Here is what I read, posted, won, received, and bought in September.
Let me know if you have read any of these books and what you thought of them.
Books I Read:
Books Reviewed:
Fall for Him by Andie Burke—review here
Tough Luck by Sandra Dallas—review coming April 29th, 2025
Lucy Undying by Kiersten White—review here
Books I got from NetGalley:
Books I got from indie…
"In their petition, the ardent culture warriors claim the books expose kids to “obscene depictions of sexually explicit acts.” The books in question include People Kill People, a YA novel by bestselling author Ellen Hopkins about the deleterious effects of gun violence; It Ends With Us, a romance novel by Colleen Hoover that was made into a Hollywood film starring Blake Lively; All Boys Aren’t Blue, a “memoir-manifesto” by journalist and LGBTQ activist George M. Johnson about his struggles growing up as a gay Black man; Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold, a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood centered on female empowerment; and Julia Scheeres’ Jesus Land: A Memoir, a New York Times bestseller about the author’s unpleasant childhood experience at a fundamentalist church camp."
Sure would be a shame if anyone, anyone at all actually read these books at their library, or through the Books Unbanned program, which will give you access to these materials, no matter where you are in the United States.
So You Didn’t Hit Your Word Count… Did You Have Fun?
Sometimes we don’t reach our word count goal. And that’s okay! Longtime NaNo participant Michael Chatfield has a few words of advice on how the most important part of writing is the journey itself.
There’s a regular responses to missing your word count— “I’ll just increase how much I write tomorrow, I’ll spread it over the remaining days!”
If that works for you— go for it!
If that doesn’t and you’re starting to beat yourself up about not hitting those numerical milestones and your obstacles are starting to look like blockades, this might be for you. My limited nuggets of wisdom I can give you on the all fearing word count.
I’m going to talk a little about passion, some about joy and a lot about how while numbers are great— they are not the be all-end all of writing. Showing up, getting lost inyour world, exploring it everyday and putting in the time is the win. Sometimes that results in words, we hope, but sometimes that means we don’t hit the numbers we want to.
Many times when we don’t hit that all important word count, there comes a sinking feeling. You may say to yourself something like — “I’m slipping”, “I’m behind”, “It’s going to be so hard to catch up”, “I’m failing!”. These are all a variation of “I didn’t get x words today so I’m losing”.
Woah— wait, you’re losing? You’re falling behind? Let me steal some words and heavily paraphrase what I heard fellow writer Elana Johnson say. Writing is like climbing a mountain, we’re each going up it on our own path in our own way. When we take a pause we feel like we’re slipping down the mountain. That’s just plain ridiculous, you climbed up to this point.
You’re HERE!
Take a look around. Your love for an idea, for a group of characters has led to this point. Draw from the excitement, that passion that got you here.
Get excited by that next scene that’s bursting to come forward, that next juicy tidbit you see ahead that opens a pit in your stomach, or fills it with butterflies!
Are you chasing numbers, or are you chasing those feelings, those scenes and parts that send a thrill through your mind and out into the world?
Ground yourself in where you are, just like a trek up a mountain, rarely do you do it in one damn bound.
You walk, take a break, take in the view, study the path behind, the path ahead.
Maybe you want to be at a higher place than where you are right now.
Okay, totally fine, hell maybe you want to charge all the way up to that next lookout perch.
Or maybe you didn’t move at all, you just took in the view.
That’s totally fine too, you didn’t start falling off it (base jumping is a whole different exercise).
Here’s a couple of thoughts/rut busters to think of:
If you’re stuck on something you need to do but having such a damn hell of a time doing it: Write a note. Dump all the information you have on this part. Now move onto the next thing after this.
When you have momentum use it, when you start seeing a scene coming together, start writing on it.
Write how you want to write. Some go from beginning to end, some write in chunks and fill it in, some use pen, keyboard or speech. Others hangout with friends, discuss a topic and write it all down. How do you want to record your stories? Do that. If you don’t know, then explore! Try out the most romantically writerly things you can think of like writing in calligraphy, on a typewriter, or with a cup of something. Picture how you think an author writes, try it out.
Writing your thoughts out can be a great help and allow you to go from writing out where the story is going to putting down the words that will get it there. Give thinking and thoughts space too. We often think it a waste of time or “doing nothing”.
I heard this from Neil Gaiman first and several other writers since. When writing, I can write or do nothing. Give writing the time it deserves and fully devote yourself to enjoying that time. Sometimes doing nothing is amazing. It’s known to cause thinking and boredom, which has been linked to increased creativity and energy.
You decide if you win or lose. If you show up, write, think, and be bored, you’ll honestly be surprised with the results. You win by living in your passion, you win by having fun. Don’t try to define failure, recognize when you’re having fun instead.
After all, writing is the author’s adventure.
Have fun,
Michael Chatfield
(Like all advice, it is only as useful as you find it. If this doesn’t gel with you, don’t worry, this wasn’t for you, there might be other advice that helps! Writing is your journey, find the information that works for you.)
Michael Chatfield is an international bestseller who likes to create character-driven stories set in fact-paced worlds. His main genres are Fantasy, Science Fiction, and LitRPG, but he enjoys adding enough realism to make the stories leap off the page. His book, Connection Unknown, can be found here.
Charismatic Lord on the verge of becoming a successful architect + aspiring artist fleeing an arranged marriage. They have some history -- she is the best friend of his ex.
Historical Romance (MF) | https://amzn.to/4aF9O9Y
$2.99 ✦ With Just One Kiss by Francis Ray
Friends to lovers. He runs a NYC bar. She writes for a fashion magazine.
Highlights from last of two performances at the ETSU Martin Center for the Arts in Johnson City, TN (07 March 2023) in US Tour 6.
Luke Bernier did a takeover of the theater's Instagram account, and answered questions and to talked to some other cast members. The full compilation of footage below.
Featuring Rachael Haber covering Grizabella, Dominic Fortunato as Pouncival, Megan Arseneau, Clara Hevia, Ellie Chancellor, and Jonathan Heller.
Megan Arseneau helped to wrangle Kitties.
Rachael Haber covering Babygriz, Allyson Duarte as Jellylorum, Taryn Smithson as Rumpleteazer, and Elana Valastro covering Tantomile.
The Kitties also have many tickets available to give away for the upcoming stop in New Jersey.
Michelle E. Carter as Jennyanydots, Gracie Anderson covering Rumpleteazer, Brian Craig Nelson as Mungojerrie, Hank Santos as Rum Tum Tugger, and Ibn Snell as Mistoffelees.
A Satellite for Optimal Control and Imaging (SOC-i) CubeSat awaits integration at Firefly’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on Thursday, June 6, 2024. SOC-i, along with several other CubeSats, will launch to space on an Alpha rocket during NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) 43 mission as part of the agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative and Firefly’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract.NASA NASA is readying for the launch of several small satellites to space, built with the help of students, educators, and researchers from across the country, as part of the agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative. The ELaNa 43 (Educational Launch of Nanosatellites 43) mission includes eight CubeSats flying on Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket for its “Noise of Summer” launch from Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The 30-minute launch window will open at 9 p.m. PDT Wednesday, June 26 (12 a.m. EDT Thursday, June 27). NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) is an ongoing partnership between the agency, educational institutions, and nonprofits, providing a path to space for educational small satellite missions. For the ELaNa 43 mission, each satellite is stored in a CubeSat dispenser on the Firefly rocket and deployed once it reaches sun-synchronous or nearly polar orbit around Earth. CubeSats are built using standardized units, with one unit, or 1U, measuring about 10 centimeters in length, width, and height. This standardization in size and form allows universities and other researchers to develop cost-effective science investigations and technology demonstrations. Read more about the small satellites launching on ELaNa 43: CatSat – University of Arizona, Tucson CatSat, a 6U CubeSat with a deployable antenna inside a Mylar balloon, will test high-speed communications. Once the CatSat reaches orbit, it will inflate to transmit high-definition Earth photos to ground stations at 50 megabits per second, more than five times faster than typical home internet speeds. The CatSat design inspiration came to Chris Walker after covering a pot of pudding with plastic wrap. The CatSat principal investigator and professor of Astronomy at University of Arizona noticed the image of an overhanging light bulb created by reflections off the concave plastic wrap on the pot. “This observation eventually led to the Large Balloon Reflector, an inflatable technology that creates large collecting apertures that weigh a fraction of today’s deployable antennas,” said Walker. The Large Balloon Reflector was an early-stage study developed through NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts program. KUbeSat-1 – University of Kansas, Lawrence The KUbeSat-1, a 3U CubeSat, will use a new method to measure the energy and type of primary cosmic rays hitting the Earth, which is traditionally done on Earth. The second payload, the High-Altitude Calibration will measure very high frequency signals generated by cosmic interactions with the atmosphere. KUbeSat-1 is Kansas’ first small satellite to launch under NASA’s CSLI. MESAT-1 – University of Maine, Orono MESAT-1, a 3U CubeSat, will study local temperatures across city and rural areas to determine phytoplankton concentration in bodies of water to help predict algal blooms. MESAT-1 is Maine’s first small satellite to launch under NASA’s CSLI. R5-S4, R5-S2-2.0 - NASA’s Johnson Space Center R5-S4 and R5-S2-2.0, both 6U CubeSats, will be the first R5 spacecraft launched to orbit to test a new, lean spacecraft build. The team will monitor how each part of the spacecraft performs, including the computer, software, radio, propulsion system, sensors, and cameras in low Earth orbit. NASA and Firefly Aerospace engineers review the integration plan for the agency’s CubeSat R5 Spacecraft 4 (R5-S4) at Firefly Aerospace’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on Wednesday, April 24, 2024.NASA/Jacob Nunez-Kearny “In the near term, R5 hopes to demonstrate new processes that allows for faster and cheaper development of high-performance CubeSats,” said Sam Pedrotty, R5 project manager at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “The cost and schedule improvements will allow R5 to provide higher-risk ride options to low-Technology Readiness Levels payloads so more can be demonstrated on-orbit.” Serenity – Teachers in Space Serenity, a 3U CubeSat equipped with data sensors and a camera, will communicate with students on Earth through amateur radio signals and send back images. Teachers in Space launches satellites as educational experiments to stimulate interest in space science, technology, engineering, and math among students in North America. SOC-i – University of Washington, Seattle Satellite for Optimal Control and Imaging (SOC-i), a 2U CubeSat, is a technology demonstration mission of attitude control technology used to maintain its orientation in relation to the Earth, Sun, or other body. This mission will test an algorithm to support autonomous operations with constrained attitude guidance maneuvers computed in real-time aboard the spacecraft. SOC-i will autonomously rotate its camera to capture images. TechEdSat-11 (TES-11) – NASA’s Ames Research Center, California’s Silicon Valley TES-11, a 6U CubeSat, is a collaborative effort between NASA researchers and students to evaluate technologies for use in small satellites. It’s part of ongoing experiments to evaluate new technologies in communications, a radiation sensor suite, and experimental solar panels, as well as to find ways to reduce the time to de-orbit. NASA awarded Firefly Aerospace a fixed-price contract to fly small satellites to space under a Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract in 2020. NASA certified Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket as a Category 1 in May, which authorized its use during missions with high risk tolerance. NASA’s Launch Services Program is responsible for launching rockets delivering spacecraft that observe Earth, visit other planets, and explore the universe. Follow NASA’s small satellite missions blog for launch updates.
Here is what I read, posted, won, received, and bought in April.
As always, let me know if you have read any of these books and (if you did) what you thought of them.
Books I Read:
Books Reviewed:
The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin—review here
The Trail of Lost Hearts by Tracey Garvis Graves—review here
Off the Air by Christina Estes—review here
Sincerely, The Duke by Amelia…
HIGHLIGHTS FOR ABC NEWS’ ‘GOOD MORNING AMERICA,’ MAY 29-JUNE 3
The following report highlights the programming of ABC’s “Good Morning America” during the week of May 29-June 3. “Good Morning America” is a two-hour, live program anchored by Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos and Michael Strahan, and Ginger Zee is the chief meteorologist. The morning news program airs MONDAY-FRIDAY (7:00-9:00 a.m. EDT) on ABC.
Highlights of the week include the following:
Monday, May 29 — Businessman and TV personality Mark Cuban (“Shark Tank”); authors Kiley Reid and Carley Fortune; chef and cookbook author Susan Spungen on Memorial Day cooking tips; professional pickleball players Parris Todd, Alix Truong, Hunter Johnson and Yates Johnson with chefs Chad Rosenthal and Elana Karp; a chat and performance by Jake Owen
Tuesday, May 30 — Businessman and TV personality Robert Herjavec (“Shark Tank”); author Bruce Feiler (“The Search”); actress Amanda Seyfried (“The Crowded Room”); “GMA” Book Club June reveal; actor, singer and author Hayley Kiyoko (“Girls Like Girls”); actresses Betsy Wolfe and Lorna Courtney (“& Juliet”); a performance by the cast of “& Juliet”
Wednesday, May 31 — Businesswoman and TV personality Barbara Corcoran (“Shark Tank”); English footballer Harry Kane; ABC News correspondent Eva Pilgrim celebrates being biracial in the AANHPI community for National AANHPI Heritage Month
Thursday, June 1 — Businessman and TV personality Daymond John (“Shark Tank”); drag queen Prada G. Major for “GMA”’s Out Loud series; a chat and performance by Lily Rose; Deals and Steals with ABC e-commerce editor Tory Johnson
Friday, June 2 — “GMA” Out Loud series continues with actors Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka (“Drag Me to Dinner”); “GMA” co-anchor Janai Norman celebrates Black Music Appreciation Month; a chat and performance by Jelly Roll
Saturday, June 3 — Drag queen and queer artist Kandy Muse (“RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars”); Deals and Steals with ABC e-commerce editor Tory Johnson
Read Elana Johnson’s THE PERFECT STORM for free today! It’s the first in a gorgeous sweet romance series–grab your copy today!
Amazon: bit.ly/3uCqfBl
A freak storm has her sliding down the mountain...right into the arms of her ex.
Eden McLaughlin is fed up with rich men who scoff at her outdoor product line. She's worked for Explore Getaway Bay for a long time, and she tinkers with making outdoor survival products in her spare time—and she can't get a single investor on the island to back her. Not even her employer, as no one knows who actually owns the company.
So fine. She'll take a hike, literally.
When an isolated storm causes a downpour and then a landslide, Eden has no choice but to go with the tons of rocks and mud—right off the side of a cliff and into the arms of her ex-boyfriend.
Holden Holstein drags her under an overhang just in the nick of time. He has no supplies, which is super embarrassing as he owns the island's biggest outdoor company, Explore Getaway Bay, and he should know better. But he was just getting out of the office for a moment.
He's thrilled to discover the mud-covered woman in his temporary shelter is his ex-girlfriend, who he's never gotten over. But he's not fond of the huge wound on his leg that's sending fire through his system, nor the fact that the landslide took out the only path back to safety. Eden has a few supplies--as well as only eyes for Holden. As they spend time out in the wilds of Hawaii trying to survive, their old flame is rekindled. But with secrets and old feelings in the way, will Holden be able to take all the broken pieces of his life and put them back together in a way that makes sense? Or will he lose his heart and the reputation of his company because of a single landslide?
Widow in need of a way to support herself and her nieces decides to turn the dower house into a gaming house + Duke who came to stop her -- or marry her, whichever.
Historical Romance (MF) | https://amzn.to/3JthemO
$0.99 ✦ Mr. Grier and the Governess by Sophie Barnes
Spinster accepts a governess position while determined to live her life to the fullest with a bucket list. But only her stern employer can help her with the last item..
Historical Romance (MF) | https://amzn.to/3DrsEDX
$0.99 ✦ Submission Impossible by Lexi Blake
He's a security specialist hired to find a corporate spy at a biochemical company she works at.
#NewRelease "THE SEASIDE STRATEGY" by Elana Johnson #preorder @InkslingerPR
#NewRelease “THE SEASIDE STRATEGY” by Elana Johnson #preorder @InkslingerPR
We’re so excited to be sharing the final book in Elana Johnson’s
HILTON HEAD ISLAND ROMANCE trilogy–The Seaside Strategy is coming August 16th!
Title: The Seaside Strategy
Author: Elana Johnson
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 16th
About The Seaside Strategy:
Lauren Keller understands strategies. She adores them and never enters a marketing meeting without Strategy A, B, and C…