tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63364800243264201942024-03-15T21:11:28.623-04:00Dreams and DragonsBecause this world was never meant to be all there is.Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.comBlogger868125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-25036509806652664102024-03-15T08:05:00.001-04:002024-03-15T08:05:00.139-04:00Thoughts on Water Horse<p>Hello, everyone! March and April are full of exciting book releases, and today, I'm helping to celebrate the first of these: Katie Hanna's <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/204465025-water-horse"><em>Water Horse</em></a>, a Western fantasy <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CR4C6CV8">coming in just a few days, on March 19</a>. Katie has published many short stories in anthologies and through <a href="https://gohavok.com/">Havok</a>, but this is her first full-length nove release, so I'm absolutely thrilled for her. I was also thrilled to get my hands on an ARC of her novel so I could read this tale of magic, murder, and marriage as soon as possible — and, of course, so I could share my thoughts with y'all.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_93LFklcBWKKYwvXHAwyC8nqTnULJ1v-5qh26Kd_xLju2NKDcZt4t5ZHpls0WmDvIGQd9B1DGhiNEG7Oc-yVTJ08ru4_7mFvLJLy2lxVQkoteTwoJahh4w_vRUCuiw592BnkQAaieWug8C42iBFMyDjfNDEAd4eXpPsgKdLOUshr4oc3jy_A2X3Oqn1f/s560/3.15.2024_Water%20Horse.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_93LFklcBWKKYwvXHAwyC8nqTnULJ1v-5qh26Kd_xLju2NKDcZt4t5ZHpls0WmDvIGQd9B1DGhiNEG7Oc-yVTJ08ru4_7mFvLJLy2lxVQkoteTwoJahh4w_vRUCuiw592BnkQAaieWug8C42iBFMyDjfNDEAd4eXpPsgKdLOUshr4oc3jy_A2X3Oqn1f/w640-h360/3.15.2024_Water%20Horse.png" width="640" /></a></div><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Thoughts on <em>Water Horse</em><br /></span></h1><ol><li><strong>I love the blend of a Western setting and Irish mythology</strong><strong>. </strong>You all know that I'm a fan of unique fantasy settings, especially for historical fantasy — while I love the classic medieval-Western-European-inspired stories, it's delightful to see how authors merge magic and fantasy elements with other eras. And since the Old West is already such a legendary era and region on its own, combining it with fantasy seems such like such a natural choice, I'm always surprised that there aren't more fantasy Westerns out there. Happily, <em>Water Horse</em> fills a little bit of that void. I can't speak to the book's historical accuracy, but it hits the right notes of ranchers and cowboys, wild horses, isolated settlements, and adventure. And Hanna blends in Irish mythology, specifically the water horses (similar to kelpies, but sea-dwelling), along with other magic and magical beings in a way that works very well.<span class="Formatted"><br /></span></li><li><strong>I enjoyed the characters and their dynamics. </strong>This book features a very colorful and varied cast of characters, both magical and mundane. I enjoyed the characters themselves, and I also enjoyed the dynamics between them: the wary alliances, the friendships, and, yes, the romance — Meg and George end up in a marriage of convenience turned second-chance romance (for one of them, anyway), and it's very sweet. That said, the friendships — between George and his ranch hands, between Meg and the magical beings with whom she can communicate, and between Meg and Brian (a ranch hand who's also from Ireland) — are also a strong element of the story, and they were all written very well. Plus, there's a magical cat in this story, so that's obviously a plus.</li><li><strong>There is a lot more swearing than I expected. </strong>Is it worse than <em>Critical Role </em>(aka, the very upper limit of what I can tolerate)? No. Is it worse than some other books I've read? Also no. Was it enough to detract from my enjoyment of the book? Yes, yes it was — language used included pretty much everything except the f-bomb, and the s-word showed up with surprising frequency. And, yes, I know, this is a story about cowboys, and realistically speaking, they probably wouldn't exactly be clean-spoken . . . but I think that it should be possible to strike a balance between realism and not making readers uncomfortable in that way. If a book is going to make me uncomfortable, I would prefer it to be because it challenges my view of the world in a good way, not because the characters have overly dirty mouths.</li><li><strong>On a nitpicky note, there's something about either the writing style or the POV that I don't love. </strong>I <em>think</em> this has to do with the fact that <em>Water Horse</em> is written in first-person POV that switches between three characters, and while I love single-lead first-person POV, switching first-person POV has to be done <em>really</em>, <em>really</em> well in order to not bother me. Technically, <em>Water Horse</em> checks the main boxes — the characters have fairly distinct voices, they don't switch mid-chapter, and chapters are labeled with the POV character — but something about it still bothers me, and it kept me from enjoying the book as much as I could. This is very much a personal thing, though, so others might not be bothered at all.</li><li><strong>This is, in many ways, a story about secrets and second chances. </strong>The events of this story are a second chance for many characters, whether that's a second chance at life, at love, or at being better than you used to be. It's also about secrets, how they divide characters and how they threaten the second chances that are on offer. And while I did occasionally get frustrated with how <em>long</em> some of those secrets were kept, the way in which they came out and the results of the reveals played well with the overall theme.</li></ol><p>Does <em>Water</em> <em>Horse</em> sound like something you'd enjoy reading? What's a setting you'd like to see more in fantasy? Tell me in the comments!<br />Thanks for reading!<br /><img alt="" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-4292" height="68" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/2020_sig_type-e1599079790586.png?w=150" width="150" /></p>Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-53901434789443373242024-03-08T08:08:00.001-05:002024-03-08T08:08:00.145-05:00The Best Books of Discworld<p>Hello hello hello! I originally intended to take this week off from blogging, as I had a lot on my plate and wanted to focus my time and energy elsewhere. Then one of the things that was on my plate came off it . . . and I remembered that I had a half-finished post that I'd been saving for <a href="https://calmgrove.wordpress.com/2024/03/01/mm24/">March Magics</a>, so here we are! For those who don't know, March Magics is an annual, month-long celebration of the writings of Diana Wynne Jones and Terry Pratchett. I typically don't participate aside from using the event as an excuse to read <em>Howl's Moving Castle</em>, <em>Chrestomanci</em>, or some <em>Discworld</em>, but this year I'm squeezing in a post or two on the blogs and socials as well! As some of you might remember, I finally finished reading the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/40650-discworld"><em>Discworld</em> series</a> last year, after having procrastinated on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47989.Night_Watch?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=GBehWi4PWQ&rank=1"><em>Night Watch</em></a> for an embarrassing amount of time. And now that I've read the whole series, I decided that it's a great time to share my favorite <em>Discworld</em> books — a list that, for the most part, also functions as a set of excellent entry points into the series for those curious.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMP57ifMrEw9b7RCg1hu5nxuM78FmeM3-hnkbtT0tbv7fER4Hek4jpBReFDbwRNs4giaYDsyyjzs4Ql7hWdaycyHehVuPwe9fmyqoCSIfJhJwCMZlvi2zUY5hhXCuObMUG5lOjdBmeSkRMgyj0s5t8uTJ6f3cXvww_uoxxORWR2pttipKP7WpGp9Ft_MT/s560/3.8.2024_Discworld.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMP57ifMrEw9b7RCg1hu5nxuM78FmeM3-hnkbtT0tbv7fER4Hek4jpBReFDbwRNs4giaYDsyyjzs4Ql7hWdaycyHehVuPwe9fmyqoCSIfJhJwCMZlvi2zUY5hhXCuObMUG5lOjdBmeSkRMgyj0s5t8uTJ6f3cXvww_uoxxORWR2pttipKP7WpGp9Ft_MT/w640-h360/3.8.2024_Discworld.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">The Best Books of <em>Discworld</em><br /></span></h1><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8321" height="500" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/going-postal.jpg" width="331" /></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><strong><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/64222.Going_Postal"><em>Going Postal</em></a>.</strong> The chances of this book <em>not</em> taking first place were exactly nil. It has all the things I love about <em>Discworld</em> — the clever use of tropes and archetypes, the masterfully crafted plot, the brilliant characters, the humor — packaged with some of my favorite character and storyline types. Moist von Lipwig is a character in much the same line as <em>The Music Man's</em> Professor Harold Hill, and when what should've been a death sentence lands him instead in a government job, well . . . magnificently masterminded chaos ensues. Plus, even though it's fairly late in the series, it's a good entry point for the <em>Discworld</em> novels — it gives you the background you need on Ankh-Morpork and its significant inhabitants, and I'd argue it has some of Pratchett's best writing.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8322" height="475" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/guards-guards.jpg" width="292" /></div></li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/64216.Guards_Guards_"><strong><em>Guards! Guards!</em></strong></a> I may love Moist von Lipwig . . . but he's only my <em>second </em>favorite Discworld character (tied with the Patrician). My favorite? Sam Vimes. Vimes is a character of contrasts, a transplant from another genre who works astonishingly well in the fantasy city of Ankh-Morpork. And while <em>Guards! Guards!</em> shows him at his lowest . . . it also shows how he went from that lowest point onto the path that we see him on for the rest of the series. As a bonus, it's <em>also</em> a very good starting point for the series — early enough that you don't really need any background knowledge, but far enough in that Pratchett really had a feel for what he was about. (It's also where <em>I </em>started the series, so you know. There's that.)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-8323 " height="462" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/the-wee-free-men.jpg?w=474" width="280" /></div></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34494.The_Wee_Free_Men"><em>The Wee Free Men</em></a>. </strong>The Tiffany Aching sub-series in general is pretty good, but the first book — featuring a very practical, no-nonsense young Tiffany and her first encounters with the wild and riotous Nac Mac Feegle — is definitely my favorite. It's got Pratchett's take on fairies and fairyland, a main character who sets out to defend her family and her home, and just a lot of excellent moments and insight. It's also very short, so if you're after a quick read, this is it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8325" height="400" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/hogfat.jpg" width="249" /></div></li><li><strong><em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6567835-hogfather">Hogfather</a>. </em></strong>This is probably my most-read <em>Discworld</em> book, even if it doesn't take the top spot, as it's often one of my yearly Christmas reads. When the Disc's version of Santa Claus goes missing, Death must temporarily take his place while Death's granddaughter Susan (who is somewhat along the lines of a goth Mary Poppins) figures out what's gone wrong. Also featured are the wizards of Unseen University (whose extensive and mostly food-oriented holiday celebrations are interrupted by the goings-on), send-ups of a vast variety of Christmas tales, and what happens when you have a great deal of belief and nowhere for it to go. While it's a very secular take on Christmas, it does have worthwhile themes — and it's just generally a fun read.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-8326" height="408" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/the-fifth-elephant.jpg" width="251" /></div></li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/567653.The_Fifth_Elephant"><em><strong>The Fifth Elephant</strong></em></a><strong>. </strong>This is the one book on this list that I wouldn't necessarily recommend as a starting point, simply because it's both late in the <em>Discworld</em> series as a whole and midway through the City Watch subseries. So, while it can be read first without issue, you'll enjoy it more if you have a little context for, well, most of the characters. That said, I do love this book. There's lore, intrigue, a genuinely clever mystery, and Sam Vimes being, well, Sam Vimes. The one thing that sours the story is that there are some LGBT themes running through parts of the story, but there's also some great themes about power and tradition and culture and lines that you shouldn't cross, so I feel it balances out.</li></ol><p>Have you read any <em>Discworld</em> books? If so, what are your favorites? And will you be doing anything to participate in March Magics? Please tell me in the comments!<br />Thanks for reading!<br /><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-4292 size-thumbnail" height="68" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/2020_sig_type-e1599079790586.png?w=150" width="150" /></p>Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-40400831321514463442024-03-01T08:16:00.002-05:002024-03-04T15:06:20.276-05:00February Doings!Hello, all. February is over, and March is over, which means it's time for another Doings! post. This has been a long and tiring month — exactly what I expect February to be most years, actually, but not what it usually <em>actually</em> is. The past several years, I've gone into February with dread and found it wasn't half as bad as I feared. This year, I went into the month with an impressive level of optimism, and now I am <em>tired</em>.
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Writing!</span></h1>
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<ul><li>This was . . . well, it was a frustrating month, writing-wise. Technically, it was very productive, as I added about 30K more words to <em>Daughters of Atirse</em> #2, which is the same number of actually-drafting words I wrote in January. Unfortunately, I was hoping for about 10K more than I actually achieved, thus my frustration.</li><li>Why the (comparatively) lower wordcount? There are two factors in play in the answer to that question. For one thing, in January, I spent multiple Saturday mornings doing writing sprints with the RealmSphere group, while in February, I had to set up my own sprints if I wanted them . . . and, of course, I had relatively few free Saturdays to spend sprinting. For another thing, I had a lot more days when I came home really tired from work, had a hard time starting my evening writing session (or focusing once I'd started), and ended up saying "I wrote <em>something</em>, and that'll be good enough; I'm going to bed."</li><li>The fact that I was also navigating a section of the book where I had fewer clear ideas of what happens when also didn't help. I had several key scenes figured out, but I didn't have a good idea of exactly what connected them, and navigating that is always tricky. I am <em>almost</em> to the point where that problem should start to clear up, thankfully.</li><li>As for other writing projects: I made a little progress on my D&D adventure (not as much as I should've, but still better than nothing, given that it was not at any point this month my first, second, or third priority), and I did not work on my DOSA Files story. Originally I was going to wait to write it until I finished Onora's story, but at this point, I'm halfway wondering if taking a week or weekend mostly off from Onora to focus on that might help more than it would hurt.</li></ul>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Reading!</span></h1>
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<ul><li>My reading was another pretty mixed bag, though I did get to some books I'd been meaning to read for a long time, and almost everything I read was new to me.</li><li>The month started out strong with <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34219898-nevermoor"><em>Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow</em></a>, which I meant to read back at Christmas and didn't get to — it's not a Christmas book, but it has some significant Christmas-related scenes. I'm not sure <em>why</em> it has Christmas when it's not set on Earth, but . . . it's a middle grade novel, and it's fun and whimsical without lacking heart. And while it does flirt with a trope that has made me put books down in the past (magical secret world that looks down on the mundane world outside), it gets a pass by being very clear about the fact that the secret world has its problems too and also by being a little more justified in its secrecy and closed-off-ness than some other secret worlds I can think of but won't name here. It's not a perfect book, and I guessed several of the twists, but it was a fun read.</li><li>The fun thing about February is that it's Blind Date with a Book month. I only had two blind dates this year: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/444354.Dragonsong"><em>Dragonsong</em></a>, which I've meant to read for a while, and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8366402-the-tiger-s-wife"><em>The Tiger's Wife</em></a>, which I'd never heard of before now. <em>Dragonsong</em> was a good book with an interesting world and, of course, <em>dragons</em>, but I had a really hard time getting through the first half because I kept wanting to give side characters a good shaking. It picked up in the second half, though, which happened to be the half that involved more dragons. As for <em>The Tiger's</em> <em>Wife</em>, it was magical realism set in the Balkans, about a young doctor and her memories of and relationship with her grandfather and her grandfather's memory of his past. I had mixed feelings about it — it's well-written, and it uses a little-known fairy tale in a very interesting way, but it's also vaguely depressing in the way many literary fiction books seem to be, and so I don't think I'm likely to reread it.</li><li>My other three new-to-me reads all fell in the category of "didn't love it, didn't hate it." I'd heard good things about the <em>Detective Conan</em> manga series, but <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/985386.Case_Closed_Vol_1">the first book</a> didn't wow me — the mysteries are good, and the concept is interesting, but there's a major side character who makes me mad. I plan to try to continue the series in order to give it a fair trial, but yeah. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52080.Stephanie_Pearl_McPhee_Casts_Off"><em>Stephanie Pearl-McPhee</em></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52080.Stephanie_Pearl_McPhee_Casts_Off"> <em>Casts Off</em></a> is a creative nonfiction thing about the cultures and practices that surround knitting, and it was ok, but I like her more memoir/autobiographical books better. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/196027334-lawless"><em>Lawless</em></a> is a book with a cool concept — Western-dystopian-ish sci-fi retellings of the book of Judges — but it's also an anthology, and as is typical of anthology, I really enjoyed some stories ("The Mark," a retelling of Gideon, was probably my favorite), really disliked others, and had no strong feelings one way or another about the rest. Also . . . it's Judges. "Every man did what was right in his own eyes" and all that. I appreciate some well-applied grittiness, but sometimes it went a little further than what I, personally, was comfortable with.</li><li>We finish up with the rereads. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/175726111-rumpelstiltskin-s-bargain"><em>Rumplestiltskin's Bargain</em></a> is another of Kendra E. Ardnek's <em>Twisted Time</em> series, and it's a pretty cool take on the story of Rumplestiltskin. And <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/616694.DragonKnight"><em>DragonKnight</em></a> was, of course, excellent. It's my favorite in the <em>DragonKeeper Chronicles</em>, and returning to the story is always a joy. And I got to read it alongside someone who was discovering it for the first time, so that was also a lot of fun. Definitely a good way to finish up the month.</li></ul>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"> Watching & Playing!</span></h1>
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<ul><li>I watched exactly one thing this month that wasn't a short-form YouTube video, and that was <em>The Princess Bride </em>right before Valentine's Day. As always, it was a delight. I think I shocked the rest of my family by saying that not only was I definitely interested in watching something on my surprise-free-evening, but I also had a very specific movie I wanted to watch! But I had seen a lot of <em>Princess Bride</em>-related posts in the previous weeks, and I hadn't watched it in a while, so it seemed like a good time. And, again, it was.</li><li>Also, because I want to keep this section interesting, I'm expanding it to include other types of non-book media I enjoyed during the month, specifically podcasts and video games. I made this decision in large part because I've been listening to the <a href="https://wolf359.fm/#home-section"><em>Wolf 359 </em></a>podcast, and it is <em>so good</em>. I technically started it back in January, but I <em>really</em> got hooked this month. It's a sci-fi story about a small crew on a deep space mission orbiting a star far from earth, and the storyline slowly expands from sitcom-style shenanigans to intrigue, betrayal, and mystery. I'm about halfway through Season 2, and again, it is <em>so good</em>. If you are a fan of either Star Trek or <em>Schlock Mercenary</em> (or, you know, sci-fi in general), check it out! Also! It's only about sixty episodes long, so it won't take that long to get through, especially if you (unlike me) listen to podcasts more than just on one half of your commute.</li><li>I've also been doing some gaming, sometimes as a reward for actually finishing my to-do list early and sometimes as a way to give my brain a break between tasks. Mostly I've been playing through <em>The Stanley Parable: Ultra-Deluxe</em>, which is a re-release that came out a few years ago and has quite a bit of new content. I know this game isn't for everyone, and it does get a bit nihilistic or absurdist at times . . . but it's fun, and a lot of it is about storytelling — the types of stories we tell, the ways in which we tell them, and also what it's like when your characters (or your players, if you're a D&D DM, which <em>is</em> a form of storytelling as well) repeatedly defy you. So, obviously, I appreciate that element.</li><li>And, in usual Sarah fashion, I'm <em>finally</em> playing the Portal 2 co-op levels with my sister. We did one gaming session together this past weekend in which we completed the first two sets of levels, and we had a grand time solving the puzzles together, being silly with the gesture function, and snarking back at GLaDOS when she makes sarcastic comments at us. I introduced my sister to Portal a couple years ago via playing simultaneously with her one summer, and I'm really glad I get to play with her again. (It's anyone's guess when we'll play next, but . . . y'know. Hopefully it won't be too long.)</li><li>(Also, in case anyone, including my future self, was about to say or think something to the effect of "You know, the fact that you've been gaming might <em>also </em>have something to do with your lower wordcount this month," I just want to clarify: I had five gaming days across the entire month of February, one of them was also my highest wordcount day of the month, and all but one of them were on days I wrote at least a thousand words. The games are not the problem here. My brain, my schedule, my energy levels, my characters, and my outline are.)</li></ul>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Life!</span></h1>
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<ul><li>This has been a busy month, but not in a way that produces a lot of stuff worth talking about.</li><li>Grad school stuff is still going well, though it's definitely picking up with some larger and more effort-intensive assignments. I'm still enjoying the class reasonably well, but I'm also ready for it to be done. The biggest assignment of the class is due this weekend, and I'm very thankful that I've been able to use some stuff I've already done for work to put it together so it's not taking quite as much time. </li><li>On the topic of work: I expected this month to be dominated by the start of Lent, and that has taken up a lot of my time and attention . . . but much more of my energy has been taken up by funerals and tech troubles. We had internet-connectivity issues with our livestream towards the start of the month that were super annoying and time-consuming to sort out and that required me to stay late a few times and come in early one day. I did get comp time, so I'm not complaining, but it wasn't fun for me <em>or</em> anyone else involved. We've also had funerals pretty much every weekend, which has been . . . a lot. Funerals aren't <em>hard</em>, exactly, on my end, but they are energy-intensive due to the fact that there's so many moving parts and so many things that get decided at the last minute. And, of course, you're working with the family, who's grieving, and you're trying to find the balance of "be gentle and patient because they're going through a hard time" and actually, you know, getting all the necessary info so the program can be printed on time. It's a great ministry and a wonderful opportunity to show love to people when they need it most, but, again, it's energy intensive at the best of times, and February is <em>not</em> the best of times.</li><li>Ok, this has been very depressing; let's find something more cheerful to report.</li><li>Valentine's Day happened! I didn't do anything much for it, but my mom made cheesecake with strawberry topping, and it was delicious.</li><li>Also, two days after Valentine's Day, I got to have brunch and writing time at a French-Asian inspired cafe near my house, and that was both tasty and fun. I don't go often because it's expensive, but that particular morning I had some other stuff going on that meant I could justify the trip. I got milk tea, a croquette, and some little mochi cheese pancake-things with a cream cheese filling, none of which I'd tried before, and all of which were tasty. This particular cafe does a lot of filled breads and scones and such, and I kind of love it.</li><li>In yet <em>more</em> food-related news, my <em>Baking Yesteryear</em> recipe for the month was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YuKQ46g4mN0">chocolate potato cake</a>. This is one of the first really good recipes I remember seeing in Hollis's videos, so obviously it was pretty high priority. The cake is more like a spice cake than a birthday cake in terms of texture and flavor, but it is very tasty! You would <em>not</em> guess that there's potato in there. I know this for a fact, as, when I took it to Bible study and asked people what they thought the secret ingredient was, absolutely no one suggested half a potato. I don't think I'd make this cake <em>often</em>, as I don't like washing the potato-masher and it's more of a chocolate chip cake than a chocolate cake, but I <em>would</em> make it <em>again</em>.</li><li>Moving on to something non-food-related: I finally finished the shawl I've been working on! I expected to use two full skeins, but ended up stopping earlier than that because I decided the shawl was long enough (and also using up the second skein would've taken me until June, probably, at the rate I was going). I'm still waiting for an opportunity to wear the shawl, but I probably won't get that for a couple weeks yet, possibly another month.</li><li>We'll wrap up with the latest in D&D news. In our long-running campaign, we had several sessions' worth of diplomacy and intrigue, which . . . went a lot better than it could've, though not quite as successfully as we hoped. Long story short, we're less popular in-world than we used to be, at least in my character's home country, but we exchanged our popularity for peace by proposing and arranging a treaty that ended a war and freed a people group that was being abused and oppressed, so . . . worth it. And, I mean, we might be less popular, but we're also not considered criminals anymore, so that's also a win. (Again, long story short: absolute ages ago, we went to warn someone about a fiend we were tracking, the guy we were warning was in league with the fiend and tried to kill us, and then we were blamed when he died. And, yes, that was because one of our party members killed him, but it was <em>self-defense</em>, not murder.)</li><li>I also had my first session of a new campaign with an online friend, her daughter, and some of her friends/family, and I think that went well. It's a 4e campaign instead of a 5e campaign, and the DM's style is kind of different from that of the DM of the other campaign I'm in, so those things will take some getting used to. I had fun, though, and I like my character (a half-elf rogue named Mythe), and I'm excited to learn more about the other player characters, so it should be good. I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes.</li></ul>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: navy;"> </span><span style="color: #0b5394;">March Plans</span></h1>
<ul><li>I have one more week in my current grad school class! Again, I'm ready to be done with it. At least the last week is fairly light in terms of workload. Then I have about a week's break before the next class starts. I admit that I'm not looking forward to the next class — it's on editing, layout, and publishing, which is very much in my wheelhouse, but it's also basically one big group project. Besides that, looking at the syllabus, I'm pretty sure that between my day job and the fact that I've self-published seven books, I'm already past a lot of what they're going to cover. I don't say that thinking I know everything there is to know about editing, layout, or publishing — I <em>know</em> there's more I can learn — but, again, it looks pretty basic, especially for a graduate-level class, and I suspect the main thing I'll get out of this class is finding out <em>exactly </em>how much I dislike using Google Docs for formatting.</li><li>Speaking of writing and publishing: I'm once again aiming for adding 40k to <em>Daughters of Atirse</em> #2 in March. I don't think I'll finish the book this month, even though that was my original goal, but I think I can get close. I also hope to draft my <em>DOSA Files</em> submission, probably during the break between grad school classes.</li><li>That said, I'm also going to try to make a point of <em>not</em> jumping straight into trying to write on evenings when I'm really tired, as lately that just seems to result in me having trouble focusing and getting far more easily distracted than I usually am. But I'm also not going to fall into the trap of saying "Oh, I'll just watch one or two YouTube shorts and then I'll get started." Instead, if I'm tired enough that I can tell it'll be a problem, I plan to give myself between fifteen and thirty minutes (depending on just now tired I am) to do something that will actually recharge my brain — long enough to read a bit, watch something a little more substantial than shorts, play a level or two of a game, or do another activity of that nature. I hope this'll help — though I also hope that it won't be necessary and that escaping February will also free me from enough of my tiredness that I'll be able to write more easily.</li><li>As for work: it's the month of Easter. I will continue to be busy, and I will probably only get busier as the month goes on — but at least we don't have any funerals scheduled for this month! And I already have some good designs for a few of the graphics I'll need, so I have that going for me.</li><li>I didn't get to any ARCs in February, so I'll need to prioritize those in March. I'm also planning to reread at least some of the <em>Prydain Chronicles</em> (technically, I already started on that, but I haven't finished any yet) and hopefully read the <em>Emily Wilde</em> books that I keep hearing are so good. I also have beta reading to do! I may try to get a good bit of that done this weekend, actually.</li><li>I also need to find a good next project for crafting. I have a good idea of something I want to do, but I can't find a free pattern for it, and I'm currently debating whether I like the idea enough to spend money on it. Whatever I do, it's going to be something short and satisfying to balance out all the time I spent on my shawl!</li><li>I'm also trying to figure out some stuff with my blogs and my online presence in general, and I probably <em>should </em>work on that in March . . . but it's anyone's guess if I'll actually have the time or energy for it. We'll see.</li></ul>
<p>How was your February? Any plans for March? What's your strategy for writing while tired? What's something good you've read recently? Please tell me in the comments! <br />Thanks for reading!</p>
<p><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-4292 size-thumbnail" height="68" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/2020_sig_type-e1599079790586.png?w=150" width="150" /></p>
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Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-43022665401325010462024-02-23T08:24:00.005-05:002024-02-23T08:24:00.132-05:00On the Taleweaver's Desk Issue 11: February 2024<p>Hello, all! Welcome to the first Taleweaver's Desk update of 2024! To conclude the scheduling saga of the last few of these posts: I think I'm going to stick with doing these quarterly for now, as I do have some new developments to report, but a three-times-per-year schedule isn't entirely off the table yet. I also have a question for y'all: frequently, the "Shelved for Now" and "Stacked on the Side" sections don't actually have any changes from quarter to quarter. (This "Stacked on the Side" section does, but it's an exception.) Do you like that I include these for context and record-keeping purposes even when there's not really any major changes? Or would you prefer that I just include the sections where there's an update? Please tell me in the comments after you finish reading. And on that note, let's get on with the update.</p>
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<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">On the Taleweaver's Desk Issue 11: February 2024</span></h1>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763;">On the Desktop</span></h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>These are the projects you might find open on my laptop or desk if you took a peek at it during a normal day. They're currently in progress and at the top of the priority chart.</em></p>
<h3><em>Daughters of Atirse</em> #2</h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong>A Goose Girl/Puss in Boots retelling, the second book in the <em>Daughters of Atirse</em> series, and the prequel to <em>Song of the Selkies.</em></p>
<p><strong>Status: </strong>About 50k words into the first draft.</p>
<p>I'm a little behind where I'd like to be on drafting this, as I wasn't able to start until the beginning of January and my writing speed in the last couple weeks has been . . . not what I'd like it to be. That said, I am really enjoying spending time with these characters and their story and their slowly-unraveling secrets. Onora is proving herself to be an enjoyable-to-write (if very stubborn) main character, and the second-most significant character is her cat, who is <em>delightful</em>. I love him very much. (On a side note, I just realized that, since <em>Gilded in Ice</em>, I have been alternating between significant-cat books and no-cat books, which is . . . interesting? We'll see if the pattern holds.) Another aspect of this book that I'm really enjoying is the faith element. I've said that <em>Song of the Selkies</em> was my most Christian story, but Onora's story is a step even further than that, with Onora's faith forming a major part of her character arc. (I say this not in the sense that it's a salvation story, for the record, but in the sense that she spends a certain amount of time wrestling with a particular aspect of her faith, and only when she resolves that wrestling can she start to <em>really</em> solve other problems.)</p>
<h3>D&D Campaign: <em>Defenders of Serys</em></h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong><em>Defenders of Serys</em> is the homebrew D&D campaign that I run for my D&D group.</p>
<p><strong>Status: </strong>Working on the next adventure . . . slowly.</p>
<p>I am running out of time to write the next adventure, but like a fool, I decided to do something complicated and then prioritized it under pretty much every other writing project. I know what I want to do; I just have to figure out how to make it work. I've made progress, though! I probably have a session's worth of material, if push comes to shove, and once I finish the next step in the writing process, I'll actually have a lot of the hard part done. I just have to, y'know, finish that next step.</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763;">Stacked on the Side<br /></span></h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>These are the stories that I'm not actively working on (at least not officially), but I'm keeping close at hand because I plan to get back to them soon (or I just work on them sporadically as the urge takes me). </em></p>
<h3><em>Bastian Dennel, PI</em> #5</h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong>Originally Book 4 in my <em>Bastian Dennel, PI</em> series, now book 5. Bastian takes on a murder mystery involving <em>far</em> too many Families.</p>
<p><strong>Status:</strong> Drafted; in need of a rewrite. I need to write the new Book 4 before I dive back into this, unless I decide to do something weird, but it's still pretty high on the priority list. I'm looking at a 2025 release, if all goes well.</p>
<h3><em>Blood in the Earth<br /></em></h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong><em>Blood in the Earth</em> is the sequel to <em>Blood in the Snow</em> and a retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses crossed with the myth of Hades and Persephone.</p>
<p><strong>Status: </strong>First draft finished; awaiting rewrites. I still love this story, but I don't know when I'll get back to it.</p>
<h3><em>Once Upon a Dream<br /></em></h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong>A light steampunk (or gaslamp fantasy?) Sleeping Beauty retelling; the predecessor to <em>The Midnight Show</em></p>
<p><strong>Status: </strong>Edited several times over. Awaiting another round of rewrites/expansion/edits (and a useful excuse/motivation for prioritizing those edits).</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763;">Shelved for Now</span></h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>These are stories that are also on hold, but which I don't have specific plans to work on very soon. They're still within easy reach should I decide to return to them, but they aren't a top priority.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>There are no significant changes to any of these projects since my last update, but I'll leave the list here for anyone who hasn't seen it before!</strong></p>
<h3><em>Dust of Silver<br /></em></h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong>Classic-ish fantasy retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses crossed with Rapunzel, the first book in what has the potential to be a rather long series. Also, a rewrite of a book I wrote years ago that won't let go of me because CHARACTERS.</p>
<p><strong>Status: </strong>Several chapters into the rewrite, though those several chapters haven't been touched in a few years.</p>
<h3><em>Between Two Worlds</em></h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong>A portal fantasy adventure about what happens when you come home from the adventure, only to discover that the adventure isn't quite as done with you as you thought.</p>
<p><strong>Status: </strong>Awaiting another round of edits/rewrites while I write other things and daydream about its sequels. May get bumped further up the priority list depending on certain other factors, but probably not for a while yet.</p>
<h3><em>The Way of the Pen<br /></em></h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong>Self-aware fantasy adventure about a girl and her author.</p>
<p><strong>Status: </strong>The first draft is sitting on my shelf, patiently waiting for its turn back in the spotlight, as it has been for some time. Of everything in this section, this is the most likely book to move up to Stacked on the Side or On the Desktop, as I occasionally have wild thoughts of editing it and shopping it 'round to traditional publishers. However, that actually happening in the next couple years is improbable, due to Atirse and Bastian Dennel taking priority.</p>
<h3><em>Berstru Tales</em> series</h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong>A classic epic fantasy series and the longest-running series I've worked on (either in the number of books written or in how long I've worked on it.</p>
<p><strong>Status: </strong>Needs to be rewritten from the ground up, but the bones are good. There's a particular character who's getting a whole new arc, and I'm really excited to write it . . . when I have time.</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763;">Awaiting Delivery<br /></span></h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>These are the stories that are on their way, but haven't quite arrived yet to the point where I can write them: ideas I'm toying with but haven't even started to draft because they're still too nebulous.</em></p>
<h3>Additional <em>Bastian Dennel, PI </em>novels</h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong>Exactly what the heading said. Book 4 will be Jack and the Beanstalk (yes, I'm serious); other stories planned include The Little Mermaid, The Goose Girl, The Nutcracker, and Pwyll & Rhiannon.</p>
<p><strong>Status:</strong> I continue to poke at series order, trying to produce something where there's not a huge gap between books but also I don't have too many stories too close together and I can write the stories I'm most excited about sooner.</p>
<h3>Future <em>Daughters of Atirse </em>books</h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong>What the headline said, again. Multiple other stories connected with <em>Song of the Selkies</em>. Specifically, I have plans for some variation on Beauty and the Beast (sequel), <em>Tam Lin </em>(prequel), and Pwyll & Rhiannon (sequel), as well as a prequel and at least one other sequel that don't have specific fairy tales but will be written because I want to tell their main characters' stories.</p>
<p><strong>Status: </strong>Lots of plans, and I only write so fast, but I spend enough time brainstorming these with a friend that I should have them pretty well planned out by the time I actually get to start drafting.</p>
<h3>Novellas from the world of <em>Blood in the Snow</em></h3>
<p><strong>What are they? </strong>Currently, three ideas for spinoffs, most of which are also fairy tale retellings: one Puss in Boots (no, really), one Orpheus and Eurydice (probably crossed with a similar Japanese myth, Izanagi and Izanami), and one that's not currently a fairy tale retelling but would be about Gan and Azuma before they were animal-keepers at the emperor's palace (inspired the summer I spent watching a lot of <em>Hogan's Heroes</em>).</p>
<p><strong>Status: </strong>Won't be written until after I edit <em>Blood in the Earth</em>.</p>
<h3>Unnamed Fantasy Murder Mystery</h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong>Exactly what the headline says. A prominent noble is murdered; his adoptive daughter is poised to inherit his lands and position — but some are saying her hand was behind his death.</p>
<p><strong>Status: </strong>Still just an idea, but it's an idea with a <em>really</em> <em>good</em> soundtrack. Still not going to be tackled until after <em>Blood in the Earth</em>. May end up being set in the same world as <em>Daughters of Atirse</em>, though not in the same series and later in the world's timeline.</p>
<h3>Miscellaneous Short Stories</h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong>A potential story for H.L. Burke's <a href="https://www.hlburkeauthor.com/general-8"><em>DOSA Files</em> anthology</a> and a few other ideas that are ping-ponging around in my head.</p>
<p><strong>Status: </strong>The <em>DOSA Files</em> story needs to get written in the next month and a half or so. (Technically, I have until the end of April, but I don't want to wait until the very last minute, since I'd like to run the story through beta readers.) I have a couple weeks off from grad school in mid-March, so I may try to fit it in then; otherwise, I'll jump into it at the start of April. I'm also toying with the idea of trying to write some other short stories that I've had in my head for a while so I can maybe do an anthology of my own sometime, but we'll see how that goes.</p>
<p>What projects (writing or otherwise) are you working on currently, and how are they going for you? Tell me in the comments! <br />Thanks for reading!</p>
<p><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-4292 size-thumbnail" height="68" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/2020_sig_type-e1599079790586.png?w=150" width="150" /></p>
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Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-4112464991805505572024-02-16T23:14:00.002-05:002024-02-16T23:14:00.138-05:00February Is Fantasy Month: Favorite Romance Tropes<p>Hello all! With Valentine's Day just behind us, I think it's safe to say that many of us have romance on the brain. So, what better time than now to talk about some of my favorite romance tropes? And to link in with <a href="https://www.jenelleschmidt.com/blog/fantasy-month-all-the-goodies">February is Fantasy Month</a> again, for every trope, I'm going to include a few fantasy book recommendations that I think really showcase what I'm talking about.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFSBdZU4CfPqO3-qAym6jD0V8USthYU3hYAPFeFUNOl1I5v4C9un8nStphuzhmemezySksyZK_hR5hHcQu_5wNOzFQ_L8EGUaPN2-mCer198aWHosJ74-r8YmuOuPU_213MXAwW1lfZhyphenhyphenLrBERZ4p8tkJ8D7rw6kPxlTHhGcLa66qKrLU5g4KTIdcFWTT/s560/2.16.2024_Favorite%20Romance%20Tropes.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFSBdZU4CfPqO3-qAym6jD0V8USthYU3hYAPFeFUNOl1I5v4C9un8nStphuzhmemezySksyZK_hR5hHcQu_5wNOzFQ_L8EGUaPN2-mCer198aWHosJ74-r8YmuOuPU_213MXAwW1lfZhyphenhyphenLrBERZ4p8tkJ8D7rw6kPxlTHhGcLa66qKrLU5g4KTIdcFWTT/w640-h360/2.16.2024_Favorite%20Romance%20Tropes.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Favorite Romance Tropes<br /></span></h1><ol><li><strong>Slow Burn. </strong>I think my love for this trope is well-established — the surest way to make me enjoy a romance is to make it a good slow-burn, where the question isn't <span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">isn't "Will they or won't they?" but rather "How long will it take both of them to realize what's going on?" After all, half the joy of a slow burn is spotting it long before the characters do and then making much of hand-touches and smiles and definitely-not-dates. Whether this takes place over the course of a series or in a single book, I'm certain to enjoy it.</span> <br /><em><strong>If you want to read this, try . . . </strong></em>For a single-book slow-burn, I happen to be very fond of my most recent release, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186791005-song-of-the-selkies?"><em>Song of the Selkies</em></a>. Not only does it have a proper "crockpot romance" (which is to say, everything is lovely and tender and there's <em>pining</em>), it comes with bonus Faramir and Eowyn vibes. That said, I would also classify <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6294.Howl_s_Moving_Castle"><em>Howl's Moving Castle</em></a> by Diana Wynne Jones as this type of romance — even though the book is short, the love story is drawn out and clever readers see the romance coming long before the characters will admit it. And for a series-long slow-burn, there's W.R. Gingell's <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/237767-the-city-between"><em>City Between</em></a>.</li><li><strong>Princess and Rogue Parings. </strong>This is a another trope that I've mentioned loving plenty of times and that I enjoy writing as much as I enjoy reading. Happily, this dynamic shows up fairly frequently: <span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">a man — perhaps an actual rogue, perhaps just someone with roguish traits — who's been living only for himself meets a woman caught up in what everyone else needs (or expects) her to be. As a result, he finds a reason to be selfless, and she has a chance to be seen and loved solely for herself. And for the reader, that means we get two characters who probably play off each other in really fun ways, probably a healthy dose of snark, <em>and</em> a redemption arc. Plus, it frequently overlaps with the Ladykiller in Love trope, in which a guy known for liking the ladies in general, but not getting permanently attached to any of them, finds himself head-over-heels in love — probably with the one woman who'd never fall for his usual advances. What more could a girl want?</span><br /><em><strong>If you want to read this, try . . . </strong></em>So many good choices — though some of my favorites examples of this trope are actually in movies, not books (and not always fantasy movies either). But probably my favorite bookish example (aside from <em>Howl</em>) is found in <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13496575-starflower"><em>Starflower</em> </a>by Anne Elisabeth Stengl. Bard Eanrin may not be a rogue, but he shares most of the essential characteristics, and Starflower certainly fits the princess profile . . . and their relationship is one of my favorite aspects both of this book and the series as a whole. I also love the way this plays out in books 3 and 4 of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/62018-the-lunar-chronicles"><em>The Lunar Chronicles</em></a> by Marissa Meyer, and you'll also find it in a <em>lot</em> of H.L Burke's<em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/298350-supervillain-rehabilitation-project"> Supervillain Rehabilitation</a>/<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/367260-supervillain-romance-project">Romance Project</a></em> books. (I'm pretty sure <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/126520137-accidentally-a-supervillain"><em>Accidentally a Superhero</em></a> would be the best example, but I haven't read that one yet.)</li><li><strong>Friends to Lovers. </strong>This frequently overlaps with the slow-burn trope, but there's just something lovely about seeing a pair of friends turn into something more, or in reading an established romance where it's clear that the couple cared about each other as friends long before they even <em>thought</em> about kissing. I especially love the childhood-friends-to-lovers variant and the idea that these two characters have <em>always</em> been and always will be by each other's sides.<br /><em><strong>If you want to read this, try . . . </strong></em>If you want the childhood friends version of this, pick up <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36417230-lady-dragon-tela-du"><em>Lady Dragon, Tela Du </em></a>or <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60712076-snowfield-palace"><em>Snowfield Palace</em></a>, both by Kendra E. Ardnek. (It's also in the backstory for <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62669175-through-a-shattered-glass"><em>Through a Shattered Glass</em></a>, just saying . . .) On the other hand, if you'd like a version that overlaps with the next trope on this list, you'll probably be very pleased with the romance in the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/41419-dragonkeeper-chronicles"><em>DragonKeeper Chronicles</em></a> by Donita K. Paul, which has a lovely antagonists-to-friends-to-lovers-to-happily-married-couple sequence over the course of books two through five.</li><li><strong>Antagonists to Lovers. </strong>This is more commonly known as enemies to lovers, but I'm using the broader term of "antagonists" because the category of books I'm describing includes everything from legitimate, blades-at-the-throats enemies to people who are more just . . . rivals, or who annoy each other until they start to see things differently. In any case, the journey as couples in this trope come to see from one another's perspectives, sympathize with someone they disliked, and usually find some kind of redemption in the process is just so lovely to read . . . and the fact that the characters usually have a lot of deliciously snarky and charged interactions, as well as begrudgingly tender moments, doesn't hurt either.<br /><em><strong>If you want to read this, try . . . </strong></em>For actual <em>enemies</em> to lovers, you can't go wrong with <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30969741-an-enchantment-of-ravens"><em>An Enchantment of Ravens</em></a> by Margaret Rogerson or <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58518629-gothel-and-the-maiden-prince"><em>Gothel and the Maiden Prince</em></a> by W.R. Gingell. On the other hand, if you're looking for characters who are merely antagonistic, but not necessarily outright enemies, pick up <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57112886-a-thieving-curse"><em>A Thieving Curse</em></a> by Selina R. Gonzalez or <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41438651-echo-north"><em>Echo North</em></a> by Joanna Ruth Meyer.</li><li><strong>Married Adventure Couples. </strong>Does this count as a romance trope? I don't know, but I absolutely love when a fictional couple gets married and then continues having adventures and being awesome, with the added benefit of being secure in their relationship so they know they already have each other's backs and becoming a fabulous battle couple (if they aren't that already). It's both a nice change of pace from the drama of pre-marriage couples and a reminder that "happily ever after" doesn't mean nothing interesting ever happens again.<br /><em><strong>If you want to read this, try . . .</strong></em> As already mentioned, this appears in the last two books in the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/41419-dragonkeeper-chronicles"><em>DragonKeeper Chronicles</em></a> by Donita K. Paul. It's also heavily present from book 4 onward in Kendra E. Ardnek's <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/142661-the-bookania-quests"><em>Bookania Quests</em></a> series — and, conveniently, book 4 is one of the series entry points. Unfortunately, I can't think of many other examples — if you know of any, make sure you let me know!</li></ol><p>What are your favorite romance tropes? What are your favorite books including those tropes? Please tell me in the comments!<br />Thanks for reading!<br /><img alt="" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-4292" height="68" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/2020_sig_type-e1599079790586.png?w=150" width="150" /></p>Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-32257753803573688002024-02-09T08:21:00.004-05:002024-02-09T08:21:00.136-05:00February Is Fantasy Month: Favorite Fantasy Subgenres<p>Hey'a, friends! As you may have seen, this year, Jenelle Leanne Schmidt brought back <a href="https://www.jenelleschmidt.com/blog/fantasy-month-all-the-goodies">February is Fantasy Month</a>, a month-long celebration of all things fantasy! This includes daily posts over on her site, a blog post linkup, giveaways, and an Instagram challenge. And because I love both fantasy and prompts that help me figure out what to post about, I'm borrowing today's Instagram topic, fantasy subgenres, for today's post. Now, I've met very few fantasy subgenres I don't enjoy . . . but I definitely like some more than others, so today, I'm sharing my top five favorites (roughly in order), along with some recommendations in each of those subgenres. </p><p>As a note, I am <em>not</em> including fairy tale retellings as a subgenre because any fairy tale retelling is necessarily also at least one <em>other</em> subgenre. Not that some of these other subgenres don't overlap, but they don't <i>have</i> to overlap, you know? With that out of the way, let's get on with the list.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-gUysExpyNE22yOx-PPKaJjiUxlrOyiVcFfH684LMr7E089ppcEER0WVYXbQ8bhQ3Rh5v2P5CBWgn-utgONpAvDY3N5zw-EnmaaZGg9Q0PkFUZvvr6kYnn15XUq2uX-6Rxh5EwjOg-89l6TxhezLRkOrJLgL841VUn98SitxC1rLgkqrF9aQMOqTTH3zE/s560/2.9.2024_Fantasy%20Subgenres.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-gUysExpyNE22yOx-PPKaJjiUxlrOyiVcFfH684LMr7E089ppcEER0WVYXbQ8bhQ3Rh5v2P5CBWgn-utgONpAvDY3N5zw-EnmaaZGg9Q0PkFUZvvr6kYnn15XUq2uX-6Rxh5EwjOg-89l6TxhezLRkOrJLgL841VUn98SitxC1rLgkqrF9aQMOqTTH3zE/w640-h360/2.9.2024_Fantasy%20Subgenres.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">February Is Fantasy Month: <br />Favorite Fantasy Subgenres<br /></span></h1><ol><li><strong>Fantasy mystery. </strong>That this makes the top of the list shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Before I discovered fantasy, I devoured mystery books like they were going out of style. It took me a surprisingly long time to discover that the two can be combined — but once I did, I was <em>delighted</em>. The only thing better than a good whodunnit is a good whodunnit in which the culprit might be a dragon and the detective a wizard. Or, you know, vise versa. I am 100% on board with dragon detectives, and if anyone knows of a good such book (other than <em>A Tale of Two Castles</em>), please tell me so I can read it.<br /><em><strong>If you want to read this, try . . . </strong></em>The <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/43988-knight-and-rogue"><em>Knight and Rogue</em> series</a> by Hilari Bell was the first fantasy-mystery I encountered, and it has both some very well-crafted mysteries and a really fun dynamic between the two main characters, Michael (a would-be knight errant with a sense of honor to match) and Fisk (a former thief and con artist with a better heart than he lets on). It's more low fantasy, but if you want something more magical, try <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/145608-the-invisible-library"><em>The Invisible Library</em></a> series by Genevieve Cogman, which includes dragons, fae, alternate dimensions, and librarian-spies. And, of course, I have to mention my all-time favorite fantasy mystery, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29481285-masque"><em>Masque</em></a> by W.R. Gingell, which turns Beauty and the Beast into a murder mystery.</li><li><strong>Epic fantasy. </strong>While I read less of this than I used to, I still love it. Epic fantasy (especially quest-based epic fantasy) is where I learned to love the genre, and it contains many of the stories that make my heart sing. The greatest heroes and the darkest villains are often found here, and so is some of the most magnificent worldbuilding in all fantasy.<br /><em><strong>If you want to read this, try . . . </strong></em>The obvious recommendations here are Tolkien and Sanderson, and I love both of them — <em>The Lord of the Rings</em> was one of the subgenre originators, and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/49075-the-stormlight-archive"><em>The Stormlight Archive</em></a> is one of the most epic of epic fantasies I've ever read. But Tolkien and Sanderson are also both long and well-known, and so I also want to include a couple more obscure recommendations. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50433328-moonscript"><em>Moonscript</em> </a>by H.S.J. Williams is a beautiful, thrilling tale of adventure, salvation, friendship, and the battle between light and darkness, with notes of both <em>The Lord of the</em> <em>Rings</em> and <em>The Tales of </em><em>Goldstone Wood</em>. And speaking of <em>Goldstone Wood</em>, I love the whole series, but <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20894732-golden-daughter"><em>Golden Daughter</em></a> is both the most epic and one of my favorites in that series.</li><li><strong>Heist fantasy. </strong>Much like fantasy mystery, heist fantasy takes an already awesome genre (who doesn't love a really clever, exciting heist/con story?) and makes it better via the addition of magic, magical beings, and fantastical locations. If you've ever watched <em>Leverage</em> and thought "you know what this needs? a dragon. or a vampire," then you and I are on the same page. On one hand, imagine the schemes a crew can pull when their team could include wizards, fae, or even dragons! On the other hand, imagine the schemes they'll <em>have</em> to come up with when their mark can read minds or famously has (or is) a dragon guarding his treasure! (Oh, wait, that's just <em>The Hobbit</em>. Though that one worked out more due to luck than any clever scheming on Bilbo and the dwarves' part . . .) While I haven't read a <em>ton</em> in this genre, I've enjoyed 95% of what I <em>have</em> read, so it definitely makes the favorites list.<br /><em><strong>If you want to read this, try . . . </strong></em>So, I can't get you <em>Leverage </em>with a dragon, but I <em>can</em> get you <em>Leverage</em> with a vampire (or, well, ex-vampire) in the form of <em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/347079-miss-dark-s-apparitions">Miss Dark's Apparitions</a></em> by Suzannah Rowntree. I absolutely love this crew of inventors, schemers, and con artists, both for their adventures <em>and</em> for the interactions and dynamics between them. (Obviously, if you want something a little more epic, Brandon Sanderson's <em>Mistborn</em> and Leigh Bardugo's <em>Six of Crows</em> are both also excellent. But y'all probably know about those already.)</li><li><strong>Portal fantasy. </strong>Portal fantasy seems to be out of style at the moment — or, at least, I don't see very much of it — which is tragic, as it's so <em>fun</em>. It has all the benefits of epic fantasy, but with the additional plus that you're experiencing everything alongside someone who's as new to it as you are. And, of course, there's all kinds of interesting things you can do with the tension of feeling caught between two worlds, with adapting to back home after your adventure, and so forth.<br /><em><strong>If you want to read this, try . . . </strong></em>Probably my favorite portal fantasy (outside of <em>Narnia</em>) is the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/91675-legends-of-karac-tor"><em>Legends of Karac Tor</em></a> by D. Barkley Briggs, a Christian series that blends elements of Norse, Celtic, Welsh, Arthurian, and Native American mythology in its worldbuilding — plus, it has fantastic characters, lots of family dynamics, and a fantastic storytelling voice. Brandon Mull's <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15802268-brandon-mull-s-beyonders-trilogy"><em>Beyonders</em></a> is another excellent trilogy that plays with some tropes and includes some very unique worldbuilding elements. Also, while it's not <em>exactly</em> portal fantasy (more time travel), Kari Maaren's <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33517568-weave-a-circle-round"><em>Weave a Circle Round</em></a> has a lot in common with the subgenre, lots of references to literature and legends, and absolutely no romance. </li><li><strong>Urban, Historical & Gothic fantasy. </strong>I'm combining these three for two reasons. Urban and historical fantasy fit together because I love them both for the same reasons: I enjoy seeing the way authors weave together magic and magical beings with reality, coming up with wondrous secrets behind even the most mundane matters. As for the Gothic fantasy, most of this subgenre is also historical fantasy. Plus, many of my favorite historical fantasies are also Gothic — it's that extra edge of darkness, creepiness, and mystery that makes everything more exciting and provides opportunities for light and redemption to show up even better. That said, these elements do have to be used in moderation, which is where a lot of urban fantasy especially goes wrong.<br /><em><strong>If you want to read this, try . . .</strong></em> For urban fantasy, you know I have to recommend W.R. Gingell's <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/237767-the-city-between"><em>City Between</em></a>. (No surprises there; I yell about it every few months, it seems.) For historical fantasy, try . . . well, literally anything by Suzannah Rowntree, but also <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44006885-spinning-silver"><em>Spinning</em> <em>Silver</em></a> by Naomi Novik, a multi-faceted Rumplestiltskin retelling set in Russia. And if you're after some Gothic fantasy, you can go cozy with <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/383719-the-secrets-of-ormdale">The</a><em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/383719-the-secrets-of-ormdale"> Secrets of Ormdale</a></em> series by Christina Baehr, or you can aim dark and romantic with <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/146378899-black-and-deep-desires"><em>Black and Deep Desires</em></a> by Claire Trella Hill.</li></ol><p>What are your favorite fantasy subgenres, and what books in those subgenres do you especially recommend? Please tell me in the comments!<br />Thanks for reading!<br /><img alt="" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-4292" height="68" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/2020_sig_type-e1599079790586.png?w=150" width="150" /></p>Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-92146242837813260312024-02-02T08:07:00.002-05:002024-02-02T08:07:00.136-05:00January 2024 Doings!<p>Hey'a, friends! We're officially a month into 2024, and I feel like the year has had a pretty good start. While January had some rough spots, I've had a reasonably pleasant month involving a new hobby, some gaming, and a lot of writing. So, let's look back and see what was good!</p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Writing!</span></h1>
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<ul><li>I'm happy to say I've had a very productive January, writing-wise! <em>Daughters of Atirse </em>#2 has about 30,000-some words of rough draft to its name, plus 10,000-odd words of outline (from which I have already diverged, but it's fine — it's mostly scenes happening in a different order than I expected). That comes out to a pleasantly palindromic total of 40,204 words towards this project. My productivity was partially due to writing deadlines and partially thanks to the fact that the RealmSphere (aka, Realm Makers social media) held a NaNoWriMo alternative this month called JanNoWriMo. Participating in that, particularly needing to report daily wordcounts and having people to sprint with on Saturday mornings, helped a lot with staying on track.</li><li>Also helping the writing productivity is the fact that this book moves a bit quicker than <em>Song of the Selkies </em>in terms of pacing. This is partially due to the type of story I'm telling, partially due to the fact that I don't have to do as much setup at the start, and partially because of differences between Onora's personality and Ceana's. (Notably, Onora is much more decisive than Ceana.)</li><li>And since the book is going so well, I'm sharing a snippet from the first chapter:</li></ul>
<blockquote>
<p></p><blockquote><p>“So may it be,” Onora echoed softly. Dòmhnall’s hands left her shoulders, and she stood. “Thank you, Aoghaire. I appreciate your prayer, and I hope you will not cease to pray on my behalf.”</p>
<p>“I have been doing so long before now, your highness, and I have no intention of stopping.” Dòmhnall looked as though he might have laughed but caught himself just in time. “And if there is aught else a priest may do for a princess, I am at your service.”</p>
<p>“I am of the opinion that a princess always needs a priest.” Onora smiled wryly. “Or so my royal father and mother have taught me. They take council often with Deòrsa, the head priest nearest our castle. I hope I will be able to call on you for advice in the same way.”</p>
<p>Dòmhnall bowed my head. “It would be my honor, your highness, as well as being my duty before Dèanadair.”</p>
<p>“Good! Then I have no doubt we will see much of each other.” Even from this brief interaction, Onora had no doubt that Dòmhnall would be a valuable councilor. He was younger than Deòrsa, but he was devoted and seemed to know the words of Dèanadair well. “And do not hold back in your council, please. If you see me walking down a foolish path, or a path that would dishonor Dèanadair, warn me of my folly, whether I ask for it in the moment or not. No king or queen is above such warnings when given by a servant of the Maker.”</p>
<p>“I will do my best, your highness,” Dòmhnall replied. There was a hint of humor in his voice as he added, “And you will forgive me if, should such warnings be necessary, I remind you that you made this request.”</p></blockquote><p></p>
</blockquote>
<ul><li>I haven't gotten as much done on other writing, unfortunately. My <em>DOSA Files</em> anthology submission has not yet been transferred from my brain to paper or screen, even in outline form. I also didn't do a lot of D&D writing, though I did at least <em>start</em> on the next adventure, and I have a decent bit of the introductory stuff done. The trouble is that the next bit of introductory stuff is the part upon which the rest of the adventure hangs, and so it will take more time and thought than I've had to spare thus far.</li><li>We did get a couple D&D sessions in, though! And they were fun, though rather chaotic, due to various people deciding that violence was the answer to problems that probably could've been solved via a simple conversation. (I am mildly bewildered. But people had fun, and this is not exactly uncommon for D&D groups, so we're fine.) Next session should be the climax of this adventure, which is exciting!</li></ul>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Reading!</span></h1>
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<ul><li>Due to everything else I had going on, I didn't do a lot of reading in January — just six books, plus one that I've been reading via email subscription and finished around the start of this month. That said, I liked most of what I read, so I'm not complaining!</li><li>About half of my reading was in ARCs: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203086346-wishing-on-a-supervillain"><em>Wishing on a Supervillain</em></a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199150010-mantles-of-oak-and-iron"><em>Mantles of Oak and Iron</em></a>, and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200499587-drake-hall"><em>Drake Hall</em></a>. I posted my thoughts on <a href="https://tpssarahlightshadows.wordpress.com/2024/01/12/friday-5s-thoughts-on-mantles-of-oak-and-iron/"><em>Mantles</em></a> and <em><a href="https://tpssarahlightshadows.wordpress.com/2024/01/19/friday-5s-reasons-drake-hall-is-an-absolute-delight/">Drake Hall</a> </em>earlier this month, so I won't repeat myself except to say that both of these were excellent both as sequels and as stories in their own right. <em>Wishing</em> was also excellent — it has everything I love about the SVR books, but as a standalone with largely new characters, it would also be an easy entry point for anyone looking to get into the multi-series. To that end, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CPBDT5MK/">it's currently free on Amazon</a>, so if you're interested, definitely go pick it up!</li><li>The other half of my reading consisted of rereads. I read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/139357512-dragonquest"><em>DragonQuest</em></a> with a friend group readalong, and that was a lot of fun — it's one of my favorites in the series. I also started it on Dragon Appreciation Day, delightfully! Then I reread <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5842021-the-vanishing-sculptor"><em>The Vanishing Sculptor</em></a> because I couldn't go onto <em>DragonKnight</em> before the rest of the group got there (alas). I then ended the month with <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54305363-broken"><em>Broken (In the Best Possible Way) </em></a>by Jenny Lawson, mostly because I needed to read a Goodreads Choice Award winner for a reading challenge I was doing, and that one was easy to get my hands on and counts towards my other goal of injecting more non-spec-fic books into my reading diet.</li><li>As for <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/325128.Kidnapped"><em>Kidnapped!</em></a>, which I read in the form of an email subscription: this is a classic and a fun story that I wish I'd learned about ages ago. While I did end up periodically exasperated with various characters, I enjoyed the adventure and drama of the tale overall. Plus, it's set in historical Scotland, so how can one argue with that?</li></ul>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Watching!</span></h1>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-8217" height="169" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2024/02/footloose.jpg?w=300" width="300" /></p>
<ul><li>I didn't watch much outside of YouTube this month, as I either didn't have free time or chose to spend that free time in other ways — as I may have said before, the thing about movies is that if I have two or three hours "free," then I typically can think of three to five other things I really <em>should</em> be doing with that time, so I do those other things instead. The only way I really watch anything longer than an hour (on a really good day) or twenty minutes (on a normal day) is if I'm watching it with someone else — typically because we either scheduled it a minimum of 24 hours in advance or because my family caught me on an evening when other plans I had were cancelled.</li><li>(Side note for people who watch movies or multiple TV episodes by yourselves on the regular: how the <em>pumpernickel</em> do you just casually decide to do that? How do you not look at a block of time that long and say "That is way too many minutes to commit to just sitting here and basically doing nothing"? Because I <em>cannot do that</em>. It's not a "I can only focus on one thing for so long" issue. If given the proper opportunity, I can <em>easily</em> read for the length of your average movie, and my favorite board game takes about that same amount of time. Movies are just . . . I can't. I could be writing. I could be doing classwork. I could be making a thing. I could be gaming. I could be reading. I could be doing <em>multiple</em> of those things. And yes, I can knit or crochet or sometimes embroider while watching a movie, but that only goes so far, and after a while your hands get tired, you know? Anyway, the point is, I do not understand how people can do that, and I would like to know your secrets because I am <em>so</em> behind on pretty much everything.)</li><li>All that to say: I did see two movies this month, both with my family. Towards the beginning of the month, we watched <em>Footloose</em>, specifically the more recent version, which was actually pretty fun. It's a good story, some good music, and I appreciated that the main character was actually a genuinely good guy instead of a Bad Boy with a Heart of Gold like he very easily could've been. Later in the month, we watched <em>Arsenic and Old Lace</em>, which I wanted to see because it had Cary Grant in it and I knew it was a popular play. I did <em>not</em> love that one, frankly. Parts of it were good, or at least funny, but mostly it was just weird.</li></ul>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Life!</span></h1>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8218" height="303" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2024/02/20240128_154305-e1706814159401.jpg?w=474" width="474" /></p>
<ul><li>While January was a good month (broadly speaking), it was definitely one of those months that felt much longer than it actually was. I think that's due to the fact that none of the weeks were really <em>routine</em>? I could be wrong, though.</li><li>As usual, we ended 2023 by celebrating with our Bible study — I think that was the largest gathering we've had in a while, as some people who've moved away or switched to hosting their own studies came back for the holiday, and a lot of other people brought additional family. It was a fun time, though as chaotic as one would expect. While we had our countdown at nine, my family ended up staying a lot later than usual to chat with people, so I actually was still up at midnight. (This was a shock to my sister, who responded to my scheduled "Happy New Year" text with "Why are you still <em>awake</em>?")</li><li>Then we started 2024, also as usual, by taking down the Christmas tree and other Christmas decorations. It's the first time I can remember not having all four of us there to take them down, so that was a little weird, but it went more smoothly than I feared it would.</li><li>Jumping ahead to MLK Day weekend, we, like a lot of the rest of the country, got a ridiculous amount of snow on Monday, which I was salty about because I <em>already</em> had the day off. Don't get me wrong; it was pretty, but it's still snow. Then it snowed Tuesday too, so I did get that day off, at least (aside from the work-from-home stuff I did so I wouldn't have to cram everything into a two-day week). Even so, by the time Friday's snowstorm hit, I was ready to be done with cold, snow, and ice.</li><li>Thankfully, it <em>did</em> warm up by the 28th (last Sunday), when I went up to Longwood Gardens with my friend Wyn and her family! Granted, "warm" was only in the 40s (and raining), but that's still <em>far</em> superior to teens and 20s as far as temperature goes. Even with the rain, I had a great time seeing the gardens, taking <em>lots</em> of pictures in the conservatory, and just hanging out with Wyn and talking about books and life and whatever else we felt like.</li><li>Moving on from events to more overarching narratives of the month, I decided to give a new hobby a try and learned Coptic stitch bookbinding. This came on my radar back in October when I saw some <em>gorgeous</em> handmade journals, looked at the binding, and thought "Hey, that looks like crochet; I bet I can do that." As it turned out, I was right! So, over the course of the month, I made three journals, plus one — which is to say, I made three, but remade one of them so I could test a different type of cord without having to use up more of my paper and board. The last journal I made turned out well enough to give it as a gift, which was my goal, so I'm pleased about that. I don't think bookbinding will become an all-the-time hobby like knitting, crochet, and embroidery, mostly because it's not very portable. However, I think it'll be a good skill to have in my back pocket, and I'd like to keep doing more of it and maybe try some other techniques as well.</li><li>I also did a fair bit of baking this month. For New Year's Eve, I made <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rPCwLZ42Kg">starchies</a> from <em>Baking Yesteryear</em> to take to the party. Starchies are cookies made with cornstarch, sweetened condensed milk, and butter, and they're a unique little cookie — kind of dry, but with a good flavor. Then, on MLK day, I made <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3zamnyCVP0">peanut butter bread</a>, also from <em>Baking Yesteryear</em>. This is one of the top recipes from that book that I wanted to try, and I was not disappointed at all! The bread was pretty easy to make, and it tasted great! I did learn, though, that I need to let it cool all the way before cutting; otherwise it's kind of crumbly. That same weekend, I made <a href="https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/soft-honey-cookies/">soft honey cookies</a> for a work party, which were . . . ok. They tasted fine, but they were kind of boring, to be honest. Finally, I wrapped up the month with two loaves of sourdough bread (one for my family, one to give as a gift). As it turns out, making two loaves at once is pretty workable, and it has the additional benefit of using all the sourdough starter I don't need to feed, so I don't end up with discard.</li><li>Additionally, this month saw the start of my next grad school class. This one is on technical writing, and it seems ok so far. I don't think it's going to be my favorite class I've taken, but it's not bad. The fact that I'm already comfortable with the topic definitely helps, and I think I'll be able to have some of the future projects overlap with things I need to do anyway at work.</li><li>On the topic of work: this month has been a little crazy due to the fact that we had an astonishing number of funerals and the fact that Lent starts so early. Plus, various people have been traveling, which means everyone back in the office is a little more stressed. Still, things are going ok, and I'm keeping up with what needs to be done.</li><li>Finishing up with a D&D update: we only got to meet twice this month, but both of those sessions were <em>really</em> good and included both great character moments and cool combats. My character got a new sword (which is an <em>artifact-level Holy Avenger,</em> y'all), and we got some reveals about another character's backstory. I'm a bit nervous about the upcoming sessions (because they will involve a lot of diplomacy and that always stresses me out), but yeah. It's been good. I really love both my group and my DM, and I'm so grateful that I get to adventure with them.</li></ul>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: navy;"> </span><span style="color: #0b5394;">February Plans</span></h1>
<ul><li>Well, I managed to write 40K in January . . . so now I'm going to see if I can do it again in February! I made good progress on <em>Daughters of Atirse</em> #2, but the book's still a long way from finished, and I want to have it fully drafted by the end of March if at all possible. I also want to work on my <em>DOSA Files</em> submission and my D&D campaign — the former is only if I have time, though. The D&D campaign will probably be a necessity unless we end up missing almost all the sessions in February. I have a plan for the D&D stuff! I've <em>had</em> a plan for over a year! The problem is just that some of the setup for said plan will be . . . complicated. And I really should've worked on it sooner, but I opted to prioritize my novels instead, which was the right choice but does mean more work now.</li><li>Work will probably continue to be busy, since Lent begins in the middle of the month. (Fun fact: Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day are the same day this year!) I'm hoping to work ahead as much as possible on various projects related to Lent and Easter, just so I can minimize stress in March.</li><li>My grad school technical writing class will continue for all of this month, and I'm hoping it continues to be non-frustrating and fairly chill. Based on the assignment descriptions, I think it <em>should</em> be, but we'll see how things actually work out.</li><li>As far as reading goes, I have more exciting ARCs waiting for me, as well as a handful of memoirs and classics I'd like to get to. (I'm trying to be proactive about my reading goals here.) Plus, I get to reread <em>DragonKnight</em>, one of my favorites of the <em>Dragonkeeper Chronicles</em>, so I'm looking forward to that!</li><li>Finally, on the crafting front, I'm hoping to finish the shawl I've been crocheting for the last few months. It seems like it <em>should</em> be done soon, but because it's a loop, it's hard to try on. I know I haven't been working on it that long — I want to say that I started it in October or November — but it <em>feels</em> like it's been an eternity! I will definitely plan to do another short project or two once it's done. (I haven't decided what yet.)</li><li>So, yes. I'm hoping for a quiet month in February. Whether or not I'll actually get it . . . well, only God knows that, and I guess the rest of us will find out.</li></ul>
<p>How was your January? Did you get any of the snow, and if so, did you enjoy it, or were you more like me? If you're a frequent movie-watcher, how do you not get caught up thinking of all the other things you should or could be doing with that time? Any plans for February? Please tell me in the comments! <br />Thanks for reading!</p>
<p><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-4292 size-thumbnail" height="68" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/2020_sig_type-e1599079790586.png?w=150" width="150" /></p>
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Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-40758656641602831402024-01-19T08:29:00.002-05:002024-01-19T08:29:00.136-05:00Reasons Why Drake Hall Is an Absolute Delight<p>Hello friends! Some of y'all may remember that back in October, I absolutely <em>raved</em> over Christina Baehr's <a href="https://tpssarahlightshadows.wordpress.com/2023/10/13/friday-5s-you-should-absolutely-read-wormwood-abbey/"><em>Wormwood Abbey</em></a>, a cozy gothic fantasy about family and dragons and tradition and change. Well, the sequel to <em>Wormwood Abbey</em>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200499587-drake-hall"><em>Drake Hall</em></a>, just released this week (the week of Dragon Appreciation Day, very appropriately), and I am here to tell you that it is every bit as delightful as the original — and in some ways, it's even better.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxUrvXZjpyjpdncTtgpTfpo84zdO029Q1-q56UECI1dx1rtpkP_LgnRqlAm9VjQUX8gnQanKCPNssa2cR1m2rRMbUM5d2tU_KAOydpdX2A2P4bjC8bOeyAUCaqK_-Ia-4mELFQVBf58Wfp2gohZ1rQIcTiaMp0M8Q8V7-M_RifLlhTk4nU3_Ah716Tit1/s560/1.19.2024_Drake%20Hall.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxUrvXZjpyjpdncTtgpTfpo84zdO029Q1-q56UECI1dx1rtpkP_LgnRqlAm9VjQUX8gnQanKCPNssa2cR1m2rRMbUM5d2tU_KAOydpdX2A2P4bjC8bOeyAUCaqK_-Ia-4mELFQVBf58Wfp2gohZ1rQIcTiaMp0M8Q8V7-M_RifLlhTk4nU3_Ah716Tit1/w640-h360/1.19.2024_Drake%20Hall.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Reasons Why <em>Drake Hall </em>Is an Absolute Delight<br /></span></h1><ol><li><strong>It's grounded in family (for better and for worse). </strong>This was one of the things I loved best about the first book, and it continues here. Since <em>Wormwood Abbey</em>, Edith, her immediate family, and her cousins have all grown closer, and it's beautiful to see the bonds that have formed (and continue to grow) between them, whether that's Edith encouraging Gwendolyn as she steps outside of what was expected of her and towards her dreams of the future, Gwendolyn helping Edith navigate life as a keeper of dragons, or just George, Violet, and Una having their own adventures in the background. That said, this book also hits on the ways that family shapes you — and, particularly, how family can cause pain and hurt, whether that's intentional or not. We see this in multiple characters, particularly Gwendolyn, Una, and Simon. However, Baehr keeps the promise that there <em>can</em> be change and healing firmly in view, so this never becomes overly disheartening.</li><li><strong>There are <em>so many</em> lovely dragons!</strong> <em>Wormwood Abbey </em>gave us a glimpse of a few notable dragons — but now that Edith, her parents, and her brother have been initiated into the secrets of the abbey, we see far more of these magnificent creatures. These include both the familiar — Francis and the wyvern both are frequently present on the page — to new types of dragon like the river dragon on the cover. We also see dragons from many different lands: European, Asian, and more — plus, more dragon <em>lore</em>! Y'all know I love lore.</li><li><strong>It's simultaneously the perfect summer book <em>and</em> the perfect winter read</strong>. I have, to this day, only read one series that is quite as <em>infused</em> with the essence of summer as <em>Drake Hall</em> is. (That series, by the way, is the summer-vacation half of the <em>Penderwicks</em> books.) Baehr's description brings the lush warmth of this glorious season to life alongside the feeling of <em>possibility</em> that summer brings. Those qualities, plus the highly enjoyable voice, make it the perfect book for enjoying on a summer afternoon . . . or on a winter night, when the narrative will make you forget the snow outside and feel as if some of that summery-ness has found its way to you.</li><li><strong>We get to know Simon Drake much better. </strong>We knew from <em>Wormwood Abbey</em> that he is, of course, an Excellent Gentleman well-versed in the secrets of the abbey and the dragons it guards. In <em>Drake Hall</em>, as one might expect, we see more of him than almost any character aside from Edith — it's not quite <em>his</em> book as much as hers, but it certainly comes close. As one might expect, that means we get to understand him — and the forces that shaped him into who he is — far better than we did when we started the book. And while I can't give spoilers, I will say that getting to know him more is a very pleasant experience . . . </li><li><strong>The tension between tradition and change is handled very well. </strong>Aside from the family elements, the other big theme in the <em>Secrets of Ormdale</em> books seems to be the tension between tradition and change. Wormwood Abbey, Drake Hall, and Ormdale are very rural, traditional places, and some of those traditions are good . . . but sometimes, clinging to tradition <em>because</em> it's traditional or it's how things have always been can cause more hurt than harm, and we see that quite clearly in these pages. Baehr acknowledges both sides of this conflict, recognizing the good in each, and as with the family themes, she never lets the reader lose sight of the hope that things can be better than they are.<span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextreview4695997289"><br /></span></span></li></ol><p>Are you excited for <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CJTZJNCV?ref_=dbs_p_def_rwt_cobb&storeType=ebooks"><em>Drake Hall</em></a>? What's another grounded-in-family fantasy that you love? And if you haven't read <em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CGRNDWSZ">Wormwood Abbey</a> </em>and you're curious, you're in luck — the ebook is on sale for $0.99 through January 20, so make sure you pick that up! <br />Thanks for reading!<br /><span style="color: navy;"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-4292" height="68" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/2020_sig_type-e1599079790586.png?w=150" width="150" /></span></p>Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-39326503229909669952024-01-12T08:44:00.005-05:002024-01-12T08:44:00.252-05:00Mantles of Oak and Iron Release: Interview with Captain Marik<p>Hello, friends! Today is the release day for <i>Mantles of Oak and Iron</i>, book two in Jenelle Leanne Schmidt's epic gaslamp fantasy, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/378808-turrim-archive"><i>The Turrim Archive</i></a>! I'm super excited to help celebrate this release — moreso because I got to interview my favorite character in the series, Captain Marik of the airship <i>Valdeun Hawk</i>! <a href="https://wp.me/p3FlHI-27f" target="_blank">I'm also sharing my thoughts on the book over on Light and Shadows</a>, so make sure you check out that post as well. And if you're entirely new to the <i>Turrim Archive</i>, I have good news! Book one, <i>The Orb and the Airship</i>, is currently <a href="http://mybook.to/theorbandtheairship">on sale in Kindle format for $0.99</a>, so you can pick that out and get started on your adventure! Or, again, you can stick around here for the interview. <br /></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">About <i>Mantles of Oak and Iron</i></span></h1><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXpUHa8k1b07NP1ufUDRl3U6fgbHuLdouKYpI1VPbZkMQ7FmKI9Y2b7Uu0SK_cRKmJP9z3x0cTOLoHdiljg2vHjZBv26sS_Wo9uczu3KFuQ3wh8X1b6LJD_LfDms0p0JkbCrTT9HtCTuJvlcXUnFdgbRA8nXk35QM3ZfilNDznIVPzDCFqShECccpJ1gu/s897/Mantles%20Small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="897" data-original-width="602" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXpUHa8k1b07NP1ufUDRl3U6fgbHuLdouKYpI1VPbZkMQ7FmKI9Y2b7Uu0SK_cRKmJP9z3x0cTOLoHdiljg2vHjZBv26sS_Wo9uczu3KFuQ3wh8X1b6LJD_LfDms0p0JkbCrTT9HtCTuJvlcXUnFdgbRA8nXk35QM3ZfilNDznIVPzDCFqShECccpJ1gu/w269-h400/Mantles%20Small.jpg" width="269" /></a></div></i></span></div><p>Grayden thought he had four years to decide his future… he was wrong.</p><p>War is imminent. The Igyeum has already begun incursions across Telmondir’s borders. The headmaster of the military academy issues a new directive: all students will be fast-tracked through the program. They will be full-fledged defenders by the end of the year. But when a training exercise turns deadly, Grayden must keep his head and become the leader his friends need.</p><p>Captain Marik has witnessed evil beyond imagining. Enough to make him sign on to the wizard Dalmir’s cause. But will the council of the west accept a pirate among their ranks? And will Marik’s crew join this mission, or will they consider him a traitor to all they once stood for?</p><p>Meanwhile, deep in the mountains lurks a hidden danger that threatens them all.</p><p><i>Find it on: <a href="http://mybook.to/mantlesofoakandiron">Amazon</a> || <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199150010-mantles-of-oak-and-iron">Goodreads</a></i></p><p><a href="https://bio.site/JenelleLSchmidt"><i>Find Jenelle online</i></a></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizvJvN3LB_vhTSXo-IOziSj7Qp8YPJn-QUDUDogmxLoPywUmAq0P3-68mR3BfcHxaUM4fRerIqun8P_Awv8fSxPwS9wbM2wFaPkUMNV0jOkZoDMCfO8i2dcwKpI74jinAJwNuWX4-WjQx-Q2nHd25mX0he3WUP8M1eBsVsPcNZDp1V5VzWH-FAo5YhXYxg/s560/1.12.2014_Mantles%20of%20Oak%20and%20Iron.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizvJvN3LB_vhTSXo-IOziSj7Qp8YPJn-QUDUDogmxLoPywUmAq0P3-68mR3BfcHxaUM4fRerIqun8P_Awv8fSxPwS9wbM2wFaPkUMNV0jOkZoDMCfO8i2dcwKpI74jinAJwNuWX4-WjQx-Q2nHd25mX0he3WUP8M1eBsVsPcNZDp1V5VzWH-FAo5YhXYxg/w640-h360/1.12.2014_Mantles%20of%20Oak%20and%20Iron.png" width="640" /></a></i></div><i></i><p></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Interview with Captain Marik<i><br /></i></span></h1><p><b><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_BesSw9s81_obVE37cr4Emi8ZifAgB2-L5Zu7Dby92GBuAn8YlZIS6Jb8EXzZ6h5DzV3kPekeM1z1yHl3zIKp4vEFHyY483MUGCrnMyF1Z6x7NEHOkIan54D0wPAomZWcZiAM4NrkAck9nFFEGMIIOJdUFO1oe0cvuwcFJBG1ZLzEF_9hoNSzYR-K0b82/s3000/Marik%20art%20by%20ChloeGrace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_BesSw9s81_obVE37cr4Emi8ZifAgB2-L5Zu7Dby92GBuAn8YlZIS6Jb8EXzZ6h5DzV3kPekeM1z1yHl3zIKp4vEFHyY483MUGCrnMyF1Z6x7NEHOkIan54D0wPAomZWcZiAM4NrkAck9nFFEGMIIOJdUFO1oe0cvuwcFJBG1ZLzEF_9hoNSzYR-K0b82/s320/Marik%20art%20by%20ChloeGrace.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Captain Marik, art by <a href="https://ko-fi.com/chloegraceartist" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chloe Grace</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Hello, Captain Marik! Welcome to the blog! I have to say, I'm a big fan of yours . . . but not all my readers know you, so to start out, please tell us a little bit about yourself: who you are, what you do, anything that you feel is important for us to know so we can understand what makes you, you.</b></p><p>Hello, thanks for having me over to this… blog, you said? I’m not sure what a blog is, but it’s always nice to meet a fan. I am a pirate by trade, though I started out as a treasure hunter. Unfortunately, we soon discovered that there wasn’t much treasure in the treasure hunting business, so we had to make a switch to piracy. Crew needs to eat, airships need cynders, pesky things like that drove us to it. We try not to harm people, but sometimes you can’t avoid it. Personally, I try to make sure that those who pay the most are those who have harmed others, or that I’m the only one in my crew who has to make the hardest decisions. I’m under no delusions that I’m the good guy, you see. But if I can protect those under my care from having to descend into the same darkness I walk alongside, then I will.</p><p><b>I know that you do your best to protect your crew, and that's one of the reasons I'm a fan. I understand you're currently making a career change of sorts — pirate to, well, something else. What's been the biggest struggle with that shift for you? Conversely, what's something that's come out of it that you've really enjoyed or appreciated?<br /></b></p><p>I didn’t realize that was already common knowledge, but… yes. My crew and I recently encountered a man named Dalmir who helped change the trajectory I was on. I was mostly bent on survival and revenge, you see, and he showed me that I could do more to right some wrongs.</p><p>The hardest thing about this shift is not really knowing exactly what my responsibility is at any given moment. Working for the Council of Telmondir is not something I saw myself doing… working on any side of the law is not something I ever saw myself going back to. But here I am. For better or worse.</p><p>Something that’s come out of it that I appreciate is, well, a sense of working for a much greater good than I could have done on my own. Having a clear conscience, I suppose you might say.</p><p><b>It's not <i>common </i>knowledge (unless you read the blurb at the top of this post). I just know things. Moving on, as an airship pirate, I can imagine you've had some pretty impressive adventures. Can you tell us about one that's particularly memorable for you or that you felt was an especial triumph?</b></p><p>My favorite place in the world is a little hamlet in Vallei. The houses are small and humble, but the walls are covered on all sides with rice paper that has been painstakingly decorated by the people living in each home. Green mountains rise up on all sides and people work out in the fields from dawn till dusk just trying to carve a living out of the meager crops that grow in the area.</p><p><i>(Marik shakes himself here and gives a rueful little smile.) <br /></i></p><p>Of course, the whole village is gone now, just a pile of ash left in wake of a regiment of Igyeum soldiers.</p><p>As for where I’d still like to go, I’d love to explore beyond the edges of the continent someday. Maybe fly out over the ocean and see if there is anything out there.</p><p><b>I'm sorry that your favorite place is no more, but I hope you can explore like you hope to someday. Changing topics a bit, a good captain needs a good crew . . . so tell us a little about some of the people in yours. Anyone you're especially close to?<br /></b></p><p>My crew mostly consists of Oleck, Raisa, and Mouse. We hire others on at times, but those are the three that stay with me and live on board the <i>Valdeun Hawk</i>. Oleck is my first mate and right hand man. He’s steady as a rock, despite his fairly pessimistic outlook on life. I always know I can depend on him to have my back. Raisa is like a little sister to Oleck, and I sort of see her like a niece. She’s got a steady hand and a weather eye, and there isn’t anyone else I’d trust more at the wheel. Mouse is our little scamp. Kid sort of followed me home one day and I can’t get him to tell me where his family is. I couldn’t just leave him on the streets, but someday I’ll figure out how to take him home. I’m happy to have him on board, though, kid is quick-witted and good with locks.</p><p><b>Sounds like you have some good friends, then. I have to say, I'm curious about Mouse . . . hopefully someday he'll decide to reveal his background. One last question: how do you hope that people, either those in your world or those who read about you, remember you?<br /></b></p><p>Like I said earlier, I know I’m not the hero of any story. There are things I’ve done that I’m not proud of. But I also know that there are monsters in our world, masquerading as men, and if I could take them with me, then I’d be happy to go out fighting against them to my last breath. I won’t ask anyone else to risk their lives for it, though.</p><p><b>I think you might be wrong about not being the hero of any story, Captain. If you're not there yet, your answers say you're headed in that direction . . . and I look forward to seeing where that path takes you. Until then, thank you for appearing on my blog and answering my questions; it's been a pleasure to have you!</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPh0WUASyj6FK65kFQlSLS9SRDkkU0oRkdlt6WQx9jBDo22CN9vtslWL5lbsTubOgMPSEXpQleqaqCWE3HIyZpQNmnZWZy4VRKEM2G-mXJcjGPGwBYtXSsfArFuLQXIpMAmQJgPY9Qqlc68Yc_JtfTLCLzHdA0NGqOSXlv7FYOIm4_FE4KhmXK0S2rpMG/s1080/Sale%20and%20Release%20Graphic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPh0WUASyj6FK65kFQlSLS9SRDkkU0oRkdlt6WQx9jBDo22CN9vtslWL5lbsTubOgMPSEXpQleqaqCWE3HIyZpQNmnZWZy4VRKEM2G-mXJcjGPGwBYtXSsfArFuLQXIpMAmQJgPY9Qqlc68Yc_JtfTLCLzHdA0NGqOSXlv7FYOIm4_FE4KhmXK0S2rpMG/w400-h400/Sale%20and%20Release%20Graphic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b></b><p></p><p>Are you excited to meet Captain Marik? Please tell me in the comments<i>!</i><br />Thanks for reading!</p><p><img alt="" class="size-thumbnail wp-image-4292 alignleft" height="94" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/2020_sig_type.png?w=150" width="150" /></p>Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-838139497286925702024-01-05T08:18:00.003-05:002024-01-05T08:20:37.632-05:002023 End-of-Year Book CelebrationHey'a, friends! How's the first week of the New Year treating you? I have one last post to wrap up my 2023 recaps: my 2023 End-of-Year Book Celebration! I always do these a little into the new year, just in case I read something <i>amazing</i> (or at least noteworthy) the last week of the old year. I want to make sure I celebrate all the books deserving of celebration! Also, as a reminder, this post covers books I read in the six months since my <a href="https://dreams-dragons.blogspot.com/2023/07/mid-year-book-celebration-2023.html">Mid-Year Book Celebration</a> back in July — so anything I read in the first half of the year isn't included here. Doing two book celebrations lets me spotlight twice as many books, and it also saves me from going out of my mind trying to fit a whole year's reading into one post. (I know other people do it, but this is more fun for me.)<p>As usual, if you want the short-and-sweet top five, you can go check out my <a href="https://wp.me/p3FlHI-26O">Best of 2023 (Part the Second)</a> list on Light and Shadows. But if you want all the categories, keep reading!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-5913" height="267" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2021/12/12-tba-2021_end-of-year-celebration.png?w=474" width="474" /></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">2023 End-of-Year Book Celebration</span></h1><p>As always, we start with the statistics! According to Goodreads, I read <b>158 books</b>, well past my goal of 101, and <b>42,818 pages</b>, which neatly doubles where I was at my Mid-Year Book Celebration. That's also twice as many pages as I read in 2022 and almost twice as many books. My average book length is 271, about the same as last year, and I actually only read five books longer than 500 pages this year — I'm out of practice with epics, it seems. To be fair, I've reread a lot of series of short books, and I also read a good bit of manga. And, once again, my average book rating is 4.4 stars.</p><p>So, my overall statistics show a good reading year. Hopefully that makes up for the fact that my specific reading goals had somewhat . . . mixed results.</p><ul><li>For my goal <b>12 books published (or written) before 1975</b>, I've actually read 18 books in this category, which is great! However, the second half of my goal was that <b>at least nine of them (or 75% of them, depending) not be aimed at children</b>. In that respect, I did . . . less well. I finished six books and one short story that were written before 1975 and aren't considered children's literature. (I did read <i>Dracula </i>twice, sort of, but I'm only counting it once for purposes of this goal.) Granted, I'm still in the process of reading <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/153747.Moby_Dick_or_The_Whale"><i>Moby</i> <i>Dick</i></a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/325128.Kidnapped"><i>Kidnapped</i></a>, and Dante's <i>Inferno</i>, so if you include those, I have nine books and one short story . . . but the eleven children's books I read still dominate pretty heavily.</li><li>As for my goal of reading <b>15 non-speculative fiction books,</b> I again came close but didn't succeed. I read 11 non-speculative-fiction books, though two of them are sort of in a grey area (in that they could kind of go either way). Of those, three were poetry, three were general nonfiction, two were somehow about cooking, and three were children's classics. So, I had a good variety here, at least.</li><li>And when it comes to my <b>recommended reads list </b>. . . despite some <i>very good intentions</i> on my part, I only managed to read one book on it, and that was all the way back in April. Ah well. It was a good thought, but it was all too quickly forgotten (I say in passive voice, as if I wasn't the one doing the forgetting).</li></ul><p>For more statistics or the full list of everything I read in 2023, check out my <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2023/36280767">Goodreads Year in Books</a> or my <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd3wyG8Y8TXmR_jHe6GL4m_asC1hUL4tX8GloqugkGXBN6C2Q/viewanalytics">tracking form results</a>. Or read on for some specific books I want to highlight!</p><div><h2>1. Best book you've read in the second half of 2023:</h2><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8083" height="373" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/best-book.jpg?w=474" width="474" /></p></div><p>The fact that I read a lot of sequels and rereads in the last six months makes this question a little easier than usual — but even if that weren't the case, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/198096255-wormwood-abbey"><i><b>Wormwood Abbey</b></i></a> <b>by Christina Baehr</b> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/146378899-black-and-deep-desires"><i><b>Black and Deep Desires</b></i></a><b> by Claire Trella Hill </b>would probably still be at the top. I loved both of these Gothic fantasies — one a cozy tale of dragons and mysteries and family, one full of vampires, monsters, haunting dreams, and lovely romance — and expect to reread both many times. If I had to pick just one, <i>Wormwood Abbey</i> might come out a smidge on top (because I will always pick dragons over vampires), but they're both <i>so good</i>.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-7695" height="424" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/steal-the-morrow.jpg?w=194" width="275" /></p><p>As a runner up, I have to mention <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/181654648-steal-the-morrow"><i>Steal the Morrow</i></a> by Jenelle Leanne Schmidt</b>, which is a lovely gaslamp fantasy retelling of <i>Oliver Twist</i>. It takes the essential bits of the original and gives them new life and a new look . . . but it's also distinct enough that even if you aren't a fan of Dickens, you'll probably like this.</p><div><h2>2. Best sequel you've read in the second half of 2023:</h2><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-7697" height="424" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/dark-and-stormy.jpg?w=474" width="265" /></p><p>This one is not actually a difficult question because <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/145621731-dark-stormy"><i>Dark and Stormy</i></a> by Suzannah Rowntree</b> was <i>so good </i>in every possible way. The crew's schemes, the machinations of Vasily's family (all of whom are utterly mad), the dynamics between the characters, the growing feelings between Molly and Vasily, the various characters all figuring themselves and each other out . . . and the <i>ending</i>! I'm still not over it.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-7970" height="424" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/behind-the-curtain.jpg?w=474" width="283" /></p><p>Oh, and speaking of things I'm still not over: W.R. Gingell released two new <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/363671-the-worlds-behind"><i>Worlds Behind</i></a> books that could challenge <i>Dark and Stormy</i>, but <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195612423-behind-the-curtain"><i><b>Behind the Curtain</b></i></a> is my favorite of the two and my new favorite in the series as a whole. <i>It's so good.</i> And I can't even say half of why because spoilers, but suffice it to say that I will never not love it when people who think they're only for causing pain find they can, in fact, do other things and do them well, and also I have never been so happy about someone non-villainous getting stabbed. Just go read the series and you'll see what I mean. (But make sure you read <i>City Between</i> first.)</p></div><div><div><h2>3. Best book you've reread in the second half of 2023:</h2><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-8087" height="290" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/illuminae-files.jpg?w=474" width="655" /></p></div><p>The <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23395680-illuminae"><i>Illuminae Files</i></a> by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff</b> are just as good the second or third time around as they were the first — they're better in some respects, since you can appreciate what the author is doing more when you're not panicking about whether or not your favorite characters will survive.</p><h2> 4. New release you haven't read yet but want to:</h2><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7690" height="499" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/the-olympian-affair.jpg" width="331" /></p></div><div>Despite being thoroughly hyped for <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26860699-the-olympian-affair?"><b><i>The Olympian Affair</i></b></a>, I still have yet to read it, and the release date rather snuck past me without my noticing. I shall have to remedy that soon! Though I need to reread <i>The Aeronaut's Windlass</i> first . . .</div><div><h2>5. Most anticipated release for 2024:</h2><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8092" height="500" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/dark-dawn.jpg" width="313" /></p></div><p>You'd think my answer would be the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203578847-wind-and-truth">new <i>Stormlight Archive</i> novel</a> — but actually it's <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201753656-dark-dawn"><b><i>Dark & Dawn</i></b></a> <b>by Suzannah Rowntree</b>. We all know I'm a sucker for these gaslamp fantasy heists . . . but I'm especially looking forward to this installment. After all the <i>everything</i> in <i>Dark & Stormy</i>, I <i>desperately</i> need to know what happens next! Goodreads and Amazon currently have this coming out in September, but Rowntree has said there's a chance it'll be sooner, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-8093" height="494" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/drake-hall.jpg?w=474" width="309" /></p><p>Additionally, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/43726185.Christina_Baehr/blog">Christina Baehr has said</a> that we can potentially look for <i>all four</i> of the remaining <i>Secrets of Ormdale </i>novels in 2024! <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200499587-drake-hall"><i><b>Drake Hall</b></i></a> comes out in a little over a week, and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CR67BDZ2"><i><b>Castle of the Winds</b></i></a>, book 3, is on Amazon and Goodreads with an April 14 release date. The other two don't have official listings yet, but are slated for July and October. I am <i>thoroughly</i> excited, and I don't know if I'll stop screaming all this year.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-8097" height="479" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/no-man-left-behind.jpg?w=474" width="319" /></p><p>Besides these, I'm looking forward to <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203596737-no-man-left-behind"><b><i>No Man Left Behind</i></b></a>, the conclusion of W.R. Gingell's <i>Worlds Behind</i> series. I'll be very sad to say goodbye to Athelas (again), Harrow, Camellia, YeoWoo, and the rest . . . but I also can't wait to see how Gingell wraps up their stories! Also, that cover is giving me Suspicions, and I will be <i>delighted</i> if I'm right.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-8100" height="513" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/mantles-of-oak-and-iron.jpg?w=474" width="321" /></p><p>Last but not least, we have more <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/378808-turrim-archive"><i><b>Turrim Archive</b></i><b> novels</b></a> from Jenelle Leanne Schmidt! <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199150010-mantles-of-oak-and-iron"><b><i>Mantles of Oak and Iron</i></b></a> releases next week (and I'm very belatedly reading my Kickstarter ebook copy right now), and <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jlschmidt/the-turrim-archive/description">according to the Kickstarter</a>, we can look forward to Book 3 sometime later this year. After all the excitement of <i>The Orb and the Airship</i>, I'm looking forward to seeing where the rest of the story takes us — and seeing more of Captain Marik!</p><p> </p><div><h2>6. Biggest disappointment:</h2></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8101" height="400" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/magyk.jpg" width="309" /></div><p>This is a reread, not a new read, but I was disappointed that <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/983202.Magyk"><i><b>Magyk </b></i></a>didn't hold up as well as I hoped. I've spent a lot of this year rereading old favorites, and they've all still been so good on the reread, but <i>Magyk</i> just . . . wasn't quite doing it for me. To be clear, it's still a good book and a fun read, but it didn't enchant me the same way it did in the past.</p></div><div><h2>7. Biggest surprise:</h2><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-7642" height="503" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/second-chance-superhero.jpg?w=474" width="335" /></p><p>I think this is probably <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/196959641-second-chance-superhero"><i><b>Second Chance Superhero </b></i></a><b>by H.L. Burke. </b>I was fairly certain I'd like it going in — after all, I have yet to encounter an SVR-verse novel that I <i>don't</i> like. What's more surprising is that <i>Second Chance Superhero</i> is solidly a romance first and a superhero story second (as opposed to equal parts of each), but it might be one of my favorite SVR books anyway.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-7688" height="471" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/black-and-deep-desires.jpg?w=474" width="294" /></p></div><div><div>I also have to mention <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/146378899-black-and-deep-desires"><i><b>Black and Deep Desires</b></i></a> again here — not because I didn't expect to love it (W.R. Gingell and Suzannah Rowntree both endorsed it, and I met the author at the June book signing, so I was pretty sure it would be a four-star read at minimum) but because teenage me would be utterly <i>scandalized</i> that adult me is not only reading but recommending (and fangirling over) a novel about vampires. I'm not sure if this counts as character development or not, but it's something.</div></div><h2>8. A book that made you cry:</h2><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8087" height="210" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/illuminae-files.jpg?w=474" width="474" /></div><p>No actual tears, but I do get emotional at several points in the <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23395680-illuminae"><i>Illuminae Files</i></a></b>.</p></div><div><h2>9. A book that made you happy:</h2><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-8106" height="406" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/twelve-days-of-faerie-christmas.jpg" width="263" /></p></div><div>I read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38733155-twelve-days-of-faerie-christmas"><b><i>Twelve Days of (Faerie) Christmas </i></b></a><b>by C.J. Brightly</b> just before Christmas, and it's such a fun, clever, sweet story with a lovely romance, a cool twist on the Twelve Days of Christmas song, and characters I quickly fell in love with.</div><div><div><h2>10. Favorite post you've done this half of the year:</h2><p>A lot of my posts this year have been either Doings!, reviews, or seasonal reads, so there's less to choose from than usual. But I enjoyed writing <a href="https://dreams-dragons.blogspot.com/2023/11/five-years-published.html">Five Years Published</a> for the five-year book birthday of <i>Blood in the Snow</i> (and the start of my author career).</p><h2>11. Most beautiful book you've bought/received this half of the year:</h2><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_g8BwVsI1dDTGzyF4Bebib6vuxiODnpxtajGtdMwKQeRyNQ2S8JXr63hk0WzqSLkRiWCbsikgWSXzdhB7hRR-fp0ea29xbbPeAToIZ5HvzfsD9Hq-K736Ns9fB6iu_GD4yF40oqK1BOQAaL3CXv_ne_7EIxuLXD4zibNV82dd2X3tE9hpEUXBeUha_1q/s3120/PSX_20240105_081416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_g8BwVsI1dDTGzyF4Bebib6vuxiODnpxtajGtdMwKQeRyNQ2S8JXr63hk0WzqSLkRiWCbsikgWSXzdhB7hRR-fp0ea29xbbPeAToIZ5HvzfsD9Hq-K736Ns9fB6iu_GD4yF40oqK1BOQAaL3CXv_ne_7EIxuLXD4zibNV82dd2X3tE9hpEUXBeUha_1q/s320/PSX_20240105_081416.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>This is a two-way tie again. <i><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60531416-yumi-and-the-nightmare-painter?">Yumi and the Nightmare Painter</a></b></i> is the most beautiful in terms of pure aesthetics — I love the blue and pink and the art style, and I think it might be the prettiest of the Secret Projects. But<i> </i>the <i><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/100698692-dracula-daily">Dracula Daily</a></b></i> hardcover is also beautiful — maybe a little less so aesthetically than <i>Yumi</i> (though I do think it's very nice-looking), but because of what it represents, because of the community and collaboration that sprang up around this 200-year-old book.<br /></p></div></div><div>That wraps things up for me — but what about for you? What are the best books you've read in the second half of 2023? Also, what's the best book or series you've reread? Tell me in the comments!<br />Thanks for reading!<br /><img alt="" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-4292" height="68" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/2020_sig_type-e1599079790586.png?w=150" width="150" /></div>Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-4293764843498704312024-01-01T17:17:00.007-05:002024-01-01T17:33:44.459-05:00Onward and Upward [2023 Recap//2024 Goals]<p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-8027 size-large" height="316" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/2024-goals.png?w=474" width="474" /></p><p>Back when I wrote my <a href="https://dreams-dragons.blogspot.com/2023/01/onward-and-upward-2022-recap2023-goals.html">2023 Goals post</a>, I described 2022 as straightforward, busy, and "pleasantly predictable." And here, at the end of 2023, I just have to say . . . I miss pleasantly predictable. Pleasantly predictable was nice. So was straightforward. 2023 has been neither of those things, unfortunately. It's been rather challenging. Not entirely — 2024 also contained many good things, some that were "We wish this hadn't had to happen, but under the circumstances, it could have been MUCH worse" and some that were indisputably excellent. Still, I suspect I will look back on this year with very mixed feelings.</p><p>I confess that, as a result of, well, everything, I kind of forgot about most of my goals about halfway through the year. Still, we'll recap and see what I managed, and then we can get on with setting some new goals for 2024. But first, don't forget that <a href="https://tpssarahlightshadows.wordpress.com/2023/12/31/its-new-years-eve-somewhere-a-new-years-eve-short-story/">my New Year's Eve short story posted last night</a>, and y'all should read it! Also, if you're watching for the second half of my 2023 Reading Celebration/Best of 2023 list, I'll post those on Friday. I read a <i>lot</i> of good books in 2023, so I'm going to have to make some tough decisions there . . . but that's a problem for the me who's already finished writing this post. Let's stick with one thing at a time.</p><p>(Before I go on, though, one more quick sidenote: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Through-Shattered-Glass-Sarah-Pennington-ebook/dp/B0BFVSH518"><i>Through a Shattered Glass</i> is free on Kindle</a> through January 4 because it was chosen as the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/FellowshipofFantasyBookClub/permalink/3279717182172412">Fellowship of Fantasy book of the month for January</a>! So, if you haven't read it yet, now's the time to get a copy.)</p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">2023 Recap // 2024 Goals</span></h1><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">2023 Recap</span></h2><h3><span style="color: #0b5394;">Year of Water and Grow<br /></span></h3><ul><li>My theme for 2023 was <b>"water and</b> <b>grow" </b>— maintaining what I've achieved and growing myself and my skills in various ways.</li><li>In theory, these themes (based on CGP Grey's "Year of . . ." theme method) are supposed to guide the whole year, but I just kind of use them to set goals and then assess at the end of the year.</li><li>I would say that I had . . . mixed success with that theme. In some areas, I definitely achieved both watering and growth. In other areas, I was doing well if I just managed the watering bit.</li></ul><h3><span style="color: #0b5394;">Writing</span></h3><ul><li>My goal for 2023 was roughly the same as the one I've set the last several years: <b>to actively and regularly work towards specific writing goals at least ten out of the twelve months in the year.</b> And I can say without hesitation that I have done that! In fact, I spent all twelve months actively working towards specific writing goals! Did I meet every monthly goal? No, because "finish <i>Bastian Dennel, PI </i>#4" was one of my goals in multiple months, and I just accomplished it a week ago. But that's ok!</li><li>My total wordcount for the year was <b>286,032 words</b>. That's lower than last year, but I also worked on fewer projects this year, and I had other tasks taking me away from my writing more. It's still a good 100,000 words higher than 2021, and it's only about 50,000 lower than 2020, so I'm more than satisfied.</li><li>I also achieved another general writing goal/dream when <i><b>Through a Shattered</b><b> Glass</b> </i><b>won the 2023 Realm Award for Novellas. </b>I'm still a little astonished at this, actually — I expected that I'd be dreaming of this award for quite a few years yet. But I'm also delighted, and winning the Realm Award was one of the highlights of my year.</li><li>Additionally, <b>I attended two events to sell my books:</b> Eat Local, Read Local and Doxacon. I can't say that I attended solo because the lovely Heather Halverstadt shared my table and gave me some great direction at both, and L. Jagi Lamplighter was also at our Doxacon table. Still, these feel like pretty significant milestones!</li><li>Regarding specific project goals:<ul><li><b>I wrote, submitted, edited, and published<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CBJ3TL61?"> <i>Song of the Selkies</i></a> with the Stolen Songs Arista Challenge.</b> Last year, I described the idea that became <i>Song of the Selkies</i> as "shorter and faster to write [than my BDPI Little Mermaid story]." Past me, you sweet summer child, <i>you had no idea</i>. I worked on this right up until release day, with only a few brief pauses. Still, it's out in the world, I'm happy with it, and other people have enthusiastically told me how much they like it, so, hey, I'm not complaining.<b><br /></b></li><li><b>I released a short story with the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C7PQN9K8/"><i>Wags, Woofs, and Wonders</i> anthology</a>. </b>"Grim Guardian" was fun to write, and I'm so glad that it was accepted into the anthology! I didn't get to do as much with the release as I intended, but I'm still pleased.</li><li><b>I finished drafting <i>Bastian Dennel, PI </i>#4. </b>I originally thought I'd be done with this back in February. That's <i>hilarious</i>. But, y'know, I made progress! I also decided that it's going to require a hefty rewrite and will probably become book five in the series, but that's ok. In that sense, I sort of accomplished my goal of <b>drafting BDPI #5</b> . . . but I didn't write the story I originally thought would be BDPI #5 (which will now be BDPI #4, so I'm not giving myself too much credit there).</li><li><b>I know what I'm doing for the 2024 Arista Challenge (tentatively)</b><b>. </b>I intend to start writing it today or tomorrow, in fact. The only reason that "tentatively" is in there is because <i>I have learned my lesson</i>.</li><li><b>I have kept up with my Defenders of Serys D&D campaign. </b>We spent a bit over half the year in Middle Earth, which was good because it meant I knew where things were going, but also got a little unsatisfying to write after a while. And now we're back in Serys, working through an adventure I've had in mind for a while, and that's been fun.</li></ul></li><li><b>I've mostly kept up with blogging and author socials. </b>I took a few more blogging hiatuses this year than in some past years, and I definitely missed more Wednesday Instagram/Facebook posts than I intended. Still, I think I did ok under the circumstances.</li></ul><h3><span style="color: #0b5394;">Reading</span></h3><ul><li>As per the usual, I'll cover my reading goals in my Best of/End-of-Year Book Celebration posts. For an early look at my stats, you can <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd3wyG8Y8TXmR_jHe6GL4m_asC1hUL4tX8GloqugkGXBN6C2Q/viewanalytics">check out my tracking form results</a>.</li><li>By way of a brief summary: I shot way past my overall reading goal (101 books) with a total of<b> 155 books read</b>. I also did pretty well with tracking my reads in detail, and I think the new version of my Google form worked well. However, I didn't succeed at most of my more specific reading goals because I decided to go with mood-reads instead.</li><li>I also did a much better job of tracking what I watched! This was actually easier than tracking my reading, as I could usually enter the details of what I was watching while I watched it. I ended up using a Google form based on the one I have for tracking my reading, and that worked well. A few statistics, in case anyone is interested:<ul><li>I watched 72 distinct movies, episodes, or videos.</li><li>The majority of those (79%) were episodes of TV shows.</li><li>The shows I watched the most were <i>Over the Garden Wall</i> (1o episodes), <i>Leverage</i> (9 episodes), <i>Fairy Tail</i> (6 episodes), and <i>Hogan's Heroes</i> (6 episodes).</li><li>I did most of my watching in May, June, and October, which makes sense — in May and June, I was watching a lot of shows with my sister, and in October, I rewatched <i>Over the Garden Wall</i>.</li></ul></li></ul><h3><span style="color: #0b5394;">Life</span></h3><ul><li><b>I started online grad school. </b>This was my unspoken job-related goal in last year's goal post, and . . . well, I'm a third of the way through a Master's in Professional Writing! I'm doing it! I did spend a lot of the time second-guessing my decision, but I haven't thrown in the towel yet!</li><li><b>My job is still going well.</b> This year's work has involved slightly fewer new things, though there have still been some interesting challenges: we changed printing companies (which meant I had to find our new company), we ran into new and exciting troubles with the livestream and internet (cue many groans), and we <i>finally</i> managed to pull off an EDDM (neighborhood-based) mailing (after a false start and a failed attempt — the catalyst for our change in printing companies).</li><li><b>I'm still practicing German . . . and I went back to learning Irish</b><b>. </b>For once, I surpassed past me's expectations on a goal! I said I wasn't adding a second language . . . but a few of my friends were talking about learning Irish, and I happened across an explanation of some concepts that befuddled me on my first attempt, so now I'm doing both German and Irish on Duolingo. It seems to be going ok so far.</li><li><b>I did not figure out a consistent exercise method.</b> I did pretty ok for the first eight weeks or so, when I could usually spend some time on the treadmill a couple times a week while working on grad school assignments. However, that didn't work super well with my second class, nor was it ideal for my novel writing, and then the summer happened, so . . . yes.</li><li><b>My whole family had a weird, stressful summer and fall.</b> Go back and read my <a href="https://tpssarahlightshadows.wordpress.com/2023/06/02/may-2023-doings/">May 2023 Doings</a> post if you want more detail as to why, but long story short for those who missed it (or for future me, looking back): my grandpa fell and broke a few vertebrae shortly after my sister's graduation. The injury was far, far less serious than it could've been (thank God for protecting him), but it still meant my mom was up at his house most of the summer — the first weekend of May through Labor Day weekend, minus about three weeks in July — while my dad, my sister, and I stayed in Virginia and took fairly frequent weekend trips up to see them both. Then, about a month and a half after my mom was able to come home, my grandpa's health went downhill again, and he had to have open heart surgery . . . which went well, but was also scary. Praise God, he's doing much better at this point, and I am praying <i>so hard</i> that 2024 is better for him. So, yes. There were many miracles over the course of everything, but that doesn't mean it wasn't hard for everyone (my mom especially).</li><li>However, this summer did still include some fun things! Namely:<ul><li><b>I drove all the way to Ohio to attend a book signing featuring W.R. Gingell and Suzannah</b> <b>Rowntree!</b> This was absolutely awesome — and not just because meeting some of my favorite authors was absolutely awesome. My sister drove up with me, which meant we got to spend lots of time together, and we stayed with a very good friend of mine (my former roommate) who I was delighted to see again in person.</li><li><b>I attended Realm Makers for a second year! </b>This was my first year at the St. Louis location, which I'd heard a ton about. It was much less overwhelming than Atlantic City, though also much more cramped. This was also my first time flying solo, which ended up being much less stressful than I expected — in fact, it was actually pretty fun! Of course, the highlights of the trip were the Realm Awards ceremony and getting to see my friends (especially Kendra E. Ardnek and Wyn Estelle Owens) in person again.</li><li><b>My family went back to White Sulphur Springs for a joint retreat between our Bible study and another Bible study in Ohio. </b>White Sulphur Springs is one of my favorite places in the world, so this was a very good time.</li><li><b>I got a lot better at and more comfortable with cooking</b> as a result of having to do more of it this summer while my mom was away. I'm still not great at juggling a lot of tasks at once, but I can make several of my favorites, and I can improvise on certain types of foods! So that's a win.</li></ul></li><li><b>My D&D group defeated one of our major nemeses (twice) and found out we're pretty close to finishing the campaign. </b>This is notable mostly because we all hate the now-defeated nemesis more than the actual BBEG of the campaign, and also we made his final defeat on the last session of the year, which was kind of satisfying.</li></ul><p>Well, that wraps up my Year of Water and Grow. Again, it's not really what I expected or hoped, but I know God was working in all of it. And now it's time to lay out my 2024 theme and goals to hopefully start the New Year well.</p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">2024 Goals</span></h2><h3><span style="color: #0b5394;">Year of Staying the Course<br /></span></h3><ul><li>I thought about dropping the whole "Year of" themes because I forget about them well before I forget my actual goals.</li><li>But then I realized during church yesterday (while praying about my goals and themes) that there was a theme that would work well for this year . . .</li><li>And that theme is <b>Staying the Course</b>. With writing, with grad school, with work — the key is, as always, consistency. And I know from last year that I'm going to have challenges in some of those areas. That I'm going to wonder if I can do the thing I've said I'm going to do. But I want to stay the course, to keep going, unless I receive a clear indication that doing so is the wrong choice.</li></ul><h3><span style="color: #0b5394;">Writing Goals</span></h3><ul><li>Not much new here. I'm repeating my overall goal from last year: <b>I want to actively and regularly work towards specific writing goals in at least ten of the twelve months of</b> <b>2024. </b>Again, these can be wordcount goals, or they can be project goals like "Write this much of [book/story] by the X date." I'll probably switch back and forth depending on what best suits what I need to get done.</li><li>I am deliberately <i>not</i> increasing the number of months in that last goal because my other overall goal for the year is to <b>keep up better with deadlines so I can build in time to rest between projects and I'm not working on things until the last minute.</b> In 2023, pretty much the only times I took a creative writing break of more than a couple days was when I was either sick or working on a big grad school assignment that took up all my time, and I was <i>terrifyingly</i> close to the wire on some projects. While everything worked out, and while I think I had some pretty extenuating circumstances, I don't want to repeat that in 2024. I want to make sure I have some proper time to rest and refuel between projects, and I want to go back to finishing things well ahead of my deadlines so I have wiggle room if anything goes wrong.</li><li>Of course, we also have some specific project goals:<ul><li>I want to <b>write, edit, and publish <i>Daughters of Atirse</i> #2</b><b>, which is also my 2024 Arista Challenge project.</b> I aim to have it drafted by the end of March, which will mean lots of writing in the next three months . . . but will also give me plenty of time to have beta readers take a look before I edit, polish, and format so it's ready for a September release without having to scramble.</li><li>I want to <b>write, edit, and maybe publish the <i>new</i> <i>Bastian Dennel, PI </i>#4</b>. As I mentioned earlier, the BDPI #4 novel I worked on the last few years is being pushed back to book 5, and what was book 5 is now book 4. This should be a much shorter book (given that it's a less complicated plot with fewer POVs). My hope is to have it ready to go either around the end of 2024 or early in 2025.</li><li>I want to <b>write and submit a story for H.L. Burke's <i>DOSA Files</i> anthology. </b>I love the SVR universe, and I'm super excited for a chance to write in it! This has a wordcount cap of 10K words, so if I can block off a week or so, I should be able to get it done. The trick is just picking that week.</li><li>If I manage to hit all three of those goals and still have time to spare without denying myself rest, I want to either <b>edit BDPI #5 (formerly #4) </b>or <b>draft at least half of <i>Daughters of Atirse </i>#3 or #5</b>. Again, this is only if I hit my other goals and can pick up another project without overdoing it. And, yes, I said either #3 or #5 of the <i>Daughters of Atirse</i> series because I'm <i>really</i> excited for #5, and it's a direct sequel to <i>Song of the Selkies</i>, as opposed to a prequel or spinoff-sequel like a lot of others I have planned. Since the series order is a little looser, I can probably afford to write some of them out of order if I really want to. It'll just mean sitting on the draft longer.</li><li>Finally, repeating a goal from last year, I want to <b>keep up with writing my </b><b>Defenders of Serys D&D campaign. </b>This is an essential project, but since my group tends to have short sessions, it's not an overwhelming one. I anticipate I'll need to write two or so adventures for this, and I know what the next one is. As long as I don't get bogged down in making three million NPCs, I shouldn't have any trouble.</li></ul></li><li>Moving on to some writing-related, but not novel-related goals, I want to <b>keep up my current blogging and social media schedule (and be better about not missing weeks on social media). </b>As a reminder for myself, that's a blog post and one to two Facebook/Instagram posts per week, three weeks out of every month.</li><li>On a related note, I want to <b>finally post some of the backlog posts I've been sitting on from earlier in the</b> <b>year</b>, particularly the results of my music and focus study. I just need to rework it from what I submitted for the class, and that's not something I've wanted to do when I have current classwork.</li><li>Last but not least, <b>I want to attend as least three author events to sell my books in-person. </b>I hope to repeat two from last year, and then I just need to add one more.</li></ul><h3><span style="color: #0b5394;">Reading Goals</span></h3><ul><li>My reading goal for this year is <b>93 books. </b>Yes, I'm dropping my goal from 2023 even though I surpassed it, and you'll see why in a few bullet points.</li><li>I'm reattempting last year's read-more-old-books goal, aiming for <b>12 books published (or written) before 1975</b><b>, at least nine of which were originally aimed at adults. </b>I know why I failed at this one last year: I got stressed and switched to exclusively mood reads and ARCs. I know I <i>can</i> do it, though, if I'm a little more deliberate about finding older books that I'm excited to read.</li><li>I'm also reattempting last year's genre goal of <b>reading 15 non-speculative fiction books </b>in 2024. Again, I know this is something I can do; I just have to not get distracted by mood reads.</li><li>This is a little vague, but I want to <b>decrease the number of physical books I own but haven't read. </b>Which is to <i>mostly </i>say that I want to read more of the books that are on my shelf but I haven't read yet. I'd like to be more specific — get down to fewer than some number of unread-but-owned books — but doing so requires figuring out how many books are in the category in the first place. This ties in with a goal in the life section as well, as you'll see.</li><li>My last reading goal for 2024 is to <b>catch up with H.L. Burke's SVR-verse books and Sanderson's Cosmere and Secret Project releases. </b>I'm behind on both of these, though for different reasons. In the case of the SVR books, I started off behind, and Heidi tends to release new books while I'm not looking. (To be clear, I know they're coming. I just don't realize they're actually <i>out</i>.) In the case of Sanderson's books . . . at first, I didn't want that much of a distraction from what I needed to do. Then, I was stressed (as I've said before), and anything longer than about 500 pages felt like Too Big a Commitment. But I love both of these authors, and I know I'll love all the books I haven't read, so I really want to get up-to-date with them.</li><li>I want to <b>keep tracking what I read and watch. </b>I've done pretty well with this the last couple years, so I'm not sure I still need to set it as a goal, but we'll go one more year before I decide it's enough of a habit that I don't need to specify.</li></ul><h3><span style="color: #0b5394;">Life Goals</span></h3><ul><li>This should go without saying, but I want to <b>finish another four grad school classes</b>, which comes out to one part-time year. I've registered for the first two of those; the other two will happen in the fall.</li><li>I want to <b>keep up with learning German and Irish</b><b>. </b>I have a system worked out pretty well, fueled by bonus XP boosts and my desire not to lose my streak, so hopefully it'll keep working!</li><li>Once again taking a shot at a goal I repeatedly fail: I want to <b>figure out a method of exercise (or at least physical activity) that I can enjoy enough to do once week. </b>I am pretty sure that the bar is on the ground at this point, but y'know. Gotta start somewhere. (I did discover a month or two ago that I can walk on the treadmill and play D&D at the same time, though, as long as my character sheet app works and I don't set the speed high, so that may help.)</li><li>I want to <b>return to Realm Makers.</b> I've actually already started making plans for this, and I'm watching the Realm Makers site like a hawk for when conference registration opens up. I'm <i>so excited</i>.</li><li>This is a bit smaller than some of the other goals on my list, but I need to <b>weed and reorganize my bookshelves.</b> This has been on my to-do list for most of 2023, but I keep putting it off. I know I have a lot of books that I'm not likely to read or reread, but I'm holding onto them for various reasons — because I think I <i>should </i>read or at least own them, because I bought them new, because they're pretty, because they make my shelves look better, and so on — and I need to fix that, if only so I have more space for books I genuinely love. </li><li>I want to make <strong>one recipe per month from my new <em>Baking Yesteryear</em> cookbook. </strong>I got this for Christmas, and I'm very excited to try some of the recipes. I think one recipe per month is doable, but I may dial it back to one every two months if necessary.</li></ul><p>What were your 2023 highlights? What goals, themes, or resolutions do you have for 2024? Please tell me in the comments!<br />Thanks for reading!<br /><img alt="" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-4292" height="68" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/2020_sig_type-e1599079790586.png?w=150" width="150" /></p>Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-25082088979947298912023-12-31T21:12:00.002-05:002023-12-31T21:12:00.256-05:00It's New Year's Eve Somewhere [A New Year's Eve Short Story]<p><i>It's that time again — time for my annual New Year's Eve short story and the latest glimpse into the adventures of Carrie, Tamison, and their party. (Of course, as usual, this story should stand fine alone as well as in the context of <a href="https://dreams-dragons.blogspot.com/search/label/Carrie%20and%20Tamison">the full series</a>.) I hope you enjoy it and that you have a very happy New Year!</i></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-8022 size-large" height="316" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/nye-2023-its-new-years-eve-somewhere.png?w=474" width="474" /></p>
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<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: navy;">It's New Year's Eve Somewhere</span></h1>
<div data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="1 1 []">This was supposed to be his night off.</div>
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<div>The patrol alarm went off with an extended <i>beep</i> that echoed off the concrete and metal walls of the office. Tarvin grumbled to himself as he stood, stretched, and picked up the heavy metal stunlight from his desk. With one hand, he slid the weapon into its holster on his belt; with the other, he smacked the alarm to turn it off.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Still grumbling, he headed for the door into the ring of cells. He'd barely had time to sit down since his last patrol! Ordinarily, he'd only have to check on the prisoners once every few hours. Maybe once an hour if he were feeling especially motivated — Karoti would go every hour, but that man did everything by the book, and he was <i>enthusiastic</i> about it, madman that he was. As far as Tarvin and most of his squadmates were concerned, given that the cells' usual occupants were drunks or dust-heads and the occasional political demonstrator, a walk every two or three hours to make sure everyone was still breathing was more than sufficient. Most of the prisoners had enough problems of their own without guards breathing down their necks.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>But tonight was different. Tonight required a patrol every thirty minutes, maybe forty-five if he had a good reason to stretch it, and an all-clear report at least once an hour. Tarvin didn't see the point; it wasn't as if the prisoners could go anywhere. Not as if they could escape without walking right past his desk. But the captain had laid out the consequences for him and his team if any of them failed to do things by the book tonight. If he were lucky, he'd spend a year cleaning orbital debris from Mahideri Station's path. If he wasn't lucky . . .</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Tarvin unlocked the door with a finger pressed to the scanner. He carefully shut the door again behind him and waited until he heard the click as it relocked itself. Then, for variety's sake, he turned to the right. He'd mostly been walking counterclockwise, starting with the occupied cells and ending with the empty ones, but if he didn't switch things up occasionally, he'd go mad.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>He swept through the curved hall of empty cells quickly, glancing into each. By all rights, the whole holding facility should be as empty as these were. The activists and demonstrators all tended to slow down their activities around this time of year; they knew it was an unlucky time, and any change was doomed to failure. Besides that, the university was between semesters, and that meant that everyone but essential personnel, two security units, and a few especially dedicated scholars and student-mages had left, fled either to their homes or to more hospitable locations. There weren't enough people here to <i>make</i> trouble, which meant anyone scheduled for guard duty here should've had that time off. <i>Tarvin</i> should've had tonight off. But then there'd been two arrests of the ordinary kind, and then another two that sent all the higher-ups into a frothing frenzy of panic and finger-pointing, and so here he was.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Tarvin reached the door at the end of the hall. He pressed his hand to the metal plate beside it and winced as tiny needles pricked the skin of his palm, taking the requisite DNA samples and confirming that he was allowed to access the high-security section of the facility. Before tonight, he'd never seen this door locked — what lay beyond had never been necessary, not as long as he'd worked here. But this night was an exception in multiple ways.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>A moment later, the door slid open. Beyond, the temperature dropped by nearly ten degrees, maybe even fifteen. Tarvin shivered and set off again at a quick pace as the door shut and locked behind him, almost soundlessly. To either side of him, circular platforms filled with spirals of inscribed code-runes sat dark and empty, their magic inactive. On the ceiling above each platform was a similar circle of code-runes, also unlit and lifeless.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Midway along the hall, however, he reached two active platforms, their runes glowing the same blue as the stasis field projected above them. Here, the temperature seemed even colder. Magic drew in heat, Tarvin knew, though he couldn't remember where he'd learned that. Mostly you'd never notice it, the difference was so small, but with such powerful spellwork as this . . .</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Frost glittered on the skin and clothes of the figures contained in the stasis fields, though they'd only been in there a few hours. The stasis effect would protect them from actually getting frostbite, but they'd still be cold as the back end of the galaxy when they were freed — if they were freed. Sure, this facility was only meant for short-term imprisonment — holding people a day or two, maybe four or five at most, until they'd paid off a light crime or could be transferred elsewhere for a longer sentence. But it wasn't like this section was used much, and Tarvin had heard of some prisoners kept in stasis for decades, covered in so many layers of frost that you couldn't even make out their features. The charges for these two were the same as for those prisoners: unauthorized magic use and espionage against the Coriolion Empire.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Tarvin paused long enough to study the pair. The stasis fields and frost obscured them, but he could still make out some details. The one on the right side of the hall was a woman, dark-skinned and curly-haired like Tarvin himself. She wore a strange green dress — more like a robe, really — and held her hands out as if reaching for someone, or perhaps readying a spell. Her eyes were open wide, and behind the frost, her face held mingled anger and . . . fear? No, not quite. Tarvin had seen plenty of people afraid for themselves. This woman's concern was turned entirely outwards.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Towards the other prisoner, maybe? Tarvin turned to study him next. He didn't look like much, just a man of average build, dressed in robes, with dark hair — messy, but in a way that suggested it had been neatly styled until some kind of scuffle forced it out of place. He'd had the sense to close his eyes, at least, and his head was slightly ducked. He held his arms up, forearms crossed, but his hands were open, the fingers spread. Tarvin had seen this casting position too, when a pair of student mages were debating defensive stances in a local bar. They'd said it was good for shields and not much else.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Neither one looked especially dangerous. If they'd been wearing anything but robes, Tarvin would've taken them for upper-level student-mages at the university. For a moment, he almost wished he could thaw one of them, or maybe both of them, out and ask what had happened and what they'd done. They were the reason he was here, walking patrols every half-hour, after all. Didn't he have a right to know why?</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Looking at them, Tarvin had a nasty suspicion that they hadn't done <i>anything</i>. That they were from outside the empire and they'd had a teleportation spell go badly wrong. That would explain what he'd heard about them appearing unexpectedly in a restricted area. And he wouldn't put it past the higher-ups to claim malicious intent no matter what their prisoners said.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>But even if he really wanted to talk to one of them, he couldn't. It took a mage and a guard together to release a stasis field, and not just any mage, but one of the Highstars, the highest-ranking mages on the station. No one else had the authority to use so much magic at once. There was only one Highstar here tonight, Meridus, and he'd been the one to activate the stasis field in the first place. He'd never release it for so small a reason as confirming potentially misplaced guilt, not when it was easier to just leave it until it became someone else's problem.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Nor would he have much patience for a lowly guard questioning his decisions. Tarvin turned away from the stasis-held prisoners and continued along his patrol. The rest of the platforms were empty, and the far door let him out in exchange for another DNA sample. Now that he was back among normal cells, the temperature rose again, and he no longer shivered. Still, he kept a brisk pace until he reached the sole occupied cell. He'd been told the two women within were political demonstrators who'd chosen a night in lockup over paying the usual fine. The palm-shaped bruises visible on the thin cheeks of one of the women more or less confirmed as much. Most of the security force wouldn't be gentle with someone who chose to make trouble with a sober mind and full control of their faculties. It was a lot easier to be patient with someone who you thought didn't know any better.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>He paused by the cell and looked inside. The clear forcefield across the entrance let him see the prisoners clearly. The bruised woman sat closer to the entrance, her eyes shut, though Tarvin didn't think she was actually asleep. She'd swept her long hair into a high bun since the last time he actually looked into the cell; how it was staying in place, he couldn't tell. The other woman sat in a back corner, bending over . . . was that a notebook and pen? Tarvin cleared his throat and knocked against the wall between cells to get her attention. "Who gave you permission to have personal items in there?"</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The woman glanced up for only the briefest moment. "I brought it in with me. Your captain didn't tell me to give it up."</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Huh. That was unlike him. Still, Tarvin hadn't seen anyone come in, and he knew whoever brought them in would've searched them. The captain must've been feeling unusually merciful. "Well, fine, then. Just behave yourself with it."</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The woman didn't respond; she just kept scribbling in the book. The other spoke up, her voice hoarse. "Do you think it's right that we're in here?"</div>
<div> </div>
<div>"You broke the law, ma'am." Tarvin shrugged. "I don't know what else you expected."</div>
<div> </div>
<div>"We made a few comments about the nature of truth and justice and freedom." The bruised woman opened her eyes and looked sideways at him. "We said magic should be free to all, not just to the elite, as it is in other worlds. Should that be against the law?"</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Tarvin shifted uncomfortably. He'd learned long ago not to entertain that line of thought. "I'm just a guard, ma'am. It's not my job to decide what the law should be, just to uphold it."</div>
<div> </div>
<div>He started to walk away, but her voice stopped him before he could get far. "Your name is Tarvin Aboti. You've worked as Mahideri Station security for seven years. Before that, you came from Asarvis. You were born after the Coriolion Empire took over, but your parents remember when the land and the magic were free, and they told you stories about those days when no one else was listening."</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Tarvin turned on his heel, reaching for his stunlight. "What — Who <i>are</i> you? How do you know all that?" He'd never introduced himself to these two. And he'd never told <i>anyone</i> on the station about his parents' stories . . .</div>
<div> </div>
<div>"My name is Willow. My friend is Laelia." The bruised woman met his eyes. "Would you believe me if I said that I'm from another world, that I come from the long past, and that I've visited the future?"</div>
<div> </div>
<div>"That's —" Impossible. That would mean time travel, and even the Highstars couldn't do that. Or could they? Was this a setup?</div>
<div> </div>
<div>"No one's listening, Mr. Aboti." Willow smiled at him, weary and determined. "You're the only one on duty here, and no one would bother with patrols if there were another way to watch the cells. So, what do you say? Is the way it is the way it should be? I don't think you think it is. If you help us, we can fix that."</div>
<div> </div>
<div>He should leave. He should leave and report this. But instead, he stayed where he was, stunlight still firmly in his hand. "Help you how?"</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Laelia's pen stilled, and she responded instead of Willow. "According to the history books, tonight, a guard releases five prisoners. When he does, he starts a chain of changes that ends with the fall of the Coriolion Empire, freedom for the people it's conquered, and access to magic for everyone."</div>
<div> </div>
<div>"That guard could be your relief," Willow said, her voice soft. "Or it could be you. I think it's you. What do you think, Mr. Aboti?"</div>
<div> </div>
<div>"I could release the two of you," Tarvin said, slowly. He shouldn't listen, he knew. But they knew too much for him to ignore them. At least if he kept talking, he could learn something. He was gathering intelligence; that was all. His captain couldn't fault him for that. "But if the two in high security are included in that group, I can't get them out. I'd need a mage for that."</div>
<div> </div>
<div>"I <i>am</i> a mage." Willow put a hand against the force field. Rather than burning her, it dimmed where she touched it. A glow appeared around her other hand, dancing blue and green like the auroras on Asarvis. "Our friends, the other prisoners, are under stasis spells, aren't they? I can undo them safely if you just unlock what needs unlocked."</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Was she using the energy from the forcefield to power separate magic? If she could do that — if she could undo the stasis fields — did she even need him to let her and her friend out? More importantly, if she were that skilled or that powerful, then she had to be at least on the same level as the Highstars. Under those circumstances, no one could blame him if he chose to help, could they? Still, a thought occurred to him. "You said five prisoners. There's only four here.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Willow's smile brightened, and she leaned closer to the force field. "The last prisoner isn't a person. We're going to release the magic. Make sure anyone on the station can use it, whatever authorizations they have, just like it used to be."</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Like it used to be. Like the world his parents had known. Surely anyone who wanted to do that couldn't be so bad? "What do you get out of this? You said you're from another world. What do you care about here?"</div>
<div> </div>
<div>"We want to do what's right." Willow shook her head. "We want to make things how they should be."</div>
<div> </div>
<div>"And you have a copy of the Xenoth Archives here," Laelia added, her tone matter-of-fact. "It's under guard, but we might be able to get to it in all the confusion."</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Willow gave Laelia an exasperated look. Laelia frowned. "It's the truth. That's why we came here in the first place. We were going to get here <i>during</i> the aftermath, but our timeport went wrong. Then Willow and I realized that was because we had to be here for there to <i>be</i> an aftermath."</div>
<div> </div>
<div>That settled it. No one would make up such a ridiculous story as a lie, not if they seriously wanted to convince someone. They had to be telling the truth. All the same . . . "It's bad luck to start any big changes mid-year. You have to wait until the new year if you want anything to work."</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Willow faced Tarvin again, her smile returning. "It's always the new year somewhere, Mr. Aboti. If not in this world, then another."</div>
<div> </div>
<div>"Tonight's New Year's Eve on Earth and Fuila," Laelia added helpfully. "Worlds 1-3 and 1-5. It's also in the middle of the turning of the year for some cultures in Andauthea, world 3-7."</div>
<div> </div>
<div>"See, Mr. Aboti? It's a new year." Willow looked hopefully at him. "So, will you help us?"</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Tarvin took a deep breath and put his stunlight back in his pocket. "You'll release magic — will you teach me how to use it?"</div>
<div> </div>
<div>"We'll show you the basics," Willow replied. "And we'll leave you information on where to go from there. Does that mean you'll help?"</div>
<div> </div>
<div>"Well, your histories say someone does." Tarvin reached for his keys. "Do I let you out now, or later? Do your history books say?"</div>
<div> </div>
<div>"Get the supplies you confiscated from us first. There's some tools we need in there." Willow stood. "Then let us out, as soon as possible."</div>
<div> </div>
<div>"Right." Tarvin nodded. "I'll be back in a minute, then."</div>
<div> </div>
<div>He hurried back down the hall, towards the main office and the lockers of prisoners' possessions. The thrill of what he was doing thrummed in his chest. If he were caught, it would mean death or worse.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>But if he wasn't caught, it would mean he'd done something meaningful. Something important. Surely that was worth the risk. After all, it was the new year somewhere — and the new year meant it was time for a change.</div>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: navy;"> </span></h1>
Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-72933652850776431732023-12-29T08:59:00.001-05:002023-12-29T08:59:00.130-05:00December 2023 Doings!<p>Hello, all! I hope everyone had a merry Christmas, both the season and the day. I can definitely say that my Christmas season didn't go quite how I expected it . . . but that seems to have been the theme of 2023, so I can't say I'm entirely surprised either. We'll get to that in a bit, but first, writing! In which I have some good news!</p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Writing!</span></h1>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1571" height="316" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/writing1.jpg?w=474" width="474" /></p>
<ul><li>I finally finished drafting <em>Bastian Dennel, PI</em> #4! Last month's assessment of being within a chapter or two of finishing wasn't quite correct; I actually had more like three and a half chapters left before I could call the draft done.</li><li>But those three and a half chapters have been written! And I don't think they turned out half bad. I'm quite pleased with the last two, actually. The others will need some tweaking, but so do large swathes of the rest of the book, all for the same reason. And the point is that the draft is <em>done</em>, so now I <em>can</em> do that tweaking . . .</li><li>Except not literally <em>now</em> because I have other projects that I need to work on first. And I'm also very likely going to make this book <em>Bastian Dennel, PI</em> #5 instead and write a new (much shorter) book as #4. But that's neither here nor there. The point is, the book is drafted! Huzzah!</li><li>I actually finished the final chapter on Christmas Eve — I'd intended to write maybe 500 words and then go to bed early while the rest of my family watched <em>A Christmas Carol</em>. But then I realized that another few hundred words would wrap things up, and then I could have a proper, guilt-free break for the rest of my sister's visit . . . so I did <em>not</em> go to bed early, but I think it was worth it.</li><li>That's all the writing I've done so far this month (I say "all;" it was a very respectable 8,700-odd words), but I will be writing my New Year's Eve short story in the next few days. Or, possibly, I've already drafted it by the time you read this post, depending on how things go and how much of it I feel like writing on my phone.</li></ul>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Reading!</span></h1>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-7992" height="270" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/dec2023.png?w=474" width="474" /></p>
<ul><li>My reading this month can be pretty neatly divided into "Christmas" and "not Christmas."</li><li>On the not-Christmas side, I finished my reread of the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/116078-the-illuminae-files"><em>Illuminae Files</em></a> with <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29236299-gemina"><em>Gemina</em></a> (just as good as I remembered, and I also realized there's kind of a <em>Die Hard</em> reference or two in there — besides the whole situation being very <em>Die Hard</em>-ish) and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24909347-obsidio"><em>Obsidio</em></a> (better than I remembered, though my memory was still very good — it's one of those books that's more enjoyable on the reread, because you <em>know</em> it'll come out all right and you can <em>appreciate</em> all the twists and turns instead of just being stressed). I also read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/138381605-to-destroy-an-illusion"><em>To Destroy an Illusion</em></a> (not as good as the <em>Austen Fairy Tale</em>, but still a very interesting twist on some obscure fairy tales) for review purposes. Also, it's not pictured because of a Goodreads issue, but I reread <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/172734.DragonSpell"><em>DragonSpell</em></a> as part of a readalong some friends of mine are doing, and that was lovely. I forget how good those books are. </li><li>The non-Christmas highlight of my month was, of course,<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195612423-behind-the-curtain"><em> Behind the Curtain</em></a>, the latest — and, arguably, best — in W.R. Gingell's <em>Worlds Behind </em>series. I loved pretty much everything about this book, but the best bits were getting to know more about Camellia's past and seeing Athelas connect more with both her and Harrow. I especially loved the growing bond between Athelas and Harrow, and there's one particular scene — but that's a spoiler, so you'll all have to read it to know what I'm talking about.</li><li>On the Christmas side, we had several rereads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42601174-christmas-in-talesend"><em>Christmas in Talesend</em></a> (which nicely filled the one-night gap between finishing <em>Illusion</em> and the release of <em>Behind the Curtain</em>), <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18090123-hogfather"><em>Hogfather</em></a> (one of my favorite <em>Discworld</em> novels, and certainly the book I've read most in the series), and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5326.A_Christmas_Carol"><em>A Christmas Carol</em></a> (read via the <em>Dickens December</em> Substack). Also in this category is my current read, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62611074-a-superhero-for-christmas"><em>A Superhero for Christmas</em></a> . . . which I really should have read <em>before</em> Christmas, but I was busy.</li><li>Finally, we have two new-to-me reads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18222716-greenglass-house"><em>Greenglass House</em></a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38733155-twelve-days-of-faerie-christmas"><em>Twelve Days of (Faerie)</em> <em>Christmas</em></a>. <em>Greenglass House</em> is a middle-grade novel, good but not amazing. I liked the mystery and the setting, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I'd read it first when I was closer to the target audience's age.</li><li><em>Twelve Days of Faerie Christmas</em>, on the other hand, was an absolute <em>delight</em>. It's a sweet, fun Christmas romance involving lots of fae magic and schemes and a very clever take on the gifts of the Twelve Days of Christmas song. Every bit of it is a delight, but the ending most of all. I will <em>absolutely</em> be rereading this one next year, though I may do so after Christmas instead of before so the timing lines up properly. (I could have done that <em>this</em> year . . . but I was really excited and didn't want to wait.)</li></ul>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Watching!</span></h1>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8016" height="296" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/mm-1192-spiderman-across-the-spider-verse.png?w=474" width="474" /></p>
<ul><li>Surprisingly, this month didn't involve watching as many movies and shows as it usually does. Most Decembers, we watch a lot of movies as a family, and I also watch a lot of shows on my own because I'm trying to finish Christmas gifts. This year, I only had one gift I could work on while watching something else, and we also had less opportunity to watch things together until Christmas weekend and the following week.</li><li>That meant we didn't rewatch as many Christmas movies as usual, but we did get a few in: <em>A Charlie Brown Christmas</em>, <em>White Christmas</em>, and <em>The Man Who Invented Christmas</em>. I also rewatched <em>'Twas the Night Before</em> <em>Critmas</em>, the Critical Role Christmas oneshot because . . . well, it's fun, and I haven't watched any Critical Role in a long while.</li><li>We also watched <em>Holiday Inn</em>, which I hadn't see before this year. I don't think I'm going to rewatch that one — I'd rather just watch <em>White Christmas</em>, where I like all the characters, most of the scheming is funny and benevolent (even if it does have an angle of self-benefit) and someone at least <em>tries</em> to have a civil, mature conversation about what's going on instead of just being possessive and manipulative. No, I don't have strong feelings about this at all; whatever gave you that idea?</li><li>The one notable non-Christmas movie I watched was <em>Across the Spider-Verse</em> on the day after Christmas. My sister watched it a few months ago, loved it, and told me I needed to watch it . . . but I have a really hard time watching movies by myself (because if I have three straight hours all to myself, then I have other things that I need to be doing with those hours), so we planned to watch it together while she was here for the holiday. I really enjoyed that! Though I think Miguel is a drama queen with bad logic who doesn't deserve half the hype he gets, either in-universe or from the fandom, and I want to know why more people aren't talking about The Spot, because yes, he had a rather cliche motivation, but otherwise he's <em>such</em> a cool villain, with an excellent progression from being played for laughs to being a genuine threat.</li><li>(I know why he gets the hype both places, for the record. To the fandom, he's an anti-hero with an excellent sense of drama. In-universe, it's because his explanation of things makes all the sadness and tragedy in the spider-peoples' lives make <em>sense</em> and absolves them of any guilt or regret. Of course it happened this way. It <em>had</em> to happen this way. It <em>always</em> happens this way. There was nothing they could've done otherwise, and trying just would have doomed everything. Or so he claims. So, yeah, I get it. I just don't think he <em>deserves</em> the hype.)</li><li>Seeing all the spider-people was cool, though. And Gwen and Miles both had great character arcs, plus I liked how the movie showed the mingled love and tension in their relationships with their respective families. So, good movie.</li></ul>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Life!</span></h1>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-8017" height="474" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/img_20231225_091334_124.jpg?w=474" width="474" /></p>
<ul><li>So, December started off well — quite well, even, as on the very first day of the month, I had the pleasure of attending a former coworker's very lovely wedding. Both the ceremony and the reception were beautiful, and the couple made a point of keeping Christ centered in all of it — it's the only wedding I've ever encountered that involved Communion for the whole congregation because the couple wanted to serve Communion together as their first action as husband and wife.</li><li>The rest of the weekend, however, signaled the start of a downhill slide, as my dad came down with a very bad cold on Saturday. My mom and I did our best to avoid catching it, but by midweek, around the time he started feeling better, we were both down for the count, and I was home on sick leave. Thankfully, after several days of rest, we were both feeling better in time for me to go to work the following Monday . . . and then my dad caught the same cold <em>again</em> from a coworker. Thankfully, everyone was healthy again (or mostly so) in time for Christmas, but it was still stressful and frustrating, and it also made doing anything Christmas-y difficult.</li><li>It also made finishing my grad school class difficult (or, you know, more difficult) and solidly shattered my plans of wrapping up my final project early. I ended up doing most of the work on said project on the last two days of the class. Thankfully, a lot of the prep had already been covered by previous assignments, so I was able to get the thing written and turned in on time. And now I am <em>done</em> with grant writing for hopefully a very long time.</li><li>Still, I am grateful that one of the few gaps in the cycle of colds was the Friday of our Bible Study's Christmas party. We always do a baked potato bar and an ice cream bar, and usually the kids act out the Christmas story in a sort of semi-impromptu play. This year, however, we knew we wouldn't have many kids there, so we decided to switch to a dramatic reading of the Christmas story, interspersed with Christmas carols. I helped with a lot of the planning for that; it was the first time in <em>years</em> that I've been so excited for a Christmas play-adjacent thing. I think everyone enjoyed it, and I was certainly happy about how it worked out.</li><li>Also that weekend, at least if I recall correctly, was my D&D group's last session of the year, in which we defeated one of our nemesis once and for all — he's a rakshasa, and we killed him once in the mortal plane, but he can come back . . . so we went to his plane and took him down a second time so he can't keep on with his schemes and tricks. I got the killing blow and cut him off mid-monologue, and it was very satisfying. (I did give the DM a chance to talk, for the record! But not a long chance, as it very quickly became clear that this guy had nothing useful to say and would just try to turn us off our purpose if we let him go on.)</li><li>The fact that everyone spent so much of the month sick meant less attention was given to things like Christmas baking, but we did still make cookies. We just didn't try any new recipes for Christmas itself this year. All the same, my gingersnaps and peppermint pinwheels turned out well, and my mom made macaroons, peanut butter balls, biscotti, and Russian teacakes, so I'm happy. And I did make oatmeal-ginger cookies at the start of the month, which were also very tasty.</li><li>Probably the best part of Christmas this year was that my sister came down from Ohio for the holiday! She arrived Saturday, just in time for us to go to the Christmas Eve-Eve service at our church — which, by the way, was lovely. It wasn't as much of a spectacular as some past years have been, but I think it was nicer overall, as we had more traditional songs, and I think the pastor's message was better than it has been some years. Then, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were both pretty chill, on the whole. I received some lovely gifts (including new planners and the <em>Baking Yesteryear </em>recipe book), and my family liked the gifts I gave them. There wasn't anything really out of the ordinary about either day, but they were still good days.</li><li>My sister returned to Ohio on Wednesday, and we drove up with her as far as Pittsburgh to visit my grandpa for a little while. Getting to see him again was nice, and I'm happy to report that he's recovering pretty well from all the various medical stuff he's had to deal with over the course of this year. All in all, it was a good visit.</li><li>There's a few days left yet in December, but I anticipate those being mostly quiet, with the exception of New Year's Eve afternoon and evening. My former roommate and I will do our gift exchange (over video call) that afternoon, and I look forward to that — she's in one of my D&D groups, but that group hasn't really met all month, so I haven't seen her in a while. And then our Bible study always has a party for New Year's Eve that should be lots of fun. It'll be a good way to end the year, that's for certain.</li></ul>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: navy;"> </span><span style="color: #0b5394;">January Plans</span></h1>
<ul><li>January means getting back to business as usual, with work, writing, and grad school.</li><li>On the writing front, I'll be working on <em>Daughters of Atirse</em> #2. This is a prequel to <em>Song of the Selkies</em> focusing on Ceana's older sister, Onora, and it's also a retelling that blends The Goose Girl with Puss in Boots. I'll probably outline it over the next couple days (if I have time) and then start actually writing at the beginning of January. If I have time, I'll probably also try to squeeze in a draft of whatever I do for H.L. Burke's DOSA-verse anthology. (I have about 75% of an idea. I just have to work out some loose ends.)</li><li>At work, I'm hoping for a fairly quiet month. January usually doesn't have a lot going on, so that hope has a reasonable chance of being fulfilled. That said, we're getting ready to launch some new grief ministries, so we'll see how busy that keeps me.</li><li>As for grad school . . . confession time: I still need to register for the next set of classes. I should have done that a couple weeks ago, but I was too busy with Christmas stuff, and I also didn't even want to <em>think</em> about classes for a solid week after I finished my most recent one. I think the next thing I'm taking is technical writing, though, which should be pretty chill. Technical writing isn't my favorite type of writing ever, but I also don't dislike it, and I think I'm fairly good at it. So, we'll see how things go.</li><li>When it comes to reading, I have some exciting ARCs waiting for me on my Kindle — the only reason I haven't read them yet is that I've been distracted by Christmas stories! But I'll fix that pretty soon. Otherwise, well, I'm trying not to plan too much.</li><li>Lastly, on the crafting front, I have a crochet shawl that I'm hoping to make good progress on. I'm also toying with the idea of giving some new crafts a try . . . but we'll see if that actually goes anywhere or not.</li><li>And, of course, I'll be setting my New Year's goals in the next couple days, so we'll see what comes of those.</li></ul>
<p>How was your December? How was your Christmas? Any plans for January? Please tell me in the comments! <br />Thanks for reading!</p>
<p><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-4292 size-thumbnail" height="68" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/2020_sig_type-e1599079790586.png?w=150" width="150" /></p>
<p> </p>
Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-68638417570733939272023-12-22T08:23:00.002-05:002023-12-22T08:58:16.138-05:00Winter 2023–2024 Reads<p>Hello, everyone! It's just a few days until Christmas, but today is also the first day of winter, which means it's time for my list of this winter's book releases that I'm most looking forward to! This is a rather short list — only six books — but I also have a suspicion that I'm missing some books, as Goodreads has gotten less and less cooperative about actually sorting things by release date when I ask it to. Still, we do have some releases that I'm quite excited about!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQJYY1HpvD7eOI3NoPUlD8NM2atKSonJszikNM2UU2nwNi1WDHfWXQl8KZqIjVZiik87mMU-EtpI1T1ZRDZZZrX2mlepoPxczY8Ej5kv_bfZrn5rkaNLL6DMY1gBOofiCxeBQ_aHAlfSQD6ft7ws-WUDhSdT1w5uZ3USbNOlyAx6w19abSez2XZ7SJR-n/s560/12.22.2023_Winter%202023%20Reads.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQJYY1HpvD7eOI3NoPUlD8NM2atKSonJszikNM2UU2nwNi1WDHfWXQl8KZqIjVZiik87mMU-EtpI1T1ZRDZZZrX2mlepoPxczY8Ej5kv_bfZrn5rkaNLL6DMY1gBOofiCxeBQ_aHAlfSQD6ft7ws-WUDhSdT1w5uZ3USbNOlyAx6w19abSez2XZ7SJR-n/w640-h360/12.22.2023_Winter%202023%20Reads.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Winter 2023–2024 Reads</span></h1>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-7970 size-medium" height="300" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/behind-the-curtain.jpg?w=200" width="200" /></p>
<p>1. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195612423-behind-the-curtain"><i><b>Behind the Curtain </b></i></a><b>by W.R. Gingell (December 15). </b>This released just last Friday, and I proceeded to devour it over the course of the past weekend. I can say with absolute confidence that it's the best yet in the series (and book five is going to have to be absolutely amazing to beat it). We have so much good stuff here! Most prominent is both backstory and character development for the mysterious-but-delightful Camellia (which I can't say much about because spoilers, but trust me that it's absolutely superb). But my favorite part of the book is probably the interactions between Athelas and Harrow — they have <i>such</i> a good dynamic, and it's lovely how, in helping Harrow heal, Athelas is also healing himself. (Also, their scenes include some of my very favorite tropes, which is always fabulous.)</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-7974 size-medium" height="300" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/wishing-on-a-supervillain.jpg?w=200" width="200" /></p>
<p>2. <i><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203086346-wishing-on-a-supervillain?">Wishing on a Supervillain </a></b></i><b>by H.L. Burke (January 9). </b>Another of H.L. Burke's supervillain/superhero romances! This one features a superhero and a supervillain who have to cooperate to fulfill the in-world version of a Make-a-Wish kid's wish. I have an ARC of this book, and I'm super excited to read and review it, especially since other ARC readers say this is one of the best SVR-verse books yet.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-7982" height="300" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/drake-hall-placeholder.jpg?w=188" width="188" /></p>
<p>3. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200499587-drake-hall?ac=1"><em><strong>Drake Hall</strong></em></a> <strong>by Christina Baehr (January 14). </strong>If you're thinking "wait, I thought I saw a version of this post without this book . . ." no you didn't. Well, actually, yes, you did, because Goodreads and Amazon conspired to be unhelpful, and therefore I somehow misplaced the release date for one of my <em>most-anticipated releases of the season</em> until I got my ARC the morning this post came out. <em>But</em> I have realized my mistake, and I cannot wait for more cozy Gothic dragons and adventures (and more of Edith, who is rapidly taking her place as one of my favorite heroines of the year).</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-7971" height="300" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/just-stab-me-now.jpg?w=188" width="188" /></p>
<p>4.<b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195500935-just-stab-me-now"><i>Just Stab Me Now </i></a>by Jill Bearup (February 5)</b><b>. </b>Some of you may be aware of Jill Bearup's series of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-axbuh6v68">Fantasy Heroine YouTube shorts</a>, but for those who haven't had the pleasure and delight of experiencing them: what starts up as a loving send-up of assorted fantasy romance tropes develops into a tale of adventure and intrigue (and romance) featuring Lady Rosalind Hawkhurst, a practically-minded thirtysomething widow who is astonishingly trope-resistant and would probably get along splendidly with Isabella of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29481285-masque"><i>Masque</i></a>. <i>Just Stab Me Now</i> is based on the series, but it expands the story and adds more plotline from the author's side of things . . . and I cannot wait to actually read it.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-7973" height="300" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/the-pumpkin-war.jpg?w=187" width="187" /></p>
<p>5. <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/139392084-pumpkin-war"><i>Pumpkin War</i></a> by Kendra E. Ardnek (February 28)</b><b>. </b>This is a Cinderella retelling set in the same world as <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/138381605-to-destroy-an-illusion"><i>To Destroy an Illusion </i></a>(which just released last week!). The blurb promises intrigue and a sort of enemies-to-lovers romance (except half of the romance doesn't think they're enemies), so that should be cool. I'm also interested to see more of Kendra's take on the fae. While I wasn't overawed by what I saw in <i>Illusion</i>, there were some very interesting elements, and I want to find out if those are the exception or the rule.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-7972" height="300" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/rumplestiltskins-bargain.jpg?w=188" width="188" /></p>
<p>6. <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/175726111-rumpelstiltskin-s-bargain"><i>Rumpelstiltskin's Bargain </i></a>by Kendra E. Ardnek (February 29)</b><b>. </b>It feels very fitting that a Rumpelstiltskin story is coming out on February 29. Don't ask me to explain why; it just seems right. This is the next in Kendra's series of hero/villain-swap short story retellings. Some of the past retellings in this series (like <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61238727-the-wolf-s-daughter"><i>The Wolf's Daughter</i></a>) have been <i>amazing</i>, though others have been just ok, and I'm hoping that this one will fall more on the "wow" end of that spectrum.</p>
<p>What book releases are you excited for this winter? Am I missing any? Please tell me in the comments!<br />Thanks for reading!</p>
<p><img alt="" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-4292" height="68" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/2020_sig_type-e1599079790586.png?w=150" width="150" /></p>
<p> </p>
Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-28685851836993823782023-12-01T08:27:00.001-05:002023-12-01T08:27:00.139-05:00December 2023 Doings!<p>Here we are — December 1, and for me, at least, the Christmas season is in full swing! As I write this, I'm listening to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (always a delight), and I'm very excited to start both <a href="https://adickensdecember.substack.com/">Dickens December</a> (aka, reading <em>The Christmas Carol</em> in day-by-day serial fashion, <em>Dracula Daily</em>-style) and my cheese Advent calendars. But I'm getting ahead of myself — this post is about November, not December. Last month was, unsurprisingly, pretty busy, but it was a good busy . . . mostly. Let's get into the recap and you'll see what I mean.</p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Writing!</span></h1>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7948" height="85" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/doxacon-logo2018-teal.png" width="270" /></p>
<ul><li>The month started out with another author event. Heather Halverstadt, L. Jagi Lamplighter, and I shared a table at Doxacon, a very small speculative fiction fan convention associated with the Orthodox and Catholic churches. While navigation was frustrating (I lost my way <em>multiple</em> times trying to find my way around the location — and then ended up at the bottom of a flight of stairs with a cartload of books) and I didn't sell nearly as many books as I hoped, I did meet many cool people, both readers and other authors. Additionally, the vendor hall and the main sessions were in the same place, so I got to listen in on some of the talks for free, which was great. All in all, it was a pretty good day. I think I'll try to go as a vendor again next year . . . though I will probably prepare differently next time!</li><li>As far as actual writing goes: I finished my challenge story (the platonic Beauty and the Beast), and I'm very happy with how it turned out. I took my birthday off for the express purpose of finishing it and working on <em>Bastian Dennel</em>, and that was fun.</li><li>I did <em>not</em> finish <em>Bastian Dennel, PI</em> #4, due to Thanksgiving and my sister being home. However, I am within a chapter or two of being done, so . . . there's that? I could probably finish this weekend if I have time and focus enough, but I'm not sure if I'll have both of those in sufficient supply.</li><li>I've also been doing a lot of brainstorming on possible future stories with a friend of mine. This is not very helpful when it comes to writing present stories, but it's fun, and it's sort of adjacent to being productive, so . . . yes. I swear, if I write anywhere near all the ideas I have, I'm going to end up with a backlist that, at least in terms of quantity, puts the likes of Brandon Sanderson and Bryan Davis to shame. Alas that I can't afford to just spend all my time writing . . .</li><li>I also celebrated <a href="https://tpssarahlightshadows.wordpress.com/2023/11/10/friday-5s-five-years-published/">five years since <em>Blood in the Snow</em> released</a> and I became an officially published author! And by "celebrated" I mean that I wrote a blog post and an Instagram post about it and mentioned it to my family after a friend reminded me that it was, in fact, kind of a significant anniversary. It still counts as a celebration, right?</li></ul>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Reading!</span></h1>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-7950" height="536" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/october2023-1.png?w=474" width="474" /></p>
<ul><li>This month was almost all rereads — out of eighteen books that I read or finished in November, only four were actually new to me.</li><li>My main rereads were the second half of the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/43988-knight-and-rogue"><em>Knight and Rogue</em></a> series and most of the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/197675-dungeon-meshi"><em>Delicious in Dungeon</em></a> manga series. Both were excellent on the reread, I'm happy to say. My <em>Delicious in Dungeon</em> reread culminated in reading the latest two volumes, which were both new to me. I enjoyed both, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the series wraps up when the final volumes release sometime next year. (My favorites are still earlier in the series, but that's not surprising.)</li><li><em>Dracula Daily</em> and <em>Re:Dracula</em> both wrapped up in early November, which is why <em>Dracula</em> is on there twice. I very much enjoyed experiencing <em>Dracula</em> a second and third time, and I highly recommend both the Substack and the podcast as ways to experience this story! (Also, I thought I was prepared for a certain element of the climax . . . and I was with regards to <em>Dracula Daily</em>, but I definitely was <em>not</em> properly prepared for <em>Re:Dracula</em>.)</li><li>My two new reads, aside from the latest <em>Delicious in Dungeon</em> books, were <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26422.Fullmetal_Alchemist_Vol_14">volume 14 of <em>Fullmetal Alchemist</em></a> and B. Dylan Hollis's cookbook, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63836013-baking-yesteryear"><em>Baking Yesteryear</em></a>. Well, I mostly skimmed the cookbook, but I read enough to be satisfied and to know there are recipes in it that I'd like to try. As for <em>Fullmetal Alchemist</em> . . . well, I got worked up enough over the ending to ask a friend for a very minor spoiler, that being whether or not a character's arc pulls away from the tragedy it seems to be headed towards.</li><li>Also, while it's not listed here, I've been reading <a href="https://derinstories.com/time-to-orbit-unknown/"><em>Time to Orbit: Unknown</em></a>, which is a serially posted sci-fi story about a colony ship in which things have gone horribly wrong and one of the colonists gets unexpectedly woken to take on the role of captain . . . and all the other roles as well. I'm about halfway through right now, and while it's not a perfect story (either philosophically, ideologically, or technically), I've been really enjoying it. Delving into some sci-fi is a nice change of pace, there's an excellent mystery element, and the character dynamics are great. I don't remember how it ended up on my radar, but I'm glad it did. (Also, it's making me want to write a space fantasy story, so . . . we'll see where that goes.)</li><li>And because reading that seems to have put me on a sci-fi kick, I've started a reread of the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/116078-the-illuminae-files"><em>Illuminae Files</em></a>. I read <em>Illuminae</em> in the last few days (and stayed up far too late while doing so, but we're not talking about that), and I just started <em>Gemina</em>, and, look, these books are <em>so good</em>. Sometimes, action/suspense-type books don't hold up well on the reread, but these ones? These ones remain amazing. (Plus, I now have the full trilogy, and I'm so happy about that!)</li></ul>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Watching!</span></h1>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-7951" height="225" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/miracle-on-34th-street.jpg?w=300" width="400" /></p>
<ul><li>I actually watched a bunch of stuff this month? Somehow? And, surprisingly, only half of it was holiday-related.</li><li>I squeezed in a couple more episodes of my <em>Fairy Tail</em> rewatch and another <em>No Evil</em> episode (I really need to get back to watching that series; I'm actually really close to caught up). I also joined my parents for a couple of episodes of <em>Benson</em>, which is an older sitcom. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the two episodes I watched, even though I usually don't go in for that genre. Not something I'd go out of my way to watch, but I would not object to watching more if other people happened to have it on and I didn't have anything pressing to do at the time. (This is more of a compliment than it probably sounds like, for the record. My family will confirm that I am not afraid to flee the room if a show comes on that I don't like, even if I don't necessarily have something better to do.)</li><li>On the holiday movie front, we of course watched <em>Charlie Brown Thanksgiving</em> (a few days before Thanksgiving), and we also watched <em>The Lemon Drop Kid</em> while my sister was home. On a side note, if you haven't watched <em>The Lemon Drop Kid</em>, do yourself a favor and fix that. It's not a perfect story, but it is <em>so</em> much fun — it's the classic "con man tries a desperate scheme, but accidentally gets Invested" trope, but at Christmas! With lots of humor! I love it.</li><li>We also watched <em>Miracle on 34th</em> <em>Street</em>, and for once, I decided not to find something more pressing to do. I <em>hated</em> this movie for a long while — when I was small (under ten or so), we'd always watch it on Thanksgiving, but most of it went right over my head, and I always ended up bored and annoyed. Eventually I just stopped watching it. This year I decided to give it another chance, and I will say that, surprise, surprise, it's a much better movie when you actually understand the nuances of the characters and what's going on! It's still not something I'd pick out to watch on my own, but I'd potentially watch it again if other people wanted to see it.</li><li>Finally, a new-to-me old movie: <em>It Happened in 5th Avenue</em>. I <em>really</em> wanted to love this one, and I did like it . . . but not as well as I'd hoped. The general concept was fun, and I liked that part of the emotional grounding was the restoration of a family in addition to the romance element. However, one of the major characters <em>very much</em> annoyed me after a while, plus there was instalove romance, and while I could deal with either of those two on their own, the combination was just a little too frustrating for this to be a new favorite (or anywhere close). I'd still watch it again, but yeah. Not as good as I hoped.</li></ul>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Life!</span></h1>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-7953" height="253" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/20231116_184454-e1701397656773.jpg?w=300" width="400" /></p>
<ul><li>As I said already, November was a busy month. Doxacon obviously dominated the first weekend of the month — but the following weekend was also busy with lots of running around here, there, and everywhere else.</li><li>Then the weekend <em>after that</em> was my birthday, which was fun! I already mentioned that I took my birthday off from work. When my coworkers asked what I planned to do, I told them that, if it was a good day, I'd spend the whole thing writing, and if it was a <em>very</em> good day, I'd spend half my time writing and the other half either reading or crafting. And as it turns out, it was a very good day! I got in plenty of writing time, and I started working on a short fleece cloak. We also celebrated with homemade chocolate peanut butter tart (basically buckeye filling and chocolate in a graham cracker crust, very tasty) and a trip to my favorite Mexican restaurant on the weekend, so that was a delight.</li><li>For those who want to know: the cloak is still not quite finished, but it's nearly there. I just need to sew on the fasteners and decide if I'm going to attach the hood or not. (I made the hood, but I had to piece it, and I'm not sure if I like how it turned out. Plus, I <em>do</em> have plenty of hats.) I'm also working on crocheting a Mobius shawl with some lovely black-and-silver yarn; despite a few false starts, it's going well, if much slower than I hoped. (Let's be real; "much slower than I hoped" describes pretty much every crafting project I tackle.)</li><li>I also used my birthday as an excuse to try a local-ish crepe restaurant — I'd been meaning to check it out for <em>months</em>, but I hadn't gotten around to it until now. I ordered a salmon benedict crepe and was caught <em>very</em> off-guard by the size. It was even larger than the crepes at the Maryland Renaissance Faire, and that's saying something! I could barely finish the whole thing! It was tasty, though, and I definitely plan to go back sometime.</li><li>Now we come to Thanksgiving! My sister flew in Thanksgiving morning and stayed until Saturday evening, and seeing her again was lovely. We had Thanksgiving dinner with our Bible study, as usual, which was fun. There was an abundance of good food, and my mom and sister spent most of the afternoon working on a puzzle with the friend who was hosting. I contributed to neither food nor puzzle, but ah well.</li><li>One <em>un</em>usual thing we did this year was that we put up the Christmas tree and lights on Thanksgiving day, then did the actual decorating the day after Thanksgiving as usual. While I'm generally very firm about keeping Christmas <em>after</em> Thanksgiving, I think I liked putting the tree up a day early. Doing that meant we weren't already tired when we started putting up the decorations (or, not <em>as</em> tired), and it was a good way to work up an appetite for Thanksgiving dinner!</li><li>At work, everything's abuzz with Advent and Christmas preparations. I spent a significant amount of the month working on the Advent newsletter and marketing materials for the Lessons & Carols and Christmas Eve services — but those are arguably some of my favorite projects of the year. I know I say this every year, but Advent truly is my favorite season to design for. I'm working primarily with my favorite colors (blue, gold, purple, green), the imagery is all filled with lovely lights and stars and candles, and I have the option to either lean into nostalgia and traditional designs (with fancy serif fonts and scrollwork) or go more modern (with silhouettes and minimalist colors and swishy script), with equal justification for either angle. So, yes, I'm busy, but I'm having fun with it.</li><li>And, to be frank, it's a good thing that I'm enjoying my work (mostly), as I am <em>not</em> enjoying my grad school grant writing class. The professor isn't as bad as I feared he would be, but I just do not enjoy the subject matter. Heaven help me if I'm ever in a position where I have to write a grant application for real — and I absolutely do <em>not</em> want to ever have this as my main job. I'd rather freelance — storms, I'd rather work retail. The problem isn't even that it's particularly hard. The workload is actually pretty light. But I can't find anything to enjoy about the work itself, and I just want to be <em>done</em>.</li></ul>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: navy;"> </span><span style="color: #0b5394;">December Plans</span></h1>
<ul><li>Obviously, all the Christmas stuff will be happening. I'm working on putting together presents and thinking about what cookies I'm going to make (and what I'm going to request that my mom make). We're trying to figure out which Christmas Eve service to go to — our church has <em>six</em> — and looking forward to my sister coming home again for the holiday (huzzah!), plus hoping that my grandpa will be doing well enough to visit too. I'm debating whether or not to go to the Lessons & Carols service at the church where I work, since I enjoyed it last year. And, of course, I will be listening to <em>all</em> the Christmas music!</li><li>I also have two weeks left in my grant writing class, so I need to survive those and pray that my work ethic holds out long and strong enough that I finish <em>well</em>. I swear, even in my most-disliked high school and undergrad classes — even in my last months of my senior year — I have never felt such a strong desire to just <em>not</em>.</li><li>Speaking of finishing things: I still need to finish <em>Bastian Dennel, PI #4</em>! I'm <em>so</em> close, but the last chapters are always one of the hardest parts of drafting . . . That said, I'm aiming to wrap up this draft by the end of next week. We'll see what happens after that. I need to jump into my <em>Song of the Selkies </em>prequel sooner rather than later, but the weeks before Christmas aren't necessarily the <em>best</em> time to start a new project, plus I need to write my New Year's Eve short story. I'd like to get it written well in advance for once, but who knows if that'll work out. In any case, I'll see how BDPI #4 and my grant writing final project go and figure things out from there.</li><li>Work will continue to be busy, but not unreasonably or unbearably so. At this point, I have a pretty good handle on what needs doing, and a lot is already <em>done</em>. The hardest thing will probably just be making sure everything stays on schedule and cornering people long enough to get the information I need from them. I <em>will</em> be doing three different bulletins the week before Christmas, which will be a lot . . . but honestly, that's not much worse than Holy Week, and I can get bulletins done pretty fast these days as long as people give me the content I need! So as long as I can keep my focus, I should be fine.</li><li>I'm sure I'll also have plenty to do on the crafting front, what with making some Christmas gift items, though I'm not making as much as I have in some past years. Most of what I have planned is stuff I can do relatively quickly; the tricky bit is that not all of it is as portable as I'd like . . .</li><li>Finishing up with a housekeeping note: I will not be posting on the blogs next week or the week after. My next post will most likely be my Winter 2023–2024 Reads post on December 22, and then I'll do the usual month- and year-wrap-up posts on the appropriate dates. The next two weeks are critical for finishing both the grant-writing class and BDPI #4, so I don't want to have to worry about getting blog posts up during that time. Of course, the rest of you might be so busy that you don't even notice I'm not posting.</li></ul>
<p>How was your November? What are you looking forward to in December? Do you tend to make many Christmas presents? Do you find it harder to start projects or finish them? Please tell me in the comments! <br />Thanks for reading!</p>
<p><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-4292 size-thumbnail" height="68" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/2020_sig_type-e1599079790586.png?w=150" width="150" /></p>
<p> </p>
Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-43786956783087347342023-11-24T07:22:00.001-05:002023-11-24T22:05:59.390-05:00Black Friday Book Sale!<p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-6787 size-full" height="244" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2022/11/black-friday-banner.jpg" width="640" /></p><p>Hello, friends! I hope y'all had a happy Thanksgiving! In case you're looking for a good book to enjoy while you munch on your leftover turkey and pie, I'm here to tell you that all seven of my books are on sale in ebook form for just $0.99 as part of the <a href="https://sale.perrykirkpatrick.com/">Perry Kirkpatrick Black Friday book sale</a>!</p><p>This sale runs from Black Friday (today, November 24) through Cyber Monday. In it, you'll find literally hundreds of clean and Christian indie reads from authors like Kendra E. Ardnek, Tara Grayce, H.L. Burke, E.J. Kitchens, Abigail Manning, myself, and many others. The sale includes free and $0.99 ebooks, as well as some special deals on print and audiobooks. I've put links below that will take you straight to my sale listings, but you can also click here to <a href="https://sale.perrykirkpatrick.com/">browse the whole sale</a>.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sale.perrykirkpatrick.com/book/blood-in-the-snow/"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-7916 size-large" height="474" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/fantasy-4.png?w=474" width="474" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sale.perrykirkpatrick.com/book/blood-in-the-snow/"><em><strong>Blood in the Snow</strong></em></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sale.perrykirkpatrick.com/book/mechanical-heart/"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-7917 size-large" height="474" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/fall-3.png?w=474" width="474" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Mechanical Heart</strong></em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sale.perrykirkpatrick.com/book/bastian-dennel-pi-1-the-midnight-show/"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-7922 size-large" height="474" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/general-3.png?w=474" width="474" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Bastian Dennel, PI:</strong><br /><a href="https://sale.perrykirkpatrick.com/book/bastian-dennel-pi-1-the-midnight-show/">The Midnight Show</a><br /><a href="https://sale.perrykirkpatrick.com/book/bastian-dennel-pi-2-gilded-in-ice/">Gilded in Ice</a><br /><a href="https://sale.perrykirkpatrick.com/book/bastian-dennel-pi-3-mask-of-scarlet/">Mask of Scarlet</a><br /></em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-7918" height="474" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/christmas-2.png?w=474" width="474" /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sale.perrykirkpatrick.com/book/through-a-shattered-glass/"><em><strong>Through a Shattered Glass</strong></em></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-7915" height="474" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/fantasy-5.png?w=474" width="474" /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sale.perrykirkpatrick.com/book/song-of-the-selkies/"><em><strong>Song of the Selkies</strong></em></a></p><p>Have you checked out the <a href="https://sale.perrykirkpatrick.com/">Black Friday sale</a> yet? Which books in it are you eyeing up? Please tell me in the comments!<br />Thanks for reading!<br /><span style="color: navy;"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-4292" height="68" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/2020_sig_type-e1599079790586.png?w=150" width="150" /></span></p>Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-18615063746342372662023-11-17T08:10:00.001-05:002023-11-17T08:10:00.143-05:00On the Taleweaver's Desk Issue 10: November 2023<p>Hello, all! It is the last month of fall, and that means it's time for another Taleweaver's Desk update. I'm still thinking of switching these to a three-times-per-year schedule in 2024, but we'll see how things go. (It may depend on how much news I have to share come February.) For now, though, let's take a look at what progress I've made on my various projects.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-7907 size-large" height="267" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/td-november-2023-dd.png?w=474" width="474" /></p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">On the Taleweaver's Desk Issue 10: November 2023</span></h1>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">On the Desktop</span></h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>These are the projects you might find open on my laptop or desk if you took a peek at it during a normal day. They're currently in progress and at the top of the priority chart.</em></p>
<h3><em>Bastian Dennel, PI</em> #4</h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong>Book 4 in my <em>Bastian Dennel, PI</em> series and my first murder mystery.</p>
<p><strong>Status:</strong> Thirty-one-ish chapters drafted.</p>
<p>Depending on when you read this, I'm probably working on either Chapter 31 or Chapter 32 of <em>Bastian Dennel, PI #4</em>, which I <em>still</em> need to name properly. It's fine. I'll get to it once the book is finished; that's what I normally do anyway. I planned to be finished with this book by now, but I got sidetracked (again) by a project for another writing challenge that was supposed to be a short story and turned into a novella. (Whoops.) I am <em>close</em> to the end, though — I have maybe three or four more chapters of Actual Plot, plus one or two chapters (probably just one) to wrap things up, and then I'll have a finished draft! Which I will then have to edit. Still, I'm optimistic about having this out sometime in 2024.</p>
<h3><em>Daughters of Atirse</em> #2</h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong>A Goose Girl/Puss in Boots retelling, the second book in the <em>Daughters of Atirse</em> series, and the prequel to <em>Song of the Selkies.</em></p>
<p><strong>Status: </strong>In the active planning stages.</p>
<p>Yes, you read that fairytale combo right! I've been thinking about combining The Goose Girl with Puss in Boots for a while now, and partway through writing <em>Song of the Selkies</em>, I realized that it would fit perfectly in that world. My intention is to submit this to the final Arista Challenge release, which means I need to get writing very soon! (Another reason I want to finish <em>Bastian Dennel, PI </em>#4 as soon as possible!) I'll give y'all more details on this story in a while, but for now, I'll just say that this is a prequel to <em>Song of the Selkies </em>that focuses on Ceana's oldest sister, Onora, and I'm very excited to write it.</p>
<h3>D&D Campaign: <em>Defenders of Serys</em></h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong><em>Defenders of Serys</em> is the homebrew D&D campaign that I run for my D&D group.</p>
<p><strong>Status: </strong>In between writing adventures.</p>
<p>I haven't touched this since August because I've been so busy with <em>Song of the Selkies</em>, <em>Bastian Dennel</em>, and grad school. I need to fix that soon, as the party is close to finishing the current adventure. (They're doing so well! I'm so proud of them!) I know what the next adventure will be, but setting it up will take time — it's an NPC-heavy adventure, and coming up with NPCs is one of the parts of D&D writing that tends to take the most time. Still, since we're in the holiday season now and we'll be meeting a little less, and since we still have some left in the current adventure, I should have through the end of the year to write the next adventure.</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Stacked on the Side<br /></span></h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>These are the stories that I'm not actively working on (at least not officially), but I'm keeping close at hand because I plan to get back to them soon (or I just work on them sporadically as the urge takes me). </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>There are no significant changes to any of these projects since my last update, but I'll leave the list here for anyone who hasn't seen it before!</strong></p>
<h3><em>Blood in the Earth<br /></em></h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong><em>Blood in the Earth</em> is the sequel to <em>Blood in the Snow</em> and a retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses crossed with the myth of Hades and Persephone.</p>
<p><strong>Status: </strong>First draft finished; awaiting rewrites. I probably won't get back to it until late 2024 at the earliest at this point due to all the <em>Bastian Dennel, PI</em> and <em>Daughters of Atirse </em>books I have planned.</p>
<h3><em>Once Upon a Dream<br /></em></h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong>A light steampunk (or gaslamp fantasy?) Sleeping Beauty retelling; the predecessor to <em>The Midnight Show</em></p>
<p><strong>Status: </strong>Edited several times over. Awaiting another round of rewrites/expansion/edits (and a useful excuse/motivation for prioritizing those edits).</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Shelved for Now</span></h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>These are stories that are also on hold, but which I don't have specific plans to work on very soon. They're still within easy reach should I decide to return to them, but they aren't a top priority.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>There are no significant changes to any of these projects since my last update, but I'll leave the list here for anyone who hasn't seen it before!</strong></p>
<h3><em>Dust of Silver<br /></em></h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong>Classic-ish fantasy retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses crossed with Rapunzel, the first book in what has the potential to be a rather long series. Also, a rewrite of a book I wrote years ago that won't let go of me because CHARACTERS.</p>
<p><strong>Status: </strong>Several chapters into the rewrite, though those several chapters haven't been touched in a few years.</p>
<h3><em>Between Two Worlds</em></h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong>A portal fantasy adventure about what happens when you come home from the adventure, only to discover that the adventure isn't quite as done with you as you thought.</p>
<p><strong>Status: </strong>Awaiting another round of edits/rewrites while I write other things and daydream about its sequels. May get bumped further up the priority list depending on certain other factors, but probably not for a while yet.</p>
<h3><em>The Way of the Pen<br /></em></h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong>Self-aware fantasy adventure about a girl and her author.</p>
<p><strong>Status: </strong>The first draft is sitting on my shelf, patiently waiting for its turn back in the spotlight, as it has been for some time. Of everything in this section, this is the most likely book to move up to Stacked on the Side or On the Desktop, as I occasionally have wild thoughts of editing it and shopping it 'round to traditional publishers. However, that actually happening in the next couple years is improbable, due to Atirse and Bastian Dennel taking priority.</p>
<h3><em>Berstru Tales</em> series</h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong>A classic epic fantasy series and the longest-running series I've worked on (either in the number of books written or in how long I've worked on it.</p>
<p><strong>Status: </strong>Needs to be rewritten from the ground up, but the bones are good. There's a particular character who's getting a whole new arc, and I'm really excited to write it . . . when I have time.</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Awaiting Delivery<br /></span></h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>These are the stories that are on their way, but haven't quite arrived yet to the point where I can write them: ideas I'm toying with but haven't even started to draft because they're still too nebulous.</em></p>
<h3>Additional <em>Bastian Dennel, PI </em>novels</h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong>Exactly what the heading said.</p>
<p><strong>Status:</strong> I've been thinking lots of thoughts about the <em>Bastian Dennel</em> Little Mermaid/[secret story] retelling, which is great because I have about 75% of it figured out, but also not great because it's not the next book in the series. It might not even be the second-next book in the series, as I've been rearranging ideas again due to certain stories being seasonally dependent. And yet it's the book I have the most solid ideas for. (Why am I like this?) Anyway, I have lots of ideas, and will probably be writing <em>Bastian Dennel</em> books for quite a while.</p>
<h3><em>Daughters of Atirse </em>books</h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong>Multiple other stories in the same world as and overlapping casts with <em>Song of the Selkies</em>. Specific stories planned include: something in the <em>Beauty and the Beast Family</em> (a sequel), my take on <em>Tam Lin</em> crossed with a couple other fairy tales (another prequel, in addition to the one I mentioned in On the Desktop), and a retelling of part of the story of Pwyll & Rhiannon (another sequel). I also have ideas relating to Diarmad (Ceana's thrice-great uncle who, as you might recall, married a faery for political reasons) and Uaine, but I don't have specific fairy tales assigned to them yet.</p>
<p><strong>Status: </strong>Too many ideas, too little time. On the upside, <em>multiple</em> people have said they want more from this world, so having lots of ideas is a good thing. I just need to make the time to write and publish all of them. I do have a rough series order plan, but because my ideas include prequels as well as sequels, I may adjust what order I actually publish things in depending on what I want to write.</p>
<h3>Novellas from the world of <em>Blood in the Snow</em></h3>
<p><strong>What are they? </strong>Currently, three ideas for spinoffs, most of which are also fairy tale retellings: one Puss in Boots (no, really), one Orpheus and Eurydice (probably crossed with a similar Japanese myth, Izanagi and Izanami), and one that's not currently a fairy tale retelling but would be about Gan and Azuma before they were animal-keepers at the emperor's palace (inspired the summer I spent watching a lot of <em>Hogan's Heroes</em>).</p>
<p><strong>Status: </strong>Won't be written until after I edit <em>Blood in the Earth</em>.</p>
<h3>Unnamed Fantasy Murder Mystery</h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong>Exactly what the headline says. A prominent noble is murdered; his adoptive daughter is poised to inherit his lands and position — but some are saying her hand was behind his death.</p>
<p><strong>Status: </strong>Still just an idea, but it's an idea with a <em>really</em> <em>good</em> soundtrack. Still not going to be tackled until after <em>Blood in the Earth</em>. May end up being set in the same world as <em>Daughters of Atirse</em>, though not in the same series.</p>
<h3>Miscellaneous Short Stories</h3>
<p><strong>What is it? </strong>My annual New Year's Eve story and a potential story for H.L. Burke's <a href="https://www.hlburkeauthor.com/general-8"><em>DOSA Files</em> anthology</a>. </p>
<p><strong>Status: </strong>I'm poking at ideas for both of these currently. One, I need to write, but I don't have a solid concept for. The other I don't <em>have</em> to write, but I think would be fun, and I have about 75% of a concept for it — which is to say, I have the characters and some of the setup, but I still need to figure out some key plot elements. I do have time, though, and I also have a wordcount limit, so I should be fine.</p>
<p>What projects (writing or otherwise) are you working on currently, and how are they going for you? Tell me in the comments! <br />Thanks for reading!</p>
<p><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-4292 size-thumbnail" height="68" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/2020_sig_type-e1599079790586.png?w=150" width="150" /></p>
<p> </p>
Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-58960633443682463082023-11-10T08:47:00.001-05:002023-11-10T08:47:00.134-05:00Five Years Published<p>Hello, all! So, about two weeks ago, I hit a significant-ish milestone: five years as an actually published author. I published my debut novel, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Snow-Sarah-Pennington-ebook/dp/B07H1HKVWF/"><em>Blood in the Snow</em></a>, on October 26, 2018. At the time, I was in my junior year of college, balancing writing and editing with classwork and, somehow, an actual social life. Five years on, I have seven published works, one of which has won a Realm Award, plus a story in an anthology. (And, bewilderingly, I am once again having to balance writing with classwork, thanks to my decision to try for a Master's degree — but I replaced the social life with a job and D&D, so . . . progress?) Anyway, given the occasion, a bit of retrospective seemed appropriate, so here are five thoughts from me on the last five years as a published author!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1BWmWRj5wjEKR8TTIxaMSUIEo8ly3pF2oxok_j5aC7rpW36gEmlMjI4XTndkaXzJgnUAFFljbGAoaVt9nz1IOZeVL9T7g_fPv35vluMAxEEHNNb4oQEE0C-cfW-kvT5OYtucYudrM_VdBGRnO7VqUj_Pbhb-ESBDBTU4MF9MduNCjsxY7EAbA451Jttk/s560/11.10.2023_5%20Years.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1BWmWRj5wjEKR8TTIxaMSUIEo8ly3pF2oxok_j5aC7rpW36gEmlMjI4XTndkaXzJgnUAFFljbGAoaVt9nz1IOZeVL9T7g_fPv35vluMAxEEHNNb4oQEE0C-cfW-kvT5OYtucYudrM_VdBGRnO7VqUj_Pbhb-ESBDBTU4MF9MduNCjsxY7EAbA451Jttk/w640-h360/11.10.2023_5%20Years.png" width="640" /></a></div><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Five Years Published<br /></span></h1><ol><li><strong>I'm glad I decided to go the self-publishing route instead of holding out for a traditional publishing contract. </strong>Just over five years ago, I posted a Friday 5s post about <a href="https://tpssarahlightshadows.wordpress.com/2018/09/21/friday-5s-why-im-now-self-publishing/">why I'd decided to self-publish</a> . . . because two years prior to <em>that</em>, I'd written another post about <a href="https://tpssarahlightshadows.wordpress.com/2016/05/06/friday-5s-why-im-not-self-publishing/">why I planned to still pursue traditional publishing</a> instead of jumping on the self-publishing bandwagon (which, at that point, was getting some real momentum). How well those reasons stood the test of time varies from one to another, but in any case, I'm happy with my choice. After all, had I stuck with my intent to be traditionally published, I'd probably still be querying — and even if I had a contract, I wouldn't be getting nearly as much from the publisher as I'd hoped back in 2016. (Notably, I'd still have to do a lot of marketing.) On the other hand, I've been able to self-publish books that meet my standards for what a good book <em>should</em> be without a publishing house <em>and</em> without spending hundreds or thousands of dollars for each new manuscript. </li><li><strong>The Arista Challenges were probably the best thing that could've happened to me, writing-wise. </strong>All but one of my books have been published with one of the Arista Challenges releases, and that's been such a good experience. Obviously, the first Arista Challenge provided the boost I needed to actually publish <em>Blood in the Snow</em>. Beyond that, though, they provided the structure and deadlines that I needed to make sure I released at least one book every year — and they prompted some of my favorite books I've written to date. Without the Arista Challenge, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09869T5NJ"><em>Bastian Dennel, PI</em></a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Through-Shattered-Glass-Sarah-Pennington-ebook/dp/B0BFVSH518/"><em>Through a Shattered Glass</em></a>, and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Selkies-Daughters-At%C3%ACrse-Sarah-Pennington/dp/B0CJ43R7LK/"><em>Song of the Selkies</em></a> simply wouldn't exist! I've also learned a lot from Kendra about promoting and organizing a book release and about the actual craft of publishing. And, of course, the Arista Challenge led to my friendships with many other authors, particularly Wyn Estelle Owens, and those relationships have been such a blessing.</li><li><strong>I'm definitely still learning and growing as an author. </strong>When I posted in 2016 about why I didn't plan to self-publish, one of the reasons I gave was that traditional publishing would force me to constantly work to be better and self-publishing, in my inexperienced opinion, wouldn't. That couldn't have been further from the truth! I don't think it's unreasonable to say that my writing skills improve with every book I write and rewrite because every story requires me to either practice new techniques or hone old ones. (Again, I wouldn't have written <em>Bastian Dennel, PI</em> if I hadn't self-published, and that series is how I've learned, and am still learning, to write mysteries.) In addition, I've learned a lot in writing-adjacent fields. I've designed my own covers for five of my books, and I've received frequent compliments on them. I've also done the interior layouts for all of my books (not counting the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C7PQN9K8"><em>Wags, Woofs, and Wonders</em></a> anthology), and I can honestly say that I've improved a little with each one. In fact, one could argue that I've learned more from self-publishing than I ever would have had I pursued traditional publishing.</li><li><strong>As is typical, the people have been one of the best parts of the whole experience. </strong>I've already mentioned the friendships I've built with other authors. However, y'all — the people who <em>read</em> my books, either before or after they're published — have also been lovely. On the pre-publishing side, I've found a group of absolutely lovely beta readers, without whom I would probably be lost. Their critiques and suggestions do <em>so</em> much to make my books better, whether in small ways like pointing out confusing wording or in big ways like showing me where a particular character arc isn't what it could be. Plus, their commentary keeps me from going insane during the editing process! And once my books are published, I get to hear from people who've loved the characters and the stories, and it's just <em>so</em> awesome. Any time someone tells me that they read my book and liked it, it just <em>makes my day </em>— even moreso when they then tell me particular characters or bits they enjoyed or ask questions about the story. And, yes, part of that is because it's nice to get compliments — but more importantly, those comments mean that other people are finding meaning and connection and joy in what I make, that my stories are doing what I want them to do. A post I saw recently said that art isn't complete until it's experienced, and that's definitely true of writing.</li><li><strong>I'm excited for whatever comes next. </strong>Do I know what that'll be? Yes and no. If you keep up with my Taleweaver's Desk posts, you know I have a fair number of books lined up to write or rewrite and publish in the future, but the exact details of all that remains to be seen. I also haven't entirely given up on shopping around one particular novel to traditional publishing houses, just so I can say I've done it both ways. (Though I have to find time to actually rewrite that novel first . . .) I'm kind of keeping my plans intentionally a little loose, as every time I think I've set a solid course, something happens to throw everything off. Whatever happens, though, and wherever this path takes me, I'm sure I'll keep learning, and I pray that I'll keep getting to share my stories with all of y'all. </li></ol><p>Have you hit any milestones worth celebrating lately? Also, which of my books so far is your favorite? Please tell me in the comments!<br />Thanks for reading — and thank you for making the last five years so great!<br /><img alt="" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-4292" height="68" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/2020_sig_type-e1599079790586.png?w=150" width="150" /></p>Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-47653095560619391752023-11-03T07:51:00.001-04:002023-11-03T07:51:00.142-04:00October 2023 Doings!<p>October is over, and only two months remain before the end of 2023. No, I can't believe it any more than you can, but there are two calendars right beside me, and both have only two pages left before they run out of days. (Which means I should probably make or buy some new calendars for 2024, now that I think about it.) And those last two months will go <em>fast</em>, given that we're just about to the holiday season . . . but I'm getting ahead of myself. Before we go rushing on ahead, time to recap October's Doings!</p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Writing!</span></h1>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-7863" height="474" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/img_20231014_111155_608.jpg?w=474" width="474" /></p>
<ul><li>We'll start with the good news: Eat Local Read Local went very well. The event had an excellent turnout — over 500 people, if I recall the stats I was given correctly — and I sold a very decent number of books, considering that it was my first time actually doing the selling and that I ended up in the YA/Kids tent instead of the YA/Adult tent (where I think I would have done better). Plus, I got to meet several other authors who I didn't know were local, and several friends came out to see and support me. (One person came all the way from Maryland — that would be the lovely Wyn Owens, who surprised me so much I had to sit down. Then she and I got a late lunch/early dinner after the event and had a chance to chat, and that was fun.)</li><li>On the downside, I didn't accomplish either of my writing goals for this month. Oh, I wrote, certainly! I put down bout 20,000 new words in October, and I had some very good writing days towards the end of the month.</li><li>Unfortunately, only about 4,000 of those words were on <em>Bastian Dennel </em>#4, as first my characters were fighting me, and then other things got in the way of working on it.</li><li>That means I got 16,000 words on my short story challenge piece, and if you can't tell, it's kind of not a <em>short</em> story anymore. It is, in fact, threatening to become a novella. I'm trying to finish it, but these things take <em>time</em>. It's also very character-driven, which means everything takes longer. (On the upside, I am really enjoying the story. It's a platonic Beauty and the Beast wherein the Beast gets stuck with a pair of orphans staying in his manor, and I think you can guess where this is going. Accidental adoption arcs are just <em>delightful</em>.)</li><li>That said, part of the problem is also that there was a week straight where I didn't write because of grad school stuff. But I'll discuss that in the Life! section.</li><li>Even if I didn't hit my goals, though, I did get more words on pages, so I can be pleased with that.</li></ul>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Reading!</span></h1>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-7860" height="404" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/october2023.png?w=474" width="474" /></p>
<ul><li>Given that this was October, I had every intention of going all-in on spooky season reads. That . . . did not happen. The closest things I had to spooky reads were my reread of the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/313967-miss-sharp-s-monsters"><em>Miss Sharp's Monsters </em></a>trilogy (10/10; they were good the first time around, and they're better on the reread) and my foray into the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/59341-the-dresden-files-graphic-novels"><em>Dresden Files</em> graphic novels</a>, which were surprisingly good. Specifically, I read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2637138-welcome-to-the-jungle"><em>Welcome to the Jungle</em></a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18430203-jim-butcher-s-dresden-files"><em>Ghoul Goblin</em></a>, both of which take place early enough in the series timeline that I'm not going out of order. I wouldn't give them a blanket rec, but they were fast, fun, exciting reads, and they're a bit lighter on the Content that I dislike in the main series.</li><li>Aside from the Dresden graphic novels, my other new reads were almost all at the beginning of the month. I finished <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58262577-of-fire-and-ash"><em>Of Fire and Ash</em></a> fairly early in the month, and my opinions remain the same as what I said in September: it's a good book with cool worldbuilding, but it's not a new favorite.</li><li>I did enjoy <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53413743-fugitive-telemetry"><em>Fugitive Telemetry</em></a>, which is the sixth <em>Murderbot Diaries</em> book. Sci-fi murder mysteries are fun, and Murderbot remains a delightfully snarky and uniquely non-human narrator. As for<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60712135-a-little-persuaded"> <em>A Little Persuaded</em></a>, well, <a href="https://tpssarahlightshadows.wordpress.com/2023/10/20/friday-5s-thoughts-on-a-little-persuaded/">I already posted my thoughts on it</a>, but in short, I liked it.</li><li>As for the rest of my rereads, they were all roughly as good as I expected them to be. I didn't enjoy <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/983202.Magyk"><em>Magyk</em> </a>quite as much as I did when I first read the series, which was sad, but not a surprise. On the other hand, the first three <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/43988-knight-and-rogue"><em>Knight and Rogue</em></a> books remain excellent. They're also the series that got me hooked on the fantasy-mystery combo, so revisiting them has been fun.</li></ul>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Watching!</span></h1>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-6725" height="356" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/otgw.jpg?w=474" width="474" /></p>
<ul><li>Time for watching stuff is still hard to come by, but I did block out enough ten-minute chunks of time to rewatch <em>Over the Garden Wall</em>. I started in early October and finished on Halloween, which feels appropriate. I still don't get as into it as other people do, but it's a good show, and it's light enough to watch when I'm tired, but also has enough depth to be satisfying.</li></ul>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Life!</span></h1>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo36pNPLqRST76i9iqJOg54Lv_46HZOftH6lgnkdxvQYFawgKymm5hD80zT8I5IpOupmMQUxSFWgNFNpX_kUUqMSOUIbhdn9hySaB3hZu9fseL_kRWp8Id7rjahbwBW5W3VLPHkS1DtuZ981Sg6z2DvPEvDLhK_ELHz9XsMLg6yEHwA-RfJdguSvPLJjWt/s3120/20231021_142214_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo36pNPLqRST76i9iqJOg54Lv_46HZOftH6lgnkdxvQYFawgKymm5hD80zT8I5IpOupmMQUxSFWgNFNpX_kUUqMSOUIbhdn9hySaB3hZu9fseL_kRWp8Id7rjahbwBW5W3VLPHkS1DtuZ981Sg6z2DvPEvDLhK_ELHz9XsMLg6yEHwA-RfJdguSvPLJjWt/s320/20231021_142214_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><ul><li>The highlight of the month was my visit to the Maryland Renaissance festival, at which I had a grand time! I love Ren Faires, and Maryland has an especially good one. I got to see several shows this time, including one on various street gambling cons throughout history that I thought was very interesting. Plus, I watched all three jousts, which were fun. They're not fully scripted like some jousts are, but they also do have a storyline running through them. Sir Keegan, in whose section I sat all three times, didn't win, but he was definitely a crowd favorite! </li><li>Of course, Ren Faires are even better with friends, and getting to see Wyn Estelle Owens at this one was absolutely lovely. She arrived a bit later than intended, but we still had a nice time exploring and chatting.</li><li>Outside of the Ren Faire, the thing that took up most of my time and energy was grad school. If you read last month's Doings!, you may remember that I mentioned that the assignment I was working on then should have been boring but straightforward, but instead ended up far more difficult than expected. That pretty much consumed all my free time (and some of my not-so-free time) for a week and a half, and it got to the point where the professor had to actually tell me to back away, take a day or two off, and calm down so that I wouldn't go mad. Thankfully, I did finally get it done, and done well at that. It just took rather longer than intended.</li><li>Then I had a week's break before my current class started up. Said class is on grant writing. I'm currently in the second week of the class and I really, <em>really</em> don't like it. Basically the only thing going for it is that the workload isn't horrible. Otherwise — the topic stresses me out, the professor has yet to impress me (and also has yet to grade my first week's assignment, which I submitted a week ago), and it's just not a good time.</li><li>On the work front, I've been kept pretty busy with regular weekly stuff, the Advent newsletter (it's almost Advent, y'all; can you believe it?), and all the various October events. At least the livestream issues seem to be staying resolved, and I have some extra tools now to try if they pop back up.</li><li>I also did some baking this month and tried out two new recipes. One is a <a href="https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pumpkin-sheet-cake/">pumpkin cake</a> that I made for work; it turned out very moist and tasty. I did substitute a maple glaze for the original frosting, and I think that was a good choice. The other new recipe was King Arthur Baking's <a href="https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/rustic-sourdough-bread-recipe">Rustic Sourdough</a>, and that was also good. It's not as strong a sourdough flavor as my usual recipe, but it's much faster, and it makes two loaves instead of one, both of which are good things. I don't think it'll replace my usual recipe, but it's a good alternative option.</li><li>Oh, and I have to mention the D&D campaign I play in. That's been <em>intense</em> lately. The last several sessions have involved multiple attacks on my character's family, which resulted in certain members of that family (notably, my character's dad) temporarily dying, as well as our party sorcerer fighting a young blue dragon almost one-on-one . . . and the <em>almost</em> is because the dragon called in help. Not the sorcerer. (Our guy won, for the record. It was magnificent.)</li></ul>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: navy;"> </span><span style="color: #0b5394;">November Plans</span></h1>
<ul><li>I'm starting off the month with another author event. Tomorrow (or November 4, for those not reading this post the day it goes up), I'll be at Doxacon, which is a very small one-day convention for Christian fans of fantasy and sci-fi. I'm sharing a table/booth/something with Heather Halverstadt (who I also shared a table with at Eat Local, Read Local) and L. Jagi Lamplighter, both of whom attended as vendors last year. It should be a good time.</li><li>As for my actual writing, I had hoped to start my <em>Song of the Selkies</em> prequel this month . . . but alas, I have other manuscripts I need to finish first. My new goal is to wrap up both my challenge story and <em>Bastian Dennel, PI </em>#4 by the end of November so I can start the SotS prequel in December. I know I'm close to the end of both of those stories, so I think that's doable.</li><li>Work and grad school will probably continue as they have been. Even though November and December are busy months at work, I am looking forward to getting to do Advent and Christmas designs — I've said this before, and I'll say it again: this season has the <em>best</em> colors and imagery. Hopefully it'll be enough to make up for the frustrations of the grant writing class.</li><li>November is also both my birthday month and Thanksgiving, both of which I'm looking forward to. I'm especially excited for Thanksgiving — we'll have the usual Bible study potluck, but more importantly, my sister should be coming down for a few days. I cannot <em>wait</em> to see her again.</li><li>As for my reading . . . I should be working to catch up on some of my reading goals, but realistically, I'll probably continue my rereads and otherwise mood-read my way through the month.</li><li>And . . . yeah. I think that's everything.</li></ul>
<p>How was your October? What are you looking forward to in November? Did you go to any Renaissance Festivals this year? What are some of your favorite seasonal media (aside from Christmas books or movies)? Do you have more of a problem with your books turning out longer or shorter than expected?<br />Thanks for reading!</p>
<p><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-4292 size-thumbnail" height="68" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/2020_sig_type-e1599079790586.png?w=150" width="150" /></p>
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Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-8951780218878621872023-10-19T08:29:00.002-04:002023-10-19T08:29:00.144-04:00Stolen Songs Release Party: Interview with Enna<p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-7726" height="296" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/stolen-songs-release-2.png?w=474" width="474" /></p><p>Hello, everyone! You thought we were done with the <a href="https://aristasdirectory.blogspot.com/p/five-stolen-songs.html">Stolen Songs releases</a>? Well, we have one more book to celebrate: Kendra E. Ardnek's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3KVRLDX"><em>A Little Persuaded</em></a>, which releases today! This is the final-for-now installment in the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/316661-the-austen-fairy-tale"><em>Austen Fairy Tale</em></a>, and it blends <em>The Little Mermaid</em> with Jane Austen's <em>Persuasion. </em>Today, you can meet the main character, Enna, in a short interview — and tomorrow, swing by <a href="https://wp.me/p3FlHI-22u">Light and Shadows</a> to get my thoughts on the book as a whole.</p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">About . . .</span></h1><h2><em>A Little Persuaded<br /></em></h2><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-7845 size-medium" height="300" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/10/a-little-persuaded.jpg?w=194" width="194" /></p><p><span class="Formatted">Seven years ago, the mermaid Enna loved a human prince, but fate was against them. Now Kelantis is in danger and her journey to save it has brought the prince back into her life.</span></p><p><em>Find it on: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C3KVRLDX/">Amazon</a> || <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/141319648-a-little-persuaded">Goodreads</a> </em></p><h2>Kendra E. Ardnek</h2><p>Kendra E. Ardnek is the self-proclaimed Arista of Fairy Tales. She lives in the Piney Woods of East Texas with her dragon babies and massive herd of mini-giraffes, and she is still waiting for one of of her fifty nutcrackers to come to life and marry her. When not writing, you can usually find her sitting in a random box, and she's frequently known to act before she thinks.</p><p><em>Find her online at: </em><a href="http://kendraeardnek.weebly.com/">Website</a> || <a href="http://knittedbygodsplan.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> || <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5321999.Kendra_E_Ardnek">Goodreads</a> || <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KendraE.Ardnek">Facebook</a> || <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/KendraEArdnek">Twitter</a> || <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpTTxTik3mSq05rlmbUUB_g?">YouTube</a> || <a href="http://eepurl.com/cmhWX9">Newsletter</a> || <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fairytalearista/">Instagram</a> || <a href="https://vm.tiktok.com/J1Tpmvt/">TikTok</a> || <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kendra-E.-Ardnek/e/B005GGULBQ/">Amazon</a><strong> </strong></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Interview with Enna<em><br /></em></span></h1><p><strong>Welcome to the blog! To start, tell us a little bit about yourself: who you are, what you do, anything that you feel is important for us to know to understand what makes you, you.</strong></p><p>Hello, I am Enna, the younger daughter of King Elliot of Kelantis. I ruined my beauty by ... some foolishness when I was younger, and so I spend my time now devoted to the people. Seeing to their needs. Making sure that the city is secure. Going to land if we need to retrieve information from the humans. That sort of thing.</p><p><strong>A very noble duty all round. Who would you say has had the biggest influence (for good or ill) on your life thus far? What was the most important thing you learned from them?</strong></p><p>Probably Lady Mussle, who is the Guardian of the ocean's magic. I'm her apprentice now, but even before that, she was always like a mother to me, after my own mother's death. Probably the greatest lesson she ever taught me is that even if the people never appreciate my sacrifices, as long as I know I am in obedience to the will of Austere and am serving in their best interests, that is what matters.</p><p><strong>An important lesson to learn. Now, at this point, you’ve lived both above and below the waves, with both humans and merrin. What’s something that you think Merrin do well that humans could maybe take lessons from? On the flip side, what’s something that humans do well and Merrin could stand to adopt?</strong></p><p>I think that the humans could learn to care less about the passing of time. The difference between the hours of day are ... less noticeable under the sea than they are on land. As for the Merrin, I think they could learn to care less about the physical appearance. My people are vain. </p><p><strong>That seems to be a common trait with mer-folk in many story worlds. What was the hardest part about leaving your home in the sea (even temporarily) to live on land?</strong></p><p>The fact that I was doing it in defiance of my father's orders. It was necessary, though I don't know now what we're going to do with the information I gathered, but I know he is unhappy with me. </p><p><strong>I'm sorry; it's always hard to be in conflict with family. To finish up, what is the one thing you hope people most remember about you?</strong></p><p>As I said, it doesn't matter how I'm remembered, as long as I know that I made the right choices and the necessary sacrifices. </p><p><strong>That's a very noble attitude . . . one more people could stand to adopt. Thank you for answering my questions! And thanks to all my readers for reading!</strong></p><p>Are you excited to read Enna's tale? Please tell me in the comments!<br />Thanks for reading!</p><p><img alt="" class="size-thumbnail wp-image-4292 alignleft" height="94" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/2020_sig_type.png?w=150" width="150" /></p>Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-54746544477976595942023-10-13T08:19:00.001-04:002023-10-13T08:19:00.139-04:00You Should Absolutely Read Wormwood Abbey<p>Hey'a, all! If you recall from my <a href="https://dreams-dragons.blogspot.com/2023/09/fall-2023-reads.html">Fall 2023 Reads</a> post, this season is absolutely <em>bursting</em> with magnificent reads, and one of the upcoming releases I was most excited about was Christine Baehr's cozy gothic debut, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/198096255-wormwood-abbey"><em>Wormwood Abbey</em></a>. And if you read last week's <a href="https://tpssarahlightshadows.wordpress.com/2023/10/06/september-2023-doings/">Doings post</a>, you know that this book did <em>not</em> disappoint . . . but I'm still so excited about it, and it's pretty much the perfect non-spooky October read, so guess what! I'm talking more about it! And giving you five reasons why you should <em>absolutely </em>pick up <em>Wormwood Abbey</em> this fall!</p><p>First, though, a quick side note — if you're in the Northern Virginia area, don't forget that I'll be at Cascades Library tomorrow, 11am to 2pm, for Eat Local, Read Local! I'll be selling and signing books alongside 70-ish other local authors, and it'll be a great time. You can find out more by <a href="https://library.loudoun.gov/Events/Eat-Local-Read-Local">clicking here</a>. I hope I'll see you there!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2xFChwNHiEWglW_721y18yZa-V9GmJKH_NAJXc3G_8QOXc83MoJSfLc1Wn8RhpRHaD_lJ5cE7rkoNSkqMz3CDJvFzRTL6yZEXBkRB40gb4wBGDHNMa1p-I4nGtiKXHNJ1lAiz8qvRgiBpF3kX6U61lgnLSz8Bn9OrfT76GXBGAoTgEVvT-3oJpu6dNmZ/s560/10.12.2023_Wormwood%20Abbey.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2xFChwNHiEWglW_721y18yZa-V9GmJKH_NAJXc3G_8QOXc83MoJSfLc1Wn8RhpRHaD_lJ5cE7rkoNSkqMz3CDJvFzRTL6yZEXBkRB40gb4wBGDHNMa1p-I4nGtiKXHNJ1lAiz8qvRgiBpF3kX6U61lgnLSz8Bn9OrfT76GXBGAoTgEVvT-3oJpu6dNmZ/w640-h360/10.12.2023_Wormwood%20Abbey.png" width="640" /></a></div><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">You Should Absolutely Read <em>Wormwood Abbey</em></span></h1><ol><li><strong>It's gothic! With dragons! </strong>Honestly, for some of y'all, that's probably all you needed to hear. Or, quite possibly, <em>dragons</em> was all you needed to hear. But if you think spending time in an ancient, crumbling abbey (and an equally ancient, but less crumbling manor) that hides scaled secrets sounds like your cup of tea, well, you're in luck. This isn't a spooky read, but it's full of <span class="Formatted">ruins and mysteries, of secrets long kept by oath and family tradition, of midnight ventures through dark hallways, of strange inheritances, of hidden dangers and the meeting of the supernatural with the natural. And, of course, full of strange creatures that just might be the dragons of legend . . .</span></li><li><strong>Edith is such a lovely lead. </strong>I simply <em>adore</em> her, and that's a fact. <span class="Formatted">Outwardly, she's a proper clergy's daughter — but at the same time, she's secretly a writer of sensational mysteries. Given that I am also a writer of (hopefully) sensational mysteries, I feel a proper kinship with her, and I wish she were real so we could be friends. Besides that, though, she's reasonably sensible and good-hearted, but not without a proper appreciation for drama and adventure. And while she does occasionally slip up or procrastinate on telling people things, there was never a point where I was genuinely frustrated with her.</span></li><li><strong>The family elements are so wonderful</strong>. Edith has an excellent relationship with her immediate family — she loves and gets along with her parents and much-younger brother, and they support her in turn. I particularly loved the fact that Edith's parents are <em>still </em>an important part of her life, even though she's at the age where a lot of authors would have her be aching to be free of them. Her relationships with this part of her family grounds the book, providing steady footing as we and Edith explore the secrets of her extended family. I also enjoyed seeing the tentative friendship growing between Edith and Gwendolyn, her oldest cousin. Gwendolyn, we find, has borne the weight of her world for quite some time, so she's slow to trust, but it's lovely to see her and Edith eventually come to support each other.</li><li><strong>The writing style is delightful. </strong>It's first-person narration with lovely little asides here and there — much like the style of Rowntree's <em>Miss Sharp</em> and <em>Miss Dark</em> books, it feels period-appropriate, yet still modern. And Edith is an excellent narrator — it's like hearing a story told by a new friend. (Or maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part . . .) Plus, she's both a writer (as already mentioned) and a reader, which means we get her occasionally doing things like referencing Austen and Bronte or considering how her lead character would handle particular situations. It's such fun!</li><li><strong>It's just a lovely comfort read. </strong>The stakes are high enough to keep you from easily setting the book down, but not so high that reading this will stress you out. There's loveliness amid the mysteries and ruins and friendship and familial love despite the long-kept secrets. It's like the literary equivalent of enjoying a cup of hot tea-with-cream-and-sugar and several slices of pumpkin bread (or insert your hot-beverage-and-fall-treat combo of choice). And, truly, I couldn't recommend it more.<span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextreview4695997289"><br /></span></span></li></ol><p>Does <em>Wormwood Abbey</em> have you intrigued? What about it sounds most interesting to you? What's a little-known dragon book or fall comfort read you love? Please tell me in the comments!<br />Thanks for reading!<br /><span style="color: navy;"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-4292" height="68" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/2020_sig_type-e1599079790586.png?w=150" width="150" /></span></p>Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-16786205660903277912023-10-06T08:24:00.002-04:002023-10-06T08:24:00.147-04:00September 2023 Doings!<p>Well, September is over — nearly a week over at this point, but of course my usual Doings! day was also the day of the <a href="https://tpssarahlightshadows.wordpress.com/2023/09/29/2023-silmaril-awards-results-wisest-counselor/">Wisest Counselor Awards Ceremony</a>, so we had to delay things a little. It's certainly been a very busy month, between book releases, Silmaril Awards, work, and general life stuff. So, we should have plenty to cover in this post . . .</p>
<p>But first, a quick announcement! If you're in the Northern Virginia area, you should come out to <strong>Eat Local Read Local</strong> on October 14 at Cascades Library! From 11am to 2pm, seventy local authors — myself included! — will be selling and signing books. There will also be food trucks, live music, and some kids' activities. So, if you want to pick up a paperback of your favorite of my books, or if you want my signature on something you own, please stop by! You can find out more by <a href="https://library.loudoun.gov/Events/Eat-Local-Read-Local">clicking here</a>.</p>
<p>And now, on with the Doings!</p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Writing!</span></h1>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7807" height="316" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/10/song-of-selkies-art-all-2.png" width="474" /></p>
<ul><li>Obviously, the main writing event of the month was the release of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186791005-song-of-the-selkies"><em>Song of the</em> <em>Selkies</em></a>! The weeks leading up to this were <em>hectic</em> as I rushed to finish edits before release day. When I say that I was re-uploading files until the very last minute, I'm not joking! But the release itself was <em>amazing</em>, and I am super grateful to my beta readers (for all their input) and my ARC readers (who all had lovely things to say about the book and who also helped catch a few typos that I otherwise would have missed). If you haven't picked up your copy yet, make sure you do that; it's currently <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CBJ3TL61?">available in both ebook and paperback on Amazon</a>.</li><li>On the topic of <em>Song of the Selkies</em>, did you catch the character art I shared on Facebook and Instagram leading up to the release? I've shared it above for anyone who missed it — isn't it so good? I commissioned it from the lovely <a href="https://ko-fi.com/urbanhart/commissions">UrbanHart</a>, who did an <em>amazing</em> job bringing the characters to life. If you're looking for a character artist, I highly recommend her!</li><li>Outside of <em>Song of the Selkies</em>, September was also Silmaril Awards month! I hosted the Wisest Counselor award this year, which was fun. It was a nice change of pace from the Friends last year. If you haven't yet, make sure you check out <a href="https://www.silmarilawards.com/this-years-awards/">this year's awards ceremonies</a> (not just mine) — I honestly think some of them are the best we've had yet!</li><li>In addition to all this, I did a little bit of work on <em>Bastian Dennel, PI </em>#4 — by which I mean that I finished Chapter 28 in September and wrote most of Chapter 29 this past week. It's been slow going as I try to adjust from Ceana's voice to Bastian's, Kona's, and Dayo's — and from medieval language to 1920s slang! I'm getting back into the swing of it, though, and hopefully I'll be done soon anyway.</li><li>I did not do any D&D writing this month, but my D&D group did meet a couple times, and we're having fun. We spent a whole session dealing with some weird dreams and discovering that one character has fey heritage that even she didn't know about. That was honestly delightful.</li></ul>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Reading!</span></h1>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-7816" height="409" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/10/september2022.png?w=474" width="474" /></p>
<ul><li>This was an <em>excellent</em> month on the reading front — I read so many good books, I hardly know where to start!</li><li>A good chunk of what I read were ARCs. I've already reviewed <a href="https://tpssarahlightshadows.wordpress.com/2023/09/08/friday-5s-thoughts-on-second-chance-superhero/"><em>Second Chance Superhero</em></a>, <a href="https://tpssarahlightshadows.wordpress.com/2023/09/18/stolen-songs-release-party-5-thoughts-on-when-on-land/"><em>When on Land</em></a>, and <a href="https://tpssarahlightshadows.wordpress.com/2023/09/21/stolen-songs-release-party-5-thoughts-on-my-fair-mermaid/"><em>My Fair Mermaid</em></a>, so I won't repeat myself on any of those. </li><li>My favorite two ARCs were <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/146378899-black-and-deep-desires"><em>Black and Deep Desires</em></a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/198096255-wormwood-abbey"><em>Wormwood Abbey</em></a>, both of which are absolutely delicious gothic tales. I talked about <em>Black and Deep Desires</em> a little in my <a href="https://tpssarahlightshadows.wordpress.com/2023/09/15/friday-5s-fall-2023-reads/">Fall 2023 Reads</a> post; as I said then, even if I don't <em>usually</em> go in for vampire stories, I am delighted that I made an exception for this one. It's full of eeriness and mystery meshed with found family and an excellent romance, and I just love it <em>so </em>much. Then we have <em>Wormwood Abbey</em>, which is a much lighter cozy gothic — with <em>dragons</em>! And a mystery writer heroine! And a solid family that genuinely loves and cares for one another at its core! I need the rest of the series <em>immediately</em>, please and thank you very much.</li><li>Continuing down the ARC train, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/181654648-steal-the-morrow"><em>Steal the Morrow</em></a> was another good one. I loved Jenelle's take on <em>Oliver</em> <em>Twist </em>— it's far shorter and less depressing than the original, and her Olifur is an lovable blend of principled, clever, and determined. And <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195935838-twisted-grimms"><em>Twisted Grimms</em></a>, an anthology of fairy tale retellings that I read on and off between other books, was generally good. There were a couple stories in it that I didn't much care for, but there were also some excellent takes on very obscure fairy tales that I really enjoyed.</li><li>Outside of ARCs, the highlight of my reading month was <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/145621731-dark-stormy"><em>Dark & Stormy</em></a>, the much-anticipated third book in Suzannah Rowntree's <em>Miss Dark's Apparitions</em> series. This one was just as good — perhaps even better — than I expected, and it had me internally screaming (in the best way) at multiple points. Our crew — Vasily in particular — definitely go through the wringer here, but there are also some absolutely <em>lovely</em> moments.</li><li>I'll just give a quick run-through of my other reads. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49338237-spellbreaker"><em>Spellbreaker </em></a>and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54245639-spellmaker"><em>Spellmaker</em></a> were roughly what I expected from Holmberg novels, which is to say that they were quick, enjoyable reads with a clever magic system and some nice romance, but I'm not sure if they have the depth to hold up on the reread. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20812475-ruth-and-the-ghost"><em>Ruth and the Ghost</em></a> was a short horror story by W.R. Gingell; it's weird, but I liked it well enough. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30755174-salt-fat-acid-heat"><em>Salt Fat Acid Heat</em></a>, I actually mostly read back in August. I don't think I would ever make any of the recipes in it, but it <em>did</em> help me understand some cooking principles a lot better than I did before reading it. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18131.A_Wrinkle_in_Time"><em>A Wrinkle in Time</em></a> was a reread inspired by the presence of the Mrs. W's in the Silmaril Awards, so that was enjoyable. And I read another installment of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/82638.Fullmetal_Alchemist_Vol_13"><em>Fullmetal Alchemist</em></a> on October 3, as that's a significant day in the fandom — plus, I still had a book hangover from <em>Dark & Stormy</em>, and I figured the best way to get over it would be to read something where my expectations are almost completely different, so I wouldn't have to worry about the comparison game.</li><li>Oh! Almost forgot — while it's not pictured above, I did read 75% of Gillian Bronte Adams's <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58262577-of-fire-and-ash"><em>Of Fire and Ash</em></a>, trying my best to participate in the readalong Gillian was holding. In general, I enjoyed it, and I see why it won a Realm Award. I don't think it's going to be a new favorite, but that could just be because I was too stressed to properly enjoy it for parts of my reading time.</li></ul>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Life!</span></h1>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-7829 size-large" height="267" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/10/20230902_1958501.jpg?w=474" width="474" /></p>
<ul><li>The month started off wonderfully with a Bible Study retreat at White Sulphur Springs, otherwise known as one of my favorite places on earth. This was a joint retreat between our study here in Virginia and another study in Ohio (the one where many of the original members of our group met, in fact!), so there was a good crowd, and we had the chance to visit with some long-time friends. Plus, my sister attends the Ohio study, and she came down, so I got to see and hang out with her! And that was really nice. While we were there, we went down to the old hotel, which the WSS staff recently renovated, and toured it to see what had changed and what was still the same. We also had square dancing one of the nights, and I actually had a partner so I could participate, and that was a <em>delight</em>! I love square dancing, but usually no one asks me, and I'm too introverted to ask someone myself. This year, one of the other participants was very actively making sure everyone who wanted to dance had someone to dance with, and I just really appreciated that.</li><li>Once we got back, it was back into the regular routine of work-edit-classwork-blog-and-sleep. Most of my work projects have gone well, aside from one or two hiccups, so that's good. I honestly expected to be a lot more stressed at work than I actually was. Apparently I accidentally front-loaded most of my stress into August, I guess? The one area where we did have some issues was with the livestream — for some reason, our internet decided to buffer badly enough to prevent the stream three weeks in a row. We're still not entirely sure <em>why</em> it suddenly became a problem, but after much investigating, testing, and calling tech help on our part . . . it seemed to mostly resolve itself? Or something? I don't know. We're trying to figure out how to lower the demand on our bandwidth on Sunday mornings so we can make these issues less likely in the future.</li><li>My grad school class also eased up pretty quickly, though the weeks leading up to <em>Song of the Selkies</em>'s release were a bit rough. There were multiple weeks when I was submitting all my classwork in the last days of the week when it was due, having also <em>done</em> most of that work within a day or two of the due dates, but most of the assignments were small enough that having to do that wasn't a huge issue. This past week's assignment was a different story; it's been . . . problematic. I probably should've been working on it during the time I was writing this post . . . but said project has been driving me <em>nuts</em> and I don't want to think about it more than I have to. It's one of those things that should have been boring-but-straightforward, but then research turned out to be an absolute <em>nightmare</em>. Still, next week is the end of the class, and it should actually be easier.</li><li>I did get to make bagels one weekend, though! Sourdough bagels, to be specific. They were delicious.</li></ul>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: navy;"> </span><span style="color: #0b5394;">October Plans</span></h1>
<ul><li>Obviously, October is already a quarter over at this point, but I shall list my plans anyway.</li><li>I have a couple events this month that I'm really looking forward to! One, of course, is Eat Local Read Local on October 14, which I mentioned at the start of this post. This is my first real author event aside from the book fair at Realm Makers, and I'm a little nervous, but I'm also hopeful that it'll be a good time. In addition, a friend and I are planning to meet up at a local Renaissance Festival, and I am <em>so</em> looking forward to that! It's the same Renn Faire we went to last year, and it was a ton of fun then, and I think it'll be great this year as well. I do still need to figure out what I'm going to wear for that, but I'm sure I'll get it sorted out.</li><li>My writing goal for the month is to finish BDPI #4 and write at least one short story for a writing challenge I'm participating in. This is the same writing challenge I did last October. I somehow ended up in the same category as I did last year, and I have <em>no</em> idea what I'm going to write, but . . . I'll figure something out.</li><li>I'm also finishing up one class and starting another for my master's program. I will get a week's break in between, which will be nice. The next class is going to be on grant writing, though, unless I misremember, and I'm not sure how I'm going to feel about that. I don't like asking people for money, and that's <em>basically</em> what grant writing is, as far as I can tell.</li><li>On the reading front, I've worked my way through most of my ARCs, so I'll be trying to clear up some of my library stacks and checking to see how I'm doing on my reading goals for the year. Some (like all the book recs I solicited) are probably a lost cause at this point, but others (like classic or non-fantasy reads) I might still have a shot at.</li><li>Work will continue to be busy, though October is probably the calmest of the fall months — our big things are Stewardship and a service event, and I did most of the design work for both of those in August or September. Still, there's always something that needs doing.</li><li>I'm sure there's something I'm forgetting that I should talk about here, but if I can't remember it . . . eh. Probably wasn't <em>that </em>important.</li></ul>
<p>How was your September? What are you looking forward to in October? Was September a good reading month for you? And will I see you at Eat Local Read Local? Please tell me in the comments!<br />Thanks for reading!</p>
<p><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-4292 size-thumbnail" height="68" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/2020_sig_type-e1599079790586.png?w=150" width="150" /></p>
<p> </p>
Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-71722160527483390082023-10-02T17:30:00.002-04:002023-10-02T17:30:00.141-04:00Steal the Morrow Release: Interview with Olifur<p>Hello everyone! I recognize that this isn't the usual day for posts here, but this is a bit of a special occasion. Specifically, it's a release celebration for <em>Steal the</em> <em>Morrow</em>, Jenelle Leanne Schmidt's fantasy retelling of <em>Oliver Twist </em>set in the world of the <em>Turrim Archive</em>! Technically, this book came out last Friday, but I had an awards ceremony to host that day on Light and Shadows, and that plus grad school took up too much brainspace for me to post here, so . . . we're celebrating today instead! I received an ARC of this book, and I really loved it — it's a wonderful story of a boy determined to do the right thing in a world that is often callous and cruel. But I'm not actually here to review the book. Instead, I have an interview with one of the characters, Olifur — and if you hop over to <a href="https://wp.me/p3FlHI-21J">Light and Shadows</a>, you'll find another interview with Jenelle herself.</p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">About <em>Steal the Morrow</em></span></h1>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-7695" height="733" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/steal-the-morrow.jpg?w=474" width="474" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>The city may be dangerous, but it holds his only hope…</b></p>
<p>Abandoned on a remote highway after bandits murder his parents, young Olifur finds safety with Fritjof. The gruff woodsman teaches him and other orphans to live off the land. When Fritjof falls ill, Olifur will risk everything to save his mentor—even travel to far-off Melar seeking a doctor.</p>
<p>However, the city of Melar is more perilous than Olifur imagined, and doctors aren't cheap. His quest leads him first to a hazardous job working on the elevated trains high above the city. But the dangers in the clouds are nothing compared to those on the ground. Olifur soon finds himself ensnared in a web of professional thieves, and he must think fast if he is to survive the day and bring the much-needed aid to Fritjof before it is too late.</p>
<p>Schmidt reweaves Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist" into an exciting tale of integrity and perseverance in this gaslamp-fantasy adventure.<span id="freeText17267422819329108040"></span></p>
<p><em><a href="http://mybook.to/stealthemorrow">Buy the book</a> || <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/181654648-steal-the-morrow">Add on Goodreads</a> || </em><a href="http://mybook.to/aclassicretold"><em>Discover the other Classics Retold</em></a></p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Interview with Olifur</span></h1>
<p><strong>Hello, Olifur! Welcome to the blog! To start out, please tell us a little bit about yourself: who you are, your role in the story, anything that you feel is important for us to know so we can understand what makes you, you.</strong></p>
<p>Well, my name is Olifur. I guess I’m the main character? I’m about 10 years old now, but three years ago my parents were murdered by highway bandits when we were on our way to Melar hoping to find a doctor who could help my mother. My father tried to stop them from taking our cart and leythan (a kind of large lizard that we use as mounts and beasts of burden here), and they killed him and my mother and then just left me behind to get eaten by wild animals.</p>
<p>Thankfully, Fritjof found me instead. He took me in and taught me all sorts of useful skills for surviving in the wilderness. What plants are good to eat, how to make and shoot my own bow, how to hunt, how to start a fire and cook over it, things like that. He’s rescued loads of other orphans as well, and we all stay with him in his glen… it’s kind of a school, I guess. We just don’t learn the usual things.</p>
<p><strong>Sounds like you've already had a pretty exciting life, even though you're still young. Who would you say has had the biggest influence (good or bad) on your life thus far? What was the most important thing you learned from them?</strong></p>
<p>I would say that the biggest influence for bad were the men who murdered my parents. They taught me that the world has a lot of cruelty and selfishness in it.</p>
<p>But for good, the person who has influenced my life the most is Fritjof. He doesn’t say much, but he gave me life when the whole world seemed bent on only offering death. He taught me kindness and the importance of integrity. He’s also taught me how to be self-sufficient and how to stand on my own.</p>
<p><strong>Fritjof sounds like an wise and good man. Moving on, as I understand, you’ve lived both in the middle of mostly-nowhere and in the big city. Which do you prefer and why?</strong></p>
<p>I definitely prefer living in the forest. Both places have their own dangers, but the dangers in the city are harder to see coming. In the forest, you always know where you stand. In the city, it always felt like the ground could be pulled out from under me at any moment. It’s harder to know who to trust in the city, since it seems to toss people against each other. In the wilderness, people have to work together to survive against the beasts and the weather.</p>
<p><strong>That's a very good perspective. What’s one thing you think most people don’t know or understand about you?</strong></p>
<p>I’m not as brave as everyone thinks I am. And sometimes I have no idea what I’m supposed to do, even though it often looks like I have all the answers.</p>
<p><strong>Ah, well. You'll be feeling that last one for the rest of your life, trust me! Let's end on a fun question: if you had an afternoon to spend doing whatever you wanted with whomever you wanted to do it with, what would you do, and with whom would you do it?</strong></p>
<p>I’d spend it going on a hunting trip with Fritjof.</p>
<p><strong>That sounds like a very pleasant afternoon. On behalf of myself and my readers, thanks for answering my questions!</strong></p>
<p>I hope you all enjoyed that interview! So, who's ready to meet Olifur? Again, <em>Steal the Morrow</em> is available in <a href="http://mybook.to/stealthemorrow">ebook and paperback form from various retailers</a> — and if you order a copy before October 29, you can get a character art bookmark and bookplate from the author! <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JenelleLeanneSchmidt/posts/pfbid032Y1sVT2nAC1BdccbE4z8gAVJSCjU6kaqTed3eYiZY3vnwn5AWAmLtUacMTPw3bJsl">Click here for more info on that.</a> Having read the book already, I can definitely recommend it!<br />Thanks for reading!</p>
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</div>Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-18945001086454956892023-09-21T20:33:00.005-04:002023-09-21T20:33:00.139-04:00Stolen Songs Release Party: Interview with Sarah Beran<p> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-7726" height="296" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/stolen-songs-release-2.png?w=474" width="474" /></p><p>Hello, all! We're onto our third Stolen Songs release: Sarah Beran's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3NK1VTC/"><em>My Fair Mermaid</em></a>, a blend of The Little Mermaid with <em>Pygmalion </em>(which y'all may better know in its movie form as <em>My Fair Lady</em>). After this, we'll take a break until about mid-October, when the remaining two Stolen Songs release . . . but until then, we have this super fun read! I got the chance to interview Sarah Beran, so read on for that. Or you can hop over to Light and Shadows to get <a href="https://tpssarahlightshadows.wordpress.com/2023/09/21/stolen-songs-release-party-5-thoughts-on-my-fair-mermaid/">my thoughts on the book</a>!</p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">About <em>My Fair Mermaid</em><br /></span></h1><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-7689 size-large" height="757" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/my-fair-mermaid.jpg?w=474" width="474" /></p><p><span class="Formatted">The Little Mermaid meets Pygmalion… </span></p><p><span class="Formatted">Maribel has learned to stay quiet. As an orphan relying on the generosity of family, and with six outspoken and energetic cousins, silencing her own voice is often the easiest way to keep the peace and ensure her own acceptance. After helping her cousin rescue Prince Frederick from a shipwreck, Maribel finds herself as the unwitting accomplice in her cousin’s plot to marry the human prince. The plan is simple: Maribel will distract Frederick’s grumpy best friend, Professor Hadrian Higsley, so that the scheming mermaid can cozy up to the prince.</span></p><p>Between a friendly wager over slippers, her growing attraction to a certain translator, the appearance of a foreign fiancée, and an increasingly desperate cousin, Maribel finds it harder and harder to remain a silent observer. Will she finally find the courage to speak? Or will the little mermaid choose once again to give up her voice?</p><p><em>Find it on: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3NK1VTC/">Amazon</a> || <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195018891-my-fair-mermaid">Goodreads</a> </em></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Interview with Sarah Beran<em><br /></em></span></h1><div dir="ltr"><div><div><strong>Welcome to the blog! To start out, please tell us a little about yourself. Who are you, what are your favorite hobbies (aside from writing) or favorite books (outside your own), and do you prefer coffee or tea?</strong></div><div> </div><div>My name is Sarah Beran. I am a fairy tale author by night (and weekend), as my day job is actually a music teacher. I teach PreK-6th grade general music, AP Music Theory, and a highschool handbell choir. I love playing the saxophone, long-distance running, and reading. My favorite books are the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain. Both greatly influenced my love of fantasy and the types of characters I love to put in my books, and I'm still pretty certain that I want to be a hobbit when I grow up.</div><div> </div><div>Coffee is the superior beverage. Tea is lovely, but coffee is king.</div><div> </div><div><strong>I will have to disagree with you there, but I digress . . . So, let's talk about your book! Where did you get the idea to combine The Little Mermaid with Pygmalion?</strong></div><div> </div><div>I don't remember how exactly it came about, other than I was trying to brainstorm a new approach to the Little Mermaid and coming up with a list of all the different angle and approaches to having a voice stolen. Is it a literal voice? A metaphorical voice? Voice as agency? My Fair Lady has always been a favorite of mine, and I love how in both the play Pygmalion and in the musical version, Eliza is not only taught to speak (literally given a voice), but she also learns how to stand up for herself. One thing led to another, and, well, here we are.</div><div><br /><strong>Here we are indeed, with pretty great results if you ask me! If you could have My Fair Mermaid adapted into another form of media, what would you pick?</strong></div><div> </div><div>That's a hard one. Maybe another musical? That could be fun. </div><div><br /><strong>I can definitely see <em>My Fair Mermaid</em> as a musical, and not just because of the source material. Moving on, what's something you learned while writing this book?</strong></div><div> </div><div>This story involved a lot of body language that was challenging to translate into written words. I spent of a lot of time posing and making faces and analyzing just exactly what was happening. There were several times I'm sure my husband thought I was crazy.</div><div><br /><strong>Ha! Such is a writer's life. To finish up, can you tell us a little about what you're currently working on and what we can expect from you next?</strong></div></div><div> </div><div>I'm currently working on a retelling of Stravinsky's <i>Firebird</i> for my "Seasons of Music and Magic" series, which retells stories from classic operas and ballets. There's also a sequel for Freddy and Eliza in the works that may or may not involve a lot of ice...</div></div><div> </div><div><strong>Both of those sound awesome . . . but I'm definitely more excited for the second one, not going to lie.</strong></div><p>Thank you to Sarah Beran for answering my questions, and thank you to you all for reading! Does <em>My Fair Mermaid</em> sound like something you'd enjoy? Please tell me in the comments!</p><p><img alt="" class="size-thumbnail wp-image-4292 alignleft" height="94" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/2020_sig_type.png?w=150" width="150" /></p>Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336480024326420194.post-34727563558753222842023-09-19T07:58:00.001-04:002023-09-19T07:58:00.141-04:00Stolen Songs Release Party: Song of the Selkies Sneak Peek [IT'S HERE]<p> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-7726" height="296" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/stolen-songs-release-2.png?w=474" width="474" /></p><p>You know what today is? It's RELEASE DAY for <em>Song of the Selkies</em>! And I couldn't be more excited! The process of writing this book has been a journey in which absolutely <em>nothing</em> went as expected (and very little happened on the original schedule), but I have fallen in love with these characters and this world anyway. And now I get to share them with you! Which is delightful and terrifying. (Releasing a new standalone or series start is, for the record, always terrifying. When I write <em>Bastian Dennel</em> sequels, I know that people already love the characters, and that's half the battle. And I think y'all <em>will</em> love the cast of <em>Song of the Selkies</em> — my beta readers and ARC readers certainly do! — but setting them out into the world is still daunting.) Anyway, I know that some of y'all already preordered and are probably just as excited as I am, but in case any of you need a little convincing, I'm giving you a sneak peek at the first chapter — or you can hop over to <a href="https://wp.me/p3FlHI-20F">Light and Shadows</a> to discover five reasons why I think you should give the book a try.</p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">About . . .</span></h1><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-7506" height="758" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2023/07/song-of-selkies_ebook_fin_8x5_small.jpg?w=474" width="474" /></p><h2><em>Song of the Selkies<br /></em></h2><p><em><strong>Undercover in a foreign land, a princess discovers the secrets behind a generations-old enmity.</strong></em></p><p>The youngest princess of Atìrse, Ceana always planned to marry for the good of her people and let love come later. With her sisters' marriages ensuring peace with the nearby human kingdoms, Ceana sets her sights on their last unallied neighbor: the magical and reclusive selkies. The two peoples have experienced a wary peace for generations, and the time seems ripe for a deeper alliance that will benefit both kingdoms. The last thing Ceana expects is for Fionntan, king of the selkies, to take the proposal as a grave insult.</p><p>With relations between the two peoples suddenly precarious, Ceana is determined to set things right. Aided by her grandmother, she disguises herself as a selkie and travels to their hidden home of Emain Ablach, where she hopes to discover the reason behind King Fionntan's reaction. But the more she learns about the selkies, the more she uncovers long-kept secrets of her people — and her heritage — that shake the foundations of how she viewed the world. Her growing friendships with and affection for some of the selkie nobility, including King Fionntan himself, further complicate matters, especially as her admiration for the selkie king begins to blossom into something more. No relationship built on a lie can survive, but revealing her true identity as an Atìrsen princess will doom her efforts towards peace.</p><p>In order to bridge the divide between selkies and humans, Ceana will have to overcome generations of selkies' suspicion and reveal the insidious evil that's taken root in her homeland. But the greatest obstacle to her success may be her own heart.</p><p><em>Discover a magical new world in this Little Mermaid retelling from the author of </em>Through a Shattered Glass<em> and the </em>Bastian Dennel, PI <em>mysteries</em></p><p><em>Find it on: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CBJ3TL61/">Amazon</a> || <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186791005-song-of-the-selkies">Goodreads</a> </em></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><em>Song of the Selkies </em>Chapter 1<br /></span></h1><p>As betrothal ceremonies went, Ceana couldn’t help but feel that this one was rather lackluster. She should know—she’d attended five before this just for her own sisters.</p><p>True, all the elements for such a ceremony were present. The seats of the castle chapel were filled with the most notable Atìrsen nobles, along with many of the lesser lords and ladies who lived within a week’s travel and ambassadors from most of Atìrse’s nearer neighbors. The chapel, while not as grand as the one at the royal seat, looked lovely. The afternoon sun streamed through the many tall, narrow windows, setting the enameled murals on the walls aglow, gleaming on the pale stars beneath the Maker’s Hand, the scarlet footsteps of the Shepherd’s Path, and the vibrant flames of the Gèadh Naomh. Banners hung on either side of the murals, displaying the colors of both Atìrse and Glassraghey.</p><p>And Mirren herself, standing at the front of the chapel with King Seòras and Queen Isla, her and Ceana’s parents, and Lord Pherick, the Glassraghean ambassador, looked so lovely that she might have been ready for her wedding, not just her betrothal: serene and solemn, her honey-brown hair falling past her shoulders beneath a web of thin braids held in place with gold pins tipped with tiny jewels that matched the sunset hues of her kirtle and gown. The skirt, sleeves, and neckline of the gown were nearly covered in embroidery, all done by Mirren’s own hand, the tiny stitches forming designs intricate enough to be the envy of any woman. It was, Ceana knew, Mirren’s favorite gown, and she added to its embellishment any time she came up with a new idea. Beside her, everyone else practically faded into obscurity. Still, something seemed to be lacking.</p><p>With effort, Ceana tried to focus her attention on the ceremony itself and on King Seòras’s speech. “We are honored by the chance to join our family to that of Glassraghey and to solidify the bond of peace between our peoples. Dèanadair has truly laid His blessing upon Atìrse, allowing us to seek friendship with our neighbors and lay aside suspicion, and we seek to honor Him in maintaining that peace …”</p><p>Perhaps that was part of the problem. King Seòras had given nearly the same speech a year and a half ago, when Rhona, the third-youngest of the sisters, had been betrothed to Prince Gwynfor of Addewedig. He’d changed some of the details for today, removed some small parts and added others, but much of the flow and wording remained the same. Of course, after having given similar speeches five times before, he was probably running low on new things to say. All the same, Ceana couldn’t help wondering how many others had noticed.</p><p>King Seòras finished his speech, and Lord Pherick began his. “On behalf of Prince Martyn and their majesties, King Austeyn and Queen Mureal, allow me to express the royal family’s joy at this coming union, and their great sorrow that they could not be personally present …”</p><p>Ah. That was another part of the problem—the greatest part, even. The whole ceremony would have been far better if Mirren’s intended were actually here, rather than represented by Lord Pherick. True, Prince Martyn and his family had good reason for their absence. Just the week before, they’d sent a mirror-message to say that several members of the royal household, Prince Martyn included, had fallen gravely ill, and so it would be best if Pherick stood in their stead. Even so, it wasn’t the same, and Mirren really did deserve better.</p><p>A sharp nudge in Ceana’s side warned her that her thoughts were beginning to show—or, at least, that they were visible to Onora, the crown princess and Ceana’s eldest sister, who stood beside her. Ceana hastily recomposed herself. If she couldn’t give Mirren better, she could at least keep from spoiling things further by letting her thoughts show.</p><p>At the front of the chapel, Lord Pherick went on with his speech. “The greatest gift Dèanadair grants any of His people, after the gift of the Path, is the opportunity for each of us to serve our neighbor. And with this union and the greater peace it brings between our lands, so may our two nations more freely partake of this gift …”</p><p>Well, that much was true! And that—the betrothal, not the betrothal ceremony—was the important part. Every betrothal and marriage between Atìrse and her neighbors was another step towards ensuring a friendship between the nations that would, Dèanadair willing, last for generations. Ceana and Mirren, like their sisters, had grown up knowing it would be part of their duty to contribute to this peace—duty and honor both! For what greater service could there be than ensuring peace for one’s people, both in the land of one’s birth and the land of one’s marriage?</p><p>And, technically, they needed none of this pomp to make a betrothal official. Atìrsen law only required that any royal betrothal be finalized in the presence of a certain number of noble witnesses. Making it into a grand affair just provided an opportunity for the nobility who wouldn’t be able to travel for a foreign wedding to show their support for the union. In that respect, today’s ceremony was more than sufficient.</p><p>Lord Pherick finished his speech, and now came Mirren’s turn to speak. She flushed slightly as she began: “I am truly honored to have been accepted as Prince Martyn’s future wife. Though I do not yet know the prince, I know of him, and I look forward to building a life with him that will benefit both Atìrse and Glassraghey and will honor the name of Dèanadair. May His blessings be upon us both and upon our countries.”</p><p>Even with the blush, she delivered her statement well—as she ought, given that she’d practiced it nearly a hundred times last night and made Ceana and Onora listen to most of those repetitions. Onora had privately commented afterwards that she’d felt less nervous about her own wedding than Mirren evidently did about this ceremony—but that was Mirren for you!</p><p>With the speeches now ended, King Seòras, Queen Isla, Lord Pherick, and Mirren all bent and signed the betrothal contract, one after another. Then King Seòras and Lord Pherick shook hands, and Lord Pherick bowed to Mirren. Had Prince Martyn been here, he would have kissed her hand—but he wasn’t, so he couldn’t. With that, the ceremony ended, and King Seòras offered his newly-betrothed daughter his arm to depart the castle chapel for the banquet in the great hall.</p><p>Lord Pherick followed just behind, escorting Queen Isla. Next came the Dowager Queen Moireach, Ceana’s grandmother, leaning on an elegantly carved ivory cane. Then came Onora, escorted by her husband, Prince Alasdair. Ceana brought up the rear of the procession, escortless—for now. Not for long, if she knew her father and mother.</p><p>She stepped outside just in time to see King Seòras give Mirren a quick squeeze of the shoulders, then leave her with Onora and Alasdair as he, the queens, and Lord Pherick moved off to speak together. Now that the ceremony was over, Ceana dropped her formal pace and hurried over to hug Mirren. “Congratulations! How does it feel to be properly betrothed?”</p><p>“A lot like being not-betrothed, so far.” Mirren wrinkled her nose, but returned the hug. “And Glassraghey can still back out.”</p><p>“But they won’t. They want an alliance as much as we do.” Ceana released Mirren, though she kept her arm looped through Mirren’s. “Isn’t that right, Onora?”</p><p>“If Glassraghey changes their mind at this point, it means something has gone very wrong indeed.” Onora raised herself on tiptoe to give her husband a kiss on the cheek, then pushed him in the direction of the main keep. “Go distract anyone who tries to enter the Great Hall, won’t you? That ceremony finished faster than I thought, and I don’t think the servants have had enough time to set up.”</p><p>“Bossy,” Alasdair teased, returning the kiss. “And who’s lord of this castle, I’d like to know?” Nonetheless, he set off towards the keep, walking as if it had been his idea in the first place.</p><p>Onora took Mirren’s other arm. “See what you have to look forward to?” Still, she laughed. “Don’t you worry. Everything will be fine. By all accounts, Prince Martyn is quite taken with what he’s heard of you.”</p><p>Ceana grinned around Mirren. “Oh, your agents afield are keeping track of our allies’ love lives now, are they?”</p><p>“Well, naturally,” Onora replied, raising an eyebrow. “Part of their job—” She paused as a stub-tailed cat darted over to rub himself against her legs. “Oh, bother. Càirdeil, what are you doing out here?” She let go of Mirren’s arm, bent, and scooped up her cat. “As I was saying, part of their job is to find out who would be best suited and most amenable to an alliance so I can advise Athair and Màthair. Should Prince Martyn be infatuated by some local lass, we’d not about send one of you off to marry him.”</p><p>“I’d go anyway,” Mirren murmured, though she didn’t sound entirely certain of her statement. “If I needed to. I’d have every cat in the palace to keep me company if the prince didn’t care to.”</p><p>Càirdeil chose this moment to let out a rumbling meow, as if to say he approved. Onora gave a little shake of her head. “Maybe, but a marriage with nothing between husband and wife is a dishonor to Dèanadair and a disservice to both countries it binds.” She set off towards the keep, and Ceana and Mirren followed her. “I don’t know why we’re fussing over this anyway. I already told you that Prince Martyn fancies you, as much as he can without having met you.”</p><p>“True, you did.” Mirren’s lips quirked upwards. “So if you’re helping Athair and Màthair find marriages for the rest of us, who do you have in mind for Ceana? It’s her turn now.”</p><p>Was it Ceana’s imagination, or did a hint of worry cross Onora’s face? But Onora just shook her head. “What Athair and Màthair have planned is for them to say in their own time. I’ll not spoil the anticipation—not before Mirren’s feast is over!”</p><p>“As if they won’t tell her anyway in a few days!” Mirren protested. “Surely you can tell us.”</p><p>“’Tis theirs to tell, not mine.” As they neared the keep, Onora turned towards the great doors. “I’d best see how the servants are faring. I’m sure Alasdair can only hold the crowd so long. Go mingle, and I’ll see you at the feast.”</p><p>She hurried away, her full skirts swishing around her legs. Ceana and Mirren called farewells after her, then made for the crowd gathering in front of the main doors.</p><p>As soon as they reached its edge, guests started coming forward to offer Mirren their congratulations. Ceana stood politely by her sister, smiling and occasionally nodding or responding to comments made in her direction. But her thoughts were already flown past the feast towards her own future. Tomorrow, she knew, the king and queen would come to her or call her to meet with them so they could tell her who they had in mind for her to marry, just as they’d done for all her sisters.</p><p>But who would it be? That was the thrilling question. Someone from Addewedig to the south or from the Talaschean Kingdoms to the west would be most likely—and that would put her close to either Rhona or Mey. Joining Mey in Talascheal would make sense; they had five royal families there, plus a high king, and that meant plenty of potential matches—and more opportunity for Ceana’s marriage to really mean something. Addewedig had been a strong ally to Atìrse for generations upon generations, but the Talaschean Kingdoms had only recently made a proper alliance. And surely it would be worthwhile to create ties to all five kingdoms?</p><p>With effort, Ceana pulled herself back to the present. Today they celebrated Mirren’s betrothal; she ought to focus on that. She’d have plenty of time to dream later.</p><p>Thankfully, the doors to the Great Hall of the keep opened not long after, signaling the beginning of the feast. The crowd streamed in to find their seats: Mirren in the place of honor between King Seòras and Queen Isla; the rest of the royal family, various Glassraghean representatives, and other particularly important guests arranged around the high table; and the remaining attendees at lower tables according to their rank and where they could find space. King Seòras blessed the meal, thanking Dèanadair for Mirren’s good match and the bonds of friendship forming between Atìrse and Glassraghey.</p><p>And then the servers brought forth the food! The dinner began with thick, savory vegetable and barley stew. Next to the table came every manner of fish, perfectly roasted, some in cream and some in sauce, some on beds of wilted greens and flecked with spices, and some served over crisp-edged potatoes and brushed with parsley sauce. Along with the fish came a splendid venison roast, so tender the meat practically fell off the bone at the first touch of a knife.</p><p>Ceana could have happily finished with the venison and fish—but the servants next brought forth roasted poultry: peacock for the high table and those nearest it, and duck and goose for the rest. One servant slipped Ceana a plate of duck without having to be told, and Ceana gave him a quiet thank-you in return, making a mental note to tell Onora the same later. An occasion like this demanded the fancier peacock meat, which Ceana had never much cared for, but duck prepared by Onora’s cooks was a delight, common fare or not. With the fowl were roasted vegetables and fluffy rolls still warm from the oven, their tops glistening with butter.</p><p>At last, however, only bones remained of the birds, and the servants cleared away the platters, replacing them with trays containing tarts laden with creamy custard and spiced stewed pears. Ceana could only manage one, she felt so full from the rest of the feast, and she couldn’t even touch the accompanying bowls of honeyed plums and candied nuts.</p><p>Yet when the court musicians struck up a tune and King Seòras escorted Mirren down to the floor to open the dancing, Ceana sprang to her feet and hurried down after them. She allowed Onora’s brother-in-law, Evander, to claim her hand for the first dance and set to the steps with as much energy and enthusiasm as she could muster. Failing to dance, after all, would be an insult to her family and to Glassraghey—and it would be bad luck for both her and Mirren, besides.</p><p>She stepped and spun through seven dances before her stomach and legs’ mutual protests convinced her that she had better rest a moment. So, she made her way back to the high table. King Seòras had returned to his seat as well, she noticed, and Lord Arran, along with his wife, had moved up to sit across from him.</p><p>Onora still danced, so Ceana slid into her seat beside the king without hesitation. King Seòras gave her a side-smile as she did, but Lord Arran only nodded and went on with the conversation with barely a break. “Your majesty, with all due respect, I urge you to push for better terms when the treaty with the selkies is renewed. That they should maintain such harsh sanctions over an offense that was old and half-forgotten when our great-grandparents were children is, frankly, ridiculous.”</p><p>“That we refrain from hunting seals is no great hardship, Arran, nor is paying the little they ask.” King Seòras spoke with a tone of weary patience. “We have paid more for safe use of ports in some other lands, and had less good of it.”</p><p>“Your majesty looks far too kindly on such extortion.” Lord Arran’s face was all thin, disapproving lines. “The sea belongs to no one, human or selkie, and it is madness that these seal-folk think they can claim it as their own.”</p><p>“Yet the selkies travel the same routes we use, and they have done so longer than we have. If we can claim the land as ours, I am willing to let them have the sea.” King Seòras shook his head, leaning forward with his arms resting on the table’s edge. “And I have no desire to anger them such that they start attacking our ships again.”</p><p>Lord Arran just scoffed. “Your majesty should have more confidence in your people. The selkies would find us far harder to sink than they have in the past, and I think they would soon learn to leave our ships alone.”</p><p>Ceana stifled a sigh and instead exchanged a sympathetic look with Lord Arran’s wife. Lady Eilidh’s expression suggested that she’d heard this rant too many times before. True, she almost always looked like she were trying and failing to remember what a smile felt like, and her eyes—huge and dark as the storm-tossed sea—frequently held the kind of bone-deep weariness that Ceana mostly associated with grieving mothers. But today, she seemed especially defeated.</p><p>Another day, Ceana might have invited Lady Eilidh to walk and talk with her. Though the lady spoke little, and she struggled when she did speak, she always seemed to appreciate the escape from her husband’s presence. However, today, Ceana needed to sit, so she remained where she was, listening to King Seòras and Lord Arran debate policy and treaties until she’d recovered enough to leave them again and rejoin the dancing.</p><p>The next time she looked towards the high table, Lord Arran had gone, and Queen Isla sat beside King Seòras, leaning into him, her head on his shoulder and his arm around her as if they were still young newlyweds who could be excused such things. Ceana smiled as she saw them and mentally whispered a prayer to Dèanadair asking for that same blessing for Mirren and herself. She knew her parents had met the first time only a few days before they wed, but they had been as determined then as they were now to do right for their countries, and love had sprung from that shared determination like snowdrops after the first spring thaw.</p><p>Someday, that would be her fate. Someday soon, she hoped. Now that only she among all her sisters remained unattached, it was only a matter of time.</p><p>~~~~</p><p>What did you think of that sneak peek? Are you excited to read the rest? Tell me in the comments! (And if you want to find out what happens next, make sure you go <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CBJ3TL61?">order your copy</a>!)<br />Thanks for reading!</p><p><img alt="" class="size-thumbnail wp-image-4292 alignleft" height="94" src="https://tpssarahlightshadows.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/2020_sig_type.png?w=150" width="150" /></p><div class="separator"><div class="separator"> </div></div>Sarah Penningtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com0