I seem to have disappeared off the Internet/been MIA for at least the past month. A lot of crazy things happened this summer, so time was taken up and I haven't checked on the writing side of the interwebs for a bit...
But not anymore! Here's what I've been up to:
1. PitchWars!
I've been hearing about PitchWars for quite a while, and this year, I finally decided to go for it. PitchWars is a contest where unagented, unpublished writers pitch to agented/published authors, who pick a favorite manuscript that they'd like to "mentor" for the next few weeks, to get ready for the agent round. It all sounds very exciting! Fingers crossed for everyone who entered! (mentor picks come September 3rd)
2. Books I'm excited about
It's fall, so there's always, ALWAYS exciting books this season. For me, here are the three releases I'm most excited about.
Falling into Place by Amy Zhang
The premise of this book is just....A story told from the distant perspective of a childhood imaginary friend? That alone makes me want to crawl in my blankets and clutch my heart for fear of the inevitable feels. It's like that time I watched the trailer (the trailer!!!!) of The Blind Side and sobbed my eyes out. I've heard that the story is great, the writing is beautiful, and I know in my gut that this is going to be a novel with incredible emotional power. Highly, highly anticipated.
The Jewel by Amy Ewing
The Selection meets The Handmaid's Tale? Yesss. I am such a sucker for palace stories. And when palaces are combined with hints of a darker edge (a la Handmaid's Tale), it sounds like the perfect novel to me.
GET THIS. Here's a line from the blurb:
"Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life."
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Last, but *definitely* not least. It's been a year since Crown of Midnight came out and I'm so, so stoked to follow Celaena's journey as she goes to Wendlyn (A whole new world and tightwire stakes. 'Nuff said.). I've been hearing SO many good things (I've heard some fabulous characters come into the series) and I can't wait for more of Sarah Maas's brilliance! (If you follow this blog, you'll find me gushing about her books. A lot.)
3. Music
Lately I've been obsessed with Arstíðir for my writing music. They have slow, thoughtful songs, with beautiful lyrics and harmonies. Their songs Ljóð í sand and Lost In You are my personal favorites (when I first heard Lost in You on my radio, my jaw legit dropped open).
Other songs I've been listening to on repeat lately:
