Archive | April 2025

Bookish Rant: 5 Things

Apr24

I hit two of the five aggravations below today. Not in the same book but still. Some are book specific and some are for KU as a platform.

Ready? Let’s go!

  1. Parallel timelines in the story with the same characters. Or extensive flashbacks. Give me a Part 1 and a Part 2. Or, here’s a theory, give us the backstory threaded into the present timeline. A lot of secrets come out when alcohol is involved. Or a good knock down, drag out fight.
  2. Using the word “pregnancy” in the title of a romance and not have the pregnancy happen till the last quarter-ish of the book. Come on! False advertising. Sometimes a girl just wants a good accidental pregnancy romance and having it pop up at the end ain’t it.
  3. Books that are published as a duet or trilogy, when the page counts do not support that format. I can read a massive book. Lots of us do. I understand that some people don’t, but if your part 1 is less than 200 pages— this should have been 1 novel. Perhaps the payout is better in KU for two books? I don’t know. It doesn’t bother me with the longer books, 300+ pages. I just wait until all the parts are released to read it. But for the shorter ones? I don’t know. I kind of feel like they are being published as written, and frankly stories can change in the writing. Or maybe you go the way of Martin or Rothfuss and leave us hanging.
  4. My Kindle putting book recommendations on my lists that will not be published for 5 months. Its April, 2025 right now and I’ve even seen one with a pub date of January 2026. Really? I understand putting it on a calendar but please quit making most of my recommendations be impossible to read right now.
  5. Amazon and Goodreads are linked, correct? So the both know when I haven’t finished a book. So why do I still get recommendations for a series that I DNF’d the first or second book?

I know. I’m a Bookish brat. Can you forgive me?

What are some of your pet peeves?

Checking In: Fast FIVE

Apr10

Oohhhh here we go! This fast five has to do with me, Myself and I. Lol. Just a quick check-in on how the writerly and readerly things are going

  1. Still reading an absolute MONSTER amount of books. Instead of constantly adding to the books read total, these past few weeks I’ve been rereading old favorites. At 140 out of the 350 I put on the 2025 challenge– I think I’m gonna be ok.
  2. I am currently grooving on the Ladies of Horror flash project. You can find it HERE. It explores a darker side that I find I really like. It makes it easier to explore some things– whether social or emotional. You should go and read all the fabulous poems and stories that are over there!
  3. Still doing a poem a day and making it to my 4pm writing date with the absolutely fabulous Rie. She has a substack where she does many types of poetry things. Here is a link to her post about one of my favorite things to hoard– blank note books!
  4. I’m getting better… I’d had a brutal  case of bronchitis and am slowly getting everything back on track. I’d let a lot of things slide while sick: housework, writing, all the stuff.
  5. Including my OTHER creative outlet– the planner journals. At first I started writing it in a journal but then stopped that too. And I’m not starting back up because it seems like so much work to back plan a MONTH. Maybe though… Maybe I should do what I do with my writing. Give myself a little bit of grace and start where I’m at. I can always go back and do the other weeks with my journal…

So there’s my current Fast Five. What would your current Fast Five include?

Not gonna lie…. Almost did a 6 but there’s nothing sinful to put on the list!

Just Write It: 5 on Just Drive

Apr4

I think I read somewhere that Devyn Sinclair wrote “Just Drive”” as a side story. A passion project, at least at first. A story she loved but wasn’t sure would sell. Was not sure it would resonate with readers.

I have reviewed maybe 2 books on Good Reads and Amazon. Possibly three. I leave a star rating but never a review. It has to hit me hard for me to leave a 5 stars and it has to hit even harder for an actual review. She got both.

Which makes a darn good argument to write what you are passionate about. The story you want. Because trends come and go, but staying true to you will bring the right readers to you.

Note: Just Drive is. RH Omegaverse Romance.

Here’s 5 things I loved about Just Drive:

5. The Formula. one racing. Do I watch racing? Nope. I’ve been known to watch it though, and it’s the only sport other than ice skating and gymnastics that I will watch. Fun fact: when I was a wee girl I wanted to race fast cars. Didn’t go further than checking out TONS of books at the wee little local library when I was younger and a little drag racing when a bit older… But. And there are specific racing details that made me SQUEEE.

4. Relationships & friendships outside the romance. A whole world was built, including both personal and professional relationships. And instead of having EVERYONE hate the new female driver, she did have professional friendships with other drivers.

3. World Building. This is set in an alternate universe. If she played with the rules Formula One racing in the story, it didn’t hit for this casual reader.  Which means short cuts were not taken. Sinclair obviously loves this subject and it shows.

2. Competition & Professionalism within the pack. Vanessa, our heroine is racing on a team with part of her pack and actively racing against another member. And while they are competitive– it’s in the right way. A way that doesn’t make it easy for either of them. They go balls to the wall racing each other, can be grumpy about losing and still celebrate a momentous win.

  1. Grandpa. I cried so hard. And we know, don’t we… That the good books, the great books, they help us. They entertain us. They teach us new things. And they give us a safe space to feel our feelings. I’m tearing up again (it would have been Pop’s 99th today) and we’ll, I’m probably gonna go back and reread so I have that safe space tonight.

That number one though, that’s why I write. While I generally work through stuff in my writing, that connection cannot be beat. It’s magic.

So what magical story have you been dying to tell? Don’t worry about markets right now– just grow your magic.

Ta, my Lovelies