Writing Update #5

This won’t be a long post, instead just a brief check in.

June was a crappy writing month. I’m back on track…in the sense that I’m finally moving forward with revisions and the story, but I’m * kind of * stuck again. I’m struggling just a little bit to find the right tone for this chapter, but I’m just trying to push through it and get words on the page instead of stressing over it.

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But June’s been a crap writing month. From being a little stuck on my current chapter, to the end of the month being booked solid, with ALA, a book launch and a family trip, I’ve been utterly exhausted. Like it doesn’t feel like any sleep I’m getting is making me any less tired.

I wish I had better news to report, since I mainly started these Writing Updates as a way to help keep myself accountable. I doubt I’ll get much, if any writing done before Monday, and whatever I do write, will probably be blog posts.

I want to write, I want to get back to my characters and their story, but damn, there are only so many hours in a day. Maybe I’ll try and work on a scene while we’re out tomorrow (6/28). Maybe while the rest of my family is sitting in a bar, watching the Women’s US Soccer Team play France, I can write lol, be antisocial. I’m not going to hold myself to that, but maybe.

It’s late and I’m feeling nice, so here’s a very small section of the prologue of my SF WIP.

Screaming.

Chaos.

The ship wide alarms blared incessantly; their cry of warning reverberated in empty halls. Andromeda was calling out to the vastness of space, a call for help that fell on deaf ears. The halls echoed with the terror of its once upon a time denizens.

Silence.

A lone red light flashed on a single display in Controls; the only remaining sign of something amiss aboard the Andromeda.

Destiny © – Alexa Abee – Draft 2019 WIP

I hope your writing exploits have been better than mine in June have been!

Book Review: White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1)

Title: White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Pub. Date: February 25, 2014 (March 25, 2019)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ONE KISS CAN KILL.

Layla just wants to be normal—fit in at school, go out on real dates and do other typical teenager things. Trouble is, Layla is anything but normal and her longtime crush, Zayne, treats her like a little sister. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities that no one else possesses. And even though Zayne is a Warden, part of the race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe, Layla’s kiss will kill anything with a soul—including him.

Enter Roth—a smart-mouthed demon who claims to know her deepest, most dangerous secrets. Though Layla knows she should stay away, it’s tough when that whole soul thing isn’t an issue. Trusting Roth could brand her a traitor to the Warden family that raised her and destroy her relationship with Zayne. But with a violent demon uprising looming in the distance, kissing the enemy suddenly pales in comparison to the end of the world.

This will be a short spoiler free review.

Ugh, I forgot how much I loved this book. I chose to reread White Hot Kiss after finishing Storm & Fury mainly because it had been so long, and I’ve been slowly working my way back through Jen’s backlist. I haven’t read most of her books since their releases and I just love her books and how captivating and easy to get lost in they are.

Jen definitely knows how to write swoon worthy guys – and there are two of them in this book – Roth and Zayne. To be honest, I’m Team Roth – if you were to ask me to pick sides. If you want to be Team Zayne, go read Storm & Fury. White Hot Kiss follows Layla, who doesn’t feel like she fit’s in anywhere, at least, not completely. She’s in this constant state of wanting to prove herself, to show that she’s not weak and that she’s capable of standing up for herself, but when facts about her past and who she is start to bubble to the surface, she realizes that maybe getting help isn’t such a bad thing. Enter Roth – demon, who is too damn likable and makes Layla question everything and everyone.

This book is a pretty quick read, and the start of a great trilogy. If you want to get lost in a fun, fiery read, with hot guys, swoon worthy moments, and a giant demon eating snake, then you definitely want to check out The Dark Elements series…think of it as pre for reading Storm & Fury, but I will say that you in no way have to read this trilogy before the spin off. I think it stands very well on its own, and if you’re wondering what my thoughts were on it, you can check them out here!

Launch and Signing!

Short little preface before I get into the signing recap – this week has been one giant crazy ball of everything. ALA wiped me out (that haul is coming potentially next week) and then driving 5 hours (there and back) to Philly for a singing, wiped me out, and then flying to Texas on no sleep, also wiped me out. My schedule for my blog kind of went out the window, so two posts will be going up today, and one on Friday to catch up. Since I’m so behind, these might be kind of on the shorter side length-wise.

Anyways!

Call It What You Want – Brigid Kemmerer’s tenth book hit shelves on Tuesday and I and a friend decided to make the drive up to Neshaminy Mall in PA to attend the joint singing for Brigid’s book and Anna Bright’s debut – The Beholder. I loved both of these books, and definitely recommend them. You can check out my reviews here and here – respectively.

Now you might be wondering why I’d choose to drive 2.5 hours each way to attend this singing, friends, I would have gone to the local one if I could! But I knew I wouldn’t be in state, and really wanted to attend one of the signings with both, Brigid and Anna.

They have really great chemistry together and listening to them talk about their books and their writing processes was fun. There was a lot of laughing and great comments made. Anna came prepared with hard hitting questions for Brigid and established that while The Beholder was inspired by The Odyssey – there are no sea monsters in it.

Having been a longtime fan of Brigid’s most of what her writing process is, isn’t news to me, but I love listening to her talk about what inspires her and how her stories come to her. As for Anna, I only knew a little bit about where her inspiration for her book came from, so listening to her go a little more in-depth was interesting. I’m absolutely in love with Torden from her book, and I cannot wait for book 2 – The Boundless coming out next year…and speaking of future books, it was announced on Tuesday that Brigid has two new books scheduled for release in 2021 – a third Cursebreaker book and a whole new fantasy – Defy the Night. I’m so excited for both of these books and I cannot wait to dive into my copy of A Heart So Fierce and Broken out January 7, 2020!

I was able to get my books signed (I forgot to take photos before I left on vacation) and then hang out and chat for a little bit with Anna and Brigid before settling in for the long drive back to MD. We ate cake and the frosting died Anna’s teeth blue for a few pictures. We all cracked up. It was an awesome night.

I love going to these kinds of events, and I love going to support friends. They’ve worked so incredibly hard to get to this point and besides reading their books and supporting them, showing up in person to celebrate the accomplishments, is just a small thing that I can do. I’m so grateful to be able to call Brigid a friend and hopefully I can consider Anna one as well.

If you have the chance, the opportunity, the means, and your favorite author is having a signing, go! If I hadn’t gone to Brigid’s first launch for Storm back in 2012, I know I wouldn’t be as far as I am in my own writing as I am now. She’s offered me some valuable insight into the publishing world, I don’t know if she’d be a friend, and I don’t know if I would know (and love) the awesomeness that is her writing and her books.

So, congrats to Brigid and Anna for their new books and I will definitely be reading everything and anything you publish in the future!

Texas Vacay + Books I’m Bringing With!

This was technically supposed to be written to go up on Monday, but with ALA and the exhaustion that came with, I completely and utterly forgot until about 4PM today. So, here it is, a day later than planned!

I’m heading to Texas this week with my family, to visit family and that means I have to figure out what books I’m taking…it also means I need to pack, and I haven’t even started. Whoops.

Anyways, I’m only taking four books. I’m hoping that’s enough, and I don’t just breeze through them and then have nothing to read. I’m only there for a week, and we’ll be busy most days, so fingers crossed I’m good. Also, I guess if I run out of books to read, I can write – something I didn’t do all weekend.

They’re all upcoming releases, two I got while attending ALA and two NetGalley gifted to me – which I’m grateful for. I wasn’t going to list these books in any particular order, but thinking about it, I know exactly what order I’m reading these in.

A Heart So Fierce and Broken – Brigid Kemmerer

Find the heir, win the crown.
The curse is finally broken, but Prince Rhen of Emberfall faces darker troubles still. Rumors circulate that he is not the true heir and that forbidden magic has been unleashed in Emberfall. Although Rhen has Harper by his side, his guardsman Grey is missing, leaving more questions than answers.

Win the crown, save the kingdom.
Rumored to be the heir, Grey has been on the run since he destroyed Lilith. He has no desire to challenge Rhen–until Karis Luran once again threatens to take Emberfall by force. Her own daughter Lia Mara sees the flaws in her mother’s violent plan, but can she convince Grey to stand against Rhen, even for the good of Emberfall?

The heart-pounding, compulsively readable saga continues as loyalties are tested and new love blooms in a kingdom on the brink of war.

I’m stoked to finally have a copy of this in my hands! Undoubtedly this is going to be the first book I read. I’ve been dying for it since October 2018 and I’m thrilled that I was about to snag a copy at ALA. I have a feeling Brigid might break my heart with this book, but bring it on.

There Will Come A Darkness – Katy Rose Pool

The Age of Darkness approaches.
Five lives stand in its way.
Who will stop it… or unleash it?

For generations, the Seven Prophets guided humanity. Using their visions of the future, they ended wars and united nations―until the day, one hundred years ago, when the Prophets disappeared.

All they left behind was one final, secret prophecy, foretelling an Age of Darkness and the birth of a new Prophet who could be the world’s salvation . . . or the cause of its destruction. As chaos takes hold, five souls are set on a collision course:

A prince exiled from his kingdom.
A ruthless killer known as the Pale Hand.
A once-faithful leader torn between his duty and his heart.
A reckless gambler with the power to find anything or anyone.
And a dying girl on the verge of giving up.

One of them―or all of them―could break the world. Will they be savior or destroyer?

I’ve been dying for this book ever since it popped up on my radar back in January, and there was no gorgeous cover then. This sounds utterly amazing and I’ve heard nothing but amazing things and I’m so excited for this.

The Girl the Sea Gave Back – Adrienne Young

For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue. Her own home and clan are long-faded memories, but the sacred symbols and staves inked over every inch of her skin mark her as one who can cast the rune stones and see into the future. She has found a fragile place among those who fear her, but when two clans to the east bury their age-old blood feud and join together as one, her world is dangerously close to collapse.

For the first time in generations, the leaders of the Svell are divided. Should they maintain peace or go to war with the allied clans to protect their newfound power? And when their chieftain looks to Tova to cast the stones, she sets into motion a series of events that will not only change the landscape of the mainland forever but will give her something she believed she could never have again—a home.

I’m looking forward to reading this and was quite shocked when I received the email saying I’d been approved to read it early. NetGalley had been denying me left and right for a few months now, and after a kind of bad week, it was a really nice surprise. This book sounds really interesting, and I hope I like it!

House of Salt and Sorrows – Erin A. Craig

In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh’s involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it’s a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next.

I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about this book and I’m hoping I think the same. It sounds so good and the cover is gorgeous and I’m excited to get to this! I mean, it’s basically the 12 dancing princesses story, which I would love more retellings/adaptations of.

Most likely, I’ll be tweeting or insta story-ing my reactions and potentially ratings (if I have the time) but I anticipate really loving these four books! Hope you all have a fantastic week and read amazing books!

Update Time

It’s been awhile since I’ve done one of these posts, but here I am, writing at 1 AM wondering what time I’ll be sleeping tonight. Maybe some of you are like me – when I get stressed, I don’t – no, can’t sleep – I have to lose myself in a show, or happy movies. This week has kind of sucked, if I’m being honest. Some things have become very clear and they break my heart. My family is going to have a very tough decision in our future, and it breaks my heart.

My dog is 11.5, and it’s very apparent that his health is declining. He’s a black lab, and they have this known problem called Laryngeal Paralysis, which basically means his throat is paralyzing and eventually he won’t be able to breathe. H makes this rasping sound – we call him Darth Vader – but it’s basically his throat not working properly. It doesn’t help that now it’s hot and humid where we live, but stress and/or excitement is what really makes it evident. We thought we were going to lose him Monday – he hates baths, and he needed one. I have never seen my dog struggle to breathe like he was after we’d finished. We had to give him a mild sedative to get him to calm down. I hate seeing him like that. He’s super sensitive to painkillers and sedatives and they throw him for a loop and he doesn’t act like my dog.

I’m crying while writing this. I absolutely hate thinking about this, about losing him. But I know it’s going to be a quality of life decision. It just hurts to know that other than old age and the throat issue, he’s healthy and still his old self. I hate that this throat issue could potentially take him from me earlier than old age. We always knew that this was coming. It’s super common in labs. He’s been with me for 11.5 years. He’s my baby, and I honestly don’t know what I’ll do without him.

I remember years ago, I went and saw Marley & Me in theaters, and despite it being a sad movie, all I could picture was my dog. Now it’s all too real. I want to make one thing explicitly clear – when it comes down to what’s best for him, we will make that decision. I know my dog, I know how he acts, when he’s not feeling good, when anything is wrong with him. I will know when it’s that time. The day my dog stops being interested in food – the thing he literally rules his life by – that is the day I will be concerned. So, please, please don’t think that I’d do anything but what is best for him. He is loved, he is spoiled rotten, and he’s had an amazing life. And I hope that he stays healthy enough to be around for a longer time. I can face reality without it being thrown in my face.

I didn’t plan on starting this post on a sad note. In fact, I didn’t plan on writing about this at all, it just kind of poured out of me. Earlier this week, I wrote up a Twitter thread, but I never posted it. I’ve been a wreck all week. Crying off and on…and still crying as I write this. Anyone with a pet knows, how hard facing this reality is, and I want to know, who the fuck decided dogs had to have a fraction of the lifespan as humans.

I thought writing all of this out might make me feel better, but I don’t think anything can make this better.

But it’s time to move on to what I actually was going to talk about – ALA and next week. Somehow the end of June became kind of packed and hectic, and I’m literally hopping from one thing to another.

I’m going to ALA! Well, the Exhibition portion on Saturday, Sunday and Monday and I’m so excited! I’ve never been to a book event like this and while there is excitement, I’m also a tad nervous. I think the nervousness will pass after Saturday, but I’m really looking forward to meeting all the people I’ve met and befriended on Twitter (who will be there) in person! Like, really be able to put a face to a name. I’m going with two friends, who also haven’t been, but they’ve been to events like BookCon, so they probably have a bit of a better idea of what to expect.

I have no idea what books will be there, I know of a few authors who will be signing, but other than that, I’ll just be walking around, collecting books and probably way too many tote bags. I really would love to pick up A Heart So Fierce and Broken, The Burning Shadow and There Will Come a Darkness – I know AHSFAB will be there, but I’m not entirely sure if the other two will be, but fingers crossed! If I only left with those three books, I’d be happy. I’m just really excited I made the last-minute decision to go and if you’re there, and you see me, feel free to say ‘hi’!

Then on Tuesday, I’m heading to PA for the Brigid Kemmerer and Anna Bright signing for Call It What You Want and The Beholder – both of which are fantastic books and you should check them out if you haven’t already…well, check out Anna’s book, Brigid’s doesn’t come out until June 25^th. I have reviews posted for both of these books, here and here, respectively. I’m super excited for this event and can’t wait to support both of them. Brigid is a friend, and I absolutely loved The Beholder and told Anna as much when I saw her at Apollycon this past March.

It’s almost a three-hour drive to this singing, so I probably won’t be getting back home until midnight, if the last signing I went to at this location is indicative of what this next one will be like.

You might be thinking, ‘well what is so bad about getting home after midnight?’ How about an 8AM (or something like that, I can’t remember the exact time) flight to Texas.

Which means a 6AM or something wakeup call, after a whole extended weekend of books. I’m most definitely going to be passed out on the plane. My plan is to have my two regular posts scheduled ahead of time, but that just depends on life basically. I won’t always have wifi, so if there isn’t a post up, don’t worry! I would say that I’m super excited to be going to Texas, but I really hate the idea of spending a week away from my dog…and now I’m crying again.

This has been my life all week. I’ve been walking around with a pressure headache, and I need to stop thinking about it, because it’s not doing anything but making my own fears worse.

To end on a happier note, I just finished reading The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano and I am so mad I don’t already own book 2 – The Cursed Sea. I got the book back in 2017(?) in an OwlCrate box and had put it aside to read at a later date. I finally sat down and read it and omfg I loved it. It was a little hard to get into, but once you’re in it, you just get sucked in and can’t put it down. I read probably the last 75% all today, and then just stared at the last page cursing myself for not having The Cursed Sea, which if I hadn’t been practicing self-control during its release (You haven’t read book 1, so don’t but book 2, you don’t even know if you’ll like book 1) I would already own, and would have just dived right into it, ignoring my TBR.

I’m also watching GLEE for the first time since it aired – I stopped watching like halfway through, and now I’m like halfway through season 4, and I’m strangely addicted. I wanted something like a musical/with music, and GLEE works. Also, I love Matthew Morrison, but that might be more about the fact that he played J.M. Barrie in Finding Neverland, and I’m a sucker for that musical and Peter Pan.

Anyways, if you’ve made to the end of this ‘longer than I anticipated or planned’ post, thank you, and I’m sorry for starting it off on such a sad note. I try to be personal on this blog, to be me, and I needed to vent. Also, sorry if there are any typos in the beginning – I wrote it through tears and I just tried to go back and read through it and started crying again. I work hard to be honest on this blog, and that extends to these posts. Yeah, I do try to be happier, but sometimes there are just no options to be happy. Life kind of really sucks sometimes, and right now this is one of those times. So, I’m going to get this thing scheduled, cuddle with my dog and head upstairs, where I’ll probably watch a few episodes of GLEE, despite the fact that it’s now almost 2AM, because stress.

I hope your week has been better than mine, and I hope that the books you are reading are serving as a brief escape from the sometimes crappiness of life.

5 Book Series I’ve Started and Haven’t Finished

We all do this. We see a new book and we buy and read it and then we find out that it’s part of a series. Or we know it’s part of a series and continue to buy the next books even though we have no intention of reading them right away.

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I’m guilty of this. I couldn’t tell you how many book series I’ve started and continued to buy even if I’ve only read the first book. For the sake of not making this an infinitely long post and to keep my sanity, I’m going to limit it to 5 series. As a guideline I’m going to consider anything 3 books or more.

The Lunar Chronicles – Marissa Meyer

I can’t tell you why I haven’t finished this series. Honestly no reason. I’ve enjoyed every book I’ve read in the series – Cinder, Scarlet, Cress (in part), I just haven’t finished them. Maybe I fell into a slump or something, but I really do need to finish them.

The Dark Artifices – Cassandra Clare

This should really extend to her entire shadow hunter universe minus (The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices) I’m woefully behind on all of it. I read Lady Midnight – well I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. Didn’t enjoy the Lord of Shadows audiobook, nearly put me to sleep at work. They’re such gigantic books I don’t really want to carry them around. I need to finish them and one day I will…hopefully.

Percy Jackson Series – Rick Riordan

Don’t judge me for this one. I’ve only read up to book 4 of the initial series. I own all the books, I just haven’t finished them. The only reason I can give for these is there are so many books and I have so little time. Also I think I know I’ll love them and want to binge them and right now I just don’t have the time to do that.

The Program Series – Suzanne Young

I remember picking up The Program in my local Barnes and Nobles because I hadn’t seen anything like it. The cover is stark white with yellow, a bright light amongst the darker covers. I’ve read the first 3, and have continued to buy the new books. I’ve enjoyed what I’ve read and know I’ll really like the series so far, but again, no time. It’s a problem.

The Witchlands – Susan Dennard

Now I know I’m gonna get some much crap for this one, but I’m trying my best to rectify that this month! Sightwitch and Bloodwitch are on my TBR and I really want to get to them this month. I absolutely loved Truthwitch and Windwitch was amazing, so I know these next two books are gonna be equally as good. After the two books I’m currently reading (one HC, one audiobook), these are my top priorities!

I know I have some catching up to do…a lot of it actually. But you know how it is, TBR’s continue to grow rapidly and we can only read so fast. I’ve made it a goal this year to read more of my backlist (as well as new releases). It’s meant that less money is being spent (yay for my bank account) and more of the books I already own are finally being read.

QOTD: what is one series that you’ve started and having finished yet?

Book Review: Shadows & Obsidian (Lux #.5 & #1)

Title(s): Shadows & Obsidian (Lux #.5 & #1)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Pub. Date(s): February 1, 2012 & May 8, 2012

Rating(s): ⭐️⭐️⭐️ & ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shadows:

The last thing Dawson Black expected was Bethany Williams. As a Luxen, an alien life form on Earth, human girls are…well, fun. But since the Luxen have to keep their true identities a secret, falling for one would be insane.

Dangerous. Tempting. Undeniable.

Bethany can’t deny the immediate connection between her and Dawson. And even though boys aren’t a complication she wants, she can’t stay away from him. Still, whenever they lock eyes, she’s drawn in.

Captivated. Lured. Loved.

Dawson is keeping a secret that will change her existence…and put her life in jeopardy. But even he can’t stop risking everything for one human girl. Or from a fate that is as unavoidable as love itself.

Obsidian:

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring… until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something… unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don’t kill him first, that is.

This is going to be a joint short review of the first book plus novella of the Lux series.

I’ve said it before on this blog, but Jennifer L Armentrout books are like coming home for me. She was one of the first YA authors I read. Obsidian is a reread for me, and I thought I’d read Shadows before, but I remembered none of it, so now I’m not sure. I do have a full review of Obsidian from back in 2012 – I’ll link it here, if you’re interested – but I have no idea what I said in it. I’ll go back and reread it when I’m done writing this one, as to not influence my thoughts now.

I’ll start with Shadows – this follows Dawson (Daemon’s brother) and his falling for a human girl – Bethany. As this is a prequel, it’s kind of hard to really go into detail, without spoiling elements of the rest of the series. I enjoyed it because it was basically backstory for me, because I know how the Lux Series ends. I think this painted a really vivid picture of who Dawson and Bethany are and again, provide background info not fully available in the story. I wouldn’t say that you should read this before diving into the series – it’s up to you. I kind of liked reading it first and then reading Obsidian, seeing as it picks up only a year after the events of Shadows.

Which leads me into Obsidian. It was so fun being back in this world after all these years. My main reason for finally coming back to this book (and series) was The Darkest Star. I knew after reading that book that I needed more aliens, and Jen had a whole series just sitting on my shelf waiting for me.

I didn’t remember what happened in the majority of this book, but that didn’t bother me. It was almost like reading it for the first time. Daemon is just as rude, caring and snarky as ever, and I forgot how much Katy stood up for herself. She was kind of badass in her own right and didn’t really let anyone walk all over it. It was kind of funny to see just how much blogging and books play a part in the book. Katy is literally every teen girl reader ever, and while yes, I know it’s a book, and therefore fiction, Katy gets to live every teen girls’ fantasy.

I mean, her life is literally like one out of a book. I mean, hot aliens can come move into the empty house in my court. How many times have we wished that certain books were real and not just stories? How many times have we wished that certain characters would pop off the page and sweep us away? The term ‘book boyfriends’ exists for a reason.

Overall, if you’re looking for hot aliens, or if you read The Darkest Star and want more hot aliens, then you should definitely check out these two books plus the rest of the series. I’m definitely planning on rereading the rest of the series, because now I feel like I have to, but I’m excited to fully revisit the world of the Lux – it’ll be my method of biding my time until The Burning Shadow comes out in the fall.

Giveaway Winners!

Wow, I can’t believe that it’s already time to choose the winners. I want to start off by saying thank you to everyone that entered! This giveaway performed better than I anticipated and I’m so excited to be giving back to you all. It means a lot that you checked out my blog – even if it was the lure of free bookish goodies that brought you to it.

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I started blogging *consistently* last January (2018) and honestly didn’t expect much to come of it. The fact that I’m steadily inching closer to that 200-follower mark blows my freaking mind and it makes everything I’ve put on this blog feel a little more worth it. There are days when blogging feels like a chore, a not fun job and seeing the reaction and interaction that has been pretty prevalent on my blog for the last two weeks has made it feel not so much like a chore and much more enjoyable. I’ve been having fun posting and interacting with you all and hearing about your anticipated reads – a couple I might need to check out! So, thank you again!

And as a final note before I announce the winners – I really do hope you enjoy the books and goodies in these bags! Apollycon is a great event and Jennifer L. Armentrout and the other volunteers who work tirelessly to pull off the three-day event are amazing. The publishers who donated all these items that were available in the swag bags and to grab during events – thank you for that!

The Winners are:

1. Holly Kinsey

2. Allisa White

3. Kelly S. Delrosso

I’ll be sending out emails later today, and you’ll have 24 hours (upon receiving the email) to email me back with mailing/shipping information – a google form will be attached! I want to get these boxes of bookish goodies out to you as soon as possible!

I’ll also be posting an announcement later today on Twitter and Instagram of who the winners are! Congrats to those who won! I hope and plan on hosting more giveaways in the future! So please stay tuned!

As a final, final note, thank you again to everyone who entered and checked out my blog. It really does mean a lot. So, thank you.

Book Review: Our Dark Stars

Title: Our Dark Stars

Author(s): Audrey Grey & Krystal Wade

Pub. Date: March 6, 2018

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

While she sleeps, the whole universe changes. Princess Talia Starchaser has it all. Wealth. Status. Adoring citizens. But on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, she’s forced to publicly betray her best friend, a companion mock she’s had since birth, setting events into motion that lead to the destruction of the humans, and the princess floating through space, a remnant of a time when humans ruled over droids. One hundred years later, half-mock captain Will Perrault and his ragtag crew discover a device floating in space. When a very human Talia emerges from its depths, Will suspects she’s the key to buying his way back into the regiment he once commanded against the last remaining rebel humans—and the ruling mock queen’s good graces. Both Talia and Will would rather get space-tossed than trust one another, but with the queen’s forces chasing them across the galaxy and the fate of both worlds hanging in the balance, they’ll forge the unlikeliest of alliances to survive.

This will be a spoiler free review!

I bought this book due to its gorgeous cover…and the fact that it sounds exactly like something I’d read – sleeping beauty in space. Sign me up!

I’ll be honest, there was a point I nearly DNF’d the book because I didn’t understand exactly what was going on, and it frustrated me. I didn’t really understand the different classifications/slang for humans and androids. Maybe my reading comprehension was way off that day, but I really did think about putting it down and declaring it not for me.

So happy that I was wrong and pushed through. I was definitely more interested in Will’s POV and timeline and was super happy when the past and the present caught up and merged together. If you want an enemies to friends to lovers and a slow burn, you definitely want to check this book out. The chemistry between Talia and Will is perfect. They oscillate between hating each other and having undeniable attraction for each other. It’s fantastic and you get to this point you just want to smash their faces together and say “kiss already!”

Will is everything that Talia doesn’t understand and shouldn’t want. She’s a Starchaser, a direct descendant of the first humans to colonize space. She’s royalty and expects to be treated as such. Will was once human, and due to tragic circumstances becomes half Android (mock). Talia reminds him of his past, his traumas and yet, he can’t quite get her out of his head. This of course causes all sorts of problems between them and when Will finds out the truth about who she is, he jumps at the chance to win his life back. Or course everything doesn’t go according to plan and feelings erupt along the way. Both Will and Talia have to face their pasts, overcome so much before they can be happy.

This book is basically everything I want in a space(ship) sci-fi book…and kind of everything Zenith (by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings) could and should’ve been. I really wish it wasn’t a stand-alone novel, there’s definitely room for another book in this world and I’d be down to read it.

If you’re looking for a fast paced, quick read about a world full of humans and androids and an unique take on the Sleeping Beauty fairytale, you definitely want to check this out!

May Wrap Up!

I got through a few books in May – all of them I enjoyed so that’s definitely a plus! I didn’t read a wide variety, mainly fantasy, and I found a new favorite! I think all these books are definitely worth checking out if you haven’t already. They are all interesting and unique reads that keep you captivated. They all have memorable characters that will have you feeling and rooting for them.

Most of these books had me on the edge of my seat at one point or another, and some made me tear up and they hurt my heart a little bit. I have full reviews posted for all of these, so I’ll link those! I think this is the first month that I have full reviews posted for each book I read.

Okay, now time to look at the books!

Storm and Fury (The Harbinger #1) – Jennifer L. Armentrout

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (ARC Finished 5/12/19) GR Review

To save her family and maybe the world, she’ll have to put her trust in Zayne. But all bets are off as a supernatural war is unleashed…

I still can’t believe I was able to read Jen’s new book early. It was fun being back in the world of the Wardens, and there is a bit of a twist in this book that I kind of suspected, but it still made me very excited when it came about. If you liked the White Hot Kiss trilogy, you’ll definitely want to check out Storm and Fury out June 11, 2019!

Cardinal Machines – Tracy Eire

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (PDF Finished 5/16/19) GR Review

The Sheriff’s Department rules it an accident, but her android’s assessment calls it murder….

The author reached out to me to review this and I did. I ended up really liking the book and thought it was original and unique and definitely am interested in reading book 2!

The Blood Spell (Ravenspire #4) – C.J. Redwine

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (Audiobook Finished 5/16/19) GR Review

When romance is forbidden and evil is rising, can Blue save those she loves, even if it costs her everything?

I’ve loved every book in this series, and this one is probably my favorite of the four. I’m sad that this is the last one, and could read so many more stories set in the world of Ravenspire.

Echo North – Joanna Ruth Meyer

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Audiobook Finished 5/19/19) GR Review

As the year ticks by, the rooms begin to disappear, and Echo must solve the mystery of the wolf’s enchantment before her time is up, otherwise Echo, the wolf, and Hal will be lost forever.

This. Book. Ugh. I loved it and it’s definitely a new favorite. Everyone should read it. Like now. Go read it now. It’s beautiful and it feels like a long-forgotten fairy tale.

Eyes on Me – Rachel Harris

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (Paperback Finished 5/24/19) GR Review

Lily shows Stone he’s more than his impressive football stats, and he introduces her to a world outside of studying. But with the lines blurred, can their relationship survive the secret he’s been hiding?

Cute rom com? Check. Fun read? Check. Would I recommend? Check. If you haven’t read Rachel Harris yet, you’re missing out. This is her latest, and I loved it!

QOTD: What was your favorite book you read in May?

Writing The Universe

My fingers are moving, but it appears as though my characters are writing themselves

Month: June 2019