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I’ve been super MIA on my website for awhile now. We all know that the last couple of years have been…interesting. And I know interesting isn’t even close to the right word but I don’t want to talk about COVID.

What I DO want to say is that I’m having issues with my mailing list. It’s either on the MailChimp side or the Squarespace side, I’m not sure which. I had this issue before and thought it got resolved but it’s happening again. So I’m sorry if you popped by and signed up and nothing happened. And I’m more sorry if you signed up for the free copy of CLASH and that hasn’t come to you. This is of course the busiest time of the year and I have a huge list of things on my plate like everyone, but I will try to work this out as soon as I can.

Anyway, I’m always writing. I started something new but then decided to go back to my dance WIP and revise it again after getting it critiqued again and I plan to start querying again soon. (That’s a lot of again’s.) Then I’ll go back to the project I started which is basically wild girl meets cinnamon roll boy.

Hope everyone has a magical and happy holiday season!

One year later...

I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since I last posted. What have I even been doing with my life?

Oh yeah, working. And oh yeah, coronapocalypse is happening right now. And oh yeah, personal family things happened last year.

I guess I give myself a pass? Maybe?

Anyway, I’m still working at Indigo and loving being part of the book world and around the people I work with. It can be exhausting, especially over the holidays, and my feet (my poor feet), but I love my job and wouldn’t change it (which is obvious based on my stupid commute).

Of course, COVID-19 changed things a bit and I haven’t been working since mid-March. It’s crazy times but I have to be honest and say that this time off work is what I needed. It has helped me de-stress. It has given me time to hang out with my kids. And I’ve gotten two rounds of revisions finished on my Dance WIP, which is exciting! I feel super disconnected from the writing world, but I’m starting to get that nervous tingly anticipation knowing I’ll be re-entering the query trenches soon. I still have another round of revisions to do once I get it back from a CP, but I’m getting there. I’ve also written my query, a too-long synopsis (will have to work on that some more) and some pitches (which are crap but I’ll work on those too). So despite the scariness of the world right now, there’s a bright side and I’m looking at it.

Of course, I’ve also been able to watch more K-dramas, and fully immerse myself in the BTS fandom. I mean, what was my life like before I discovered Hallyu? I was supposed to be in California at my first ever BTS concert last weekend, but here’s hoping I can make the rescheduled date once it appears (and extra-hoping no members have to enter the military before then because I will cry).

So on that note, here’s a song I love for your viewing pleasure. And hopefully I’ll be back sooner than 2021.

I'm Still Me

Wow. So it’s been awhile. And yanno, the only reason I jumped onto my website in the first place was to check my billing. So… yikes. Who’s dropping the ball on author marketing? This girl!

Anyway, not much is new. I’m still working at Indigo. I’m still writing. I decided to temporarily shelve the third romance novel I had planned in my Romance Revisited series. For one, I’m not happy with it. I feel like it’s garbage that needs to be tossed in a dumpster. It’s probably not nearly that bad, but it does need a lot of work and I’m not feeling it. I’m not loving it. In fact, I’m a little scared for it actually. Or scared of it, one of the two. Also, I’m not up to self-publishing right now. I simply don’t have the time to put into everything involved (as evidenced by the length between these postings). So, sorry Anne Bronte, but your book will not be retold as of yet. Maybe one day…

In better news, I finished the first draft of my YA contemporary loosely based on So You Think You Can Dance. It also needs a lot of work, but I’m very excited about this book and can’t wait to get revising. I’m holding off for a bit though because I’m going to write a North & South inspired short story for an anthology to be published later this year. It’s going to be fun to revisit this classic fave and put a different twist on it from COLLIDE. Yay for John Thornton!

In my down time, I’ve been fully committed to Korean dramas. Still addicted, don’t think that will ever change. I mean, they’re freaking awesome and that’s all I’m going to say about that. For now. Also getting into K-pop because duh, and hiiiiii BTS. Okay.

So if you’re still with me, thank you! And if you’ve randomly hit on this blog for who knows what reason, hello! Welcome! And hopefully one of these days I’ll be able to get my life in order enough to have actual news to share. Goals, amirite?

I'm Still Alive

So, it’s been awhile. I’ve been pretty absent online, haven’t blogged since October, and I can’t even remember the last time I sent out a newsletter.

I can’t even remember if I’ve mentioned it here, but I have a job now. I work for Indigo, which is Canada’s main bookstore. It’s a part-time job, but it feels full-time with the amount of shifts I’ve had, plus my extra-long commute. The job has been great- I love working at Indigo with other book people. It’s pretty awesome when a customer buys a book off of one of my recommendations. The people I work with are awesome.

But it’s been hard adjusting to this new life. I’ve had fourteen years of being at home with my kids. Of having TIME. Which is a laugh because I didn’t even have time then, but now? Let’s just say it’s been a struggle keeping up with everything I have to do. I’ve always been a pretty scheduled person, but that isn’t possible now with varying shifts. I find myself cleaning bathrooms at nine pm at night or taking three days to get my laundry done. I’m not around for my kids all the time anymore and this makes me sad. I haven’t gotten a handle on it all yet and it’s so frustrating. Worst part is the two things that are sliding are my yoga and my writing life- the two things I did for me.

This isn’t meant to be a complaint post. There are tons of authors out there who’ve done this for years. It’s just new to me and I’m still trying to find my footing. I’ve downloaded Word on my phone and I’m going to try tiny bursts of writing on my commute or during my breaks. If that doesn’t work, I might have to do some 5am wake-ups. I haven’t given up, but I do wish figuring this all out would happen a bit faster. Here’s hoping.

Monday Reads

Three weeks. Three books. One winner.

Just kidding. All three books were winners to me although I have a clear favourite.

BAREFOOT SEOULS is the third book I’ve read in the MY KOREAN CRUSH series. This was a cute book with a lot going for it (K-pop love interest!) but there were also a few minor issues which dropped the rating down a star for me. FAT GIRL ON A PLANE was a great book with an interesting format. I found the MC a bit unlikeable but compelling enough to root for throughout the book.

My fave was PRIDE by Ibi Zoboi. This is a modern Pride & Prejudice retelling and I loved the characters, loved the setting, loved the diversity of this retelling. It was everything I wanted it to be and definitely my fave YA P&P retelling.

I’m currently reading WASHINGTON BLACK, one of the Giller Prize nominated books, and I have mixed feelings about it. But more on that when I finish…

Raimond Cover Reveal!

Today I’m pleased to welcome back Anne Marie Andrus, author of MONSTERS & ANGELS! Today she’s going to share the cover and a little bit about her upcoming prequel, RAIMOND.

Happy October 11th !

&

Happy 1st Book Birthday to Monsters & Angels !

To celebrate the occasion, I’m thrilled to share my brand-new cover for Raimond…the prequel to Monsters & Angels.

Wait—prequel?

Yes—prequel. Why am I writing books out of order? Let me explain.

After the successful release of Monsters, exactly 1 year ago, I went straight to work writing the sequel. My readers demanded it.

OMG, it sounds surreal to say that, but they all wanted to know. . .

What happens next?

What happens to Sorcha?

What happens to Raimond?

And then I realized how much I didn’t know and the incredible story I was still driven to write.

This book is dedicated to

my extraordinary readers,

who knew Raimond was the true star of this show

long before I did.

Vive la magie!

Sometimes, in order to move forward, we all need to take a step back.

Pre-Order Raimond Now!

Cover design by Eight Little Pages —Thank you Claire!!

And now for the cover……………….

Isn’t it gorgeous! I love it! If you want to know more about Anne Marie Andrus, Monsters & Angels, and Raimond, check out her website and find her on Facebook!

Monday Reads

Happy Thanksgiving!!! My family celebrated yesterday, so today has been a day of shopping and relaxing and eating leftovers.

I’ve managed to up my reading game a little these past couple of weeks. First, I read OF DREAMS AND RUST, the second book in the duology by Sarah Fine. It was a great book and I really enjoyed both of these stories, the world, and the writing.

Awhile ago I also read a book by Jennie Bennett called SILVER SCREEN DREAMS. It’s part of a series by different authors called My Korean Crush. This was a fun read with a sweet love interest and a body positive vibe.

Now that I’m working and taking the train, I don’t like to carry a lot in my bag, so I’ve started reading two books at once. A lot of people do this, but it’s not usual for me. I’m a one-book-at-a-time kind of woman. But these past couple of weeks I read both THE MIDNIGHT DANCE by Nikki Katz and then on the Kindle app I read THE RELUCTANT BACHELORETTE by Rachael Anderson. The first was a beautifully written historical with a slow-burn romance and a slightly creepy vibe, and the second was a fun contemp romance similar to watching TV’s The Bachelorette.

In all it’s been a good few weeks of reading. It’s always nice to have a great book to turn to during work breaks and before bed!

About Books, Not Life

So… life. It’s been… interesting.

I know, I know, talk about vague. I don’t want to drone on and on about what’s going on for me right now though. At this point, they’re not things I want to talk about. So instead, let’s talk about books. Because I love books.

Over the last couple of weeks, my reading has still been on the slower side (K-drama’s fault). I read MY PLAIN JANE by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows. This is the second book in the My Lady Janies series, but they’re standalone books. You don’t have to read MY LADY JANE first, although I highly recommend you do because it’s awesome. MY PLAIN JANE is a twist on Jane Eyre, with ghosts and ghost hunters, and where Charlotte Bronte and Jane Eyre are friends. As with the first one, the voice is really what makes this book stand out. So funny and witty and clever. I loved it.

Then I read MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This book shows a woman make two different choices in one moment, and then the book follows both paths and where both of these choices take her. I wasn’t sure I’d like it, but I really did. I was never confused about the two separate storylines, and the characters were really relatable and interesting. Voice was good too. The other thing that really kept me into this book was that in one of the storylines, the MC is in the hospital. I was reading this while at the hospital (not for me). It really made it interesting to see the parallels in what I was doing right then with what was happening in the book.

I also DNF’d a book last week but I think it was my mood more than the book itself. It’s a third in a series and I really liked the first two, but I just wasn’t feeling it right then so maybe I’ll give it another try later.

What books are you reading?

My Latest Obsession

A few months back I read this book called I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE by Maureen Goo. In it, the MC has everything in order in her life, except her love life. So she makes a plan- based on Korean dramas- to get herself a boyfriend.

This book first piqued my interest in K-drama. I thought, I should try it out sometime. The author even gives a list of her favourites at the end of the book, which I put in my phone.

Cut to a couple of months later, and I still hadn’t tried a K-drama. But someone on Twitter was talking about a certain one that she felt showcased a relationship perfectly. She even left a link of where to watch it (DramaFever). So I finally decided to give it a try.

That drama turned out to be Something in the Rain, and I only watched one episode. While I liked the beginnings of the relationship, I found other parts of the show too slow for my taste. Plus, it was two hours long. With every episode at 2 hours, I didn’t think I wanted to spend my time on that show.

A few days later, someone on Facebook was talking about Korean actors, so I asked her if she watched K-drama. She said yes. I asked her for recommendations, letting her know I’d only tried one but wasn’t that into it. She told me to watch Cheer Up!

Thus was my love of K-drama born. ;)

But seriously, since then I’ve watched:

I’m Not A Robot, about a guy who is allergic to humans and a girl pretending to be a robot. I didn’t think I’d like this show based on the blurb but holy cow! It gave ALL the feels!

My Love From Another Star, about an actress and an alien. Wow. I mean wow. The female MC took a bit to get used to, but I loved this show like crazy. Probably my second fave of all so far.

Dream High. I watched this one, about teens at an arts high school, because it features the same dude (Kim Soo Hyun) from the show above. I liked it, but the ending was disappointing.

What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?, about a super arrogant boss and his secretary who’s quitting, so he does everything he can to make her stay. I liked this one a lot, I especially liked Secretary Kim’s character, but to be honest, I never really warmed up to the male lead. Didn’t stop me from liking the show all around though.

And then my all-time favourite: Goblin.

This show. Oh my goodness, this show. I don’t think I will ever love any show as much as I loved this show. I am crazy about this show. It had everything: a great plot, flawless acting, perfect music, beautiful cinematography, tons of romance, a little action, it was super funny, and major major feels. I keep wanting to rewatch it but I’ve been telling myself to wait for vacation, or Christmas, otherwise I think I’ll just watch this over and over and never anything else again. If I were to ever recommend one drama to someone, it would be this one.

So now I’m crazy obsessed with K-dramas. I’ve tried watching other stuff but I get one or two episodes in and I’m like, nope. I want to watch another drama! Right now I’m watching Strong Woman Do Bong Soon and loving it! K-Drama for ever! :D

Back To School...

Happy Back-to-School Day!!! My kids have started grades 4, 6, 8, and 10 (they're getting so old!) and it's been quiet around the house again. I've jumped back into my routine and I already feel super productive today. A lot of that probably has to do with waking up at 7 am instead of 9. Those two hours really make a difference! (Although I love when I get to sleep in.) 

The last couple of weeks of summer were pretty slow on the reading front. There's a reason, a new obsession of mine, which I'll go into later this week. So in the past couple of weeks I only read these two books:

OF METAL AND WISHES by Sarah Fine. This has been on my TBR pretty much since I first got Goodreads. I really enjoyed this book, though it was a little slow me for me at times. I especially loved the similiarities with The Phantom of the Opera. I felt the author really made that story her own in a very interesting and different way. I'm going to read book 2 (it's a duology I think) pretty soon.

THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL by Maureen Goo. I loved the last book I read by Goo so I had to pick this one up. It was also awesome. I loved the most how the LI was such a good, genuine guy, and I loved the personality flaws of the MC. She'd probably be considered unlikeable, but it was fun reading about her and getting inside her head. I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE is still my fave, but this one comes pretty close.  

I feel a bit bad that this is all I've read in two weeks, but I've fallen hard for my new obsession and can't really help it. I just need to find a balance where I'm getting time for both. Here's hoping! 

Monday Reads

When life gets tough, the tough... keep reading?

I mean, of course I do. I couldn't imagine a world without books or a day where I don't read. 

First I read LOVE & LUCK by Jenna Evans Welch. I loved loved loved her LOVE & GELATO when I read it last summer so I was eager for this one. I didn't love LOVE & LUCK quite as much as LOVE & GELATO, but still loved it a little bit. (Whew, there's a lot of loves in that paragraph.)

Then I read THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF US by Katy Upperman. I'd read her first novel a couple of weeks before (KISSING MAX HOLDEN) but in this case, and opposite to the book above, I loved this second book by this author even more than her first. This was the perfect summer read and I loved the relationship between the two leads, loved how it was angsty without being melodramatic, and loved the beautiful writing and love story. Plus, that cover! Swoon.

Next, I picked up a book by a new-to-me author, Carla Kelly. I've heard tons of great things about this author so I gave this one a try and really enjoyed it. Took me a tiny bit to get into it, but the story was fun, and the characters compelling. I'll definitely try another Kelly historical.

Last, but definitely not least, was THE KISS QUOTIENT by Helen Hoang. I loved this book (hence the five-star rating), although for me personally, there was a little too much sexy times. Aside from that, it was fascinating reading about a character with autism, and I found myself relating in a few ways to the MC (but no, I don't have autism). They were things that I'd never seen or read in a character before, so it was awesome seeing some of those things I relate to so hard on the page for the first time. Diversity matters, people. 

What are you reading this week?

Monday Reads: Woohoo for Books!

I love good books!!! It was a stellar couple of weeks for reading, not counting the book I DNF'd... that book wasn't bad, I just wasn't in the mood for that particular genre at the moment. SO aside from that, here's what I read. 

Three YA contemps, all excellent, plus Squirrel Girl 2 (the texts, I love the texts!). I don't have much to say except I'd recommend all these books. Woohoo for good books!

Monday Reads:

After seeing the trailer for the movie CRAZY RICH ASIANS, I knew I had to pick up the book ASAP. 

Well. I...sorta liked it? I was into it enough to finish but there was a point about halfway in where I seriously considered quitting. The thing is, it started strong. There were so many cultural things I found fascinating, and the characters were interesting. Look at how much money they have and all the crazy ways they spend it! But then it got to be... I'm sick of reading about how much money they have and the crazy ways they spend it. I felt there was very little plot and it was just me reading about rich people doing rich people things. The book picked up for me around the wedding (which I thought would happen way sooner) but then the ending was a disappointment.

SPOILERS AHEAD...

I mean, every reason Rachel had for breaking up with Nick was totally legit and made absolute sense. But then he does one nice thing for her and suddenly none of those things matter anymore? I know there's a sequel, which might cover that stuff more, but I don't think I'll be picking it up. I still want to see the movie though. I think I'll actually enjoy the story more in movie form. 

While reading that, I also read FLOWER BOY TOUR GUIDE by Shannon Kent. I've just barely gotten into watching K-Drama, so this was the first book I've read about K-Drama. I found it totally adorable. It was a super fast read and just really entertaining and cute. 

My last book of the past couple of weeks was DAUGHTER OF THE SIREN QUEEN by Tricia Levenseller, the sequel to DAUGHTER OF THE PIRATE KING. I loved this book just as much as the first. It's awesome reading about a bada** female pirate and I felt the stakes were even higher in this book than the first, making it even more exciting. Love Alosa and Riden and the crew and loved this duology!

Monday... er, Tuesday Reads

Meg Cabot is one of my fave authors. I loved the Princess Diaries books, enjoyed some of her stand-alones, and Avalon High is probably my favorite by her. So when my library had a ginormous used book sale, I quickly snapped up her Abandon trilogy. 

I have mixed feelings about these books. They're definitely not my top Meg Cabot books. The romance went from non-existent (she was totally creeped out by the dude) to mega-I'll-give-up-everything-for-you-love, the MC was annoying and annoyingly stupid at times, and there were moments when I scoffed out loud at what was happening. AND YET... I kept reading. Not really sure why, but the books were interesting enough to keep me going and I read all three in a relatively short period of time. Three stars for all three because obviously something- and I have no clue what- kept me going.

After those, I read a 5-star read: Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller. I loved this book. It did take me a bit to get into it, but once I did, I didn't want to put it down. The dialogue was great, the tension between the two leads was awesome, it was funny, exciting, and basically everything I wanted it to be. Can't wait to pick up the second book in the duology, Daughter of the Siren Queen. But before I do, I'm immersing myself in the world of Crazy Rich Asians...

Monday Reads: After the DNF

When I realized I hadn't done a Monday Reads post since the beginning of the month, I groaned. Oh no, I'll have a huge list of books I read and I'll never remember what I thought of them.

And then I checked out my Goodreads list and remembered. Three books. A measly three books in three weeks, which is kinda pathetic for me. BUT, I DNF'd two this month. Yikes. I rarely DNF but I just had to with these two books. One of them was just so ridiculous I couldn't even read on. Like, just no. The other had an excellent voice, but it wasn't what I wanted out of the book so I decided to give it up and move on. 

Luckily, the three books I did read were amazing.

I already raved about TINY PRETTY THINGS by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton. I also read the sequel, SHINY BROKEN PIECES which was just as good. This world of cutthroat ballet totally had me. The characters felt real to me. I even finished the second book and thought, so-and-so made a bad decision in the end, as if that person was a real person. Would I want to be friends with these characters? No. But I loved being part of their world. 

I also read my first book by Sarah Eden, ASHES ON THE MOOR. Sarah was the MC at Storymakers this year and has quite the personality! ASHES ON THE MOOR was not a disappointment. An excellent historical romance and I'll definitely pick up another book by this author. 

So after a disappointing book slump, I'm glad I found some amazing books to pull me through! 

Friday Loves: The Librarians and Tiny Pretty Things

It's been a long time since I've done a Friday loves post, but I feel the need to celebrate the positive right now.

I've gone through a bit of a slump when it comes to both TV and books. I DNF'd two books in a row, which is very unlike me. I really thought it was my mood until I picked up TINY PRETTY THINGS by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton. This book was full of mean characters who did horrible things to each other, and yet I was totally engrossed by the world of ballet. I borrowed four novels about dance from my library and THIS is exactly what I was looking for. The only thing I was disappointed by is that they didn't do a reveal in the end. They left the mystery a mystery which is kinda annoying because this is a contemporary book. I'm waiting for book 2- SHINY BROKEN PIECES- from my library and I'm hoping they tell us by the end who was the one who did the worst stuff to Gigi.

With TV, I was trying to watch The 100. Season 1 didn't start great for me but someone told me to stick with it and it did get better. The cliffhanger ending led me right into season 2, but then I was kinda back where I started, feeling like I just wasn't interested. They killed off my favorite character (in a totally stupid way, IMO), and I just didn't like anyone else enough to want to keep watching them try to kill each other every episode. So I finally quit it and decided to try The Librarians. This show is super cheesy. Rebecca Romijn's acting isn't great (although I feel it's improving), but I'm totally into the show. I love how lighthearted and goofy it is, while also being exciting. It reminds me a little of Doctor Who, just more American fantasy rather than British sci-fi. But it has the same fun feeling to it. I guess that's what I've been needing all along. 

So that's what I'm loving right now. I need to stop feeling guilty for not being into things that are hugely popular or critically acclaimed or whatever, no more beating myself up for quitting something, and just enjoy what I enjoy. 

Monday Reads

Another two weeks, another five books. 

First up, LIKE MAGIC by Elaine Vickers. I've "known" Elaine online for awhile and then I happened to randomly pick a table at Storymakers for lunch and there she was! She is as lovely a person in real life as online, and her book was just as beautiful. LIKE MAGIC is a middle grade story of three different girls. I loved their different stories and how they interwove together. It was such a sweet story and I'll definitely pick up another story by Elaine!

Next up, ATTEMPTING ELIZABETH by Jessica Grey. This was a cute Pride & Prejudice variation, both modern and regency. There were things I loved about it (really funny) and things I didn't (the groundhog-day-esque repeat scenes, the very fast love). Also, some mistakes, but it was good enough for me to read to the end and I enjoyed the story.

BABE IN BOYLAND by Jody Gehrman. This book was like reading an alternate SHE'S THE MAN. I love that movie and I loved this story. Cute, fun, funny, great voice, and perfect ending. Predictable, but that's okay. The main thing that knocked down my star rating was two uses of the R-word. Yikes. 

CAPTAIN OF MY HEART by Danelle Harmon. I picked this historical story up for free on my Kobo, probably from BookBub or something similar. I wasn't expecting to like it and was pleasantly surprised. The writing is stellar and the story great. My only complaint was length. It felt way too long at times, certain scenes could've been cut, and things could've happened a lot faster in my view. Otherwise, a great story by an author who knows her stuff.

Yesterday and today I read THE WALLS AROUND US by Nova Ren Suma, a magical realism novel, which isn't my favourite genre. This book? Wow. It's the kind of book I'm glad I read because, whoa, but I will never read again because, whoa. Excellent voice, super disturbing and sad and haunting, and... whoa. So yeah, if this is your type of thing... well, you've probably already read it, otherwise get on that right now. Because whoa.  

After that book, I need something light, fluffy and fun. We'll see what I pick up next...

Monday Reads, Despite My Anxiety

No matter how much I read, my Goodreads TBR just keeps getting bigger and bigger. It gives me legit anxiety sometimes when I really think about it. There are so many books I want to read and I'll never, in my lifetime, get to read them all. *cue panicked breaths*

Here's the books I checked off my reading list lately:

DREAD NATION and UP TO THIS POINTE were excellent, 5-star reads. I especially loved the voice in both. The rest were solid 4-star reads for me. So yay for good books!

What are you reading this week?

First Ever Storymakers Conference

At the beginning of May, I had the opportunity to attend my first ever Storymakers conference in Provo, Utah. I'd heard a lot about this conference, and I've been part of the Storymakers guild for about a year and a half, but could never make the trip until now.

I'm so glad I did. I got to attend a ton of excellent classes, buy a bunch of books, meet some new people, and listen to Shannon Hale speak! It was an energizing weekend.

It was also nice to attend a different conference for a change. I love When Words Collide here in Calgary, but I've been the last three years in a row and wanted to try something different. Both are great conferences, by the way. I'm going to skip WWC this year since I did Storymakers but I'll be back next year and hopefully with some new things to share.

Me and Shannon Hale! (Wish I looked better in this picture)

The highlight of Storymakers was definitely Shannon Hale. Her keynote speech was AH-MAY-ZING. Brought me to tears multiple times amazing. It was really cool getting to meet her briefly as well, plus she signed my copy of Austenland! (And my daughter's Squirrel Girl.) 

The hardest thing about the conference was not knowing anyone. I went alone and knew no one there at all, unless you count recognizing a few faces I "know" from social media (which I don't). I don't tend to know people at WWC either, but here's where Storymakers gets tricky: they provide meals. Which is awesome, but it also means I was transported back to high school where I'm holding a tray of food and figuring out where to sit in the intimidating cafeteria. Ugh. But I did it, I survived. I even talked to people. (Shocking!)  Next time, though, I'll probably go with someone I know. Because let's be real, that was Hard. 

Storymakers book haul! 

Anyway. I'm still so glad I got to go and I'll definitely go back again sometime. Not every year, because it's a trip for me, but I'm thinking in a few years when my daughter is old enough to go. Now wouldn't that be fun!

Monday Reads: Two Historicals and a Romance

As April wound down, and I focused on finishing my latest WIP, I did manage to squeeze in a little reading time. Luckily for me, they were all fantastic books!

SARAH'S KEY by Tatiana de Rosnay. This book= WOW. It was just as incredible for me to learn about a not-talked about time in French history as it was for the main character. I had no idea the French police rounded up Jews, leaving them in an arena for a few days and then sending them on to camps. This book gutted me in so many ways and I thought it was really well done. The only thing I wasn't so sure on was the ending. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD. (I feel safe to give spoilers since this book has been out a few years.) I get why the author showed us the start of a possible relationship between the MC and the son of Sarah... it made sense, and yet to me it's like, this is a relationship that will never last because it's two people who are obsessed with each other in a strange way and obsessed with the past. I'm not explaining myself well, but it was strange to me. 

After reading such heavy material, I wanted to go lighter, so I picked up A PRINCESS IN THEORY by Alyssa Cole. This was such a fun, sexy romance. Very funny and excellent characters, this book is exactly what great romances are made of. 

Then I read up another Alyssa Cole book, this time a historical romance called AN EXTRAORDINARY UNION. This was a civil war era novel about spies and rebs and I loved it like crazy. The only thing I had a hard time believing was the MC's insta-attraction to the love interest. She fights it, like a lot (as she should) but I still had trouble believing she'd be even moderately attracted to a white man so quickly. BUT, it's not insta-love, and everything else about it, including her reluctance to get close to him, was super well done. I've put sequels to both Cole books on my TBR. 

What are you reading?