#SATurday Update: Hannibal, The Jewel, Penny Dreadful, Chocolate, and More.

This week has been lots of fun! I actually went on another trip. This time, to Hannibal, Missouri—the hometown of Mark Twain. I went on a riverboat ride down the Mississippi, heard local folklore (like Lover’s Leap), took a tour through the Rockcliffe Mansion, and snuck in some wine and chocolate along the way (at Chocolate Stam). The wine I had was called the Cat’s Meow too, so that was a plus. Other than that, it’s been the year of sickness for me. I caught a cold somehow during my trip, so I’ve been traveling and dealing with sickness. Boo. But it’s been a great week.

What I’m Writing:

I have to be honest. I have not budged a lot from my last update, once again. This is mainly because I was traveling and sick. It’s rather funny, really. I normally have so many updates, which is why I started this, but since starting this, I haven’t had any. I promise that’s not like me, and I look forward to getting back into the swing of things. Still, just for fun, I participated in #1lineWed, and the theme was first line of your book, so here’s the opening line to November Snow: Vendona damned me to hell the day I was born, but no one had the guts to tell me.

What I’m Publishing:

Also like my above post, I haven’t budged a lot. I’m still trying to recover/figure something out. I promise I’m trying though. I’m actually looking at turning November Snow into a series of some kind. I love trilogies, but I don’t want to be untrue to the story, so I’m letting it come to me and opening my mind/heart to it (as cheesy at that sounds). When I first wrote it, believe it or not, it was designed to be a 12-book series, hence why it was named after a specific month, but after writing a sequel and a third book (April Roses and July Thunder) that I didn’t like, it has haunted me ever since. But I’ve always wanted to release it with a series of short stories of all the side characters, so that’s a possibility I’m considering approaching with. Again, still trying to be true to my work, so it’s been a lot of sitting around, rolling around on the couch, dramatic sighing, and staring at the ceiling with an untouched notebook on the floor. My poor roommates.

What I’m Reading:

I just finished The Winner’s Crime by Marie Rutkoski, book 2 in The Winner Trilogy, one of my favorite trilogies by far, and you can read my full review here. If you haven’t checked out the first book, The Winner’s Curse, you can read my 5-star review of that here, but I recommend it to lovers of historical romance (with complications), especially to those who love tales of wit and war. I describe them both as magnificently written, seductively tense, and intellectually moving.

During my road trip to Hannibal, I started (and finished) The Jewel by Amy Ewing. Definitely one of my new favorites. I could barely put it down. I cannot wait to read the sequel, The White Rose. And you can read my full review here. I found The Jewel to be fascinating, refreshing, daring, and even romantic at times. That being said, definitely not for everyone. Despite being categorized as young adult, it revolves around very adult themes. To sum it up, you’re looking at a futuristic story where young women are sold to be used as surrogates for the royal families against their will. On a side note, I also tweeted to the author and she tweeted me back. So, that’s a plus.

I finished Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights by Salman Rushdie, and you can read my full four-star review here. Undeniably, it is a genius piece of magical realism for the literary readers out there. Recommended to readers of mythology, magical realism, philosophy, adult books bordering on fantasy, and to those who aren’t offended by religion being combined with satire. Must like long-winded, detailed passages, and be able to accept stretched reality.

I’m reading the Reluctant Guardian by Melissa Cunningham still too! I’m 40% the way through it, but the reason I’m reading this one slower than the others is because it’s on my Kindle, and it’s really difficult for me to read on my Kindle. It hurts my eyes a lot, so I’m a paperback person. That being said, I love Reluctant Guardian, and I will give another update of it when I finish it.

What I’m Listening To:

The Blackest Day by Lana Del Ray. It’s a song in her Honeymoon album, but there’s something about it I love to the bones. And some Pucifer, because I’m going to a Pucifer concert soon.

What I’m Watching:

I don’t have cable or any kind of TV in my house (yes, including NetFlix), so I rarely watch TV shows. That being said, someone lovely gifted me the second season of Penny Dreadful, so I’m watching that now. I so terribly wish I could watch American Horror Story, but alas, no cable. While I was traveling (and did have cable), I ended up watching too much of the Food Network, like Cutthroat Kitchen. I’ve never seen that before, not going to lie. It was kind of delightful. I also made time to watch Underworld, because it’s one of my favorites.

What I’m Baking, Making, and Drinking:

I baked a Spiced Pear Upside-Down Cake, an awesome recipe I got out of bon appetite magazine. Granted, I made some changes. I used just molasses instead of pomegranate molasses, lemon instead of orange, and downsized the recipe to fit the pan I had. I also didn’t put additional molasses on top. It’s a fantastic, not-too-sweet fall dessert.

What I’m Wearing:

My hair in a side braid. It did not work out well.

What I’m Wanting:

The White Rose by Amy Ewing: I need it right meow. The first book in the Lone City series was too good, and I am dying to get my hands on the sequel a.s.a.p.

The Winner’s Kiss by Marie Rutkoski: Another series that I NEED the next book in, but unlike The White Rose, The Winner’s Kiss doesn’t release until March of 2016. WHY? WHYYY?

What I’m Dreaming Of:

My friend invited me over to make pancakes, but when I got there, she decided to make donuts instead, and I was very upset. (Pancakes are a big deal.)

I also had a genesis fairy tale type dream, where a speaker was explaining why this man had treated this woman one way and not another. He had teased her and ignored her and led her on for years and years of heartbreak, but upon hearing of her terrible (and violent end), he died on the spot. There wasn’t much to say about it, other than the speaker explained that outsiders used to believe this was a story of love loved wrong, a lesson of love, but in the reality of those people who had this tale in their people’s past, it was a lesson of guilt.

What Else Is Going On:

I now have a brand-new cell phone, which is awesome! I love it so far. I’m prepping for the Halloween book signing on October 21, so check out the information about that below in my announcements!

~SAT

I first want to thank Instagram’s @bookprints for sharing her Timely Death story. Read it here. Feel free to always tag me in your social media posts, everyone! Hearing from you makes my day and night.

The paperback of Death Before Daylight releases this Monday, on October 19! Two days later, on October 21, you can come see me at Headrush Coffee and Tea Roasters in Kansas City, Missouri for a paranormal talk and book signing.

In other news, a few of you have asked me about my services since NaNoWriMo is about to take place. I am taking on new clients, so please feel free to email me at shannonathompson@aol.com. Since I haven’t shared/updated in a while, I thought I’d share some recent books I’ve worked with. You’ll now find them on my Services page and my Reviews page.