Review: Prompossible Plans by Laura Pauling

Title: Prompossible Plans

Author: Laura Pauling

Series: Prom Impossible #1.5

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Genres: YA, Contemporary

Publication: August 2014 by Redpoint Press

Format Read: eARC provided by the Author

Goodreads

Description from Goodreads

Prompossible Plans: the guys have their say.

Follow Cassidy’s senior year from the perspective of Zeke, Jasper, and Michael as they fight their own battles, make mistakes, and fall in love with the same girl. 

Look for Covert Kissing in the fall of 2014!

My Thoughts

After reading Prom Impossible (read my review here) I wanted to know more about the three guys who got involved with the cute, rambling and delusional Cassidy. And when the author asked me to review Prompossible Plans, a companion novella told from the guys' perspective, I was more than happy to read it!

Zeke, Jasper and Michael have their say in this novella; it was nice to learn about their background, and without any doubts Zeke was my favorite of the trio. He was the only one who truly wanted to get to know Cassidy, and even though he was afraid to end up in jail like his dad, I don't think that will be his fate. As for Jasper, he surprised me with his big brother role. I didn't expect him to have that sweet and tender side, and I think that he could have been a great, great guy if he wasn't too proud and full of himself. Lastly there was Michael, who was my least favorite of the three. He ignored Cassidy the whole year, and suddenly the day of prom he saw the light and realized that she was the one? Nope. Just no. He was so annoying and foolish, and I truly didn't like him.

I also had an issue with the story; I didn't like how it was divided into three parts, each one told by a different character. I think I would have enjoyed Prompossible Plans more if the narrator varied from chapter to chapter.

From the way the story is going, it seems like Jasper and Michael will do anything to win Cassidy's heart, but I truly hope Cassidy doesn't mess up her relationship with Zeke! Now I'm both curious and anxious to read what will happen in Covert Kissing!

I received a copy of Prompossible Plans from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Other books from the series

Review: Aspen by Rebekah Crane

Title: Aspen
Author: Rebekah Crane
My Rating: ★★★★★
Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction
Publication: June 5th 2014 by In This Together Media
Format Read: eARC via NetGalley
Goodreads/Amazon/Book Depository

Description from Goodreads

One quiet night in Boulder, Colorado, Aspen Yellow-Sunrise Taylor made a mistake.

In the next instant, her life changed forever.

Aspen doesn't want to remember the car accident that killed Katelyn Ryan, a sleek-haired popular soccer player. But forgetting is hard-- because Katelyn may have died -- but she didn't leave. Her ghost is following Aspen around, and heading into senior year, it's kind of a problem. Especially when Katelyn's former boyfriend Ben appears to be the only person at school with a clue as to how Aspen feels. 

Popularity, Homecoming Court, hot guys - none of these things ever mattered to Aspen. She's been busy trying to keep her stoner mother Ninny in line and out of unemployment. But with Ben sitting next to her in Physics and her therapist begging her to remember all the things she wants to forget, Aspen is thrust into a vivid, challenging world she can't control ... and doesn't want to. 

A darkly funny, emotionally gripping story of opening up, letting go, and moving on, Aspen is about the best-worst accident of your life ... and what comes next.

My Review:

I love this book! I love this book so much that I bought a copy of it. I wanted to have Aspen on my bookshelf so badly, and wasn't able to resist the urge to purchase it. 

At first I thought this was going to be the usual sweet book that you read for fun, like most contemporaries, but it turned out to be meaningful and much deeper than I expected. I don't want to give away too much, so I'll keep this short: the narrator is Aspen, a teenage girl, who gets involved in a car accident. Fortunately, she survives with minor injures, but Katelyn doesn't; the most popular girl in school is dead, and Aspen has to live with all the guilt.

Aspen is a very honest girl, but she is hiding something from everyone and even from herself. I like the fact that she is just like most teenage girls who hate their own hair and have their own issues. She has flaws and that made her real and someone I could easily relate to. I truly loved Aspen; she is quirky and has a great sense of humor. Reading about her struggles, as she tries to deal with everything after the accident, was a very emotional experience for me.

Another character I really enjoyed is Ninny, Aspen's mom. Ninny is a free being who doesn't want to fit into society's expectations. I think she is a very cool person, but she isn't doing a wonderful job as a mom; she's not the responsible type, and most of the time it's Aspen playing the role of "the mom" and Ninny being the irresponsible teenager. Even though they have this unusual kind of relationship, I like that Aspen accepts her mom for what she is. And I think it's fun to have a mom like Ninny once in a while, because unlike most parents, she doesn't pressure you into doing anything.

I've grown to care for everyone in this book, and that's the best part of Aspen; it succeeds in drawing you in with the characters and their lives. Aspen is truly a brilliant narrator, even though she's going through lots of heavy stuff and the guilt is almost eating her alive, she doesn't cease to smile and have fun.

I think this book is realistic. It's very touching, and it made me cry, but I loved that it's beautifully balanced with lots of humor.

When I requested Aspen on NetGalley, I didn't expect it to have a great impact on me, and when my copy arrives I think I'm going to read it again. I highly recommend it!

Weekly Wrap Up (3): Trip to Frankfurt

The Sunday Post hosted @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

What I read.

Fan Art.

This week's fan art: DIY Bookmarks

Books I got for review.

What I'm reading.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? hosted @ Book Journey

Giveaways.

Don't forget to enter the current giveaways:

The Reckoning by Teyla Rachel Branton 8/27/14 INT

Guardians: The Girl by Lola StVil 9/7/14 INT
At First Sight by Mya O'Malley 9/9/14 INT

In real life.
Last week I didn't put up a Sunday post, so I decided to talk about my short trip to Frankfurt in this post! The other week I went to Frankfurt am Main for a weekend trip with my family; it was my very first time visiting Germany, so I was pretty excited! 

We decided to travel by car because it was convenient. Technically from where I live, it takes 8 hours' drive to get to Frankfurt, but in reality it took us nearly 10 hours! It was a long and exhausting drive, but thankfully I was able to take a nap for a couple of hours.

My sister wrote out an itinerary with the list of places we needed to visit in Frankfurt, and so when we reached the city the first place we visited was the Chinese Garden (Chinesischer Garten in Dutch). It's a peaceful park where people go for a walk and to play chess. Here are some photos:

Next, we went up to the top of the Main Tower. The view was breathtaking and the air was very refreshing! I've never seen skyscrapers before, and I felt so small.

Then we went to Römerberg; it's the old part of the city which almost looks like Italy. We visited the cathedral, and we were desperately looking for Goethe House but in the end we weren't able to find it.

And obviously, we had to visit the Main river!

We then visited some family friends and walked around the city. I truly had an amazing time, and when it was time to go back home I was reluctant to leave!

Hope you guys had a fabulous week!

Fan Art Up! (6): DIY Bookmarks

FAN ART UP! is a weekly feature hosted by Tabitha @ Not Yet Read.

Let me tell you a secret... well, it's not really a secret, but anyways! I LOVE cute bookmarks, but I'm not the type of person who spends money to buy them, so I make my own. :P

I created these first two nearly a year ago. There is this site - I can't remember the name :( - that shows you how to make your own corner bookmarks, so I decided to create these Dexter and Monster bookmarks. Next time I think I'll make a panda and maybe a minion.

I actually copied the "You fell asleep here" bookmark from this site; I thought it was so funny, and couldn't resist creating my own! As for the Eiffel Tower bookmark, I was inspired by Anna and the French Kiss.

I recently read a review by Lily @ Lily's Book Blog where she mentioned the trolls from Frozen. So, I had an idea and turned this cute little troll into a bookmark! The last one is Pucca tormenting Garu; I just love Pucca. ♥♥♥

PREVIOUS FAN ART POSTS:

The Ghost of Anne Bonny

My Mehndi

UFO Baby aka Daa! Daa! Daa!

Sunny Baudelaire

Letters To Juliet

Excerpt + Trailer: At First Sight by Mya O'Malley

At First Sight by Mya O'Malley

Modern love can be a headache. Just ask Annie Morgan, who, recently divorced, finds herself in the middle of the proverbial online dating jungle. Making a deal with her best friend, Annie agrees to go out on exactly five online dates out of seventy-six potential suitors. ​ Shane Nicholls was jaded, he had his heart broken and never got over the hurt. Now, convinced that all women are trouble, he avoids drama at any cost. Funny thing is, drama seems to find Shane around every corner. Can Annie, a romantic at heart, find love online or will she find love at first sight the old-fashioned way, by awkward, chance meetings with Shane Nicholls? Through a number of obstacles and heartache, Annie and Shane find that love at first sight really does exist if you truly believe.

AMAZON * Barnes & Noble * KOBO

Excerpt:

Johnny’s was packed. Standing on line to place her order, Annie took in her surroundings. Just as the owner, Johnny, was coming over to take her order, something caught Annie’s eye. The guy near the window, he seemed familiar somehow. Where had she seen him before? He was eating dinner with a pretty brunette. He lifted his head to look at Annie as their eyes locked. On no! It was the guy from the mall, the one she bumped into. She quickly spun around, knocking right into the waitress who was carrying a tray of soft drinks.

Soda soaked her shirt and dripped onto the floor. The waitress was clearly annoyed and appeared like she would have loved to tell Annie off. Instead she rolled her eyes and ran to get a towel. If Annie thought she was embarrassed before, it was nothing compared to how she felt now. Every eye in the place was on her, including the guy from the mall. Helpless to do anything else, she grabbed some napkins and bent down to sop up some of the mess.

“It seems you have a knack for causing a scene everywhere you go.” It was his voice. The voice that filled her head with inappropriate thoughts, with longing. What was she thinking? Did she dare look up? His gaze was a magnet, forcing her to meet his eyes.

His eyes were a warmer brown than she had remembered, drawing her in.

“I…uh…”

“I’m joking. Here, let me help you with that.” He grabbed the napkins from her hand. The heat between them jolted her back. She moved quickly, surprised he could evoke such a reaction from her. Nobody had ever made her feel so exposed before. What was going on here? Annie felt foolish.

“I’m Shane. Shane Nicholls.” He extended his hand to her. They must have appeared to be quite the sight, bending over to clean up the mess while shaking hands.

“Annie.” Annie remembered her new rules of safety in the dating world. One of them was she would not reveal her last name or any other personal information until she was sure the guy wasn’t a stalker or anything.

“Annie. It suits you, I like it.” Annie had almost forgot about the woman waiting for Shane at the table near the window. She glanced over and took in a tight-lipped woman. It hit Annie that this woman was not the same stunning woman from the mall. Hmm, she had met his type before. This guy had “player” written all over him. She quickly brushed herself off and excused herself.

“Hey, Annie. Wait.” He reached for her hand. Annie forgot all about placing her order and made a beeline for the door. She didn’t look back. Well, Annie figured, it looked like it would be Chinese  food tonight.

About the Author.  

 Mya O’Malley was born and raised in the suburbs of New York City, where she currently lives with her husband, daughter and three step-daughters. The family also consists of two boxers; Destiny and Dolce and a ragdoll cat named Colby. Mya earned an undergraduate degree in special education and a graduate degree in reading and literacy. She works as a special education teacher and enjoys making a difference in the lives of her students. Mya’s passion is writing; she has been creating stories and poetry since she was a child. Mya spends her free time reading just about anything she can get her hands on. She is a romantic at heart and loves to create stories with unforgettable characters. Mya likes to travel; she has visited several Caribbean Islands, Mexico and Costa Rica. Mya is currently working on her fifth novel.

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Blog * Pinterest

        

Book Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash 

Ends 9/9/14 

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. 

Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Queen of Someday by Sherry D. Ficklin

Title: Queen of Someday

Author: Sherry D. Ficklin

Series: Stolen Empire #1

My Rating: ★★★★☆ (more like 3.5)

Genres: YA, Historical Fiction, Romance

Publication: October 7th 2014 by Clean Teen Publishing

Format Read: eARC via NetGalley

Goodreads/Amazon/Book Depository

Description from Goodreads

ONE GIRL WILL BRING AN EMPIRE TO ITS KNEES...

Before she can become the greatest empress in history, fifteen-year-old Sophie will have to survive her social-climbing mother’s quest to put her on the throne of Russia—at any cost.

Imperial Court holds dangers like nothing Sophie has ever faced before. In the heart of St. Petersburg, surviving means navigating the political, romantic, and religious demands of the bitter Empress Elizabeth and her handsome, but sadistic nephew, Peter. Determined to save her impoverished family—and herself—Sophie vows to do whatever is necessary to thrive in her new surroundings. But an attempt on her life and an unexpected attraction threatens to derail her plans.

Alone in a new and dangerous world, learning who to trust and who to charm may mean the difference between becoming queen and being sent home in shame to marry her lecherous uncle. With traitors and murderers lurking around every corner, her very life hangs in the balance. Betrothed to one man but falling in love with another, Sophie will need to decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice in order to become the empress she is destined to be.

In a battle for the soul of a nation, will love or destiny reign supreme?

My Review:

CONS:

- The book focused on what was happening inside the palace, but I was a bit curious to know what was going on outside of it. Sophie constantly said that there would be a war if she didn't marry Peter and become the queen of Russia, but I didn't feel that the stakes were that high. And this is why I believe that the alliances among the European countries should have been explained in detail, because I didn't fully understand how fragile they were.

- When is the story set? I know that it takes place in the past, but I don't know the exact year. I've never been good at history, so I don't know much about Queen Catherine.

PROS:

- I liked Sophie's transformation during her time in the palace. It was interesting to see how this innocent and brave girl became the strong queen of Russia. I was rooting for her from the very beginning, especially since everyone wanted to get rid of her. During her stay in the palace she learned about love, loss and betrayal, but I liked that she didn't let these things faze her; she accepted her fate, and learned to make the best of life.

- I love the historicalness of this book; I was a big fan of the balls, banquets, maze like halls and rich gowns.

- The story wasn't predictable. Whenever I thought I knew where the story was going, something unexpected always happened. I was more than half way through this book and still didn't know how it would end.

- The side characters are very interesting. Obviously, I liked all those who are on Sophie's side, especially Sergei - he was kind and understanding from the very beginning.

All in all, this is not your typical happy ending book. It's happy/sad, but I love the way the book ended. The main character is great and doesn't whine about how unfair her life is. Although I had a few issues with the setting, I truly enjoyed reading Queen of Someday. If you like a lot of drama and intrigue then this book is for you.

Guardians: The Girl Book Blast!

Guardians: The Girl by Lola StVil

******OVER 450 FIVE STAR REVIEWS!*******

Sitting there in the car, a part of me bitterly resented what she was doing to me. I knew it wasn’t her fault. But does she have to be so… alluring? I need to focus on something else besides the spot between her earlobe and neck. It looked so soft. Her lips were slightly parted as she looked out the window. I wanted to part them further with mine. I put both my hands on the steering wheel. I could not allow myself to let go until she was out of the car. Suddenly she leaned in and kissed me. It was far better than I could even begin to explain to you. I’ve fought and died a slow and painful death on earth. And nothing, NOTHING can compare to how hard it was for me to pull away from her lips. I don’t think any angel could to do it twice in a lifetime…

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo

Excerpts

 “Your courage is in your tears. Every time you cry, you lose a little bit more of it. That’s why you’re so breakable. Not because you’re human, because you’re always shedding courage from your eyes.”  

~~~

Marcus, choose me. Choose the path that is perilous and leads to certain annihilation because it’s also the path that leads to me. They can’t understand that we are powerless to stop what we have for each other. But we know. We know that if we don’t bend to the will of this love, it will break us.

~~~

“I heard this guy say once that he thought if he said ‘no’ to doing drugs then the fight was over. But it turns out he had to say ‘no’ each and every day. I didn’t get it until I met you. When I first fell for you, I said ‘no’ to it. Then the next day the feeling came back. Now every single day, I have to say ‘no’ to being with you.”


Praise 
“This book shows a whole other side of angels the good, the bad, and the ugly. Each character has their own story or “core” . This is only the beginning. Where can I find the second book?” ~Maya Twitty

“Could not put it down!!” ~Misty

“I didn’t actually chose this book on purpose but I got it because it was free. After reading the first chapter I was hooked…and devastated. How could you let that happen Lola? I definitely recommend that you read this book…with a box of tissues.” ~Amazon Reviewbook...with a box of tissues." ~Amazon Review

  

Author StVil Lola was seven when she first came to this country from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She attended Columbia College in Chicago, where her main focus was creative writing. In addition to plays, she also writes screenplays and short stories. She has been commissioned to write for ABC, CBS and Princeton University. She won the NAACP award for her play "The Bones of Lesser Men". In addition to being nominated for LA Weekly awards. Her work has also received positive reviews from The LA Times, Variety and LA Weekly. This is her first novel.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

        

  Book Blast Giveaway 

 $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash 

 Ends 9/7/14 

 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. 

Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour (Review & Giveaway): Not Quite Dead by Lyla Payne

Hey there! I'm so excited to share this book with you guys. Check out my review below!

Full tour schedule here.

Not Quite Dead

by Lyla Payne

My Rating: ★★★★★

Genres: NA, Mystery, Paranormal

Published April 1st 2014 by Createspace

Format Read: Ebook, CLP BT

Purchase: Amazon, B&N, Kobo

Description from Goodreads

A broken engagement sends Graciela Harper crawling back to Heron Creek with her tail between her legs, but finds the sleepy little town too changed to set her life right. Not even her budding drinking problem can obscure her Gramps’s failing health, or erase the mental picture of her first love happily married to her childhood best friend. To top it all off, she’s having a heck of time convincing the town’s dashing young mayor of her unfit-for-dating status.

When the ghost of 18th century lady pirate Anne Bonny starts insisting on a near daily audience, Graciela has to confront something else she never expected—being certifiably nuts at twenty-five years old.

Her brand new "I don't give a crap" attitude makes it easy to dismiss the mysterious threats that seem to be tied to her search for more information on the long dead pirate, but when her family becomes a target, Gracie knows she needs to find out why the ghost insists on being a constant, reeking companion. 

If Graciela can put aside her prejudice against people without a pulse, she may discover that Anne Bonny’s problems are intricately linked with her own. The past harbors answers could help the cantankerous spirit find closure, but she is, after all, already dead. If Graciela doesn’t move fast, she might find herself doing the haunting, instead of the other way around.

My Review:

I'm not a big fan of ghosts stories, and have to admit that the only reason why I signed up to this blog tour is because the blurb of this book kinda reminded me of The Master's Sun (a Korean drama that I really loved). And although there aren't much similarities between this book and TMS, I didn't regret joining this tour because this book is AMAZING!

Not Quite Dead follows Gracie, a 25-year-old, who moves back to Heron Creek, her childhood hometown, after she breaks off her engagement. She's a total mess. She doesn't know what to do with her life, and taking care of her grandfather sounds like a good excuse to hide from the world and her failures. But in Heron Creek things aren't as easy as she thinks; there are bittersweet memories, old wounds and broken friendships to deal with. And to add to all the confusion her life has become, she starts seeing a ghost who doesn't want to leave her alone.

This book focused a lot on the characters. The relationships between them were so interesting which is why I enjoyed this book a lot. I loved Gracie as the narrator; even though she was lost and confused, I liked that she didn't wallow in self-pity. I loved her relationship with Gramps! It was so sweet and made me shed a few tears. It was also great to see Gracie healing from her wounds of the past, and how she managed to begin a better relationship with her former best friends. There is also a slow-building romance going on which I immensely enjoyed reading.

The mystery aspect of this book was amazing. I was completely engrossed in this book and could barely put it down. Seriously, I devoured this whole thing in just two days because it was so good! I liked how everything unravels, and I loved that it kept me guessing what will happen next. As for the paranormal stuff, I have to admit that I was a bit scared, but as I kept reading, the whole "ghost thing" didn't frighten me as much as it did at first.

To sum up, Not Quite Dead has a gripping story with fantastic characters. The romance is magical, and the ending just made me laugh. There are a lot of intriguing things going on in this book and they are beautifully bound together. And it also has a pirate ghost which is awesome!

If you like paranormal then I highly recommend Not Quite Dead to you, but even if you don't like paranormal I think you'll enjoy this book.

I received this book from CLP Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review. 

About the Autor

Lyla Payne has been publishing New Adult romance novels for a little over a year, starting with Broken at Love and continuing with the rest of the Whitman University series. She loves telling stories, discovering the little reasons people fall in love, and uncovering hidden truths in the world around us - past and present. In her spare time she cuddles her two dogs, pretends to enjoy exercising so that she can eat as much Chipotle as she wants, and harbors a deep and abiding hope that Zac Efron likes older women. She loves reading, of course, along with movies, traveling, and Irish whiskey. Lyla's hard at work, ALWAYS, and hopes to bring you more Whitman University antics and at least one more Lowcountry ghost tale before the end of the year.

Lyla Payne is represented by Kathleen Rushall at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

If you want to know more, please visit her at http://lylapayne.com

If you're a fan of Young Adult fiction--science fiction or otherwise--please check out her work that's published under the name Trisha Leigh. http://trishaleigh.com 

Website - Twitter - Goodreads - Facebook

INT GIVEAWAY!

**Everyone who leaves a comment on the tour page will be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases a copy of Not Quite Dead by August 18 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus.com will receive 10 bonus entries!**

Interview + Giveaway! Handpicked by Dani Oden

Title: Handpicked
Author: Dani Oden
Publication date: August 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult
Purchase: Amazon, B&N

Synopsis:

College freshman Jill Holloway takes one look at the stuck-up girls going through sorority rush and nearly returns her borrowed dress and heels. Against her best judgment, she ends up falling for the prestige and parties, and snagging a bid from a top house. After moving in, she quickly grows skeptical of her too-perfect sorority sisters. She tries to ask questions, though no one will take time from their busy social calendar to give her any real answers.

Jill wastes no time digging for everything she’s not supposed to find, and soon comes face-to-face with a big and bloody secret hidden in her sorority’s basement. She knows she’s in over her head, but taking off so soon would raise the perfectly-plucked eyebrows of her suspicious new sisters. She’s stuck until she can make a smooth exit.

But the closer she gets to leaving, the more it becomes clear that it won’t be as simple as she hoped. A tempting fraternity guy, a best friend who needs her, and new details about what has really been happening in the basement have her questioning what her next move should be, and whether or not it’ll be worth the risks.

HANDPICKED is a New Adult coming of age, with elements of suspense and romance.

Interview: On Writing

Where did your interest in writing come from?

My interest in writing goes wayyyy back. I have memories of dictating stories to my mom and then illustrating the pages she wrote with stick figures.  I was around four or five at the time. When I got older, my dad had a home office so I’d go in at the end of his work day and use his typewriter to type up my stories. It was only a matter of time before it turned into something bigger!

How did you come up with the setting and plot for HANDPICKED?

HANDPICKED takes place in a university Greek system, with the majority of the action in a sorority house. I was a member of a sorority when I was in college and for me it was a fantastic experience. But, like everyone else, I’ve heard all the buzz about what people think happens behind their closed doors, so I wanted to explore the rumors, and both confirm and contradict some of the stereotypes. 

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? 

Oh my gosh! This book was a great exercise in editing. The first draft was over 90,000 words, while the final version is just shy of 65,000. 

Do you have any strange writing habits?

Building playlists for the project I’m working on! For HANDPICKED, I listened to a lot of Paramore, Alexz Johnson, Hey Monday and Marianas Trench. I try to find music that evokes the same moods I’m trying to create. 

What was the toughest part about this process? 

I had a few challenges with plotting HANDPICKED, but it was nothing compared to figuring out what I wanted to do after I finished it. I probably spent just as many hours writing it as I did researching independent publishing, traditional publishing, small presses, agents, etc. Ultimately, I’m happy with the decision I made to independently publish. 

Do you have any advice for other writers? 

Unplug your modem   

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

THANK YOU for reading! And, please don’t be strangers – I can’t wait to hear from you!

INT GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fan Art Up! (5): The Ghost of Anne Bonny

FAN ART UP! is a weekly feature hosted by Tabitha @ Not Yet Read.

Today's fan art post is inspired by Not Quite Dead by Lyla Payne. It's a paranormal book about a woman who is haunted by the ghost of Anne Bonny.

My Fan Art:

Anne Bonny was an Irish woman who became a famous pirate.