Wednesday, February 1, 2023

IWSG and What's Coming in February?


It's IWSG time! I'd almost forgotten about today, and it seems like only a week or so ago, it was the beginning of January. Wow, time flies by! 

Anyway, IWSG is a writers' support group, which, among many, many other things, holds a monthly blog hop every first Wednesday of the month. Which is today! Founded by the amazing Alex J. Cavanaugh, IWSG has grown and thrived. Here, writers can share their concerns, worries, thoughts, successes, secrets, or whatever else they want to share. Writing is a tough world, and we don't have to go that path alone. 

Much thanks goes to this month's co-hosts are: Jacqui Murray, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Pat Garcia, and Gwen Gardner!


I'm skipping this month's question because I'm not an indie author...at least, not yet. Who knows what the future holds, though.

As to my writing world—thanks to many days of ice and snow with over a week of school cancellations, I've been able to lean back and dive more into writing. Yay! I hit over a thousand words yesterday which is very good for this turtle writer. Yep, I'm super-duper slow because I have a nasty inner-editor, who always sees things that need to be improved right away. Just give me twenty more years, and my manuscript might be ready to hit the world (I'm joking. I hope.)

What about you? What is your writing world like, at the moment?


*****

I'm loving my colder months! While it does mean a little work, such as feeding the cows and carting around firewood (we have our stoves - 2 of them -  running 24-hours a day, this time of year), it also holds a little more peace for writing, baking, crafting, and that sort of thing. I also have a wonderful pile of reads lined up for this short month. 
After the more serious themes of last month, I'm hitting a lighter tone with more magic, dreams, mysteries, and adventure. There might be a romance or two for Valentine's Day, too. The next weeks also hold more middle grade and young adult novels compared to picture books...and those picture books I do have are quite the treat. Some even include a musical direction. Here's a quick peek at what I have planned. 


NOTHING INTERESTING EVER HAPPENS TO ETHAN FAIRMONT

I have to take a deep breath after reading the title (so long!), but it definitely grabbed my attention. Unlike the title, I'm expecting a lot to happen to Mr. Ethan Fairmont. Otherwise, it'd be a boring read. This one sounds like it could be tons of fun as Ethan is a misunderstood inventor, who runs into an alien named Cheese. We'll find out more on the 3rd.

Middle Grade Science Fiction


THE LAST LION OF KARKOV

It's been awhile since I've enjoyed a historical novel, and this one is exactly that. It centers around pair of twins, one who will be the heir to the kingdom, and their battles around intrigue, love, and war. It's been getting some nice reviews. So, I'm going to take a peek on the 6th.

Young Adult Historical Fiction



THE LAST CITY

This is the sequel to the The Last She, one of the most anticipated reads during 2021...which I did not read but will be. So, I should be up to date by the time I hit this one. It's a dystopian read about a plague, and this book is about the mythical city, which should still be disease free. I really don't know much more about it, yet, but we will on the 9th.

Young Adult Dystopian



ALICE THE CAT

I stumbled into this one and found the blurb so promising that I decided to take a peek. Mostly because of the cat. Named Alice. While the main character is the 13-year-old girl, a haunted house wants to take over her cat, and she has to get to the bottom of the problem and save it...and much more. I'm not sure what to expect, so it will be a complete surprise for me to on the 11th.

Young Adult Fantasy
WHERE DID MY TEDDY GO?

I found the little fox on the cover so adorable...and how many times do parents hear this question? Maybe, not Teddy but another beloved object? I was curious to take a peek and see where this tale leads. Find out with me on the 13th.

Picture Book

YOUR DREAM FOR ME

Guess which day this one is going to appear on here...yep, it will be Valentine's Day, the 14th! While I don't have lots of romance going on this month, there's no way I could let the holiday slip by without, at least, a short dive into the world of love. This one takes a fashion and theater twist and promises several stumbling blocks for the main characters along the way. I'm assuming it ends with lots of good feeling, but I could be wrong.

Young Adult Romance

KYAN GREEN AND THE INFINITY RACERS

This is the first book in a new series, which takes a high-speed twist into the scifi realm. I believe it is a graphic novel (haven't peeked inside just yet) and should hold tons and tons of action. Maybe even some giggles? Definitely the unexpected. I'm looking forward to diving into something simply fun, and this one looks like it might do the trick. Find out with me on the 16th.

Lower Middle Grade Science Fiction / Graphic Novel



CRIMSON TWILL: WITCH IN THE COUNTRY

This is the 2nd book in a chapter book series, the first of which I haven't read, yet...because I don't ever seem to start these out in the beginning. I do love the cover and find the witch adorable. So, I'm really looking forward to learning more about her because I'm expecting this one to be a treat. Dive into the world of magic with me on the 20th.

Chapter Book Fantasy


THE UMBRELLA HOUSE

Don't you love that cover with the colorful balloons? That's the first thing, which caught my attention. Then, the blurb won over, too. This one is about a girl with a, what sounds like, quirky bunch of neighbors in one apartment house. When this house is about to be sold to an 'evil' landlord, she needs to figure out a way to save their home. Explore with me on the 24th.

Middle Grade Contemporary


DISCONNECTED

I saw some buzz about this one on Twitter and, luckily, was able to get my hands on a DRC. I do like the cover, too. It handles robots, genetic alterations, intrigue, secrets, coding, and even some teen drama. I'm ready to shoot into the future and experience a world of high-tech and high stakes. It's scheduled to release March 10th, but we'll be glimpsing at it already on the 25th.

Young Adult Science Fiction




There are always more books to read than there is time to read them. My to-be-read pile proves this. Every month, there are several books on the side-lines, which I really, really hope to squeeze in, somehow. Most of the time, I do find a way, but I'm never sure when I'll get to them. So, I pick my very favorite and promise myself to get to it. I just don't know when.


ILLUSTIONS IN ART: FOOD

The world of art isn't exactly a topic I often visit on here. So, when I saw this picture book, I was intrigued. It doesn't really come out until October, but I'm not going to miss the chance to take a peek. It should introduce young readers to the world of optical illusions—well, slight ones, anyway. But when will I get a chance to dive in? That's the question and, maybe, an illusion itself.

4 comments:

Natalie Aguirre said...

That's great you are writing more and hit over 1,000 words yesterday. I'm a super slow writer too. I'm editing now, my favorite part of writing. It's going faster than I expected.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

A thousand words a day is good. I'm also a slow writer but not due to editing. I just write slow.

Pat Garcia said...

Hi,
Like Alex said hitting over a thousand words is good. However, I never count the words I write per day. I usually write five to six hours per day, six days a week, with a rest on the seventh day.
Wishing you all the best.
Shalom aleichem

L. Diane Wolfe said...

We used to have a wood burning stove when I was a kid. Sat right outside my bedroom door. Loved it.