Monday Reads: VICE, LONGBOURN, EVERYTHING BUT THE TRUTH, and NIMONA

Another full and great couple of reading weeks. 

VICE by Rosanna Leo. Rosanna is a fellow Samhain author and this is the first book I've read by her. I read VICE in two days because it was a page-turner. It had the perfect amount of tension and spot-on pacing. What I love most about it is that it's a story of addictions. Not only does Kate struggle with her father's gambling addiction, she latches on to Liam and creates an addiction of her own (while he gets addicted to her as well). It was a struggle to read how she tries to stop enabling her father but then just gets in deep with her own vice. There were times when Kate was telling herself to run from Liam and I really wanted her to do the same. While Liam has a tortured past, he felt more controlling and scary to me than like a sexy hero. Luckily, without giving away spoilers, both of them eventually get their act together, in a realistic way too- without it being too easy. I was very happy with both of their character arcs and how the book ended. My favourite line: "They enabled each other. Their love was like a Vegas casino, bright and lively on the outside, but cloaked in darkness, heedless of time and responsibility." Not only is the imagery here perfect, but this line came at exactly the right time. I have to admit it was a bit too much on the erotic side for me- those aren't really my type of books, but I loved the story.

LONGBOURN by Jo Baker. This book is pitched as PRIDE & PREJUDICDE meets DOWNTON ABBEY, which, HELLO, yes please! It wasn't really like that though. The great thing about DA is the number of characters, both servants and the family, which really makes for all the intrigues and scandals. In LONGBOURN, there are only a handful of servants- obviously because the Bennet's aren't rich- but because of that, there wasn't intrigue I thought there'd be. I did enjoy the book though. The story went along with timeline of P&P but it was about the servant Sarah wanting her own life and love story. The book was full of details (though sometimes too many for my taste) and I loved the love story. Unfortunately, though the book was long, the climax felt rushed at the end. I gave the book four stars though because I was totally into it.

EVERYTHING BUT THE TRUTH was a cute and fun read by Mandy Hubbard. It's a mistaken identity kind of book which was fun, although it took the MC a loooong time to finally tell the love interest the truth. I get why, but this made the love interest seem a little dumb- like catch on already dude, this girl is shady! It was a fun and fast read though, and I loved the retirement home setting and the fact that the LI was a rich socialite.

NIMONA  by Noelle Stevenson. So aside from Archie, Garfield, and Calvin & Hobbes, I've never read comics, and never a graphic novel like NIMONA. I didn't know if I'd like it or not but I loved it. The story was excellent, I read it in pretty much one sitting, I loved the characters, it was funny, and the drawings were great. I loved the mash-up of science and magic, modern and medieval. Graphic novels probably aren't my favorite type of book, but I loved every bit of this one and I'm so glad I picked it up. My son is now reading it, and my daughter wants it after him. For a graphic novel first-timer, I think this was a good one to start with.  

Wednesday Writes: For Love Or Money

I had a conversation with my husband awhile back about whether writing was "worth it." Being the practical guy that he is, he had to *try* and break down the hours I spend writing and compare that to the possible money I might make. (He didn't even factor in time spent blogging, marketing, researching, or social media-ing.) At the time, I was yet unpublished, but even once I signed my contract, he asked me multiple times how much money I expected to make. 

I understand where he's coming from. He has a 9-5 job, he works hard, he's our breadwinner. If I was the breadwinner, I'd probably have to think a lot more along these lines of HOW MUCH? Or to put it his way, is it worth it? 

I received a royalty statement this week, my third one so far. Every time I get one of these I'm reminded that I'm not in this for the money. Sure, all writers want to be a bestseller and make the big bucks. But I think all writers (or at least most, otherwise what delusions are you living under?) know that's not realistic. Over ten years ago I took a writing course at university and was told that the average Canadian writer makes $20,000 a year. Despite the cost of everything going up since then, I highly doubt that average has. Writers just don't make a lot of money. I can dream big, and my husband can too (he's still holding out hope that he'll be able to retire early thanks to me... hahahahahahaha). But what he doesn't understand, what anyone who isn't in the arts doesn't understand, is that it's not about the money. It CAN'T be about the money, otherwise we'd all quit before we really started.

We write because we love it. We write because we have to. We write because it's the ONE THING we want to do more than anything. And if that means I won't be able to buy Manolo's or trade up my mini-van for an Escalade, so be it. When my husband asked how much I expected to make, I couldn't answer him. I really couldn't. I didn't/don't have expectations- especially since it's my first book because maybe no one will like it, who's to know? I can't put a money value on this work of art that I made or estimate how many copies will be sold.

I write this post as much for me as anyone because it is a little disappointing opening that royalty statement and realizing... nope, I haven't hit it big. This is a good reminder to me that I don't do this to get paid. That was never my end goal. I do it because I love it. End of story.

Friday Loves: PRIDE & PREJUDICE & ZOMBIES & MATT SMITH

I'm not into zombies- never have been. The movie I AM LEGEND gave me nightmares, I totally didn't get the love story in WARM BODIES, and I thought it was absolutely ridiculous that someone wrote a book called PRIDE & PREJUDICE & ZOMBIES. Like, would Jane Austen laugh at this or turn over in her grave (like a zombie...)?

Once I saw the trailer for P&P&Z though, I knew I had to give the movie a shot. I watched it this week and was surprised by how funny it was. I mean, the whole thing was really weird. When you know and love a story so much and to see it changed like that (ex: Darcy's proposal going from- let's talk angrily about this to- let's beat the crap out of each other) is just strange. But it was so strange that it worked, it was FUNNY. I never thought the movie would be funny. (Although there were a few things that didn't work for me, but I won't get into those.)

The best part, aside from seeing Elizabeth Bennett kick some major behind- which also kinda works with her character, was Matt Smith playing Mr. Collins. Sorry, PARSON Collins. He was so good! And I loved seeing him in something other than Doctor Who. He stole the movie, IMO. This was the first time in any P&P of any kind where I actually liked Mr. Collins! This was also the first time where I thought Bingley was hotter than Darcy. (I don't think I've seen Sam Riley in anything else so... is that really his voice?)

Anyway, it was fun movie and I'm glad I gave it a shot. Still not going to read the book though. 

Monday Reads: CARRY ON, LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE, ME BEFORE YOU, and ORIGIN

It was another great couple of weeks of reading. First, I read CARRY ON by Rainbow Rowell. If you haven't read FANGIRL, I suggest reading that first before CARRY ON. In FANGIRL, the MC Cath writes Simon Snow fanfiction. CARRY ON is an actual Simon Snow book- so it's nice to get a bit of a starting off point. 

CARRY ON started a bit slow and weird for me. I kept thinking I was reading some strange and twisted version of Harry Potter. Once I got into the story though (probably 100 pages in or so), it became its own thing and I forgot about HP. I ended up loving the book. I gave it five stars, though really it was more of a 4 and a half kind of book, just because of the beginning. 

Then I read Gina Ciocca's LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE. Another great book. It was angsty, it was full of feelings, and I loved it. It was kinda hard to watch the MC take forever to realize what she needed to realize (trying to be spoiler-free here), but that was the whole point of the book. It wasn't an easy journey for her. The only thing that left me a little disappointed is due to the format of the book- alternating flashback chapters and present day chapters- I felt like the big secret hinted at through the first half was bigger than it turned out to be. Otherwise, a great contemporary YA read.

Then I read ME BEFORE YOU by Jojo Moyes. And I don't even know what to say. Wow. Just wow. Loved it. Like crazy. Such a good book, a feels book, an ugly cry book, a funny book. A definite must-read. And I can't wait for the movie to come out. And I'm going to buy this book ASAP because I must own it. Yeah. It was amazingly good. Just trust me.

I thought that it would be it before Monday, but I ended up reading Jennifer L. Armentrout's ORIGIN over the weekend. I read the first three books in the series awhile ago, so I totally had to hit up the Recaptains blog to remember what was going on. The book was a fast read, and good. I gave it four stars. But honestly, I feel sorta sorry for it after ME BEFORE YOU. I don't think any book could quite live up.

Wednesday Writes: First Ever Book Signing!

I did my first ever book signing at the end of January, and never posted about it! What the fudge? I think this deserves it's own post. Heck, it deserves a monument. Why? Because I survived.

Just kidding. But not really. It actually went really great. Lots of people came (mostly people I knew, a few I didn't), I wasn't sitting around doing nothing (except for the first five minutes) and I sold out of books! 

The survival part comes with the amount of anxiety I had leading up to it. Some days I would be fine, all breezy and "it is what it is." But anytime I really thought about it... BAM! ANXIETY! Like an explosion. In my stomach. Like where I wanted to curl up in bed and never leave.

But I survived. It was a great experience. And the best part: now I know I can do it. Not that there won't be times when no one shows- I know there will. And I'll still get anxiety every time. But still. I KNOW I CAN DO IT. 

Friday Loves: My Parents

This is an obvious one, but talking about how much you love your mom and dad is never a bad thing.

Me and the kids spent last week at my parents house because the kids didn't have school. So I slept on a hard bed and didn't get my exercising done, and all around it would've been easier to spend the week at home. But we had a great week and I'm happy every time I go. My parents, my mom especially, are so good with the kids. My mom does "projects" with them, my dad takes them around in the Handi-Bus, we watch movies and play a ton of games. My kids love going to Grandma's and I'm so grateful that my parents live close enough (3hrs away) that we can go often. 

So big love to my wonderful parents, I'm so grateful to have them in my life. 

Monday Reads: MONSTROUS, SIX OF CROWS, and PROM & PREJUDICE

I've decided to cut back my blog posts a bit. Blogging at the YA-NA Sisterhood, Meryton Press, and Austen Variations, plus three times a week here on my own blog, has all got to be a bit much for me. Frankly, I don't have that much to say. I'm still going to do my MONDAY READS, WEDNESDAY WRITES, and FRIDAY LOVES posts, but I'm going to alternate M,F, then W. 

The one teensy problem with this is my MONDAY READS post will feature more than one book, and I have a hard time remembering my feelings on the book(s) I read a couple of weeks ago. 

Such as MONSTROUS by MarcyKate Connolly. MarcyKate and I were in the same Writer's Voice contest a few years ago- her with MONSTROUS, and me with my YA time-travel DAZE AND KNIGHTS. I've wanted to read MONSTROUS ever since and it didn't disappoint. I had a lot of thoughts about this book and wish I knew someone who could discuss it with me. For one, I'm pretty sure the author changed it from YA to MG, but it still felt very YA to me. It makes me wonder what and how much she changed to make it so. I could see the twist coming from the start and wanted the MC to get there a bit faster- I wonder if this is what made it a bit more MG? Not sure. The book is lighter on the dialogue, which isn't my favorite thing, but the writing is beautiful and interesting and the voice kept me turning pages to the end. A great read.

The next book I read was SIX OF CROWS by Leigh Bardugo. I had no idea this book was going to take place in the same world as the GRISHA trilogy. I pretty much just picked it up because it's by Leigh Bardugo. I loved that it's the same world, but I had a hard time getting into the book. It wasn't until around 100 pages in that I really started loving it. There's a big cast of characters, and the author does a really good job of not info-dumping their backstories at the start. Because of that, I didn't really care about them though. I didn't know much about any of them other than they're all criminals. Once I hit 100 pages, I couldn't put it down, and I loved loved loved the rest and wish I had the sequel in my hands yesterday.

The third book I read was PROM & PREJUDICE by Elizabeth Eulberg. This was a fun and quick read. It's a modern take on PRIDE & PREJUDICE (obvs) and I loved the whole ritzy prep school feel to the book and the way the author made the story her own. My only complaint was some of the dialogue felt a bit forced- it was too similar to the original P&P, which to me didn't match how teens talk these days, fancy prep school or not. But it was a fun book and as soon as I finished it (in two days), my 12-year-old daughter read it even quicker and she loved it too.

So it was a pretty great couple weeks of reading. I might nitpick at books sometimes, but that usually doesn't lessen my overall enjoyment of a book. All of these books were 4-stars for me or higher.

What have you read lately?

Wednesday Writes: An Interview with Barbara Meyers

Last week I read FANTASY MAN by Barbara Meyers, a fellow Samhain author. This week I'm pleased to feature an interview with her!

Someone just gave you the best compliment ever.  What was it?

My son has told me several times in the past couple of years that he thinks I look younger than I am. I’m at an age where that is definitely a compliment. I do not, however, get carded.

You have no choice but to live your life from now on as one of your characters.  Which character is it and why?

Easy question. Quinn Fontana from FANTASY MAN.  I think I identify with her in that she was overly protected by her family and every bit of spontaneity she had got squashed by their concerns for her safety. So when she’s finally free of them, she goes a bit overboard. She understands their behavior but wishes she’d rebelled against it a bit sooner and stood up for herself. Plus, Reif is just delightful as a security consultant who can protect her from everything except himself.

You can never write another work of fiction.  What will you do instead?

I’d become as actively charitable as I like to think I am in my heart. I’d come out of my writing hidey hole and volunteer and get involved in my community. I’d go read to little kids and become a hospice volunteer.

You get a month off from your regular personal life and writing routine.  You can spend it doing which of the following?  Feel free to elaborate.

Reading

Traveling

Cooking

Sleeping

Other (fill in the blank)

Well, it wouldn’t be cooking, I can tell you that. Or sleeping. I’ve heard you can sleep when you’re dead. I’d travel. I’ve only got a month so I wouldn’t go anywhere exotic, but I’d go visit my mother, brother and cousins in Missouri and my friends in Illinois and my daughter in New Hampshire. When I got back to home I’d trek down to south Florida and over to the east coast to see my friends and my son. (Plus, you can combine reading and traveling.)

You get one do-over from your life so far.  What is it?

I’d go to college after high school. I think that’s an experience I would have benefited from and I always wish I had a degree.

Optional:  Name one person who has either influenced you the most or you learned the most from and why.

My dad. He was a wonderful storyteller. He always had words of wisdom or a pithy saying he’d picked up and he would repeat it when the occasion called for it. I remember them all and my everyday language is peppered with his words. He read a lot. That’s one thing I remember from my childhood. We didn’t have a lot of money but there were books because he brought them into the house. Reader’s Digest Condensed Books? I devoured those. 

Here's a bit more about the author: 

Barista by day, romance novelist by night:  When not writing fiction, Dr. Seuss-like poetry (for adults) or song lyrics, Barbara Meyers disguises herself behind a green apron and works part-time for a world-wide coffee company. Her novels are a mix of comedy, suspense and spice and often feature a displaced child.

Barbara is still married to her first husband, has two fantastic children and one almost perfect dog.  Originally from Southwest Missouri, (she blames her roots in the Show Me state for her somewhat skeptical nature) she currently resides in Central Florida.

You can find her on her website, on Facebook, on Twitter @barbmeyers and on Pinterest.

You can buy FANTASY MAN at Samhain's website, on Amazon, B&N, Kobo, and iTunes. You can also find it on Goodreads. 

Friday Loves: Downton Abbey

I think it was my mom who introduced me to Downton Abbey in the first place (my mom is good like that). I've loved and hated this show every season. Actually, that's not true- I've loved the show, but hated some of the characters. I remember after the first season feeling like most of the characters were just awful. Or being hugely disappointed when [SPOILER ALERT] both Sybil and Matthew died- two of the best (as in GOOD) people on the show. But I've been hooked on it from the start- the drama, the fighting, the loving, the scheming, the costumes. All of it. This has been one of my favorite shows and I'm bummed it's come to an end.

LOL!

I wasn't disappointed by the last season though. It was definitely a lot tamer than previous seasons, probably because everything had to be wrapped up for the finale. But it was nice to see the drama a little less... dramatic. And to see the characters finally get their happy endings. Without giving any spoilers away (because some of you might still be watching it on TV), everything wrapped up very nicely. It was the perfect way to end the series. 

What I find really fascinating about this show is how I really didn't like a lot of the characters, and yet I kept watching, and kept rooting for them. Mary, for example. UGH. She's such a snobby, vain jerk most of the time. One of the last episodes I really wanted to punch her in the face for being so mean, and yet when she cried, I cried. Same with Barrow. He spent almost five seasons manipulating people and being all around despicable, but I felt sorry for him many times, I wanted to see him get his happy ending because then maybe it would've made him a better person. Obviously the writers did a great job on these characters because despite their many mistakes or downright awfulness, I still rooted for them. 

I'll miss this show. I already want to go back and watch from the beginning... but I'll wait a year or two at least. ;)

Monday Reads: FANTASY MAN

This past week I was privileged to read another Samhain book, and this one by Barbara Meyers. The book was FANTASY MAN and here's the blurb:

Quinn Fontana never thought witnessing two murders would lead to her first taste of freedom. But when her overprotective brother puts her on a plane for L.A. to hide until it s time to testify, she can t stop the shiver of anticipation.

If her life is going to be cut short, she plans to live it to the fullest. And that includes seducing her intended protector her brother s best friend and star of her private fantasies.

When security consultant Reif Callaghan awakens after a rowdy night out with his coworkers to find a warm, willing woman in his bed, he s almost past the point of no return when he realizes it s Quinn. And he s come way too close to debauching his best friend s little sister.

Her enticing offer one night, no holding back, no regrets is a temptation he can t resist. Until he realizes she s been hiding a piece of vital information that could cost not only their one chance to turn fantasy into reality, but their lives.

Fantasy Man was a super quick and fun read that kept me turning pages when I should've been doing other stuff! Reif was my favorite type of hero- a good guy with old fashioned values, but still tough and sexy. But Quinn really made this book for me. She was so outspoken (without always being snarky, which gets annoying after awhile IMO), and knew exactly what she wanted and went about getting it. She was often fearless- the kind of character I love to read because I'm not like that at all. The tension slowly built the first half, then went crazy the second- I couldn't put it down. I also really loved the antagonist and his ferrets- Meyers did a great job, no one-dimensional villains here. In all a great read, a definite recommend for romance lovers.

Wednesday Writes: Learning From Reviews

I've learned a couple of things lately, and from my reviews no less.

First, I'd always heard the advice DON'T READ YOUR REVIEWS. Because you're going to get some bad ones no matter what, and they won't help you whatsoever. 

Well, maybe I shouldn't have, but I've been ignoring this advice. I can imagine when I have a few books out my reviews won't matter quite so much. But with one book only, I'm a bit obsessed with checking the ratings and reviews on Goodreads. I know, I know, I shouldn't. BUT. Here's what I've learned: they actually don't bother me that much. I've had a few negative ones, but so far I've just laughed, shrugged my shoulders, and moved on. I honestly didn't think they'd roll off me like this. Maybe it's because I've gotten used to rejection (hello, querying). Maybe because I know that there isn't ONE book out there that everyone loves. There's always someone who won't like it. So I expected that with SWAY. 

I won't be surprised, however, if a day comes where a bad review hits me hard. Maybe because I'm tired, or having a crappy day, or feeling down about my writing already. I know I should be a little less diligent about checking my Goodreads ratings. But I also know that I can handle the tougher reviews. So go me for that!

The other thing I've learned from my reviews, and this is more writing related, is that romance readers DO NOT LIKE 1st person, 1 POV. Something I've heard in my reviews more than once is that people were disappointed because SWAY is only told in the POV of Ava, and there's no Eric. Interesting. I never considered writing it any other way. But I see now, as I write the companion novel to SWAY with 2 POV's, why people would like to get inside the head of BOTH hero and heroine. So if you're a romance writer, keep that in mind. 

Do you read your reviews or ignore them completely? 

Monday Reads: WINTER and JACKABY

I spent Friday gushing about WINTER and the entire Lunar Chronicles, so I won't do that again today. They're great books, read them, end of story.

The other book I read over the weekend, was JACKABY by William Ritter. This book is pitched as SHERLOCK meets DOCTOR WHO. Of course, as soon as I heard that, the book went straight on my TBR. Here's the blurb:

Love the cover!

“Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion--and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.”

Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.

Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.

I felt this was a lot more Sherlock than Doctor Who (where was the Doctor Who, anyway? the supernatural parts? the fact that it was a girl following around a very smart boy?). The story was lots of fun and an easy read. I loved the time period. I loved Abigail and the fact that she not only wanted adventure, but sought it out. But when things got really scary, she acted in a totally believable way. I also loved Jackaby- who was very Sherlockian. The book moved at a fast pace- I think there was only one chapter that felt slow to me, otherwise it was page-turning. The one thing I have to mention is, I usually don't see things coming- I'm not a great guesser or realize twists early on. But with this book, I knew who the murderer was halfway through, which was a bit of a disappointment to me because I want to be surprised. I'd rather that over the satisfaction of knowing and being right. That's my only complaint of the book- otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you like historical, mysteries, or Sherlock- definitely pick this one up.

Friday Loves: THE LUNAR CHRONICLES

I probably shouldn't talk about books on Friday when I'm going to turn around and do it again on Monday. But I can't help but proclaim my love for THE LUNAR CHRONICLES by Marissa Meyer.

In case you don't know what I'm talking about:

I'm not much of a sci-fi girl. I don't mind it, but it's not my favorite. I'll read them if they come highly recommended, or if the premise is super intriguing, or both. Usually both. That's what happened with CINDER. There was a lot of positive talk around it, and it's a Cinderella retelling, so I was willing to give it a try.

I'M SO GLAD I DID. These books are crazy good. I have mildly less love for SCARLET (book 2) but I'm starting to wonder if I was going through a book slump when I read it because both CRESS and WINTER (books 3 and 4) are AMAZING.

Some of the things I love: how each sort of focuses on a different character/fairytale retelling but still also focuses on the whole. (In case you don't know, SCARLET is Red Riding Hood, CRESS is Rapunzel, and WINTER is Snow White.) Meyer did this especially well in the last book. There was so much going on, and it was a long book, but it never felt like a long book, or drug out, or unnecessary. Everything that happened was important and exciting. I love how each female character had their strengths and their weaknesses. I love how each female character had their hero- also with strengths and weaknesses, but how they complimented each other well, played off each other. The relationships are just SO GOOD. And of course the world-building. The story-telling. The dialogue. Augh, I could gush about these books forever.

And let's not forget my personal favorite: Thorne. If I was Cress, I'd be daydreaming about him too. Someone, please make a movie out of these books. But DO THEM JUSTICE if you're going to.

If you haven't picked up these books, DO. NOW. GO. 

Monday Reads: OF NEPTUNE

I pretty much asked for books this past Christmas. One of them was OF NEPTUNE by Anna Banks, the last in her OF POSEIDON trilogy. It had been a really long time since I read both OF POSEIDON and OF TRITON, so I didn't quite remember everything that I needed to. But I quickly caught on to the important stuff. Here's the blurb:

Emma, who is half human and half Syrena, and her Syrena love, Galen, need time together. Alone. Away from the kingdoms of Poseidon and Triton. Emma’s grandfather, the Poseidon king, suggests the two visit a small town called Neptune.

Neptune is home to both Syrena and Half-Breeds alike. But Emma and Galen didn’t sign up to be peacemakers between the ocean-living Syrena and the land-dwelling, freshwater counterparts. They didn’t bargain for meeting a charming Half-Breed named Reed, who can barely disguise his feelings for Emma. And they especially didn’t expect to find themselves in the middle of a power struggle that threatens not only their love, but their ocean kingdoms.

This trilogy, in the loosest sense, are mermaid books. But they're a lot more than that. The best part about them to me, is the romance. The relationship between Galen and Emma is what really gets me through all three books. The books are told in first person POV for Emma, and third person for Galen. The switch-up was a little weird to me sometimes, but I loved Emma's voice because it was fun and engaging. The book had a little bit of a repetitive feel within this last book (I can't say why without giving spoilers), but in all, I was satisfied with the end of the trilogy. They're definitely books I'm going to recommend to my daughter next.

What did you read this week?

Friday Loves: Chill-Out Songs

I did a radio interview this past week. Leading up to it, I found it easiest to just not think about it. Because when I did: FREAK OUT. 

(This is me right now with my book launch/signing coming up this Saturday.) 

I was worried about so many things. Saying something stupid. Saying "um" and "like" and "yeah" a lot. (I tend to end my sentences with, "so yeah.") Not knowing the answer to the question. Saying something that's just plain wrong. Forgetting my own name or the title of the book. Barfing. Okay, not that last one, but I did feel slightly sick to my stomach on the drive there.

My cure: a chill-out song. The entire drive to the radio station (which was about twenty minutes) I had this song on loop:

This song relaxes me. As soon as it comes on, I'm singing along, my shoulders swaying, and all the stress and anxiety magically melts away. Of course, as soon as I parked and turned it off, BAM. Anxiety-city. But that's okay because the interview went well and now I know I can do it (yay me!). But I'm thankful for chill-out songs like BUDAPEST that help take the worries away, at least for a little while.

Wednesday Writes: THINKING and DOUBTING

Ever get notes back from a CP, or maybe even your agent or editor, and think HOW DO I FIX THIS? They tell you what's not working, which is GREAT because that's exactly what you want. But then you wrack your brain trying to figure out how to make it work.

That was me last week. I knew my MS needed work. (They always do.) And all my CP's comments made perfect sense. But for a couple of days I was completely blank on how to fix the problems. Said blankness led to frustration, then despair, a lot of in-my-head sobbing, denial, the feeling of being the worst writer in the world... and then once I got through all that, it was: okay Melanie. THINK. And I did. I ran questions through my mind, I looked at different angles, I went back to the basics and figured out what each of my characters wanted and then tried to figure out what they would DO to get it.

Seems obvious, but this is pretty much the process I go through every time I get critique back. I finally got started on the actual revisions, and I have a vision of how to fix the problem, which is good. The bad thing is there's still that niggling voice of doubt in the back of my mind that's saying: maybe this isn't helping at all. Maybe you're not really doing anything. Or maybe you're fixing one problem only to be causing another.

Isn't being a writer GRAND?

Monday Reads: THEN COMES WINTER

I had a slow reading week, only one book and it was an anthology. Yep, I finally got around to reading THEN COMES WINTER- the anthology that has a story by yours truly in it.

THEN COMES WINTER is a book of holiday romance stories, a lot of them Austenesque. Some are modern (like mine) and some are regency. Five of six of Austen's novels are represented- PRIDE & PREJUDICE, SENSE & SENSIBILITY, PERSUASION, NORTHANGER ABBEY, and MANSFIELD PARK. P&P was the most represented, no surprise.

If you're a Jane Austen fan, definitely pick this one up. Or if you just want some stories to cozy up with this winter, also a good pick. It was interesting to see the different directions that each of the authors chose to take the theme. My fave (which maybe I shouldn't admit, and no, it's not mine) was DELIVERY BOY by Suzan Lauder. I couldn't even tell you why it's my favorite, I just found myself smiling through every page.The whole book was a fun read and made me want to do a Jane Austen marathon as soon as I finished.

Friday Loves: Alan Rickman

We lost a great actor yesterday and this makes me extremely sad. It was wonderful to see all the tributes and tweets and shares about him all over the internet- showcasing his different and beloved roles in pictures, gifs, and articles.

I first saw Alan Rickman in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. How I loved to hate him!

"I'll cut your heart out with a spoon!"

Then came Sense & Sensibility. His voice is so lovely as he reads the poem to Marianne near the end.

"And all the better for her."

And of course, my favorite- Professor Snape in Harry Potter. So hateful, yet when we find out his tragic backstory, we just want to love him. Or at least feel sorry for him.

"After all this time?"  "Always."

Alan Rickman, you'll be missed.

Wednesday Writes: Getting Lost in Marketing

I've heard from countless authors before me about how they reached a point where they realized the whole writing aspect of writing had gotten lost. They were too busy promoting themselves, answering emails, checking sales numbers, doing guest blog posts, and maybe even appearances.

Suddenly, I'm starting to understand this. Not that I didn't get it before, but I'm living it now. Over the holidays, I had time off from writing while my latest manuscript was with my CPs, so I didn't feel guilty about taking the time to organize SWAY's blog tour, write guest posts, read a lot, and figure out my next steps marketing steps. But last weekend I got notes back from two out of three CPs and planned to start my revision on Monday. I have a deadline after all. A DEADLINE. But both Monday and Tuesday I did NOTHING.

Nothing for revisions, I mean. I had errands to run, a house to clean, exercising to do (I'm trying to get back into it). I went to Writer's Group, did an over-the-phone interview, wrote up another guest post, did a lot of social media-ing. It was a list of a bunch of tiny things that ended up taking ALL my time. I realize now how easy (scary easy) it is to get distracted from the ACTUAL WRITING with everything else.

I think the really scary part is that all of this extra stuff is necessary. I wasn't wasting time. I guess I don't have to promote my book, but I HAVE to promote my book. Otherwise why get published at all? But I know that I need to start managing my time better, otherwise I will never get my revisions done by my deadline, and the thought of that isn't scary- it's HORRIFYING.

I don't have any advice because I'm so new to this all. Anyone out there come up with a plan on how to manage both writing and marketing at the same time? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Monday Reads: WHAT A GIRL WANTS and LION HEART

I read two very different but both awesome books this past week. The first one was WHAT A GIRL WANTS by fellow Samhain author Selena Robins.

Here's the blurb: She’s got the moxie. He’s got the sexy.


Travel journalist Maddie Saunders has new attitude, and wants two new accessories to go with it. One, turn her fantasies into reality with Mr. Sex-On-Legs—her friend, Alex Donovan. And two, find her biological father to see if her gene pool has a deep end. She never expected fulfilling both wishes would take her life down a drastically different path.

“Sometimes you’re the windshield, and sometimes you’re the bug.”

Alex, an investigative reporter, grits his teeth when he accepts a joint assignment to Hawaii with Maddie. He’s vowed to never get involved with any woman he can’t walk away from. Maddie falls under the heading of “Look, but don’t touch”. Trouble is, she excels at giving him a hard time—in more ways than one.

He manages to fend off her guerilla seduction tactics until a bone-melting kiss throws his resolve into the ocean. Complicated? Absolutely. Especially when he discovers the real reason they were sent to the island…

This was such a fun read and made me wish I was on the beaches of Hawaii instead of chilly Alberta. Maddie was strong and feisty, totally hilarious too, but with a vulnerable side, and Alex was a super hot love interest. The story was more than just about their relationship, which I loved- Maddie's past and all the secrets and family drama were fun to discover. I also loved how the end wasn't too easy. My favorite thing about the book was the dialogue. It was so quick and funny and sharp- the best kind! This book was fun and a great read.

The next book was LION HEART by A.C. Gaughen, the third book in the SCARLET trilogy. In case you haven't read SCARLET, it's a Robin Hood variation with a female MC. I love these books something fierce, and this last one was just as good. It could have maybe used a bit more action, but it kept me reading late into the night. The whole trilogy wrapped up perfectly. A definite must read for Robin Hood fans.