Cover Reveal: Worn Out Places by R.H. McMahan

Worn Out Places
R.H. McMahan
Publication date: September 1st 2021
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

I can’t answer that question. I can’t tell him I’ve spent my whole life trying to disappear. I can’t tell him that I was born a drug addict. Or that I’ve been in foster homes so terrible I wished I didn’t exist. And I can’t tell him that last year ended any ambition I had to make it somewhere better in this world.

Drug addict parents. The foster care system. Living on the streets of New York City.

Zoie Cruz is used to an unflinching world that takes without giving back. But at seventeen she isn’t used to Northern Michigan, a family that wants her to succeed, and sobriety.

Everything changed on Christmas morning last year. Her social worker calls it a tragedy and her weekly Narcotics Anonymous meeting wants her to open up. All Zoie wants is to be left alone to get high.

When she meets local golden boy Dean, he’s determined to pull Zoie out of her darkness. And she’s determined to keep her walls sealed shut.

In a whirlwind struggle to stay clean, Zoie’s secrets can only stay hidden for so long.

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Author Bio:

R.H. McMahan a.k.a. Mickie is a Puerto Rican and Irish YA/NA author. She was born and raised in Chicago – and yes she thinks it’s important that you know that. In June of 2020, she graduated with a BA in English Lit and Creative Writing and is currently pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing.

Mickie dreamt of becoming an author since she started telling stories on the playground in first grade. Ever since then it is rare to find her without a notebook and a pen. Her book baby, Worn Out Places, debuts on September 1st and she cannot wait to share it with the world.

If she’s not writing she’s doing other creative things like singing, dancing, and drawing.

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Keeper of the Bees (Black Bird of the Gallows #2) by Meg Kassel Review

5/5 Stars 304 pages
Published September 4th 2018 by Entangled: Teen

Keeper of the Bee’s is a book that I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with, but I did. Though I haven’t read anything by author Meg Kassel before, I’m very much interested in checking out more in the future! This is just one of those books I haven’t stopped thinking about since I read it, and I’m glad. And not in the way that something’s missing, just thinking back and appreciating it.

 

Though the character of a boy full of bees isn’t a brand new idea, it is something that I don’t read about hardly ever, especially when he’s basically immortal, lonely, a murderer, and just looking for a direction in life other than killing. The other main character in this book, who the viewpoint rotates to throughout the book, is a young girl who suffers from a mental illness like schizophrenia, but isn’t. She and the other women in her family just call it a curse, as it affects a lot of them. It’s draining, but she knows what she needs to do to keep it mostly under control, and that is chewing on peppercorns to cut through the hallucinations. However, when she meets the boy full of bees with the face that won’t make up it’s mind, the peppercorns just don’t cut it.

 

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Though this book is part of a series that I haven’t been caught up in, it was an amazing standalone novel as well, and I loved every minute of it. I’d love to check out the other book as well. My only complain I have about it, is that it always seems really weird and kind of makes me uncomfortable when an immortal man who looks like a young man, begins a relationship with a teenage girl. Wouldn’t that just be a really old man who looks young dating a teen girl?

 

The story follows the two as they have to face their problems, learn to love despite those problems, and also save the entire town from crazy mythological beings that bring death everywhere they go. I thought it was really unique, and it was something I really enjoyed getting to learn everything about. I didn’t have any questions that weren’t answered by the end of the book, and that’s just how I like it. I couldn’t get enough of it.

 

Photo by Engin Akyurt on Pexels.com

Overall, this is a book that I won’t forget about anytime soon. Though I read it over a month ago, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it, and would love to get a physical copy for my bookshelf just to have and read whenever the mood strikes. I recommend checking it out if you like cute love stories about accepting your partner no matter what their problems are, and however magical they are, which is mixed with murder, mystery, and fantastic creatures that I’ve never even imagined before.

 

If you’d like to get a copy for yourself, you can grab one here.

Here’s a link to the author’s Twitter, if you’d like to keep up with them.

Thanks for reading! If you have any thoughts about this book, I’d love to chat with you in the comments! Hope you’re doing good, and staying safe. Have a great day!

Failsafe (Failsafe #1) by Anela Deen Review

5/5 Stars 200 pages
Published May 20th 2018 by Fine Fables Press

This book, unlike the last book, was something that was right up my alley, and something I knew I was going to love from the moment I started it. In a time where humans haven’t lived outside a computer for many, many generations, their world is claustrophobic and dangerous. Outside of their settlements live drones that shoot to kill on site, and although they can grow their own food, they can barely grow enough for everyone, especially now when the supplies have stopped being delivered.

 

Sol is different, however. Though she has epilepsy, she doesn’t let that stop her from changing the world that they know, and trying to save everyone she know, and more. She’s not afraid of going out into the Interspace, and her unique dreaming ability lets her know where and when the drones are going to be around, and where the supplies should be. But this comes with a cost to her health, both physical and mental.

 

Though she lives in a time where people aren’t able to chose their mates due to the very little genetic differences between everyone in their settlement, everything changes when she meets Echo one day while out on a supply run. Though he’s not like anyone she’s ever met, and she’s a little scared to trust him at first, he proves himself to be an

Photo by Markus Spiske on Pexels.com

amazing and very strong companion. The two will do whatever they need to do to change the world as they know it.

 

This book was exciting and interesting, and it was everything I wanted it to be and more. Though I wanted there to be a sequel, I think that it ended at such a place where I’m happy if there isn’t ever one. The characters and the story were both really easy to imagine and get sucked into, and though this doesn’t happen very often, I don’t have any questions or complaints or even thoughts leftover that I’m wondering about. In my eyes, this was a perfect book to get me out of my reading slump, and I think it’s something that I’d love to read again and again, that’s just how much I loved it.

 

If you love stories about young adults who want to change the world, no matter how different it is from out own, then you’re going to love this, and I hope you love it as much as I do. Definitely check it out if you get the chance, and it’ll make a beautiful addition to your collection! I’d love to check out other books by the author because of this one.

 

If you’d like to grab a copy, you can do so here.

Here’s a link to the author’s Twitter, if you’d like to keep up with them!

 

Thanks for reading! I’d love to chat in the comments if you have anything you’d like to talk about, this book or any other topic! Hope you have a good day, and stay safe!

 

**I’ve been informed by the author that there will in fact be a sequel!** Patiently awaiting that.

Anyone Else’s Bookshelf a Disaster?

Hey! I’m back today to talk about just how messy my bookshelf really is. Full of unread books and unwatched movies, old video games and little decorations, it’s become a really big mess that just isn’t nice to look at.

What I’m hoping to do here, is to hold myself accountable by posting not only the starting and finishing pictures, but also the in between photos if it takes a while to get finished.

I’ve posted pictures of my bookshelves before, but since moving, I don’t have the nice purple bookshelf in my house currently, even though I wish I did. Maybe one day I’ll be able to drag it out of storage and fill it back up.

How do you organize your bookshelf things and decorate it? I’d love to hear some ideas. Here’s my mess. Thanks for sticking with me.

 

The Confectioner’s Guild (The Confectioner Chronicles #1) by Claire Luana Review

5/5 Stars 327 pages
Published October 23rd 2018 by Live Edge Publishing

I just want to start this review off by saying that although I don’t usually really like books about magic, this one was a gamechanger for me. How can a book be both adorable and heart wrenching? I’m not sure how the author did it, but they did, and I’m very thankful. From the moment I picked this book up, I was obsessed, and though I haven’t finished a book in about two months, I knew this was something I was going to be obsessed with.

 

Wren is a young girl who’s lived a hard life. As a young orphan, she was scooped off the streets and put into a fast paced job in a bakery and dessert shop for years, until one day a man comes in and takes her away very suddenly. It turns out that her cupcakes are more than just delicious and beautiful, they’re magical.

 

And so this starts the longest couple weeks of her life. She’s whisked away to the Confectioner’s Guild, and immediately roped up into a murder investigation, and worst of all, she didn’t do it. Someone’s framed her, and her and new newly appointed family are determined to prove her innocence before she’s executed.

 

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Pexels.com

The thing I most enjoyed about this book, was that although I didn’t really know what any of the characters looked like exactly, it was very easy to envision them and the world they lived in, because that wasn’t the important part of the book. It was so exciting and interesting that I couldn’t get enough of it, and I immediately put the next book on my wish list. Though i almost never read the extras in the back, the sneak peak of the next book, I had to read it in this one! I’m obsessed. I want to know more now!

 

That being said, I think this is one of my favourite books that I’ve read all year and I can’t wait for the next one. If you think this is something you’ll like, I recommend you definitely check it out, and even if you’re not a big fan of magical books like I am, I think this book is really great for almost anyone!

 

You can grab a copy here.

 

Here’s a link to the author’s Twitter, if you’d like to catch up with them!

 

Thanks for reading, and if you have anything to say about this book, I’d love to chat about it in the comments! Stay safe, and have a great day!

What to do

I know I’ve had a lot of these posts lately, but this year has been very stressful for tons of people and I think we all know the feeling of anxiety.

But what can you do when you can’t make it go away? I’d love to just sink into a book and lose myself, but I really just can’t even concentrate enough to start it. My anxiety has been so high the last week that I can’t really do anything, honestly.

Books are something that have let me escape from the world for many years. They’re something to concentrate on, to fall in love with, and to really just escape from the world with. I never thought that they would one day be too much to handle, especially with my intense reading history.

I know it’ll be better one day, but right now, everything just feels like too much, you know? Anyways, if you have any advise on how to get back into the thing you love the most when everything is overwhelming, I would really appreciate hearing it!

 

Thanks for reading, stay safe, and hope you have a great night!

Photo by Nubia Navarro (nubikini) on Pexels.com

A Whore’s Manifesto: An Anthology of Writing and Artwork by Sex Workers by Kay Kassirer Review

Though I didn’t take very many notes while I was reading this book, It really packed a punch. Not sure what I was getting myself into, I read haunting stories of coming into your own skin, sexual assault, hard work days and distant memories. Personal poems and short paragraphs and occasional pictures all meshed together, this book is definitely something that’s going to stick with me, whether on my shelf or just in my mind.

4/5 Stars  104 pages
Published October 18th 2019 by Thorntree Press

The thing I really liked about this book is that it’s different. Gritty non fiction, it shows the life around sex working, both good and bad. But above all, I think that this book is about finding yourself in whatever way you need to.

 

I don’t have much to say about this book, other than it’s really interesting and even if you don’t like non fiction, I think you should read it. It’s about real people doing real things and I think that even if it’s a little hard to look at, like some of the pages in this book, it’s worth it.

 

If you’d like a copy, you can grab one for yourself here.

Here’s a link to the editor’s Twitter, if you’d like to keep up with them.

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think below.

Hope you have a good day.

How to Finish Your Book by Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Author of the Circuit Fae Series

Picture from https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16340733.Genevieve_Iseult_Eldredge

First, I’d like to thank Radioactive Book Reviews for inviting me to their awesome blog! It’s a pleasure to be here. A little about me: I’m the own voices author of the lesbian YA urban fantasy series, THE CIRCUIT FAE, which is about two teenage Fae queens from the warring Winter and Summer Courts. They should be mortal enemies, but they fall in love against the odds, and all sorts of trouble ensues!

 

I’ve written six books so far in the series. Further, I’ve been an editor for a number of small presses, including Loose Id, helping authors make their publishing dreams a reality.

 

A recent thread on Twitter’s #WritingCommunity inspired me to talk about how to finish your book.

 

As with all writing advice, your individual mileage may vary, but here are some tips that have helped me slog through the word mines, even when motivation was low.

 

1. Create a habit of writing

We’ve all probably heard the saying “butt + chair = productivity,” and I can’t stress enough how important it is to create a habit of writing.

 

What this means is that you should strive to write every day. By “write every day,” I don’t necessarily mean you’re constantly shoveling words onto a page. That’s great during your drafting phase, but in later revision phases, you’ll want to take the time to think about your story, maybe do some further research, go back and tweak your outline, and really get the details down.

 

It’s the habit that’s important. You need to make time in your schedule. This will mean sacrifice. Do you do your best work in the morning? Set that alarm an hour earlier. Do you find yourself bingeing NetFlix at night? Use that time to write.

 

Look for areas of opportunity. Seize them.  

 

1. Have smaller goals

 

Having daily goals is key. First, because even THINKING about writing a 50,000-word novel is intimidating for anyone. Pro writers alleviate this by splitting that 50,000-word novel into smaller chunks.

 

Want to write your 50K novel in a month, like in NaNoWriMo? That means you need to write approximately 1700 words/day.

 

Break those goals into smaller, more manageable chunks, and the job will seem less daunting.  

 

Some examples of good daily goals are: write 500-1000 words, redo my outline, reread and take notes, do research (so long as you don’t fall down any rabbit holes).

 

Let the stage of the manuscript dictate your goals. When drafting, have daily word count goals is great. When outlining, shoot for outlining 1-5 chapters/day.

 

1. Accept that you will miss some goals

As we all know, no plan survive contact with the enemy. You will definitely miss some of them too. That’s just life. Work comes up, friends call, family visits, you get sick.

 

Or maybe you just have a bad writing day. It happens to all of us. It’s okay.

 

All these things can really throw a monkey wrench into your daily goals, but guess what? Having daily goals will keep you on track, even when life throws curve balls at you.

 

For every goal you miss, you’ll have those that you exceed, and mostly, it comes out in the wash. If you miss your goal, you can always tell yourself, “I’ll make it up tomorrow.”

 

Plus, writing every day keeps you steeped in your novel, thinking about it, and that lets your subconscious really work on it too.

 

1. Keep inspiration high

Creativity is a tricky thing, and the muse doesn’t always come when she’s called. A good writer doesn’t have time to wait for inspiration to strike. It’s important to surround yourself with things that inspire you.

 

I keep pictures of my characters near my desk as I write. I also do Pinterest boards for each character concept. When I feel is connected from the characters, I can go back to these for some visual inspiration.

 

You might also watch movies or read books in a similar vein to your WIP. Or listen to music as you write.

 

The important thing is this: pay attention to what inspires you.

 

Did you just have an amazing writing day? Ask yourself why. Was the sun shining and the music playing, and the words just flowed? If so, next time, grab your laptop and head out into that sunny day with your headphones.

 

Did you have a bad day? Why? Did you keep checking your phone? Maybe put it in the other room or use a Pomodoro app that only lets you access necessary apps.

 

1. Celebrate small successes

Writing is hard. It’s isolating. It’s frustrating. And at the end, there’s no guarantee of success, sometimes even for established authors. It’s vital that you celebrate your successes, no matter how small.

 

Did you make your daily goal all week? Celebrate it! Finished a tough chapter? Celebrate! Got 25 words onto the page when all you wanted to do was sleep. You got it—celebrate!

 

Because, really, in your writing career, there’s always something to freak out about. Before you’re published, you freak out about getting published, then after, you freak out about your reviews. Then, you freak because you have to write Book 2, then you freak out about THOSE reviews.

 

It can be exhausting.

 

Enjoying each step, learning from it, and bettering your craft is vital to avoiding jealousy of other authors and preserving your sanity.

 

And remember: every writer is different. What works for someone else may not work for you. Examining your process is key.

 

Best of luck! I’m rooting for you!

 

If you’d like to enter a Rekindled (Fairy Themed) giveaway, here’s the link for it! It’s going on until April 12th.

Good luck! And thanks for reading.

 

The Process of Writing “Evergreen” by Matthew S. Cox

Hey everyone! Hope you’re having a good day.

Yesterday I posted my review for the book “Evergreen”. Today, I wanted to sit down and really learn about the process behind the book, and what better way to do exactly that than talk to the author himself, Matthew S. Cox. So that’s exactly what I did.

 

Here’s what he had to say on the topic.

“The idea for Evergreen came about half a year ago when I was approached to participate in an anthology project with an apocalyptic theme. It sounded like an interesting project, so I decided to do it. Unfortunately, the story collection set a rather short (for me) word limit of 8k.

“I’ve been a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction for a long time, ever since I first encountered the computer game Wasteland in the Eighties as a kid. Back then, games shipped on floppy disks and they didn’t have a lot of room for data. So, the game made use of what they called a ‘paragraph book,’ which contained bits of the story in paragraphs referenced by number. While playing the game, it would occasionally pop up a message like ‘read paragraph 113.’ Though the graphics were super primitive by today’s standards, the text provided a level of immersion that few games of the time did.

“Anyway, when I started thinking of what to do for a story here, it occurred to me that the vast majority of post-apoc stories I remembered seeing took place a significant time after the cataclysmic event. Decades and years after the war, showing a reinvented society that bore little resemblance to civilization. That gave me the idea of writing a story set only months after the nuclear strike, looking into the world of people who are coping with the transition from nice, comfortable modern life to being forced into a world devoid of technology.

“I’m not entirely sure how I arrived at the decision to make the story into a young-adult one with a seventeen-year-old main rather than an adult protagonist. Perhaps because I did the adult post apoc already with The Roadhouse Chronicles. Perhaps because we’re seeing young people these days rise up and take stands for things they believe in while the old political dinosaurs cling to outdated mindsets with their dying breaths.
Regardless of what subconscious process went on in my mind, I wound up creating the character of Harper, an essentially normal, unremarkable teenage girl who’s introverted, sweet, and a bit on the timid side. The sort of girl who lost sleep the night before her driver’s exam out of anxiety and stresses endlessly about the SATs. She’d scoop up a beetle and carry it outside before stepping on it.

“The crux of the character arc in the story is taking this innocent, good-natured kid and putting her in a situation where the only thing standing between her little sister and a horrible attack is the shotgun in Harper’s hands.
The short story Evergreen, being a short story, kicked off in medias res with Harper and her little sister already on the run after their parents are killed by a gang of looters. Some passersby had earlier mentioned they’d been on the way to a town in the mountains rumored to be a safe haven, but her father hadn’t wanted to risk leaving the house so soon after the warheads hit.

“Several readers told me they adored Harper as a character and wanted to see more of her story. Being that I had such a small word count, the short kept Evergreen as a quasi-mythical place of hope, and showed Harper and Madison leaving their home town of Lakewood, ending once they escaped the gang of thugs in the area.
When I novelized it, I had the opportunity to flesh out the story and really dig into the mental state of the little sister, and Harper’s internal struggle with losing everything, including her ability to just be the invisible wallflower who avoided people that scared her. Upon reaching Evergreen, they find it is safe, but not without some challenges.
Harper’s world has been turned on its head. She’s been forced to finish growing up much faster than she wanted to, but she’s determined to protect her sister.

“I have to say that I am thrilled at the response so far that Evergreen is receiving. There have been so many wonderful comments and interest in this book—and requests for a sequel. I hadn’t intended to make a series of this one, but with all the interest and request… I’m presently working on another book that picks up a few months after the events of Evergreen.

Look for The World That Remains most likely sometime in March.

Happy reading!
-Matt”