#mkengland

[mkengland]

Welp it’s that time again.

One of the reasons B&N does these sales is to evaluate which books people are actually anticipating with their wallets, not just their words. It ups a book’s chance of getting stocked at B&Ns across the country at release time, which is called “sell-in.” A publisher is more likely to throw extra support behind books with good sell-in numbers, too.

Anyway, the Barnes & Noble preorder sale is happening—3 days only, September 4–6, save 25% on any book that hasn’t been released yet with code PREORDER25.

As always, preorder wherever you like—links to retailers are on my website, including for signed copies and my Bookshop storefront. Just wanted to make sure you heard about the sale if saving 25% helps you out!

Direct links:

ROLL FOR LOVE — YA romance, country girls falling in love across the D&D table.

ALL FIRED UP — Adult sapphic rom com, a professional fire-starter and a firefighter team up to save their friend via shenanigans and fall in love instead.

WHY ON EARTH ANTHOLOGY — YA anthology, 10 stories all tied to the rescue of Max Spencer (runaway alien/Hollywood star) which becomes an unintentional alien invasion, whoops.

[mkengland]

Oh hey, I wrote this book! Please enjoy my favorite cover of all my books EVER, with art by Ricardo Bessa!

Feels like an upcoming book people should know about!

A second-chance queer romance about two teens whose in-world D&D characters fall in love, but in IRL  . . . things are more complicated, perfect for lovers of Ashley Poston and Becky Albertalli.

Harper Reid's summer is not off to a great start.  After the death of her grandpa, she moves across the country, leaving her friends and Dungeons & Dragons group behind. She wasn’t exactly planning to start her senior year on the farm where she spent her childhood summers, but running into Ollie Shifflet—former best friend and first crush—makes things much better. When Harper discovers Ollie and her friends are starting a new D&D campaign, she quickly joins the group. As Harper and Ollie reconnect in the real world, romantic tension begins to build between Harper’s brash barbarian and Ollie’s proud paladin, but it's all just part of the game . . . right? 

Ollie's future depends on keeping her bisexuality private while Harper's dreams include an out-and-proud life in their rural town, but as their feelings continue to grow with each gaming session, their relationship begins threatening everything they've worked so hard to build. As the school year comes to a close and the campaign's final boss looms on the horizon, Harper and Ollie must decide: are their feelings more than just a fantasy? Because if they want a second chance at love, they'll have to fight for it, both in-game and in real life.

[trippingdownthecobblestone]

How's the book, guys? #theadventuresofbabyyodaandporgjoe #starwars #babyyoda #babyyoda2 #porg #porgjoe #book #reading #spellhacker #mkengland #sirensreading https://www.instagram.com/p/CAYUd28DUoH/?igshid=mytc6u013818

[whoislauralee]

TOMORROW I'm talking about mental health & creativity with fellow local YA author @m.k.england on Facebook Live @ 1:00pm EST!📚💕 Thanks @cvilleweekly for the shout out for this latest event in my VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR that is replacing what would have been my appearance at MoCCA Fest @soi128 in NYC this weekend. 😳🏙💙 PS--If YOU have any specific questions you would like us to explore during our conversation, please email or PM it to me and I will makes sure to keep it anonymous. 👈👍 . . . #virtualbooktour #thedarkmatterofmonastarr #whatsthematter #lauraleegulledge #mkengland #spellhacker #yalit #mentalhealth #creativity #creativeprocess #facebooklive #cvilleweekly #moccafest #moccafest2020 #watchmepivot https://www.instagram.com/p/B-hVyr2FqZ5/?igshid=185r8foztrsvd

[thereaderandthechef]

✨INTL GIVEAWAY!✨ If you could steal hi-tech elemental magic, which one would you pick?! 🔥😱📚 . We are kicking off the bookstagram & creative tour for Spellhacker by @m.k.england! ✨ Packed with high-stakes action, humor, and hijinks, this genre-bending YA fantasy from the author of The Disasters is about a heist gone wrong in a futuristic world with hi-tech magic. Out now from @epicreads! 😍✨🙌 . *cue fangirling* Spellhacker is my first M.K. England book and now I cannot wait to read more from them! I flew through the pages of this fantastic genre-bending fantasy in one go because it was just SO GOOD. If you love heist stories full of magic but with epic twists, an epic diverse squad and a bit of romance, you will LOVE Spellhacker. In Kyrkarta, magic is known as MAZ and it’s like a natural resource and it’s so awesome! There are elemental maz (known as core strains) but there are others for concealment, protection, etc. Super awesome, definitely check it out! 😍🙌 . You can also read my full review on our blog! Link in bio. 😉 . . 📚INTL Tour-Wide Giveaway!📚 . During this tour, you can win a copy of Spellhacker from Book Depository + all of the preorder goodies: bookmark, postcard, sticker & signed bookplate! 😍 . . 📚How to enter📚 - Like this photo 😉 - Follow us (@thereaderandthechef) @m.k.england and @epicreads! - Leave a comment (so we can track your entry!) 🙌 . Extra entries: - Tag friends who might want to enter in a DIFFERENT comment! (Up to 3 comments) - Follow @mtmctours (and say if you do 😉) - Visit the next tour stop to get more entries! Tomorrow’s host is @timeladyjess! 🙌 . Rules: Ends February 8th at 11:59pm EST. Not affiliated nor endorsed by Instagram. . . . . #bookphoto #spellhacker #bookstagramer #mkengland #totalbooknerd #spellhackermtmc #bookaesthetic #booksbooksbooks #booklife #bookworms https://www.instagram.com/p/B71jFq-h8Ab/?igshid=iqgo2xk43em4

[sleeponrooftops]

Happy book birthday to this gorgeous new release! I am beside myself with excitement to finally read it! . #maryreads #amreading #reading #readersofinstagram #books #bookish #booklover #bookreview #bookworm #bookdragon #bookshelf #bookstagram #spellhacker #mkengland #lgbt #lgbtq #lgbtqia @m.k.england https://www.instagram.com/p/B7n9hbngaHB/?igshid=hjiqh1hsf4ao

[widomauked]

8 people i’d like to know better

i was tagged by @stepintothedaylight <33

ONE / name: Ezra

TWO / birthday: May 16th

THREE / zodiac sign: Taurus

FOUR / height: 5’8/174cm

FIVE / hobbies: reading, writing, acting, singing (can u tell i love musical theatre?), painting, editing, lino cutting, playing the sims, playing stardew valley, baking, board games (is that a hobby?)

SIX / favourite colors: yellow!!!! warm toned nowhere near green bc i really don’t like green ksdjk

SEVEN / favourite books: THE ALL FOR THE GAME TRILOGY, harry potter, the raven cycle, carry on by rainbow rowell, the gentleman’s guide, the disasters by @mkengland , anything by e. l. konigsburg, the secret garden, aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the universe

EIGHT / last song listened to: Team Player by Tiny Little Houses

NINE / last film watched: Spider-Man: Far From Home!! it was SOOOO good!!!

TEN / inspiration for muse: my friend elin makes amazing edits and i wanna BE THAT!!! @angelinajonson

ELEVEN / dream job: a writer and an actor (instead i’m just gonna be a high school english and drama teacher lmao)

TWELVE / meaning behind your url: it’s river song from doctor who aka love!!!

and then i tag people? @angelinajonson @cedricdiggoery @odinsion @oliivverwood @heckincharlotte yea ope i already know vast amounts abt these people but STILL (also i’ve only tagged 5)

[pufflekittehreads]

Spellhacker - M. K. England.

Spellhacker – M. K. England.

ISBN:9780062968081. March 5th 2020 (US:January 21st 2020). Harper Teen. With thanks to the team at Harper360 for sending me a copy to read and review.

In Kyrkarta, magic—known as maz—was once a freely available natural resource. Then an earthquake released a magical plague, killing thousands and opening the door for a greedy corporation to make maz a commodity that’s tightly controlled—and,…

[somebooksandramblings]

Blogtober: The Disasters by M.K. England (Mini Review)

Blogtober: The Disasters by M.K. England (Mini Review) #blogtober #bookreview #blogpost #TheDisasters #MKEngland

Hey, and welcome back to day 21 of Blogtober! I can’t believe we’re this far in! The end of my October is going to be soooo busy. Hopefully in early November I’ll be able to tell you about what I’m doing, but we’ll see if I get that post written!

Anyways, today I will be posting a mini-review of The Disasters by M.K. England. I read this in July (I think? It was either July or June, but I’m…

[pagingserenity]

QTOD: Do you ever revisit books your DNFed? I do! Mainly because a good portion of my DNFs have nothing to do with the book itself, but with me. Either my moody butt wasn’t in the right mood to read a book or life got in the way and I had to return the book to the library before I could finish it. Which is exactly what happened when I tried to read #TheDisasters. I got about halfway through it before it returned itself to my library's ebook collection and I just never got around to finishing it until a year later, last March. And now, it’s probably my favorite read of 2022 so far. I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a YA sci-fi read featuring a misfit crew that can both make you laugh and make your heart race. Do you ever DNF books? — [Image description: The book, The Disasters by M.K. England laying on a blanket surrounded by (fake) flowers.] . . . ⚔️ challenges #AuroraCycleApril22 [courageous leaders] . #EpicReads #MKEngland #booklover #vscobooks #readingismagic #yalovin #bookishpost https://instagr.am/p/Cb-6WharxB8/

[andrewdburton]

How to get started with difficult tasks

Yesterday in the /r/financialindependence community on Reddit, /u/mkengland asked a seemingly innocent question:

What made you stop planning/researching financial independence and actually start?

Was there a tipping point for you where you finally felt ready to start your FI journey? What made you finally take the plunge, open that first IRA/brokerage account/etc., and throw your money into the market?

[…]

I'm waffling over details, though…and can't seem to just DO IT.

This question seems innocuous, right? Yet, I've been thinking about it for the past 24 hours.

I hear questions like this relatively often. People want to know how to get started with saving and investing. Or with debt reduction. Or they want to know how to get started with budgeting. And, in fact, it's the sort of question I had too back when I started my own journey away from debt and toward financial freedom. It all seems so overwhelming! Where do you begin?

Trust me, I know how easy it is to over-complicate things. My ex-wife used to call my Overanalytical Man due to my superhuman ability to overthink even the simplest subject. Although I do this less often (and less severely) than I used to, it's still a problem that plagues me.

Today, let's talk about what I've learned about how to get started with difficult tasks.

Action Not Words

Generally speaking, things aren't as complicated as I (or you) want to make them out to be. Most problems can be solved with simple solutions. It's how we implement these solutions that adds layers of complexity.

A healthy weight, for instance, really is as simple as “calories in, calories out”. Yes, I realize there's a lot of debate about this subject in recent years. And yes, I understand there's additional nuance and complexity to the discussion. But that doesn't change the fundamentals: If you want to lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you consume.

Likewise, all of personal finance boils down to one simple rule: To build wealth, you must spend less than you earn. End of story. This is the fundamental rule of personal finance, and all of the books and blogs and TV shows about money — all of the added layers of complexity — are simply clothes draped across this basic body.

When I see questions like “How do I get started toward financial independence? It all seems so complicated!”, my mind immediately goes to this. How do you get started? By spending less than you earn. Want to get out of debt? Spend less than you earn. Want to save for a down payment on a house? Spend less than you earn. It all comes back to this one idea.

Any move that increases your income or decreases your spending is a step in the right direction.

In a way, allowing perceived complexity to prevent you from doing the right thing is a variation of the optimization trap. The optimization trap is the belief that small tweaks make more difference than they actually do. Optimizing small things (clipping coupons, say) is often a way for people to feel like they're doing something meaningful when they're actually avoiding big, scary moves that could truly make a difference (downsizing their home, for example).

When people like me overcomplicate things at the start, we're doing so for similar reasons. We're nervous about making big changes. We're complacent. We're comfortable with our lives at the moment, so instead of doing the things we know need to be done, we spin our wheels while focusing on details that don't matter.

Right now, for instance, I am fat. There's no way to sugarcoat it. I've been gaining weight for several years now, and thanks to this quarantine, I've reached peak J.D. (in terms of size, anyhow). I know what I need to do to get fit again — eat less, exercise more — but I find it very easy to allow stupid details to prevent me from doing the right thing. “My bike needs a new tire. I don't have weights at home and the gyms are closed. I don't like vegetables. I don't know which tool to use to track my calories.”

All of these details are bullshit that distracts me from the fundamental problem: I need to burn more calories than I consume, and I'm not doing that.

If I want to get started with weight loss, I must achieve (and maintain) a calorie deficit. If /u/mkengland wants to reach financial independence, (s)he must spend less than (s)he earns. In both cases, thinking and deliberating does nothing. To achieve our goals, we must take action.

Start Where You Are

For overthinkers like me, action is key. Instead of finding the perfect time and place to start, we should start anywhere. Screw perfection! When starting a long journey, a perfect first step isn't critical. If you stumble at the start of a sprint, you're likely to lose the race. But if you stumble at the start of a marathon, it makes no difference. All that matters is that you've begun running.

As my friend Paula Pant once told me, “An imperfect plan you follow is better than a perfect plan you don't.”

One of the core tenets of the Get Rich Slowly philosophy is that the perfect is the enemy of the good. Too many people never start putting their finances in order because they don't know what the “best” first step is. Most of the time, “best” is irrelevant in this context. Don't worry about getting things exactly right — just choose a good option and do something to get started.

Here's a non-financial example from my own life.

As you know, Kim and I moved into our country cottage nearly three years ago. For the first couple of years, our time and money and attention were focused on home renovations. There were a lot of repairs that had to be made. Last year, we took a break. But this year? Thanks in part to the coronavirus quarantine, we've begun tackling our yard.

We have an acre of land. About half of it is seldom-used forest that slopes down the hill to a creek. But the other half is our fenced yard. It's a gorgeous park-like setting — or could be, if it were maintained. But the previous owners let things get out of control, and we've done little more than tread water since we bought the place. We've kept things from getting worse, but haven't done anything to make things better.

Here's a February photo of one corner of our yard:

This year, though, Kim and I have resolved to make our park-like setting actually park-like. That'll require a lot of work. Like, hundreds of hours. In February, we toured the yard to talk about what we needed to do. We each made a list as we walked along. When we finished, we were both overwhelmed.

“There's so much,” Kim said. “Where do we start?”

“I don't know,” I said. “I guess we start with whatever feels most pressing.” We drafted a short prioritized list of projects…and then never followed it. (Seriously. The top thing on our list remains undone two months later haha.)

Instead, here's how things went down.

On her first day laid off from work, Kim went outside to play with the dog and the cats. She got distracted by some weeds in the “tea garden”, so she paused to pull them. This led her to prune the climbing rose. Then she hauled the yard debris to the bottom of the hill, where she found more yard debris that needed to be cleaned up. And so on. Before she realized it, she'd put in a full day of work. But it wasn't the work we'd planned.

What we've found is that if we go outside, we'll see something that needs to be done. If we do that thing, a second step will become self-evident — or we'll see something else that needs done nearby. In other words, if we simply put ourselves in motion, if we do anything that contributes to our future vision of the yard, we'll continue to work on the yard, continue to be productive, until we're tired and done for the day. It doesn't matter which chore we choose. All that matters is that we choose a chore.

Kim has been home for maybe six weeks now. (Who knows anymore? My sense of time has warped.) In those six weeks, we've made huge strides. Sure, there's still much left to do, and we know it. But every day, we do a little more. Our yard has already been transformed, and it's only going to get better as we continue to do more work.

This is a current panorama of the entire yard (click to open larger image in new window):

Here's the (very obvious) moral of this story: Start where you are. Do what you can with what you have. Don't concern yourself with “right” or “best” options. Choose a good option and get going.

When tackling a big project — whether that's renovating a yard, digging out of debt, or saving for early retirement — it matters less how you begin than that you begin.

How to Get Started

I grew up Mormon. One of the songs we sang in Primary (a.k.a. Sunday School) was called “Do What Is Right”. I think of it often, even today. Here's the chorus:

Do what is right; let the consequence follow. Battle for freedom in spirit and might; And with stout hearts look ye forth till tomorrow. God will protect you; then do what is right!

“Do what is right; let the consequence follow.” Yes! Exactly! Nowadays, I've incorporated this idea into my personal philosophy.

On my office computer, I have a sticky note: PROCESS NOT OUTCOME. This is a reminder to myself that I cannot control outcomes. I can only control effort.

If I do what is right — that is, if I do what is necessary to achieve what I want — and if I do my best, then I've done my part. By doing what's right and doing my best, I'll likely get the results I'm after. But if the results aren't what I wanted? Well then, I can live in peace. I know I did what I could, and I'm fine with that.

I can control my effort and actions, but I cannot control the results.

This “PROCESS NOT ACTION” reminder is important to me, and not only because I'm Overanalytical Man. I'm also paralyzed by self-doubt. It's easy for me to not take action because I'm afraid.

So, when I take on a big project like the course I just wrote for Audible, I often find it tough to get started. Before I even begin, I'm already imagining how painful it will be to read reviews from people who hate my work.

“PROCESS NOT OUTCOME” is a reminder that if I work hard and provide good info, then I've done my part. I can only control what I put into a project, not what others think of it.

So, let's return to the Reddit question that inspired this all. How do you get started with difficult tasks? Easy. By doing anything that moves you toward your goal.

Don't make things more complicated than they have to be. Identify fundamental principles and pursue them. Especially at the start, don't worry about making perfect choices or about optimization. Simply start. Take action. You can optimize later.

Do what is right. Do your best. Let the consequence follow.

from Finance https://www.getrichslowly.org/how-to-get-started/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[theheartofabookblogger]

Which fictional characters would you want in your squad? • • I just finished reading the THE DISASTERS and loved it! It’s an action-packed, fun, high stakes space adventure with a seamlessly diverse cast. This book is perfect for fans of AURORA RISING! • • • #thedisasters #mkengland #epicreads #bookshimmy #harperteen #yalit #yabooks #yabookstagram #booklove #booksquad #yabookstagrammer #yareads #bookobsessed #yascifi #coverlove #booksbooksbooks #prettybooks #bookcommunity #booksconnectus #boostingya #backlistbooks #quietya #weneeddiverseauthors #lgbtqbooks #lgbtqreads #queerbooks #pridereads #wndb #weneeddiversebooks #weekendreading

[sleeponrooftops]

I’m only 50 pages into this chaotic mess, and I LOVE IT. 🚀 Give me gay space teens always. . #maryreads #amreading #reading #readersofinstagram #books #bookish #booklover #bookstagram #thedisasters #mkengland #space #lgbt (at Jaho Coffee & Tea) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0wv4oLACr8/?igshid=mr7dn4vxayvn

[booksofwonder]

TONIGHT! Join us for our last event of 2018!! • 18th St at 6pm, meet @m.k.england & #BarryLyga as they share THE DISASTERS & THANOS: TITAN CONSUMED ✨ • THE DISASTERS: The Breakfast Club meets Guardians of the Galaxy in this hilarious romp of a YA sci-fi adventure. When a group of washouts from elite Ellis Station Academy find themselves witness to the biggest crime in the history of space colonization, they must execute a dangerous heist to spread the truth about what really happened. Full of high-stakes action, subversive humor, & underdogs becoming heroes, this page-turning thrill ride is enjoyable for everyone — not just space nerds 💫🚀 • THANOS: TITAN CONSUMED: Did you scream, cry, and throw things after watching Avengers: Infinity War? Yep, us too. Don’t you want to know how Thanos became the Titan consumed by his quest for power that ruined your emotional state for months with a single snap of his fingers? Good news! Bestselling author Barry Lyga has brought us the origin story of the most feared force in the universe 💀🛸💫 • • • #spoilers #thedisasters #mkengland #thanostitanconsumed #barrylyga #event #indiebookstore #bookstagram #books #instabook #igreads #igbooks #marvel #avengersinfinitywar #ireadya #yalit #bibliophile #booknerd #bookworm #booklove (at Books Of Wonder) https://www.instagram.com/booksofwonder/p/Brk-EHLBibP/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=uti53a5uhmxg

[mkengland]

One week to go! Player vs. Player is my middle grade debut, a total love letter to my lifelong video game obsession and all the friendships gaming has brought me. I even first became friends with my spouse because of our shared interest in gaming! This super fun illustrated novel is Mr. Lemoncello’s Library meets video games, and it’s very accessible to non-gamers. Out June 7th! If you want to grab a signed copy and support one of two lovely indie bookstores, consider ordering from @bluebirdbookstop or @fountainbookstore! Links are in my bio. Have questions about the book? Ask me below! #middlegradebooks #mglit #middlegrade #playervsplayer #pvpbook #mkengland #videogames — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/T2QiFh7