hello. 

I realize it's been a little while since I posted. the truth is, I haven't felt very motivated to post. I was starting to get consistent here and on Instagram. but unfortunately, it just feels like I can't seem to figure out what I'm doing when it comes to marketing and posting, and being present online. 

it's not in my nature to want to be on social media. but I want to talk about books and life. the issue is, I haven't really been writing lately. 

that's not to say I don't want to be writing. I'm just struggling to write anything. 

which leads me to say something pretty disheartening. 

I am shelving my wip, Runaways. I know this is going to make some people sad. I've had people excited for these characters. but my heart is not in this project. I know one day, this will become more than just a few pages of words. but for now, I have to focus on a different project that my heart is actually on fire for. 

But I don't want to say too much yet until I know that I can make it happen. 

the issue within the indie community is authors who don't seem to take it seriously enough. ones who will keep starting projects, never finishing the ones they have. 

I don't want to be like that. I want to be consistent and focused and reliable. so it does pain me that I'm having to stop working on this book. but at the end of the day, it's important I give you a book that is quality and has my whole heart, not one I felt forced to write. 

there is also one more piece of news I'm giving. And that is... I love blogging. truly. it's my start. it's where it all began for me. 

but I just don't have the time to constantly churn out blog posts. 

I have decided to attempt to write a bi-weekly newsletter for now. 

I am not leaving blogging. I don't think I can ever stay away for too long. but maintaining my presence here while trying to build a platform on my social media has been too hard. having time to write newsletters with insider information is more up my alley. 

For now, I will continue with substack. I do hope to find a better newsletter platform, but if you want to keep up with me and my writing, you can subscribe to my newsletter here!

You can also follow my Instagram for more day-to-day writing things. 

I will sometimes post here, maybe more writing-related things, like short stories and snippets. but it won't be on a set schedule. it will totally at random. 

with all that being said, thanks for being a loyal reader through all the ups and downs of my blogging career. 

keep rising <3

The time has come to introduce my new wip. 

I don't really have a full description for this book yet, so this entire post is going to be in aesthetics and lyrics. that's pretty on-brand for me, anyway. 

So without further ado, I present to you Runaways. 

Characters:

Wesly "Wes" Andrews

Age: 21

Appearance: brown-blond curly hair, lanky, tall, wiry frame

MBTI: ESTP

Traits: bold, rational, practical, original, perceptive, direct, sociable, impatient, unstructured, risk-prone, may miss the bigger picture, defiant

Notes: the jokester who hides his emotions behind jokes, lightens the mood often, isn’t serious too much or else he has to feel things

Song: Miracle//the score

It's not just a phase//Now let me explain//I'm working through some shit//Sometimes I'm medicated

Alric "Ricky" Vasquez

Age: 22

Appearance: brown hair, blue eyes, tan, tallest of the group

MBTI: INFJ

Traits: creative, insightful, principled, passionate, reluctant to open up, perfectionistic, avoids the ordinary

Notes: reliable, cool, calm, collected, has thoughts but doesn’t say them unless asked to, great advice, the dad of the group, latino

Song: Reveries// bones and bridges

money, cash, cars, clothes//nothing ever fills these holes

Layla Foster

Age: 19

Appearance: blond, blue eyes, 5’6, 

MBTI: ISTP

Traits: optimistic, energetic, creative, practical, spontaneous, rational, great in crisis, relaxed, stubborn, insensitive, risky behavior, 

Notes: edgy, grunge aesthetic, messy buns, jean jackets, for the aesthetic, badass, sass master,

Song: Every piece of me// Illenium

so why are you still trying// to take me down//when every piece of me is on the ground

Olivia Jameson 

Age: 20

Appearance: brown hair, brown eyes, shortest of the group

MBTI: ISFP

Traits: charming, sensitive to others, imaginative, passionate, curious, artistic, fiercely independent, unpredictable, fluctuating self-esteem

Notes: quiet, poet, dreamer, not good at expressing emotions, kind heart, purest of the group, has seen things though, heartbroken by too many bad guys

Song: hearts on fire// Illenium 

I wish you could read my mind//Or give me a sign//Or tell me you wanted to be mine//This is for the hearts on fire 

Everest Wilson

Age: 21

Appearance: dusty brown hair, tall, green eyes, slight tan

MBTI: INFP

Traits: thoughtful, open-minded, loyal to values, creative, difficult to get to know, self-critical, impractical, conflict averse

Notes: books, music, dreams, philosophical, emotions he doesn’t know how to deal with, troubled past, dark history, bad family life

song: numb// declan j donovan

I’m sorry I can’t give enough//these scars they only leave me numb//I’m paying for my own mistakes//but I’ve given all my feelings away

Music:

Keywords:

What Runaways is about

Hello and Happy New Year! 

Today, I wanted to share with you some of my goals for this year. I also want to talk about my January TBR! 

This year, the keyword I'm going for is simplicity. I need things to be simple, achievable, and relaxed. I have found that the simpler things are, the better it truly is. Making things too complicated takes the fun out of it. 

Many of my "resolutions" this year are personal mental and physical goals. But I'm going to share my writing and reading goals for this year. 

• read 24 books

• make a tbr for each month and read those books 

• tentative goal: read 50 books

• reread shadow and bone for January

• reread the summer we forgot in the summer 

24 books is my goal on GoodReads, but I also want to read at least two books a month. I lose sight of reading when I get super busy. I want to learn how to make time for it. 

This leads me to the next part of this blog post!

Each month, I am going to set a two-book TBR (to be read) goal. Life is busy and I don't think we always need some long list of books to try to accomplish. having two books is attainable and easy, giving me at least two weeks per book. Most likely, I'll read more than that in some months, but this gives me more room to attain my reading goals. 

For the month of January, my TBR is simple. 

• reread Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

• Book of Night by Holly Black

Currently, I'm reading The One by Kiera Cass, which is part of The Selection series. While super cheesy and very 2010's writing, I'm enjoying the simplicity of it. 

What about you, friend? any reading goals for the month? any personal goals you want to share? let's chat in the comments!

want my posts to your inbox? click here to subscribe to my mailing list/newsletter! it's 100% free!

I can't say much about the month of December. There's a lot of stress that comes with the holidays. I got sick at the beginning of the month and struggled to catch up with everything I needed to do with the rest of the month. 

However, here we are, in the final moments of 2022. 

(and thanks to Faith for letting me steal the format of her wrap up posts!) 

music of 2022

artist shoutouts: 

favorite lyrics from the year

books of 2022

favorite books:

Okay, okay, these books are so so good and I love how EASY this fantasy is to get into. I hate complicated fantasy where I can't understand anything going on. This book is simple, yet so amazing for all the details. READ IT!

A buddy read with Faith, my bestie! But also, Caroline George can honestly write anything and I will read it in a heartbeat. She is an amazing author and her work is perfect. I have no notes, I love this book and can't wait to reread it in the summer of 2023. I will be rereading this annually. 

Okay, so I am not one for contemporary fiction all that much. I need something more, like magical elements or dystopian universes. But this book was something else. I don't know how to describe how much I loved this book. I usually can't follow contemporary, but I felt like I identified with the main character. It's so good. Please read it, even if contemporary is not your thing, it's really gripping. 

Another buddy read with Faith and YES I GOT THE OWLCRATE FOR THIS ONE AND I AM SO HAPPY I DID!! LOOK AT THAT COVER!! This book is creepy in a way, and because I know some readers are sensitive to that, I will warn you now that this does have some occult themes. Think Raven Boys. But as a fan of Hadestown, the Orpheus and Eurydice vibes in this were IMMACULATE. I loved this book. Kelly Andrew is an instant buy author for me. 

And this series. I read books two and three this year. This series is so good. If you like mysteries that aren't about murder, you'll love these. Also, I am #TeamJameson and I am not ashamed. Grayson is fine and all, but JAMESON HAS MY HEART!! I can not begin to tell you how excited I am about the spin-off books. 

What can I say? It's The Blood Race spin-off. I loved these books. The Blood Race series holds my heart. I'm so excited for the future of Kate's and Abbie's books. I need more of it in my life. 

writing of 2022

-I published the third book to my trilogy

-I've decided what will be next for my post, HWR trilogy publishing plans

I didn't write much this year. I edited Here We Stand a lot, went over the edits my editor gave me, formatted it, and published it, and that was my year. I had a lot of plot bunnies, but I couldn't really focus on anything but getting this book out. It was the only project I worked on due to the tight deadline. 

life in 2022

-january: lots of goals being made, but definitely not met

-february: i don't recall except valentine's day exists

-march: getting pretty tired of my job and struggling with new management issues

-april: left my job, went back to my old one since it's new management, current hiring date managed to be my old hiring date, so if you needed proof of God...

-may: 23rd birthday, How We Rise is two!

-june: summer was actually really hot this year

-july: kind of hard, super hot, lots of heat warnings

-august: lots of work, editing

-september: my grandmother passed away, traveling to Kansas for the burial, driving 14 hours from Kansas back to Texas, lots of emotions, taking a break from my book

-october: favorite month, quickly working away on edits, halloween

-november: Thanksgiving, emotions, finishing the edits, formatting, and getting Here We Stand ready for preorder

-december: got pretty sick, and published Here We Stand while sick, kind of a bummer 

It's been a long year. Yet it feels like I blinked and it was all over in an instant. I guess that's kind of how things feel when you're in your 20s trying to navigate life. 

But enough about me! let's talk in the comments. tell me all about your year, the highs, the lows, the in-betweens. I want to hear about it! 

Hello, dear friend. 

You may already know this if you follow me on social media, but Here We Stand is coming out super soon! I did a cover reveal over on Instagram. But in case you missed it...

so, I decided, why not take books I love or books I’ve read, and pair them with a song I love. this will also give you more books for your TBR AND more songs for your playlists, so it’s a win-win for everyone.

without further ado…

anywhere but here | PVRIS

it feels so sad in the summer//we're goin' under//pull up the covers//sounds like car crashin' thunder//losin' a lover//your mother, your brother//I want, I want you to take me//anywhere but here//I want, I want you to take me//anywhere but here, anywhere but here

I could explain how this whole song is absolutely The Raven Cycle, but then I'd have to post all the lyrics and that is not today's post. but just go listen to the song and tell me it doesn't make you think of Gansey and Blue and the Raven Boys going out into the woods and speaking Latin to the trees. 

diving bell | STARSET

oh, this wasn't in my plans//abandoned ship and heading for the sand//oh, the albatross crash-lands//I've got the sinking feeling that I never can go home//if I stare into the abyss will it stare into me//in my mind//endless sea//calling from the bottom but you don't hear me//send your line//down to me//meet me on the surface I will never leave

okay hear me out. I know y'all are probably tired of me screaming about STARSET every chance I get. I know not everyone is going to be into rock music. HOWEVER, this is Nikolai's song. there is not one song besides this one that could ever describe Nikolai more. this song is definitely my favorite song of all time, but I have always thought it fits Nikolai in the Shadow and Bone trilogy. Maybe even in the King of Scars duology. Give this song a chance, it's not heavy on the rock side, and imagine Nikolai on his airship. it fits beautifully. case closed. 

winter | PVRIS

Alina and the Darkling. because THE DARKLING IS TOXIC. (Mal for the win, all day every day, please and thank you.) I feel like this captures Alina's realization that the Darkling is a toxic, toxic being. also the song is a bop and deserves more attention. 

I don't wanna ruin your party | Munn

'cause I don't wanna ruin your party//where you see all the damage you've caused me//you get everything that you wanted//I don't wanna ruin your party//a heart can't judge if eyеs don't see//the hellish ways you treated me//I'll take the pain and turn the cheek//I'll be the victim you'll always need