Kara's Book Cravings: Landry Park

I found LANDRY PARK by Bethany Hagen at a local book sale. The cover intrigued me, and so did the blurb. Figured it couldn't hurt to check it out. I mean, second-hand sales like this are how I often find new-to-me authors and books. I can't count how many times I've found one book in a series, loved it, and then went on to buy the others. 

This is a YA dystopian romance story about a young girl who is essentially royalty. And then she slowly -- and very reluctantly -- begins to learn the truth of her lifestyle, how she has what she does because others suffer and die for it. Like so many other YA books in this genre, war and rebellion are brewing. Our heroine gets sucked into it and now must choose between her family and lifestyle or doing the right thing for those less fortunate. 

The writing style is easy and engaging. There are lots of secrets and deception, along with some twists I hadn't expected. Oh, and the hint of a love triangle, which is so my thing! 

While the end is decent and isn't a cliffhanger, it does hint at a second book. Sure enough, when I looked this up on Amazon, there is a second book available. I haven't yet decided if I'm invested enough to buy it. I mean, sure, I'm curious about what happens next, but I'm not so entrenched that I need to know right now. Maybe someday I'll come back around to this series, but for now, I'm moving on to other things. 

Kara's Book Cravings: The Four Horsemen Series

 

THE FOUR HORSEMAN SERIES by Laura Thalassa is a very adult book series that features each of the four horseman -- Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death -- as they come to destroy the world. In each book, a sole woman falls victim to the horseman when she tries to stop him. Throughout the journey, the horseman finds humanity and love. 

This type of series isn't my go-to genre by any means, but I kept seeing these books on the shelves at Target every time I was there (which is a lot!), and I kept going back and forth. I love the covers, and I'm a sucker for anything that's end of the world or dystopian. I figured, what the hell? 

And I am sooooo glad I bought these books. Yes, they are dark in certain parts. I mean, it's the end of the world. I didn't expect anything less. What I wasn't expecting, though, was the humor and the heat! Both were an extremely pleasant surprise. My favorite of the series is hands-down PESTILENCE with DEATH being a close second. The others are great, too, but the first and last really stood out to me. 

I really enjoy the author's writing style, too, and so I've since bought two more of her series, and I'll be diving into those soon. So, if you're a fan of heat and humor and stories that are a little out there, then you're going to want to pick up this series. I recommend it to everyone now! 

Kara's Book Cravings: ACOTAR Series

 

So, I have finished all five books in the A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES Series by Sarah J. Maas. If you want to catch up on my thoughts about book 1 and book 2, you can do so HERE and HERE. All set? Okay, then let's move on to books 3-5, and boy do I have some thoughts...

In book 3--A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN--we get a lot more fantasy aspects with the Fae courts and politics and the eventual big war. While the pacing was good and I was fully engaged, something about this book fell flat for me. In the first two, we're just learning about Rhys and Feyre and becoming invested in their love-hate relationship. In this book, they are fully mated and together. From a story telling perspective, I get the need for that, but as a reader, I really missed the tension between them that had been so strong in the first two books. 

The 4th book--A COURT OF FROST AND STARLIGHT--is a really short companion book that takes place after the war and shows Rhys and Feyre settling into their lives. This also focuses a bit more on Feyre's sisters, Elain and Nesta, which leads into the fifth book. While this was a quick read, it wasn't my favorite. It lacked any real conflict and romantic tension. 

A COURT OF SILVER FLAMES, the fifth and (so far) final book in this series is a beast. It's by far the longest, and it took me a while to get through it. Not because it was bad, but because we shift from Feyre and Rhys's story into Nesta and Cassian's story. The shift took a big of adjustment, but once I got into it, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. 

Nesta gets a lot of hate from a lot of people, and with good reason, but she has the best character arc, in my opinion. The amount of change she goes through, both internally and externally, is astounding. I came to really like her by the end of this book, and I was rooting for her.  She knows she hasn't been a good sister, or person overall, but she works hard on herself and by the end, this book had me in tears. I'd venture to say this final book was probably my favorite of the entire series. And the romance between her and Cassian --- wooooo! Make sure you have a fan handy. Or access to a cold shower. 

Kara's Book Cravings: A Court of Mist and Fury

 

After being very pleasantly surprised by how much I loved A Court of Thorns and Roses, I immediately jumped right into the second book, A Court of Mist and Fury. 

This is one big book, coming in at over 600 pages, so it was a little intimidating at first. But then I started reading it... and I couldn't stop! I finished this entire book in 3 days flat. 

ACOMAF is definitely much better than ACOTAR, but the reason for that, in my opinion, is that we get a lot more Rhysand in this book, and he's my favorite!

We learn so much more about him and why he's so misunderstood. We also learn more about Tamlin, and as I mentioned in my last review, my suspicions about him are confirmed. He's not as great as he's portrayed in book 1. I don't hate him, and he's not really a villain, but he makes some really dumb decisions. 

Feyre, our heroine, becomes a lot stronger in this book as well, and while I find some of her reactions annoying, she's a solid character, and I like her more and more. 

The ending of this book had my jaw on the floor, though, and then I couldn't stop smiling. Maas is a master of the plot twist, and she's damn good at the enemies-to-lovers trope, too. I hope to one day be as good as she is. 

And now, I will dive into book 3, which is even longer than this one. I hope I'm not disappointed. 

Kara's Book Craving: A Court of Thorns and Roses

 

After reading and enjoying Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, I decided to really give romantasy (romance + fantasy) a shot, and so I asked in several groups for recommendations on other series to try, especially for someone so new to the genre. And let me tell you... I got a LOT of great recommendations! 

The one that seemed to come up more than anything else was the A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES (ACOTAR) series by Sarah J. Maas. People warned me that the first book isn't all that great, and that it's slow, but I really need to push through to get to the second book, and then the series is one of the best they'd ever read. 

And so, I dove in head first...

I'm still very new to this genre, but I know that Fae are huge within fantasy, like vampires are in paranormal. I've never liked Fae, though. I don't know why, but something about them--especially as leads and heroes--just never set right with me. Maybe it's the pointy ears... 

Anyway, this series is all about Fae and the various courts they rule. The heroine is a human, and she's unwillingly sucked into this world. 

Was this book slow like everyone said? Yes. Did I skim read a lot of sections that were heavy with descriptions? You bet I did! But I don't think this book was as bad as people say, nor do I think it's a weak start to the series. Is the second book better? Without a doubt! Still, I really enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would! 

I'm sucked into the world Maas has created and the politics with all the various Fae courts. How the human world clashes with the Fae is really intriguing, too! I liked Tamlin, though something about him felt off at times, and my suspicions were confirmed in the second book. 

Rhysand -- who is portrayed as the "bad guy" is a heck of a lot deeper and more complicated than he appears, and I absolutely adore him! He's my new Xaden from Fourth Wing. lol. I seriously love Rhys, and I can't wait to read more of him.

Overall, this first book did its job and sucked me in. I'm hooked and will continue to read the rest of the series. 

Anyone else read this? 

What did you think?

Kara's Book Cravings: Fourth Wing and Iron Flame

 

Like all the other book lovers out there, I'm not immune to the hype surrounding Fourth Wing and Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros. I am, however, immune to the epic fantasy books or anything that requires heavy worldbuilding. Or... I used to be anyway...

A very good friend of mine had read Fourth Wing and insisted I needed to read it, despite knowing I'm not a fan of fantasy. But I trust her, so I decided why not? Let me see for myself what all the hype is about. 

I read Fourth Wing in a matter of days! In fact, I hadn't even finished it when Iron Flame released, but I was at my local Target bright and early to ensure I got my copy, and I even splurged on a second copy of Fourth Wing so I could have the pretty sprayed edges and the bonus content. 

I've read both sides of the arguments surrounding these books -- those who love them and those who hate them -- and I can see value in both opinions. Personally, I really enjoyed these books. Yes, they're long, and yes there are some things that don't make a lot of sense. But I read for the enjoyment of it, to escape the dumpster fire that is the world, and these books gave me that. I was sucked into the world almost immediately. I LOVE the dragons and their lore. 

And don't even get me started on Xaden -- I have a new book boyfriend, y'all! He's the type of strong, silent, brooding hero I wish I could write. My heart raced every time he showed up on the page. 

I will admit I did struggle just a bit with Iron Flame, mostly because the middle sagged a bit, and some things happened that stole the magic I'd found reading the first book, relationships to be specific. (Don't worry -- I won't say because I don't want to spoil anything.) 

Overall, these books were fun, and I'm (im)patiently waiting for book 3, because WOW does book 2 end on a wicked cliffhanger! Fair warning. But what I think I like most about taking a chance on these books is that it's opened me up to an entirely new genre that I was adamant I wouldn't like -- fantasy romance. 

I can admit when I'm wrong, though, and now I'm doing a deep dive into this genre and reading everything I can get my hands on!

Anyone else read this series? 

What are your thoughts on it?

Thursday Thoughts: Why that Genre?

 

Growing up, I was always reading something. Basically, whatever I could get my hands on. I used to love the Sweet Valley High series, and I read almost all of them. Then I moved on to V.C. Andrews -- Flowers in the Attic and whatever else she'd written. I was hooked by the twisted, often horrific stories she told. From there, I graduated to Dean Koontz and Stephen King. As a teen, I would watch The X-Files with my dad every week. I realized early on that I had a penchant for the dark and scary stuff, which has carried on through adulthood. Now, I find myself gravitating toward teen and adult thrillers, spooky / haunted non-fiction, horror movies, etc. The spookier and creepier the better. 

Yet, I write romance. 

I've had people ask me why. Why write romance when you seem to love all the scary, spooky, haunted, twisty thriller type stuff so much? And my answer is: I don't know. Honestly. I really don't. Maybe because I do read and watch so much of it that I worry I won't be able to come up with anything new or unique. Or maybe I'm just suffering from severe imposter syndrome and worry I won't be able to pull off a good thriller or horror novel. Though, I have started to shift toward more spookier stories, with my paranormal series. And I have started (and stopped) working on a few thrillers. 

But I'm coming to another realization: The more scary stuff I read, the more post-apocalyptic books I read, the more horror movies and shows I watch, the stronger my urge to write within this genre. And so I've decided I'm going to really put some effort into finishing a new book in one of these genres. 

Will I completely abandon writing romance? Absolutely not! Even within these other genres, there will be romantic subplots -- I can't not write romance into my books. I'm looking forward to this challenge!

Anyone else read or consume media that's outside of the genre they write? If so, what's your reasoning? Is there a genre you've always wanted to try writing? Got any tips for anyone just branching out? Share in the comments!

Kara's Book Cravings: The Girl From Widow Hills

 

Time for a book confession: I absolutely love reading (and writing) YA, and I tend to choose YA over adult books. But there are just some authors who write in both age categories, and I prefer their adult books over their YA books. Megan Miranda is this author for me. 

I prefer her adult books over her teen books. Why? Because of her writing style. Don't get me wrong -- I love her voice and overall style, but personally, I find her unique style to be better suited to adult books. She tends to write very densely, with quite a bit of exposition and character reflection. For me, that works in adult but not so much in YA. 

So, what led me to this realization and ultimate confession? This book did:

The Girl from Widow Hills by Megan Miranda is an adult mystery / thriller, and it is phenomenal! From the very first page, I was hooked, and I had a hard time putting this book down to go do all that adult stuff I have to do on a daily basis. 

This is a story about a woman who, when she was just a child, was swept away during a major storm and stuck in the town's drainage system for three days. Her ordeal became a national story, and her mother cashed in on that by writing a book about everything. On the anniversary of her rescue, the press comes out in droves to check in on "the girl from Widow Hills," when all she wants is to be left alone. Naturally, there's a lot more to this tale that meets the eye. 

The twists and turns combined with the intentional misdirection is just... wow! As a reader, I was impressed with how the story unfolded, and I know this one will stick with me, but as an author -- I strive to write as well as Megan Miranda, to be able to weave a tale that leads readers down one path and then shoves them in a completely different direction. 

Has anyone else read this book? What did you think? What other books have you read that left your jaw on the floor? Share in the comments!

Spill the Tea Tuesday: F*ck That and Other Profanity in Novels

Today, author Katie O'Connor is here to spill the tea...

First off, thanks to Kara Leigh for having me here today. I love chatting with readers. Not just romance readers, but readers of any genre. This makes me super excited to be here with you. I always want to know what readers think about things because without readers, an author is nothing.

What I’d like to talk about today is profanity.

Let’s begin with a truth bomb, or in Kara’s words, spilling the tea. It’s no secret to anyone who’s ever met me that I love swearing. I find it satisfying. It helps me express my feelings, and sometimes it is just plain fun. My dad could out-cuss anyone on the planet. He made up combinations that nobody else could even think of. Maybe that’s where my love of profanity originated. Like father like daughter.

Recently, I’ve had two discussions on the use of profanity in fiction. One online, the other in person at a reader’s tea held for me by a fan. The readers attending this tea were all sweet romance readers, some read exclusively sweet. Their consensus was no F-bombs, but an occasional cuss word for emphasis was acceptable, just keep them few and far between. I can handle that, though it isn’t always easy. Sometimes, I write my first draft with the profanity in it and edit it afterward. Thank heaven for a good editor who catches the ones I miss.

The online profanity discussion was another animal entirely. As was strolling through social media, as most of us do, and this person comes onto a writer’s group and makes a post which flat-out stated that if you include ANY profanity in your book, you drive away most of your readers. It was, in their opinion, paramount that swearing was banished from all books.

I know nothing about the original poster’s life or beliefs, but to me, it seemed a rather bold and combative stance, like they were picking a fight. Or maybe just full of righteous superiority. Either way, it got my hackles up.

Of course, me being me, I had to disagree. An argument ensued. It was pretty tame, but at the same time, a bit heated. Dozens of people chimed in, each with their own opinion. Most of the combatants believed that some profanity was acceptable. They agreed that unless you were writing erotica of some fashion, cussing should be used sparingly. One author who wrote dark detective stories, claimed their readers LOVE the swearing. Eventually, the original poster went silent though the discussion continued without them. I don’t know who won the argument as there were fighters on both sides of the issue.

As you might have guessed, I don’t have an issue with profanity in books. Primarily, I read sweeter romances with closed door sex and a bit of heat. Some swearing doesn’t bother me, often it passes by unremarked and barely noticed. I picked up a title last week. It was listed as a sweet romance. Partially true. Some kissing, no sex. But lord love a duck, there were enough curses that it bothered even me. When I popped back onto the web, I found that the book had a few five-star reviews, but most were one and two-star. All the reviews mentioned the excessive profanity. This leads me to believe that for most readers profanity is okay, within limits.

This brings me around to you. What do you read and where do you stand in regards to “bad” language in a book? Are there words you NEVER want to see? Does it matter to you one way or the other? 

Come on, readers, it’s time to spill your tea and share your reader opinions. Can’t wait to hear from you.

Katie O’Connor lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She married her high school sweetheart and is living her happily ever after. 

She’s dabbled in writing since high school because something drives her to create stories. She swears that it’s impossible for her NOT to write. Unsatisfied with one genre, Katie writes contemporary romance, erotic romance and erotica. Recently, she’s crafted her first cozy mystery with the intention of publishing a cozy mystery series.

She believes in all things magical; including dragons, fairies, UFOs, ghosts, and house pixies. But most of all she believes in love, romance and hope.

Katie likes to make it up as she goes along and dreams of publishing a mixed genre novel. It is going to be an erotic, shape shifter, vampire, steampunk, sci-fi, murder mystery, adventure, romantic, western, historical, thriller. It will be her biography. 

She lives life with humor, hope and copious quantities of caffeine. You can find more about Katie on her website, newsletter, Facebook, BookBub, Instagram, Goodreads, and her readers' group. 

The tea has been spilled! Who's gonna clean it up? 

Drop your thoughts in the comments!

Spill the Tea Tuesday: The Scary Part of Being a Writer

Today, author Audrey Grace is here to spill the tea...

What’s scarier than publishing your first book? 

Delving into a completely new genre, one you haven’t spent much time writing in decades. 

That’s me, taking the plunge into the horror and thriller genre. Let me call it horror light because there’s more thriller in it than horror, but it still doesn’t count as straight up thriller. The ghosts involved and some of my deepest darkest fears come alive on paper would agree it’s a horror book. 

Like anything else in my life, I jumped in without thinking too much. It all started with a challenge--to write a romance with horror. Somehow, I pulled it off and loved it. It reminded me of the old days when I could stretch my writing fingers and have no limits to my creative flow. This book isn’t romance at all. As a matter of fact, I gave myself a higher challenge of making it a YA book, where teens and adults alike could enjoy it. And I jumped right in and forgot to plug my nose. 

Maybe jumping is too harsh - It was more like tiptoeing for a year while finishing other projects and then getting the green light to go, go, go. And go I did. This passion project started with a cover, one that sparked a Google search and a legend I couldn’t pass up. I threw in a few cups of  my passion of lesser known history, and sprinkled in a dash of ‘what am I doing?’ before baking up a wonderful finished novel that my early readers say they would love as a movie. 

Did I stop in the middle and wonder what was I thinking? Yes, yes I did. But I wouldn’t change it for the world. Spinning interesting stories with twists and turns is my passion, one I’ll keep doing for as long as I’m able. 

Paper Flight might be the first book for Audrey Grace, but it won’t be the last. With my love of urban legends and huge cover collection, I won’t run out of ideas anytime soon.

Audrey Grace lives in the Midwest and grew up with the influences of some of the greatest horror and thriller writers of all time. Her own writing journey began with short spooky stories to tell around the campfire and eventually, she started writing them down. As she did so, they grew into full books. With the nudge of her friend, she decided to throw caution to the wind and become an author. Her favorite stories to write are terrifying spins on urban legends from around the world. 

While Audrey likes to write on the dark side, she loves romance, Victorian era cosplay, musicals, and history shows. You can find her visiting haunted locations whenever she gets a chance. You can also find her on Facebook.

The tea has been spilled! Who's gonna clean it up? 

Drop your thoughts in the comments!

GOALS: 2021

 

It's once again my favorite time of year -- GOALS!! I absolutely love setting goals for myself and seeing just how much I can accomplish in a year. And after the productive 2020 I had, I more excited than ever to see what 2021 has in store. So, let's do this!

KEEP ON WRITING!

I wrote so much in 2020, and I would love to keep up with the momentum I'd built. Here are the specific projects I hope to work on: 

1. Small Town Cowboy Romance Book -- I'm busy working on a proposal for my agent for a series of small town cowboys. I want to get the first book written, and possibly have outlines for the rest of the series. 

2. Cursed Series Spinoff Book -- I have the characters, and the idea for the story, and I've already written the first couple of chapters, so I just need to finish writing it. 

3. Adult Romantic Suspense Book -- I have one I'd started several years ago, so I'm going to dust it off and finally finish it so I can send it to my agent. This will be written and eventually published as Lexi.

4. More YA Books -- I worked hard last year to launch The Cursed Series, and I've seen some wonderful gains in my readership, which I don't want to lose, so ideally, I'd love to write another YA book or series I can release. I have an entire list of ideas to choose from, so we'll see what happens. 

READ TILL MY EYES BLEED!

Okay, so maybe that's a little extreme. LOL. I read more books for pleasure last year than I have in a very long time, and I loved it. In fact, I'd forgotten just how much I love getting lost in a book. Between all the writing, editing, and reading submissions for Anaiah that I do, I rarely have time to read stuff that I want to read, so this year, I'm going to make it a priority. I will read at least one book per month, hopefully more. And maybe, if I'm feeling frisky, I might start doing reviews again, too. 

GET OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE!

Anyone who knows me in real life knows that I'm generally a shy person. I prefer to stay home, chat via messenger or text as opposed to talking on the phone, and I do most of my marketing online, too, without having to really put myself out there all that much. Well, this year, I'm going to make a real effort to get out of my comfort zone and put myself out there more via videos, podcasts, conferences, etc. 

PROGRESS: KEEP MOVING FOWARD!

As I've mentioned, I made a lot of traction in my writing and publishing life, and I don't want all of that hard work to be for nothing, so for this year, I'm going to focus on moving forward while progressing with my writing and publishing. I'm going to continue to self-publish via FireChicken Press, and God willing, I'll get Lexi back on track with some new publishing contracts as well. 

What will you do in 2021?

How I Got my Agent Back!

Whenever I feel like I've hit rock bottom, or I'm barely surviving a low in my writing / publishing career, something good tends to happen, something I'm truly not expecting, and this is a trend I've never really noticed until recently. Then again, hindsight is 20/20. 

Way back in 2014, a publisher I'd been signed with was careening toward an unavoidable implosion. I was terrified of what might happen to my books I'd published with them, to what I'd do next. I mean, how do you recover from something like that? And then, I snagged an agent. You can read all about how that happened HERE. 

Fast forward three years and I was once again facing another major blow in my writing career. Read all about that HERE. As a result, I'd parted ways with my agent. I was sad and discouraged and really on the verge of just giving up. But I didn't. I took some time to assess what I wanted to write and what direction I wanted to take my career. 

Fast forward another three years, and here we are at the end of a very long and difficult year. Despite it all, I've had a productive year in terms of writing and publishing, and while I'm happy with what I've accomplished, I was left feeling like I was still missing something. I'd finished a massive 6-book series, and I was floundering on what to do next. Did I dive into a new YA series I could self-publish? Did I write an adult book I could query agents with? Did I finally finish my series written as Lexi and self publish that? (Which is something I'd been considering for a while.) And then, I got an email....

The publisher of my Lexi books was investing in some new marketing for my book in January. Let me tell you how big of a boost this was! I eagerly jumped in to help with their efforts, revived Lexi on social media, and my enthusiasm for this series sparked once again. I reached out to my former agent, who had originally sold this series for me and who I'd always been in contact with throughout the years and let her know what was going on. During our discussions, I asked if she thought my publisher might reconsider publishing the 3rd book in this series. We agreed I'd ask and see what happened. 

Much to my surprise, they agreed to take a look at the 3rd book and reconsider!!!! And so, I gave the book (which had been written for years) another read through, cleaned it up, rewrote the ending, and sent it off to Dawn, who had agreed to submit it on my behalf considering she'd repped the first two books in the series. 

And now it's official---I have re-signed with my former agent, Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency!! 

She has sent my third Lexi book to the publisher, and now we wait for their decision. If they ultimately say no, I'll forge ahead with self-publishing it so I can continue to rebuild my pen name. And I'll eventually work on something new for Lexi as well. In the meantime, after speaking with Dawn about what she's looking for, I'm working on a proposal for a new series: small town cowboys that will ultimately be published in some form under my Kara name! I couldn't be more excited about this prospect, and I'm so thrilled to be working with Dawn again :-) 

GOALS: 2020

It's my favorite time of year again!!! GOALS!!! I love setting goals, and I'm more excited than ever this year because there are some big things happening, and with me in much better health, I'm going to hit 2020 hard! So, let's do this.

WRITE Until My Fingers Fall Off!

Okay, so maybe that's a bit dramatic--LOL--but I do want to get back into a steady writing habit, and in doing so, I hope to finish a few projects and/or start some new ones. Here is the official list of books I'm going to attempt to finish writing this year:

1. The Georgia Corbins, Book 1. I swear this book is on my goals list every single year, and I'm determined not to let it still be here come 2021. Haha! I have a large portion of this book already written, so it really just needs a final revision.

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

4.  Eternal Regret. This is the third book in my young adult paranormal romance series. I don't expect to finish it, but I'd like to at least get started on it.

Resurrect My Pen Name 

A few years ago, I'd written and published a couple of secular New Adult books under a pen name. For anyone who's been around this blog for any amount of time, you know that things didn't work out so well for me with that deal--at no fault of anyone! Sometimes, things just don't work out. That's the nature of publishing, and life in general. So, after some time away and a lot of reflection, I've decided I'm going to bring back this pen name. I'm going to release the third book in the series that wasn't published by the publisher, and I have a romantic suspense series I'm going to work on. (Please be aware that under this name, I write stuff that is not Christian; in fact, it's rather steamy, so if that's not your thing, feel free to stick to my Kara books.)

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 2020. I'm aiming for FCP's debut release to be sometime in late September or early October with Eternal Curse, The Cursed Series: Book One. 

On this specific topic--my husband and I have purchased the (small) house directly across the street from us, and it will become the official office space for both FireChicken Press, LLC and my husband's company, JMT, LLC. Stay tuned in the next couple of months of pictures and updates. I'd love to host a small, weekend writer's retreat there this summer.

Keep On Editing

I'm still with Anaiah Press, and so I'll continue to edit, but this year, I'd like to be a bit more consistent and aim for about one manuscript a month. I've also got a couple repeat freelance clients that I'll continue to edit for---I'm looking at you, Kat and Katie! :-)

Passion: Loving Life and What I Do

Last year, my focus was on persistence, and while that didn't apply too much to my writing life, it helped immensely with my personal life and weight loss journey. This year, though, I'm going to focus on passion--for writing, editing, family, friends, and life in general. If I'm not happy doing something, I'm simply not going to do it anymore. What's the point, right? Life is much too short to spend it being miserable.

What will you accomplish in 2020? 

A Story, A New Venture, A Sad Good-bye, and Taking the Next Steps!

Anyone who reads my blog regularly knows that I'm not shy about sharing the lows of the publishing world, and I've had a lot of them lately. It's been quite doom-and-gloom around here, but not today! Today, I have some really exciting news to share. But, before I get into that...

A STORY:

When I got my license, I had high hopes of getting a car. A little red sports car, to be exact. Of course, that never happened. I was in high school still and working part-time at the local Arby's, and my parents were in no position to buy me a car. So, my first car was some clunker--I think it was a Chevette or something. LOL. As I got older, I upgraded cars, drove a couple minivans and SUVs, but still no sports car--until recently. 

This summer, my husband bought me the little red sports car I always wanted: A Pontiac Firebird!

Isn't she pretty??

Shortly after getting the car, my husband jokingly referred to it as "The Fireturd." Thankfully, that nickname didn't stick around long. So, he then affectionately called it "The Firechicken." That name did stick--my kids think it's hilarious, and every time we leave the house, they ask if we're taking the Firechicken. It has quickly become our family joke, and I love it.

So, what does this have to do with publishing?

A NEW VENTURE:

In my last post, I admittedly whined about the rejections I got for a paranormal romance I was querying. While I'm still saddened by them, I'm happy to report I have received another full request. YAY! So, I'm not giving up on that route, but while I wait, I've decided to focus on something new.

Indie publishing! That's right, I am fully committing to self-publishing. And because I don't ever do anything halfway, I have filed for an LLC and will be creating my own publishing company that will publish just my books.

I'd like to introduce you all to....

FireChicken Press, LLC

That probably sounds like a silly name for a publisher, but as I said, it's solely for my books, and it has special meaning to me. I think it's absolutely perfect!

My daughter even made a couple hand-drawn logos for me!

Isn't she so talented?? Shameless plug time: She'll be opening to custom art commissions soon if anyone is interested. You can find her on her website, Twitter and DeviantArt.

I've worked in publishing for years, so I know how much work this will be--I'm excited and committed and a tad bit overwhelmed. Which leads me to the next section of this post...

A SAD GOOD-BYE:

Because of the amount of time and focus self-publishing will take, I made the difficult choice to resign my position at Anaiah Press. While I have thoroughly loved my time there, I know I can't give Anaiah the attention it deserves while also making FireChicken Press successful. My last day will be December 31, 2018.

And now...

TAKING THE NEXT STEPS:

It's no huge secret that I got my start in publishing in the secular market--erotic romance, to be exact. While I no longer write that (nor do I plan to do so again), I have been doing some soul searching in terms of what I want to write and publish. I love Christian fiction--it has been my focus for the past 5 years. I love to read it and edit it. Sadly, though, in terms of writing it...well, that's a different story. It's not my passion. Therefore, I will be returning to the secular market.

Under FireChicken Press, LLC, I will be publishing YA, NA, and A across a variety of genres; although all of my books will have an element of romance in them. My NA and A books will have cursing, violence (especially my romantic suspense titles), and possibly sex (but not overly graphic). My YA will be a lot cleaner. So, to all of my CF writers and readers, if you chose not to follow me on this new journey, I 100% understand and support your decision. There are no hard feelings on my end, and I wish you all the absolute best.

For anyone who sticks around, I plan to start by re-releasing an older NA title that I recently got the rights back to---Death of a Waterfall. I'm going to revise the heck out of it, add some new words, cut some words, get new cover art with a brand new title and then unleash it back into the world. My goal is to do so in March 2019. I will follow that up with the sequel (never before released), and then book 3 (also never released). Additionally, I have a book written for one of the secondary characters that I'm super excited about :-)

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I have an adult romantic suspense series that I'll be releasing eventually, too. And, of course, I have a TON of YA books that are half-finished that I'll be busy finishing and publishing, starting with my Georgia Corbins series.

So, there you have it. And now, if you'll excuse me, I have some writing to do!

The Vampire Diaries (Books 3 & 4): Maybe this isn't so bad...

To catch up on my personal vampire reading challenge, read Post 1 and Post 2.

THE FURY (Book 3):
So, at the end of book two, Elena had driven off a bridge. Book three, The Fury, picks up right were the previous one ended (again, making it feel like I was simply reading the next chapter rather than starting a new book). In this book, Elena awakens alone, confused, disoriented and as a vampire. This part really bugged me. She's stumbling around, confused, and very childlike in her thoughts / actions. Knowing she's been in love with a vampire for however long now, it seems like she'd be a bit more...grounded in what she is and how she became that way. But, having never been a vampire myself, what do I know?

Stefan, thinking it was his brother that caused Elena's death, goes after Damon and the two are in the midst of a pretty ugly fight when Elena stumbles upon them. Having more of Damon's blood in her system and seeing him as her creator, she attacks Stefan out of fear that he will hurt Damon. Even though, up to this point, she's hated Damon and loved Stefan. Confused yet? Me too!

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The fighting finally stops. Stefan is back to his whiny self, feeling bad for himself that Elena seems to have chosen Damon over him because she must love Damon more. No idea how / why he got that impression simply by her trying to protect her creator, but okay. Moving on.... They realize she's now a vampire, too, and they help her adjust.

There's a new vampire hunter in town--Alaric Saltzman (love his character!)--which adds to the conflict. While avoiding him, Damon, Stefan, and Elena attempt to figure out what evil presence is lurking in town. During Elena's funeral, some weird stuff begins happening, like all of the towns' pets turning on their owners. This is really where the story picked up for me, and I raced through to the end. We find out it's none other than Katherine causing all the trouble in town. She didn't die as Damon and Stefan had thought, and she's out for revenge against Elena for stealing the brothers' love. Elena feels guilty, stating she never wanted this to happen or to come between the brothers. She shoves Katherine into the sunlight and she dies. So does Elena. Again. (For good this time, right? Don't count on it!) But not before she makes Damon and Stefan promise to get along.

Overall, this book wasn't anywhere near as bad as the first two. Maybe because I was getting more familiar and comfortable with the characters. Or maybe because I was finally used to the author's writing style. Either way, I eagerly started book four...

DARK REUNION (Book 4):
At the start of this book, Elena is still dead, (it's been 6 months) and the story is told primarily from Bonnie's POV. I've never really been a fan of Bonnie (especially in the TV show), so this POV shift took some getting used to. Thankfully, it was fairly consistent, so that made it easier to stay engaged with the story. Like book three, I raced through this one. It was REALLY good! Probably my favorite of the series.

Bonnie and friends summon Elena using a Ouija board, and they make contact. Elena warns them of something evil. Bonnie then summons Stefan for help. Stefan returns, with Damon in tow. YAY DAMON! More weird stuff happens. We learn there's another (unknown) vampire in town, who ends up killing Vickie. We also find out Tyler is a werewolf and is in cahoots with this other vampire. We find out it's Klaus, one of the original vampires. He's just as evil in the book as he is in the TV show, but he's flat in the book. We don't get to know nearly enough about him or why he's in town causing trouble.

We get to the big battle at the end. Elena is there in spirit and calls upon other spirits to defeat Klaus. The good guys win, and it ends with Elena coming back to life as a....ready for this... AN ANGEL! Yes, you read that correctly. She dies as a human. Turns into a vampire. Dies again. Then is brought back as an angel. Everyone is super happy Elena is back. Happily-ever after. Roll the credits. The book is over.

But wait! HOW did she come back as an angel? WHY? What happens next?!?

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It's never explained. We are left with more questions than answers. I mean, I'm glad there was a happy ending--who doesn't love a HEA?--but seriously. To just end with a human turned vampire turned angel and not give us any explanations? Shame on you, Ms. Smith! Now, I'm already peeved with this ending, but if I had been reading these books as they released, I would've bordered on ragey. But, thankfully, it's not the end :-)

Stay tuned for my review of The Return: Nightfall....

January (2018) Joys

In an effort to stay positive, productive, and accountable, I've decided to check-in at the end of each month. I'll share what I've accomplished along with any ups or downs I've experienced. So, let's get to it...


WRITING: 
I finished the first draft of my YA paranormal romance!!! YAY! I cannot tell you how excited I am about this.... It's been four years in the making! I sent it to a handful of beta readers, and the feedback is starting to roll in. I'm looking at a complete overhaul of the opening chapters, but that's okay. I've gotten some great ideas, and I'm excited to jump back in and revise. I also started working on my Christmas novella for Anaiah -- it's a sweet contemporary romance.


QUERYING:
My co-author and I are querying a YA thriller. We sent right around 50 queries, and so far, we've received 1 full request (YAY!) and 30 rejections (boo!). The rest are still outstanding. While I'm being realistic about this project, it's nice to know at least one person liked it enough to request, but I have that sinking feeling this book has "missed the market" so to speak. But, we'll see how it goes.


EDITING:
I've been crazy busy with editing. I joined forces with fellow PitchWars Mentor, Lisa Amowitz, and we started The Choppy Shop, which is a pop-up editorial service specializing in query letter and first chapter critiques to prepare authors for querying. I completed two freelance editing projects, finished edits on a YA manuscript for Anaiah, and have begun contents on a contemporary romance for Anaiah.


READING:
Sadly, I haven't read anything for pleasure this month, but I did beta read a manuscript that was a ton of fun -- lots of family drama, secrets, twists, murder, and romance.


PERSONAL:
My oldest daughter turned 19 this month. Yikes--that makes me feel old. Ha! I took her to a Black Veil Brides concert which, up until that night, I had never heard of. The music was loud and full of screaming, but some of it was good, and I added a couple new songs to my writing playlist.

My other daughter turned 13 -- Another teenager in the house, goody. <sarcasm font> She had her birthday party at the bowling alley, which also offered virtual reality. Fun was had by everyone. She really has a great group of friends, though, and seeing them all together (no fighting / drama) was great. It makes me happy to see that she's surrounded herself with positive, supportive people.

I've been fighting off something icky, either a sinus infection or the start of the flu. I think a trip to the doctor is in my near future. For this reason, I didn't make it to the gym nearly as much as I wanted to--I think I only went two or three times. Oh well, February is a new month and I'll hit it hard :-)

So, what has everyone else done in January? Is 2018 off to a good start for you? Share in the comments!

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...

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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!

#PitchWars Mentor Bio and Wishlist

Welcome to PitchWars 2016!!!

I cannot tell you how excited I am to be a mentor again. There are so many fun, NEW things happening this year, too, so pull up a chair, sit down, and prepare to be thrilled :)

Let's start with the most important announcement of all, shall we?

I HAVE A CO-MENTOR!! 

That's right. I have teamed up with the super lovely, highly talented, and uber-fun Meredith Ireland! We are seriously so damn happy we can't stand it. We're all like....


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This means y'all get a two-for-one! A tag team of awesomeness! A duo of delightful fun! 

So, who the hell are we and what do we know? We're glad you asked. Allow us to introduce ourselves and tell you why we're qualified to be your mentors...

KARA LEIGH MILLER:

Hello! I'm Kara. I'm a multi-published romance author represented by Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency. I currently live in Michigan, but was born and raised in a very small Central New York town. As Kara, I've written and published a variety of things ranging from erotic romance to young adult to Christian romantic suspense -- most of which have since gone out of publication.  My alter-ego, Lexi Lawton, recently signed a three-book deal with Entangled Embrace for a series of contemporary NA romances. 

• I've worked as a professional acquisitions editor for a little over three years now. Until just recently, I was the Editorial Director for Anaiah Press, LLC. I had to temporarily step down due to some massive writing deadlines, but I'm still on-staff as a Senior Editor where I work with a small list of authors. Additionally, I'm a freelance editor and part-time ghostwriter. 

• I have two college degrees: one in Criminal Justice and another in Paralegal Studies.
• I did a very short stint as an Agent Apprentice with Corvisiero Literary Agency last year. Sadly, family issues prevented me from continuing on with them, but that doesn't mean I won't return to the agenting side of things in the future. Never say never!
• I'm a huge Pit bull lover and advocate! Really, who wouldn't love these sad, pathetic, squishy faces??

• I'm NOT a coffee drinker, but I can't go a day without a Pepsi. I also have a killer sweet tooth, and I have a constant supply of Hershey's and tootsie rolls on hand. 

MEREDITH IRELAND:

Hi there! I’m Meredith, the second half of this power duo. I recently signed with Lauren Abramo of Dystel & Goderich for my Women’s Fiction/Contemporary Romance novel SCATTERED thanks to #DVPit. You can read about my agent journey HERE. I also have an erotic romance short story called Ink & Ocean coming out in 2017 in the kINKED anthology. 

• As a 2016 Writing in the Margins mentee, I have a good feel for what you’re currently and about to go through.
• I have a law degree I use some of the time.
• I went to law school at U Miami (Go CANES!), and college at Rollins in Orlando, but I grew up in NYC.
• I’m adopted. I was born in Seoul, Korea, but raised in an Italian American family.
• Unlike Kara, I’m allergic to cats, but I have a goldfish named Emo that has lived for a freakishly long time.

• Like any good writer, I love coffee and bourbon (just kidding… sort of)
• I love to travel but I have two tiny people who rather like me here

And now, here are a few of our favorite things....

BOOKS / AUTHORS
Big Magic (Elizabeth Gilbert)	Renegade (Lora Leigh)
Six of Crows (Leigh Bardugo)	Wait for You (J. Lynn / Jennifer Armentrout)
The Night Circus (Erin Morgenstern)	Taming Darkness (Kat Daemon)
Bared to You (Sylvia Day)	The Saint (Tiffany Reisz)
MOVIES
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind	Napolean Dynamite
The Grand Budapest Hotel	The Minion Movie
The Godfather	Anything w/ Mark Wahlberg
Gone with the Wind (a problematic favorite)	Spy (w/ Melissa McCarthy)
TV SHOWS
Mad Men (I know, it’s not on anymore, but it still counts)	The Big Bang Theory
Modern Family	The Last Ship
FOOD
Korean BBQ	Chicken Alfredo w/ broccoli
Soft pretzels with lots of salt	Chopped salads from Subway!
Peruvian chicken w/ every available side	A thick, tender, medium-cooked steak
HOBBIES
Before children: rock climbing, cross-stitching, traveling, lifting After children: missing my hobbies!	Scrapbooking, reading, going to the gym

Now that you know a bit more about us, we'll (finally) tell you what you really want to know...

What categories are we mentoring? 

ADULT and NEW ADULT

What are we looking for? 

ROMANCE!!

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More specifically, we want...

• Contemporaries with romance at the center of the plot
• Romantic suspense a la Lora Leigh, Julie Ann Walker, etc.
• New Adult stories that have the potential to be aged-up to the adult market. (College-set contemporary NA stories are a very, very hard sell right now, so while we are open to NA, if your book has the potential to be aged-up, your chances with us just got a lot better!) 
• Contemporary-ish romances set in the 70s, 80s, or 90s.
• Erotic romance. (If 50 Shades of Grey is one of your comp titles, please move along. We are not the mentors for you.) We would love to see something new and fresh. A female domme, perhaps. And please be sure there's an actual romance in your story and not just pages and pages of sex.
• We love us some alpha males! Tough as nails on the outside with a sensitive heart. 
• Characters over the age of 25-30 a la Something's Gotta Give.
• Love triangles! Give us some heartbreaking angst with an impossible choice.
• Taboo stories -- We love the dichotomy of, "We want each other, but we can't /shouldn't." Absolutely NO incest (step-sibling romances are okay) bestiality, pedophilia, or rape. 
• Women's fiction with STRONG romantic elements.
• Thriller & mysteries with STRONG romantic elements.
• Very, very light sci-fic a la Station Eleven with STRONG romantic elements
• Friends to lovers.
• Exotic locales. Make us fall in love with places we've never been before!
• DIVERSITY! We openly welcome and are excited for your diverse stories, so give us your LGBT, persons of color, and all your diverse characters. Remember... 

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...And as long as you make us fall in love with your characters, we'll be happy!

• At the end of the day, we want a strong, compelling voice that makes us want to follow along with a hero/heroine who has tension we fall in love with. 

Things that are firmly on our NO list...

• Horror
• Paranormal -- this means everything from vampires to ghosts to shifters to witches, fairies, dragons, etc. We're not looking for anything supernatural. 
• Hard core sci-fi / fantasy or anything with a strong magic system. (There are better mentors out there for this type of stuff.)
• Weak, whiney heroines
• Virgins -- No. Just no. We want heroes and heroines who know what they're doing in the bedroom!
• Rape. We absolutely do NOT want a story that deals with rape, has rape as a major or minor plot point, or has a character that dealt with a rape in their backstory that is then used as a character flaw. 
• Historical anything. 
• Cozy mysteries
• Literary fiction
• Dystopian and/or post-apocalyptic
• Small towns in romance. We'll gladly take a look at WF, thrillers, etc. that take place in a small town. No "city girl moves to small town and falls in love with small town boy." No "character whose life falls apart and so returns home to small town and falls in love with past boyfriend/high school sweetheart." 
• WF that centers around a Bed & Breakfast remodeling. 

N is for NO!
It's also the scavenger hunt letter you need ;)

Don't forget -- PitchWars Needs Your Help!!

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Please, please don't forget to support PitchWars! Doing so not only ensures the continuation of a fantastic writing contest, it will also earn you a few extra entries. READ ABOUT IT HERE!

So, what's next? Check out the other mentors' bios and wishlists, and then hop on over to Brenda Drake's Blog for a complete list of participating agents and details on how to enter. 

GOOD LUCK! 

WE CAN'T WAIT TO READ YOUR SUBMISSION!

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