Blair Cousins's Blog, page 4

It’s January (Finally!)

I don’t know why I have this strange optimism about this year, but I’m excited about 2018. I have some pretty ambitious goals set for myself, and I’m eager to dive in. But before I talk about those, I’d like to say 2017 was a year of a lot of first for me. I published a book, co-published a coloring book with my good friend of mine, and finished NaNoWriMo. I started my own publishing company, joined a few amazing writing communities, and met a lot of wonderful people. I would call that a succ...

Post-NaNoWriMo Thoughts

I walked into this month knowing exactly what I wanted to write. I had a fully completed outline, even a few thousand words in the bag. With that being said, I did reach the NaNoWriMo goal of 50,000 words (Yay!), but I didn’t finish my project. I am a little disappointed, but I can honestly say that I had a lot of fun writing this year. I went out to a few write-ins and met a lot of cool people. It was so nice to talk and joke with other writers and know people who understand the unique chall...

After Midnight

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Fun Times at the Virginia Children’s Book Festival

 

[image error]Our Super awesome table at the VCBF, feat. illustrator Danielle Dooley (L) and author Blair Cousins (R).

 

This past weekend I was a vendor at the Virginia Children’s Book Festival in Farmville, VA. This was the first time I’d had a table at a big festival, and I was not disappointed. Despite some minor hick-ups, I had a great time. The volunteers, staff, and other vendors were all very nice and welcoming; I’ll be back next year.

Next year, however, I’d like to go for the whole event or at...

A Review of The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

“The Hate U Give” is a story about a young girl, named Starr Carter, who witnesses the murder of her childhood friend and the events that follow. Very relevant to today, the story focuses on telling the story of how the impact of losing a loved one affects not only the family but the community as well. Author Angie Thomas does a fantastic job of giving a voice to a community otherwise written off by the public eye.

Aside from the heart-wrenching storytelling, the language is one of my favorit...

A Review of The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste

“The Jumbies” follows a young Caribbean girl named Corinne La Mer who lives happily with her father, next to a mysterious forest. Their world is turned upside down when they are visited by a beautiful woman wrapped in mystery. Now it is up Corrinne and her friend to save her family and their town from the dreaded forest dwelling creatures called the Jumbies.

I was very excited to read this book because I love stories about folktales and lore. Right away I was drawn in by the beautiful storyte...

Found, Ann Arbor, MI

Found

 

No one is lost here, out of place, or forgotten.
There are no bags labeled “To Goodwill, Free to a Good Home, Trash.”
Every button, every knob, every doll, and every photo, has a place on these shelves.
There are no teary eyes, lonely cries, or sad faces.
No reasons to fear or feel unwanted, only feelings of content and hopefulness.
Here in this place a second chance is given to be buttoned up, typed on, played with,
A second chance to be found.

 

Click to view slideshow.

Updates!

Hi all, I hope you are well. It’s been a while since I’ve updated here, but know that I’ve been busy with many projects and events. The blog’s weekly posting schedule is still on hiatus, but as long as you’re following my blog, you’ll get notifications when I do. For the fall I’ve got lots of goodies planned. This year I’ll be doing a Spooktacular Writing Care Package Giveaway, just in time for Nano, along with the premiere of a new short story I’m working on. The giveaway will take place on...

A Review of “The Hike” by Drew Magary: The Odyssey of Our Time

 

Cruising down the aisles of my local Barns & Noble I remember the cover being the first thing that caught my eye. Bright neon pictures of strange monsters dotted the black cover drawing my attention immediately. I picked up the book, a hardback, and opened to the front flap to read the summary. A comedy! How delightful, as I was in the mood to find anything that might catch my eye to add to my Goodreads reading challenge. Well a few months later, I finally got around to reading this oddly d...

Blog Hiatus

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The blog is going on hiatus so I can finish up the manuscripts I’m working on. Worry not I’ll post here every now and then when something peaks my interest, so be sure to follow my blog. If you haven’t already, please follow me on Facebook as well by clicking [here], as I will more than likely be posting more on there. Be sure to join my mailing list for updates as well, either on here, on my Facebook page, or by sending me your email address through the contact form.

Thanks for all your sup...