Today's newsletter was written and curated by Popsugar editor Emma Glassman-Hughes.

I Fell Hard For "Soft Adventure" in Montana (Literally)

For weeks after I got back from western Montana, I was reminded of the pristine pine forests and glimmering snowcapped mountains every time I went to squat. At least once each of the four days I spent at the Ranch at Rock Creek I'd fallen on my tailbone: while learning to cross-country ski and snowshoe, and on the ice when I went out fishing. I even fell waddling the quarter-mile in my snowsuit between my cabin accommodation and the aprés-vibe fireplace in the main Granite Lodge. I can't say just how many times I hit the ground, but my backside certainly kept the score.

Still, if you're planning any winter travel this season, I can't recommend the Big Sky State enough — I just hope you're less of a klutz than I am.

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The Popsugar Reading Nook

As part of this year's Reading Challenge, every Tuesday and Friday this month you'll find bite-sized interviews exclusive to this newsletter with contemporary authors behind some of our favorite new releases. This week, meet Mia Sheridan, author of romantic thriller "The Fix."

Popsugar: Why are books important to you?
Mia Sheridan: Books have been my companions through so many difficult periods in my life, big and small. They've ministered to me, brought solace and distraction, transported me, and felt like friends when I was lonely.

I remember a wilderness "team building" trip I went on with my mom and her coworkers and their families one year as a 14-year-old. There were other teens there who banded together, and I felt gawky and left out. I found a copy of Stephen King's "Misery" in the tiny convenience store and spent the next few days sitting by a stream alone, completely engrossed in Paul Sheldon's harrowing experience. It's just one small example, but that story is special to me because it kept me company during what otherwise would have been a distressing weekend, and almost 40 years later, I still remember what it meant to me.

PS: What's your favorite scene or story arc from "The Fix"?
MS: I love writing an enemies-to-lovers story arc in the midst of a mystery/crime. Of course, I love the high emotions of a relationship that begins that way, but I also love watching two people be brave enough to drop the defenses necessary to begin to understand the other.

I wouldn't say Cami and Rex are "enemies" exactly, but there is definitely a lot of baggage between them that makes them very wary (specifically Rex). And to bring their relationship from prickly and distrustful to compassionate and loving was really satisfying, especially in the midst of so much darkness. I hope it is for readers, too.

PS: What scene, arc, or character was most challenging to write, and why?
MS: Posey was a difficult character to grasp because she is extremely rational and not very emotionally inclined, which is pretty much the exact opposite of me. But once I "got" her, she quickly became one of my favorites, and I really leaned into her unique charm and the way in which she was so brilliant, but also filled with such innocence. She also taught me to not shy away from writing characters I don't initially understand — those are usually the ones I end up learning the most from.

PS . . .

Before you go, here are a few more stories from PS that you might enjoy.

Gifts your therapist actually wants this year: a promise to show up on time to your sessions; a thank-you. Gifts your therapist doesn't want this year: a $300 LED face mask.
Ozempic is changing how people celebrate the holidays.
"Fiberglass facial"? No, just a bunch of tiny cuts from my phone screen that's been broken for a year.

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This Might Be the Ultimate Winter Travel Destination

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