PROJECT INSPIRE TAG // recognition for those who inspire me as a writer

I'm two days late with this post, but shhhhh. I've been busy winning Camp NaNo and very kindly but relentlessly marking up my friends' wonderful books + letting their wonderful books rip me apart (because critiquing is my new favorite thing mwahaha). But I'm here now, thank goodness, with an appreciation post focused on recognizing some amazing people who inspire me as a writer.

This is a tag (not actually a tag but SHHHH) called the Project Inspire Tag, and I just had to do it. I'm not allowed to tag anyone - which is why it's not really a tag when you think about it?? - so it's up to you to steal it from me if you feel so inclined.

Here are the rules:

1. Thank and link back to whose blog you first saw the tag on. Nicole! Go check out her Project Inspire post and her whole blog because she's EPIC.

2. Answer the questions given. (When you mention a person in your answers, link to their blog/website if they have one.)

3. Include 5 of the biggest things you've learned about writing and how they've changed you.

4. Don't tag anybody. 

Who's someone who's inspired and motivated you to pursue writing?

Oh goodness, HOW could I possibly choose?? So many friends, family members, bloggers, and other authors and writers have inspired and motivated me as a writer in too many ways to count.

K.M. Weiland is an author and blogger whose website Helping Writers Become Authors inspired me to pursue writing a specific book: Blue Like Sapphires, which I'm currently first-drafting. Using articles from her series on outlining and her free ebook 5 Secrets of Story Structure, I was able to sketch a plot of Blue Like Sapphires to my satisfaction despite failed earlier plotting attempts. XD

Although I haven't read any of K.M. Weiland's books (WHAT AM I DOING?), I'm so thankful for her epic blog and how it's inspired and motivated me time and again!

Who encouraged you when you felt like giving up?

Literally alllllll the blogger friends who have expressed excitement about Dusted Red. Especially at the times when Dusted Red has felt like a blob of awful (maybe it is, idk at this point XD). They haven't read it yet, but the brute fact they want to means SO much to me, and it pushes me to keep going. <3

Since the question doesn't tell me I have to say only one person, I could name countless specific and non-specific times when Ivie, Faith, Gray, Julian, Catherine, and Clare in particular made me grin and go floating over the moon. (AND THE OTHERS << thinking of the Writing Specials I've participated in and the way my blog readers pounced on me in the comments. 😍 You know who you are! I don't think you fully understand how much of a blessing you've been.) It's special when someone wants to read your book. Simple as that.

To all the blogger buddies who want to read Dusted Red: I'm sorry if it turns out to be a blob of awful. At this point I honestly have no idea. 😂

me @ me thinking Dusted Red is a blob of awful

Was there a person (or even a blog post) that came at just the right time to give you the boost or motivation when you needed it?

SO MANY. Most recently, an article on Story Embers called Dear Christian Novelists: Cleanness Is Not Next To Godliness gave me the boost I needed as a Christian writer. Lately I'd been discouraged by how much more inclined I am to write stories that aren't explicitly Christian than those that are. It can be easy to disconnect my writing from my faith (see more in this post), but that SE article and the series it introduces was one of the top motivations I needed in that area. Even though it mostly focuses on just one aspect of it. ^_^

Who's always been there for you, through thick and thin with your writing?

Above all... God. <3 Even at the times I feel I'm alone in this, He is there.

But, to pick an "other" (if you will), I'm going to go with my mom. Years and years ago, when I was playing around with what I think was my first non-school creative writing project - Bible stories written in my own words on unlined paper, with accompanying little-kid illustrations - I remember Mom being impressed and telling me she liked it a lot. It's one of those faraway memories, so blurry it's like a dream, but I remember how excited it made me to hear that.

Who's helped you make your writing better, wasn't afraid to give you honest feedback, and helped improve your craft?

The first person I thought of was Melissa Gravitis, who beta-read my novella The Seven Huntresses. She gave brutally honest feedback that dug deep into everything from character development to storyworld to plot, and I was ENTHRALLED. Still am. ^_^ All my beta-readers for that story were fantastic and incredibly helpful (I love you guys <3), and Melissa's feedback in particular... man, it blew me away. Definitely made my writing better!

Who's given you doses of healthy laughter that brightens your day and brings a smile to your face?

I find this question interesting because it breaks away from the writing-centeredness of the previous ones.

I'm going to go with my dad. He's absolutely a day-brightener and always has a funny joke or reaction at the ready to make me laugh. Or at least smile... but usually laugh. XD

What's your favorite inspirational quote?

I'm sorry, but I do not and cannot have a favorite. There are TOO MANY inspirational quotes in this world.

Nothing is more inspirational than a word from God, and I could choose any of countless inspirational Bible verses for this, but instead of subjecting myself to the torture of picking one of those, here's a super uplifting quote from one of my Pinterest boards instead:

via Pinterest - all credit to owner

I picked it because it encompasses all of life in the most personal way, and the best quotes do!

Is there someone you just want to take a moment to thank, for anything?

Thank you, Mom, for hugging me by the river this past Sunday. <3

What author and/or book inspired you to write better stories and motivated you to strive to give your message to the world?

Nadine Brandes is one author who inspires me a lot to really strive to weave important messages into my writing! I love checking her Instagram because she's soooo optimistic, shines brightly for Jesus, and often posts about her writing and what it means to her. Her book Fawkes is fantastic aaaaand also the only book I've read by her. O_o I NEED OUT OF TIME. AND ROMANOV.

What piece of advice do you want to give to other writers?

Maybe this is cheating, but I'm going to quote myself from last week's post. XD


Keep writing, my friends. And don't write for the world. Don't even write for yourself. Write for Jesus.

~ 5 BIG THINGS I'VE LEARNED ABOUT WRITING ~

(These are in no particular order, by the way. :D)

1. It's possible to write a story you don't love. This was a bit of a weird revelation, but yes, it IS possible to write a story you don't love. I think I enjoy every story I write to an extent, but looking back on some stories, I've realized I like some of them and then LOVE others. This information has prompted me to make sure I'm verrrrrry into the idea (or at least one aspect) of a story before I sit down to try writing it. Because I want every one of my stories to feel epic to me. I want every one of them to blow my own socks off, thanks. STANDARDS ARE RISING, PEOPLE.



2. Praise from readers doesn't satisfy. Yes, it's AWESOME to hear someone say they love your story to pieces. It's INCREDIBLE to hear someone say they feel the feels, ship the ships, etc. You better believe that's one of the hugest writer-ly blessings out there - being able to say you've accomplished the goal of entertaining and touching readers. <3 But, over time, I've had to take steps back and apply the universal truth "Only Jesus satisfies, and nothing else" to this area of my life. If you look to reader praise for satisfaction or self-worth as a writer, you'll just end up thirsty again. "For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness" (Psalm 107:9).

3. Being published doesn't satisfy either. Same as above. Being published is awesome, incredible, one of the hugest blessings of being a writer, and a DREAM COME TRUE. And the blessing will last - forever! - but only if I give all the glory to God. Publication in and of itself does not satisfy. Recognizing it's a blessing from God rather than something I earn or deserve makes it all the more sweet. <3

4. It's more than possible to write for God's glory even if you write stories that aren't explicitly Christian. I talked about this a lot in last week's post. It was a super recent lesson I learned (one I'm constantly learning, actually), and it's made writing all the more purposeful and fun!

5. I'm not good at novel climaxes. The struggle is real. :P Both Dusted Red and Blue Like Sapphires have been giving me pain in the climactic area. SOMEONE SEND HELP IN THE FORM OF AN ACTUALLY GOOD CLIMAX, PLEASE AND THANK YOU. How has this lesson changed me? Well... I am now scared for each and every "climax" I write or plot. Oh, and hopefully I put more effort into writing/plotting them in the future. That too.

~~~

And that's the end of this tag! Please do steal it (that's the only way to be tagged, after all XD) and take a whole blog post to recognize those who inspire you + share the biggest lessons you've learned as a writer. SO MANY BLESSINGS, MY FRIENDS. Count them.

... And then fail because there are too many.

:D

The Lord's Truly,

Who inspires you as a writer? What are the biggest writing lessons you've learned? Comment below and I'll reply ASAP! Your comments are another blessing. <3

A CHRISTIAN BUT ALSO A SPEC-FIC WRITER // rambly chit-chat + i'm published in a print anthology!

Two days ago, on July 20, 2019, Havok's first anthology, Season One: Rebirth, was released to the world.

via Tenor

I'm blessed and privileged to have four flash fiction stories published on Havok's website so far this year. I could provide individual links for all of them, but you could only follow those links successfully if you have a membership to their story archive (which is super affordable, by the way XD). But anyway, of those four stories, ONE of them was chosen to be included in their first anthology!! Which is available in print as well as ebook format!!! *cue more screaming*

First things first, CHECK OUT THE COVER.

SO. MUCH. GOLD. SO... SO PURE. *doesn't know what she's saying*

Second things second, it has a page on Goodreads you can check out. AND - of course - you can find it easily on Amazon, where it's available in both print and ebook. (I've already mentioned this, but... you know. EXCITED.)

At the time I'm writing this post, I haven't received my own physical copy in the mail yet, but I'M SO PUMPED TO HOLD THE THING IN MY HANDS.

Friends, I'm so humbly blessed to have this opportunity. Every time I've submitted a story, I've asked God for His will to be done with it. Every time I've prayed about the possibility of appearing in Havok's anthology, I've asked for His will to be done. His answers to those prayers show me that these stories and their publication have been part of His perfect plan for me since... well, since the beginning of time?? O_o I'm quite frankly BLOWN AWAY by how much He cares about my writing.

Part of the reason why I'm so awed is that I am currently in the process of learning how important I am to God as a writer. Too often I subconsciously try to bridge a gap between my writing life and my Christian life, as if they're not compatible. Maybe I wouldn't have a problem with it if I wrote contemporary stories featuring Christian characters or historical fiction set during Bible times. But I don't. I am a speculative fiction writer, which means I write stories with supernatural elements - or elements in general that don't exist in our world. The umbrella of spec fic covers genres like fantasy and science fiction. 

Moreover, I have yet to write a flat-out analogy like The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis or the lesser-known The Door Within by Wayne Thomas Batson. All of this to say... It's easy for me to make the mistake of disconnecting my writing from my faith because I don't write explicitly Christian stories.

I could talk about sooooo many little ways God has already shown me I can and should build a firm connection between these two prominent areas of my life. It's sort of an ongoing lesson. In fact, just recently I was making the separation again and prioritizing writing over my relationship with God (double yikes). Thankfully, by His mercy and grace I'm back on track again. PHEW.

And now He's showing me some really cool things.

First of all... STORY EMBERS. If you don't know what Story Embers is, it's an epic website hosted by a group of epic Christian writers, chock-full of epic free resources + epic articles on all things writing - especially on how to write for God's glory as a speculative fiction storyteller.

...

Yeah, I'm a fan. XD

GOD'S TIMING THO.

My current favorite article series of theirs is "How Should Christian Authors Depict _____?". The intro post realllllly inspired me and informed me on things I hadn't fully realized were confusing me (link above). There's an article on depicting darkness, an article on depicting violence, one on swearing, and one on sex. Reading through them has been absolutely amazing. It's prompted me to pray harder than ever for God to shape me into the kind of writer He wants me to be - the kind of writer who brings glory to Him in ways that are perhaps subtle but nonetheless impactful.

Then I started reading Philippians in my personal devotions and... WHOA. O_O

It all began with this verse:

"being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil. 1:6)

In these words I sense God's personal reminder for me that He still has a plan for my writing. Despite my constant failure to reach out to Him with it (specifically my novel-writing) in the past, He hasn't given up on me. He's never turned a blind eye to my words. He's been there in every writing session. Even when I haven't given Him full control, He's never left me nor forsaken me.

Then the message got deeper.

"And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment," (Phil. 1:9) 

This made me think of Story Embers and their encouragement not to shy away from the dark realities of human depravity - as if I don't know about them or they aren't real -, but instead to portray sin in such a way that it contests the light and loses. Darkness causes light to shine brighter, and the light of Jesus' love always wins. I could expand on the word discernment here as well, but suffice it to say that this verse speaks to me A LOT. There's so much packed into it that I want to make more time to meditate on it. <3

"that you may approve the things that are excellent," (Phil. 1:10a)

This is pretty self-explanatory. As well as writing about bad things in such a way that exposes their badness (Ephesians 5:11), God wants me to approve excellent things by incorporating them into my writing. The challenge comes when I choose to be bold and write about excellent things the world might not consider excellent... I shouldn't shy away from those either, even if I want to reach a secular audience as well as Christians. Especially if I want to do that.

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! ~ Isaiah 5:20

"that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Jesus Christ," (Phil. 1:10b)

Uh oh. There's that dread word offense. Maybe I desire to go out on a limb for Jesus, but I also don't want to offend anyone... And I don't want to go so far out on my limb that I offend the Word of God.

God is showing me in this verse that He wants to help bring me to a place in my writing where I'm sincere and without offense. I want to be able to handle every tough topic or serious aspect of a story with tact and taste. And I can't do it on my own, but God promises He'll be here to help till the day He comes back.

And finally:

being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Phil. 1:11)

I want my writing to be fruitful.

I want my writing to be righteous.

I want my writing to bring glory and praise to the God of the universe.

Well, I think my rambly chit-chat is over now. Kudos to you if you made it to the end! Maybe I made no sense, but hopefully I made at least a little sense? Idk, you'll have to let me know down below. XD

In summary, I'm a print author and I'm so blessed and God is growing me as a writer. And I wanted to share what I've been learning with all of you, because some things are too exciting to keep to oneself. Especially since I know a good number of my blog readers are Christian writers as well. Maybe these verses could encourage or inspire you in one of your writing struggles, or just in general.

Keep writing, my friends. And don't write for the world. Don't even write for yourself. Write for Jesus.

He wants to infuse every word that spills out of your fingers with true love and purpose.

The Lord's Truly,

What are some ways you've been growing as a writer? Have you heard of Story Embers? Which Bible verses inspire you in your writing life? Leave a comment and we'll chat!

"The world does not need more Christian literature. What it needs is more Christians writing good literature." ~ C.S. Lewis

HANSEL MEETS KARIANA - PART 2 // character chat with Faith from The Writer's Song

Happy Monday! This week I'm coming at you with none other than a collaboration post with my good friend Faith from The Writer's Song. We had a character chat with characters from our respective WIPs, and we're going to share it with you today. ^_^

If you don't know what a character chat is, it's when two writers each take one of their characters, throw them into a fun or *cough* dangerous setting together, and sit back to let them interact. Or, if you're doing one by yourself, you take two characters from two of your WIPs (or the same one - there aren't really any rules here) and do the same thing. It's a lot of fun!

For this chat, Faith agreed to throw her character Kariana (from her high fantasy series) into the shapeshifter-infested forest from my fairytale retelling fantasy, Dusted Red. My character was Hansel, also from Dusted Red.

They had quite the entertaining conversation. XD

This is Part 2 of the chat, so you'll definitely want to read Faith's post over on her blog FIRST. Then come back here for Part 2! Naturally. :D

And, of course, I just had to make a Kariana and Hansel mash-up aesthetics collage.

(pics via Pinterest - all credit to original creators! sources HERE and HERE)

~~~

Hansel: Lascogine? Wherever that is, it isn’t anywhere near here. I’ve never heard of it. *gapes at light* *grips satchel even tighter* If you’re not a shifter, and you’re not a witch, what are you? A… a fairy?

Kariana: ...how did I get here? It’s…are you serious? A fairy? Never. I’m just a girl. This light isn’t even anything impressive—everyone’s got some power where I’m from. You should see our queen’s fire in the heat of battle. Now that is a sight to behold, unlike this paltry light of mine. Do you have a power?  

Hansel: Queen…? *shakes head* No, I don’t have a power. I wouldn’t have a power unless I were a shifter, witch, Neverland fairy, or some other creature from the old stories. *pause* If you promise not to kill me, I can take you to meet my sister Gretel. Maybe we can help you figure out where your home is and how to get back.

Kariana: I won’t kill you, idiot. At least not yet. There’s two rules when it comes to me: you don’t touch me, ever, for any reason; and you just assume that I do no trust you unless and until I tell you otherwise. Clear on that? If you’re offering, then yes, I’ll accept help. *mutters to herself* Ugh, who am I?

Hansel: *gulps* All right. Well, foll-- *sees something through the trees* *face blanches* Oh no. We need to get out of here.

Kariana: *brandishes knives* What is it? Talking squirrel or something?

Hansel: Shifters in their animal form don’t… Never mind. It’s hard to see because it’s fairly distant and it blends in, but… *points* A witch’s hut. They appear out of nowhere frequently when you’re this deep in Fawood. Whatever you do, you do not want to go anywhere near it.

Kariana: ...they appear out of nowhere. Houses. *pause* What sort of ridiculous place is this? 

Hansel: Ridiculous is one way to put it. *starts walking with wistful look on face* You never really get used to it.

Kariana: *walks at a casual pace to follow him but make it look like she isn’t* Ah. Interesting. Very, very interesting. So…if we can’t trust the animals and witches just appear out of nowhere, what does safety look like?

Hansel: If you live in a place with any semblance of safety, please don’t take it for granted again. There is no safety here. There’s literally no reason why a shifter wouldn’t jump out and attack us right now.

Kariana: Um. Okay. So why aren’t they, then? *looks around suspiciously and raises knives higher*

Hansel: I don’t know. No one knows their purpose for kidnapping people. We can only assume we don’t fit that purpose. Yet, anyway.

You mentioned the name Derek. If you’re lost out here, maybe Derek is too. We can help you look.

Kariana: *eyes light up and hands flash* Yes! Yes, we can find Derek and then he can get us out of this. He’s brave and he almost always knows what to do—I’m sure he can help us.

Hansel: *perks up as well* Help us? Do you… do you think he could help my sister and I? Does he have a special power that could help us find our home?

Kariana: Well...he does have a power, but I don’t know how much it’ll help with finding things. But he’s far less directionally challenged than I am and he can usually figure out an escape route—when I go spying I almost always let him decide my emergency exit. So I’m sure he could help you two as well. If we find him, of course. Where did you say your sister was? If we can find her then we can look for Derek.

Hansel: I'll take you to her. *amused smile* The two of you are going to get along very well.

~~~

And that's that. XD I'm afraid you'll have to deal with the cliffhanger; as of now we're not planning on continuing the adventure. What happens next is up to your interpretation!

This was actually the first character chat I've ever participated in, and I found it just as beneficial as I'd heard it was for refining character voice. Not only is it fun, but it's also great practice for making the way a particular character thinks, acts, and speaks more distinctive.

I hope you enjoyed this post, and I'll see you next week! <3

The Lord's Truly,

How did you like this chat? :D Have you ever done a character chat before - with a fellow writer or by yourself? Talk to me in the comments below!

BOOK REVIEWS ARE COMING BACK // in which i give my own story 2 stars as an example

These days, book reviews are not as popular as other types of bookish blog posts. Why? I think part of it is that everyone is used to the way book reviews are done, and that makes them a liiiiittle bit boring. There are other reasons which I won't get into today, but that's one of them.

I've been wanting to bring book reviews back to my blog, but I also want them to be fresh and fun for you - my readers! So I've brainstormed a unique format that will hopefully be fun and interesting for all of you to read as well as for me to write. And, as an introduction to this new book review "series" I'm launching, today I want to walk you through the format I've come up with. Show you how book-reviewing will be done here on The Red-Hooded Writer. ;D

(Basically it's just a conglomeration of ideas inspired from book reviews and such that I've seen elsewhere, so... I'm not pretending to be a genius inventor or anything lol.)

First things first, I'll share the cover and Goodreads blurb of the book I'm reviewing. A necessary beginning step. Now, onto the good stuff...

Section #1: AESTHETIC COLLAGE + QUOTE

I don't know about you, but aesthetics can suck me into any story-related post. Whether they be collages or quotes, aesthetics are just eye-catching. That's the defining characteristic of any aesthetic.

Since I know people like to see a touch of the aesthetic in book reviews (I'm one of those people, for sure!), I plan to give you what you like to see - right from the start. ;D Let's use The Seven Huntresses, my Snow White fantasy novella, as an example.




"When the settlement that was once yours is free of dragons, you can return there and restore all that was burned. Your brave ancestors, whose memory you treasure, will no longer writhe in their graves at every quake of dragon step, beat of dragon wing, and growl of dragon throat."
... "The honor of your ancestors lives on."

Section #2: MY RATING + "5 REASONS WHY THIS BOOK IS..."

Next I'll display my rating and a large, curly-lettered banner that says "5 Reasons Why This Book is..." and I'll end it with one of these, depending on my rating:

- amazing (5 stars)
- fantastic (4 stars)
- good but not great (3 stars)
- not my cup of tea (2 stars)
- one of my least favorite books of all time (1 star)

Then I'll launch into a list of the aforementioned five reasons. XD

Let's use The Seven Huntresses as an example again. I'm going to pretend to be a reader who disliked The Seven Huntresses so much I gave it two stars.

via Giphy

NOT MY CUP OF TEA

1. It's too complex for a novella. There was a lot going on in this story. So much needed to be fleshed out more. This probably wouldn't be an issue if the story had been allowed to extend into a full-length novel WITH MULTIPLE POVS (<< that would have been cool, and I think it's even necessary for this story to truly work), but... not to be. The level of complexity shoved into it forced info dumps that disengaged me from the story.

2. The dragons were included just because everyone loves dragons. They didn't add much to the story, weren't absolutely integral as a plot device (they could have been replaced with multiple other types of threats without changing anything), and didn't have any actual appearances! I feel cheated - especially since one of the main reasons I picked this up was for the dragons. Because everyone loves dragons.

3. The amnesia trope was handled well, but I'm still tired of it. I'm tired of that cliche popping up everywhere, but kudos to the author for putting a fresh enough spin on it to keep me interested in that aspect of The Seven Huntresses.

4. There were too many characters for me to deeply care about them. The seven Huntresses were given distinct personalities, which I loved, but combined with the prince and the princess and the dwarves, the character count crept up too high. No one character had enough page time to really make me fall in love with them or get to know them intimately. This ties in with #1; I would have loved MORE FLESHING OUT.

5. The writing was good but could have been better. I won't begrudge the author this, but although the writing was by no means bad, a different style would have fit better with this story. And I know it could have achieved that style if the author had been allowed to milk the story and all its complexity MORE. Once again, this points to #1. What this all boils down to, basically, is that this story needs to be fleshed out more. It has lots of missed potential!

~~~

*crickets*

It felt strange to write that. XD Believe me, although the perspective is made-up, most of those critiques are problems I know my novella is struggling with in its current state. The story is dormant right now, but I'd like to pick it up again sometime and rewrite it as a full novel.

my novella @ me

via Tenor

But anyway, BACK TO THE POST. After the "5 reasons" section, we have...

Section #3: STORY ASPECTS CONTEST

This is the final section of my review format! It's a fun contest I've set up in which I take the three main aspects of the book (which may vary a teensy bit based on genre) and divide them into 3rd place, 2nd place, and 1st place. Then I give a little explanation as to why each one gets the "prize" it got, which lets you know more of my thoughts on the book before I wrap up the review!

Here's an example:

3RD PLACE:

characters

2ND PLACE:

plot

1ST PLACE:

world/setting

3rd place:

Out of all the things which the lack of fleshing-out in this story causes to suffer, I think the characters suffer the most. This is probably because characters make or break a story, and it's crucial for a story's overall excellence that the reader connect deeply with them in some way. On the surface the characters from The Seven Huntresses are fantastic, but I wanted to know more. I wanted the story to go deeper. Ayla, Prince Casimir, the other Huntresses, even Princess Fiera... They fascinate me and have soooo much UNUSED potential!

2nd place:

I'm impressed by the plot of this story. There are a lot of twists and exciting scenes. I was really  happy with the pacing and how there was never really a dull moment - and even during the seemingly dull moments, important things were happening. Important conversations were taking place. Again, though, the plot felt very shoved into its word count. It disappoints me when I think about all the details that could have been added to enhance each scene and make it the best it could be. 

1st place:

Now, the setting is a different story. Ahhhhh, the world of Cilin. There's nothing particularly incredible about this world, but something about it is aesthetic and clever and intriguing to read about. Just as many opportunities for fleshing out exist for the world as for the characters and plot, but it has to be the most intriguing aspect.

Overall? Lots of missed potential, hence my disappointment. Okay story on the surface, but neeeeeeeds to go deeper.

~~~

And that's a wrap! (I promise I'm not disappointed in The Seven Huntresses and that I like it more than my alter ego is letting on, but I do think it "neeeeeeeds" to go deeper before it reaches its full potential. XD)

I hope you enjoyed this little introduction, and I'm super excited to get into real book reviews using this format. ;P

I'll give you a hint - an easy one, lol - for what my first review is going to be. Think adult circus fantasy.

Be on the look-out for it sometime in August!

The Lord's Truly,

Do you like reading book reviews on blogs? How about writing them? Should I rewrite The Seven Huntresses someday? Comment down below! :D

MID-YEAR BOOK FREAK-OUT TAG // captain wentworth + the wrath of my harpoon + i bought a book?!

I'M FINALLY BACK. I confess I've been in the worst blogging slump lately, but this tag was so fun and refreshing to do that I think I've finally crawled out! Hopefully you'll see much more consistent posting from me this summer. :P

This has been a fantastic reading year so far, and I'm so excited to share with you some of the epic ups and crazy downs of my 2019 bookish progress.

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2019

Probably To Darkness Fled by Jill Williamson, the second book in the Blood of Kings trilogy. I haven't been so engaged - so emotionally invested - in a book in a long time. If any of my family had seen or heard me freaking out over these characters during PARTICULAR SCENES (anymore than they already did lol), they would have been concerned. XD

Same goes for the third book, From Darkness Won. *clutches heart* This trilogy is GENIUS, and I can't recommend it enough!

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2019

The Deceiver's Heart by Jennifer A. Nielsen, sequel to The Traitor's Game. This book is INSANE, guys. I enjoyed it thoroughly, to say the very least. XD

Don't mind me, I'll just be over here screaming softly in the corner until The Warrior's Curse comes out. O_O

If you're a fan of the amnesia trope, magic daggers, and lots of romantic tension, you have to read The Traitor's Game series!

3. New release you haven’t read yet, but want to

I'm not sure whether to be excited or terrified for Finale by Stephanie Garber, which released May 2019. Caraval was wonderful, but Legendary was NOT as good, which means I really shouldn't have super high hopes for this last installment. And yet I couldn't stand not finishing the story! I have to see where it ends up.

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

This gorgeous fantasy by Hosanna Emily, who is the beautiful, inspiring soul behind the blog Having a Heart Like His, releases September 1 and I'm SO EXCITED!! I just know it'll be exquisite. <3

"The King's blue flame quivers as a new fire arises, and Kadira must hold fast to the torch. It's destiny; she's a torch keeper." ~ Goodreads page

5. Biggest disappointment

I started reading Moby-Dick by Herman Melville in November of last year, so I'm not certain it counts, but it DID take me until April of this year to finish the beast. *grumbles* I gave this 1 out of 5 stars, my friends. Verrrrry rarely do I come across a 1-star book, because I'm an optimistic reader and tend to focus much more on what I like in a book than what I don't like. More importantly, I seek out books I'm actually interested in rather than succumbing to the mainstream buzz.

But, with Moby-Dick, there wasn't much good to focus on. I'm sorry, but it was DRY and SLOW and DISTRACTED, and I could barely tolerate it. The audiobook narrator was really good, but I still had to make an enormous effort to stay focused while listening. :P

If I have to suffer through one more biology lesson about sperm whales...

...beware the wrath of my harpoon.

via Giphy

6. Biggest surprise

The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton. I was expecting it to be good, but not nearly as amazing as it turned out to be. O_o It exceeded my expectations in every way (except for the ending, which confused me enough to knock my rating down from 5 to 4.5 stars), and in general it is THE definition of witty and brilliant. :D If you like police spy stories and things never being what they seem to be, you'll love The Man Who Was Thursday as much as I did!

7. Favorite new author (debut or new to you)

NEAL SHUSTERMAN.

NEAL SHUSTERMAN ALL THE WAY.

My first read from him was Unwind, which got published waaaay back in 2007 but was devoured by yours truly just a couple months ago. Now I'm in the middle of UnDivided, the last book in the Unwind dystology, and all I can say is that it's SO GOOD. I've loved every single book in this series, and I already can't wait to branch out and read more from this author!

8. Newest fictional crush

Please tell me I'm not the only one who can't get enough of the charming, the swoon-worthy, the perfectly imperfect, the beautifully flawed and flawlessly beautiful CAPTAIN FREDERICK WENTWORTH.

via Giphy

 I read Jane Austen's Persuasion during vacation in May and fell head over heels in love with the story. It's been years since I read Pride and Prejudice, so I can't make a confident comparison, but I'd almost venture to say I love Persuasion even more??

CAPTAIN WENTWORTH, THO. <333

9. Newest favorite character

This is extremely difficult, but I think I'm going to go with Achan from the Blood of Kings trilogy. All the characters in that series are FANTASTIC, but Achan epitomizes everything I adore in the personality and arc of a male male character. *heart eyes*

10. Book that made you cry

Books VERY rarely make me cry, but A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness made. Me. Cry. I read it back in January (actually my first read of 2019!), but I distinctly remember the painful feelings it subjected me to. <3

11. Book that made you happy

I've read so few light, happy-feely books so far this year that it's... well, it's sad in the most literal sense. I've barely touched contemporary. Which makes sense, considering I don't love contemporary anywhere NEAR as much as fantasy, but I still find this to be a problem.

Now, if YA contemporary books weren't so dirty, maybe it would be an easy fix. :/

Live Without You by Sarah Grace Grzy is one contemporary I read early this year. It made me happy, for sure, but it also BROKE ME. MY HEART. IN TWO.

RUDE.

But again, it provided lots of fuzzy warm scenes to balance out the pain!

12. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

I bought The Help by Kathryn Stockett for 50 cents at a thrift store a month or so ago. I haven't read it yet, but I'm looking forward to it - and the cover is lovely!! I'm using it for this question because 90% of the books I read are from the library, and The Help is the ONLY book I've bought this year with my own money. Options are limited. XD

13.What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

Ummm... A LOT.

Here are just a few:

1) The Tales of Goldstone Wood by Anne Elisabeth Stengl
2) Dry by Neal Shusterman
3) basically all Katherine Applegate's Middle Grade books
4) How to Disappear by Sharon Huss Roat
5) Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer
6) Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld
7) To Best the Boys by Mary Weber
8) And the Ocean Was Our Sky by Patrick Ness (I'm counting on this being better than its source lol)
9) another Peter Pan retelling or two
10) The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Do not count on me getting to all of these in 2019. Just because I NEED to read these this year doesn't mean it's going to happen 100%. Unfortunately. :(

14. Favorite book community member

I couldn't possibly choose. *cue existential crisis*

Okayyyy, so allow me to narrow it down. I don't know how many of you watch BookTube, but I'm pretty familiar with it and keep up with several channels. Jessethereader is the best one and I watch it RELIGIOUSLY, so I'll take this question as an opportunity to rave about it. If you haven't checked out jessethereader, you simply must. I promise you, his videos are unique and awesome and clean and lkajdroirjtylkjgblkg.

~~~

And that ends this tag! Now that the glorious freedom of summer is in full swing, I'm planning to get back into regular weekly posting (WOOT WOOT), so you should see a new post from me next Monday! ^_^

The Lord's Truly,

How has 2019 treated you so far, in terms of reading? What is your new favorite book, character, or author? Biggest disappointment? Talk books with me in the comments down below! :D