Friday, January 31, 2020

Never Have I Ever Tag

I've stolen a tag from Elizabeth, who stole it from Marie, who stole it from Nicole. XD
It looks like fun, I finally have a day off, and the miscellany posts I have in drafts require too much linking. (A rant review of a Netflix series, an update on RoS, a book review, a couple re-blogs...)
I don't have time to answer all of the questions, unfortunately; I'm going to pick and choose. All questions will be listed at the bottom, though. So. Here we go, the Never Have I Ever Tag!
Click to head to Nicole's blog!

The Rules:


  • Link and thank the blogger who tagged you. Thanks for letting me steal this, Elizabeth!
  • Include the graphic somewhere in the post (or make your own!) *points above*
  • Answer the questions truthfully and honestly. But what if I don't? You'll never know... 😆
  • Tag 3 bloggers. Hmm, I tag anyone who's done one of three things in the last 24 hours: read a book in one day/sitting, practiced a skill they've been wanting to learn for years, or been kind to a retail worker.

Never Have I Ever...

...changed my protagonist's names halfway through a draft.

I don't think that's happened with a protagonist yet, but I discovered that the main antagonist in RoS, Aranka, had a name change. It used to be Aleka, a diminutive of Alexandra, Greek in origin (because Greek was one of the cultures that's part of the Miltiades, plus she's an important figure, just like Alexandra was). Somewhere along the way her name became Aranka, which means "gold", and is Hungarian in origin. No one will notice, right? 
I'm not entirely sure when or why it changed. The name just sounded more...witch-y, I guess.

...yelled in all caps at myself in the middle of my novel.

In rough drafts, yes, most definitely. I started using both Fighter's Block and 4 the Words. Each of these has a time limit or challenge, and I would sometimes start typing things like this so I wouldn't fall behind:
[CRUUUUD I FORGOT WHERE I WAS GOING WITH THIS BUT IT WAS COOL.]
[GAH YOU'RE ANNOYING ME SO MUCH RIGHT NOW, MC]
[DOUBLE CHECK NOTES CUZ I'M PRETTY SURE I GOOFED HERE]

...killed a character that was based on someone I know in real life.

Not yet. But I have been tempted. XD
If I did, though, the character wouldn't be a tried and true copy; it would be a character, who makes their own stupid decisions (which may or may not mirror those of IRL person), and ends up sleeping in their own ruddy mess (also may or may  not mirror those of IRL person). 😇

...created maps of my fictional worlds.

YES. I have one for Jarnis, the main continent of Bookland. The shape of the continent is based off the silhouette of a lavender/mint bush growing on the side of our house. I didn't include it in Trouble in Bookland, because it's super rough, not to scale at all, and generally unfit for publication.
Fun fact: all of the continents of Bookland are named after important figures in their history, and based off of silhouettes of random things around my house.
I have a map for RoS, which is developed enough I want to include it in publication. It's going to be epic, and showcase some nitty-gritty worldbuilding that I've had trouble explaining in-story.

...drank an entire pot of coffee while writing.

Not yet, no. I have downed a couple Boba Fett mugs' worth, though (the thing is huge, pretty sure it's the equivalent of two cups). Decaf, all the way; caffeine gives me the jitters.
I've gotten into the habit of mixing hot chocolate with it.

...written down dreams to use in potential novels.

Absolutely. I have several notebooks. It's pretty cool to see how my dreams have changed over the years, and how much more detail--like clothing, plot, or magic systems--is retained after doing it for awhile.
One dream I've been sitting on for years involves an apocalyptic-esque world with satyrs, humans, mermaids, sentient robots, dwarfs, and a huge event where everyone competes to become their nation's representative. The games are camp-like events; swimming competitions, races, etc. And the few hunting games they have involve hunting the Dark Isle's myriad twisted lifeforms, not each other.
I have two of the cultures almost fully fleshed out (satyrs and dwarfs), various character relationships drawn up, and loosely developed main side characters. And a Pinterest board.

...published an unedited story on the internet/blog/Wattpad.

Nein! Nyet! NEVER. Never will I ever publish an unedited anything. Unless it's some sort of bonus, like sharing deleted/partially edited scenes in a newsletter or at the end of the book or something...

...forgotten to save my work/draft.

I have Scrivener, which saves after every two seconds of inactivity. So nope! I don't think I've ever forgotten to save when I used Word, either...
A few scares have happened in regards to backing up my drafts, because the computer I love to edit on has a horrid mouse and likes to drag-and-drop things in the wrong places. 😭

...finished a novel.

Yes! Trouble in Bookland, which you can check out on the "Published" page. The original plan had been to publish three parts (cuz trilogies are a staple of Fantasy), then combine and streamline them into one book. What ended up happening was I published two parts, nixed the third partway through due to worldbuilding issues, then combined and expanded parts 1 and 2.

...researched something shady for a novel.

I have, I have. For whatever reason, I have yet to utilize my numerous pins and research on poisons, wounds, weapons, diseases, psychological disorders, hiding bodies, and random things about gangs of the past and the history of murder.
Okay, that's a lie. I use them.
I use them in stories I haven't published. 😝
All of those half-or-quarter-finished drafts that repose in my notebooks, my computer, that may never see the light of day because I'm trying to keep my writing under this pen-name PG-13. 
I do have stories in the works that will better utilize these things: Reality of Devotion (this story includes the most developed cultures I have written to date), that camp story I mentioned above (it has yet to be named), and a story currently titled Calling (it's going to be great and deal semi-allegorically with spiritual development in the Christian life, grief, joy, pestilence, demons, and other fun things).

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Here are all the questions in a list format to anyone who wants to copy/paste!

...started a novel that I didn't finish.
...written a story completely by hand.
...changed tenses midway through a story.
...not researched anything before starting a story. 
...changed my protagonist's names halfway through a draft.
...written a story in a month or less.
...fallen asleep while writing.
...corrected someone's grammar IRL/online.
...yelled in all caps at myself in the middle of my novel.
...used "I'm writing" as an excuse. 
...killed a character that was based on someone I know in real life.
...used pop culture references in a story.
...written between the hours of 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.
...drank an entire pot of coffee while writing.
...written down dreams to use in potential novels.
...published an unedited story on the internet/blog/Wattpad.
...procrastinated homework because I wanted to write.
...typed so long that my wrists hurt.
...spilled a drink on my laptop while writing.
...forgotten to save my work/draft.
...finished a novel.
...laughed like an evil villain while writing a scene.
...cried while writing a scene.
...created maps of my fictional worlds.
...researched something shady for a novel.



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What's the weirdest thing you've researched for a story? The funniest thing you've written that no one else seemed to get? Let me know below!

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Reblog- Moonscript!

Moonscript Cover Reveal- I’m thrilled to be part of the cover reveal for Moonscript by H. S. J. Williams! I’ve been hearing about this book for years so I’m super excited that it’s releasing soon — in May! :O

It's Live!! Cover Reveal, Plus Giveaway!- Hi, YABCers! Today we're excited to celebrate the cover reveal for Moonscript by H.S.J. Williams, releasing May 7th, 2020 from Trilliam Press!

Books, HSJ Williams- Book 1 of the Kings of Aselvia series
"It is said that Darkness is empty and whatever vanishes into its depths is lost forever. I know this better than anyone. For I have suffered here in the shadows, and there are none who might find me.”

Moonscript finally has a cover! And a release date! And is available for pre-order!

Image result for Hobbits celebrating iand dancing

Though this admission makes my inner bookwyrm shrivel in shame, I've never pre-ordered a book before. I've always waited until the day of release, or even a few weeks after the release date (sometimes years, depending on the series) before I buy a book.
This book is officially my first pre-order. I think waiting--five years? Whoa, no, it's been seven--is long enough.

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Review: Circus Phantasm

Not a pro photo by any means, but I want to start showcasing my lovelies.

SPOILERS AHEAD!


Not too much plot-wise, but a few cautions about violence and whatnot that edge this book over the thin defining line between adult and young adult fiction.


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4.5 stars, rounded up to 5

Confession: I didn't think I would enjoy this very much. Not after the first couple of pages (the things that put on edge are listed in the cautions below.) I expected to be confronted with love hexagons, standard superhero scuffles where half the city is crushed beneath their powers, and flashy shows of magic.
What did I get? Most definitely not what I expected.

All the Things I Loved

-There were quite a few ships in the habor, but they weren't overly complicated ones. A couple were well-established, others were developing, and the rest were "this is going to happen eventually."
WITH NO LOVE TRIANGLES IN SIGHT.

-Loyalty and friendship were also key motivators in action and relationship alike. I'm sorry I can't go into more detail, but if I do, I'm going to end up spoiling the whole book. Suffice it to say that my favorite BROTPs are Tristan and Celeste, and Timaus and Lucien.

-The fighting wasn't as...hmm, epic as I thought it would be? No, that makes it sound bland. The build-up, tension and everything were wonderful, had me turning pages as quickly as I could. The fights, however, didn't wipe out whole city blocks. They revealed skeletons in the closet, and occasionally put them to rest. That being said, I would love it if future stories showcased a prolonged battle between two Keepers.

-The magic, which in this world is called the Blessing. The origin of Blessings is something I haven't come across before, not quite in this way. I would love to recap in detail, but part of the fun of this was figuring it out along with the MCs. Here's an overview: The Blessings are kind of like superpowers, in that they grant things like pyrokinesis, super strength, phasing, etc. They were originally a gift bestowed upon humanity by the elves, who wanted to help pull humanity out of some of their troubles. So far as I recall, the source of magic for the elves is never specified.
A few spells are cast in the story, but it's never detailed: "whispered a spell" is the most common descriptor. The effects are described, and when it does something against a person's will, it's never painted as "the end justifies the means". Characters get upset, they argue, they fight back, and the occasional apology is issued.

-DRAGONS. As the blurb mentioned nothing about dragons, I hadn't been expecting them. Though I began to suspect not far into the book, I was still pleasantly surprised when the resident dragon showed up. Oh, and griffins. Well, one griffin. One very imperious griffin. T'was very interesting to see these two strong-willed magical creatures together.


Light caution
-Some cursing in the beginning (it's quickly put to a stop, as Emma hates hearing curses in thoughts, and doesn't want to hear it come out of her brother's mouth)

-High drama (things like torture are hinted at; 
a character is nearly drowned in an attempt to get her past a block in using her abilities )

-A bit of innuendo/implications/romance (things like "turning red at the implication" are mentioned; a female is found sleeping in a male character's room and while nothing happened, no one believes it/says they disapprove; light kisses and things like back rubs)

-A character purposely dresses as if he's gay so that he can annoy his dad (this is in the beginning, but it's never mentioned/done again)

Why take off a half star? 

There were enough small errors in the kindle version (missing paragraph indents for different speakers, a repeated sentence or two, etc.) that they pulled me out of the story a bit. Some of the description was odd as well. The two main things that come to mind are:

a) a mermaid character's clothing is only ever described in one or two of her appearances, leading me to believe that she's not dressed half the time (especially since this character loves designing clothes), 

b) Emma's complexion/hair color aren't mentioned until the very end (if they were mentioned before, then I must've missed it). It just kind of annoys me a bit when you imagine a character one way, then come across a line of description later on that contradicts that.

However, the circus acts, the magic, the hints at relationships and past wrongs...all beautifully done. Though it was somewhat frustrating at times, in the way that only deep, anticipated backstory can be. 

I feel the need to mention that my enjoyment of the book increased tenfold once I finished. Because, from all appearances, this is a standalone fantasy book. When was the last time a standalone fantasy book came out? I can't remember the last time I read one of those!

Definitely check this book out if you love circuses, engaging characters, dragons, and don't want to be overwhelmed by the number of books in a series. 
I've read this twice and I'm still pleased beyond belief that this is a standalone.

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Seriously, can you recall any? Standalone fantasy books, that is. They don't have to be recent.
Comment below with recommendations!

I had some fanart commissioned for this story! Check them out in the Gallery.