finding reading time, rewrites (oh my!), and house hunting

oh hey, it’s february

January has come and gone, both faster and slower than expected because time has no meaning now. With the changing of the months (I encourage you to imagine a giant clock with guards representing each month... no I'm not exhausted while writing this...), it's time to check in again!

In This Issue

• finding reading time and a few book recs from January

• I'm rewriting my novel! (and drawing maps)

• life is hard, have some cat photos

Books

finding reading time in pandemicland

Okay, I can't completely blame COVID for being unable to find reading time but it's definitely a contributing factor. Since March 2020, I've noticed, like many, that my reading habits have changed. For me, it meant I was reading less, and when I did read, I gravitated toward guaranteed happy endings (i.e. ALL the romance).

Because of that, my SFF to-read list is completely out of control and January certainly didn't help matters. This month was a lesson in finding time to read.  Of the things I tried, here's what worked:

• setting an alarm to read for 15 minutes before bed (I use the app TickTick!)

• ignoring my TBR and letting the mood strike where it may

• audiobooks! (Libro.fm sales are the best)

It used to be that I could pick up a book and read it in a day. Anymore I have to consciously think about when I'm going to find time (or simply "schedule" it). 

Thankfully I did get a little reading in. I snuck in an audio re-read of Diana Wynne Jones' Howl's Moving Castle (which I've re-read every year since the pandemic started). As always, it's fabulous and I love Jenny Sterlin's narration.

...And the rest were romances! Shocker, I know (though I did finally start The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons and am enjoying it so far!). 

I obviously had to devour Electric Idol by Katee Robert as soon as I got my hands on a copy. It's the second of the Dark Olympus series and much like the first, it's spicy 🔥 oh my goodness. This Psyche/Eros story featuring a plus sized goddess of a heroine is definitely worth picking up. And the first book (Neon Gods) too, if you haven't.

Finally, I had to sneak in some historical romances (of course) and my favorite was definitely The Bachelor Bargain by Maddison Michaels. I loved how the badass, cane-wielding Lady Olivia (our heroine) and her friends were all about outing the trashy men of society. Even if it means going toe-to-toe with a notorious gentleman. Lots of action in this steamy historical!

I'm not setting any specific reading goals for February, just hoping to read a few more books from my TBR!

anticipated february releases

I have 29 books total I'm keeping an eye on this month but there are three in particular that I can't wait to get my hands on!

I've been waiting for A.K. Larkwood's The Thousand Eyes since I finished the first book and IT'S ALMOST HERE! The Unspoken Name was probably one of my more memorable reads of 2020. I fell in love with Larkwood's world and am ready to dive back in. If you're looking for a queer fantasy featuring an orc priestess protagonist and some old gods for good measure, definitely check out this series!

I love a good scorpion cover (and please don't ask me to think of any because that won't end well) so Scorpica by G.R. Macallister is hanging out on this list. This epic fantasy features lots of strong female characters being awesome and I am HERE for it. Also someone described it as perfect for Game of Thrones fans who hated what was done with the female characters so... redemption??

Finally, I have to include Axie Oh's The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea which sounds aMAZing. The comp to Spirited Away alone was enough for me but I'm all for anything inspired by folktale (n this case a classic Korean folktale) that includes mythical beasts and powerful gods. Can't wait to get a copy!

Want More February 2022 Releases? Click here!

Writing

currently writing…

February 1st marks the start of my attempt to write 150,000 words in two months. Why?

...Good question.

Truthfully I'm not sure how this is going to go. I'm rewriting my current project, Thistle, from scratch because the plot has changed so drastically as I've been outlining. It's a hard choice but ultimately a good one, I think. And I want this draft DONE so I'm going to attempt to fast draft the crap out of it in the next couple months. I function best with daily and weekly goals so I set up a scaled word count calendar that lets me start at writing 250 words/day and moves up to 4,500 words/day by the end of March. Looking forward to trying it out!

Right now, Thistle is definitely my main focus but I did start making some fun little maps on the side just because, and I think they're going to lead to some flash fiction and short stories down the road. Just takes 1) some beans or rice or, in my case, little stones, 2) a pencil or pen, and 3) imagination (but a name generator will do in a pinch!).

Everything Else

January was A Month let me tell you. Everything I had planned pretty much went out the window. I'm now fully in the hunt for a house, something I've been doing for months but it all seemed to come to a head this past month. Talk. About. STRESS. Between that and work, it felt like I barely had time to think.

Being creative while stressed? Doesn't work well.

But thankfully I have my boys to cheer me up when things get rough. Between cats and books, they get the job done. I know others have said this before, especially in the last couple years, but it is SO important to be kind to yourself. Life is tough enough without a global pandemic and everything it has impacted in the last couple years. Cut yourself some slack in 2022, you got this!

currently…

• reading… The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons

• listening… “Dancing on Broken Glass” by Poets of the Fall

• watching… The Gilded Age

have a fantastic february!

💜 austine