October Highlights (In Which I Introduce My New WIP)

HELLO YES SO IT IS OFFICIALLY COLD NOW AND I AM HAPPY. I also managed to survive October somehow and I THINK IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH ALL THE CHOCOLATE (and probably the cold, too)?? (#Halloweenperks)

Also, I finished my first quarter of the school year so YAAY! *throws confetti* (After Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's, I'll be ready for summer, though. 😎)

PHOTO DUMP

I WENT TO SEE MY SACRAMENTO BESTIES!!!! After one night of only six hours of sleep, another of four, and the last one of five, I woke up at three on a Saturday morning, tossed all my belongings into a suitcase, and scurried off to board a red-eye flight.* AND I SURVIVED.

*I make it sound like this trip was a spur-of-the-moment decision, but I promise that IT WAS PLANNED. 😁

Airport breakfast, featuring my carry-on.

A one-and-a-half-hour plane ride and a thirty-minute car ride later, SECOND BREAKFAST (a.k.a. hot cocoa again -- not actually more food -- BECAUSE WHY NOT).

Mid-afternoon, after a brief shopping trip, we ventured out again, this time to Jamba Juice, where another bestie works. And, despite the freezing sixty-degree weather, WE DEVOURED OUR SMOOTHIES WITH PRIDE.

Sunday morning, we went to church; that afternoon, we went to a coffee shop, and in the evening, we had a Bible study on creation.

Three out of five of our "froofy" coffees. 😏

Monday (my last day in Sac! *sniffles*), two of us explored another coffee shop (we might have a problem 😂).

Pardon the lighting. Coffee shops and my camera carry a bit of a feud. 😉

Monday evening, three of us went out for sorbet/gelato, sat by a fountain, and just talked. 💗

Tuesday morning, another airport, another red-eye flight. PLUS ANOTHER CALL FOR MORE SUGAR COFFEE.

On the plus side, THERE WERE LIKE, FIFTEEN OTHER PEOPLE ON THE PLANE. #score

This is my "yeeessss! I'm sitting alone!" face... featuring a Harvard sweatshirt that I picked up at a Downtown Sac second-hand store.
(Nope, I'm not actually going to Harvard. I was cold and I'd packed insensibly. 😜)

Caraval by Stephanie Garber, my travelling companion. 🌝

The weekend after (last weekend, in fact 😀), we went to church at one of our desert congregations, where a family friend was holding a gospel meeting. 🙂

Here is a picture of a pile of boulders... it was much more impressive in real life, I promise. 😂

READING CORNER

NOW FOR THE GOOD STUFF.

1. Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn [DNF]. This just wasn't my groove, man. I REALLY thought that I would like it, but... the main character was hardly in it?? I mean, I only read nineteen pages of it, but it felt like every other character was getting screen time but her?? IT WAS JUST SUPER CONFUSING, BRO.

2. Dandelion Dust by Faith L. Potts [4.5/5]. I owe this one a review!!!! (It's coming, Faith, I promise!) I won't say much just yet, but... I laughed. I cried. I loved this book to bits. 💜

3. The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry [DNF]. Such a large ratio of DNFs, this month! This one... I gave it seventy pages (which is a lot, when I'm considering DNFing a book). BUT THE WAY THE TOPIC OF JESUS WAS HANDLED. It made me so squirmy! The Passion of Dolssa is based on Spanish history, so apparently peeps back then considered Jesus their actual spouse?! Eeeew, no. I don't want to think of Jesus the way the characters did, and I doubt he wants it much, either! o_O I'd like to keep my relationship with Him based on the love He -- and the writing in the Bible -- express, thank you very much.

4. Caraval by Stephanie Garber [4.5/5]. I really, really, really liked this book! I did have some issues with it, but otherwise, it was magical. AND I NEED LEGENDARY RIGHT NOW!!!!

MUSIC ROOM

Lots of Owl City. Lots and lots and LOTS of Owl City. 😄

And TAYLOR SWIFT'S NEW ALBUM IS COMING OUT IN SIX DAYS!!!! *fangirls* Out of the four singles she's released thus far, Call It What You Want has to be my favorite! ...BUT I NEED THE WHOLE ALBUM.

WRITING DESK

Last month, I mentioned the possibility of doing NaNoWriMo. That's... not happening. November is just far too crazy for me to take on writing 50k in thirty days, this year.

But... the novel I'd considered for NaNo is going to be written. Which brings me to Because of Midnight Poison.

The past month or two, I've been struggling to write BoMP, to find the inspiration -- the joy -- in telling Jayna's story. This month, I realized that Jayna's story is not my story -- at least not now. When I first began developing Because of Midnight Poison, it was a story very near and dear to me. But now, there's a story that's weighing heavy on my heart, and it's a story I feel would greater glorify God. It's the sort of story I believe this world needs. It's called The Scent of the Stars.

I know that a lot of you have been rooting for me and Because of Midnight Poison, and I am so very grateful. 💜 I have no plans to abandon my Snow White retelling, -- and I won't be giving up -- but it's not for Five Poisoned Apples. It's a story that, perhaps, within a few years, I might return to. But it's not for the here and now.

I want "to sit down at a typewriter and bleed", something I haven't done in ages. And The Scent of the Stars is something I'm very passionate about: it's is about abortion. It's about the value of each individual human. It's about what it means to be human. It's about purpose. It's about courage. And it's about faith.

I'll be certain to share more with you about TSotS over the next few months, and I'm ecstatic for this new journey; I hope you'll join me on it! If you'd like to learn more about TSotS, click here. 💖

November/December Goal: Outline TSotS.

Current/Overall Goal: Finish draft one by spring 2018.

OCTOBER BLOG ROLL

ELSEWHERE IN THE BLOGOSPHERE

• Cait @ Paper Fury is getting published!!!!
• Author Hayden Wand started blogging at Leatherbound AND YOU SHOULD TOTALLY GO FOLLOW HER THERE! 💕
• Felicity @ Poems, Prayers, & Promises is engaged!! *squeals* Aaah! Congrats, girl!
• Martin Hospitality by Abigayle Claire is a 2017 Readers' Favorite Honorable Mention! *tackle-hugs* Congratulations, Abi!!!!
• The cover/title reveal for Nadine Brandes's new book is happening in NINE DAYS!

Q&A: THE BOOKISH TAG

A huge hug and thanks to Shantelle @ Between the Pages of This Bookish Life for tagging me for The Bookish Tag!

1. WHAT BOOK HAS BEEN ON YOUR SHELF THE LONGEST?

Uummm... I don't know! *hides* I've had my own library since before I was born, SO I BASICALLY HAVE NO CLUE. 🙈

2. WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT READ, YOUR LAST READ, AND THE BOOK YOU'LL READ NEXT?

Current reads: A Time to Speak by Nadine Brandes and Night by Elie Wiesel.

Last read: Caraval by Stephanie Garber.

Next-ish read: A Time to Rise by Nadine Brandes.

3. WHAT BOOK DID EVERYONE LIKE, BUT YOU HATED?

Pride & Prejudice. *hides* I love the characters and storyline, but the book just isn't my thing!

4. WHAT BOOK DO YOU KEEP TELLING YOURSELF YOU'LL READ, BUT YOU PROBABLY WON'T?

Ha. Ha. Hahahahaha. EVERY BOOK EVER. Like Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Chronicles of Pyradin. 😬

5. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU SAVING FOR RETIREMENT?

'Kay, I take that back. I probably WILL read Lord of the Rings... I'm just "saving" it "for retirement". 😜

6. LAST PAGE: READ IT FIRST, OR WAIT 'TIL THE END?

HOW IS THERE EVEN A QUESTION?! NEVER read the last page first! 😱

7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: WASTE OF PAPER AND INK, OR INTERESTING ASIDE?

To be honest, I always read the acknowledgements twice: once before reading, and again, after I've finished. 😅

8. WHICH BOOK CHARACTER WOULD YOU SWITCH PLACES WITH?

I'm thinking Zara from Sun & Moon by Desiree Williams. Because Jaedon reasons. 😉

9. DO YOU HAVE A BOOK THAT REMINDS YOU OF SOMETHING SPECIFIC IN YOUR LIFE (I.E. PLACE, TIME, PERSON...)?

Oh-so-many! Heartless (Anne Elisabeth Stengl) reminds me of springtime, The Healer's Apprentice (Melanie Dickerson) reminds me of summer, and Ella Enchanted reminds me of summer becoming autumn. 😊

10. NAME A BOOK THAT YOU ACQUIRED IN AN INTERESTING WAY.

At #RealmMakers2017, Jill Williamson provided the Teen Track with free copies of Replication: the Jason Experiment!

11. HAVE YOU EVER GIVEN A BOOK AWAY FOR A SPECIAL REASON TO A SPECIAL PERSON?

For her birthday, I gave a bestie a copy of Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier. There is such a strong theme of hope woven throughout (plus it's just an overall fantabulous book 😃)!

12. WHICH BOOK HAS BEEN WITH YOU THE MOST PLACES?

The Old River Road by Ivy Rose, hands down! I've taken it everywhere. It was the first signed book I ever owned, so I was rather eager to keep it with me (backpack, purse, bedside...). 😄 I'm still not one to part with it. 😉

13. ANY REQUIRED READING YOU HATED IN HIGH SCHOOL, BUT WASN'T SO BAD LATER?

I'm still in high school, and I've determined that every book for high school required reading is terrible. So there. 😜

14. USED OR BRAND NEW?

Liv says brand new. Her wallet says used.

15. HAVE YOU EVER READ A DAN BROWN BOOK?

Who's that?

16. HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A MOVIE YOU LIKED MORE THAN THE BOOK?

Mockingjay (parts one and two)! I kinda slugged through the book, BUT BRO. THOSE MOVIES, THOUGH. 😻

17. HAVE YOU EVER READ A BOOK THAT MADE YOU HUNGRY (COOKBOOKS INCLUDED)?

The entire Harry Potter series (J.K. Rowling), and Red's Untold Tale by Wendy Toliver!

18. WHO IS THE PERSON WHOSE BOOK ADVICE YOU'LL ALWAYS TAKE?

Ashlee Willis @ Finding the True Fairytale! Her books are SO good, I'm sure that I'd love any book she'd recommend. 😁

19. IS THERE A BOOK OUTSIDE OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE (I.E. YOUR USUAL READING GENRE) THAT YOU ENDED UP LOVING?

Ending Fear by Deanna Fugett! I already knew Deanna, and she's such an amazing person that I knew I'd just need to read her book... AND IT WAS AMAZING. 😍 I'm SO ready for Living Brave!

Thanks so much for bearing with me through this freakishly long post, Dragons! Lord willing, I'll see y'all again on Monday, with a tour stop for T.J. Akers's The Final Paladin! 🙂

Tell me, Dragons! Are you doing NaNoWriMo, this year? What's your current WIP?

❤,