I have said in my blog and to writer friends that critiquing helps me improve *my own* writing, as well as contributes feedback to the other person for their own writing. Yes, it takes away from my available time to write, but in the end, it is worth it for both people involved. (And for…
By V.E. Schwab © 2020, Tor Books 978-0765387561 Hardcover; 448 pages Adeline LaRue’s biggest fear is living a life of drudgery, like her mother’s and every other person in the tiny French village where she has grown up. On the night of her wedding in 1714, before they can compel her to make her vows,…
(or How I Did It, a “.doc”-umentary) Part 11/11 Latest update: I’ve always heard from experienced authors that the best way to stop obsessing over a single work is to move on to the next project. So I’ve been learning to juggle. Again. Projects, that is. As an indie author, I’d focused solely on Entheóphage…
By Barbara Kingsolver © 2009, HarperCollins ASIN: B000QTE9WU Kindle Edition; File size 2370 KB When Orleanna’s fiery Baptist husband, Nathan Price, takes her and their four daughters to the Belgian Congo on a mission trip in 1959, none of them can foresee the tragic consequences of his ill-fated decision. The nation is already poised on…
(or How I Did It, a “.doc”-umentary) Part 10/? Latest update: Think back. Remember how I spent months in early- and mid-2019 researching this book which focuses on a peculiar new virus that affects only children, and the odd things that come of it? How I wrote the whole first draft during NaNoWriMo of 2019,…
By Carmen Baca ASIN: B0BM3PFKRJ Paperback, 233 pages, © 2022 Fourteen-year-old Bella is bored. A visit to her grandmother’s ranch in New Mexico leaves her with nothing to do in the evenings, so she climbs into the abandoned attic in search of a book. Instead, she falls into a photograph in an old album. She’s…
By Adrian Tchaikovsky © 2019, Ebook format ASIN: B07DPRW17S File size 1865 KB It’s easy to see why this book was shortlisted for the 2020 Arthur C. Clarke Award. This is an intricate story, part fictional memoir, part dark dystopian ecofiction with touches of horror. There were elements of the tale that read like a…
(or How I Did It, a “.doc”-umentary) Part 9/? Latest update: This might be the longest post in this series yet but as you’ll see, it’s been a very busy month. Since early September, I’ve: • Succeeded in getting Phagey added to the Goodreads library. • Claimed the book as my own and updated my…
By Julee Balko GenZ Publishing ISBN: 978-1952919459 Paperback, 276 pages. © July 20, 2021 Serena’s mother is dead. Her husband, dad, sister, aunt, everyone expects her to react in a certain way to this transition, but her difficult relationship with her mother complicates Serena’s grief, making it difficult to express or share with her loved…
(or How I Did It, a “.doc”-umentary) Part 8/? Latest update: It’s been a very busy month, but the biggest thing I’ve learned is that I still have a lot to learn. I’ve not had time to take another class, but I’ve done many other things with my time. Since early August, I’ve: • Completed…