Luna Westish

Meet Me at the Ruins

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It's really wild how much of the world asks us to leave our identities at home. When people are transphobic, "don't want to talk politics", or espouse "traditional values", they're asking me to mute or hide parts of myself. Parts that make me, me. There were many, many seasons in my life where I would have complied, but not any more. I'm bringing my full self into my writing, work, and life. I hope you're able to do the same. If you can't, I'm sending you big hugs today. And if you're in a space of influence - podcaster, teacher, Bookstagrammer, business owner, HR professional - I hope you're working on creating spaces where people can be their full selves. Sadly, this is not me nor my cute pajamas! Just a stock video of a cozy reading session. But the question remains, what's your favorite novel with neurodiversity representation? I recently did a podcast interview where we talked about our favorite books and movies with ND main characters. We also talked about whether neurotypical readers are more likely to find ND characters "annoying" or "illogical", and how neurodiversity representation benefits everyone, not just ND readers. So, tell me your pick! I hosted a tween/teen writing circle today and it was so fun to see how each writer interpreted the prompt. It also motivated me to finally go to another writing circle (but next week, when my allergies are less bad! 😂) I visited Glasgow with my parents when I was 20. I found it gloomy and boring, mostly because I was itching to get back to my new Scottish boyfriend in Edinburgh. I cut my trip short, fibbing that I had homework to do - nothing was as interesting as he was at that time 🙄💘 🤣 Hoooopla! (and Libby) Dreaming of Scotland these days. If you are, too, Meet Me at the Ruins might feel like a warm hug ♥️ But for now, tell me your favorite place in Scotland? Or where you'd like to visit! I'll start in the comments. Buying Books Is Political - So What? Where we spend out money matters: buying books is a political act. Buying secondhand is a political act. I’m a huge advocate of buying secondhand, passing things along when you’re done with them, or borrowing things we need temporarily. We build the world with our decisions, and how we consume products is a big part of how our world will look. Sometimes, you just want to hold a new book in your hands, right? And it’s so easy to jump on Amazon and order a book via Prime. To be completely transparent, when you buy my book from Amazon, I make more money than if you shop elsewhere, because their royalties are higher. As a reader, I never thought much about book genres. I often buy books without knowing much about them, basing my whole opinion on the cover and blurb (garage sales, thrift stores, and Little Free Libraries are my jam!) But as an author, I've learned that genre makes a world of difference to marketing, querying, even community building! Do you have a specific genre you mostly read? Or, do you genre hop? Or maybe you're like me - finding yourself most happy in cross genre stories?! Thank you, Romance Read Along, for this short review that made me giggle. (Honestly, thank you to everyone who reviews books, I had no idea how much it means to indie authors and let me tell you, every review is cherished!) It's hard to post right now, but also: books are joy, books are healing, and books bring us together. I hope you're able to do something for your community today, no matter how small. (Dropping some items at a Little Free Pantry or Free Food table is a grear option - granolas bars are great options and many discount stores like Big Lots or Grocery Outlet have awesome prices. Many of these spaces also accept hats, gloves, and masks - so important right now!) I don't think folks know just how much reviews mean to authors! Not just the number of stars, but even the tiniest written review feeds back into our writing, adds to our sense of accomplishment, and validates our desire to put our work out into the world. This podcast interview was a lovely, light, and joyful conversation - exactly what I needed when there is so much heaviness around us. I feel like 2026 is already mocking us: I woke up yesterday to a strong earthquake (we're fine!) and started this morning with news of a war that flouts all international norms and laws. I spent a couple of hours on New Year's Eve sitting in a dark, empty park reading Bird by Bird. In some ways, I'm quite glad I didn't read any "how to write" books before I wrote my first novel, because it came to fruition in its own time, without any shaping by external forces. This book in particular advocates hard for daily writing, which doesn't work for my neurodivergent brain. At the same time, some of Anne Lamott's advice, like writing 1" scenes or and quieting the noise of imposter syndrome, would have been great to read a few years back. This is the first book on writing I've ever read, and I'm glad this secondhand copy landed in my hands. Mini book review: This was a fun read, especially if you like thrillers/murder/revenge with a dark and stormy background. I loved the atmosphere and history of place Foley writes into the story. And I find I do less "guess the twist" when I'm listening to audiobooks, so the ending was a fun surprise. The audiobook was well done even if the posh dude accents irritated me (I think they're supposed to!) A fun listen, 4/5. Audiobook via @libby.app, obviously 😘 A little note for my UK folks - did you know that the paperback version of Meet Me at the Ruins is priced under the suggested retail price? This is in part because when I was in London, Edinburgh, and Glasgow, most new books were £10-13, so I wanted to stay in that range! I also am keenly aware of the cost of living crisis, although I know saving a few quid on a book isn't going to help in the grand scheme of things. Wearing my favorite thrifted $3 sweatshirt (that I saw a week later at American Eagle for $70) and matching the decor. This is technically my face, which I haven't shown before, but I have a few podcasts coming out soon where you'll see my face on video... so I'm easing my way into that.

Hello and welcome!

I’m Luna*

* Luna Westish is my pen name for fiction writing, as I write non-fiction elsewhere. I hope you’ll explore this website and reach out if you have any questions for me!

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