February Wrap Up

So February…happened. I don’t even know where the month went. But apparently I must have accomplished something because I’m deep into a new Work in Progress (title TBD). Despite the snow, I’ve also been trying to spend time outside with the help of friends who are more than willing to drag me away from the computer. Sometimes it’s hard to walk away from the keyboard because it feels like I’m taking away from my already limited writing time. Thankfully I have people in my life who love hiking as much as I do and are happy to nudge me about getting some fresh air! In work related news, I also have a research article that is well on its way to being published. This will be the first paper I have published and I am STOKED! I’ll say more next month when it is hopefully finished with the revision process.

Writing

A Witch’s Tale is still in the beta reading phase, but I’m very much hoping that will be wrapped up soon. Two readers have gotten back to me with revisions and it’s currently in the hands of a third. I’m honestly loving the revising process because it makes me feel like AWT is getting better with each pass. Here’s hoping I’ve stuffed up all the plot holes! My current goal for AWT is to begin querying by the end of March. Cross your fingers and toes for me!

I’m also 100+ pages into a new WIP. The new book, currently called Seventh Daughter (I doubt that will stick), happens in a completely new world and will be the first in a trilogy. It wasn’t supposed to be a trilogy. It was supposed to be a nice novel with three parts. Except the parts kept getting longer and more complex and well…here we are. I was honestly mad about it when I came to the realization that there was too much going on to fit into one book, but I’m over it now.

I’m not ready to go into the plot beyond saying that it’s about a badass warrior woman, but I will happily tell you about my writing process. Which is complete and utter chaos. I tend to start in the middle, write to the end, and then go back and fill in the beginning. I currently have words in Chapters 1-6, 11-17, and 20. What happens in between those gaps? Who knows really. It’s utter chaos and I had to rewrite my entire outline. Talk about putting the cart in front of the horse. But that’s how I seem to tackle everything in my life…including learning new technology at work. Is it a great method? Probably not. Do I pick it every time? Apparently.

Reading

The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin: This was a beautiful end to the Broken Earth Trilogy. The way everything wrapped up was thought-provoking and heart breaking. After I finished it I just had to sit and think for a long time. The narrative style did take some adjustment, but it was pulled off so beautifully that I can’t picture it being written any other way.

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas: I’m really glad I’m done with this trilogy. This book felt way too long and when we finally got some diversity, it felt forced and at points fetishized. I also have a huge problem with how a major queer character was handled. If you love SJM, carry on, but I won’t be picking up her other series any time soon.

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab: This was a reread for me and I love this sequel SO MUCH. Schwab is one of my favorite writers. I love her imagery, her worlds, and her dialogue. The banter and connections between characters are just delightful. Also, Lila Bard is one of my favorite heroines in literature. Morally ambiguous and kickass. A wonderful fantasy read for people who love elemental magic, the idea of connected worlds, and lady pirates.

Get a Life Chloe Brown/ Take a Hint Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert: February was a big romance month for me (literature-wise anyway). Both of these books were delightful and I got through each of them in only a couple days. Chloe is a web designer with chronic pain and her sister Dani is a PhD student with a major fear of commitment. Both of them are strong in their own right and I really enjoyed being in their heads and watching them find love.

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo: I am trying to read more books about race and racism (we need to be reading these all year round, not just for Black History Month). I really think that everyone should read this book, especially white people. We need to listen to BIPOC while also educating ourselves with the myriad resources available in literature and on the internet. We need to take the burden off of BIPOC to help us come to terms with our racism.

White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo: Another super informative book, that I recommend for white readers. That being said, I just came across a post encouraging people away from books about racism written by white authors because they get more attention (and therefore more money) than those written by black authors. I am still reading up on this, but just know that this is some of the criticism I have come across. So You Want to Talk About Race covers a lot of the same topics and supports OwnVoices, so I would turn to that one first.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn: Legendborn is EVERYTHING. This wonderful contemporary fantasy follows Bree Matthews as she works to unravel the mystery of her mother’s death. Along the way she discovers the secret society of Legendborn, students who hunt down the creatures that threaten humanity. I loved this book from start to finish and Bree is such a strong, wonderful and complex protagonist. Just read it. That’s all.

When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perry: Another romance novel. This one centers around a lesbian couple, which was delightful since I want to read more queer romance stories. This was another quick read that I got through over the weekend. I didn’t love that the love interest was a player, because I just don’t love the trope of the player changing their ways because they found “the one”. That being said, it was still a fun read.

DNF’d: Princess Trap by Talia Hibbert: The only book I started and put down indefinitely was Princess Trap. I really enjoyed Cherry as the leading lady, but had no such enjoyment for the love interest. I really just wanted to punch him. Also, I felt that there was a lot of consent missing from the romance and that will always make me put down a book. Consent is not sexy, it is mandatory.

Watching

I am still watching She-Ra (almost on the last season!) and it remains utterly delightful. I was very excited to see my favorite character return recently and I am ready for Catradora to be canon. The roomie and I are also LOVING WandaVision. The way they film this is just so COOL! I am ready for Monica Rambeau to have her own show. I’m also watching a lot of Critical Role, which is a group of “nerdy-ass” voice actors playing DND. It’s very fun and gives me a lot to think about for the DND campaign I’m in (I play a tabaxi rogue if anyone’s curious).

Listening

I listen to a lot of “sad boi” music, and one of my favorite artists is Julien Baker. I listen to her Sprained Ankle album nonstop pretty regularly. I also got back into listening to Hadestown on repeat. Such an amazing musical! I want to see it again! I broke up some of my usual go-to’s with Stop Making Sense by Talking Heads and Dirty Computer by Janelle Monaé, which are both amazing. I’ve also taken a break from my audiobooks to get caught up on podcasts. My favorite right now is Twilight in Quarantine, in which two lovely ladies read a chapter of Twilight every week and give romance advice to the characters in the book. It’s hilarious and delightful and just the type of content I need right now.

Thanks for reading! See you next month!