Brynna Gabrielson's Blog

When you finish a book and are like "huh?"

I'm not good at giving up on books I'm reading (when I'm writing them it seems to be all too easy *sad laugh*). But when I've started a new book, it takes ALOT for me to not finish it. I have got to HATE what I'm reading to put it aside.

I'm driven by rampant curiosity, always desperate to know what happens in the end. And before you suggest it, it's not something I can resolve by flipping to the last few pages...I need to experience the whole damn thing!  It's the same with movies, and television shows - although I've gotten better at abandoning TV shows as there are simply too many to keep up with. But with books - let's just say there are very few tomes I've willingly left unfinished.

Which is why I recently spent hours upon hours of my life trudging through A Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin. I was inspired to read it by the recently made movie starring Colin Farrell. Since the days of American Outlaws (the most cheesy but awesome modernly made western ever) I've held a special place in my heart for Colin. Annoyingly I still haven't seen the movie, as it appears to have only been released in London, despite the fact that Tesco was carrying the book branded with the movie's poster, which to me suggests a wider release.

I want to tell you what this book is about, but that's the crux of my issue. 700+ pages later and I'm not entirely sure what happened. I can tell you it takes place over 100 years, I can tell you it takes place in New York City. And I can tell you that there's this guy called Peter Lake (Colin Farrell in the movie) and a giant magical horse...who might be an angel? I can tell you lots of things...but I can't tell you what actually happened. Because I have no idea. I think it's about love - the book starts with Peter Lake falling in love with a girl named Beverley who dies...and then years pass and we meet a whole bunch of new characters, and then suddenly Peter Lake shows up 100 years in the future having not aged a bit. I still don't know how he got there...

I'm baffled people. The writing was beautiful and at times I thought I knew what was going on, and I enjoyed it. But then the book just ended (I never see the ending coming with my Kindle, as I can't visualize how many pages are left) and I was left with a giant "what now?" of disbelief.

I tried really hard to find something online that would explain what I'd just read, but there's not a lot out there to help me. Just some reviews that don't really focus on the ending. The book is 30 odd years old...it's Wikipedia page is woefully brief. I have a feeling the movie is probably loosely based on the book, as I'm not entirely sure what I just read is screen worthy...so that's probably a dead end in figuring out what happened properly.

I think it might have had to do with God and Heaven...

Anyways.

Have you ever finished a book and just been left completely flabbergasted? I'm not talking 'Breaking Dawn, wtf was Stephanie Meyer thinking?' kind of flabbergasted...but you know, a book where you genuinely didn't get it?

Do share below.

I hope everyone is having a great Easter Weekend. I'm going to spend some of it reading a joyful YA novel that I'm sure I will understand from start to finish.

A love letter to Veronica Mars

It's been far too long, again, since I last updated this blog. Apparently being a grown up is far more time consuming that I'd ever imagined. Between working, commuting, cleaning, cooking...well guys, it's a bitch. I have had some time to squeeze in some writing, but it's been a slow process. Alas.
Today what I want to talk about is Veronica Mars. If you know much about me, then you may know that I am a die-hard Veronica Mars fan. I discovered it the summer after the first season aired. I was 17 and absolutely floored by Kristen Bell as Veronica. She was smart, witty, tough. Everything I, a quiet wallflower, wished I could be.
I binge-watched the first season over the course of two days on a trip to my Nana's house. Then I rewatched it over the next several weeks. By the time season 2 premiered I was telling anyone and everyone how awesome Veronica was.
When the show got cancelled in 2007 I was devastated. I did everything I could to try and get it back – sent Mars Bars and postcards to the WB, wrote lengthy emails. But it was gone.
I was especially perturbed as Rob Thomas, the series creator, left so much of the show unresolved in that last episode. I couldn't even bring myself to rewatch the third season. I bought it the day it came out on DVD, and then left it shrink-wrapped on my shelf for nearly seven years.
For years the question of a movie rattled around the web. It seemed Kristen Bell and Rob Thomas couldn't get through an interview without it being mentioned. I would chase these crumbs like a hungry mouse. But nothing came of it...until last year when they announced the Kickstarter Campaign.

Let me tell you people, it was a dark week for me. I was in Canada waiting for my Fiancé visa so I could return to the UK, and I was terrified it was going to be rejected. I was in a tailspin of bad what ifs. I also hadn't seen my (now) husband in weeks, which was difficult. But when I found out about that campaign I was walking on air. I pledged immediately, and then pledged more when they opened up reward shipping options to Canada and the UK. I would have given every penny I had, if I had that many pennies, but I didn't. I still wish I could have afforded a ticket to one of the premieres. At least I got a cool T-shirt (which I've never seen as it got shipped to Canada and I'm in the UK now, but I'll get it soon!).
And now, after a year of eagerly waiting, the Veronica Mars movie is out! I drove 65 miles from my work to Bristol last night to catch it on the big screen and it was amazing. The theatre was close to full and it was so great to get to experience it alongside other fans. It was hard at first to get use to how much all the characters had aged/changed, but it was also exciting. Jason Dohring as Logan...wow.
I'm so happy this film got made. And I so hope that they make enough money to spur a sequel, and another sequel, and maybe a series on Netflix. But even if that doesn't happen, I can finally say that Veronica Mars has ended on a high note. I can go back and watch the whole series, and then the movie, and feel satisfied and happy. This is what I've wanted most for the past seven years. But as a bonus, they're releasing a novel in the next few weeks, so the story of Veronica and her pals in Neptune will continue.
As someone who loves good stories, Veronic Mars ticked every box. Imaginative plots, unparalleled wit, and an epic love story make it one of the best TV shows of my lifetime. Now it's one of my favourite movies, and this afternoon, I'm going to watch it again! And maybe again tomorrow. Then I might go back and rewatch the whole series (even though I just finished doing that a couple weeks ago). In between all this I promise to do some writing, after all – what's more inspiring to a writer than a really great story?
If you haven't seen Veronica Mars, I wholly suggest watching it now – whether you start from the beginning of the series (which I recommend) or even just check out the movie (which stands alone from the series enough for newbies). 

My Greatest Weakness as a Writer

I probably have a million weaknesses when it comes to writing. I'm sure all writers do, and those who say they don't are probably lying to you, or themselves. It's not an easy task, writing. It's a gruelling yet exhilarating process. Even if you're writing a silly romance novel, it's part of you. Those are your words, no one else's. And they matter to you. So much that you obsesses over them, bite your nails over them. And the very idea of someone else reading them - terrifying.

But I'm getting off track here. What I'm trying to say is that writing makes you aware, painfully aware, of just how crap you are. Of course, it also makes you aware of just how brilliant you are. And when I'm writing, my weaknesses show like a flashing red light, reminding me that witty and charming dialogue is nice enough, but plots need thickening and characters need kicking in the ass.

I'm too good to my characters. I don't like to make them suffer. This isn't my greatest weakness though, albeit it is one of them.

No my greatest weakness is that I believe in love. I mean like I BELIEVE IN IT. Maybe it's because I married the first man I ever fell in love with, or maybe it's because I'm a victim of a happy childhood. My parents were loving and happy and their relationship was amazing. Had my mom not passed away, I have no doubt that they would have been together until they were withered and old - but blissfully happy.

Either way, in my head falling in love once means falling in love forever. True love never ends and happy endings are oh so real. Maybe I'm deluded. Maybe I'm living on another planet. But love is powerful and I, well I love it.

Why does this make me weak? Because when I'm writing a love story, and let's face it, I'm always writing a love story, I can never really bring myself to break my characters' hearts. I can't break apart people who are in love. It seems so so wrong.

Case in point, the novel I'm working on right now. My protagonist is falling in love with the completely wrong guy. These two are NOT supposed to end up together. If they do it will be all sorts of weird and scandalous. But I can't seem to pull her out of it. It'd be better for her, better for him, better for their families, and better for a whole bloody country if they are not together.

But my word, she loves him. And love is supposed to be forever damn it!

It's a nightmare.

The good news is that the book isn't done, no where near it, and maybe just maybe I'll find away to make them part ways. Maybe there's another, better guy waiting for her. Someone who won't complicate her life so heinously. Maybe the story will evolve and it will right itself and end perfectly. I mean, just look at Starkissed. When I started that one (SPOILER ALERT) Sydney was meant for Colin...destined for him...and look how that turned out.

But until then I'm spinning around in circles trying to write myself out of this love story, and I have no idea how.

So there it is people, my greatest weakness as a writer. I believe in never ending, life shattering, heart stopping love. Of course, this could be my greatest strength as well. I mean what's better than a book with a proper 'they lived happily ever after' ending?

Now I've confessed mine, it's time to confess yours. Writers out there, what is your greatest weakness?

Newsletter!

Hello lovely people,

Today I just wanted to drop a quick line to tell you that I've started a newsletter to make it even easier for you to keep up to date with whats going on in Brynnaland. I promise no spam, just a one in a while check-in that will include news, freebies, previews, and contests! If you'd like to register you can use the tab above, or this link:

http://eepurl.com/LPHXL

I hope everyone is having a great weekend! Stay tuned for new posts in the week!

Brynna

Procrastination and Writing Rituals

I used to be the worst of procrastinators. When it came to doing homework in High School I would pretty much do anything but what I was supposed to be doing. On Friday afternoons, Monday just seemed so far away. Why would I do my homework then and get it out of the way when I could miserably spend my Sunday night scrambling to do it instead? And during the week, well I can't tell you how many mornings I spent frantically trying to finish my homework sat on the hallway floor in front of my locker, minutes before class was set to begin. It was ridiculous. People would be standing over me, trying to get in their lockers and I'd be trying to find quotes from Animal Farm to put on my English worksheet.

If ever did manage to force myself to sit down and get something done, something else would always seem far more important. Like cleaning my room. How on earth could I possibly write an essay when my room was in shambles? Not that my room ever seemed to be in anything but shambles. Nonetheless, I would get up out of my chair and start putting the place back together. I'd see my floor for the first time in weeks, unearth old plates from meals far gone by, and things I'd deemed lost forever would suddenly reappear. It wasn't until my room was spick and span that I'd return to my chair, slump forward and finally start what I'd set out to do an hour earlier.

I've long since abandoned the majority of my procrastinator ways. Somewhere between High School and University I realized something astounding. Life is much more fun when you don't have stuff like homework hanging over your head. Honestly, it's amazing how good it feels to know you can sit down to watch a movie and not have to worry about a pile of dishes, or having to go pay some bills. When I'm at work I do all the bits I hate first. It makes the day go by so much smoother.

As good as I am now at getting stuff dealt with, one niggling thing has remained from my high school days. Remember how I said I used to clean my room instead of doing my work? Well now I can't do anything productive writing wise unless my office is clean. A silly habit born of procrastination has morphed into a writing ritual that I simply can't shake off. Whenever I decide to sit down and start typing out a new chapter or maybe edit something, my creativity is stifled by the clutter on my desk. So I have to get up and tidy the thing, and then work my way through the rest of the room until it's all nice and pretty.

So tell me. Are you a big procrastinator? Have you managed to kick the habit like me? And you writers out there, are there any rituals you just have to complete before you can get anything done?

8 Tips on How to Proofread Your Own Work

While to many it may seem like an arduous and thankless task, I love proofreading. It may be an unexpected thing to find joy in, but nonetheless I have a strange and powerful attraction to the art of finding errors in other people's writing. It goes all the way back to high school, when we used to trade papers with the other students in class to 'proofread' our essays or what not. I had a red pen and I loved to use it.  I so enjoyed it that I flirted with the idea of becoming a teacher, solely so I could mark up my students' work. It didn't seem like a good enough reason in the end.
My proofreading joy is not a vindictive one, don't worry. I don't revel in making other people feel less because they've used the incorrect spelling of 'their'. In fact I make similar, silly mistakes in my own writing all the time. It happens. For me, I love proofreading because it's like a game. Like a puzzle that needs to be solved. And in the end I make someone else's writing stronger, which I find really rewarding. It's why I'm a big fan of editing for others as well.
I learned how to properly proofread in university during my BA. I had an excellent publishing instructor who taught me all the ins and outs of the proofreading game. She gave us these work sheets every week that I'd devour like puzzles out of a Sudoku book. Her lessons have stuck with me to this day.
If you've previously read my blog, you probably know that after I finished my BA, I moved to the UK to do a Master's in Publishing. Here I undertook even further training in proofreading and even received a distinction on my proofreading exam. 
So you could say I'm pretty well trained in proofreading, although nothing is better than real world practice - which I've been getting over the past year as a freelance proofreader and editor. I also do quite a bit of editing and proofreading in my day job. But as much as I enjoy it, and as well as I do it, I'm not the best at proofreading my own work. Chances are, you aren't either. When you've created something, you're too close to it to see the minute flaws. I know some amazing writers who are fantastic proofreaders as well, but they have the same issue. They can't pick up mistakes in their own writing.
Proofreading is important, and I highly advocate hiring someone to look over your work before you put it out there.  After all, you want to present your work to the world in its best possible form. And not only that, but proofreading may mean the difference between someone choosing to buy your book or not. I've seen people reject books because of glaring proofreading errors.
When I published Starkissed I couldn't afford to hire a proofreader, so I did it myself, to the tune of over 7 read-throughs. That's a lot of time people – days worth.  And even with all that work, errors still slipped through. I won't be doing that again with my next book!
As you can see, I understand that it's not always possible to hire someone to do the proofreading or editing for you. So, if that's the case, I'd like to help you out by passing on a few tips on how to proofread that I've found highly useful in my proofreading endeavors – both when looking over my own work and that of others.
8 Tips for Proofreading
1. Print it out – Don't just stare at the screen when proofreading. By printing your pages out, you'll give yourself a brand new view of the work, and you'll likely pick up errors you'd never have seen on screen.  Make sure when you print, that you've selected a serif font, such as Times New Roman instead of something sans serif, like Arial. Your eyes will be able to read this easier in print. As well, give yourself plenty of space for marking your copy by at least 1.5 spacing the lines, if not double spacing.
2. Learn proofreading marks – Proofreading marks are wonderful tools that are sadly being lost as more and more people edit on screen with track changes. But when you're working with a pen and paper, they are incredibly useful. It's all well and good to go through your manuscript and simply circle and underline the problems you find, but after 200 pages you might find yourself wondering exactly why something is circled. Proofreading marks are specific and dead useful. I suggest picking up a copy of The Copy Editor's Handbook by Amy Einsohn. It was one of the texts we used in my undergrad and I found it to be a fantastic tool in learning marks. The Chicago Manual of Style also has a great list of marks. As well, there are some great resources online that can teach you. 
3. Read aloud – Take it slow and read every single word out loud as you go through your manuscript. You'll be amazed at how hearing your words out loud can help you pick up on things you're eyes simply aren't seeing. It's particularly useful for finding missing words and places where punctuation is lacking.  
4. Read one line at a time – Whenever I read Harry Potter, I know what's coming and before I've even finished a sentence, my eyes start skimming the paragraph below in excitement. The same will probably happen when you read your own work. You know what's coming and thus your eyes may leap and bound across the page. To stop this from happening, cover the rest of the page with a sheet of paper, or at least use a ruler, and move it down with each line that you complete. It will stop your eyes from jumping all over the place and will force you to focus on what's right in front of you.
5. Get a style guide – The Chicago Manual of Style is a beast. It's heavy and thick and the pages are thin and plenty. But it is packed full of useful information and most likely will answer the majority of your questions – whether they're about capitalization or titles or whether or not to spell out numbers. It's my preferred style guide and I've found it to be my best friend when editing and proofreading. It's not the only style guide out there, of course, there are plenty if you search online. However, The Chicago Manual of Style is widely used and trusted – particularly in North America.
6. Make your own style guide – This is something you can do through all stages of the creation of your manuscript – from writing to editing to proofreading. Every time you make style choice, or look something up in a style guide – make a note of it. If you're writing in British English, or American English – put that in. If you're using a serial comma (which I highly recommend), make a note of it too. If you're spelling a certain word a certain way, put that in.  It will be useful for consistency later when you find that half your words are spelt one way, and half the other. Consistency is important and if you've written out 'twenty-five' in chapter two, but then in chapter five have put '25' – it shows a lack of consistency, which is sloppy.  All you need to do is open a second document alongside your manuscript and make notes as you go along. It will save you tons of time in the long run. And bonus, when you're writing your next manuscript, you can use it use it all over again. That way you won't have to spend more time deciding whether or not to capitalize Your Highness or not (The Chicago Manual of Style says yes).
7. Take your time – While you may be on a roll and it may seem just fine to blaze through all of your proofreading in a single day, I don't advocate it. You need to take breaks and let your brain recharge. You'll start to overload and all the sentences will start blurring together, which will make you miss things. When I proofread I generally work for two hours, then take a short break, and go back. And once I've completed a pass of a manuscript, I abandon it for a few days before I do the next pass. That way when you're completing the second pass, the words aren't as fresh in your mind and it gives you a bit of distance so you can reread without knowing exactly what's coming next. This, of course, is easier when it's someone else's work, as it's not as familiar as your own. Still, let yourself have the time. Your brain will appreciate it.
8. Do it again – Proofreading takes time. Good proofreading takes quite a bit of it. When I proofread for others, I do two passes. One on paper and one on screen. To complete both passes it takes me an average of 12-16 hours for a novel of 200-300 pages (without the addition of breaks). If the novel needs a lot of work, understandably it will likely take more time. Don't short change yourself on time when proofreading. At the minimum give your manuscript two looks over, and more if you can manage it. The beauty of printing your work out for the first pass is that it will force you to do a second pass when inputting your changes on screen. But make sure when you're inputting those changes, that you're going through the manuscript with a close eye all over again. Don't just skip ahead to the next error you've already marked.
I hope these tips are of great use to you writers out there. As I said previously, I really advocate hiring someone to do your proofreading. It's incredibly difficult to proofread your own work and an outside eye can be so valuable at this stage, especially if you hire someone who is practiced at proofreading and knows what to look for.
If you'd like more information on my proofreading services, pop over to www.gabrielsonpublishing.com or email me at either brynnagabrielson@gmail.com, or gabrielsonpublishing@gmail.com.  

Best of 2013 - Brynna's Picks

Last year (well actually the year before, but only by a day) I posted my top 10 movies of 2012 for you all to ooh and ahh over. I'm sure my infallible (though some like to call it 'questionable') taste in movies had you racing to the video store - or maybe it's iTunes these days - to check out my top picks, had you not seen them. I meant to do a similar list this year (well last year) but time ran away from me so it's coming a little late. Except instead of just movies, I'm giving you my best of in a variety of categories. Agree or disagree with my picks? Let me know in the comments!

Best Movies

1. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - I've already seen it twice and I wouldn't hesitate to head to the theatre right now to watch it again (well except that it's pouring rain and I really don't want to go outside). After painstakingly shedding my nail biting habit for my wedding this summer, this is the movie that broke me - and all of my nails. Jennifer Lawrence has never been better - and Josh Hutcherson proved his worth as Peeta over and over again. I even found a little love for Liam Hemsworth as Gale.

2. Frozen - I'm a sucker for Disney flicks and this one absolutely took hold of me. Thank goodness for Spotify. I listen to the soundtrack at least a couple times a day. Everything about this movie was beautifully executed - from the stunning songs and their wonderful lyrics, to the gorgeous imagery and awesome performances from Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell.

3. Thor: The Dark World - Thor is my favourite superhero, no doubt. I've seen the first film a fair few times and was literally (and I am using literally correctly here) twitching with excitement when the sequel made it's debut. Sequels can often disappoint, but I was more than satisfied by the return of Thor, Jane and Loki. One particular highlight - Zachary Levi in the role of Fandral. I'm not particularly fond of recasts in series (Josh Dallas of Once Upon a Time portrayed Fandral originally) as I'm a real stickler for continuity, however, I love Zachary Levi - Chuck is one of my all time favourite shows - and it seemed pretty perfect finding one of my favourite actors smack dab in the middle of one of my favourite franchises.

4. We're The Millers - I haven't laughed that hard in the cinema in a long time. I don't really think I need to say much more.

5. Star Trek: Into Darkness - Oh how excited I was when the sequel to Star Trek came out this year! I never cared much for Star Trek growing up, even though my dad was a massive fan, but JJ Abrams' reboot is stellar. I love Chris Pine as Kirk and Zachary Quinto is fantastic as Spock. The whole thing from start to finish was a thrill and I can't wait to see the third movie, whenever it comes.

Best New TV Show:


The Crazy Ones: Anything that puts Sarah Michelle Gellar back on television is fine by me, but how do you make it even better? Throw in Robin Williams of course! The result - one of the funniest half hour comedies to make it's way on to television since Modern Family made it's debut. I've been left in stitches by every single episode. It's a great show with a great cast, and if you're not watching it, you should be!

Best Ongoing TV Show(s):

How I Met Your Mother: I have no idea how I'm going to say goodbye to this show come March. I've been with it since the beginning and have loved every second of it. I was horribly worried about the whole season taking place over one weekend, but it's actually been really well done. I'm starting to really love the girl they cast as the mother, and have thoroughly enjoyed all the Canadian jokes which have been tops this season.

Once Upon a Time: Finding our favourite fairy tale characters in Neverland for the first half of this season was a stroke of genius. The end of the last season - with the whole magic haters kidnap Henry plot - was a real annoying bore, but once said plot picked us up and dropped us off Peter Pan adjacent, things got world's better. Robbie Kay as Pan was a delight and the twist connecting him to the rest of the fairytale gang was awesome. Also loved Joanna Garcia as Ariel! I can't wait to see what the second half of the season brings. Waiting until March is going to be a real bummer.

Homeland: After that season finale I'm still at a massive loss - but I can say that I was glued to my seat the entire season and muttered the words 'did not see that coming' almost repetitively. While the (SPOILER, SPOILER, SPOILER) loss of Brody is going to be hard to get passed, I can understand why they did it. Still it'll be sad not to tune in to see the extremely talented Damien Lewis every week.

Best Book: 

The Moon and More: Sarah Dessen - It's always an exciting year for me when one of my favourite authors releases a new title, especially when it's an author who doesn't release new titles all that often.  So with that in mind, I have to give this one to Sarah Dessen for The Moon and More. Another fantastic story from one of the best YA authors out there.

Best Book Honorable Mention: 

The 5th Wave: Rick Yancey - The writing may not have been the most prolific, but I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish. In a sea of dystopia and supernatural, it's nice to see a little sci-fi creeping in. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel come September.

Best Song: 

Wrecking Ball: Miley Cyrus - Admittedly I miss the old, more clothed iteration of Miley. I may have been a titch too old for it, but I always enjoyed Hannah Montana. And while I may not be the biggest fan of the twerking craze, I really do think Miley has a lot of talent. Wrecking Ball is a beautiful and stirring song that proves Miley has far more to given than The Best of Both Worlds.

Watch out 2014

I've always been a bit of a Christmas fiend. I revel in the build up - the decorating, the shopping, the christmas music and movies. I start letting Christmas infiltrate my life November 1st. My mom was always a stickler for waiting until after November 11th (Remembrance Day), but since moving to the UK I've not been as stringent in that rule. Probably because it's not a stat holiday here like it is back home, so while acknowledged, it passes with less oomph then I'm used to. 
Either way, I let Christmas get it's magical hands on me early and ride the wave of baubles and trees and turkeys all the way to the 25th. 
And then I deflate. Christmas is over. The build up has ended. The presents are open, the turkey is nothing but a hollow carcass, and the joy has given way to half price sales. 
At least that's how things used to be, when I was younger and most of my excitement was fuelled less by friends and family and more by the gifts under the tree. 
This year I'm not feeling quite so at a loss. To be honest, it's almost a relief - Christmas can be mighty stressful (especially when the turkey isn't defrosted at midnight Christmas Eve). I think this must be part of growing up and it's kind of nice. The tree, with it's empty base, no longer seems sad and lonely, but just looks pretty. I'm enjoying my gifts and the left over food, but I'm excited about the next couple days, and months actually. 
My friend Liesa is few days over from Germany for a few days over New Years', which should be wonderful, and then the new year will be upon me and I've got high hopes for it. 
This is going to be the year people. Come hell or high water I will finish my newest novel and get it out to you and the world. You will finally meet Sophie McCann - my newest protagonist, who has a little bit in common with me. See she's just moved to the UK for school, and while studying is the order of the day, cute British guys are always going to get in the way. (I so didn't mean to rhyme that, but I kind of like it, so it's staying). 
As well as finishing the new novel, I have other plans! I'm going to finally turn this blog (which you might have noticed has shifted somewhat in appearance) into a proper website! And I'm going to update it way more than I've been doing. I'm going to do everything I can to stay in touch with all of you wonderful readers. And fingers crossed that more exciting things will continue to unspool. 
Watch out guys! The New Year is going to rock. 

Christmas Reflection

This is one of those times of year that prove to be both joyous and immensely difficult for me. Exactly five years ago last week my mother, Marjorie Gabrielson, passed away. She was an amazing mother, and my best friend. In her eyes, I felt like I could do anything I dreamed of. It’s her I have to thank for Starkissed, and for every word I’ve ever written and will ever write. She was my biggest and best supporter. And she loved Christmas. It was her favourite time of year. She had the heart of a giver – something I’ve inherited, to the detriment of my bank account – and revelled in the opportunity to make everyone she cared about feel wonderful with the perfect gift. She was thoughtful and caring in everything she did, making sure everyone else was happy over herself. While I loved every present I received – it was her love and kindness that proved the best gift of all. And something I miss more than anything every second of my life.

Losing her so close to Christmas was the cruellest twist of fate. She wanted so badly to make her last Christmas as wonderful for everyone as she could. She planned menus, bought gifts, and ensured the house was decorated beautifully.
It would be so easy to pretend this holiday doesn’t exist, simply for the pain of it. It’s never felt the same without her here. But she would hate that more than anything. She understood Christmas better than anyone I knew. It wasn’t just about gifts and money for her. It was about family and friends, about sharing in something great with those you love. So shunning Christmas is not, and will never be an option. In honour of my mother I celebrate the holiday the best I can. Her spirit is in every holiday greeting, every bauble placed on the tree, every gift given, and every (potentially) overcooked turkey.
In honour of my mom, I wish everyone a wonderful holiday season. Take this Christmas to tell those you love just how much they mean to you. Share stories and hugs, take dozens of photos, and be thankful for every gift.  Most importantly, be happy.
I will be.
x

Feeling hot, hot, hot

Summer seems to here. For real.

For those who don't live in the UK, you may not be aware that last year 'summer' was a fleeting hope. A barely realized dream. Sure it had it's moments, a whole maybe four of them. Okay okay, it wasn't that bad. It got hot a few times. But it never lasted more than a couple days and then we were breaking out the long sleeves and pants again and wondering where the warmth had gone. I never once dipped a toe in a pool, or the river, or the sea (not that I have this summer, yet).

But yesterday I bought fans! It was so hot, I got home from my Hen-do in London, took the bus home, got to my flat, said 'no fricking way', and went back to Salisbury to buy fans. TWO OF THEM. Because it's hot! Really, actually hot! Like I took a cold shower hot.

Anyways, I'm very excited about the heat, if you couldn't tell...

In other news, my wedding is just weeks away. A month and two days really! Can't believe it. For professional writing and editing purposes I shall remain Brynna Gabrielson, but in life I'm going Plank. Brynna Plank. It's going to take some time to get used to I think.

I'm writing again. It's been a horrible year of me saying I'm going to start writing, then getting caught up with other stuff. But I'm actually getting up to something in a writing like way. Starkissed is still selling a few copies a day, but not many. I hope I'll have something new out sooner than later. I suppose it depends on how consumed with wedding I become over the next few weeks, and whether or not I find a job quickly once I'm legally allowed to work in the UK! We shall see. Until then I shall type, type, type.

Happy Summer everyone.

Talk soon,

Brynna