#Saturdate The Danish Girl, An Outline, Cat Socks, and Raven Boys

Happy New Year! I know we’re only two days into 2016, but I hope the New Year is already off to a great start. I’m really looking forward to what 2016 brings. This year, so far, I have two book releases planned, a possible signing at B&N, and a signing in St. Louis in the fall. I hope I can add to that as the year progresses! My overall writing goals include working on The Tomo Trilogy and another, brand-new, never-be-seen trilogy I have yet to talk about openly. The first book is written, but in need of a rewrite. Who knows? Maybe I’ll even find a way to get those out sooner to you rather than later. 😉  Either way, I’m looking forward to 2016, and I hope you are too!

What I’m Writing:

I’ve actually been working really hard on Take Me Yesterday, book 2 of The Tomo Trilogy. After reviewing Take Me Tomorrow, I realized some major mistakes throughout the second book, so I’ve been re-outlining to get a better, more precise plot. (This sounds much nicer than it actually is. It involved a lot of self-loathing and staring at the wall and waded up papers and empty pens.) Ironically, I actually sold my very last copy of Take Me Tomorrow, so the world does seem to be telling me I must finish this trilogy next. We will see.

What I’m Publishing:

Whew! I finished the second round of edits for Bad Bloods, so now we have proofreaders going over it. I also sent out a newsletter asking for help during the cover reveal on January 6, so that’s exciting! (I can’t believe that’s happening in less than a week.) The winning #1lineWed preview can be read below. This week’s theme was friendship. (And while my tweet was short, I actually cut out a lot of the scene to fit it on Twitter, so this isn’t exactly what you’ll read in the book. I would give you the full scene, but it might spoil a major section. But, fun fact, Jane—to this day—is one of my favorite characters from any of my works.)

“A political friendship.”

“Friendship should never be political.”

“My dear,” Jane squeezed my hand, “Everything is political.”

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What I’m Reading:

I began my first read of 2016! See How They Run by Ally Carter is the second book in the Embassy Row series and highly recommended. (Love her.)

I started and finished The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, so yeah! I’ve started my 2016 Goodreads Reading Challenge. You can read my five-star review by clicking here. I recommend it to fans of mystery books, treasure hunts, the paranormal, humor, and Welsh mythology. Light romance readers will still enjoy the tension.

I finished The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson, and I loved it! I gave it four stars, and you can read my review here, but I recommend it to lovers of romance, especially when runaway princesses are involved. This is a VERY light “high” fantasy, but I am looking forward to seeing how the characters grow in the sequel.

What I’m Listening To:

Sights by London Grammar. Listen to it. Listen.

What I’m Watching:

So…I went a little crazy this week and watched a lot of movies. (What can I say? Silver AMC passes are great Christmas gifts during the Oscar season.)

The Danish Girl made me an emotional wreck. I highly recommend it. The movie—based on a true story that I also recommend reading (because there are some movie differences)—is brave, immortal, and a depiction of a sort of rare love, a never-ending type. The entire story was heart wrenching.

The Hateful Eight wasn’t my favorite Quentin Tarantino movie, but I will say this: I love that he was brave enough to tackle to taboo of violence against women in film. (Because, to me, that was what the movie was about.) Why? Because, generally, male characters face violence, while female characters only face sexual violence. (Which I’m freakin’ sick of. If I could go the rest of my life without a rape scene in a movie, that would be great. K, thanks.) I was quite relieved to see that Quentin doesn’t follow that “standard.” He sticks by just violence, treating her like any other character, and he also does it in a static form. (The whole movie practically takes place in one room, which is impressive.) The other parts that blew me away were the monologues. His dialogue was on point. But the overall story just wasn’t as exciting for me as his other films. Still recommended, of course.

I rented one. Love, Rosie reminded me of one of my favorite book/movies of all time. (One Day by David Nicholls), except Love, Rosie is the sweet and charming version. So, obviously, I loved this movie. I have the biggest crush on Lily Collins, which is why it’s so surprising I haven’t seen this movie yet, but I’m definitely going to watch it again. Recommended to those who love cheese.

And I managed to sort of binge-watch Making a Murderer. Worth it! It’s an awesome documentary series about a twisted trial.

What I’m Baking, Making, and Drinking:

I made chocolate chip cookies and chocolate mousse this week. Both of which turned out OKAY, but I’m learning. 😉

What I’m Wearing:

Cat socks. I got brand-new cat socks. This is a big deal.

What I’m Wanting:

So…I work at home and write at home and basically never leave my house. It’s natural that I would want all of these items from this list on Buzzfeed: 25 Delightfully Cozy Gifts For Anyone Who Hates Leaving the Home. But the coffee mug is perfection.

What I’m Dreaming Of:

My dad, sister-in-law, my roommate, and me were caught in a storm and had to rent out this creepy old church turned into a bed-and-breakfast. Bogart, my cat, was there, and at one point, he got spooked, so he ran into the bathroom. We were all cracking up…until he came sprinting out of the bathroom and the door slammed shut behind him.

What Else Is Going On:

The cover reveal is THIS Wednesday! Get excited!

~SAT