R.S. McCoy's Blog, page 4

Review: Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

My third August read was Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch. I think I've literally owned this book for over a year, and I've seen it on just about everyone's shelves, but for whatever reason never really heard it calling my name. However, it's in my summer reading pile so it demanded to be read. First up, I actually really liked Meira. I liked the idea of these four Season kingdoms and the Winter kingdom already having been destroyed and only a handful of refugees currently alive. That made for a really cool set up from the get-go. I also really didn't like Mather. He had everything the boy-who-doesn't-work-out should have and I spotted that one a mile away. This book's biggest advantage was the EPIC plot twists. I didn't see any of it coming so I'll do my best not to spoil them here. Just when I felt like I had a grip on where things were going, BAM, they'd take a hard left turn and go somewhere else. This had the awesome effect of keeping me on my toes. It had the unpleasant effect of making me feel like I wasted my time reading about a lot of stuff that ultimately didn't really matter. It's a double-edged sword. My other main gripe was the relatively elementary naming system. The capitals of the Season kingdoms were misspelled names of months that occur during that season. Really? The author wrote a note saying this book was originally conceptualized when she was a child (twelve, I believe). While I love the idea of a child's story carrying through to such a massive success, I wish someone would have mentioned that the names don't hold their weight. On the whole, this was an enjoyable read that didn't make me groan with bad writing, flimsy characters, or cliche conflicts. I'll definitely be checking out the rest of the series in the near future. My next book is Rebel in the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton.  (Yes, I have this weird cover version...) Have you read it?As always, follow my reviews on Goodreads!

A Book Nerd's Path to Healthy Living

Unlike volleyball players, SCUBA divers, and horseback riders, we book readers don't find our hobbies lend to a particularly impressive level of physical prowess. Rather, we tend to sit for long periods of time and grow progressively more attached to our couch or bed. Without taking some sort of preventative action, we stand a solid chance of becoming permanent blobs. So like most people in the world, I long ago made the decision to get active. It often directly conflicts with my book reading love (have you ever tried jogging and reading at the same time?) but still, getting moving is important and well worth the time spent. Here are some reasons I stay in motion:1. I suffer from an absence of thyroid (thyroid cancer), use replacement thyroid hormones, and have an autoimmune thyroid disorder that consistently F***s with my health2. I have frequent injuries, such as a stress fracture in my foot, tendon rupture in my elbow, collapsed and herniated discs (three of them!) in my lower back, and a knee that aches and cracks when I go up steps3. I had really difficult pregnancies that caused me to gain a LOT of weight (more then 120 lbs for the first one alone!)While I would love to lose some weight and get to a healthier place in terms of BMI, my thyroid issues all but guarantee it won't happen, at least not on any sort of normal time frame. Losing weight messes with my hormone levels, which affect my appetite, sleep, and energy, and in turn, cause me to gain weight! It's an endless yo-yo cycle that never ends in a good place. So I made the decision long ago to focus on the alternate benefits of healthy living. Here are the goals I work toward:1. Keep from breaking myself. With my long history of considerable injuries, just staying out of a doctor's office is a feat. I want to keep myself off the DL for the long term. 2. Improve my range of motion. With a bad foot, elbow, back, and a knee on the fritz, any kind of movement is a success. I want to be able to bend over and reach things off the floor without pain, walk for long periods of time without needing a break, and picking up my kids without breaking in half. 3. Increase my cardio. Ever have that feeling of going up a set of stairs and feeling winded at the top? I HATE that feeling. I really want to be able to do everyday things without feeling like I'm running a race. 4. Hope and pray and do a rain dance that all my hard work will somehow cause my body to reshape from blob to badass. Hey, a girl can dream right?While my physical aspirations may seem grandiose, my methods for getting there are pretty low brow. I'm limited to things that don't have ANY impact of any kind: no running, burpees, mountain climbers, jumping jacks, or the like. I also can't lift crazy weights because of my back/elbow injuries. So I'm stuck with light weights/bodyweight. A few months ago, when my elbow injury was fresh (surgery to repair in Feb 2017, recovery through May), I knew I wasn't going to be able to do what I wanted at the gym, but wanted to make the effort and get into the routine of being active. And maybe I'd improve in some other ways?When I started:1. I could only do 14 minutes of elliptical at super slow speed and super low resistance before jumping down and gasping for air. 2. I could only lift 2 lb weights when doing arm exercises3. I couldn't even bend over to 90 degrees during yogaOther notable issues: When doing yoga, I fell face first to the mat during Crocodile when my elbow gave out. I did two sets of twenty for each of four floor exercises (chest presses, chest flys, bicycles, and hip raises).This week:1. I can do 32 minutes of elliptical at faster speeds and high resistance without getting down for a single break.2. I can lift 10 lb weights when doing arm exercises, and increased the number and kind of exercises. 3. I can bend over well past 90 degrees during yogaNow I can do every yoga move with complete confidence in my muscles. I do three sets of twenty for each of: lunges, squats, curls and overhead presses, chest presses, chest flys, bicycles, leg extensions, and hip raises! Overall, my fitness level feels dramatically improved. I feel stronger, I have more energy, my body is listening to me. But that doesn't mean I've lost weight. The only thing I have to show for it is an inch lost on each thigh and an added quarter inch on each arm. Otherwise, to look at me, nothing has changed. However, on the inside, everything has changed. And feeling great is well worth the effort!Next up, I want to be able to do the Wheel! This picture is almost five years old. But I could do it before, and I'm determined to do it again! How are you working on your health this week?

Review: Ink by Amanda Sun

I originally purchased Ink on a whim at a local book shop. It has a GORGEOUS cover, and I loved the idea of moving drawings. I'd never heard of the author or story before, but still thought it sounded like a story I'd like. And then I opened it and found out it takes place in Japan! I was STOKED. I love international stories and Japan is one of my top three travel destinations. I love sushi and calligraphy and all things Japan, so this was a major WIN for me. However, this book wasn't the slam dunk I was hoping it would be. We first meet Katie at school in Japan, when she's an outsider struggling with language, culture, and food. She overhears a schoolboy Tomohiro being a super dick while dumping his girlfriend, and in the chaos, she sees one of his drawings on the floor. And it's moving!Sadly, Katie and Tomohiro start an enemies to friends to lovers kind of thing, but they were already super in love by page 60. Katie's main interest in Tomo seemed to stem from his ridiculous good looks and general dickheadedness. The flicker of hope here is that Tomo and Katie both lost their moms in similar fashions, and therefore bond over the grieving processes. It's not much to build a relationship upon, but hey, it's better than nothing. Otherwise, the romance felt pretty insta-love. There are a lot of times when Katie needs to know something and simply doesn't ask or Tomo gives a vague non-answer when he just as easily could have given a real answer. The whole plot had a Twilight feel with lines like 'You need to stay away from me for your own safety' and 'I'm being a dick for your own good' and such. The world building and ink magic was SUPER COOL and I really loved the idea of Kami and using calligraphy to alter the physical world. I was less sold on the idea of Katie (an American) somehow being tied to ancient bloodlines and cultures in Japan, but I guess there will be more explanation in later books in the series. This book would have been a HOMERUN if:1. There was more development of the relationship2. Katie didn't cry in every scene3. Tomo wasn't a total wishywashy fellow4. It didn't feel like a sales pitch for Julie KagawaI guess I can see why the publisher put JK all over this book. They have similar issues, and readers that don't mind them will be happy with both. However, there are several pages of promotion for JK and blurbs and it's really an in-your-face sort of marketing tactic. I wish they'd been a little more subtle here. I don't think I'll be going on to complete the series, at least not anytime soon. Just wasn't for me. What did you think?

July Reading Wrap Up

Hello, fellow book nerds! It's that time of the month to look back at what we've read and what we're looking forward to next month. This month was a bit strange for me. I had the release of Hale and Gemini to throw me all out of sorts (and a huge thank you to everyone who bought, downloaded, read, and reviewed!) and I had TWO books tossed in the DNF pile. TWO. That's crazy. Here's what I read, what I liked, and what I DNF'd (and why).First up for July: Gemina!I just couldn't stay away from this one a moment longer. I love the epistolary format with the mix of video feed transcription, IMs, and journal entries. Kaufman and Kristoff did an excellent job (again) of creating fun, interesting characters and edge-of-your-seat action. There were really funny parts, scary parts, sad parts, and happy parts, too. I was head over heels for this one and CANNOT imagine what I was doing with life before I read it.Next up, I read A Court of Mist and Fury. I've put this one off for a long while. Goodreads tells me I read A Court of Thorns and Roses way back in June 2016. But I didn't have a copy of A Court of Wings and Ruin and I didn't want to get stuck mid-series (and you guys know I hate to buy a hardback). But it was time and so I read it. And it was AMAZING. I couldn't imagine how SJM could turn me off Tamlin and make me even glance in the direction of Rhysand, but she did both and then some. By the end, I was swooning hard and DESPERATE for ACOWAR, which I immediately ordered the dreaded hardback. While I waited for my copy of ACOWAR to arrive, I dove into Portal of a Thousand Worlds. I picked up this book on whim at B&N way back in April in Texas visiting family. I loved the cover and the title and I was all kinds of excited for this strange little book I'd never heard about. This book is told with an ancient style where everyone has nouns for names and throughout the multiple POVs, we get a picture of ancient China from an emperor/empress/whore/farmer/murderer/soldier and a bunch more. My only real disappointment was that the portal didn't really come into play until right at the end. I wanted to see all the worlds, dangit!And then my (hardback) of A Court of Wings and Ruin finally came. Incidentally, my sister and brother-in-law happened into town on a last-minute, week-long visit. So I read the entirety of this book in my front yard while kids played. And I loved EVERY MINUTE OF IT. It wasn't the breathless, soul-shattering amazing of ACOMAF, but I still cried at the end, not because it was necessarily sad, but because I was sad it was over and I don't get anymore Feyre or Rhysand or Azriel. I'll miss them forever. I knew whatever book came after ACOWAR would be at a major disadvantage, so I chose a book I wasn't super excited about. I received this ARC of The Bear and the Nightingale at BookCon back in April, not because I'm a huge fan of the author or loved the title or anything. I just happened to be standing where they were passing them out and so I got one. But it was really good. Way better than expected. It read like a fairytale whispered around a fire, and covered Vasya's life from birth to teen years (I think fourteen?) and all the events in between. I loved the story of the Frost King and the maiden and really loved how it was all woven together. My only complaint was that it took a while to get to the good stuff, but we did eventually get it!I'll be honest. I don't love the cover of this one. It's not doing this story ANY favors. But I loved TSS/ODD, and so I was excited to get back into VS's delicious writing with A Darker Shade of Magic. And it did not disappoint!She has a way of making people and places jump from the page, and Kell and Lila were perfect examples of her literary prowess. I loved the idea of four Londons and Antari that could go between. I also loved that Kell was both an orphan and a prince and that he was stuck in some grey area between the two. Lila was a bolt of much needed awesome and I was so glad to get to know both of them. Rest of series on order!With the release of Hale and Gemini, I decided it was time to brush up on my marketing. Rather than keep doing the same old-same old, I wanted to check out what new things are going on in the industry lately. 5-Minute Book Marketing for Authors was a quick read (maybe 100 pages?) of tips and tricks on how to get more readers to your book page, how to showcase your book in the best way, and how to get readers coming back for more. I feel like I got a lot out of it for how short it was, and I'd definitely recommend it for any author looking to take a step toward selling more books. In the same vein, I read Joanna Penn's Business for Authors. I would call this one a MUST READ for all authors. Whether big or small, hobbyist or best-seller, you NEED THIS BOOK. From legals to financials to marketing to promotion, this book is stuffed full with great and necessary info. Some parts are a bit dry (legal/tax stuff), but they are super important and JP does a great job of giving you the gist and moving on without preamble. If you haven't read this one, I definitely recommend it!And now, sadly, on the DNF's. I think I have set aside less than ten books in my reading life. I'm one of those habitual finishers, even if I don't necessarily care for the story. There's a part of me that requires closure and knowing what happened, and so I just read it. However, once in a blue moon, I'll get one like this that I just can't keep reading for the life of me. The Waking Land was also given out at BookCon, and again I had no idea what I was getting into. But I love fantasy and romance and this felt right up my alley. And then I started reading. Elena is a political captive who is treated like family by only the king, who suddenly dies. When Elena is captured by her parents' allies, she rebels and insists on staying loyal to the king that raised her. Except, not really. There is a LOT of back-and-forthing, on every page, in every scene, in every chapter. I love the king, no I don't. I like these rebels, no they're dangerous. Between the whiny main character, predictable brooding hot guy, and long, drawn out sections of wishy-washiness, I just couldn't make myself go on. I slammed it shut, stuck it on a shelf, and there it sits (looking admittedly pretty). I know lots and LOTS of folks really liked this one, so I'm sure it was just a personal preference thing. But still, not for me. The second book I DNF'd in July was The Iron Daughter. Now, this one is probably my fault. I didn't love The Iron King. I had to force myself to finish it. I hated Meghan's insta-love with Ash and the over- and multi-explaining of things. The chosen-one trope is so over used and it didn't feel like there was a lot going on to break it down into something new. But this series is super successful and tons of readers love it, so I thought I'd give it another go and see if it got miraculously better in the second book. Nope. Still insta-love and over-explaining. I think the first FIFTY pages were a summary of The Iron King. Why? Why did I have to read through that? It wasn't even particularly well written. Just a summary. However, the reason I closed this one was Meghan herself. She's in 'love' with Ash who is a Class A D-Bag to her, makes it PERFECTLY clear that he doesn't want a future with her, and even if he did, they would both be killed for it. And she's still like 'But just give me a kiss!' and 'Take off your shirt!' and 'I just want to hold you!' and it was really painful to watch even a fictional character be so PATHETIC. Like what girl? Don't you have any self-respect? Can't you hold your head high and walk away?I got the idea readers were supposed to feel sucked into the will-they/won't-they aspect of the romance, but in my case, it sent me running for the bookshelf for a new and less aggravating read. Hopefully, I'll have better luck with choosing books I love in August. First up, I'm reading Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, and I'm pretty sure I'm the last person on the planet who hasn't read it. But here goes nothing! (I will do my absolute best not to ugly-cry in public!)What books are you excited about reading in August?

Author Signing Events: What you need to know!

If you've been an indie author for any amount of time, you've likely heard about or seen indie author signing events. Maybe you've even attended a few. Like all things in life, author signing events are not created equal. Here are some things to consider when choosing a signing. 1. Where is the signing located?This is a two-fold question. First, is in the same state where you live? Will you have major traveling expenses, or is close enough to drive?Second, where is the signing itself located? Signings in the lobby of major hotels are different than signings in basements or bars or libraries. The location of the signing is a major factor in whether or not people want to go, can go, or can find it. 2. What kind of authors will be at the signing?Some signings are for any all genres, like Baltimore's Book Fest. It was a large tent in Inner Harbor with indie authors of every size, genre, and audience. I sat between a self-pubbed MG author and three indie-press military/horror authors. Other signings are more narrow in scope. The recently-attended Kiss And Tell Author Event in Allentown, PA was an event for primarily contemporary romance. At least 80% of readers who approached my table indicated that WOULD NOT EVER READ FANTASY. Even if it was paranormal romance...3. How big is the event?Now, in a lot of facets of life, size matters. And author events are no exception--sort of. Big events tend to get more readers attending, and smaller events tend to get less readers attending. But big events have a lot of big authors and that means lots of competition for selling books. Readers can only carry so many books home (despite the carts and wagons and bags they bring to facilitate their shopping) so a huge event with hundreds of signing authors isn't necessarily the best choice. On the other hand, smaller events have less readers, but also less competition. If only 20 authors are selling and singing books, readers could easily take home a book from every single one of them. By far, my best show to date was Deep in the Heart Author Event, a small event in a rad bar in downtown Austin. It was the smallest event I've ever done, but I sold more books than at any of the big ones. 4. How much does the event cost?Most events charge authors somewhere between $100 and $300, but some can be even more (or less). This is a big deal. How much you paid for the event will directly correlate to how many books you need to sell to break even and *gasp* make a profit!Don't forget to include travel costs like food, gas, tolls, and hotels into your calculations. If you need to sell hundreds of books to break even, then you might want to reconsider. You're likely setting yourself up for failure. 5. Who is hosting the event?This question has become even more important in recent years as event scams have swept the industry. Because events are often booked more than a year in advance, event hosts were left in a position of holding a lot of money from a lot of people for a length of time, and some of them didn't handle it responsibly.I have only been a victim of an event scam once, for the Indies in NY signing, which was supposed to be in the lobby of a hotel in Times Square and feature several best-selling authors as well as some of the most popular indie authors in the industry. But it turns out, those authors never agreed to come and the hotel was never actually booked. The event coordinator posted pictures of her new car and her with her husband on vacation in the meantime...Paypal was great throughout this process and actually refunded the entirety of my investment, which was very fortunate for me. Others weren't so lucky. I know a few international authors who lost their multi-thousands of dollars already spent on travel arrangements. Moral of the story? Only book signings with reputable hosts and save paying for the last minute. Getting money back a year later is a hard sell!6. What will you get out of it?Obviously, we'd all like to walk away from a signing with pockets full of cash, but that isn't likely. I've never done more than barely pay my expenses and maybe earn a little something over that. Otherwise, I make connections with new and loyal readers, meet bloggers face to face that I've known online for years, take pictures and tag on social media, put my books in the hands of readers, and meet my fellow comrades in the indie author industry. I learn what readers are looking for, what sales tactics help sell my books, and how readers value the cost of books. There is more than just money to be had at signing events. 7. Can't find what you want? Host your own!If you live in a small town, have trouble getting away, or can't find any events in your genre near you, you might think you're in a pickle. But this is really a great opportunity!There's nothing to stop you from hosting your own signing event in your area. You just need a location, like a local coffee shop. I've never had a business decline a signing, because they know it means business for them as well. I get to sell books to the coffee drinkers, and the coffee shop sells drinks to my readers. It's a win-win and many small businesses are eager to participate. Just ask!You might go a step further and find other authors in your genre (or not!) who live in your area and want to be involved. You might just make a friend out of it!

Nine Promises I Make to my Readers

Every author is different. Every reader is different. Every story is different. But if we never knew what to expect, nothing great could ever happen. Only by making and keeping certain basic promises can we gain new readers and keep our regular ones. So here are nine promises I make to my readers:1. I am telling the best possible storyFor me, the story comes first. It's about creation of high-quality art. I refuse to compromise my stories or characters for market trends, judgmental readers, or fear of negative feedback. I will always keep 100% true to the story. It's the most important part of this. 2. I am working as hard as I canI may only release a book or two each year, but that doesn't mean I'm not working. That means I work during the school day, evenings when my husband works, during naptime on weekends, and any other bit of time I can get. I am pushing myself as hard as I can without breaking, and sometimes beyond (I've had both back and elbow surgery in the last year from too much writing!). My books take a long time to publish because I take great care with each and every step of the process, from writing to editing to cover art to promotions. You'll get my absolute best. 3. I will give you real people instead of cardboard charactersDuring the writing process, I never strive to create people who fill a role or have a passing interest. Each and every one of them are real people, even if they only exist on the pages of my stories. They have fears and passions and goals, and I will always work to show their real personalities in the clearest possible light. You may not like them or you may not understand them, but you'll never have to question whether or not you believe they exist. 4. I will show you amazing new worldsAs a fantasy reader and author, going to amazing new places is half the fun. Who doesn't want to go to Rivendell and Panem and Battle School? I do! And as a writer, I am totally committed to creating new and mind-blowing worlds. I want your mind's eye to explode with color and wonder and intrigue. From the Nakbe Islands to the LRF and the Alderwood, I promise to bring you to a new, amazing world. 5. I will give you magicWhile none of my characters have pulled rabbits out of hats or waved a wand, there will always be magic. Lark can read minds and Hale can turn into a bear and Talia can call lightning into her fingertips. The world is a great place, but a world with magic is always better. I promise to give you a well-structured magic system that illuminates the characters and setting. 6. I will give you real relationshipsAs a human on Earth, you know relationships are messy. Nothing is ever as easy as it is in movies, and I will never make it so. Kaide has to earn Blossom's affection, Lark and Khea work for a decade to build something eternal, Mable and Silas will create something new and different for the sake of humanity. I don't do insta-love or shallow romances or even casual friendships. My characters are real people and therefore they have real relationships, as complex and messy as they may be. 7. I will give you something darkI started writing as a distraction from cancer research. I was in a dark place, and I wanted to vent some of that negativity into my books. To this day, my stories maintain that dark edge. People will betray each other. Some of them will die. You may cry and throw your tablet and curse my name, but you'll know the story you're reading touched a deep place in your heart. There's no cupcakes and rainbows in my stories. They're all dark and gritty and real. 8. I will give you a great endingIt might not be the ending you wanted, or the ending you expected, but it will make you feel and question. You'll walk away feeling like you got something great out of my books. I will never leave you hanging on the closure you want from a story. 9. I will give you something you've never seen beforeThis is perhaps the greatest promise I make to readers. I will change you. I will tell you a story that challenges your expectations. I will show you a world that is more than you imagined. I will create characters that defy convention. I will keep pushing the boundaries, always and forever. 

Your Self-publishing Team: Who They Are and Why You Need Them

The process of writing is often a lonely, introspective one that must occur in a relative vacuum with only soft music and coffee to keep you going. But self-publishing is a team sport. Here are the members of my team, why they are important, and members I'd like to someday include:1. Alpha Readers, Beta Readers, and Critique Partners Yes, this is probably better put onto the writing side of things, but having my book go out to several pairs of competent eyes at various stages is absolutely important to the publishing side. After I get feedback from each and every one of them, incorporate their recommended changes, and polish to perfection, I know I've produced the best possible story. Then I have the confidence to move forward with the publishing process knowing I have a good product. Where to find: Sites like Scribophile are great for swapping critiques2. Content EditorEven after I get good, solid eyeballs on my work, I still want to send it out to someone who can look at the entire piece from an editing standpoint. Does the story have good pacing and flow? Are the characters multi-dimensional and interesting? Are my sentences varied in structure and word choice? I need one good clean sweep of the whole piece. This part often hurts my little author heart, but it's a necessary one. By the end, my work is so much stronger and I'm over the moon happy about how it turned out. Each and every time. Where to find: Facebook has a huge emerging community of editors looking to start their businesses and offer really reasonable rates for great work. Start here!3. ProofreaderI've used a proofreader as an editor and a separate proofreader, and both work so this one is up to you. I like the idea of having someone go through my book with their eyes only looking for commas, misspellings, and tense issues. However, it is an extra expense, so sometimes I go for doubling up just to keep my costs down. For my most recent title, I worked with Dave Hollis as both content editor and proofreader and was so impressed with the quality of his work and the lightning fast pace at which he worked. I'll definitely be asking to work with him again! 4. Cover ArtistSome people are those talented types who can do both writing and graphic design, I just don't happen to be one of them. My early cover attempts were pretty simple and not very effective at reaching my audience. Now I work with a super talented artist to create my beautiful covers. Kit Foster of Kit Foster Design is fast, communicative, and a sweetheart to boot. Having someone really kind and positive on my team is a big one for me. I can't imagine working with anyone else!Where to find: Joanna Penn has a great list of cover artists on her blog. 5. Blogging TeamAt the core of my business sits a group of amazing, dedicated bloggers. They receive my books first and leave well-written reviews on the release day. There are only a few dozen of them, but without them, I would never be able to launch my books or reach new readers. They are absolutely essential to this business. Someday, I'd like to add:1. Bookkeeper and AccountantI'm not terrible at math but I don't love it. I'd rather be writing, so while this isn't a necessity, I'd definitely like to find someone who could take over this role someday in the future. 2. Graphic artistA big part of marketing is graphics like teasers, trailers, and promotional images. While I do these all for fairly cheap on Canva, I'd love to be able to hand over the reins to someone more artistic and with a mind for marketing. 3. TranslatorSomeday, I'd like all my books to be in multiple languages, and that means translators. Sites like Babelcube offer services, but I haven't figured out exactly how I'd like this to work, so it's still in progress at the moment. Regardless of which parts of the publishing process you decide to tackle first, you need a supportive team behind you. I always choose to work with people who run small businesses (like I do), who are committed to producing a great product (like I am), and who are kind, positive influences on my work sphere (like I'd like to be). Each author will assemble the team that works for them, but it's important to remember that no one can do this job alone. Everyone needs a good team!

Hale and Gemini Release Day

It never gets old. That feeling of creating something, working and polishing and making it the absolute best it can be, and then sending it out into the world. You never know just how it will go but you send it out there all the same. Well, for me, today is that day!After eight months of work, Hale and Gemini is finally ready to meet the world! It's the third book in my most popular series: the Alder Tales. As with all books in this series, Hale and Gemini is a paranormal romance retelling of a popular fairytale, in this case, Hansel and Gretel. In the fairy tale, a brother and sister duo head into the woods leaving a trail of breadcrumbs, find a witch in a candy house and kill her when she tries to shove them in the oven. While Hale and Gemini blurs many of these details, the heart of the story is still there, with a shifter romance twist of course!Check out the official blurb:The third son of the Bear Clan, Hale thought he had his life figured out. He had a stunning bride, his iron faith in the Mother, and has spent the last five years training to be the future clan leader. But when his life comes crashing down around him, Hale knows he can’t stay home.  Leaving behind everyone he’s ever known, Hale is alone with his thoughts as he crosses the Alderwood in search of his sister. Then Gemini—the clan flirt and known gossip—follows him, demanding his protection. She’s just as determined to leave her life behind. Hale doesn’t know what made her leave her sisters or suitor, but he has no choice but to continue with a helpless girl at his side. Neither ever expected just how dangerous the Alderwood could be.  Oblivious of Hale’s departure, Parson and Raene travel to Terrana to ask political favors in exchange for their clan leader’s freedom, but lingering injuries threaten their arrival—and their lives. They’ll need the help of an unlikely ally if they hope to succeed. As with all books in this series, Hale and Gemini is a multi-POV novel with narratives by Blossom, Kaide, Raene, Parson, Hale, Gemini, and more! Each story line is woven together to create a complete picture of events while keeping readers on their toes. To catch up with the gang and find out just what happens with Hale and Gemini, get your copy here: Hale and Gemini on AmazonI'm absolutely thrilled to be sharing this next installment with you and I hope you enjoy!

June Reading Wrap Up

Thanks to my latest WIP winding down (Hale and Gemini releases in three weeks!) and the kiddos out of school, I've swapped a lot of my writing time for reading time. I can take books to the park, nature center, beach, and all the other kid-friendly places, and it's done wonders for my TBR. Check out all these books I read in the month of June!1. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman2. Ready Player One by Ernie Cline3. Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore4. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater5. The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay6. Linger by Maggie Stiefvater7. Forever by Maggie Stiefvater8. Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater9. Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab Both My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry and The Sea of Tranquility were Book Club reads, and while I liked the first, I LOVED The Sea of Tranquility. Shiver, Linger, Forever, and Sinner are the four books of the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, a Twilight-esque story focused on werewolves in Minnesota. Sam and Grace were just the cutest couple and I loved Cole's chaos added to the mix. He and Isabel were super fun!Ready Player One was an 80's-inspired video game book that was really fun and creative, and I heard they're making it into a movie! Can't wait!Reincarnation Blues was one of the ARCs I received at BookCon, and I got it signed by the author. This book still lives in the little corners of my heart. I can't even with Milo and Suzie. I'm never going to get over it. And Our Dark Duet is the sequel to This Savage Song and it's just as epic, with beautiful writing and awesome monsters, and who doesn't love August? *swoon* The ending left me crushed. CRUSHED. For July, I'm hoping to get to another ten books read off my TBR. What should I read? Here's what I've got: 

Why I Don't Accept Review Requests (Usually)

Over the past few weeks and months, I've gotten several requests to read ARCs and newly released books. I don't know what prompted the sudden uptick (I've not had a request in almost a year before that) but still that doesn't lessen the pain of having to tell an excited author that I just can't do it. So I thought I'd write out my thoughts here to better explain why I almost always deny review requests. 1. I read a lot of books. This doesn't sound like it would prevent me from reading books, but it does! I have a massive pile of 50+ books that I'm dying to get to, and I just haven't found the time yet. I read books in my genre to stay up to date on current trends. I read books by bestsellers and award winners to download good writing techniques by osmosis. I read books selected by my book club so I can go out and have some kind of a social life once a month. I read books that are total guilty pleasures simply because they sound so amazing. In the midst of all this reading, I rarely feel compelled to put down a book I'm dying to read for one I've been asked to read. 2. I read only paperbacks. This one is total personal preference, but as a writer, I spend eight hours a day, five days a week, staring at a screen and reading small words. I just don't want to do it in my free time. I want to take my book to the park and sit on a bench and watch my kids play while getting lost in an amazing new world. I haven't read an ebook in years and I don't plant to start. So receiving ebooks from requesting authors just doesn't work for me. 3. Paperbacks are expensive. Sure, they're not as much as a hardcover, but still they have printing costs and cover art costs and shipping costs, and all sorts of extra associated costs that ebooks don't necessarily have. That means that either an author is paying for a book for me to read (which feels strange) or I dip into my already tight book budget to buy a book as a favor to the author. If it's a book I genuinely want, I'll shell out the cash and beg forgiveness later. But I just can't get my mind around the idea of spending money on books I'm not dying to read. 4. Reviews are requested for a book that had poor editing or writing.It's 2017. If I want to know what's in a book, I can go to Amazon or any market and see a sample of that book. I can see if the formatting is off, if the first page is full of grammatical errors, if the tenses don't match or the point of view isn't consistent. I can see a lot in those first few pages, and sadly, I'm often not impressed. More often than not, I couldn't be paid to read it much less *pay* to read it. No way, Jose. I work hard to make my books as close to perfect as possible. I'm not going to pay for a book that's anything less than what I could do myself. 5. I'm honest. Sadly these days, a lot of authors will say they want honesty and then reject it when it smacks them in the face. They don't want to know what you thought, they want to hear you praise them. And I'm just not about that. I don't expect that of anyone reviewing my books either. If something didn't work, I'm going to identify it in my review. If something worked really well, I'm going to identify it in my review. That's it. I write reviews that are professional, courteous, and honest, and some people don't want that. They want reviews three-stars and above only. They want reviews that are so great, they can be quoted on the front cover. They want me to lie, and I won't. I'll tell the truth without a shred of consideration if the author will like it. That's part of being an author, y'all. 6. A few make it through the gauntlet. Despite all these considerations and parameters, I do still occasionally accept review requests from authors. It's not impossible, so if you're an author who'd like a review, feel free to send over a request, but keep these in mind. I'll feel much less guilty if I have to turn you down!