Monthly Review: February 2019

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February remains the shortest month of the year, so it feels like it's flown by! We're already at my monthly review, which occurs on the 4th Wednesday of the month. Looking back at my January post, I feel extremely accomplished and excited.

My Kickstarter campaign is currently 108% funded! When I announced on Facebook that I only had $88 left to go, while I was texting with one of my friends, she sent me a screenshot from one of our other friends because he put in that $88. I teared up a little, can't lie. That means I'm going to get the cover for my book! I contacted the artist, and she let me know that she will still be available when the campaign closes, so now I'm just enjoying the moment. Two others pledged after I reached 100%! That's just as special, because that means they saw it was fully funded and still wanted to contribute. My heart is filled.

Work is a little slow, so I did finish reading Tash Hearts Tolstoy at work. It wasn't as good as I expected it to be, but that's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. I might pick up L.L. McKinney's A Blade So Black next. I'm not a big Alice in Wonderland fan, but I've been anticipating this book for a couple of years now, and L.L. might make me a convert.

On a serious note, I have some family matters that will be at the forefront for at least a few months. If you can or do, please say a prayer for me; it will really help.

Thanks a bunch! See you in March!

February Writing Update: Sequels and More Ideas



This is exactly what writing is like.


February is moving by quite slowly, which I don't mind. My Kickstarter is (holy crap, I just looked) now at 80% with 24 days to go, and that just turned my day around. Although now I have to do an update, and I wanted it to be a video! It's after 10pm right now, though, so....no video.

I started the month off in jury duty, and let me just say I'm glad I loved Chemistry in school, because I learned a LOT about hemophilia drugs in that time. That said, on Day 1 (which made it so much worse, because I couldn't say anything!) an idea for a story came to me from some of the base facts. It's going to be a vampire novel for sure, possibly horror? Not completely sure yet. Some serious research has to come out of that, but at least I have another story idea!

I mentioned this in January, but I had an idea for a sequel to my current WIP, The Queen's Daughters, and on Monday I finally wrote out a few ideas for it. It'll definitely be another journey story (Fractured Princess is essentially a journey story), but that's all I really know for now. For The Queen's Daughters itself, I've been rereading parts, so now I just have to work on writing more parts and connecting the fragments. There are a few scenes I really need to get down, and I don't want to delay any longer.

As for Fractured Princess, I did a few more quick edits (typos and a minor revision), but I plan on not touching it anymore, as it is the subject of my Kickstarter. I also added a new scene in its sequel, and I can't wait for the whole story to come completely to life. It's going to be pretty big (in my head, anyway). I hope I do it justice.

That's all for now. I will see you all next week with my monthly review!

Wednesday Words: Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee



Happy Wednesday!

On the 2nd Wednesday of the month, I share with you all what I am reading this month. I finished A Crown of Wishes Saturday, so I'm finally into something new and will hopefully start reading more than one book a month.



Yesterday, I started Kathryn Ormsbee's Tash Hearts Tolstoy. First off, I love this cover. The juxtaposition of Tolstoy with the girly hearts and font is hilarious, but also the white, pink, and yellow on black really pops (and y'all know I love pink).

The premise is below:

After a shout-out from one of the Internet’s superstar vloggers, Natasha “Tash” Zelenka finds herself and her obscure, amateur web series, Unhappy Families, thrust into the limelight: She’s gone viral.

Her show is a modern adaptation of Anna Karenina—written by Tash’s literary love Count Lev Nikolayevich “Leo” Tolstoy. Tash is a fan of the forty thousand new subscribers, their gushing tweets, and flashy Tumblr GIFs. Not so much the pressure to deliver the best web series ever.

And when Unhappy Families is nominated for a Golden Tuba award, Tash’s cyber-flirtation with Thom Causer, a fellow award nominee, suddenly has the potential to become something IRL—if she can figure out how to tell said crush that she’s romantic asexual.

Tash wants to enjoy her newfound fame, but will she lose her friends in her rise to the top? What would Tolstoy do?

I'm also on the romantic asexual spectrum, and one of my goals this year is to read more books featuring asexual characters. I actually hadn't read the blurb until I'd already started reading, so when I opened up to a page that looked like credits, I was intrigued. I already connect with Tash, who hints that her sister is the prettier, smarter one. I usually feel that way myself. I'm excited to see if she gains more self-confidence as the story progresses.

There are 400 pages in this book, and Random.org chose page 262, so here is an excerpt from that page:

After a week of what I call our "social media fast," Jack and I get back online with a new plan: We will weed through notifications in an efficient manner, disregarding the hate as best we can and responding only to fellow web series accounts or very pressing questions. It isn't ideal, but we agree it's the only way to stay sane.
It's also interesting to read such a modern book. I don't usually read contemporary YA novels, so when I see a character mention Youtube or Justin Beiber, I have to remember the setting is here and now.

What are you reading this week?

Insecure Writer's Support Group: Creative Outlets


Happy February!

It is once again the time for the Insecure Writer's Support Group! Please visit Alex J. Cavanaugh and the IWSG site to join in with the rest of us anxious writers.

Exactly one week ago, I started my Kickstarter campaign to commission a cover artist for my book. One day after I was at 28% of my goal. As I was writing an update for this week, I was at 58% of my goal. By the time I sent the update, I was at 63% of my goal. I still have 37 days left, and I'm reeling. I know a lot of my friends and family have been waiting for me to do this, though, so their support right now is amazing. My biggest anxiety for this month is whether I'll reach the goal (I know, I know), but also as an insecure writer, I just anxious as to whether or not people will like it once its out there. Agents didn't seem to get it, and while I didn't send out nearly as many queries as I wanted, I knew if I kept trying to query, I would lose all will to keep doing this. The support I've gotten so far has refueled me, so I'm going to keep going!

The question for this month took me back to my pre-college days: Besides writing, what other creative outlets do you have?

Of course if you've followed me all this way even from the old blog, you know I love to draw on occasion, sometimes even paint (I have a makeshift art studio in our music nook. I haven't really painted a THING yet, but I do have ideas and plans in the works). When I first applied to the University of the Arts, it was to major in Illustration, so I had to create a portfolio. Here are the sketches that got me into the Summer program. One was supposed to be Orlando Bloom, but...whatever. hahaha

This is actually the first sketch of Jonnie I ever did, back in 2004.

This is my foot lol.

Chitose from Chobits

My cat Kayla Gene (may she rest in peace, probably by now. I thought I was allergic to her, so I gave her up) at her bowl.



Good sketch but bad pic of Orlando Bloom hahaha.