Hope Engel 📚
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hopeengel.com
Hope Engel 📚
@hopeengel.com
260 followers 200 following 1.6K posts
https://hopeengel.com
Reader, writer, cat mom, based in NY.
Working on my second manuscript, "Where We Land"
Looking for romance novel critique partners - DM me!
54 books in 2025!
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hopeengel.com
The summer montage section :) the first summer Emerson and Valeria are together, doing the medium distance-thing both living with their parents.
We wore down the tread of our shoes walking miles through the city, seeing a different slice of the best of what New York had to offer almost every weekend. When we were in Manhattan, we explored all around Central Park, SoHo, and got pierogi or cheap drinks at daytime happy hours in the East Village. She even fought her fear of heights once to show me the Chelsea High Line, and we debated all summer long about the best pizza place.
December 4, 2025 at 12:24 PM
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When your top artist for the year is definitely from listening to the music one of your characters would as a way to connect with your manuscript 😅
Screenshot of Apple Music replay 2025 saying top artist Ariana grande 474 minutes with a photo of Ariana grande
December 3, 2025 at 7:22 PM
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Vibes here with “domineering” - Emerson can be a lil overprotective
Since we’d gotten together, the biggest issues Valeria and I had to work on were pretty straightforward. Once, I got a bit domineering when I protested she was running errands alone in the sketchy part of town via the bus. One weekend that I had off from baseball, she sprung an all-day date on me when I needed to use that time to chill and catch up on laundry.
December 3, 2025 at 12:36 PM
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Emerson is ready to leave this party lol
We defeat three teams handsomely at beer pong before it sort of stops being fun, but only because Brayden is so good and I’m losing energy. It’s already way past the time I’m usually not just in bed, but actually asleep. My phone is getting hot in my pocket from being connected to the speaker for so long. I pull it out, the battery down to just fifteen percent. I look around, see Tyler was chatting with one of the team, and figure I won’t be cockblocking. “You’re on DJ duty now.”
December 2, 2025 at 11:52 AM
hopeengel.com
I don’t have “belong” in any of my Google doc drafts (maybe it’s snuck in my less searchable writing tools after revisions). So, going with “mine” for vibes.
The conversation flows a little more naturally from there. Under the table where no one can see, I slide my foot next to Valeria’s just to have some kind of contact with her, and she presses her foot into the side of mine.
December 1, 2025 at 1:22 PM
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first time sharing a snippet from this draft in Ellipsus - just finished this chapter moments ago!
I love having her around all the time, but it's extra special to start my day with her. It's special to see her as she has her coffee or matcha and wakes up, hair a little big from rustling on the pillow all night, voice heavy with sleep. When I have some time to kill between classes later that day, I once again browse coaching jobs. This time, I narrow down the searches to just New York, Boston, Philly, and DC. It's a good thing I like all these areas - at least I like what I remember from family trips. If it isn’t in one of those areas were Valeria might be after graduation, I don’t think I want it. There aren’t a ton of hits. And these are all the same old listings I've already seen. I have no idea what kind of schools will be hiring for the next school year. I feel a pull in my gut like I might have to expand my job hunt parameters, because any job I would need to get ready for in the morning, I would much rather do so with her around. I just don’t know how to tell her that.
December 1, 2025 at 1:14 AM
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Short snippet from the romance sequel WIP because continuing would be spoilery!
Once we’ve ordered at the counter and take our seats in a booth, we wait for our number to be called. “I’m sorry,” Emerson says. That’s a start.
November 30, 2025 at 1:08 PM
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I’m on it. One day when we are successful novelists presenting at a writing conference, margs on me
Photo of a white woman wearing glasses drinking a greenish beverage looking into the camera
November 30, 2025 at 12:06 AM
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November signaled the end of a busy 2 month period with weddings and trips and overnight guests and then things got busy at work but I want to chill and enjoy the beginning of the holiday season and also keep hitting the gym

Oh yeah and getting these revisions done!!!!
November 29, 2025 at 4:04 PM
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When the non sports girlie doesn’t get it but believes in you anyway 💕
“Okay, clearly I don’t know anything about sports, because that seems like not that much of a difference. But regardless of height, I mean, it definitely won’t happen if you don’t even try because you discount your chances. Like I get having a backup plan - that’s a good idea. But you work so hard and you’re so dedicated to the sport now,” she says.
November 29, 2025 at 2:22 PM
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Going with a vibe phrase, “refuse to let her leave” and a bit of backstory reveal today!
There is a reason Asher and I have her location. There had been more than one time I had to go find her at a party after an incoherent text arrived, more than once I had to physically haul her ass back to her dorm. But she didn’t just process it at parties. For the whole first week after the other girl cut things off, I watched as Iris picked at the food on her plate at dinner. I refused to let her leave the dining hall until she actually consumed some kind of fuel, even if it was ice cream for five days straight.
November 26, 2025 at 12:40 PM
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Subbing “freshmen” for debut!
Two freshmen look around the gym, eyes wide, intimidated as they size up their new teammates. I remember what it was like to be in their spot.
November 24, 2025 at 6:39 PM
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From right in Chapter 1 of my romance, “At Your Pace” 🌍💙
“Globalization,” she says. “As our world gets more interconnected with faster and more affordable technology and increased immigration, trade, and work taken offshore, we’re likely to be working with people across the world more frequently.” Damn, and she’s smart, too.
November 23, 2025 at 3:56 PM
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From the vault! I got 40% done rewriting "At Your Pace" to be dual POV to make it more marketable before I said nope, male POV all the way, but I had a lot of fun writing a "girls getting ready together" scene for the first time Valeria and Emerson go to a party together. Bonus chapter, I guess.
Alyssa parked me in my desk chair. “Where’s your hair stuff?” “In the basket on top of the bookshelf.” She found the right one and came back over, then started twisting some strands of my hair into a half up, half down hairdo. “Have you texted him or anything to meet up tonight?” Alyssa asked. “No,” I admitted. “I don’t want to seem clingy.” “Don’t be afraid to be a little flirty. I mean, men aren’t mind readers,” Alyssa said. “We’ll see. If the vibe is good.” If he shows up, I thought. Alyssa worked some more magic pinning my thick waves back, then picked out a little faux pearl and crystal hairpin that I impulse purchased and hadn’t yet found an occasion to wear. Alyssa stood back, had me stand up, and motioned her hand for me to twirl. I felt a little silly because I wasn’t even wearing a dress, but I played along.
November 22, 2025 at 2:24 PM
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My better use of “direction” is from backstory brain dump that ultimately got changed and cut, but here is one from an early scene in the romance sequel:
Ben turns around the corner coming from the other direction, just half a minute later. We’re all two minutes early. Tyler knocks once we’ve all assembled and Coach calls us in.
November 21, 2025 at 12:24 PM
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From a very early draft (when I was still writing in past tense lol) of a party scene in the sequel! It needs work and I'm itching to get this book in serious finishing mode in early 2026 after I wrap up the first one.
Valeria pokes my side and inspected my cider. “The team dad is actually having a drink, huh? What is this, five percent ABV?” “You know I actually really like these. They have the special fall flavors, too. And someone has to make sure this party doesn’t get too insane like last year.” “Let the guys who live here handle it. Party with me, Em,” she pouts.
November 20, 2025 at 4:59 PM
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Sharing a snippet of a baby WIP, the final installment of Emerson and Valeria’s story 💜 (kind of…. Spinoff novels in the same social circle but not from their POV percolating in my brain too).
I only know three people who have ever proposed. First, my dad, and I’m not going to get tips on proposing from him because it was so long ago, and I don’t want to tell him and not Mom. Second is Rob. Our mom and grandpa pushed him into the whole thing. He won’t admit it, but it definitely traumatized him, even though he and Hailey are still going strong. Third, I guess now my former baseball team member that Iris saw got engaged and got the whole proposing thing on my radar. But we haven’t spoken in many years. So I’m going to figure this out on my own.
November 19, 2025 at 6:37 PM
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Also going with “backward” as my synonym and I think I’ve shared this snippet before. From early in the sequel where Emerson reflects on his unformed post-graduation plans.
Did I want to come right back home after I graduated? Fuck, no. I didn’t want to move back in with my parents. I didn’t even want to be in the same town. Having a little bit of space was doing wonders for my personal development. I didn’t want to go backwards from all that I had built. Well, I’d live close to Rob and Hailey and Harper if I could.
November 18, 2025 at 12:19 PM
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The antagonist is kind of a person - the MMC’s mom - but really more fear of having to set boundaries with her based on her past actions

This time at least I didn’t try to go for the half body image and I had time to add color to the garment 🤣
Drawing - Image of a cloud bubble representing thinking of a memory of an unhappy woman. Drawn in purple pen
November 14, 2025 at 4:33 PM
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I finished Touched by @sagetgreene.bsky.social this morning! Sasquatch and I highly recommend you check it out: sagetgreene.wixsite.com/home/touched
Image of a grey cat laying on a pink yoga mat blocking the view of a iPad with a page of a book on it
November 14, 2025 at 1:41 PM
hopeengel.com
Had a lot of fun putting this together for @castpit4authors.bsky.social for my novel "At Your Pace."

I realized I know very few actors who are age 20 so I pulled a classic Hollywood and this crew is a little older but close enough!

#castpit #q #na #rc
Image says At Your Pace and has images of Cooper van Grootel as Emerson, Isabela Merced as Valeria, Emma Myers as Iris and Gabriel LaBelle as Asher
November 13, 2025 at 2:00 PM
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"building" for "build" - Emerson goes to meet Valeria's mom and visit their house for the first time.
I double check to make sure I have the right address, step up to the brick building, and only make it halfway up the stoop before the door swing open. It’s only been a week since I’ve seen her last, but I still get the little welcome flutter of excitement when I see Valeria smile again.
November 13, 2025 at 1:17 PM
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This is from a rough draft of the sequel WIP and one of the less spicy instances of the word “shirt”. Needs some editing love but you know should probably finish the draft first
As I come back from morning lift, I fully expect Valeria to still be asleep in my bed. But as I close the front door behind me, she stands at the kitchen counter making coffee with the newly added coffee maker. She has one of my old t-shirts on, looking scrumptious in the oversized worn down 5k race t-shirt that brushes the tops of her legs. I walk up behind her and wrap my arms around her middle. “Good morning, beautiful,” I say. She softens into my embrace. “Mmm. Hi Em.” “You feeling okay today?” I ask. “Yeah.” She sounds better. Not all the way better, but much improved from last night. I press my lips to her shoulder. “Good.” “Not that I don’t love this but… you are sweaty.” “Oh, right,” I say, stepping back as she turns around and leans against the counter, a sleepy smile on her face.
November 12, 2025 at 1:50 PM
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The first time the couple eats together - not a date - and hell yeah the FMC is getting a burger
Sitting and eating and chatting with her is easier than I expect, even without our other group project members in the conversation. She misses the burgers on campus because she thinks it’s a pain to make them at home. I tell her about my weekly goal to eat thirty plants and how that guides my dinner choices.
November 11, 2025 at 1:05 PM
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Okay didn’t have time to do freckles on his arms, nor is he holding a baseball bat or glove, but it’s a little better than a stick figure I guess 😅
Pen drawing in purple of a young adult male just the torso with short hair and freckles
November 9, 2025 at 9:29 PM