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Monday, 10 February 2025

CYNDI LAUPER: A Memoir by Cyndi Lauper

Cyndi Lauper: A MemoirCyndi Lauper: A Memoir by Cyndi Lauper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cyndi Lauper is an artist that I loved when I was a kid. I never forgot the first time I heard/saw the music video for Girls Just Want to Have Fun, because I loved the catchy tune and cool video. I loved her style and how different she was to other singers. And of course she was involved with wrestling, so it mixed two of my favourite things. Not to mention that she also did the song for The Goonies.

So yeah, she was a big part of my childhood in the 80s, and I still listen to her now.

I wanted to read her memoir because she's always seemed interesting. Plus, I wanted to hear all about her life directly from her. Cyndi's voice shines through every experience she shares. She doesn't hold back.

Another thing I really enjoyed was how her story follows a linear timeline, but at the same time goes off in little tangents that reveal insightful, inspirational, funny, and even sad experiences.

She's quirky and zany, and very creative. I love how much she appreciates art, music and fashion, how she's always combined all of these to make beautiful music and fun, bright visuals. In everything she does.

Her narrative voice is also very interesting and kept me glued all the way through. I remembered a lot of the stuff she covered, but was also surprised by so much of what she revealed. I would've liked to know more about Kinky Boots, but I guess she ran out of room. It's quite a hefty book already. ☺️

Anyway, if you're a Cyndi Lauper fan, you'll definitely enjoy this memoir. It's inspiring because of her creative process and activism, full of surprises, and includes some of the sadder things in her life.

Thursday, 6 February 2025

FIGHT CLUB by Chuck Palahniuk

Fight ClubFight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

My introduction to Tyler Durden was back in 1999 when we went to the movies to watch Fight Club but had to leave because the fire alarm went off halfway through and had to go back to watch it from scratch. 😳

Anyway, I've always wanted to read the book, and decided to check it out this week.

We all know the deal. The first rule of fight club is: you don't talk about fight club. It's a place where men who want to prove something to themselves, through violence, go to hang out with other men. But at the root of this little shindig is a lot more. An insomniac who wants to find meaning in his life soon starts a pathway to anarchy...

Well. Okay. I expected it to be dark and feature an unstable narrator, but... there are a lot of things about this story that bug me.

Let's start with the cool stuff. I actually really enjoyed the repetitive writing style, and how the story moves forward and back, only to return to the present. It established a sense of disorientation throughout, and fits the voice of someone who is slowly radicalising himself into anarchy via missed sleep.

I found the first half of the book quite interesting because watching a disillusioned man begin a personal quest to get some sleep soon morphs into an anti-capitalist agenda via underground violent—and let's be honest, juvenile—fights. It seemed like he was just trying to fill a void and found it in other men, which is fine.

But then, Project Mayhem enters the story and takes over everything. Now we've got a bunch of bruised and brazen guys who want to destroy civilization and co-ordinate acts of vandalism all over the place just because they're not fulfilled in their own lives, while still fighting like idiots. *yawn*

I read somewhere that this is an allegory for homosexuality. Well, I don't agree. I think it's an allegory about toxic masculinity and how mediocre white men always think they're owed shit and when they don't get it, cause mayhem. It's pretty much the equivalent of a toddler tantrum, which we see in society all the time.

And don't even get me started on the fact that in a book packed full of dudes, there was only space for one woman. And she happens to be a flaky cardboard cutout who's also a liar. Or that being raised by single mothers is apparently bad and makes men miss the father/man who left them and they spend their whole lives chasing a father figure. 🙄

Anyway, like I said, the first half was cool but the story got progressively worse as it neared the end. So much that when the twist reveal happened I didn't even care. And it wasn't because I already knew from the movie.

I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm older. Or maybe it's because white male tears don't impress me. It could even be that in a world where men are already so ridiculously violent, we don't need a story crying about how hard it is for them to find their way in the world.


View all my reviews

Monday, 3 February 2025

BRAVE NEW WORLD by Aldous Huxley

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley: A Visionary Dystopian Novel of a Controlled SocietyBrave New World by Aldous Huxley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is one of those books that I've wanted to read for ages, but kept putting off. I'm glad I finally got stuck into it because I really enjoyed it.

In the World State, from the moment of creation, everything and everyone is engineered, controlled, and psychologically manipulated in every way imaginable. Everyone has a job and a purpose, and share everything—including each other. The conditioning to conform is introduced from the beginning of life via sleep-learning and other techniques. Yet, there's always going to be someone who starts to question everything and longs for more...

Okay. Yikes. That was quite a ride.

I love how this story starts from a very technical POV to introduce a cold, dystopian world in an almost text-book style. This introduction not only sets the stage for the antiseptic ways of the world, but also explains everything in great and clinical detail so the reader understands exactly how these people exist. Then, before you realise it, several characters insert themselves into the narrative and their intertwined stories take over.

Bernard is a psychiatrist and outwardly appears to have the same attitude as the people around him, but his height and frame have always set him apart from the others. And now he starts to wonder about things. Lenina is devoted to her work in the Hatchery, but has a tendency to hook up with one guy more than once.

When these two go on a holiday together, they get swept up by what they discover in the Reservation. And then return to their city with unexpected guests that cause quite a bit of trouble to this 'stable' world.

And that brings me to John (or Savage). A character that I initially felt sorry for but then found myself not liking much. It's strange how the workings of the story end up affecting how you feel about the characters and their motivations, interactions, and attitudes.

So much about this tale is awful and uncomfortable to read, even rage-inducing. It's a clinical glimpse at a possible future where the rights of people are stripped before they're even born. A society that keeps people busy with work and then rewards them with drugs (soma) and casual sex. It's also a well written captivating story about what control and forced conformity can do to society. No matter what, human curiousity eventually prevails in some way.

I really enjoyed this book. A lot more than I thought I would. It's thought-provoking, certainly highlights a lot of issues within our own society, and ends in a way I didn't expect, but wasn't surprising. Tragic.


View all my reviews

February is here!

Can you believe that January is finally over?! Yikes. I mean, didn't January feel like it went on forever? One week felt like one month, and for a while there it felt like it would last the whole year. 😳

How are you? I hope you're still finding some happiness in this terrible world. I can't believe that this year has started in such an awful way, but I suppose that's what happens when people vote against their best interest. Or don't bother to really listen when someone tells them they're a fucking asshole. Or can't be bothered voting. Or maybe, just maybe, they let their hate and racism win over common-fucking-sense.

I could go on and on about this, but with every theory we'll all get angrier and depressed about the fact that our society is getting dumber by the moment.

So, let's move on.

Since I finished my latest WIP a few weeks ago, I've been catching up on a few things. I read and blurbed two very cool upcoming books. They were awesome, and I enjoyed the hell out of both. I also updated my domain name because having my own website is very important to me. And started sorting out several clustered areas around the apartment that are starting to weigh on me mentally.

Does that happen to you? I can usually function just fine with piles of small clutter, but eventually it starts to bug me. I'm nowhere near done, but the only way to do this is to tackle one bit at a time. I actually like sorting through stuff, but it's mentally exhausting.

I've also read a few books:

SHOCKAHOLIC by Carrie Fisher

CATS LIKE CREAM by Renee Miller

WITCHCRAFT FOR WAYWARD GIRLS by Grady Hendrix

And I'm halfway through BRAVE NEW WORLD by Aldous Huxley. I'm also totally addicted to HELLO KITTY HAPPINESS PARADE. My husband found this game on special the other day, and I've been playing it ever since. 😅

Oh, and the coolest thing that happened this week is that my debut short story collection was released on Tuesday!!! OMG. I'm SO excited.

I mean, look at this beautiful book:

I absolutely adore this cover because it captures the vibes of my tales perfectly. Luke Spooner/Carrion House did such a fantastic job! 😍

Here's the summary: A dark gathering of 17 melancholy horror tales where mothers, lovers, friends and monsters intersect with disastrous and tragic consequences.

These are horror stories that I've written and rewritten several times through the years until they became the best versions, which is what you'll find within these pages. 😊

There are already quite a few reviews on Goodreads and I love finding out which story each reader prefers. It makes me very happy.

If you're interested in grabbing a copy, it's available on Kindle, paperback and KU.

Asides from reading and celebrating a new release, I wrote a 2,400-word short story on my phone the other night. It's a slice of rage. A violent dystopian horror tale that came out of nowhere. I'd like to revise it sometime this week. I didn't plan to write anything because I'm supposed to be taking a mental break, but I don't question when the words strike. 😁

We also watched a few movies: NOSFERATU (aesthetically stunning, dark and Lily-Rose Depp was amazing, but it was just okay), SMILE 2 (cool horror story that makes you question everything that's happening), and THE LOST BOYS (to celebrate finishing another vampire first draft). And we started watching SEVERANCE, which is fantastic. Can't wait to see more.

Anyway, that's about it. Just thought I'd post a bit of an update.

Hope you have an awesome week! ☺️

Thursday, 30 January 2025

SHOCKAHOLIC by Carrie Fisher

ShockaholicShockaholic by Carrie Fisher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

While going through my Kindle books this afternoon, this one caught my eye. Then I started reading, and kept going until I reached the end.

Carrie Fisher never fails to capture my attention. She was quite the storyteller. She had such an eventful, and sometimes hard life, but it's impossible not to listen when she talks. Her words are like a spell that captivates the reader. So much that sometimes you forget you're actually reading about someone's real life.

In this book, she talks very honestly about her decision to have ECT to help cure her depression and soften her erratic thoughts. It was fascinating to read about what it involves and the side effect of memory loss. I was also shocked (pardon the pun!) to find out she had this procedure done quite a few times.

I enjoyed how easily she flowed from one thing to another. Nothing is off limits: her parents, step-parents, her drug use, the friendships that hurt the most, her daughter, her connection to Michael Jackson, Star Wars, being a celebrity, her weight... everything and anything.

It's entertaining, hopeful, and sad as well. She was a deeply troubled person who struggled with a lot, but she was also hopeful and interesting. Engaging, cared about people. She was larger than life, and absolutely hilarious.

This is the second Carrie Fisher book I've read but it won't be the last.


View all my reviews

Tuesday, 28 January 2025

MELANCHOLY DELUSIONS is now available!!

 Happy Release Day to my debut short story collection!

Yay. ☺️🎉

I'd like to thank Cemetery Gates Media for taking a chance on my first collection. Also for publishing and putting together such a lovely book. The end result is amazing! I'm SO excited and proud of this book.

Also, check out the beautiful cover, made by Luke Spooner/Carrion House, which captures the essence and melancholy vibes packed into these pages.

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


1. ALL MY PRETTIES

2. LOST IN TIME

3. GOLDSMITH’S ODDITY 

4. CLARA’S PHONE

5. SOMEWHERE TO BELONG

6. OTHER SIDE OF ME 

7. THE GIRLS DEVOURED BY THE WOODS 

8. SHORELINE

9. THE MAN IN THE RED SUIT 

10. OF YOU, THE END 

11. A PORTRAIT OF DEATH 

12. FADE INTO NIGHTMARE 

13. LADY OF THE HOUSE 

14. SLIPPING INTO 

15. ALLURE

16. STALKING THE SHADOWS 

17. FINDING SURVIVAL 


You can grab a copy right now:

Kindle | Paperback

ADD TO GOODREADS

This collection includes stories that have been with me for many years. Some were previously published, others are new to the world, but all of them have been through several evolutions.

I really hope you'll give these tales a go.

Thanks for reading!


CATS LIKE CREAM by Renee Miller

Cats Like CreamCats Like Cream by Renee Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was going through my Paperwhite today and randomly opened this book. Before I knew it, I was 25% in, so I kept going.

Elwin is a realtor and he has a bad habit of watching people as they go about their lives via hidden cameras he installed in their houses. But watching isn't enough sometimes and when he touches, things fall apart very quickly...

OMFG. This book is in the POV of a despicable and very gross man. A serial killer who likes to watch from afar. He also enjoys the taste of hair a little too much. I pretty much hated him the moment he appears on the first page, as he goes about his murderous ways, and all the way to that bittersweet ending.

He's one fucked-up individual.

Yet, as much as I hated this asshole, I also couldn't stop reading his story because this disturbing book hooked me in and everything moved at a good pace. I ended up reading this novella in one sitting.

I really liked the storytelling style too, and how brutal it is. No sugarcoating here.


View all my reviews

Saturday, 25 January 2025

WITCHCRAFT FOR WAYWARD GIRLS by Grady Hendrix

Witchcraft for Wayward GirlsWitchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I always look forward to reading the latest Grady Hendrix book. He's an auto-buy. Not just that, I also read it as soon as I get it. And his latest one is as awesome as I expected.

In Wellwood House, Florida, young pregnant girls are hidden away from their lives. Here, they spend their days cleaning and doing whatever it takes to keep their babies healthy and secret. Until it's time to have them ripped away and handed over to someone else. But in the summer of 1970, Fern arrives, and brings a witchy storm with her...

I loved everything about this book! The characters and location, the time period. All the awesome friendships these girls forge. How hard their lives are when everything they do is controlled and heavily supervised. The witchcraft that starts out so intriguing and fun but slowly reveals a corrupt heart in the centre of everything.

There are a lot of creepy scenes in this tale about girls who are made to feel like sinners who should be blamed for the situation they got themselves in, when in fact, they happen to be victims of circumstance. Of a society that takes advantage of girls and woman, then spits insults in their faces when things go wrong. And for the teenagers at Wellwood, a lot goes wrong. Putting their trust in someone who doesn't deserve it, is a mistake that drives much of the story all the way into an unimaginable darkness.

I have to mention that Hendrix did a great job with the uncertainty of pregnancy. He captured the highs and many lows. The birth scenes were graphic and portrayed the true horror of going into labour, as well as the hormonal and physical side effects.

The true horror in this book isn't the witches, although their actions certainly are, it's the real life aspects that are terrifying. What these poor girls endure from the adults who should be compassionate instead judgemental assholes. How their choices are stolen by using guilt against them, until they feel like they're garbage. It's quite sad.

I loved Fern, Zinnia, Holly and Rose. As well as Hagar and Miriam.

This is also an interesting cautionary tale about being careful that you don't become as bad as your oppressors.

View all my reviews

Wednesday, 22 January 2025

My Debut Collection...

Hey!

How are you today?

If you follow me on Bluesky, then you might have caught a glimpse of the 17 daily posts I've been adding this month. That's one for each of the stories in my upcoming debut short story collection...

MELANCHOLY DELUSIONS.

If you missed them, these are the graphics that I created for each tale:

 

And here's the 
Table of Contents:

1. ALL MY PRETTIES
2. LOST IN TIME
3. GOLDSMITH’S ODDITY
4. CLARA’S PHONE
5. SOMEWHERE TO BELONG
6. OTHER SIDE OF ME
7. THE GIRLS DEVOURED BY THE WOODS
8. SHORELINE
9. THE MAN IN THE RED SUIT
10. OF YOU, THE END
11. A PORTRAIT OF DEATH
12. FADE INTO NIGHTMARE
13. LADY OF THE HOUSE
14. SLIPPING INTO
15. ALLURE
16. STALKING THE SHADOWS
17. FINDING SURVIVAL

Plus, here's the blurb:

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

This beautiful cover was made by Luke Spooner/Carrion House and it's absolutely perfect.

I mean, look at the full paperback cover:


You can now pre-order an eBook copy, and the paperback will be available on release day, which is January 28.

A few very cool reviews have been added on Goodreads already.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll check it out!!

☺️


Monday, 20 January 2025

DAUGHTERS OF THE BLUE MOON by Millie Abecassis

Daughters of the Blue MoonDaughters of the Blue Moon by Millie Abecassis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'd like to thank the author for sending me a copy of this lovely novella with such a beautiful cover.

Just like her husband, Carmine is one of the village hunters. The day she goes searching for a wolf, that's been attacking the local sheep, by herself, she ends up getting badly hurt. As Carmine heals, she starts to remember long forgotten fragments that will change her life forever...

I started reading this book the other day to get a taste for it, and then picked it up again today and couldn't put it down. It's such a fantastical story that takes the reader into the heart of the woods, where the lives of wolves and humans collide in violence.

Carmine is such a great main character. She's strong, stubborn, caring, and determined. I really enjoyed getting to know her as she uncovers several long-buried family secrets that resurface after the trauma she suffers from her injuries. How she deals with everything intrigued me at every step.

I also think that the sense of location was lush, and I could feel the cold climate the characters found themselves in, and got lost in the dark woods with them, too.

Little Red Riding Hood is one of my favourite fairy tales, so I always love reading retellings... and this one didn't disappoint!

View all my reviews

Friday, 17 January 2025

My latest WIP is done!

Hey! How are you? What's new? How's this unstable world treating you?

I have a lot of issues about the many things going on at the moment, and this week I decided to focus on one that's been bugging me lately. Although I'm just one person, I've decided to leave Threads and Instagram. I want to distance myself from Meta because I don't agree with all the bullshit/changes the disgusting owner is making. They're no longer going to do fact-checking, and are allowing users to call other people slurs with no consequences. Meta thinks misogyny, homophobia, transphobia and racism is okay. That's before you consider the Al bullshit, or how he's sucking up to Trump. It's disgusting and I don't agree with any of it, so I decided to do something about it.

I've already deactivated Threads and will delete Instagram this weekend. Sometimes you have to take a personal stand.

That means that Bluesky is now my only social media. I'm still on Goodreads and will keep blogging, but I refuse to stay in a place that is so invested in destroying others. Especially now that the Orange Turd is back.

Asides from making the above decision, I spent the week adding more words to my WIP.

Here's how it went:
  • Monday: 84,164 (+4,941w)
  • Tuesday: 90,554 (+6,390w)
  • Wednesday: 92,542 (+1,988w)
  • Thursday: 92,907 (+365w)
Well... the first draft is done! Yay. ☺️🎉

I'm super excited to have reached the end because in November I wrote a vampire horrormance first draft that sparked this book! It was a tale that I didn't plan or expected to write, but like the main character in that story, this one wouldn't leave me alone. So much that I ended up taking a one week break at the beginning of December and then got stuck into this one right away.

Not even public holidays stopped the momentum. I ended the year with this story and kept going into the new year. Something I don't usually do. But like my husband always says: if your muse is speaking, listen. ☺️

And I'm glad I did.

After spending most of last year revising and editing without writing a new story, I managed to write 182,016 words between November and mid-January. Very happy with that.

When I finished the last WIP, we watched the 4K Ultra HD version of The Lost Boys to celebrateand had a blast. And will be doing the same this weekend!!

Anyway, that's it for now. Just wanted to post an update.

Have a great day!!

Saturday, 11 January 2025

Word Count Update!

Well. It's Friday, and I thought I'd post an update.

No, wait a sec! It's past midnight here in Sydney, so I suppose it's technically Saturday. LMAO.

Either way, it's time to weekend. 😁

So, how are ya? What have you been doing this week? How's the new year treating you? I've been busy writing, but the world is such a fucking mess right now. Between people idolizing loser billionaires who have no fucking clue, greedy haters who can't mind their own business, and intense climate change events... I just don't know where the fuck we're going. Or WTF we're doing.

I really wish we paid more attention to history, instead of repeating the shitty parts over and over. Ugh.

Let me get back to the writing. I'm working on my current WIP and still having a blast.

Here's my progress:

  • Monday: 58,120 (+4,521w)
  • Tuesday: 62,584 (+4,464w)
  • Wednesday: 69,251 (+6,667w)
  • Thursday: 73,961 (+4,710w)
  • Friday: 79,223 (+5,262w) 

Not bad, right? This was actually the first full week of writing I've had for a while after so many cool public holidays. And because I'm so caught up in what's happening, during every session this week I churned out high word count additions.

I stopped at a good spot tonight. The downward spiral to the end is going to be intense and very bloody. I can't wait to write it, but won't go back until Monday.

Also, if you follow me on social media, you might have noticed that this week I started posting graphics & small quotes from my upcoming short story collection. I'm having a great time sharing bits and pieces about each individual tale. There are 17 of them, and I've already shared five.

Oh! The first Goodreads review for MELANCHOLY DELUSIONS has been posted and it's fantastic! Check it out HERE! I absolutely LOVE it! Thank you, Rose Devours Books

One last thing, since a lot of crap has been going on with Meta—ranging from AI bullshit, removal of fact checking, allowing hate speech—I'm seriously thinking about signing out of the two social media accounts I have with them. I haven't decided yet, but I'm certainly getting sick and tired of fucking asshole tech-bros.

In the past two years I deactivated accounts at NaNoWriMo (gross behaviour with minors), Substack (gave nazis a platform), Twitter (destroyed by a dickhead) and Discord (nothing related to the actual app, more a bad association because of assholes). 

No matter what, you can find me on Bluesky, which is where I post the most. ☺️

Okay, that's it for today. Have a great weekend!!


Tuesday, 7 January 2025

SAGA #71 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

Saga #71Saga #71 by Brian K. Vaughan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Might as well start the week with the latest installment of this awesome series.

Yikes! There's SO much packed into this one, but everything feels like a preview/tease of more serious/important things to come. Like the bubble is building and very soon, it's going to burst.

As always, the art is beautiful in this issue. I absolutely love the aesthetic, style and colours in this world. It captures the wonder, danger and violence very well.

Apparently there's one issue left to end this current series and I can't wait to see what happens!


View all my reviews

Saturday, 4 January 2025

Still writing...

Hey! How are you? This isn't technically my first blog post for 2025, but it's definitely my very first update post. 😁

So, how's the new year treating you? It's a shame to see that the world insists on carrying forward the crappy violent and vile stuff. Between stupid people who don't understand how the world works, shitty 'politicians' and all the AI BS, it's sometimes really frustrating.

That's why I'm trying to concentrate on the good stuff. On all the things that make me happy: my awesome husband, writing stories, reading, cozy games, and going for nice walks.  The simple things in life are often the best and most fulfilling.

BTW, in case you're interested, this is how my 2024 Goals turned out, as well as the books I read last year. And here are my 2025 Goals.

Wednesday was a public holiday, so I only wrote four days this week. The only thing about taking a break is that when I get back to it, I end up doing quite a bit of backtracking. I don't mind because when I do, I end up adding details that I missed during my initial word frenzy.

Anyway, here's my word count progress:

  • Monday: 41,523 (+4,667w)
  • Tuesday: 47,570 (+6,047w)
  • Thursday: 50,018 (+2,448w)
  • Friday: 53,599 (+3,581w)
As you can see, the new year is here but I'm still writing my current WIP. I managed to add quite a few words and I'm really happy with how the story is going. As well as the unexpected surprises that keep popping up. Love it when that happens.

The other side of this story is turning out to be a lot darker than I expected. In the best possible way, of course. ☺️

Well, that's it for this week's update.

Have a fantastic weekend! 

Friday, 3 January 2025

SAGA #67 - #70 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

Saga #67Saga #67 by Brian K. Vaughan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a great way to start my 2025 Reading Challenge! I love this series and every time a new arc is released, I'm right there.

Great start to Hazel's story. It looks like the family is getting into the whole travelling circus thing and we're about to meet some new characters. Some old ones, too. The overall tone of the story already feels bleak, though, so I'm looking forward to finding out where it goes...

--------------------------------  

Saga #68Saga #68 by Brian K. Vaughan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well, I'm already getting a bad feeling about some of the new characters. As much fun as Hazel's new friend seems to be, I think Emesis is going to get her into a lot of trouble. And the emo kid is going down a dark path, too. 😳

Anyway, I'm really enjoying this. It's always great to catch up with Petrichor!

One final note: as usual, the artwork in this series is FANTASTIC! So colourful. Just stunning.

--------------------------------  

Saga #69Saga #69 by Brian K. Vaughan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Yikes! That cover is really something. 😳

This issue presented a whole bunch of new problems that will definitely affect or destroy Alana, Hazel and Squire in the future. I have to admit that makes me nervous because I can see a bunch of betrayal on the horizon.

Also, there was a page in this instalment that totally freaked me out. It's cool to see Lying Cat again, though.

Let's see where this leads...

--------------------------------   

Saga #70Saga #70 by Brian K. Vaughan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this volume, but now I have a new character to fret over. That precious corgi must stay safe at all costs.

Anyway, just like the previous issue, a lot of things are being set up that will come into play later on. I'm curious about Hazel's band, want to see where Petrichor is headed, hope that things work out for Squire, and I'm glad we finally found out who's leaking information out of the circus.

Looking forward to the next one.

View all my reviews

Wednesday, 1 January 2025

Some Kind of Goals

HAPPY NEW YEAR! ☺️🎉

I hope that 2025 is an awesome year for all of us.

For me, January usually feels like a clean slate, but this year I'm carrying forward a project.

In the past, by the time December hits, I'm mentally exhausted and stop working on new stuff. But this past December, I started writing a new novel even though I knew there was no way I'd get it finished by December 31st. 😅

Either way, I'm still going to add a list of personal plans and goals right here. I don't like to make New Year resolutions because I never stick to them. But I do put together a goals list because it's a lot easier to accomplish.

So, here are my 2025 Goals:

  • Continue to go for long daily walks
  • Try to get back into (at least one weekly) yoga workout
  • Finish writing my current first draft WIP 
  • Celebrate the release of my first short story collection: MELANCHOLY DELUSIONS 
  • Write between 100-200k words
  • Read 52 books
  • Revise/finalise the two vampire first drafts
  • Work on edits when they hit my Inbox
  • Write a novel (or two)
  • Write a novella (or two)
  • Write a few short stories
  • Keep playing Animal Crossing daily
  • Get into other cozy, cute puzzle games

Well, that's it! ☺️

Are you making a list this year?

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