June 2024 Roundup

Welcome to the June 2024 roundup!

And now we’re officially into the last half of the year with June over. Can you believe it? I can’t. I swear we were just celebrating New Year’s last month. The first 6 months of 2024 may have rushed by with little writing to show for it (in my case), but I’m determined to spend the next 6 months hitting as many writing goals as I can.

As for what else I got up to in June, please read on…

What I’ve Been…Writing

The Checklist Project. I spent most of this month working through draft 2 of my checklist writing book. As I mentioned in last month’s roundup, it was way too big, so when I caught up with my writing friend, Belinda, I showed her what I had, told her what my plans for the book were, and asked her what she wanted as a writer when using such a book. Her advice helped me focus the content on writing and editing, and I think I’ve struck a good balance with enough other content to offer a bonus ebook at some point. So now, the plan is to continue shaping the writing and editing checklists until I have a draft to show to my betas.

Watching

Dead Boy Detectives

Run by teen ghosts, Charles and Edwin, both of whom avoided moving on after their own deaths, Dead Boys Detective Agency helps other ghosts solve problems before going into the afterlife. This entangles them with Crystal, a live human psychic once possessed by a demon who can see ghosts. Niko, a Japanese exchange student who is so infectious and pixie-like that she’s a great contrast to Jenny, an emo who runs a butcher shop they all end up living above. There are mysterious cases, witches, a cat king who tries to run the town, and lots of supernatural fun and scares as we learn more about the characters, how Charles and Edwin died, and what they’ll all do for each other when death catches up with them.

Under The Bridge

When writer Rebecca Godfrey goes home with hopes it’ll inspire a story about where she grew up, she doesn’t expect to get caught up in the case of a missing teen girl. After spreading rumors about a former friend, Reena Virk is set upon by a group at a party and chased under the bridge. The group swears they left her alive, but when Reena’s body shows up washed downriver, the group turns on each other. What follows is a heartbreaking true story of family, fitting in, lies, racism, white privilege, and how the legal system treats young offenders of different circumstances. With stunning performances from all of the cast, it’s worth a watch if you’re a fan of gritty true crime.

Sweet Tooth (Final Season)

The third season of Sweet Tooth dropped this month and wrapped up the story of hybrids and the last of the humans. Gus finally sets off to find his mother, who is in Alaska trying to find the cave where the sick (the disease that’s wiping out humanity) originated. Also on the hunt for the location is Mrs. Zhang. Her second daughter is pregnant and she wants a cure to ensure a human child is born. Convinced the cave holds this secret too, it’s a race for everyone to get there first. Building upon the lore established since season 1 and the character relationships, this final season brings everything together beautifully, and I highly recommend it for fans of dystopian fantasy.

Hacks (Season 3)

Hacks continues its run as one of the best shows out there for season 3. After hitting it big with her truthful comedy special, Deborah is a huge celebrity again and wants to go after the one job that has always alluded her— being the first female host of a late-night TV show. She of course brings Ava along for the ride, and that’s where this comedy shines. It perfectly portrays the ups and downs of Deborah and Ava’s friendship and the way they teach each other about the needs and expectations of each other’s generation. Jimmy and Kayla also get a bigger look-in this season, taking their new-found status as a talent agency that serves the older generation and upscaling it in the most bumbling of ways.

Reading

Vanishing Act by M.L. Davis

A solid debut from a gifted writer who knows how to create intrigue and tension. As each chapter swaps back and forth between the two main characters, it also switches between the past and the present day. In the present day, Austin’s life has been turned upside down when an abandoned child watching his street performance disappears just as Austin is trying to get him help.

Labeled as a murderer, Austin loses his relationship and the confidence to perform his magic act. Then, just as he’s trying to let go of the mistakes he made, the boy’s mother, Amber, reappears, roping Austin in to help find her missing son. What follows is a story of secrets, gaslighting, lies, and an explosive finale that turns everything you thought you knew on its head. Recommended for fans of page-turning mysteries where you’re never sure who to trust.

Open Evening by Lee Hall

This was a quick read, with an entertaining enough premise where teens at an open evening for their school are suddenly overrun by creatures intent on killing everything in their path. There’s a great use of a creepy catchphrase, and it has the right settings and characters for a creature apocalypse, however nothing that was developed enough for my tastes. It may suit a young teen just delving into supernatural stories who is trying to decide if they like the genre.

The Shadow Sister by Lily Meade

When Casey’s sister Sutton returns after mysteriously disappearing, Casey is the only person she recognizes and seems to like. Trouble is, Casey and Sutton despise each other. Convinced it’s an act she must get to the bottom of, Casey discovers things about her sister she didn’t know. The duel POV is entertaining, and the hints of the hoodoo slave magic spirituality practices of Sutton and Casey’s family, along with other missing girls, a corner-cutting cheer coach, and a weird Pastor, filled out the storyline, but it just failed to come together enough for me.

The majority of the book is focused on Casey’s complaints about her sister, some of which are redeemed by Sutton’s flashbacks. The real mystery of who took Sutton (and a very intriguing supernatural twist) only happens in the very last chapters, making the pace slow, and the resolution too quick. Still, the book did hold my attention, and I wanted to keep reading to see where it went. If you’re a fan of Black history and the healing of family and intergenerational trauma, The Shadow Sister has this in spades. I just wish it was as heavy on the mysterious supernatural element the book blurb promised.

Christopher Pike Books

Inspired by the Netflix series, The Midnight Club, I’m re-reading the books of my favorite author, Christopher Pike, and enjoying the nostalgia and reading for fun and not to review.

For my fourth book this month, I finished my re-read of Christopher Pike’s novels. It took me 18 months to read his 60 books—finishing this month with his 2007 Adult Novel, Falling.

If you’ve got any good book recommendations, let me know in the comments, or be my friend on Goodreads and share your books/recommendations! You can also find and follow my reviews and book recommendations on Amazon and BookBub.

If you’d like to add the Blackbirch books to your Goodreads “Want to Read” shelf and/or check out the reviews, click the following links:

Blackbirch: The BeginningBlackbirch: The Dark HalfBlackbirch: The RitualBlackbirch: The Collector Taking Photos Of

Cafe Writing and Winter Mornings. This month, I had a writer catchup with Belinda Grant where we did some cafe writing and devoured a delicious brunch. As we’re in winter here in Australia, my morning walks and photos have taken on a very frosty aesthetic.

Blackbirch Teaser Of The Month

This month’s teaser is from the final Blackbirch book, The Collector. It’s a moment when Josh Taylor realizes something bad is about to happen. What will that be? You’ll have to get the book to find out.

On The Blog

In case you missed any of my posts, or want to re-read them, here are the latest blogs.

May 2024 RoundupHow To Elevate The Descriptions In Your BookCharacter Flaws: Types And Guidelines

Other Features…

A big thank you to talented writer Pauline Yates for interviewing me as part of her Author Spotlight Series. You can read the fun interview at the link below (and see cute pictures of my cats!).

Also below is a YouTube link to the latest episode of The Australian Book Lovers Podcast where the awesome Veronica Strachan included her 5-star review of Blackbirch: The Collector. Thank you, V. It was a lovely surprise to hear when listening.

Author Spotlight: K.M. AllanAustralian Book Lovers Podcast Episode 11

And that’s it for this month. I hope you’ve enjoyed my June Roundup. Let me know what you got up to in the comments!

— K.M. Allan

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