Beautiful Books 2017 Writing Goals

Beautiful Books is a writing link up created by Cait @ Paper Fury. Click here for instructions and links to other Beautiful Books blog posts.


  1. What were your writing achievements last year?
    I finished the first draft of my NaNoWriMo novel!!!!!!! And now I get to edit it….

  2. What’s on your writerly “to-do list” for 2017?
    ◦Edit this mess of a thing I’m calling a novel.
    ◦Have it ready for beta readers by June.
    ◦Start writing the next book in the series for NaNoWriMo. I really would like to start that in July, but July is going to be crazy busy for me it seems!

  3. Tell us about your top-priority writing projects for this year!
    My absolute top priority project is the “shaman novel” that I wrote for NaNo and have already written a lot about. I’m now referring to it as the “shaman novel” because it’s gone through numerous title changes, and I don’t want to confuse you guys as much as I’ve confused myself. The plot is a total complete mess right now because writing the thing in order the first time would’ve made too much sense, so here’s some basic info that you can apply to the whole book!
    ◦It centers around a bunch of corrupted politicians who call themselves “The High Council.” They pretty much rule the world, and if you’re not royal, you are less than nothing to society.
    ◦Naturally there has to be a “lower class,” and they are the shamans. They practice a different kind of magic than all the royals, and they are very much looked down upon.
    ◦There are various practices of magic in my story world, but the ones that come up the most in this book are natural magic, blood magic, and academic magic.

  4. How do you hope to improve as a writer? Where do you see yourself at the end of 2017?
    This’ll be my first experience editing a project on this scale and sending it out to beta readers that aren’t just friends or family. My end goal for this year is to be querying for publication, so I’m sure I’ll learn a lot and improve my writing in several different ways.

  5. Describe your general editing process.
    Well… Umm… Yeah… Ok… So… Maybe I don’t have a process right now??? I messed up the timeline of this story SO horrifically that I’m still moving index cards around to figure out the order in which stuff needs to happen! After I’ve got my skeleton outline on a bulletin board, I’ll do a read through and put everything in order in Scrivener. After that??? I am seriously considering exporting it from Scrivener, brailling it, and putting it all in binders so I can slap sticky notes all over everything. The flaw in that plan is that I wrote a lot of words, and braille is bigger than print, so that would be a lot of paper, and I’d probably need like five giant binders…. We’ll see if that actually happens! If not, I guess I’ll just put it in a Word doc and leave myself a ton of comments, but oh how I hate using the comment thingy! I don’t know, ok?! Please describe your editing process in the comments below this post…

  6. On a scale of 1-10, how do you think this draft turned out?
    I’m going to put this at a solid 3… I think the story is great, but… See my answer to the previous question!

  7. What aspect of your draft needs the most work?
    Plot and structure! My character development is really good because I created the characters first and then worked the plot around them, but multiple POV characters and a little bit of a dual timeline made for an incoherent mess because my brain just doesn’t write things in order the first time apparently!

  8. What do you like the most about your draft?
    I love my characters! I can’t really explain why because spoilers, but they’re awesome, and I feel like they’re my friends now, and I really hope they’re as awesome as I think they are!

  9. What are your plans for this novel once you finish editing? More edits? Finding beta readers? Querying? Self-publishing? Hiding it in a dark hole forever?
    Beta readers, probably more edits, and hopefully querying by the end of the year!

  10. What’s your top piece of advice for those just finished writing a first draft?
    Are ya sure you want advice from me after reading this? Really?! Ok… If you’re gonna edit the thing, index cards, sticky notes, Scrivener, and coffee are your best friends!

The Author Christmas Tag

This tag is so ridiculously late that it’s extremely awkward to post it now… I thought I was doing really good with getting stuff out on time and even scheduled a few things over Christmas break, but it turns out that every single post I wrote went to my drafts instead of publishing to my blog. I don’t know if something updated, something decided not to play nice with a screen reader, or if it was just an idiotic operator error on my part, but yeah… I almost took over all your inboxes by hitting post all, but I thought better of it, which explains why you’re getting a Christmas tag after Christmas. I am also very sorry to Lia and everyone else participating in Short Story Society! All of my short stories were in those posts that went to drafts. They are now for sure scheduled to post over the next few days, but I had a couple things like this that had to go out in a specific time frame.
I saw this tag floating around youTube, (it’s actually called The Author Tube Christmas Tag), and decided to do it because I had some super fun answers for my characters! It was originally created by Living Within Fiction, and the rules are simple: just answer the questions given for a character of your choosing! I’m not tagging anyone because it’s so late, but feel free to do it and leave me a link in the comments if you want!


  1. What would your main character’s favorite Christmas song be?
    Umm… My main character would avoid Christmas music like the plague.
  2. Pick one of your characters. What would be on their Christmas wish list?
    Nico would be quite happy with a new knife or sketchbook.
  3. Which one of your characters, as an adult, would still believe in Santa Claus?
    Honestly probably none of them… I guess Diana would be the most likely, but she’d only do it to irritate her sister.
  4. Would your MC drink eggnog? If not, what would their Christmas go-to drink be?
    I’m just gonna do all my POV characters!
    Nico would only drink it if it was mixed with alcohol or Bliss, which is a magical drug that I made up.
    Ela might drink the kind that has those weird sweet flavors like coconut and stuff in it.
    Adam would be more likely to drink something like a peppermint mocha.
  5. Out of all of your characters, who would be the best gift giver?
    Definitely Adam or Ela! They’d both put a lot of thought into the gifts for the people they cared about.
  6. Your MC got a gift that he/she hated. What would he/she do?
    Well Nico doesn’t ever show much emotion, so you’d never know he hated it unless you really knew him well!
  7. Does your MC sleep in on Christmas, or wake up early with excitement?
    Nico gets up insanely early every day.
    Ela would be the one you’d have to drag out of bed.
    Adam would be cool with whatever.
  8. What would be your MC’s favorite part about the Holidays?
    Nico would be excited to get out of school, but he’d also hate having to go to all his family gatherings.
    Adam would love all the shaman rituals and traditions.
    Ela would love being out of school and getting to party with her friends.
  9. Your MC and his/her love interest step under the mistletoe. What happens?
    Nico and his love interest, (I am not telling who it is), would just look at each other, and laugh, and look away, and then they’d probably just walk off in opposite directions because their rebels like that.
    Adam and his love interest would kiss because that’s just what you do under mistletoe.
  10. Which of your characters would you find in the kitchen making Christmas treats?
    Definitely Raquel Blackthorn! She’s kind of the grandmother of the whole group.
  11. Lastly, a question for the author. What are some of your favorite books to read during the holidays?
    Harry Potter!!! I’ve spent the last couple days reading Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

The Playlist Shuffle Tag

Hey! So… I got to messing with some code, and somehow I accidentally deleted all my scheduled posts, and I am in the process of getting them back, but until than I bring you this random tag that nobody tagged me for! I won’t tag anybody specific since I wasn’t actually tagged, but if you wanna do it, you literally just shuffle your music library of choice, post the first fifteen songs, (NO SKIPPING), and write your favorite verse. I’m just gonna shuffle now before I write another run-on sentence! This should be interesting because my music library is pretty… eclectic.

  1. Demi Lovato – Heart Attack

So I’m…
Puttin’ my defenses up
‘Cause I don’t wanna fall in love
If I ever did that
I think I’d have a heart attack

If you’ve kept up with me for a little while, you know that I match my main characters with theme songs, and this is the song for Vivien Deverow!

  1. Reiki Tribe – To The Heart

    This is instrumental but SO relaxing….

  2. Kellie Pickler – Tough

I wanted lace, I wanted pearls, to be a princess like
The other girls.
But life came hard, to my front door.
And I grew up trying
To even out the score.

  1. Demi Lovato – Warrior

Now I’m a warrior
Now I’ve got thicker skin
I’m a warrior
I’m stronger than I’ve ever been
And my armor, is made of steel, you can’t get in
I’m a warrior
And you can never hurt me again

  1. Lady Antebellum – Down south

I was born I was blessed
Right place, right time I guess
Ain’t no good reason why I left
Except to run and roam
Would you take me back and take me in
Let me be your child again
Kiss my cheek forgive my sins
And let me call you home

  1. Reiki Tribe – Sleep Therapy and Relaxation

Pretty flute music…

  1. The Band Perry – Independence

Patient anticipation
Up till now I’ve been hurry up and waiting
At a bus stop in independence licking an ice cream cone
I’ve been kicking I’ve been scheming
This is as close as I’ve ever been to leaving
Five blocks away, a stone’s throw from home
But I’m as good as gone
I gotta get gone, gone, gone
Shooting like a gun, a gun, a gun
Skipping like a stone, stone, stone
Far as I can run to where freedom is free
There’s a road like a long gray ribbon far as I can see
And it’s pulling independence out of me

  1. Selena Gomez – Kill Em With Kindness

The world can be a nasty place
You know it, I know it, yeah
We don’t have to fall from grace
Put down the weapons you fight with
And kill ’em with kindness

  1. Dean Evenson & Li Xiangting – Green Quiet Mountain

This whole album can take me straight to my happy place.

  1. Walk Off The Earth – Rule The World

They say no way, oh, I say I’ll rule the world
Ain’t afraid of the walls, I’m a break ’em down
They stay the same, oh, I’m feelin’ high as a bird
Ain’t afraid of the ground, I’m a stay up
I say yeah yeah yeah, they say no no no
They say slow slow slow, I say go go go
They say no way, oh, I say I’ll rule the world
I say I rule the world

  1. Lorde – Royals

This whole song kind of carries the theme of my story because my world is ran by a bunch of power-hungry royals, and these kids are forced into the royal life when they really do not belong there.

  1. Imagine Dragons – Demons

When the days are cold
And the cards all fold
And the saints we see
Are all made of gold
When your dreams all fail
And the ones we hail
Are the worst of all
And the blood’s run stale

And this one’s also on my writing playlist! I promise I did not arrange this!

  1. Cassadee Pope – I Am Invincible

I’m invincible
I’m unbreakable
I’m a diamond cut to last
I’m unstoppable
I’m a hero
Like a phoenix from the ash

  1. Miranda Lambert – Roots & Wings

I got red dirt stains
On my boots and jeans
Calloused fingers
From my guitar strings
Wild like the wind
In the tall pine trees
I got roots
And I got wings

  1. Twenty One Pilots – Heathens

We don’t deal with outsiders very well
They say newcomers have a certain smell
You have trust issues, not to mention
They say they can smell your intentions

This is possibly the creepiest song I have ever heard, but it’s on my iPod because it gets me in the mood to write those really dark scenes! insert dagger and pen emoji here

The Fall Activities Book Tag

Thanks to Ariana @ The Quirky Book Nerd for tagging me! It’s super late, but it just recently started to feel like Fall in my part of the world, so I guess maybe it’s justified??? This tag was originally created by Ashley @ Dreaming Through Literature, so you should go check out her blog as well!

*Warning: Before I start answering these questions, I gotta give you the heads up that this post may have some weird looking formatting! My blogging software updated again, and now that beautiful rich text editor that I’ve bragged about before doesn’t wanna play nice with my screenreader anymore, so I am going to be typing raw HTML in order to make this post hopefully look pretty! I am by no means an expert on HTML, so this is gonna be interesting to say the least… Please drop me a comment if anything looks completely insane, and I’ll do my best to fix it! Thank you very much if you decide to continue reading this post! Now for those questions!!!

Apple Picking: A book on your TBR that looks so delicious you can’t wait to take a bite out of it.

Heartless Cover Heartless by Marissa Meyer

I absolutely loved the first three books in this series, and I can’t wait until I have time to start this one!

Corn Maze: A book that’s so much fun to get lost in.

The raven boys The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

If you’ve been keeping up with my blog for a while, you know how obsessed I am with The Raven Cycle. I finished the last book a couple weeks ago, and I’m still not over the amazingness of this series! I desperately need a spinnoff series!!!

Haunted Houses: A book that scared you silly.

Anna Dressed In blood Anna Dressed in blood by Kendare Blake

I’m not one to read a lot of creepy stuff because I think some of this ghost business can actually happen, but I read this because of multiple recommendations. It was an amazing read, but I was terrified and slightly grossed out for the majority of it…

Pumpkin Patch: The latest book you picked up (purchased).

Tarot for Writers Tarot for Writers by Corrine Kenner

I’ve been researching tarot pretty extensively because one of the characters in my current writing project needs to have a reading, and my Google searches brought me to this book. I use the hero’s journey story to outline my writing, and I realized that’s basically what Tarot represents. So… This book is now patiently awaiting my attention in the Kindle app…

Scenic Drives: a book that is lyrically beautiful.

The raven king The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

Ok so the whole Raven Cycle series is written beautifully, but The Raven King is unbelievably stunning! I don’t think I could’ve asked for a better ending to that series!

Pumpkin Carving: A book you didn’t like and wouldn’t mind carving up.

Vampire academy Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

I thought this series was going to break the vampire cliches, and it started out really cool, and then the plot went down the drain… I could go on, but I’ll spare you my rant!

Hiking: A book that was a highly enjoyable romp.

A Year Down Yonder A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

This was one of my favorite books as a child, and I still love it! The characters are just so realistic, and I can always turn to this book when I need a good laugh!

Drinking Apple Cider: A sweet book to curl up under the covers with.

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer s Stone Cover Art Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

I can’t do a tag without including Harry Potter because it’s like the greatest piece of literature ever written… I always seem to reread/rewatch it in the Fall and Winter months, and it’s absolutely perfect for this question! It’s just a cozy read even though people are trying to kill people throughout the whole series!

Jumping In A Leaf Pile: A book that reminds you of your childhood.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

AND… The Hidden Staircase  Nancy Drew  2 The Hidden Staircase (Nancy Drew #2) by Carolyn Keene

Yeah, I know… I used the same series twice. But The Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite Harry Potter book, and any Harry Potter book is going to take me back to my childhood! I was also totally obsessed with Nancy Drew when I was in fourth and fifth grade, so that’s why I included that one.

Scary Movie Night: Your favorite spooky read.

The diviners The Diviners (The Diviners #1) by Libba Bray

I don’t read a lot of super creepy stuff, and I already used Anna Dressed In Blood, so I was pretty limited. I learned a lot from the writing style of this book, but I think I jumped every time I heard whistling for about a week after I finished it. You can click HERE if you wanna see my full review!

Bonus! Costume Party: A book with an eclectic cast of characters.

Blue lily Lily Blue Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven cycle #3) by Maggie Stiefvater

I told you I’m obsessed with The Raven Cycle… I think that’s the third book from the series I’ve used in this tag! This book has a very large cast of characters, and “eclectic” is a great word to describe them!

I Tag:

I think the majority of bloggers I know have already been tagged for this, but if you haven’t, I tag you!

The NaNoWriMo Tag

Hey writers and WriMos! I found the NaNoWriMo Tag through Natalia Leigh’s youTube channel, and she tagged everybody, so I thought I’d do my own! Here is Natalia’s tag video…

And here are my answers…

  1. How many times have you done NaNoWriMo, and how many times have you won NaNoWriMo?
    I did the NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program in November of 2015, and I hit my goal of 35000 words. I also did CampNaNo in April and July of 2016, and I hit both goals of 10000 words! So… Technically this is my fourth NaNo event, but my first real attempt at 50K.

  2. Are you a pantser or a plotter?
    I totally pantsed my first NaNoWriMo, and that story is now a project that we do not speak of anymore… Since then, I’ve become a hardcore plotter. Just check out this post about my outlining process if you’re not convinced.

  3. What was the name of the first novel you attempted during NaNoWriMo?
    That novel that we don’t speak of anymore was called “Circle Of Whispers.” It was a great idea, but the plot totally died around chapter ten, and since I didn’t outline at all, it was a giant mess that I just didn’t even want to attempt to fix and make readable by the end of NaNo. Maybe I’ll pick it back up one day, but for now it can just stay in that folder of stuff that I never look at on my desktop…

  4. Give us a one sentence summary of what you’re working on this NaNoWriMo.
    A group of teens reject their royal blood and magical heritage in order to follow the path of the shaman.

  5. What is the best writing advice you’ve ever been given?
    I read this quote somewhere, and somebody famous said it I think, but I cannot for the life of me remember who. Basically it said to write the story you would most want to read. I think this is really important because if you write the thing that you really, really, really, want to read, then somebody else is probably going to want to read it too. If you write something you don’t really want to read, then you’re not going to enjoy writing it, and therefore you won’t put your whole self into it. If you don’t put your whole self into it, then it probably isn’t going to be worth reading. Or at least it won’t be as good as something you were really excited to write.

  6. What is your biggest inspiration for figuring out what to write?
    I do not know… Each writing idea comes from something different, and none of them come from one set thing. My brain is a complex and confusing place, and it can take bits of inspiration from twelve different things, mix it all together, and come up with a brilliant, (or completely insane), story idea before i even know what’s happened. I usually pick a project based on how excited I am about it, because the story I’m most excited for is usually the one i have planned out the most, and therefore it’ll be easier to follow through.

  7. Read us the first sentence from one of your books.
    Here’s the current first sentence of my current project…
    His gaze is icy, cruel, and calculating as it sweeps over me, and I know exactly what he’s thinking: shaman boy.

  8. What do you plan to do with your manuscript after NaNoWriMo?
    I plan to edit this thing and publish it! I don’t know if publication will be soon, or if I’ll wait a few years, but it is going to be published one day. I’m thinking I might actually write the entire series so I can edit it all together though, because it needs to be really tightly woven together for it to work the way I want.

  9. Are you nervous for NaNo? Are you prepared?
    I am super nervous because I don’t know how this will work with my crazy school schedule, but I’m definitely more prepared this year than I have been in the past. The only thing I have to do to my outline is put it in order and get my Scrivener project all ready to go, and I think I can hopefully get that done this weekend.

  10. There is not a tenth question, and it is driving me batty, SO… What advice do you have for NaNo Newbies?
    Don’t stress over the word count thing. This is to challenge yourself and have fun, NOT to make you scream, cry, and pull your hair out because you can’t write 50000 words in a month on top of everything else you’re already doing. Don’t lose too much sleep, don’t neglect other priorities or things you really want to do. Just sit down, write as much as you can, and have fun in the process! Check out the forums, talk to other WriMos, make new writing friends, and give it the best shot you’ve got! If you win, awesome!!! If you don’t, it’s really no loss except you’ll have to tell your family and friends that you failed at your crazy attempt and hear them say “I told you so,” a billion times over… But that’s what headphones and a notebook are for! Block them out, (because their input doesn’t matter when it comes to your precious writing failure), and keep writing after NaNo is over. There are no NaNo police that say you can’t finish a project you started for NaNo in December. Of course, we all wanna hit that word count for bragging rights if nothing else, but the point is to have fun no matter what!

I Tag:

I can’t actually remember who is and isn’t doing NaNo, so if you’re a blogger doing NaNo and you read this post, then you are tagged!!! remember to leave a link in the comments so I can see your awesome answers!

Beautiful Books 2016: Introduce your novel

This tag was created by Cait @ Paper fury, and I believe i missed the deadline for the link-up due to school happenings, but I decided to go on and do it to give you guys a better glimpse of my NaNoWriMo project.

  1. What inspired the idea for your novel, and how long have you had the idea?
    Uhhh… I hate telling people where i get my inspiration because I usually either don’t know, or it comes from a conglomeration of things that really seem like they shouldn’t go together and definitely shouldn’t form a coherent story idea! BUT… here it goes. The name of my current project is Wishes, which you guys have seen me talk about a lot on this blog, but i’m thinking of giving it a title switch to Unseeable. I’ve had the idea floating around in my head, and I honestly have no idea what originally sparked it. I think Harry Potter probably had an influence, and then it majorly morphed away from that, and the song Demons by Imagine dragons played a big part, and also some personal life events that I am not going to get into… It’s complicated, ok! Explaining this is like trying to explain how my brain works… It’s WAY easier said than done…
  2. Describe what your novel is about.
    Here’s my one sentence summary that is subject to change: A group of children struggle to find themselves in a world that rejects their true nature, and eventually reject their royal blood and magical heritage to follow the way of the ancient power.
    And… Here’s the longer synopsis that I posted to nanowrimo.org:

This world is not made for them, or perhaps they are not made for this world. They have never been anything but “abnormal,” because they are the only ones with their eyes open enough to see the truth. They cannot blend in with all the royals, because their natures will not allow them to play their twisted games of power. They are shamans,, able to see through all the lies woven by the mist-born court. Their just children, really, each born with a gift, (or a curse), as some might call it. But they are strong, and they are wise, and they will fight for truth!
Nico Deverow can see the unseen, and yet he cannot see the one thing that might make it all worth it: his parents who died when he was only three. There is darkness inside him, and he can no longer numb it enough to keep from shattering. Adam has a light inside him, a star in stark contrast to his sisters cruel beauty. He only wants to heal, but perhaps he cannot heal one who does not wish to be healed. Ela is fire and ice together, constantly fighting a battle within her own heart. Diana just wants to be the golden girl-the perfect princess, the Bishop heir, at council gatherings and the innocently pure shaman at Adam’s side. Each of them has a purpose, because nothing is ever done without purpose, even in the Royal Court.

  1. What is your book’s aesthetic? Use words or pictures or whatever you like!
    My book is dark… Very dark… I don’t usually write stuff this dark, but it’s coming out that way, and I kinda love it! People throw daggers, and there are some mental health factors, and yeah… But it all comes out ok!
  2. Introduce us to each of your characters.
    I have a LOT of characters! It’s got three, possibly four, narrating characters, and then there’s a whole royal court of side characters! But I’ll introduce you to my favorites…
    Nico Devero: The story begins here, or more accurately, it begins ten years in the past when he lost his parents. Nico doesn’t know where he belongs in the world. He can’t seem to open up to anyone, and he has secrets that nobody can ever know about his family. He can see people’s aura’s, read their emotions through touch, and see everything that has ever happened in a place by reading the energetic signature left by tragic events. He has scars on his wrists, and scars on his heart, and the only way to live with everything he knows is to numb it, to fade it all out with a magical drug that has yet to be named.
    Adam: Adam is a healer, and he can also sense emotions through touch. He’s a drifter, passed from caretaker to caretaker after his father died and he was left in the care of the shaman circuit. His dream is to be like his father, a healer and a peacekeeper, but eventually he starts to wonder if some people are beyond help or healing.
    Diana Bishop: Diana is the middle child of Susanie and Robert Bishop. She and her brother, Randy, are destined to take the royal seat for their bloodline as soon as they are of age. She works hard to maintain a good reputation, but that’s hard to do when her twin sister, Ela, is involved. Diana struggles to find where she belongs. She has a connection to Adam, and she desperately wants to be his golden girl. But she can’t be his golden girl and keep her royal ties.
    Daniela bishop: Ela is Diana’s twin, younger by seven minutes. She’s got storm magic, healing abilities, and the occasional empathic tendency. She hates the royals, and therefore her own heritage. Somehow she falls in with the cheerleaders and the partiers, and discovers ways of losing herself. She constantly fights with her sister, struggles with her own identity, and longs for a way to contain the power swirling inside her.
    Raquel and Damon Blackthorn: Raquel and Damon are Aunt and Uncle to the Bishop siblings. They still hold places in the royal council, but they’ve given up most of their blood rights in order to open a school for “troubled” children. these are the children who cannot seem to mold their powers to meet the royal academic standards–the shaman born. They will be the link that brings everyone together, and sets the story in motion.
  3. How do you prepare to write? (Outline, research, stocking up on chocolate, howling, etc?)
    This story is the first that I’ve ever outlined, and I don’t think I would be able to write it without having done that. It’s super complicated, as you can probably tell by my characters, and there’s a dual timeline thing going on in some places. I got majorly confused trying to figure out how all these awesome characters were going to meet, and then the outline came to be! It makes sense now, so I’ve made the possibly insane decision to do it for NaNo… I have done quite a lot of research as well because I have NO experience with some of the psychological issues being explored! I’m dealing with ADHD, dyslexia, OCD, and self-harm, and I have none of those… If you could help me out with that, I would really appreciate it… You can shoot me an email if you don’t wanna comment publicly. 🙂 I’ve also got a new notebook, a chocolate stash, and plenty of coffee! Thankfully no howling has occurred yet! It’s still a possibility though…
  4. What are you most looking forward to about your novel?
    My characters!!! I LOVE my characters!!! Especially Nico’s point of view!
  5. List three things about your novel’s setting.
    My story takes place in the modern world, with today’s geographical layout. I don’t think I’m going to have any normal humans, just mist born and shamans. And… Ummm… The Gateway Arch may or may not be turned into a magical power source/council gathering place???
  6. What’s your character’s goal, and who or what stands in the way?
    Uhhh! Which character?! I guess they all want to find a peaceful balance between the shamans and the royal council, and the royals are opposing them. Also there are going to be several betrayals by people who my main characters think are on their side, and I purposefully did not describe those traitors because spoilers!
  7. How does your protagonist change by the end of the novel?
    We’re just gonna call Nico my protagonist… By the end of the book, he’s found some people he can trust, and he’s well on his way to becoming a shaman.
  8. What are your book’s themes? How do you want readers to feel when the story is over?
    As I’ve mentioned, my story is pretty dark. But it has a theme of strength, trust, and courage throughout it. At the end, I want readers to be happy about where my characters ended their journey, but be left wanting something more because I hope to turn this into a series.

The Q&A Tag

Thanks so much to Luke Hartman for nominating me for The Q&A tag! His blog is awesome, so you should go check it out! Now… It’s time for me to answer some questions!

The Rules:

  • Link the blogger who nominated you. Answer the questions you’re given. Nominate 10 bloggers. Write out your 10 questions for them. Let them know they’ve been tagged.

My Questions:

  1. What’s your favorite beverage of all time? Uhhhh… Unsweet tea??? Or maybe coffee with chocolate creamer and milk? But I drink mostly water on a regular basis…
  2. Name three fictional characters you would want as roommates. Blue from The Raven cycle, Cath from Fangirl, and luna from Harry Potter.
  3. What is your favorite Shakespeare play? Yell at me in the comments now… I cannot stand Shakespeare. I know he shaped literature and all, but I just don’t get it!
  4. If you were to play a game of chess with a fictional character, who would it be? Umm… Ron from Harry Potter? He’d totally beat me though!
  5. What’s your favorite animated TV show? I just realized it’s been FOREVER since I’ve watched TV! Like I don’t even remember the last time I actually successfully kept up with a TV show because school and blogging and other stuff have kept me running around like a crazy person! So… I guess I don’t have an answer! 😂
  6. What’s your go-to breakfast food? Yogurt! Yep… I’m a health nut! I start my morning with yoga, meditation, and then I eat something healthy like yogurt or fruit or a protein bar.
  7. Hogwarts, Middle Earth, or Narnia? Hogwarts! No question about it!
  8. If you could visit anywhere in the world for a day, where would it be? Hawaii!!!
  9. What’s your favorite emoji? Well… The dagger is the first in my frequently used section, followed by the eye roll face, and then the laughing face with tears. It would normally be the laughing face first but it’s been a not so great school week… 🗡🙄😂
  10. Pick a song that best describes the theme of your favorite book. Favorite book?! Who has a favorite book?! Ok… I’m almost finished with The Raven King right now, and it is quickly making the top of my “favorite books ever” list. And the first song that comes to mind for it is Ravens Still Fly by Southern Raised, and that really kinda goes against the themes a little, but it also fits perfectly, and it’s one of my favorite songs, so…

I Tag:

Elm L Em Danielle Ariana Michelle Debbie Lia Jasmine Trisha

Your Questions:

  1. Name three fictional characters who would either be your best friends or your worst enemies.
  2. Name three songs that describe your personality.
  3. Coffee or tea?
  4. Favorite emoji?
  5. What’s one thing you think would be amazing yet are terrified to do?
  6. What’s the most awkward/embarrassing thing anyone has ever asked/said to you?
  7. What’s your idea of the perfect weekend?
  8. You are given the opportunity to eat lunch with three of your favorite authors/singers/famous people of choice. Who do you invite?
  9. What is the one book/memory/other object you turn to for comfort?
  10. What is one thing you would like the world to know?

*If you’ve already done this tag or just don’t wanna do it, feel free to ignore me completely! And if I didn’t tag you and you wanna do the tag, consider yourself tagged! I can’t wait to see all your answers! From Cheyenne 🙂

The Coffee Book Tag

Coffee cup on desk with pen and blank paper This tag has been sitting in my “blog about this later” notebook for ages, so it’s about time for it to get posted. I think I probably stole this tag off of somewhere because I don’t have the name of the person who tagged me, and also I don’t know who created it, so let’s just say I’m a horrible blogging friend and call it good… Anyway… It’s a really nice cool Fall day outside, and I have a mug of french vanilla cappuccino on my desk, so what better time to do a magical tag where coffee and books collide? Grab your coffee of choice, and let’s get started!

BLACK: Name a series that’s tough to get into but has hardcore fans.

Twilight Sorry to all you Twilight fans, but I don’t get your obsession. I got three chapters in and stopped…

PEPPERMINT MOCHA: Name a book that gets more popular during the Winter or a festive time of year

. Harry Potter And The Sorcerer s Stone Cover ArtI love rereading and rewatching Harry Potter around Christmas time. It’s kind of a tradition now for me to have a big HP reread and my family to have the movies on as we put up the tree.

HOT CHOCOLATE: What is your favorite children’s book?

Ok first of all… How dare you insinuate that hot chocolate is for children! I drink hot chocolate all the time in the Winter whilst I’m reading and writing, and it’s one of those drinks for any age. But i’ll be a good girl and answer the question now… Mummies in the Morning I was really tempted to say Harry Potter again, but Magic Treehouse came before that. And Mummies in the morning was my favorite book in that series because Egypt!

DOUBLE SHOT OF ESPRESSO: Name a book that kept you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

Throne Of Glass Uhh yeah… I’ve been procrastinating a review of this whole series because I just have so many complicated feels, but it definitely kept me reading!

STARBUCKS: Name a book you see everywhere.

The Fault In OUr Stars If you haven’t seen this book literally everywhere over the last few months, you must be blinder than i am. And that isn’t physically possible, so… laughs at own bad joke

THAT HIPSTER COFFEE SHOP: Give a book by an indie author a shoutout.

Ignite cover art You NEED to read this book! Erica Crouch did an amazing job putting an original spin on old angelic lore! And it’s free on Kindle so…

OOPS! I ACCIDENTALLY GOT DECAF: Name a book you were expecting more from.

Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia After that amazingly epic creation that was Beautiful Chaos, I was really hoping for something equally as awesome. Beautiful redemption was good, but it was still a bit of a disappointment for me. It just seemed like maybe the authors were really sick and tired of the plot and characters and just wanted to end things now!

THE PERFECT BLEND: Name a book or series that is both bitter and sweet but ultimately satisfying.

The raven boys Ok so the whole entire Raven Cycle series is like too amazing to possibly be real. If you didn’t see yesterday’s review, just go read it, and it’ll maybe sum up my feelings for the first book. I’m on the last one now, and I’m still just as hooked as I was at the start! And I am hardcore shipping two characters that I thought I’d hate together before but now I may cry if they don’t kiss by the end of this! and i’m NOT telling you who they are unless you’ve already read the series!

GREEN TEA: Name a book or series that is quietly beautiful.

Entwined by heather Dixon Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to come up with something quietly beautiful?! People are always out to kill people in the books I read! But I think Entwined fits the description pretty well. It’s a retelling of The twelve Dancing Princesses, and it’s amazing! It’s also really special to me because it was my first official book review. I entered a Summer reading contest with that review, and I won! Now it’s kind of my go to comfort book.

CHAI TEA: Name a book that makes you dream of far away places.

These broken stars book cover art The majority of this book is set in another galaxy, so enough said! I’ll be reviewing it soon.

EARL GREY: Name your favorite classic.

A Year Down YonderI know, I know… I can hear some of you scream, “that is NOT a classic!” I know it probably isn’t a classic in the usual sense, but it has a classic feel to me because it’s always been one of my favorite books. Also, I don’t read that many old classics because… there are no evil demon witch people trying to take over the world. I guess if you absolutely made me choose one, it would be

To Kill A Mockingbird.

What Do You Think?

That concludes the coffee book tag! Tell me what you guys would put together in the comments, and also please recommend me some quietly beautiful books because obviously I need them in my life… And also what are your favorite classics? I’m not tagging anybody specific because this has been around long enough that i don’t know who has and hasn’t done it, so if you’re a coffee loving bookworm and you haven’t done it yet, consider yourself tagged!

The Fifty Bookish Questions Tag

There is no friend as loyal as a book
I found this tag over on Kira’s Blog, and she tagged everybody, so I thought I’d give it a go! Kira has an awesome bookish blog, and you guys should really go check her out! And now… I have a feeling this is gonna be an extremely long post even by my standards, so let’s get started!

  1. What was the last book you read?
    Uhhh well… This is a scheduled post, but at the time of this writing, the last book I finished was Blue Lily, Lily Blue, which is the third book in The Raven cycle, (aka my current bookish obsession and the reason I am in total fangirl mode.)
  2. Was it a good one?
    YEEEEEEEESSSSSSS!!!
  3. What made it good?
    EVERYTHING!!! Ok, ok… I guess if you made me pick one thing that made it awesome, I’d have to go with the characters. They’re just sO amazingly realistic and awesome and unique and mysterious and I LOVE all of them! But especially Ronan! I reeeeeeeally love Ronan! fangirls The writing is also amazing because their are four, sometimes five POV characters, and yet they’re all so unique that there isn’t any confusion over who’s speaking at any given moment. Let’s just say I’ve got a LOT to learn from Maggie Stiefvater about how to pull off multiple POV’s because I’m struggling with that right now!
  4. Would you recommend it to other people?
    Absolutely! You all just need to GO READ IT! actually you should all go read the whole Raven Cycle series because you simply cannot pick up the third book in a series without having read the two books prior to it! That’s like a major bookish crime and one that my little brother is guilty of! He won’t listen to me, but i have a feeling you share my opinion if you read my blog. 😉
  5. How often do you read?
    Everyday if possible and lots more on the weekends.
  6. Do you like to read?
    Ummm… Duh?!
  7. What was the last bad book you read?
    Ok… The term “bad” bugs me when it’s used to describe a book. There are good books, and there are not so good books, but any book deserves respect. With that out of the way, I’m going to say Born At Midnight, (Shadow Falls, Book 1), since I gave it two stars in my review.
  8. What made you dislike it?
    Ummmm… Just click here to read my review… Basically it was the writing, but I go WAY more in detail.
  9. Do you wish to be a writer!
    Yep! Just look at my blog name! Being a writer is my dream, and I’ll be bringing you all updates on my writing as I do NaNoWriMo this November. And btw… Ya know how I said I was starting a new project for NaNo since “Wishes” was too complicated to write like that? Yeah… I changed my mind again. The outline totally fell into place in my head, and now i cannot wait to write it for NaNoWriMo!
  10. Has any book ever influenced you greatly?
    Definitely! I’m not listing them all here though because that’d take forever…
  11. Do you read fan fiction?
    Sometimes… If I really like a series and want more from that world, I’ll read some fan fics for it. I think I’ve only ever really got hooked on fan fiction for Harry Potter, but The Raven Cycle may drive me to read more!
  12. Do you write fan fiction?
    When I write fan fiction, it’s usually only for a writing warm up for another project. Writing fan fiction for characters I know really well helps me understand things like plot and structure, and then I can apply that to my own work.
  13. What’s your favorite book?
    Really??? That’s like asking a mother to pick a favorite child! I’m gonna be predictable and say Harry Potter, but The raven King may be a close second. Can you tell I love The Raven Cycle yet? I will probably mention it about 50 more times in the remaining questions… Sorry!
  14. What is your least favorite book?
    Things fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is hands down the worst book I have EVER read! I had to read it for school, and I still don’t get it. I hate to down a book like that, but what even was the point of the plot? I passed my English class with the help of sparknotes.com!
  15. Do you prefer physical books or reading on a device, like a Kindle?
    Definitely eBooks! I’m a braille reader, and braille books are gigantic, so if I want floor space left over, I have to read eBooks! I mostly either read Kindle books on my iPad or listen to books from Audible.
  16. When did you learn to read?
    I started learning to read braille when I was four, and I’ve been an avid reader ever since!
  17. What is your favorite book you had to read in school?
    I honestly do not enjoy many books that are required for school, but i’m going to call this a tie between Tuck Everlasting, Number the Stars, Island of the Blue Dolphins, and To Kill A Mockingbird.
  18. What is your favorite book series?
    Harry Potter/The Raven Cycle
  19. Who is your favorite author?
    J. K. Rolling/Maggie Stiefvater
  20. What is your favorite genre?
    Definitely young adult, but more specifically young adult fantasy.
  21. Who is your favorite character from a book series?
    Definitely Ronan from the Raven cycle! I just love him sooooooo much!
  22. Has a book ever transported you somewhere else?
    Uhhh yeah… That’s kinda what books do!
  23. Which book do you wish had a sequel?
    Ummm… I can’t actually think of one right now… I haven’t read a stand alone in forever!
  24. Which book do you wish didn’t have a sequel?
    Divergent! If Insurgent had never happened, all would be right in the world!
  25. How long does it take you to read a book?
    two to three days, depending on how much time I have.
  26. Do you like when books become movies?
    Yes, if it’s done right.
  27. Which book was ruined by its movie adaptation?
    The Lightning Thief! That movie was just NOT right!
  28. Which movie has done a book justice?
    Definitely all the Harry potter movies, and the Hunger Games.
  29. Do you read newspapers?
    No, boring, zzzzzzz….
  30. Do you read magazines?
    Yep, writing and craft magazines mostly.
  31. Do you prefer newspapers or magazines?
    Magazines definitely!
  32. Do you read while in bed?
    I almost always read in bed.
  33. Do you read while on the toilet?
    Yep… My iPad usually goes to the bathroom with me, I’m ashamed to admit… 😳
  34. Do you read while in the car?
    Yep. I usually listen to audio books on long car trips.
  35. Do you read while in the bath?
    Nope… I’d most likely end up dropping my iPad in the water, and that would be a sad day!
  36. Are you a fast reader?
    Very!
  37. Are you a slow reader?
    Ummmmmm… No. 🙂
  38. Where is your favorite place to read?
    Curled up in the window seat with my kitty.
  39. Is it hard for you to concentrate while you read?
    Nope… Reading makes me tune everything out for a while.
  40. Do you need a room to be silent while you read?
    Yes, definitely.
  41. Who gave you your love for reading?
    My mom and dad always read to me while I was little, and then my grandma introduced me to audio books, and I just never stopped loving books.
  42. What book is next on your list to read?
    After I finish The Raven King, I plan to start Girl In Pieces by Kathleen Glasco.
  43. When did you start to read chapter books?
    Probably in second grade or so.
  44. Who is your favorite children’s book author?
    Lemony Snicket!
  45. Which author would you most like to interview?
    Either J. K. Rolling or Maggie Stiefvater!
  46. Which author do you think you’d be friends with?
    Magie Stiefvater or Kami Garcia.
  47. What book have you reread the most?
    Definitely the Harry Potter Books.
  48. Which books do you consider “classics?”
    Anything that has an important historical or moral message and that is taught over and over again in school.
  49. Which book do you think should be taught in all schools?
    Anything that gets students interested in reading. If Harry Potter could be taught in school, that would be awesome!
  50. Which books should be banned from all schools?
    I don’t think any book should be banned from anywhere because books are sacred!

I Tag..

Anybody brave enough and with enough patients to tackle fifty questions! If you do it, drop me a link so i can see all your bookish answers, and does anyone wanna count how many times I mentioned The Raven cycle?
From Cheyenne 🙂

The Book Blogger Insider Tag

There is no friend as loyal as a book

I found this tag over on Danielle’s blog, and she tagged everyone, so technically I’m tagged! I can’t resist a good book tag, and I thought this would be a great way for you to get to know me and my blogging habits a little better. And maybe I just needed a quick post… 

The Rules: 

  1. Answer the questions below. 

  2. Credit the creator: Jamie @ A Little Slice Of Jamie 

  3. Tag at least five people. 

  4. Have fun! 

The Questions: 

  1. Where do you typically write your blog posts? 

I prefer to write my blog posts on my MacBook because I found blogging software that is super accessible to my screen-reader, plus I just love my Macbook, and I usually sit at my desk so I can connect a braille display and see all the crazy things that autocorrect comes up with. I have been known to type posts in the WordPress app on my phone and iPad if I’m on the go or just don’t want to put out the effort to get up and get my laptop. This post is being written on my bed because my wrists hurt from typing at my desk all day. And I don’t have a braille display connected, so please excuse my goofs! You probably don’t know what I’m talking about, but a braille display connected to my laptop is the equivalent of the screen for you, and without it I’m going on a computerized robot voice to pick out mistakes. I guess I could just go get the display, but who wants to move that much after Algebra and Chemistry homework? Not I! 😉 

  1. How long does it generally take you to write a book review? 

Depends on the book and how in-depth I want to get with my ranting/fangirling. I can usually finish a review in less than two hours, and I think the longest I’ve spent on one was four hours. The hardest part for me is formatting all the links and headings and posts because I always have something to say about a book! 

  1. When did you start your book blog? 

Hmmm… This is complicated… I started my first blog in April while I was doing CampNaNoWriMo, and it was more for writing related stuff than books. That blog was under an obscure URL so nobody ever found it, and I used my real name, which creeped me out a little when I started reviewing books and people started noticing. SO… I moved over to this blog in July of this year… I think. 

  1. What is the worst thing about having a book blog in your opinion? 

Writing bad reviews is rough! I recently gave my first two star review, and that was hard to write! But I know that I appreciate honest book bloggers who have a mixture of good and not so great reviews on their sites, and I want to be one of those honest book bloggers. 

  1. What is the best thing about having a book blog in your opinion? 

I love the community! I very rarely see negativity among book bloggers. that is, I don’t ever see people putting other people down just for the heck of it. I see some bad reviews, but those are all for the good of honest readership! 


6. What blog post have you had the most fun writing so far? 

Hmm… All of my blog posts are fun for me to write. I don’t write anything that isn’t fun to write, because if it isn’t fun to write, then it won’t be fun to read! That being said, I think my favorite posts are probably my review of Anna Dressed In Blood, or this Snippet Sunday. 


7. When do you typically write? 

For some reason the writerly part of my brain likes to not work until around 9 PM, so I end up writing into the night… 

8. Do you review every book you read? 

I have reviewed every book I’ve read since starting this blog. If I ever don’t finish a book, I most likely will not review it. I don’t like reading DNF reviews because if you don’t finish it, you can’t exactly judge it in it’s entirety. I may make a short note that I didn’t finish something on a wrap-up post, but I will not post a full review. 


9. How do you write your book reviews? With a cup of coffee or tea? With Netflix? Cuddled with your fur baby? 

Whenever I write anything, I will have a cup of coffee or tea, and also a glass of water because I try to balance caffeine intake with water. I sometimes have Netflix, (Supernatural), on for background noise, but usually it’s Pandora, Spotify, music from my iPod, or a youtube video. And my fur baby is currently confined to a cage because he decided to climb over something and cut his stomach open… He’s a big cuddly kitty by the name of JackO, (short for JackOLantern because he has big orange eyes that sometimes turn green.) No, I’m serious. My cat’s eyes change color. Tell me I’m not the only one with a freaky eye changing cat! Anyway… When he’s allowed to roam around, he usually sits in my lap and bats at the mouse pointer whilst I’m attempting to write. 


10. When do you write your book reviews? Right after finishing a book? Two weeks after finishing a book? 

I usually try to write my reviews the day after I finish the book so it’s still fresh on my mind, but I’m not still angry/sad/majorly obsessed with whatever I just read. 


11. How often do you post? 

Hahahahaha… I’m just gonna skip over this question… Jk! But seriously… I had a great posting schedule, and then school happened, and now things don’t happen on time! I’d like to post two or three times a week, but it’s usually more like once over the weekend. I’ve got some stuff scheduled though, so that should change! 


I tag: 

*Don’t feel obligated to do the tag if you’ve already done it or just don’t want to do it! 🙂 

What Do You Think? 

Do we share any blogging habits? Do any of my habits seem crazy to you? What’s your favorite post out of everything you’ve written? Let’s chat in the comments!