I had the incredible honor of being a beta reader for this book in July and I absolutely loved this book! Although, I had no doubt I would as Selina is one of my favorite authors. Everything she writes I absolutely adore and so I will be instantly adding this book to my collection. When she asked for help revealing the cover of this book I had to jump on. Because, look at this cover?? It's stunning, and the hardback??? Holy wow! That is what we need more of in this world, a hardback books with beautiful gilded inlays! Ok, enough gushing about the beauty of the cover, let's give some details on the book itself, which is set to release September 21, 2023.
A buddy comedy where a troublemaking prince and a talking fox become unwilling allies on a quest to retrieve a MacGuffin magic bird. Featuring banter, Philosophy of Destiny and Magic 101, a fierce swordmaiden/enchantress, a deadly prophecy, a coldly determined witch, and an opinionated unicorn. hahaha sorry, had to give the fun description, ok, here's the real one! A Fated Quest The Miraveld Chronicles book 3 By: Selina R. Gonzalez Release date: Sept 21, 2023 Genre: Young Adult adventure fantasy/romantic fantasy, fairy tale retelling A prince who despises his crown. A woman whose knighthood isn’t going as hoped. A witch with a promise to keep at any cost. A talking fox with a heart for philosophy. And a prophecy that will weave their destinies together. Prince Gareth of Eynlae longs to be a knight and escape the compromise and cowardice of the royal courts, and especially his father, who seems to care more about his crown than his children. After defying the king one too many times, Gareth is granted his wish and sent to serve as a knight…but guarding a quiet border castle is tedious compared to his favorite legends. When a prized firebird goes missing on Gareth’s watch, he eagerly volunteers to recover it. His hunt leads him into the neighboring kingdom of Aedyllan, where he falls into a witch’s trap and is forced into a deadly game of hidden motives and confusing prophecies. It may be up to a self-righteous prince, an intellectual fox, and an enchantress knight to stop the witch. But in a world of multiplying injustices and the inexorable pull of fate, should the villainess’s quest to activate a fae curse even be stopped? Gareth will have to examine his pride and unforgiving nature if he’s to become the hero he’s always aspired to be. Inspired by the fairy tales The Golden Bird and Tsarevitch Ivan, the Firebird, and the Gray Wolf. Cover artist: Tatum Cito (@tatumly.art on IG) (Design/text by Deranged Doctor Design) Notes on when to read: This book could be read as a standalone but TBH I strongly recommend reading A Thieving Curse first. A Fated Quest takes place simultaneously to A Lonely Dance, so you don’t have to read A Lonely Dance first. Personal sidenote, I suggest reading all of the books simply because they are absolutely incredible. A Lonely Dance is one of my top 5 favorite books of all time. I cried so many times. Here are the nitty gritty details on obtaining your own copy of A Fated Quest Signed copies SALE (US & Canada): Aug 9th-Sept 21st If you purchase any combination of at least two Miraveld novels (Curse, Dance, Quest), get 20% off each Miraveld novel. Purchases of Quest only: US - free (tracked media mail) shipping, Canada - 30% off Quest only. Subscribing to Selina's newsletter is the best way of finding out when print copies are available from online retailers. https://selinargonzalez.com/newsletter-subscription/ She doesn’t expect to run out of pre-order bonus goodies, but if that does happen before the print editions are available from online retailers, she'll order more. So if you’re waiting to order a print copy from a retailer, please don’t stress over the pre-order bonuses! Pre-order info and links: Currently, the book is available for pre-order on Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C9SNTQCQ And signed paperback and hardcover copies are available only for US and Canada from my site: https://selinargonzalez.com/books/quest Paperbacks & hardcovers will be available from Amazon & other online retailers around release. PRE-ORDER CAMPAIGN: Submit your proof-of-purchase for the Kindle book pre-order, pre-order from my site, or purchase a print copy once they’re available from other retailers and submit proof-of-purchase. https://selinargonzalez.com/pre-order-campaign/ Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the banter in this story between our snarky hero and his foxy friend, Leo. Watching our hero grow and come to appreciate his place in the world, seeing the characters navigate a world that exists in shades of grey and isn't so black and white. If you like wholesome, sweet, and fun, but with some serious lessons and healthy character development, you will like this book. If you are looking for a new favorite author let me tell you, you can't go wrong with Selina R. Gonzalez. And, when you fall in love with her work, you have more than 6 novels to read plus novellas, novelettes, and more to come. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of this book!
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About: Shadows of Dawn Part 2
By Jessica Marie Here is the second installment about the first book in my debut novel, The Shadows of Dawn. I have finished the first draft and am currently half-way through my first round of edits. The first of many rounds, but it is coming along. I am currently moving narratives and POV’s around to create more cliffhangers between various characters’ stories (this is a multi-POV story) and to break up different story-lines more evenly throughout the novel. What is this novel about? It is a mixed genre science-fiction and fantasy titled The Shadows of Dawn. The tagline is: Magic goes through 2,000-year cycles on Esnevaria. When magic returns it plunges the planet into chaos, war, and political upheaval. This book is the first of what will be a duology. The second book with pick-up exactly where the first leaves off. It’s a story of war, chaos, political upheaval, finding faith, and found family. It is told from multiple POV’s, though my main character is Sorscha Androula. Today I’ll be exploring her adopted brother, Alasdair Atria. Alasdair Atria: He is the adopted brother to the main character, Sorscha. He is a human and came into the orphanage four years after Sorscha did. He was a toddler when he came, but Sorscha took a liking to him and adopted him immediately. They quickly bonded and considered each other siblings within a few days. They would explore, get into trouble, and navigate the orphanage together. As elves age slower than humans, Alasdair and Sorscha were considered to be in the same age group and would attend the same lessons, classes, and grew up together much like twins might. All orphans who are found on the Capital are given the surname Atria. Alasdair has often wondered who his birth parents are. He contacted the orphanage and did some personal research to try and find his birth family, but there were no records to follow to uncover his heritage. He has never told Sorscha or their adopted mother, Sarine about his having looked for his birth family. He knows they would have understood and even tried to help. But he somehow couldn’t bring himself to tell them, various anxious ideas kept him from opening up about the topic. Alasdair joined the Capital Guard at the same time as Sorscha. They attended training together, though while she desired leadership and became an Officer, specifically training. He preferred to work the rowdy night shifts. The strangest events and wildest chases seemed to happen at night and that’s exactly what he liked. Plus, he knows once he settles down, gets married, and has a few kids he’ll want the structure of the daytime shifts. To be as present at home as he can be, not wanting to miss a moment of their growing up. Alasdair is the quick-witted, snarky, jokester who does a terrible job pretending he doesn’t have the softest heart on the Capital. The Setting - Politics: Esnevaria was once ruled by royalty and nobility for much of its recorded history. The snow and forest elves preferred a more tribal lifestyle, while the humans generally organized into larger cities with power concentrated at the top. During the fall of the era of magic 2,000 years ago, when the orbiting Capital was built, the humans realized they needed the assistance of the tribal elves in order to complete the Capital. The engineers and designers were entirely human, but the Capital could not provide for itself. It needed agriculture and farming to take place on the planet below and for those goods to be ferried to the Capital. The elves were far more competent in these areas and a deal had to be brokered. If those on the Capital wished to survive, they would need to relinquish their all-encompassing power. This was the beginning of the fall of nobility. The elves demanded their leaders to be present on the Capital and to represent their interests to the nobility. If they were ignored or taken advantage of, the elves would cease provisions. This slowly eroded the concept of the nobility being the only ones wise enough to rule and this slowly permeated the human society. This led to the demand of a new form of government. Barely two hundred years ago a war was waged and the nobility fell. From the ashes was born a republic where leaders were elected by the populace. Once a month I will introduce another character. Welcome to my novel and hope you enjoy these teasers of my story, can’t wait to see you back for the next installment! Covered so far: Sorscha Androula, Main Character & The Main Setting of this novel, the Capital – Read about it here February Book Reviews 2022
By Jessica Marie Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder 3/5 Stars I have very conflicting feelings about this book. I read the series in High School and I remember enjoying them, but I remembered absolutely nothing else, simply that I read them and liked them. I was curious and decided to give them another shot. Since I didn’t remember anything, it was essentially like reading them again for the first time. I read the entire book and read it rather quickly, I would stay up past my bedtime (yes, I’m an adult with a bedtime, and since I set the bedtime, I can break it, much to my morning self’s chagrin) to read just a few more pages. Snyder does a great job of ending every chapter on a cliffhanger that you simply must know what happens next. However, there was almost no character description or development. It is pretty much entirely plot driven. Which, the plot is full of twists and turns and constantly keeping you on your toes. But, I couldn’t really tell you anything about the main character or most of the side characters. I don’t really know who they are or what they want. I don’t think they have a dream, goal, or objective in any sense outside of their literal job in Ixia. Everyone is single-minded and one-dimensional. However, they at least weren’t making every stupid decision that a character could make. Like I said, very conflicting feelings. I enjoyed it, I have since finished book 2 in the series and am reading book 3. So, I do like the book(s), however, if you are looking for characters to fall in love with you may want to pass. But if you enjoy YA style fantasy, magic, and some political intrigue you’ll enjoy this book/series. The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien 5/5 Stars I watch the extended editions at least once a year and every 5-10 years I listen to the books on tape again. I don’t particularly love the style of writing, that’s why I listen on audio versus physically reading. But it’s good to see little bits and pieces that are left out of the movies or develop the characters in a way that is hinted at and simply knowing more of the story. Liberty & Tyranny by Mark R. Levin 5/5 Stars My Dad suggested we listen to this book on tape as that is how he prefers to consume books, and so we listened to it when went on rides through the country. We would pause and debate or go further in depth about what the author was saying. We started listening in 2020 and only finally finished it now. When we started listening, we were on opposite ends of the political spectrum, though a great many recent events have changed us and we see more eye-to-eye on most topics. We still have some differences, but we agree far more than we realized now. I think listening to this book helped us facilitate that. It gave us a chance to talk out thoughts, ideas, and opinions that we had. See from different perspectives and try to understand how the world works (politically) and what could be improved upon. No matter your political affiliation, I would suggest reading this book. You never want to be caught inside an echo chamber and only hear one idea or opinion. And you can hear ideas, perspectives, or facts implemented in a way you hadn’t considered before. Plus, learn more about how government works in general. Overall, good book and would suggest to anyone. Alone in Wonderland by Christine Reed 5/5 Stars I absolutely loved this book! I thought Christine really captured the essence of trying to navigate being a 20-something female in America today. Our society, culture, and what exactly is independence. I loved her insights into van-life, outdoor recreation, and being a woman. I didn’t realize how much internal gate-keeping I did to myself by believing I couldn’t enjoy or give myself labels as an outdoors-y or wilderness loving woman because I didn’t do it as well, as fast, as often, or as hardcore as someone else. How she wrestled with those feelings and did what she wanted to anyway, all while fighting internal battles. The fact that we aren’t ever fighting one battle at a time, but wresting with different ideas, concepts, values, and beliefs all at once. The book was told very candidly. It felt like sitting down with morning coffee with Christine and she would tell just a little bit more of her story. I resonated with a lot of her thoughts and struggles. Seeing her life play out, I could see the reflections in myself and in so many around me. If you like nature, wilderness, outdoors, and are a 20-something woman trying to find your place in this world, this book is for you. This wilderness, outdoors, adventure woman memoir is quickly becoming one of my favorite genres. Winter In Maine By Jessica Marie I have lived in a lot of places. I grew up in Florida, lived in Wyoming for 14 months, our family accidentally traveled 42 US states for 14 months and then we settled in Colorado for about 13 years…until last year when we moved to Maine. Safe to say I have experienced my fair share of climates, places, and winters. While I am grateful for the experience of a full and complete northeast winter, I am not entirely sure it’s my favorite thing. First of all, when the family decided to move, my first vote was back to Florida. But we didn’t have enough votes for going south, so we went north. It wasn’t land-locked, which was on my list of requirements, and it was in a different place than I had ever spent much time in before. Since I was ready for a change, I decided to tag-along on the move to Maine. Maine is pretty great 2.5 if not 3 seasons of the year. Summer is bounding with events and activities and there is a lot to explore. Not just in Maine, but in the surrounding northeastern states. The fall is a stunning rainbow of colors as the leaves change. Spring is great because it means the end of the dreaded winter…but it also means inordinate amounts of mud and black flies. Though, if you ask a Mainer, they will tell you there are only two seasons, winter and preparing for winter. I thought having lived in Wyoming and Colorado that I knew winter. It was a pest, sure, but I knew what it was like and could handle it with the same relative ease I had been for most of my grown life. A northeast winter is different than the west. Winter truly starts to feel as such around the winter solstice, the temperatures drop to freezing and well below day or night sun or clouds and the snow begins to fall regularly. By regularly, I mean 1-5 inches every other day and at least one big snow storm of 1-4 feet every week or so. That 1-4 feet is on top of the 1-5 inches every other day. So…a lot of snow. And it stays…because the temperature is literally freezing every day and night. While the snow is incredible and even beautiful for a time, it quickly becomes a nuisance or worse. Snow, sleet, and especially ice coat everything on a regular basis making roads dangerous to treacherous. It was not uncommon for us to not leave the house for 2-3 weeks at a time (we work from home and have a business warehouse on our property). Then we would re-stock up on food and supplies and begin to hibernate again for an indefinite amount of time. I am lucky to be a writer, blogger, podcaster, and general creative (working also for our camping gear business) that allows me to work from home. Though, I would be lying if the winter dangers didn’t also factor into why I don’t/can’t look for an in-person job. But the time spent indoors has given me a lot of time to reflect. To think about my past and what I want my future to look like. Much like the seasons we cannot always be in the same state of life. We cannot always be on the go as it robs us of our time and ability to slow down, be introspective and intentional about everything we do. It allows for the reading of a lot of books, listening to a lot of podcasts, and becoming a master at keeping a fire. Our home is heated by a wood burning fireplace that I tend to manage. When we first arrived, I thought it would be easy, I was good at starting campfires, but low and behold a campfire and a wood-burning-stove fire are not the same. They require slightly different skills and levels of patience. I’ve come to learn the density of wood and how long a log will last. I have seen the full cycle of a tree falling in the forest on our back-80, sawing and splitting it to the right size, and perfectly curating a fire to keep it burning day and night for months on end to keep the house warm. So, how is winter in Maine? It’s cold. You learn to never leave the house without a hat, scarf, and gloves. And not just cute ones, the warmest you can buy. You learn to drive slow or when to not drive at all. You get a bit of cabin fever from staying inside and not leaving the house. Even if you did leave, not much happens unless you can snow-shoe, ice fish, or snowmobile…but I am not warm-blooded enough for those activities. Though I do want to try more snow-shoeing and even cross-country skiing next winter. But you also catch up on your indoor crafts, you appreciate the days you can leave the house and go to church or out to dinner. You read more, pray more, and spend more time thinking about how much you really wish winter was over. Just kidding…sort of. You slow down, you don’t get in a hurry. I can’t make winter end any more than I can prevent its coming. It is a cycle. The wheel of the year keeps on turning and I learn more every day the importance of each moment and to embrace it for what it is. Do I wish it was summer? Yes? But does a small part of me appreciate the slowness and inner work I have been able to accomplish during winter? Also yes. I am considering traveling to the south next January and February in my car, doing some van-life…but in my Hyundai Elantra. Take some time to explore a new place and escape the worst of winter in the northeast. We’ll see what happens. That’s my winter time fantasy at the moment, but nothing is written in stone. I’ll take what comes, follow my intuition, and see where the road ahead really leads. Introduction to my Novel
By Jessica Marie As you saw a few blog posts ago, I finished the first draft of my novel. So, I wanted to update you on this story and tell you a little about it. As I am several weeks into the editing process, I am seeing the story from a new perspective, as most of what I am now editing I have not seen since I wrote it! I am mostly re-reading the story at the moment. Getting a feel for the flow and arcs I have in place. Making notes on scenes I need to add, what I need to describe in a non-info-dumping format, and refresh my mind on what the book already has and what it still needs. What is this novel about, you may ask? It is a mixed genre science-fiction and fantasy titled The Shadows of Dawn. The tagline is: Magic goes through 2,000-year cycles on Esnevaria. When magic returns it plunges the planet into chaos, war, and political upheaval. This book is the first of what will be a duology. The second book with pick-up exactly where the first leaves off. It’s a story of war, chaos, political upheaval, finding faith, and found family. It is told from multiple POV’s, though my main character is Sorscha Androula. Sorscha Androula: She is a Lieutenant in the Capital Guard, essentially the knights/police of the Capital. She has followed logical steps through her life, aging out of the orphanage she grew up in, joining the Capital Guard as she had the skills to do well and it has also provided stability for her. Her adopted brother, Alasdair, joined the Guard with her and helped create that stable life she desired. She feels a pull to devote herself to her religion, Piishan, but it feels illogical and unstable to her. Though she deeply wants to do it, something holds her back. Sorscha was found, by a woman named Sarine, as a several days old infant abandoned in a park on the Capital. She was taken to an orphanage by Sarine, who would later become her adopted Mother, where she lived and grew up until she was 22 years old. As an elf, who live longer than humans and thus mature slower, she was released at 22 which is considered adulthood in elves. We meet Sorscha after she has been part of the Capital Guard for 10 years and is a respected Lieutenant. She volunteers with security at her Piishan temple. She has an attraction to a fellow elf Guard, Noya, who went to the academy with Sorscha and her brother. Noya and Sorscha are close friends and the attraction is mutual. A secret that everyone knows, though they have never been willing to admit it to one another. The Setting: The Capital is a city that orbits the planet of Esnevaria. Think of the Citadel from the video game series Mass Effect, but rather it orbits a planet much like the ISS orbits Earth. The Capital was created 2,000 years ago during the last cycle of magic in an attempt for the nobility to escape the war and magic by going into space. As magic is tied to living natural things (plants, animals, etc.) by building a city off-planet with no living beings aside from the humans and some elves, the nobility, wealthy, and upper-classes were able to escape. Magic cycled away and has been absent from Esnevaria for 2,000 years. In that time trees, birds, and other small natural elements have been reincorporated into the Capital in the form of parks and creating a more natural feel for residents on the Capital. This was allowed as these elements were no longer considered a threat. It is believed that magic had been present on Esnevaria for as long as recorded history, though it dissipated and disappeared long ago. While some believe or hope it will return, it is widely considered ancient history. Once a month I will introduce another character. Welcome to my novel and hope you enjoy these teasers of my story, can’t wait to see you back for the next installment! Leaning in to Growth
By Jessica Marie As, in the past year, I have spent more time reflecting on the past, times and memories of my life, both good and bad. Wonderful and regretful. I am piecing together what makes me who I am and what doesn’t. Here’s a take on some personal growth I am working on at the moment. When looking back at younger versions of myself I can feel regret, guilt, nostalgia, joy, and every emotion in between. And while the more cringe-worthy versions of myself may make me wish I had never been that way, it was through these pieces I was able to become who I am today. Without those rougher, less polished, and more naïve versions I could never have become who I am today. I wasn’t born with all the wisdom I have today. I earned it, I gained it, sometimes I bled for it. Like math or writing, you must learn the basics before you can do geometry or write a book. To have greater perspective, to have faith in myself, in the Divine, and distinguish the difference between a disaster and an inconvenience, I have to live through it. Like building a library, I have built a library of experiences that have taught me how to live. How to react. While I may never be able to fully let go of certain guilts or mistakes of the past, perhaps that isn’t a bad thing. Perhaps that pain also serves a purpose. It reminds me to not act too rashly, to balance passion with patience. To know when to speak, or act, or when to sit back and let the emotions pass so I can react in a calm and respectable manner. I try to learn from others as much as I can, but some lessons I have had to learn myself. I have had to say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, experience the consequences first-hand to know the true depth of actions having reactions. To expand my mind into being ever more kind, considerate, loving, and understanding. I am not perfect. I will continue to learn every day. But that is also the very nature of being human. Right now, I am working on my snappy temperament. It truly bothers me how much or how quickly I can snap at something or someone. A large part of my snappy nature has fallen to the wayside in my fully embracing each moment as it is. Changing what I can, but finding as much joy and contentment in each moment and day as I can. This helps so much slide off my back that would once have ruffled my feathers. Though, just yesterday I was tested. Someone’s tone hit me wrong and sent my mind into a space that I have always responded with sharpness. I felt the tension between who I wanted to be, kinder, snap-free, and rolling with the waves being railed against by my 29 years of snappy responses. I clamped my mouth shut and let the battle rage in my mind but did not let it escape my lips. “Stay calm, this is truly not an issue. Would speaking improve this situation?” I asked myself over and over. No matter how I analyzed it, I knew I was fighting a toxic trait of mine. After a few minutes the battle was over. The emotion passed and I have one victory over my toxic trait. Slowly, I can strengthen this habit until it is second nature. But it is years of living and making mistakes that guides me towards the light. Towards the direction of who I truly want to be, what I would rather offer the world and those around me. In my life I have lived and grown through a lot of situations and changed in so many ways. I have become more and more proud of who I am. It isn’t always easy, but it does always feel good. Experiencing The Blizzard
By Jessica Marie For days the NOAA weather alert radio had been sounding off with its pitched alert tones and humanoid computer voice warning of the impending blizzard. We watched the national weather radar as the storm crept up the east coast. Each day it inevitably marched closer and closer to Maine. We stocked up on goods then hunkered down, preparing for three feet of snow and wind that gusted over fifty miles per hour. Winter in the north looks like a perpetual winter wonderland, once the snow begins to fall it becomes a permanent resident until the spring melt. We gazed across the snow-covered January landscape. It was calm and unassuming, no hint that this serene scene would become a frozen tundra of blinding snow and ice in a matter of hours. The wind began to rail against the house as if warning us to stay inside. The first snowflakes began to fall and we knew it was here. The turbulent winds blew the snow in every direction simultaneously. The gales seemed to rail their angry fists against the house, as if the structure stood in the way blocking a route that the wind claimed was his. We watched the snow pile in drifts. Dead grass nearly poked through the barren spaces and in others the snow stood so deep you could dive in and simply disappear beneath feet of powder. The snow piled high against the door, trying to barricade any way out. Our house stood in a meadow of mankind’s making. Snow swirled off the roof, whipped around solitary trees, and piled on decks, wind shook the house and whistled viciously past. We silently thanked the builders for using two by six construction. I looked to the nearby forest, though I could only see it through momentary lulls in the blinding blizzard. I watched the trees shudder under the storms assault. Trees larger than buildings bowed and bent under its power. I wondered how the forest fared in a storm, did the wind whip past its trunks or did the trees halt the storm from penetrating its depths? The wonder would not leave me. I bundled up. Layers upon layers, my biggest, furriest hat, warmest scarf and gloves, I strapped snowshoes to my boots and took up my trusty hiking stick and set out for the forest on our property. Though to get there I would have to brave the onslaught of the open landscape where the wind and snow reigned as king. I marched towards the dark nearby horizon, the forest looked as such through the storm. Trees and finally a forest became distinguishable as I approached nearer and nearer. The deep whoosh of strong winds through large, sturdy, olden trees filled my ears. Slowly I stepped past the perimeter and trudged deeper and deeper into the forest and watched as the scene around me transformed into a sanctuary. The snow fell faintly and softly to the ground as if it were nothing more than sprinkle. The only clue to the ranging winter storm were the waves of wind that crashed over the canopy. A deep and distinct rumble as strong winds and strong branches fought over who ruled the sky. I walked aimlessly through the forest enjoying the calm and even warmth. The protection from the wind and falling snow made the forest feel like a warm oasis. I watched the thinner, younger trees slowly move and bow under the wind hassling their tops. Even with snowshoes my feet sank several inches into the snow and flakes had begun to invade my boots. At the first twinges of cold threatening my toes I decided it was time to head back home. I followed my tracks back to the space where the forest begins to thin and the clearing starts laying its claim. Here I found the wind fighting for dominance. In the forest my tracks remained untouched, as clear as when I first made each step. In this space in between two worlds the snow had begun to pile into my tracks; making it look as if it had been hours or days since my passing when, in reality, it had been merely minutes. As I broke from the warmth and safety of the forest, I found the snow as pristine as if I had never passed through. Left or right not a track in sight. I knew the property and I knew my direction. I carried on with confidence. The wind began to press me one way and then the next. The condensation in my breath had built up on my scarf that wrapped around my face and neck. The wind carrying its bitter cold bit through the scarf turning the water to ice on my face. Ice so cold it burned my skin. This quickened my pace. Following nothing save for my knowledge of my direction I fought the wind as it tried to batter me. Blowing first from the left then the right, my cheeks burning from the cold. As if from a void the house appeared and I quickly trekked inside. Taking my layers off and hanging them to dry I watched the blizzard rage outside with a new appreciation. Knowing its power and biting cold made me appreciate this home even more. Though I kept in the back of my mind the knowledge that if I ever found myself unlucky enough to be trapped outside in weather like this, I would take refuge in the nearest forest. Then I took to my computer and wrote down my notes on my experience in this truly dangerous storm. As a writer every experience can be used in a book, and I had an upcoming story in the tundra where I could use this knowledge to my advantage. As the wind continued to shake the house and the snow piled itself higher and higher, mocking me as if knowing I would need to shovel it tomorrow, I tossed another log onto our wood burning stove. I carried away on my laptop with my steaming mug of tea, glad to be back inside. January Book Reviews 2022
By Jessica Marie Song of the Forever Rains by E. J. Mellow 5/5 Stars I absolutely loved this book! I found it while looking through the new fiction acquisitions at the library. When I opened the book to start reading the first page to see if I was interested, I was immediately captured by the story and writing. The prose is very poetic and beautifully descriptive. The magic, characters, and world felt completely original and unique. I could not stop reading this book! If you like strong female characters, sisterly banter, unique magical worlds and powers, and fun story twists this fantasy story is for you! Loveable, Livable Home by John and Sherry Petersik 5/5 Stars My mom found this book for me at a library book sale. They have some really fun DIY home décor and design projects, good pictures, and good ideas for how to make your home beautiful while also meeting the needs and function of your family. I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai 5/5 Stars This was simultaneously a beautiful story and a heart-breaking story. Some issues are so universal and others are unique to a culture, country, or area. Going through her life and hearing her story helps one to understand how we are all the same and yet also very different. How our basic humanity is the same no matter where you are, but it is expressed differently depending on our culture. She’s an absolutely beautiful soul and her story is one that will touch your heart. A Thieving Curse by Selina R. Gonzalez 5/5 Stars Another amazing book by Selina R. Gonzalez! I couldn’t read the Mage and the Mercenary series fast enough and she didn’t disappoint in this novel either. Retellings aren’t generally my favorite genre as, for me personally, they tend to be predictable and they don’t feel like a fun original adventure as I read them. And while, like all retellings, this novel did have elements of that (it’s a beauty and the beast retelling) she had original takes on the elements of the story that I was able to truly get lost in the book. She has amazing characters, and I adore the banter in her stories. While I knew what was going to happen at certain beats, the original takes and nuances really surprised me and truly kept me engaged. I couldn’t read anything for a few days after finishing this book as I wanted to dive back into this world and story. Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis 4/5 Stars I read this book a few years ago, and while I have my issues with Rachel Hollis, I do enjoy her content from time to time. Her books do help to motivate me and help me want to reach my goals. This time I listened to the book on audio and it was nice to hear her emphasis and intonation throughout the book. This book helped me look at certain mental obstacles in my life and think about them in a different light. Strong Looks Better Naked by Khloe Kardashian 5/5 Stars Keeping Up With The Kardashians is one of my favorite guilty pleasure TV shows. Khloe is also my favorite Kardashian. So, I got this book from a thrift book shop and was unsure how I would feel about the book and Khloe after reading it. But I really enjoyed it! Everything she talks about in this book is exactly what I am working on right now. I loved how down to earth she is in the book, it honestly feels like you are sitting down to coffee with Khloe and she is just giving you some life advice. I love her perspective, her genuine heart, and her willingness to share what she has learned and what she has left to work on. Conclusion I know it may seem like I give out five-star reviews like candy, but these books are genuinely good! If I find a bad book (to my very subjective personal opinion) I am not afraid to say it. But January was a good month, I got lucky and really enjoyed every book I had the pleasure of reading or listening to. I get the majority of my books from library book sales, the library, thrift stores, the Libby app, and generally secondhand. Hope you like my reviews from this month and I hope you can add some of these to your own TBR. Let me know in the comments if you have read any of these books and if so, what did you think of them! MarieHow I Wrote the first draft of my novel
By Jessica Marie As the title may suggest, I have finished the first draft of my novel! January 25th, 2022 is when I wrote the last words of the first draft. April 1st, 2021 is when I started writing the first words of the novel. The title is, The Shadows of Dawn and it is a science-fiction and fantasy novel about; Magic goes through 2,000-year cycles on Esnevaria. When magic returns it plunges the planet into chaos, war, and political upheaval. That is my rough snippet. I am working on a further developed synopsis and some character break downs. But that is what I have for now. Now, I know a first draft is only one step in a long process that progresses from concept to published book. But it is an accomplishment and I am allowing myself to celebrate that win. One step down with a million to go. I am currently sitting down to really flesh out issues and details that I know are missing from the story and what I might do to remedy those. Deeper character development, POV’s, plot holes, etc. These are issues I know exist and that’s just based on what I remember. Before I dive into re-reading and adding more description and further flesh to the bones I have laid out, I wanted to help you get to this achievement too. How did I get my first draft done and how can you get your first draft done too? First, I’ll tell you how I did it and then give you some ideas to try. What I Did Find My Time I found I had the most creativity and drive to write in the morning. Not 5am, simply after my morning routine but before I started any other work for the day. I found that if I tried to write after I had worked for the day I was too tired to muster the energy required to put words on the page. Writing isn’t easy. I love this story and my characters, but it is a draining process. It takes a lot of repetition and effort to figure out what is happening and what needs to happen in the story to keep it moving forward. I need to see progress I need to be able to see my progress. Seeing the word or page count go up in the bottom left corner of my word document doesn’t motivate me very much. I prefer to be able to see it all laid out for me. I found a google excel sheet someone made that tracks your writing progress. I can write down my energy levels, my time spent writing, my word count, and more into this sheet. Being able to see how many words I wrote that day really motivated me. I also found putting a sticker on my calendar also helped motivate me. I could see exactly when I did and didn’t write, and I had the satisfaction of giving myself that sticker. Gave myself grace I gave myself grace to work at my own pace. I did not write every day. On average, I actually only write three days a week. I also generally only write for one hour a day. There are some weeks I wrote more than three days, and there were days I wrote more than one hour. But nine times out of ten I write three days a week and only one hour each session. That’s it. And I still wrote over 96 thousand words in less than one year. No Comparisons I didn’t compare myself to other authors or writers. Some people say you must write every day. Some people write in sprints, for 20-30 minutes at a time and they do that several times a day. I looked at those people, cheered them on, and continued doing what worked for me. I knew I couldn’t write more than once a day or for (generally) more than one hour. It just doesn’t work for me. So, I don’t even try. I don’t let any comparison or competition get to me. I let them do them and I do me and I carried on. And while they may get to their goal faster or slower than me, I didn’t care. I had my goal, to write the first draft within a year, and I beat that goal. I am happy! I worked at my own pace and still got here. I found encouragement where I could I let more experienced writers and authors encourage me. Not literally. I didn’t seek or have any experienced writers or authors telling me good job or to keep writing. But I did look at the things they said or did and let them guide or inspire me. For example, if they said they struggled with something I would take that into consideration and remember that when I got to that point and give myself grace if I too struggled. Or I would read their inspirational quotes and not let my inner critic get me down. For example, there were times I thought about how messy and absolutely terrible this first draft is. It is truly a dumpster fire at this moment in time. That is true for many, many writers and authors. So, I knew I was in the club, the boat, the same situation as many others. But they also said things like, this is the worst the book will ever be. It will only get better from here. My first draft is bad too. You will be so proud of holding that book in your hand one day. These words encouraged me. I wasn’t alone. I am only one step down. I can’t compare my first step with someone’s 500th step. So, I took those inspirational quotes, hung them (literally) on my wall and let them encourage me on days my inner critic was being extra mean. Just kept writing I just kept doing it. Despite all the inner criticisms, despite one month I didn’t write a single word, despite being unsure if I was actually going to be a good writer, despite all this and more. I still kept writing. At my own pace, in my own time, in my own way. I kept doing it. Putting one word in front of the other until I had sentences, paragraphs, chapters and now an entire first draft. Ideas for you When Try different times of day and see how you feel, see what days or times work best for you. Maybe everyday in sprints is your jam. Maybe once a week for 10 hours is your jam. There is no wrong answer. There is no one way to be a writer. Find what works for you and do that. Once you have your method, put your blinders up and don’t compare your method to someone else’s. Find your motivators What motivates you? Is it stickers, word counts, sharing your favorite quote or progress on social media, snacks, something else? There are so many things people use to motivate themselves. Find what makes your motivation increase and do that. I don’t care if it’s silly, I use stickers! I literally give myself a sticker when I write. It works. Do what works for you. Find Your Friends I don’t have a group of people that I talk to about my writing. I don’t have content groups or critique partners. I have in the past and these all helped me grow into the writer I am today. These trained me to know my weaknesses and to prepare for them. For example, I am great at plot and world-building. But I am not good at character development. Who are these people and why should we care about them? Yeah, I suck at that. But I know I have to work harder at that. I am hoping in time to build a team around me that we can all give aid to each other’s writing in the future. But I don’t have that right now. But I did join writers’ groups on Facebook, and I follow indie authors on Instagram. I see what people are saying and draw information and encouragement from them. No Comparisons Allowed There is a fine line between gleaning ideas from someone and comparing yourself to them. You know the difference. Draw ideas all day until you have something that works. You can tweak as needed. But don’t compare once you have your system. Just Keep Writing The hardest part of all. Just doing it. You can’t never write and expect the book to write itself. You do have to write sometimes. Not all the time, but sometimes. Little by little you will progress. Hang up those inspirational quotes and then write at your own pace. There you go! That is how I got my first draft written and my ideas for how to get your first draft written! I hope this has been helpful and I hope you are excited and brimming with new ideas on how to get your first draft finished as well. Like I said, I am now in a second round of plotting. Figuring out even more nitty-gritty details of my story and characters so that as I edit I can add these details in. There are many drafts and edits to come but each draft will take me one step closer to holding that finished, published novel in my hands. Much Love, Jessica Marie Hello all! I know it's been awhile but I am back and I am here to list out my 2022 goals. Sort of. I decided to take some much needed time off for the holidays. While last week I intended to come back in full force, I got sick and was completely down for a couple of days. Luckily, aside from a cough, I am back to normal now.
I am not doing resolutions, and not doing grand things to complete by the end of the year. But rather smaller, more bite sized quarterly goals for both myself personally and for my brand. I think year-long, big picture goals make it too easy to procrastinate or feel overwhelmed by the size of the goal. While my health and fitness goal as well as my writing goal I did base on a time increment of a year. I still broke these down into my first-quarter goals. Things I want to have completed by March 31st. First Quarter Goals: Finish Shadows of Dawn first draft Finish my Skirt Bring back podcast & blog Finish first edits of short story series episode one I have a health and fitness goal, but I'm keeping that as well as a few logistical brand goals private. I will be back in April to report on how this has been going and what my second quarter goals are. Thanks to Author Brittany Wang (YouTube and Instagram) for the quarterly goals idea. |
AuthorJessica Marie Cunningham - Intentional lifestyle blogger, aspiring author, and podcast host. All things Slow Living, Books, Writing, Art, creativity, Christianity, and personal stories. Archives
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