Monthly Review: June 2019

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Another month almost gone!

Since last WEEK, I have: 1) stopped reading the first book on my list of Summer goals. My doubts were justified, and I could not finish a fantasy with poorly represented people of color, and also just bad writing. The book was published around the time We Need Diverse Books made its first waves, and I know a lot of well-meaning non-POC authors took up the mantle instead of making space for POC authors to make the diverse stories (and publishers let them), so that's clearly where this stemmed from. I want to say the times have changed, but not by much according to the recent results from children's books. But I digress;

2) started reading a book NOT on my list of Summer goals, because why follow my own rules? Pfft. I started reading Cinder by Marissa Meyer, and oh my God, is it good. I'm already finished Book One. I can't wait to see what happens next. I will be reading while manning the front desk at work;

3) gotten a good report from a biopsy I had done. The lymph nodes in my neck are reacting to something, so I guess I need to head back to my primary doctor. The ENT said it's a bad allergy season, and I HAVE been struggling, even on my allergy meds, so I wouldn't be surprised;

4) received the schedule for the Ace/Aro Conference in New York I'm attending this Saturday! I'm excited. This is my first event I'm attending as a semi-out demisexual, and I can't wait to connect and meet others. They're holding two writing lectures, too, so I want to try to get to both;

5) won two Apex Legends matches! This one isn't that important, but I'm a video game nerd, and I haven't even won a squad or solo match in Fortnite yet, so I thought I'd share;

and last but not least: 6) seen the almost done cover of Fractured Princess. I'm so excited. This has been a long journey for me, and I know I needed the time because the story wasn't perfect in 2010 when I finally wrote The End on it. I don't plan to stop working on subsequent books like I did this one, but I think now I have enough experience to know what to and what not to do, so the process won't be a full decade. Here's hoping.

I hope your June has treated you well. Please let me know in the comments!

June Writing Update

First off, Happy Juneteenth! If you don't know what that is, please research it. TLDR: June 19, 1865 was the day the announcement of the abolition of slavery in the U.S. reached Texas. It really should be a national holiday, but . . . this is America.

Anyway, onto my writing update! Here's Snoopy, making writing cool since the 50s.

I was about to say I haven't done any writing, but actually, that's not true. I've written a very pivotal scene in Divided Princess, sequel to Fractured Princess. Stepping into the waters with this story, there are some dynamics I still have to figure out, but I imagine that just like Cyan and Jonnie created their own dynamic during, like, draft SIX, I think things will work themselves out eventually.

I skimmed The Queen's Daughters yesterday so I can work on more scenes for it. I'm a little stuck, even though I know what the next scene is. It's not even a hard scene, as far as I know, so I should just type away at it, even if it's fragments of the scene, so I can move on. This story is really going to be emotionally tough and will have at least two trigger warnings, but the inciting incident also stems from an emotional purge for me, so I knew it wouldn't be sunshine and rainbows. I've never been able to write sunshine and rainbows. I'll try one day, I promise.

Book news: I've pushed publication to July, but I should have the cover in the next two weeks. I can't wait to share it with everyone! I wanted to update the look of my blog; technically, it's been the same since the old blog, so once I have the cover, I will be able to change the theme up and get rid of the watercolor background. I love it, but I want this blog to look a little more professional once I'm published. I can't wait to test that out, too!

Wednesday Words update: Two more books I forgot I had on hold came in for pickup at the library, so I've added them to my post from last week. I'm being REALLY ambitious this Summer!

Next week is my monthly update, so I hope you all have been enjoying June so far, and I will see you later!

Wednesday Words: Summer Reading Goals

Happy Wednesday!

We're halfway through June already, but there's still time for me to try to read! I have 2 or 3 stories left in How Long 'Til Black Future Month?, so I have nothing to share with you all, except that this book is AMAZING!

What I will do is share what I plan to read this summer (and unfortunately, the tags are too long, so I suppose I will just put the titles and not the authors in there). Links are below the covers, by which I'm judging these books today.

Jala's Mask, Michael and Rachel Grinti

I'm a little iffy about this one. I was really excited to see black characters on the cover, but at the same time, this is not an own voices narrative. I do wonder what made Mike and Rachel Grinti decide to write what looks to be a tribal pirate narrative (already problematic), but I'll see how authentic it feels, or if it's just white characters in blackface.

Reign of the Fallen, Sarah Glenn Marsh

I've wanted to read this one ever since I saw the cover. I have to remember Sarah Glenn Marsh is not Sarah J. Maas, who I am also interested in reading (and Sarah G. looks like the main character on Sarah J.'s Throne of Glass books except the first one, which might actually BE Sarah J., but either way that adds to my confusion quite a bit). Anyway, THIS COVER. I love skulls, and a skull with a crown on it just piques my interest to the utmost.

An Ember in the Ashes, Sabaa Tahir

Someone said my writing style is like Sabaa's, so I've wanted to read this one for a while now, too. This one has a lot of different covers. I'd never seen this one until I searched my library catalog. There are little details I only notice by looking for a long time. It's a very interesting choice. I haven't read a book whose setting is inspired by ancient Rome, I don't think, so I can't wait to see what happens here.

Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree, Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani

This piqued my interest because I have an infatuation with baobabs. On the flip side, this book is based on the kidnappings in Boko Haram, a much scarier narrative than the cover gives away. Maybe it's the alliteration that made me think, "ooh fun," but obviously, this will not be a "fun" read. I can't imagine what some of those families are going through, as many of the girls are still missing.

A Natural History of Dragons, Marie Brennan

DRAGONS! This is marked as historical fiction, so I believe Lady Trent is a real person I will have to look up. This cover is so cool, though. I'm sure people thought this woman was a little crazy. The closest thing we have to dragons are komodo dragons, and I don't know if they really count. I can't wait to see what's in this "memoir."

June 19th update: Two more books came in from the library that I forgot I put on hold! -_- I want to read more books with asexual representation, and the following two were on the list. The cover I'm used to seeing for Radio Silence is really pretty (girl in tv static colors), but this one is okay, too. The 27 Hours cover, though: MAGICAL!

27 Hours, Tristina Wright

Radio Silence, Alice Oseman

What are you reading this Summer?

Insecure Writer's Support Group

It is JUNE! That means Cancer Season is COMING!

It also means it's time for the monthly Insecure Writer's Support Group, where we writers throw our fears to the wind and visit other writers to offer encouragement. I definitely don't have as much time to do that as I used to, but I try.

Thank you to Alex J. Cavanaugh for creating this space! Join him and the co-hosts this month by visiting the IWSG Website.

I don't have much to say that I haven't already the past few weeks, so I thought I'd just answer the question of the month and let y'all go view other blogs.

Of all the genres you read and write, which is your favorite to write in and why?

Honestly, I miss writing romance. I can't remember where I said this, but I was the Nicholas Sparks of Backstreet Boys fanfiction. I loved the tear-jerker romances I used to write. I don't know if I'll get back to them, but it is definitely my favorite that I've written in.

What about you?