Welcome to Plotting and Panting!! We’re excited to be here; grab your favorite drink, get comfy and let’s turn the page together! Today Plotting & Panting takes on REDRUM: these stories contain spice, gore and murder. AND we hope you know where REDRUM comes from - wink*

Tattered Stars by Catherine Cowles - Tattered Stars | Catherine Cowles

The Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap - books — A. Rae Dunlap

A Southern Girl’s Guide to Slaying a Vampire by Grady Hendrix - The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires — Grady Hendrix

Panting Scale

1. Barely Warm – You could read this to your grandma and not blush
2. A Little Breathless – Some flirty banter and a chaste kiss… maybe two if we’re feeling wild
3. Need a Sip of Water – The shirt’s off, the lights are dim, and your cheeks are warm
4. Heart Racing, Fan Required – Pages are sizzling and you’re reading with one eyebrow permanently raised
5. Full-On Gasping for Air – The book is basically illegal in at least three countries

Plotting Scale

1. The Chaos Gremlin - No outline in sight. The book feels like the author just shook a bag of tropes and dumped them onto the page. Fun? Absolutely! Structured? Not even a little bit
2. The Wandering Map - There is a plan… somewhere. The story takes detours, loses the GPS signal, and you might be asking, “Wait, where are we going again?”
3. The Color-Coded Calendar - Some structure, some vibes. You can tell the author had a plan but also went off-script when the characters demanded a spontaneous road trip.
4. The Spreadsheet of Destiny - Everything is neat, organized and right on cue. You can practically see the beat sheet taped above the author’s desk.
5. The Puppet Master - Immaculate plotting. Every detail snaps into place, every breadcrumb leads somewhere and by the end you’re applauding the master plan.