Reading and Writing Resolutions ��������

���For last year���s words belong to last year���s language

And next year���s words awaitanother voice.

And to make an end is to make abeginning.���

��� T.S. Eliot

 

The start of a new calendaryear can be a bit of a strange time. For better or worse, the previous twelve monthsare over, and it doesn���t matter how you feel���good or bad, nostalgic or relieved���youcan���t go back. But there is so much potential too. The future never seems more accessiblethan in the New Year. It���s right there at your fingertips, a bit like turningthe page to read the second book in a series. Maybe you have some expectationsbased on what came before, and maybe there are a few things that you wish wouldgo a certain way, but really, anything could happen.

 

Of course, real life is alittle different because the year ahead hasn���t been written yet. We can choose.And to that end, today���s blog post contains my three reading and writingresolutions for 2023.

 

I have to admit, I didn���t makeany resolutions for 2022 because I knew that real life was probably going to getin the way (and it did). I���m sure 2023 will bring its own surprises, but hopefullyI���ll still have time to discover some new stories ���.

 

1������ Finish writing the fourth bookto complete the Beyond Androva series

 

I can finally stop calling Averine���sstory ���the fourth book��� because it has a title and a tagline! The title is Boundin Magic, and the tagline is below.

 

Divided loyalties. Stolenmagic.

Some bonds are made to be broken.

 

Here���s a short extract:

 

I stared back at him, my throatso tight and dry that I couldn���t have said anything even if I���d wanted to. Ifelt about two inches tall. All day I���d been bracing myself for him to be angryabout the bond, and I���d missed the point entirely.

 

2������ Read a complete YA fantasyseries from my TBR list

 

I haven���t finally decided yet,but I���m leaning toward choosing The Folk of the Air, by Holly Black. Everyone tells me that Jude and Cardan have the ultimate enemiesto lovers arc, and I���ve seen some amazing quotes from the books that reallymake me want to understand the context.

 

���Cardan���s gaze catches mine,and I can���t help the evil smile that pulls up the corners of my mouth. His eyesare bright as coals, his hatred a living thing, shimmering in the air betweenus like the air above black rocks on a blazing summer day.���

 

���Have I told you how hideousyou look tonight?��� Cardan asks, leaning back in the elaborately carved chair,the warmth of his words turning the question into something like a compliment.

���No��� I say, glad to be annoyedback into the present. ���Tell me.���

"I can't.���

 

���For a moment, Cardan juststares at me with stupid, crow-black eyes. Then one corner of his mouth curls.���Oh,��� he says. ���You���re going to regret doing that.���

 

3������ Start writing something new

 

I���m going to explore one of theother worlds discovered by Androva before the treaty. I like the idea ofkeeping a link to the original series, although it won���t be a spin-off in theway that Beyond Androva was. Depending on how Bound in Magic ends, I thinkGalen and the others deserve a little peace and quiet!

 

Androva opened portals to sevennew worlds including ours. So far, I���ve written about Imbera (ControllingMagic and Breaking Magic) and Xytovia (Beyond Androvaseries). That leaves Lignora, Hiberna, Trowen, and Distorra to choose from.Maybe Terra will figure again too���it depends how the world-building goes andwhether it makes sense to include a Terran character. I can���t wait to find out.

 

Have you made any book-relatedNew Year���s resolutions? And if you���ve read The Folk of the Air, would yourecommend it? Thank you very much for visiting my blog today, and I hope you havea brilliant 2023 ����.