So, it’s the last day of April and I’m here to say that I didn’t complete my goal. I ended the month at 8925 words added to my writing and even though I didn’t hit what I wanted, I’m not upset about it.
This month was a big no go when it came to maintaining focus or being able to really dig into my writing. A lot of people are having trouble focusing or concentrating on tasks that they usually breeze through. It’s just something that is happening with the events in the world, it’s hard and frustrating, but we can’t hold it against ourselves.
With that I’m not going to be overly upset that I didn’t hit my goal, I’m going to be glad that I made some progress and I did manage to do some reading through of my WIPs and do surface editing.
So while this month wasn’t as successful as I would have liked it to be, I’m not mad about it. There’s another Camp Nanowrimo in July, so maybe I’ll do better then.
Can’t Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings based on the meme Waiting on Wednesday by Breaking the Spine. In this weekly post people share a book that they’re excited about being released.
This week I’m mexcited to feature Lindsay Wong’s upcoming release, My Summer of Love and Misfortune. The premise of this one instantly intrigued me. I’m lucky enough to have a physical ARC of this one, so it’s on my immediate pile!
Iris Wang is having a bit of a rough start to her summer. In an attempt to snap her out of her funk, Iris’s parents send her away to visit family in Beijing, with the hopes that Iris will “reconnect with her culture” and “find herself.” Iris resents her parents’ high-handedness, but even she admits that this might be a good opportunity to hit the reset button.
Iris expects to eat a few dumplings, meet some of her family, and visit a tourist hotspot or two. What she doesn’t expect is to meet a handsome Mandarin-language tutor named Frank and to be swept up in the ridiculous, opulent world of Beijing’s wealthy elite, leading her to unexpected and extraordinary discoveries about her family, her future, and herself.
I’ve been seeing a number of graphic novels when I’ve been perusing Kindle Unlimited, so I’ve decided to check some of them out. This one is one of the one’s I’ve picked up lately and enjoyed.
Brianna Jakobsson has big cooking dreams, and when her ailing restaurateur father poses a challenge to his only daughter and fifteen sons, she seizes the opportunity. She’s going to have the best restaurant around and earn the family empire. Thing is, the only place she can afford to set up shop is in Monster City. Her menu is full of weird delicacies, her kitchen is run by a half-bird harpy, and her dining room is filled with skeleton businessmen. Add on the nefarious Madame Cron, some highly competitive siblings and Brianna’s plate is literally . . . full. Brave Chef Brianna from writer Sam Sykes (Munchkin) and artist Selina Espiritu explores one woman’s incredible journey to realize her dreams in the unlikeliest of places. Welcome to Monster City!
I’ve never heard about this one before, but when I read the synopsis I immediately wanted to pick it up. Brianna wants to make a name for herself, initially to win a competition her father has set up between she and her 15 brothers, and finds herself in Monster City. She’s alone in an unfamiliar environment and has a steep learning curve. With the help of her new friends she has to try and navigate running her own restaurant.
Trigger warnings for self doubt and low self esteem should definitely be included, but it’s great to see Brianna work through those negative feelings. I also really appreciate the way her negative thoughts and self doubt were visualized through the art, representing the way those feelings can take over. It’s definitely a good story with some quirky twists and was really fun to read.
The Best Mistake Cookie O’Gorman
Publication date: April 23rd 2020
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Sports
Honor Tierney just wants one night with the playboy.
One hot, steamy, meaningless hookup, and then she’ll happily go back to reading her favorite books, studying to be an accountant and writing for the campus-paper-nobody-reads. Too bad she ends up in the wrong bed, with the wrong brother…who gives her the hottest night of her life.
Archer O’Brien just wants to play ball.
Well that, and for his brothers to stop acting out, so he won’t have to worry 24/7. As the oldest O’Brien and team captain, it’s his duty to make sure they don’t drink too much, party too much, or get in too much trouble. But when she walks into his bedroom—mistaking him for his brother—life throws him a curveball.
She’s determined to guard her heart. He’s not giving up.
And when Honor gets assigned to cover the Wolves baseball team, it’s game on.
This new adult sports romance features one hot (and hilarious) case of mistaken identity and a sexy set of brothers guaranteed to make you swoon.
Gah. It wasn’t even a sexy place on the body to be touched. In my head, I knew this, but the reality was more complex. The feeling of his thumb as it swept against my pulse point sent a shiver straight through me. It felt like there was some kind of magic tether between his hand and mine, one that ran to the center of my being, making it feel like he had a direct line to my heart.
Who knew such an innocent touch could light me up like this?
Author Bio:
Cookie O’Gorman writes YA & NA romance to give readers a taste of happily-ever-after. Small towns, quirky characters, and the awkward yet beautiful moments in life make up her books. Cookie also has a soft spot for nerds and ninjas. Her novels ADORKABLE, NINJA GIRL, The Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder, and The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad are out now! She is also the author of NA sports romance, The Best Mistake.
I know a lot of us are staying home as much as possible and going without luxuries that we may normally be used to. I’m high risk so I’ve literally been staying in my house 24/7 and thankfully have a significant other who can go get necessities that are needed. Needless to say ordering books online and going to bookstores has dramatically decreased, so what do you do when you need new books but also want instant gratification? Ebooks!
I’ve only read one of the books here today, but I’ve heard good things about all of them. Also, a slight disclaimer – I’m in the United States so depending on location the prices may be different, plus some of them may be limited. Always make sure to double check the prices before buying.
Many years ago, Claire was named Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing– a neutral space in Hell where all the stories unfinished by their authors reside. Her job consists mainly of repairing and organizing books, but also of keeping an eye on restless stories that risk materializing as characters and escaping the library. When a Hero escapes from his book and goes in search of his author, Claire must track and capture him with the help of former muse and current assistant Brevity and nervous demon courier Leto.
But what should have been a simple retrieval goes horrifyingly wrong when the terrifyingly angelic Ramiel attacks them, convinced that they hold the Devil’s Bible. The text of the Devil’s Bible is a powerful weapon in the power struggle between Heaven and Hell, so it falls to the librarians to find a book with the power to reshape the boundaries between Heaven, Hell….and Earth.
Jade City ($2.99) – Jade is the lifeblood of the island of Kekon. It has been mined, traded, stolen, and killed for — and for centuries, honorable Green Bone warriors like the Kaul family have used it to enhance their magical abilities and defend the island from foreign invasion.
Now, the war is over and a new generation of Kauls vies for control of Kekon’s bustling capital city. They care about nothing but protecting their own, cornering the jade market, and defending the districts under their protection. Ancient tradition has little place in this rapidly changing nation. When a powerful new drug emerges that lets anyone — even foreigners — wield jade, the simmering tension between the Kauls and the rival Ayt family erupts into open violence. The outcome of this clan war will determine the fate of all Green Bones — from their grandest patriarch to the lowliest motorcycle runner on the streets — and of Kekon itself.
Pan’s Labyrinth($0.99) – Oscar winning writer-director Guillermo del Toro and bestselling author Cornelia Funke have come together to transform del Toro’s hit movie Pan’s Labyrinth into an epic and dark fantasy novel for readers of all ages, complete with haunting illustrations and enchanting short stories that flesh out the folklore of this fascinating world.
This spellbinding tale takes readers to a sinister, magical, and war-torn world filled with richly drawn characters like trickster fauns, murderous soldiers, child-eating monsters, courageous rebels, and a long-lost princess hoping to be reunited with her family.
A brilliant collaboration between masterful storytellers that’s not to be missed.
Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Edward Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. Without a shred of doubt, one of his fellow passengers is the murderer.
Isolated by the storm, detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer among a dozen of the dead man’s enemies, before the murderer decides to strike again.
The Will and The Wilds ($1.99) – Enna knows to fear the mystings that roam the wildwood near her home. When one tries to kill her to obtain an enchanted stone, Enna takes a huge risk: fighting back with a mysting of her own.
Maekallus’s help isn’t free. His price? A kiss. One with the power to steal her soul. But their deal leaves Maekallus bound to the mortal realm, which begins eating him alive. Only Enna’s kiss, given willingly, can save him from immediate destruction. It’s a temporary salvation for Maekallus and a lingering doom for Enna. Part of her soul now burns bright inside Maekallus, making him feel for the first time.
Enna shares Maekallus’s suffering, but her small sacrifice won’t last long. If she and Maekallus can’t break the spell binding him to the mortal realm, Maekallus will be consumed completely—and Enna’s soul with him.
Set deep underground in a sunken city, a young wizard and his two companions embark on a journey to escape the clutches of an evil cult.
Dig is having a very bad day. His bag is broken, he can’t catch a break at the local market, and just when things are looking up, he’s kidnapped by a couple of Blood Cultists and taken to the underground city that serves as their base, where he’ll make a tasty human sacrifice for an unspeakably horrible monster. Thrown into a dungeon, he’s left to feel sorry for himself. But his new cellmates, Iana and Crina, are ecstatic about Dig’s appearance. He’s a wizard, which means he knows magic, which means he can help get them all out of this terrible sunken city for good! If Iana can get her hands on a sword, and Crina can remember the way to the giant tower that leads to the surface, then everything will go smoothly. That is, until the Blood Cultists catch up with them, and Dig’s magical abilities are put to the ultimate test. Because Dig’s been keeping a secret. And if it’s found out… he may never see the surface again.
I think the best word for this graphic novel is fun, because it is exactly that. We follow Digby (or Dig), whose past we don’t know much about, as he tries to survive and unfortunately gets captured to be part of a sacrifice. What follows is a hilarious adventure while he and his new found friends do their best to escape. This is a misadventure with a number of twists and turns and an astounding sense of humor. I did enjoy the art style which was very quirky and perfectly fit the story.
I think this is meant as a standalone, but I wouldn’t say no to further volumes that delved more into who the characters are as I feel that’s the only area where it was a little lacking. You don’t really know much about who the main characters are, even Dig. It would be nice to explore that more and I could definitely see them having more misadventures together.
Giveaway time! Oni Press has been nice enough to offer to send a free copy of The Sunken Tower to one of you!
Some general housekeeping – you must be at least 18 years old to win and this giveaway is U.S. only. After the winner has been chosen I will be providing their mailing address to Oni Press and they will be sending out the prize.
To enter click here (or on the gif below) to go to the Rafflecopter giveaway, there are a number of ways to get entries!
Timid Tadano is a total wallflower, and that’s just the way he likes it. But all that changes when he finds himself alone in a classroom on the first day of high school with the legendary Komi. He quickly realizes she isn’t aloof—she’s just super awkward. Now he’s made it his mission to help her on her quest to make 100 friends!
This manga really surprised me as I didn’t really know where it was going to go. I really appreciate the fact that more mangas are coming out which feature real life issues such as anxiety. In this manga we primarily follow Tadano as he attempts to help Komi make friends after discovering she is unable to speak to people. When she tries to speak to someone else she freezes and is unable to communicate.
Tadano doesn’t always handle things the right way, but it’s obvious he’s trying to do his best in helping Komi, even though he’s a bit of an introvert himself. It’s also been set up that their school contains a number of people who perhaps don’t quite fit in at other schools, so I could see this series tackling more issues than just Kimo’s issue with communication and anxiety.
Sometimes the happiness we’re looking for has been there all along…
Adele and Justine have never been close. Born twenty years apart, Justine was already an adult when Addie was born. The sisters love each other but they don’t really know each other.
When Addie dropped out of university to care for their ailing parents, Justine, a successful lawyer, covered the expenses. It was the best arrangement at the time but now that their parents are gone, the future has changed dramatically for both women.
Addie had great plans for her life but has been worn down by the pressures of being a caregiver and doesn’t know how to live for herself. And Justine’s success has come at a price. Her marriage is falling apart despite her best efforts.
Neither woman knows how to start life over but both realize they can and must support each other the way only sisters can. Together they find the strength to accept their failures and overcome their challenges. Happiness is within reach, if only they have the courage to fight for it.
Set in the stunning coastal town of Half Moon Bay, California, Robyn Carr’s new novel examines the joys of sisterhood and the importance of embracing change.
I don’t read a ton of women’s fiction and while I’ve seen Robyn Carr’s books I’ve never picked one up. That being said the synopsis of this one interested me so I decided to pick it up and I don’t regret it. This was a really powerful story about two sisters who are trying to figure out where their lives go from where they are (though in different ways) as well as growing closer.
It really was a wonderful story and I found I really enjoyed reading Carr’s writing. She handled the issues in the story very well and really wrote eloquently. Since this was my first experience with her writing I was very pleasantly surprised. It was great to see the two sisters coming together when they had spent so much of their lives apart and being there for each other. If you’re looking for a contemporary fiction that will tug the heartstrings and really suck you in to the characters, I would recommend this.
Robyn Carr is an award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than sixty novels, including highly praised women’s fiction such as Four Friends and The View From Alameda Island and the critically acclaimed Virgin River, Thunder Point and Sullivan’s Crossing series. Virgin River is now a Netflix Original series. Robyn lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. Visit her website at www.RobynCarr.com.
Every year, the hot, tatted biker comes into Abbie’s bar, orders whiskey and asks her out. Every year, Abbie turns him down. After all, dating a man that goes by Temper seems like a really bad idea, no matter how attracted she is to him.
But this year is different. Abbie’s different. Older, wiser and tired of being stuck behind the bar in a sleepy town. This year, she’s ready for whatever adventure the sexy but sweet biker has in store for her.
Or so she thinks…until an elegant candlelit dinner ends with a dead body.
Now Abbie finds herself on the ride of her life, whisked away to the big city in Temper’s protective custody. She should be scared, but—despite his nickname—it’s clear the last thing Temper would ever do is hurt a hair on her head. And when danger catches up with them, Abbie soon realizes that holding tight to her man while straddling a Harley may be the safest place of all.
I haven’t read a ton of motorcycle club romances, but it is a genre that I enjoy, especially when the stories are like this one. We follow Abbie who feels like she’s stuck due to her circumstances, and Temper who has been asking Abbie to go on a date with him for the last five years. She’s always said no, until this year – and things get a little crazy.
This was such a fun read! The interactions between Abbie and Temper were so enjoyable and seeing her start to open up and really find her place was great. There were definitely a few twists that kept me on my toes, but it was a wonderful story.
Chantal Fernando is the New York Times bestselling author of the Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club series, the Cursed Raven Motorcycle Club series, and the Maybe series, along with several other novels. She lives in Western Australia, where she is working on her next book. Find her online at AuthorChantalFernando.com, and on Twitter and Facebook.
Well, it’s happened, I’ve written myself into a corner.
In a normal time I would be able to back up and deal with this, but with the amount of anxiety and stress that I’ve been under, I just had to walk away for a while. I’m at a point with my mental health that going through a re-write would just cause me too much upset, so I’m going to deal with it when I’m in a better place.
Where does that leave me? Well, of the 30k words I wanted to write this month I’ve written 5,138. Yeah, not great. So for the last 10-ish days of the month I’m going to scrap my original plan. I’m still going to aim for 30k words, but I’m going to work on the projects that draw me and make me happy. I’m going to be happy with just getting certain scenes done if that’s what I can do.
I know everyone is in a different situation, some people are handling this time with a much lower amount of stress, but in my case I am a ball of stress, anxiety and depression. I have to recognize that and work to not worsen the situation – so if I don’t exactly meet this goal I’m not going to beat myself up over it.
I’ve definitely had to prioritize self-care right now, and I have to be ok with that. I’m still working a 40 hour work week (thankfully from home) so while I’m at home, I’m still not having as much free time as you would think. I’m going to write when I’m inspired to write and just be ok with it.
How is everyone else doing? Are you getting any good writing done?
The Wandering Wordsmith 