Kara's Book Cravings: Kingdom of the Wicked

 

I've been on a romantasy kick lately, and so I've been buying a lot of these types of books. Naturally, when I saw KINGDOM OF THE WICKED by Kerri Maniscalco I was immediately drawn to the cover. And then the blurb sold me, so I went and bought the entire trilogy. 

I eagerly dove right into the first book, Kingdom of the Wicked, and... well, it took me a while to get through it. I really wanted to love this book more than I can say, but the pacing was rather slow, in my opinion. Felt like it took a long time for anything major to happen, and then once it did, we were at the end! 

But this book does have a little bit of everything: witches, death, lots of secrets, princes of Hell, dark magic... it really has everything I love in a romantasy. I'm not sure why I struggled so much. Maybe I wasn't in the right mindset or mood when I started this, or maybe I simply don't vibe with the author's style. 

I do own the other two books in the series, and I'm sure I'll eventually read those because I'm a completionist, and because everyone who's read this series promises it does get better. I was told the same thing when I struggled to get through the first ACOTAR book, and everyone was right, so I trust that they'll be right about this series, too. I'm taking a break from this for now, but I'll try book 2 soon. 

Tell Me Something Tuesday: 11.07.2023 (Epic and Urban Fantasy)

Hello and welcome to Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST)!

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

If you are interested in participating in TMST or receiving periodic emails that list the upcoming TMST topics and questions,  please fill out this GOOGLE FORM.  Participation is optional and never required.

I'm honestly not a big fan of fantasy or sci-fi. I have read some urban fantasy, but not too much, and it often crosses the line into more paranormal in terms of angels and demons. The best urban fantasy book I have ever read was Pledge of Ashes by Amy Sevan. Seriously, if you're a fan of UF, check this book out. You won't be sorry!

I think the reason I'm not a fan of sci-fi and epic fantasy is because there's a lot of necessary world building, and reading that tends to bore me. I find myself skipping large chunks of text, and then that ends up confusing me. 

What about you? Are you a fantasy, sci-fi fan? 

What do you love about it?

Tell me Something Tuesday: 10.24.2023 (Supernatural Creatures)

Hello and welcome to Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST)!

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

If you are interested in participating in TMST or receiving periodic emails that list the upcoming TMST topics and questions,  please fill out this GOOGLE FORM.  Participation is optional and never required.

Again, I don't think this is going to come as a shock to anyone, but I love vampires! If you had asked me this question several years ago, I probably wouldn't have had an answer. But then my wonderful daughter really wanted to read Twilight, and I had heard *things* from my adult friends about the series, and so I decided I would read it before my daughter. I was instantly hooked and have been a super-fan ever since. 

Once that fandom started to die down a bit, my daughter thought it would be fun to get me hooked on The Vampire Diaries, (the show), and again, I was hooked. I later tried to read the books and couldn't get into them. But the TV show?? I can rewatch that a million times and never tire of it. 

From here, my love of vampires was born. In fact, I even wrote an entire vampire romance series. The Cursed Series is a 7-book, young adult paranormal romance series that's been called, "the new Twilight for the next generation!" If you're interested, book 1 (Eternal Curse) is absolutely FREE on all vendors. 

A cursed vampire.

A coven hellbent on revenge.

And a human girl caught in the middle.

After pulling the plug on her mother's life support, seventeen-year-old Chloe Madison is forced to live with relatives she hardly knows in a town that’s barely more than a pinpoint on the map. She’s determined to get the heck out of there as soon as possible—until she meets the enigmatic new guy at school, Trent Halstead. Something intriguing hides beneath his quiet self-assurance and hero hair, but he’s keeping a secret, and now Chloe can’t leave until she knows what he’s hiding.

When a rash of unsolved murders leaves two of Chloe's classmates dead, she begins to see disturbing hallucinations that concern Trent. Not only does he appear to be a murderous vampire, but a coven of vengeful witches have burdened his family with an eternal curse: no Halstead will ever know love.

Desperate to find a way to break the curse, Trent knows his salvation will come at a cost—Chloe’s destruction—and that’s a price neither of them are willing to pay. But when one of Trent’s old enemy’s attacks Chloe, she must decide if her love for Trent is strong enough to withstand the danger. Only one thing is certain—if they can’t find a way to be together, they will be destined to be alone forever.

The Cursed Series is a binge-worthy young adult paranormal romance series perfect for fans of The Crave Series by Tracy Wolff, The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer, and The Vampire Diaries by LJ Smith.

GET MY COPY NOW!

What's your favorite supernatural creature? 

What are your favorite books or shows / movies that star your favorite supernatural creature?

Kara's Book Cravings: Camp Murderface -- Doom in the Deep

 

If you want to go read my thoughts on the first book, Camp Murderface, you can go HERE to do so. Go ahead... I'll wait...

All set? Good!

So, Camp Murderface: Doom in the Deep is the second book in this series. I think it's the last one, too, which is kind of sad because I'm really invested in these characters now!

This story picks up almost immediately after the first one ends, and we're once again alternating points-of-view between Corryn and Tez. I thought a lot happened in the first book, but this one... whoa! So much stuff happens, and it's all very chaotic in a very good way. There are missing counselors, snake-people, a creepy lake that's trying to kill the campers... Like I said, so much going on. 

I enjoyed this book a lot more than the first one, which is rare for me. Maybe because I knew the characters better or the setting and relationships were already established. Either way, I devoured this book in a matter of two days -- oh and this one is longer than first, too, coming in at over 400 pages! 

There was a twist at the end that I really didn't see coming, and I *almost* stopped reading because I was mad, but thankfully, another twist came out of nowhere and then I was happy again. 

Have you ever read a sequel that you thought was better than the first book? 

Kara's Book Cravings: Camp Murderface

 

Anyone who knows me, or has ever peeked at my #MSWL for Anaiah Press knows that I have a soft spot for books set at camp. I don't care if it's summer camp, Bible camp, fat camp, or a family camping trip -- I just absolutely LOVE the setting and the atmosphere of being in the woods and "roughing it." So much can go wrong, and there's so much room for conflict and danger. So, when I found this book, I snatched it so dang fast.

CAMP MURDERFACE by Josh Berk and Saundra Mitchell is a middle grade story set at a summer camp. Told in 1st person alternating points-of-view from the two main characters, Tez (male) and Corryn (female), this is a delightful tale that blends contemporary and paranormal when our two characters have to solve the mystery of Camp Sweetwater, which they nickname Camp Murderface. Missing girls, strange happenings, creepy camp counselors, screaming faces in the bonfires... A lot happens in this book, but none of it ever felt like too much. The pacing was good, despite this book being just over 300 pages -- which seems rather long for an MG book, but I think the market has been trending toward longer books lately. 

My only complaint with this book, and this is really very minor, was that at times, it felt like the adults writing this book tried a little too hard to sound young and cool. Though, this book is set in the 80s, and I was just a baby back then, so maybe I'm completely off base here. lol. 

Either way, I enjoyed this quite a bit, and I've bought the sequel and am happily diving into that next. 

Anyone else read this book yet? What did you think? 

Do you have any good recommendations for books set at camp? 

Thursday Thoughts: Pen Names and Passion Projects

It's been almost three full years since I embarked on my self-publishing journey and embraced the Indie world. I've certainly had a lot of ups and downs, and wow have I learned a TON! Looking back, there are definitely things I'd do differently, but now I know and I can adjust moving forward. I have a huge list of things I've learned, but there are two that have really been resonating with me lately, and I want to share them in the hopes they might help another writer.

NEW PEN NAMES:

A lot of authors write using a pen name--this is nothing new. Some authors even have multiple pen names for various genres. I used to have two different pseudonyms. One for YA (Kara Leigh Miller) and one for adult (Lexi Lawton). But when I began to focus on self-publishing, I dropped the Lexi name. Mostly because I knew I just didn't have the time to build two separate names, and honestly, I can only write one book at a time, so I'm either writing YA or Adult, but never both at once. 

However, in my quest to learn the business side of publishing, I joined the Wide for the Win Facebook group. Seriously, if you're an author and don't belong to this group--and you're selling your books on places other than just Amazon--go fix that right now! The wealth of knowledge in that group is astounding and so, so helpful. 

One of the biggest takeaways I got from this group is how multiple pen names are often necessary. See, when you publish on vendor sites, after a certain amount of time, you'll begin to notice a section called "Also Bought." These are books that are, hopefully, similar to yours. It gives readers a chance to see what other customers have bought that are like the product you offer. 

So, using me as an example, if I write and publish YA paranormal romance with limited foul language and no graphic sexual situations AND I also write and publish steamier / erotic adult romance under the same name, my "Also Bought" section will get messed up, because in theory, I'd have a mix of books. And sure, a lot of readers buy and read across a variety of genres, age categories, and heat levels. But stop for a moment and think of what this does should a teen find my books. The "Also Bought" recommendations won't just list other YA books, it will include some very adult books. 

Before anyone comes at me with "yeah, but..." I do realize there are quite a few authors who write a variety of stories under one pen name. And huge kudos to them! I truly wish I could do that, too, but I know I'm not a big enough author to make that work for me. 

With all of this in mind, along with knowing that I'm not the type of writer who can only write one age category / genre all the time, I have decided to branch out into more than one pen name. Yes, I still have my adult pen name, Lexi Lawton, who writes steamy New Adult romances, and while I'm not actively writing or publishing anything under that name right this moment, she's still alive and kicking ;-)

I'm working very closely with an author friend of mine, and together, we're launching a new pen name -- one that we're not going to publicly name just yet -- and we'll be focusing on some darker, steamier romances. 

PASSION PROJECTS: 

When I first began writing Eternal Curse, it was what I called my passion project. It was a story I wanted to write for ME. I never had any intention of publishing it, but rather it was something I would work on when I was stuck on other things. It was my safe, fun space. I had no expectations, no rules, no pressure--and then that single book turned into a seven book series. The words poured out of me, and I rediscovered my love for the act of writing. 

But then I published this, and to be clear: I do not regret that decision in the slightest! I have actual readers now, people who loved my books and want more. That's a huge accomplishment that I'm very proud of. But with that comes pressure -- pressure to write more books faster, to write the books my readers want, etc. Suddenly, writing once again became a chore rather than a joy, and I found myself struggling again. I didn't *want* to write, and well, that made me grumpy. lol. 

So, my second most important lesson learned is to ALWAYS have a passion project handy. I realize not every author can jump from one project to another, and I'm extremely lucky that I can. I've also realized that I simply cannot write without a passion project which, oddly enough, is what pushed me to finally embrace my second pen name. This has also led me to the co-authored venture I mentioned above. Once again, I'm feeling excited about writing and publishing, and I hope 2024 will yield a lot more book releases. 

Are you a writer as well? 

Do you keep passion projects on the side? 

Writing, Reading, Struggling, and Other Updates

With 2021 almost over, I'll be writing my annual "Looking Back" post, and in preparation for that, I've done some self-reflection. Mostly about my writing, but also about my health and my overall lifestyle habits. So, I thought I'd give some updates because I've been struggling to finish some highly anticipated books. *cough*Jax'sBook*cough*

via GIPHY

This basically sums up how I've been feeling lately. Oh, and this one:

   

via GIPHY

 

Anyone who follows me knows I have Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. For all of 2020, I had it under control. I was working out daily. Eating right. I felt INCREDIBLE! As a result, I was writing like a mad woman, publishing an entire series, blogging regularly, taking care of my house and family. Despite the pandemic, I felt like I was on top of the world. 

And then I crashed and burned. Hard and fast. 

Suddenly, I was tired all the time. I'd wake up in the morning tired, and I'd fall asleep sitting on the couch. I couldn't focus on anything for more than a few minutes at a time. I had no desire to write. No ambition to edit. I couldn't even read for enjoyment. So, I dragged my butt back to my doctor. We switched my medication, readjusted my diet, and slowly, I started to feel a little more like myself. 

Only, I still couldn't find the desire to write or edit. Now, I realize part of this might be because I had written so much in 2020 and maybe I'm just experiencing a bit of burn out, but quite simply, that's not good enough for me. I refuse to let any of this keep me down. All this means only one thing--I need to change my habits. Again. 

Before I go any further, let me explain how things went in 2020:

I'd get up. Write for an hour or so. Work out. Shower. Get dressed, complete with makeup and jewelry. Eat breakfast. Write a bit more. Then edit, answer emails, blog, do promo work, etc. Every day, consistently, without much deviation. I was in my office, at my desktop, working a rather regular set of hours each day. 

Fast forward to now... 

I can barely drag myself out of bed in the morning, and I'm constantly going back to sleep once my daughter is off to school. I don't work out anymore. I'm barely writing. Y'know, all that stuff I've already said above. 

With the assistance of my doctor, I found a new natural dietary supplement that's been helping tremendously with the fatigue. My new medication is keeping the constant pain at bay. Two big hurdles have been cleared. Now it's time to hold myself accountable in other ways.

Throughout all of this, I'd stopped working out regularly. Why? Because when I'm so tired I can't keep my eyes open, and my body hurts to even sit up, exercising is out of the question. Of course, not working out leads to even more pain and overall blah-ness. It's a horrible, never-ending cycle. This leads to me having no real ambition for anything--like writing. 

I'd also stopped dressing like I was working out of the home. I'd throw on clothes and yank my hair into a ponytail. I no longer write first thing in the morning. And I stopped working at my desk in favor of sitting on the couch with my laptop (because at the time, it was much more comfortable), but this led to me being too comfortable and therefore wanting to sleep. Or binge watch TV shows. 

But with a new year fast approaching, I'm more determined than ever to get back on track. Starting today, I'm working out in the morning again. I won't allow myself to go back to bed. I'll dress for success, and I'll sit at my desk like I used to! I don't know if I'll actually write any new words, but you can bet I'm going to try, and I'll finish out this year strong :) 

For those of you who have been (not so) patiently waiting for my next book, I promise it's coming. It's just taking me a longer than usual. 

My newest book, THE CULLING, is releasing January 4, 2022 as part of the MAGIC AT MIDNIGHT anthology, so be on the lookout for that. I'm re-launching my book WARPED REMAINS in March (stay tuned for an upcoming blog post about that). Right now, Jax's first book, BOUND, is set to release in April, with book 2 to follow in May, and book 3 in June. I'll be taking July and August off from publishing to go on a cruise and spend time with my family. But then I'll be back in September with another new book, though I'm not sure what yet. 

As always, thanks for sticking with me, and I wish all of you a very happy holiday season and a safe, fun, prosperous New Year 💖

{TEASER TUESDAY}: Eternal Curse -- 6 weeks until release!

Only 6 weeks to go before ETERNAL CURSE is out in the world! Know what that means? 

It's time for another #TeaserTuesday! 

Today, I'm going to share some of the music that inspired not just Eternal Curse, but the entire series. 

I usually don't make playlists for books I'm writing as I tend to prefer quiet, but I've found with this series, I have a hard time writing without music. It's much easier to turn on my playlist, put in earbuds and ignore the world around me, especially lately with the quarantine and everyone being home all the time. 

Originally, this playlist was exactly one hour long, which made it great for a single writing session, but as the series progressed, I added more songs to it, and now it's 1 hour and 45 minutes long. You can listen to the entire playlist HERE!

For those that don't want to listen, here's a complete list of songs and artists:

• Ask Me How I Know by Garth Brooks
• Craving You by Thomas Rhett, featuring Maren Morris
• Truce by Twenty One Pilots
• Believer by Imagine Dragons
• Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
• Screen by Twenty One Pilots
• When They Call My Name by Black Veil Brides
• In The End by Black Veil Brides
• Wake Up by Black Veil Brides
• Vultures by Asking Alexandria
• Faithless by Black Veil Brides
• We Don't Have to Dance by Andy Black
• Paint It Black by Andy Black
• Ribcage by Andy Black
• Stay Alive by Andy Black featuring Matt Skiba
• Love Was Made to Break by Andy Black
• Girl Like You by Jason Aldean
• Lose My Mind by Brett Eldredge 
• Seein' Red by Dustin Lynch
• Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield
• Level of Concern by Twenty One Pilots
• Don't Let Me Go by Raign
• My Blood by Twenty One Pilots
• Natural by Imagine Dragons
• When It's All Over by Raign
• I Hope by Gabby Barrett
• The Other Side by Ruelle
• Monsters by Ruelle
• Fire Breather by Laurel
• Style by Taylor Swift

As you can see, I have a lot of Twenty One Pilots and Black Veil Brides on here, but overall, it's a tad eclectic. This playlist sets the tone for the series, but there's one song in particular that has a lot of meaning in Eternal Curse.

Craving You by Thomas Rhett, featuring Maren Morris

This song essentially sums up Trent's feelings toward Chloe, and it fits so well with something he says to her...

“What about your heightened senses? Does that ever make it hard to… kiss me?” My face flushed, and I kept my head even with his chest, refusing to look at him.

“Hard? Yes, but not in the way you think.” He put his finger under my chin and tilted my head, his gaze piercing. “Every time I touch you or kiss you, it’s like every nerve in my body is electrified, every feeling magnified. It’s like my very skin is alive with energy.” He smiled faintly. “I crave you, Chloe, and that’s the best feeling in the world.”

You can now Pre-Order ETERNAL CURSE!

Don't forget to add it to Goodreads, too! 

{COVER REVEAL}: Eternal Curse: The Cursed Series, Book 1

I've only been talking about my YA paranormal romance book / series for what seems like forever, and I am SO excited to be able to finally share the cover and blurb with everyone 😄  

I'm not even going to waste any time. Here it is.....

Cover art courtesy of
Laura Heritage of P.S. Cover Design & Author Services

After pulling the plug on her mother’s life support, seventeen-year-old Chloe Madison moves to live with relatives she hardly knows. Her new hometown in the Adirondack Mountains is barely more than a pinpoint on the map, but it’s shrouded in deadly secrets and strange family legends. Chloe is determined to keep her head down, finish high school, and get the heck out of there. Until she meets the enigmatic Trent Halstead. Something intriguing hides beneath his quiet self-assurance and hero hair. Maybe there’s something—or someone—worth sticking around for after all.

But when a rash of unsolved murders leaves two of Chloe’s classmates dead, she begins to suffer from disturbing hallucinations that build to the horrifying image of Trent as a murderous vampire. With nowhere else to go, she’s stuck in a town she hates, surrounded by people she can’t trust, and she’s pretty sure she’s going to be lunch. 

If all that isn’t bad enough, Trent is hiding a lethal secret, besides the whole immortal bloodsucker thing. He’s the not-so-proud owner of an ancient, family curse—no Halstead will ever know true love—and he’s desperate to find a way to break the curse. Could Chloe be the key to his happiness or just another secret Trent wished he never unlocked?

Eternal Curse will be released on September 15, 2020.

It's the first book in a six-book series. 

Want a sneak peek at Chapter One?? 

You can read it HERE! 

Don't forget to add Eternal Curse to your Goodreads shelf.

To get exclusive sneak peeks, giveaways, and the most up-to-date information, sign up for Kara's Newsletter!

New Year's Goals: 2019

via GIPHY

It's that time of year again!!! GOALS!!! I love setting goals. So, I won't even waste anymore time on anything else. Let's do this.

Finish What I've Started

After taking an inventory of my current half-started projects, I have a lot of stuff to finish. There's also a couple of series not included in my tally that I'd like to finally complete. So, here is the official list of books I'm going to attempt to finish writing this year:

1. The Georgia Corbins, Book 1. I started a total rewrite of this in November 2018, and I've been steadily making progress. I have less than 30K left to write, which will easily be completed by the end of January. While it still has all the same characters, the plot is taking a slight detour away from the original love triangle and it will now have a present faith element. My plan is to publish the entire series via Anaiah Press.

2. The Georgia Corbins, Book 2. I have a complete draft of this written that will need to be heavily revised to be consistent with the changes to book 1, so I plan to do that this year.

3. The Georgia Corbins, Book 3. This is a maybe at this point, because I'm not even sure there will be a book three now. It will all depend on what happens in the first two books.

4. Eternal Bond. This is the sequel to Eternal Curse, a young adult paranormal romance.

5. Untitled, unknown project. Okay, so an editor who rejected my paranormal romance said she loves my voice (which, for you non-writers reading this, that's a HUGE compliment) and that she feels I'm very well-suited to writing YA. She then asked if I had other projects I could pitch to her. So I did. If she likes any of them, I will focus on working on whatever she wants. And, if she doesn't like anything I pitch, I have a super-fun new Christian YA that I'll work on.

Officially launch FireChicken Press, LLC

I have a "work-in-progress" website for FireChicken Press, LLC (FCP, LLC). I'd like to release, at the very least, one book under FireChicken Press in 2019. Right now, it's looking like it will be a YA thriller I'd co-written a couple years ago, but that could very well change depending on what happens with other things.

Read and Blog

These two items are always on my goals list, but this year, I'm combining them because I've decided to be better about reviewing the books I've read. So, as you'll see across the top of this blog, I've added a new tab: BOOK CRAVINGS. This is where I'll be sharing all my bookish thoughts.

Persistence: Slow & Steady

Last year, my focus was on staying positive. While I'm sad to admit I didn't adhere to that as much as I would have liked, there were key moments when I did cling to positive thoughts to get me through. I will continue to do that this year, too, but I'm adding persistence as well. What many of you don't know is that I'm very hard on myself. If I don't write "all the words" every day, I feel like I've somehow failed. So, in 2019, I'm giving myself permission to do less more consistently. Instead of binge writing 5k in a single day and then not writing for a week after, I'm going to pace myself -- 2k a day everyday. After all, slow and steady wins the race, right?

What will you accomplish in 2019? 

Share your goals in the comments!

Why I Gave Up -- A Failed Reading Challenge

When I set out to read more vampire books in the hopes of finding something similar to Twilight (to catch up on what & why, please read THIS), it had been my intention to blog about each book as I finished them. And I was doing well for a while--I read and blogged about The Vampire Diaries. (Here, here, and here) But then I moved onto the next book on my list and ooohhhh boy!

I'm one of those people who, when I start a book, I have to finish it. I always hold out hope it might get better, or that I might change my mind and start to like the story. After years of reading, I should know myself better by now. lol. If I'm not fully engaged by chapter three (five at the most) then it's safe to say I won't suddenly become engaged. I'm also one of those people who has a high tolerance for stuff--violence, cursing, sex, etc--but I do have some limits, which I'll get into here in a minute.

I have (easily) put down the last two books I've read and labeled them as DNF (did not finish).

After I reached my limit with The Vampire Diaries, I moved on to My Blood Approves by Amanda Hocking. It was a little...harsher than Twilight and TVD in terms of the main characters attitude and internal dialogue. But that didn't really bother me once the initial shock of it wore off. For the most part, I was engaged in the story. The pacing was a bit fast, and I was bummed there wasn't much in terms of high school setting / drama / conflict. I was able to get past that, though. What I couldn't get past was.... {{SPOILER ALERT}}.... The hero killed a dog.

The hero and heroine were walking in the park and were attacked by a rabid dog. The hero stops the dog from attacking the heroine and then kills the dog. The hero gets bitten, but heals quickly and has no real side effects, which clues in the heroine that something is off. Now, I fully get what the author was doing. The hero is a vampire, and so the author was looking for a unique way to show he's different, because let's be honest, in terms of vampire fiction, everything has been done to death. Pun intended ;-) But this rubbed me the wrong way. It was completely gratuitous, in my opinion. So, I stopped reading and moved on to the next book....

Laney (The Brookehaven Vampires #1) by Joann I. Martin Sowles. I didn't make it past chapter three. The premise of this one is great, and I was really excited at first because it seemed to have the nice, slow burn that I loved so much in Twilight. But the writing itself is...bad. Allow me to show you...

Chapter 1 -- "Oh, my!" Professor McBaldy Bald said all frantic-like, with his bird face and balding head.

Chapter 1 (same page) -- I just stared at Beautiful Boy, amazed by his beauty...

Now, I don't point these out to poke fun, but rather to show the quality of the writing. There was a lot of time spent on descriptions of rooms and furniture and driving and not nearly enough time on dialogue or characterization. The entire opening was like this, and I'm going to guess the rest of the book is, too, and I just can't. Yeah, I know Twilight droned on in places and there was a lot of telling, too, but it worked in that book because we were moving toward something. In this book, it felt like it was all there simply for filler, that it served no real purpose. *shrugs* If that makes me a writing / book snob, then so be it.

So, there are two more books on my list, and I'm admittedly weary to dive into them. I think, for the time being, I'm going to put them on hold and move on to other books on my TBR pile. Don't worry--I'll continue to blog about random things :-)

New Year's Goals: 2018

It's that time of year again! GOALS TIME! I actually really look forward to this every year. I love setting goals. It gives me direction and keeps me accountable. So, without further ado, here are my 2018 goals...

via GIPHY

LEARN TO LOVE WRITING AGAIN. 
AND THEN WRITE!

2017 was a rough year for me, and along the way, I lost my love for writing. I had lots of ideas, but when it came time to put my butt in the chair and my fingers on the keyboard, I blanked. No matter what I did, I couldn't get the words out. Needless to say, it's been frustrating. So, I'm going to continue to take my time. I'm not going to push myself to write or get upset with myself if a day (or twelve) goes by that I don't write. And I'm going to focus on just the writing for a while. Basically, I'm going to write what I want to write--the market be damned! Then, eventually, I'll see what I have and jump back into the publishing pool.


1. Finish Eternally Cursed, which is the first book in a YA paranormal romance series.

2. Write the sequel to Eternally Cursed.

3. Write Meet Me at The Mistletoe, a sweet Christmas romance novella for the Christian market.

4. Finish Deception, which is the first book in a new Christian romantic suspense series.

5. Take an inventory of all my half-started YA projects and see if any of them are worth salvaging.

6. Query something! Probably my paranormal romance because it's the only thing I have that's close to finished.

KEEP ON BLOGGIN'

Yup, this is on my goal's list. Again. I should just accept that this is a permanent fixture on this list. LOL. I actually have a few blog posts written and ready to go that I plan to release soon. I'll be talking books, writing, and sharing every step of my journey to finding a new agent.

READ

I'd like to read 2-3 books per month--my TBR pile is monstrous--but I'll be happy with a conservative 1 book per month. Like I did last year, I'll keep a list of what I read and share it at the end of the year.

BETTER SELF-CARE

I'm going to start going to the gym again, at least twice per week. Not because I want to lose weight--although it certainly couldn't hurt!--but because when I exercise regularly, I have more energy and I'm much more productive. It really does get the creative juices flowing.

POSITIVITY

This is my mindset for 2018. When things seem like they can't get any worse, I will find something positive to focus on. Even amidst rejections and bad reviews, there is always something positive to take away from it. This year, I will become a master at finding the good and sharing it!

What are you goals for this year? 

Share in the comments, or post a link to your own goals post!

{RELEASE DAY BLITZ}: The Reburialists by J.C.Nelson

I'm happy to welcome J.C. Nelson to the blog for the first time ever! He's celebrating a new release today. If you like action-packed paranormal, then this is the book for you!!

Make sure you scroll all the way to the end for an awesome giveaway!

Burying the dead is easy.  Keeping them down is difficult.

At the Bureau of Special Investigations, agents encounter all sorts of paranormal evils. So for Agent Brynner Carson, driving a stake through a rampaging three-week-old corpse is par for the course. Except this cadaver is different. It’s talking—and it has a message about his father, Heinrich.

The reanimated stiff delivers an ultimatum written in bloody hieroglyphics, and BSI Senior Analyst Grace Roberts is called in to translate. It seems that Heinrich Carson stole the heart of Ra-Ame, the long-dead god of the Re-Animus. She wants it back. The only problem is Heinrich took the secret of its location to his grave.

With the arrival of Ra-Ame looming and her undead army wreaking havoc, Brynner and Grace must race to find the key to stopping her. It’s a race they can’t afford to lose, but then again, it’s just another day on the job . . .

ADD TO GOODREADS

BUY NOW: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

About the Author:
A Texas transplant to the Pacific Northwest, JC Nelson lives with a family and a flock of chickens near rainy Seattle.

You can follow JC on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and Pinterest.


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{TEASER TUESDAY}: Hallowed Ground

Hallowed Ground is Book 1 of The Graves Barren Series. It's a young adult paranormal  romance. Enjoy :-)

I was grateful for Abby’s presence as I found my locker and tested the combination. It opened easy enough. I shoved my sweater inside, not sure why I’d brought it in the first place. Old habits must really die hard. She showed me to my first class – Algebra – which we did not have together, and promised to meet me right after. I hated needing a personal tour guide. I mean, the school wasn’t that big. I was sure I could find my way around without her assistance, but after the way she snapped at me in the car, I wasn’t about to tell her that.

“Hey, Abby.” I grabbed her arm before she could walk away, then I quickly let go of her. “I just wanted to say thanks for all your help and… everything.”

She smiled. “You’re family, Chloe, and family always comes first.”

I fought back the surge of emotion threatening to overtake me. That was something my mom always used to say, too. I nodded, not sure I could speak anything coherent. Even if I’d wanted to say something further, I didn’t get the chance. Coming down the hall were three very tall guys, all with dark hair and even darker eyes. Flawless, tanned complexions with strong jaws and high cheekbones. They walked side by side by side, almost taking up the entire width of the hall. People knew to move out of their way, parting for them like the Red Sea. I’d never seen anything like it – or them – before. All three of them kept their gazes straight ahead, like they were better than everyone else and couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge any of us peasants. We were peons in their world.

“Who’re they?” I whispered to Abby.

She rolled her eyes. “The Halsteads. The one on the far left is Colton, he’s the oldest. In the middle is Jaxon, and the one on the right is Trenton.”

I couldn’t stop staring. They were like walking gods. Perfectly built, graceful, athletic. They were certainly the type of guys you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley alone. I shuddered, and that’s when the one closest to us – Trenton – slowed and looked at me. No, not at me. Through me. It was unnerving, yet, I couldn’t look away. He narrowed his eyes as if squinting against a bright light. I knew my jaw hung open, and apparently he knew it, too, because he gave me a faint smirk followed by a look filled with so much vehemence, it caused me to take a cautionary step back. Then, just as quickly as he acknowledged me, he turned away, returning his gaze forward as if I didn’t exist.

*** Copyright 2015, Kara Leigh Miller ***