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- leaving the august slump for the september wallet breakers
leaving the august slump for the september wallet breakers
II. accepting writing woes and a new member of the fur family
greetings from the rim of a coffee mug
Hello and welcome to another round of books, writing, and animals, in which I attempt to find my way through the forest of creativity and do something with my love of books. I'm coming to you in the late hours of the day because what is time or personal deadlines?
Last newsletter I gave you the rundown of everything you can expect from this space so if you want to read through that again, just click here. For those returning, welcome back, and happy reading!
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In This Issue
A few book recommendations to take you into Fall
Enough upcoming releases to make your wallet cry
An acceptance of the ups and downs of writing
And the newest addition to my fur family!
BOOKS
recommendations
All book covers are linked to the book's listing on Bookshop.org. These are affiliate links and I do make a small commission off any purchases that go toward maintaining this newsletter!
high fantasy
Despite struggling through the first quarter of this one, I ended up loving the book. For starters, we have an orc priestess as a protagonist, the story is beautifully queer, and if you're a worldbuilding fanatic you'll be living for this book. There's a little portal magic, ancient gods, and worldbuilding that runs the gambit of fantasy. I was enthralled after I got through that first bit and couldn't put it down! Definitely worth checking out (and the sequel is coming next year!).
sci-fi/dystopian fantasy
Specifically, I want to recommend the audiobook of The Fifth Season. This book blew my mind. The worldbuilding is vast but beautifully specific in a way that makes it easy to get lost within while also not being overwhelmed. The characters are intricate and intriguing, exceedingly human without falling into the realm of too good or too evil. And if the story wasn't enough, the narration is perfect. Easily one of the best audiobooks I've listened to. Period.
contemporary mystery
With a sequel out this month, I had to include this one on my list. Though I generally don't read outside the speculative or adult romance genres, I LOVED this book. It was so much fun between the clues and the characters. The pacing kept me turning pages without wanting to ever put it down. And if you loved Knives Out, you're going to want to grab this one. The sequel is definitely high on my list!
historical romance/fantasy
A historical romance with flying houses? This book is the perfect blend of romance tropes with fantastical whimsy. From a society for lady scoundrels to pirates and houses that have more firepower than a battleship. Highly entertaining and exactly the sort of book I'd recommend to fantasy readers who love romance and historical romance lovers who enjoy fantasy.
anticipated book releases
The Bones of Ruin by Sarah Raughly (September 7, 2021) hooked me from the title alone. Add the comparison to The Last Magician, the setting (late 1880s London), and an African tightrope walker as a protagonist and I'm sold! Did I mention there's also a secret society??
Sequel to The Inheritance Games, The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (September 7, 2021) had to be on my list. I adored the first book and am so excited to see it get a sequel. More mystery, more of the Hawthorne grandsons, and more intrigue than I know what to do with. Can't wait!
I loved the Cursebreakers series and knew I definitely needed Brigid Kemmerer's Defy the Night (September 14, 2021). Though not the same series, it promises a corrupt kingdom, a brutal sickness, and a cast of characters working to do the best they can in a bad situation. I have no doubts it's going to be good!
Gutter Mage by J.S. Kelley (September 21, 2021) hooked me from the synopsis. You have a character known as the Gutter Mage (hook #1), a kingdom with horseless carriages (hook #2, I love fun settings), and hints at a mystery running deep enough to upset a kingdom. If you weren't interested before I hope you're at least thinking about this one for your TBR now!
The last of the Age of Darkness series, Into the Dying Light by Katy Rose Pool (September 21, 2021) was a must-have for this year. It's a fantastic series filled with a dynamic cast of characters and plenty of action to keep you on the edge of your seat. Definitely recommend checking out the first two books before this one hits shelves.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't add Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (September 21, 2021) to my TBR based on the cover alone, but the premise also caught my attention. Giant robots, mecha aliens, and giving all those Pacific Rim meets Handmaid's Tale vibes? I can't get my hands on this one fast enough!
I didn't really know what to make of Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki (September 28, 2021) but the more I read the synopsis, the more I found myself craving this book to the point that it made it on the list! A deal with a devil, "queer alien courtship over fresh-made donuts," and hints of a found family, I can say with absolute certainty that this one is high on my list.
If you've followed me on social media for a while, you may know that I have a slight obsession with this particular author's books, so no surprise to see Stephanie Garber's Once Upon a Broken Heart (September 28, 2021) on this list. Give me ALL the curses and happily ever afters and achingly good fantasy romances. I'm ready to devour this book 😍
And last but not least, I'm excited to be able to bump The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling (September 28, 2021) up to the September release list! It's giving me Bewitched feels and I love the mix of paranormal with romance and what I'm guessing will be plenty of humor too. The perfect read for the upcoming spooky season!
WRITING
currently writing...
August was a complete bust. Well, I shouldn't say that. Some words were written but oh my goodness did I feel like I hit burnout levels every other day. I barely read, barely wrote, it was just a giant 31-day slump.
Which is okay. I'm learning through the process of this draft what works for me and where I need to draw the line and step back. It's easy to look at the overall project and get overwhelmed when all I need to do is focus on hitting the next small step, whether that's a word count or finishing a scene, etc. So new deadline and hopefully a little less pressure on myself, and more focus on just letting the creative juices flow.
All that said... we ran a book pitch critique event in my writing group and the feedback I got was SUPER helpful. I knew the beginning of my story would need work, and I hadn't read any of it since I drafted it, but it was clear from the pitch alone that my protagonist really lacked agency. It's given me that mental boost to revisit my outline and see what I can adjust so I can keep writing but with the changes in mind (and fix anything before all this later).
Join the Goblin City Writers Group!
In December 2020 I created a Discord server for writers and we're going strong! Our group is primarily focused on speculative fiction (fantasy, sci-fi, and horror) but all genres are welcome as well as all levels of writing experience. We host regular events throughout the year and offer a variety of ways to interact from our channels covering every topic you can think of to weekly write-ins and more! If you're interested, click the button below!
future projects
Currently, my focus is finishing my draft of Project Thistle. But NaNoWriMo is only a couple months away and I have two projects I'm considering writing in November: 1) a historical romance with magic, or 2) a second world dark academia fantasy.
All depends on which one I can get ready first! And knowing my track record with NaNo, I'll probably pick one and end up starting the other come November 1st...
EVERYTHING ELSE!
I honestly don't know where August went. This past month felt like the longest so far and yet here we are in September already. And for the most part, it's been pretty uneventful here. With the exception of last weekend when we added a new member to the fur family.
Everyone... meet Simon!
We visited the local shelter in the hopes of finding a playmate for one of our cats. Simon was not the cat we initially went to see but we just fell in love with him. He is the absolute sweetest and chill cat I think I've ever met. It's only been a few days but he's adjusting wonderfully in the house (especially considering we have 4 other cats and 2 dogs). I think he's going to be a great addition.
Unfortunately two of our cats don't agree, but the other two are handling it well. Marlowe (on the left) was more interested in his new cat bed that's shaped like a basket (he loves sleeping in our mail basket). And Beelzebub (right)... well that red bed was supposed to be for Simon but Simon showed no interest and Beelze claimed it as his own. And now refuses to leave. Cats.
currently…
reading… Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
listening… “Stayin’ Alive” (cover) by Say Lou Lou
watching… MasterChef Legends
enjoy your pumpkin spice september!
💜 austine
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