Battery Problems...

Hello! How are you today?

Well, the last week of August is turning out to be a bit of a weird one. I mean, it's cool that the weather is mellowing out a bit. It's also nice that the sun doesn't fully set until just before six. And I'm glad the rain finally stopped, but something just felt... off. Of course, it could be the change in my husband's roster, or maybe because we didn't get enough sleep several times this week.

Either way, I'm not sure why winter is ending on such a shitty note, but I'm glad it's almost over. Can't wait for spring.

Oh, you know what else happened? My phone started acting weird. The battery decided to do percentage countdowns out of nowhere before clonking out completely. So I looked into it and according to several places, the Pixel is known for battery swelling. Um... WHAT? Since when?? And after more research, I thought: at least mine isn't doing that. Except, after taking the case off to make sure, it WAS SWOLLEN! The whole right side of the screen was popping up. 😳

And according to the internet, it wasn't safe to use it for more than a couple of days before facing the risk of your phone combusting. WTF?! Man, that scared the hell out of me. I mean, how did this happen? No one knows the exact reason, btw.

We've had our Pixel 6 (we both got one at the same time) for about three-and-a-half years. IMO, electronic devices die too quickly. No doubt, a feature that's purposely done to make us upgrade. Ugh.

So, I now have a new phone. Yay. A snazzy lilac Motorola Moto g86 Power. No more Pixels for me, thanks. I spent the majority of Friday night customising and adding stuff to it. I've had it for twenty-four hours and really like it.

What an unexpected ordeal! Yikes.

Luckily, before my phone died, I completed another short story. Another one that turned out longer than I expected, and a lot sadder too. Tragic, even.

Total word count: 3,104.

Here's the new vampire world update: two novels, one novelette, and fourteen short stories. At this stage, the total word count has passed 51k, so we're looking at an entire volume of stories from a variety of secondary characters. And that makes me very happy because I'm enjoying myself.

I LOVE telling stories. It's such a wonderful feeling.

Anyway, I started another shortie too. Now that my phone is ready to use, hopefully I'll get back to it. But first, I've got to finish tidying up my desk. That's my next spring cleaning project.

I guess that's about it for this week. Had to deal with some unexpected stuff, and we also went to the dentist for our six-moth cleaning/check up appointment.

Have an awesome weekend!!

REVIVAL, Vol. 1: You're Among Friends by Tim Seeley & Mark Norton

Revival, Vol. 1: You're Among Friends by Tim Seeley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

We finished watching the first season of REVIVAL last weekend, so I started reading the comic book series yesterday.

In a town located in Wisconsin, the dead came back to life. For just one day. While Officer Dana Cypress is investigating a case, she finds out a serious secret about her younger sister. But there's also the media to deal with, as well as religious zealots, the government, and the mystery about why this happened...

I really enjoyed the first volume, which includes the first five issues. I like the similarities, but also enjoyed discovering the many (many) differences. I'm so surprised about all of the extra subplots and secondary characters.

It's interesting, violent, and the artwork is beautiful.

I'm definitely looking forward to reading more.


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Rainy Words & Books

Hey! How are you today?

Well, the weekend is here and the sun finally decided to make a comeback after FIVE DAYS of NON-STOP RAIN. 😱

Seriously, it was unbearable. Especially for someone who doesn't like rainy days at the best of times. It was so bad that it got in the way of my daily walks. Too much rain sucks and because I walk around the river, the puddles are huge. I really hope that it's done for a while.🤞

Asides from putting up with all this shitty weather, I've been really busy spring cleaning/reorganising. I have a lot of books and stationery so I'm determined to trim the fat while going through everything. The worst thing about doing this is finding books that I love (I'm a bibliophile, after all) that are riddled with foxing. 😫

It sucks and I just don't understand why this happens.

Anyway, I also completed the final read-thru of the short story I wrote last weekend. After the first draft, I suspected the word count would go up to 2k, but it ended up even longer.

Total word count: 3,159.

I was actually surprised that this tale turned out this long, but after some very handy feedback from my husband, I added and rewrote the ending. Very happy with how it turned out.

Here's the new vampire world update: two novels, one novelette, and thirteen short stories.

BUT! As expected, as soon as that story was finished, I started a new one. The words came to me in a rush after I woke up on Thursday morning and boy, it felt so good to get this one finally written because it's lived in my brain for a while now. 

I'm up to third draft and the word count has reached: 2,994. I'm looking forward to revising and completing this one.

Tonight we finished watching REVIVAL S1 and OMFG, this show is amazing!! I enjoyed the hell out of it and that ending was: 😳!!

Well, that's about it for now.

Hope you have an awesome weekend!!

CHLORINE by Jade Song

Chlorine by Jade Song
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've wanted to read this book for a while and decided to get stuck into it last night.

Ren Yu loves swimming. Her whole life revolves around the pool, her teammates, and her strict coach. Another thing Ren loves is mermaids. This is how her simple life as a girl leads to so much more...

I was hooked from beginning to end. Ren's voice is engaging and the way she shares her story is unflinching. She doesn't hold back from revealing all the good and bad things, the mild ones in between, as well as the harsher side of being a competitive swimmer.

Yeah, I really enjoyed this book and wasn't surprised where it led because Ren's obsession with mermaids, freedom, and chlorine were too much for one teenage girl to keep inside. Especially when you consider the injury she's so keen to ignore, and the pressures all the adults force upon her.

While I liked everything about Ren's narrative, I found her time with Ess during her first summer job as a lifeguard (at the community pool) to be especially charming. Not just because it was therapeutic for her, but it's also another chapter that leads to the shocking conclusion.

So glad I finally read it! 🧜‍♀️


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Telling More Stories...

How are you today? I hope you had a great week!

I spent this week doing a bunch of things, while hoping that the rain would go away. We've been having too much rain lately and it's bugging the hell out of me because I like to bitch about shitty weather. 😫

I just want more than one sunny day during the week. Is that too much to ask? At least spring is around the corner. Two more weeks of winter left. Can't wait because I'm done with the cold.

So, my main goal was to get another short story (that I wrote last weekend) finished. This one turned out to be quite a sad tale, and a lot longer than I thought it would be. It broke my heart, though.
 

Total word count: 5,848.

And here's my vampire world update: two novels, one novelette, and twelve short stories. Very cool.

It's funny how this keeps happening. I finish a story, decide to take a break and figure that it'll take at least a few days before I get started on a new one, but then I go for a walk and start drafting the next one in my head. LOL. It's really amazing, but these characters are loud, and I can't ignore them.

Another awesome thing I'm enjoying is the way I'm toying with different styles and formats to tell these tales.

Anyway, the first draft of the next story is done at: 1,758. I suspect the next draft will probably push it over the 2k mark, but I'm glad I wrote another one to add to the collection. 😊

Well, aside from the writing and revision, I read another novella. I also got a bunch of spring cleaning done and reorganised my bookshelves. It was a lot of work and I felt sore the next day, but it was great.

One last thing, if you're interested in checking out my debut short story collection, MELANCHOLY DELUSIONS, you can grab a Kindle copy for 99c! Sale ends on Monday.

Okay. Hope you all have an awesome week!

BARGAIN ALERT!

MELANCHOLY DELUSIONS

Cemetery Gates Media

My debut short story collection.

A dark gathering of 17 melancholy horror tales where mothers, lovers, friends and monsters intersect with disastrous and tragic consequences.

CHECK OUT THE REVIEWS ON GOODREADS

👻😈💀

AN UNNATURAL LIFE by Erin K. Wagner

An Unnatural Life by Erin K. Wagner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I read that this novella was Murderbot meets To Kill a Mockingbird, I HAD to check it out.

812-3 is a robotnik and he's in prison because he killed a human worker, but he says he didn't do it. His lawyer, Aiya Ritsehrer, agrees to post an appeal, but in Europa, the military doesn't appreciate her interference...

I really enjoyed this SF tale. Not just because it's set on Jupiter's moon, Europa, and introduces an intriguing robot character, but also because it explores a lot of interesting themes.

Prejudice. Violence. Conspiracy. Disrespect. Violation of an individual's life. What constitutes an individual? How the moral code is so easily corrupted by humans.

I also liked Aiya because although she carries her own prejudices and is fed up with people, she still wants to do the right thing. No matter what that means, which includes putting herself in danger.

It's a bleak and sad story, but it's great! And I enjoyed the writing style and worldbuilding.


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So Many Short Stories!

How are you today? Did you have a nice week?

Although the rain stuck around last weekend, it eventually went away during the week. So we finally got a chance to catch up on the washing and went for walks around the river without pesky umbrellas. But it's supposed to come back. 🙄

The last time I posted, I talked about finishing another short story. Surprise, surprise, I ended up doing the same thing again.

Last Sunday, between sorting a bunch of stuff, I ended up writing a new shortie (1,550w) on my phone. And then worked on it some more, and more... until I completed the final read-thru on Thursday night.

Total word count: 3,395.

This story came to me pretty quickly and during my afternoon walks, I ended up coming up with several twists and turns that strengthened the narrative. I'm very excited about how it turned out. And of course, I've already started another short story.

Yeah, the vampire world I created keeps getting bigger and bigger. The best thing about it is how much fun I'm having with the many characters who won't stop whispering their stories directly into my brain.

So, here's the update: two novels, one novelette, and eleven short stories.

Asides from that, I spent most of the week reading the rest of the Carniepunk anthology. The book contains fourteen stories and I enjoyed thirteen of them. There's a single awful story that I can't believe was included. I mean, eleven of these stories are absolutely fantastic. This is definitely one of the best anthologies I've ever read because the majority of the tales were so interesting and well-written.

You can read all of the individual reviews below.

I also read a novella and started another one. 

Yeah, I'm reading as much as I can between writing and sorting. And grabbing whatever book I feel like at the time. I love reading and books and stories so much.

Well, that's about it. I'm going to enjoy a three-day weekend with my husband.

Have an awesome one! 😁

A PSALM FOR THE WILD-BUILT by Becky Chambers

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've had this novella on my TBR pile for a while and decided to get stuck into it last night.

Monk has a good life in the City, but feels like there's something missing. So they venture out to the villages to become a tea-monk. But that's still not enough. So they venture out into the Wilderness, where they encounter Mosscap...

I found this story to be so philosophical. It's also bittersweet, but so very cozy. And somehow calming. Like a comforting blanket on a cold winter night. And that's before Mosscap is introduced. This self-aware robot adds a lot of awesome to this tale of pursuing more, even if you're not sure what that more happens to be.

There's some wonderful conversations between Monk and Mosscap. Things that make you think, and question the purpose of existence. Or if we even need to question it.

Such a well-written story set in an interesting world that I thoroughly enjoyed.


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THE DEMON BARKER OF WHEAT STREET by Kevin Hearne & THE SWEETER THE JUICE by Mark Henry

Carniepunk: The Demon Barker of Wheat Street by Kevin Hearne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This great short story is part of The Iron Druid Chronicles. I've read the first two books in this series, as well as a few other short stories, so it was good to catch up with Atticus.

The druid, Atticus, his apprentice, Granuaile, and the Irish wolfhound, Oberon, are in Kansas because Granuaile is hoping to catch a glimpse of her mother. They don't see her, but end up in the middle of a demonic problem...

Great story! It's an interesting and gnarly standalone tale set in this intriguing world. Lots of freaky demonic characters, plenty of unsuspecting humans, and a lot of magical action.

Atticus is such a cool character and so is Granuaile. Not to mention the adorable and always hilarious Oberon.

Yeah, I really enjoyed this!

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Carniepunk: The Sweeter the Juice by Mark Henry
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

OMFG.

I have to start with this: all the bad things the other reviewers mentioned here are right.

This is a terrible story. Not only because of the obvious transphobia, but also because it's a really shitty story. It's all over the place. It makes no sense. It's not even about a CARNIVAL. Like, at all. If the author was trying to be funny and witty, that's even worse.

I hated it. And actually can't understand how such a gross short story made it into a high-quality anthology featuring a great collection of stories. Except for this one, of course.

Total disappointment.


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RECESSION OF THE DIVINE by Hillary Jacques & DAUGHTER OF THE MIDWAY, THE MERMAID, AND THE OPEN, LONELY SEA by Seanan McGuire

Recession of the Divine by Hillary Jacques
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love Greek mythology so I was looking forward to reading this one.

Olivia does inspections for an insurance company, but she wasn't always human. She's bound her powers while living in the human world and the day she inspects an accident in a travelling carnival, everything unravels...

You know, I should've loved this tale because, like I mentioned above, I love when Greek mythology is mixed into modern narratives. Olivia was interesting enough and so was the muse that keeps popping in and out, but there was something about this story... I'm not even sure what it was, but it's missing something.

Yeah, I liked many of the elements and carnival descriptions, even the writing style, but I didn't love it.

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Carniepunk: Daughter of the Midway, the Mermaid, and the Open, Lonely Sea by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

With a title like this one, I was intrigued instantly.

When Ada’s carnival passes through Alabama the secrets buried in the past rise to the surface...

Wow. What a stunning tale. The melancholy storytelling is as thick as the wonder about Ada's family and the world she lives in. The carnival is all she's ever known, but stopping at this town changes everything.

I especially found her mother's story to be the saddest, but of course that carries forward to her daughter as well. And Ada is such a lovely character that my heart broke.

Loved this. Very moving. And that ending. 😫


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PAINTED LOVE by Rob Thurman & PARLOR TRICKS by Jennifer Estep

Carniepunk: Painted Love by Rob Thurman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I didn't know what to expect from this story, but I'm really glad I read it. That's for sure!

Doodle has been all over the world meeting people. He usually blends into the background, more an observer than a participant. But when he meets Bartholomew, all of that changes...

OMFG. This story!! Everything starts out simple enough, and then you slowly start to realise that you have no idea what's really going on. Well, until you understand EXACTLY what's going on and: 🤯 !!

Yikes. I loved this so much. The writing style totally hooked me in, and I couldn't stop reading. There's something very disturbing about Doodle's story, but the way that it's told weaves a spell of dark magic around the reader. There's plenty of ugly, but there's also some fascinating imagery.

Awesome!

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Carniepunk: Parlor Tricks by Jennifer Estep
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This story is part of the Elemental Assassin series. I've actually read several other short stories set in this world, as well as the first book, so it was cool to catch up with Gin again.

Gin and Bria are sisters who go to the carnival looking for a missing teenage girl, but they get more than they bargained for when Esmerelda the Amazing sets her sights on Bria. Good thing Gin is also an Elemental Assassin...

What a fun story! What starts out as two sisters going to the carnival soon becomes the mystery of what happened to a missing girl last seen at the carnival, and delves into the cunning secrets of a ringmaster who is willing to do whatever it takes to stay young.

I really enjoyed it! I also should get back into this series. 😊


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HELL'S MENAGERIE by Kelly Gay & FREAK HOUSE by Kelly Meding

Carniepunk: Hell's Menagerie by Kelly Gay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well, this short story packs a hell of a punch! It's part of the Charlie Madigan series and although I haven't read it yet, I still really enjoyed the story.

Emma is determined to rescue a litter of hellhound pups that were stolen, and when Rex finds out, he tries to stop her. Instead, they end up catching the eye of a creepy ringmaster who has plans of his own...

I was seriously hooked from the beginning and absolutely love this version of hell. The details were so vivid and the worldbuilding so natural that I had no trouble visualising everything. There's a lot of creepy, freaky stuff that goes on here.

Also, did I mention it's action-packed?

The story is told in the alternating POVs of Emma, a twelve-year old with a really cool power, and Rex, a former jinn and now human.

Terrific story that makes me want to get stuck into the series!

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Carniepunk: Freak House by Kelly Meding
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the prequel short story to the Strays series. I haven't read any of the books, but I still enjoyed it. A lot.

Shiloh Harrison's djinn father has gone missing and she's just figured out where he is. Held in a freakshow hosted by a despicable warlock. When she teams up with a human and a werewolf, she finds more than she bargained for...

This is definitely a solid and very interesting urban fantasy tale that introduces a cool half-djinn heroine with some very unique set of powers. I thought the worldbuilding was excellent, and I love the characters. As well as Shiloh's voice.

It's an awesome story that has me intrigued. I need to know more...


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A CHANCE IN HELL by Jackie Kessler & THE INSIDE MAN by Nicole Peeler

A Chance in Hell by Jackie Kessler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well, this was another great story! I haven't read the Hell on Earth series, but I enjoyed the hell (pardon the pun) out of this one.

Jezebel used to be a succubus but she's just a human now. Well, a human who has access to a very powerful sword. But when her Ceci insists on going to a travelling carnival, demonic trouble finds her...

Wow. This is a very cool and very fun story featuring an awesome heroine who knows everything about Hell because she used to live there. I loved her voice and how the worldbuilding felt very natural and interesting.

I'm a sucker for a good demonic tale and this one didn't disappoint. Also, I enjoyed the playful, raunchy side of the story. And I have to admit that I would love to know more about the incubus, Daunuan. 😈

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The Inside Man by Nicole Peeler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This one is a creepy story that needs several trigger warnings because it contains scenes that show sexual abuse.

Capitola, Shar, and Moo are private investigators of the supernatural kind. When they're hired by a mob boss to find out what's been happening to a bunch of towns where the people are left empty, the girls find themselves in the middle of nowhere. With a clown...

Yikes! This is another great story with a cool mystery that turns out to be super creepy. And freaky as well. The way that clown is described sure is nightmare fodder. 😳

I really liked the main character in this one.
Capitola is interesting and funny, has a lot of attitude and intriguing origins. Not to mention her two equally interesting friends.

I've read a few books in the Jane True series and really enjoyed them but I don't remember these three side characters.

I really enjoyed this!


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It's August!

Hey! Can you believe how fast the year is going?! Yikes. 😳

So, how are you? I hope you're having a cool week. Here, in Sydney, the weather took a turn for the miserable on Wednesday. And it's been raining since. It's also freaking cold. I dislike being cold. At least it's the last month of winter.

After a week full of editing, I wanted to take a mental break. You know, a bit of reading and sorting. Maybe taking story notes. Instead, I started writing a new short story on Sunday night and kept adding words. A few days later, the first draft was done. Then, I did the second draft, and... To cut a long story short, I completed the final read-thru tonight.

Total word count: 5,781.

So much for a break, right? 😅 But if a story hounds me, I'm not going to ignore the words. Especially since everything about this tale was so vivid in my mind, and I couldn't wait to write it. Before you ask, yes, it's another story set in my vampire world. 

That's 2 novels, 1 novelette, and 10 short stories. So far. Because I'm not done yet. I'm very excited about all of these characters, their world, and I can't stop writing about them. Which is awesome. Writing these stories make me happy.

As for the reading side of things, it didn't start well. I got stuck into Rose Madder on Monday, but had to put it down the next day because I couldn't get into it. I found the beginning intriguing but lost interest fast. Here are my thoughts.

Instead, I started reading some Carniepunk short stories. I've read four so far and they're awesome. Very impressed with the quality of these dark tales. Looking forward to reading more. You can check out my reviews below.

Okay. That's about it. I'm excited about the weekend.

Hope you have an awesome time!

THE THREE LIVES OF LYDIA by Delilah S. Dawson & A DUET WITH DARKNESS by Allison Pang

Carniepunk: The Three Lives of Lydia by Delilah S. Dawson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a story set in the Blud world, so I was excited about checking it out. And wow, glad I did!

When Lydia wakes up in a strange and dangerous, but exciting world, she meets Charlie Dregs and agrees to become the Tattooed Lady. But nothing is as it seems...

Like I said, this is an amazing short story. First, I got swept up in the mystery of how Lydia got to Sang. Then, I was captivated by the mutual attraction between Lydia and Charlie. Before I feared about her safety. Until I was shocked to find out the truth.

Yikes!

O.M.G.

This is definitely a story I'll think about often. It's so well written, and so dark. A twisted fairy tale that I enjoyed. A lot.

Fantastic!!

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Carniepunk: A Duet with Darkness by Allison Pang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the prequel to the Abby Sinclair series and features a few familiar faces.

Melanie is a gifted violinist trying to escape the pressures of someone else's expectations. She's happy touring with a band of OtherFolk and everything is fine until they hit the carnival...

I really enjoyed this! It's a great story that is able to establish a lot of worldbuilding without much effort. There's no infodump, everything is revealed very organically. And I loved the cast of characters.

Incubus. Werewolf. Fallen angels. And so much more.

One of the best things about this story is how well it taps into becoming a cautionary tale about pride. Melanie is a great musician but she's got a chip on her shoulder and is too arrogant to see what's happening right in front of her eyes. Instead of appreciating what she's got and the one person who truly cares about her, she does the unthinkable.

BTW, Nobu is such an intriguing character.

Awesome story!


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