My Shelf-ish Week

 What I've Been Writing:

I'm ashamed to report that I'm not meeting my goal. I only got about 2,000 words written this week. I was hoping to crank out 2k a day. But real life, man... It's been dragging me down like crazy. It was the first full week of school for the kiddos, but actually, that went pretty smoothly. I'm gonna blame the day job for all my stress. There have been so many changes and extra work recently, and it's taken up so much mental space that I feel too brain dead for a creative writing flow afterward. And writing is my happy place. So I'm just feeling worse and worse. It's all made me realize what an amazing and supportive husband I have, though. At least he (aka: my other happy place) is keeping me somewhat together. Needless to say, this week was a low week. I'm getting tired of low weeks. Really ready for things to start looking up again. And oh yes, sorry. I'm supposed to be talking about my story. It's at 129,000 words right now. Sadly, it still feels like there's a lot left to tell. My ideas to tie it up keep morphing and changing and growing longer. So...yeah. There's that too. Here's hoping next week is better.

What I've Been Reading:

I'm working my way through a book that I might not finish reading. I probably should, though. I bet I'm just struggling because other stuff is making me feel cruddy. That's not the poor book's fault.

What I've Been Stacking on my Shelves:

I've made a plan to buy fewer books...and then I bought three more books to console myself over that decision. But at least these were super cheap--three brand new paperbacks for less than $8 altogether, y'all. Who could say no to that? Anyway, I might not be getting as many new books in the future... starting in 2027.  Some cool shit still showed up in my mailbox this week, though! This is what I received:

• Strawberry Patch Pancake House (from TikTok)
• Lights Out (FairyLoot)
• Caught Up (FairyLoot)
• Game on (FairyLoot)
• Immortal Rose (Amazon)
• The Poison Daughter (Amazon - Most excited to read!)

And that's been my week. Sorry for all the personal TMI. I just needed to unload some of the ugh from my head.

My Shelf-ish Week #64

 What I've Been Writing:

Still working on Book 2 of the True Heir Duology: Night Giver. My goal to finish it by the end of August is...not going as well as I'd hoped it would. But I'm getting a little writing in. It's at 127,000 words written.

What I've Been Reading:

I've gotten two books read in the past two weeks. My favorite of the two is Daggermouth by H.M. Wolfe. And when she says it's an enemy-to-lovers dystopian romance, it is definitely an enemy-to-lovers dystopian romance.  I was hooked all the way to the end.  And then I finished Verity Guild as well. Both ended on cliffhangers, leaving me needing to know what happens next.

What I've Been Stacking on my Shelves: 

I've gotten all kinds of goodies since we last talked. I started out the month with 

• One Shattered Crown, 
• Daggermouth, and 
• Adversary to the Villain. 

Then, a few days later, my Allurial Book Box came in, containing:  

• The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy,
• The Night Prince,
• A Dance with Death,
• A Bargain So Bloody,
• The Dark in Her Veins, and
• Steelborn.

I tried out the AcryliPics 3D Subscription and ended up with

• These Immortal Truths.

And then my shipment from Fairyloot came in with some Boys of Tommen:

• Binding 13,
• Keeping 13,
• Saving 6, and
• Redeeming 6.

And that's what's been up with me these past few weeks in the bookish world.

My Shelf-ish Week #63

 What I've Been Writing:

Literally nothing. I haven't written anything. Not in two full weeks. I think I'm broken. But I've given myself a deadline. The rough draft for Night Giver must be finished by the end of August.  We'll see if I can actually pull that off. (Wish me luck.)

What I've Been Reading:

At least I can still read books! I really enjoyed The Games Gods Play and The Things Gods Break. OMG, Book 2 is so crazy and twisty. Then I read Beach Read...wait for it...on THE BEACH!! Eeek. For our first time visiting a beach on the ocean, my family went to Florida last week, and my hubs is now officially a beach boy. He wants to go back every year (as if we could afford that). When we returned, I read the new YA Thriller by Elle Kennedy's pseudonym: Thornbird.

What I've Been Buying:

I received my July Fairyloot subscription book, which was called The Lure of Wolves and Whispers. It's got some pretty green colors going on.  Then my autographed edition of Prince of Swords came in from Books-A-Million. And I purchased Ruinous Ends.

That's it. That's what's been up with me. This next week, I'm really going to concentrate on WRITING. I swear.