Monday Reads: A Whole Lot

I took a little blog break because I went to Hawaii! But now I'm back with a few books I read in the last month.

Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull which is the second book in the series. This book started off stronger than book 1 for me, and I enjoyed it. I am, however, debating whether to pick up the rest of the series. The books are good, I just don't love them. But I feel this intense guilt if I don't finish the whole series because I'm wacky like that.

Ashes by Sophie H. Morgan. I "know" Sophie online because she's a fellow Samhain author and I was psyched to finally read this book. It was awesome! A page-turner, with a kick-A female MC and a swoony love interest. It blends a lot of genres which could've turned out disastrous but totally worked for the story. I can't wait to read another book by Sophie.

The Darkest Hour by Caroline Tung Richmond is a story set in World War II about girls who work as spies for the Allies. I loved the different characters and loved the twists in the book. It could've used a little romance for my taste, but otherwise an excellent read.

Wedding Bands by Ev Bishop is a second chance romance story that I really enjoyed. Like most romances, you know they're going to get together eventually, but it's fun reading about the journey. There was also a little twist at the end which I didn't anticipate. I participated on a panel with Ev Bishop at a con over the summer and she was lovely. 

I also did a couple of rereads: Hourglass and Timepiece by Myra McEntire. I've had the third in the trilogy (Infinityglass) sitting on my shelf since last Christmas, but it's been so long that I needed to reread to remember the story. I think I enjoyed these two books more this time than I did the first time. I love time travel, and the voice is so spot on in both books, though they're from two different POVs. So far Infinityglass is living up to my expectations.

So it's been a good reading month. What have you read lately?

Friday Loves: HAMILTON

I know I'm behind on this. HAMILTON is yesterday's news.

Blame my Canadian-ness. Or the fact that I don't make it to Broadway often... or like ever (*sobs*). 

But I've been around, I've heard things. Yeah, I know stuff. 

Like how popular HAMILTON is. I mean, you'd have to live under a rock not to know about it. I've listened to bits and pieces on YouTube. I saw the performance on the Tony's. But I finally have the entire soundtrack and I've now become another one on the long list of HAMILTON fans. I would LOVE to see this show. So bad. Unfortunately, I'm not planning any trips to NYC anytime soon, and HAMILTON probably won't be a touring musical to Canada for awhile. Here's hoping it comes here soon. 

I guess it gives me a lot of time to learn all the lyrics, though. It's so much more fun watching a musical when you know all the words then when you're not even familiar with the songs (I'm looking at you, WICKED). So, I'm not throwing away my shot at learning every single word. (See what I did there?) And tonight I get to watch the PBS special!

Monday Reads: Two JAFF, a YA, and an NA

Have you ever loved an author... like everything they say on social media is hilarious, or you think if you knew them in real life you'd be besties, or maybe you saw them at a conference or signing and thought they were so interesting? And I mean this in a totally non-stalkerish/non-crazy way, I swear.

Anyway, so then you read one of their books thinking you'd LOVE it? Then you just... don't. 

Total bummer. So yeah, that's how I kinda felt about FABLEHAVEN by Brandon Mull.

My daughter read and LOVED the FABLEHAVEN sereis like crazy, so she insisted on coming with me to 2015's WHEN WORDS COLLIDE because Brandon Mull would be there. I hadn't read anything by him, but we went to all his panels and he was such a dynamic speaker. Seriously. If you have a chance to hear him in public- GO! Anyway, I finally gave the first FABLEHAVEN book a try a couple of weeks ago and... I liked it. I did. But I wanted to love it so bad, like Harry Potter type love, and I just didn't. I've since started book two- so obviously I liked it enough to want to read on in the series. But it got me thinking about the book and why I didn't connect with it like I wanted to.

Honestly, I think the main thing is I'm not into "creature" kinds of books. I've read other fantasy-ish novels that have had a lot of magical creatures or magical items in them, and they're just not my kind of thing. I like magical people, not regular people who run into magical stuff. And FABLEHAVEN is all about a magical preserve. The other thing was it lacked the humor of Harry Potter. There was this one really funny part which I loved (the whole cow-milking scene), but I wanted more funny, especially since it's MG. Anyway, I did enjoy the book. I loved the difference between the brave but sometimes foolish Seth, and the more responsible Kendra who finds her courage in the end. The world-building too was stellar. Already with book 2, I've found the plot to be more fast-paced, which is a bonus. So we'll see how this one goes. I know with HP, I didn't really LOVE them until PRISONER OF AZKABAN, so I'm giving FABLEHAVEN a chance.  

The next book I read was MR. DARCY BROKE MY HEART by Beth Patillo. I'm just going to say I gave the book 3 stars and leave it at that. I've read amazing JAFF books, and this one didn't measure up like I wanted it to.

Then I read MORE THAN MUSIC by Elizabeth Briggs. SWOON! This book was everything I wanted it to be. I wanted a sexy and fun romance, and this was it. I can't wait to read book 2 in the series.

Lastly, I read another JAFF book, LETTER FROM RAMSGATE by Suzan Lauder. I got this as an advanced copy and loved every minute of it. It felt like reading Jane Austen herself, as if I was reading one of her rewrites of PRIDE & PREJUDICE. The changes made in this book were so clever, and so well done, that I could really see it. Definitely one of the best P&P variations I've ever read. 

What did you read this week?

The Great Bookmark Saga of 2016

Who knew bookmarks could be such a pain? 

ME. I KNOW.

Thus begins the Great Bookmark Saga of 2016. Also known as, A Disaster of Epic Proportions. 

I wanted some bookmarks for SWAY. Samhain was kind enough to send me rack cards before SWAY came out and I have a few left, but they're out of date, plus I wanted something bookmark size. So I decided to design my own using Canva. I'd already designed something on Canva so obviously I was an expert and it seemed like a good idea.

It pretty much took me an entire day just to make my design. Once I did, it was pretty, I loved it, and I thought, all I have to do is upload it to Vistaprint and Bam! I've got bookmarks.

WRONG!

First, I'd heard that you can save money by uploading two designs on the rack card template and then you can cut them yourself and voila! Two for the price of one bookmarks. This did not work for me. So I tried to fit my design into Vistaprint's bookmark template. Also did not work. I redesigned my bookmarks on Canva multiple times in different sizes in an attempt to fit them into the template. NOPE. And keep in mind, this wasn't just a, click once to resize. Because I'm on basic Canva, I had to design over again FROM THE BEGINNING. EACH TIME.

After all this, I finally decided to use a different printing company. I uploaded my design and it was easy... TOO easy. But I ignored this and ordered a hundred bookmarks. At this point, it was like 2 am, but I could not fall asleep. I kept stressing about these bookmarks. What if I hadn't gotten the design within the bleed lines? What if words were cut off? What if they ended up blurry? Then I'd be wasting my money, PLUS a trip to the US where I had to pick them up (they don't ship to Canada). In order to get some sleep that night, I cancelled the order. 

I just didn't feel good about ordering through this second printer, so I went back to Vistaprint and asked them to fit my design into their template. Waited a day. They couldn't do it. 

Forget online printing companies, I would go local. So I went into Staples (a Canadian office supply store) and asked if they printed bookmarks and if they would print my design, how much, etc. They said yes- bring in the design on a USB. I did, the next day. The lady, the same one I'd already talked to, couldn't open the file. So she said for me to change the format and come back. So I did. AGAIN. I put my design into every format I could think of and went BACK into Staples. Same lady. Still couldn't open the file. She basically stared at me like I was some kind of idiot, but I'm sorry lady- those files opened on my computer at home! Anyway, suck-it Staples, I'll go somewhere else. After calling around and leaving multiple messages with small printing companies, I decided to try online again.

Can I make a side note here and say, if only Vistaprint had a bookmark template! They have rack card and business card templates, but with bookmarks, you have to upload your design. Otherwise, I would have redesigned right on Vistaprint. But I couldn't do that, so this time, I uploaded my design and asked them to recreate it for me. A day later, wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles... THEY DID! I had to make a minor change and wait another day, but finally, I had a working design that I could actually order on Vistaprint. So I did. They told me I would get them in a few weeks, in time for a book signing event I had planned for the beginning of October.

I waited. I checked the mail. I waited some more. I checked some more. NOTHING. Finally, a few days before my event (and here is where I screwed up... I should've done this a week earlier) I went into the tracking info on Vistaprint, which led me to UPS, which led me to this extensive list of all the places these bookmarks had travelled to. Apparently, they didn't have the right address, they contacted the receiver (me, and NO THEY DID NOT), got an address, delivered. They were rejected by the receiver (BECAUSE IT WASN'T ME), mailed them back to Ontario, went to three different cities in Ontario, and were currently in limbo when I checked. I called UPS. 

Long story short, UPS doesn't deliver to PO boxes, and sent my bookmarks back to Vistaprint. 

First of all, WHY DIDN'T UPS CALL/EMAIL ME??? I would've given them my street address. I have no clue WHO they kept contacting.

Second of all, if Vistaprint always uses UPS, and UPS never delivers to PO  boxes, WHY ARE YOU ALLOWED TO ENTER A PO BOX INTO THE ADDRESS LINE? When I called Vistaprint, they didn't even know UPS doesn't deliver to PO boxes!

What. The. Fudge.

Anyway (not really anyway, but I'm mostly over it, so anyway), Vistaprint said they would resend and I would get them October 6th... six days AFTER my bookstore event. Great. Thanks for that.

I didn't actually get them until today. If you want to see what they look like, and my reaction to opening them,  you can go here. 

Friday Loves: Gilmore Girls!

My sister often told me how much she loves Gilmore Girls, how she's watched the entire series at least ten times. Then there's the fans on Twitter, who tweet about it constantly, despite the fact the show ended years ago. Probably because of the revival coming up. Anyway, I finally decided to give it a try.

The first episode was good, but I wasn't immediately sold. It took me... a whole TWO episodes to get completely hooked. I don't know what it is about the show that hooked me so soon, but I'm guessing it's probably a mix of the witty and fast-paced dialogue, and the flawed yet likeable characters. At first I was awed by both Lorelei and Rory (please can I be them?!), but now that I've gotten to know them, they drive me cray-cray. Lorelei especially. She has these epic mom moments and I really envy her relationship with her daughter at times- it helps me be a bit more aware of my own relationships with my daughters (and son). Of course, Lorelei is also self-absorbed most of the time and there are so many moments when I'm mentally screaming at her to just shut up already. Rory I liked from the start, until the whole end of season four thing with Dean, and now I just want her to smarten up. But what makes the show great is despite these things, I still want them to get their happy endings, or happy for right now's. I want the same for Luke, Lane, Dean, Jess, Emily and Richard, even Kirk. 
These characters are so compelling, it's hard not to be completely hooked on their lives and want to know what crazy thing they'll do next.

I'm in the middle of season five right now, so I still have a ways to go until the end. Hopefully I'll be done before the new episodes air next month. But for now, pardon my many Gilmore Girls tweets- this is all new to me and I'm loving it. I'm so glad I gave this show a shot. 

What about you? Have you watched Gilmore Girls and did you like it?

Monday Reads: 4 YA

Soooo, I've felt lately like I've been in a bit of a book slump. Actually, I feel like I've been in a life slump, but that's a post for another day (or maybe just for inside my brain).

Here's what I've read lately:

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

This was one of those books that people LOVE but I just... didn't. It never captured me, I didn't feel like very much went actually happened, and I never connected to the characters. It did have a few really great moments though. 

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

So I said book slump, but maybe not because THIS BOOK. It was HILARIOUS. Just so so so very well done. I loved it, I want it to be a movie, I want it to be real. Hey, if Reign is a show, they could make this a movie. Just saying. Seriously loved this book- one of my fave YA historicals ever.

A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

This book was pretty great. A good sequel with a twist I thought I saw coming but it twisted in a different direction. I really enjoyed it and I'm interested to see where Sabaa Tahir takes the next book (final book?). 

Chasing Memories by Tia Silverthorne Bach

This book was a light paranormal read, a genre I feel I haven't read in awhile. There were some really fun moments, and it also had a twist I didn't see coming. It's the first of a series (or maybe trilogy?) so it ended on a cliffhanger which left me unsatisfied. I think I've lost patience for cliffhangers. 

So maybe I haven't been in a book slump after all. Or it could be the fact that I started a book after Chasing Memories and couldn't get past page 50 (nope, couldn't do it) and now I'm reading something where I love the author but I haven't gotten into it yet. Please, I want to get into it so bad! Or maybe my life slump is bleeding over into my reading and tainting everything.  

Monday Reads: A Hodgepodge

Alas, my reading has slowed down a bit lately. I have to keep telling myself it's not a race- I don't have a reading deadline (not counting library due dates). Sometimes I feel this insane urge to hurry and I don't know why.

Anyway, here's what I read:

LONGBOURN'S SONGBIRD by Beau North.

This was a Pride & Prejudice retelling which takes place in the South after WWII. There were so many things I loved about this book- the setting, Elizabeth's backstory, the twist on Colonel Fitzwilliam, the change around Bingley and Jane... Some of the characters were developed so fully that it really brought them to life, more than the original. My only pet peeve was that because of this- some of the other characters were kind of left in the dust. P&P has a huge cast so obviously you can't fully realize everyone, but I felt some were started and then left behind and I would've like a little more there. Otherwise, excellent read. 

FLIRTING IN ITALIAN by Lauren Henderson

So, this is the kind of book where I'm dying to talk to somebody who has read it. I have a lot of opinions, most which I will bottle up until I can talk to someone about it (lol). There were some really fun things about this book, and I automatically love an Italian setting. However. My biggest pet peeve was that it ended on a cliffhanger- so obviously there are sequels, but this was a YA contemp romance and having no end to the plot really drove me bananas.

OUTRUN THE MOON by Stacey Lee

I loved like crazy Stacey Lee's first book UNDER A PAINTED SKY so naturally I picked up OtM. It didn't disappoint. Stacey Lee is easily one of my fave historical YA authors. She writes beautiful stories with the kind of characters you want to be besties with. OtM isn't only about Mercy's survival of the earthquake, but also about her journey to be seen and heard as a person, a woman, as being just as good as anyone else despite the way the world saw her. I have no gift for eloquent reviews, just read the book because it is excellent.

The Best Laid Plans

Sometimes I look ahead and wonder what in the heck I'm going to write next.

And then there's the times where I look ahead with a plan in place. Usually this plan is, I will write this first, and then that next, and then go back and revise this, then revise that... you get the idea. At the beginning of the summer I had this plan in place. 

Well, summer is almost over and that plan basically blew up in my face.

I mean, I sorta set the fuse. For one, the manuscript I was supposed to write during the summer- well I only got about 10k written. Writing was lower on my priority list these past couple of months. Now that school is about to restart, I suddenly have multiple other projects I also want to work on, and I'm not sure what to do first. Finish the already started WIP? Write that novella I've been considering? Ignore both and write a new YA? 

I don't do well without a plan. I don't like chaos. I like to be in control. So I have to get my act in gear and just decide. Make a new list, set a new order, and then GO. Because I can't GO until the plan is in place. 

I just have to remember that even the best laid plans can fall apart. But when they do, I will start over, make a new list, set a new order, and then GO. Again. Because what else can you do?

Friday Loves: SUMMER

August is almost over, summer is coming to a close. The kids start school next week. The weather here in Alberta seems to think it's October, not August. And I'm sad.

I love summer. I love not having to wake up to an alarm. I love spending time with my kids. I love that they help me with the house cleaning. I love taking them to do fun things. I love the beach.

I don't get a lot done in the summer, that's the only downside to it. I have a writing to-do list a mile long that I barely made a dent it. But I really relish these two months of being with my kids. Sure, they drive me crazy sometimes. (Mom, I'm bored. Mom, I have nothing to do. Mom, why can't we go somewhere. Mom, if I can't play the computer then I don't want to do anything!) But during the school year, there's barely any time to do anything with school, and four kids different after-school activities.

I'm going to miss the summer. I'm going to miss lazy days, and days spent at the beach, and the nice weather (which we barely got any of this summer). I'm going to miss the slower pace. Summer- I love you. And please come back again soon.

Conferences, And Why They're Important

Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend WHEN WORDS COLLIDE for the second year in a row. WWC is a Calgary based writer/reader con that I was pleasantly surprised to discover last year. This year, I not only got to attend, but speak on four different panels as well. My mother-in-law also came with me and we had a great time at the different classes and panels. 

Me and my MIL Debbie before the keynote speeches (plus a photobomber in the background!)

Before I heard about WWC, I would hear other writers speak about cons near them and think, I don't have that luxury. There's nothing nearby, I can't afford to travel to one, but oh well, I'll survive. And of course, you do. But there's a lot you miss out on when you don't get to attend a conference.

Last year, I went to a lot of YA panels. I didn't learn a whole lot that I didn't already know. (disclaimer: not because I know everything about YA, they were just topics that I was already familiar with- I attended them because my daughter was with me.) This year, I went to a lot of marketing kinds of panels- how to build your author brand, how to reach your readers, how to do a successful book signing. These were things I needed to hear right now. I took pages and pages of notes and learned A TON. 

On a panel about ratings, trigger warnings, and language with authors D.C Menard, Angelica Dawson, and Jane Ann McLachlan (not pictured)

That doesn't mean I wish I hadn't gone the first year (instead it gave me the courage to participate on panels myself), nor did it make me wish I'd gone to different classes. Because no matter if you learn brand new stuff or if you're hearing things you've already heard before, that's not really the point. It's the camaraderie. It's being among other people who share the same goals and passions you do. It's getting motivated again, filling your well, getting fired up for whatever part of the journey you're on in that moment. It's being with people who get you, whether you're chatty with everyone or you're like me and keep more to yourself- you still feel that bond.

On a panel about romance heroines with authors Lori Whyte and Jessica L. Jackson, and Harlequin senior editor Victoria Curran

Whether you learn a bunch of stuff or learn nothing, whether you sell a bunch of books or sell none, whether you make a ton of new friends or stay the same introvert you always were, no matter what, you leave lifted. Filled. Ready to tackle a new year, a new project, a new path. You're ready to keep going. You're rejuvenated.

P.S. So I thought there were no conferences in my Canadian town. I don't remember how I found out about WWC, but if you think there's nothing near you, research. Because I'm betting there's something out there a lot closer than you think.

Monday Reads: A Wide Variety

These past couple of weeks, I read a wide range of books. 

Continuing on my YA drama theme, I read EXIT STAGE LEFT by Gail Nall. I found this book compelling, and I wanted to know what was going to happen, though the MC drove me absolutely batty. This is one of those books where the MC isn't all that likeable, but you want to know what's going to happen to them anyway- you want to see them succeed in the end. So, well done with that.

Off and on, I read a short story collection called SUN-KISSED: EFFUSIONS OF SUMMER. This book is similar to the Austenesque winter short story collection I took part in called THEN COMES WINTER. This book came out first and I was saving it to read for summertime (for obvious reasons). I really enjoyed the wide range of short stories in this book, some of which I wished were novel length. If you like Jane Austen retellings or continuations, this is a great book to pick up.

I also spent about a month reading a non-fiction book called THE POWER OF EVERYDAY MISSIONARIES by Clay M. Christensen. I don't read a lot of non-fiction, or a lot of LDS books. This book is about how members of the Latter-Day Saint church (my church) can become everyday missionaries. I was challenged to read this by a member of my church leadership and I accepted. The book turned out to be a really great read. For someone who isn't very comfortable talking about my beliefs, this helped open my eyes to different ways I can do that in an easier, more natural way. 

Last, but definitely not least, I read HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD. I had this on hold at my library, but after going to a HP party with my oldest daughter, it got me all excited about it so I went out and bought it the next day. This book was EVERYTHING. Sure, the format took a bit to get used to. I definitely would've preferred it in novel form, written solely by JK Rowling. Though people's comments about how she didn't write this- I just don't get that. No, she didn't write the script, but it's her story. I could see her humor and wit in it. I loved it. Honestly, I can't understand any HP fans not loving it. Now I wish I could see the play. Trip to London anyone?

How I Got My Agent!!!

It's finally arrived. 

That moment most writers dream about but secretly doubt will ever happen.

Yep, I HAVE AN AGENT!!! 

This is something I've dreamed about and have been working towards since 2010. Yep, that's right, SIX YEARS. 

So here's my story, six years of hard work summed up as brief as possible.

I finished my first novel, DAZE & KNIGHTS in 2010. It was YA time-travel. I revised it a couple of times and then queried it. I know. Rookie mistake. DON'T DO THIS. Anyway, I spent a year and a half in a cycle of revising, then querying. I learned a lot in that time- both about the craft of writing and queries. Once I work-shopped my query and got it to sparkle (and it did), the MS started getting lots of attention, and did really well in contests. It ended up with an R&R from a small press, but all to no avail. I cried when I shelved it.

Enter book 2 (which was actually book 3 because I'd written a sequel to DAZE, but couldn't query it, obvs). SWAY was a quiet, clean adult romance/Jane Austen retelling. It got a little bit of attention, but not as much as book 1, and it didn't do great in contests. I stopped querying it a lot sooner because I thought, since it was adult and I knew its market, I could try small pubs or even self-publish it. I put it aside until I could figure out what I wanted to do with it.

Book 3 was a YA UF called EPONINE. I started it off in a contest where it got a couple of fulls off the bat. Querying, it got some interest, but I heard multiple times that UF just wasn't selling and maybe it wasn't the right time. So after only 40 queries, I set it aside. 

This is pretty much how I felt shelving EPONINE, what I thought was my best written MS.

I could've queried EPONINE longer, but it seemed pointless when the genre was struggling, plus I had a brand new YA ready to go, a mystery with a hint of fantasy called JAR OF HEARTS. It was a book I'd written for my first ever (and only so far) NaNoWriMo. I sent a few queries, made it into Nightmare On Query Street- garnering a few partial requests, then queried some more. (At this same time, SWAY was becoming an Actual Novel, published by Samhain!) 

Waiting. All the waiting.

While in the trenches, I considered querying a certain agent I sort of "knew." We are both members of the YA-NA Sisterhood. I worried that querying her would be a conflict of interest, or make things awkward between us, so I decided to straight up ask her. She was all sweet and lovely and said, "query me!" So I did.

Nerves...

A day after querying, she asked for my full. A month and a half later, I got that email. You know the one. The one that says, "I liked what I read, can we talk?"

WHUT?

I was at the mall food court with my kids when I got this email. I will admit with no shame that I celebrated right there in the middle of the packed food court. My kids thought it was funny. I think the table closest to us was slightly alarmed.

This is kinda how I looked, though more crazy, less cute.

So I did "The Call" and it was nerve-wracking and scary and I hung up and felt like I botched it. It was one of those times where afterwards you think, I should've said this and this and this! but it was too late.

Despite my awkwardness, she offered representation.

I let all the agents with fulls/partials/queries know. The full requests came flooding in. So did the rejections. Luckily, the sting of those wasn't quite as bad because you know there's already someone rooting for you/your book. 

A day after nudging, I received a second call, a second offer.

Cue the anxiety and stress of making this decision. I kinda felt like Jojo from The Bachelorette. Okay, maybe I shouldn't compare this to that, but I've been watching it, and listening to her cry and say, "what if I make the wrong decision???" really got me.

Anyway, after a lot of thinking and praying (and stressing), I decided to go with my gut. 

I signed with offering agent #1. Now I'm officially represented by Vanessa Eccles at Golden Wheat Literary! I loved what she said about the book, I really connected with her whole agenting strategy/philosophy, and I can't wait to work with her! 

So this is where the story ends, for now...

Friday Loves: NEWSIES!

It's 8pm on Friday here in Alberta, making me a bit late for my Friday Loves post. But I didn't want to miss it, because I did something fun last weekend and have to share it with the world! (I'm laughing right now because that sentence sounds very magnanimous in my head.)

Anyway, I took my two oldest daughters to see NEWSIES the musical last weekend. As a young teen, I LOVED Newsies. Like crazy. Watched it over and over. Had it memorized. In fact, my BFF and I made this whole Newsies II story, where we were girls who had to disguise ourselves as boys so we could work as Newsies, and of course we fell in love with a couple of the characters while we were at it (Jack Kelly for her, and Kid Blink for me- he's the guy with the eye patch. I had a thing for him. Don't ask.) As a total aside, me and the kids watched the movie a couple of days after seeing the musical, and during one of the bonus features, I learned that some girls actually were Newsies, and didn't have to disguise themselves. So there goes our story. *shrug*

ANYWAY, I absolutely loved the musical. I was pretty much grinning the entire time. And surprisingly, I really liked the changes they made to the musical. I say surprisingly because when you are used to something being one way, it's hard to love it when it's different. But I loved how Jack was an artist, I loved the added songs, and MOST OF ALL I loved how the female love interest was a reporter instead of just Davey's sister. She has a great story all her own and it really strengthened their love story. The only thing I didn't love was they sorta dialed down Spot's character. Bummer- I love him in the movie.

If you like musicals, NEWSIES is definitely a must-see. The dancing especially was stellar. I'd go to it again in a heartbeat.

Monday Reads: 5 Star Reads!

Oh the books I've read lately.

First was LOVE & GELATO by Jenna Evans Welch, which I already waxed enthusiastic about lasy Friday Loves post. This book, which takes place in Italy, was the perfect summer read- full of love, swoony moments, smart and funny dialogue, and feels. Loved it!

Then I read THE ROSE & THE DAGGER by Renee Ahdieh. This is the sequel to THE WRATH & THE DAWN, and actually the final book (I thought it was a trilogy, but it's a duology). The book was a great finale and I'm glad she didn't stretch it into three books. Sharzhad is an excellent MC and I loved the road it took for her and Khalid to get back together and get their happy ending.
 

After that, I went back to contemp YA with Jessi Kirby's GOLDEN. I read this book in a couple of days because the characters and the mystery were so compelling. You're rooting so hard for Parker and Trevor, plus you want to find out what really happened with Julianna, Shane, and Orion. I often find contemp YA to spell out the MC's feelings when we, as a reader, already get it. This book did that a bit, but not so much that I got annoyed. It could've used a bit more dialogue too- my personal taste- but neither of those things made the book any less unputdownable.

Finally, another YA contemp- TAKE A BOW by Elizabeth Eulberg. For light, fun, and fast-paced, this book was perfection. She did the four POV's amazingly, and the book was a quick read. It reminded me of a book version of FAME. Most importantly, because there wasn't a lot of plot to the book, the characters- even the minor ones- totally jumped off the page. They were so real to me that I felt like I was a fellow student at CPA. Excellent book.

I Just Can't

The world is a scary place. Sometimes so scary that I just want to hunch into a ball, cover my ears with my hands and go, "lalalalala." No seriously. There are times I stay away from social media now because it's the same as watching the news- something I don't do. I know it's important to stay informed, but when all the bad things happen, and then all of the fighting/disagreements/negativity that happens on social media, it gets to be a bit too much at times.

This isn't a post about world change. It isn't a post about the importance of conversations and talking and learning. That is important, but it's a post for another day. This is just me saying that sometimes I can't handle the negativity. It brings me down. It makes me scared/depressed/angry/listless. So I try my darnedest not to get involved. This doesn't mean I don't have my opinions. It doesn't mean I'm not listening and learning, because I am. I'm just not jumping in. 

It also means I try my darnedest not to add to it. Everything I say on social media, I try to make it positive, or at least funny. It doesn't always work. Of course it doesn't. But when I hear the negativity, when I get caught up in it, when I stomp around my house or write then delete tweets, then when I take a breath, step back, step away, and come back with a silly post about The Bachelorette or my kids or the book I read lately, that's why. Because sometimes I just can't.  

Friday Loves: LOVE & GELATO

I know I usually talk about books on Mondays, but Friday is all about what I'm loving right now, and right now, what I'm loving is LOVE & GELATO. 

“I made the wrong choice.”

Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is get back home.

But then she is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires Lina, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.

People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more.

THIS BOOK.

There's something about summer that makes me want to read about people falling in love in Europe. Okay, I'd read about that anytime, but in the summer I really get a hankering for it. I don't know where I heard about LOVE & GELATO, but I requested it from my library, then saved it so I could read it on the beach.

Well, it rained all week, but WHO CARES? The book was so good it didn't matter where I was reading it. I loved the Florence setting (obviously), I had the feels for the MC and the loss of her mother, I loved how there was journal entries and a bit of a mystery to be solved. The best part though was the dialogue/relationship between the MC and her new friend Ren. It was soooo right in all the ways. 

This book kinda reminded me of ANNA & THE FRENCH KISS, so if you liked that, read this one right now! I'm definitely going out and buying my very own copy because it's become a fave.

 

Monday Reads: THE MUSE, a SERPENT, and ACHILLES

Blog? What blog? I have a blog?

I don't know why I've been having such a hard time blogging lately, or even REMEMBERING to blog. I mean, it's almost 5pm on Monday so I'm a little behind today. Not to mention the last time I blogged was a couple of weeks ago. 

Ergh. Blogging slump.

Anyway, I read three books these past few weeks.

First, THE MUSE by Jessica Evans. This is a modern-day PRIDE & PREJUDICE retelling where Elizabeth is a ballet dancer in the corps and Darcy is a famous choreographer. Love the concept and loved the book! It was putting two of my favorite things together and it did not go wrong.

Then I read THE SERPENT'S SHADOW by Rick Riordan. This is the last book in the Kane Chronicles. It's been a long time since I read books one and two, but I didn't find it too difficult to jump back into the trilogy. Obviously I'd forgotten some things, but it was easy to keep up and I enjoyed the book. Rick Riordan has a great voice, lots of funny moments, and his books are always action packed with a touch of teenage romance. Great end to the trilogy.

Most recently, I read THE SONG OF ACHILLES by Madeline Miller. It was an excellent retelling of THE ILIAD, told from the POV of Patroclus, and I was captured from start to finish. The only thing that stopped me from giving it five stars was the fact that it switched tenses sometimes. I didn't understand why, and while I think it was intentional (and not bad writing), it threw me out of the story every time it happened. Anyone else read this book and know why the author would switch tenses? I really feel like I missed something there.

Anyway, these were all great reads. Yay for good books!

Author Interview with D.B. Kennison

Recently I read a fantastic mystery novel titled STILL LIFE by D.B. Kennison. Kennison is a fellow Samhain author and I really enjoyed this book. It had my stomach in knots the entire time, plus there was some super swoony scenes. D. B. Kennison interviewed me for her site, and was gracious enough to turn her own questions back on herself and answer them for me. Check it out!

D.B. Kennison

What do you think people would be the most surprised to learn about you?

Most surprised?   Probably that I'm a cosmetologist/aesthetician by trade. That's right, I do hair, nails, and facials for a living. I've worked a variety of jobs over the years and this one is special. I have the ability to make someone's day, to make them feel better, and provide a little bit of balance to their hectic lives. The fact that I get awesome writing material is just a bonus!

Jewelry by D.B. Kennison

Art by D.B. Kennison

What do you enjoy most in your free time? 

I'm one of those people, lucky or not can be infinitely debated, who can't shut off my creative side. It's like a disorder. If I'm not writing, then I'm painting, sculpting, jewelry-making, wood working, landscaping, decorating...ugh!  You get the picture. When our daughter was little, I even painted her room to look like the outdoors, incorporating doors into a castle and giving her a cat. She loved it. 

Other than a computer, what modern convenience could you never live without?

I guess it would be my Kindle. I was dragged to the e-reader world kicking and screaming, while clutching my favorite paper books in a death grip. I like the printed page, the smell and feel of them. I like dog-earring them, making notes in the margins and highlighting favorite passages. (sniff) Then I realized you can pretty much do the same thing electronically with Kindle features. They don't smell and they feel differently, but it's easier to read in bed (no annoying bedside lamp to keep hubby awake). 

Every author has a process—what works for them when they write. What does your writing process look like from first scribbles to finished manuscript? 

Well, it's changed a lot since I started writing. It began as longhand scribbles in notebooks. Then sheets of sticky notes outlining chapters, which led to actual writing in Word. It was a pain in the butt to learn any kind of efficiency in plotting. Now I use a computer program that has all of these features and more, that enable me to move around a manuscript easily. God Bless Scrivener. 

What is your all time favorite book and why?

It's hard to pick just one. But the one I come back to time and again, never tiring of it, is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. It's kind of an odd choice. I tend to gravitate to mysteries with a dark bent, which is anything but this Highland historical. I guess that's a testament to great writing. 

Project research, love it or hate it?

Love it! I swear, I could set everything in life aside and just learn new stuff. As a writer research is a necessity, for me it can be an obsession with one Google search snowballing into a dozen! 

Is there a specific author who inspires you?  

One of my all time favorites is Tami Hoag. She started out as a romance novelist and now writes more mainstream mystery/suspense/thrillers. She is booked as the guest speaker for this years Writer's Police Academy. I'm attending and will probably embarrass myself when I ask her to sign a book for me. 

How did you come up with the title for your debut book?

It was an exercise in frustration. I bet I had a dozen different names as I was writing the book. When it was done I Googled art terms and knew the moment I saw it, STILL LIFE, was it.  

How long did it take you to write STILL LIFE?

A long time! It was a learning process because I didn't know the first darned thing about writing a book when I started. Let alone one that anyone would want to read, God forbid pay for. I began in late 2008, writing on and off with big gaps (sometimes as long as a year) where I'd take online writing courses, then begin again.

Tell us a little about the book. 

It's a mystery set in small town Wisconsin. Randi Lassiter is a reluctant P.I. who gets pulled into a murder investigation and steps on the toes of the detective in charge. Despite butting heads, they are attracted to each other, which adds a flirty element to the story. The mystery centers around an artist community and some quirky suspects. Readers tell me they love the inclusion of familiar places across our state. It was fun to write this genre-blend of romance, mystery, suspense, and comedy. 

What has been the most exciting aspect to releasing your first novel?

It has forced me to get over my introverted ways. I am not a mingler, a socializer, a gadabout. I'm more of geeky hermit, content to not be the center of attention. All of that kind of flies out the window when you put a book out there. Now I'm trying to be present everywhere. I'm not just selling my book, I'm selling myself.  (Oh, that didn't quite come out right * wink)  

What has been the most detrimental?

Finding time to write. Now that I'm addicted to this new found creative outlet I can't shut off the voices in my head. I've got at least a dozen story ideas and no time to write them. I'm terribly undisciplined when it comes to the practice of writing. Fixing that is my next goal.

What other projects are you working on?

Well, book 2 in the Randi Lassiter series is done and through the first round of edits. However, one of my editor's comments started a discussion that perhaps it could be a better story/series if tweaked. Tweak my ass! It has become a full on re-write. But, I agree with him. It will be worth it, the result being a stronger, more character driven story in the end. The bonus is that it's making me a better writer. I'm also working on a stand alone thriller that explores the darker elements of mind control applications. Creepy good fun. LOL.

Thanks D.B. Kennison for stopping by today! I can't wait to read more about Randi, and that thriller sounds super creepy! 

Check out STILL LIFE and D.B. Kennison at her website, on Facebook, and on Twitter. You can read her interview with me at https://whispersintheair.com/2016/07/01/meet-the-author-austen-fan-and-avenger-geek-melanie-stanford/. 

Monday Reads: KILL, DREAM, and HEAL

It's a truth universally acknowledged that ALL THE READING leads to a reading slump. 

Okay, maybe reading slump is too harsh a way to put it, although I did have a DNF this past week which I won't mention because it doesn't really matter. I just couldn't get into the book. The books I did read were:

KILL THE BOY BAND by Goldy Moldavsky, which was probably the strangest book I've ever read. I'm a self-professed boy band lover, so I figured I'd love this book. I liked it a lot. It was fun to read about crazy fangirls (like CRAY-ZAY), but they took the cray to a whole new level. It was just... super weird. But I liked it. I've just never read anything like that before.

DREAM A LITTLE DREAM- Kerstin Gier. I love the Ruby Red Trilogy by Gier so I was super-psyched to read something else by Gier. This book was good, just not amazing. The best part is Gier's MC's always make me laugh, which I loved.

THE HEALING PLACE- Sharon Downing Jarvis. My mom lent me this book, and I didn't really want to read it. It's an older book, and also a "Mormon" book. I'm Mormon, but I rarely read Mormon fiction. I was surprised to really like this book though. I had a few issues with the writing itself, but I enjoyed the story.

So that was my reading week. All four star books, but I'm really hoping to find a swoony, amazing summer read or two.