eldest son of a mixed-status immigrant family, Grant is used to playing catch-up. He’s confident he can outpace an entitled librarian who doesn’t even have a PhD and seems immune to the concept of actual work. But when Grant’s interference forces Kathleen to actually do her job, banter between the stacks and late nights together at the National Archives lead to a romance better than the revenge Grant was chasing. Meanwhile, Kathleen confronts the life she could have had if she hadn’t given up on her dream job—and her growing feelings for the wry, loyal historian who shows her. With each book found bringing Kathleen’s contract in D.C. closer to an end, Kathleen must decide if leaving her comfortable exile for a second shot at her dream is worth risking another humiliating failure and whether opening her heart to Grant is worth the risk he could break it. Background: shelves full of old-fashioned books. Text: I’m halfway across the room when Grant speaks again. “Hey Kathleen, how tall are you?” “Five foot six,” I say automatically. Then I stop and turn around. “Wait, why? How tall are you?” “Five-eleven,” he says. “If you were actually five-eleven, you’d round up to six feet,” I challenge. “That’s small-minded of you.” He lowers his laptop screen. There’s a smile playing around his mouth. “I prefer to play the long game and round down to five-ten. Make the other five-elevens sweat a little.” I laugh. “That’s surprisingly diabolical. And you still haven’t answered my question.” Grant looks pointedly at the books in my arms and thumbs something into his phone. “I just want to be sure I’m giving the U.S. Marshals an accurate description of the midnight book thief.” “Oh my god, it’s not even six o’clock in the evening.” He peers around the desk hutch at me. “‘But wearing high heels, so… five foot nine?”
January 31, 2026 at 2:26 PM
Reposted by Claire MacLachlan
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
An extraordinary document. Read it.

“Attached to this order is an appendix that identifies 96 court orders that ICE has violated in 74 cases. … ICE has likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence.”
On January 8, 2026, petitioner Juan T.R. filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus.' The Court issued an order requiring respondents to file an answer no later than January 12, 2026. See 28 U.S.C. § 2243 (requiring judges to either "forthwith award the writ" or order the respondent to show cause, within three days, why the writ should not be granted). Respondents failed to answer. Accordingly, the Court granted the writ in part and ordered respondents to afford Juan a bond hearing within seven days or, failing that, to immediately release him from detention. ECF No. 4. Respondents neither held a bond hearing within the required time nor released Juan. ECF No. 6. The Court then issued a show-cause order and scheduled a hearing at which it ordered the personal appearance of Todd Lyons, Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE"). ECF No. 7. The Court noted, however, that if the parties filed a stipulation indicating that Juan had been released, the Court would cancel the hearing and would not require Lyons to appear. Id. The parties have now filed such a stipulation (ECF No. 9), and thus, as promised, the Court will cancel the hearing, and Lyons will not be required to appear. That does not end the Court's concerns, however. Attached to this order is an appendix that identifies 96 court orders that ICE has violated in 74 cases. The extent of ICE's noncompliance is almost certainly substantially understated. This list is confined to orders issued since January 1, 2026, and the list was hurriedly compiled by extraordinarily busy judges. Undoubtedly, mistakes were made, and orders that should have appeared on this list were omitted. This list should give pause to anyone —no matter his or her political beliefs— who cares about the rule of law. ICE has likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence. The Court warns ICE that future noncompliance with court orders may result in future show-cause orders requiring the personal appearances of Lyons or other government officials. ICE is not a law unto itself. ICE has every right to challenge the orders of this Court, but, like any litigant, ICE must follow those orders unless and until they are overturned or vacated Juan asks that the Court schedule a hearing at which he may present evidence and argument concerning the hardships that he has suffered as a result of respondents' failure to abide by the January 14 order. See In re Tetracycline Cases, 927 F.2d 411, 413 (8th Cir. 1991) ("Civil contempt sanctions may be imposed for either or both of two distinct purposes, to coerce compliance with a court order, and to compensate the complainant for actual losses sustained by him as a result of the defendants' contumacy." (quoting In re Chase & Sanborn Corp., 872 F.2d 397, 400-01 (11th Cir.1989))). The Court will not schedule a hearing at this time. If Juan wants to seek monetary sanctions, he may file a properly supported motion to that effect. ORDER Based on the foregoing, and on all of the files, records, and proceedings herein, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT the hearing currently scheduled for Friday, January 30, 2026, at 1:00 pm in Courtroom 15 (MPLS) is CANCELED.
January 28, 2026 at 10:42 PM
Reposted by Claire MacLachlan
libankerdc.bsky.social
Wise words from WEB DuBois to gird us today: "It would be shame and cowardice to surrender this glorious land and its opportunities for civilization and humanity to the thugs and lynchers, the mobs and profiteers, the monopolists & gamblers who today choke its soul and steal its resources."
January 22, 2026 at 5:00 PM