If We Were Having Coffee

One of my favorite life catch up blog formats is this "if we were having coffee." It's probably because I'm slightly addicted to Starbucks and going on a coffee date is one of my favorite ways to catch up with friends in real life.

Since I can't have coffee with all of you, this will have to do.

No... this post isn't sponsored by Starbucks. 

I WISH. Starbucks, if you want to sponsor me, I'd be MORE than happy to oblidge. Give me all the coffee!

If we were having coffee... if it's in the morning I'm ordering a grande vanilla iced latte. If it's the afternoon I'm going all out and getting a mocha frappachino! Spring has finally arrived in Chicago, and I'm all about enjoying the sunshine and a refreshing cold drink.

If we were having coffee... I'd request we sit outside in the sunshine. There is only a tiny window in the year where it's warm enough to sit outside, but not so warm you're begging for air conditioning. Let's enjoy it while it's here, shall we?

If we were having coffee... I would probably continue to gush about the good weather. I'm not usually one who is overly anxious for spring to come. I don't LOVE the freezing cold, but I can deal. I'm not a huge fan of extreme summer heat, so while I like spring... I just then think that summer is coming. But this year it was even too much for me. Bring on the sunshine!

If we were having coffee... I'd also gush about spring and summer dresses and skirts. I just bought a couple and I love them in place of shorts! They're just so comfortable and even when it's casual, it makes me feel just slightly fancier and more feminine. Nothing beats looking cute while also feeling comfortable.

If we were having coffee... I'd bring up work, because whenever I talk to people for some reason I can't avoid it. Work is on my mind a lot, and I have to let it out sometimes! There's some changes coming soon, and they make me slightly nervous. We're also short staffed at the moment (again) and that makes everything more stressful. Basically, I need a nap and a vacation.

If we were having coffee... I'd share my woes about dating. (Again.) If this was a week ago, I would have talked about how I was feeling hopeful and talking to a couple of seemingly great guys. This week? It's a whole new story. I'm down, frustrated, angry, and disappointed. Every time I think I'm finally up to meeting someone, they turn out to be awful, or plain disappointing, or not who I thought they were.  I'm wondering if I just have terrible taste or don't know how to read the warning signals. I'm also wondering if I need to delete all of the apps and not bother anymore. I'm constantly battling not settling for less than I deserve, while also not having unrealistic expectations. 

If we were having coffee... I'd talk about nostalgia. This past week I went out with some college friends to the neighborhood where we went to school. I rarely go out that way these days and driving down those roads gives me some hard core nostalgia. It's like I'm 21 again! (Which... I graduated 9 years ago. Yikes! I'm old.) We saw students from the school getting ice cream where we were eating and it was weird to think it was so long ago we were in the same shoes getting ready to graduate. I'm also amazed how much my life and relationships have changed since then. I'm surprised by who I've kept in touch with and who I haven't. I'm surprised at how much my personality has changed... but also how it hasn't. If only college me could see me now! I think she'd be pretty shocked and appalled. But, I'm okay with that.

If we were having coffee... I'd talk about how I'm super excited that I finally finished my Chicagoland Vampires book collection. Nerdy, I know. But do you expect anything else from me? I fell IN LOVE with this series about a year or two ago and read all of the books via the library. Since it completed last year, I decided I should own them for myself. As of this week I have all 13 and they fit perfectly on my shelf. They look fabulous!

If we were having coffee... I'd say how I wish I could do things like this more often. It seems like I never have time or opportunities to hang out with friends and relax. I do have relaxation time, but it's usually alone. I miss being more social, but with my odd schedule it's difficult to find time when others are free when I am. I'm not sure what to do about that. 

If we were having coffee... I'd share how I'm attempting to do yoga again. Not every day, but a couple of days a week. I love watching Yoga With Adrienne videos on YouTube, but I'd like to explore more!

If we were having coffee... Going with the "self-care" lines I'd say how I'm also taking more baths lately. It's been YEARS since I've taken a bath, but a month or two ago I did a bath bomb making night with some friends and one of them encouraged me to take more since it'll help with my bones and relaxing all of my sore muscles. At first, it was super weird and awkward. I didn't really know what to do with myself. But, now I've gotten myself a bath pillow, fun bath bombs, and I bring music and a book with me. It's so nice and relaxing! #treatyourself

If we were having coffee... I'd talk about how my niece is already 6 months old! She's getting so big and active. She's even going to be transitioning to "real" food soon which I can't believe! Aunt life is the best.

So, what about you? If we got together for a coffee date, what would you talk about? And more importantly - what's your order? 

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Also, if you're buying some books - check out this offer (and others) from Barnes and Noble, good May 9-15, 2018! (Yes, it's an affiliated link. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!)

Take 10% Off Your Order with code YESWAY

Like what you read? Consider buying me a coffee. 

April Reading Round-Up

I know I probably say this every month - but April seriously flew by. I feel like I blinked and suddenly it was May. Is it just me? 

But, at least the weather is FINALLY starting to feel like spring. Here in Chicago, I think the high is supposed to be close to 80 degrees. Which feels like summer to me... but I'll take it over the snow and freezing weather we had most of April! I'm not one to complain a ton about winter taking forever to leave, because we're in Chicago. It could potentially snow in May sometimes. Yet... even for me this was a bit much. This was one of the coldest Aprils we've had in a long time. 

ANYWAY. Onto books. I started seven books and finished six, and I can honestly say that I enjoyed them all except for the one I didn't finish. Which, I suppose I do genuinely enjoy most of the books I read, since as time has gone on I've gotten a good sense if I'll like something or not when I pick it up. 

Some notes on how I do wrap ups: I don't include plot summaries because the publisher can summarize them much better than I can. If you want to know the plot summary, I've left an Amazon affiliated link in the book title so you can check it out. I rate books on a 1-5 star scale. (1= worst book ever why did I read this?; 2= did not enjoy; 3= this was good!; 4= I really liked it! 5= OMG LOVED THIS IT'S THE BEST EVER!) For the most part, you're going to see 3-5 star ratings from me and not a lot of negative simply because if I don't like a book, I'm not going to finish it.

A Night to Surrender (Spindle Cove #1) By Tessa Dare

• Genre: Historical Romance
• Format: ebook
• Rating: 4.5 Stars

For the last few months I've seen a lot of my book friends talking about Tessa Dare and how her books are SO GREAT. I downloaded this one, the first in her Spindle Cove series FOREVER ago, but haven't picked it up until now. 

Well...

IT WAS SO GREAT.

I was literally laughing out loud at moments in this book. It's this awesome opposites attract/battles of the sexes/could be labeled hate-to-love romance in Regency (I think) England. The hero and heroine were both fantastic and really sexy. It was feminist, had disability rep (our hero was wounded in a war), a fun cast of side characters I can't wait to get to know in future books, and I love the setting of Spindle Cove where women go when they don't fit in "normal" society and can learn to accept themselves for who they are and build confidence. 

I can't wait to continue with the series!

• You'll like this book if you also enjoy:  battle of the sexes, opposites attract, historical fiction, soldiers, feminism, steamy romance
• Trigger Warnings: amputation and explosion

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Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J Maas (Re-read)

• Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
• Format: Hardcover
• Rating: 4 Stars

And I'm continuing my re-read of the Throne of Glass series in preparation for the final book coming out in October! (Sob.) I'm basically a mess when it comes to reading this series. Even though the intense stuff hasn't happened yet, I read a single chapter in this first book and I'm ready to cry because I'm seeing all of the little pieces Maas has been putting together and all that she's built up. I read it and I'm like "MY PRECIOUS BABIES YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S COMING." 

Are her books flawed? Yes. But I just adore them still and I'm unhealthily attached to these characters. 

• You'll like this book if you also enjoy:  assassins, high fantasy, epic fantasy, love triangles, rags to riches, competitions, political intrigue, action/adventure
• Trigger Warnings:  starvation, slavery, torture, loss of parents, violence

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Kushiel's Dart (Kushiel's Legacy #1) by Jaqueline Carey (Temporary DNF)

• Genre: Epic Fantasy
• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Rating: NA

This is the one book I didn't finish. At first, it was a temporary choice because there were other books I wanted to get to and I'd go back to it when I was done with those. However... the more I think about it, the more I lose interest.

Which, is incredibly disappointing for me. I've heard such great things about this fantasy series. It's about courtesans and assassins, this big epic fantasy world, it's sexy and unique, there's a strong female leading character etc. All of these things are things I enjoy in books! But the whole book I was kinda... meh.

The world, characters, and plot definitely have their interesting moments. But I still found myself bored and waiting for something to happen. Then something would happen and I'd be really excited... but then it was anti-climatic. I'm all for character driven books, and not always plot driven. I also know with these long epic fantasies, you need to be patient and a lot of times you get a big pay-off in the end. But when plot points you've been waiting for for over 500 pages arrive and it just is "meh," that doesn't give me much hope for the following 400 pages. (No, I'm not exaggerating, this book really is that long.)

I haven't given up complete hope on this book yet. But, we'll see if I get back to it. 

• You'll like this book if you also enjoy:   slow burn plot/romance, epic fantasy, character-driven, BDSM (kind of... I thought it was super tame for all of the warnings I got about that particular element of the sotry)
• Trigger Warnings:  pain, torture, violence, negligent parents, BDSM moments, sex as religious expreience

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Second Chance Charmer by Brighton Walsh

• Genre:  Contemporary Romance
• Format: ebook
• Rating: 3.5 Stars

After being disappointed by Kushiel's Dart, I went to one of my new go-to authors for something light and fun. Enter Brighton Walsh's newest book! It just came out in March or April and it was exactly what I needed.

It's not my favorite book of hers (that goes to Tessa Ever After) but it's everything you'd want in a Brighton Walsh novel. SUPER sexy, fun, and a dual POV narrative. My one big critique is that I wish we had seen more of the couple with their relationship, and not just the sexy times. For me, for the sexy times to work, I need to see that the couple has an actual relationship too. We know they have one because they were high school sweethearts, but because that was in the past we didn't get to see it on page as much. But, I was convinced by the end so I guess that's all that matters. 

• You'll like this book if you also enjoy: This kind of reminded of a Sweet Home Alabama type of story where they were high school sweethearts, he was a bad boy, it takes place in the south, etc. 
• Trigger Warnings:  abandonment, negligent parents

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Given to the Earth (Given #2) by Mindy MicGinnis

• Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
• Format: Hard Cover
• Rating: 4 Stars

This is the sequel to Mindy McGinnis' other fantasy book, Given to the Sea. Out of Mindy McGinnis' books I've read, Given to the Sea wasn't my favorite. However, I love this author and want to support her, and it was interesting enough that I wanted to know what happened next. Honestly, I think I liked this second installment more than the first.

Maybe because she got more into the stride of writing fantasy? Maybe it was because I knew more of what to expect from this author when it came to fantasy? Who knows. But I really enjoyed it. I liked where each of the characters went ("like" being used loosly because some of the end completely broke my heart), I liked the direction the story went, and how it was mostly about a people simply needing to learn how to survive when their land is failing them. Yes, it had the political stuff, but that wasn't the main focus the way it is in other fantasy books. It was much more focused on the character development which I appreciated. 

Also, don't judge Mindy McGinnis' books because they're young adult. A majority of her readers and fans are actually adults. 

• You'll like this book if you also enjoy: character-driven fantasy, shorter fantasy, 
• Trigger Warnings: rape culture (although that theme was not as prevalent as it was in the first book), mental illness, cheating and affairs, violence, harm to animals

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Leah on the Offbeat (Creekwood #2) by Becky Albertalli

• Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
• Format: Hard Cover
• Rating: 4 Stars

With the first book, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda being one of my favorites EVER, it's probably no surprise the sequel, Leah on the Offbeat was one of my most anticipated books of 2018. 

It did not dissapoint!

I loved seeing all of my favorite characters in their senior year preparing for their futures. THE PROM DINNER WAS LITERALLY ONE OF MY DREAMS FULFILLED. I loved how Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was the musical the characters were in because that too was my musical my senior year of high school. I also loved that Leah got to be in the spotlight! (Bi-sexual rep!)

The reason why this book is four stars is because compared to Becky's other two books, I didn't enjoy and relate to this one quite as much. Also, I felt the beginning was a bit scattered, and the ending rushed. However, compared to other books of the same genre I'd give this 4.5-5 stars.

• You'll like this book if you also enjoy:  young adult contemporary, coming out stories, high school seniors thinking about the future, cute/sweet romance, any of Becky's other books.
• Trigger Warnings: racism... and I can't think of any others

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A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J Maas (Re-Read)

• Genre: New Adult Fantasy
• Format: Hard Cover
• Rating: 4 stars

In preparation for the novella coming out May 1st (today!!!!) that is the bridge between the A Court of Thorns and Roses trilogy and the spin-off books, on a whim I decided to re-read the trilogy to catch up. Because apparently I don't have enough Sarah J Maas in my life.

I liked this book more upon my re-read of it than I did the first time. Which, I've learned happens a lot with Maas' books. Not that I don't enjoy them the first time, but for some reason when I go back it's even better. 

That being said, it's a good conclusion to the trilogy and I like where everyone ends up. But at the same time, there could be more. Which is ridiculously vauge, but it's the best way I can describe it. With certain elements it's like Maas goes for something, and then backs off just slightly. Even if it totally rips our hearts out, sometimes I wish she would really GO FOR IT. 

I know... that probably doesn't make any sense. But it's the best I can do at the moment without giving away spoilers. Haha. 

• You'll like this book if you also enjoy:  Sarah J Maas' other books, romance, sexy times, fae, war stories, squad goals, a lot of shippable couples, epic and high fantasy
• Trigger Warnings:  war, violence,  not great diverse representation, PTSD, breaking of bones, abusive romantic relationship

What did you all read in April? Anything you think I'd like? Have you read any of these books? If you've read Kushiel's Dart, is it worth my finishing?

Also, if you're buying some books - check out this offer from Barnes and Noble, good May 9-15, 2018!

Take 10% Off Your Order with code YESWAY

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Like what you read? Consider buying me a coffee. 

The Should-Be Hole

When I begin to dream up a book, I can see the perfect image of what it should be. The feel it should have, the messages to come through, and where it would sit on a shelf in the bookstore. I think about how it'll be different from the others I've written and the challenges but also awesome moments it will have. 

Then, I begin my rough draft, and it's nothing like I imagined .

I don't have all of the answers I think I do. The prose is clunky and awkward. Characters aren't developed. There's so many plot and world building holes it looks like Swiss Cheese. 

When approaching White Rose, I pictured this big sprawling epic fantasy. I would have maps, charts, appendixes to all of the political alliances and family trees. I even have a guide to the religion and all of the deities. Which is pretty great and I'm proud of the work I have gotten done, even if it's not totally complete yet. 

I realized then, that it's been a long time since I've read a big epic fantasy for an adult audience. I wasn't even sure how those books felt anymore. I've read them for young adult, but not adult lately. So, I picked up one.

Goodness, it was boring.

Now, I love long descriptions and a beautifully detailed fantasy world like anyone else. But this book had me so bored. It had rave reviews and had everything I'd usually enjoy in a fantasy. Intrigue, romance, a great leading female character, etc. Yet, the style of the writing left me completely bored and I had to force myself each day to pick up the book. 

Later, I thought about the other fantasy novels I tend to enjoy. The big fat adult fantasies are in there for sure, but the vast majority are either urban fantasy, or they're young adult. It made me think about how I'm approaching my own novel. (Now, if only New Adult would become an actual thing and not just a romance sub-genre... that would be great because I think my novel would fit there... but that's another topic for another time.)

What's been making me stumble with my last couple of projects is the idea of what the novel "should" be. I think it "should" be one thing, when that thing may not be what I actually like or am good at. Or, I think about the book as how the end result will be, and not what the rough draft is. 

VE Schwabb wrote this on her Twitter once, and I still think of it often: (I would link the tweet itself, but it was in 2015 and I don't have the patience to scroll through her feed that far back)

"So many people set out to write a Novel of Great Importance. I just want to write stories that make people forget where they are. I want to make readers miss their stop. I want to make them smile and gasp and cheer. I want them to have fun."

A lot of writers think about this, and it's not an uncommon struggle for myself. (I wrote about it when Schwabb first wrote this tweet on my old blog in 2015!) I think my novel needs to be Very Important. It has to have the most advanced vocabulary, beautiful prose, and have Deep Meaning. All of these things are great and wonderful.

But is that really me?

I hope my books have deeper meanings than they may appear and will touch people who read them. But ultimately, I want them to be enjoyable. Not a chore for someone to sit through as they struggle to pick it up because supposedly it's "good" for them. 

I refer to books like that as being kale. Some people love it, and that's great for them. But for me, it's that healthy food that is supposed to be really good for you and in the end my body will probably be glad I ate it. But the process makes me cringe because it just doesn't taste good.

It's not just with writing though. How many times in our lives do we see something and think "that's what my life should be!" But, that's not reality at all? And that's okay.

Too many times we stumble because we think we need to be, look, and behave a certain way. We should have a certain type of job, our relationship status should be one thing, at a certain age or body type you need to dress a specific way, etc. 

Why do we put this pressure on ourselves? It can be good to set goals for ourselves and be sure we're making progress and taking care of our lives, family, friends, etc. But these goals should be based on what we like, enjoy, and do for ourselves. Not what we think everyone else would find impressive. 

But it's a hard rut to get out of. I see myself with my career and where I am in life and find myself comparing to others and what it "should" be. When I write I imagine what my novel or my blog posts "should" be, and then it becomes something I don't actually want or like. 

What do you do to get out of the "should be" hole?

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Like what you read? Consider buying me a coffee. 

My Not-So-Glamorous Writing Life

"So... what else do you do other than read and write?" my friend asked me with a laugh.

I laughed along with her. "Nothing!"

Over the weekend I had a rare night out with some friends. It was ladies night at her jewelry store and we got to peruse and try on jewelry we would never be able to afford. We looked through their book of charms to see if there were any that matched my interests and hobbies. Of course, the first things that came to mind where books and writing. It was hard for me to think of other things I enjoy and do that could be portrayed in a charm.

Now, I do have more interests than books. I love my dog, coffee, theatre, etc. But most of the time, all I do once I get home from work is read and write. Then on my days off, beyond my day-to-day errands, I spend it reading and writing. I don't even get out to go write at a coffee shop or something often these days.

Quite frankly, the life of someone aspiring to be a published author isn't all that glamorous or exciting. In fact, I've been told that even when you are published, life isn't glamorous or exciting. I was listening to Mindy McGinnis' podcast, Writer Writer Pants on Fire, one day, and she shared about the day she got her agent. (Or maybe it was when her book sold, I can't remember which.) She said that she got the phone call and she was so excited!

Then she had to go change her cat's litter box.

So glamorous and exciting, right?

I peruse Instagram everyday, and I see other bloggers and writers showing off their photos. They're traveling! Going to coffee shops! Finding the cutest little boutique! Eating ice cream in the sunshine! Showing off their new book covers! Life! Is! So! Great!

My life looks nothing like this. 

Now, I'm fully aware that these photos are staged and intentionally made in a way to showcase the highlights. Most of these people's day to day isn't like this at all. But I take a look around and I think "I don't even have something I can manipulate into a pretty picture to make you think my life is super Instagram and blog-worthy."

I mean, there's only so many ways I can take a photo of my keyboard and coffee mug. 

As much as we like to aspire to the dream of being a super glamourous writer who takes their laptops to adorable coffee shops, typing away with grand and beautiful ideas, gasp-worthy plot points, dreaming up swoony love scenes, and heart-wrenching moments to make you cry and the perfect writing music is playing in the background, this just isn't how it is. 

My writing routine mainly consists of this:

• Staring at my computer screen
• Searching Spotify because I can't decide what music I'm in the mood for
• Staring at the pictures on my wall
• Typing a few words then deleting them, writing words, deleting them again, etc.
• Pacing my bedroom until I can get inspiration or the one word I'm searching for comes to me
• Flipping through my notebook cause I can't remember what I named a certain kingdom 
• Scrolling through Pinterest because I just CAN'T write until I have the perfect model to inspire me for a character
• Searching the kitchen for a snack
• Replying to messages from my writing group
• Telling my dog to get off my lap so I can type
• Getting a couple of paragraphs done
• Repeat

So, when people ask me how the book is going, or what's new in my life... I'm at a loss for words. The book is going well, but I don't necessarily have anything to show for it right now. If I ever do, it's going to be several months. Maybe even years. As for what's new in my life, not a whole lot because supposedly my book is going well. When it's going well, that basically means I'm in my writing hole and don't emerge from it often. 

Even if going well is me staring at the computer screen.

Earlier this year I was talking with a group of friends from church about my "work, go home, write, read, go to sleep, do it all again the next day" routine, it felt like one or two people kind of pitied me. 

Which, I can see that. It is pretty boring, and I guess I can say that I'm in a "life rut."

But at the same time, I also know this is how it goes when it comes to completing a novel. It takes a long time, and it's not super exciting. Yes, I want to go out more. I want to see my friends more often. I want "adventure in the great wide somewhere" as Belle would sing. Part of who I am is getting out and being around people. The whole "I really am an extrovert" thing. 

On the other hand, I'm learning to accept that this process isn't going to look exciting. Most of the time, it's going to appear to be pretty boring. That's just how it is.

Which, I struggle with sometimes. There are days I don't mind, and there are days where it does bother me. I'm not sure what the answer is though. 

What about you? Do you find that you get stuck in a routine and unsure of how to get out of it? What aspects of your life do you find really boring? What do you think would surprise people about your day-to-day routine?

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My Must-Have Writing Tools

It's been a bit of a busy week around here and I'm working on White Rose for Camp NaNoWriMo. So, it's a bit of a shorter post this week. 

Here are some of my favorite things that help me survive Camp NaNoWriMo. (Some may have affliated links, but they aren't sponsored and no one is telling me to promote these things. I genuinely love all of these things!)

Also - I have a special announcement about a writing resource at the end of this blog post! 

Scrivener

This is the number one program I write with and I tell all of my writing friends they should use it too. It's a program designed specifically with writers in mind. I can organize my novel by chapter, have all of my character and location notes, links to my research, brainstorms, outline, all in one place. It even helps you to compile and save it according to industry standards for when I'm ready to query agents. There's also a screenwriting setting for people who are writing scripts. 

What I really love is that they now have an app for IOS. Using the app and Dropbox, I can sync all of my work to my phone and my iPad. Writing on my mobile devices isn't the most ideal for intense writing sessions. But, it's so handy to have my novel with me wherever I go in case I need to reference something or want to write down an idea or work on something when I can't get to my computer.

You can learn more and download Scrivener here. 

iPad Keyboard

Speaking of writing on mobile devices, I recently purchased a new keyboard for my iPad. Last year I switched to a desktop because I had Scrivener on my iPad. I love my desktop, but sometimes I missed my laptop in case I wanted a change of scenery. I did some research and I love my new keyboard. It connects to my iPad via Bluetooth and it hinges in a way that makes my iPad feels like a laptop, but I can still rotate it around so I can hold it like a tablet when I want to read ebooks. 

The keyboard is a little small so it takes a bit of getting used to. But now that I am, it's great. I can take it with  me anywhere and write where I want, but is smaller than a whole laptop. 

You can get some super cheap ones for like $18 at Walmart, or you can get really expensive ones that are over $100. I went in the middle and got it on Amazon here. 

The Emotion Thesarus

This book is something I’d seen floating around the Internet a bit, and you can download it cheap for Kindle. (Also available as a physical book.) Sometimes, especially when you’re on a deadline or trying to hit a word count goal, your mind freezes. The simplest thing can stumble you up and your brain turns off. In comes the Emotion Thesaraus.

You look up different emotions, and each one has lists of definitions, what that emotion looks like physically, mental process, psychological impact, tips, and suggestions of other emotions to look up which are similar. It’s so helpful when you're stuck and need to get your brain going when you can’t picture how a character might sound or behave for certain emotions.

There’s a ton of other ones as well such a urban settings, rural settings, emotional amplifiers, emotional trauma, etc. But this is the one I have, and it definitely makes me consider buying the others because it is incredibly helpful when I'm stuck.

You can purchase it here. 

A Great Writing Space

This is something I've been working on curating for myself for a year or so now. I picked out a desk and an organization system I like. Then, just today I added new artwork to my wall my desk is leaning against, and it really completes the set-up. It's cute, motivational, and relaxed. I love having some artwork around so I have something to look at other than a blank wall when I'm trying to think of the perfect thing to write. 

Granted, this is a bit privileged of me, and not everyone has the resources to create their most perfect writing space. But, if you have the means to even at least give yourself a taste of what that would be like, it helps so much.

A Familiar TV Show

This one sounds super weird, but for some reason, for me it works. I don't like to work in silence and need some sort of background noise as I get things done. Sometimes, I just pick a TV show I've seen a million times and let it play in the background while I work. Usually, something in a completely different genre than what I'm writing. Currently, I'm rewatching That 70s Show. 

Some of my other go-to shows are:  Friends, How I Met Your Mother, Gilmore Girls, Sex and the City, Glee. 

I know this is something that's not for everyone because it's easy to get distracted or to be too influenced by what's playing. That's why I say to pick a show you're very familiar with because it's a lot easier to not pay attention and if you happen to not listen to parts of the episode, it's not a big deal because you already know what happens. 

Spotify Playlists

I'm super late to the party, but I finally got a Spotify account and I have no idea how I lived without it. Because even I get distracted by TV and would rather have music in the background. Sometimes it's a playlist I created to help set the mood, or it's one I found exploring the app.

You can follow me on Spotify by clicking here. 

Pinterest

My use of Pinterest for my writing is two-fold. One, I love having secret boards for myself and my writing group to share so I can show them ideas, research, and brainstorm my projects. In a recent update, Pinterest added "sections" to boards so you can organize your boards better. It's a total game changer and I'm slightly obsessed. Two, you can find A TON of writing resources on Pinterest from tutorials, articles, tips, quotes, brainstorming, and other writing advice. It's like being able to take writing classes but picking and choosing what topic you want to learn about. 

You can find my Pinterest writing boards here. 

Journal

There just isn't anything like being able to hand-write ideas. When I need to brainstorm and outline, I work better when I can hand-write it. I have a "catch-all" journal I carry with me almost everywhere so I can get ideas down for my novel. I use it for other things like budget, blog ideas, and shopping lists too. 

I bought a simple lined leather journal from Target, but when this one is filled I'd like to try one with the dots so I can more easily draw out maps and sketches for my world-building. A lot of people like Moleskin journals, but honestly anything is fine. Even just a spiral notebook.

Google Docs

I use Google Docs mostly after my drafting phase because this is how I share my work with  my writing group and beta readers. I'm obsessed with Google Docs for this! You can all see each other's edits and comments and have an ongoing conversation right there in the doc, and I can access it anywhere. Honestly, between Scrivener and Google Docs, I personally don't see much of a need for any other word processor. 

Oh... you want to know that special announcement? Did you just skip all the way down here for that alone? 

Fine. I won't judge you. We all have busy lives.

I'm now offering for my email subscribers a free tutorial on Creating Characters! In my humble opinion, and from talking with my writing group, one of my greatest strengths in writing is characters. People that readers can connect to. As a thank you for everyone who subscribes via email, you get a free intro into how I do it! It includes the three questions you need to answer about your main characters, building a supporting cast, a worksheet, and other tips. 

Subscribe below to get your freebie!

What do you all rely on for when you're writing? What are your favorite resources?

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Like what you read? Consider buying me a coffee. This simply helps me to offset costs (ex. paying for my website domain) so I can continue to create quality and professional content - along with you receiving my lifelong love and appreciation!

April Goals

Happy April! 

Supposedly it's officially spring now in Chicago. Which... spring is always slightly random for us. We had the coldest Easter Sunday in 20 years last year, but it's been sunny and should be warming up soonish. 

We'll see what "soonish" actually turns out to be.

But, at least it appears as though the worst of winter is behind us. Even just having the sun out more often while it's still cold gives hope that spring is coming and gives me a tad more motivation to reach some of those goals I made back in January. Starting resolutions in the middle of winter is a terrible idea, because all I want to do is curl up in bed with a book and binge Netflix TV shows. 

April also means Camp NaNoWriMo is starting! It's like the little sister to National Novel Writing Month where people get to work on their writing projects. There are a few differences though.

1. During National Novel Writing Month in November, the big goal is 50,000 words. During Camp, you get to set your own goal.
2. You have the option to be put into a "cabin" of other writers where you have a little chat going and can encourage one another in your goals.
3. You don't have to necessarily be working on a novel during Camp. 

I don't regularly participate in Camp NaNoWriMo the way I do the big event in November. It all depends on what I'm working on and what's going on in my life. This year, I decided that I'm going to casually participate since it could be the kick in the rear I need to get some major headway in my novel done. 

What will I be working on? Glad you asked.

I'm officially stepping back from Vampire Snow White (Bleeding Heart.) I love that book and the characters, but the writers block I've had with it has been some of the most intense I've ever experienced. After talking over with my writing group, I think it's time to take a break from it for the time being. At first I didn't want to switch projects and push through it, because if you keep on switching around what you're working on, nothing will ever get done. But, I think this is for the best. I love this book, but I don't think I have the tools or mindset to tackle it yet. In the future I will, but not right now.

Which means I'm going back to the novel I originally was working on before Bleeding Heart took over, and that's what I nick-name my "fairy tale mash-up" (White Rose). 

White Rose is going to be more of an adult epic or high fantasy novel that I think would have young adult appeal. (Think A Court of Thorns and Roses. While, technically it is marketed as  YA, NONE of the characters are teenagers after the first book and has a lot of content that I don't see as being YA. I see my book as being something similar.) The main focus is combining the two fairy tales of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" with "Snow White and Rose Red" where we see the story of two sisters, Eira and Rose. There's a bunch of other fairy tales I want to reference though, which makes it really fun.

I'm pretty excited about this book because since it's not a urban fantasy, all of it will take place in a different fantasy world and I'm enjoying building it up. 

My overall word count goal is to write 25,000 words. I already had 14,000 words written in this novel. So, by the end of April I should have roughly 40,000 words done. This makes for a little over 800 words a day. Which is not bad at all.

I'm not going to stress myself out about word count though. As long as I'm making regular progress each day, I'm going to be happy. I also will not be joining a cabin. I have a good core group of writing friends and other connections I've made, and they aren't all participating in Camp. It's just easier and more helpful to go to them when I need support. 

It's going to be a fun month writing-wise and I'm excited!

I have one other goal I want to work on this month too. That's building up my email list. A few days ago I posted on social media that if I were to add an incentive for people to join my email list, which would be the best:

• Original fiction
• Writing help freebies

Some people said they'd want original fiction, but the majority asked for writing help freebies, to my surprise! So, that's something I'd like to work on. It'd be great to have some sort of free worksheet or workbook or something for people who sign up for the email list. I'm not sure how to do it yet, or what it will entail, but it's definitely on my goals for April. 

If anyone has experience making the PDFs for their subscribers (writing or otherwise) please let me know, because I have no idea where to even begin!

What are some of your goals for April? Anyone else participating in Camp NaNoWriMo?

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Like what you read? Consider buying me a coffee. This simply helps me to offset costs (ex. paying for my website domain) so I can continue to create quality and professional content - along with you receiving my lifelong love and appreciation!

March Reading Round-Up

Okay, did March completely fly by for anyone else? Because I felt like I blinked and March disappeared. It wasn't even like I was super busy or anything! Maybe I was too distracted by the 10 books I read this month. Who knows!

Anyway. It was a decent reading month for me. Most of what I read I really enjoyed, but I didn't really have a new book which I FELL IN LOVE WITH either. 

Some notes on how I do wrap ups: I don't include plot summaries because the publisher can summarize them much better than I can. If you want to know the plot summary, I've left an Amazon affiliated link in the book title so you can check it out. I rate books on a 1-5 star scale. (1= worst book ever why did I read this?; 2= did not enjoy; 3= this was good!; 4= I really liked it! 5= OMG LOVED THIS IT'S THE BEST EVER!) For the most part, you're going to see 3-5 star ratings from me and not a lot of negative simply because if I don't like a book, I'm not going to finish it.

Life is too short to read books you don't like, right? Right. 

Let's get to it then and let me know if you've read any of these books and what you read in March!

Sunshine by Robin McKinley

• Genre: Urban Fantasy/Horror
• Format: ebook
• Rating: 4 Stars

Reading Sunshine took me way longer to read than I anticipated. Not because it wasn't good, it was just a time issue and I had library books I needed to read first! 

Sunshine was a really unique vampire book. It's one of those that reads more like a traditional fantasy than an urban fantasy, so I would definitely put it more in the same vein as Interview with a Vampire than Chicagoland Vampires. McKinley had a stream of consciousness style which was a great way to be introduced to the world. It felt much more natural than a bunch of random info dumps. But at the same time, it slowed down the pace in some places where something would be happening and the character would go on a tangent in her mind and I'd be all "JUST TELL ME WHAT HAPPENS."

Overall though, I really enjoyed Sunshine. It was magical, mysterious, and made me crave more by the end. (Which, the end was SUPER abrupt.) I wish there was a sequel!

• You'll like this book if you also enjoy: Interview with the Vampire, Robin McKinley's other books, not much romance (some "tension" and the main character does have a BF, but it's not a romance by any means)
• Trigger Warnings: PTSD, kidnapping, blood and gore, violence

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Shadowsong (Wintersong #2) by S. Jae-Jones

• Genre: New Adult Historical Fantasy
• Format: Library Hardcover
• Rating: 3.5 Stars

I was hesitantly excited to read Shadowsong. I read Wintersong last year because S. Jae-Jones (JJ) is a host on one of my favorite podcasts, Pub(lishing) Crawl, and I really wanted to support her book. I liked Wintersong, but didn't LOVE it. Yet, I was curious to see where she would take the characters in the sequel so I picked it up. 

Overall, I enjoyed Shadowsong a bit more than Wintersong. I loved how more of the focus was on her brother and we got to see that relationship, and we saw how Leisel was dealing after the events of the first book. We never think much about what happens to characters after the experience something strange and magical in a fantasy book, so I was glad that was in here. It was very focused inward, vs. outward plot points and dealt more with psychology instead of action. Which is also refreshing for a fantasy novel. 

• You'll like this book if you also enjoy: 
• Trigger Warnings: Depression, Bi-polar disorder, suicidal thoughts

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Paige in Progress (Reluctant Hearts #3) by Brighton Walsh

• Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
• Format: ebook
• Rating: 4 Stars

Shadowsong ended kind of heavy for me, so I decided to jump into something light and fun and Paige in Progress definitely delivered! Paige was so fun to read about in Tessa Ever After, and it made me excited to read her story next. 

Paige isn't your typical romance heroine where she's inexperienced and insecure around men. She isn't afraid of her sexuality and isn't afraid to show that there's more to her than just blonde hair and a hot body! Then Adam was a great hero and a total romantic - the opposite of Paige! Which made for a fun story. 

Tessa and Jason are still my favorite couple in this trilogy, but I really liked Paige and Adam too!

• You'll like this book if you also enjoy: Alyssa Cole books, falling for the older guy you knew growing up, one night stand turned relationship, more athletic characters
• Trigger Warnings:  promiscuity, one night stands, divorce

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God Save the Queen (The Immortal Empire #1) by Kate Locke

• Genre: Urban Fantasy/Steampunk
• Format: Library Hardcover
• Rating: 4 Stars

God Save the Queen is one of the most unique settings I've seen in an urban fantasy/steampunk series. It's inspired by Victorian London, but takes place in an alternate universe modern-day society where the nobility are immortal and the country is run by vampires, goblins, and werewolves. It's a great mix of modern and past, which at times was confusing, but still fun!

There was a bit of a romance, and as the story progressed it came more to the forefront, but the main focus was on the mystery and her relationship with her sister and mentor.I liked how the romance felt a bit more natural than you'll see in other books of this genre. 

It does get pretty gory though. For the most part, I can handle violence in fantasy books. But towards the end when it was the "final showdown" it was really hard to read and I wished it was a TV show or movie so I could close my eyes! 

• You'll like this book if you also enjoy: Gail Carriger novels, urban fantasy, steampunk
• Trigger Warnings: violence, death of parents and siblings, abandonment of parent

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A Princess in Theory (Reluctant Royals #1) by Alyssa Cole

• Genre: Contemporary Romance
• Format: Library Mass Market Paperback
• Rating: 4 Stars

I'd been waiting all of February for A Princess in Theory! It just released at the end of the month and I was so excited when my library got it since I enjoyed An Extraordinary Union by the same author so much. 

Some great things about this book was that it featured a woman who was also a scientist, I loved the play on those spam emails about people from other countries needing your information, and the whole secret of him being a prince and she didn't know it.  I also loved when we saw his culture!

Her transition into falling for him could have been a bit smoother though. For a character who is so "anti-love" she fell for him a bit too fast. Which, it's a romance, I get that you're going to have more "insta-love" but it wasn't believable to me. Some people weren't a fan of her best friend, and she was pretty awful. But, I also liked how it felt like a REAL friendship that isn't always perfect. 

• You'll like this book if you also enjoy: romances about royalty, secret identities, women in STEM fields, own voices
• Trigger Warnings: abandonment and death of parents, back story dealing with being a foster child

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The Assassins Blade (Throne of Glass #.01-.05) by Sarah J Maas - Re-read

• Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
• Format: hardcover
• Rating: 5 Stars

With the final Throne of Glass book being released in October, I needed to start my final re-read of the series! I'm reading one book a month leading up to the release in chronological order. If this is your first time reading the series, I suggest reading them in this order:

• Throne of Glass
• Crown of Midnight
• Assassin's Blade
• Heir of Fire
• Queen of Shadows
• Empire of Storms
• Tower of Dawn

Honestly though, as long as you read it before Queen of Shadows, and before Empire of Storms for sure, you should be good to go. But, this was how I read them the first time, and I thought it was perfect. At least in my personal opinion. 

This compilation of novellas is actually one of my favorites of the series. It builds on the world so much, we see back stories, and now that I know what happens it's SO FUN to go back knowing how she ties in all of these characters.

Except the end will ALWAYS gut me. EVERY TIME. 

• You'll like this book if you also enjoy: the other Throne of Glass books, assassins, high fantasy
• Trigger Warnings:  violent death of loved ones, sexual assault, violence

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Magic Shifts (Kate Daniels #8) by Illona Andrews

•  Genre: Urban Fantasy
• Format: Library Hardcover
• Rating: 4 Stars

Then it was time for me to jump back into post-magic Atlanta with Kate Daniels! But compared to the previous two books this one was... underwhelming. Don't get me wrong. Kate Daniels at this point will almost always be superior to other books and I always really like them. I had all of the feels, I loved seeing where Kate and Curran and The Pack were after the events of the first book, the monsters and lore were great, the humor was on point, and it was a fun fast read. Just not quite as good as some of the previous books.

• You'll like this book if you also enjoy:  Urban fantasy, alpha male romance, bad-ass female leads
• Trigger Warnings: terrible parents, violence

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Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orisha #1) by Tomi Adeyemi

• Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
• Format: Hardcover
• Rating: 4.5 Stars

This book was one of my most anticipated of 2018! And I'm not alone in this. I've been hearing so much hype for this book for MONTHS, maybe even years when Adeyemi signed with a publisher. It's a young adult fantasy inspired by West African culture and mythology featuring a total BA character and there's magic, and gods and goddesses, and a slow burn romance, and this big epic plot and world... it's great. 

The only reason I didn't give it a full five stars is because it took me a lot longer to really get into the story than I anticipated. I enjoyed the whole thing, but my focus was kind of all over the place and even though I liked the beginning, I didn't love it.

The end is such a cliffhanger though and I really want to read more!

• You'll like this book if you also enjoy: epic fantasy, West African culture, multiple POVs, slow burn, political intrigue, magic
• Trigger Warnings: VERY violent, child abuse, violent death of family members, tyrannical political figures

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Our Love Unhinged (Reluctant Hearts #3.5) by Brighton Walsh

• Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
• Format: ebook
• Rating: 3.5 Stars

After the epic and heartbreaking end of Children of Blood and Bone I needed something quick and fun so... time for another Brighton Walsh book! This is the final book in the Reluctant Hearts series, a novella, and we go back to focusing on Cade and Winter's relationship.

I liked seeing Cade and Winter get their happy ending and seeing where the other characters went. But, it also cemented that they are my least favorite couple in the series. I like them, and root for them. But Tessa and Jasen are definitely my favorite and I wished I could see more of them! Cade and Winter are a tad too co-dependent and insecure for my taste. But again, I never not rooted for them. So... I guess that didn't' ruin my enjoyment of it too much.

There was one moment that bothered me though, where they had a bachelor/bachelorette party and when the girls came back drunk Adam mentioned something about all of the things Paige would want to do and I'm like "UM SHES DRUNK DON'T DO ALL OF THE THINGS SHES SAYING SHE WANTS TO DO."

Beyond that. It was fine. Not my fave of the series, but glad I read it.

• You'll like this book if you also enjoy: couples where one person is super emotionally closed off, tattooed heroes, weddings, the other Reluctant Hearts books
• Trigger Warnings: implying sleeping with someone when they're drunk, parental abandonment

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A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J Maas - Re-read

• Genre: New Adult Fantasy
• Format: hardcover
• Rating: 4 stars

I have so many unread books on my shelves and on my Kindle app. But... I've been in the mood for this series and it was calling to me and the next book comes out at the beginning of May. So... I gave in and re-read A Court of Thorns and Roses. What's interesting is that I appreciate this first book more upon multiple reads because I see everything Maas is building and preparing for the rest of the series and it's pretty great. 

Also, Sarah J Maas announced on Instagram that a movie is definitely in the works. It's the SUPER early stages. They don't even have a director yet. But still! AHHHHHH. As I was reading I kept on seeing it on the big screen and it could be so EPIC. But some scenes are super violent and disturbing so... I might have to close my eyes sometimes once it does happen. 

• You'll like this book if you also enjoy: epic fantasy, fairy tale retellings, fae, Beauty and the Beast, Tamlin, romance, the heroine rescues the hero
• Trigger Warnings: violence, poverty, hunting, murder, starvation, torture

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Currently Reading:

A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2) by Sarah J Maas, Re-Read

• Genre: New Adult Fantasy
• Format: hardcover

I wasn't going to keep going with the series right away... but I had a few days left of March and couldn't decide on another book to read so... yeah. 

But this is the best one of the series, so how could I resist?

• You'll like this book if you also enjoy: fairy tale retellings, Hades and Persephone, romance, adventure, fantasy
• Trigger Warnings: abusive relationships, violence, torture

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Like what you read? Consider buying me a coffee. This simply helps me to offset costs (ex. paying for my website domain) so I can continue to create quality and professional content - along with you receiving my lifelong love and appreciation!

Writers Self-Care

I'm not good at staying healthy and taking care of my body. I don't have a regular exercise routine, I don't pre-plan my meals or stick to a diet, and depending on my work schedule I either get too little sleep, or too much. 

What possessed me to open up Yoga With Adrienne on YouTube on my days off this week, I have no idea.

But you know what? It felt good. I loved being able to stretch out, get a work out in, and focus my mind to prepare for the day. 

Years back, I had gotten into the habit of doing yoga almost everyday, but then I randomly skipped a day and it all went downhill from there. Once you break a habit it's hard to get it back. I learned that the hard way the last few months when I took December off from writing my novel. Getting back into the habit of sitting down and writing has been difficult to say the least. 

A few days ago, I was talking with one of my critique partners and she was saying how essential her daily writing sessions have been for her life, and hated the idea of having to give them up for other things through the day. For most of us writers, getting in our daily writing time is hard because it's such an isolated thing. Particularly if you aren't getting paid for it. It seems selfish and guilt sets in.

On the Writing Excuses Podcast, Brandon Sanderson continually encourages writers to not feel this way, because our writing is an essential part of who we are and how we take care of ourselves. He says that when someone has a daily run or a weekly basketball league they go to, no one ever is like "Well, you're never going to be a professional basketball player or Olympic athlete so why bother?" We should have the same attitude towards our writing. Even if it doesn't pay you anything, that doesn't mean it's not important. 

It's just like me trying to fit yoga into my schedule. I could see the difference in my day after having that time to clear my head and take care of myself. 

A lot of times, I feel like people tend to look down and make fun of the self care trends. At least in the circles I run in. It's seen as excuses to go shopping, take a bubble bath, or binge watch something on Netflix. 

I'm not saying that those things aren't part of self care. They totally can be! But that's not all it is. Sometimes, you simply need to recharge and do something for yourself in order to help others and be more productive. Writing, reading, working on a creative project, and yes - sometimes binge watching something on Netflix - and taking care of your mind and spirit are just as an important part of self-care as physical exercise and diet are. 

But, sometimes we creative types need to take a break from those things too. 

Camp NaNoWriMo is starting up in April, and people all over the world will get to work on various writing projects. I've heard stories of writers not sleeping and forgetting to eat because they're so engrossed in what they're working on. Some writers will lie on the floor and mope because they can't figure out what to do next and think they're failures. 

But, there are moments when we use these activities as an excuse to not do other important things. That's not good either. 

A blog friend of mine, Brittany, wrote about "Adulting as Self-Care" the other day and how she might not like grocery shopping, but she likes the stability of knowing she and her family have food and are provided for. 

Sometimes you have to do some things you don't like in order to take care of yourself. We have to work a job we aren't in love with all of the time in order to get a paycheck. We have to sit down and pay our bills on time. We need to eat. We need to sleep. If what you're working on is stressing you out too much, focus on something else for a bit. You need stability and food on the table too.

I had the privilege of going to a night with Lin-Manuel Miranda at a theatre a year or two ago. (Yes, I was in the room where it happened. Sorry - couldn't resist!) He did a Q&A with the audience and someone asked "How do you respond when you want to pursue the arts and people tell you to get a real job?"

His response?

"That's good advice."

Yeah, I was slightly surprised too. But, his explaination made sense. 

He said that you should always do what you love, but you also need to pay your bills. You need to have health insurance. You need groceries. You need to take care of your family. Even if he didn't have the success he does now, he'd still be writing musicals because it's what he loves. But, he also would be working as a music substitute teacher to be sure that he and his family were taken care of.

Or there are the times when we focus too much on it. As important as making your creative projects a regular habit is, sometimes you need a break from your self-care.

There are a lot of moments when I get so engrossed in writing, that is stresses me out, and I see other parts of my life suffer because of it. I don't spend time with people I care about because I just have to get this chapter done, or I'll eat junk food all of the time because it's easier to eat at the keyboard, and I'll cut back on the hours I sleep because I need more time in the day to get my word count in for the day. 

Those aren't always good things either. 

Or no matter what it is you do in life, it doesn't have to be just writing or being creative. If you aren't taking care of yourself, how can you do anything else well? It's all balancing act. 

Just some random thoughts I've been having on the subject lately. How do you balance self-care and also being sure you're productive? Also, I highly recommend a blog a friend of mine started called Help Mama Mediate. While it is for mom's and mediation (I'm not one, and I don't meditate really) she still discusses a lot with self-care and has some awesome tips and advice for being sure you take time out for yourself. 

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Like what you read? Consider buying me a coffee. This simply helps me to  continue creating aquality and professional content - along with you receiving my lifelong love and appreciation!

For the King

"Yes, that is everything I'm taking with me," Amelia snapped , making the serving goblin flinch.

"If you insist..."

"I do insist!"

That last retort made Nell in her crib start to cry. Amelia sighed. "Now, see what you've done? Leave us!"

The goblin gave a quick nod, and scampered away while Amelia picked up the whimpering toddler. As if the pregnancy hadn't been enough punishment, now for the past year all it seemed like Nell could do was cry, and Amelia was rubbish at making it stop. Why couldn't she stop crying for once?

Amelia didn't particularly want a child, but it was the only solution she could think of at the moment. It took one time of "forgetting" to take her tonic and weeks later she discovered she was pregnant. Surely, the king would never want to marry her then.

But alas, she was still the one chosen to be his next bride and Nell would be left behind, forgotten, along with Amelia's lover.

At least she wouldn't have to listen to the constant crying any longer.

Or Mother's incessant yapping.

"Your beauty has finally blessed this family! You'll raise our people up again," Amelia mimicked as she rocked Nell. The child's mop of brown and blonde curls bounced upon her tan head.

King Edric was known to be kind, joyful, and fair. But, after his wife passed away giving birth to their second child, he was a different man. He'd withdrawn himself for some time. Then, returned to his playboy ways previous to his marriage with men and women constantly coming and going from his bed chambers. Apparently, he  - or perhaps his advisors -  decided it was time to find another wife, and Amelia was the lucky woman chosen. He wasn't very kind when he found out she had a child a year after his proposal. 

Mother disagreed. She said it was completely in his right to be upset and was gracious enough to let the child live and still agreed for Amelia to be his wife. As long as the child didn't come to the castle. 

"But what about what I want?" Amelia asked and looked at her reflection in her full length mirror standing in the corner. If you were to remove the baby on her hip, Amelia was the perfect image for royalty with her long blonde hair and stunning red dress. Beauty was powerful and Amelia was used to using it to her advantage. But now, it was being turned against her. All of the kingdom gossips were saying Amelia was to be the most beautiful queen they'd ever seen. That was, until his oldest daughter, Princess Eira, took the throne. 

Amelia had never seen either princess, but heard the rumors of Princess Eira's beauty. She'd see for herself in only a matter of days. Then she would be queen. 

A queen who was trapped in a cage not of her own choosing. A beautiful and luxurious cage. But a cage none the less. 

King Edric had ruined everything.

Finally, Nell's cries softened and she lay her head against Amelia's shoulder. She glanced at the crib, tempted to put the toddler down, but knew once Nell was back in there the crying would begin again. 

Nell wasn't so terrible when she wasn't crying. Or eating in that sloppy way of hers. Or soiling herself. But moments such as this, perhaps she wasn't all that awful. Amelia had reluctantly grown to care for Nell.

No. Care was too strong of a word. Fond. Yes, she'd grown fond of the child, and now she would never see her again.

"It's not fair," Amelia muttered. Regardless of whether she cared for Nell or not, the child was hers. The only thing Amelia ever had all to herself. The only choice she'd made for herself, and ever would make now that she was to be queen. 

We all must make sacrifices for our people, and for the king, Mother said. Amelia never sacrificed anything until now, and didn't want to start. When King Edric found out about Nell, she'd tried to appeal to his fatherly instincts for she'd heard he loved his daughters deeply. At first, she thought it worked. But in the end, Nell was not to come to the castle. 

"The king will pay for this," Amelia told her reflection. She placed a hand on the glass and it wavered as though the glass turned into water. Through the reflection she saw the other world. The green grass, the fae who lived there, and the sparkling flowers. Amelia used to hide in the mirror world as a child when she wanted to escape Mother. She planned on leaving it behind but perhaps...

A knock came to the door and the goblin popped her head inside. "I've been sent to fetch you. The king is waiting."

Of course he was.

"What are you looking at?" the goblin asked.

Amelia's eyes darted from the mirror, to the gnome, to Nell. Without giving it another thought she grabbed the gnome by the elbow and dragged her to the mirror. She shoved Nell into her arms and pushed the two into the glass. The goblin let out a small yell as she found herself standing in the mirror world. 

"She's your job now," Amelia said and placed a hand on the glass, it wavered, and once again became a mirror showing only Amelia's reflection. She took the tiara which lay on her nightstand and placed it upon her head. 

"Ansel!" Amelia yelled for another servant. Within moments he appeared at her door and bowed.

"Yes, my lady?"

"That silly goblin forgot to be sure my mirror was packed up with my other things and seems to have disappeared. Take it down to the carriage," she ordered.

He bowed again. "Of course, my lady."

He found another servant to help and they took the mirror away. 

She would do it. She would become queen. 

Anything for the king.

Yes! I finally have written a flash fiction piece again! In February I was battling major writers block, and I almost lost that battle again here in March. But I'm back with flash fiction!

I also decided in my novel writing to return to what I call the "fairy tale mash-up" where I have a combo of Snow White, Red Riding Hood, Snow White and Rose Red, Rapunzel, and Cinderella. Yes, it's a lot. But I think it's going to be really fun.

To get into the mindset, I wrote this piece about the main antagonist, Queen Amelia. This story takes place about 10 years before the novel will begin. Sometimes it's difficult for me to figure out my antagonist and have a clear picture of them, so writing a quick back story like this helps! I hope you enjoyed it!

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