I have some awesome news!

Hey! How are you today?

Can you believe it's April? 😳

As you already know, last Friday I celebrated the release of my first Anuci Press book release. Yay! And today, I want to let you know about the next book that Anuci Press will release...

This story is my love letter to one of my favourite horror subgenres: demonic possession.

NUMB = THE EXORCIST MEETS SUPERNATURAL.

I'm really excited about this dark story, and can't wait for you all to meet Chester and Darwin.

I'll share more details as soon as I can. For now, here's the story synopsis:

SHE DOESN'T LIVE IN A HAUNTED HOUSE. THE MONSTER IS ALREADY INSIDE HER HEAD.

Chester is no stranger to hearing voices, but after her mother disappears without a trace, the demonic voice trying to consume her is getting stronger every day.

The threat of possession might be her biggest problem, but it's not her only one. Chester's confidence in the stepmother who is trying to keep her safe is now unstable. The safe and comfortable connection with her very supportive stepbrother is slowly becoming a tangled mess that threatens their strong bond.

When Chester stumbles on her mother's precious journal, she hopes to find some answers about what's happening to her. But what she really wants to uncover is how to find her missing mother. And the answer to that mystery might come from the most unexpected source. Herself.

Have a great day! ☺️

THE PROM QUEEN by R.L. Stine

The Prom Queen by R.L. Stine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well, I just read another Fear Street book. I picked this one because I found out it's going to be the next Netflix movie! Oh, and because of that seriously cool and macabre cover.

It's time for prom, and that means a new Prom Queen will be picked. The five candidates—Lizzy, Dawn, Simone, Rachel and Elana—also happen to be friends. So there's a lot of excitement in the air, not to mention the drama club's spring production to look forward to as well. And there's that killer stalking girls, so when one of the candidates goes missing, everything changes...

This book is SO much fun. Loved it!

I really like how the air of dread and suspicion hangs over the story from beginning to end. Also enjoyed the many red herrings thrown our way. And that final confrontation scene is killer!

The story is told in the first-person POV of Lizzy, which I thought was a great idea. Lizzy is an interesting and easy character to follow. The poor girl goes through quite a lot. That the friendship between these five girls ranges from very close to petty to competitive to downright hateful, is also captured very well.

So far, in this series, I've read stories featuring cheerleaders and prom queens, and I think Stine has a knack for portraying teenage girls. I'm impressed. I mean, I read Goosebumps all the time so I know he can write girls very well, but these are teenagers. I can't wait to meet some of the other characters.

Anyway, I love the mysterious horror vibes in this one, and that all the boys (except Kevin) are somewhat creepy. 😬

Awesome book!

 

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THE FIRST EVIL by R.L. Stine

The First Evil by R.L. Stine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love Goosebumps and really enjoyed the Fear Street Trilogy on Netflix, so when I noticed a bunch of the Fear Street titles on special, I picked some up for my Paperwhite.

Corky and Bobbi Corcoran are sisters who recently moved into a house on Fear Street. They also happen to be awesome cheerleaders. But when they join the Shadyside High squad, awful things start to happen...

I really enjoyed this! I'm glad I started here because it was a LOT of fun. Sure, there's also some freaky stuff, but it was all very entertaining and I had a great time. I also liked the drama and suspicion that creeps into the story.

Although, I have to admit that I was surprised by the terrible fate of one of the characters (😫) but hey, this is a horror story. It's got some creepy stuff and I enjoyed the mention of Sarah Fear because I remember her from the movies.

One thing that I always love about Stine's writing is how well he does the bare bones storytelling. He doesn't spend countless of pages on character descriptions, or even their feelings and backgrounds. Instead, he gives you just enough to get the perfect picture in your mind, which ends up being quite a bit.

I'm looking forward to reading more of these!

 

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GOBLIN MONDAY by R.L. Stine

Goblin Monday by R.L. Stine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked this up this afternoon and pretty much finished it in one sitting.

Mario is looking forward to seeing the snow, and now that he's tagging along with his best friends and their parents to Vermont, that's exactly what he'll be doing. Except, there's something really strange going on inside this house. And Todd and Jewel's grandparents are a little odd...

Well, that was a creepy and totally fun story! It's quite unsettling. From the very beginning, I could tell there was something lurking in the background, and those grandparents sure are weirdos. Not to mention the freaky creatures.

Anyway, I really enjoyed it. I also liked the twist followed by another twist. Very cool.

So far, I'm liking the House of Shivers series.

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It's Release Day!

That's right!

Today's the day! ☺️🎉

My myth & monsters horror novel about a dysfunctional family with a lot of dark secrets, of mythological proportions, is now available:

 

Snakes and stones may break her spirit, but the truth can never hurt her.

Peg's twin sister vanished months ago and her mother has checked out. She's a mess and barely leaves her room. But Peg never gave up hope and expects Chrysa to return at any moment.

One night, after months of living a lonely life with only her cards and best friend to keep her company, Peg discovers a hidden room in their barn. An impossible place that shouldn't exist but leads her to an unfathomable discovery.

This revelation sets off a chain of events that will force Peg to confront the reality of who her mother really is, and what Peg will have to do to survive the ancient family legacy. But she can't do it alone. Not again...

If you're interested, you can purchase an eBook or print copy from these stores:

AMAZON | B&N

ANUCI PRESS WEBSITE

You can also...

ADD IT TO GOODREADS

I'd like to thank Tony Anuci for giving my book a wonderful home, Adrian Medina for the fantastic cover, and Katarina Yerger for editing.

SO EXCITING!

😁

Stories, Stories, Everywhere!

Hey! How are you today? Hope March is treating you well because it's almost over. One more week to go! 😬

I'm looking forward to the four-day weekend. I always look forward to time off with my husband.

So, the last two weeks have been super busy for me. I've been working on edits, and they're pretty intense. Not to mention my short story collection. Yep, that's right. I'm finally putting together a short story collection.

Well, um, not exactly one...

Okay, let's start from the beginning.

Last year (in December) I started going through my short story files and made a list of the ones that I wanted to include in my first short story collection. I didn't put any pressure on myself, or set a date to have this done by, I just wanted to get an idea of how many I actually have... and ended up adding about twenty-three stories to a new Word doc. 

That's a lot, right? 😳 

Anyway, I didn't touch the doc until the beginning of this month, when I decided it was time to assess what I had. The only way to do that was to start revising these tales.

I spent that whole week revising, rewriting, and moving stories around. But there were still too many. The collection was just under 80k words, and I wanted it to be much shorter than that. So, what did I do? I decided to split it up into two volumes! 

Yep, that's right. Why not give myself more work? 😅

So, I transferred a bunch of these shorties to another new document, and added several more to even out the two volumes. Then spent another week revising the rest of the stories.

It was a lot of work but I really enjoyed the process. Revisiting these tales was also very cool. I got the chance to rewrite a bunch of them, and added new elements to enhance what was already there. Some of these stories were old, but I managed to revive quite a few, made them a lot better. Stronger than they were to begin with. I even renamed quite a few.

So, all of this means that I now have TWO SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS: 17 stories in each, just over 50k words. Yay!!

Last night, I finished revising the last story and added both volumes to my Paperwhite for one final proofread. I'll put them aside for a bit so I can get some distance, as well as put all my focus on the edit I'm currently working on.

Well, that's it for now. I'm all out of words, but wanted to post an update. I mean, it's been a bit quiet around here. I haven't even had time to read and post reviews for the last few weeks! 😫

Have an awesome week!!

IN EXCESS OF DARK by Red Lagoe

In Excess of Dark by Red Lagoe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've been looking forward to reading this novella for a while, and thanks to Red I got a chance to experience the darkness that is this brilliant story.

Karina is still dealing with the death of her father when she heads to the mountains for some family fun with her husband and teenage son. But life has a way of making her most dreaded thoughts a reality...

Wow. This is an intense story. It's also very sad and quite unsettling. The vivid, macabre imagery is as disturbing as the psychological situations Karina finds herself in. A lot of what happens is presented in a way that makes the reader question if everything she's seeing and experiencing is actually really happening. Or is everything just the delusions of a grieving woman who blames herself for all the awful things in her life?

I found this novella to be very emotional. A fever dream that you don't wake up from because things never stop coming. Karina deals with a lot, and that ending is... Yikes!

Yeah, this is an awesome and quite gruesome story. Loved it!

 

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A Bit of an Update

Hey! How are you today? Long time no see. Well, I've been posting book reviews, but not much else. Why? After an extensive novel revision (Jan) followed by an extensive novel edit (Jan/Feb), my husband took a two-week break and we had an awesome time! ☺️

When he went back to work, I was initially planning to take another week off to catch up on some reading, and figure out what to work on next. Except, there were three ideas that wouldn't leave me alone. And no matter how much I tried, I just couldn't decide which one to work on next.

So, after some thinking and talking to my husband (who always helps me sort out my chaotic thoughts when they run riot) I decided to temporarily shift my focus away from these pesky ideas. Instead, I'm going to concentrate on revising my short story collection!

That's right. Late last year I went through my short stories and picked out the ones I'd like to include. So far, the collection is 76k words. This might be a bit long, or it might be perfect. I'll decide while/after completing the revision. I just need to come up with a name...

I'm actually very excited about finally tackling this. Plus, it will give me time to keep brainstorming the pesky novella ideas.

It feels great to have some direction again. And a new goal for March.

Oh, there's another thing that I wanted to mention. If you follow me on Twitter or IG then you know that one of my 'publishers' has decided to ghost me. Aesthetic Press hasn't contacted me in over eight months and has been ignoring my emails for two. It's a shitty situation, one that has given me quite a bit of stress because I feel like my Horrormance slasher is been held ransom.

But as far as I'm concerned this person has obviously walked away from their 'company' and has breached her own contract several times. No communication. No editing. No response. Disappeared from the face of the Earth. WTH is that about?! 😡 But you know what made me feel better? Picking a new name for my novel and updating all the relevant files. It's strange but doing something this simple helped me let go of some of the disappointment and anger I've been feeling about this shitty situation.

It's the little things that make a difference.

Anyway, that's about it. I just wanted to post a little something.

Have a great weekend!

THE CRANE HUSBAND by Kelly Barnhill

The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was in the mood for another novella and decided to get stuck into this one because I love stories featuring birds in some way.

When the mother of a fifteen-year-old girl brings home a crane that's as tall as a man, their way of life changes instantly. Her mother starts neglecting both of her children, and looks more beaten down every day. But this teenager isn't about to give up or give in...

Well, this is one dark and very surreal story that deals with some pretty heavy stuff. Child neglect. Domestic violence. Corporations taking over the farming industry. Denial.

It's like a fever dream that pulls the reader deep into the depths of desperation.

We never find out the narrator's actual name, although she uses the name Bruce for business purposes. Her tenacity to keep the family together and protect her little brother drives most of her motivation to keep the house functioning even when her mother sabotages everything for her new 'man'.

This is a sombre and very bleak fairy tale with some disturbing imagery that leads to quite an unsettling conclusion.

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BARREN COVE by Ariel S. Winter

Barren Cove by Ariel S. Winter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I remember picking this up during one of our many thrift store adventures several years ago because it sounded very interesting. I mean, it's about robots and I LOVE robot stories. Always have.

Mr. Sapien is an old robot who wants to get away from the city for a while. He wants to figure things out, repair himself. So, he rents a cabana at Barren Cove, and instead of finding peace, he gets wrapped up in the bizarre lives of the Asimov 3000 family...

Wow. I REALLY enjoyed this story! A lot.

It's hard to believe but, at its core, this is a gothic tale. Everything about this family, location, weather, and circumstances is the epitome of this genre. But instead of people, it's robots who are living their isolated, messed-up lives inside a Victorian mansion full of secrets that sits on a cliff and overlooks the ocean.

And what a twisted bunch they are.

There's even a story within a story, in true Wuthering Heights fashion. As well as unethical Frankenstein-esque creations. Even a little of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? And it all comes together beautifully.

One of my favourite things about this book is how all the characters are introduced as if we're supposed to already know them, and their individual stories all start to take shape as Dean, the house computer fills in the blanks for Sapien. Only for him to find out that things aren't as they seem and he might not discover what he wants to know from Mr. Beachstone.

Ah, Beachstone. The only human who grows from child to man in a home of robots. Asimov 3000 was obsessed with humans. His daughter Mary is kind but is suffering damsel syndrome. His son Kent is cruel and angry, curious. Then there's Clarke, a bit of a psycho with a small amount of empathy. And Philip. Poor sweet and innocent Phil. I can't forget about Sapien. The mysterious narrator who is damaged and lost, searching for something even though he's not sure what it is.

Yeah, this is a fantastic piece of SF fiction that puts robots in the shoes usually worn by humans. This family is full of drama, tragedy, and the familiar existential crisis of creation.

Loved it!

 

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PIRANESI by Susanna Clarke

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Well, I didn't expect to be DNFing this book, so I'm really disappointed. 😧

Piranesi sounded intriguing and the cover is lovely. Hell, I even bought the hardback. And tonight, I finally decided it was time to get stuck into it.

The story started off slow, but that's fine because I like a slow burn. Then the main character won't stop talking about the same thing over and over again. Still, I hung on until page 51. That's when I had to admit that it's not a slow burn, it's just downright boring. And SO repetitive.

Still, I skimmed ahead because I heard it's worth the payoff. Unfortunately, I don't agree. Even skimming, I was bored. Started getting a headache.

Anyway, I'm putting it down at 131 pages because I can't take it anymore. I don't even care about the ending. Ugh.

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BLEEDING INTO NEW WORLDS by Sarah Jane Huntington

Bleeding Into New Worlds by Sarah Jane Huntington
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm a huge fan of Sarah Jane Huntington's work, so I love getting stuck into her stories.

Anna doesn't belong anywhere. She's all alone in the world and searching for a purpose, when she meets a group of people who welcome her into their lives and make astral travel sound easy. But nothing is easy in this world...

Yikes. This turned out to be quite an intriguing and totally fascinating trip down the darkest rabbit hole. The layers of reality are peeled back to reveal some wondrous and terrifying places that are so vivid, the imagery and gruesome worldbuilding will stay with me for a long while.

Anna's a lost soul whose vulnerability shines through every page. My sympathy for her never wavered. Not even through the most violent parts because her personal story is as horrifying as it is amazing.

There's a bit of Hellraiser within this very macabre cosmic tale about betrayal and self-discovery. About how important self-acceptance is in its many forms.

I loved this novella. It's another beautifully-written gem.

 

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TRUE CRIME by Samantha Kolesnik

True Crime by Samantha Kolesnik
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well, last night I picked out another novella that I've had on my Kindle for a while.

Suzy and Lim live with their abusive mother in a shitty house hiding too many despicable secrets. Until the day it's all too much and the siblings find themselves on the run...

O.M.F.G. 😳

This story is beyond fucked up. I mean, seriously. It's like watching a true crime documentary from the other side. From the side we don't want to see. Yet, that's what makes this book so damn addictive.

I seriously couldn't put it down because Suzy's voice is very strong and interesting. But also callous and quite gross. Suzy's attitude to life is so sad because the way she was raised deprived her of emotion and real human connection.

By the way, this novella needs all the trigger warnings because it touches on just about every awful thing that's sure to make a reader want to look away. Even though you can't. You might want to, but you won't.

As I said, Suzy's awful life and the disgusting people around her are sure to keep you glued to every ugly page. Even the few good people will make you uncomfortable.

This is such a well-written story. It's weird to say I enjoyed it, but I did. This story highlight how the horrid cycle of disgraceful abuse can twist the most innocent into a different kind of monster.

Utterly disturbing.


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HELENA by Claire L. Smith

Helena by Claire L. Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Last night, while looking through the many books I have on my Kindle, I decided to get stuck into this one.

It's 1855 and Helena Morrigan is a mortician struggling to make ends meet. That's how she ends up living in an old house that's close to the graveyard. But it also means that she befriends the Tarter siblings and realises she's not the only one with secrets...

I loved the rich atmospheric gothic vibes that dripped from every page of this novella. The sense of Victorian times, as well as the location was very vivid and pulled me into the story. Once I started, I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. And it didn't disappoint.

This is a fast-paced story about a very strong young woman determined to live her life even though she's suffered a lot of loss. She excels at a job most find macabre and in her time, struggle to understand why a woman would go anywhere near dead bodies. But she's not the only cool character. I really liked Audrey and Valerie because they're also women who aren't afraid to be themselves.

The creepy side of this tale kept me guessing but there were enough breadcrumbs throughout to realise exactly what Helena's dark secret is. And I found the writing charming. It was snappy and lovely, but also threw a hint of confusion into the narrative that made everything that little bit darker.

Really enjoyed this one!

 

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I have some awesome news!

Hey! How are you today? I hope February is treating you well.

I thought I'd pop in to mention some great news!

Here's the first bit:

That's right!

I have a new book coming out next month from Anuci Press. I'm SO excited!

Check out that fantastic cover, which was made by the very talented Adrian from Fabled Beast Design. I love it because this cover fits the story perfectly!

I can't wait for this book to be out in the wild. And that happens to be March 29th. ☺️

The other very cool piece of news is this:

 This is also very exciting because this novella is actually a sequel/companion to

SUFFER THE DARKNESS.

I don't have a release date for this one yet, but I can't wait to share more details when I have them. 😃

Well, there you have it! 

Finally got some reading done!

 

Open House by Nico Bell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After a super busy month, I wanted to start February with a bit of reading. And this novelette was the perfect choice because I read it in one sitting.

Caleb is an ambitious realtor in LA who's trying to sell a modern high-tech mansion to establish himself professionally and financially. But during an open house, he meets a mysterious woman who sends him down a twisted path he wasn't expecting...

Yikes. This is such an intense story! I was hooked from the start and loved that the twists and turns took me in directions I wasn't expecting. It's quite the roller-coaster ride that slowly unravels and doesn't let go until the very end.

I love stories that take a well-worn trope (which I can't mention because it's a spoiler) and turn it upside down. And that's exactly what happens here. Just when you think you know what's happening and where it's going, you run into a new surprise.

I REALLY enjoyed this fast-paced story!

----------------

Mandy by Stephanie Sparks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After finishing a very disappointing story, I decided to get stuck into this one and I'm glad I did!

When strangers knock on Mandy Fisher's door in the middle of the night she doesn't want to answer, but they're persistent. And as soon as she lets these two guys into her life, everything gets turned upside down…

Wow. This story! I enjoyed the hell out of this ultra violent and totally wild novella. I mean, this story needs all the trigger warnings because so much of what happens is SO wrong. Not to mention how uncomfortable I was during most of it because a lot of the story deals with a raging sexist asshole who treats every woman with violence. But don't get me wrong, he's not limited to one gender because Robbie is such a despicable character. Ugh.

But you know what? As bizarre as the concept is, because Mandy's gift is quite disturbing, this was so well written I couldn't put it down. I was on the edge of my seat all the way through, and really liked Mandy. As wrong as a lot of what she's done turns out to be, I really liked her. I felt sorry for her because she had the worst luck and life wasn't kind to her.

This is such a great novella and I need to read more books written by this author.

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HER HEART BEATS FOR ANCIENT BEASTS by Calvin Demmer

Ancient beings, merciless monsters, unearthly creatures, and other beasts roam these pages.

A short story collection.

When the author of this short story collection reached out, I was excited about reading his latest selection of short stories because I've enjoyed the other ones Calvin has released.

Here are my thoughts on each story...

HIGHWAY HUNGER: I really enjoyed this one. There's some great imagery and Dudley Ellington is a flawed but likeable main character.

NEVER SLEEP AGAIN: Reginald Barton is a retired cop facing a freaky case all over again. It's also my favourite story in this collection. LOVED how the creepy sense of dread is strong all the way through. Fantastic.

ANOTHER WARRIOR IN PARADISE: Senghor's story is all about blind faith and how sometimes it's best not to prove yourself.

HER HEART BEATS FOR ANCIENT BEASTS: Officer Rupert finds himself in the middle of a very strange situation that takes the reader into a bizarre mystery set in a vivid location. This is a great example of why I enjoy small-time horror so much.

THE RIVER RAN RED: Asani's story about rituals serves a purpose but doesn't hold many surprises. The descriptions were lovely, though.

KARMA: This is a clever cautionary tale about what we're doing to our precious planet told from Doctor Charles Carrington's POV after he crosses paths with a heavily injured woman. Some stunning imagery in this narrative. 

SHAPES IN THE WATER: A story about two brothers, a wormhole, a strange place, and a very freaky ending. Really liked that ending!

THE THRONE OF SPACE AND TIME: The format in this one is a little different. The tale unravels via a very interesting letter written by a historian called Phillip Murdoch.

FORBIDDEN FRUIT: All I'm going to say about Todd and Dan is that sometimes, you get what's coming to you. Lots of lovely imagery in this one too.

THE DESTROYER: A story of Egyptian mythology proportions.

Well, there you have it. This turned out to be quite an interesting collection of eclectic short stories and each tackles some kind of moral or commentary about our world and the way people relate, treat or act around their surroundings.

Every story featured many interesting characters. Some that I really liked, others not so much. I enjoyed some more than others, but every single story is well written.

You should definitely check out this short story collection with an awesome cover. Seriously, love that cover!

Her Heart Beats for Ancient Beings will be released in March 2024 for pre-order.

This Novel is Done!

Hey, how are you today?

Well, this week I got stuck into the final read-thru of my current revision. That means I sat down with my Paperwhite and read the story from start to finish.

This is when any weird sentences or repeated words stand out. Also, awkward phrasing and any excess. During this part of the revision process, I focus on all the nitty-gritty details. I added some words, then cut a bunch more. I also made all the changes on the Word doc after finishing each chapter.

Technically, I reached The End yesterday, but had to tweak a few last-minute details before calling it done.

The final word count is: 70,264.

I'm really excited about finishing this feminine rage, unhinged horror novel. It's full of unlikeable characters, complicated situations, toxic friendships, and a lot of manipulation. This is a dark story about the strange things that happen in the woods. It's also nonlinear, so I had a lot of fun putting all the puzzle pieces together. And scrambling them. 😁

Now that it's done, I'm mentally exhausted and need a few days off. Good thing it's a long weekend. Yay.

Have an awesome day!
 

More Revision & Some Editing!

Hey! How are you today? It's been a SUPER busy week, and it's left me feeling mentally exhausted. To be honest, the shitty weather didn't help. 😫

I'm SO glad the weekend is finally here!

Anyway, my goal for this week was to get through the third draft of the unhinged/wild novel I'm currently revising. So, I got stuck into it on Monday afternoon and ended up reaching the end by Wednesday night. Yay! It always feels good to reach this point because it means the story is almost done. There's only one more check left to do: to read the whole thing on my Paperwhite.

Actually, it's already sitting there waiting for me. LOL.

The word count is now: 70,932.

That's right, this story has made it past the 70k mark. I mean, I knew I was going to make some additions, but also deleted quite a bit. Not sure what the final-final word count will be, but that's next week's problem. 😅

After finishing such an extensive revision, I like to give myself a bit of a break. So the intention was to take Thursday, Friday and the weekend off to recharge my batteries. BUT!! Edits hit my Inbox on Thursday morning and there's no way I'm going to leave them there. Especially since I'm determined (obsessed) to get my WIP finalised next week...

So, I got stuck into the edit and managed to get it done. Sure, I kept working into the early hours of Saturday morning, but I was determined to get it done because I want to enjoy the weekend. I really need these two days off so I can be clear-headed when I start the final read-thru on Monday. Oh, and I have to decide on a title...

Well, that's it for now.

I'm going to enjoy the weekend with my awesome husband. And now that the weather has changed and the sun is back, I hope it sticks around for a while.

Have a great one!

Revision Time!

Hey! How are you today? I hope you all had a lovely new year! 😊

Although January always moves very slowly and my brain hasn't fully grasped that the lazy festive season is done, I decided to get stuck into my first writing project of 2024: the second draft of the novel I wrote back in November.

This is to kick-start my writing goals for this year, and to make sure that I continue to stick to my plan of staying on top of my finished first drafts. I did very well last year and revised the stories I wrote a month or two after finishing. So I want to keep that going.

Those eighteen months or so that I spent catching up on first drafts I pretty much abandoned to my hard drive motivates me enough to make sure I don't falter again. 😅

I started the revision on Monday and ended up reaching the end on Wednesday night. But last night I went back to add dates to the timeline. It was a lot trickier than I first thought but I've got everything figured out now. See, I wrote this story in a non-linear style. The events are happening in two different timelines but they're not in proper sequence. I know it sounds a bit weird, but totally fits this wild story.

Anyway, now it's done. So... yay.

This is the second draft word count: 69,152.

I'm very happy with this progress and can't wait to start the third draft next week. This is a strange little tale about unhinged women who aren't likeable, but sure as hell are interesting. They get up to some seriously crazy stuff and I'm looking forward to getting this finished and hopefully out into the world.

Well, asides from that, I've been having a nice week with my husband. Though there is one pesky thing that is causing me some anxiety. A publisher I signed a contract with last year has decided to stop communicating. I've tried to reach out with no success, but I have to keep trying.

That's it for today. Hope you all have an awesome weekend! ☺️

 

First 2024 Reads: Two Short Stories by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Lover by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I wanted to start the year with something quick and sharp, and this story definitely did the trick.

Judith longs to be free and escapes to a small shack in the woods whenever she can. Still, she can't escape all the chores and responsibilities that her prettier older sister, Alice, makes her do. Not until she really opens her eyes...

Wow, I loved this deliciously wicked fairy tale!

It's a little Red Riding Hood, a bit Cinderella, with a good dose of folklore thrown in, and a lot of adult content. Yeah, this is a great story!

I'm not surprised I enjoyed it so much because I LOVE every story I've read written by this awesome author.

 

________________________

The Tiger Came to the Mountains by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Since I had another Silvia Moreno-Garcia short story on my Kindle, and it's Friday, I decided to get stuck into it.

It's 1917 in Mexico and a revolution is going on outside a small farm with two women and a bunch of children. But thirteen-year-old Machorra longs for adventure, and she finds it in the mountains while hiding there with her sickly brother...

Well, that turned out to be quite an intriguing tale of family, adventure and myth. I like how it's also a little mystical and leaves you wondering. There's quite a bit of cruelty too, not so much in the actions, but in the words.

It's another great tale by this author. I really enjoy the way she tells a story.

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Some Kind of Goals

HAPPY NEW YEAR! ☺️🎉

The beginning of January always feels like a clean slate. A time to make personal plans and goals. A chance to get stuck into new things or continue doing the familiar, but with a new twist.

So, it's time for me to post my 2024 Goals.

I don't like to make New Year resolutions because I never stick to them. But I do put together a goals list because there are always things I want to accomplish.

This is everything I'd like to achieve/continue to do this year:

• Go for long daily walks
• Really get back into yoga and schedule maybe two workouts a week
• Brainstorming a bunch of ideas
• Celebrate the book/s coming out this year
• Write between 100-200k words
• Read 52 books
• Revise/finalise the first draft (unhinged women/girls novel) I wrote during November 
• Work on edits as they hit my Inbox
• Write a novel or two
• Write a novella or two
• Write some new short stories
• Finally put together/finalise my first short story collection & find a place to sub it to
• Continue to submit stories
• Keep playing Animal Crossing and get into some other cozy, cute puzzle games (ie. Fae Farm)

Well, these are my goals. ☺️

Are you making a list this year?